Psalm 10 1

Psalm 10:1 kjv

Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

Psalm 10:1 nkjv

Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide in times of trouble?

Psalm 10:1 niv

Why, LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Psalm 10:1 esv

Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Psalm 10:1 nlt

O LORD, why do you stand so far away?
Why do you hide when I am in trouble?

Psalm 10 verses

Psalm 10 1 Meaning

Psalm 10:1 expresses a deeply felt lament and questioning addressed to the Lord (YHWH). The psalmist, likely a righteous individual enduring hardship or witnessing injustice, articulates a profound sense of God's absence and unresponsiveness during a time of acute trouble. It is a cry of bewilderment and pain, asking why God seems distant and hidden when His presence and intervention are most desperately needed. This verse encapsulates the common human experience of spiritual wrestling when divine help appears to be withheld.

Psalm 10 1 Context

Psalm 10 directly follows Psalm 9, forming a linked pair that contrasts God's righteous judgment against the wicked (Ps 9) with the Psalmist's current perplexing experience of God's seeming inaction in the face of ongoing wickedness and oppression (Ps 10). While Psalm 9 celebrates divine intervention and justice, Psalm 10 grapples with the troubling reality of the wicked prospering and the righteous suffering, prompting the psalmist's urgent questions. The historical context is often one of generalized distress where the vulnerable (the poor, the afflicted, the orphan, the meek mentioned later in the Psalm) are exploited by arrogant and impious individuals, and God appears to be silent or remote during these "times of trouble." This is a lament, expressing deep anguish and confusion, while still retaining faith in the very God being questioned.

Psalm 10 1 Word analysis

• Why, O Lord, (Lāmāh YHWH):

  • Why (Lāmāh): This interrogative particle expresses a cry of bewildered frustration and protest, rather than a mere request for information. It is often found at the beginning of laments, conveying deep anguish, confusion, and a challenge to God's apparent inactivity or silence.
  • O Lord (YHWH): Addressing God by His covenant name signifies a personal relationship and trust. Even in questioning His absence, the psalmist appeals to the God who has revealed Himself as faithful and active in Israel's history. It is a bold, yet reverent, complaint to the One expected to deliver.

• do you stand far away? (taʿamōḏ bᵉrāḥōq?):

  • do you stand (taʿamōḏ): From the verb ʿamad (to stand). It implies a posture of remaining, waiting, or being still. Here, it suggests an intentional distancing, as if God has taken up a position of non-involvement.
  • far away (bᵉrāḥōq): Literally "in the distance" or "at a distance." This vivid imagery describes God as geographically or relationally remote, emotionally detached, or strategically removed from the unfolding crisis. It communicates a feeling of abandonment and isolation for the sufferer.

• Why do you hide yourself (Lāmāh taʿalîm):

  • Why (Lāmāh): The repetition emphasizes the psalmist's profound distress and the dual nature of God's perceived withdrawal – both distance and concealment.
  • do you hide yourself (taʿalîm): From the root ʿālam (to conceal, be hidden). This signifies God's perceived unresponsiveness or unseeing. His "face" (symbolic of His favor, presence, or direct attention) is hidden, preventing the sufferer from finding comfort or seeing His intervention. It's not just distance, but an active hiding, making God inaccessible.

• in times of trouble? (bāʿittōṯ baṣṣārāh):

  • in times of trouble (bāʿittōṯ baṣṣārāh): ʿittōt refers to "times" or "seasons," indicating specific periods of crisis. tsārāh (trouble, distress, anguish) denotes a state of extreme pressure, confinement, or great difficulty. It is often translated as affliction, tribulation, or anguish. The psalmist asks why God chooses precisely these moments of most dire need to seem absent.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Why, O Lord... Why...?": The direct, rhetorical double question immediately establishes the genre of lament and the emotional core of the psalm: profound confusion, distress, and a plea to God for explanation and intervention in His apparent inaction. This repetition underscores the intensity of the psalmist's internal conflict and bewilderment.
  • "do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself?": This parallelism amplifies the sense of divine withdrawal. "Standing far away" suggests physical distance or emotional detachment, a passive lack of engagement. "Hiding oneself" implies a more active, intentional concealment or a deliberate refusal to reveal oneself or act. Together, these phrases depict God as unapproachable and unresponsive at a time when His presence is most desperately sought.
  • "in times of trouble": This phrase pinpoints the precise context of the complaint. It's not just any time, but specifically when suffering is acute and help is most critical that God's perceived absence is keenly felt and questioned. This highlights the paradox for the believer: the one true source of help seems unavailable when needed most.

Psalm 10 1 Bonus section

The rhetorical questions of Psalm 10:1 imply a profound theological tension that is central to the laments: God is good and just, yet injustice abounds and He often appears silent. This psalm doesn't resolve the tension with an immediate answer but provides a divine allowance for expressing this very struggle. The very act of asking "Why?" demonstrates an enduring faith that believes God is indeed present and capable of answering, even if His reasons or timing are currently incomprehensible. It is a bold act of covenantal relationship, holding God to His character. The lament structure (complaint, plea for help, expression of trust) reflects that while the psalmist struggles with God's seeming distance, ultimate faith in His character and power remains.

Psalm 10 1 Commentary

Psalm 10:1 encapsulates the core cry of biblical lament. It is a raw expression of perplexity and pain, addressing the sovereign Lord not as a distant deity, but as one with whom the psalmist has an intimate, albeit currently strained, covenant relationship. The question "Why?" is not an intellectual query about God's metaphysics, but an agonizing cry from the depths of personal or communal suffering, demanding divine accountability for His perceived silence. The twin images of God "standing far away" and "hiding Himself" powerfully convey the desolation felt when God's presence, help, and justice seem inaccessible during times of intense distress. This verse legitimizes believers' cries of anguish and doubt to God Himself, demonstrating that authentic faith can wrestle openly with the incomprehensibility of suffering and divine inaction without abandoning the relationship. It's a testament to the psalmist's deep-seated belief in God's existence and His ultimate responsibility for the world, even when that responsibility seems unmet from a human perspective. It invites us to trust that even in such honest questioning, God is listening and remains Lord.