Psalm 10:12 kjv
Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
Psalm 10:12 nkjv
Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble.
Psalm 10:12 niv
Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.
Psalm 10:12 esv
Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted.
Psalm 10:12 nlt
Arise, O LORD!
Punish the wicked, O God!
Do not ignore the helpless!
Psalm 10 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 3:7 | Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For You strike all my enemies... | Plea for God to act and deliver |
| Psa 7:6 | Arise, O LORD, in Your anger... lift Yourself up against the fury of my foes... | Call for God's indignant action against enemies |
| Psa 9:12 | For He who avenges blood remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the afflicted. | God's inherent remembrance and vengeance for the suffering |
| Psa 12:5 | "Because of the devastation of the poor, because of the groaning of the needy, now I will arise," says the LORD... | God's declaration of His impending action for the needy |
| Psa 34:17 | The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. | God hears and acts upon the cries of His people |
| Psa 35:23 | Stir up Yourself, and awake to my justice... My God and my Lord! | Direct appeal for God to engage for justice |
| Psa 44:26 | Rise up; help us, And redeem us for Your mercies’ sake. | Petition for divine assistance and redemption |
| Psa 58:11 | So that men will say, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely there is a God who judges on earth." | God's ultimate role as judge on earth |
| Psa 68:1 | Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; Let those who hate Him flee before Him. | Powerful declaration of God rising for victory |
| P78:42 | They did not remember His power, The day when He redeemed them from the oppressor, Nor His signs in Egypt. | Forgetting God's powerful hand in deliverance |
| Psa 89:13 | You have a mighty arm; Your hand is strong, and Your right hand is exalted. | Describes God's mighty and exalted power |
| Psa 116:6 | The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. | God's preservation and salvation of the humble |
| Psa 132:1 | LORD, remember David and all his afflictions... | Plea for God to remember and consider actions/suffering |
| Psa 145:19 | He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. | God hears and acts for those who fear Him |
| Exod 2:23-25 | The cry of the people of Israel went up to God... and God remembered His covenant... God saw the people... and God knew their condition. | God remembers and responds to the oppression of His people |
| Isa 49:15-16 | "Can a woman forget her nursing child... Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you." | God's unwavering commitment to not forget His people |
| Isa 59:1 | Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. | Affirmation of God's power and ability to intervene |
| Jer 14:10 | "Thus says the LORD concerning this people... He will now remember their iniquity and punish their sins." | God remembers and acts on sins (in contrast to not forgetting humble) |
| Hab 1:2-3 | O LORD, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, "Violence!" And You will not save? | Prophet's lament for apparent divine inaction amidst injustice |
| Jas 2:5 | Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom...? | God's special regard and choice for the poor/humble |
| Rev 6:10 | They cried out with a loud voice, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood...?" | Martyred saints' cry for God's righteous judgment |
Psalm 10 verses
Psalm 10 12 Meaning
Psalm 10:12 is a fervent and urgent plea to God from the psalmist, imploring Him to act decisively against the wicked who oppress the innocent. It calls upon God, identified by both His covenant name "LORD" and His powerful title "God," to rise up, to assert His divine power ("lift up Your hand"), and specifically not to overlook or abandon the humble and afflicted who are suffering. It expresses a deep trust that God's remembrance of His vulnerable people will manifest in tangible intervention and justice.
Psalm 10 12 Context
Psalm 10 portrays a vivid contrast between the wicked, who are arrogant, self-sufficient, deny God, and oppress the vulnerable, and the humble and afflicted, who are their victims. The psalmist begins by questioning God's apparent hiddenness and inaction in the face of such evil (v. 1). He then details the character and deeds of the wicked: their boasting, greed, contempt for God, and their schemes against the poor and weak (vv. 2-11). The wicked confidently believe that God "will not remember" or "has forgotten" them (vv. 4, 11). Verse 12 serves as the desperate turning point, a fervent intercessory prayer where the psalmist appeals directly to God to shatter this illusion of the wicked. It is a climactic cry for divine intervention and justice, immediately followed by the psalmist's renewed confidence in God's ultimate reign and justice for the oppressed (vv. 13-18). Historically, this Psalm resonates with the experiences of God's people throughout various periods when they faced internal corruption or external oppression, seemingly without immediate divine vindication, prompting appeals for God's active presence and remembrance of His covenant.
Psalm 10 12 Word analysis
- "Arise," (קוּמָה - qumah): This is an imperative verb, a forceful command or urgent plea. It signifies a transition from perceived inactivity or hiddenness (as suggested in v. 1, "Why do You stand afar off, O LORD?") to active intervention. It's a call for God to manifest His power and take action, much like a commander giving an order.
- "O LORD;" (יְהוָה - Yahweh): This is God's covenant name, emphasizing His personal relationship with His people and His faithfulness to His promises. The psalmist appeals to God's inherent character as the covenant-keeping God.
- "O God," (אֵל - El): This is a general Hebrew term for God, emphasizing His divine might, supremacy, and transcendence. Its inclusion alongside "Yahweh" amplifies the psalmist's invocation, appealing to both God's relational commitment and His infinite power.
- "lift up Your hand!" (נְשָׂא יָדֶךָ - n'sa yadekha): This is an idiom. "Lift up" (n'sa) means to raise or carry. "Your hand" (yadekha) symbolizes power, authority, action, judgment, and deliverance. It implies God revealing His strength not just conceptually, but tangibly through decisive action against injustice. It contrasts with the idea of God being "hidden" or "standing afar off."
- "Do not forget" (אַל-תִּשְׁכַּח - al-tishkach): This is a negative imperative, a strong and urgent request. The wicked assert in verse 11 that "God has forgotten," but the psalmist counter-pleads for God to actively remember. Biblical "forgetting" here means neglect or ceasing to care or act; conversely, "remembering" implies active concern leading to intervention and justice.
- "the humble." (עֲנָוִים - anavim): This term refers to the meek, the afflicted, the oppressed, the poor, or the lowly. These are individuals who are not powerful in human terms but are often those who rely on God and are subject to the cruelty of the wicked. This term encapsulates the very people Psalm 10 portrays as suffering under the wicked's hands.
Word-group analysis:
- "Arise, O LORD; O God,": This double invocation demonstrates the psalmist's urgent and profound appeal, invoking both God's covenant fidelity (Yahweh) and His omnipotent might (El), calling for Him to become actively present and responsive.
- "lift up Your hand! Do not forget": This powerfully links God's active, manifested power with His remembrance and compassionate care for the oppressed. The active display of divine power is directly equated with God demonstrating that He has not forgotten those who are suffering. It challenges the wicked's perception of divine indifference and confirms the psalmist's hope in divine justice.
Psalm 10 12 Bonus section
- Anthropomorphism: The phrase "lift up Your hand" is an example of anthropomorphism, attributing a human physical action to God to describe His active involvement and power in human affairs, making His actions comprehensible.
- Contrast with Wicked's Perception: This verse directly refutes the wicked's repeated thought, "God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see it" (v. 11), by imploring God to not forget and to actively display His sight and power. This serves as a strong polemic against the secular, godless mindset presented in the earlier verses.
- God's Sovereignty and Timing: While a desperate plea for immediate action, the psalmist's faith is not predicated on God acting on his timeline, but rather on God's unwavering character. It anticipates the eventual revelation of divine justice in God's perfect timing.
- Heart of the Righteous: The prayer reflects the burdened heart of those who love God and long to see His righteousness displayed in a world rife with injustice. It is a model for believers crying out to God when wickedness seems to triumph.
- Connection between Remembrance and Action: In biblical thought, for God to "remember" means not just to recall a fact, but to take responsive action based on that remembrance, particularly in the context of covenants or distress. Therefore, "Do not forget" is synonymous with "Do not fail to act."
Psalm 10 12 Commentary
Psalm 10:12 is the turning point in a psalm lamenting the unchecked arrogance of the wicked and their oppression of the vulnerable. It articulates the deep yearning of the faithful for God's manifest justice. After detailing the seemingly unhindered evil, the psalmist reaches a climax of prayer, refusing to accept the wicked's premise that God is inactive or forgetful. The fervent imperatives — "Arise," "lift up," "do not forget" — underscore a robust faith that knows God’s character as righteous and just, despite outward appearances of His hiddenness. It’s a bold and persistent cry for God to vindicate His own name by intervening for those who bear His image and are being unjustly treated. This prayer does not doubt God's ability, but pleads for His action, trusting that His active "remembrance" will ultimately secure justice for the downtrodden, silencing the wicked who blasphemously assert divine indifference. It reinforces the biblical principle that God indeed cares deeply for the afflicted and will ultimately act on their behalf.