Psalm 10 17

Psalm 10:17 kjv

LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

Psalm 10:17 nkjv

LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear,

Psalm 10:17 niv

You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

Psalm 10:17 esv

O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

Psalm 10:17 nlt

LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.

Psalm 10 verses

Psalm 10 17 Meaning

Psalm 10:17 conveys the psalmist's profound trust in the character of the Lord amidst apparent divine inaction against the wicked. It affirms that the Lord intimately knows and responds to the unexpressed, heartfelt yearnings of those who are oppressed and humble. He does not merely perceive their cries but actively empowers their inner being and bends down to attentively heed their prayers. This verse encapsulates the dual aspects of divine awareness and active, compassionate intervention for the suffering.

Psalm 10 17 Context

Psalm 10 portrays the oppressive nature and arrogant self-sufficiency of the wicked. The psalm begins with a lament asking "Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?" (Ps 10:1). The psalmist details how the wicked ambush, slander, and disregard God, believing they will never be moved (Ps 10:2-11). They persecute the afflicted and deny divine justice. Verse 12 is a direct plea for God to rise and remember the afflicted. Amidst this prayer for intervention and description of the wicked's unchecked behavior, verse 17 marks a pivotal shift. It transitions from a description of human wickedness and lament to a declaration of confidence in God's character and His eventual righteous response. This verse serves as a beacon of hope and affirmation of divine justice within a psalm deeply troubled by injustice. The historical context for such psalms often reflects periods of social inequity and unpunished oppression, where the righteous faced tribulation from powerful, godless individuals or groups.

Psalm 10 17 Word analysis

• O Lord (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the tetragrammaton, the personal, covenant name of God. Its use here emphasizes His faithfulness, unchanging nature, and personal relationship with His people, even when He seems distant. It evokes His supreme authority and His historical acts of redemption.
• You hear (שָׁמַע, shama): This Hebrew verb signifies more than just physical perception of sound. It implies attentive listening, understanding, and often, an intention to respond or obey. In a divine context, it carries the nuance of active regard and eventual intervention. God is not merely aware; He comprehends the depth of suffering and will act upon it.
• the desire (תַּאֲוָה, ta'avah): This word denotes deep longing, yearning, or inner prompting. It's often used for a strong appetite or craving. Here, it refers to the unspoken groans, the unarticulated pleas, or the profound spiritual yearning of the suffering. It's not necessarily a loud cry but the heart's deepest longing, which God nonetheless discerns.
• of the afflicted (עָנָו, anav): This term describes the humble, lowly, poor, or oppressed. These are often the socially marginalized, those who are meek and righteous, stripped of human means of defense, and whose sole reliance is upon God. This is not self-pity, but a state of dependency often caused by injustice. The plural "afflicted" signifies a community of sufferers.
• You will strengthen (כּוּן, kun): Literally "to establish," "to make firm," or "to prepare." This verb speaks of divine impartation of stability, firmness, and inner resilience. It suggests God grants fortitude and endurance in the face of tribulation, rather than immediately removing the affliction. It is a work of establishing internal courage and steadfastness.
• their heart (לֵב, lev): In biblical thought, the "heart" encompasses the entirety of a person's inner being—their will, emotions, intellect, and conscience. To strengthen the heart is to strengthen their resolve, moral fortitude, spiritual resilience, and courage. It's an internal renewal that affects their whole disposition.
• You will incline (נָטָה, natah): This verb means to stretch out, to bend, or to turn. It is a striking anthropomorphism depicting God lowering Himself or bending down. It illustrates His personal and intimate attention, as if physically leaning in to catch every whisper or inner thought of the afflicted. It signifies extreme attentiveness and proximity.
• Your ear (אֹזֶן, ozen): The ear, as the organ of hearing, signifies readiness and capacity to listen. When combined with "incline," it paints a picture of intense focus, showing God's readiness not just to hear, but to receive, consider, and respond to the deepest "desires" of His suffering children.

Words-group Analysis

• "You hear the desire of the afflicted": This phrase highlights God's supernatural discernment. He perceives not just vocalized prayers, but the silent, desperate longings of the humble. It underscores divine omniscience and empathy, indicating a profound understanding of inner pain that human words often fail to convey. This counters the wicked's belief that God is ignorant or indifferent (Ps 10:11).
• "You will strengthen their heart": This refers to God's active, empowering response. His hearing leads to a restorative action, providing inner fortitude, courage, and perseverance. It's a divine endowment of resilience, enabling the afflicted to maintain their hope and integrity despite their hardships, thereby preventing them from succumbing to despair or doubt.
• "You will incline Your ear": This powerful imagery emphasizes God's deliberate, close, and personal attentiveness. It suggests a leaning-in gesture, conveying intimacy, compassion, and a readiness to engage with the afflicted's petition. This imagery stands in stark contrast to the distant or hidden God perceived earlier in the psalm (Ps 10:1). It assures that no whisper or unexpressed pain is too faint for the Almighty to hear.

Psalm 10 17 Bonus section

• The shift from lament to confident declaration in Psalm 10:17 indicates the psalmist's journey from questioning God's apparent absence to affirming His active presence and benevolent character. This trust in God's hearing and strengthening enables perseverance in faith even when deliverance is not immediate.
• The emphasis on God hearing the desire (unspoken longing) of the afflicted speaks to the depth of divine understanding. It implies that God understands pain and need even when one cannot articulate it, providing comfort that silent anguish is not ignored.
• The concept of God strengthening the "heart" (inner being) is vital. It points to an inner spiritual resilience that is distinct from external deliverance. This spiritual fortification prepares believers to endure trials and stand firm in their faith, aligning with themes of Christian endurance in persecution.
• The anthropomorphism of "incline Your ear" serves not just as poetic language, but as a vivid illustration of God's immense condescension and boundless compassion for the downtrodden, demonstrating a personal care that far transcends any human model of empathy.

Psalm 10 17 Commentary

Psalm 10:17 is a declarative statement of faith, profoundly comforting for the suffering. It directly contradicts the wicked's arrogant assumption that God neither sees nor cares (Ps 10:11). The verse reveals God as the faithful covenant Lord (YHWH) who is intimately attentive to the ta'avah, the deep, unspoken groanings, of the anav, the humble and oppressed. This isn't just a passive reception of sound but an active engagement where God discerns the heart's truest desire, often born out of extreme duress. This divine perception leads directly to an act of empowering internal fortitude – strengthening their "heart," which represents their entire being. God provides the inner stability and courage necessary for the afflicted to persevere, rather than always immediately removing the affliction itself. Finally, the imagery of God "inclining His ear" emphasizes His deliberate and personal closeness, countering any sense of divine remoteness. It assures that His justice and compassion are always in operation, ensuring that the cry of the oppressed will never go unheard or unaddressed.