Psalm 10:5 kjv
His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
Psalm 10:5 nkjv
His ways are always prospering; Your judgments are far above, out of his sight; As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
Psalm 10:5 niv
His ways are always prosperous; your laws are rejected by him; he sneers at all his enemies.
Psalm 10:5 esv
His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
Psalm 10:5 nlt
Yet they succeed in everything they do.
They do not see your punishment awaiting them.
They sneer at all their enemies.
Psalm 10 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 10:4 | The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek God... | The wicked's lack of seeking God |
| Ps 37:7 | Fret not yourself because of the one who prospers in his way... | Righteous struggle with wicked's prosperity |
| Ps 73:3-8 | For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pains in their death, but their body is plump. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment. Their eyes bulge out through fatness; they have all they could wish for. They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. | Extensive description of wicked's perceived ease |
| Jer 12:1-2 | Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all treacherous people thrive? You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit; you are near in their mouth and far from their heart. | Questioning God's allowance of wicked prosperity |
| Job 21:7 | Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power? | Job's similar lament regarding the wicked |
| Eccl 8:11 | Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. | Delayed justice fuels wickedness |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | Warning against the pride described in Ps 10:5 |
| Prov 21:24 | "Haughty" is the name of the arrogant man who acts with insolent pride. | Characterization of arrogant individuals |
| Prov 28:12 | When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves. | Contrast with wicked rule |
| Isa 55:8-9 | "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." | God's transcendent and unfathomable ways |
| Mal 3:13-15 | "Your words have been hard against me," says the Lord... "It is useless to serve God. What profit is it that we have kept his charge...?" So now we call the arrogant blessed. Wickedness prospers... | Similar questioning of God's justice by unfaithful |
| Rom 1:21-22 | For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools... | Spiritual blindness of those who disregard God |
| Rom 1:28 | And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. | Consequence of refusing to acknowledge God |
| Rom 2:4-5 | Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience...? Do you not know that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath... | God's patience perceived as inaction |
| Rom 3:18 | "There is no fear of God before their eyes." | Describes the underlying attitude of the wicked |
| Heb 4:13 | And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. | Direct refutation of "out of his sight" |
| 1 Pet 4:18 | And "if the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" | Inevitable judgment for the ungodly |
| Jude 1:16 | These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they speak arrogantly... flattering people for their own advantage. | Traits of wicked people |
| 2 Pet 2:3 | And in their greed these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words... Their condemnation has long been impending, and their destruction is not asleep. | Warning of delayed but certain judgment |
| 2 Pet 3:8-9 | But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you... | Explains God's timing and patience |
| Rev 20:12 | And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened... And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. | Ultimate and comprehensive judgment |
Psalm 10 verses
Psalm 10 5 Meaning
Psalm 10:5 vividly describes the arrogant mindset and perceived success of the wicked oppressor. He believes his ways are always prosperous and unwavering, seeing himself immune to divine retribution. He dismisses God's justice, imagining it is far off and hidden from his accountability. Furthermore, he treats all his adversaries, whether righteous individuals or those God might raise against him, with utter contempt and disdain, secure in his self-proclaimed dominance.
Psalm 10 5 Context
Psalm 10 is a lament where the psalmist appeals to God regarding the pervasive evil of the wicked in the world. The chapter details the wicked man's arrogance, self-sufficiency, greed, violence, and contempt for God and for the vulnerable. Verse 5 is part of this extended description of the wicked, specifically highlighting his internal beliefs about his unfailing success and his utter dismissal of divine accountability. Historically, this type of wicked oppressor was a common sight in the ancient world, often a powerful individual who exploited the poor and weak, operating under the assumption that their power, not justice or divine law, governed their reality. The psalmist expresses deep distress over this apparent unchecked evil and God's perceived absence or delay in intervention, crying out for God to act and reveal His justice.
Psalm 10 5 Word analysis
His ways are always prosperous (דְּרָכָיו יָחִילוּ בְּכָל־עֵת - d'rakav yachilu b'khol-et):
- דְּרָכָיו (d'rakav): "His ways," from דֶּרֶךְ (derekh), meaning "way," "path," "course of life," "conduct." Refers to his actions, plans, and overall trajectory. It is about his chosen mode of operation and lifestyle.
- יָחִילוּ (yachilu): "prosper," "flourish." From the root חול (chul). While the root can mean "to writhe" or "be in labor," in the Hiphil or certain Qal usages, it strongly conveys "to thrive," "to be strong," or "to succeed," which fits the context of the wicked's perceived continuous good fortune. This is the wicked man's perception of his condition, not necessarily divine blessing.
- בְּכָל־עֵת (b'khol-et): "at all times," "always," "without fail." This phrase emphasizes the wicked man's unwavering conviction in his perpetual success and immunity from reversal. He sees no end to his good fortune.
Your judgments are on high, out of his sight (מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ מֵרֹום מִנֶּגְדֹּו - mishpateyka merōm minnegdo):
- מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ (mishpateyka): "Your judgments," from מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat), referring to God's just decrees, divine ordinances, acts of justice, or moral governance. It highlights God's authority and righteous rule.
- מֵרֹום (merōm): "from on high," "from a lofty place." This implies transcendence and distance. The wicked individual believes God's justice is far removed, either geographically, experientially, or even practically irrelevant to his actions. It's out of reach or not concerned with his earthly deeds.
- מִנֶּגְדֹּו (minnegdo): "out of his sight," "away from his view." This signifies a deliberate or perceived disregard. The wicked man consciously (or subconsciously) chooses to ignore or believes he can ignore divine accountability. It’s beyond his immediate awareness or concern.
As for all his foes, he snorts at them (כָּל־צֹרְרָיו יָפִיחַ בָּהֶם - kol-tzorrav yaphiach bahem):
- כָּל־צֹרְרָיו (kol-tzorrav): "all his foes," "all his adversaries." From צָרַר (tsarar), meaning "to bind," "distress," "oppress." It refers to anyone who might oppose or challenge him, be it the oppressed, the righteous, or potential rivals.
- יָפִיחַ בָּהֶם (yaphiach bahem): "he snorts at them," "he puffs at them," "he expresses contempt." From פוּח (puach), meaning "to breathe out," "blow," "exhale strongly." This vivid imagery conveys intense disdain, scorn, and a dismissal of any challenge. He scoffs at his enemies, believing they pose no real threat, perhaps due to his perceived divine immunity or overwhelming power.
Words-group Analysis:
- "His ways are always prosperous... out of his sight": This portrays the core delusion of the wicked—a belief in his own unassailable success intertwined with a spiritual blindness to God's watchful eye and impending justice. It describes a self-referential world where his rules prevail, and God's are irrelevant. This delusion empowers his arrogance and drives his oppression.
- "Your judgments are on high, out of his sight": This phrase sharply contrasts the wicked's earthly arrogance with God's heavenly transcendence. The wicked's intellectual or willful dismissal of divine justice means he places God's judgment beyond his immediate reality, seeing it as something distant and inactive, if real at all. This denial is crucial to his ability to operate without conscience.
- "As for all his foes, he snorts at them": This final clause demonstrates the wicked man's boundless contempt not just for God's authority but also for anyone who stands in his way. This snorting gesture vividly illustrates his dismissive attitude, arrogant power, and the perceived futility of any resistance against him. It completes the picture of a man utterly absorbed in his own power and immune to external moral pressures.
Psalm 10 5 Bonus section
The Hebrew word חול (chul) for "prosper" can also carry nuances of "tremble" or "writhe." While "prosper" is the accepted meaning here, the etymological root sometimes suggests a more precarious, active sense of maintaining oneself or struggling to remain stable, which, in a deeper sense, stands in stark contrast to the absolute certainty the wicked express. It hints at the instability inherent even in their perceived rock-solid security from a divine perspective. The psalmists frequently challenge this appearance of prosperity, ultimately showing it to be fleeting (Ps 73). The "on high" for God's judgments isn't about God being inactive but about His transcendence and sovereignty, where His timing and methods are often beyond human comprehension or immediate perception (Isa 55:8-9), which the wicked pervert into an excuse for impunity.
Psalm 10 5 Commentary
Psalm 10:5 offers a profound psychological insight into the mindset of the wicked who operate with oppressive intent. It's not merely that they commit evil; it's that they genuinely believe their evil ways are inherently blessed and unfailingly successful. This is a foundational delusion of the unrighteous oppressor: that their actions face no ultimate consequence. They perceive a divine order where justice is either non-existent or so far removed as to be irrelevant to their daily lives. The "judgments on high, out of his sight" reveals a spiritual myopia or deliberate blindness. They function under the assumption that their might makes right and that no higher power watches or cares.
This profound disconnection from divine reality fuels their contempt for others. The "snorting" at foes isn't just physical; it's a deep-seated spiritual scorn for anyone who doesn't align with their agenda, including the righteous who might appeal to God. This verse exposes the false sense of security derived from worldly success, a prosperity that the wicked attribute to their own cleverness or power, rather than discerning any potential, albeit temporary, allowance by God. The commentary highlights the conflict between the temporal success of the wicked and God's ultimate, unchangeable justice, a theme frequently explored throughout Scripture, warning believers not to envy or be troubled by this transient triumph.
Examples:
- A business magnate who repeatedly exploits loopholes and oppresses workers, believing his "savvy" guarantees perpetual profit without repercussion.
- A corrupt politician who abuses power, convinced their political acumen keeps them beyond accountability, and openly dismisses any legal or ethical challenges.
- An individual who consistently cheats or manipulates others for personal gain, ridiculing anyone who tries to live righteously, viewing their "moral high ground" as foolish weakness.