Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none.
Parallel translations
- WEB Break the arm of the wicked. As for the evil man, seek out his wickedness until you find none.
- KJV Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
- BSB Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call him to account for his wickedness until none is left to be found.
- ESV Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none.
- NKJV Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man; Seek out his wickedness until You find none.
- NLT Break the arms of these wicked, evil people! Go after them until the last one is destroyed.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The psalmist prays God to break the arm of the wicked and call evil fully to account. He asks God to end oppression by judging it completely.
Overview
To 'break the arm' is to shatter the power of the oppressor so he can harm no more. The plea that God seek out wickedness 'until none is found' asks for thorough and final justice. Such prayers leave vengeance to God rather than to human hands, trusting His righteous judgment.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ps 37:17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but Yahweh upholds the righteous.
- Job 38:15From the wicked, their light is withheld. The high arm is broken.
- Zeph 1:12It will happen at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are settled on their dregs, who say in their heart, “Yahweh will not do good, neither will he do evil.”
- Ps 7:9Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; their minds and hearts are searched by the righteous God.
- Ezek 30:21–22Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and behold, it has not been bound up, to apply medicines, to put a bandage to bind it, that it be strong to hold the sword.
- Zech 11:17Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! The sword will be on his arm, and on his right eye. His arm will be completely withered, and his right eye will be totally blinded!”
- Jer 2:34Also the blood of the souls of the innocent poor is found in your skirts. You did not find them breaking in; but it is because of all these things.
- Ps 3:7Arise, Yahweh! Save me, my God! For you have struck all of my enemies on the cheek bone. You have broken the teeth of the wicked.
- Ezek 23:48“‘Thus I will cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to be lewd like you.
- 2 Kgs 21:12–15therefore Yahweh the God of Israel says, ‘Behold, I bring such evil on Jerusalem and Judah that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 10:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.