His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
Parallel translations
- WEB His ways are prosperous at all times. He is haughty, and your laws are far from his sight. As for all his adversaries, he sneers at them.
- BSB He is secure in his ways at all times; Your lofty judgments are far from him; he sneers at all his foes.
- 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.
- NKJV His ways are always prospering; Your judgments are far above, out of his sight; As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
- NASB ¶His ways succeed at all times; Yet Your judgments are on high, out of his sight; As for all his enemies, he snorts at them.
- NLT Yet they succeed in everything they do. They do not see your punishment awaiting them. They sneer at all their enemies.
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 wicked seems to prosper, ignores God's laws, and sneers at his foes. Outward success can mask a heart hardened against God.
Overview
The psalmist observes the apparent prosperity and arrogance of the wicked, who dismisses God's commands and despises opponents. This raises the perennial problem of evil seeming to go unpunished. The psalm answers it not by denying the tension but by appealing to God's certain justice in due time.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 21
- Isa 26:11LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.
- Ps 12:5For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.
- Hos 14:9Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
- Ps 92:5–6O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
- Prov 2:15Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:
- Rom 3:16Destruction and misery are in their ways:
- 1 Kgs 20:10–11And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
- Isa 42:25Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.
- 2 Sam 5:6And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither.
- Prov 24:1Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.
- Prov 2:13Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
- 1 Kgs 20:13And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.
- Judg 9:38Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.
- Hos 9:9They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.
- Judg 9:27And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
- Isa 5:12And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.
- Isa 28:15Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
- Prov 15:24The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.
- Isa 10:1Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;
- Prov 1:19So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
- Gen 6:12And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
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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 10:5 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
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