Limitless Word
Yet they succeed in everything they do. They do not see your punishment awaiting them. They sneer at all their enemies.
Psalms 10:5 · New Living Translation
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.
  • KJV His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth 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.

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 26:11Yahweh, your hand is lifted up, yet they don’t see; but they will see your zeal for the people, and be disappointed. Yes, fire will consume your adversaries.
  • Ps 12:5“Because of the oppression of the weak and because of the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says Yahweh; “I will set him in safety from those who malign him.”
  • Hos 14:9Who is wise, that he may understand these things? Who is prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of Yahweh are right, and the righteous walk in them; But the rebellious stumble in them.
  • Ps 92:5–6How great are your works, Yahweh! Your thoughts are very deep.
  • Prov 2:15who are crooked in their ways, and wayward in their paths:
  • Rom 3:16Destruction and misery are in their ways.
  • 1 Kgs 20:10–11Ben Hadad sent to him, and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria will be enough for handfuls for all the people who follow me.”
  • Isa 42:25Therefore he poured the fierceness of his anger on him, and the strength of battle; and it set him on fire all around, but he didn’t know; and it burned him, but he didn’t take it to heart.”
  • 2 Sam 5:6The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “The blind and the lame will keep you out of here”; thinking, “David can’t come in here.”
  • Prov 24:1Don’t be envious of evil men; neither desire to be with them:
  • Prov 2:13who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
  • 1 Kgs 20:13Behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel, and said, “Yahweh says, ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today; and you will know that I am Yahweh.’”
  • Judg 9:38Then Zebul said to him, “Now where is your mouth, that you said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Isn’t this the people that you have despised? Please go out now and fight with them.”
  • Hos 9:9They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity. He will punish them for their sins.
  • Judg 9:27They went out into the field, harvested their vineyards, trod the grapes, held festival, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank, and cursed Abimelech.
  • Isa 5:12The harp, lyre, tambourine, and flute, with wine, are at their feasts; but they don’t respect the work of Yahweh, neither have they considered the operation of his hands.
  • Isa 28:15“Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it won’t come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and we have hidden ourselves under falsehood.’”
  • Prov 15:24The path of life leads upward for the wise, to keep him from going downward to Sheol.
  • Isa 10:1Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers who write oppressive decrees;
  • Prov 1:19So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.
  • Gen 6:12God saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 10:5YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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

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.