Psalms 10:16-18

10:16 The Lord rules forever! ¹ 

The nations are driven out of his land. ² 

10:17 Lord, you have heard ³  the request ⁴  of the oppressed;

you make them feel secure because you listen to their prayer. ⁵ 

10:18 You defend ⁶  the fatherless and oppressed, ⁷ 

so that mere mortals may no longer terrorize them. ⁸ 

[10:16]  ¹ tn Heb “the Lord is king forever and ever.”

[10:16]  ² tn Or “the nations perish from his land.” The perfect verb form may express what is typical or it may express rhetorically the psalmist’s certitude that God’s deliverance is “as good as done.”

[10:17]  ³ sn You have heard. The psalmist is confident that God has responded positively to his earlier petitions for divine intervention. The psalmist apparently prayed the words of vv. 16-18 after the reception of an oracle of deliverance (given in response to the confident petition of vv. 12-15) or after the Lord actually delivered him from his enemies.

[10:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “desire.”

[10:17]  ⁵ tn Heb “you make firm their heart, you cause your ear to listen.”

[10:18]  ⁶ tn Heb “to judge (on behalf of),” or “by judging (on behalf of).”

[10:18]  ⁷ tn Heb “crushed.” See v. 10.

[10:18]  ⁸ tn Heb “he will not add again [i.e., “he will no longer”] to terrify, man from the earth.” The Hebrew term אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh, “man”) refers here to the wicked nations (v. 16). By describing them as “from the earth,” the psalmist emphasizes their weakness before the sovereign, eternal king.