Chapter Ten

The psalm can be considered as written during the preparation of the rebellion of Absalom, which was noticed both by David and by those close to him, who advised him to flee from Jerusalem. But David differently evaluated the seriousness of his situation and continued to live in Jerusalem.

David’s friends advised him to save himself in the mountains, since they considered the conspiracy of Absalom to be already completely organized and David’s situation dangerous (verses 1-3). David, aware of his purity before Absalom and the people, continues to remain in Jerusalem, believing that the Lord will punish the wicked (verses 4-7).

Psalm 10:1. In the Lord I take refuge; how then can you say to me: “Flee to your mountain like a bird, “In the Lord I take refuge.” David became accustomed to arranging and conforming his life to the indication of the Lord, from which he does not wish to depart now, entrusted himself to His guidance and not to the advice of his friends, though sincere, but perhaps not in accord with God’s decision concerning David. “Flee to your mountain,” that is, the Judean mountains, where it would be easy to hide in the many caves from enemies. “Say to me” is a Hebraism meaning “say to me.”

Psalm 10:2. For see, the wicked bend their bow; they fit their arrow to the string, to shoot in darkness at those upright of heart. Their advice to flee was justified by their view of the conspiracy as completely organized and ready to act.

Psalm 10:3. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? “Foundations are destroyed” means the foundations of political and public life are shaken, since the conspirators did not recognize David as king and desired his overthrow and strived to establish a new direction in life. What else can a righteous one, that is David, do when for fighting against the armed rebellion that is about to break out he has only the awareness of his own purity before his enemies, but no external means of defense?

Psalm 10:4. The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord—His throne is in heaven; His eyes observe the poor; His eyelids test the children of mankind. Psalm 10:5. The Lord tests the righteous, but His soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. To this advice David opposes his faith in God as the protector of the righteous. The Lord from heaven watches over people; He sends to the righteous one, as now, trials in the temporal success of the wicked, but the latter He hates as trampling on His Law.

Psalm 10:6. On the wicked He will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. Psalm 10:7. for the Lord is righteous, He loves righteous deeds; the upright will see His face. The Lord will pour upon the wicked “fiery coals and burning sulfur.” By fiery coals can be understood lightning; by fire and sulfur—destruction through the medium of special upheavals of nature, such as the destruction of Sodom and other cities of the Pentapolis (see Gen 19:24). A scorching wind probably refers to the sirocco wind, well known to the Hebrews for its destructive effects. “Their lot from the cup” means their portion designated by God, who does not allow the triumph of wickedness, since the Lord “loves righteous deeds; the upright will see His face,” that is, always provides for him and protects him.