A Prayer for the Overthrow of the Wicked

101 Why, Jehovah, dost Thou stand at a distance? Thou dost hide in times of adversity, 2 Through the pride of the wicked, Is the poor inflamed, They are caught in devices that they devised. 3 Because the wicked hath boasted Of the desire of his soul, And a dishonest gainer he hath blessed, He hath despised Jehovah. 4 The wicked according to the height of his face, inquireth not. 'God is not!' 'are' all his devices. 5 Pain do his ways at all times, On high 'are' Thy judgments before him, All his adversaries—he puffeth at them. 6 He hath said in his heart, 'I am not moved,' To generation and generation not in evil. 7 Of oaths his mouth is full, And deceits, and fraud: Under his tongue 'is' perverseness and iniquity, 8 He doth sit in an ambush of the villages, In secret places he doth slay the innocent. His eyes for the afflicted watch secretly, 9 He lieth in wait in a secret place, as a lion in a covert. He lieth in wait to catch the poor, He catcheth the poor, drawing him into his net. 10 He is bruised—he boweth down, Fallen by his mighty ones hath the afflicted. 11 He said in his heart, 'God hath forgotten, He hath hid His face, He hath never seen.'

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 10:1-11

Commentary on Psalm 10:1-11

(Read Psalm 10:1-11)

God's withdrawings are very grievous to his people, especially in times of trouble. We stand afar off from God by our unbelief, and then complain that God stands afar off from us. Passionate words against bad men do more hurt than good; if we speak of their badness, let it be to the Lord in prayer; he can make them better. The sinner proudly glories in his power and success. Wicked people will not seek after God, that is, will not call upon him. They live without prayer, and that is living without God. They have many thoughts, many objects and devices, but think not of the Lord in any of them; they have no submission to his will, nor aim for his glory. The cause of this is pride. Men think it below them to be religious. They could not break all the laws of justice and goodness toward man, if they had not first shaken off all sense of religion.