Psalms 10:13
in Psalms 10Why has the wicked man renounced God? He says to himself, “You will never call me to account.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God, And say in his heart, Thou wilt not require it?
KJV
Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
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This verse in Psalms 10
Commentary
11 notes on this verseIn these verses the description of the wicked is condensed, and the evil of his character traced to its source, viz., atheistical ideas with regard to the government of the world. We may at once perceive that this is intended to be another urgent plea with the Lord to show his power, and reveal his justice. When the wicked call God's righteousness in question, we may well beg him to teach them terrible things in righteousness. In verse 13, the hope of the infidel and his heart-wishes are laid bare.
This site's exposition
Arise, O LORD
on Psalms 10:12-15
The prayer breaks in, Arise, O LORD. The wicked man told himself God would never call him to account, and verse 14 answers that God has regarded trouble and grief. He will repay it by His hand, and the one praying asks God to break the arm of the wicked.
This site's exposition
the wicked man renounced God
Renounced is na'ats, rendered reviles in verse 3. Call to account is darash, used of God at Psalm 9:12 and again in the prayer of verse 15. The wicked man denies the very thing the two psalms say God does.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Accordingly understanding now the manifest judgment, and in exultation at it, they say, "Wherefore hath the ungodly angered God?" (ver. 13); that is, what hath it profited him to do so great evil? "For he said in his heart, He will not require it."
The Medieval Church1 voice
"Arise." Above, the Psalmist diligently pursued the order of human iniquity; here, as if driven by zeal and crying out, he implores assistance against this wickedness. And first, he implores assistance. Second, he introduces prayers and their being heard. Third, he foretells his being heard. …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the L ORD abhorreth. 4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. 5 His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:97%@v3-5
Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God?....
The psalmist here speaks with astonishment, (1.) At the wickedness of the wicked: "Why do they speak so impiously, why so absurdly?" It is a great trouble to good men to think what contempt is cast upon the holy God by the sin of sinners, upon his precepts, his promises, his threatenings, his favours, his judgments; all are despised and made light of.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
In these verses the description of the wicked is condensed, and the evil of his character traced to its source, viz., atheistical ideas with regard to the government of the world. We may at once perceive that this is intended to be another urgent plea with the Lord to show his power, and reveal his justice. When the wicked call God's righteousness in question, we may well beg him to teach them terrible things in righteousness. In verse 13, the hope of the infidel and his heart-wishes are laid bare. He despises the Lord, because he will not believe that sin will meet with punishment: "he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it." If there were no hell for other men, there ought to be one for those who question the justice of it.
Wherefore doth the tacked contemn God? - How is it that the Lord permits such persons to triumph in their iniquity? The longsuffering of God leadeth them to repentance.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? - That is, despise him; or treat him with contempt and disregard. On what ground is this done? How is it to be accounted for? What is the proper explanation of so strange a fact? It is to be observed here: (a) that the psalmist assumes this to be a fact, that the wicked do thus contemn or despise God. Of this he had no doubt; of this there can be no doubt now. They act as if this were so; they often speak of Him as if this were so.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Why did a wicked man blaspheme the Holy One, blessed be He? Because he said in his heart that You do not seek.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up Thy hand: – Because the wicked says that Thou dost not see, do Thou arise and lift up Thy hand against him.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
9 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עַל־ | ʾal- | concerning | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מֶ֤ה׀ | meh | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| נִאֵ֖ץ | nietz | has he spurned | H5006 → | 25 times |
| רָשָׁ֥ע׀ | rasha' | [the] wicked | H7563 → | 263 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֑ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אָמַ֥ר | ʾamar | has he said? | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בְּ֝לִבּ֗וֹ | belibo | in heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִּדְרֹֽשׁ׃ | tidrosh | you will seek | H1875 → | 164 times |
עַל־concerning
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מֶ֤ה׀what?
mehH4100 →752 times
נִאֵ֖ץhas he spurned
nietzH5006 →25 times
רָשָׁ֥ע׀[the] wicked
rasha'H7563 →263 times
אֱלֹהִ֑יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אָמַ֥רhas he said?
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
בְּ֝לִבּ֗וֹin heart his
beliboH3820 →595 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תִּדְרֹֽשׁ׃you will seek
tidroshH1875 →164 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 10:16Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
it leads to
- John 13:20
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever receives the one I send receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives the One who sent Me.”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:8
Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God, the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit.
- Matthew 10:40
He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me.
- John 12:44
Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in Me does not believe in Me alone, but in the One who sent Me.
- John 5:22–23
Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son,
- John 13:20
Through
1 Thessalonians 4:8Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God, the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit.
it leads to
- 1 John 3:24
Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.
- Luke 10:16
Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
- 1 John 3:24
Through
Numbers 11:20but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and makes you nauseous—because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have cried out before Him, saying, ‘Why did we…
it leads to
- Psalms 106:15
So He granted their request, but sent a wasting disease upon them.
- Psalms 106:15
About Psalms
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 10; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 1; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.