Psalms 10:18
in Psalms 10to vindicate the fatherless and oppressed, that the men of the earth may strike terror no more.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, That man who is of the earth may be terrible no more.
KJV
To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.
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This verse in Psalms 10
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThat the man of the earth may no more oppress - I believe the Hebrew will be better translated thus: “That he may not add any more to drive away the wretched man from the land.” Destroy the influence of the tyrant; and let him not have it again in his power to add even one additional act of oppression to those which he has already committed.
This site's exposition
The LORD is King forever
on Psalms 10:16-18
The psalm answers its opening question with a throne: the LORD is King forever, and the nations perish from His land. The desire of the humble has been heard, and He will strengthen their hearts and vindicate the fatherless and oppressed.
This site's exposition
to vindicate the fatherless and oppressed
Men of the earth renders enosh, the frail man of Psalm 9:20, so both psalms end with man shown to be mortal. The fatherless of verse 14 are vindicated, and the men who struck terror do so no more. The two psalms close on one lesson.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"To judge for the orphan and the humble" [Psalm 10:18]: that is, not for him who is conformed to this world, nor for the proud. For it is one thing to judge the orphan, another to judge for the orphan. He judges the orphan even, who condemns him; but he judges for the orphan, who delivers sentence for him. "That man add not further to magnify himself upon earth." For they are men, of whom it was said, "Place a lawgiver over them, O Lord: let the heathen know that they are men." But he too, who in this same passage is understood to be placed over them, will be man, of whom it is now said, "That man add not further to magnify himself upon earth:" namely, when the Son of Man shall come to judge for the orphan, who has put off from himself the old man, and thus, as it were, buried his father.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"The desire." Here he foretells being heard on the part of the poor; and he sets forth three things. First, the hearing, at "the desire." Second, in what he was heard, at "to judge." Third, with what fruit, at "that man may no longer presume." …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
First, He is but a man of the earth, a man out of the earth (so the word is), sprung out of the earth, and therefore mean, and weak, and hastening to the earth again. Why then should we be afraid of the fury of the oppressor when he is but man that shall die, a son of man that shall be as grass?
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
To judge the fatherless and the oppressed,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
The Psalm ends with a song of thanksgiving to the great and everlasting King, because he has granted the desire of his humble and oppressed people, has defended the fatherless, and punished the heathen who trampled upon his poor and afflicted children. Let us learn that we are sure to speed well, if we carry our complaint to the King of kings. Rights will be vindicated, and wrongs redressed, at his throne. His government neglects not the interests of the needy, nor does it tolerate oppression in the mighty.
The Psalm ends with a song of thanksgiving to the great and everlasting King, because he has granted the desire of his humble and oppressed people, has defended the fatherless, and punished the heathen who trampled upon his poor and afflicted children. Let us learn that we are sure to speed well, if we carry our complaint to the King of kings. Rights will be vindicated, and wrongs redressed, at his throne. His government neglects not the interests of the needy, nor does it tolerate oppression in the mighty. Great God, we leave ourselves in thine hand; to thee we commit thy church afresh. Arise, O God, and let the man of the earth—the creature of a day—be broken before the majesty of thy power. Come, Lord Jesus, and glorify thy people. Amen and Amen.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
To judge the fatherless - That is, to vindicate the orphan; to rescue him from the hand of those who would oppress and wrong him. In other words, the psalmist prays that God would manifest himself in his real and proper character as the vindicator of the fatherless (see the note at Psa 10:14), or of those who are represented by the fatherless - the feeble and the helpless. And the oppressed - Those who are downtrodden, crushed, and wronged. See the note at Psa 9:9. That the man of the earth - literally, “the man from the earth;” that is, that man springing from the earth, or created of the dust Gen 2:7 - man frail, short-lived, feeble - should no more set up an unjust authority, trample on the rights of his fellow-worms, or suppose that he is superior to his fellow-creatures. May no more oppress - Margin, “terrify.” The original word means properly to terrify, to make afraid; that is, in this place, to terrify by his harsh and oppressive conduct. It is to be observed here that the original word - ערץ ‛ârats - has a very close resemblance in sound to the word rendered earth - ארץ 'erets - and that this is commonly supposed to be an instance of the figure of speech called paronomasia, when the words have the same sound, but are of different significations. It is not certain, however, that there is in this case any designed resemblance, but it is rather to be supposed that it was accidental. In regard to the prayer in this verse, it may be proper to observe that there is always occasion to utter it, and will be until the Gospel shall pervade the hearts of all men. One of the most common forms of wickedness in our world is oppression - the oppression of the fatherless, of the poor, of the dependent - the oppression of the subjects of government, and the oppression of the slave. […]
The words behind it
10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לִשְׁפֹּ֥ט | lishpot | to vindicate | H8199 → | 202 times |
| יָת֗וֹם | yatom | [the] fatherless | H3490 → | 42 times |
| וָ֫דָ֥ךְ | vadakh | and [the] oppressed | H1790 → | 4 times |
| בַּל־ | bal- | not | H1077 → | 73 times |
| יוֹסִ֥יף | yosif | he will repeat | H3254 → | 212 times |
| ע֑וֹד | od | again | H5750 → | 490 times |
| לַעֲרֹ֥ץ | laarotz | to terrify | H6206 → | |
| אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁ | ʾenoosh | humankind | H582 → | 566 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
לִשְׁפֹּ֥טto vindicate
lishpotH8199 →202 times
יָת֗וֹם[the] fatherless
yatomH3490 →42 times
וָ֫דָ֥ךְand [the] oppressed
vadakhH1790 →4 times
בַּל־not
bal-H1077 →73 times
יוֹסִ֥יףhe will repeat
yosifH3254 →212 times
ע֑וֹדagain
odH5750 →490 times
לַעֲרֹ֥ץto terrify
laarotzH6206 →
אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁhumankind
ʾenooshH582 →566 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃the earth
haaretzH776 →2504 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
Psalms 9:9The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
it leads to
- Proverbs 18:10
The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
- Psalms 91:1–2
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
- Nahum 1:7
The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of distress; He cares for those who trust in Him.
- Psalms 32:7
You are my hiding place. You protect me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
- Psalms 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.
- Proverbs 18:10
Through
Isaiah 11:4but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the…
it leads to
- Revelation 19:15
And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath…
- 2 Thessalonians 2:8
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival.
- Revelation 19:15
Through
Psalms 82:3Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed.
it leads to
- James 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
- James 1:27
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 on the Book of Psalms; 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; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; 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.