For the wicked man boasts in the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD. For the wicked manThe term "wicked" in Hebrew is "רָשָׁע" (rasha), which denotes someone who is morally wrong, guilty, or an enemy of God. In the biblical context, a wicked person is not just someone who commits evil acts but is fundamentally opposed to God's righteous standards. This phrase sets the stage for understanding the character and actions of the person being described. The wicked man is one who lives in rebellion against God, choosing his own desires over divine will. boasts
The Hebrew word for "boasts" is "הָלַל" (halal), which can mean to shine, praise, or boast. In this context, it implies a sense of pride and self-glorification. The wicked man takes pride in his sinful desires, openly flaunting them as if they were achievements. This boasting is a direct affront to God, as it elevates human desires above divine commandments. in the cravings of his heart
The "cravings" or "desires" in Hebrew is "תַּאֲוָה" (ta'avah), which refers to a longing or lust. The heart, "לֵב" (lev) in Hebrew, is considered the seat of emotions, will, and intellect. This phrase indicates that the wicked man's inner desires are corrupt and self-centered. Instead of seeking God's will, he is driven by his own lusts, which leads to further moral decay. he blesses the greedy
The act of blessing, "בָּרַךְ" (barak) in Hebrew, typically means to kneel or to praise. Here, it is used ironically, as the wicked man praises those who are greedy, "בָּצַע" (batsa), meaning to cut off or to gain unjustly. This reveals a perverse value system where those who exploit others for personal gain are admired. It underscores a societal breakdown where righteousness is scorned, and greed is celebrated. and reviles the LORD
To "revile" is translated from the Hebrew "נִאֵץ" (na'ats), meaning to spurn or despise. This is a strong term indicating contempt and rejection. The wicked man's actions culminate in a direct insult to God, showing a complete disregard for divine authority. This reviling is not just a passive neglect but an active opposition to God's sovereignty and holiness. Persons / Places / Events 1. The Wicked ManRepresents those who live in opposition to God's ways, characterized by pride and self-centeredness. 2. The LORDThe covenant name of God, Yahweh, who is holy, just, and deserving of reverence and worship. 3. The GreedyIndividuals who are driven by an insatiable desire for more, often at the expense of others and in defiance of God's commands. Teaching Points The Danger of PridePride leads individuals to boast in their desires, placing themselves above God. Believers are called to humility, recognizing their dependence on the LORD. The Deception of GreedGreed is a destructive force that blinds individuals to the needs of others and the commands of God. Christians are encouraged to cultivate contentment and generosity. The Importance of ReverenceReviling the LORD is a serious offense. Believers should cultivate a heart of reverence and worship, acknowledging God's rightful place in their lives. The Call to RighteousnessIn contrast to the wicked, Christians are called to live righteously, seeking to align their desires with God's will and to bless others rather than exploit them. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the attitude of the wicked man in Psalm 10:3 reflect the broader theme of pride in the Bible, and what are some practical ways to guard against pride in our own lives? 2. In what ways can greed manifest in our daily lives, and how can we actively pursue contentment and generosity as taught in Scripture? 3. How does the act of reviling the LORD contrast with the biblical call to worship and reverence, and what steps can we take to ensure our lives reflect a heart of worship? 4. Reflect on a time when you witnessed or experienced the destructive nature of pride or greed. How did that situation align with the teachings of Psalm 10:3, and what lessons were learned? 5. Considering the connections to other scriptures, how can we apply the lessons from Psalm 10:3 to our interactions with others, especially those who may not share our faith? Connections to Other Scriptures Proverbs 16:5This verse highlights that the LORD detests the proud of heart, connecting to the wicked man's boasting in Psalm 10:3. James 4:6This New Testament passage emphasizes that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, contrasting the attitude of the wicked man. 1 Timothy 6:10Discusses the love of money as a root of all kinds of evil, which aligns with the greed mentioned in Psalm 10:3. Romans 1:21-22Describes how people who reject God become futile in their thinking, similar to the wicked man's reviling of the LORD. People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Abhorreth, Blessed, Blesses, Blesseth, Boasted, Boasteth, Boasts, Condemns, Contemn, Contemneth, Covetous, Cravings, Curses, Desire, Desires, Despised, Dishonest, Evil, Evil-doer, Fixed, Gain, Gainer, Greedy, Heart, Heart's, Lifted, Mind, Purpose, Renounces, Renounceth, Reviles, Saying, Soul, Soul's, Spurns, Though, Vaunteth, Wealth, Wicked, YeaDictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 10:3 5016 heart, fallen and redeemed
5575 talk, idle
5866 gluttony
5870 greed, condemnation
5893 insults
6135 coveting, and sin
6185 imagination, desires Psalm 10:2-4 6186 evil scheming Psalm 10:2-5 8805 pride, results Psalm 10:2-6 5550 speech, negative
6121 boasting Psalm 10:2-11 5793 arrogance Psalm 10:3-4 5960 success Psalm 10:3-5 8710 atheism Library One Saying from Three Men
'The wicked hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved.' --PSALM x. 6. 'Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.' --PSALM xvi. 8. 'And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.' --PSALM xxx. 6. How differently the same things sound when said by different men! Here are three people giving utterance to almost the same sentiment of confidence. A wicked man says it, and it is insane presumption and defiance. A good man says it, having been lulled into false security by easy times, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureThe Poor Man's Friend
"The poor committeth himself unto thee."--Psalm 10:14. GOD IS THE POOR MAN'S FRIEND; the poor man, in His helplessness and despair, leaves his case in the hands of God, and God undertakes to care for him. In the days of David,--and I suppose, in this respect, the world has but little improved,--the poor man was the victim of almost everybody's cruelty, and sometimes he was very shamefully oppressed. If he sought redress for his wrongs, he generally only increased them, for he was regarded as a rebel …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 53: 1907 Jerome
I, Jerome, [2568] son of Eusebius, of the city of Strido, which is on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia and was overthrown by the Goths, up to the present year, that is, the fourteenth of the Emperor Theodosius, have written the following: Life of Paul the monk, one book of Letters to different persons, an Exhortation to Heliodorus, Controversy of Luciferianus and Orthodoxus, Chronicle of universal history, 28 homilies of Origen on Jeremiah and Ezekiel, which I translated from Greek into Latin, …
Various—Jerome and Gennadius Lives of Illustrious Men. Look we Then, Beloved, what Hardships in Labors and Sorrows Men Endure...
3. Look we then, beloved, what hardships in labors and sorrows men endure, for things which they viciously love, and by how much they think to be made by them more happy, by so much more unhappily covet. How much for false riches, how much for vain honors, how much for affections of games and shows, is of exceeding peril and trouble most patiently borne! We see men hankering after money, glory, lasciviousness, how, that they may arrive at their desires, and having gotten not lose them, they endure …
St. Augustine—On Patience The Tests of Love to God
LET us test ourselves impartially whether we are in the number of those that love God. For the deciding of this, as our love will be best seen by the fruits of it, I shall lay down fourteen signs, or fruits, of love to God, and it concerns us to search carefully whether any of these fruits grow in our garden. 1. The first fruit of love is the musing of the mind upon God. He who is in love, his thoughts are ever upon the object. He who loves God is ravished and transported with the contemplation of …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial These Things, My Brother Aurelius, Most Dear unto Me...
38. These things, my brother Aurelius, most dear unto me, and in the bowels of Christ to be venerated, so far as He hath bestowed on me the ability Who through thee commanded me to do it, touching work of Monks, I have not delayed to write; making this my chief care, lest good brethren obeying apostolic precepts, should by lazy and disobedient be called even prevaricators from the Gospel: that they which work not, may at the least account them which do work to be better than themselves without doubt. …
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks. The Situation of the Jews During this Period.
As we have seen in earlier chapters, the declarations of Holy Writ make it very clear that Israel will yet be restored to God's favor and be rehabilitated in Palestine. But before that glad time arrives, the Jews have to pass through a season of sore trouble and affliction, during which God severely chastises them for their sins and punishes them for the rejection and crucifixion of their Messiah. Fearful indeed have been the past experiences of "the nation of the weary feet" but a darker path than …
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return Question Lxxxiii of Prayer
I. Is Prayer an Act of the Appetitive Powers? Cardinal Cajetan, On Prayer based on Friendship II. Is it Fitting to Pray? Cardinal Cajetan, On Prayer as a True Cause S. Augustine, On the Sermon on the Mount, II. iii. 14 " On the Gift of Perseverance, vii. 15 III. Is Prayer an Act of the Virtue of Religion? Cardinal Cajetan, On the Humility of Prayer S. Augustine, On Psalm cii. 10 " Of the Gift of Perseverance, xvi. 39 IV. Ought We to Pray to God Alone? S. Augustine, Sermon, cxxvii. 2 V. …
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life Out of the Deep of Suffering and Sorrow.
Save me, O God, for the waters are come in even unto my soul: I am come into deep waters; so that the floods run over me.--Ps. lxix. 1, 2. I am brought into so great trouble and misery: that I go mourning all the day long.--Ps. xxxviii. 6. The sorrows of my heart are enlarged: Oh! bring Thou me out of my distress.--Ps. xxv. 17. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping: the Lord will receive my prayer.--Ps. vi. 8. In the multitude of the sorrows which I had in my heart, Thy comforts have refreshed …
Charles Kingsley—Out of the Deep "And the Life. " How Christ is the Life.
This, as the former, being spoken indefinitely, may be universally taken, as relating both to such as are yet in the state of nature, and to such as are in the state of grace, and so may be considered in reference to both, and ground three points of truth, both in reference to the one, and in reference to the other; to wit, 1. That our case is such as we stand in need of his help, as being the Life. 2. That no other way but by him, can we get that supply of life, which we stand in need of, for he …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life Life of Jerome.
The figures in parentheses, when not otherwise indicated, refer to the pages in this volume. For a full account of the Life, the translator must refer to an article (Hieronymus) written by him in Smith and Wace's Dictionary of Christian Biography. A shorter statement may suffice here, since the chief sources of information are contained in this volume, and to these reference will be continually made. Childhood and Youth. A.D. 345. Jerome was born at Stridon, near Aquileia, but in Pannonia, a place …
St. Jerome—The Principal Works of St. Jerome The Revelation and Career of the Anti-Christ.
Who is the Anti-christ? Varied and wild have been the answers to this question. In pre-christian times there were many who regarded Antiochus Epiphanes as the one whom Daniel and the other prophets described. At the beginning of this dispensation Nero was looked upon as the predicted Man of Sin. After the Reformation the Papacy was selected as the fulfiller of the prophecies given through the Patmos seer. And in our day there have been those who consider the Kaiser to be the Son of Perdition. It …
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return Being Made Archbishop of Armagh, He Suffers Many Troubles. Peace Being Made, from Being Archbishop of Armagh He Becomes Bishop of Down.
[Sidenote: 1129] 19. (12). Meanwhile[365] it happened that Archbishop Cellach[366] fell sick: he it was who ordained Malachy deacon, presbyter and bishop: and knowing that he was dying he made a sort of testament[367] to the effect that Malachy ought to succeed him,[368] because none seemed worthier to be bishop of the first see. This he gave in charge to those who were present, this he commanded to the absent, this to the two kings of Munster[369] and to the magnates of the land he specially enjoined …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who were at Variance; He Takes in Hand to Build a Stone Church.
57. (32). There was a certain clerk in Lismore whose life, as it is said, was good, but his faith not so. He was a man of some knowledge in his own eyes, and dared to say that in the Eucharist there is only a sacrament and not the fact[718] of the sacrament, that is, mere sanctification and not the truth of the Body. On this subject he was often addressed by Malachy in secret, but in vain; and finally he was called before a public assembly, the laity however being excluded, in order that if it were …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh Letter Xlv (Circa A. D. 1120) to a Youth Named Fulk, who Afterwards was Archdeacon of Langres
To a Youth Named Fulk, Who Afterwards Was Archdeacon of Langres He gravely warns Fulk, a Canon Regular, whom an uncle had by persuasions and promises drawn back to the world, to obey God and be faithful to Him rather than to his uncle. To the honourable young man Fulk, Brother Bernard, a sinner, wishes such joy in youth as in old age he will not regret. 1. I do not wonder at your surprise; I should wonder if you were not suprised [sic] that I should write to you, a countryman to a citizen, a monk …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux The Desire of the Righteous Granted;
OR, A DISCOURSE OF THE RIGHTEOUS MAN'S DESIRES. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR As the tree is known by its fruit, so is the state of a man's heart known by his desires. The desires of the righteous are the touchstone or standard of Christian sincerity--the evidence of the new birth--the spiritual barometer of faith and grace--and the springs of obedience. Christ and him crucified is the ground of all our hopes--the foundation upon which all our desires after God and holiness are built--and the root …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Psalm 10:3 NIVPsalm 10:3 NLTPsalm 10:3 ESVPsalm 10:3 NASBPsalm 10:3 KJV
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