Psalms 10:18

To judge the fatherless and the oppressed,.... That is, God will cause his ear to hear the cries of his people, so as to avenge the wrongs done to the fatherless, and them that are oppressed by the

To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress. To judge the fatherless - to vindicate them from wrong. That the man of the earth may no more oppress.

To judge, i.e. to defend them, and give sentence for them, and against their enemies, as this word is used, 135:14. The man of the earth, i.e. earthly and mortal men, who are made of the dust, and must return to it, such as the oppressors of thy people are; who yet presume most audaciously and madly to contend with thee their Maker and Judge. Therefore it is time for thee to repress such insolency, and to show how unable they are to stand before thee. May no more oppress, to wit, the fatherless last mentioned.

Psalms 10:18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.Ver. 18. To judge the fatherless, &c] The Vulgate hath it, to judge for the fatherless and for the oppressed. It is one thing (saith Austin) to judge the fatherless and another thing to judge for him; this latter is to pass sentence on his side; which God, the righteous Judge, will be sure to do without writhing or warping; for he hath all that is required of a judge originally and eminently, viz. wisdom, justice, courage, constance, and power. That the man of the earth may no more oppress] Or, terrify, daunt with terror, as Philippians 1:28. Why should one man be terrible to another, since we are all mortales e terra, worms of the earth, clods of clay, and shall shortly return to the dust whence we were taken? unde superbit homo? "I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the Lord thy Maker, and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor?" Isaiah 51:12-13. Some observe that the close of this psalm is much like that of the former. How they have been taken (by the Greek Fathers especially) for one entire psalm.

(18) Oppressed.—See Psalms 9:9. “God’s choice acquaintances are humble men.”—Leighton.That the man.—Literally, that may not continue to terrify (or defy) mere man from the earth, which may mean that mere mortals may have to confess their weakness in comparison with God. But Psalms 9:20, where the same word is used, indicates that it is here used in a contemptuous sense of the “heathen.” “That the nations from the earth (i.e., spread over the earth) may know themselves to be but men, and no longer defy Israel and Israel’s God.”

Verse 18. That 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. How many for the sake of their religion, and because they would serve God with a pure conscience, have, by wicked lords, proud and arrogant land owners, been driven off their farms, turned out of their houses, deprived of their employments, and exposed to wretchedness! While they served the devil, and were regardless of their souls, they had quiet and peaceable possession; but when they turned to the Lord, and became sober and industrious, attended the means of grace, read their Bible, and were frequent in prayer, then the vile man of the earth drove them from their dwellings! In the sight of such Philistines, piety towards God is the highest of crimes. What a dreadful account must these give to the Judge of the fatherless and the oppressed! ANALYSIS OF THE TENTH PSALM This Psalm divides itself into three parts: - I. A complaint against the enemies of the godly. II. A narration of the enemies' malice. III. A petition to be delivered from them. I. 1. He complains of God's absence, which is quickened by the question, 1. "Why standest thou afar off?" 2. "Why hidest thou myself in times of trouble?" Psalms 10:1. II. He complains of the enemies: "The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor." These he describes by eight characters: - 1. Insolence, pride, and the effect, persecution of good men. Having acquired dignity, places of honour, and riches, they become persecutors, they conspire to oppress good men. "Let them be taken in their own devices," Psalms 10:2. Amen. 2. The wicked man glories in mischief which is a sign of extreme malice: "The wicked boasteth of his heart's desire," Psalms 10:3. 3. He applauds and encourages others in their rapine and spoil, to which they are moved by their covetousness: "He blesseth the covetous," Psalms 10:3. 4. He contemns God and man. 1. MAN. He never thinks of being called to an account: God's "judgments are out of his sight, and he puffs at his enemies." 2. GOD. Him he reverences not: "He will not seek after God; neither is he in all his thoughts," Psalms 10:4-5. 5. He lives in profane security: "He saith in his heart, I shall never be moved; I shall never be in adversity;" I am elevated beyond the reach of misfortune, Psalms 10:6. 6. He is full of falsehood and deceit: "His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and fraud." He will not stick at an oath. He will curse himself; and take God to witness in his exactions, that he is doing nothing but what is right, Psalms 10:7. 7. He is cruel.

18. So justice will be done to the orphan (Psalms 10:14) and the downtrodden (Psalms 9:9); that mortal man which is of the earth may be terrible no more: may no more insolently defy God, and do violence to men. Cp. Psalms 9:19-20; Psalms 37:35, note.

To judge the fatherless - That is, to vindicate the orphan; to rescue him from the hand of those who would oppress and wrong him.

18. Man of the earth—Man, (àðåùׁ), enosh,) frail man, as in Psalms 9:19-20, is not here designated as simply made of earth, but as having his abode here, and choosing this world as his portion. See note on Psalms 17:14.