Psalms 10:9

He lurks in secret as a lion in his ambush. He lies in wait to catch the helpless. He catches the helpless, when he draws him in his net.

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Other translations

WEBBE

He lurks in secret as a lion in his ambush. He lies in wait to catch the helpless. He catches the helpless when he draws him in his net.

BSB

He lies in wait like a lion in a thicket; he lurks to seize the oppressed; he catches the lowly in his net.

KJV

He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.

ASV

He lurketh in secret as a lion in his covert; He lieth in wait to catch the poor: He doth catch the poor, when he draweth him in his net.

BBE

He keeps himself in a secret place like a lion in his hole, waiting to put his hands on the poor man, and pulling him into his net.

Original Hebrew

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יֶאֱרֹב ye·'e·ro he lies in wait H693 בַּמִּסְתָּר ba·mis·tar in (the) hiding place H4565 כְּאַרְיֵה ke·'ar·yeh like a lion H738 בְסֻכֹּה ve·su·koh in lair its H5520 יֶאֱרֹב ye·'e·ro he lies in wait H693 לַחֲטוֹף la·cha·tof to seize H2414 עָנִי 'a·ni [the] afflicted H6041 יַחְטֹף yach·tof he seizes H2414 עָנִי 'a·ni [the] afflicted H6041 בְּמָשְׁכוֹ be·ma·she·kho when drags [him] away he H4900 בְרִשְׁתּוֹ ve·rish·to in net his H7568

The early church

"His eyes look against the poor," for he is chiefly to persecute the righteous, of whom it is said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" [Matthew 5:3] [Psalm 10:9]. "He lies in wait in a secret place, as a lion in his den." By a lion in a den, he means one in whom both violence and deceit will work. For the first persecution of the Church was violent, when by proscriptions, by torments, by murders, the Christians were compelled to sacrifice: another persecution is crafty, which is now conducted by heretics of any kind and false brethren: there remains a third, which is to come by Antichrist, than which there is nothing more perilous; for it will be at once violent and crafty. Violence he will exert in empire, craft in miracles. To the violence, the word "lion" refers; to craft, the words "in his den." And these are again repeated with a change of order. "He lies in wait," he says, "that he may catch the poor;" this has reference to craft: but what follows, "To catch the poor while he draws him," is put to the score of violence. For "draws" means, he brings him to himself by violence, by whatever tortures he can.

Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Expositions on the Psalms

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 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.

Read Matthew Henry on Psalm 10 →

Spurgeon · Verse 9

The picture becomes blacker, for here is the cunning of the lion, and of the huntsman, as well as the stealthiness of the robber. Surely there are some men who come up to the very letter of this description. With watching, perversion, slander, whispering, and false swearing, they ruin the character of the righteous, and murder the innocent; or, with legal quibbles, mortgages, bonds, writs, and the like, they catch the poor, and draw them into a net. Chrysostom was peculiarly severe upon this last phase of cruelty, but assuredly not more so than was richly merited. Take care, brethren, for there are other traps besides these. Hungry lions are crouching in every den, and fowlers spread their nets in every field.

Quarles well pictures our danger in those memorable lines, —

"The close pursuers' busy hands do plant

Snares in thy substance; snares attend thy wants;

Snares in thy credit; snares in thy disgrace;

Snares in thy high estate; snares in thy base;

Snares tuck thy bed; and snares surround thy board;

Snares watch thy thoughts; and snares attack thy word;

Snares in thy quiet; snares in thy commotion;

Snares in thy diet; snares in thy devotion;

Snares lurk in thy resolves; snares in thy doubt;

Snares lie within thy heart; and snares without;

Snares are above thy head, and snares beneath;

Snares in thy sickness; snares are in thy death.

O Lord! keep thy servants, and defend us from all our enemies!

Read Spurgeon on Psalm 10 →

Cross-references

Topics

Lion Net

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.