Psalm 10 is the tenth psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?" In the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, it is not an individual psalm but the second part of psalm 9, "Ut quid Domine recessisti".[1] These two consecutive psalms have the form of a single acrostic Hebrew poem. Compared to Psalm 9, Psalm 10 is focused more on the individual than the collective human condition.[2]
Psalm 8 reflects on man's special place in creation. In contrast, both psalms 9 and 10 will end with statements setting mankind in a more negative light in the final verses of each. Psalm 9 closes with the phase "Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men, selah" Psalm 9:20 [3] and Psalm 10:18 closes Psalm 10 with "...that the man of the earth may no more oppress."[4] Some speculate that the final word of Psalm 9, selah, possibly meaning "a pause",[5] might link the two psalms 9 and 10 together.[citation needed]
Taken together, Psalms 9 and 10 comprise a continuous acrostic psalm in the Hebrew alphabet. Some texts, such as the Septuagint, combine them. They also contrast as Psalm 9 is more victorious and 10 more of a lament.[citation needed]
Text
The following table shows the Hebrew text[6][7] of the Psalm with vowels, alongside the Koine Greek text in the Septuagint[8] and the English translation from the King James Version. Note that the meaning can slightly differ between these versions, as the Septuagint and the Masoretic Text come from different textual traditions.[note 1] In the Septuagint, this is not a separate psalm, but the second half of Psalm 9.
Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
According to the Rule of St. Benedict (530 AD), Psalm 1 to Psalm 20 were mainly reserved for the Office of Prime. Psalm 9 is sung in the Latin version translated from the GreekSeptuagint, and therefore includes Psalm 10, as noted above. Benedict had divided this Psalm 9/10 in two parts, one sung to the end of the Office of Prime Tuesday (Psalm 9: 1–19) and the other (Psalm 9: 20–21 and Psalm 10: 1–18) is the first of the three readings on Wednesday. In other words, the first verses of Psalm 9 until "Quoniam non in finem erit oblivio pauperis: patientia pauperum non peribit in finem," formed the third and final Prime Psalm from Tuesday, the second part of the Psalm (Vulgate according to his view) was recited as the first psalm of the Office of Prime Wednesday.[15][16]
Traditionally Psalms 9 and 10 were recited as the seventh Psalms of Sunday Matins.
Heinrich Schütz wrote a setting of a paraphrase of Psalm 10 in German, "Wie meinst du's doch, ach Herr, mein Gott", SWV 106, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628.
