Psalm 10 (9):17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

One translator expresses it this way: ‘the purpose of their heart has reached your ear.’ Another puts it differently: ‘you shall cause that the desires of their hearts will resonate with your ear.’

The Lord is attentive to the desires of the needy, as expressed in Psalm 9:38, a longing that intensifies amid the confined and troubled circumstances of this world as they yearn for the coming of the Lord. Your ear has heard the readiness of their hearts. This is the same readiness of heart celebrated in another psalm: "My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast," a sentiment echoed by the apostle when he writes, "But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience" (Rom. 8:25). When we refer to the ears of God, we should understand, in accordance with general interpretive principles, not a physical organ, but the divine capacity to perceive.

O Lord, You have listened to the longings of the destitute. Their yearning reflects their anticipation for the blessings to come. Their heartfelt aspirations reach Your attentive ear. They were prepared in spirit to face any trial for these promises. To please the heart signifies a commitment to align the soul's desires with the divine will.

Simmah replaced the term ‘arrangement’ with ‘intention’. The Prophet points out that you understand the desires of the impoverished and what drives their intentions. This clarification emphasizes the matter further.

In this context, the longing and inclination of the distressed heart symbolize the heartfelt prayers directed towards God, expressing a plea for the annihilation of the wicked. These afflicted souls were pure in spirit, free from the bondage of sin. Alternatively, these statements may reflect the yearning of the prophets’ hearts, who earnestly pleaded for the coming of the Savior. They were indeed prepared to embrace the faith of Christ, and those who followed were equally ready to accept it.

The depiction of Divine power reminds us that God lacks physical form; the 'ear' symbolizes the active force through which He hears, the 'eye' represents the means by which He sees, and the 'hand' denotes the agency through which He acts. It is essential to bear this in mind to ensure our expressions do not seem inappropriate or unwarranted through constant reiteration.

The Monk Pamva had a practice: whenever someone sought his counsel, he would respond, "Take a moment and commit your endeavor to God," and he never offered guidance until he had first prayed for divine inspiration to provide the right advice to the seeker. This approach proved so beneficial to him that during his final moments on his deathbed, he remarked, "I cannot recall a single word of mine that I would lament or regret having spoken incorrectly." Indeed, God grants answers to those who approach Him in faith, resonating with the words of the psalmist, "O Lord! Thou hearest the desires of the humble; strengthen their heart; open Thy ear" (Psalm 9:38). Those who do not ground their intentions and actions in God’s blessing and His holy will often find no success in their endeavors. Our awareness of our relationship with the Lord compels us to seek His blessing on all our actions and to consider carefully whether they align with His divine will.

The prophet, as if he had already received God’s response, expresses joy, offers praise to the Almighty, and with a heart full of delight, shifts his focus from the past to the future, as if to proclaim, “I trust that You hear the supplication of the needy, and I perceive with the eye of faith that You have listened.” He does not question whether God has heard the prayer, but rather the longing of the poor, indicating that a response is imminent, as if to convey: The Lord, who tests hearts and wombs, will not overlook the prayer of the needy but will soon fulfill their desires. Then, reiterating this sentiment in different terms, he states, “The preparation of their hearts is heard by Your ear.” For the longing and the preparation of the heart are intertwined, as both reveal a sincere inclination toward prayer.

The longing of the destitute, the just souls in the realm of the dead, was recognized by Christ the Lord, who delivered them from their plight; those who embrace poverty for the sake of Christ find their prayers welcomed.