Psalm 10 (9):7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

His speech is filled with oaths, bitterness, and deceit; on his tongue are torment and malice (v. 28). Another translation refers to it as useless. He lies in wait in concealed places, alongside the wealthy, intent on ambushing the innocent, with his gaze fixed on the impoverished (v. 29). Another source states that he sits covertly near the court. His eyes are trained on the beggar as he lurks stealthily, like a lion in its lair, ready to ensnare the beggar with his trap (v. 30). An alternate translation mentions his den. Observing his hidden nature, one might even say he resembles a beast. The prophet depicts him as a beast, illustrating his cunning and scheming intentions. Who could be more wretched and destitute than he, who covets the belongings of the needy?

It is a profound misfortune to pursue the heavens through detestable practices and to gather ill-gotten gains in the quest for an everlasting reign. His speech is replete with such misfortunes, as this longing shall never be realized. Instead, it serves solely to lead to the ruin of those who dare to claim such promises with bitterness and deceit, manifesting in anger and craftiness intended to amass a following. His words are laden with toil and anguish. There is nothing more burdensome than unrighteousness and malevolence, which inevitably brings forth grief; for this effort yields not only emptiness but ultimately leads to ruin.

His speech is laden with promises. He believed that his success would be unwavering; indeed, his words are filled with both lamentation and deceit, ensnaring the vulnerable to destroy them. When he speaks of ‘the wealthy,’ does it not refer to those who are not abundant in wickedness? For they aid their father the adversary in his schemes against the less fortunate.

His speech is filled with promises, grief, and deceit; beneath his words lie toil and affliction; he devises plots, schemes for wrongdoing, and dedicates his entire existence to conspiring against the downtrodden.

His speech is filled with oaths, sorrow, and deceit. The expression "his speech" reflects a common idiom in the Hebrew language frequently found in the sacred texts. The Jewish tradition often includes pronouns related to various parts of speech, such as in the phrase “Blessed is he that the God of Jacob is his helper” (Psalms 145:5) or “Blessed is the man that hath his intercession with Thee” (Psalms 83:6). Additionally, the sinner's speech is characterized by oaths, meaning it consistently utters curses; it is laden with sorrow, indicating an outpouring of anger or grief; and it teems with deceit, suggesting that those utterances do not originate from the heart, but rather conceal true intentions. Beneath his tongue lie toil and affliction.

The malevolence of his rhetoric is depicted as a profound corruption, for his words will be filled with blasphemous invocations as he falsely claims to be the Son of God. His wrath will be evident when he announces death as a consequence for those who stand against him and when he orders suffering for those who refuse to revere him as a deity. The declarations he makes will reveal his fierce intentions, and upon experiencing his own downfall, he will seek to accelerate the destruction of all creation.

After illustrating the nature of the wicked heart and demonstrating its lack of thought for God and His purposes, the passage proceeds to characterize the wicked mouth. It declares that “His mouth is full of oaths, and sorrows, and flatteries.” Oaths represent blasphemy against the Lord and complaints against His will or divine guidance. Sorrows encompass the unlawful appropriation of possessions and honor, along with expressions of anger and hostility towards one's neighbor, in addition to other wickednesses that unleash the venom of hatred and spite. Flattery involves deceitful speech, falsehoods, gossip, swearing, and other moral failings. The terms under his tongue, labor and sickness, reflect the destructive consequences of the aforementioned vices.

The Antichrist will openly express blasphemies against the Lord, harboring malice and deceit within his words. He will lead others into toil and eternal affliction, deceiving those who believe his lies (Rev. Ch. 13).