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Psalm 10:2
In arrogance, the wicked hunt down the weak. They are caught in the schemes that they devise.
1Why do you stand far off, LORD? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2In arrogance, the wicked hunt down the weak. They are caught in the schemes that they devise.
3For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings. He blesses the greedy and condemns the LORD.
4The wicked, in the pride of his face, has no room in his thoughts for God.
Notice
Hunting language exposes the cruelty of arrogance here: the weak become targets for people whose schemes turn another person’s vulnerability into an opportunity for harm.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
Where have you seen someone’s weakness become a target for another person’s schemes?
Write on thisWhat would you want to say to God about the words “hunt down”?
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Where else Scripture says this
12 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Psalm 21:11For they intended evil against you. They plotted evil against you which cannot succeed.Both passages name deliberate evil through schemes or plots; Psalm 21 adds that the plots it describes cannot succeed.
Proverbs 26:27Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.Schemes and traps link these texts, with Proverbs stating that harm returns upon the person who prepares it.
Psalm 59:12For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride, for the curses and lies which they utter.Both passages connect pride with the language of being caught, while Psalm 59 makes that capture a direct prayer.
Psalm 36:11Don’t let the foot of pride come against me. Don’t let the hand of the wicked drive me away.Both passages portray pride as a threat to another person, with Psalm 36 asking for protection from the wicked.
Psalm 7:16The trouble he causes shall return to his own head. His violence shall come down on the crown of his own head.Both describe harm caused by wicked people; Psalm 7 states that the harm returns upon the person who causes it.
Proverbs 5:22The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him. The cords of his sin hold him firmly.Both use the language of capture around wickedness, and Proverbs identifies evil deeds as the cords that ensnare their doer.
Isaiah 10:12–13Therefore it will happen that when the Lord has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the willful proud heart of …Arrogance marks the wicked in the psalm and the king of Assyria in Isaiah, where God announces punishment.
Isaiah 14:13You said in your heart, “I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north!Pride links the passages: the psalm names arrogance, while Isaiah records a speaker’s desire to exalt his throne above God’s stars.
Jeremiah 43:2then Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely. The LORD our God has not sent …Both passages identify pride in people acting against others, through hunting the weak or accusing Jeremiah of speaking falsely.
Isaiah 14:16Those who see you will stare at you. They will ponder you, saying, “Is this the man who made the earth to tremble, who shook kingdoms,The shared thread is people causing fear and harm, though Isaiah describes shaken kingdoms rather than the pursuit of the weak.
Isaiah 38:17Behold, for peace I had great anguish, but you have in love for my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption; for you have cast all my sins behind your back.The connection is limited to suffering: the psalm describes cruel pursuit, while Isaiah speaks of anguish followed by deliverance.
Exodus 1:10Come, let’s deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies and fight against …Both passages describe plans directed against other people, with Exodus recording a proposal aimed at preventing a people’s escape.
Where this verse fits
Injustice and anger. feeling distant from God.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
You do not have to soften the words “hunt down” when bringing harm before God. This lament speaks of cruelty while God still seems far off.
Now put it in your words.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).