Psalms 10:3

3 He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.

Psalms 10:3 in Other Translations

KJV
3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
ESV
3 For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.
NLT
3 For they brag about their evil desires; they praise the greedy and curse the LORD .
MSG
3 The wicked are windbags, the swindlers have foul breath.
CSB
3 For the wicked one boasts about his own cravings; the one who is greedy curses and despises the Lord.

Psalms 10:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 10:3

For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire
As antichrist does of his universal power over all bishops and princes, which his heart was long desiring after; of his being Christ's vicar, Peter's successor, and head of the church; and of having power in heaven, earth, and hell: he boasts of his wealth and riches, of the righteousness and merits of saints, of works of supererogation, a stock of which he pretends to have in his hands to dispense to others: he boasts of his own holiness and infallibility, and of miracles, signs, and lying wonders done by his creatures, and of his great success in destroying those that oppose him; see ( Revelation 18:7 ) ( 2 Thessalonians 2:4 ) . The words may be rendered, "the wicked praiseth himself for the desire of his heart" {u}, so the Chaldee paraphrase; to which agrees Jarchi's gloss,

``wicked Esau praiseth himself, because he hath obtained the desire of his soul:''

and thus it is usual for proud, haughty, wicked men, as the Assyrian monarch, Nebuchadnezzar, and so the man of sin, to ascribe whatsoever they have or do to their own power and prudence; see ( Isaiah 10:12 Isaiah 10:13 ) ( Daniel 4:30 ) . Or they may be rendered, "he praiseth the wicked for his heart's desire" F23; or for his lusts, for his indulging them: for a wicked man not only delights in committing sin himself, but he also takes pleasure in those that do it; and some of the antichristian party have even wrote in commendation of the most unnatural lusts;

and blesseth the covetous, [whom] the Lord abhorreth:
the covetous man is one that makes no use of what he has but for himself; and oftentimes withholds that which is meet from himself, as well as from others; and who makes use of unlawful ways to get, retain, and increase wealth, and is never satisfied: such an one God abhors, because he is an idolater, he has other gods before him; he worships his gold, be sets his affection on it, places his confidence in it, and expects protection and security from it, to a neglect of divine Providence; and yet the wicked man blesses him, calls his covetousness frugality and good husbandry; ascribes what he has to his diligence, care, and industry, and bestows gifts upon him. The words may be rendered, "the covetous man blesses himself" F24; with the good things he has laid up for many years; he pronounces himself blessed, and promises himself a great deal of happiness, in futurity; and ascribes all he has to his own hands. Or, "the covetous man curses, he abhors the Lord" F25; for the same word in the Hebrew language signifies to bless and curse, ( Job 1:5 ) ( 2:9 ) , which Aben Ezra on the place observes; and it is applicable enough to antichrist, who opens his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven; see ( Revelation 13:6 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F21 (wvpn twat le evr llh yk) "nam laudat improbus animam suam in desiderio ipsius", Junius & Tremellius; so Michaelis.
F23 "Quoniam laudat ipsium pro desiderio animi sui", Tigurine version.
F24 (Krb euwbw) "et avarus benedicit sibi", Piscator; so Ainsworth.
F25 "Avarus maledicit sive blasphemat Jehovam", Tarnovius, Hammond; so some in Michaelis.

Psalms 10:3 In-Context

1 Why, LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises.
3 He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
5 His ways are always prosperous; your laws are rejected by him; he sneers at all his enemies.

Cross References 2

  • 1. Psalms 49:6; Psalms 94:4; Jeremiah 48:30
  • 2. S Job 1:5
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