Psalms 10 · Verse 8

Psalms 10:8

He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
Psalms 10:8, King James Version

Psalms 10:8 in other translations

BSBHe lies in wait near the villages; in ambush he slays the innocent; his eyes watch in stealth for the helpless.
WEBHe lies in wait near the villages. From ambushes, he murders the innocent. His eyes are secretly set against the helpless.
ASVHe sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages; In the secret places doth he murder the innocent; His eyes are privily set against the helpless.
YLTHe doth sit in an ambush of the villages, In secret places he doth slay the innocent. His eyes for the afflicted watch secretly,
DARBYHe sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages; in the secret places doth he slay the innocent: his eyes watch for the wretched.
BBEHe is waiting in the dark places of the towns: in the secret places he puts to death those who have done no wrong: his eyes are secretly turned against the poor.
WebsterHe sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.

What does Psalms 10:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 10:7-10

7-10. The malignity and deceit (Psa 140:3) of such are followed by acts combining cunning, fraud, and violence (compare Pr 1:11, 18), aptly illustrated by the habits of the lion, and of hunters taking their prey. "Poor," in Psa 10:8, 10, 14, represents a word peculiar to this Psalm, meaning the sad or sorrowful; in Psa 10:9, as usual, it means the pious or meek sufferer.

Read the full comment on Psalms 10:7-10 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 He sitteth in the lurking places - In this and the following verse there appears to be an allusion to espionage, or setting of spies on a man's conduct; or to the conduct of an assassin or private murderer. He sitteth in lurking places - in secret places; his eyes - spies - are privily set; he lieth in wait secretly: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net. He is like a hunter that lays his traps and gins, digs his pits, sets his nets; and when the prey falls into them, he destroys its life.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 10:1-11

God's withdrawings are very grievous to his people, especially in times of trouble. We stand afar off from God by our unbelief, and then complain that God stands afar off from us. Passionate words against bad men do more hurt than good; if we speak of their badness, let it be to the Lord in prayer; he can make them better. The sinner proudly glories in his power and success. Wicked people will not seek after God…

Read the full comment on Psalms 10:1-11 →

Psalms 10:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

יֵשֵׁ֤ב\׀ye.Shevhe sitsH3427
בְּמַאְרַ֬בbe.ma'.Ravin an ambush ofH3993
חֲצֵרִ֗יםcha.tze.RimvillagesH2691
בַּֽ֭מִּסְתָּרִיםBa.mis.ta.rimin <the> hiding placesH4565
יַהֲרֹ֣גya.ha.Roghe killsH2026
נָקִ֑יna.Ki[the] innocentH5355
עֵ֝ינָ֗יו'ei.Naveyes hisH5869
לְֽחֵלְכָ֥הle.che.le.Khahfor an unfortunate personH2489
יִצְפֹּֽנוּ\׃yitz.Po.nuthey lie hiddenH6845

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 10:8

  • Habakkuk 3:14

    Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.

  • Jeremiah 22:17

    But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.

  • 1 Samuel 22:18

    And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.

  • 1 Samuel 23:23

    See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.

  • Psalms 17:11

    They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;

  • Proverbs 6:12-13

    A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

  • Luke 8:1

    And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,

  • Psalms 94:6

    They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.

  • 2 Kings 21:16

    Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.

  • Proverbs 1:11-12

    If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

  • Luke 10:1

    After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
sitteth.
1Sa 22:18; 23:23; 2Ki 21:16; Pr 1:11,12; Hab 3:14; Lu 8:1; 10:1
his eyes.
17:11; Pr 6:12,13; Jer 22:17
are privily set. Heb. hide themselves.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 10:7

    His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

  • Psalms 10:8

    He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.

  • Psalms 10:9

    He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.

Read all of Psalms 10

Psalms 10:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Está en las guaridas de las aldeas: en los escondrijos mata al inocente: sus ojos están acechando al pobre.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Il se tient aux embuscades des villages; dans des lieux cachés, il tue l’innocent; ses yeux épient le malheureux.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Er sitzt im Hinterhalt der Dörfer, an verborgenen Örtern ermordet er den Unschuldigen; seine Augen spähen dem Unglücklichen nach.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Quoniam justus Dominus, et justitias dilexit: æquitatem vidit vultus ejus.