Psalms 10:12
Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Psalms 10:12
Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The phrase "lift up your hand" isn't just a general call for help; it's a direct appeal for God to demonstrate His power and authority, like a king raising his hand to command or strike. This urgent plea arises because the wicked are convinced God has forgotten them, so the psalmist begs God to act decisively and prove them wrong by remembering the afflicted.
The psalm describes the wicked boasting and oppressing the vulnerable, seemingly convinced that God is unaware or indifferent to their actions. In response to this arrogance and the suffering of the afflicted, the psalmist cries out to God, urging Him to act decisively. This plea flows directly from the wicked's internal declaration that God has forgotten and hidden His face, and it sets the stage for a confident declaration of God's eventual justice.
Ever felt like your cries for help hit a silent ceiling? Like God is out of the room, or even asleep? This verse dives into that raw, desperate feeling.
The first part of this verse is a bold plea: 'Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand.' It's not that God is actually asleep or unable to act. The psalmist, and countless believers since, feel the crushing weight of suffering and the wicked seeming to get away with it. This leads to a dangerous thought: 'God has forgotten; he hides his face; he will never see it' (Psalm 10:11). This isn't a theological statement of God's nature, but a description of the wicked's internal dialogue and a feeling the afflicted can wrestle with.
When God's justice seems absent, the default human response is to doubt His involvement. The psalmist acknowledges this temptation, even in his own heart, and then powerfully counters it. The call to 'Arise!' and 'Lift up your hand!' is a prayer that God would manifest His power and presence, proving the wicked wrong and bringing hope to the suffering. It's a plea for God to shake off the appearance of indifference.
What does it mean to be 'afflicted' or 'humble' in God's eyes? And why is this so crucial to the prayer?
The verse ends with a powerful plea: 'forget not the afflicted.' The original Hebrew word here, 'anav (often translated 'humble' or 'meek'), carries a rich meaning. It doesn't just describe someone who is quiet or meek in personality. It refers to those who are brought low by circumstances, the oppressed, the poor, and the needy. These are people who, in their hardship, recognize their utter dependence on God. They aren't proud or self-sufficient; their suffering has stripped away any pretense of self-reliance, leading them to cast themselves entirely upon God's mercy.
So, when the psalmist prays, 'forget not the afflicted,' he's not just asking God to remember them as a statistic. He's pleading for God to remember their condition – their weakness, their suffering, their reliance on Him. He's asking God to act on behalf of those who have no one else to turn to, those whom the wicked despise precisely because they seem so powerless. It's a prayer that God's remembrance would lead to His intervention.
Understand the original words
Yahweh · Hebrew Proper Noun
A Hebrew term for the covenant-keeping God of Israel, emphasizing His self-existence, eternal nature, and personal relationship with His people.
aniy · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
To be poor, oppressed, or suffering; it refers to those who are socially or economically marginalized and who rely entirely on God for justice and deliverance.
This passage uses the same urgent plea, 'Arise, O LORD!' highlighting a recurring theme of calling on God to intervene when His people are in distress and His enemies seem to have the upper hand.
Psalms 7:6This verse also echoes the call for God to 'arise' and act against oppressors, emphasizing that God's intervention is sought to bring justice and judgment against wickedness.
Isaiah 51:9This prophetic passage calls upon God to 'Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD,' mirroring the prayer in Psalms 10:12 for God to 'lift up his hand' and display His power.
Job 35:14This verse touches upon the idea that God's ear is not deaf to the cries of the afflicted, directly addressing the concern in Psalms 10:12 that God might 'forget not the afflicted'.
Matthew 11:5Jesus recounts His miracles to John the Baptist, including that 'the poor have the gospel preached to them,' aligning with the concern for the 'afflicted' or 'poor' in Psalms 10:12, showing God's specific attention to those in hardship.
calvinPsalms 10:11-13: "He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it."
He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten it: he hideth his face that he may never see it. 12. Arise, O Jehovah God, lift up thine hand: forget not the poor. 13. Why do the wicked despise God? He saith in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
He hath said in his heart. The Psalmist again points out the source from which the presumption of the ungodly proceeds. Because God seem…
gillPsalms 10:12: "Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble."
Arise, O Lord,.... See Psalm 3:7 ; O God, lift up thine hand; either on the behalf of his people, to help and deliver them; his hand may be said to be let down when their enemies prevail, and to be lifted up or exalted when it does valiantly, and works salvation for them; so when Moses's hands were let down Amalek prevailed, and when his hands were lifted up Israel prevailed, Exodus 17:11; or against their enemies,…
The phrase "lift up your hand" isn't just a general call for help; it's a direct appeal for God to demonstrate His power and authority, like a king raising his hand to command or strike. This urgent plea arises because the wicked are convinced God has forgotten them, so the psalmist begs God to act decisively and prove them wrong by remembering the afflicted.
The psalm describes the wicked boasting and oppressing the vulnerable, seemingly convinced that God is unaware or indifferent to their actions. In response to this arrogance and the suffering of the afflicted, the psalmist cries out to God, urging Him to act decisively. This plea flows directly from the wicked's internal declaration that God has forgotten and hidden His face, and it sets the stage for a confident declaration of God's eventual justice.
The psalm describes the wicked boasting and oppressing the vulnerable, seemingly convinced that God is unaware or indifferent to their actions. In response to this arrogance and the suffering of the afflicted, the psalmist cries out to God, urging Him to act decisively. This plea flows directly from the wicked's internal declaration that God has forgotten and hidden His face, and it sets the stage for a confident declaration of God's eventual justice.
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"Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted." — The phrase "lift up your hand" isn't just a general call for help; it's a direct appeal for God to demonstrate His power and authority, like a king raising his hand to command or strike. This urgent…