Verse
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Psalm 10:12

ESV Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted.
NIV Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.
NASB Arise, Lord; God, lift up Your hand. Do not forget the humble.
CSB Rise up, Lord God! Lift up your hand. Do not forget the oppressed.
NLT Arise, O Lord! Punish the wicked, O God! Do not ignore the helpless!
KJV Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
NKJV Arise, O Lord! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble.

What does Psalm 10:12 mean?

David calls upon the Lord to act on behalf of those who are oppressed (Psalm 10:2–3). The wicked man has regarded God as non-existent (Psalm 10:4), ignorant of the wicked's evil actions, and hiding His face from evil (Psalm 10:11). David's plea here is for God to come forward like a warrior and push back against such evil people.

In a similar mood, Revelation 6 depicts tribulation martyrs crying out loudly for revenge. They ask: "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Revelation 6:10). They are told to rest a little longer until their fellow servants and brothers were killed (Revelation 6:11). Under the sixth seal, the Lord judges everyone, even the kings, the great ones, the generals, the rich, and the powerful (Revelation 6:12–17).

God may not avenge His servants immediately, but in His good time He will avenge them dramatically and completely!
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Context Summary
Psalm 10:12–18 closes the song by asking God to avenge those harmed by wicked men. David trusts the Lord to hear the cry of the afflicted and end the persecution brought on by the wicked. These closing verses resemble the divine judgment Asaph predicted in Psalm 73:18–20, 27.
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Chapter Summary
This song opens with a common question humanity asks in hard times: "where are you, God?" There follows a description of wicked people and their deeds and motives. Evil people feel free to be depraved and arrogant, assuming there is no God to judge them. Like predators, these wicked people ambush helpless people. Despite their wrong assumptions, God keeps His promises. He will judge the wicked and defend His people. Helpless people can trust God to make matters right. Someday, He will rid the earth of all sin and suffering. His justice will prevail, and His people will never again experience persecution.
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