Bible Strands
Psalms 10:11
He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He hides His face and never sees.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The oppressive speaker addresses himself during a moment of perceived security while crushing the helpless. This self-directed thought emerges just before the psalmist pleads for God to intervene.
The words — The verb שָׁ֣כַֽח (Sha.khach) literally means “he has forgotten,” and הִסְתִּ֥יר (his.Tir) means “he has hidden.” These terms describe the speaker’s false claim that God has withdrawn His attention.
The thread — This theme of self-assured impunity appears in Psalm 10:6, while the claim that God does not see recurs in Psalm 94:7 and Ezekiel 8:12. The psalm immediately counters it by commanding Yahweh to arise and not forget the afflicted.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that human claims of divine indifference are self-deception, not reality. It requires the reader to reject the illusion of unaccountable power and await God’s intervention.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.
Cross-references
- Ezekiel 8:12 “Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they are saying, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.’”
- Psalms 94:7 They say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.”
- Psalms 10:6 He says to himself, “I will not be moved; from age to age I am free of distress.”
- Psalms 73:11 The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?”
- Psalms 64:5 They hold fast to their evil purpose; they speak of hiding their snares. “Who will see them?” they say.
- Ecclesiastes 8:11 When the sentence for a crime is not speedily executed, the hearts of men become fully set on doing evil.
- Ezekiel 9:9 He replied, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of perversity. For they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.’
- Job 22:13 Yet you say: ‘What does God know? Does He judge through thick darkness?
- Mark 2:6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and thinking in their hearts,
- Luke 7:39 When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him—for she is a sinner!”