Psalm 10:15
New International Version
Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out.

New Living Translation
Break the arms of these wicked, evil people! Go after them until the last one is destroyed.

English Standard Version
Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none.

Berean Standard Bible
Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call him to account for his wickedness until none is left to be found.

King James Bible
Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

New King James Version
Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man; Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

New American Standard Bible
Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

NASB 1995
Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

NASB 1977
Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until Thou dost find none.

Legacy Standard Bible
Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

Amplified Bible
Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find no more.

Christian Standard Bible
Break the arm of the wicked, evil person, until you look for his wickedness, but it can’t be found.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Break the arm of the wicked and evil person; call his wickedness into account until nothing remains of it.

American Standard Version
Break thou the arm of the wicked; And as for the evil man, seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

Contemporary English Version
Now break the power of all merciless people. Punish them for doing wrong and make them stop.

English Revised Version
Break thou the arm of the wicked; and as for the evil man, seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Break the arm of the wicked and evil person. Punish his wickedness until you find no more.

Good News Translation
Break the power of wicked and evil people; punish them for the wrong they have done until they do it no more.

International Standard Version
Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; so that when you seek out his wickedness you will find it no more.

Majority Standard Bible
Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call him to account for his wickedness until none is left to be found.

NET Bible
Break the arm of the wicked and evil man! Hold him accountable for his wicked deeds, which he thought you would not discover.

New Heart English Bible
Break the arm of the wicked. As for the evil man, seek out his wickedness until you find none.

Webster's Bible Translation
Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou shalt find none.

World English Bible
Break the arm of the wicked. As for the evil man, seek out his wickedness until you find none.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Break the arm of the wicked and the evil, "" Seek out his wickedness, find none;

Young's Literal Translation
Break the arm of the wicked and the evil, Seek out his wickedness, find none;

Smith's Literal Translation
Break the arm of the unjust and the evil one: thou wilt seek out his injustice; thou wilt not find.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Break thou the arm of the sinner and of the malignant: his sin shall be sought, and shall not be found.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Break the arm of the sinner and the malicious. His sin will be sought, and it will not be found.

New American Bible
Break the arm of the wicked and depraved; make them account for their crimes; let none of them survive.

New Revised Standard Version
Break the arm of the wicked and evildoers; seek out their wickedness until you find none.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man; seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Shatter the arm of the sinner and of the evil; you shall seek his sin and it shall not be found.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Break Thou the arm of the wicked; And as for the evil man, search out his wickedness, till none be found.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Break thou the arm of the sinner and wicked man: his sin shall be sought for, and shall not be found.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Perils of the Pilgrim
14But You have regarded trouble and grief; You see to repay it by Your hand. The victim entrusts himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. 15Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call him to account for his wickedness until none is left to be found. 16The LORD is King forever and ever; the nations perish from His land.…

Cross References
Isaiah 2:12
For the Day of the LORD of Hosts will come against all the proud and lofty, against all that is exalted—it will be humbled—

Jeremiah 50:31
“Behold, I am against you, O arrogant one,” declares the Lord GOD of Hosts, “for your day has come, the time when I will punish you.

Ezekiel 30:10-11
This is what the Lord GOD says: I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. / He and his people with him, the most ruthless of the nations, will be brought in to destroy the land. They will draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain.

Micah 5:9
Your hand will be lifted over your foes, and all your enemies will be cut off.

Nahum 1:14
The LORD has issued a command concerning you, O Nineveh: “There will be no descendants to carry on your name. I will cut off the carved image and cast idol from the house of your gods; I will prepare your grave, for you are contemptible.”

Malachi 4:1
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.”

Matthew 3:10
The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Luke 3:9
The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Romans 1:18
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

2 Thessalonians 2:8
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival.

Revelation 19:15
And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

Isaiah 13:11
I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity. I will end the haughtiness of the arrogant and lay low the pride of the ruthless.

Jeremiah 23:19-20
Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone out with fury, a whirlwind swirling down upon the heads of the wicked. / The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has fully accomplished the purposes of His heart. In the days to come you will understand this clearly.

Ezekiel 25:17
I will execute great vengeance against them with furious reproof. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I lay My vengeance upon them.’”

Amos 9:1
I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said: “Strike the tops of the pillars so that the thresholds shake. Topple them on the heads of all the people, and I will kill the rest with the sword. None of those who flee will get away; none of the fugitives will escape.


Treasury of Scripture

Break you the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till you find none.

Break

Psalm 3:7
Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

Psalm 37:17
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.

Job 38:15
And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.

seek

Psalm 7:9
Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

2 Kings 21:12-15
Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle…

Jeremiah 2:34
Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.

Jump to Previous
Account Arm Break Broken Evil Evildoer Evil-Doer Find Found Search Searching Seek Sin Sinner Wicked Wickedness
Jump to Next
Account Arm Break Broken Evil Evildoer Evil-Doer Find Found Search Searching Seek Sin Sinner Wicked Wickedness
Psalm 10
1. David complains of the wicked
12. He prays for remedy
16. He professes his confidence














Break the arm
The phrase "Break the arm" is a vivid metaphor used in the Hebrew Scriptures to signify the destruction of power and strength. In ancient times, the arm symbolized might and the ability to exert force. By asking God to "break the arm," the psalmist is invoking divine intervention to dismantle the power structures of the wicked. This reflects a deep trust in God's justice and His ability to render the wicked powerless. The Hebrew root for "break" (שָׁבַר, shabar) conveys a sense of shattering or demolishing, emphasizing the complete and utter defeat of evil forces.

of the wicked and evildoer
The "wicked and evildoer" are those who act in opposition to God's righteous standards. In the Hebrew context, "wicked" (רָשָׁע, rasha) refers to those who are morally wrong, guilty, or hostile towards God. The "evildoer" (עָוֶל, avil) is one who commits injustice or acts unrighteously. This dual description underscores the comprehensive nature of sin and rebellion against God. The psalmist's plea is for God to address not just individual acts of wickedness but the very character and ongoing actions of those who perpetuate evil.

call his wickedness into account
To "call his wickedness into account" is to bring the deeds of the wicked into the light of divine judgment. The Hebrew concept here involves a legal reckoning, where God, as the ultimate judge, examines and evaluates the actions of the wicked. This phrase reflects the biblical assurance that no evil deed escapes God's notice and that He will hold every person accountable. It is a call for justice, where the hidden and unrepentant sins are exposed and dealt with according to God's righteous standards.

until none is left
The phrase "until none is left" signifies the complete eradication of wickedness. It is a prayer for the total removal of evil from the earth, aligning with the biblical hope for a future where God's kingdom is fully realized, and righteousness prevails. This reflects the eschatological vision found throughout Scripture, where God promises to restore creation and eliminate all forms of sin and rebellion. The psalmist's plea is not just for temporary relief but for a permanent solution to the problem of evil, trusting in God's ultimate plan for redemption and restoration.

(15) Seek out.--The meaning of the verse is clear, from Psalm 37:36, and Isaiah 41:12, where we see that to seek and not find was a proverb expressing "riddance of evil;" but the construction is difficult. The first clause should end at "wicked," the words "and the evil" being absolute; and the verbs, which are in form either second or third person, should be taken in the second. Translate, and as for the evil man, thou shalt look for his wickedness, and not find it (thou=anybody, which preserves the proverbial tone. So the LXX., "his sin shall be sought, and not be found ").

Verse 15. - Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man; i.e. "break thou his strength; take away his ability to work evil to others." Seek out his wickedness till thou find none; rather, require his wickedness. The verb is the same as that used in the last clause of ver. 13. The wicked man had said in his heart, "Thou wilt not require;" the psalmist calls on God, not only to require, but to require to the uttermost. Seek out, be says, require, and bring to judgment, all his wickedness - every atom of it - until even thy searching eye can find no mere to require, requite, and punish.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Break
שְׁ֭בֹר (ḇōr)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7665: To break, break in pieces

the arm
זְר֣וֹעַ (zə·rō·w·a‘)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2220: The arm, the foreleg, force

of the wicked
רָשָׁ֑ע (rā·šā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7563: Wrong, an, bad person

and evildoer;
וָ֝רָ֗ע (wā·rā‘)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

call his wickedness
רִשְׁע֥וֹ (riš·‘ōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7562: Wickedness

into account
תִּֽדְרוֹשׁ־ (tiḏ·rō·wōš-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1875: To tread, frequent, to follow, to seek, ask, to worship

until none is left
בַל־ (ḇal-)
Adverb
Strong's 1077: A failure, nothing, not at all, lest

to find.
תִּמְצָֽא׃ (tim·ṣā)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present


Links
Psalm 10:15 NIV
Psalm 10:15 NLT
Psalm 10:15 ESV
Psalm 10:15 NASB
Psalm 10:15 KJV

Psalm 10:15 BibleApps.com
Psalm 10:15 Biblia Paralela
Psalm 10:15 Chinese Bible
Psalm 10:15 French Bible
Psalm 10:15 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Psalm 10:15 Break the arm of the wicked (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 10:14
Top of Page
Top of Page