What is Psalterium Catholicum?

Psalterium Catholicum offers praying the Psalms, practicing Lectio Divina, and exploring faithful Catholic resources for daily devotion.

Psalm 9 The Psalter Psalm 11

PSALMVS X

Ut quid, Domine

Lament against the Oppressor · Lament · Book I

Pray this Psalm · Lectio Divina

1Why, O Lord, hast thou retired afar off? why dost thou slight us in our wants, in the time of trouble?

Douay-Rheims · Challoner Revision

Read the NABRE at the USCCB

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Wisdom of the Church

Psalm 10, often joined with Psalm 9 in the Septuagint and Vulgate tradition (Ps 9:22-39), reflects the lament of the righteous suffering under the oppression of the arrogant. While traditionally attributed to David, the psalm exhibits the characteristic markers of post-exilic wisdom literature, grappling with the 'hiddenness' of God during times of social injustice. Historically, it addresses the existential crisis of the faithful remnant—the 'anawim'—who see the wicked prospering while the poor are ensnared by the machinations of the lawless. It belongs to the first book of the Psalter, acting as a bridge between individual suffering and the eventual vindication of Israel. In Second Temple worship, this psalm functioned as a communal cry for divine intervention, recited by those who recognized that true order in the covenant community required the direct action of YHWH against those who disregard the moral law. Its structure, featuring remnants of an acrostic form, suggests a sophisticated liturgical composition intended for public proclamation during temple liturgies of repentance and supplication, reinforcing the expectation that God remains the ultimate King and Judge.