What Does Psalm 10:17 Mean in the King James?
LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The humble’s desire is heard, and the heart carrying it is made firm.
THE MEANING
Your desire is heard; your heart is being established, and God’s ear is attentive to you. Longing remains present while the inner person is steadied around it.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie that your desire must be fully put into words before it can be heard dissolves here: the verse names the desire itself as heard.
THE ROOT
תַּאֲוַת
taʾăvat
GROWS FROM
אוה
to desire, long for
The verse names longing itself as what God hears. Desire is not treated as noise that must first be silenced or translated into perfect words.
ALSO GROWS
ʾāvâ: to desire, long for
אָוָה
The verb form shows desire as active longing; the Psalm says that longing itself is heard.
mitʾavvim: those who long for or crave
מִתְאַוִּים
This form preserves the force of wanting; the verse gives that inward desire a place in God’s attention.
תָּכִין
tāḵîn
GROWS FROM
כון
to be firm or established; to make firm, set in place
The word translated “prepare” also carries the sense of establishing or making firm. The heart is steadied from within, rather than described as receiving something to fill an absence.
ALSO GROWS
hēḵîn: to establish, make ready
הֵכִין
This verb from the same root holds both readiness and firmness, illuminating what happens to the heart.
māḵôn: a fixed place, foundation, or dwelling
מָכוֹן
The same root can name a place made firm; here the heart receives that inner footing.
שָׁמַעְתָּ
shāmaʿtā
GROWS FROM
שמע
to hear, listen, attend
“hast heard” in this verse is shāmaʿtā. The Hebrew root can carry the sense of hearing with readiness to respond. The verse pairs God’s hearing of desire with the attentive ear, giving that hearing the force of engagement rather than distant sound.
ALSO GROWS
shemaʿ: hear and respond
שְׁמַע
This related form shows the root’s range: hearing can include attending to what is heard.
shemuʿāh: a report, message, or thing heard
שְׁמוּעָה
The noun names what reaches the ear; here the inward desire itself reaches God’s attention.
THE PATTERN
God’s attention reaches human need even when it has not yet taken the shape of a complete prayer.
The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.THE THREAD
The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.Both verses use the Hebrew root אוה (ʾ-w-h) for desire: here the humble’s desire is heard, and there the righteous person’s desire is granted. Together they show longing as something met by divine attention.
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