“Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.”
The plea to God to arise and lift His hand and do not forget the helpless appeals to God to act contrary to the wicked's false conviction. The verb arise suggests rousing God from apparent sleep or inaction, echoing the opening lament. The lifting of hand suggests divine action and readiness to strike enemies. The appeal not to forget addresses the fundamental fear underlying the lament: that God's distance might reflect genuine indifference. This verse directly opposes the wicked's theology with counter-assertion that God attends to victims.
Church Fathers on Psalms 10:12
“Why, O Lord,” says he, “have You withdrawn afar off?” Psalm 9:1. Then he who thus inquired, as if all on a sudden he understood, or as if he asked, though he knew, that he might teach, adds, “You despise in due seasons, in tribulations:” that is, You despise seasonably, and causest tribulations to inflame men's minds with longing for Your coming. For that fountain of life is sweeter to them that have much thirst. Therefore he hints the reason of the delay, saying, “Whilst…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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