Psalm 146:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

NIV: The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

NASB: The Lord watches over strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, But He thwarts the way of the wicked.

CSB: The Lord protects resident aliens and helps the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

NLT: The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.

KJV: The Lord preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.

NKJV: The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.

Psalm 146:5–10 lists the many wonderful attributes of God. Jacob was the patriarch of the nation which carried his God-given new name of Israel (Genesis 32:28). This is the God who created the universe and acts with justice and mercy. This God, named YHWH or Yahweh (Exodus 3:15), provides salvation, freedom, and care as well as judgment. This makes Him the only One worthy of praise.

In Hebrew, the phrase halelu-yāh is an expression of praise and worship to God. That term both begins and ends this psalm. In between, the psalmist notes that only God is truly reliable. Limited men are not a source of salvation. The Lord, however, created all things and acts with power towards those who are in need. Only God will rule eternally, making Him the only One truly worthy of praise.

This psalm is among those which uses the Hebrew phrase halelu-yāh, which literally means "praise the Lord!" This term both begins and ends the final psalms in this book (Psalm 147—150). The psalmist emphasizes that God alone is worthy of absolute trust (Psalm 118:8–9). Fallen, imperfect men cannot provide eternal salvation because they sin and die themselves (Romans 3:10, 26). Here, God is repeatedly referred to using the name YHWH, or Yahweh, typically rendered as "LLord" in English (Exodus 3:15). Zion is another name for the city of Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:7; 1 Kings 8:1).

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 12/21/2024 10:25:37 PM