Psalms 146:9
Psalms 146:9 in Multiple Translations
The LORD protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates.
The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
Jehovah preserveth the sojourners; He upholdeth the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
The Lord takes care of those who are in a strange land; he gives help to the widow and to the child who has no father; but he sends destruction on the way of sinners.
The Lord takes care of strangers among us. He looks after widows and orphans. But he makes life difficult for the wicked.
The Lord keepeth the strangers: he relieueth the fatherlesse and widowe: but he ouerthroweth the way of the wicked.
Jehovah is preserving the strangers, The fatherless and widow He causeth to stand, And the way of the wicked He turneth upside down.
The LORD preserves the foreigners. He upholds the fatherless and widow, but he turns the way of the wicked upside down.
The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
Who giveth to beasts their food: and to the young ravens that call upon him.
Yahweh takes care of those from other countries who live in our land, and he helps widows and orphans. But he gets rid of wicked people.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 146:9
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 146:9 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
יְהוָ֤ה
שֹׁ֘מֵ֤ר
אֶת
גֵּרִ֗ים
יָת֣וֹם
וְ/אַלְמָנָ֣ה
יְעוֹדֵ֑ד
וְ/דֶ֖רֶךְ
רְשָׁעִ֣ים
יְעַוֵּֽת
יְהוָ֤ה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
The Lord
N-proper
שֹׁ֘מֵ֤ר
shâmar
H8104
to keep
V-Qal
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
Obj.
DirObjM
גֵּרִ֗ים
gêr
H1616
sojourner
N-mp
יָת֣וֹם
yâthôwm
H3490
orphan
N-ms
וְ/אַלְמָנָ֣ה
ʼalmânâh
H490
widow
Conj | N-fs
יְעוֹדֵ֑ד
ʻûwd
H5749
to uphold
V-o-Imperf-3ms
וְ/דֶ֖רֶךְ
derek
H1870
way
Conj | N-cs
רְשָׁעִ֣ים
râshâʻ
H7563
wicked
Adj
יְעַוֵּֽת
ʻâvath
H5791
to pervert
V-Piel-Imperf-3ms
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 146:9
יְהוָ֤ה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
"The Lord"
N-proper
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Definition: Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
Usage: Occurs in 5522 OT verses. KJV: Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה). See also: Genesis 2:4; Genesis 24:42; Exodus 8:8.
שֹׁ֘מֵ֤ר
shâmar
H8104
"to keep"
V-Qal
To keep or obey means to protect, attend to, or guard something, like keeping a promise or watching over someone, as seen in the commands to observe the Sabbath.
Definition: : obey/observe 1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to keep, have charge of 1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life 1a2a) watch, watchman (participle) 1a3) to watch for, wait for 1a4) to watch, observe 1a5) to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory) 1a6) to keep (within bounds), restrain 1a7) to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow) 1a8) to keep, preserve, protect 1a9) to keep, reserve 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware 1b2) to keep oneself, refrain, abstain 1b3) to be kept, be guarded 1c) (Piel) to keep, pay heed 1d) (Hithpael) to keep oneself from
Usage: Occurs in 440 OT verses. KJV: beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man). See also: Genesis 2:15; Deuteronomy 11:1; 1 Kings 14:8.
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
"Obj."
DirObjM
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
גֵּרִ֗ים
gêr
H1616
"sojourner"
N-mp
A sojourner is a foreigner or temporary resident, lacking inherited rights, but often given concessions in Israel. This term appears in the Bible to describe outsiders living among God's people.
Definition: 1) sojourner 1a) a temporary inhabitant, a newcomer lacking inherited rights 1b) of foreigners in Israel, though conceded rights
Usage: Occurs in 83 OT verses. KJV: alien, sojourner, stranger. See also: Genesis 15:13; Deuteronomy 10:19; Psalms 39:13.
יָת֣וֹם
yâthôwm
H3490
"orphan"
N-ms
This Hebrew word refers to an orphan or a child without a father, like in Exodus where God commands the Israelites to care for the fatherless.
Definition: an orphan, fatherless
Usage: Occurs in 42 OT verses. KJV: fatherless (child), orphan. See also: Exodus 22:21; Psalms 10:18; Psalms 10:14.
וְ/אַלְמָנָ֣ה
ʼalmânâh
H490
"widow"
Conj | N-fs
A widow is a woman whose husband has died, often left alone and vulnerable. The Bible teaches care and compassion for widows, as seen in the stories of Ruth and Naomi. God commands his people to look out for them.
Definition: widow
Usage: Occurs in 54 OT verses. KJV: desolate house (palace), widow. See also: Genesis 38:11; Job 29:13; Psalms 68:6.
יְעוֹדֵ֑ד
ʻûwd
H5749
"to uphold"
V-o-Imperf-3ms
To testify means to repeat or affirm something, like a witness in court. In the Bible, it appears in Deuteronomy 4:26 and Isaiah 44:26. It involves speaking up or warning others.
Definition: 1) to return, repeat, go about, do again 1a) (Piel) to surround, go round and round 1b) (Pilel) to restore, relieve 1c) (Hithpalel) to be restored
Usage: Occurs in 40 OT verses. KJV: admonish, charge, earnestly, lift up, protest, call (take) to record, relieve, rob, solemnly, stand upright, testify, give warning, (bear, call to, give, take to) witness. See also: Genesis 43:3; Nehemiah 13:15; Psalms 20:9.
וְ/דֶ֖רֶךְ
derek
H1870
"way"
Conj | N-cs
Derek refers to a road or path, and can also mean a way of life or manner of action. It is often used to describe a journey or direction, and can be used figuratively to describe a person's character or moral path.
Definition: : road/route 1) way, road, distance, journey, manner 1a) road, way, path 1b) journey 1c) direction 1d) manner, habit, way 1e) of course of life (fig.) 1f) of moral character (fig.)
Usage: Occurs in 626 OT verses. KJV: along, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever). See also: Genesis 3:24; Deuteronomy 28:29; 1 Kings 15:34.
רְשָׁעִ֣ים
râshâʻ
H7563
"wicked"
Adj
This word describes someone who is morally wrong, a bad person who is guilty of crime or sin against God or others. It is used to describe the wicked in biblical stories, such as in the book of Genesis.
Definition: 1) wicked, criminal 1a) guilty one, one guilty of crime (subst) 1b) wicked (hostile to God) 1c) wicked, guilty of sin (against God or man)
Usage: Occurs in 248 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong. See also: Genesis 18:23; Psalms 101:8; Psalms 1:1.
יְעַוֵּֽת
ʻâvath
H5791
"to pervert"
V-Piel-Imperf-3ms
This Hebrew word means to pervert or twist something, and it is used to describe bending or making something crooked. It can also mean to falsify or subvert something, and it is used in the book of Proverbs to describe turning away from what is right.
Definition: 1) to be bent, be crooked, bend, make crooked, pervert 1a)(Piel) 1a1) to make crooked, falsify, pervert, subvert 1a2) to bend, make crooked 1b) (Pual) thing bent (participle) 1c) (Hithpael) to bend oneself
Usage: Occurs in 10 OT verses. KJV: bow self, (make) crooked., falsifying, overthrow, deal perversely, pervert, subvert, turn upside down. See also: Job 8:3; Ecclesiastes 1:15; Psalms 119:78.
Study Notes — Psalms 146:9
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 146:9 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 146:9
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 146:9
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 146:9
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 146:9
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 146:9
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 146:9
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 146:9
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 146:9
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 146:9
- Sermons on Psalms 146:9
Context — Praise the LORD, O My Soul
7He executes justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free,
8the LORD opens the eyes of the blind, the LORD lifts those who are weighed down, the LORD loves the righteous.
9The LORD protects foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and the widow, but the ways of the wicked He frustrates.
10The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Hallelujah!Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalms 68:5 | A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in His holy habitation. |
| 2 | Psalms 147:6 | The LORD sustains the humble, but casts the wicked to the ground. |
| 3 | Deuteronomy 10:18–19 | He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing. So you also must love the foreigner, since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt. |
| 4 | Exodus 22:21–22 | You must not exploit or oppress a foreign resident, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt. You must not mistreat any widow or orphan. |
| 5 | Proverbs 15:25 | The LORD tears down the house of the proud, but He protects the boundaries of the widow. |
| 6 | Malachi 3:5 | “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts. |
| 7 | Jeremiah 49:11 | Abandon your orphans; I will preserve their lives. Let your widows trust in Me.” |
| 8 | James 1:27 | Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. |
| 9 | Proverbs 4:19 | But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble. |
| 10 | Psalms 145:20 | The LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. |
Psalms 146:9 Summary
This verse tells us that God loves and protects people who are often forgotten or mistreated, like foreigners, orphans, and widows. He cares for them and makes sure they have what they need. At the same time, God will stop the plans of people who are wicked and want to hurt others. We can trust in God's love and care for us, just like we see in Psalms 23:4 and Jeremiah 29:11. He is a God of justice and compassion, and He will always do what is right.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean that the LORD protects foreigners?
This means that God cares for and watches over those who are not part of His chosen people, showing His love and mercy to all nations, as seen in Psalms 86:9 and Isaiah 56:6-8.
Why does the LORD sustain the fatherless and the widow?
The LORD sustains them because they are often vulnerable and in need, and He is a God of justice and compassion, as seen in Deuteronomy 10:18 and James 1:27.
What does it mean that the LORD frustrates the ways of the wicked?
This means that God will ultimately thwart the plans of those who oppose Him and do evil, as seen in Proverbs 10:29 and Psalms 37:13.
How can we trust that the LORD will protect and sustain us?
We can trust in the LORD's protection and sustenance because of His faithful character, as seen in Psalms 9:10 and Hebrews 13:5-6.
Reflection Questions
- How have I seen the LORD's protection and care in my own life, especially in times of vulnerability?
- What are some ways I can show God's love and care to the foreigners, fatherless, and widows in my community?
- How can I trust in the LORD's sovereignty and justice when I see wickedness prevailing in the world?
- What does this verse teach me about God's heart for the vulnerable and oppressed, and how can I reflect that heart in my own life?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 146:9
The Lord preserveth the strangers,.... The life of them, as he did the daughter of: the Greek, a Syrophenician woman, and a Samaritan, by healing them of their diseases, Mr 7:26; and in a spiritual
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 146:9
The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 146:9
He overthroweth their goings, as the phrase is, . He maketh them to lose their way; he not only frustrateth their plots and enterprises but turneth them against themselves. This and all the foregoing sentences are so many arguments to encourage all good men to trust in God in all their straits and afflictions.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 146:9
Psalms 146:9 The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.Ver. 9. The Lord preserveth] These all are his clients, because neglected by the world, as yielding no profit. He turneth upside down] As one doth a dish that is washed and wiped, 2 Kings 21:13.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 146:9
(9) The stranger, the widow, and the orphan are constantly presented in the Law as objects of compassion and beneficence. The orphan and widow are mentioned as under God’s care (Psalms 68:5). Relieveth.—Or rather, restoreth, by taking up their cause and seeing justice done. Certain forms of the verb are used of bearing witness, and possibly here there is allusion to a court of justice, in which God appears as witnessing on the side of the weak and defenceless. Turneth upside down.—Rather, bends aside. The same word in Psalms 119:78 is rendered” dealt perversely.” The idea seems in both cases to be that of interference, to thwart and impede a course of action. In Psalms 119 it is an evil-disposed person who interferes with the righteous. Here it is the Divine providence which, when the wicked man has laid out his plans, and looks as it were along a plain and level road of prosperity, bends the prosperous course aside; makes the path crooked, instead of straight; full of trouble and calamity, instead of prosperous and sure.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 146:9
Verse 9. Preserveth the strangers] He has preserved you strangers in a strange land, where you have been in captivity for seventy years; and though in an enemy's country, he has provided for the widows and orphans as amply as if he had been in the promised land. The way of the wicked he turneth upside down.] He subverts, turns aside. They shall not do all the wickedness they wish; they shall not do all that is in their power. In their career he will either stop them, turn them aside, or overturn them.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 146:9
9. As in Psalms 94:6 the sojourners[89] or resident aliens who had no rights of citizenship, orphans, and widows are typical examples of defencelessness. They are therefore specially under Jehovah’s protection, and are commended in the Law to the care of the Israelites. [89] The LXX regularly renders gηr, ‘sojourner,’ by προσήλυτος; but this does not mean ‘proselyte’ in the later technical sense of “a Gentile who through circumcision and observance of the law had been admitted into full religious fellowship with Israel,” but, as the Vulg. renders it here, ‘advena.’ See Schόrer’s Hist. of Jewish People, § 31, E.T. ii. ii. 315.relieveth] R.V. upholdeth. turneth upside dawn] Lit. as R.V. marg., maketh crooked; turns aside from its goal, so that it leads to destruction. Cp. Psalms 1:6. That which they would fain do to innocent men (Psalms 119:78) He does to them.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 146:9
The Lord preserveth the strangers - He regards them with interest; he defends and guides them. This is the ninth reason why those who trust in the Lord are happy.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 146:9
9. The word upside is not in the Hebrew, and is not desirable. The way of the wicked is turned down, toward the abyss of darkness, while that of the just is turned upward, toward the perfect day.
Sermons on Psalms 146:9
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Guardian of the Fatherless by C.H. Spurgeon | C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes that God serves as the guardian for the fatherless, providing mercy and support when earthly protectors are absent. He encourages believers to cast away al |
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Divine Direction by Denis Lyle | Denis Lyle preaches on Divine Direction, using examples from the Bible to illustrate how individuals sought and followed God's guidance in their lives. The sermon emphasizes the im |
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The Lord My Husband by Octavius Winslow | Octavius Winslow emphasizes the profound relationship between God and the believer, particularly in the context of widowhood, where God is portrayed as the 'Husband' to those who h |
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Attributes of God (Series 2): The Omnipotence of God by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the preacher discusses three propositions about God's power. The first proposition is that God has power, which is evident in the creation of the world. The preache |
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Good News to the Poor by Jackie Pullinger | In this sermon, the speaker begins by discussing Jesus' proclamation of preaching good news to the poor. He highlights the current need for this message, especially in times of nat |
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Princess & Her Relationships, the (Part 1) by Dora Esh | In this sermon, Brother Denny addresses the issue of submission and obedience in relationships. He emphasizes the importance of submitting to authority, even when we may not agree |
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The Lord in Perspective by Stuart Briscoe | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the glory of the ascended Lord. The message of the Christian Gospel is that God sent his son to the depths and raised him up to the heights. |