Psalms 72:13
in Psalms 72He will take pity on the poor and needy and save the lives of the oppressed.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He will have pity on the poor and needy, And the souls of the needy he will save.
KJV
He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.
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This verse in Psalms 72
Commentary
7 notes on this verseHe shall spare the poor and needy. His pity shall be manifested to them; he will not allow their trials to overwhelm them; his rod of correction shall fall lightly; he will be sparing of his rebukes, and not sparing in his consolations. And shall save the souls of the needy. His is the dominion of souls, a spiritual and not a worldly empire; and the needy, that is to say, the consciously unworthy and weak, shall find that he will give them his salvation. Jesus calls not the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
This site's exposition
deliver the needy who cry out
on Psalms 72:12-14
Verse 12 gives the ground of the greatness, rescue. He delivers the needy who cry out, pities the poor, saves the lives of the oppressed, and redeems them from oppression and violence. Their blood is precious in his sight, and that is the measure of the reign.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
But it might occur to one; if because of sins man was held by the devil, have sins pleased Christ, who saved the needy man from the mighty? Far be it. But "He it is that shall spare the helpless and poor man" [Psalm 72:13]: that is, shall remit sins to the man, humble and not trusting in his own merits, or hoping for salvation because of his own virtue, but needing the grace of his Saviour. But when he has added, "and the souls of the poor He shall save:" he has recommended to our notice both the aids of grace; both that which is for the remission of sins, when he says, "He shall spare the poor and needy man;" and that which does consist in the imparting of righteousness, when he has added, "and the souls of the poor He shall save." For no one is meet of himself for salvation (which salvation is perfect righteousness), unless God's grace aid: because the fullness of the law is nought but love, which does not exist in us of ourselves, but is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given unto us. [Romans 5:5]
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He will spare the needy that throw themselves on his mercy, and will not be rigorous and severe with them; he will save their souls, and that is all they desire. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Christ is the poor man's King.
He shall spare the poor and needy,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
He shall spare the poor and needy. His pity shall be manifested to them; he will not allow their trials to overwhelm them; his rod of correction shall fall lightly; he will be sparing of his rebukes, and not sparing in his consolations. And shall save the souls of the needy. His is the dominion of souls, a spiritual and not a worldly empire; and the needy, that is to say, the consciously unworthy and weak, shall find that he will give them his salvation. Jesus calls not the righteous, but sinners to repentance. He does not attempt the superfluous work of aiding proud Pharisees to air their vanity; but he is careful of poor Publicans whose eyes dare not look up to heaven by reason of their sense of sin. We ought to be anxious to be among these needy ones whom the Great King so highly favours.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He shall spare the poor and needy - He will have pity on; he will show mercy or favor to them. And shall save the souls of the needy - Will guard and defend them; will be their protector and friend. His administration will have special respect to those who are commonly overlooked, and who are exposed to oppression and wrong.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יָ֭חֹס | yachos | he will have compassion | H2347 → | |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| דַּ֣ל | dal | [the] poor | H1800 → | 47 times |
| וְאֶבְי֑וֹן | veevyon | and [the] needy | H34 → | 61 times |
| וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹת | venafshot | and [the] lives of | H5315 → | 754 times |
| אֶבְיוֹנִ֣ים | ʾevyonim | needy [people] | H34 → | 61 times |
| יוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃ | yoshia' | he will save | H3467 → | 206 times |
יָ֭חֹסhe will have compassion
yachosH2347 →
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
דַּ֣ל[the] poor
dalH1800 →47 times
וְאֶבְי֑וֹןand [the] needy
veevyonH34 →61 times
וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹתand [the] lives of
venafshotH5315 →754 times
אֶבְיוֹנִ֣יםneedy [people]
ʾevyonimH34 →61 times
יוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃he will save
yoshia'H3467 →206 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 5:3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
it leads to
- Isaiah 66:2
Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles…
- Proverbs 29:23
A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.
- Psalms 34:18
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.
- Proverbs 16:19
It is better to be lowly in spirit among the humble than to divide the spoil with the proud.
- Luke 18:14
I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Isaiah 66:2
Through
Ezekiel 34:16I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the broken, and strengthen the weak; but the sleek and strong I will destroy. I will shepherd them with justice.’
it leads to
- Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
- Ezekiel 34:4
You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured, brought back the strays, or searched for the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty.
- Luke 19:10
Through
Psalms 109:31For He stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from the condemners of his soul.
it leads to
- Psalms 121:5
The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is the shade on your right hand.
- Psalms 121:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Psalms

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 72; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
