Psalms 72:4

Psalms 72:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
• New International Version (NIV)May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor.
• English Standard Version (ESV)May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!
• New King James Version (NKJV)He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor.

Context of Psalms 72:4

2May he judge Your people with righteousness, And Your afflicted with justice. 3The mountains will bring peace and prosperity to the people, And the hills, in [the establishment of] righteousness. May he bring justice to the poor among the people, Save the children of the needy And crush the oppressor, 5Let them fear You [with awe-inspired reverence and worship You with obedience] while the sun endures, And as long as the moon [reflects light], throughout all generations. 6May he come down like rain on the mown grass, Like showers that water the earth.

Psalms 72:4 word by word

יִשְׁפֹּ֤ט׀ עֲֽנִיֵּי־עָ֗ם י֭וֹשִׁיעַ לִבְנֵ֣י אֶבְי֑וֹן וִֽידַכֵּ֣א עוֹשֵֽׁק׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• He shall judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
• the poorעָנִי‛ânîy · afflictedH6041
• of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• he shall saveיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467
• the childrenבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of the needyאֶבְיוֹן'ebyôn · needyH34
• and shall break in piecesדָּכָאdâkâ' · to crushH1792
• the oppressorעָשַׁק‛âshaq · to oppressH6231

Cross-references for Psalms 72:4

• Psalms 72:12For he will rescue the needy when he cries for help, The afflicted and abused also, and him who has no helper.
• Psalms 109:31For He will stand at the right hand of the needy, To save him from those who judge his soul.
• Isaiah 11:4But with righteousness and justice He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the downtrodden of the earth; And He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
• Ezekiel 34:15I will feed My flock and I will let them lie down [to rest],” says the Lord God.
• Zechariah 11:7So I [Zechariah] pastured the flock doomed for slaughter, truly [as the name implies] the most miserable of sheep. And I took two [shepherd’s] staffs, the one I called Favor (Grace) and the other I called Union (Bonds); so I pastured the flock.
• Matthew 11:5the blind receive [their] sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed [by healing] and the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
• Psalms 2:9You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall shatter them [in pieces] like earthenware.’ ”
• Psalms 94:5They crush Your people, O Lord, And afflict and abuse Your heritage.
• Job 19:2“How long will you torment and exasperate me And crush me with words?
• Job 34:24He breaks mighty men without inquiry, And sets others in their place.
• Proverbs 20:26A wise king sifts out the wicked [from among the good] And drives the [threshing] wheel over them [to separate the chaff from the grain].
• Jeremiah 51:20“You [Cyrus of Persia, soon to conquer Babylon] are My battle-axe and weapon of war— For with you I shatter nations, With you I destroy kingdoms.
• Isaiah 9:4For You will break the yoke of Israel’s burden and the staff (goad) on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.
• Isaiah 51:12“I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies And of a son of man who is made [as destructible] as grass,
• Daniel 2:34As you were looking, a stone was cut out without [human] hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them.
• Zechariah 9:8Then I will camp around My house [as a guard] because of an army, Because of him who passes by and returns; And no oppressor will again overrun them (Israel), For now My eyes are upon them [providentially protecting them].

Commentaries on Psalms 72:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4He shall judge the poor of the people - The afflicted; the down-trodden; the needy. He would vindicate their cause against their oppressors; his reign would be one of impartial justice, under which the rights of the poor as well as of the rich would be respected. See the notes at Isaiah 11:4. He shall save the children of the needy - Those in humble life; those most likely to be oppressed by others; those who have no natural protectors. And shall break in…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 2-17Verses 2-17 This is a prophecy of the kingdom of Christ; many passages in it cannot be applied to the reign of Solomon. There were righteousness and peace at first in the administration of his government; but, before the end of his reign, there were troubles and unrighteousness. The kingdom here spoken of is to last as long as the sun, but Solomon's was soon at an end. Even the Jewish expositors understood it of the kingdom of the Messiah. Observe many…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4A just ruler will defend the poor against injustice, rescue them from violence, and bring their oppressors to account for their wrongdoing.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. That peace, including prosperity, as an eminent characteristic of Christ's reign (Is 2:4; Is 9:6; 11:9), will be illustrated in the security provided for the helpless and needy, and the punishment inflicted on oppressors, whose power to injure or mar the peace of others will be destroyed (compare Is 65:25; Zec 9:10). children of the needy--for the needy (compare sons of strangers, Psa 18:45 [Margin]).Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 72:4

• Church
• Gentiles
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Judge
• King
• Oppression
• Poor
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Fall
• Judgment
• Lick
• Psalms
• Bible, the
• Christ, Offices of
• Intercession
• King, Christ As
• Korahites; Sons of Korah
• Literature, Sub-Apostolic

Commentaries on Psalms 72

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• The Treasury of David
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings