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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Help him to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy, and to crush their oppressors.

Context of Psalms 72:4

2May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice! 3Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor! 5May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations! 6May he be like rain that falls 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 delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper.
• Psalms 109:31For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.
• Isaiah 11:4but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
• Ezekiel 34:15I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God.
• Zechariah 11:7So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep.
• Matthew 11:5the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
• Psalms 2:9You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."
• Psalms 94:5They crush your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage.
• Job 19:2"How long will you torment me and break me in pieces with words?
• Job 34:24He shatters the mighty without investigation and sets others in their place.
• Proverbs 20:26A wise king winnows the wicked and drives the wheel over them.
• Jeremiah 51:20"You are my hammer and weapon of war: with you I break nations in pieces; with you I destroy kingdoms;
• Isaiah 9:4For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.
• Isaiah 51:12"I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass,
• Daniel 2:34As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
• Zechariah 9:8Then I will encamp at my house as a guard, so that none shall march to and fro; no oppressor shall again march over them, for now I see with my own eyes.

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