He has responded to the prayer of the destitute, and has not despised their prayer.
Parallel translations
- KJV He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
- BSB He will turn toward the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their prayer.
- NKJV He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, And shall not despise their prayer.
- NASB He has turned His attention to the prayer of the destitute And has not despised their prayer.
- NLT He will listen to the prayers of the destitute. He will not reject their pleas.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God responds to the prayer of the destitute and does not despise it. He hears those whom the world overlooks.
Overview
This verse assures that God attends to the prayers of the poor and helpless rather than scorning them. The lowly and desperate find a hearing with the King of glory. It magnifies God's grace toward the humble, supremely shown in Christ, who came to lift up the lowly.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Neh 1:6Let your ear now be attentive, and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of your servant, which I pray before you at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel your servants, while I confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Yes, I and my father’s house have sinned.
- Ps 22:24For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, Neither has he hidden his face from him; but when he cried to him, he heard.
- Ps 9:18For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.
- Ps 72:12For he will deliver the needy when he cries; the poor, who has no helper.
- Jer 29:11–14For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
- Deut 4:29But from there you shall seek Yahweh your God, and you shall find him, when you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.
- Deut 32:36For Yahweh will judge his people, and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone; that there is no one remaining, shut up or left at large.
- Dan 9:3–21I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
- Neh 1:11Lord, I beg you, let your ear be attentive now to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants, who delight to fear your name; and please prosper your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cup bearer to the king.
- Ps 69:23Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can’t see. Let their backs be continually bent.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 102:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.