The LORD preserves the simplehearted; I was helpless, and He saved me.
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh preserves the simple. I was brought low, and he saved me.
- KJV The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.
- NKJV The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.
- NASB The Lord watches over the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.
- NLT The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me.
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
The Lord preserves the simple and saved the psalmist when brought low. It matters because God especially helps the helpless and humble.
Overview
God watches over the 'simple,' the unguarded and lowly who have nowhere else to turn. The psalmist counts himself among them, brought low yet saved. This tender care for the weak anticipates Christ, who came to save not the self-sufficient but those who know their need (Matt. 9:12-13).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Matt 11:25At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
- Ps 19:7The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple.
- Ps 142:6Listen to my cry, for I am brought quite low. Rescue me from my pursuers, for they are too strong for me.
- Ps 79:8Do not hold past sins against us; let Your compassion come quickly, for we are brought low.
- Ps 25:21May integrity and uprightness preserve me, because I wait for You.
- Ps 106:43Many times He rescued them, but they were bent on rebellion and sank down in their iniquity.
- Isa 35:8And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it—only those who walk in the Way—and fools will not stray onto it.
- Col 3:22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord.
- 2 Cor 1:12And this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God—not in worldly wisdom, but in the grace of God.
- Rom 16:19Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.
- 2 Cor 11:3I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ.
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 116:6 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.