He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.
Parallel translations
- WEB For he will deliver the needy when he cries; the poor, who has no helper.
- KJV For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.
- BSB For he will deliver the needy who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper.
- NKJV For He will deliver the needy when he cries, The poor also, and him who has no helper.
- NASB ¶For he will save the needy when he cries for help, The afflicted also, and him who has no helper.
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 king delivers the needy who cry out and the poor who have no helper.
Overview
His greatness is measured by his mercy to those with no one else to defend them. The helpless find a champion in this king. Christ supremely embodies this compassion, answering the cry of the helpless and saving those who have no other refuge (Matthew 11:28).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Job 29:12Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him,
- Ps 102:17He has responded to the prayer of the destitute, and has not despised their prayer.
- Rev 3:17–18Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked;
- Eccl 4:1Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
- Heb 7:25Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them.
- Ps 10:17Yahweh, you have heard the desire of the humble. You will prepare their heart. You will cause your ear to hear,
- Ps 82:3–4“Defend the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
- Ps 72:4He will judge the poor of the people. He will save the children of the needy, and will break the oppressor in pieces.
- Luke 4:18“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed,
- 2 Cor 8:9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.
- Isa 41:17The poor and needy seek water, and there is none. Their tongue fails for thirst. I, Yahweh, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
- Ps 102:20to hear the groans of the prisoner; to free those who are condemned to death;
- Luke 7:22Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you have seen and heard: that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
- Isa 63:4–5For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come.
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 72:12 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.