He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.

PSALMS 102:17KJV
Know the Bible

Psalms 102:17 (KJV)

What does Psalms 102:17 mean?

Psalms 102:17 says that God will pay attention to the prayers of those who are poor and in need, and He will not look down on or ignore their prayers. The verse reassures readers that even those who feel forgotten or powerless can trust that their cries to God are heard and valued.

The psalm is written as a prayer from someone deeply afflicted, likely during a time of national trouble or personal suffering. The speaker is calling out to God, expressing both distress and hope that God listens to those who have nothing left. This verse highlights God’s compassion and willingness to listen, especially to those who are desperate or overlooked by others.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 102:17

  • "regard" (פָּנָה, panah): This word means to turn toward or pay attention. Here, it emphasizes that God is not distant or indifferent but actively turns His attention to the needy.
  • "prayer" (תְּפִלָּה, tefillah): This word refers to a plea or petition. The repetition in the verse underscores the importance and sincerity of the request.
  • "destitute" (עָרוּם, arum): This term often describes someone stripped of resources, vulnerable, or helpless. It paints a vivid picture of someone with nothing left but their appeal to God.
  • "despise" (בָּזָה, bazah): This word means to treat with contempt or as worthless. The verse assures that God does not treat the prayers of the needy as insignificant.

Why Psalms 102:17 matters

  • The verse corrects the idea that only the powerful or righteous are heard by God, showing that God values the prayers of the most vulnerable.
  • It connects to the wider psalm, which is a cry for help in a time of deep trouble, reinforcing the theme that God’s compassion reaches those in the lowest circumstances.
  • The verse highlights God’s character as attentive and merciful, offering hope to anyone who feels overlooked or unworthy of being heard.

Where else these words appear

“destitute” Hebrew H6199 · used in 2 verses

  • Jeremiah 17:6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

“despise” Hebrew H959 · used in 41 verses

  • Genesis 25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
  • Esther 3:6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
  • Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

“prayer” Hebrew H8605 · used in 70 verses

  • 2 Samuel 7:27 For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.
  • Nehemiah 11:17 And Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, was the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer: and Bakbukiah the second among his brethren, and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.
  • Psalms 102:1 A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.

“regard” Hebrew H6437 · used in 128 verses

  • Genesis 18:22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
  • Judges 15:4 And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails.
  • Psalms 119:132 Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.