For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.

PSALMS 69:33KJV
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Psalms 69:33 (KJV)

What does Psalms 69:33 mean?

Psalms 69:33 says that the LORD listens to those who are poor and does not look down on people who are imprisoned or in distress. This verse highlights that God pays attention to those who are suffering or overlooked by others.

In this psalm, David is speaking to God during a time of deep trouble and rejection. He reassures himself and others that God is attentive to those in need, especially the poor and those held captive. The verse stands as a reminder that God’s care is not limited to the powerful or wealthy, but extends to those who are struggling or forgotten.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 69:33

  • LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name for God in the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing God’s covenant relationship with His people. Using this name here highlights God’s faithfulness and personal involvement.
  • heareth (שָׁמַע, shama‘): This word means more than just hearing sounds; it often carries the sense of listening with attention and responding. The verse assures that God is not indifferent but actively attentive to the cries of the poor.
  • poor (אֶבְיוֹן, ’evyon): This word refers to someone who is needy, destitute, or oppressed. It emphasizes vulnerability and dependence on others for help.
  • despiseth (בָּזָה, bazah): This means to treat with contempt or to scorn. The verse says God does not scorn or reject those in captivity or distress.
  • prisoners (אֲסִירָיו, asirayv): This word refers to those who are bound or imprisoned, either literally or figuratively. It can include anyone trapped by circumstances beyond their control.

Why Psalms 69:33 matters

  • Psalms 69:33 corrects the idea that God only favors the strong or successful; it emphasizes that God is especially attentive to the poor and those in distress.
  • The verse fits into the wider psalm, where David is crying out for help and comfort, showing that God’s compassion is a central theme even in the midst of suffering.
  • This verse reassures anyone who feels overlooked or trapped that God sees and values them, offering hope and dignity to those in low or desperate situations.

Where else these words appear

“prisoners” Hebrew H615 · used in 12 verses

  • Genesis 39:20 And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
  • Psalms 68:6 God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
  • Isaiah 14:17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

“despiseth” 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.

“poor” Hebrew H34 · used in 58 verses

  • Exodus 23:6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.
  • Psalms 40:17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.
  • Proverbs 31:9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.