Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die;

PSALMS 79:11KJV
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Psalms 79:11 (KJV)

What does Psalms 79:11 mean?

Psalms 79:11 is a plea asking God to hear the desperate cries of those imprisoned and to use His great power to protect people who are facing death. The verse expresses a hope that God will notice the suffering of the powerless and intervene to save them.

In this psalm, the speaker is likely the psalmist Asaph, praying to God on behalf of the nation of Israel during a time of disaster, probably after Jerusalem was attacked and many were taken captive. The verse highlights the suffering of prisoners and those condemned to die, asking God to respond with compassion and strength.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 79:11

  • "Sighing" (אָנְחָה, 'anachah') means deep groaning or lament, showing the intensity of the prisoners’ suffering and their heartfelt cries for help.
  • "Prisoner" (אָסִיר, 'asir') refers to someone who is bound or captive, emphasizing the helplessness of those being prayed for.
  • "Power" (זְרוֹעַ, 'zeroa') literally means "arm," often used in Hebrew to symbolize strength or might, so the verse is asking for God’s powerful intervention.
  • "Appointed" (בֵּן, 'ben') here is part of a phrase meaning "sons of death," a Hebrew way of describing those doomed or destined to die, stressing just how dire their situation is.

Why Psalms 79:11 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the prayer is not just for general help but specifically for people in the worst circumstances—prisoners and those facing execution.
  • The use of strong words for suffering and power highlights both the depth of human need and the greatness of God’s ability to save.
  • In the context of the whole psalm, this verse shows the community’s dependence on God when all human hope is gone, connecting personal suffering to a larger national crisis.

Where else these words appear

“die” Hebrew H8546 · used in 2 verses

  • Psalms 102:20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;

“sighing” Hebrew H603 · used in 4 verses

  • Psalms 12:5 For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.
  • Psalms 102:20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;
  • Malachi 2:13 And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.

“prisoner” 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?

“greatness” Hebrew H1433 · used in 13 verses

  • Numbers 14:19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.
  • Deuteronomy 11:2 And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm,
  • Isaiah 10:12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.