Psalms 9:18 (KJV)

What does Psalms 9:18 mean?

Psalms 9:18 says that people in need will not remain overlooked forever, and that the hopes of the poor will not come to nothing. The verse looks beyond their present hardship to a future in which their situation will change.

After the judgment described in verse 17, the speaker turns attention to people who lack power and resources. The two halves of verse 18 belong together: being “forgotten” describes their present condition, while “expectation” points to what they await.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 9:18

• “expectation” — תִּקְוָה (tiqvah): This word can mean hope or something eagerly awaited. It gives the poor an active place in the verse: they are looking for something better.
• “perish” — אָבַד (avad): This word can mean to be lost or destroyed. Here it is the poor people’s expectation, rather than the people themselves, that is said not to perish forever.

Why Psalms 9:18 matters

• The verse makes a claim about time, not an immediate change. “Not alway” and “not … for ever” allow for a period in which the needy appear forgotten and their hope seems threatened.
• The surrounding passage connects the poor’s situation with justice. Verse 19 asks God to judge the nations, placing the words about the needy alongside a request for judgment over human power.