68:5 He is a father to the fatherless
and an advocate for widows. 1
God rules from his holy palace. 2
94:6 They kill the widow and the one residing outside his native land,
and they murder the fatherless. 3
1 sn God is depicted here as a just ruler. In the ancient Near Eastern world a king was responsible for promoting justice, including caring for the weak and vulnerable, epitomized by the fatherless and widows.
2 tn Heb “God [is] in his holy dwelling place.” He occupies his throne and carries out his royal responsibilities.
3 tn The Hebrew noun יָתוֹם (yatom) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9). Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 10:14; 68:5; 82:3; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).