82:3 Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless! 1
Vindicate the oppressed and suffering!
82:4 Rescue the poor and needy!
Deliver them from the power 2 of the wicked!
113:7 He raises the poor from the dirt,
and lifts up the needy from the garbage pile, 3
140:12 I know 4 that the Lord defends the cause of the oppressed
and vindicates the poor. 5
1 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; 94:6; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).
2 tn Heb “hand.”
3 sn The language of v. 7 is almost identical to that of 1 Sam 2:8.
4 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
5 tn Heb “and the just cause of the poor.”