Bible Strands
Psalms 140:12
I know that the LORD upholds justice for the poor and defends the cause of the needy.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist voices this declaration amid a plea for deliverance from violent men and slanderers, positioned between a curse on the oppressor and a promise that the righteous will dwell in God's presence.
The words — יָדַ֗עְתִּי (ya.da'.ta) translates as "I know" and יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה (ya.'a.Seh) means "he will do" or "he will execute," anchoring the verse in confident assertion rather than hopeful wish.
The thread — This theme of God defending the vulnerable appears in Psalms 9:4, where Yahweh sits on His throne judging righteously, and in 1 Kings 8:45 and 1 Kings 8:49, where Solomon prays for God to hear petitions and uphold the cause of His people.
Why it lands — The text states that Yahweh actively executes justice for the poor and needy, requiring the reader to trust that divine intervention, not human advocacy, secures their vindication.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.
Cross-references
- Psalms 9:4 For You have upheld my just cause; You sit on Your throne judging righteously.
- 1 Kings 8:49 then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, their prayer and petition, and may You uphold their cause.
- 1 Kings 8:45 then may You hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and may You uphold their cause.
- Proverbs 23:10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
- Jeremiah 22:16 He took up the cause of the poor and needy, and so it went well with him. Is this not what it means to know Me?” declares the LORD.
- Psalms 35:10 All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?”
- Psalms 102:17 He will turn toward the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their prayer.
- Matthew 11:5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
- Psalms 10:17 You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will incline Your ear,
- Psalms 22:24 For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He has not hidden His face from him, but has attended to his cry for help.