Psalms 18:27

18:27 For you deliver oppressed ¹  people,

but you bring down those who have a proud look. ² 

Psalms 34:6

34:6 This oppressed man cried out and the Lord heard;

he saved him ³  from all his troubles.

Psalms 37:14

37:14 Evil men draw their swords

and prepare their bows,

to bring down ⁴  the oppressed and needy,

and to slaughter those who are godly. ⁵ 

Psalms 86:1

Psalm 86 ⁶ 

A prayer of David.

86:1 Listen ⁷  O Lord! Answer me!

For I am oppressed and needy.

Psalms 88:9

88:9 My eyes grow weak because of oppression.

I call out to you, O Lord, all day long;

I spread out my hands in prayer to you. ⁸ 

Psalms 140:12

140:12 I know ⁹  that the Lord defends the cause of the oppressed

and vindicates the poor. ¹⁰ 

[18:27]  ¹ tn Or perhaps, “humble” (note the contrast with those who are proud).

[18:27]  ² tn Heb “but proud eyes you bring low.” 2 Sam 22:28 reads, “your eyes [are] upon the proud, [whom] you bring low.”

[34:6]  ³ tn The pronoun refers back to “this oppressed man,” namely, the psalmist.

[37:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “to cause to fall.”

[37:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “the upright in way,” i.e., those who lead godly lives.

[86:1]  ⁷ sn Psalm 86. The psalmist appeals to God’s mercy as he asks for deliverance from his enemies.

[86:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “turn your ear.”

[88:9]  ⁹ tn Heb “I spread out my hands to you.” Spreading out the hands toward God was a prayer gesture (see Exod 9:29, 33; 1 Kgs 8:22, 38; 2 Chr 6:12-13, 29; Ezra 9:15; Job 11:13; Isa 1:15). The words “in prayer” have been supplied in the translation to clarify this.

[140:12]  ¹¹ tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading a first person verb form here. The Kethib reads the second person.

[140:12]  ¹² tn Heb “and the just cause of the poor.”