Psalms 94:6

94:6 They kill the widow and the one residing outside his native land,

and they murder the fatherless. ¹ 

Psalms 119:19

119:19 I am like a foreigner in this land. ² 

Do not hide your commands from me!

Psalms 146:9

146:9 The Lord protects those residing outside their native land;

he lifts up the fatherless and the widow, ³ 

but he opposes the wicked. ⁴ 

Psalms 39:12

39:12 Hear my prayer, O Lord!

Listen to my cry for help!

Do not ignore my sobbing! ⁵ 

For I am dependent on you, like one residing outside his native land;

I am at your mercy, just as all my ancestors were. ⁶ 

[94:6]  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; 82:3; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).

[119:19]  ² tn Heb “I am a resident alien in the land.” Resident aliens were especially vulnerable and in need of help. They needed to know the social and legal customs of the land to avoid getting into trouble. The translation (note the addition of “like”) assumes the psalmist is speaking metaphorically, not literally.

[146:9]  ³ 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 resident aliens, the fatherless, and widows.

[146:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “he makes the way of the wicked twisted.” The “way of the wicked” probably refers to their course of life (see Prov 4:19; Jer 12:1). God makes their path tortuous in the sense that he makes them pay the harmful consequences of their actions.

[39:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “do not be deaf to my tears.”

[39:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “For a resident alien [am] I with you, a sojourner like all my fathers.”