Psalms 113:7 · Bible study
Psalms 113:7 Commentary: God Raises the Poor from Dust
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study Psalm 113:7: how God's exalting the lowly reveals His sovereign majesty and continues the biblical theme of divine reversal.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God, though infinitely exalted, deliberately lifts the most destitute and grants them honor.
- Key words: dust (עָפָר, dry earth or rubbish) and ash heap (אַשְׁפֹּת, dunghill) picture total degradation; poor (דַּל, low, weak) and needy (אֶבְיוֹן, in want, oppressed) describe those without resources or advocates.
- Main debate: Whether the lifting is primarily material (Barnes, Clarke) or spiritual (Gill). Most see both dimensions at work in the psalm’s context.
- Theological theme: Divine reversal, God’s power is most visible when he chooses the worthless to display his glory (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:26, 29).
- Best use: A text for thanksgiving, for encouraging the discouraged, and for reminding the powerful that God opposes the proud and lifts the humble.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the dump
WEB World English Bible 2000
He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts up the needy from the ash heap,
KJV King James Version 1769
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;
ASV American Standard Version 1901
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, And lifteth up the needy from the dunghill;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
He is raising up from the dust the poor, From a dunghill He exalteth the needy.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust; from the dung-hill he lifteth up the needy,
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
At the presence of the Lord the earth was moved, at the presence of the God of Jacob:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
El levanta del polvo al pobre, y al menesteroso alza del estiércol,
Que do levanta o pobre do pó da terra, e levanta o necessitado da sujeira;
De la poussière il retire le pauvre,
der den Geringen aufrichtet aus dem Staube und erhöht den Armen aus dem Kot,
Die den geringe uit het stof opricht, en den nooddruftige uit den drek verhoogt;
Egli rileva il misero dalla polvere, e trae su il povero dal letame,
Podnosi z prochu nędznego, a z gnoju wywyższa ubogiego,
Пред лицем Господа трепещи, земля, пред лицем Бога Иаковлева,
他從灰塵裡 抬舉 貧寒人，從糞堆中 提拔 窮乏人，
He takes the poor man out of the dust, lifting him up from his low position;
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 113:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse celebrates God’s power to reverse human fortunes. Barnes notes that it is “not intended to be affirmed as a universal truth” but as one of the deeds that show God’s majesty and goodness. Calvin places it in a psalm that urges attention to God’s providence amid life’s sudden changes. Clarke sees an allusion to the captives in Babylon, while Gill applies it to spiritual poverty, sinners raised from self-loathing and sin. The verse borrows directly from Hannah’s song (1 Samuel 2:8), grounding the theme of divine reversal in a specific story of a barren woman lifted to joy. Across traditions, the core affirmation is clear: the God whose throne is above the heavens stoops to lift the most abject.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God, who is supremely exalted, actively lifts those who are utterly low, and this action is worthy of praise.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Literal vs figurative poverty | God cares for those who are truly destitute, whether physically or spiritually. | Some traditions (e.g., Barnes, Clarke) focus on material poverty as the primary referent, while others (e.g., Gill) emphasize spiritual poverty. Both acknowledge the other dimension. |
| Connection to Hannah's song | Verse 7 is directly quoted from 1 Samuel 2:8, and the whole psalm echoes Hannah’s story. | Whether the psalmist intended only to generalize Hannah’s experience or also to point directly to her as a type of God’s reversal. |
| Universal promise or specific example | The verse illustrates God’s character and his typical actions. | Barnes says it is not a universal truth; others see it as a general principle that God always exalts the humble in some way (cf. James 4:10). |
| Application to the afterlife | The verse can be read as an image of resurrection or final exaltation. | Clarke mentions some apply it to resurrection; most commentators keep it within this-worldly reversal, but the NT use of similar language (Luke 1:52; 1 Peter 5:6) suggests an eschatological layer. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 113 opens the Egyptian Hallel (Psalms 113, 118), a collection sung at major festivals, especially Passover. In Jewish practice, Psalms 113 and 114 were sung before the Passover meal, and 115, 118 after it. The psalm’s structure is deliberate: verses 1, 3 call all people to praise God’s name; verses 4, 6 contrast God’s exalted position with his condescension; verses 7, 9 give concrete examples of that condescension. Verse 7 is a near quotation of Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2:8, where she celebrates God’s reversal after years of barrenness and humiliation. The images “dust” and “ash heap” come from the ancient Near Eastern world. The dust (עָפָר) could mean loose earth, debris, or even rubbish. The “ash heap” (אַשְׁפֹּת, dunghill) was a place outside the city where garbage and dung were burned. Sick and outcast people sometimes lay there to beg, warmed by the ashes at night. The Cambridge Bible describes it as “a condition of extreme degradation and misery.” The poet generalizes Hannah’s experience: God’s pattern is to raise those who have no hope, setting them “with princes.” This reversal is not a guarantee for every poor person, but a signature of the God who rules over all.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 113:7. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the verse appears in the same form in 1 Samuel 2:8. The main difference among translations is the rendering of אַשְׁפֹּת as “dunghill” (KJV, ASV, YLT) or “ash heap” (WEB) or “dump” (BSB), which reflects the same Hebrew word.
Reception History
Psalm 113 has been central to Jewish liturgy as part of the Hallel, sung at Passover and other festivals. Verse 7, with its vivid reversal, has long been a text of hope for the oppressed. Early Christian writers saw in it a prefiguration of Christ’s exaltation of the lowly (e.g., Mary’s Magnificat, Luke 1:52, 53). In the Reformation, Calvin used the psalm to argue for God’s providential care in all life’s changes. The verse has also inspired hymns and songs that celebrate God’s heart for the poor. Its quotation of Hannah’s prayer ensures that the story of a barren woman’s joy remains tied to the praise of God’s saving power.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s lofty position (vv. 4, 5): He is high above nations and heavens. This establishes that his condescension is voluntary, not forced.
- God’s lowly action (vv. 6, 7): He stoops to see what is on earth, then raises the poor and needy. The sequence is key: noticing precedes lifting.
- God’s surprising result (v. 8): The formerly destitute sit with princes. This is not simply economic mobility; it is a new identity in God’s family.
Five-point outline
- The call to praise (vv. 1, 3)
- The God of incomparable majesty (vv. 4, 5)
- The God who bends low (v. 6)
- The God who lifts the lowly (vv. 7, 8)
- The God who fills the empty (v. 9)
Illustration hooks
- A teenager from a neglected home receives a scholarship and becomes a doctor. The “dust” of her childhood contrasts with the “princes” she now works alongside.
- A church member with a long history of addiction begins to volunteer, then leads a recovery group. The “ash heap” is the shame; the “princes” are the restored relationships.
- In many cultures, widows and childless women still face social rejection. This verse promises that God sees their shame and acts.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this verse guarantee that God will make every poor person rich? (Barnes says no; it is a pattern, not a promise for each individual.)
- How does God “raise up” the spiritually poor today? (Through conviction, repentance, and new life in Christ.)
- Why does the psalmist include the barren woman right after the poor? (Both represent hopeless situations that God reverses, showing his power over all forms of emptiness.)
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 113:7 sits in a psalm that contrasts God’s towering majesty with his tender care for the lowly. As you study, pay attention to the connection between God’s exaltation and his condescension.
Discussion questions
- Read Psalm 113:4, 6. What do these verses tell us about who God is?
- In verse 7, the poor are raised “out of the dust.” What feelings or images does that phrase evoke for you?
- The verse also mentions the “ash heap.” According to the background notes, what kind of place was that? How does that deepen the picture of need?
- Why do you think the psalmist quotes Hannah’s song (1 Samuel 2:8) here? What does Hannah’s story add to the meaning?
- Barnes says this verse is not a universal promise but an example of God’s character. How can we apply that distinction to our own lives or to how we pray?
- How does Jesus fulfill the pattern of raising the lowly? (Consider Philippians 2:5, 11; Luke 1:46, 55.)
- In what specific situation do you need to trust that God sees you, even if you feel like you are in the dust?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 2:7 | Yahweh makes poor and makes rich. He brings low, he also lifts up. |
| I Samuel 2:8 | He raises up the poor out of the dust. He lifts up the needy from the dunghill to make them sit with princes and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh’s. He has set the world on them. |
| I Samuel 24:14 | Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea? |
| II Samuel 7:8 | Now therefore tell my servant David this: ‘Yahweh of Armies says, “I took you from the sheep pen, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people, over Israel. |
| II Samuel 7:9 | I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you. I will make you a great name, like the name of the great ones who are in the earth. |
| Job 2:8 | He took for himself a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he sat among the ashes. |
| Job 5:11 | so that he sets up on high those who are low, those who mourn are exalted to safety. |
| Job 5:15 | But he saves from the sword of their mouth, even the needy from the hand of the mighty. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to two possible meanings in this verse. The first concerns God's merciful care for the poorest, perhaps alluding to the Babylonian captives raised from humiliation. The second is the resurrection of the dead, which some also find here.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that the psalmist's words about God raising the poor are not a universal promise for every person in poverty. He reads them as examples of divine power and goodness that occur frequently enough to lay a proper foundation for praise.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes that the psalm calls only the faithful to praise God, because they alone have spiritual perception to see His hand in sudden world changes. For him, the psalm directs us to acknowledge that all events are governed by God's will and pleasure, not by chance.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary draws attention to the vivid oriental metaphor behind the passage: the poor and outcast lying on a garbage heap outside the town, a picture of extreme misery. The striking contrast is that God then raises them to sit with princes, a figure for elevation to the highest rank and dignity.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva annotators stress the extremity of the condition God reverses: not merely poverty, but being reduced to dust and dung. They see this as a deliberate picture of complete human helplessness, emphasizing that salvation comes entirely from God's free grace, with no contribution from the person saved.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws a sharp contrast between literal poverty and spiritual poverty. The poor and needy he describes are those made sensible of their own sinfulness, lying in the dust of self-loathing. Their raising up is solely Christ's work; he alone lifts fallen sinners out of their low and loathsome condition.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
7, 8. which condescension is illustrated as often in raising the worthy poor and needy to honor (compare 1 Sa 2:8 ; Psa 44:25 ).
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch ground the psalm's images in Hebrew terms for lowly estate and the image of a person on a dunghill. They then fix on the phrase for a barren wife, arguing that such a woman has no settled position in her husband's house. God's gift of children roots her fully at home as a joyful mother.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry stresses that the repeated calls to praise in this psalm reveal both how essential praise is and how slow we are to offer it. Those who delight in praising God naturally urge others to join, because the work is vast and the pleasure is too good to keep to oneself.