Psalms 69:33

33 For the LORD hears the cries of the needy; he does not despise his imprisoned people.

Psalms 69:33 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 69:33

For the Lord heareth the poor
The prayer of the poor, as the Targum; of the poor disciples of Christ, who were together mourning, weeping, and praying, when their Lord was dead, and laid in the sepulchre, ( Mark 16:10 ) ( Luke 24:10 Luke 24:33 ) ; this epithet agrees with all the followers of Christ, who for the most part are literally poor, and are all of them so in a spiritual sense; they are poor in spirit, and are sensible of it; they are full of wants, and these daily return upon them; wherefore they constantly apply to the throne of grace for help in time of need; and the Lord regards them, his eye is upon them, his heart is towards them, his thoughts are about them, his ears are open to their cries, and his hand is ready to supply their wants;

and despiseth not his prisoners;
the same disciples of Christ; who being assembled together, the doors were shut for fear of the Jews, ( John 20:19 ) ; it may be applied to such who are the Lord's prisoners; that is, for his sake, in a literal sense, as the Apostle Paul is called the prisoner of the Lord, ( Ephesians 3:1 ) ( 4:1 ) ; and there were many, both under the Old and under the New Testament, that suffered imprisonment for their profession of religion; and these the Lord despises not, though men may, but highly esteems and honours; and it may be understood mystically and spiritually of such as are, in their nature state, prisoner of sin and Satan, and the law, and, when called, are prisoners of hope; these the Lord has a regard unto, and opens the prison doors and sets them at and directs them to the strong hold, ( Isaiah 49:9 ) ( 61:1 ) ( Zechariah 9:11 Zechariah 9:12 ) .

Psalms 69:33 In-Context

31 For this will please the LORD more than sacrificing cattle, more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves.
32 The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged.
33 For the LORD hears the cries of the needy; he does not despise his imprisoned people.
34 Praise him, O heaven and earth, the seas and all that move in them.
35 For God will save Jerusalem and rebuild the towns of Judah. His people will live there and settle in their own land.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.