Psalm 10:17
New International Version
You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

New Living Translation
LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.

English Standard Version
O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

Berean Standard Bible
You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will incline Your ear,

King James Bible
LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

New King James Version
LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear,

New American Standard Bible
LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will make Your ear attentive

NASB 1995
O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear

NASB 1977
O LORD, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble; Thou wilt strengthen their heart, Thou wilt incline Thine ear

Legacy Standard Bible
O Yahweh, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will cause Your ear to give heed

Amplified Bible
O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble and oppressed; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to hear,

Christian Standard Bible
LORD, you have heard the desire of the humble; you will strengthen their hearts. You will listen carefully,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will listen carefully,

American Standard Version
Jehovah, thou hast heard the desire of the meek: Thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear;

Contemporary English Version
You listen to the longings of those who suffer. You offer them hope, and you pay attention to their cries for help.

English Revised Version
LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the meek: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You have heard the desire of oppressed people, O LORD. You encourage them. You pay close attention to them

Good News Translation
You will listen, O LORD, to the prayers of the lowly; you will give them courage.

International Standard Version
LORD, you heard the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen them, you will listen carefully,

Majority Standard Bible
You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will incline Your ear,

NET Bible
LORD, you have heard the request of the oppressed; you make them feel secure because you listen to their prayer.

New Heart English Bible
LORD, you have heard the desire of the humble. You will prepare their heart. You will cause your ear to hear,

Webster's Bible Translation
LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thy ear to hear:

World English Bible
Yahweh, you have heard the desire of the humble. You will prepare their heart. You will cause your ear to hear,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
You have heard the desire of the humble, O YHWH. You prepare their heart; You cause Your ear to attend,

Young's Literal Translation
The desire of the humble Thou hast heard, O Jehovah. Thou preparest their heart; Thou causest Thine ear to attend,

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou heardest the desire of the poor, O Jehovah: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to attend.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The Lord hath heard the desire of the poor: thy ear hath heard the preparation of their heart.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The Lord has heeded the desire of the poor. Your ear has listened to the preparation of their heart,

New American Bible
You listen, LORD, to the needs of the poor; you strengthen their heart and incline your ear.

New Revised Standard Version
O LORD, you will hear the desire of the meek; you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the poor; thine ear hath heard the preparation of their heart;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
You have heard the hope of the poor, LORD JEHOVAH, and your ear has heard the preparation of their heart,
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
LORD, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble: Thou wilt direct their heart, Thou wilt cause Thine ear to attend;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The Lord has heard the desire of the poor: thine ear has inclined to the preparation of their heart;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Perils of the Pilgrim
16The LORD is King forever and ever; the nations perish from His land. 17You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will incline Your ear, 18to vindicate the fatherless and oppressed, that the men of the earth may strike terror no more.…

Cross References
James 4:6
But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. / Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Romans 8:26-27
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. / And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. / And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

1 John 5:14-15
And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. / And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him.

Luke 18:1-8
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart: / “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected men. / And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ ...

Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. / For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.

Isaiah 57:15
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.

Isaiah 66:2
Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.

Psalm 34:15
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.

Psalm 9:12
For the Avenger of bloodshed remembers; He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.

Psalm 145:18-19
The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth. / He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.


Treasury of Scripture

LORD, you have heard the desire of the humble: you will prepare their heart, you will cause your ear to hear:

Lord

Psalm 9:12,18
When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble…

Psalm 37:4
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Psalm 145:19
He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

humble

2 Chronicles 33:12,13
And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, …

2 Chronicles 34:27
Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.

Proverbs 15:8
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

thou wilt prepare.

Psalm 112:7,8
He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD…

1 Chronicles 29:18
O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:

2 Chronicles 29:36
And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly.

cause

Psalm 102:17
He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.

Isaiah 65:24
And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Acts 4:24-31
And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: …

Jump to Previous
Afflicted Attend Cause Cry Desire Direct Ear Encourage Hear Heard Heart Hearts Humble Incline Meek Poor Prayer Prepare Preparest Strengthen Strong Wilt
Jump to Next
Afflicted Attend Cause Cry Desire Direct Ear Encourage Hear Heard Heart Hearts Humble Incline Meek Poor Prayer Prepare Preparest Strengthen Strong Wilt
Psalm 10
1. David complains of the wicked
12. He prays for remedy
16. He professes his confidence














You have heard
This phrase emphasizes the omniscience and attentiveness of God. The Hebrew root for "heard" is "שָׁמַע" (shama), which implies not just hearing but understanding and responding. In the historical context of the Psalms, this assurance would have been a profound comfort to the Israelites, who often faced oppression and needed to know that their cries were not in vain. It reassures believers today that God is always aware of their prayers and concerns.

O LORD
The use of "LORD" in all caps signifies the Hebrew name "YHWH" (Yahweh), the covenant name of God. This name is deeply personal and relational, reminding the reader of God's eternal presence and faithfulness. It is a name that signifies God's unchanging nature and His commitment to His people, a source of hope and trust for the humble who call upon Him.

the desire of the humble
The "desire" here refers to the deep, heartfelt petitions of those who are "humble" or "עָנָו" (anav) in Hebrew. This humility is not merely a social status but a spiritual posture of dependence on God. Historically, the humble were often the oppressed or marginalized, and this verse assures them that their innermost desires are known to God. It encourages believers to approach God with a humble heart, trusting that He values and responds to their sincere prayers.

You will strengthen their hearts
The promise to "strengthen" comes from the Hebrew "תָּכִין" (takin), meaning to establish or make firm. This assurance is that God will provide inner fortitude and resilience to those who trust in Him. In the scriptural context, the heart is the center of one's being, encompassing mind, will, and emotions. This strengthening is a divine empowerment, enabling believers to endure trials and remain steadfast in faith.

You will incline Your ear
The imagery of God inclining His ear suggests a deliberate and attentive listening. The Hebrew root "נָטָה" (natah) conveys the idea of bending down or stretching out, indicating God's willingness to draw near to His people. This phrase reassures believers that God is not distant or indifferent but actively engaged and responsive to their cries. It is a powerful reminder of God's intimate involvement in the lives of those who seek Him with humility and sincerity.

Verse 17. - Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble (comp. Psalm 9:12). It is not the psalmist's prayer alone that he regards as heard and answered. The oppressed have cried to God against their oppressors, and their cry has "come before him, and entered into his ears." Thou wilt prepare their heart; rather, thou dost establish (or, make firm) their heart. Through their conviction that thou art on their side, and art about to help them. Thou wilt cause thine ear to hear; or, thou causest.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You have heard,
שָׁמַ֣עְתָּ (šā·ma‘·tā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

O LORD,
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

the desire
תַּאֲוַ֬ת (ta·’ă·waṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8378: A longing, a delight

of the humble;
עֲנָוִ֣ים (‘ă·nā·wîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 6035: Poor, afflicted, humble, meek

You will strengthen
תָּכִ֥ין (tā·ḵîn)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3559: To be erect

their hearts.
לִ֝בָּ֗ם (lib·bām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

You will incline
תַּקְשִׁ֥יב (taq·šîḇ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7181: To prick up the ears, hearken

Your ear,
אָזְנֶֽךָ׃ (’ā·zə·ne·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 241: Broadness, the ear


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OT Poetry: Psalm 10:17 Yahweh you have heard the desire (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 10:16
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