What Does Psalm 102:17 Mean in the King James?
He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The hidden movement is in “regard”: Hebrew pictures attention as turning toward the prayer that could have been dismissed.
THE MEANING
When you are destitute, your prayer still comes before God without contempt. The verse holds God’s regard and refusal to despise together, so lack does not erase the dignity of the one who is praying.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It dissolves the belief that being destitute makes your prayer negligible or unwelcome to God.
THE ROOT
תְּפִלָּה
tefillah
GROWS FROM
פלל
palal
To intercede or make an appeal; in the reflexive form, to pray.
English “prayer” gives the act; Hebrew also carries the language of appeal and intercession. The verse presents the destitute person’s prayer as a plea brought forward, and says it is neither ignored nor treated with contempt.
ALSO GROWS
hitpallel: To pray or intercede.
הִתְפַּלֵּל
This verbal form shares the root פלל and shows prayer as an enacted appeal.
pelilim: Judges or adjudication.
פְּלִילִים
This related form carries the root’s judging sense, adding the shade of a plea brought before one who attends to it.
פָּנָה
panah
GROWS FROM
פנה
panah
To turn or face toward.
The word rendered “regard” belongs to a turning family. The verse pictures divine attention as orientation toward the destitute person’s prayer: God faces it rather than despising it.
ALSO GROWS
pniyah: A turning toward; an appeal or address.
פְּנִיָּה
This form shares the consonants פ־נ־ה and makes the link between turning toward and addressing someone visible.
mifneh: A turn or turning point.
מִפְנֶה
This form retains the root consonants פ־נ־ה and echoes the directional movement inside “regard.”
THE PATTERN
The cries of people in need reach God’s attention rather than being dismissed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.THE THREAD
And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.The word “prayed” here is הִתְפַּלֵּל (hitpallel), from the same root פלל (palal) as תְּפִלָּה (tefillah) in the psalm. That shared root holds anguish and appeal together: the prayer of the destitute is a real cry brought before God, not a plea beneath notice.
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