Psalms 113:7 Meaning and Explanation
“He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Human need can make a person feel unseen, especially when poverty or disgrace has pressed life down to the ground. This line gives a different picture of God. The Lord who is exalted above nations willingly looks upon earthly sorrow and acts for those with little power to improve their condition.
Psalm 113:7 praises the Lord whose greatness includes tender attention to those brought low. He raises the poor and needy from places of humiliation, giving them dignity, help, and a future within his care.
The Context of Psalms 113:7
Psalm 113 opens and closes with a call to praise the LORD. The servants of the LORD are summoned to bless his name everywhere and always. Verses 4-6 hold together his supreme height and his humble attention to heaven and earth. Verses 7-9 then name examples of that attention: he raises the poor, lifts the needy, gives honor among his people, and makes the barren woman a joyful mother. Verse 7 begins one flowing sentence that continues through verse 8. Its purpose is praise, grounded in the Lord's gracious work for people in lowly circumstances.
What Does Psalms 113:7 Mean?
The verse uses two closely joined pictures: "raiseth up the poor out of the dust" and "lifteth the needy out of the dunghill." Dust is the place of abasement, weakness, mourning, and death in biblical speech. A dunghill was a place of refuse, expressing severe poverty and public shame. The psalm does not minimize the ugliness of such suffering. It declares that the Lord sees people there and has power to lift them. "Poor" and "needy" describe those lacking resources and help, while the two verbs make God the active giver of rescue. His mercy reaches people where their circumstances have brought them low, and his help restores honor to those others may overlook.
Within this short psalm, the Lord's descent of attention is astonishing because he is first declared high above all nations and above the heavens. His exaltation does not distance him from the afflicted. It displays the freedom and fullness of his mercy. The movement from verses 5-6 into verse 7 shows what it means that he humbles himself to behold: he attends to real persons in real need. The next verse explains the purpose of the lifting, namely a place among princes of his people. Psalm 113 therefore praises a God who changes social humiliation into acknowledged dignity. Such reversals are gifts of his gracious rule, calling the worshipping community to honor the people whom he raises.
Hannah's song provides a close biblical echo: the Lord raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the dunghill. Her own experience of the Lord opening her womb gave personal force to her praise, and Psalm 113 later remembers the barren woman as well. The pattern reaches beyond one household. God repeatedly hears the lowly, judges pride, and gives his servants a place in his purposes. Jesus also entered the world in lowliness and welcomed people burdened by sickness, sin, exclusion, and grief. His ministry reveals the same holy compassion praised here, while the verse itself directs our attention first to the Father whose merciful power raises the lowly.
Bible Verses Related to Psalms 113:7
“He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he hath set the world upon them.”
- 1 Samuel 2:8
“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”
- Psalm 40:2
“He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.”
- Luke 1:52
“Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?”
- James 2:5
Where Psalms 113:7 Echoes in Scripture
1 Samuel 2:8 is the strongest echo, using the same images of dust, the dunghill, lifting, and a seat with princes. It belongs to Hannah's prayer of praise after the Lord gave her Samuel. Psalm 113 gathers that personal testimony into public worship, teaching Israel to praise the Lord whose way of acting includes raising those who have been brought low.
How to Apply Psalms 113:7 Today
This praise can shape the way we see people under economic strain, social embarrassment, illness, bereavement, or any condition that leaves them feeling discarded. We can bring such need honestly before the Lord, since the verse names the low places rather than hiding them. In our homes, congregations, workplaces, and neighborhoods, we can also offer practical honor: attentive listening, fair dealing, shared resources, hospitality, and room for a person's voice. Help given in the Lord's name should respect the dignity he gives. The verse invites hopeful prayer while also forming merciful habits among those who praise him.
Reflection & Prayer
Where have we become accustomed to overlooking someone whose circumstances seem lowly or inconvenient? Ask the Lord to make his compassion visible in the way we speak, give, and receive others. Suggested prayer: "High and merciful Lord, see those who are in the dust of sorrow and need. Lift them in your wisdom, and teach us to honor the people you place before us. Amen."