Psalms 72:14
He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
Original Language Analysis
וּ֭מֵחָמָס
and violence
H2555
וּ֭מֵחָמָס
and violence
Strong's:
H2555
Word #:
2 of 7
violence; by implication, wrong; by metonymy unjust gain
יִגְאַ֣ל
He shall redeem
H1350
יִגְאַ֣ל
He shall redeem
Strong's:
H1350
Word #:
3 of 7
to redeem (according to the middle eastern law of kinship), i.e., to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relative's property, marry his wido
נַפְשָׁ֑ם
their soul
H5315
נַפְשָׁ֑ם
their soul
Strong's:
H5315
Word #:
4 of 7
properly, a breathing creature, i.e., animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or ment
וְיֵיקַ֖ר
and precious
H3365
וְיֵיקַ֖ר
and precious
Strong's:
H3365
Word #:
5 of 7
properly, apparently, to be heavy, i.e., (figuratively) valuable; causatively, to make rare (figuratively, to inhibit)
Cross References
Psalms 116:15Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.Revelation 19:2For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.Psalms 69:18Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.2 Samuel 4:9And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,Revelation 17:6And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.Psalms 25:22Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.Psalms 130:8And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.Genesis 48:16The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.1 Samuel 26:21Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.Titus 2:14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Historical Context
In ancient society, the poor's blood was cheap—they could be exploited or killed with little consequence. God's king inverts this, making even the lowliest person's life precious and worthy of protection.
Questions for Reflection
- How does recognizing that you're 'precious' in God's sight affect your self-understanding?
- From what 'deceit and violence' has Christ redeemed you spiritually?
- How can you demonstrate that others' lives are 'precious' through your actions and advocacy?
Analysis & Commentary
The king redeems lives 'from deceit and violence,' recognizing that the vulnerable face both fraud and force. 'Precious shall their blood be in his sight' affirms the high value God places on each person, especially the despised. Where the world views the poor as expendable, God sees them as precious. Christ demonstrated this by dying for sinners—those of no apparent worth became infinitely valuable through His sacrifice (Romans 5:8).