A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
What does Psalms 68:5 mean?
None ever hardened his heart against God, and prospered. God is the joy of his people, then let them rejoice when they come before him.
Key themes
Read with
Keep this verse inside its immediate passage and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Psalms 68:5
A father of the fatherless - Or, of orphans. Compare Psalm 10:14 , Psalm 10:18 . That is, God takes the place of the parent. See Jeremiah 49:11 : "Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me." This is one of the most tender appellations that could be given to God, and conveys one of the most striking descriptions that can be given of his character.
Key words
- orphans
-
orphans. A father of the fatherless - Or, of orphans. Compare Psalm 10:14 , Psalm 10:18 .
- father
-
A father of the fatherless,.
- fatherless
-
A father of the fatherless,.
Context in Psalms 68
Show chapter context
Psalms 68 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as Book III. Psalms is the Bible’s great book of sung prayer, teaching the full range of faithful speech from anguish and repentance to jubilation and doxology. Read this chapter with the wider themes of prayer, praise, and lament in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
Explore by topic
Passages on isolation, God's presence in solitude, the ache of being alone, and the promise that God does not abandon his people.
Passages on trusting God, receiving Christ, persevering without sight, and the relation between faith and lived obedience.
Passages on asking, persistence, confession, dependence, and the way prayer shapes Christian life and attention.
Bible verses about justice and mercy
Key texts on public righteousness, neighbor-love, social ethics, compassion, and the prophetic refusal to separate worship from justice.
Bible verses about thankfulness and gratitude
Passages on thanksgiving to God, grateful worship, and the discipline of remembering God’s goodness in ordinary life.