He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just about God helping the downtrodden; it highlights the extreme degradation of the "dust" and "dunghill" as places of utter ruin and contempt. It shows God stooping to rescue those overlooked by all others, pulling them from literal heaps of refuse and ashes where the forgotten and afflicted might lie.
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm opens with a call to praise the Lord, emphasizing His exalted position above all creation and His condescending attention to both heaven and earth. Immediately following this, the text highlights God's remarkable grace in lifting up the destitute – the poor from the dust and the needy from the refuse heap – a powerful image that echoes Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 2. This act of divine elevation is part of a larger theme in the psalm demonstrating God's power to transform the lowliest circumstances and bring them into His divine favor.
Ever feel overlooked or like you're starting from rock bottom? This verse paints a picture of God's radical ability to lift people from the lowest possible places.
This verse uses vivid imagery to show God's profound care for the forgotten. "Dust" and "ash heap" (or "dunghill") aren't just random words; they represent the absolute lowest points of degradation and misery in the ancient world. Think of it like this:
Who gets lifted up? Is it random, or is there a divine hand at work? This psalm points to God's deliberate power in changing fortunes.
Psalm 113 isn't just a description of God's mercy; it's a declaration of His sovereign power. He doesn't just the poor to be lifted up; He actively and them.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
dal · Hebrew Noun
A term often used in wisdom literature and the Psalms to describe those who are economically, socially, or spiritually oppressed. It denotes those who have no resources or power of their own and must rely entirely on God.
aphar · Hebrew Noun
This refers to the lowest state of existence or the place of humiliation and mourning. It symbolizes the depths of human misery and the point from which God initiates His redemptive intervention.
ebyon · Hebrew Noun
Someone who lacks basic necessities or rights, often associated with the marginalized. It carries a sense of being destitute and in constant need of divine provision.
ashpoth · Hebrew Noun
A place of refuse or a site of intense mourning (associated with mourning rites). Being lifted from it represents a dramatic reversal of fortune and divine restoration from utter shame to honor.
This verse is a powerful reminder that God's heart is with the downtrodden, echoing the profound hope found in the Song of Hannah and the experiences of the exiles, and powerfully reflected in Jesus' own ministry.
c. 1070 BC
Hannah's Song of Praise
Hannah, after years of barrenness and ridicule, conceives and births Samuel. Her prayer of praise directly echoes in Psalm 113, highlighting God's power to exalt the humble.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Deportation of Israel
The Assyrian empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its citizens and scattering them. This event left many Israelites in extreme poverty and displacement.
c. 605 BC - 586 BC
Babylonian Exile of Judah
Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians conquer Judah, destroying Jerusalem and its Temple. Many Judeans are exiled to Babylon, experiencing profound loss and hardship.
c. 538 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return from Exile
Cyrus the Great allows the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This marked a significant turning point, lifting many from despair back to their homeland.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Jesus' Ministry in Galilee
Jesus begins his public ministry, often teaching in humble villages and associating with the poor, outcasts, and marginalized of society.
This passage, Hannah's prayer, is directly echoed here, showing this theme of God lifting the lowly is a long-standing praise.
Luke 1:52This verse from Mary's Magnificat directly parallels the Psalms' sentiment, highlighting God's consistent action of bringing down the powerful and lifting up the humble.
Job 2:8This shows the depth of suffering Job endured, sitting on a mound of ashes, illustrating the extreme lowliness from which God can raise someone.
Isaiah 47:1This verse describes a fall from grace into shame, where the once-proud queen is told to sit in the dust, contrasting sharply with God's act of raising people from such degradation.
1 Corinthians 1:27This New Testament passage explains God's strategy in the church: to choose the weak and lowly things of the world to shame the wise and strong, directly illustrating the principle in Psalm 113:7.
pulpitPsalms 113:7: "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;"
Verse 7. - He raiseth up the poor out of the dust. Heaven is full of his glory, earth of his mercy and loving-kindness. The words of 1 Samuel 2:8 are, consciously or unconsciously, quoted. And lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; rather, from the dunghill (Revised Version).
poolePsalms 113:7: "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;"
He raiseth up the poor; yea, he stoops so low as to regard and advance those whom all men, and even their own brethren, slight and despise. Out of the dust; from a most contemptible and miserable condition. Beggars and mourners used to lie in the dust, or, as it follows, upon the dunghill, 1 Samuel 2:8 Lamentations 4:5 .
This verse isn't just about God helping the downtrodden; it highlights the extreme degradation of the "dust" and "dunghill" as places of utter ruin and contempt. It shows God stooping to rescue those overlooked by all others, pulling them from literal heaps of refuse and ashes where the forgotten and afflicted might lie.
This psalm opens with a call to praise the Lord, emphasizing His exalted position above all creation and His condescending attention to both heaven and earth. Immediately following this, the text highlights God's remarkable grace in lifting up the destitute – the poor from the dust and the needy from the refuse heap – a powerful image that echoes Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 2. This act of divine elevation is part of a larger theme in the psalm demonstrating God's power to transform the lowliest circumstances and bring them into His divine favor.
This psalm opens with a call to praise the Lord, emphasizing His exalted position above all creation and His condescending attention to both heaven and earth. Immediately following this, the text highlights God's remarkable grace in lifting up the destitute – the poor from the dust and the needy from the refuse heap – a powerful image that echoes Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 2. This act of divine elevation is part of a larger theme in the psalm demonstrating God's power to transform the lowliest circumstances and bring them into His divine favor.
"He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap," — This verse isn't just about God helping the downtrodden; it highlights the extreme degradation of the "dust" and "dunghill" as places of utter ruin and contempt. It shows God stooping to rescue those…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026