Psalm 94:6
New International Version
They slay the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless.

New Living Translation
They kill widows and foreigners and murder orphans.

English Standard Version
They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless;

Berean Standard Bible
They kill the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless.

King James Bible
They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.

New King James Version
They slay the widow and the stranger, And murder the fatherless.

New American Standard Bible
They kill the widow and the stranger And murder the orphans.

NASB 1995
They slay the widow and the stranger And murder the orphans.

NASB 1977
They slay the widow and the stranger, And murder the orphans.

Legacy Standard Bible
They slay the widow and the sojourner And murder the orphans.

Amplified Bible
They kill the widow and the alien And murder the fatherless.

Christian Standard Bible
They kill the widow and the resident alien and murder the fatherless.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They kill the widow and the foreigner and murder the fatherless.

American Standard Version
They slay the widow and the sojourner, And murder the fatherless.

Contemporary English Version
They murder widows, foreigners, and orphans.

English Revised Version
They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They kill widows and foreigners, and they murder orphans.

Good News Translation
They kill widows and orphans, and murder the strangers who live in our land.

International Standard Version
The wicked kill widows and foreigners; they murder orphans.

Majority Standard Bible
They kill the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless.

NET Bible
They kill the widow and the one residing outside his native land, and they murder the fatherless.

New Heart English Bible
They kill the widow and the alien, and murder the fatherless.

Webster's Bible Translation
They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.

World English Bible
They kill the widow and the alien, and murder the fatherless.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
They slay widow and sojourner, "" And they murder fatherless ones.

Young's Literal Translation
Widow and sojourner they slay, And fatherless ones they murder.

Smith's Literal Translation
The widow and the stranger they will slay, and they will kill the orphan.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
They have slain the widow and the stranger: and they have murdered the fatherless.

Catholic Public Domain Version
They have executed the widow and the new arrival, and they have slaughtered the orphan.

New American Bible
They kill the widow and alien; the orphan they murder.

New Revised Standard Version
They kill the widow and the stranger, they murder the orphan,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
They slay the widow and the innocent, and murder the fatherless.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
They have killed widows and inhabitants and they have ravaged orphans.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
They slay the widow and the stranger, And murder the fatherless.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
They have slain the widow and fatherless, and murdered the stranger.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The LORD Will Not Forget His People
5They crush Your people, O LORD; they oppress Your heritage. 6They kill the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless. 7They say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.”…

Cross References
Isaiah 10:1-2
Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees, / to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder.

Jeremiah 7:6
if you no longer oppress the foreigner and the fatherless and the widow, and if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place or follow other gods to your own harm,

Exodus 22:22-24
You must not mistreat any widow or orphan. / If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to Me in distress, I will surely hear their cry. / My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will become widows and your children will be fatherless.

Deuteronomy 27:19
‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

James 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Isaiah 1:23
Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.

Zechariah 7:10
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’

Malachi 3:5
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.

Proverbs 22:22-23
Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate, / for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who rob them.

Matthew 23:14
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

Luke 20:47
They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”

Job 24:3
They drive away the donkey of the fatherless and take the widow’s ox in pledge.

Jeremiah 22:3
This is what the LORD says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place.

Ezekiel 22:7
Father and mother are treated with contempt. Within your walls the foreign resident is exploited, the fatherless and the widow are oppressed.

Amos 2:6-7
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Israel, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals. / They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the earth; they push the needy out of their way. A man and his father have relations with the same girl and so profane My holy name.


Treasury of Scripture

They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.

Isaiah 10:2
To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!

Isaiah 13:15-18
Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword…

Jeremiah 7:6
If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:

Jump to Previous
Alien Children Death Fatherless Guest Kill Murder Ones Orphans Slay Sojourner Stranger Widow
Jump to Next
Alien Children Death Fatherless Guest Kill Murder Ones Orphans Slay Sojourner Stranger Widow
Psalm 94
1. The prophet, calling for justice, complains of tyranny and impiety.
8. He teaches God's providence
12. He shows the blessedness of affliction
16. God is the defender of the afflicted.














They kill the widow
In the ancient Near Eastern context, widows were among the most vulnerable members of society. The Hebrew word for "widow" is "אַלְמָנָה" (almanah), which signifies a woman who has lost her husband and, consequently, her primary source of economic and social support. The act of killing a widow is not just a physical crime but a profound moral and social injustice. In the biblical narrative, God repeatedly commands His people to protect and care for widows, emphasizing His compassion and justice. The killing of widows represents a direct violation of God's law and an affront to His character, as He is described as a defender of widows (Psalm 68:5).

and the foreigner
The term "foreigner" in Hebrew is "גֵּר" (ger), referring to a sojourner or an alien residing in Israel. Foreigners were often without the protection of family or tribal affiliations, making them susceptible to exploitation and injustice. The Mosaic Law includes specific instructions to treat foreigners with kindness and fairness, reflecting God's inclusive love and justice (Leviticus 19:34). The killing of foreigners highlights a societal failure to uphold God's commandments and a disregard for His inclusive covenant, which extends mercy and justice to all people, regardless of their origin.

they murder the fatherless
The "fatherless" or "orphan" in Hebrew is "יָתוֹם" (yathom), representing children who have lost their fathers and, like widows, are left without protection or provision. In biblical times, the father was the primary provider and protector of the family, and his absence left children vulnerable to poverty and abuse. God's heart for the fatherless is evident throughout Scripture, where He is described as a "Father to the fatherless" (Psalm 68:5). The murder of the fatherless is a heinous act that underscores a society's moral decay and its departure from God's righteous standards. It is a call to the faithful to rise in defense of those who cannot defend themselves, reflecting God's justice and mercy in a broken world.

(6) Stranger.--The mention of the stranger as one friendless and helpless (Exodus 22:21), under the tyranny of the great, seems to imply that domestic, and not foreign oppression, is the grievance.

Verse 6. - They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless (comp. Isaiah 1:17-23; Isaiah 10:2; Ezekiel 22:6-9; Malachi 3:5; also Psalm 10:8-10).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They kill
יַהֲרֹ֑גוּ (ya·hă·rō·ḡū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2026: To smite with deadly intent

the widow
אַ֭לְמָנָה (’al·mā·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 490: A widow, a desolate place

and the foreigner;
וְגֵ֣ר (wə·ḡêr)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1616: A guest, a foreigner

they murder
יְרַצֵּֽחוּ׃ (yə·raṣ·ṣê·ḥū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7523: To dash in pieces, kill, to murder

the fatherless.
וִֽיתוֹמִ֣ים (wî·ṯō·w·mîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3490: A bereaved person


Links
Psalm 94:6 NIV
Psalm 94:6 NLT
Psalm 94:6 ESV
Psalm 94:6 NASB
Psalm 94:6 KJV

Psalm 94:6 BibleApps.com
Psalm 94:6 Biblia Paralela
Psalm 94:6 Chinese Bible
Psalm 94:6 French Bible
Psalm 94:6 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Psalm 94:6 They kill the widow and the alien (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 94:5
Top of Page
Top of Page