Psalms 68:5–6
God is father to orphans and makes the solitary dwell in a home
Study it word by word5Father of orphans and judge of widows is Elohim in his holy dwelling.
6Elohim makes the solitary dwell in a home; he brings out prisoners into prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
In its context
3But let the righteous be glad, let them exult before Elohim, and let them rejoice with gladness.
4Sing to Elohim, sing psalms to his name; level the way for him who rides through the steppes; Yah is his name, and leap for joy before him.
…
7Elohim, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wasteland, Selah.
8the earth trembled, the heavens also dripped before Elohim, this Sinai, before Elohim, the Elohim of Israel.
Its words in the original
- אֲבִיavi· father
Father; also ancestor ("our fathers"), and the founder or head of a family or group.
- יְתוֹמִיםyetomim· fatherless
Orphan; above all one who has lost his father.
- דַיַּןdayan· judge
Judge: one who decides a case and defends the one who is in the right.
- אַלְמָנוֹתalmanot· widow
Widow.
- אֱלֹהִיםelohim· Elohim, God, gods
The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.
- מְעוֹןmeon· dwelling, lair
Dwelling: the place where someone lives; often the heavens or the sanctuary where God dwells; also the lair of jackals.
- קָדְשׁkadsh· holiness, holy place
Holiness: what is set apart for God. Also a holy place or a holy thing; "the holy of holies" is the most holy place.
- מוֹשִׁיבmoshiv· sit, dwell
Sit, sit down; from there stay in a place, live, dwell. In the causative form, settle someone, make to dwell. Also sit as judge or as king.
- יְחִידִיםyechidim· only, only one
Only, alone; from there "dearly loved"; also one's life, which cannot be replaced.
- בַּיְתָbayta· house, household
House. Also the family that lives in it ("the house of Noah") and someone's descendants ("the house of David"); also a temple, "the house of God".
- מוֹצִיאmotsi· go out, bring out
Go out, come out. In the causative form, "make go out", "bring out", "lead out", "produce".
- אֲסִירִיםasirim· prisoner
Prisoner, captive.
- כּוֹשָׁרוֹתkosharot· prosperity
Prosperity, well-being; in the plural it can also be understood as "freedom". It appears only once.
- סוֹרֲרִיםsorarim· be stubborn
Be stubborn: turn away from what one is told, refuse to be led.
- שָׁכְנוּshachnu· dwell
Dwell, settle and live; in the causative form, set, make to dwell.
- צְחִיחָהtsechicha· parched land
Land dried and scorched by the sun, where nothing grows. It appears only once.