Psalm 113:8 says that God lifts up people who are poor and overlooked and gives them a place among the honored and powerful. The verse describes God’s purpose to restore dignity to those the world has pushed down. It was written by an unnamed Israelite psalmist, traditionally associated with the Hebrew scriptures, and sung as praise to the LORD, the covenant name of God in the Old Testament.
That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
Psalm 113:8 (WEB)
What Psalm 113:8 Means
The verse begins with “that he may set him,” which points to purpose. The psalmist is not describing a random act of kindness but a deliberate reversal, where God lifts a person from the ash heap and seats them in a place of honor. The picture moves from the dirt and ashes where a person sits in grief or poverty to a seat beside the nobles of the community.
The phrase “with princes, even with the princes of his people” uses the language of rulers and leaders. The psalmist is saying that God does not merely relieve suffering but gives the lowly full standing among the respected people of the nation. The verse does not promise that every poor person will become wealthy or famous, and it does not describe a guaranteed earthly career. It speaks of God’s power to restore worth and belonging, which is a deeper and more lasting kind of exaltation.
Read in its setting, the verse is a statement about God’s character. The surrounding lines celebrate a God who is high above all nations yet stoops down to see what happens on earth. The verse shows that this high God does not stay distant from the needy.
The Context of Psalm 113:8
Psalm 113 belongs to the Hallel collection, a group of psalms (113 through 118) sung at Israel’s major festivals, including Passover. The psalm opens with a call to praise the LORD from sunrise to sunset, and it ends with the joyful picture of a barren woman made into a happy mother. Verse 8 sits in the middle of this hymn, between a vision of God’s unmatched greatness in verses 5 and 6 and a verse about God giving a home to the childless in verse 9.
Because of this placement, verse 8 is not a stand-alone promise about social status. It is part of a larger song that moves from God’s sovereignty to God’s compassion. The poor man lifted from the dust and the barren woman given a household are two examples of the same pattern: God reverses what seems hopeless and brings people into fullness. The verse reads most faithfully as praise for a God whose greatness shows up in his care for the overlooked.
Key Phrases in Psalm 113:8
1 Samuel 2:8
He raises up the poor out of the dust. He lifts up the needy from the dunghill, To make them sit with princes, and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s. He has set the world on them.
(WEB)
Hannah’s song in this chapter celebrates the same reversal, as God raises the poor from the dust and seats them among princes. Reading it alongside Psalm 113:8 shows that this theme of divine exaltation runs through Israel’s worship from its earliest songs.
Luke 1:52
He has put down princes from their thrones. And has exalted the lowly.
(WEB)
Mary’s song in the Gospel of Luke echoes the same pattern, describing God bringing down the powerful and lifting up the humble. Reading it with Psalm 113:8 reveals a continuity between Israel’s praise and the hope voiced at the start of the New Testament.
A Short Prayer From Psalm 113:8
Lord, you are high above every nation, yet you bend low to see the ones who feel forgotten. Thank you for lifting people out of the dust and giving them a place of honor that no one can take away. When I feel passed over or overlooked, help me remember that my worth rests in your hands. Teach me to notice those who are struggling around me and to treat them with the dignity you give. Amen.
