But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.

But he saveth from the sword of their mouth, Even the needy from the hand of the mighty.

But he shall save the needy from the sword of their mouth, and the poor from the hand of the violent.

And he saveth the needy from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.

And He saveth the wasted from their mouth, And from a strong hand the needy,

But he keeps safe from their sword those who have no father, and the poor from the power of the strong.

Thereafter, he will act to save the needy from the sword of their mouth, and the poor from the hand of the violent.

But he saveth the poor from the sword - He shows himself to be the friend and protector of the defenseless. The phrase "from the sword, from their mouth," has been variously interpreted. Dr. Good renders it,
So he saveth the persecutors from their mouth,
And the helpless from the hand of the violent."
Noyes,
So he saveth the persecuted from their mouth,
The oppressed from the hand of the mighty."
This rendering is obtained by changing the points in the word מחרב mēchereb, "from the sword," to מחרב māchĕrāb, making it the Hophal participle from חרב chârab, to make desolate. This was proposed by Capellus, and has been adopted by Durell, Michaelis, Dathe, Doederlein, and others. Rosenmuller pronounces it wholly unauthorized. Jerome renders it, a gladio otis eorum - "from the sword of their mouth." It seems to me that the whole verse may be literally rendered, "he saveth from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the strong, the poor." According to this version, the phrase "from their mouth" may either mean from the mouth, i. e. the edge of the sword, using the plural for the singular, or from the mouth of oppressors, using it to represent their violence, and their disposition to devour the poor. The latter is more probably the true interpretation, and there is no need of a ehange in the points in the Hebrew. Thus, interpreted, the sense is, that God preserves the poor from oppression; or, in other words, that he befriends them, and is therefore worthy of confidence. This sentiment accords with what is found everywhere in the Bible.

He saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth - This is rather a harsh construction. To avoid this, some have proposed to render מחרב mechereb, which we translate from the sword, the persecuted, but, I am afraid, on very slender authority. Instead of מחרב מפיהם mechereb mippihem, "from the sword, from their mouth," eleven of Kennicott and De Rossi's MSS. read מחרב פיהם mechereb pihem, from the sword of their mouth; and with these MSS. the Chaldee, Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic agree. The verse, therefore, may be translated thus: -
He saveth from the sword of their mouth;
The poor from the hand of the mighty.
Or thus: -
He saveth from the sword of their mouth;
And with a strong hand the impoverished.

But he saveth the (p) poor from the sword, from their (q) mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.
(p) That is, he who humbles himself before God.
(q) He compares the slander of the wicked to sharp swords.

But he saveth the poor,.... Who are so in a literal sense, and whom the Lord saves with a temporal salvation; these being the butt of the crafty, wise, and cunning, on whom their eyes are, for whom they lay snares, and lie in wait to draw them in; and these being helpless and without friends, God takes notice of them, appears for them, and arises for their help, and saves them:
from the sword; of their enemies, drawn against them and ready to be sheathed in them:
from their mouth; from their reproaches, calumnies, detraction, and evil speaking; or "from the sword, their mouth" (w), as some; or "from the sword of their mouth" (x), as others; or which comes out of it; whose mouths and tongues are as sharp swords, which destroy their credit and reputation, and threaten them with ruin; the Targum is,"from the slaughter of their mouth:"
and from the hand of the mighty; their mighty enemies, that, are mightier than they; the Targum is,"from the hand of a mighty king;''such an one as Pharaoh, which the same paraphrase makes mention of in Job 5:14, and from whom the poor Israelites were delivered: this may be applied to the poor in a spiritual sense, who are poor in spirit, and are sensible of their spiritual poverty, whom the Lord looks unto, has a regard for, and saves them from "the sword" of avenging justice; that being awaked against the man, his fellow, and so warded off from them, and from the mouth of a cursing and condemning law, and from Satan the accuser of the brethren; and of wicked men, whose tongue rising up in judgment against them, he condemns; and from the "hand" of Satan the strong man armed, and who is stronger than they; and of all their spiritual enemies.
(w) So some in Michaelis. (x) "A gladio oris eorum", V. L. "a gladio qui ex ore eorum", De Dieu, Schultens.

"From the sword" which proceedeth "from their mouth" (Psalm 59:7; Psalm 57:4).

Mouth - Which was ready to swallow them up.