Psalms 68:5
A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
Interpretation
Psalms 68:5 shows a father to fatherless that takes shape in planning and improvising—listen for "father" and "fatherless". Practice father to fatherless in boundaries we honor—trace faith in small fidelities. Wisdom & Worship connects here: Poetry and wisdom teach reverent, honest life before God—through praise, lament, and reflection.
Context
In Psalms (Poetry/Wisdom), highlighting father to fatherless. Within ch. 68, a small unit frames the emphasis. It edges toward wisdom & worship. Watch the terms “father” and “fatherless”.
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
The Masoretic tradition preserves the Hebrew text, standardized c. 6th-10th centuries CE. The Dead Sea Scrolls (discovered 1947-1956) provide manuscripts 1000+ years older than medieval texts, generally confirming the Masoretic Text's reliability with only minor variations. The Septuagint (Greek translation, 3rd-2nd century BCE) offers an independent textual witness. Variations between manuscripts are typically minor: spelling differences, word order, or clarifications that leave the overall message intact. Modern translations compare all available manuscripts to reconstruct the most likely original text.
Sources & witness notes
MT