In the Old Testament,
"poor"
can be translated by six major and three other terms
—totalling about 300 references,
and revealing a broad understanding of the causes,
reality,
and consequences of poverty.
The poor person is the
downtrodden,
humiliated,
oppressed;
the human pleading and crying out for justice;
the weak or helpless;
the destitute; the needy,
dependent person;
and the one
forcibly subjected to the powerful oppressor.
The wide range of terms shows that "the poor" must be seen from many perspectives.
Clustering around "the poor" are linked words like
"the widow,"
"the fatherless" and
"the stranger."
Good News to the poor .........
