תהלים, פרק ק״ז, פסוק מ״א

God directs the world through dramatic reversals, completely transforming the fate of those who have nothing. Just as the mighty and proud can lose their standing, the most vulnerable are suddenly lifted to safety and wealth. God provides a secure shelter and renewed strength to the poor, raising them from the depths of poverty and need [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This rescue serves as a complete contrast to the downfall of the wealthy and arrogant who were brought low [רד״ק, מאירי].

Following this rescue from hardship, the formerly poor experience incredible growth. Families that had once shrunk due to hunger and lack now multiply rapidly, growing into large groups compared to flocks of sheep [ביאור שטיינזלץ, רד״ק]. This specific comparison highlights the speed and success of their recovery, as sheep are known to reproduce faster than other animals and rarely lose their young [רד״ק, מאירי]. Commentators offer different perspectives on exactly how this rapid growth occurs. One approach views God as the direct source of this blessing, actively multiplying the families of the poor [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מאירי]. Another perspective suggests that the rescued individual takes the active role; once God lifts him out of poverty, the man himself is empowered to have many children and build a vast family [רש״י, אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד].

An entirely different approach connects these events directly to the Exodus from Egypt [אלשיך]. In this view, the rescue from poverty represents the immense wealth the Israelites acquired when they left Egypt, taking the valuable items they had carefully located during the Plague of Darkness. Furthermore, the comparison to flocks of sheep takes on a new meaning, referring not to the Israelites' population growth, but to the surrounding nations. God ensured that neighboring peoples, such as those in Canaan, Philistia, and Edom, would not try to take the Israelites' newfound wealth. Instead, He caused these nations to be overcome with fear, making them as passive and harmless as sheep, which never initiate an attack.