תהלים, פרק צ״ד, פסוק ו׳

Cruel individuals often direct their malice toward the most fragile members of society. This exploitation is driven by a dangerous mindset: the belief that God is absent from earthly affairs and blind to human actions. Feeling completely free from the threat of divine punishment, the wicked act however they please [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. They specifically prey upon the widow, the stranger, and the orphan because these individuals lack social support and protection. A stranger, for instance, is someone who has relocated to a foreign city with no ancestral ties or local acquaintances [רד״ק]. Without relatives to advocate for them or demand justice from the authorities, these vulnerable people become easy targets [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Beyond mere physical and social exploitation, attacking these specific groups is a direct act of defiance against God's role as the ultimate Judge. God has explicitly extended His special protection over them, acting as the defender of widows, the lover of strangers, and the Father of orphans. When the wicked observe that God does not immediately strike them down for their crimes, their arrogance grows, and they intentionally harm the very people He loves and shelters [אלשיך, אבן עזרא].

The brutality of these acts escalates depending on the victims. While the attacks on widows and strangers are characterized simply as killing, the violence against orphans is described as a more intense, deliberate murder. This escalation highlights an exceptionally cruel form of violence, suggesting the work of an organized network or conspiracy of murderers [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם]. Alternatively, this deliberate action indicates that the wicked do not merely dirty their own hands; they operate through third parties, commanding others to carry out the assassinations on their behalf [רד״ק].