Psalm 102:17 speaks of God regarding 'the prayer of the destitute,' using this adjective (with article) as a noun for someone utterly stripped of resources and dignity. The root conveys bareness, nakedness, deprivation. In the ancient world, the destitute are those without land, family, or social standing—completely vulnerable. The psalmist, crying out from deep affliction, identifies with this class. Spanish 'el despojado' (the despoiled, stripped one) and French 'le nu' (the naked/bare one) both emphasize the stripping away of what sustains life. Yet the psalm affirms that God does not despise their prayer—hope exists even for the utterly destitute.