Psalms 18:27

Psa 18:27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.

Ver. 27. For thou wilt save the afflicted people] Even the same whom before he had called merciful, or godly, upright, pure, here are the afflicted, and seem by God to be neglected; but he will save them assuredly, though he bear long with them, Luk 18:7.

But wilt bring down high looks] In Samuel it is, "Thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down," 2Sa 22:28, q.d. God’s eyes are upon them all the while that he spareth them, to watch for a fit season to ruin them.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28. (Psa 18:27). For thou wilt save the afflicted people, and lofty eyes thou wilt bring down. Another general description of God's dealings with mankind, repeated more than once in the New Testament. See Mat 23:12, Luk 14:11; Luk 18:14. High looks or lofty eyes is a common Old Testament expression for pride and haughtiness. See below, on Psa 101:5; Psa 131:1, and compare Pro 21:4; Pro 30:13, Isa 10:12; Isa 37:23. The afflicted people means the people of God when in affliction, or considered as sufferers. Thou is emphatic: "however men may despise and maltreat thy afflicted people, I know that thou wilt save them."

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18:27 proud: The Lord hates pride (101:5; 131:1; see Prov 6:16-17; 21:4; 30:13).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

When their sin is come to the full measure.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

the afflicted people--that is, the humbly pious.

high looks--pride (Psa 101:5; Psa 131:1).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 27. For thou wilt save the afflicted] The afflicted are the humble; and those thou hast ever befriended.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

27. For thou wilt save the afflicted people. This verse contains the correction of a mistake into which we are very ready to fall. As experience shows that the merciful are often severely afflicted, and the sincere involved in troubles of a very distressing description, to prevent any from regarding the statement as false that God deals mercifully with the merciful, David admonishes us that we must wait for the end; for although God does not immediately run to succor the good, yet, after having exercised their patience for a time, he lifts them up from the dust on which they lay prostrate, and brings effectual relief to them, even when they were in despair. Whence it follows, that we ought only to judge by the issue how God shows himself merciful towards the merciful and pure towards the pure. If he did not keep his people in suspense and waiting long for deliverance from affliction, it could not be said that it is his prerogative to save the afflicted. And it is no small consolation, in the midst of our adversities, to know that God purposely delays to communicate his assistance, which otherwise is quite prepared, that we may experience his goodness in saving us after we have been afflicted and brought low. “Afin de nous faire esprouver comment il sauve les affligez.” — Fr.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(27) High looks.—See variation in Samuel.

The afflicted people.—Better, afflicted folk, with no distinctive reference to Israel, except, of course, I when the poem became adapted for congregational use.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

27. For thou wilt save &c.] 2 Sam. has the better reading, “and the afflicted people thou wilt save.”

the afflicted people] Or, lowly: those who have learnt humility in the school of suffering. See note on Psa_9:12, and cp. Zep_3:12.

but wilt bring down &c.] But haughty eyes wilt thou bring low. “Haughty eyes” are one of the seven things which are an abomination to Jehovah (Pro_6:17). Cp. Isa_2:11-12; Isa_2:17.

The parallel text in 2 Sam. has, “Thine eyes are upon the haughty, whom thou wilt bring low.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For thou wilt light my candle,.... Or lamp (d): in Sa2 22:29, it is, "Thou art my lamp, O Lord"; which may either design outward prosperity, and the flourishing condition of David's kingdom; or internal spiritual light, and an increase of it, by giving fresh supplies of the oil of grace, to cause the lamp to burn more clearly; or rather the prosperous estate of Christ's kingdom; and may be the same with the lamp ordained for the Messiah, Psa 132:17;

the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness; or "cause light to shine in my darkness" (e); that is, bring me out of darkness into light; either out of adversity to prosperity, or from walking in darkness to the enjoyment of the light of his countenance; and is true of Christ, not only of the prosperity of his kingdom and interest, but of him personally; who though, when on the cross, was in darkness of soul, being forsaken by his God; yet, when raised from the dead, he was received up to heaven, and set down at the right hand of God, and was made full of joy with his countenance, Act 2:28.

(d) "lucernam meam", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, &c. (e) So Gussetius, Comment. Ebr. p. 495.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

For thou wilt save the afflicted people - From the particular tokens of divine favor toward himself in affliction and trouble, the psalmist now draws the general inference that this was the character of God, and that others in affliction might hope for his interposition as he had done.

But wilt bring down high looks - Another general inference probably derived from the dealings of God with the proud and haughty foes of the psalmist. As God had humbled them, so he infers that he would deal with others in the same way. “High looks” are indicative of pride and haughtiness. Compare Psa 101:5; Pro 6:17; Pro 21:4; Isa 2:11 (notes); Isa 10:12; Dan 7:20.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The afflicted people; such as I and my poor followers were.

High looks, i.e. proud persons, who discover the pride of their hearts by their haughty looks and carriages, Psa 101:5; Pro 6:17, such as mine enemies were.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 27. For thou wilt save the afflicted people. This is a comforting assurance for the poor in spirit whose spiritual griefs admit of no sufficient solace from any other than a divine hand. They cannot save themselves nor can others do it, but God will save them.

But will bring down high looks. Those who look down on others with scorn shall be looked down upon with contempt ere long. The Lord abhors a proud look. What a reason for repentance and humiliation! How much better to be humble than to provoke God to humble us in his wrath! A considerable number of clauses occur in this passage in the future tense; how forcibly are we thus brought to remember that our present joy or sorrow is not to have so much weight with us as the great and eternal future!

Ver. 27. The afflicted people. The word rendered "afflicted, " properly signifies "poor, "or "needy." The persons spoken of are obviously afflicted ones, for they need to be saved or delivered; but it is not their affliction, so much as their poverty, that is indicated by the epithet here given them; and, from the poor being contrasted, not with the wealthy, but with the proudfor that is the meaning of the figurative expression, "the man of high looks" it seems plain that, though the great body of the class referred to have always been found among the comparatively "poor in this world, "the reference is to those poor ones whom our Lord represents as "poor in spirit." John Brown.

Ver. 27. High looks: namely, the proud; the raising up of the eyebrows being a natural sign of that vice. Ps 101:5 Pr 6:17. John Diodati.

Ver. 27. Consolation for the humble, and desolation for the proud.

Ver. 27. (second clause). The bringing down of high looks. In a way of grace and justice. Among saints and sinner, etc. A wide theme.

Psalms 18:28*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

27. Afflicted—The word often takes the adsignification of humble, meek, and the antithetic clause gives this sense here.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For thou wilt save the afflicted people; i.e. the oppressed and down-trodden, who are assumed to be pious and God-fearing. (comp. Psa_10:12-14 Psa_11:2, etc.) But wilt bring down high looks . (comp. Psa_101:5 and Pro_6:17) The fact of "pride going before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall," was noticed by the heathen of the ancient world, no less than by the" peculiar people." And both alike attributed the downfall of the proud to God. "Seest thou," says Herodotus, "how God with his lightning smites always the bigger animals, and will not suffer them to wax insolent, while those of a lesser bulk chafe him not? How likewise his bolts ever fall on the highest houses and the tallest trees? So plainly does he love to bring down everything that exalts itself. Thus ofttimes a mighty host is discomfited by a few men, when God in his jealousy sends panic or storm from heaven, and they perish in a way unworthy of them. For God allows no one to have high thoughts but himself" (vii. 10, But the heathen seem to have imagined that God envied the proud ones, and therefore cast them down.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

you bring down

"you humiliate"

with proud, uplifted eyes

This idiom refers to those who are proud. AT: "who are proud" (See: Idiom)

For you give light to my lamp; Yahweh my God lights up my darkness

The writer speaks of Yahweh's presence as if he were a light. These clauses have similar meanings. (See: Metaphor and Parallelism)

For by you I can run over a barricade

"For with your help I can cross any obstacle"

translationWords

save

afflicted

proud

light

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

With a pure one a faithful one.

but with a crooked one alluding to Pharaoh.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.