Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 18:27
For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
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.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 27. For thou wilt save the afflicted] The afflicted are the humble; and those thou hast ever befriended.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
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.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
27. the afflicted peoplethatis, the humbly pious.
high lookspride(Psa 101:5; Psa 131:1).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For thou wilt save the afflicted people,…. As the people of God commonly are; they are afflicted with sin, and the corruption of their own hearts, and with Satan and his temptations, and with the world, its reproaches, and persecutions; but God in his own time saves them out of them, if not here, yet hereafter. This is particularly and eminently true of the Christians who lived between the crucifixion of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem; who were greatly afflicted and persecuted by the Jews, but were in a remarkable manner saved a little before the destruction of Jerusalem, by being directed to go out of it to a place called Pella c; so that not one Christian suffered in it;
but wilt bring down high looks; or proud men, whom God humbles; these he abhors, resists, sets himself against, scatters and destroys. The Jews were a very proud people, and behaved in an insolent and insulting manner towards Christ and his followers; but the high looks of the chief priests, Scribes, and Pharisees, were brought down to a purpose, when their city, temple, and nation, were destroyed; see Isa 2:11.
c Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 3. c. 5.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
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. (422) Nor ought we to reckon the wrongs which are inflicted upon us too bitter, since they excite God to show towards us his favor which bringeth salvation. As to the second clause of this verse, the reading is a little different in the song in the 2 Book of Samuel, where the words are, Thine eyes are against the proud to cast them down. But this difference makes no alteration as to the meaning, except that the Holy Spirit there more plainly threatens the proud, that, as God is on the watch to overthrow them, it is impossible for them to escape destruction. The substance of both places is this: The more the ungodly indulge in gratifying their own inclinations, without any fear of danger, and the more proudly they despise the afflicted poor who are under their feet, they are so much the nearer to destruction. Whenever, therefore, they cruelly break forth against us with mockery and contempt, let us know that there is nothing which prevents God from repelling their headstrong pertinacity, but that their pride is not yet come to its height.
(422) “ Afin de nous faire esprouver comment il sauve les affligez.” — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(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.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
27. Afflicted The word often takes the adsignification of humble, meek, and the antithetic clause gives this sense here.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
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
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Girded with Strength for Service
Psa 18:27-50
Gods way is perfect, and if only we will walk with Him He will make ours perfect also. Walls and troops cannot stop a man when God leads him through them. We must follow on the line of His purpose, and then the very mountains are a way and our enemies subserve the program, Act 2:23.
Swift and sure-footed, when the path is slippery, Psa 18:33; strong in battle, Psa 18:34; great through Gods gentle kindness, or, as the English Book of Common Prayer renders it, thy loving correction, Psa 18:35. Severity would never have done for the Apostles what Jesus did by His patience and long-suffering.
The closing hallelujah of Psa 18:46-50 is very fine. It is the living Savior that we need. We must stint our words when we speak of men; but mortal lips, however eloquent, have never exhausted the worth of our King.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
save: Psa 9:18, Psa 34:6, Psa 34:19, Psa 40:17, 2Sa 22:28, Isa 57:15, Isa 66:2, Luk 1:52, Luk 1:53, 2Co 8:9, Jam 2:5
bring: Psa 10:4, Psa 17:10, Psa 17:13, Psa 101:5, Pro 6:16, Pro 6:17, Pro 30:12, Isa 3:9, Isa 10:12, Luk 18:14
Reciprocal: Psa 119:155 – Salvation Pro 22:5 – Thorns Isa 2:11 – lofty Isa 47:1 – down Luk 14:11 – whosoever 2Co 10:5 – and every
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
18:27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt {u} bring down high looks.
(u) When their sin is come to the full measure.