Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 146:8
The LORD openeth [the eyes of] the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
8. Blindness is a figure for moral and spiritual ignorance and insensibility, and helplessness in general. Cp. Isa 29:18; Isa 35:5; Deu 28:19; Job 12:25; Isa 59:9-10.
raiseth up them that are bowed down ] As Psa 145:14.
loveth ] And therefore, as P.B.V., careth for them. But is not this an accidental mistake, introduced into the Great Bible of 1540? Coverdale (1535) and the Great Bible of 1539 have loveth.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind – This is the sixth reason for what is stated as to the blessedness of those who put their trust in the Lord. The language here would be applicable to bodily or to mental blindness. Compare the notes at Psa 119:18 : Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. See also the notes at Isa 35:5 : Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened.
The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down – This is the seventh reason why they are happy who trust in the Lord. It is that those who are crushed and bowed down under the weight of care, trouble, and calamity, are raised up by him, or are sustained and comforted. See the notes at Psa 145:14 : The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
The Lord loveth the righteous – This is the eighth reason why those who trust in the Lord are happy. It is a characteristic of God, and a foundation for praise, that he loves those who obey law; who do that which is right.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 8. Openeth the eyes of the blind] He brings us out of our prison-house, from the shadow of death, and opens our eyes that we may behold the free light of the day. And it is the Lord only that can open the eyes of any son of Adam, and give him to see his wretchedness, and where help and salvation may be found.
Raiseth them that are bowed down] Through a sense of their guilt and sinfulness.
The Lord loveth the righteous] These he makes partakers of a Divine nature; and he loves those who bear his own image.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The eyes of the blind; either,
1. The eyes of their mind, which he enlightens and directs in doubtful and difficult causes; or,
2. Their bodily eyes, which he did abundantly by his Son Jesus Christ.
Loveth the righteous, even when he doth afflict them, which also he doth out of love, Heb 12:6.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
The Lord openeth [the eyes of] the blind,…. Who are corporeally blind; the eyes of many such were opened by Christ when here on earth, and one who was born blind; and such who are spiritually blind as to any knowledge of divine things, of God in Christ, of the way of life and salvation by Christ, of the Spirit and his operations, of their state and condition by nature, or of the things of the Gospel; the eyes of many such he opens so as to see their sin and danger, their want of righteousness, and need of Christ, and salvation by him; this is usually done by means of the ministry of the word, which is as an eye salve; but the work is Christ’s, and a work of almighty power it is; see Isa 35:4;
the Lord raiseth [them that are] bowed down; as he did in a literal sense the poor woman that was bowed together, Lu 13:11, and as he does in a spiritual sense such as are heavy laden with sin, and pressed with the burden of it; that are depressed with Satan’s temptations, and labour under sore afflictions and exercises; all which he supports his people under, and delivers them out of; and cheers and refreshes their souls with discoveries of his love and grace unto them; see Ps 145:14;
the Lord loveth the righteous; not self-righteous persons; these are not loved by God the Father, who preferred a publican to one of them; nor by Christ, who came not to call them to repentance; nor by the Spirit, who reproves and convinces men of self-righteousness; nor by angels, who rejoice at one sinner that repents more than over ninety and nine just persons who in their own opinion need no repentance: but such who are righteous through Christ’s righteousness imputed to them, and there are none righteous in any other way; and these Christ loves, not for any righteousness in them, or done by them; nor does his love flow from his own righteousness upon them, for he loved them from all eternity; and his engaging and undertaking to work out a righteousness for them, and the bringing in of that righteousness, were the fruits and effects of his love to them, and evidences of it; he suffered for them when they were in themselves unjust; he died for them when sinners, ungodly, and enemies; nevertheless, as they are clothed with his perfect righteousness, and are introduced unto him and presented before him in this raiment of needle work, this clothing of wrought gold, this fine linen clean and white; he takes delight and pleasure in them, and they appear a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(8) Openeth.Here, and through the verse, the verbs are participles. The elliptical open the blind is easily understood.
Blindness is sometimes figurative of distress and helplessness (Deu. 28:29; Isa. 59:9, &c), sometimes of want of mental or spiritual discernment, as Isa. 29:18; Isa. 42:7, &c. Here, most probably, the former.
Raiseth.See Psa. 145:14.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 146:8. The Lord openeth the eyes, &c. Illuminates their minds; or even restores their natural sight, when it is defective and weak; or, when perfectly gone, and there are no hopes of human cure. But this part of the psalm was most exactly and literally fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ, when he came to give salvation to us.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 146:8 The LORD openeth [the eyes of] the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
Ver. 8. The Lord openeth the eyes ] Both of body and mind, as in the Gospel. As for those miracles, which Tacitus and Suetonius attribute to Vespasian (as that he made a blind man see with spittle, healed another that was lame, and another that had a dry hand, by treading upon it), they are the miracles of Christ, which those profane authors would cast upon their emperor. Tacitus writeth that the blind man said to Vespasian that the god Serapis sent him to him. Now, the Paynims did think that the Christians did worship Serapis, as appeareth by the Epistle of Adrian, the emperor, to Severianus, the consul, that in the town of Alexandria they that worshipped Serapis were Christians, &c.
The Lord raiseth, &c.
The Lord loveth the righteous
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 146:8-10
8The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous;
9The Lord protects the strangers;
He supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He thwarts the way of the wicked.
10The Lord will reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!
Psa 146:8-9 Like Psa 146:6-7, these verses describe the God who acts, so different from the lifeless idols (see Special Topic: Characteristics of Israel’s God ).
1. opens blind eyes – BDB 824, KB 959, Qal participle
2. raises the bowed down – BDB 279, KB 279, Qal participle, cf. Psa 145:14 (these are the only usages of the verb in the OT)
3. loves the righteous – BDB 12, KB 17, Qal participle, cf. Psa 11:7; Psa 33:5
4. protects the stranger – BDB 1036, KB 1581, Qal participle (for a good brief article see Roland de Vaux, Ancient Israel, pp. 74-76)
5. supports the orphan and the widow – BDB 728, KB 795, Piel imperfect
6. thwarts the way of the wicked – BDB 736, KB 804, Piel imperfect
This list is a composite of God’s acts from Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and the Prophets.
Number 6 is literally to be bent (BDB 736) or to be crooked. This may be a play on the word righteous of Psa 146:8 c, which means to be straight (see SPECIAL TOPIC: RIGHTEOUSNESS ). All words for sin are a play on this metaphor for God’s character, in light of which all humans are crooked.
Psa 146:10 This speaks of the sovereignty of the God of Israel and His plans (cf. Exo 15:18; Psa 10:16; Psa 29:10).
Just a theological note, how will YHWH reign and where and over who? Please look at Special Topic: Why Do OT Covenant Promises Seem So Different from NT Covenant Promises .
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk n the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.
1. What did the Israelites expect after death (Psa 146:2; Psa 146:4)?
2. Does Psa 146:6 speak of the universe or this planet?
3. How is the depiction of the character and acts of God related to ANE thought about how a king should act?
4. Will YHWH reign in/from Zion or is His reign universal? How has the NT changed this OT concept?
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
openeth: Isa 35:5, Isa 42:16, Isa 42:18, Mat 9:30, Mat 11:5, Luk 18:41, Luk 18:42, Joh 9:7-33; Act 26:18, Eph 1:18, 1Pe 2:9
raiseth: Psa 145:14, Psa 147:6, Luk 13:11-13, 2Co 7:6
loveth: Psa 11:7, Deu 33:3, Joh 14:21-23, Joh 16:27
Reciprocal: Exo 4:11 – General Psa 12:5 – oppression Pro 15:9 – The way Isa 42:7 – open Lam 3:20 – humbled Mat 20:30 – two Mar 10:52 – he received Luk 4:18 – and Luk 7:22 – how Luk 18:43 – he Joh 10:21 – Can
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
146:8 The LORD openeth [the eyes of] the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD {f} loveth the righteous:
(f) Though he visits them with affliction, hunger, imprisonment and such like, yet his fatherly love and pity never fails them, yea rather to his these are signs of his love.