Psalms 138:6

Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. THOUGH THE LORD BE HIGH, YET HATH HE RESPECT UNTO THE LOWLY. The loving condescension of the high God, in having respect to the lowly and needy (as I, David, was raised from a sheepfold, and from outlawry, to be King of God's people, Psalms 113:4), attracts all to Him; especially the elevation of the antitypical David, Messiah, from the humiliation of His first coming to the manifested glory and majesty of His second coming, shall cause "all kings" to "praise" Him. Hengstenberg makes God's height the ground on account of which He raises the lowly, and brings down the proud. 'For the Lord is high, and therefore He hath respect unto the lowly.' But the contrast between "high" and "lowly" favours the English version. Lowliness of mind, as well as...

6._Because Jehovah the exalted, _etc. In this verse he passes commendation upon God’s general government of the world. The thing of all others most necessary to be known is, that he is not indifferent to our safety; for though in words we are all ready to grant this, our disbelief of it is shown by the feat’ we betray upon the slightest appearance of danger, and we would not give way to such alarm if we had a solid persuasion of our being under his fatherly protection. Some read, _Jehovah on high, _that is, he sits on his heavenly throne governing the world; but I prefer considering, that there is an opposition intended — that the greatness of God does not prevent his having’ respect to the poor and humble ones of the earth. This is confirmed by what is stated in the second clause, That being highly exalted he recognises afar off, or from a distance. Some read גבה, _gabah, _in the accusa...

6-8 Though the Lord is high, yet he has respect to every lowly, humbled sinner; but the proud and unbelieving will be banished far from his blissful presence. Divine consolations have enough in them to revive us, even when we walk in the midst of troubles. And God will save his own people that they may be revived by the Holy Spirit, the Giver of life and holiness. If we give to God the glory of his mercy, we may take to ourselves the comfort. This confidence will not do away, but quicken prayer. Whatever good there is in us, it is God works in us both to will and to do. The Lord will perfect the salvation of every true believer, and he will never forsake those whom he has created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works...

Verse Psalms 138:6. _THOUGH THE LORD_ BE _HIGH_] Infinitely _great_ as God is, he regards even the lowest and most inconsiderable part of his creation; but the _humble_ and _afflicted_ man attracts his notice particularly. _BUT THE PROUD HE KNOWETH AFAR OFF._] He beholds them at a distance, and has them in utter derision....

THOUGH THE LORD BE HIGH - This might be rendered “For lofty is Yahweh - and the humble he sees - and the proud he knows from afar.” The idea is, that God - so high and exalted - sees and knows all of every rank among people. The mind of the psalmist had been impressed with a sense of the greatness and majesty of God, but (as if it might be said that one so great could not regard man, so humble and insignificant) he adds, that the fact of God’s exaltation does not prevent his noticing the affairs of people: that the lowly in life need not fear lest they should be overlooked; the proud need not hope that they will escape the notice of his eye. YET HATH HE RESPECT UNTO THE LOWLY - Those in humble life; the obscure; the unknown. It does not mean here that he has any special favor toward them, but merely that he sees them. Their low and obscure condition does not prevent his observing them, a...

EXPOSITION A CLUSTER of Davidical psalms here follows. It is not easy to trace any single line of thought connecting them all, or to explain how they come to be so entirely separated from the great bulk of the Davidical psalms. The first two are, in the main, psalms of praise; the next four, psalms of supplication; in Psalms 146:1, praise and supplication are blended; while in Psalms 145:1. praise again forms the main, if not the sole, topic of the composition. It is a fanciful exegesis, which sees in all the eight psalms reflections upon the promise made to David in 2 Samuel 7:1. Psalms

THOUGH THE LORD [BE] HIGH,.... Above all the earth, and all the nations of it, and the highest of men in it; above the heavens, and the angels there, who are his creatures and at his command; above all the blessings and praises of his saints: the perfect knowledge of him is so high as not to be attained; and his thoughts and ways are higher than ours, as the heavens are higher than the earth; he is indeed the most High, higher than the highest; see Psalms 113:4. According to Arama, here begins the song, "the kings of the earth shall sing in the ways of the Lord?'' YET HATH HE RESPECT UNTO THE LOWLY; for good, as the Targum; that are low in their own eyes, humbled under a sense of sin, convinced, of the insufficiency of their own righteousness to justify them, and made to submit to the righteousness of Christ; ascribe the whole of their salvation to the free g

A Psalm of David. Psalms 138:1. _I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee._ Before the heathen gods, however highly exalted I will sing thy praises so in their very teeth; and the magistrates and princes and kings who think themselves gods on earth I will not fear them or be silenced by them. Psalms 138:2. _I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name._ For thou wert far more glorious in revelation than in creation thy promise did greatly transcend every other display of thyself above all we have ever known or conceived of thee. Thou hast magnified thyself by thy covenant of grace, and thy works of grace

Psalms 138 A Psalm of Deliverance This is a Psalm of David giving praise to the Lord for deliverance. The harp is now no more hanging idle on the willows, but is tuned afresh to praise His Name. It is not alone David's praise who cried and the Lord answered him, it is the praise of Israel for accomplished deliverance from the exile and therefore the kings of the earth are also mentioned. “All the kings of the earth shall praise Thee O LORD, when they hear the words of Thy mouth.”...

CXXXVIII. PSALMS 138:1. The Psalmist praises Yahweh, in spite of the false gods and their worshippers, for His grace and fidelity to himself in trouble. PSALMS 138:2_ c._ Omit thy word (so LXX), and read simply, Thou hast magnified thy name above all. Psalms 138:3_ b._ The text is very doubtful. Read perhaps (_cf._ LXX), Thou makest thy strength great in my soul. PSALMS 138:4. Even the kings of the earth shall sing Yahweh's ways, those ways by which He withdraws from the proud and reserves His intimacy for the lowly....