Psalms 18:27

KJV

For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.

KJV (with Strong's)

For thou wilt save {H3467} the afflicted {H6041} people {H5971}; but wilt bring down {H8213} high {H7311} looks {H5869}.

Complete Jewish Bible

People afflicted, you save; but haughty eyes, you humble.

Berean Standard Bible

For You save an afflicted people, but You humble those with haughty eyes.

American Standard Version

For thou wilt save the afflicted people; But the haughty eyes thou wilt bring down.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Psalms 18:27 powerfully encapsulates a foundational principle of divine justice, revealing God's righteous character and His unwavering commitment to the humble while demonstrating His decisive opposition to the arrogant. This verse, embedded within David's grand song of deliverance, declares that God actively intervenes to rescue and uplift those who are lowly, meek, and dependent on Him, simultaneously bringing low those who are characterized by haughtiness, self-exaltation, and pride. It serves as both a profound comfort to the afflicted and a solemn warning to the proud, affirming God's moral governance over all humanity.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalm 18 is a magnificent psalm of thanksgiving and praise, attributed to David, celebrating God's miraculous deliverance from all his enemies, especially King Saul. It is a nearly identical parallel to [2 Samuel 22](/2_samuel/22 "2 Samuel 22 - David's Song of Deliverance"). The psalm opens with David's fervent declaration of love for God, whom he extols as his "rock, fortress, and deliverer" ([Psalms 18:1-2](/psalms/18-1-2 "Psalms 18:1-2 - David's Declaration of Trust and Praise")). It then vividly recounts God's dramatic intervention as a divine warrior, descending from heaven with cosmic fury to rescue David from overwhelming foes and the snares of death ([Psalms 18:7-19](/psalms/18-7-19 "Psalms 18:7-19 - God's Theophany of Deliverance")). Following this grand depiction, David reflects on his own blamelessness and God's righteous dealings with him, affirming that God rewards those who walk in integrity ([Psalms 18:20-26](/psalms/18-20-26 "Psalms 18:20-26 - God's Righteous Dealings with David")). Verse 27, therefore, serves as a theological summary statement, articulating the divine principle underpinning God's actions toward David and His adversaries: God's consistent justice in exalting the humble and humbling the proud. It sets the stage for further descriptions of God empowering David and subduing his adversaries, reinforcing the psalm's central theme of divine vindication.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Composed during David's reign, likely after a period of intense conflict and eventual triumph over his numerous enemies, Psalm 18 reflects the realities of ancient Near Eastern kingship and warfare. David, as God's anointed king, faced relentless threats, from Saul's relentless pursuit to foreign invasions by the Philistines and other nations. In this tumultuous context, the "afflicted people" (`ʻânîy`) would have resonated deeply with those who were marginalized, oppressed, or suffering under the abuses of power, whether from internal enemies or external aggressors. Conversely, "high looks" (`ʻeinayim rāmōt`) would have been readily understood as the arrogance, self-sufficiency, and disdain characteristic of oppressive rulers, proud warriors, or those who defied God's authority and oppressed the vulnerable. The psalm's depiction of God as a divine warrior, actively intervening on behalf of His chosen king and people, aligns with the broader biblical narrative of Yahweh as the sovereign Lord who participates in human history, upholding justice and executing judgment against those who oppose His righteous order and oppress His people.

* **Key Themes:** Psalms 18:27 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the psalm and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it underscores the theme of **Divine Deliverance and Salvation**, emphasizing God's active intervention to rescue the vulnerable and dependent. This resonates with God's consistent care for the poor and oppressed throughout the Old Testament, as seen in passages like [Psalms 34:18](/psalms/34-18 "Psalms 34:18 - God is Near the Brokenhearted") and [Psalms 147:6](/psalms/147-6 "Psalms 147:6 - The Lord Lifts Up the Humble"). Secondly, it highlights **God's Justice and Righteousness**, portraying Him as a moral judge who consistently rewards humility and punishes pride. This principle is a cornerstone of biblical wisdom literature, as articulated in [Proverbs 16:18](/proverbs/16-18 "Proverbs 16:18 - Pride Goes Before Destruction") and [Proverbs 29:23](/proverbs/29-23 "Proverbs 29:23 - Humility Leads to Honor"). Thirdly, the verse speaks to the profound **Contrast Between Humility and Pride**, presenting these as antithetical postures before God, with dramatically different outcomes. God's opposition to pride is a recurring motif, for pride is seen as an affront to His sovereignty, an attempt to usurp His rightful glory, and a denial of human dependence on Him.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **save (Hebrew, _yâshaʻ'_):** This primitive root means "to be open, wide or free," implying safety. Causatively, it means "to free or succor." It encompasses concepts like defending, delivering, helping, preserving, rescuing, bringing salvation, and getting victory. In this context, it signifies God's active, powerful intervention to bring deliverance and security to those in need.
* **afflicted (Hebrew, _ʻânîy'_):** This term describes someone who is depressed, either in mind or circumstances. It refers to those who are humble, lowly, needy, or poor. Crucially, it often denotes a spiritual posture of dependence on God, recognizing one's own need and weakness, as opposed to self-sufficiency. These are the ones who do not rely on their own strength or status but look to God for help and deliverance.
* **bring down (Hebrew, _shâphêl'_):** This primitive root means "to depress or sink," or figuratively, "to humiliate." It can be intransitive or transitive, meaning "to abase," "to humble (oneself)," or "to make low." In Psalms 18:27, it signifies God's active, decisive judgment to humble, abase, or cast down those who are proud, implying a reversal of fortunes where the self-exalted are brought to a state of lowliness.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"For thou wilt save the afflicted people":** This initial clause reveals God's compassionate, redemptive, and protective character. The "afflicted people" are those who are humble, oppressed, meek, and dependent on God. God's saving action here encompasses not only physical deliverance from enemies or hardship but also spiritual preservation, vindication, and ultimate exaltation. It underscores His faithfulness to those who acknowledge their need for Him and are meek in spirit, demonstrating His commitment to lifting up the lowly.
* **"but wilt bring down high looks":** This contrasting clause highlights God's justice, sovereignty, and resolute opposition to human pride. "High looks" (Hebrew: `ʻeinayim rāmōt`, literally "haughty eyes") is a potent biblical idiom for arrogance, self-exaltation, disdain for others, and defiance of divine authority. It signifies those who trust in their own power, wealth, or wisdom rather than in God. God's act of "bringing down" signifies His sovereign judgment, actively abasing those who exalt themselves. This demonstrates that God is not indifferent to human arrogance but actively intervenes to humble the proud and restore moral order, ensuring that no one can stand against His authority.

#### Literary Devices
Psalms 18:27 masterfully employs **Antithetical Parallelism**, a hallmark of Hebrew poetry. The verse presents two contrasting clauses that express opposing ideas ("save the afflicted people" versus "bring down high looks"), yet together they convey a complete and profound truth about God's consistent character and justice. This parallelism emphasizes the stark difference in outcomes based on one's posture before God: humility leads to salvation and exaltation, while pride leads to abasement and judgment. The phrase "high looks" also functions as **Metonymy**, where a characteristic (haughty eyes) stands in for the entire quality or person (pride or the proud person). This vivid imagery makes the abstract concept of pride tangible and relatable. Furthermore, the actions "save" and "bring down" provide powerful **Imagery**, evoking a sense of divine authority and decisive action in both delivering the humble and humbling the arrogant, painting a clear picture of God's active involvement in human affairs.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 18:27 articulates a core theological principle that reverberates throughout the entire biblical narrative: God's consistent character as one who exalts the humble and humbles the proud. This is not merely a transactional exchange but a profound reflection of God's perfect righteousness and His opposition to anything that usurps His rightful glory or denies His sovereignty. Pride, in its essence, is a defiance of God's authority and an attempt to self-exalt, which God, in His holiness, cannot tolerate. Conversely, humility—a recognition of one's dependence on God, a meekness of spirit, and a willingness to submit to His will—aligns with God's nature and invites His grace and favor. This divine principle serves as a foundational ethical and spiritual truth, guiding human behavior and shaping our understanding of God's justice in both personal lives and societal structures, demonstrating that true strength and honor come from God alone.

* [Proverbs 16:18](/proverbs/16-18 "Proverbs 16:18 - Pride Goes Before Destruction")
* [James 4:6](/james/4-6 "James 4:6 - God Opposes the Proud")
* [Matthew 23:12](/matthew/23-12 "Matthew 23:12 - Humility and Exaltation")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 18:27 offers both profound encouragement and a solemn warning, calling believers to a posture of humility and unwavering trust in God. For those who feel afflicted, overlooked, or oppressed, this verse serves as a powerful reminder that God sees their plight, hears their cries, and is committed to their deliverance. It encourages a radical dependence on Him rather than self-reliance or despair, assuring us that our weakness, when surrendered to God, becomes the very channel through which His strength is perfected. In a world that often values self-promotion, outward appearances, and the pursuit of power, this verse reminds us that true strength, honor, and lasting exaltation come from God alone, not from human striving, worldly status, or arrogance. Conversely, it stands as a stark warning against pride in all its insidious manifestations—intellectual, spiritual, social, or material. It challenges us to examine our hearts for any "high looks" that might hinder God's grace and invite His humbling hand. Cultivating humility means acknowledging our limitations, recognizing God's absolute sovereignty, and serving others with a meek and dependent spirit, trusting that God will ultimately lift up those who humble themselves before Him in due time.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does this verse challenge my understanding of strength and weakness in God's economy, particularly in my own life?**
* **In what areas of my life might "high looks" subtly manifest (e.g., self-sufficiency, judgment of others, resistance to correction), and how can I actively cultivate true humility before God and others?**
* **How does knowing that God saves the afflicted encourage me in times of personal struggle, oppression, or when witnessing injustice in the world?**

### FAQ
**Is "afflicted people" only about economic poverty?**

Answer: While the Hebrew word `ʻânîy` (afflicted) can certainly refer to the economically poor, its meaning is much broader, encompassing those who are lowly, humble, meek, or oppressed in various ways. Spiritually, it describes a posture of dependence on God, a recognition of one's own weakness and need for divine intervention. Therefore, "afflicted people" refers to anyone who is humble in spirit, whether materially poor or not, and who looks to God for salvation and deliverance, as opposed to relying on their own strength or status. This aligns with the "poor in spirit" mentioned in [Matthew 5:3](/matthew/5-3 "Matthew 5:3 - The Beatitudes").

**Why is pride so offensive to God?**

Answer: Pride is fundamentally offensive to God because it usurps His rightful place as the sovereign Lord and giver of all good things. When humans exhibit "high looks," they are essentially claiming self-sufficiency, attributing success to their own efforts, and elevating themselves above God and others. This directly contradicts God's glory and sovereignty, as all true power, wisdom, and honor belong to Him. As [Proverbs 16:18](/proverbs/16-18 "Proverbs 16:18 - Pride Goes Before Destruction") states, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." God opposes the proud because their heart posture is one of rebellion against His ultimate authority and a denial of their dependence on Him, which is an affront to His holiness and justice.

**How does this verse relate to God's justice?**

Answer: Psalms 18:27 is a powerful declaration of God's perfect justice and moral order. It illustrates that God is not a passive observer but an active participant in human affairs, ensuring that righteousness prevails. His justice is demonstrated in His consistent action of reversing human-made hierarchies: He lifts up the humble and casts down the arrogant. This shows that God's judgment is impartial and based on character, not outward status or power. He actively intervenes to correct imbalances, defend the vulnerable, and humble those who defy His righteous standards, thereby upholding His divine law and moral governance over creation. This principle is echoed in passages like [1 Samuel 2:7-8](/1_samuel/2-7-8 "1 Samuel 2:7-8 - Hannah's Prayer of Exaltation and Humiliation").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 18:27 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus perfectly embodies the "afflicted people" whom God saves. Though God in the flesh, He "made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness" ([Philippians 2:7](/philippians/2-7 "Philippians 2:7 - Christ's Humility and Incarnation")). His entire earthly life was characterized by profound humility, meekness, and absolute dependence on the Father, culminating in His ultimate affliction and suffering on the cross. In His suffering and atoning death, God saved the truly "afflicted people"—humanity burdened by sin, spiritual poverty, and the curse of the law—through the ultimate "afflicted" one. God's response to Christ's unparalleled humility was His glorious exaltation: "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth" ([Philippians 2:9-10](/philippians/2-9-10 "Philippians 2:9-10 - Christ's Exaltation and Sovereignty")). This demonstrates God's consistent principle of exalting those who humble themselves. Conversely, Jesus consistently confronted and "brought down" the "high looks" of the self-righteous, the proud Pharisees, and those who trusted in their own works rather than God's grace, as vividly seen in His parables like the Pharisee and the tax collector ([Luke 18:9-14](/luke/18-9-14 "Luke 18:9-14 - Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector")). His teachings, particularly the Beatitudes, promise blessings to the "poor in spirit" and the "meek," for theirs is the kingdom of heaven and they will inherit the earth ([Matthew 5:3-5](/matthew/5-3-5 "Matthew 5:3-5 - The Beatitudes on Humility and Meekness")), directly echoing the promise to save the afflicted. Ultimately, Christ's second coming will fully manifest God's justice, finally bringing down all "high looks" and exalting His humble, redeemed people for eternity, establishing His righteous kingdom without end ([Revelation 19:11-16](/revelation/19-11-16 "Revelation 19:11-16 - Christ's Return and Final Judgment")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Psalms 101:5

Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.

James 2:5

Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

Isaiah 57:15

For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name [is] Holy; I dwell in the high and holy [place], with him also [that is] of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Isaiah 66:2

For all those [things] hath mine hand made, and all those [things] have been, saith the LORD: but to this [man] will I look, [even] to [him that is] poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

2 Samuel 22:28

And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes [are] upon the haughty, [that] thou mayest bring [them] down.

Psalms 9:18

For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall [not] perish for ever.

2 Corinthians 8:9

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.