The Lord lifteth up the meek
The lowly and humble souls, such as are made so by the Spirit of God; he shows them their sinfulness, and want of righteousness; the insufficiency of their own, and need of Christ's; blowing a blast upon all their goodliness, so bringing down their natural pride and haughtiness, and causing them to submit to Christ, that he alone might be exalted; such as learn of him, who is meek and lowly, and become the followers of the humble Jesus; who being partakers of his grace, have low thoughts of themselves, as if the least of saints and chief of sinners; and higher thoughts of others; who ascribe all they have and are to the grace of God; and who make no boast of nor place any trust in anything they do; who quietly submit to every adversity; patiently bear all the injuries, affronts, and reproaches of men; and are silent under every afflictive dispensation of Providence: these humble ones the Lord exalts in due time; he lifts up their spirits, he cheers and refreshes their souls; raises them to a high estate of grace, sets them among princes, gives them honour here, and a crown and kingdom hereafter; these shall inherit the new earth, in which will dwell righteousness; see ( Matthew 5:5 ) ; he casteth the wicked down to the ground;
or "humbles them to the ground" F16; he abases the proud and brings them into a low estate, sometimes in this world; however in the next he casts them down to hell, even into the lowest hell, which is the portion of all wicked men, of all proud and haughty sinners; see ( Isaiah 26:5 ) ; compare with these expressions ( Luke 1:51 Luke 1:52 ) ( 14:11 ) ( 18:14 ) . Aben Ezra by the "meek" understands the outcasts of Israel, and by the "wicked" the kings of the Gentiles, subject to Israel.