Psalms 138:6

6 Though Yahweh [is] high, yet he sees [the] lowly, but [the] proud he perceives at a distance.

Psalms 138:6 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 138:6

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 Psalms 113:5 ) . 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 grace of God; patiently and quietly bear every afflictive providence; think the worst of themselves, and the best of others; and, being the followers of the lowly Jesus, learn of him, imitate him, and become like unto him: these the Lord has a gracious respect unto; he looks upon them with a look of love; he has respect to their persons in Christ, and to their sacrifices for his sake, which are those of a broken and contrite heart; he regards their prayers, though low and destitute, and gives more grace unto them; yea, he condescends to dwell with them, and in due time highly exalts them; see ( Isaiah 57:15 ) ( 66:2 ) ( Luke 14:11 ) . David may have in view his own low state and condition as a shepherd, in which he was when the Lord took him, and raised him to the throne of Israel;

but the proud he knoweth afar off;
the Targum adds,

``to destroy them:''

such who are proud of themselves and what they have; of their wisdom and knowledge, of their strength or beauty, of their wealth and riches; or of their righteousness and holiness; of the purity and goodness of their hearts, and power of their free will, they vainly think themselves possessed of; and despise others below them in these things, or the practice of them: these the Lord takes notice of, and looks upon them at a distance with scorn and contempt; nor will he admit them to nearness to him, nay, opposes himself to them, and sooner or later abases them; see ( Proverbs 3:34 ) . The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it, "high things he knoweth afar off"; things too high for creatures, that are out of their reach; he sees and knows all persons and things, whether in heaven or in earth. Others render them, "and the high One knoweth afar off" ^F21; knows the lowly, owns and acknowledges them for his own; takes care of them, provides for them, and protects them: and then the sense is the same with the preceding clause.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 So Pagninus; "quamvis", Junius & Tremellius.

Psalms 138:6 In-Context

4 All [the] kings of [the] earth will praise you, O Yahweh, when they have heard the words of your mouth,

5 and they will sing of the ways of Yahweh, because Yahweh's glory [is] great.

6 Though Yahweh [is] high, yet he sees [the] lowly, but [the] proud he perceives at a distance.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me alive. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my enemies, and you save me [with] your right hand.

8 Yahweh accomplishes [things] for my benefit. O Yahweh, your loyal love [endures] forever; do not abandon the works of your hands.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew "knows"