Verse-by-Verse Bible CommentaryPsalms 146:8
The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises up those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous; Jump to: Clarke Commentary • Barne's Notes • Gill's Exposition • Geneva Study Bible • Trapp's Commentary • Coke's Commentary • Poole's Annotations • Haydock's Catholic Commentary • Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged • Ellicott's Commentary • Treasury of Knowledge Other Authors
Adam Clarke CommentaryOpeneth 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. Copyright Statement Bibliography Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole BibleThe 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 Psalm 119:18: “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” See also the notes at Isaiah 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 Psalm 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. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Gill's Exposition of the Whole BibleThe 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 Isaiah 35:4; the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down; as he did in a literal sense the poor woman that was bowed together, Luke 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 Psalm 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. Copyright Statement Bibliography Geneva Study BibleThe 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. Copyright Statement Bibliography John Trapp Complete CommentaryPsalms 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.] As he did that daughter of Abraham in the Gospel, whom Satan had bound and bowed down twelve years, Luke 13:16, and as he doth still, Isaiah 61:1.
The Lord loveth the righteous] And this is more than all the rest. God dispenseth outward blessings, but not always in love. Copyright Statement Bibliography Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy BiblePsalms 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. Copyright Statement Bibliography Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy BibleThe 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, Hebrews 12:6. Copyright Statement Bibliography George Haydock's Catholic Bible CommentaryClouds. This is represented as something wonderful, (Job v. 9., and xxxvii. 6.) though conformable to the laws of nature. The preservation of things is like a new creation. (Calmet) --- And the herb, &c. Herbam, (Psalm ciii. 14.; Haydock) is now wanting in Hebrew, as it was in the days of St. Jerome and the Chaldean, though the Septuagint, Aquila, &c., read it, and it is not probable that they would borrow it from another psalm. (Berthier) --- Their copies must therefore have varied. (Haydock) --- The herb, may denote corn, and all vegetables for food. These productions evince the goodness and wisdom of God, (Berthier) as well as his power. (Worthington) Copyright Statement Bibliography Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - UnabridgedThe LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind (Isaiah 35:5) - both the literally and the spiritually blind: those ignorant of the way of salvation (Deuteronomy 28:29; Isaiah 59:10; Job 12:25). The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down - from Psalms 145:14. Copyright Statement Bibliography Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(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 (Deuteronomy 28:29; Isaiah 59:9, &c), sometimes of want of mental or spiritual discernment, as Isaiah 29:18; Isaiah 42:7, &c. Here, most probably, the former. Raiseth.—See Psalms 145:14. Copyright Statement Bibliography Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeThe LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:
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