Psalm 146:8 NKJV
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.
Lifted Up by the Loving King
MY NOTES
“The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous.” — Psalm 146:8 (NKJV)
Psalm 146:8 is one of those verses that feels like a gentle hand on your shoulder. It reminds you who God is—not just in power, but in tenderness. The psalmist can hardly contain his joy as he describes the Lord’s compassion: He opens eyes, He lifts burdens, He loves His people.
Psalm 146:8 pulls back the curtain on the very heart of God through three beautiful declarations:
1. “The Lord opens the eyes of the blind…”
Whether literally or spiritually, blindness leaves us feeling vulnerable, isolated, and stuck in moral darkness. We cannot manufacture our own sight.
But God is the Maker of the eye, and He delights in opening it! When Jesus walked the earth, He opened the physical eyes of the blind—including the man born blind—proving beyond doubt that He is Jehovah in the flesh. Spiritually, He still applies the eye salve of His Word, opening our hearts to see our need for a Savior, the reality of His grace, and the beauty of His kingdom.
2. “The Lord raises those who are bowed down…”
Life has a way of bending us—under grief, pressure, guilt, disappointment, or exhaustion. We get crushed under the weight of grief, heavy responsibilities, relentless anxiety, or the shame of our own failures. Sometimes we’re spiritually hunched over, barely able to lift our heads.
Look at Jesus in Luke 13: when He saw the woman who had been bent double for eighteen years, He called her forward and made her straight. He still does it today—lifting hearts that feel too heavy to rise. He doesn’t step on the bowed-down; He tenderly bends down, takes the heavy burden off their shoulders, and gently raises them up with divine comfort and peace.
3. “The Lord loves the righteous…”
Notice who God loves here: not the self-righteous who rely on their own good works and look down on others, but those who are made righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. God’s love for His children isn’t a distant, grudging acceptance. It is a deep love of fellowship, not distant or theoretical. It is love of delight, communion, and reward. It is the love that lifts, heals, restores, and keeps.
When John the Baptist questioned whether Jesus was truly the Messiah, Jesus pointed directly to these kinds of works: the blind see, the lame walk, and the poor hear the gospel (Luke 7:22). Like Father, like Son. The same God who spun the stars into place bends down to touch your eyes, lift your head, and wrap you in His everlasting love. You never have to pause from praising the One whose grace has made you who you are.
Psalm 146:8 is a portrait of God’s heart:
He opens. He raises. He loves.
And if you belong to Him, this is your God—today, right now.
Prayer
Abba Father, I thank You for being a God of power, compassion, and unmatched love. I praise You for opening the eyes of my heart to see Your truth and grace. Father, You see the areas where I am bowed down under pressure, anxiety, or grief today. I lay these heavy burdens at Your feet. Please reach out Your gentle hand and raise me up. Strengthen my weak knees and refresh my heart with the deep assurance that I am loved by You. Help me to walk uprightly in Your truth today and give You all the glory. I ask for this in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Key Takeaways
- Jesus Displays Jehovah’s Character: The miracles of Jesus—opening blind eyes and lifting the stooped—proved His divine identity as Jehovah in human flesh.
- Spiritual Sight is a Gift of Grace: True spiritual understanding isn’t achieved through human intellect; it is a merciful work of God opening our eyes to truth.
- A Helper for the Heavy-Hearted: God specializes in lifting up those who feel crushed, bowed down, or broken by the cares of life.
- Righteous Through Christ: God’s special love rests on those who are declared righteous not by their own works, but through faith in Jesus.
Cross References NKJV
Luke 13:11–13
“And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no wise raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, ‘Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.’ And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.”
Isaiah 61:1–2
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,”
Psalm 145:14
“The Lord upholds all who fall, And raises up all those who are bowed down.”
John 9:32–33
“Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”
Things to Think About:
- In what areas of your spiritual walk do you feel you need God to “open your eyes” to see His truth, peace, or direction more clearly?
- Are you carrying a burden right now that has you feeling “bowed down”?
- How does knowing that your righteousness comes from Christ (rather than your own performance) change the way you receive God’s love today?
Proverb for Today
A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor. Proverbs 29:23 NKJV
Daily Scripture
“Therefore you shall be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess. Deuteronomy 5:32-33 NKJV
Closing
“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV
Grace be with you. Amen.
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Summary of Commentaries:
These commentaries highlight Yahweh’s compassionate acts in Psalm 146:8—opening physical and spiritual eyes, lifting the bowed-down, and loving the righteous. Scholars emphasize that these works apply literally and spiritually, serving as proof of Christ’s divinity. By performing these exact miracles in the Gospels, Jesus demonstrates that He is Yahweh, restoring light to the blind, comforting the crushed, and delighting in all who are made righteous through faith in Him.
Commentaries:
Charles Spurgeon
“The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind.” Jesus did this very frequently, and hereby proved himself to be Jehovah. He who made the eye can open it, and when he does so it is to his glory. How often is the mental eye closed in moral night! And who can remove this dreary effect of the fall but the Almighty God? This miracle of grace he has performed in myriads of cases, and it is in each case a theme for loftiest praise.
“The LORD raiseth them that are bowed down.” This also Jesus did literally, thus doing the work peculiar to God. Jehovah consoles the bereaved, cheers the defeated, solaces the despondent, comforts the despairing. Let those who are bowed to the ground appeal to him, and he will speedily upraise them.
“The LORD loveth the righteous.” He gives to them the love of complacency, communion, and reward. Bad kings affect the licentious, but Jehovah makes the upright to be his favored ones. This is greatly to his glory. Let those who enjoy the inestimable privilege of his love magnify his name with enthusiastic delight. Loved ones, you must never be absent from the choir! You must never pause from his praise whose infinite love has made you what you are.
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Enduring Word
The LORD opens the eyes of the blind: The psalmist here continues a marvelous description of Yahweh as a God of power, care, justice, and compassion. The psalmist seems delighted to describe Yahweh in His great works of love and power. (Guzik)
i. “All these classes of afflicted persons are meant to be regarded literally, but all may have a wider meaning and be intended to hint at spiritual bondage, blindness, and abjectness.” (Maclaren)
ii. We instantly connect this list with the work of Jesus the Messiah.
· Jesus opened the eyes of the blind (Matthew 9:27-29).
· Jesus raised those who are bowed down (Luke 13:11-13).
· Jesus loved the righteous (Matthew 13:43, 25:46).
· Jesus watched over the strangers (Matthew 8:5-10).
· Jesus blessed the fatherless and widow (Luke 7:12-15).
· Jesus turned the way of the wicked…upside down (Matthew 21:12).
· The logical conclusion is that Jesus is Yahweh, the LORD. (Guzik)
iii. “Like Father, like Son. For us, these lines may bring to mind the oracle of Isaiah 61 by which Jesus announced his mission, and the further clues to his identity which he sent back to John the Baptist (Luke 4:18f.; 7:21f.).” (Kidner)
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Albert Barnes
The 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 Psalms 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 Psalms 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.
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John Gill
The 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.
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Matthew Henry
He gives sight to those that have been long deprived of it; The Lord can open the eyes of the blind, and has often given to his afflicted people to see that comfort which before they were not aware of; witness Gen. 21:19, and the prophet’s servant, 2 Ki. 6:17. But this has special reference to Christ; for since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind till Christ did it (Jn. 9:32), and thereby encouraged us to hope in him for spiritual illumination.
He sets that straight which was crooked, and makes those easy that were pained and ready to sink: He raises those that are bowed down, by comforting and supporting them under their burdens, and, in due time, removing their burdens. This was literally performed by Christ when he made a poor woman straight that had been bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself (Lu. 13:12); and he still does it by his grace, giving rest to those that were weary and heavily laden, and raising up with his comforts those that were humbled and cast down by convictions.
The Lord loveth the righteous, and they may with the more confidence depend upon his power when they are sure of his good-will. Our Lord Jesus showed his love to the righteous by fulfilling all righteousness.
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Miscellaneous Comments
It is not therefore surprising to anyone who knows the East to find the blind so often mentioned in the gospel history, and to meet in Scripture with so many allusions to this infirmity. Of the twelve maledictions of the Levites there is one against him “who maketh the blind to go out of the way,” Deu 27:18. “The spirit of God hath anointed me,” said Jesus, quoting from Isaiah, “to preach the gospel to the poor, and recovery of sight to the blind:” Luk 4:19. “The Lord,” says David, “setteth at liberty them that are bound; the Lord giveth sight to the blind.”
—Felix Bovet (1824—), in “Egypt, Palestine, and Phoenicia,” 1882.
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