Bible Strands
2 Samuel 22:28
You save an afflicted people, but Your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — David addresses this declaration to the LORD within a song of deliverance, situated between statements about God’s reciprocal dealings with the pure and crooked (2 Samuel 22:27) and God’s function as a light in darkness (2 Samuel 22:29).
The words — The verse pivots on `עָנִי` (a.Ni), meaning afflicted, and `רָמִים` (ra.Mim), meaning haughty, establishing a direct contrast between the two groups God addresses.
The thread — This pattern of divine attention appears in Psalms 72:12, Isaiah 5:15, and James 4:6, where Scripture consistently records God lifting the lowly and opposing the proud.
Why it lands — The text states God actively saves the afflicted while deliberately lowering the haughty. A reader must assess whether their current posture before God is one of genuine need or self-exaltation, since divine response is contingent on that condition.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.
Cross-references
- Psalms 72:12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper.
- Isaiah 5:15 So mankind will be brought low, and each man humbled; the arrogant will lower their eyes.
- James 4:6 But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Exodus 3:7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
- Isaiah 2:11 The proud look of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
- Isaiah 2:17 So the pride of man will be brought low, and the loftiness of men will be humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day,
- Exodus 9:14 Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.
- Exodus 10:3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
- Exodus 18:11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for He did this when they treated Israel with arrogance.”
- Job 40:11 Unleash the fury of your wrath; look on every proud man and bring him low.