Bible Strands
Psalms 113:6
He humbles Himself to behold the heavens and the earth.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses the worshiping community, positioning God’s exalted throne immediately before describing His deliberate focus on creation and the lowly.
The words — The Hebrew הַמַּשְׁפִּילִי (hammashpilî) means "who makes low" or "who humbles," paired with לִרְאוֹת (lir'ôt), "to look," describing His intentional gaze upon בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ (baššāmayim wə’āreṣ), "the heavens and the earth."
The thread — This tension between divine elevation and lowly attention appears in Isaiah 57:15, Psalms 11:4, and Psalms 138:6, where the enthroned God deliberately observes and attends to the lowly.
Why it lands — The text states that the exalted God deliberately lowers His attention to observe creation, requiring the reader to accept that divine sovereignty operates through deliberate condescension rather than distant detachment.
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
Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
Cross-references
- Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.
- Psalms 11:4 The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men.
- Psalms 138:6 Though the LORD is on high, He attends to the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar.
- Isaiah 6:2 Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.
- Isaiah 66:2 Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.
- Job 4:18 If God puts no trust in His servants, and He charges His angels with error,
- Job 15:15 If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes,