Exposition of the Whole Bible

ed on him, which they fancied would fix an indelible mark of infamy and fcandal on him, fince curfed is he that hangeth on a tree. xd now that — he lieth, let him rife up no more; inafmuch as he was dead, of which they had full proof, and was laid in the grave, his tomb watched, and the ftone rolled to it fealed; they thought all was fate, and it was all over with him, that he would never rife again, as he had given out, and his difciples uncapable of committing a fraud they afterwards accufed them with: this, according to the above learned writer; fee ¥. 6. was faid by Abfalom, as he thinks bithopbel is the perfon defigned in the following verie. + ha y¥. 9. Yea, mine own familiar friend, &e.|. Or, the man of my peace; who did live peaceably with him, and ought always to have done fo; whom he treated as his friend, as the reft of the apoftles 5 calling him to that high office, and ordaining him © to it, and qualifying him for it; and whom he call-

‘ed by the name of friend, when he came to betray him; Judas is meant. Jn whom I trufted; with the bag and the money in it, both for. the fufte- ’ nance of his own family, the apoftles, and for the relief of the poor, 7obn xii. 6. and xiii. 29. Which did eat of my bread of his bread in common with the reft of the apoftles; and who was eating with him when he gave the fign who fhould betray him; and who feems to have eat of the bread in the Lord’s fupper; even this fame perfon hath lifted up his heel againft me; by fupplanting him, dealing hypocritically with him, and betraying him’ into the hands of his enemies: the metaphor is either taken’ from an unruly horfe throwing his rider, and then ungeneroufly fpurning at him, and trampling on him; or from wreftlers, who feek to fupplant and trip up each other’s heels; which fhews the ingra~ titude, bafenefs, and treachery of Fudas 5 fee Fobu xiii. 18. ee ’ y. 10. But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raife me up, &c.} Not from a bed of illnefs, nor from a ftate of poverty and want; but'from the! dead: it was by the will of his divine Father that he fuffered death, and it was to him he made fatisfaction and reconciliation for the fins of his peo-. ple, by his fufferings and death and therefore it was but a reafonable requeft, that having done. this, he fhould be raifed from the dead: befides, his Father had promifed it, and he had believed it; fo that this prayer was a prayer of faith; founded’ upon a divine promife;-and the refurreétion of Chrift is for the moft part afcribed to.God the Fa-. ther, as his act; though not to the exclufion of the: Son, who had power, as to lay down his life, foto: take it up again; and though the refurrection of* Chrift from the dead is not only an aé& of power,: but alfo of juftice; he having paid his: peoples” debts, atoned for their fins, and fatisfied law and’ juftice, it was but right and equitable that he fhould: be difcharged from the prifon of the grave, and fer’ free; yet here it is requefted as an act of mercy, grace, and kindnefs; for by doing it, itwould ap- _ pear that his Father’s. wrath was taken away from him, and that he had turned himfelf from the. fiercenefs of his anger to him, and that hé was we pleafed with his righteoufnefs and facrifice; befide it was giving him glory, as well as rollin ‘the reproach he lay under; and howeveryit was mercy to his body the church, whom he feprefent- ed, fince it was for their juftifica ions nay, their regeneration is influenced by it » and fois

furrection of their bodies, of which Chrift’s refurrection is the pledge and pattern. The end Chrift had in view in making the requeft follows. That L may requite them; not him, ‘fudas, laft mentioned; for juftice purfued and overtook him; he deftroyed himfelf, and was gane to his own place, before Chrift’s refurreétion trom the dead;_ but them, the Jews, as a body; his enemies that {poke ill of him, wifhed ill to him, confpired againft him, to take away his life, and did bring him to the duft of death: and this his requital of them after his refurrection, was either of good for evil, by ordering his difciples to preach his gofpel, firft at 7erufalem, to thofe very perfons who were concerned in his death, many of whom were converted, baptized, and added to the church; or of evil, for their evil to him, which had its accomplifhment in part, at the deftruéction of Feru/alem, and will more fully atthe day of judgment, when they that have pierced him fhall fee him come in the clouds of heaven.;

y. 11. By this I know that thou favoureft me, &c.] Or delighteft in me*; as he did, both as his Son and his fervant;'in his obedience, fufferings, and death, whereby his counfels were accomplifhed, his covenant ratified, and the falvation of his people procured; and which delight and wellpleafednefs in him was the ground of his. deliverance from the power of death and the grave; fee P/al. xviii. 19. and xxii. 8. the token by which Chrift knew this, was, Becaufe mine enemy doth not triumph over me; Judas could not; he was too fhort-lived, he was quickly taken off, and all the woes fell upon him, imprecated on him, P/al. cix. 6—10. nor the Jews; for though they were highly delighted when they had faftened him to the crofs, and when he was dead, and Jaid in the grave; yet they could not fing their jubilee-fong over him, until the third day was paft; for they knew he had given out, that he fhould rife again the third day; on which day he did rife, and his apoftles preached that -he was alive, and through him the refurrection of the dead, to their great grief, vexation, and mortification: nor did Satan, the enemy of Chrift, perfonal and myftical, triumph over ‘him; not in the wildernefs, where, after he had tempted him, he was obliged to leave him; nor in the garden, and his agony there, where he was ftrengthened. by an angel; mor even on the crofs; for on that Chrift himfelf triumphed over Satan and his principalities, whom he fpoiled, and deftroyed the devil and all his works; and, at his afcenfion to heaven, led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men, in token of triumph, and went forth, in the miniftration of the golpel, conquering, and to conquer;

LM S. 634 turning men from the power of Satan, and caufing his fervants to triumph in him, whilft they were in every place diffufing the favour of his knowledge. y¥. 12. And as for me, thou upholdest mein mine integrity, &c.| In the innocence of his nature, being free from fin original and actual; in the uprightnefs of his life and converfation before God and men; and in the perfection of his obedience, and facrifice, whereby he brought in a perfect righteoufnefs, mace complete atonement, and obtained full falvation and redemption for his people: and, becaufe of all this, Jehovah the Father upheld him in his fufferings, as.man and. Mediator, that he failed not, and, was not difcouraged: or rather the fenfe is, that by feveral things which turned up in providence, as the difagreement of the witnefles, declaration of his judge, and the confeffion of Fudas his betrayer, he was cleared of the charges brought againft him, and his innocence was maintained, and he upheld in it; but efpecially this was done by raifing him from the dead, when he was openly acquitted, difcharged and juttified, and declared to be the holy One of God, 1 Tim, iii. 16. Pfal. xvi. 10. And fetteft me before thy face for ever, after his.refurreCtion, he was introduced into the prefence of his Father, and was made glad with his countenance; where he fits before him as the angel of his prefence, and appears in the prefence of God in the behalf of his people; is the Lamb in the midft of the throne, as though he had been flain; where his perfon, blood, righteoufnefs, and facrifice, are ever in view for their acceptance, and where he, ever lives to make intercelfion for them; for here he will continue until the time of the reftitution of all things. —., _¥. 13. Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifrael, &c.} Which. is faid, either by the Mefliah, on account of the delight his Father had in him; the favour he had fhewn him in raifing him from the dead, maintaining his innocence, and exalting him at his own right-hand; and for all the bleffings of grace the whole J/rael of God enjoyed through him: or elfe by the church, who is meant by //rael, the Lord is the God of in a covenant-way; who hearing fuch things done to her Lord and head, breaks out into an exclamation of praife, and afcribes bleffing and glory to God for them, whichis due to him. from everlasting, and to everlafting, that is, throughout. all ages, world without end, Eph, mi. 21. Ameny and Amen; which word, as Kimchi obferves, fignifies confirmation; and the doubling of it is for the greater confirmation of what is expreffed. Here ends the firft part of the book of pfalms, which is divided into five parts by the Jews*.

To the chief mufician, Mafchil, for the fons of Korali.

F the word Ma/chil, fee the note on the title of the 32d pfalm. Korab was he who was at the head of a conipiracy againft Mo/es and Aaron, for which fin the earth opened its mouth, and fwallowed alive him and his company, and fire devoured two hundred and fi which is recorded in Numb. xvi. yet all his pofterity were not cut off, Numb. xxvi. 11, fome were in David’s time porters, or keepers of the gates of ‘perfecuted by Sau/, and driven out by m the tabernacle, and fome were fingers; fee 1 Chré. vi. 33. and ix. 19. 2 Chron. xx. 1g. and to the chief mufician was this pfalm directed for them to fing; for they were not the authors of it, as fome ” | have thought; but moft probably David himfelf compofed it; and it feems to have been written by him, not as perfonating the captives in Babylcn, as

Theodoret, but on his own account, when he was en from abiding

656 PSALM &.. ~ Phixdi.y.1— 3. heaven, the fun, moon, and ftars, and idols of gold, filver, brafs, wood and ftone; wherefore they afk where was his? but David’s God was invifible; he is in the heavens, and does what he ‘pleafes, Pfal. cxv. 2, 3. or the fenfe is, that if there was fuch a God, he believed in and profeffed, and he was his fervant, furely he would ever have fuffered him to fall into fo much diftrefs and calamity, but would have appeared for his relief and deliverance; and therefore tauntingly, and by way of reproach, afk where he was,

¥.4. When I remember thefe things, &c.] Either the reproaches of his enemies; or rather his paft enjoyment’ of Godin his houfe, he after makes - mention of. J pour out my foul in me; that is, he had no life nor fpirit in him, but was quite overwhelmed with diftrefs and anguifh; ‘or he poured out his foul in prayer to God, that it might be with him as in times paft. _ For I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the boufe of God; the place of public worfhip, whither he had often gone with great pleafure and delight; and which added. thereto, there were many that went along with him; or whom he had caufed to go ®, had brought along with him; which is the fenfe of the word, only wifed here and in J/a. xxxvili. 15. as Dr Hammond from R. Tanchum and Aben Walid, has fhewn: a good man will not only haa. Mai worthip himfelf, but will bring others with him; but now, he could neither go alone, nor in company, the remembrance of which greatly affected hismind; fee P/al. cxxxvii, 1. With the voice of jay and praife; the people finging pfalms, hymns, and fpiritual fongs. With a multitude that kept holy-day; as efpecially on the three great feftivals in the year, the feafts of paflover, pentecoft, and tabernacles, when all the males of J/rael appeared before God together, and which was a large multitude; and a delightful fight it was to behold them, when they were all engaged in religious worfhip at once.. sma

¥. 5. Why art thou caft down, O my foul? &c.} The pfalmift corrects himfelf, as being too much deprefied in {pirit with his prefent circumftances, and expoftulates with himfelf; adding, Aud why art thou difquieted in me? which fuggefts, that the dejections of God’s people are unreafonable ones; fin itfelf is no juft caufe and reafon of them; for though it is very difagreeable, loathfome, ‘and abhorring, troublefome and burdenfome to a fpiritual — man, and is ingenuoufly confefféd, and heartily’ mourned over, and is matter of humiliation; yet no true reafon of dejection; becaufeé there is for-, givenefs of it with God; the blood of Chrift has been fhed for the remiffion of its it ‘has been bore’ and done away by him; nor is there any condemnation for it to them that are in him; and though ‘itrages, and threatens to get the afcendant; yet it is promifed it fhall not have the dominion over the faints;.-neither the nature of it, being great, as committed againft God himfelf, nor the | abiding in the Lord’s inheritance, and was in a ftrange land among the heathen, where he was reproached by them; and every thing in this pfalny agrees with his ftate and condition; or rather, when: he fled from his fon Ab/alom, and was in thofe parts beyond Fordan, mentioned in this pfalm; fee 2 Sam. Xvii. 24-27. fo the Syriac infcription, the fong -which David fung in the time of his perfecution, defiring to return to Ferufalem.

ye 1. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, &c.] Either through a natural thirft that creature is faid to have; or through the heat of the fummer-feafon; and efpecially when hunted by dogs, it betakes itfelf to rivers of water, partly to make its efcape, and partly to extinguifh its thirft, and refrefh itfelf. The word here: ufed denotes the cry of the hart, when in diftrefs for water, and pants after it, and is peculiar to it; and the verb being of the feminine gender, hence the S eptuagint render it the ind; and Kimchi conjectures, that the reafon of it may be, becaufe the voice of the female may be ftronger than thatvof the male; but the contrary is aflerted by the~philofopher *, who fays; that the male harts cry much ftronger than the females; and that the voice of the female is fhort, but that of the male is long, or protracted. Schindler“ gives three reafons-why thefe creatures are fo defirous of water; becaufe they were in defart places, where water was wanting; and another, that being heated by deftroying and eating ferpents, they coveted water to: refrefh themfelves; and the third, when followed by dogs, they betake themfelves into the water, and go into that for fafety. So panteth my foul after thee, OvGod; being perfecuted by men, and deprived of the word, and worfhip of God, which occafioned a vehement defire after communion with him in his houfe and ordinances: fome render the words, asthe field, or meadow defires the foower, 8c. ° or thirfts after it when parched with drought; fee J/a. xxxv. 7. Pfal. \xiii. 1, and by thefe metaphors, one or the other, is exprefied the - pfalmift’s violent and eager thirft after the enjoyment of God in public worfhip.;

y. 2. My foul thirfteth for God, for the living God, &c.] Who is fo called, ‘in oppofition to the idols of the Gentiles, which were lifelefs' ftatues; and who is the author, giver, and maintainer of natural life; and who has promifed and provided eternal life in-his Son; and-is’ himfelf the fountain of life, and the fountain of living waters, and a place of broad rivers and ftreams; particularly his loving- kindnefs, which “is ‘better than‘life, is a pure river of water of life, the ftreams whereof make glad the: faints; and hence it is that'the pfalmift thirfted after God, and the difcoveries of his love; faying, When fhall I come and appear before God? meaning not in heaven, as defiring the beatific vifion; but in the tabernacle, where were the worfhip of God, and the ark, the fymbol of the divine prefence, and where the J/raelites appeared before him, even in Zion; fee Pfal. Ixxxiv. 7. _

“¥. 3. My tears bave been my meat day and night, &c.] That is, he could not eat for forrow, like Hannah, v Sam. i. 7,°8. or whilfthé was. eating tears fell in plenty, and they wereas conimon,day and night, as his ‘food, and mixed with it'; fee - Pfal. \xxx. 5. While they continually fay unto me, his enemies the Pbhiliftines, Where is thy God? theits were to be feen and pointed at, as the*hoft of a ren A epee eee At Pf xlit.¥.'6, 75" * be caft down on account hereof; for God, who is' on the fide of his people, is mightier than he 5: Chrift is ftronger than the {trong man armed, and the divine Spirit who is in them is greater than he’ that is in the world: Satan is under divine reftraints, and can go no further in tempting than ‘he is fuf- ered, and his temptations are over-ruled for good; befides, good armour is provided for the chriftian to fight againft him with, and in a fhort time he will be,bruifed under his feet: ‘nor are the hidings of God’s face a fufficient reafon of dejection’- for though fuch a‘cafe is very diftrefling, and gives great trouble to. thofé that love the Lord; ‘nor can they, nor. does it become them to fit eafy and un-' concerned in fuch circumftances, as they are great trials of faith and patiehce; yet it is the experience of the people of God in all ages s fome good ends’ are an{wered hereby, as to bring faints to a fenfe'of- fins, which has deprived’ them of the divine prefence, to make them prize it the more when they have it, and to be careful ‘of. lofing it’ for the future. Befides, the love of God continues'the fame when he hides and chides; and he will return again; and will not finally ‘and totally forfake his people; and ina little while they fhall be for ever with him, and fee him’ as he is; and’ though by one providence or another they may be deprived for a while of the word, worthip, and ordinances’ of God, ‘he that provides a place for his church, and feeds'‘and nourifhes her in the wildernefs; can make up* the Tack of fuch enjoyments by his prefence and Spirit. The means and methods the pfalmift’ took to remove his dejections and difquietudes-of mind, are as follow. fin; for which there is good ground of hope, and fo no reafon to be caft down’on account of it; for ftrength againft Satan’s temptations, which is to be had in Chrift, as well as righteoufnefs 5. and for the appearance of God, and the difcoveries of his love, who has his fet time to favour his people, «and therefore to be’ hoped, ‘and quietly waited’ for.’ Hope is of great ufe againft caftings-down,, ‘it is’ an helmet, an ereéter of the head, which keeps it:

upright, and fram bowing down: “it is’ an anchor of the foul, fure and ftedfaft, and is of great fer-.

Vice in the. troubles of life, and againft the fears of death. For I fhall yet. praife him for the belp of bis countenance; or the’ falvations of bis countenance”;

Which implies that the pfalmift believed, notwithftanding his prefent circumftances, that he fhould.

have falvation upon falvation; falvation of every kind; or a full and complete one, which fhould fpring, not from any merits of his, but from the free grace and favour of God, exprefled in his gracious countenance towards him; and alfo intimates, that the lightof his countenance would be falvation to him‘ now; and that his confummate happinefS hereafter would lie in beholding his face for evermore: all which would give him occafion and opportunity of praifing the Lord. Now fuch a faith and petfuafion as this is a good antidote againft dejections of foul, and difquietude of mind; fee Pfal, xxvii. 13., PU 70 y. 6. O my God, my foul is caft down within me, &c.}] Which the pfalmift repeats, partly to fhew the greatnefs of his dejeétion, though he had not loft his view of intereft in God as his covenant-

God; and partly. to. obferve another method he | made ufe of to remove his dejection and refreth his fpirits; and'that was by calling to mind paft ex-

Hope thou in God; for the pardon of periences of divine goodnefs. Therefore will I remember thee from the land of Fordan; the country round about it, or rather beyond it; which was at the fartheft parts of the land of Canaan, where David was obliged to flee, and where he had often met with God. | And of the-Hermonites; who inhabited the mountain of Hermon; or the Hermonian mountains, as the Targum; fee Pfal. cxxxiii. 3. a mountain upon the border of thé land of J/rael eaftward, and which was very high; Cocceius thinks the Ge- Jouriles are meant; fee-1 Sams xxvii. 8.-here alfo the Lord had appeared to him, and for him. And from the: bill Mizar or the little bill *; which

_might-be fo in comparifon of Hermon. The above interpreter thinks Zoar-is meant, which Lot fo calledy Gen. xix. 20, 22. which was near Sodom and Gomorrah: Kimchi: thinks. it might be Zior, ‘mentioned in: Fo/h. xv..54. but be it what, or where it will,’ in this ttle hill David enjoyed the divine:

prefence; or was indulged with fome remarkable.

‘favour; from all which hé concludes, he had no ‘jaft~reafons to. be dejeéted and. difquieted~in his mind: ‘and right it is for the: people of God: to, call to mind. palt experiences, and make mention of them 3: partly for the glory-of divine grace, and to exprefs their’ gratitude to God, and: théirfenfe of his goodnefs; and partly: to chear and refrefh their.

own fpirits, and prevent/dejection and defpondency: and.delightful it is to:call-to mind;-how, at fuch atime, and in fuch a place, the Lord «was pleafed'to manifeft his love, apply fome gracious promife,. or deliver from fome fore temptation or.

diftrefs: all which muft tend to encourage faith and hope. The Jewith writers differently interpret thefe words; ¥archi, of Davia’s remembrance of the wonderful works God did} for'the people of Jiael of old, in drying up the river ‘YFordan, andgiving) them the Law on mount Sinai, a little hill,. in.com-;

_parifon of tome others: 4ben Ezra, Kimehi; and Ben Melech,\ underftand them’ as a reafon of his dejeétion, when he remembered how the J/raelites came from thofe feveral parts to the folemn/feafts at Ferufalem, which he was now deprived-of; and the Targum paraphrafes them of the inhabitants of thofe places} and of the people that received.the Law on mount Sizaz, remembring God; and fo Arama thinks beyond Fordan is mentioned, becaufe the Law was given there; and by the hill Adizar he underftands Sizai: and fome chriftian interpreters confider them as a reafon why David’s foul was caft down in him, he being in fuch places as. here- mentioned, at a diftance from his own houfe, from Ferufalem, and the place of divine worfhip, and fo render the words, becaufe that I remember. thee, &e. 7

_y. 7. Deep calleth unto deep. at the noife of thy water-pouts, &c.) By which are meant affliictions, comparable to the deep waters of the fea, for their multitude and overwhelming nature; fee Pfal. \xix.. 1, 2. D/a. xiii. 2, thefe came pouring down, one after another, upon the pfalmift: as foon as one affliction was over, another came, as to another, and were clamourous, troublefome, and very grievous and diftreffing. All thy waves and sand: thy billows are gone over me; with which he feemed to be covered and overwhelmed, as a fhi is at fea. It may be obferved, that the pfalmift calls afflictions God’s water {pouts, and i3 waves and dis billows; becaufe they are appointed, fent ordered i Salutes funt facies ejus, De Dieu.

| inthe cafe of Yob; which is fignified by one calling,

‘no inconfiderable mercy, to have fuch a God to pray. unto in a time of diftrefs; as well as in a time of falvation, to go to, and make known requefts with ordered, and over-ruled by him, and madeto work tor the good of his people: and now, though thefe mightfeem to be a juiticaufe of dejection; yet they were not, as appears from the following werfe. ion

%. 8. Yer the Lord will command bis loving-kindnefs in the day-time, 8c.) Which is:a tender atfeétion in God towards his people, fprings from his fovereion’ will and pleafure, is from: everlafting,. is ever the fame, never removes, from them,, and 1s better-than life; the effects of which are all piritual blefings, grace and glory: and:this the Lord commands, when he fends it forth with power, makes a clear manifeftation, and home-application of it to them; when he commands his covenant, or ‘beftows -covenant-bleffings on them; when he commands his ftrength, or gives them ftrength to bear up under affictions 5, when he commands deliverances for Facob, or works falvation for them; and when he commands bleffings temporal, and fpiritual'on them, efpecially life for evermore; fee Pfal. éxi.g. and Ixviii. 29. and xliv. 4. and cxxxiii. 3. and this is done in the day-time 3 either, as. fome interpret it, in a fit and feafonable time, in God’s appointed time, who has his fet time to favour his people, and thew his loving-kindnefsto them;. or openly and publickly, fo’ as themfelves and others may fee the falvation. of the Lord;-or:continually 5 for mercy, goodnefs; and loving-kindnefs, follow them all the days of their ives; yea, are from everlafting to everlafting: and thefe words may be read either in’ the paft tenfe,' as fome do, yet the Lord hath commanded™, 8c. and fo refpect what had been, and relate to'the former experiences and ma-, nifeftations of the love of God, with which the pfalmiit encourages himfelf under his prefent affiictions; or in the future, -as‘in our verfion'; and fo they are an expreffion of faith as to what:would. be hereafter, that the Lord would appear again, and fhew him his face and'favour. And in the night his foug Shall be with me 5 fignifying hereby, that he. ftronely believed he fhould have occafion of finging pratfe to God in the night-feafon, though he was now in fuch mournful) circumftances: he. calls it his fone, that is, the Lord’s fong; becaufe the matter of it are his loving-kindnefs, and the blefsings fpringing from its beeaufe the Lord himfelf is the fubje& of it; his perfections, his works, his falvation and‘ glory; and‘ becaufe he gives fongs in the night, “and puts:them: into: the mouths: of. his people; fee I/a. xii.2. Fob xxxv.10. and the pfalmift {ays it would‘be with him, in his heart, and in his mouth; and be his conftant companion wherever he was, lying down, or rifing up; and that ix the night; either figuratively underftood of affliction and diftrefs, out of which he would: be delivered, and fo be compafied about’ with fongs of deliverance; or literally, it being a time of leifure to call to mind'the falvation and: mercies of the day, and be thankful‘ for them; fee P/a/. Ixxvii. 6,.and cxix. 62, As xvi, 25. “And my prayer unto the God of my life; natural, fpiritual, and eternal; being the author, giver, and: preferver of each; and this is, fince it is joined with a fong. Prayer and praife go together, the object of which are not lifelefs idols, that cannot fave; but the living God, wha’ is a God hearing and anfwering prayer, and does not defpife the prayer of the deftitute, The prayer of the pfalmift follows. oy Dn a ¥..9. I will fay unto God my rock, &&c.] A name frequently given to the eternal God, Father, Son, and Spirit, Deut. xxxii. 4, 31. 1 Cor. x. 4, 2 Sam. Xxili, 2, 3. fee the note on P/al. xviii. 2. Whyhaf thou forgotten me? fee the note on P/al. xiii, 1. Wh go. I mourning becaufe of the oppreffion of the seas? meaning perhaps Saul; though it may be applied to any fpiritual enemy, fin, Satan, and the world; who are very opprelfive and afflicting, and occafion continual mourning to the children of God. _y.10. As with a fword in my bones, mine enemies. reproach-me, &c] The reproaches of his enemies ‘were. grievous and cutting to him,’ as if a fword being very fenfible, gives exquifite pain. There is a various reading here: fome copies, as Vatablus: obferves, read 3 iz, or with, and others 5 as, which feems. to be the trueft;. and our tranflators fupply as to-make the fenfe, though they read with; but fome* only read as; and the fenfe is, the reproaches caft upon the pfalmift were as a {word cutting and killing; and thefe reproaches were as follow. While they fay daily unto me, Where is thy God? fee the note ony. 3.

y¥. 11. Why art thoucaS down, O my foul 2? &c.} ‘The fame expoftulation as in y. 5. and fo is what follows, Why art thou difquieted within me? and. the fame argument and means are made ufe of to ‘remove dejection. and. difquietude. Hope thou in God: for I fhall yet praife bim; fee the note theres to which is. added a new argument, taken from the grace and goodnefs of God, and covenant-intereft in him. Who is the health of my countenance, and my God. as. the bodily health of man is feen in the countenance, and for the moft part to be judged of by it; fo is the fpiritual health of the faints, and which they have from the Lord; when he, as the Sun.of righteoufnefs, arifes upon them with healing in his wings, he, by his gracious prefence,, makes their countenances chearful, fills them with, joy unfpeakable and full of glory, and caufes them, to lift up their heads with an holy boldnefs and confidence, and without fhame and fear: or as it may - be rendered, who is the /alvations of my countenance °s that is, who is, or will be the author of full and’ complete falvation to me; which will be fo public and open, fo clear and manifeft, as to be beheld by ‘myfelf and others; and this the pfalmift mentions,, in order to remove his prefent dejections; and befides, this God of falvation he believed was his covenant-God, and would be fo even unto death; and therefore he had no juft reafon to be dejected and difquieted. a

“HIS pfalm is without a title;

: enough be thought to be one of David's: but may well) and the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, and — Syriac verfions call it a. pfalm of David, and the nus, Cocceius, Michaelis.

thankfgiving; which feems to be intended here, pierced through the marrow in his bones, which ~ latter adds, when Fonathan told him that Sau/ intended to kill him; and.certain it is, that it was wrote by the fame perfon, at the fame time, and upon the fame ‘occafion. asthe preceding; feeing fome of the fame expreffions, are ufed in it; and fome take this and the preceding, to be but one pfalm, and this might be written with that on account of the rebellion of his fon 4d/alom. | ther, asfome Jeéwith? interpreters underftand it, the Meffiah, the Sun of righteoufnefs, and light of the world; who is the author of all light, natural, {piritual, and eternal; and whofe coming into the world is often fignified by being feat into it. The Spirit of God alfo is the enlightener of men, both at firft converfion and afterwards, and is fent down into their hearts as a comforter of them, by being

| the Spirit of adoption. The gofpel of Chrift is a

¥. 1. Fudge me, O God, &c.}, The Targum | great. adds, with the judgment of truth; fee Rom. ii. 2. 4nd plead my caufe; which was a righteous one; and therefore he could commit it to God to be tried and judged by him, and could put it into his hands to plead it for him; fee the note on P/al, xxxv. 1. Againft an ungodly nation; meaning either the Pbiliftines, among whom he was; or his own nation, when they joined his fon 4/a/om in rebellion againft him: fome underftand it of the great numbers that were with Saul, when he was perfecuted by him. O deliver me from the deceitful and unjuft mans either bfalom, who, under pretence of a vow he had: vowed: in Hebron, got leave of David to go thither, and then engaged in a confpiracy againft him; or Abithophel, who had been his friend and acquaintance, but now joined with Ab/alom. It is true of Saul, who, under pretence of friendfhip, fought his ruin, andito whom he expreffed himfelf almoft in the fame words here'ufed; fee 1 Sam. XVill. 17, 25. and xxiv. 12, 15.

¥. 2. For thou art the God of my ftrength, &c.] Who being the ftrong and mighty God, was able to deliver andi fave him, as well as to plead his caufe; and was the author and giver of ftrength natural and fpiritual to him; and was the ftrength of his heart, life and falvation; and is a good reafon why he committed his caufe unto him. Why doft thou caft me off? Thisis the language of unbelief; it being what was not in reality, only in appearance: the pfalmift was ready to conclude he was caft offand rejeéted of God, becaufe he was affli&ted and left in a defolate condition by him, and he did not immediately arife to his help and deliverance, and had withdrawn the light of his countenance from him; but God does not caft off or reject any of his people; they always continue in his love, and in his covenant, and in the hands of his Son; they are always in his fight and family, and: fhall never perifh eternally; and whoever cafts them off, or cafts them out, he will not. Wbygo T mourning becaufe of the oppreffion of the enemy? and glorious light, which, with the Holy Ghoft, is fent down from heaven; though perhaps here rather may be meant the light of God’s countenance, the difcoveries of his favour and lovingkindnefs, which produce light, life, joy, peace, andcomfort: and by ¢ruth may be meant, either Chrift himfelf, who is the truth; or the gofpel, the word of truth; or rather, the faithfulnefs of God in the fulfilment of his promifes; and fo the words aré a petition that God would fhew forth his lovingkindnefs, and make good his word, which would be of the following ufe: Let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy bill, and to thy tabernacles; that is, to the place of public worfhip, where the tabernacle was, the /i/] where it was, which feems.to be mount Zion; and is called holy; not that there was any real holinefs in it; only relative, becaufe of the worfhip of God in it: and the tabernacle is called sabernacles, becaufe of the holy place, and the moft holy place in it; the one being the firft, the other the fecond tabernacle, as in Heb. ix. 2, 3. and this hill and tabernacles reprefented the church and ordinances of God, to which fuch: who. are poffeffed of light and truth are led.

¥. 40 Then will I go unto the altar of God, &c.] Which was in the tabernacle, either of burnt-offerings, or of incenfe, there to offer up the facrifice of praife and thank{giving for mercies received, The altar under the gofpel-difpenfation is Chrift, on which fuch facrifices being offered, are acceptable to God, Heb. xiii. 10, 15. Unto God my exe ceeding jay; as over the mercy-feat, upon a throne of grace, and as his covenant-God; or this is exegetical of the altar, which is Chrift, God over all, | blefled for ever; and who is the objeét of the unfpeakable joy of his people, in his perfon, righteoufnefs, and falvation. Yea, upon the barp will I praife thee, O God, my God; the harp is a mufical in- {trument, ufedin that part of public worfhip which concerned the praife of God under the former difpenfation, and was typical of that fpiritual melody ee | made in the hearts of God’s people when they fing y. 3. O fend out thy light and thy truth, &c.\ By Jigbt is meant, not the Law, as Arama but ra- — ¥. 5. Why art thou caft down, O my foul? &e.] See the notes'on Pal, xlii. 5, 15.

T is not cettain who was the writer of this; pfalm, nor when it was written, and to what time it belongs: fome have thought it was compofed by one of the Babylonifh captivity, and that it gives an account of the church and people of God in thofe times; but whatis faid y. 17, 18,20. does not feem to agree with Dan. ix. 5, 6, 10, 11, 13. It is moft likely it was written by David, and to him the Targum afcribes it; though it does not refpect his times; fince what is faid in ¥. 9—14. cannot agree with them; yet he being a prophet might, under a prophetic influence, fpeak of future times, and perfonate the church in them. Some are of opinion, that he prophetically fpeaks of the times of the Maccabeesand of Antiochus,when the church and people of God fuffered much forthe true religion, and abode ftedfaft in it; fo Zbeodoret: but rather, the / whole may be applied to the times of the New Teftament, fince y. 22. is cited by the apoftle Pau/, Rom. viii. 36. and is applied to his times, and as defcriptive of the fuffering {tate and condition of the church

P Midrath Tillim, & Jarchi in loc. Yh ri

‘church then; and'which feems to be the guide and

‘key for the opening of the whole pfalm, oye. We bave heard with our ears, O God, 8c.) ‘The church being in diftrefs, calls to mind the paft favours of God to his people, in order to encourage her faith and hope; and this expreffion, delivered in fach a form, fhews the clearnefs, evidence, and certainty of what was heard; and which was heard not only as a tradition’ from father to fon; but being recorded in the writings of Mo/es and the prophets, and thefe things’read both in private and in public, were heard with the ear. Our fathers have told us,. what works thou: didft in their days, in the times of old, fuch as the figns and wonders in Egypt, the flaying of the firft-born there, and the bringing of the people of J/rae/ from thence with a mighty hand and ftretched-out arm; which fathers were ufed to tel] in the ears of their fons, and fons fons; and of which there were memorials continued in future ages, which led children to afk their parents the meaning of them; when they informed them of the wondrous works of providence done in former.times, and by which means they were handed down from age to age; fee Exod. x. 2. and xii. 26. and xiii. 8. ¥. 2.. How thou didft drive out the heathen with thy band, &c.] Of power; that is, the Canaanites, as the Targum; the feven nations which inhabited the land of Canaan before the children of J/rae came into it, Deut. vii. 1. And plantedft them; not the Canaanites elfewhere; but, as the fame Zargum explains it, the houfe of J/rae/in their land; which, like a vine, was removed from one place, and planted in another and the fettlement of the children of J/rae/ in the land of Canaan is frequently exprefled by this metaphor, Eyod. xv..17. Pfal. Ixxx. 8. Ifa. ve 1, 7. Fer. il. 21. © How thou didt affict the people; the Egyptians, according to Ara- ‘gas rather the Canaanitifo. nations, by wars and defolating judgments. Andica/t them out 5 that is, the fame nations out of their land; though fome render this claufe, and didjt fend. them out; the captive J/raelites, as Arama; ov/didft propagate them 4; meaning the people of J/rae/; who being like a vine planted in the land, fent outits boughs and branches, and became very flourifhing and fruitful; fee Pfal. \xxx.g—11. and fo the Syriac verfion renders-it, and: thou confirmedft them; but the former fenfe feems beft, agreeable to which is the Zargum, thou bajt broken the nations, and baft confumed them; and that all this was the Lord’s work, appears by what follows.. y. 3. For they got nat the land in poffeffion by. their own fword, &c.] There were many things which fhew, that the poffeffion of the land of Canaan was not of the J/raelites themfelves, butof the Lord;

as their paffing over into it thro’ ‘fordan'as on dry”

land; the manner in which Zericho, the firft city of it, was taken, and the fmiting of the J/raelites by the men of 4i. Neither did their own arm fave them; from their enemies, and deliver them into their hands: they were too apt to afcribe things to their own righteoufnefs, merit ‘and power; but fuch methods were taken by the Lord as to prevent fuch attributions to themfelves; fee Deut. viii. 16, 17. and ix. 3-6. But thy right-hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance the mighty. power of God, his ftretched-out arm in their favour, ‘and which arofe from his pure good-will to them. Becaufe thou badft a favour unto them; was well- pleafed, and took delight in them; chofe them to be a fpecial people’ to himfelf, above all people of the face of the earth.34 -Mli#) Suse SS the favours God had done for his people in time paft, the church takes notice of her intereft in God as her king, who was able to proteét and defend her, and-to deliver her out of all her diftreflés, in ~ order the more to ftrengthen her faith and hope in him; and claiming her intereft in him, fhe’draws nigh to him with an holy boldnefs, and defires him as a king, that, by a word of his, (for where the word of a king is, there is power) he would Command deliverances for Facob; not literally, but myftically underftood; the fpiritual 7acob, and people of God; all J/raelites indeed, in whom there is no guile; meaning herfelf and members: the blefling defired is deliverances, or falvations 5 fo called, becaufe the deliverance or falvation the Lord commands, grants, and works out for his people, is of different kinds, both fpiritual and temporal, and is a deliverance from various things; from fin, Satan, the prefent evil world, wrath to come, and all enemies; and out of various temptations and afflictions, and which follow fucceffively one upon another; and at laft it is complete and perfect.

¥. 5. Through thee will we pufh down our enemies, &c.| The Cbaldee paraphrafe’ renders it, through the Word; the effential Word of God, the Lord Jefus Chrift,. who is the church’s*King and God, and has wrought out complete deliverance and falvation for his people;, and he is the horn of falvation, by which, though weak in’ themfelves, they pufh down their enemies, which are many and:

mighty, and they are: more than conquerors over them: the metaphor is taken from creatures pufh-' ing with their horns thofe that oppofe them, and in defence of themfelves; and there feems to be an allufion to Deus. xxxiii.. 17. Through thy name will we tread them under that rife up againfi us; im the name of the Lord the faints fet up their banners, and in his name they come forth and fight with their fpiritual enemies, that rife up againft them, as fin, ‘Satan, and wicked men; and in the name, and’ through the power of the Lord, they treadithem’ down as mire in the ftreets; and ere long Satan will be wholly bruifed under them; and the antichriftian party fhall be trodden down by them, and be as. afhes under the foles of their feet;: fee Rom. xvi. 20. Mal. iv. 3. 13. Thee?

¥. 6. For 1. will not trust in my bow, &e.} In. any carnal weapon, in any creature-help*and affiftance, or in an arm of flefh, but in the word. of the foall my fword fave me; that is, I will not aferibe falvation to it; the church’s weapons are not carnal but fpiritual; not the fword of the civil magiftrate, but the {word of the Spirit, which is the word of God; Chrift’s kingdom being not of this world, is not fupported and defended by worldly means, or carnal weapons. M7. But thou bast faved us from our enemies, &c.] © Spiritual ones, and not we ourfelves; and therefore will not»truft in ourfelves, mor in any: thing of ours, but in the Lord, and give him the glory of falvation. nd hajft put them to foame that hated.us; the men of the: world, the feed of the ferpent, and the ferpent: himfelf,» whem his works were deftroyed, and his principalities and ve fpoiled by Chrift upon the crofs; hence the tollowing boafting of the Lord, and glorying in him.» | wo yen & phi i sg gptisela oe We Be

@ OMIWNM)? has autem germinare fecifti, Tigurine verfion; propagatti ipfos, Pifcator; fo ph yan but rieieb by Gu. 2 &) HITT WD gs Il die ae yr. 8. In God we boaft all the-day long, &c.]. Or as the Targum, in the Word of the Lord, in Chrift, who is God over all, and who of God is made. to his church and people wifdom, righteoufnefs, fandtification, and redemption; fo that there is always matter of glorying and boafting in him. And praife thy name for ever and ever 5 in this world, as long as life continues; and in the other world to all eternity; both for the works of providence and of grace, for deliverances commanded, and for falvation from all enemies wrought out. Selah; of this word fee’ the note on Pfal, ili. 2.

of favours and benefits formerly beftowed, and of her covenant-intereft in God, related in the preceding verfes, She looked upon herfelf as caft off, becaufe affliéted and perfecuted, and the Lord did not arife to her immediate help and deliverance;

this may regard the ten perfecutions under Rome | And put us to fame; before men, at the taking of the ark, as Arama; rather for their faith in God, and boafting they which hate as [poil for themJelves by feizin on the goods and fub/tance of thofe they FNC i enriching themfelves by confifcating their eftates and pofielfions to their own ufe; or by fpoiling others of them, they deceived with their corrupt doctrines and foul-deftroying princjples,: whereby they became flaves to the antichriftian, party; this may refpeét the fame wars.as before,» ae Veda, Thou haft given us like Joeep appointed for meat, &c.| ‘To be butchered, and then eaten as fheep ares, and therefore are, called the flock. of

¥. 9. But thou haft caft off, &c.) This, with) what follows to y. 17. defcribe the defolate and affliéted ftate of the church under the gofpel-difpenfation, in fome parts and ages of it; and in the light: in which it was viewed by the church, previous to| the encouragement fhe took from the confideration only under the ten perfecutions of Rome pagan, but through the butcheries and maffacres.of Rome papal; who have worried many of Chrift’s fheep, have eat their fleth and drank their blood, and have become drunken with it; it has been their meat and drink to perfecute the faints of the moft High. And haft [cattered us among the heathen, the pagan world, as the firft chriftians were, who were cattered up and down in the gentile world every where; fee 1 Pet. i. 1. or the papacy; who are fometimes called Gentiles, Rev. xi. 2. becaufe much of the Gentile idolatry is introduced into the popith religion; and among thefe many of the true members of Chrift and of his church haye been carried cap= tive and fcattered; and fuch will be found there a of him, when he did ‘not appear for them, but futlittle before the deftruction of Babylon, and will be fered them to continue in their afflictions and diftreffes; which occafioned their enemies to triumph over them, and fay unto them, Where is your God? and alfo before God, who being forfaken by him, could not come before him with that holy boldnefs and confidence they were wont to do; fee Cant. ii. 14. And goeft not forth with our armies; as the generaliffimo of them; fee.1 Sam. vill. 20. Fudg. iv. 14. not leading them forth, and going before them; not teaching their, hands to war and their fingers to fight; nor infpiring them with courage and valour; nor giving fuccefs and victory to them as formerly; but feeing that Chriftians, at leaft in the firft ages of chriftianity, had no armies in a literal fenfe, this may rather be underftood of the non-fuccefs of the gofpel in fome period of it, and of the power and prevalence of antichrift, the man of fin. The gofpel-miniftry is a warfare; the preachers of it are good foldiers of Chrift under him; their weapons are not carnal, but fpiritual, great fuccefs attended the word in the firft times of

¥. 12. Thou fellef thy people for nought, &c.] So God, when he is {aid to deliyer up his people: into the hands of their enemies, is faid to fell them to them; fee Zudg, ji,14, and iit. 8..andiivo2. and felling them for nought fuggefts, that in their ap> prehenfions he had no efteem of them and value for them 5 juft as men when they have any perfon or thing to difpofe of they have no regard unto, but choofe to be rid of, will part with it for nothing; and as it follows,. And dof mot increafe thy wealth by their price; get nothing by: the. bargain. This muft be underftood after the manner of men, and in the opinion of the church; and not as in reality; no otherwife than as it has been true, that God. has fuffered fome of his people to be in the bondage and flayery: of myftical Babylon. called Egypt, one part of whofe wares and, mers chandifes are flaves and fouls of men, Rev. xi. 8/ and xvili, 13..

the gofpel; Chrift went forth with his armies con quering and to conguer; and Lia were fubdued by him, and became fubjects of him; but in fome ages there has been. bute. little fuccefs,. few. have believed the report of the. gofpel and been converted by it; Chrift’s minifters have laboured in vain, Satan’s kingdom, though attacked, yet not weakned, nor Chrift’s kingdom enlarged, but rather all the reverfe; antichrift has been fuffered, as to make war with the faints, fo to prevail and overcome, and will do fo, Rev. xiii, 4,7. and xi. 7. but it will not be always the cafe, Chrift will go forth with his armies, and make great conquefts again, Rev. xi. 15. and xvii. 14. and xix. 11-16, this may refer to the wars of the Papifts with the Waldenjes and Albigenfes, who were vanquifhed by the former. way of indignation, {corn and contempt; fee P y¥. 10. Thou makeft us to turn back from the enemy, &c.] In the times of Ei, according to Arama; but may be underftood of fome of the vifible members of the church, and profeffors of religion, not being valiant for the truth, and deferting the caufe of God and Chrift, by reafon of tribulation and perfecution arifing becaufe of the word. nd -y. 13-.°Thou make/t us a reproach to our neighours, &cc.], Which is the common lot of chriftians: Chrift and his apoftles have given reafon for the faints in all ages to expectiit, and have: fortified their minds to bear it patiently, yea to efteem it an | honour, and greater riches than the treafures of the antichriftian Egypt. 4 fcorn.aud a derifion to them that are round about us; being always reprefented as mean and defpicable, and\reckoned ignorant and accurfed, and as the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things.

y. 14. Ihou makeft us a by-word among the heathen, &cc.] Among the papifts, as the Jews were among the Gentiles, Deut. xxviii. 37. Fer. xxiv..9. calling them fchifmatics, heretics, fanatics, and what not. 4 /haking of the bead among the people, by a/.

xxii. 7. and cix. 25, _y. 15. My confufion is continually before me, &c.} Meaning that, which is the occafion of it. dud the /hame of my face hath covered me not by reafon of fin, which is often the caufe of confufion and fhame in God’s people; fee Fer, iii. 25. Dav. ix. 8. but on account of what follows.