lest the Angel in the mean time should destroy Ierusalem for the prevention whereof he thought it most proper to continue to worship God in that place which he had consecrated by his special Presence and gracious Acceptance CHAP. XXII 1 TThen David said a Partly by his Observation of this gracious and glorious Appearance of God and his Command to erect an Altar and his Acceptance of a Sacrifice offered in this place and partly by the Instinct and Direction of Gods Spirit by which as he is said to have had the pattern of the house porch altar c. 1 Chron. 28. 11 12 19. so doubtless he was also instructed as to the place where the House should be built * Deut. 12. 5. 2 Sam. 24. 18. This is the house of the LORD God b This is the place appointed by God for the building of his Temple and Altar and this is the altar of burnt-offering for Israel 2 And David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel c The same persons whom Solomon afterwards employed in the same Work of which see 1 King 5. 15. compared with 1 King 9. 20 21. and he set masons to hew wrought stones d Wherein he could not do much being prevented by death but Solomon carried on and perfected what David had begun to build the house of God 3 And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates and for the joynings e To be used together with melted Lead for the joyning of thâ—…se great and square Stones together and brass in abundance without weight 4 Also cedar-trees in abundance for the Zidonians and they of Tyre brought much cedar-wood to David 5 And David said f Within himself or in his own thoughts * Ca. 2â—… 1. Solomon my son is young and tender g And therefore through youthful Vanity and Folly and Unsettledness may not use that Care and Consideration and Diligence in making such Provisions as this great Work requires Of Solomons â—…ge see 1 King 3. 7. and the house that is to be built for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical of fame and of glory throughout all countries I will therefore now make preparation for it So David prepared abundantly before his death 6 Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build an house for the LORD God of Israel 7 And David said to Solomon My son as for me * â—… Sam. 〈◊〉 it was in my mind to build an house * 〈◊〉 12â—… â—… 11. unto the name of the LORD my God 8 But the word of the LORD came to me saying * Ch 〈◊〉 1 King 5. â—… Thou hast shed blood abundantly and hast made great wars thou shalt not build an house unto my name because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth h Not that Wars either now are or then were simply Unlawful or that David sinned in shedding the Blood of War for it is manifest that Davids Wars were undertaken by Gods Command or with his Leave and were attended with his Blessing but partly because Davids Military Employments did for a good while fill his Head and Hands and gave him no leisure for Temple Work and principally for mystical Sgnification to teach us that the Church whereof the Temple was a manifest and illustrious Type should be built by Christ the Prince of Peace Isa. 9. 6. and that it should be gathered and built up not by might or power or by force of Arms but by Gods Spirit Zech. 4. 6. and by the preaching of the Gospel of Peace in my sight i Which I have taken particular notice of And this expression may possibly be added in reference to Uriah and the rest of the Israelites who were slain at the Siege of Rabbah by Davids contrivance which peradventure David had in his Eye Psal. 51. 4. where David confessing this Sin useth this very Expression I have done this evil in thy sight 9 Behold a son shall be born to thee who shall be a man of rest and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about for his name shall be ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solomon and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days 10 * 2 Sam. 〈◊〉 1 Kiâ—… â—… â—… Ch. 1â—… 〈◊〉 He shall build an house for my name and he shall be my son and I will be his father and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever k Of this see my Notes on 2 Sam. 7. 13. 11 Now my son the LORD be with thee and prosper thou l Go on prosperously in carrying on this Work Or the Lord give thee that Rest and Prosperity which is necessary for it and build the house of the LORD thy God as he hath said of thee 12 Onely the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding and give thee charge concerning Israel m i. e Give thee Instructions or Direction rightly to manage and rule his People Israel Or and set thee over Israel as the Syriack renders it whom the Arabick follows Or when as the Hebrew vaâ—… is oft used he shall set thee over Israel i. e. when thou shalt be King for then Solomon would need this Wisdom for which therefore he prayeth 1 King 3. 9. that thou mayest keep the Law of the LORD thy God 13 Then shalt thou prosper if thou takest heed to fulfill the statutes and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel Be strong and of good courage dread not nor be dismayed 14 Now behold ‖ Or iâ—… my poâ—… in my trouble n This he alledgeth as a Reason why he could do no more because of the many Troubles and Wars both Foraign and Civil whereby much of his Treasures was exhausted I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold o A Talent of Gold in the first constitution was 3000 Shekels as may be gathered from Exod. 38. 24 25 26. and so this amounts to a very vast Sum yet not Impossible for David to get considering how many and great Conquests he made and what vast Spoils and Presents he got and that he endeavoured by all just and honourable ways to get as much as he could not out of Covetousness or for his own Ends 〈◊〉 meerly out of Zeal for Gods House And whereas some object that this quantity of Gold and Silver was sufficient though the whole Fabrick of the Temple had consisted of Massy Gold and Silver it is to be considered that all this Treasure was not spent upon the Materials of the Temple but a very great part of it upon the Workmen which were nigh 200000 whereof a great number were Officers which being employed for so long time together would exhaust a considerable part of it and what was not employed in the building of the Temple was laid up in the
both which cases it is a Metonymy of the Adjunct are like a shadow that declineth r Or that is extended or stretched out to its ulmost length as it is when the Sun is setting when it speedily and totally vanisheth And just so the hopes of our restitution which sometimes we have are quickly cut off and disappointed and I am * Isai. 40. 6. Jam. 1. 10. Psal. 109. 13. withered like grass 12 But * Lam. 5. 19. thou O LORD shalt endure for ever s But this is my comfort although we dye and our hopes vanish yet our God is everlasting and unchangeable and therefore invincible by all his and our enemies constant in his counsels and purposes of mercy to his Church stedfast and faithful in the performance of all his promises and therefore he both can and will deliver his people and * Psal. 135. â—…3 thy remembrance t Either 1. the fame and memory of thy wonderful works Or rather 2. thy name Iehovah mentioned in the former clause which is called by this very word Gods remembrance or memorial and that unto all generations Exod. 3. 15. Thus this clause exactly answers to the former and both of them describe the Eternity of Gods existence whereby the Psalmist relieves and supports himself under the consideration of his own and his peoples frailty and vanity unto all generations 13 Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion u Upon Ierusalem or thy Church and People for the time to favour her yea the set time x The end of those 70. Years which thou hast fixed of which see Ier. 25. 12. and 29. 10. Dan. 9. 2. is come 14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof y Thy people value the dust and rubbish of the holy City more than all the Palaces of the Earth and passionately desire that it may be rebuilt 15 So the Heathen shall fear the name of the LORD and all the kings of the earth thy glory z Which was in some sort fulfilled when the rebuilding of the Temple and City of God was carried on and finished through so many and great difficulties and oppositions to the admiration envy and terrour of their Enemies as we read Nehem. 6. 16. Compare Psal. 126. 2. but much more truly and fully in building of the spiritual Ierusalem by Christ unto whom the Gentiles were gathered and the Princes of the World paid their acknowledgments 16 When the LORD shall build up Zion he shall appear in his glory a His glorious power and wisdom and goodness shall be manifested to all the World 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute b i. e. Of his poor forsaken despised people in Babylon and not despise c i. e. Will accept and answer their prayer 18 This shall be written d This wonderful deliverance shall not be lost nor forgotten but carefully recorded by thy people for the generation to come e For the instruction and incouragement of all succeeding Generations The singular number put for the plural as is ordinary and * Psal. 22. 31. the people which shall be created f Which may be understood either 1. of the Jews which should be restored who were in a manner dead and buried in the grave and meer dry bones Isa. 26. 19. Ezek. 37. and therefore their restauration might well be called a Creation or as it is elsewhere a resurrection Or 2. of the Gentiles who should be converted whose conversion is frequently and might very justly be called a second Creation See 43. 1 7 15. and 65. 18. Eph. 2. 10 15. shall praise the LORD 19 For he hath looked down g To wit upon us not like an idle Spectator but with an eye of pity and relief as the next Verse declares from the height of his sanctuary h From his higher or upper Sanctuary to wit Heaven as the next Clause explains it which is called Gods high and holy place Isa. 57. 15. from Heaven did the LORD behold the earth 20 * Psal. 79. 11. To hear the groaning of the prisoner to loose †Heb. the children of death those that are appointed to death i To release his poor Captives out of Babylon and which is more from the Chains and Fetters of Sin and Satan and from eternal destruction 21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem k That they being delivered might publish and celebrate the name and praises of God in his Church 22 When the people are gathered together and the kingdoms to praise the LORD l When the Gentiles shall gather themselves to the Jews and join with them in the praise and worship of the true God and of the Messias This Verse seems to be added to intimate that although the Psalmist in this Psalm respects the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon yet he had a further design and a principal respect unto that greater and more general deliverance of his Church and People by the Messias 23 He m To wit God to whom he ascribes these Calamities v. 10. to whom therefore he addresseth himself for relief †Heb. afflicted weakned my strength in the way m Either 1. in the midst of our expectations Whilest we are expecting the accomplishment of thy promise either of bringing us out of Babylon or of sending the Messias we faint and one of us perish after another and our hope is like the giving up of the Ghost Or rather 2. in the midst of the course of our lives Which sence is confirmed 1. from the following Clause Which after the manner explains the former he shortned my days as also from the next Verse where he begs relief from God against this misery in these words take me not away in the midst of my days 2. From the use of this word way which is used for the course of a mans life Psal. 2. 12. and which comes to the same thing for the course of a journey as it is opposed to the end of the journey Gen. 24. 27. Exod. 23. 20. and elsewhere the life of man being oft compared to a journeying or travelling and death to his journeys end And the Psalmist here speaks as other sacred Writers do elsewhere and as all sorts of Writers frequently do of the whole Commonwealth as of one man and of its continuance as of the life of one man And so this seems to be the matter of his complaint and humble expostulation with God O Lord thou didst chuse us out of all the World to be thy peculiar people and didst plant us in Ganaan and cause a glorious Temple to be built to thy name to be the onely place of thy publick and solemn worship in the World and didst make great and glorious promises that thine eyes and heart should be upon it perpetually 1 Kings
and Bizjothjah 29 Baalah and lim and Azem 30 And Eltolad and Chesil and Hormah 31 And Ziklag and Madmannah and Sansannah 32 And Lebaoth and Shilhim and Ain and Rimmon all the cities are twenty and nine r Obj. Here are 37 or 38 Cities named before how then are they only reckoned 29 Ans. There were only 29 of them which either 1. Properly belonged to Iudah the rest fell to Simeons Lot or 2. Were Cities properly so called i. e. walled Cities or such as had Villages under them as it here follows the rest being great but unwalled Towns or such as had no Villages under them with their villages 33 And in the vale Eshtaol and Zoreah and Ashnah 34 And Zanoah and Engannim Tappuah and Enam 35 Jarmuth and Adullam Socoh and Azekah 36 And Sharaim and Adithaim and Gederah * Or or and Gederothaim fourteen cities s Obj. There are 15 numbred Ans. Either one of them was no City strictly called or Gederah and Gederothaim is put for Gederah or Gederothaim so called possibly because the City was double as there want not instances of one City divided into two parts called the old and the new City So the conjunction and is put for the disjunctive or whereof examples have been given before with their villages 37 Zenan and Hedashah and Migdal-gad 38 And Dilean and Mizpeh and Joktheel 39 Lachish and Bozkath and Eglon 40 And Cabbon and Lahmas and Kithlish 41 And Gederoth Beth-dagon and Naamah and Makkedah sixteen cities with their villages 42 Libnah t Heb. Libnah See Ios. 10. 29. and Ether and Ashan 43 And Jiphta and Ashnah and Nezib 44 And Keilah and Achzib and Mareshah nine cities with their villages 45 Ekron u Here and in the following Verses are contained all the Cities of the Philistines among which are Gath and Askelon which peradventure are here omitted because they were not at this time places of such Power and Eminency as afterwards they were but were the Daughters of some of these following Cities though afterwards the Daughter might overtop the Mother as is usual with her †Towns x Heb. Her Daughters i. e. lesser Cities or great Towns subject to Ekrons Jurisdiction and her villages ‡ Heb. Daughters Numb 21. 25. y i. e. Lesser Towns or Hamlets 46 From Ekron even unto the sea all that lay †near Ashdod with their villages ‡ Heb. by the place of 47 Ashdod with her †towns and her villages Gaza with her * Heb. Daughters * Heb. Daughters towns and her villages unto the river of Egypt and the great sea and the border thereof z i. e. The Sea-Coast and all other Cities Towns and Villages upon it 48 ¶ And in the mountains a i. e. In the higher grounds called Mountains or Hills in comparison of the Sea-Coast Shamir and Jattir and Socoh 49 And Dannah and Kirjath-sannah which is Debir b Which also is called Kiriath-sepher above v. 15. So this City had three Names 50 And Anab and Eshâ—…emoh and Anim 51 And Goshen c See Ios. 10. 41. and Holon and Giloh eleven cities with their villages 52 Arab and Dumah and Eshean 53 And * Janum and Beth-tappuah and 〈◊〉 Janus Aphekah 54 And Humtah and * Chap. 14. 15. Kirjath-arba which is Hebron and Zior nine cities with their villages 55 Maon d Of which see 1 Sam. 23. 25. and 25. 2. Carmel e Nabals Country 1 Sam. 25. and Ziph f Which gave its name to the Neighbouring Mountain 1 Sam. 26. 1. and Juttah 56 And Jezreel and Jokdeam and Zanoah 57 Cain Gibeah and Timnah ten cities with their villages 58 Halhul Bethzur and Gedor 59 And Maarath and Beth-anoth and Eltekon six cities with their villages 60 Kirjath-baal which is Kirjath-jearim and Rabbah two cities with their villages 61 ¶ In the wilderness g So the Hebrews call places either uninhabited by men or having but few Inhabitants Beth-arabah Middin and Secaâ—…ah 62 And Nibshan and the city of salt h So called either from the Salt Sea which was near it or from the Salt which was made in it or about it and Engedi six cities with their villages 63 As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jeruâ—…em i For though Ierusalem was in part taken by Ioshua before this yet the upper and stronger part of it called Zion was still kept by the Iebusites even until Davids time and it seems from thence they descended to the lower Town called Ierusalem and took it so that the Israelites were forced to win it a second time yea and a third time also for afterwards it was possessed by the Iebusites Iudg. 19. 11. 2 Sam. 5. 6 7. the children of Judah could not drive them out k Namely because of their unbelief as Christ could do no mighty work because of the peoples unbelief Mark 6. 5 6. Mat. 13. 58. and because of their Sloth and Cowardise and Wickedness whereby they forfeited Gods help and then they must needs be imporent but this inability was wilful and brought upon them by themselves but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem l The same things which are here said of the children of Iudah are said of the Benjamites Iudg. 1. 21. Hence ariseth a question To which of the Tribes Ierusalem belonged whether to Benjamin as is gathered from Gen. 49. 27. Deut. 33. 12. Ier. 6. 1. or to Iudah as is implied here and Psal. 78. 68 69. Some think that being in the Borders of both it was common to both and promiscuously inhabited by both and it is certain that after the Captivity it was possessed by both Neh. 11. 4. But for the present though it did belong to Benjamin yet the Children of Iudah being possibly very active in the first taking of it by Ioshua as they certainly were after his Death Iudg. 1. 8. they might thereby get some right to share with the Benjamites in the Possession of it It seems most probable that part of it and indeed the greatest part and main body of it stood in the Tribe of Benjamin and hence this is mentioned in the List of their Cities and not in Iudah's List and part of it stood in Iudah's share even Mount Moriah on which the Temple was built and Mount Sion when it was taken from the Iebusites unto this day m When this Book was written whether in Ioshuah's Life and Old Age which continued many years after the taking of Ierusalem or after his Death when this Clause was added here and elsewhere in this Book by some other man of God which must needs be done before Davids time when the Iebusites were quite expelled and their Fort taken CHAP. XVI AND the lot of the children of Joseph a i. e. Of Ephraim and the half Tribe of Manasseh which are here put together in one not because they had but one Lot for
enjoying a better Life which they never regarded But I have a firm and well grounded hope not of that temporal restitution which you promised me but of a blessed immortality after death and therefore am none of these hopeless Hypocrites as you account me when God taketh away r Or expâ—…lleth Or plucketh up which notes violence and that he died unwillingly Compare Luk. 12. 20. when good men are said freely and chearfully to give themselves or their Souls unto God his soul 9. * Psal. 18. 41. â—… 109. â—… 〈◊〉 1. 28. â—…â—…8 9. 〈◊〉 1. 15. Ezek. 8. 18. 〈◊〉 3. 4. Joh. 9. 31. 〈◊〉 4. 3. Will God hear his cry s An hypocrite doth not pray to God with comfort or any solid hope that God will hear him as I know he will hear me though not in the way which you think when trouble cometh upon him t When his guilty Conscience will fly in his face so as he dare not pray and accuse him to God so as God will not hear him 10. Will he delight himself in the Almighty u Will he be able to delight and satisfie himself with God alone and with his Love and favour when he hath no other matter of delight This I now do and this an hypocrite cannot do because his heart is chiefly set upon the World and when that fails him his heart sinks and the thoughts of God are unfavoury and troublesom to him will he always call upon God x He may by his afflictions be driven to Prayer but if God doth not speedily answer him he falls into despair and neglect of God and of Prayer whereas I constantly continue in Prayer notwithstanding the grievousness and the long continuance of my Calamities 11. I will teach you ‖ Or being in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. by the hand of God y i. e. By Gods help and inspiration as God is said to speak to the Prophet with or by a strong hand Isa. 8. 11. I will not teach you my own vain conceits but what God himself hath taught me Or concerning as the prefix Beth is oft used as Exod. 12. 43 44. Psal. 63. 6. 87. 3. Prov. 4. 11. the hand of God i. e. his Counsel and Providence in governing the World or the manner of his dealing with men and especially with wicked men of whose portion he discourseth v. 13 14. c. shewing how far the hand of God is either for them or upon them and against them that which is with the Almighty z i. e. What is in his Breast or Counsel and how he executes his secret purposes concerning them or the truth of God the Doctrine which he hath taught his Church about these matters will I not conceal 12. Behold all ye your selves have seen it a I speak no false or strange things but what is known and confirmed by your own as well as others experiences why then are ye thus altogether vain b In maintaining such a foolish and false opinion against your own knowledge and experience Why do you obstinately defend your opinion and not comply with mine for the truth of which I appeal to your own Consciences 13. This c That which is mentioned in the following Verses In which Iob delivers either 1. the opinion of his Friends in whose person he utters them and afterwards declares his dissent from them Or rather 2. his own opinion and how far he agreeth with them for his sense differs but little from what Zophar said Ch. 20. 29. is the portion of a wicked man with God d Either laid up with God or in his Counsel and appointment or which he shall have from God as the next words explain it and the heritage of Oppressors e Who are mighty and fierce and terrible and mischievous to mankind as this word implies whom therefore men cannot destroy but God will which they shall receive of the Almighty 14. * Deut. 28. 41. Hos. 9. 13. If his children be multiplied it is for the sword f That they may be cut off by the Sword either of War or of Justice and his off-spring shall not be satisfied with bread g Shall be starved or want necessaries A Figure called Meiosis 15. Those that remain of him h Who survive and escape that Sword and Famine shall be buried in death i Either 1. Shall die and so be buried Or 2. Shall be buried as soon as ever they are dead either because their Relations or dependents feared lest they should come to themselves again and trouble them and others longer or because they were not able to bestow any funeral Pomp upon them or thought them unworthy of it Or 3. Shall be in â—… manner utterly extinct in or by death all their hope and glory and name and memory which they designed to perpetuate to all ages shall be buried with them and they shall never rise again to a blessed Life whereas a good man hath hope in his death and leaves his good-name alive and flourishing in the World and rests in his Grave in assurance of Redemption from it and of a glorious Resarrection to an happy and eternal Life and * Psal. 78. 64. his Widows k For they had many Wives either to gratifie their Lust or to encrease and strengthen their Family and Interest shall not weep l Either because they durst not lament their death which was entertained with publick joy or because they were overwhelmed and astonished with the greatness and strangeness of the Calamity and therefore could not weep or because they also as well as other persons groaned under their Tyranny and cruelty and rejoiced in their deliverance from it 16. Though he heap up silver as the dust and prepare raiment as the clay m i. e. In great abundance 17. He may prepare it but the just shall put it on n Either because it shall be given to him by the Judge to recompence those Injuries which he received from that Tyrant Or because the right of it is otherwise transferred upon him by divine Providence and the innocent shall divide o Either 1. To the poor he shall distribute that which the oppressors hoarded up and kept as wickedly as he got it So this suits with Prov. 28. 8. Eccles. 2. 26. Or 2. With others or to himself He shall have a share of it when by the Judges sentence those ill-gotten goods shall be restored to the right owners the silver 18. * Chap. 8. 15 He buildeth his house as a moth p Which settleth itself in a Garment but is quickly and unexpectedly brushed off and dispossessed of its dwelling and crushed to death and as a booth that the keeper maketh q Which the Keeper of a Garden or Vineyard suddenly rears up in Fruit-time and as quickly and easily pulls it down again See Isa. 1. 8. Lam. 2. 6. 19. The rich man shall
strongest and most vigorous old Age. Or their excellency or pride that old age which is their glory and in which men do commonly glory labour and sorrow f Filled with troubles and griefs from the infirmities of age the approach of Death and the contingences of humane life for it g Either our age or our strength is soon cut off h It doth not now decline by many degrees and slow steps as it doth in our young and flourishing age but decayeth apace and suddenly fleeth away and we flee away i We do not now go to Death as we do from our very Birth nor run but flee swiftly away like a Bird as this word signifies 11 Who knoweth k Few or none sufficiently apprehend it or stedfastly believe it or duly consider it or are rightly affected with it For all these things are comprehended under this word knoweth the power of thine anger l The greatness and force and dreadful effects of thine anger conceived against the Sons of men and in particular against thine own people for their miscarriages even according to thy fear m i. e. According to the fear of thee as my fear is put for the fear of me Mal. 1. 6. and his knowledge for the knowledge of him Isa. 53. 11. According to that fear or dread which sinful men have of a just and holy God These fears of the Deity are not vain Bugbears and the effects of ignorance and folly or Superstition as Heathens and Atheists have sometimes said but are just and built upon solid grounds and justified by the terrible effects of thy wrath upon mankind so is thy wrath n It bears full proportion to it nay indeed doth far exceed it It cannot be said of Gods wrath which is said of Death that the fear of it is worse than the thing it self But this Verse is by many both antient and later Interpreters rendred otherwise and that very agreeably to the Hebrew Text who knoweth the power of thine anger and thy wrath according to thy fear i. e. either 1. according to the fear of thee or so as thou art to be feared or answerably to thy terrible displeasure against sin and sinners Or 2. so as to fear and dread thee in such manner and measure as sinful Creatures ought to fear the infinite and offended Majesty of God their Creator and Judge and Soveraign and thereby to be moved to humble himself before thee and fervently to seek thy face and favour which is the onely true wisdom for which he prayeth in the next Verse 12 * Psal. 39. 4. So teach us o By thy spirit and grace as thou hast already taught us by thy word Or Teach us rightly as this word is used Numb 27. 7. and 2 Kings 7. 9. to number c. as it follows to number our days p To consider the shortness and miseries of this life and the certainty and speediness of Death and the causes and consequences thereof that we may †Heb. cause to come apply our hearts unto wisdom q That we may heartily devote our selves to the study and practice of true wisdom which is nothing else but piety or the fear of God And why so Not that the Israelites might thereby procure a revocation of that peremptory sentence of death passed upon all that Generation nor that other men might hereby prevent their death both which he very well knew to be impossible but that men might arm and prepare themselves for death and for their great account after death and might make sure of the happiness of the future life Of which this Text is a plain and pregnant proof 13 Return O LORD r To us in mercy for thou seemest to have forsaken us and cast us off how long s Understand wilt thou be angry or will it be ere thou return to us and let it repent thee concerning thy servants t i. e. Of thy severe proceedings against us and change thy course and carriage to us 14 O satisfie us early u Speedily or seasonably before we be utterly consumed with thy mercy that we may rejoyce and be glad all our days 15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us and the years wherein we have seen evil x Our afflictions have been sharp and long let not our prosperity be small and short 16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children y Let that great and glorious work of giving thy people a compleat deliverance which thou hast long since designed and promised be at last accomplished and manifested unto us and in the sight of the World 17 And let the beauty of the LORD z i. e. His favourable countenance and gracious influence and glorious presence our God be upon us and establish thou the work of our hands upon us a Or in us Do not onely work for us but in us And because the glorious work of thy hands is hindered by the evil works of our hands be thou pleased by thy holy spirit to direct or establish for this Hebrew word signifies both the works of our hands that we may cease to do evil and learn to do well and turn and constantly cleave unto thee and not revolt and draw back from thee as we have frequently done to our own undoing yea the work of our hands establish thou it PSAL. XCI The Penman of this Psalm is uncertain The occasion of it seems to have been that great Pestilence recorded 2 Sam. 24. 1 HE that * Psal. 27. 4 5 31. 20. dwelleth in the secret place a Or hiding place He that makes God his habitation and refuge as he is called below v. 9. resorting to him and relying upon him in his dangers and difficulties of the most High shall †Heb. lodge abide under the shadow of the Almighty b He shall not be disappointed of his hope but shall find a quiet and safe repose under the Divine protection A shadow in Scripture phrase commonly signifies protection See Gen. 19. 8. Iudg. 9. 15. Psal. 17. 8. c. 2 I will say of the LORD He is my refuge c Upon that ground I will confidently commit my self and all my affairs to God and my fortress my God in him will I trust 3 Surely * Psal. 124. â—… he shall deliver thee d O thou believing pious Soul who after my example shale make God thy refuge thou shalt partake of the same priviledge which I enjoy from the snare of the fowler and from the noisom Pestilence e From the Pestilence which like a Fowlers snare taketh men suddenly and unexpectedly and holdeth them fast and commonly delivers them up to Death 4 * Psal. 57. 1. He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust his truth f Whereby he is obliged to
which the Poor would therefore sooner embrace and the Rich more likely to oppose Or 3. The Poor in Spirit unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up q Now follow several particular expressions to describe the same thing that he mentioned before more generally a Metaphor taken from Chirurgions that carefully and tenderly roll up a broken bone Hos. 6. 1. and this relates to Christs Priestly Office the broken-hearted r The heart dejected and broken with sorrow I am sent to ease their pains whose Consciences are wounded with a sense of Gods wrath to proclaim liberty to the captives s Those Captives in Babylon but principally to Satan that they shall be delivered and this appertains to Christs Kingly Office whereby he proclaims liberty from the Dominion and Bondage of sin and from the Fear and Terrour of Hell See ch 42. 7. and the opening of the prison to them that are bound t i. e. Supposing them to be in chains and fetters yet they should be delivered though in the greatest bondage the further explication of these things will be found upon Luke 4. 18. Because there are some passages expresly mentioned here 2 To proclaim u To declare as it respects the Jews that their liberty is at hand the acceptable x Viz. the happy age of Gods grace either which will be grateful and welcome news to them or acceptable to God a time wherein it pleaseth him to favour them but this must be understood of a farther extent than to Babylon and rather unto Mankind in Jesus Christ. Gal. 4. 4. and Tit. 3. 4. called a time of Gods good will in that Angelical song Luke 2. 14. On the account of those good tidings which the Angel brought v. 10. 11. called so possibly from the arbitrariness and good pleasure of God having no respect to any satisfaction from man year y Not precisely as if Christ preached but one year the mistake of some Ancients mentioned and râ—…uted by Irenaeus lib. 2. ch 38. But for time indefinitely and may include the whole time of preaching the Gospel See Rom. 10. 15. which I take to be the meaning of that now 2 Cor. 6. 2. and probably hath a pertinent allusion to the year of Iubile which was a general release proclaimed by sound of Trumpet which relates also here to the word Proclaiming Lev. 25. 10. of the LORD and the day of vengeance z Viz. on Babylon it being necessary that where God will deliver his People he should take vengeance on their enemies but mystically and principally on the enemies of his Church and the Spiritual ones chiefly viz. Satan Sin and Death of our God to comfort all that mourn a Either by reason of their sufferings or of their sins Mat. 11. 28. Or the miseries of Sion See on ch 57. 18. 3 To appoint b Supple it Viz. Comfort or Joy or else it may refer to those Accusative cases following Beauty Oyl Garments unto them that mourn in Zion c Put by a Metonymy for the Jews q. d. among the Jews and they for the Church of God or according to the Hebrew For Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes d By ashes understand whatever is most proper for days of mourning as Sackcloth sprinkled with Ashes and these ashes which were sprinkled on their heads mixing themselves with their tears would render them of a woful Aspect which was wont to be the habit of Mourners as by Beauty whatever may be beautiful or become times of rejoycing the oyl of joy for mourning e The sense is the same with the former he calls it Oyl of joy in allusion to those anointings they were wont to use in times of joy Psal. 104. 15. and also the same with what follows viz. Gladness for heaviness gladness brings forth Praise to God and it is called a Garment in allusion to their Festival Ornaments for they had Garments appropriated to their conditions some suitable to times of rejoycing and some to times of mourning or else an allusion to comely garments and the spirit of heaviness because heaviness doth oppress and debase the Spirits It is all but an elegant description of the same thing by a three-fold Antithesis the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that they might be called f That is that they may be so as it is usually expressed Ch 58. 12. 60. 18. they shall be acknowledged so v. 9. trees of righteousness g He ascribes Righteousness to Trees understanding thereby Persons by a Metaphor by which he means that they shall be firm solid and well rooted being by faith engrafted into Christ and bringing sorth fruit suitable to the Soil wherein they are planted that had been as dry trees see on Isa. 56. 3. viz. the Church the Vineyard of God and the hand by which they were planted as in the next words the planting of the LORD h Planted by the holy Lord who being himself holy and righteous would plant none but such which notes also their soundness and stability an allusion to that passage in Moses his Song Exod. 15. 17. that he might be glorified i Either in that glory which he should conser upon them or that glory he may expect and receive from them that so it may be evident whose handy work it was See ch 60. 21. 4 And they shall * Chap. 58. 12. build the old wasts they shall raise up the former desolations and they shall repair the wast cities the desolations of many generations k See ch 58. 12. As it is applied to Gospel times the meaning may be that Gentilism which was as a wilderness overgrown with Briars and Thorns shall be cultivated and those Cities and Provinces of the Gentiles that lay as it were wast void of all true Religion shall now by the Ministry of the Word be edified in the true worship of God 5 And strangers l Viz. Gentiles such as are not of the natural race of the Jews but Gentile Converts Or such as shall have no more then an outward profession strangers to the true work of Grace shall stand m Ready to be at thy service a like expression ch 48. 13. and feed your flocks n The Churches with the word of God and the sons of the alien o The same with strangers or their successours shall be your plowmen and your vine-dressers p As the words describe the prosperous estate of the Jews the meaning of them is that they should be in such a flourishing and prosperous condition that without their own labour they should have all inferiour offices executed either by slaves taken in War or by Persons hired for reward which they should have Riches and Wealth enough to accomplish But as they principally relate to the spiritual State of the Church so probably by Strangers we may understand Converted Gentiles with their Successors