their young years And indeed some Expositours conceive that this last is solely intended in these words and so they conceive that the same thing that is affirmed in the first clause they die in youth is repeated again in other tearms in the second clause and their life is among the unclean that is they are cut off amongst such as themselves wanton youngsters that live in all kind of uncleannesse And some think also that Elihu hath reference in these words to the destruction of Sodome Vers 17. But thou hast fulfilled the judgement of the wicked c. That is thou hast carried thy self as wicked men use to doe thy course hath been just like theirs or thou hast judged as wicked men use to doe in censuring the waies of Gods Providence towards thee It seems to be the same in effect with that which he had said before chap. 34.8 that Job went in company with the workers of iniquity whereupon he adds judgement and justice take hold on thee as if he should have said you see what you get by speaking so desperately of God the just indignation of God hath already seized upon thee Vers 18. Because there is wrath beware lest he take thee away with his stroke That is Because thou hast shown such wrath and indignation against God or rather Because though God be very long-suffering and patient yet there is wrath with God as well as mercy and patience or because Gods wrath is already broken forth upon thee take heed that thou dost not provoke him farther even to the cutting of thee off Vers 19. Will he esteem thy riches no not gold nor all the forces of strength That is As thou canst not by thy wealth so neither by any force or strength be delivered when once thou art cut off or when once God hath determined to cut thee off Vers 20. Desire not the night when people are cut off in their place There are severall Expositions given of these words which being considered apart by themselves the words would well enough bear as first that Elihu counsels Iob that he should not desire the night as thieves and robbers do that he might doe mischief therein when poor men are usually cut off in their places by those that unexpectedly break in upon them secondly that he adviseth him not to desire the night of other mens afflictions and tribulations that taking advantage thereof he should cut them off in the places where they live thirdly that he calls upon him not to desire the night as thinking to find thereby some ease in his miseries since there is no looking for ease as long as God is angry with him and God even in a night doth often cut off whole nations at least many people together and therefore may easily cut off him and fourthly that he wills him not to desire the night that is not to desire to know the night when people are cut off in their place not curiously to enquire into the cause of that judgement of God when in a night sometimes whole nations or multitudes of people are cut off in their place they need not be driven forth or scattered abroad into strange countries they melt away in their own place and hereby he would intimate that Job should not make so strange of it nor be so eager to know why he being a good man should be so sorely afflicted But because in the foregoing verses Elihu had warned Iob to take heed that he did not provoke God utterly to cut him off therefore I rather think this to be the meaning of the words Desire not the night when people are cut off in their place that is Desire not death which is the common passage of all men and by the stroke whereof men are utterly cut off and so if they be not in the better condition do perish eternally as if he had said so farre you are from fearing Gods cutting you off that you desire it but take heed of this c. Vers 21. Take heed regard not iniquity c. That is affect not this murmuring against God and desiring death and quarrelling against his proceedings for this hast thou chosen rather then affliction to wit in that he chose to contend with God rather then patiently to bear his afflictions Vers 22. Behold God exalteth by his power c. This may be understood two severall waies to wit either that God exalteth and magnifyeth himself or his works by his power that is that by the manifestation of his almighty power God sheweth himself to be a great God and his works appear exceeding glorious and then the drift of this clause is to put Job in mind that therefore there is no reasoning nor contending with him or else rather that God doth often by his great power exalt those that are afflicted and cast down and then the drift of the words is to intimate to Job that God was able to exalt him and that if ever he were raised again from his low condition it was God that must doe it in regard whereof it was fitter that he should humble himself before God and seek his favour rather then quarrell against him for that which he had done to him And then in the next clause it is said who teacheth like him either because God being omniscient and knowing all things of himself must needs teach better then man that knoweth but in part and as he receives from others or because God enlightneth the mind and effectually teacheth the heart which no man can doe or because God teacheth men by the afflictions he layes upon them and then the drift of this last clause is to imply that as God is great in power so he is of incomprehensible wisedome and that men should content themselves with that which God teacheth and not search into those things which are above their reach and especially that it was a mere folly to murmure against any of Gods proceedings as if man could teach God how to govern the world and that Iob might learn much by the afflicting hand of God if the fault were not in himself yea that particular lesson that none could raise him but God was clearly taught him in that all the while he was so impatient he was still kept in such a helplesse condition Vers 23. Who hath enjoyned him his way This is alledged to prove that therefore none can controll or condemn what he doth concerning which see the Note chap. 34.13 Vers 24. Remember that thou magnifie his work which men behold That is Instead therefore of searching into Gods secrets busie thy self rather in magnifying those works which lye open to every mans view and this may be meant of the works of God in generall or of the heaven in particular the meteors rain and thunder and lightning whereof he speaks in the following verses Vers 25. Every man may see it man may behold it afarre off That is the heaven or it may be better understood of
here attain to this eternall blisse in the life that is to come which is indeed that happinesse that can only fully satisfie mens immortal souls and perfectly free them from the feare of death and all other miseries they are liable to that is by fearing God and keeping his commandments and to the end they may be very serious herein by thinking often of death and judgement This is that I say to which Solomon in the next place passeth And accordingly first to make way thereto in this verse he premiseth that it is indeed a very comfortable and delightful thing to enjoy the benefits of this present life especially when men have learnt to free themselves from the vanities here below according to the directions formerly given And then in the next he proceeds to shew that though life be thus sweet yet they must remember that this life will have an end and death and judgement will follow and that therefore they cannot be compleatly happy unlesse by the due consideration of this they provide to secure unto themselves that happinesse which is to follow after this life is ended Vers 8. But if a man live many yeares and rejoyce in them all c. As if he should have said Suppose this should be so which is indeed very unlikely yet let him remember the dayes of darkness that is of death and the grave for it is opposed to the light and the beholding of the Sun mentioned in the foregoing verse for they shall be many that is truly many indeed many more then the dayes of the man that liveth longest can be because in the grave the house of darknesse the dead must continue till the day of the generall resurrection and if men dye in their sinnes they must continue in outer darknesse unto all eternity All that cometh is vanity that is This sheweth that all men that come into the world and all that befalls men here in this world is no better then meer vanity because they must all passe away man must dye and no man knoweth how little a while his life and prosperity shall continue So that the drift of the whole verse is to shew that though men live never so long and in never so great prosperity yet it is meer folly over much to delight herein because these things will not last alwayes the dayes of darknesse will come and when they come then it will be seen how vaine and transitory this life and the pleasures thereof were yea if men would seriously think of those dayes comparing them with the short time of mans abode here they must needs yield that this life and the delights thereof are meer vanity and even as nothing Vers 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth c. Because young men are most apt only to mind the pleasures of this present life and to put off the thoughts of death unto old age therefore Solomon gives this warning particularly to them Some conceive that this is spoken by way of serious advice Rejoyce O young man c. As if he had said I would not restraine thee from the lawfull delights and comforts of thy youth Be joyfull and live chearfully so thou doest it with moderation and sobriety as still remembring thy latter end and the judgement that will follow But rather this is spoken ironically by way of scorne and derision as indeed many expressions of that kind we find elswhere in the Scripture as 1 Kings 18.27 22.15 Matth. 26.45 As if he had said Thou hast heard that the dayes of mans living here are nothing in comparison of the dayes of darknesse that will follow Now if thou wilt not be admonished hereby but hereupon resolvest that because thou must dye therefore thou wilt take thy fill of pleasure whilst thou livest Doe so take thy course live as young men use to doe in all jollity and pleasure and walk in the wayes of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes that is Doe what ever thou hast a mind and desire to doe follow after every thing thou seest and is pleasing in thine eyes deny not thy selfe any thing which thine heart can desire or thine eyes look after see the Note Chap. 2.10 but know thou that is be thou unquestionably assured of this that for all these things that is for thy mis-spent youth and all those vaine and sinfull courses wherein now thou takest such content and delight God will bring thee into judgement that is Dye thou must thou knowest not how soon and after death God will bring thee whether thou wilt or no to stand before his tribunall at the last great day of judgement there to answer for all that thou hast done and to receive the just reward of all thine evill wayes and there will be no avoyding it Vers 10. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart c. Or as it is in the margin of our Bibles remove anger from thy heart and then the warning is that young men should beware of rash and unadvised anger because young men are naturally thorough heate of blood prone to be furious herein and violent upon revenge and especially of being enraged against those that reprove them and would take them off from their sinfull pleasures yea and under this all other sinfull passions and perturbations of mind may be comprehended But if we reade it as it is in our Translation Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart then the advice is that young men should avoyd all sinnes and sinfull pleasures which though they may be pleasing for a time yet they will stirre up Gods indignation against them and so will at last overwhelm their hearts with sorrow And put away evill from thy flesh that is abandon all fleshly lusts and pleasures let not the members of thy body be imployed as weapons of unrighteousnesse in the service of sin And so as in the former clause the inward distempers of the heart so here likewise the sinnes of the outward man are forbidden Or avoyd those sinfull pleasures which will at last wast thy strength and ruine thy body or bring the wrath of God upon thee For childhood and youth are vanity that is foolish violently carried after pleasures that end in destruction and subject to many corruptions and besides that age doth soone vanish and passe away CHAP. XII Vers 1. REmember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth c. Having in the latter end of the foregoing Chapter diswaded young men from youthful lusts here he exhorts them to a constant fixing of their minds upon God as a powerful means not onely to restrain them from evil but also to quicken them in the doing of that which God requires of them and the argument that he useth to presse them hereto is covertly couched in those words thy Creator for 1. Because God made us and we received our being from him and so are
all mankind every mothers child none excepted according to that Matth. 11.11 Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater then Iohn the Baptist and 2. To note what the cause is why man is of such a fading weak and miserable condition to wit because he hath his originall from such a poor weak frail creature as woman is Though man was weakned by sin as well as woman yet because a greater degree of weaknesse was inflicted upon woman as a punishment of sin in regard whereof the Apostle Peter calls the woman the weaker vessel 1 Pet. 3.7 therefore mans being born of a woman is made the chief ground of mans frailty having his descent from one who being defiled with sin lyeth under the curse of bearing so many weaknesses and sorrows no marvell though he be born a poor weak helplesse creature few of daies and full of trouble Now this which Iob here saith of the frailty and misery of man he speaks it as in reference to himself thereby still to imply that he was fitter to be an object of pity and compassion then of such fury and indignation as God had shown against him Vers 3. And doest thou open thine eyes upon such an one c. Though these words may be taken in a generall sense to wit that it was much that God should vouchsafe to look towards such a poor base wretch as man is either by way of favour to watch over him for his preservation and to provide for him or in any other respect and therefore some understand it thus that he acknowledged it a singular favour that so miserable a wretch as he was should be admitted to stand and plead his cause before him to which also they apply the following clause and bringest me into judgement with thee yet considering both what went before and what follows after it is more likely that Iob speaks here of Gods opening his eyes upon him to search into his sins and to see how he might punish him for his transgressions for as men are said to wink at a man when they will not take notice of what he hath done amisse that they might punish him for it so they may be said to open their eyes upon a man when they set themselves strictly to enquire into their offences and to bring them into judgement and accordingly the meaning of these words seems to be this that it was strange that God should think such a poor despicable creature as man is worthy his anger or that he should so farre mind him as to take vengeance on him for his sins Vers 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one That is there is not one born of sinfull parents after the manner of men but he must needs be sinfull as they are or not one who can any way procure that he that is born of parents polluted with originall sin should not himself be polluted and unclean yea and it may referre to mens actions too that a man unclean by nature cannot bring forth any clean thing that is any clean action what sinfull man doth must needs be sinfull Now this Iob adds 1. To abase himself and to make his heart stoop under the severity of Gods proceedings with him since being so unclean it was no wonder though the most holy God should lay his hand so heavy upon him and 2. To intimate that though God might most justly condemne such a filthy wretch as he was if he should examine him according to the rigour of his righteous judgement and by this implyed confession of his spirituall uncleannesse he did covertly condemne his friends who charged him with saying that he was perfectly righteous and pure from sin yet considering this was the inevitable condition of all men who must needs be sinfull because they came out of the loins of sinfull parents therefore he hoped and desired that God would take compassion of him and not deal in such extremity with him Vers 5. Seeing his daies are determined c. This plea of Iobs is much like that of the Psalmist Psal 89.46 47. Shall thy wrath burn like fire Remember how short my time is c. to wit that since God had appointed that man should die as the just reward of his sins and had determined the set time of his death which could not be farre off he would therefore let that suffice and not make that little time he had to live so extremely irksome with insupportable miseries which is that he desires in the following verse Vers 6. Turn from him that he may rest c. An expression much like that chap. 7.19 How long wilt thou not depart from him as if he had said Mark not so strictly what he is or what he hath done meddle not with him but let him be quiet take off thine heavy hand and let him spend his daies peaceably without molestation till he shall accomplish as an hireling his daies that is till he hath finished the time appointed him for his living here to serve thee in his generation which being as the daies of an hireling full of hard travell and sorrow his coming to the period thereof must needs be welcome and acceptable to him See the Note chap. 7.2 Vers 7. For there is hope of a tree if it be cut down c. The plea he useth here is this If it were possible for a man after death to live again here in this world as a tree cut down will sprout up again the hope that his life then might be more comfortable would enable him the more patiently to bear his present sufferings But alas there is no hope of this A tree indeed though it be felled down to the ground yet may sprout out with fresh tender branches again Vers 8. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth and the stock thereof die in the ground That is though the root through age be in a manner withered and shrunk and no sign of life appear in the stock Vers 9. Yet through the sent of water it will bud and spring forth boughs like a plant That is like a young tree newly planted As for that expression through the sent of water it will bud either thereby he intended to shew by what means the roots of such a tree may be as it were revived again to wit that if it be watered it will bud forth a-fresh or else it is used to shew how little a thing will cause it to sprout out again to wit that if any moisture comes but near it if it doe as it were but smell the waters it will suck in moisture and sap and grow up with new tender branches Vers 10. But man dieth and wasteth away yea man giveth up the ghost and where is he As if he should have said there 's no hope of his living again here in this world concerning which see the Note chap. 7.9 Indeed in the severall tearms that are here
though this phrase of Gods calling him may be used in reference to the manner of Gods raising men from the dead concerning which the Apostle saith 1. Thess 4.16 The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first c. yet by the call of God may be meant simply the will and command of God as where it is said that God called for a famine upon the land Psal 105.16 that is he commanded a famine to be in the land and so our Saviour speaks of the Resurrection Ioh. 5.28 The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice c. and 3. Some understand it of Gods calling him out of this world by death and so conceive that Iob here professeth his readinesse to yield to Gods call herein and that because he knew God would one day remember him in mercy and not utterly castâ—off the work of his own hands Vers 16. For now thou numbrest my steps c This is added as a reason why he so earnestly desired to die or to be hid in the grave as he had said vers 13. till Gods wrath and indignation was over or why he had besought God that he would withdraw his hand and let him finish his daies in peace vers 6. namely because God did now at present proceed with such severity against him as one that took strict notice of all his waies that not one sin of his might scape unpunished See chap. 10.14 To which purpose also is that which follows in the next verse of Gods sealing up his transgressions in a bag that is his laying them up in store as evidences and indictments against him of which see the Note Deuter. 32.34 Vers 18. And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought and the rock is removed out of his place c. The drift of these words is either 1. To imply that God proceeded with as much fury and violence against him as when he overturns mountains and removes rocks out of their places c. or 2. To intimate that if the strongest creatures and those that seem most stedfastly setled in their places cannot stand before the indignation of the Lord much lesse could poor weak man stand before it and that therefore God needed not proceed with such over-bearing violence against him as he now did or 3. To bewail his continuing so long in so great miseries that when the strongest creatures were not able to stand before Gods power when he meant to bring them to nought and so the hope of man was destroyed by his hand as is expressed in the last clause of the 19 verse that is all things wherein vain men hope or all the vain things wherein men are wont to hope yet he a poor weak creature should hold out against so many and great afflictions and live in the midst of so many deaths or 4. To renew his old request that he might die that since all things even those that were the most like to continue were often removed and wasted out of their place so he desired it might also be with him or 5. To intimate his fear least his patience should fail and thereupon to desire that God would in pity release him surely the mountain falling cometh to nought c. as if he had said mountains and rocks will fail and how much sooner may my patience fail My strength is not the strength of stones as he had said before chap. 6.12 and therefore either remove my afflictions or remove me out of this world or 6. To shew that God proceeding so severely against him and not suffering any sin of his to passe unpunished as he had said in the foregoing verses as other creatures that seem more surely setled then man is do utterly perish by the mighty power of God so it must needs be with man he also must needs be cut off irrecoverably The mountain saith Iob falling cometh to nought and the rock is removed out of his place to wit sometimes by extraordinary earth-quakes sometimes by the violence of great flouds and inundations of waters the waters wear the stones by continuall beating and dropping upon them thou washest away the things that grow out of the dust namely when rivers or seas overflowing or breaking through the banks do with a mighty torrent sweep away all before them and thou destroyest the hope of man that is and thus after the same manner is man cut off and destroyed by death and that as concerning any hope of living again here in this world irrecoverably and this I conceive most probable to have been the drift of Iob in these words being the same in effect with that which he had said before vers 11 12. Vers 20. Thou prevailest for ever against him and he passeth thou changest his countenance and sendest him away That is it is alwaies thus be a man never so strong die he must if thou contendest with him he must needs sink under thine hand and that irrecoverably it being altogether impossible that he should resist the stroke of thine hand his comelinesse and beauty thou soon turnest into a ghastly ashy palenesse and so sendest him packing out of this world Vers 21. His sons come to honour and he knoweth it not c. This may be meant either of man after death as in reference to what he had said immediately before concerning mans passing away out of this world to wit that after that he never knoweth more what is done here in this world whether his children live in prosperity or misery it is all one to him for he knoweth not how it fares with them and then it is added to shew how absolutely men are by death cut off from all possible communion with those that remain behind them Or else it may be meant of man when he is dying to wit either that through the anguish and extremity of pain and misery which he endures he regards no earthly thing how nearly soever it concerns him be his children in a prosperous or in a mean condition he minds it not it works in him neither joy nor sorrow or else that this is one part of his misery that dying he knoweth not what shall become of his children Vers 22. But his flesh upon him shall have pain and his soul within him shall mourn Those Expositours that understand the foregoing words of man after death must needs find it too difficult to give a reason how after that this should come in But his flesh upon him shall have pain c. Yet two severall waies they alledge how this may be inferred upon that which went before though so understood for 1. Some take the words to be a figurative and poeticall expression of the sad condition of a man cut off by death his flesh upon him shall have pain alluding to the worms gnawing the flesh of his
works Is not God in the height of heaven and behold the height of the stars how high they are as if he had said If the stars be so high that we cannot see how many or of what bignesse they are how can we then comprehend the wisedome power and justice of God who is above the stars even higher then the highest heavens But instead of inferring this from Gods being on high you Iob inferre atheisticall conclusions concerning God thou sayest How doth God know c. 3. Others take these words to be prefixed as an expression of the omniscience of God Is not God in the height of heaven and behold the height of the stars how high they are as if he had said God is infinite and from the throne of his majesty in the highest heavens he seeth and governeth all things that are here below if the stars that are so high do from thence shine upon us is it not easie thence to conclude that God from on high doth behold all things that are done upon the earth and that hereupon in the following verse he upbraids Iob with the impiety of his thoughts And thou sayest How doth God know c. and 4. Others say that Eliphaz having in the foregoing verses charged Iob with many grievous sins adviseth him here to remember that there was a most high God before whom he must expect to give an account for these things that he had done and in expressing this he mentions the height of the heavens above which God sits in the throne of his majesty and glory because though God may be seen in every creature that is here below yet the height and glory of the heavens must needs above other things strike men with an apprehension of Gods transcendent majesty And then in the following verses they say that Eliphaz shews how instead of being awed thus with the consideration of Gods dwelling on high he took occasion from thence to conclude that surely God did neither see nor regard what was done upon the earth And thou sayest How doth God know can he judge through the dark cloud Vers 14. Thick clouds are a covering to him that he seeth not and he walketh in the circuit of heaven This phrase of Gods walking in the circuit of heaven is used to imply either that God there delights himself in the glorious works which his own hands have there made as when a man walks about in his grounds and gardens or as when a prince walks about in some goodly pallace that he hath built and so minds not those things that are done below or that he is taken up with the care of governing and ordering the heavens as when a man walks about in his own possessions or in some other place whereof he hath the charge to search and see what is fit to be done and so being busied in those things he cannot mind these things that are beneath for the mention that is made here of the circuit of heaven seems purposely to imply that in so vast a circuit as that of the heavens God had enough to doe though he troubled not himself with those things that are done here in this world Vers 15. Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden By the old way which wicked men have trodden is meant either the miserable end which of old even from the first hath ever at last befallen wicked men as death is called the way of all the earth Iosh 23.14 the course which God hath at last taken with them or else the way of profanenesse wherein wicked men have of old in all ages walked to wit that not minding God they have taken liberty to doe what they list themselves as if God regarded not what men doe here below yea particularly it may be meant of the way of the old world whom God destroyed as will be more evident in the following verse And then by asking whether he had marked the old way which wicked men have trodden he demanded whether observing their waies he had not taken notice that the wrath of God hath alwaies at last fallen upon them Vers 16. Which were cut down out of time whose foundation was overflown with a floud If we understand this as most probably we may of the destruction of the old world there is nothing difficult in it for we know that their foundation that is the earth whereon they lived was overflown with a floud of waters But it may also be meant of wicked men in generall to wit that in all Ages they have been cut down out of time that is suddenly even in an instant or by an untimely death namely when by the ordinary course of nature they might have lived longer or before they could accomplish their hopes and aimes And then for the second clause whose foundation was overflown with a floud the meaning may be that the wrath or judgements of God coming upon them with sudden and unresistable violence as an overflowing floud did utterly wash and sweep away their foundation that is those riches and honours which they had already attained and which they had laid as a foundation or ground-work of a greater eminency which they aimed at or it carried away them and all that they had even to the very foundation all their children their riches their friends their plots and designes whatever was the support of their lives and estates or whereon they rested as their foundation and refuge Vers 17. Which said unto God Depart from us Thus in a way of derision he repeats the very words of Iob chap. 21.14 of which see the Note there but in a contrary sense as if he had said These whose foundation is overflown with a floud are those that said unto God Depart from us and not those that God prospers as you affirmed Vers 18. Yet he filled their houses with good things but the counsell of the wicked is farre from me That is as some say yet thou affirmest that in stead of overflowing their foundation with a floud God filled their houses with good things and withall boastest that notwithstanding the counsell of the wicked is farre from thee Thus I say some Expositours take these words to be only a scornfull rehearsall of what Iob had said But I rather think that Eliphaz here expresseth his own thoughts and that the first clause yet he filled their houses with good things is added either as only to yield that a while God did greatly prosper those whom yet afterwards he destroyed or rather as an aggravation of their wickednesse both in that they could so unthankfully despise God who had given them outward blessings in so great abundance and in that they could so boldly deny the Providence of God and slight him as if he could doe nothing for them when God had with so open a hand conferred many good things upon them And then for the following clause but the counsell of the wicked is farre from me therein he
when they come to apprehend them or when they are cut off by sentence passed upon them Or their inheritance in the land is barren covered over with weeds and briars Or they are cursed even here while they are upon earth where they seem to live in a very happy condition because the curse of God shall be at last upon all their earthly concernments and perhaps their posteritie too either by wasting and consuming it or by causing all that they have to tend to their hurt He beholdeth not the way of the vineyards that is they flie not so farre as the vineyards though usually in the suburbs of the cities before they be apprehended and taken Or even their vineyards are so cursed with barrennesse that they take no pleasure to visit them and to look upon them And if it be objected that if we understand these words thus that which Job saith here should contradict what he had said before concerning wicked mens running on unpunished and living in a prosperous condition see the answer to this in the Note chap. 21.17 Vers 19. Drought and heat consume the snow waters so doth the grave those which have sinned That is As the earth when it is drie by the heat of the weather doth soon drink up the waters of the melted snow that lay unmelted all the winter so doth the grave at last swallow up the wicked when they had run on in sin to that very time And I conceive that doubtlesse the drift of the words is to shew that after those wicked wretches had lived such an abominable and damnable life as he had now described yet they died at length an ordinarie naturall death as other men die without the least visible sign of the vengeance of God upon them more then there is in the death of other men Job had in a manner said the same before chap. 21.13 concerning which see the Note there For whether by their passing away as the snow-waters is meant their dying suddenly or their wasting away by degrees the aime of the words is certainly to shew that they are gathered to the grave at last as other men are We have the like expressions Psal 58.8 As a snail which melteth let every one of them passe away and Psal 68.2 As the wax melteth before the fire so let the wicked perish And this Exposition is indeed most suitable to the scope of Job in this place which is to shew that God doth not manifest his wrath against all wicked men neither whilst they live nor when they die But yet some learned Expositours do rather take the words to be a description of the sad conclusion and miserable end of sinners wicked and ungodly men to wit that they are for their sins cut off in a way of wrath and whilst the righteous in death triumph over death and cannot be cut off from their spirituall blisse death doth absolutely triumph over the wicked and doth wholly consume and swallow up them and all their happinesse Vers 20. The womb shall forget him c. That is His wife or rather his mother and so consequently all his dearest and nearest friends shall utterly forget him Or He shall perish and be forgotten as if he had never been conceived and born into the world Some conceive that this as that did in the foregoing verse referres to the easinesse of the wicked mans death as the cause why his friends the sooner forget his death they shall not be grieved or troubled at his death because he died so easie a death to which purpose is that also which follows the worm shall feed sweetly on him that is say some It shall be sweet and delightfull to him that the worms feed on him an expression like that chap. 21.33 the clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him concerning which see the Note there Or rather the worms shall make a sweet banquet of him he that had wont to feed on sin and to make a prey of others shall then become a prey to the worms to whom his flesh shall be sweet-meat The summe of all is that he shall fare no worse in the grave then others fare He shall be no more remembred that is there shall be no remarkable stroke of judgement in his death to make him be talked of when he is gone and wickednesse shall be broken as a tree that is as an old rotten tree doth wast and moulder away piece-meals and by degrees till it be at last quite gone so shall the wicked man wast and consume away by degrees But then again others understand this also of the miserie and wretchednesse of wicked men in their death The womb shall forget him that is his nearest relations as they were wearie of him whilst he lived so being dead they shall scarce ever mind him or think of him more he shall be no more remembred that is he shall never be mentioned with honour but his name shall rot amongst men or he shall be forgotten as a man not worthy to be thought of and wickednesse shall be broken as a tree as a barren unfruitfull tree is cut down or grubbed up by the roots or as any other tree is violently shiver'd in pieces thrown down by a tempest or as a rotten and worm-eaten tree is easily broken or blown down by the wind and then never sprouts up again so wickednesse that is wicked men according as we find the like expression Psal 107.42 and all iniquity shall stop her mouth after they have flourished a while in their wickednesse shall be suddenly taken away by death and be cut off from amongst the living Vers 21. He evil intreateth the barren that beareth not and doth not good to the widow But rather hurt Under these two particulars of evil intreating the barren and doing no good to the widow all oppression of the needy and helplesse is comprehended and evil intreating the barren is made one of the great oppressions of the wicked because therein they did afflict those that were in a sad afflicted condition before and that had no children to rise up in their defence and if it be meant of the hard usage of their own wives when they were barren whom they should have comforted and who dare not mutter against them this must needs implie the greater cruelty Some conceive that this is added to shew why the wicked when they are dead are no more minded nor remembred as is said in the foregoing verse to wit because they were such mercilesse wretches whilst they lived evil intreating the barren c. But I rather conceive that Job here returns to set forth the wickednesse of those wretches whom notwithstanding God suffers to live in prosperity till they come at length to die in an ordinarie way as other men do Vers 22. He draweth also the mighty with his power c. Some understand this of Gods punishing wicked men to wit that when he begins to contend with the wicked he
subdues or brings under the mightiest of them as well as the meanest and so also they understand the following clause he riseth up that is God riseth up to contend with wicked men and no man is sure of life no man can secure himself against the killing stroke of Gods indignation or the discovery of Gods indignation makes every man afraid of his life But the tenor of the words sheweth clearly that Job still proceeds to describe the wickednesse of wretched men whom God notwithstanding prospers He draweth also the mighty with his power the meaning is either that by his power he procures the mighty to side with him judges and magistrates and great men and so this makes him terrible to others he riseth up and no man is sure of life or else that he draweth the mighty to wit into his net according to that Psal 10.9 he doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his net when he hath crushed the poor by his oppressions then encouraged hereby he layeth wait also for the mightie and subdues them and brings them into subjection to him even magistrates also and judges whereby likewise he subverts all publick order and government he riseth up and no man is sure of life that is if any man rise up to oppose this oppressour he shall but ruine and destroy himself thereby or Though the oppressour riseth up to make a Covenant of peace with men yet they are all of them for all that afraid of their lives there is no assurance in any vow or oath whereby he engageth himself Or rather he riseth up to contend with the mightie and the terrours of death presently seise upon them all But if we read this last clause as it is in the margin of our Bibles He riseth up and he trusteth not his own life either it is meant of the oppressed to wit that he riseth up namely to sue for favour to the oppressour or to flie from him but do what he will he trusteth not his own life but gives himself for a dead man because of the over-bearing power of his adversary or else of the oppressour to wit that when he riseth to contend with the mightie or every day he riseth he is afraid of his own life being still jealous as tyrants are wont to be that some body or other will kill him Vers 23. Though it be given him to be in safety whereon he resteth yet his eyes are upon their waies Some Expositours understand this thus that though the oppressed give gifts to the oppressour that he may thereby purchase his peace or though the oppressour grants this to the oppressed that he shall live in peace and safety by him and thereupon he rests upon this his covenant and promise that he will surely be as good as his word yet the oppressour keeps his eyes upon these to whom he hath thus engaged himself and watcheth all their waies and if he can but get the least advantage against them will be sure to crush them But there are severall other Expositions given of the words that seem farre better then this to wit 1. that though God gives to the oppressour that which may well in outward appearance secure him in peace and he rest hereon yet it is not because God is ignorant of his wicked courses seeing Gods eyes behold all his waies or 2. that though God lets him live in safetie and he rests hereon with great security yet Gods eyes are upon his waies to favour him and to blesse him or rather 3. that though it be given of God to wicked wretches that they live in peace and prosperitie and they resting hereupon are confident they shall never be moved yet God takes strict notice of all their wicked waies that he may be sure at last to charge them all upon them and that he may take the fittest time to destroy them Vers 24. They are exalted for a little while c. to wit both in estate and mind but are gone and brought low they are taken out of the way as all other that is for all their greatnesse on a sudden God pulls them down and they are gone and laid in the grave as other men and often after the same manner as others are and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn that is as high as they bear their heads they are cut down as the corn in harvest to wit easily and in a trice or not by any notorious judgement but by an ordinary naturall death when they come to ripenesse of years as the corn is ripe in harvest The drift of the verse may be to shew either that God cuts off the greatest of wicked men many times by a sudden stroke of judgement or else rather that after all their horrid wickednesse they are cut off by death in an ordinarie way as all other men are Vers 25. And if it be not so now who will make me a lyar and make my speech nothing worth That is If it be not as I have said that God many times prospers the wicked and afflicts the righteous let any man that will undertake to confute what I have spoken CHAP. XXV Vers 1. THen answered Bildad c. Eliphaz having replyed the third time upon Job chap. 22. it was now Bildads turn who still spake next after Eliphaz to reply again upon him which therefore he doth in this Chapter but very briefly either as finding Job too strong for them or as not having any thing in a manner to say but what he and his friends had said before or rather as concluding that because of Jobs obstinacie it was in vain indeed to talk any farther to him there having been abundantly enough already said to him but that nothing would convince him which may be the cause also why Zophar who should have replyed in the third place upon Job spake no more at all Vers 2. Dominion and fear are with him c. Because of these words with him some limit this to the Lords exercising of his Sovereigntie and the manifestation of his dreadfull Majestie in the heavens his dwelling-place to wit that he rules the Angels in heaven and that his presence there is so full of Majestie that those holy spirits out of reverence and fear do cover their faces before him But I conceive the words must be understood more generally Dominion and fear are with him that is God is the Sovereign Lord over all he it is that governs all things and hath absolute power over all things in heaven and in earth yea in regard of this his Majestie and power a terrible God he is and justly to be feared of all But why doth Bildad speak of this here I answer Some conceive that because Job had affirmed that many wicked men run on in their leud courses even to their dying day and are never punished therefore Bildad as apprehending this to be in effect a deniall of the power justice and providence of
it c. As if he should have said You are learned wise men men that observe the waies and works of God at least such you boast your selves to be and therefore herein I dare appeal to your selves concerning the truth of that which I have said and that which I shall now farther say you your selves have known it and have seen it so in your own experience But what was it they had seen Some referre it to that which he had said concerning his innocency some to that foregoing observation of his that he had not carried himself in his distresse as hypocrites used to do But I conceive it is best referred to that which he meant now to teach them as he had said in the foregoing verse concerning Gods dispensing the same both blessings and afflictions to the wicked and to the righteous This saith he ye your selves have seen and then he adds why then are ye thus altogether vain that is why do you so vainly conclude that God alwaies punisheth wicked men and prospers the righteous and thereupon condemn me for an hypocrite why do you multiply words nothing to the purpose not giving any one solid answer to that which I have objected and yet persevere in condemning me upon grounds so palpably false Vers 13. This is the portion of a wicked man with God and the heritage of oppressours c. Zophar had said the very same in effect chap. 20.29 of which see the Note there and therefore some think that Job in this and the following verses doth only alledge what his friends had said and that to shew why he had charged them in the foregoing verse that they were altogether vain to wit that they had said This is the portion of a wicked man with God c. But I doubt not but Job delivers this as his own judgement And yet he doth not hereby recant what he had formerly said concerning the prosperity of the wicked nor yield to that which his friends had hitherto maintained to wit that God doth alwaies manifest his indignation against wicked men by punishing them here in this world only to clear his meaning in that he had said concerning the prosperous condition of the wicked to shew that he was willing to yield to all that was truth in that which his friends had said and that so much he was able to say as well as they he grants them here thus much that indeed many times the prosperity of the wicked did end in extreme misery though they might long live free from punishment yet often that befell them at last even here in this world which God who is Almighty had appointed them for their portion and inheritance and therefore the mightiest of these oppressours are not able to resist it and then afterwards he adds what it was wherein he opposed his friends to wit that it was not alwaies thus but that many times on the other side in his secret wisedome whereof he speaks much in the following chapter the righteous were afflicted sorely whilst the wicked lived in great prosperity Vers 14. If his children be multiplyed it is for the sword c. Against which though they be never so many they shall not be able to defend themselves and so that which might seem to the wicked man at first a pledge of Gods favour shall be found at last to have been given merely for the encrease of his future misery that he might have many children to be devoured by the sword to wit the sword of Gods vengeance or rather the sword of an enemy for the following clause makes this later Exposition the more probable and his off-spring shall not be satisfied with bread that is they shall not only live in penury and want but shall even perish by famine Vers 15. Those that remain of him shall be buried in death c. That is those of his children and childrens children that remain and are not cut off by sword or famine shall die yet of some other disease and so shall be buried though they lived as if they should never die yet they shall be buried in death that is they shall die and being dead shall be buried I know there are divers other Expositions given of these words as thus they shall be buried in death that is they shall die and rot when they die and that shall be all their buriall according to that Jer. 16.4 Or they shall be buried in death that is whilst they are yet dying before the breath be well out of their bodies at least so soon as ever they are dead they shall be presently clapped into the grave without any funerall rites and solemnities Or they shall be buried in death that is so soon as they are dead they shall be buried in oblivion their name and memory shall be buried with them Or they shall be buried in death that is in the grave which is called the chambers of death Prov. 7.27 But the first Exposition is I conceive as the plainest so the best And as for the following clause And his widows shall not weep it is expressed in the plurall number his widows either because they had in those times many wives or else because it comprehends the widows of the wicked mans whole family and by not weeping is meant either that through extreme penury they should not be able to make any funerall for him or else that indeed they should not mourn for his death and that either because their miseries should be so many and so exceeding great that being as it were stupified thereby they should not be able to weep or else rather because they should be indeed glad that they were rid of him Vers 18. He buildeth his house as a moth c. It may be said that the wicked man buildeth his house as a moth 1. because he builds it with much pains and skill as the moth makes her nest 2. because he doth even wast himself in the doing of it even as a moth makes her bag or silken woolly nest out of her own bowels 3. because he builds his house with the spoil and ruine of others as the moth eats the garment where she builds her nest But 4. that which I conceive is chiefly intended is because though he buildeth his house as if he hoped to dwell there for ever yet both he and it shall suddenly be destroyed as when the moth is quickly brushed or shaken out of the garment where she had made her nest For upon the like ground Bildad had before compared the wicked mans house to the house of a spider chap. 8.14 of which see the Note there And to the same purpose in the next clause it is said that it shall be as a booth that the keeper maketh For if it be meant of those that are set to keep a vineyard or a garden of fruits they use only to make some slight booth of the boughs of trees and perhaps stollen out of the neighbours hedges
justifying of God and that because he had already spoken a long time together Vers 3. I will fetch my knowledge from afarre c. As if he should have said In declaring what I know concerning the Question in hand namely whether thou hast done well in charging God for dealing too severely with thee I will open the matter as it were from the very foundations But yet what he means by these words from afarre it is not easie to determine Some think that his meaning was that he would utter nothing but what by inspiration from God he knew to be so he would not speak what he in his reason might apprehend to be right but what he had by speciall enlightning from above and therefore was sure it was true And then again others understand it thus that he would fetch his proofs for the justifying of God from the eternall nature of God or from the works of creation as we see towards the end of this chapter he argues from those meteors of rain thunder and lightning c. and these things he calls knowledge from afarre either because the things he meant to speak of were of a high nature farre remote from us and not easily comprehended by humane reason or because they were such things as had been from the first creation yea as concerning the nature of God from all eternity or because they might seem to be farre from the matter in question though indeed they were principles and generall grounds from whence that truth which he was to maintain might be unquestionably concluded and proved As for the following clause and will ascribe righteousnesse to my maker in these words my maker Elihu implyes that in regard he had his being from God he was bound to plead his cause and withall he might intend thereby covertly to charge Job with being ungratefully injurious to his Creatour Vers 4. For truly my words shall not be false he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee This last clause many good Expositours understand of God and so hold that Elihu doth hereby put Job in mind either that he had to deal with God who was perfect in knowledge as being omniscient who could not therefore through any mistake deal unjustly with him or that God who was perfect in knowledge spake now to him by him that he would not speak any thing of his own head but what he received by inspiration from God in whose stead he now spake unto him But more generally it is held that Elihu doth modestly here speak of himself in the third person as the Apostle also doth 2 Cor. 12.2 3. He that is perfect in knowledge is with thee as if he should have said You have one to argue with you that is found in judgement and sincere in his intentions towards you one that understands the cause we have in hand throughly and that will in all things deal uprightly with you Vers 5. Behold God is mighty and despiseth not any he is mighty in strength and wisedome How Gods justice may be proved from his power and wisedome see in the Note chap. 9.4 Here these two are joyned together God is mighty and despiseth not any to shew that as he needs not fear those that are great so neither doth he despise either great or small because of his own supereminent greatnesse he makes not so light esteem of any as therefore to afflict them causelesly or not to care what injury he doth them And herein also it may well be that Elihu had respect to some speeches of Jobs wherein he might apprehend that Job had complained of God that he carried all by his absolute power and that by reason of the dread thereof he could not plead his cause before him as chap. 10.3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppresse that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands and chap. 30.21 Thou art become cruell to me with thy strong hand thou opposest thy self against me and in divers other places Vers 6. He preserveth not the life of the wicked but giveth right to the poor That is He doth not safeguard them in favour as esteeming them precious in his sight though he may see cause to keep them alive for a time but he pleads the poors cause against them though a while he may let them be oppressed Vers 7. He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous c. That is He never forgets nor forsakes them but with Kings are they on the throne yea he doth establish them for ever that is he continues them even unto death in those places of dignity whereto he hath advanced them and often too their children after them As for the last clause and they are exalted the meaning of that is either that thus they are exalted maugre all opposition that may be made against them or that being thus advanced they rise in power and glory still more and more Some understand it of their exaltation to heavenly glory after death and others of their being puffed up in their minds and spirits but the former Expositions are more probable Vers 8. And if they be bound in fetters c. That is If the righteous whether those that God had exalted or others come to be streightned with affliction It is probable that he alludes to that expression of Jobs Thou puttest my feet in the stocks chap. 13.27 Vers 12. But if they obey not they shall perish by the sword c. That is God shall slay them in his anger and they shall die without knowledge that is in their folly not knowing why Gods hand is upon them or for their folly because they would not learn by Gods corrections Yet most probably it is thought by some that Elihu still speaks here of the just mentioned before vers 7. who indeed may be cut off by death for their folly according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.30 31 32. for this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep and that he speaks not of the wicked till the following verse Vers 13. But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath c. That is say some Expositours they grow more and more enraged against God But rather the meaning is that they by their obstinacy and sinning more and more yea even in their afflictions do treasure up wrath to themselves against the day of wrath they cry not when he bindeth them that is they call not upon God when he afflicts them as not acknowledging that God doth punish them for their sins or being every way of irreligious and profane spirits Vers 14. They die in youth and their life is among the unclean Or among the Sodomites The meaning is that their life is cut off after the same manner as those are cut off that are most hatefull to God and man as being most abominably wicked namely that they are punished with as much severity and are cut off by some vile and shamefull death and that in
when he speaks still of the works of God in the first and third day of the Creation and of the stars he speaks afterward vers 31 32. Vers 8. Or who shut up the sea with doores when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb Some understand this of the first creating of the waters together with the earth and then the womb out of which as in a moment they suddenly brake forth must be the womb of Gods almighty power or eternall decree and that which is said of Gods shutting up these waters as with doores is meant of Gods holding in the waters in their circumference about the earth as they were in that first instant of their creation when the earth round about lay overwhelmed therein as in a deep and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters Gen. 1.2 But others again understand it of the breaking forth of the waters out of that Chaos or deep of earth and water wherein they were at first created as if it had issued out of the womb to wit when God said on the third day Gen. 1.9 Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place and then the doores wherewith it was shut up are the sea shores wherein it is held And indeed because it is this gathering together of the waters that can properly be called the sea and because in the following verse he speaks of binding up the waters with a cloud and the clouds were not created till the second day I should think this last Exposition the best unlesse rather we understand it of both joyntly together Vers 9. When I made the cloud the garment thereof and thick darknesse a swadling-band for it Following the Metaphor in the foregoing verse where the sea was compared to a new-born babe here he speaks of swadling of it with a cloud and darknesse and that to intimate the mighty power of God who can turn and wind and bind up at his pleasure the huge Ocean sea as easily as a nurse doth her sucking child Now according to the different Exposition of the foregoing verse if we understand it of the first creation of the waters then the garment and swadling-band wherewith God bound up these waters must be that darknesse wherewith as with a black cloud that confused Chaos of earth and water was overspread the light not being then as yet created as it is expressed Gen. 1.2 and darknesse was upon the face of the Deep but if we understand it of the gathering together of those waters into one place to make the sea then the thick and black clouds wherewith God compassed the earth and the sea round about are the garment and swadling-band wherein God hath bound it Vers 10. And brake up for it my decreed place c. To wit those hollow places in the earth wherein God laid the sea as it were in a cradle concerning which see the Note Gen. 1.9 And for the following words and set bars and doores c. see the Note chap. 26.10 Vers 12. Hast thou commanded the morning since thy daies and caused the day-spring to know his place That is Didst thou ever in all thy time by thy command cause the Sun to arise at any other time or at any other place then according to its ordinary course or rather because the Lord seems here to proceed to speak of the works of creation on the fourth day when the Sun and other the lights of heaven were made Didst thou at first establish the vicissitude of day and night and appoint at what severall times and in what severall points of the heaven the Sun should arise and the day-light break forth sometimes sooner and sometimes later sometimes in one part of the heaven and sometimes in another according to the severall seasons of summer and winter Vers 13. That it might take hold of the ends of the earth c. That is That from the place where it riseth it might in an instant as in the twinckling of an eye passe to the uttermost parts of the earth and indeed because the morning light doth so speedily spread it self from one end of the heaven to the other therefore doth David ascribe wings to the morning Psal 139.9 If saith he I take the wings of the morning c. But how do the next words come in that the wicked might be shaken out of it what can the spreading of the morning light to the ends of the earth doe to the shaking of the wicked out of it that is to the destroying of the wicked I answer Some Expositours hold that this is here inserted not to imply that the rising of the morning light is any cause of the destroying of wicked men but only because as the Sun riseth daily so the wicked are day by day destroyed and cut off by the just judgements of God as men not worthy to behold the light of the Sun and hence it is that though God cuts off wicked men by night as well as by day yet having spoken of the rising of the morning light that he might follow on the same Metaphor he speaks only of cutting them off by day as men unworthy to enjoy the light of the day That it might take hold of the ends of the earth that the wicked might be shaken out of it as if he had said Art thou the cause that the morning light takes hold of the ends of the earth and that the wicked are then cut off as men not worthy to see the light And this is the reason too that though good men die daily as well as wicked men yet he speaks not of them but of the wicked only because to the godly death is only a passage to a better life and they cannot properly be said to be shaken out of the earth as wicked men may be who are as it were with violence turned out of the world and out of all the felicity they could hope to enjoy here and thrust out into utter darknesse But because the words in the following verse seem to speak of the effects of the morning light I cannot think it so probable that this should not also be understood so Now there are two other Expositions given of the words that make the morning light the cause that the wicked are shaken out of the earth The first is that by means of the morning light they are cut off and destroyed from the earth either because thereby they are discovered and known or because thereby they are apprehended carried before the judgement seat and so are cut off as malefactours and so are shaken out of the earth as a man would shake moths or dust from off a garment which may be judged the more probable if it were the custome of those times as some say it was early in the morning to sit upon the tryall and judgement of malefactours whereon they say that of the prophet is grounded Jer. 21.12 Oh house of David
my mountain to stand strong that is thou hast by thy favour most firmly established and strengthened my kingdome above danger of any opposition and it is likely too that in this expression he alluded to mount Sion where he had built himself a palace and had made it the chief seat of his kingdome And this is here alledged as the occasion of his growing so secure namely because his kingdome was so settled and become so strong every way that there seemed to be no fear of a change Yet withall there seems to be likewise an intimation in these words that seeing it was of Gods favour that his kingdome was so settled it was a folly in him to grow so carnally secure merely because he saw himself so strongly settled since he might well think that it was easie for him that had so settled him to unsettle him again as he acknowledgeth in the following words that God did Thou didst hide thy face that is thou wert offended with me for this my carnall confidence and security and didst withdraw thy wonted help and protection and I was troubled that is I fell into great distresse and thereby was oppressed with much sorrow and anguish of mind Vers 9. What profit is there in my bloud when I goe down to the pit c. Because the life of every living creature is said to be in the bloud Gen. 9.4 therefore some Expositours understand this clause thus What profit is there in my bloud c. that is What profit is there in my life as if he should have said Of what avail will it be that I have lived hitherto if I be now cut off when being settled in my kingdome I have more power to promote the cause of religion and to doe good to thy people then formerly But doubtlesse by his bloud here is meant his death and that which he intends in these words is that if he should be cut off either by his enemies or by Gods immediate hand he should not then be able to praise his name as he should if his life were prolonged see the Note Psal 6.5 which is evident in the following clause shall the dust praise thee shall it declare thy truth that is the truth of thy promises or thy faithfulnesse in performing thy promises And it is like he mentioneth this purposely to intimate his hope that God would perform his promise made to him concerning settling the kingdome upon him and his seed Vers 11. Thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladnesse That is Upon my prayer to thee thou hast turned my sorrow into joy Thou hast put off my sackcloth which they used to wear in times of great sorrow especially when with penitent hearts they humbled themselves before God to beg mercy at his hands and girded me with gladnesse that is with garments of joy or rather thou didst compasse me with gladnesse giving me abundance of joy as Psal 18.32 thou hast girded me with strength that is thou hast made me very strong Vers 12. To the end my glory may sing praise to thee c. See the Note Gen. 49.6 PSALM XXXI Vers 1. IN thee O Lord do I put my trust let me never be ashamed See the Note Psal 25.2 Many Expositours are of opinion that the occasion of composing this Psalm was Davids distresse when the men of Keilah were likely to have delivered him up to Saul and when immediately after that Saul had in a manner hemmed him in in the wildernesse of Maon 1 Sam. 23.12 26 and indeed many passages in the Psalm seem to favour this conjecture as shall be noted in the severall places where it is so But yet it is but a conjecture Deliver me in thy righteousnesse See the Note Psal 5.8 Vers 2. Deliver me speedily This he adds because help would else come too late In 1 Sam. 23.26 it is said David made haste to get away for fear of Saul Vers 3. For thy names sake lead me and guide me That is direct me in the way wherein I should goe shew me what I should doe and carry me on therein with a supporting hand Yea some think that he useth these two words lead me and guide me both in a manner of the same signification to imply that he desired Gods help not only in his present streights but likewise after that still in all the difficulties he should fall into See the Notes also 1 Sam. 12.22 and Psal 25.11 Vers 4. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me c. Such as was that when the Ziphites observed the place where David hid himself and discovered it to Saul 1 Sam. 23.19 c. See the Note Psal 25.15 Vers 5. Into thine hand I commit my spirit c. To wit for the preservation of my life and however for the saving of my soul even in death it self as if he had said Having no power to secure my self I commit my soul and consequently my whole man into thine hands as confidently relying both on thine almighty power and wisedome and fatherly care over me and withall as willingly resigning my self to be disposed of by thee as thou art pleased Thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth that is thou hast at other times delivered me out of great dangers which makes me with confidence now to rely upon thee the God of truth who art still the same thou hast alwaies been and never failest to perform thy promises and in this David might have respect to the promise made to him concerning the kingdome But yet some understand this clause of our Redemption by Christ as if he had said Thou hast redeemed me to thy self from eternall death and therefore being thine and purchased to thy self by so great a price I am resolved living or dying to rely upon thee Vers 6. I have hated them that regard lying vanities That is that do so mind and esteem vain hopes or any outward things whereon it is in vain for men to hope as indeed they that hope in any thing but God hope in lying vanities that will deceive them that either they rely thereon themselves or would draw others to doe so Some I know would limit this to idols see the Note 1 Kings 16.13 others to soothsayers to which in those East countries they were much addicted But it is better understood more generally Vers 7. Thou hast known my soul in adversities See the Note Psal 1.6 Vers 8. And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy c. As indeed he was like to have been by the men of Keilah 1 Sam. 23.7 Saul said God hath delivered him into mine hand for he is shut in and afterwards by Saul in the wildernesse of Maon vers 26. Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them For the next words thou hast set my feet in a large room see the Notes 2 Sam. 22.20 and Psal 4.2 Vers 9. Mine eye
therein is 1. that they might be hardened in their sins and so might never repent and become righteous or 2. which implyes the same that God would not justify them Let them not come into thy righteousnesse that is Do not pronounce them righteous let them not partake of that righteousnesse or faithfulnesse whereby thou art alwaies certainly wont to absolve and justify those that do truly believe and repent see the Note Psal 51.14 and so it is the same with that which is added in the next verse that they might not be numbered amongst the righteous or 3. which I like the best that they might never come into heaven for that is indeed called righteousnesse elsewhere as Psal 24.5 concerning which see the Note there Vers 28. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living c. That is Let them not be of the number of those that were from all eternity chosen and ordained both to the life of grace and of glory hereafter and accordingly when they die let them be cast into hell as it seems to be more clearly expressed in the following clause and not be written with the righteous Yet withall I conceive that this phrase of blotting them out of the book of the living may also imply a desire that however by outward profession they might be of the number of those that were the Church and people of God and thereupon might accordingly hope and boast that their names were written in heaven yet God would not own them for such yea that God would manifest that they were reprobates to wit either by casting them out of the Church as we see the Jews are not now the people of God but the Gentiles are succeeded in their room or by casting them out into utter darknesse The expression here used is the same with that Ezek. 13.9 concerning the false prophets they shall not be in the assembly of my people neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel c. I know indeed some understand both of being cut off by death But for this and other things see the Note Exod. 32.34 Vers 29. But I am poor and sorrowfull c. That is afflicted and broken-hearted see Psal 40.17 yet some apply it to the poverty and low estate of Christ let thy salvation O God set me on high that is let it set me above the reach of mine enemies see the Note Psal 28.9 But this too some understand of Christs ascension Vers 31. This also c. Having said in the foregoing verse I will praise the name of God c. he adds This also shall please the Lord better then an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs and either the drift of these last words that hath horns and hoofs is to set forth what bullock he meant to wit one that was young and tender whose horns began to bud forth and whose hoofs began to harden or one that was for years ripe and fit for sacrifice thereby to set forth that thanksgiving was more acceptable to God then any the choicest sacrifice or else they are added by way of slighting those legall sacrifices of brute beasts in comparison of that reasonable service of praise as if he had said the calves of our lips so the prophet calls our praising God Hos 14.2 is a sacrifice far more acceptable to the Lord then calves or bullocks that have horns and hoofs Vers 32. The humble shall see this and be glad c. See the Notes Psal 34.2 and 40.3 and your hearts shall live that seek God that is your hearts that were in a manner dead within you because of mine or your own sad distresses shall be revived again see the Note Psal 22.26 Vers 33. For the Lord heareth the poor and despiseth not his prisoners That is his servants that are brought into the straights of any distresse by Gods afflicting hand for their sins or those that are persecuted and bound for his sake or for his truth and cause Vers 35. For God will save Sion and will build the cities of Iudah c. David foreseeing by the spirit of prophesy the great calamities that would befall the land and people of Israel in succeeding times doth here foretell for the encouragement of the faithfull that the reformation begun amongst them by the setting up of his throne should be carried on that God would preserve Sion the place of his publick worship with which he begins because the maintenance of Gods worship was the foundation of all their happinesse and that he would cause the whole kingdome to prosper and flourish unto the coming of Christ of whose kingdome his was a type and withall the same he intends also concerning the Church of Christ Gods spirituall Sion see the Note Psal 2.6 that they may dwell there and have it in possession that is that the faithfull Israelites may dwell long in Sion and in the land of Canaan see the Note 2 Sam. 7.10 and that the faithfull may continue in the Church and after this life may dwell for ever in the heavenly Canaan Vers 36. The seed also of his servants shall inherit it c. This must be understood as the former verse 1. of the faithfull Israelites continuing in the land which God had given them and some understand it of the times when the Jews shall be converted to Christ and 2. of the true believers abiding in the Church and at last for ever with God in heaven PSALM LXX Vers 1. MAke haste O God to deliver me c. See the Notes Psal 40.13 c. where we have this whole Psalm almost word for word PSALM LXXI Vers 1. IN thee O Lord do I put my trust c. Many passages in this Psalm make it most probable that this Psalm was composed by David in his old age when his son Absalom was risen up against him see vers 9 and 18. But for the two first verses see the Notes Psal 31.1 2. Vers 7. I am as a wonder unto many c. That is say some Expositours either 1. because thou hast so wondrously advanced me raising me from keeping sheep to sit on the throne of Israel and hast alwaies hitherto so miraculously preserved me or 2. because I walk so strictly and because my waies seem so strange to them in that I restrain my self from that liberty and from those pleasures to which others give up themselves and can so willingly expose my self to so great troubles for conscience sake and then bear them too with patience and chearfulnesse according to that which Peter saith to the faithfull in those times 1 Pet. 4 4· they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excesse of riot or 3. because thou hast now forsaken me who have alwaies served thee so constantly and trusted in thee with so much confidence But I rather conceive the meaning is that because of his uncouth waies and because of the grievous afflictions
for the clearing and avenging of mine integrity and though all the world condemn me yet as long as thou dost approve me that is a sufficient praise to me But however because it is generally thought that it was Doeg or as some think Saul against whom particularly David prayes in this Psalm as ver 6 c. set thou a wicked man over him c. it is most probable that this Psalm was composed in the time of Davids troubles under Saul and withall because one clause of this Psalm vers 8. let another take his office or charge is by the Apostle Peter applyed to Judas Act. 1.20 therefore it is also clear that David speaks here of himself in the person of Christ as foretelling by the spirit of prophesy that it would hereafter fare with Christ as it then fared with him and so in reference to Christ the drift of these words may be the same with that branch of Christs prayers Joh. 17.1 Father glorify thy Son that thy Son may glorify thee c. Vers 2. For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitfull are opened against me c. See the foregoing Note as also the Notes 1 Sam. 24.9 and Psal 43.1 In reference to Christ this may be meant of those clamours of the Jews Crucifie him crucifie him as likewise of the flatteries of Judas and others when they meant to betray him and so likewise the following words they have spoken against me with a lying tongue may be meant of the many horrible slanders which they cast upon Christ Vers 3. They compassed me about also with words of hatred and fought against me without a cause See Joh. 15.24 25. Vers 4. For my love they are my adversaries but I gave my self to prayer That is I think not of requiting evil for evil but flying to God by prayer is my only defence and refuge see the Note Psal 35.13 and 69.13 How this was accomplished in Christ and particularly in his praying for those that crucified him Luk. 23.34 we may easily conceive Vers 6. Set thou a wicked man over him c. This may be taken as spoken indefinitely of every one of his enemies before-mentioned and some conceive it was accomplished when the Romans came to tyrannize with such horrible cruelty over the Jews or of some one that was the chief and the most mischievous amongst them the head and the ring-leader of all the rest And therefore taking the words as spoken by David with reference to himself the most Expositours hold that this is meant of Doeg who did not only incense Saul against him more then any of his enemies besides but also caused a whole city and family of the priests to be cruelly slaughtered for his sake But taking them as spoken with reference to Christ it is clearly meant of Judas who was guide to them that took Iesus Act. 1.16 and to whom Peter doth expresly apply one branch of these curses Act 1.20 As for this first imprecation it is meant of appointing some wicked cruell tyrant to exercise dominion over him at his will and pleasure And the very same in effect may be intended also in the next clause if we read it as it is in the margin of our Bibles and let an adversary stand at his right hand that is let him have some powerfull and bitter enemy continually with him that may diligently watch and vex and pursue him and that may continually oppose and hinder him in all that he undertakes for standing may imply all assiduity and diligence in doing these things the standing of an enemy at the right hand of a man gives him an advantage to hinder such a one in any thing he would doe Yet I know there are some Expositours that understand both clauses in a more restrained sense Set thou a wicked man over him to wit to be his judge and let an adversary stand at his right hand to wit to accuse him But now reading the second clause as it is in our Bibles and let Satan stand at his right hand that which is hereby desired must needs be that the devil might be still powerfull with him to lead him into any wickednesse and afterwards to accuse him and to terrify him and at last to drag him to eternall perdition and indeed of Judas it is expresly noted what power the devil had over him as that it was the devil that put it into his heart to betray Christ Joh. 13.2 and vers 27. that after the sop Satan entered into him And just indeed it was that he should be subject to the devil that would not be subject to Christ As concerning the lawfulnesse of these curses see the Note Psal 28.4 Vers 7. When he shall be judged let him be condemned let his prayer become sin That is If he begs for mercy instead of finding mercy thereby let his entreaties enrage the judge the more and provoke him to greater wrath against him But this may be also understood with reference to Gods tribunal When he shall be judgeed let him be condemned c. that is When he shall at his going out of this world be judged by the Lord let him be condemned without mercy and though he shall then pray to God for the pardon of his sins yet let them not be pardoned but let his prayer adde to the number of his sins Vers 8. Let his daies be few c. That is Let him live but a while after his sin or rather Let him be cut off by an untimely death which how it was accomplished in Judas we see Matth. 27.5 and with reference to this place Christ spake that of Judas Joh. 17.12 those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost but the son of perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled and so likewise the Apostle Peter expresly said Act. 1.20 that the next clause and let another take his office was to be accomplished by chusing another Apostle into the room of Judas yet it may be meant of Doeg with reference to that office which he held under Saul 1 Sam. 21.17 and which doubtlesse puffed him up and made him the more insolently cruell to David and others Vers 10. Let his children be continuall vagabonds and begge let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places That is Let them come out of their plundered houses to begge bread of those that passe by or being driven out of their dwellings where they were spoyled of all they had let them go about from one place to another begging for bread Vers 11. Let the extortioner catch all he hath c. To wit by intangling him with bonds and other fraudulent oppressive courses as with so many pits and snares and thereby stripping him by degrees of all that he hath and let the stranger spoil his labour that is let him strip him of those things he hath gotten by much labour And by the stranger may be meant either
when these their evil courses shall bring misery upon them I shall heartily pray for them Vers 6. When their judges are overthrown in stony places c. That is When their princes rulers that are now mounted up in high places shall be utterly destroyed as men thrown headlong down from the top of high craggy rocks or as men that stumble in stony places some think that this might be prophetically spoken with reference to the overthrow of Saul his army on the mountains of Gilboa they shall hear my words that is the common people warned by their example shall then hearken to me The meaning is that when they should see how God had avenged him upon his persecutours and how unexpectedly he was advanced to the kingdome they would then be brought to a right understanding of him and of his cause and so would hear his words to wit when he should declare the righteousnesse of his cause or when he counselled them to take heed hereafter of joyning with wicked men in any sinfull waies For they are sweet that is though now they cannot relish them nor endure them yet they are good and profitable and then with comfort to themselves they shall accept them as such Some I know understand these last words of the judges themselves to wit that when Gods judgements should seise upon them they should then hear his words that is they should then call to mind what he had spoken to them and should approve of it wishing they had not stopped their ears against it But the former exposition I judge the best Vers 7. Our bones are scattered at the graves mouth as when one cutteth or cleaveth wood c. .1 Some understand this clause thus that David his friends followers were dispersed scattered abroad thereby in manifest danger of death 2. Some take it as an hyperbolicall expression of the terrours that often seized upon them that in their fears their bones were sometimes shaken as if they would fall asunder 3. Some take it to be a figurative expression of the desperate danger they were in as if he should have said We are all as dead men as it were at deaths door we are sure to be hacked hewed in pieces and so to be scattered abroad upon the earth whereever they light upon us if the Lord do not the more miraculously preserve us such traitours as they account us to be are like to find no mercy from them either dead or living this is that which Saint Paul cals the having the sentence of death before-hand in themselves 2 Cor. 1.9.4 Again others take it as a poetical expression of the barbarous cruelty of their enemies to wit that they used him and his party with as much inhumanity as if men should cut a mans throat then tear him in pieces before they would bury him And 5. others understand this literally that Saul and his party did thus use Davids followers if any of them were but at any time surprized to wit that they chopped them in pieces so left them unburied yea some adde that they digged up their dead bodies and bones and so scattered them about the graves mouth which I see not indeed why we should judge incredible considering with what exceeding rage Saul and his favourers did a long time make war against David PSALM CXLII Vers 2. I Poured out my complaint before him See the Notes 1 Sam. 1.15 Psal 42.4 and 62.8 Vers 3. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me c. That is When I was so perplexed that I was ready to faint or that I was at my wits end not knowing which way to turn my self see the Note Psal 61.2 then thou knewest my path which may be understood three severall waies either 1. that God knew the dangers he was in did accordingly deliver him to wit out of the snares which his enemies had laid for him of which he speaks in the following words in the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me or 2. that in those his troubles God knew approved his innocency though that could not hinder his enemies from laying snares for him or 3. that God knew the way whereby he might should be delivered though he for his part knew no way how to avoid their rage that because what way soever he took they had privily laid a snare for him Vers 4. I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was no man that would know me Either the right hand is only mentioned because that is the place for men to stand in for the defence of one they desire to aid according to that Psal 16.8 because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved for which see the Note there or else under the right hand the left is also comprehended Vers 5. Thou art my refuge and my portion c. See the Note Psal 16.5 in the land of the living see the Note Psal 27.13 It is as if he had said that even in this life he hoped to find God mercifull to him Vers 6. Bring my soul out of prison c. That is Bring me out of this cave wherein I am now forced to hide my self or out of these streights I am in being beset on every side as if I were in a prison the righteous shall compasse me about for thou shalt deal bountifully with me that is upon Gods delivering me the righteous will flock about me either to gaze at me as by way of admiring at the great things that God had done for me or to congratulate my deliverance to rejoyce and to praise God with me and for me or to hear what God had done for me or lastly to set the crown of Israel upon my head PSALM CXLIII Vers 1. IN thy faithfulnesse answer me and in thy righteousnesse See the note Psal 5.8 This is the last of those that are usually called the seven penitentiall Psalms See the Note on the Title Psal 6. Vers 3. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul he hath smitten my life down to the ground c. That is he hath brought me to the very gates of death to the pits brink he hath brought me to so low a condition that I look upon my self no otherwise then as a dead man see the Note Psal 7.5 he hath made me to dwell in darknesse as those that have been long dead that is he hath brought me into as hopelesse and desperate a condition as are those that are in the darknesse of the grave yea as those that have been long since rotted in the grave and I am as much disregarded in a manner and forgotten as they are see the Notes also Psal 88.5 6. Yet some understand all this of lying hid in dark caves of the earth during the long time of his banishment Vers 4. Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me c. See the Notes Psal 61.2 and 142.3 my heart
is to shed their own bloud But for my part I do rather look upon this as a farther confirmation of that which is noted before upon those words vers 11. to wit that Solomon did there expresse the sollicitations of that kind of men in those tearms Come let us lay wait for bloud c. not because he would have us think that they were wont to use any such language but only to intimate that whatever they might pretend this they would in the conclusion draw them to Yet withall I see not but that Solomon might use this as an argument to keep young men from hearkning to such evil counsellors yea though it be supposed that they had in expresse tearms encouraged them to lye in wait for bloud seeing the drift of these words for their feet run to evil c. might be all one in effect as if he had said thus Mind not so much the great riches they promise you in these waies as the evil sin they tempt you to which is no lesse then shedding bloud Vers 17. Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird According to this Translation of ours there are only two literall expositions that can be given of this parabolicall expression The first is that it is to no purpose for a fowler to spread a net in the sight of any bird because if she espies the net she will not come near it but will presently betake her self to her wings according to that of the Poet Quaeque nimis patent retia vitat avis and for this very reason it may be probably thought that it is in the Hebrew in the eyes of every thing that hath a wing And if we so understand it that which Solomon might intend thereby may be 1. to imply the reason why those robbers of whom he had spoken do lurk in thickets lye in wait in secret places to wit because otherwise they should be frustrated of their hopes purposes as the unskilfull fowler is when his nets are seen 2. to shew how little assurance those men have that run these waies of those great spoils which they with so much confidence promise the young novices they would draw in to be partners with them as it was expressed before ver 13 that because as the bird seeing the net or snare that is laid for her doth usually flie away evade the danger so the innocent discovering by some means or other that there are such men lying in wait for them do often prevent the danger and escape out of their hands at least God who sees all things that are done upon earth may by his providence many waies preserve them from falling into their hands or 3. rather to intimate that seeing poor silly birds will thus eschew a danger when once they discern it much more should reasonable men carefully avoid the snare that is laid for their lives in the enticement of such wicked wretches when once it is discovered to them But then the second the most generally approved exposition that is given of these words is this that the net is spread in vain in the sight of any bird because though they see the net yet poor silly creatures so greedy they are after the bait they will run into the net so are taken destroyed And then that which Solomon would imply hereby is that just so it is with wicked men that are tempted to these lewd courses though they may see the snares whereinto they are like to fall in the gallows gibbets that are set up in severall places for such varlets though they may plainly see the destruction which their desperate courses are like to bring upon them by the example of others that have run the same waies are daily cut off by the magistrate yet they will not take warning but rush headlong upon their own destruction and bring themselves at last to a shamefull death And so indeed this proverbiall expression seems to be explained in the following verse Vers 18. And they lay wait for their own bloud they lurk privily for their own lives To wit in that whilst they lye in wait for others through the just judgement of God they bring destruction hereby upon themselves many times a shamefull death here and without repentance eternall death alwaies hereafter Vers 19. So are the waies of every one that is greedy of gain c. As if he had said What hath been hitherto said of these robbers by way of particular instance may be in like manner said of all other covetous wretches that out of greedinesse after gain do by oppression or any other wicked waies impoverish and undoe men And accordingly we must understand the next words which taketh away the life of the owners thereof that is which greedinesse after gain causeth such men even to take away the lives of those that have the wealth they gape after in their possession or rather which gain gotten by such unjust and bloudy waies doth usually bring destruction upon those that do so unjustly possesse it and cut short their daies see 1 Tim. 6.9 Vers 20. Wisedome cryeth without c. By wisedome represented here to us under the person of some grave matron Lady or Princesse is meant the word of God or the doctrine of life revealed by God unto men or rather the Son of God the Lord Christ who is the coeternall personall wisedome of the Father in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome knowledge Col. 3.2 as is more fully expressed chap. 8.22 23 c. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old c. And in the Hebrew it is expressed in the plurall number wisedomes and that to imply either 1. that he is the most absolute the most excellent and sovereign wisedome the wisedome of wisedomes or 2. that he is the authour of all wisedome teaching men all that is necessary to make them wise to make them walk wisely even the manifold wisedome of God as the Apostle cals it Eph. 3.10 or 3. that he hath in all ages by many severall waies perswaded men to forsake their sinfull waies to turn unto God Now whereas it is said that this wisedome cryeth without she uttereth her voice in the streets c. the meaning is that whereas those seducers before mentioned do secretly closely seek to entice men to their sinfull waies the son of God doth on the other side openly in publick with all plainnesse earnestnesse call upon all men in all places that walk in such waies both the seducers the seduced to abandon their evil courses and to live holily and righteously shewing them that in the conclusion the following of this advice will be found to be the only true wisedome Vers 21. She crieth in the chief place of concourse in the openings of the gates c. See the Notes Gen. 22.17 Judg. 5.11 and Psal 9.14 Vers
many Nobles Princes to be her agents Vers 15. To call passengers who goe right on their way That is if we understand it of the harlot those that are following their businesses not having any thought of her till she allured them or if we understand it as in the verses before of sinfull folly to seduce the truly godly from the right way of truth and holinesse according to that 2 Pet. 2.18 they allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonnesse those that were clean escaped from them who live in errour for wickednesse cannot endure to see others vertuous and Satan is alwaies most eager to foil the righteous Vers 16. Whoso is simple let him turn in hither c. If this be referred to the harlot it cannot be thought that she would with such language call in men to her only hereby is implyed that none but simple foolish men will be inveigled by her see the Note upon a like expression chap. 1.11 But if we take it as before is noted as the invitation of sinfull folly it is as if she had said You that are such fools as to deprive your selves of the profits honours and pleasures of this life chusing to toil your selves in wisdoms waies wherein you macerate your bodies and expose your selves to the hatred of the world and to manifold afflictions and crosses be wise at length and embrace the delights that are in my waies And indeed wicked men count piety folly madnesse Vers 17. Stolen waters are sweet c. That is Sinfull delights taken by stealth are the more pleasant This is follies or the harlots banquet opposed to that of wisdome mentioned above vers 2. And in the words there may be an allusion to those feasts in harlots houses where the provision is made up of such things as are stolen by filching servants and other lewd companions Vers 18. But he knoweth not that the dead are there and that her guests are in the depths of hell To wit that they are spiritually dead in the high way to be cut off by some violent death and as sure to be damned as if they were in hell already see the Notes chap. 2.18 and 5.5 and 7.23 And thus death is made here the effect of follies banquet as before vers 11. life was made the effect of wisdomes See the Note also chap. 2.19 CHAP. X. Vers 1. THe Proverbs of Solomon c. See the Note chap. 1.1 Because Solomons aim in these Proverbs is chiefly to instruct young men therefore he begins with a Proverb that may teach them to be obedient to their parents even as before he began his exhortation with this chap. 1.8 A wise son maketh a glad father to wit both in regard of the vertues that are in him the blessing of God that is upon him but a foolish son is the heavinesse of his mother to wit both in regard of his wickednesse the miseries which thereby he brings upon himself Both parents are comprehended in both clauses though in each of them one only be expressed Yet by most Expositours severall reasons are given first why gladnesse for the wisdome of their son is ascribed to the father particularly as namely 1. because the father is best able to judge of any thing that is commendable praiseworthy in him 2. because such a son is usually a great help to his father in his businesses 3. because the father going abroad can best take notice of the sons wise prudent pious carriage of himself and the worthy things that are done by him doth most frequently heare how he is every where commended applauded and 4. because the well-doing of the son tends most to the honour of the father that gave him such good education and secondly why heavinesse for the folly of their son is particularly ascribed to the mother to wit 1. because the mothers indulgence is usually judged is many times the cause of the sons wickednesse as is also more clearly implyed Prov. 29.15 a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame 2. because such a son lying alwaies lusking idly in her eye at home she is chiefly troubled with it 3. because being the weaker vessel she is most passionate grieves most extreamly for it 4. because the mother is usually most despised by such ungracious sons and so this Proverb seems to be explained chap. 15.20 A wise son maketh a glad father but a foolish son despiseth his mother Vers 2. Treasures of wickednesse profit nothing c. Though all wealth even that which is justly gotten may be called treasures of wickednesse as our Saviour tearms them Luk. 16.9 the mammon of unrighteousnesse because they are usually the fuell of all kind of wickednesse neither can any wealth profit a man any thing in point of delivering him from death yet here by the opposition that is made betwixt the treasures of wickednesse and righteousnesse in the second clause we may plainly see that treasures gotten and kept by wicked means are here meant And though of these it may be absolutely said that they profit nothing because whatever outward advantage they yield to men yet they are the cause of their eternall destruction yet here the meaning is that in point of delivering men from the vengeance of God in the hour of death they profit nothing as is evident by that which is opposed hereto in the following clause but righteousnesse delivereth from death therefore so this proverb is elsewhere expressed chap. 11.4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath see the Notes also Psal 49.6 7. And inded ill-gotten wealth though continued till death which it seldome is doth rather at that time hurt then profit men in that their minds are sore troubled that they must part with it the remembrance of the wicked waies whereby they have gotten it doth wound their conscience as being an evidence to them of their eternall damnation But now righteousnesse which men foolishly abandon to get wealth delivereth from death both because 1. such as are righteous are never in danger to be â—ut off either by the sword of the magistrate or by the hand of divine vengeance 2. such are wonderfully preserved many times by the Lord when their enemies would put them to death and from other deadly dangers 3. though they do die death is no way hurtfull to them and 4. it alwaies delivereth certainly from death eternall And this proverb is added next to that which went before as some conceive to shew that therefore the way for parents to doe good to their children is not to hoard up for them ill-gotten goods but to train them up in the waies of righteousnesse Vers 3. The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish c. Though it cannot be denied but that some of Gods righteous servants may have been starved died by famine yet because this is very rarely so see the
of the just bringeth forth wisdome c. To wit as being herein like a good tree that bringeth forth good fruit plentifully whence it is that speech is called the fruit of the lips Isa 57.19 and therefore shall such a man be carefully preserved even as such trees are but the froward tongue shall be cut out to wit because it yields nothing but wickednesse folly even as men cut down barren and corrupt trees that they may be cast into the fire See the Note Psal 52.5 Vers 32. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable c. That is they speak those things which the righteous man knoweth do in truth deserve to be acceptable unto all men that will be acceptable to God good men and that because such a man will wisely weigh what he speaks before he speaks it but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardnesse that is he knoweth not nor regardeth not how to speak any thing that is good but his tongue is well acquainted with all kind of evill speaking accordingly his talk is continually wicked and such as is justly distastfull to others CHAP. XI Vers 1. A False balance is abomination to the Lord c. See the Note Deut. 25.13 It is as if he had said Though men may slight this sin of deceiving men in this kind the offenders may haply boast of it yet God abhorres it yea it is to him abomination it self and that because it is a sin that tends to the overthrow of humane society because such multitudes are wronged thereby poor men especially that are forced to buy all by the penny in little parcells all this too under a pretence of exact justice And observable it is that the very instruments used in this way of deceit are said to be abhorred of God which doubtlesse is only to shew how exceeding detestable this sin is unto God and that such false balances and weights ought to be broken or some other way destroyed But a just weight it is in the Hebrew a perfect stone because in those times they used to weigh with stones is his delight Vers 2. When pride cometh then cometh shame but with the lowly is wisdome Some understand this Proverb thus that proud men by reason of their folly will be speaking those things whereever they come that tend to the shame reproach of others whereas the humble on the other side will be still speaking of wisdome But the common stream of Expositours runneth another way When pride cometh then cometh shame that is When men through vanity and folly become proud and are exalted in their spirits shame usually follows them close at the heels and that not only because proud men are usually hated of all men because they are so ready to despise others therefore others are as ready to despise and speak evil of them tearming them proud stately fools c. but also especially because God abhorres them and so by his just judgements doth severall waies bring them to shame but with the lowly is wisdome and so they avoid that shame which is the portion of the proud and on the other side are honoured amongst men their humble and prudent carriage makes them to be highly esteemed amongst men God reveals his will and imparts of his grace more and more to them and their wisdome maketh their faces to shine Vers 3. The integrity of the upright shall guide them c. That is say some Expositours so that they shall avoid the snares of wicked men but the perversnesse of transgressours to wit whereby they seek to insnare others shall destroy them But I conceive these words must be understood more generally The integrity of the upright shall guide them that is it shall be a means to make them goe still in a right and safe way that because when mens hearts are upright 1. that will not suffer them to doe any thing that they know is displeasing to God upon any pretence whatsoever as hypocrites will and 2. God will be sure to direct and preserve and prosper such men in all their waies but the perversnesse of transgressours shall destroy them that is it shall mislead them to their utter undoing Vers 4. Riches profit not in the day of wrath c. See the Note Chap. 10.2 Vers 5. The righteousnesse of the perfect shall direct his way c. See the Note above vers 3 but the wicked shall fall by his own wickednesse to wit from their prosperous estate into many miseries troubles at last into utter destructionâ— but see the Note Psal 34.21 and chap. 10.8 Vers 6. The righteousnesse of the upright shall deliver them but transgressours shall be taken in their own naughtinesse Some would have the opposition of this Proverb to be this that the righteous shall be delivered from the snares of the wicked whereas on the other side the wicked shall be taken in that is by their own naughtinesse by those wicked practices which they have divised against others But I rather take it more generally that though the righteous may fall into sin and troubles yet they shall be delivered out of them see the Note chap. 10.2 but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtinesse that is they shall be irrecoverably destroyed see the Note chap. 5.22 yea many times cut off in the very act of their sins Vers 7. When a wicked man dieth his expectation shall perish c. Some understand this particularly of his expectation that he should oppresse Gods righteous servants or that he should be delivered from death by his riches greatnesse But there is no reason why it should not be understood generally to wit that the wicked man is by death irrecoverably cut off from all the good he expected either for the obtaining or enjoying of any earthly advantages or especially for finding any mercy with God after this life is ended that because after death there is no more place for repentance see the Notes also chap. 10.28 Job 8.11 14 27. As for the following clause the hope of unjust men perisheth it seems most probable that it is a mere repetition of the same thing for the greater confirmation of it Yet some conceive that one clause is meant of the wicked mans being cut short of the good he expected and the other of the disappointment of those that had placed their hope in him or else that the first clause is meant of the affection the second of earthly things hoped for Vers 8. The righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked cometh in his stead This change God often worketh in this life that the righteous being delivered the wicked man falleth into the same the like or greater tribulations yea Solomons aim in these words may be to shew that the wicked man often falleth into those very mischiefs which he had plotted to bring upon the righteous and that God brings troubles upon them
all eagernesse to make known their folly to all men where they come to wit by their vain ostentation of themselves and by their foolish and ignorant and wicked speeches Such a man as Solomon saith elsewhere Eccles 10.3 saith to every one that he is a fool he cannot conceal his folly as the prudent man concealeth his knowledge Vers 24. The hand of the diligent shall bear rule but the slothfull shall be under tribute It may be read but the deceitfull shall be under tribute And well indeed may those two be joyned together because slothfull persons to supply their wants caused by their sloth or to avoid labour are wont by any false and fraudulent courses to shift for themselves Vers 25. Heavinesse in the heart of a man maketh it stoop but a good word maketh it glad That is even one word of commiseration or comfort especially any word of promise out of Gods word which is called a good word Jer. 29.10 I will visit you and perform my good word towards you in causing you to return to this place Vers 26. The righteous c. To wit though he be in never so afflicted a condition is more excellent or more abundant that is is indeed richer hath more true worth in him is more honoured of God good men and is every way in a better condition then his neighbour to wit though never so great in the world and that because such a one is rich in grace an heire of heaven which is farre better then all worldly greatnesse and because he is well contented with his estate and consequently his way is answerable to his hopes which is implyed in the following clause but the way of the wicked seduceth them And this may be understood severall waies as 1. that they flatter themselves with vain hopes of happinesse in their waies which will deceive them see the Note chap. 11.18 or 2. that their way of heaping up wealth making themselves great in the world whereby they seek to excell others for which they think themselves more excellent then the righteous doth indeed deceive them because for all this they are but contemptible men or 3. that the reason why the wicked do not seek after the forementioned excellency of the righteous is because they see that wicked men flourish and prosper in their way or 4. that the pleasure and content which wicked men through the corruption or their nature take in their lewd waies keeps them from the waies of righteousnesse and draws them away still farther and farther into all kind of wickednesse Vers 27. The slothfull man roasteth not that which he took in hunting c. The most received exposition of these words is this That as the hunter doth many times loose the venison which with much labour craft he hath gotten in hunting his dogs sometimes eating it up and the keepers of the park at other times taking it away so the slothfull man usually never enjoyeth what he hath gotten by much fraud and oppression see the Note Gen. 10.9 either because through mere sloth he is not carefull to keep it from perishing or because the curse of God bereaves him of it or cuts him off by death or giveth him over to such unreasonable covetousnesse that he cannot find in his heart to spend it upon himself But yet there is another way of expounding these words which seems very probable namely that the slothfull man will not labour therefore it cannot be said that he rosts what he took in hunting that is that he eats what he hath gotten by his labour no either such an one must not have to eat or else he must live upon other mens labours perhaps of what he gets by fraud deceit In opposition whereto it is said in the next clause but the substance of a diligent man is precious to wit either 1. because his substance is great he hath plenty of gold and silver and other things which men esteem precious or 2. because men are wont most to esteem that which they have gotten with their own hard labour or 3. because substance so gotten is like to be continued to men that so they may enjoy it and use it to their comfort But see the Note also Psal 37.16 CHAP. XIII Vers 1. A Wise son heareth his fathers instruction but a scorner heareth not rebuke No not the rebuke of his own father and therein sheweth himself to be a fool For the word scorner see the Note Psal 1.1 Vers 2. A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth c. That is By speaking of good things to others men shall benefit themselves in that they shall become the wiser the holier thereby but the soul of the transgressours shall eat violence that is by speaking wickedly such men become more violently wicked But the words may be better taken in a more generall sense A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth that is he shall fare the better for the good he hath done by using his mouth well he shall enjoy those blessings that shall be very sweet delightfull to him see the Note chap. 12.14 and so it shall be likewise with him for his righteous religious behaviour which is implyed by the following opposite clause but the soul of the transgressours to wit that break Gods laws abuse their mouths to evil speaking shall eat violence that is shall for their violence cruelty both in word and deed be requited with violence namely with such bitter miseries as they would never endure but that they should come upon them with unresistable violence See the Notes chap. 1.31 and 10.6 Vers 3. He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life c. That is He that is sparing in his speech slow to speak as the Apostle calls it Jam. 1.19 scarce ever speaking without good deliberation doth thereby avoid many deadly dangers but he that openeth his mouth wide that is the man that is full of talk will out with any thing that comes into his mind shall have destruction that is his tongue many times cuts his own throat Because the mouth in man is as the gates are in a city with care to be observed both for the opening and shutting of it especially in dangerous times hence is this expression of keeping the mouth see the Note also Psal 141.3 Vers 4. The soul of the diligent shall be made fat See the Note chap. 11.25 Vers 5. A righteous man hateth lying c. To wit both in himself and others and that in it self as looking upon it as a loathsome abominable thing therefore he is reverenced and honoured by those that know him his name is sweet amongst men as a precious ointment for this is implyed in the following opposite clause but a wicked man is loathsome and cometh to shame to wit for his lying But that which is intended in these words is this that though such a man
cannot attain them or when a man hath gotten them they will vanish away in an instant as an eagle towards heaven that is as an eagle flyeth towards heaven or if these words also be meant of riches we must understand them thus that riches will be gone beyond all possibility of getting them or recovering them again The first clause is in the Hebrew Wilt thou cause thine eies to flee upon that which is not which expression seems to have reference to that which followeth concerning riches sleeing away as an eagle and so may imply that though in their desires men flie after riches with never so much eagernesse they will be too swift for them and how vain a thing it is for men to gape after riches even as if a man should with earnest desires look after some fowle which is upon the wing and in the twinckling of an eye is gotten out of his sight and therefore it is too that the eagle is mentioned because no fowle flyeth so high or so swift as an eagle Vers 6. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye That is of an envious man according to that Matth. 20.15 Is thine eye evil because I am good or rather of a sordid covetous miser that doth envy thee and grudge thee every bit of meat that thou eatest for so on the contrary the liberall man was before said to have a good or a bountifull eye chap. 22.9 Vers 7. For as he thinketh in his heart so is he c. That is he is not to be esteemed according to what in his words and his outward deportment he would pretend himself to be to wit one that loves thee and to whom thou art truly welcome but according to what he thinketh in his heart as namely that he is a dissembling miserly churle that grudgeth at thy eating of that which he sets before thee as is expressed in the following clause Eat and drink saith he to thee but his heart is not with thee Vers 8. The morsell which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up c. Some understand this literally that by reason of some unwholsome meat which the envious man doth often set before his guests or by reason of his drawing them with a mischievous intention to overlade their stomacks with his meat or drink his guests should vomit up what they had eaten and so also should be disabled from speaking so wisely and acceptably to those that were present as otherwise they might have done which they think is intended in the next clause and lose thy sweet words But by the common consent of most Expositours the meaning is rather this The morsell which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up that is By some snare wherewith he will entrap thee or some mischief he will afterwards doe thee he will make thee pay dearly for what thou hast eaten or rather When thou shalt perceive either by some distastfull speeches given thee or by some other means that he grudged to see thee eat his meat thou shalt be so inwardly vexed and grieved that thy meat shall doe thee no good and in that regard it shall be all one to thee as if thou hadst vomited it up again or thou shalt even loath that very meat of his which thou hast eaten and repent that ever thou didst eat it and wish thou couldest vomit it up again And lose thy sweet words that is all the sweet glosing words wherewith he welcomed thee c. all the content thou didst take therein shall be then lost they shall doe thee no good but rather thou shalt be vexed exceedingly that thou wert so befooled by his dissembling language or thou shalt lose thy sweet words that is all the flattering language thou gavest him or all the courteous sweet complementall words thou spakest to him by way of praising his good chear or acknowledging his love and returning him many thanks for his kind entertainment or any good or pleasant discourse wherewith thou soughtest to delight him or his guests whilst thou wert at his table all which shall be as lost either because the covetous churle took no delight in them whilst he grudged at him for eating up his victuals or because the man that spake them when he comes to discover the sordid dissembling of his host that entertained him shall be fretted that ever he spake them and shall wish that he had never spoken them Vers 9. Speak not in the ears of a fool for he will despise the wisdome of thy words To wit out of ignorance or profanenesse see the Notes chap. 9.7 8. But yet this phrase of speaking in the ear may seem to imply that this is meant only of private admonition or reproof Vers 10. Remove not the old land-mark and enter not into the fields of the fatherlesse To wit neither by seizing upon their lands and estate unjustly nor by any encroachment through removing their land-marks nor by breaking violently into them any other way to doe them any damage Vers 11. For their redeemer is mighty c. See the Note Job 19.25 he shall plead their cause with thee see the Note chap. 22.23 Vers 13. Withhold not correction from the child c. That is neither omit it thy self nor restrain others from doing it to whom it belongs see the Notes also chap. 13.24 19.18 for if thou beat him with the rod he shall not die that is such moderate correction will not be his death to wit neither at the present for a rod will break no bones nor yet by degrees by grieving or weakening him and bringing him into a consumption or he shall not die that is this will preserve him both from being cut off by untimely death as cocker'd children for their wickednesse many times are and likewise from eternall death as is more fully expressed in the following verse Vers 14. Thou shalt beat him with the rod and shalt deliver his soul from hell This last clause may be taken not only as a promise but also as a precept Vers 15. My son if thine heart be wise my heart shall rejoyce even mine That is not only shall this yield joy to thine own heart but to mine also by whose instruction this hath been wrought and who for the love I bear thee cannot but rejoyce in thy good Vers 16. Yea my reins shall rejoyce c. That is All the inward parts of my body shall be affected with my joy when thy lips speak right things that is when thou becomest able thereby to instruct others or when thy speech is pious and every way right which is therefore particularly mentioned because this is the highest proof of true wisdome in the heart If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man Jam. 3.2 Vers 17. Let not thine heart envy sinners c. See the Notes Psal 37.1 3 but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long that is continually and constantly even then
discover any new thing tending to mans happinesse that had not been discovered before Vers 13. Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly as farre as light excelleth darknesse As if he should have said Though I found wisdom and knowledge to be vanity as to the making of a man happy yet I do not thence conclude that wisdom is no more to be regarded then folly for this I found withall that wisdom doth farre surpasse folly even as farre as light surpasseth darknesse And indeed well is wisdom and knowledge compared to light and folly and ignorance to darknesse because 1. As light discovers things to men Eph. 5.13 All things are made manifest by the light and inables men to distinguish one thing from another whereas in the dark all things are hidden from men and therefore there can no difference appear of one thing from another so doth wisdom make men understand things and discern betwixt good and evil truth and errour whereas folly makes men to be as blind men that see nothing 2. As light is very comfortable chap. 11.7 Truly the light is sweet and a pleasant thing is it for the eyes to behold the Sun whereas darknesse is dreadfull and full of terror so is knowledge very delightfull chap. 8.1 A mans wisdom maketh his face to shine but folly yields a man no comfort at all 3. Wisdom as light directs men in their way and shewes them dangers that they may avoid them whereas folly and ignorance misleade men and expose them continually to manifold dangers And 4. As light wakens men whereas darknesse lulls men asleep so wisdome and knowledge wakens those that sleep securely in a sensual estate and makes them think of their danger whereas ignorance makes men in such an estate to sleep securely without any feare Vers 14. The wise mans eyes are in his head c. As if he should have said He is not blind Or rather As men by tâ—eir eyes being placed as watchmen in the watch-tower of the head do discerne things a farre off and round about them so the wise man by his wisdome is circumspect and provident judicious and wary in all his undertakings he marketh all circumstances for the right ordering of all his undertakings he forecasts what the issue of things will be a long time after and so foreseeth things to come and minds not only present things yea he compares things past present and to come and so is the better able to judge of things and by this meanes he ordereth his wayes aright he keeps himselfe from wandring or stumbling avoydeth that which is evil and followeth that which is good see the Note Pro. 4.25 But the foole walketh in darknesse that is He is blind or He seeth no more then a man that is in the dark or His eyes are in his heeles he minds only things present and seeth not any evill till it is upon him The meaning is that the foole is ignorant rash inconsiderate inobservant of circumstances that he foreseeth not either conveniences or mischiefes and so he goeth stumbling on in a confused blind manner in all that he doth not knowing which way to choose and which to refuse and so doth usually fall into many mischiefes Some Expositors doe adde that these expressions of a wise mans eyes being in his head and a fooles walking in darknesse do also imply 1. That as the sight is an ornament to the body and blindnesse a great deformity making the body to be to the soule as a dungeon that hath no windows in it so is wisdome a very great ornament to the soule and folly a sore blemish And 2. That as a man by his eye-sight can discerne light which a blind man cannot doe so by wisdome a man is enabled to discerne the power of reason propounded to him whereas folly renders men uncapable of receiving counsel But that which is before given for the meaning of the words was I conceive chiefely intended And then that which followeth And I my selfe perceived also that one event happeneth to them all is as if he had said As I perceived the excellency of wisdome above folly so I perceived also that notwithstanding the wisest of men are subject to the same event in regard of their outward estate here in this world that fooles are to wit that which is afterwards expressed ver 16. that both dye and both are at last forgotten or more generally the same calamities and sorrowes Vers 15. Then said I in my heart As it happeneth to the foole so it happeneth even to me and why was I then more wise c. That is why did I labour to get more wisdome then the foole hath Or What advantage have I of being wise above the foole Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity that is I determined that in regard the same events befall the wise man that befall the foole for the making of a man happy here in this world and for the giving of full content to the soule even wisdome it selfe is no better then vanity I know that many take this last clause to be a censure passed upon that hasty angry inference of his in the foregoing words And why was I then more wise namely that it was vanity in him and so would be in any other thus to determine thus to undervalue wisdome because the wise man and the foole are subject to the same outward events But the first exposition seemes to me the best Vers 16. For there is no remembrance of the wise more then of the foole for ever c. That is The remembrance of the wise man shall no more remaine for ever then the remembrance of the foole though they may be remembred by some few yet not by others though for a time yet not for ever seeing that which now is in the dayes to come shall be forgotten that is both the men themselves and all their wisdome and glorious works will be forgotten and buried in eternal oblivion New wise men that arise will eclipse the glory of those that were before them and time will devoure all the monuments which they leave of themselves behind them And how dyeth the wise man as the foole This may be taken as the reason why there is no more remembrance of the one then of the other namely because they are both at last cut off by death Or rather it is another instance wherein Solomon sheweth how the same event happeneth to them all as he had said before ver 14. to wit because they fare alike here in this world in regard of death And this is expressed by an interrogation to intimate that it is in reason a matter of wonder griefe and indignation that it should be so and how dyeth the wise man as the foole But still we must remember that Solomon did not question but that a different event would befall the good and the bad after death God saith he Chap. 12.14 shall bring every work into
must not under a pretence of justice and out of an over-weening opinion of their own wisdome be over-rigid in being inquisitive into the faults of others in censuring and judging others or in prosecuting the Law against them Extreame justice may be extreame injustice And they that will therefore stand alwayes upon such strict tearms of justice as never to remit in the least of their right nor wink at any thing that is amisse but think to correct all and to mend all that is not as it should be or alwayes to urge the letter of the Law and to be more severe in punishing offences then either reason or equity requires may well be counted over-wise and righteous over-much And to these it may well be said Why shouldest thou destroy thy selfe to wit because by this meanes men doe usually expose themselves to the envy and hatred of people and so many times bring themselves to some miserable end Or thirdly that men must take heed of being too highly conceited of their own righteousnesse or wisdome They that are ready in a vaine way of ostentation to vaunt and brag of their own righteousnesse and to despise others in comparison of themselves or that will think to be justified before God by their own righteousnesse may well be said to be over-wise and righteous over-much and are indeed in danger to be destroyed by him that resists the proud Jam. 4.6 Or fourthly that men must beware that they doe not out of an over-weening conceit of their own judgement make more sinnes and more duties then God hath made in his word for as they are over-wise that are wise above that which is written 1 Cor. 4.6 so they are righteous over-much that will needs be righteous above the written rule of the word by which meanes men may under a pretence of zeale be unjust and cruel and under a pretence of piety they may fall into superstition In conforming to the righteousnesse and holinesse enjoyned in Gods word men cannot be too strict and precise But when men out of an opiniative confidence in their own judgement shall be violently bent upon the doing of any thing which by the word of God they are no way bound to doe or shall scruple that which the word of God doth no where forbid though they may doe it conscientiously and upon opinion of duty then they are over-wise and righteous over-much That which therefore Solomon here enjoynes Gods people is a prudent and pious moderation of their behaviour in all things that they should be wise unto sobriety not resting too much upon their own understanding and judgement but advising with others Rom. 12.3 and that they should temper their zeale with godly wisdome and prudence according to that Phil. 4.5 Let your moderation be known unto all men And the reason whereby this is pressed is lest by doing otherwise men should involve themselves in desperate dangers as by such courses men often doe Why shouldest thou destroy thy selfe And this seemes to be inferred from that which was said before ver 15. that seeing just men doe often perish in their righteousnesse it is extreame madnesse by affecting a righteousnesse above that which God hath enjoyned causelessly to expose our selves to destroying troubles and perills Now this last Exposition seemeth to me the best because of that which is added by way of opposition hereto in the following verse Vers 17. Be not over-much wicked c. To wit by running on impenitently in wayes of wickednesse and so continually adding sin unto sin or by giving up our selves to any grosse enormities to any excesse of wickednesse boldnesse and impudency in sinning great and presumptuous sinnes But yet we must not so understand this as if there were allowance hereby given to some lesse degrees of wickednesse for all wickednesse is abominable before God and therefore he that is in the least degree wicked is over-much wicked Only having fore-warned men in the foregoing verse of being righteous over-much to wit by putting themselves upon any duty above that which God hath enjoyned them in his word here he addes that on the other side men must take heed that they doe not under a pretence of avoyding this run into another extremity of slighting all strictnesse of conversation prescribed in the word and laying the raines upon the neek of their lusts to commit sin with greedinesse And this likewise may seeme to be inferred from that which was said before ver 15. concerning wicked mens prolonging their dayes in their wickednesse that men should not from thence encourage themselves to grow impudently wicked And then for the following words Neither be thou foolish either the word over much is here againe to be understood and so the meaning is the same as in the foregoing clause that as men must not be so over-wise as to make duties and sinnes where God hath made none so they must not on the other hand be so extreamly foolish as not to mind at all what God enjoynes or forbids but without any scruple of conscience to break out into all licentiousnesse and loosenesse of life because hereby they must needs provoke God to displeasure and draw downe Gods judgements upon them which is chiefely intended in the following clause Why shouldest thou dye before thy time or as it is in the Hebrew not in thy time that is why shouldest thou provoke God to cut thee off by an untimely death for which see the Notes Job 16.32 22.16 Psal 55.23 Pro. 10.27 Though indeed this may also include wicked mens exposing themselves to an untimely end by being cut off by the sentence of the civill Magistrate or by wasting and consuming their own bodies with their wayes of luxury and wickednesse And besides this may be added to imply the folly of mens encouraging themselves in wickednesse from that mentioned ver 15. that such men do often prolong their lives in their wickednesse by shewing that quite contrary wickednesse doth usually cut short their dayes This I conceive is the full meaning of this place But yet as there are other different expositions given of the foregoing verse so also of this as 1. They that take that to be delivered as the judgement of carnall reason that men should not be so strictly religious as thereby to expose themselves to danger do take this to be the contrary advice of the Spirit of God implying that to goe about thus to temper and qualifie righteousness and wisdome with carnal policy is to be indeed wicked over-much grosse folly this being the ready way to expose men to Gods wrath and so to death yea to an untimely and unseasonable death 2. They that understand that of being so overwise and overjust as to question the wisdome and justice of the dispensation of Divine Providence they accordingly conceive that here Solomon affirms that for men to be thus arrogantly bold or because they cannot satisfie their own carnall reason herein therefore to deny or
an abundant reward Vers 2. Give a portion to seven and also to eight c. That is As God hath inabled thee give of thy provision and estate to many and many distributing to every one according to their necessities and according to the rules of right judgement Be not weary of well doing be still giving when thou hast given to seven give also to eight more which is that our Saviour saith Luke 6.30 give to every one that asketh of thee In this expression Give a portion he seems to allude to the manner of their feasts in ancient times where every guest had their several portions assigned them and certain portions also were sent to the poor See the Note Gen. 43 34· and see also Neh. 8.10 12. Esth 9.22 and in the following words to seven and also to eight there is a definite number put for an indefinite as in Mic. 5.5 when the Assyrian shall come into our land and when he shall tread in our palaces then shall we raise against him seven shepheards and eight principal men See the Note also 1 Sam. 2.5 for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth that is men know not what sad times may come from the evil whereof they may be in a great measure secured by their bounty to the poor according to that Dan. 4.27 break off thy sins by righteousnesse and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility and least any evil should therein befall them or their estate therefore it were wisdome for them to embrace the present opportunity and to do good whilst they may Men know not how soon they may die and after death there will be no time for doing good and their estates must then be left the thought whereof may haply grieve them when they are dying it may be to unthrifty heirs that may waste all or to unworthy persons that may shut up their bowels of compassion against the poor And again men may many several wayes lose their estates and be stripped of all that they have they know not how soon and then besides the trouble it may be to them that they did so little good with their estates formerly for which they may think Gods hand is then upon them even they themselves will stand in need of the charity of others therefore whilst they have to give it is fit that they should do to others as they would desire others should do to them And indeed usually the same measure that men mete to others is measured to them again they that have been bountiful to others find others bountiful to them those that they have relieved do many times help and relieve them and on the other side they that have been hard-hearted to others find others averse from relieving them And thus the covetous mans excuse is retorted against himself such men are wont to plead that they dare not give because they know not what may hereafter befall them Nay but saith Solomon therefore give and give bountifully because thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth Vers 3. If the clouds be full of raine c. By several elegant similitudes the wise man doth here answer the objections which carnal men are wont to alledge by way of excusing themselves for giving to the poor If the clouds be full of rain they empty themselves upon the earth the meaning is that as such clouds do not retain their waters to themselves but showre them down plentifully upon the earth and that not on certain mens grounds onely but on every place whether the wind carrieth them and do therewith refresh and make fruitful the dry parched and thirsty earth so rich men that have full estates must not keep all to themselves as indeed covetous men are wont to pretend that they must have respect to their own supplies but they must give liberally to the relieving and refreshing of the hungry and thirsty poor and that not to some only but to all as they have oppottunity and ability And indeed when rich men do not thus make use of their wealth they are no way useful in their places but are like clouds without water that do onely darken the face of the skie but yield no moisture at all to the earth and do alwayes deceive the hopes of the poor that expect succour from them Some I know do presse this similitude farther namely to shew that bountiful men loose nothing by their bounty because as the clouds do regain the waters which they pour forth upon the earth in the vapours which after the rain do again ascend up into the air so the almes which is given to the poor is retained with encrease unto those that give them according to that Pro. 11.25 The liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himselfe And so likewise for the next clause And if the tree fall toward the South or toward the North in the place where the tree falleth there it shall be the meaning thereof likewise is either 1. that it becomes men to do good whilst they may because as when a tree falls there it lyes where it falls fall it Southward or Northward there is no setting it up again to bear fruit any more so when men are once cut down by death there will be no more time for the doing of that good which they should have done before but in that condition wherein they dye whether as mercifull or unmercifull men in that they must for ever continue they shall be set at the right or left hand of the Judge according as they have carried themselves towards Christs poor members Matth. 25. Or rather 2. that men must not withhold their hands from giving under a pretence that the persons will be unthankfull or are in any other regard unworthy of reliefe and that because as when a tree falls it is all one to the owner whether it falls Southward or Northward where it falleth there it rests and there the owner shall find it to make his use and benefit of it so whether they be good or bad thankfull or unthankfull to whom a man gives so he gives it with a good intention of glorifying God and relieving the wants of his poor brother his almes shall not be lost he shall have his reward where he disposeth his charity there it shall be found againe kept and laid up by God and shall redound to the good and benefit of the charitable donor Vers 4. He that observeth the wind shall not sow and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap That is As the husbandman shall overslip seed time if he do over-scrupulously observe the wind as fearing to sow in the wind lest the wind should blow away his seed or as waiting for such a wind as should bring fair and warm weather or should bring rain before or after he hath sown his seed thereby to further the
well-growing of his seed and so likewise he shall loose his harvest and never reap his corne if upon every rising of a cloud in the sky he feares there will be rain so that man shall never doe good to the poor and so never obtain the reward which God hath promised to those that doe liberally sow this seed that is still out of covetousnesse or distrust pretending that it is not yet a fit season to give and suggesting to himselfe many needlesse feares of what may be hereafter thereby to justifie himselfe herein as that he may come to have many children that in old age or in long and tedious sicknesse or times of trouble he and his may want what they now give Wind and clouds are uncertain signes of what weather will be and may blow over and so are the feares of covetous men Vers 5. As thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit c. That is say some Expositors the way of the wind to wit whence it cometh and whether it goeth Joh. 3.8 when and from what point of the heavens it will blow and whether with a violent or a gentle gale Or rather the way how the soul doth at first enter into the body of every child in its first conception which indeed is the more probable because the next clause that is joyned with it doth clearly agree hereto nor how the bones doe grow in the womb of her that is with child that is how the body of a child is made and growes up in the womb of the mother for the bones are only mentioned figuratively in stead of the whole body because the figure and frame of the whole body is chiefely from them how all the severall kinds of substance in the body skin and flesh and sinewes and bones should be made of the same seed and how so many and so many several sorts of bones should be formed and hardened and knit together in the womb even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all that is thou knowest not what God will do in future times who as he is the maker of all things so accordingly he doth with all things whatsoever he pleaseth Some Expositors doe comprehend other incomprehensible things in that which is said here of the way of the Spirit as namely how the Spirit that is the soul doth fashion the several organs of the childs first conception according to that old saying that anima est sui domicilij architectrix how the child breathes and is not stifled in the mothers womb or how it lives if it breathes not and which way the soul goeth out of the body when a man dyeth But howsoever the meaning is cleare that if we know not these ordinary things that are dayly done amongst us much lesse can we know the future works of Gods providence so that as the husbandman must not forbeare sowing or reaping for fear of this or that because they know not how God may order the wind or the weather and how he may turn it to good so neither ought men to forbear or delay relieving the poor out of vain and idle pretences and feares because they know not what God may do to them or theirs or others in time to come Though men know not how their bounty should tend to their advantage yet God can bring it about many several wayes And againe because they know not how soone God may cut them off by death or strip them of their estates and therefore it is not good to put off their charity lest they should be surprized Vers 6. In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening withhold not thine hand c. Some conceive this to be an exhortation inferred from that which is said in the foregoing verse concerning the uncertainty of future events pressing men to an assiduous diligence in all things in general which in their several callings God requires at their hands And indeed all works of righteousnesse whereto men are bound by their general or particular calling are in the Scripture sometimes compared to seed sown as in Pro. 11.18 To him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward for which see the Note there so that if we thus understand the words here then by mens sowing their own seed is meant that they should intend their own calling without intermedling with other mens businesse But because Solomon hath been all this Chapter hitherto pressing men to be charitable to the poor comparing almes to the sowing of seed I conceive it to be unquestionable that these words likewise intend the same thing In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening withhold not thine hand that is Be alwayes doing good begin betimes and never give over be not weary of well-doing begin in the morning of thy youth and hold on to the evening of thine old age or as soone as thou beginnest to have an estate begin presently to give and so hold out unto thine end whilest the day of mans life continues there will be seasons for good works but when the night of death once comes there will be no more time of working then For thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall be alike good that is As the husbandman knoweth not whether the seed he soweth in the morning or in the evening shall spring up best and yield the fairest crop so neither knowest thou which of thine almes shall be best bestowed whether of them will be most advantageous and welcome to the poore and received with most thankfulnesse nor whether of them will be most acceptable to God and procure from him the greatest reward nay thou knowest not but that both may in these respects be alike good for thee Vers 7. Truly the light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sun That is It is a sweet and delightfull thing to live in this world and to enjoy the benefits and comforts of this life especially to live in the Sun-shine of prosperity see the Notes Chap. 7.11 Psal 49.19 Esth 8.16 There is herein a transition to a new direction or advice which he prosecutes in the remainder of this book Hitherto Solomon hath set forth the vanity of all things here in this world and withall hath given many excellent Directions to teach men how they may in a great measure remedy these vanities and live with as much comfort peace and tranquility of mind as here in this world men are capable of But now because men must dye and after this life is ended must passe into an eternall condition either of blisse or misery and so the happinesse of man after which he hath all this while made enquiry cannot be compleat and perfect unlesse he can assure to himselfe a share in the blisse of that eternall condition therefore in the next place he directs men how they may after a life spent contentedly and comfortably
the covenant betwixt God and them whence it is that Moses and Samuel are joyned together as Gods chief favourites in this regard Jer. 15.1 Though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my mind could not be toward this people But however this is here alledged to stir up the people both to worship God as he had exhorted them to do in the foregoing verse and also to trust in him as their Lord and king namely from the example of these holy men of God in former times that were eminent for their piety in calling upon God and from the manifestation of Gods love to his people both in raising up such men to intercede for them and in his readinesse to hear them when they prayed to him as it is expressed in the following words they called upon the Lord and he answered them Yet some also adde to this that the Psalmist intended herein to imply that if God shewed so much favour to his people upon the intercession of Moses and the Leviticall priesthood much more ought Christ to be extolled by whose eternall priesthood men are perfectly reconciled unto God Vers 7. He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar To wit which was upon the Tabernacle See for Gods speaking to Moses and Aaron there Exod. 33.9 10 11. and the Notes Numb 12.5 and 16.19 Vers 8. Thou answeredst them O Lord our God c. To wit Moses and Aaron to whom the Lord returned a gracious answer when they interceded for the people yea and Samuel may be here included also though that which is said in the foregoing verse of Gods speaking to them in the cloudy pillar were meant only of Moses and Aaron As for that which follows thou wast a God that forgavest them though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions I conceive it is spoken of the whole body of the people and that the meaning is that when God had threatned or was many a time ready utterly to destroy the whole people for their rebellions yet upon the intercession of Moses and Aaron and Samuel he yielded to spare them for their sakes and so forgave them and still preserved the body of the people though withall he did often take vengeance on many particular persons when they committed idolatry or otherwise followed their own hearts lusts though therein they did manifestly transgresse the commandements of God For I see no reason why we should limit this which is said here of their inventions as some do to their plots and conspiracies which they devised against Moses and Aaron and Samuel Nor doth that exposition seem so probable which some Expositours give of these words thou wast a God that forgavest them to wit Moses and Aaron though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions that is though thou didst punish them for their sins by not suffering them to goe into the land of Canaan PSALM C. Vers 1. MAke a joyfull noise unto the Lord all ye lands This implyes a prophesy of the calling of the Gentiles But see the Note Psal 66.3 Vers 3. It is he that hath made us and not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture See the Notes Psal 95.6 7. Vers 4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise See the Note Psal 84.2 PSALM CI. Vers 1. I Will sing of mercy and judgement c. Two severall waies this promise of David is expounded by Interpreters and both seem very probable to wit 1. that David doth here promise to praise God for his goodnesse and mercy to his penitent servants and for his judgements executed upon the obstinate and rebellious or more particularly for the judgement which God had executed upon Saul for some conceive that this Psalm was composed when Saul was newly cut off by the Philistines or which he knew God would execute upon him and the mercy which he had shewn to himself in preserving him from the rage of Saul and haply for opening such a fair way for the settling of him in the throne of Israel or at least the mercy which he knew God would shew him in bringing him to the kingdome long since promised him and then the following clause is clear unto thee O Lord will I sing that is I will speak of these things to thy praise and glory Or 2. that David doth here undertake that he would in this Psalm as it were by way of a vow to God and a solemn protestation before all the Church declare with what clemency and justice he meant to govern the kingdome when he should be settled in the throne how gentle and good every way he would be to the good and how zealous to punish the wicked And if we take it thus which seems most agreeable to the sequele of the Psalm then the meaning of the following clause seems to be this unto thee O Lord will I sing that is I will in my song thus engage my self out of a desire thereby to glorify thee by whom only I was appointed to so great honour and by whose grace only I hope to be enabled thus to govern the kingdome Vers 2. I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way c. To wit by avoiding what ever is evil with all possible circumspection And indeed this is expresly affirmed of David in his private life 1 Sam. 18.14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his waies O when wilt thou come unto me To wit to assist me with thy grace herein or rather to settle me in the kingdome promised me that I may then make good what I now promise As for the following clause I will walk within mine house with a perfect heart that which is intended thereby seems to be this that he would walk holily and righteously not in publick only but even within his own walls his court or his private house so that even those of his own family should not be able to lay any evil to his charge yea and that he would be watchfull to keep his own houshold too from every scandalous way Vers 3. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes That is say some I will not make any evil course of other men a pattern for me to follow But rather I take it thus I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes to wit neither by desire nor purpose no nor by suffering it so near as I can to come into my thoughts Vers 4. A froward heart shall depart from me c. The meaning of this may be that he would not allow in himself that perverse rebellious spirit whereto naturally he was enclined or else that he would not converse with those that were of a froward spirit which indeed agrees best with the following clause according to our translation I will not know a wicked person that is I will not own any such nor shew them the least respect or favour Vers 5. Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour him will I cut off c. To wit
by casting them out of his house or out of his court yea and in some cases by putting them to death according as was by Gods law appointed Deut. 19.16 21. And though David speaks here only of some particular vices which he would not endure in those that were about him and he instanceth in those that are most pernicious in such persons as are about kings yet under these all other wicked men are comprehended Vers 6. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithfull of the land that they may dwell with me c. That is say some Expositours I will be watchfull over such for their defence that they may dwell safely with me in my kingdome But rather the meaning of these words is that he would be very circumspect not to take any but such as were known faithfull men to be his familiar friends his counsellors officers of state or houshold-servants not resting merely in the choice of these upon the report of others but diligently observing himself who were such and then taking them of what parentage and condition soever they were to be imployed by him both in his publick and domestick affairs For hereto agrees the following clause he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me Vers 7. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house c. That is Though such may get into my court or private family yet being discovered they shall not stay there Vers 8. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land c. To wit all such malefactours as commit wickednesse worthy of death I will not only banish such out of my court but will utterly destroy them that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord that is from the Church of God or if we understand it of Jerusalem then doubtlesse the drift of these words is to imply that his chief end in resolving to cut them off was that such vile wretches might not pollute Gods dwelling-place when all Israel was to resort thither from all places of the land and so bring a reproach upon the Name of God his truth and people And indeed some think that expression I will early destroy all the wicked of the land is used in allusion to the custome of womens sweeping their houses every morning or to that of magistrates sitting in the judgement-seat betimes in the morning of which some understand that place Jer. 21.12 O house of David saith the Lord execute judgement in the morning c. PSALM CII The Title A Prayer of the afflicted c. Or for the afflicted And indeed most probable it is which most Expositours hold that this Psalm was composed by Daniel or some other prophet of those times for the use of Gods afflicted and oppressed people a little before the seventy years of the Babylonian captivity were expired teaching them how to pour out their complaints before God and to seek to him for the reedifying of the city and temple of Jerusalem as it may be gathered from that vers 13. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come and many other passages in this Psalm As for the following words when he is overwhelmed see the Note Psal 61.2 and poureth out his complaint before the Lord see the Note 1 Sam. 1.15 Vers 3. For my daies are consumed like smoke c. See the Note Psal 37.20 Job 30.30 Vers 4. My heart is smitten and withered like grasse c. To wit like grasse that is smitten with the heat of the sun or like grasse that is mowen down and then withereth so that I forget to eat my bread to wit as being so overwhelmed with sorrow that I mind not mine ordinary food Vers 5. By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin That is By reason of my long-continued miseries which cause me to spend my daies in continuall groaning I am become nothing but skin and bones See the Note Job 30.29 Vers 6. I am like a pelican of the wildernesse I am like an owle of the desart By comparing himself to these dismall birds that abide usually in desolate places as he would imply his restlesse condition and his continuall dolefull cries and lamentations so also especially his solitarinesse not only in that he was forsaken of all but also in that through bitternesse of spirit he declined the society of men and the very light of the day was irksome to him But see the Note Job 30.29 Vers 7. I watch c. That is Through my continuall miseries cares and sorrows I am still kept waking cannot take any rest am as a sparrow alone upon the house top that is sad solitary as a sparrow that sits solitary mourning upon the house top being cast out of her nest or that is deprived of her young ones or her mate But now again some understand this verse thus I watch that is I wait for deliverance but alas all in vain continuing still in a sad desolate condition and am as a sparrow c. Vers 9. For I have eaten ashes like bread c. Having said in the foregoing verse mine enemies reproach me all the day here he shews the extreme misery he was in which gave his enemies occasion to insult over him and reproach him for I have eaten ashes like bread that is I find no more savour in my food then if I fed upon ashes as indeed extreme grief will cause men even to loath their food so that they shall find no relish in any thing they eat Or else the meaning may be only that he lay groveling in ashes with his face upon the ground as if he had been feeding upon ashes which agrees with that phrase of licking the dust for which see the Note Psal 72.9 or that whilst he lay upon the ground covered with sackcloth and ashes being regardlesse what he fed on as he lay in that condition what he did eat was mingled with ashes which some Expositours do the rather approve because it seems to agree with the following clause and mingled my drink with weeping for which see the Note Psa 42.3 The expression here used seems to be taken from the custome of mens mingling their wine with water Vers 10. Because of thine indignation and thy wrath c. The meaning of these words may be either that Gods indignation was the cause of his misery or that his sorrow was not so much for the distresse he was in as from this apprehension that God in his wrath had brought these miseries upon him for thou hast lifted me up and cast me down that is thou hast dashed me in pieces with all thy might as when one lifts up any thing on high that he may throw it down upon the ground with the greater force and violence or having formerly exalted me to a great height of prosperity thou hast now cast me down to a