beast both of man and beast 9 Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee O Egypt upon Pharaoh and upon all his servants 10 * Numb 21. 24 25 26 34 35. Who smote great nations and slew mighty kings 11 Sihon king of the Amorite and Og king of Bashan and * Josh. 12. 7. all the kingdoms of Canaan 12 * Josh. 12. 7. Psal. 78. 55. And gave their land for an heritage an heritage unto Israel his people 13 Thy * Psal. 102. 12. name O LORD endureth for ever and thy memorial O LORD †Heb. to generation and generation throughout all generations o These wonderful works of thine shall never be forgotten The land which thou gavest us v. 12. and which we yet enjoy is an everlasting monument of thy power and goodness and an obligation and encouragement to trust in thee in all our present or future difficulties 14 For the LORD will judge his people p Will in due time plead the cause of his people or give judgment for them as this phrase is used Deut. 32. 36. Ier. 5. 28 22. 16. and he will repent himself concerning his servants q He will recal that severe sentence which for their sins he had passed upon them and be reconciled to them 15 * Psal. 115. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold r Of this and the following verses see the Notes on Psal. 115. 4 5 c. the work of mens hands 16 They have mouths but they speak not eyes have they but they see not 17 They have ears but they hear not neither is there any breath in their mouths 18 They that make them †Heb. let them be So Gr. are like unto them so is every one that trusteth in them 19 Bless the LORD O house of Israel bless the LORD O house of Aaron 20 Bless the LORD O house of Levi ye that fear the LORD bless the LORD 21 Blessed be the LORD out of Zion s By the assemblies of his people in Zion or Ierusalem which dwelleth at Jerusalem t This clause may be added either to distinguish the true God from the gods which were worshipped in other places and countries or as a reason why they should bless God because he had blessed and honoured that place with his gracious and glorious presence Praise ye the LORD PSAL. CXXXVI The matter of this Psalm is the same with the former onely it is a little more fitted to the use and service of the Temple by the continued repetition of that solemn clause for thy mercy endures for ever which was much used by the sacred Singers See 2 Chron. 7. 3. 20. 21. 1 O * Psal. 106. 1. 107. 1. 118. 1. Give thanks unto the LORD for he is good * 1 Chr. 16. 41. for his mercy endureth for ever 2 O give thanks unto * Deut. 10. 17. the God of gods a Who is infinitely superiour to all that are called gods whether Angels or Princes or Idols for his mercy endureth for ever 3 O give thanks unto the Lord of lords for his mercy endureth for ever 4 To him who alone b He and none else Or he without the help of any other person or thing whereas no other being can do any thing alone or without his help doth great wonders for his mercy endureth for ever 5 * Gen. 1. 1. To him that by wisdom c To wit by eminent and admirable wisdom far exceeding the capacity of all humane or Angelical creatures made the heavens for his mercy endureth for ever 6 * Gen. 1. 9. Jeâ—… 10. 12. To him that stretched out the earth above the waters d Of which see on Gen. 1. 9. Psal. 24. 2. for his mercy endureth for ever 7 * Gen. 1. 14. To him that made great lights for his mercy endureth for ever 8 The sun †Heb. for the â—…lings by day to rule by day e Of which phrase and the like in the next verse see my Notes on Gen. 1. 16. for his mercy endureth for ever 9 The moon and stars to rule by night for his mercy endureth for ever 10 * Exod. 12. 2. To him that smote Egypt in their first-born for his mercy endureth for ever 11 * Exod. 12. 51. 13. 17. And brought out Israel from among them for his mercy endureth for ever 12 * Exod. 6. 6. With a strong hand and with a stretched out arm for his mercy endureth for ever 13 * Exod. 14. 21 22. Psal. 74. 13. 78. 13 To him which divided the Red sea into parts for his mercy endureth for ever 14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it f To wit without fear or danger by comparing this with the next verse for his mercy endureth for ever 15 * Exod. 14. 28. But †Heb. shaked off overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea for his mercy endureth for ever 16 * Exod. 15. 22. To him which led his people through the wilderness g Through that vast howling wilderness where there was neither way nor provision through which none but the Almighty God could have safely conducted them for his mercy endureth for ever 17 * Psal. 135. 10 11. To him which smote great kings for his mercy endureth for ever 18 * Deut. 29. 7. Ps. 135. 10 11. And slew mighty kings for his mercy endureth for ever 19 * Num. 21. 23. Sihon king of the Amorite for his mercy endureth for ever 20 * Num. 21. 33. And Og the king of Bashan for his mercy endureth for ever 21 * Josh. 12. 17. And gave their land for an heritage for his mercy endureth for ever 22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant h He speaks of all that people as of one man because they were united together in one body in the worship of one and the same God Thus God calleth them all his first-born Exod. 4. 22. for his mercy endureth for ever 23 Who remembred us in our low estate for his mercy endureth for ever 24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies for his mercy endureth for ever 25 * Psal. 104. 27. 147. 9. Who giveth food to all flesh i Either to all mankind or to all living creatures For which God deserves great praises which the Psalmist by his example teacheth us to render to God for them because those who are most concerned either cannot or do not perform this duty for his mercy endureth for ever 26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven for his mercy endureth for ever PSAL. CXXXVII The Penman of this Psalm is uncertain the occasion of it was unquestionably the consideration of the Babylonish Captivity and it seems to have been composed either during the time of that Captivity or presently after
not readily grant it to those that greedily seek it and if any son of violence procure it he will make him pay very dearly for it and when the Saints suffer it for Gods sake as they frequently do it is a most acceptable Sacrifice to God and highly esteemed by him Thus the blood of Gods people is said to be precious in his sight Psal. 72. 14. And in the same sence the life of a man is said to be precious in his eyes who spareth and preserveth it as 1 Sam. 26. 21. 2 Kings 1. 13. Gods people are precious in his eyes both living and dying for whether they live they live unto the Lord or whether they die they die unto the Lord Rom. 14. 8. of his saints 16 O LORD truly I am thy servant b This is either 1. an argument used in prayer It becometh thee to protect and save thy own servants as every good master doth or rather 2. a thankful acknowledgment of his great obligations to God whereby he was in duty bound to be the Lords faithful and perpetual servant For this suits best with the context I am thy servant and * Psal. 86. 16. the son of thy handmaid c Either 1. the son of a mother who was devoted and did devote me to thy serviet Or 2. like one born in thy house of one of thy servants and so thine by a most strict and double obligation thou hast loosed my bonds d Thou hast rescued me from mine enemies whose captive and vassal I was and therefore hast a just right and title to me and to my service 17 I will offer to thee * Lev. â—… 12. the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the Name of the LORD 18 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people e And as I said before so I now repeat my promise for the greater assurance and to lay the stricter obligation upon my self 19 In the courts of the LORD's house in the midst of thee O Jerusalem Praise ye the LORD PSAL. CXVII This Psalm contains a Prophecy of the Calling of the Gentiles as appears both from the matter of it and from Rom. 15. 11. where it is quoted to that purpose 1 O * Rom. 15. 11. Praise the LORD a Acknowledge the true God and serve him onely and cast away all your Idols all ye nations praise him all ye people 2 For his merciful kindness is great towards us b Either 1. towards us Jews to whom he hath given those peculiar priviledges which he hath denied to all other nations But this may seem an improper argument to move the Gentiles to praise God for his mercies to others from which they were excluded Or 2. towards all of us all the children of Abraham whether carnal or spiritual who were to be incorporated together and made one body and one sold by and under the Messias Iob. 10. 16. Eph. 2. 14. which mystery seems to be insinuated by this manner of expression and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever Praise ye the LORD PSAL. CXVIII This Psalm most probably was composed by David when the Civil Wars between the Houses of Saul and David were ended and David was newly setled in the Kingdom of all Israel and had newly brought up the Ark of God to his Royal City But though this was the occasion yet David or at least the Spirit of God which indired this Psalm had a further reach and higher design in it and especially in the latter part of it which was to carry the Readers thoughts beyond the Type to the Antitype the Messias and his Kingdom who was chiefly intended in it Which is apparent both from the testimonies produced of it to that purpose iâ—… the Neâ—…t Testament as Mat. 〈◊〉 9 42. Mark 12. 10 11. Acts 4. 11 c. and from the consent of the Hebrew Doctors both ancient and modern one evidence whereof is that in their prayers for their Messiah they use some part of this Psalm and from the matter it self as we shall see hereafter The form of this Psalm may seem to be dramatical and several parts of it are spoken in the name of several persons yet so that the distinction of the persons and their several passages is not expressed but lest to the observation of the intelligent and diligent Reader as it is in the Book of the Song of Solomon and in some part of Ecclesiastes and in many profane Writers David speaks in his own name from the beginning to v. 22. and from thence to v. 25. in the name of the people and thence to v. 28. in the name of the Priests and then concludes in his own name 1 O * 1 Chro. 16. 8. Psal. 106. 1. 107. 1. 136. 1. Give thanks a All sorts of persons which are particularly expressed in the three next verses as they are mentioned in like manner and order Psal. 115. 9 10 11. where see the Notes unto the LORD for he is good because his mercy endureth for ever 2 Let Israel b After the flesh all the Tribes and people of Israel except the Levites now say that his mercy endureth for ever 3 Let the house of Aaron c The Priests and Levites who were greatly discouraged and oppressed in Sauls time and shall receive great benefits by my government now say that his mercy endureth for ever 4 Let them now that fear the LORD d The Gentile-Proselytes whereof there were in Davids time and were likely to be greater numbers than formerly had been say that his mercy endureth for ever 5 I called upon the LORD †Heb. out of distress in distress the LORD answered me and * Psal. 18. 19. set me e Which Verb is tacitly included in the former and is easily understood out of Psal. 31. 9. where the full phrase is expressed and from the following word See the like examples in the Hebrew Text Gen. 12. 15. Psal. 22. 21 c. ‖ Or with enlargement in a large place 6 * Psal. 56. 4 11. Heb. 13. 6. The LORD is ‖ Heb. for me on my side I will not fear what can man f A frail and impotent creature in himself and much more when he is opposed to the Almighty God do unto me 7 * Psal. 54. 4. The LORD taketh my part with them that help me g He is one of the number of my helpers and enables them to defend me therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me 8 * Psal. 40. 4. 62. 8 9. Jer. 17. 5 7. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man h As mine adversaries do in their own numbers and in their great confederates 9 * Psal. 146. 2. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes i The neighbouring and
6. 2. Psal. 51. 4. sin against God 10 And it came to pass as she spake to Joseph day by day that he hearkned not unto her to lie by her or to be with her i He avoided her company and familiar conversation as evil in it self the present circumstances considered and as an occasion of further evil See Prov. 1. 15. and 5. 8. 1 Cor. 15. 33. 1 Thess. 5. 22. 1 Tim. 5. 14. 11 And it came to pass about this time k Or Vpon a certain day which she thought convenient for the reason following that Joseph went into the house to do his business l That which belonged to his charge to cast up his accounts as the Chaldee renders it which requiring privacy gave her this opportunity and there was none of the men of the house there within * To wit in that part of the house where Ioseph was 12 And she caught him by his garment saying Lie with me and he left his garment in her hand m Which he would not strive to get from her partly for reverence to his mistress partly in detestation of her wickedness whereby even his garment might seem to be infected and partly to put himself and her out of the danger of further temptation and fled and got him out 13 And it came to pass when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and was fled forth 14 That she called unto the men of her house n To such as were in other parts of the house whom she called in as witnesses for her husbands satisfaction and spake unto them saying see he o i. e. My Husband whom she would not name as it were out of disdain and high displeasure for being the occasion of this horrid affront Thus the pronouns he and they are oft used by way of contempt as Luk. 14. 24. and 19. 27. Iohn 7. 11. and 8. 10. hath brought in an Hebrew p So she calls him to render him hateful and contemptible to the Egyptians unto us to mock q To abuse me or to vitiate and defile me For that word is oft used in an obscene sense us r She insinuates that this was not onely an indignity to her but an injury to all the Family which therefore they were obliged to revenge he came in unto me to lie with me and I cryed with a * Heb. great loud voice 15 And it came to pass when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cryed that he left his garment with me and fled and got him out 16 And she laid up his garment by her untill her Lord came home 17 And she spake unto him according to these words saying The Hebrew servant which thou hast brought unto us s So she makes her husband accessory to the crime that she might provoke him to the sharper revenge came in unto me to mock me 18 And it came to pass as I lift up my voice and cryed that he left his garment with me and fled out t An improbable story and an evidence that the violence was on her side otherwise if he had attempted violence upon her person he would not have forborn violence to the recovery of his garment which he very well knew might he made a pretence against him 19 And it came to pass when his master heard the words of his wife which she spake unto him saying After this manner did thy servant to me that his wrath was kindled 20 And Josephs master took him and put him into the prison u Quest. Why did he not kill him the crime being capital and he having so undoubted a power in his hand to do it Answ. 1. It is probable he was a little moderated by Iosephs Apology which doubtless he made for himself though it be not here recorded 2. This is to be ascribed to the good Providence of God which restrains the waves of the Sea and the passions of men and sets them their bounds which they shall not pass which watched over Ioseph in a peculiar manner a place where the Kings prisoners x Traitours or great offenders against the King whose Prison doubtless was none of the easiest and therefore it is called a Dungeon Gen. 40. 15. and 41. 14. and he indured great hardship in it See Psal. 105. 18. were bound and he was there in the prison 21 But the LORD was with Joseph and †Heb. extended kindness uâ—…to him shewed him mercy and * Exod. 3. 21. and 11. 3. and 12. 36. Psal. 106. 46. Prov. 16. 7. Dan. 1. 9. gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison y The Gaoler who under Potiphar was the Keeper of that particular prison 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Josephs hand all the prisoners that were in the prison and whatsoever they did there he was the doer of it z They did nothing but by Iosephs command or permission 23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand because the LORD was with him and that which he did the LORD made it to prosper CHAP. XL. 1 AND it came to pass after these things that the Butler of the King of Egypt and his Baker had offended their Lord the King of Egypt 2 And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his Officers against the chief of the Butlers and against the chief of the Bakers 3 And he put them in ward in the house of the Captain of the guard a To wit Potiphar Gen. 37. 36. who being informed by his underkeeper of Iosephs great care and faithfulness began to have a better opinion of him though for his own quiet and his Wives reputation he left him still in the prison into the prison where Joseph was bound b Was a Prisoner as that word is used Isa 22. 3. For Ioseph being now made Governour of the Prisoners was doubtless freed from his bonds Or had been bound and that with Irons in a cruel manner Psal. 105. 18. 4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them and he served them and they continued a season c Heb. Days i. e. either many days or a year as that word sometimes signifies See Gen. 24. 55. in ward 5 And they dreamed a dream both of them each man his dream in one night each man according to the interpretation of his dream d i. e. Not a vain and idle dream but one that had in it a signification of future things and needed interpretation and the several dreams were proper and agreeable to the several events which befell them and to the several interpretations which Ioseph put upon them the dream and interpretation did fitly answer one to the other the Butler and the Baker of the King of Egypt which were bound in the prison 6 And Joseph came in unto them in the morning and looked upon them and
unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the Name of * Gen. 17. 1. and 48. 3. God Almighty but by my Name * chap. 3. 14. JEHOVAH was I not known to them * Quest. How is this true when God was known to them and called by the name Iehovah Gen. 15. 7. and 26. 24. c. Ans. 1. He speaks not of the letters or syllables but of the thing signified by that name For that denotes all his perfections and amongst others the eternity constancy and immutability of his nature and will and the infallible certainty of his word and promises And this saith he though it was believed by Abraham Isaac and Iacob yet it was not experimentally known to them for they onely saw the promises afar off Heb. 11. 13. Ans. 2. This negative expression may be understood comparatively as many others are as Gen. 32. 29. Mat. 9. 13. 1 Cor. 1. 17. q. d. They knew this but darkly and imperfectly which will now be made known more clearly and fully 4 And I have also established my covenant with them * Gen. 17. 8. and 28. 4. to give them the land of Canaan the land of their pilgrimage wherein they were strangers 5 And * chap. 2. 24. I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage and I have remembred my Covenant 6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel I am the LORD and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians and I will rid you out of their bondage and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm b i. e. My almighty power A metaphor from a man that stretcheth out his arm and puts forth all his strength to give the greater blow and with great judgments c i. e. Punishments justly inflicted upon them as the word judging and judgments is oft used as Gen. 15. 14. 2 Chron. 20. 12. Prov. 19. 29. 7 And I will take you to me for a people d i. e. For my people you shall no longer be the people and slaves of the King of Egypt but my people and servants whom I will bless and preserve and I will be to you a God e To judge and deliver you and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians 8 And I will bring you in unto the land concerning the which I did †Heb. list up my hand See Gen. 14. 22. Deut. 32. 40. swear * Gen. 15. 14. 26. 3. 35. 12. to give it to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob and I will give it you for an heritage I am the LORD f And therefore have authority and power to dispose of lands and kingdoms as I please and faithful to give you what I have promised 9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel but they hearkened not unto Moses for †Heb. shortness or straitness anguish of spirit g Their minds were so oppressed with their present burdens and future expectations that they could not believe nor hope for any deliverance but deemed it impossible and having been once deceived in their hopes they now quite despaired and thought their entertainment of new hopes or use of further endeavours would make their condition worse as it had done and for cruel bondage 10 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 11 Go in speak unto Pharaoh King of Egypt that he let the children of Israel go out of his land 12 And Moses spake before the LORD saying Behold the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me how then shall Pharaoh hear me * chap. 4. 10. who am of uncircumcised lips h i. e. Of polluted lips Uncircumcision being a great defect and blemish whereby men were rendred profane contemptible and unfit for many services and priviledges may note any defect whether moral and of the spirit or natural and of the body So here it notes Moses his inability to cloath Gods commands in such words as might prevail with Pharaoh But this was a great weakness of faith as if God could not effect his purpose because the instrument was unfit 13 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel and unto Pharaoh King of Egypt to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt 14 These be the heads of their fathers houses i This genealogy he describes here to shew the linage of Moses and Aaron by whom this great work was to be effected Onely he premiseth in brief the genealogy of his two elder brethren Reuben and Simeon to make way for the third which he intended more largely to insist upon And he mentions them rather than any other either to advance the favour of God in preferring that tribe before the descendants of their elder brethren or to shew that although the parents were sharply censured and rather cursed then blessed by Iacob Gen. 49. yet their posterity was not rejected by God but received to mercy and admitted to the same priviledge with their brethren * Gen. 46. 9. 1 Chron. 5. 3. The sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel Hanoch and Pallu Hezron and Carmi these be the families of Reuben 15 * 1 Chro. 4. 24. And the sons of Simeon Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman these are the families of Simeon 16 And these are the names of the * Numb 3. 17. 1 Chron. 6. 1. sons of Levi according to their generations k From each of which proceeded a distinct generation or family called by their fathers name Gershon and Kohath and Merari and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years 17 The * 1 Chro. 6. 17. and 23. 7. sons of Gershon Libni and Shimi according to their families 18 And * Numb 26. 57. 1 Chron. 6. 2. the sons of Kohath Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel And the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years 19 And the sons of Merari Mahali and Mushi these are the families of Levi according to their generations 20 And * chap. 2. 1. Numb 26. 59. Amram took him Jochebed his fathers sister l Or rather kinswoman or coâ—…sin or neece for so this Hebrew word is sometimes used as appears from Ier. 32. 8 9 12. Obj. She is called the daughter of Levi Exod. 2. 1. Ans. Even Neeces are oft called daughters as we have shewed See Luk. 1. 5. and the notes on Exod. 2. 1. to wife and she bare him Aaron and Moses and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years 21 And * 1 Chro. 6. 37 38. the sons of Izhar Korah and Nepheg and Zichri 22 And * Levit. 10. 4. Num. 3. 30.
means clear the guilty k This is commonly esteemed a title of Justice or Vengeance which is here added by way of correction least men should mistake or abuse Gods mercy God is most gracious indeed but so as he is also just and will not pity nor spare impudent and impenitent transgressours but will severely punish them And the Jewish Doctors hereupon observe that the mercy of God doth far exceed his justice here being as they number them thirteen Attributes of Mercy and but one of Justice But this translation and interpretation is rejected by some late Learned interpreters who make this an attribute of Gods goodness or Clemency and render the words thus in destroying he will not utterly destroy though visiting c. q. d. He is so gracious that though he will severely punish the iniquity of the fathers and especially their Idolatry upon themselves and upon their Children c. as he hath said Exod. 20. 5. yet in judgment he will remember mercy and will not utterly destroy his people for their sins There are many things which favour this interpretation 1. This suits most with Moses his solicitude and prayer for the people of Israel which was that God would not utterly destroy them as he threatened to do 2. This sense best agrees with Gods promise chap. 33. 19. I will make all my goodness to pass before thee which general promise is particularly explained and performed in these 2. verses 3. This place doth not speak of Gods disposition and carriage towards his enemies against whom he proceeds with great severity and commands the Israelites to do so in the verses here following but towards his people whose cause Moses is all along pleading with God See chap. 32. 11 12 13 31 32. and 33. 13 15. and 34. 9. 4. The Hebrew verb here used frequently signifies to make empty or desolate to empty men of their goods or places of men See Isa. 3. 26. Amos 4. 6. So here he will not utterly empty or destroy Though he will leave the marks of his vengeance for this sin upon thy people even to their third and fourth generation or it may be further yet he will not utterly root them out which is the great thing thou fearest and labourest to prevent And this very phrase here used we have in Ier. 30. 11. and repeated Ier. 46. 28. where though interpreters generally render it I will not leave thee altogether unpunished which may make a good sense yet it seems much better to be rendred I will not utterly destroy thee 1. Because hereby these words exactly answer to the foregoing clause yet will I not make a full end of thee and so the samething is elegantly repeated in other words which is very frequent in Scripture 2. Because here is an opposition between the severity God useth to other people and the kindness he useth to his own people which is manifest in the former member of the verse and therefore most probable and agreeable in this 5. This is much confirmed from Numb 14. 18. where Moses pleading with God for the pardon of his peoples sin useth this very phrase and argument as taken out of Gods mouth which in this sense is very proper and prevalent Thou hast said that even when thou dost visit iniquity c. thou wilt not utterly destroy them And God answers him verse 20. I have pardoned according to thy word i. e. so as not utterly to destroy them But truly as I live c. verse 21 22 23. i. e. But I will severely punish them But if this had been the meaning Lord thou hast said thou wilt by no means clear the guilty as we render it it was a most improper argument and put a sword into the Lords hand to slay them even by vertue of this consideration * chap. 33. 21. Joshâ—… Job 10. â—…4 Nah. 1. 3. visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the childrens children unto the third and to the fourth generation 8 And Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth and worshipped 9 And he said If now I have found grace in thy sight O LORD let my LORD I pray thee go amongst us for it is a stiff-necked people l And therefore need thy glorious and powerful presence to rule them Or rather though it be a stiff-necked people as thou saist yet forsake them not The Hebrew particle chi oft signifies though as Exod. 5. 11. Isa. 54. 6. and pardon our iniquity and our sin and take us for thine inheritance m i. e. Deal with us as men do with their inheritances dwell among us protect us improve us 10 And he said Behold * Deut. 5â—… I make a covenant n i. e. I do hereby renew my Covenant with thy people which they had violated and voided by their sin But the shortness of the phrase there being no mention here of any with whom this covenant is made or renewed and the following words make it more probable that this covenant is nothing but a solemn promise or engagement that God will do the thing which here follows And the word covenant is oft used foâ—… a meer promise as Gen. 9. 9. c. Levit. 24. 8. Numb 18. 19. and 25. 12. before all thy people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth nor in any nation and all the people amongst which thou art shall see the work of the LORD for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee o Either 1. By thy Ministery as that phrase is sometimes used as 1 Cor. 15. 10. Or 2. In the midst of thee i. e. of thy people as ver 11. before thee i. e. before thy people This I prefer because the next verse explains this of such things as were not done by Moses his ministery nor in his time but afterwards 11 Observe thou that which I command thee this day Behold I drive out before thee the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite 12 * chap. 23. 32. Deut. 7. 2. Take heed to thy self lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee 13 But ye shall destroy their altars and * chap. 23. 24. Deut. 12. 3. break their †Heb. statues images and * Judg. 6. 25. 2 King 18. 4. and 23. 14. cut down their groves p Which at first were used by good men for their devotion as Gen. 21. 33. but afterwards being horribly abused to superstition and Idolatry were by Gods command to be destroyed 14 For thou shalt worship no other God for the LORD whose name is jealous q Who hath made himself known by and glories in that name the jealous God who cannot endure any competitor or corrival whereas the false and puny Gods of the Heathens were
by the sacrifices for any worth in them but onely in respect of Christ and that though all sins are not equal yet they are all expiated by one and the same price even by the blood of Christ. and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of * chap. 3. 1. peace-offerings 20 And the priest shall wave them g i. e. Some part of them in the name of the whole and so for the two lambs otherwise they had been too big and too heavy to be waved So it is a synecdochical expression with the bread of the first-fruits for a wave-offering before the LORD with the two lambs * Num. 18. 12 Deut. 18. 4. they shall be holy to the LORD †Heb. â—…o for the priests h Who had to themselves not onely the breast and shoulder as in others which belonged to the Priest but also the rest which belonged to the offerer because the whole Congregation being the offerer here it could neither be distributed to them all nor given to some without offence or injury to the rest 21 And ye shall proclaim on the self-same day that it may be an holy convocation i A Sabbath or day of rest called Pentecost which was instituted partly in remembrance of the consummation of their deliverance out of Egypt by bringing them thence to the mount of God or Siâ—…i as God had promised and of that admirable blessing of giving the Law to them at that time and forming them into a Commonwealth under his own immediate Government and partly in gratitude for the further progress of their harvest as in the Passeover they offered a thank-offering to God for the beginning of their harvest unto you ye shall do no servile work therein it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations 22 And * chap. 19. 9. when ye reap the harvest of your land thou k From the plural ye he comes to the singular thou because he would press this duty upon every person who hath an harvest to reap that none might plead exemption from it And it is observable that though the present business is onely concerning the Worship of God yet he makes a kind of excursion to repeat a former Law of providing for the poor to shew that our piety and devotion to God is little esteemed by him if it be not accompanied with acts of Charity to men shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest * Deut. 24. 19. c. neither shalt thou gather any gleanings of thy harvest thou shalt leave them unto the poor and to the stranger I am the LORD your God 23 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 24 Speak unto the children of Israel saying in the * Numb 29. 1. seventh month in the first day of the month shall ye have a sabbath a memorial of blowing of trumpets l i. e. Solemnized with the blowing of trumpets by the Priests not in a common way as they did every first day of every moneth Numb 10. 10. but in an extraordinary manner not onely in Ierusalem but in all the Cities of Israel This seems to have been instituted 1. To solemnize the beginning of the new year whereof as to civil matters and particularly as to the Jubilee this was the first day concerning which it was fit the people should be admonished both to excite their thankfulness for Gods blessings in the last year and to direct them in the management of their civil affairs 2. To put a special honour upon this moneth For as the seventh day was the Sabbath and the seventh year was a Sabbatical year so God would have the seventh moneth to be a kind of Sabbatical moneth for the many Sabbaths and solemn feasts which were observed in this more than in any other moneth And by this sounding of the trumpets in its beginning God would quicken and prepare them for the following Sabbaths as well that of atonement and humiliation for their sins as those of thanksgiving for Gods mercies an holy convocation 25 Ye shall do no servile work therein but ye shall offer an offering m What that was see Numb 29. 2 c. made by fire unto the LORD 26 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 27 * chap. 16. 30. Num. 29. 7. Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement it shall be an holy convocation unto you and ye shall afflict your souls n With fasting and bitter repentance for all especially their national sins among which no doubt God would have them remember their sin of the golden Calf For as God had threatned to remember it in after times to punish them for it Exod. 32. 34. so there was great reason why they should remember it to humble themselves for it and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD 28 And ye shall do no work in that same day for it is a day of atonement to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God 29 For whatsoever soul it be o Either of the Jewish Nation or Religion Hereby God would signifie the absolute necessity which every man had of Repentance and Forgiveness of sin and the desperate condition of all impenitent persons that shall not be afflicted in that same day * Gen. 17. 1â—… he shall be cut off from among his people 30 And whatsoever soul it be that doth any work in that same day the same soul will I destroy from among his people 31 Ye shall do no manner of work it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings 32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest and ye shall afflict your souls in the ninth day of the month at even from even unto even shall ye †Heb. rest celebrate your sabbath p This clause seems to be added to answer an objection how this day of atonement could be both on the tenth day ver 27. and on the ninth day here The answer is it began at the evening or close of the ninth day and continued till the evening or close of the tenth day and so both were true especially if you consider that the Jews did take in some part of the sixth days evening by way of preparation for the Sabbath and therefore would much more take in a part of the ninth day to prepare and begin the great and solemn work of their yearly atonement And this clause may be understood either 1. Of this particular Sabbath called here your Sabbath in the singular number possibly to note the difference between this and other Sabbaths for the weekly Sabbath is oft called the Sabbath of the Lord because that was in a special manner appointed for the praising honouring and serving of God and celebrating his glorious works as also the other Sabbaths here mentioned were whereas this was
they gave publick testimony that they heard this person speak such words and did in their own and in all the peoples names desire and demand justice to be executed upon him that by this sacrifice God might be appeased and his judgments turned away from the people upon whom they would certainly fall if he were unpunished and let all the congregation stone him d The same punishment which was before appointed for those who cursed their parents whereas it deserved a far more grievous death Thus God in this life mixeth mercy with judgment and punisheth men less than their iniquities deserve 15 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel saying Whosoever curseth e i. e. Speaketh of him reproachfully and with contempt They therefore are greatly mistaken that understand this of the heathen Gods whom their worshippers are forbidden to reproach or curse But Moses is not here giving laws to Heathens but to the Israelites nor would he concern himself so much to vindicate the honour of Idols nor doth this agree either with the design of the holy Scriptures which is to beget a contempt and detestation of all Idols and Idolatry or with the practise of the holy Prophets who used oft to vilify them See 1 â—…ing 18. 27. Ier. 10. 11. his God shall bear his sin f i. e. The punishment of it shall not go unpunished Some say he was to be beaten with stripes other say with death which is described ver 16. 16 And †Or. â—…e that 〈◊〉 he that blasphemeth the Name of the LORD g This some make a distinct sin from 〈◊〉 his God mentioned ver 15. but the difference they make seems arbitrary and without evidence from reason or the use of the words And therefore this may be a repetition of the same sin in other words which is common And as this law is laid down in more general terms ver 15. so both the sin and the punishment are more particularly expressed ver 16. Or the first part of ver 16. may be an application of the former rule to the present case And as for him that blasphemeth c. or is blaspheming c. in the present tense which is fitly used concerning words just now uttered and scarce yet out of their ears he shall c. And so the following words as well the stranger c. may be a repetition and amplificatioâ—… of the former law he shall surely be put to death and all the congregation h To shew their zeal for God and to beget in them the greater dread and abhorrency of blasphemy shall certainly stone him as well the stranger as he that is born in the land when he †Or 〈◊〉 blasphemeth the name of the LORD shall be put to death 17 * Exod. 21. 12. Num. 35. 31. Deut. 10. 21. And he that †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a 〈◊〉 killeth any man i This law is repeated here either to justifie this sentence of putting blasphemers to death from the same severity executed for a less crime or to prevent the mischievous effects of mens striving or contending together which as here it caused blasphemy so it might in others lead to murder shall surely be put to death 18 And he that killeth a beast shall make it good †Heb. sâ—…l for sâ—…l beast for beast 19 And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour as * Exod. 21. 24. Deut. 19. 21. Mat. 5. 38. he hath done so shall it be done unto him 20 Breach for breach eye for eye tooth for tooth as he hath caused a blemish in a man so shall it be done to him again 21 * Exod. 21. 33 34. And he that killeth a beast he shall restore it and he that killeth a man he shall be put to death 22 Ye shall have * Exod. 12. 49. one manner of law k To wit in matters of common right but not as to Church priviledges as well for the stranger as for one of your own countrey for I am the LORD your God 23 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp and stone him with stones and the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses CHAP. XXV 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai a i. e. Near mount Sinai So the Hebrew particle beth is sometimes used as Gen. 37. 13. Ios. 5. 13. Iudg. 8. 5. 2 Chron. 33. 20. compared with 2 King 21. 18. So there is no need to disturb the order of the Iâ—…story in this place saying 2 Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them When ye come into the land b So as to be settled in it for the time of the wars was not to be accounted nor the time before Ioshua's distribution of the land among them Ios. 14. 7 10. which I give you then shall the land †Heb. rest keep * Exod. 23. 11. See ch 26. 34. a sabbath c i. e. Enjoy rest and freedom from plowing tilling c. unto the LORD d i. e. In obedience and unto the honour of God This was instituted partly for the assertion of Gods soveraign right to the land in which the Israelites were but tenants at Gods will partly for the trial and exercise of their obedience partly for the demonstration of his providence aswell in the general towards men as more especially towards his own people of which see below ver 20 21 22. partly to wean them from inordinate love and pursuit of or trust to worldly advantages and to inure them to depend upon God alone and upon Gods blessing for their subsistence partly to put them in mind of that blessed and eternal rest provided for all good men wherein they should be perfectly freed from all worldly labours and troubles and wholly devoted to the service and enjoyment of God See on Exod. 23. 11. and lastly that by their own straits in that year they might learn more compassion to the poor who were under the same straits every year 3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard and gather in the fruit thereof 4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land a sabbath for the LORD thou shalt neither sow thy field nor prune thy vineyard 5 * â—… King 19. 29. That which groweth of its own accord e From the grains that fell out of the ears the last reaping time of thy harvest thou shalt not reap f i. e. As thy own peculiarly but onely so as others may reap it with thee for present food neither gather the grapes †Heb. of thy separation of thy vine undressed g Heb. the grapes of thy separation i. e. The Grapes which thou hast separated or set apart to the honour of God and to the ends and uses appointed by God
them 22 And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron and before his sons t In their presence and by their direction and appointment as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites so did they unto them 23 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 24 This is it that belongeth unto the Levites from * 1 Chron. 23. 24. Num. 1. 3. twenty and five years old u See on Numb 4. 3. and upward they shall go in †Heb. to wâ—… the warfarâ—… of c. to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation 25 And from the age of fifty years they shall †Heb. 〈◊〉 from the 〈◊〉 of the service cease waiting upon the service thereof x i. e. Upon the difficult and cumbersome part of their work and shall serve no more 26 But shall minister with their brethren y By way of advise and assistance in lesser and easier works in the tabernacle of the congregation to keep the charge and shall do no service thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge CHAP. IX 1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the first month of the second year a And therefore before the numbring of the people which was not till the second moneth Numb 1. 1 2. But it is placed after it because of a special case relating to the Passe-over which hapned after it and which is here related upon occasion whereof he mentions the command of God for the keeping of the Passe-over in the Wilderness which was done but once and without this command they had not been obliged to keep it at all till they came to the land of Canaan See Exod 12. 25. after they were come out of the land of Egypt saying 2 Let the children of Israel also keep * Exod. 12. â—… c. Lev. 23. 〈◊〉 chap. 28. 16. Deut. 16. 〈◊〉 the passe-over at its appointed season 3 In the fourteenth day of this month †Heb. 〈◊〉 the two â—…ings at even ye shall keep it in its appointed season according to all the rites of b So far as concerned the Lamb and the unleavened bread c. for there were some things peculiar to the first Passe-over in Egypt as that they were to eat it in 〈◊〉 with their loins grided their shoes on their feet and their staffe in their hand which were not properly Rites or Ceremonies of the Passe-over but circumstances of their present condition being then Travellers and ready to depart c Qu. Whence had they meal to make unleavened bread Answ. They were not now in haste and so had time enough to procure it out of the land of Midian by the help of Moses his Father-in-law who lived there which land was not far from Horâ—…b or Sinai as appears from Exod. 3. 1. it and according to all the ceremonies thereof shall ye keep it 4 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel that they should keep the passe-over 5 And they kept the passe-over on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai according to all that the LORD commanded Moses so did the children of Israel 6 And there were certain men who were * chap. 5. 3. defiled by †Or the 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 ch 6. 〈◊〉 the dead body of a man c By the touch of a dead body or something belonging to it See Numb 19. 11. that they could not keep the passe-over d Because unclean persons were prohibited to eat of holy things See Levit. 7. 20. and 22. 3. on that day and they came before Moses e For resolution of their difficulty and before Aaron on that day 7 And those men said unto him We are defiled by the dead body of a man wherefore are we kept back that we may not offer f Which if we neglect we must be cut off and if we keep it in these circumstances we must also be cut off What shall we do an offering of the LORD g i. e. The Passeover so called because it was both killed and eaten in obedience to Gods command and to Gods honour and as a thank-offering to God for his great mercies in its appointed season among the children of Israel 8 And Moses said unto them stand still and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you h God having promised to answer and direct him upon his address to him in difficult cases 9 And the LORD spake unto Moses saying 10 to Speak unto the children of Israel saying If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body or be in a journey i Under these two instances the Hebrews think that other hinderances of like nature are comprehended as if one be hindred by a disease or by any other such kind of uncleanness which may seem probable both from the nature of the thing and the reason of the Law which is the same in other cases and from the application of this rule to other cases 2 Chron. 30. afar off k In some remote countrey whence he cannot return sooner yet ye shall keep the passeover unto the LORD 11 The * 2 Chron. 30. 2 15. fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs 12 * Exod. 12. 10. They shall leave none of it unto the morning l But either eat or burn it before that time * Exod. 12. 46. Joh. 19. 36. nor break any bone of it according to all the ordinances of the passeover they shall keep it 13 But the man that is clean and is not in a journey and forbeareth to keep the passeover m Through contempt or neglect without these or any other just impediments as before even the same soul shall be cut off from his people because he brought not the offering of the LORD in its appointed season that man shall bear his sin 14 And if a stranger n To wit a Proselyte shall sojourn among you and will keep the passeover unto the LORD according to the ordinance of the passeover and according to the manner thereof so shall he do * Exod. 12. 49. ye shall have one ordinance both for the stranger and for him that was born in the land 15 And * Exod. 40. 34. on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud o Of which see Exod. 13. 12. covered the tabernacle namely the tent of the testimony p Or The Tabernacle towards or above the tent of the Testimony i. e. that part of the Tabernacle in which was the Testimony or the ark of the Testimony for there the cloudy pillar stood Levit. 16. 2. This was an evident token of Gods special presence with and providence over them See Exod. 14.
for all the rest He stood in the East and saw also Gilead which was in the Eastern part of the land and thence he saw the North and South and west and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh and all the land of Judah unto the utmost sea f i. e. The midland Sea which was the utmost bound of the land of promise on the west 3 And the south g i. e. The south quarter of the land of Iudah which is towards the salt sea which is described Num. 34. 3 4 5. Ios. 15. 1 2 3 4. as the western quarter of Iudah was described in the words next foregoing and the plain of the valley of Jericho h Or in which lies Iericho which was in the Tribe of Benjamin the city of palm-trees i i. e. Iericho so called both here and Iudg. 1. 16. and 3. 13. 2 Chron. 28. 15. from the multitude of Palm-trees which were in those parts as Iosephus and Straâ—… write From whence and the balm there growing it was called Iericho which signifies odoriserous or sweet smelling unto Zoar. 4 And the LORD said unto him * Gen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 13. 1â—… This is the land which I sware unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob saying I will give it unto thy seed I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes k To wit by a miraculous power strengthning thy sight or making a clear representation of all these parts to thy view but thou shalt not go over thither 5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab l i. e. In the land which Israel took from the Amorites which antiently was the land of Moab according to the word of the LORD 6 And he m i. e. The Lord last mentioned buried him either immediately or by the ministery of Angels whereof Michael was the Chief or Prince Iude ver 9. buryed him in a valley in the land of Moab over-against Beth-Peor but no man knoweth of his sepulchre n i. e Of the particular place of the Valley where he was buried which God hid from the Israelites to prevent their Superstition and Idolatry to which he knew their great proneness And for this very reason the Devil endeavoured to have it known and contended with Michael about it Iude ver 9. And seeing God would not endure the worship of the Relicks or Tomb of so eminent a person as Moses was it is ridiculous to think God would permit this honour to be given to any of the succeeding Saints who were so far inferiour to him unto this day 7 And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died his eye was not diâ—… nor his †Heb. 〈◊〉 natural force †Heb. 〈◊〉 abated o By a miraculous work of God in mercy to his Church and people 8 And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty dayes p Which was the usual time of mourning for persons of high place and eminency See Gen. 50. 3 10. Num. 20. 29. For others seven days sufficed so the dayes of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended 9 And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom q And other gifts and graces too as appears from the History but Wisdom is mentioned as being most necessary for the Government to which he was now called for Moses had laid his hands upon him r Which God had appointed as a sign to Moses and Ioshua and the Israelites that this was the person whom he had appointed and qualified for his great work See Numb 27. 18 c. compare Gen. 48. 10. Numb 8. 10. and the children of Israel hearkned unto him and did as the LORD commanded Moses 10 And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses s In the priviledges here following whom the LORD knew face to face t i. e. Whom God did so freely and familiarly and frequently converse with See on Exod. 33. 11. Numb 12. 8. Deut. 5. 4. 11 In all the signs u This is to be joyned either 1. with the words immediately foregoing as an eminent instance wherein God did know or acknowledge and own or converse so familiarly with Moses namely in the working of all his signs and wonders in Egypt where God spake to him so oft and sometimes even in Pharaohs presence and answered his requests so particularly and punctually whether he called for vengeance or for deliverance Or 2. With the more remote words there was none like unto Moses in regard of all the signs c. the words whom the Lord knew face to face coming in by way of parenthesis and the wonders which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land 12 And in all that mighty hand and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel JOSHUA The ARGUMENT IT is not material to know who was the Pen-man of this Book whether Joshua as seems most probable from Chap. 24. 26. or some other holy Prophet It is sufficient that this Book was a part of the Holy Scriptures or Oracles of God committed to and carefully kept by the Jews and by them faithfully delivered to us as appears by the concurring Testimony of Christ and his Apostles who owned and approved of the same Holy Scriptures which the Church of the Jews did But this is certain that divers Passages in this Book were put into it after Joshua's death as Josh. 10. 13. compared with 2 Sam. 1. 18. and Josh. 19. 47. compared with Judg. 18. 1. and Josh. 24. 29 30. And such like Insertions have been observed in the five Books of Moses CHAP. I. NOW after the death of Moses a Either immediately after it or when the days of mourning for Moses were expired Ioshua was appointed and declared Moses his Successor in the Government before this time and therefore doubtless entred upon the Government instantly after his death and here he receives confirmation from God therein the servant of the LORD b This title is given to Moses here and v. 2. as also Deut. 34. 5. and is oft repeated not without cause partly to reflect Honour upon him partly to give Authority to his Laws and Writings in publishing whereof he only acted as Gods Servant in his name and stead and partly that the Israelites might not think of Moses above what was meet remembring that he was not the Lord himself but only the Lords Servant and therefore not to be worshipped nor yet to be too pertinaceously followed in all his Institutions when the Lord himself should come and abolish part of the Mosaical Dispensation it being but reasonable that he who was only a Servant in Gods house should give place to him who was the Son and Heir and Lord of it as Christ was See Heb. 3. 3 5
not probable 1. Because here is onely mention of drawing and pouring forth this water before the Lord but not of any washing themselves with it 2. Because this was not a fit time and place to Purifie themselves in this great and general Assembly Or 2. as an External Siâ—…n whereby they testified and professed both their own great filthiness and need of washing by the grace and spirit of God and blood of the Covenant which are oft signified by water and their sincere desire to pour out their very hearts before the 〈◊〉 in true Repentance and to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit before the LORD t i. e. In the publick Assembly where God is in a special manner present as hath been noted before and fasted on that day and said there We have sinned against the LORD And Samuel judged the children of Israel u i. e. Governed them reformed all abuses against God or man took care that the Laws of God should be observed and executed and willful Transgressors Punished in Mizpeh 7 And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh the lords of the Philistines went up x To wit with an Army v. 10. suspecting the Effects of their general Convention and intending to nip them in the bud against Israel and when the children of Israel heard it they were afraid y Being a company of unarmed persons and unfit for Battel of the Philistines 8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel ‡ Heb. be not siâ—…ent from us from crying Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us z We are ashamed and afraid to look God in the face because of our great wickedness this day remembred and acknowledged do thou therefore intercede for us as Moses did for his Generation that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines 9 ¶ And Samuel took a sucking lamb a Which it might be though it was more than Eight days old and so that Law Exod. 23. 19. was not violated and offered it b Either himself by Divine Instinct which was a sufficient Warrant or rather by a Priest as Saul is afterwards said to have offered 1 Sam. 13. 9. for a burnt-offering wholly c Burning all the parts of 〈◊〉 according to the Law of the Burnt-offerings whereas in other Offerings some parts were reserved unto the Lord and * Psal. 99. 6. Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel and the LORD ‖ Or answered heard him d As appears by the Effects the following Thunder and the overthrow of the Philistines Host. 10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering the Philistines drew near to battel against Israel but the LORD thundred with a great ‡ Heb. voice thunder on that day upon the Philistines and discomfited them and they were smitten e Either by the Lightnings or Thunderbolts or other things which accompanied the cracks of Thunder or by the Israelites who perceiving them to be affrighted and flee away pursued and smote them as the next Verse mentions before â—…rael 11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh and pursued the Philistines and smote them f Qu. Whence had they Weapons wherewith to smite them Answ. Divers of them probably brought them to the Assembly others borrowed them at Mizpeh or the neighbouring places and the rest might be the Arms of the Philistines which they threw away to hasten their flight as is usual in such cases until they came under Beth-car 12 Then Samuel took a stone g A rude unpolished Stone which was not prohibited by that Law Levit. 26. 1. there being no danger of Worshipping such a Stone and this being set up onely as a Monument of the Victory and set it between Mizpeh and Shen and called the name thereof ‖ 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 oâ—…â—…elp Eben-ezer h By which compared with Chap. 4. 1. it appears that this Victory was gained in or â—…ear the very same place where the Israelites received their former fatal loss saying Hitherto hath the LORD helped us i He hath begun to help us in some measure though not compleatly to deliver us By which wary expression he exciteth both their thankfulness for their mercy received and their holy fear and care to please and serve the Lord that he might proceed to help and deliver them more effectually 13 ¶ So the Philistines were subdued and they came no more into the coast of Israel k i. e. They came not with a great Host as now they did but onely molested them with stragling Parties or Garisons as 1 Sam. 10. 5. and they came not to wit all the days of Samuel as it follows i. e. while Samuel was their â—…ole Judge or Ruler for in Saul's time they did come 1 Sam. 13. 5 17. and 14. 52. and 17. 1. c. and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel 14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel ‡ Heb. returned were restored to Israel l By the Philistines who it seems were frighted into this Restitution by their dread of Samuel and of the Divine Vengeance Object The Philistines had Cities and Garisons in Israel's Land after this time as 1 Sam. 10. 5. and 1â—… â—… Answ. Either therefore those places were not any of 〈◊〉 here mentioned for it is not said That all their Cities were restored but onely indefinitely the cities and those limited to a certain compass from Ekron to Gath or some of the Cities now restored by the Philistines were afterwards retaken by them from Ekron even unto Gath and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hand of the Philistines and there was peace m An agreement for the Cessation of all acts of Hostility between Israel and the Amorites n i. e. The Canaanites oft called Amorites because these were formeâ—…ly the most Valiant and Terrible of all those Nations and the first Enemies which the Israelites met with when they went to take Possession of their Land They made this Peace with the Canaanites that they might be more at leasure to oppose the Philistines now their most Potent Enemies 15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life o For though Saul was King in Samuel's last days yet Samuel did not then quite cease to be a Judge being so made by Gods extraordinary Call which Saul could not destroy And therefore Samuel did sometimes upon great occasions though not ordinarily exercise the office of a Judge after the beginning of Saul's Reign as Chap. 11. 7. and 15. 32 33. And the years of the Rule of Saul and Samuel are joyned together Act. 13. 20 21. Qu. How doth the Office of a Judge agree with Hannahs Vow whereby she devoted him to a perpetual attendance upon the Lords Service Answ. This was not inconsistent with her
it appears that Sacrifices were accompanied with Solemn Prayers I forced my self therefore and offered a burnt-offering y I did it against my own mind and inclination My Conscience told me I should forbear it and punctually obey God's Command delivered to me by Samuel but my necessity urged me to make haste 13 And Samuel said to Saul Thou hast done foolishly z In that very thing wherein thou thinkest thou hast done wisely and politickly in disobeying my express Command upon a pretended necessity or reason of State thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God a Not onely upon common grounds as thou art his Creature and one of his People but in a special manner who hath conferred peculiar Favours and Honours upon thee which is an aggravation of thy sin which he commanded thee for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever b Que. How could this be true when the Kingdom was promised to Iudah Gen. 49. 10. and consequently must necessarily be taken away from Saul and from his Tribe Ans. First The Phrase for ever in Scripture use oft-times signifies onely a long time as Gen. 43. 9. Exod. 21. 6. 1 Sam. 28. 2. So this had been abundantly verified if the Kingdom had been enjoyed by Saul and by his Son and by his Son's Son after whom the Kingdom might have come to Iudah Secondly Though the Kingdom had been promised to Saul and to his Posterity for ever in a larger sence yet that was upon condition of his Obedience And therefore God might well promise the Kingdom to Iudah because at that time and before he foresaw that Saul would by his disobedience forfeit that promise and that he would take the forfeiture and transfer the Kingdom to Iudah 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue * Psal. 89. 20. â—…ct 13. 22. the LORD hath sought c i. e. Hath found or discovered as men do by seeking An Anthropopathy him a man after his own heart d i. e. Such a man as I desire one who will fulfil all the desires of my heart and not oppose them as thou dost and the LORD hath commanded e i. e. Hath appointed or decreed as the word command is sometimes used for it was not yet actually done him to be captain over his people because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee f Quest. First What was Saul's sin Ans. Either First That Saul Invaded the Priests Office and Offered the Sacrifice himself which is not probable both because he had Priests with him and among others an eminent one Ahiah chap. 14. 3. and therefore had no occasion nor pretence for that presumption Or rather Secondly That Saul did not wait the full time for Samuel's coming for that is the thing which God commanded chap. 10. 8. and the breach of this command is the onely thing for which Saul makes an Apology v. 11 12. Quest. Secondly Why did God so severely punish Saul for so small an offence and that occasioned by great necessity and done with an honest intention Ans. First Men are very incompetent Iudges of Gods Judgments because they see but very little either of the Majesty of the offended God or of the hainous nature and aggravations of the Offence For instance men see nothing but Saul's outward act which seems small but God saw with how wicked a mind and heart he did this with what Rebellion against the Light of his own Conscience as his own words imply with what gross infidelity and distrust of Gods Providence with what contempt of Gods Authority and Justice and many other wicked principles and motions of his heart unknown to men Besides God clearly saw all that wickedness that yet lay hid in his heart and foresaw all his other Crimes and therefore had far more grounds for his Sentence against him than we can imagine Secondly God doth sometimes punish small sins severely and that for divers weighty reasons as that all men may see what the least sin deserves and how much they owe to Gods free and rich Mercy for passing by their great Offences and what need they have not to indulge themselves in any small sin as men are very prone to do upon vain presumptions of Gods Mercy whereby they are easily and commonly drawn on to hainous Crimes and for many other reasons so that some such instances of Gods severity are necessary Discipline and Caution to all mankind in the present and future Ages and therefore there is far more of mercy and kindness in such actions than of rigour and harshness since this is but particular to one Person and the other is an universal good Thirdly It must be remembred that the Kingdom of Saul and of Israel was now in its Infancy and that this was the first command which he received from God And it hath been ever held a piece of Wisdom in all Law-givers severely to punish the first Violations of their Laws to secure their Honour and Obedience and to affright and caution Offenders for the future And accordingly God dealt with Cain the first Murderer with Israel for their first Idolatty with the Calf with the first miscarriage of the Priests Levit. 10. 1. with the first profaner of the Sabbath Numb 15. 32. with the first gross Hypocrites in the Christian Church Act. 5. 5 10. And therefore it is neither strange nor unjust if he deal with Saul after the same manner and upon the same grounds Fourthly Though God threaten Saul with the loss of his Kingdom for this sin yet it is not improbable that there was a tacit condition implied as is usual in such cases as Ionah 3. 4. to wit if he did not heartily repent of this and of all his sins for the full and final and peremptory Sentence of Saul's rejection is plainly ascribed to another cause chap. 15. 11 23 26 28 29. and till that second Offence neither the Spirit of the Lord departed from him nor was David anointed in his stead chap. 16. 13 14. 15 And Samuel arose and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin g Whither Saul also followed him as appears from the next Verse either because it was better fortified than Gilgal or because he expected a greater increase of his Army there it being in his own Tribe and nearer the heart of his Kingdom or because he hoped for Samuel's Assistance there And Saul numbred the people that were ‡ Heb. found present with him * Chap. 14. 2. about six hundred men 16 And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people that were present with them abode in Gibeah of Benjamin but the Philistines encamped in Michmash 17 And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies h That they might March several ways and so waste several parts of the Countrey one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah i A
do I desire you should at all concern your selves in it but wholly leave it to me to do what I think fit ye sons of Zeruiah so let him curse because the LORD hath said unto him o Not that God commanded it by his Word for that severely forbids it Exod. 22. 28. or moved him to it by his Spirit for neither was that necessary nor possible because God tempteth no man Jam. 1. 13. but that the secret Providence of God did order and over-rule him in it God did not put any Wickedness into Shimei's heart for he had of himself an heart full of Malignity and Venome against David but only left him to his own Wickedness took away that common Prudence which would have kept him from so foolish and dangerous an Action directed his Malice that it should be Exercised against David rather than another man at when God gives up one Traveller into the hands of a Robber rather than another inclined him to be at home and then to come out of his doors at that time when David passed by him and brought David into so distressed a condition that he might seem a proper Object of his Scorn and Contempt And this is ground enough for this Expression the Lord said not by the Word of his Precept but by the Word of his Providence in respect whereof he is said to command the Ravens 1 King 17. 4. and to send forth his Word and Commandment to senceless Creatures Psal. 147. 15 18. Curse David Who shall then say p Not unto Shimei for it was justly said so to him afterwards 1 King 2. 9. but unto the Lord who shall reproach Gods Providence for permitting this Or who shall by Words or Actions restrain him from executing Gods just Judgment against me Wherefore hast thou done ‖ Or 〈◊〉 thou so 11 And David said to Abishai and to all his servants Behold my son which came forth of my bowels seeketh my life q Which is a greater Mischief than to Reproach me with Words Of that Tribe and Family from which God hath taken away the Kingdom and given it to me which was likely to stir up his Rage and Hatred against me how much more now may this Benjamite ‖ do it let him alone and let him curse r Do not now hinder him violently from it nor punish him for it It is meet I should bear the Indignation of the Lord manifested herein and submit to his Pleasure and possess my Soul with Patience and by bearing these lesser Evils prepare my self for greater which are coming towards me for the LORD hath bidden him 12 It may be s He speaks doubtfully because he was conscious that by his Sins he had forfeited all his Claim to God's Promises that the LORD will look on mine ‖ Or 〈◊〉 ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 affliction t With an Eye of Commiseration and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day 13 And as David and his men went by the way Shimei went along on the hills side over against him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cast dust u Not that he could reach or hurt him with it but onely as an expression of Contempt And the like is to be thought concerning the Stones wherewith he could not think to reach David when he was Encamped with his Men on every side 14 And the king and all the people that were with him came x To the City of Bahurim v. 5. weary and refreshed themselves there 15 And Absalom and all the people the men of Israel came to Jerusalem and Ahithophel with them 16 And it came to pass when Hushai the Archite Davids friend was come unto Absalom that Hushai said unto Absalom ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King live God save the king y To wit Absalom whom he pretends to own for his King and Liege Lord. God save the king 17 And Absalom said to Hushai Is this thy kindness to thy friend why wentest thou not with thy friend z Doth this Action answer that Profession of greatest Friendship which thou hast hitherto made to him Dost thou thus requite his Favour and true Friendship to thee He speaks thus onely to try him And he saith thy Friend by way of Reflection upon David as one who was a Friend to Hushai and to Strangers but not to his own Son whom by his Severity and Design to give away his Right to Solomon he provoked to this Course and therefore he doth not vouchsafe to call him his Father 18 And Hushai said unto Absalom Nay but whom the LORD and this people and all the men of Israel chuse a Though as a private person I owed and payed Friendship to David whilest he was King yet I must make all my Obligations give place to the Authority of God who putteth down and setteth up Kings at his pleasure and to the common Sence and Decree of the whole Body of the Nation But Hushai expresseth himself very cautiously for though he would be thought to understand Absalom yet in truth this Character did not agree to him whom neither God nor all the People had chosen but onely a part and that the worst part of them his will I be and with him will I abide 19. And again whom should I serve should I not serve in the presence of his son b Thou art his Son and Heir and Successor and now in his place and stead whereby my Friendship which was due to him is devolved upon thee by Right of Inheritance and I reckon that my Friendship is not wholly alienated from him when it is transferred upon one that came out of his Bowels as I have served in thy fathers presence so will I be in thy presence 20 Then said Absalom to Ahitophel Give counsel among you what we shall do 21 And Ahitophel said unto Absalom Go in unto thy fathers concubines c This Counsel he gave partly to Revenge the Injury done to Bathsheba who was the Daughter of Eliam 2 Sam. 11. 3. who was the Son of Ahitophel Chap. 23. 34. and principally for his own and the Peoples safety that the Breach between David and Absalom might be made wide and irreparable by so Vile an Action which must needs provoke David in the highest Degree both for the Sin and shame of it as the like Action had done Iacob Gen. 49. 3 4. and cut off all hopes of Reconciliation which otherwise might have been expected by some Treaty between Absalom and his render-hearted Father in which Case his Followers and especially Ahitophel himself had been left to David's Mercy which he hath left to keep the house and all Israel shall hear that thou ‡ Heb. stinkest with thy father art abhorred of thy father d And therefore obliged by thy own Interest to Prosecute the War with all possible Vigor and to abandon all
might be observed Or 4. there are included here the 30000 which belonged to the 30 Colonels mentioned Chap. 23. who are Excluded 1 Chron. 21. although it be questionable whether those were all of the Tribe of Iudah men 10 ¶ And Davids heart smoâ—…e s His Conscience discerned his Sin and he was heartily sorry for it And the occasion of his Repentance was Gods Message by the Prophet Gad as it here follows ver 11. For when c. as formerly God's Message by Nathan had the same effect 2 Sam. 12. Both which Passages are Noted to shew how necessary the further and repeated supplies of God's grace are even to the best of men to raise them when they fall into Sin him after that he had numbred the people and David said unto the LORD I have sinned greatly in that I have done and now I beseech thee O LORD take away the iniquity of thy servant for t Because I am sensible of my Sin and Folly as it is more fully Expressed Psal. 51. 5 6. Or although as this Particle is oft used I have done very foolishly 11 For when David was up in the morning the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad Davids * 2 Châ—… 29. 〈◊〉 seer u So called because he was a Prophet for such were called Seers 1 Sam. 9. 9. now and at other times employed by God to Reveal his Mind and Will to David See 1 Sam. 22. 5. 1 Chron. 29. 29. saying 12 Go and say unto David Thus saith the LORD I offer thee three things choose thee one of them that I may do it unto thee 13 So Gad came to David and told him and said unto him Shall seven years of famine x Obj. In 1 Chron. 21. 12. it is onely three years of famine Ans. 1. Some conceive that here was an Error in the Transcriber and that the true Reading is three years as the LXX read it in this place being supposed to have found it so in their Copiâ—…s and that otherwise they durst never have presumed to make so great a change in the Text. 2. In Chron. he speaks exactly of those years of Famine onely which came for David's Sin but here he speaks more confusedly and comprehensively including those Three years of Famine sent for Saul's Sin Chap. 21. And this Sin of David's was Committed in the Year next after them which was in a manner a year of Famine either because it was the Sabbatical Year wherein they might not Sow nor Reap or rather because not being able to Sow in the Third Yeaâ—… because of the Excessive Drought they were not capable of Reaping this Fourth Year And Three Years more being added to these Four make up the Seven here mentioned So the meaning of the Words is this As thou hast already had Four Years of Famine shall Three years more come And that it is said of these Seven Years that they shall come it is a Synecdochical Expression frequent in Scripture because part of the years were yet to come Even as it is said of the Israelites that they should wander in the wilderness forty years Numb 14. 33. when part of that time was already spent come unto thee in thy land or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies while they pursue thee or that there be three days pestilence in thy land now advise and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me 14 And David said unto Gad I am in a great strait let us fall now into the hand of the LORD y To wit his immediate Stroke which is chiefly in the Pestilence for though the Sword and Famine be also God's Hand yet there is also the hand of Man or other Creatures in them The reason of this choice was partly his Experience in and confidence of God's great goodness partly because the other Judgments especially the Sword had been more dishonourable not onely to David but also to God and to his People and to the True Religion and partly because he having sinned himself thought it just and reasonable to chuse such a Plague to which he was as obnoxious as his People whereas he had better fences foâ—… himself against Sword and Famine than they had for his mercies are ‖ Or 〈◊〉 great z And therefore will not exceed measure in his Strokes as meâ—… will do and let me not fall into the hand of man 15 ¶ So the LORD sent a Pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed a Either 1. From Morning to Evening which is here called the time appointed or the time of the convention or publick meeting as this Hebrew Word oft signifies i. e. till the time of the Evening-Prayer and Sacrifice when the people used more solemnly to meet together See Psal. 141. 2. Act. 3. 1. Thus God mitigated his Sentence and turned three days into one it being a thing not unusual with God to qualifie his threatnings and to take off the evil threatned sometimes wholly as in Ninevehs Case and sometimes in part And this God might do here upon the speedy and serious Repentance of David and of his People Or rather 2. from the morning or rather from that morning for the Article seems to be Emphatical and to denote That very morning in which Gad came to David ver 11. and that the Plague did immediately ensue after Gad's offer and David's choice even to the time appointed to wit by God i. e. for Three Days as God had set the time ver 13. Object If it continued Three Days how is it said That God repented him of the evil and stopped the Angel in his course ver 16 Answ. This he did in the beginning of the Third Day whereas otherwise it should have gone on to the end of the Day Or it may signify no more but this At the end of the third day God gave over smiting for then is God said after the manner of men to repent when he ceaseth to proceed as before he had done and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men b So the number of his people which was the matter of his pride and glorying was diminished 16 And when the angel c Which appeared in the shape of a Man with a Sword in his hand 1 Chron. 21. 16. to convince them more fully that this was no natural nor common Plague but inflicted immediately by the hand of God stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem d Which he had begun to smite and was proceeding to make a far greater slaughter to destroy it * â—… Sam. 15. 11. the LORD repented him of the evil e i. e. He moderated and in part recalled his Sentence of the Plagues continuance for three whole days and this he did upon David's Prayers and Sacrifices as appears from v. 25. though these be mentioned afterward and said to the angel that destroyed
by their chearful attendance upon the new King and the people piped with ‖ Or fluâ—…es pipes and rejoyced with great joy q Partly because this would certainly prevent Civil Wars under which they had so lately and so sorely groaned and which they had reason to fear from Adonijah's pretence to the Crown and the assistance he might have from the great and famous Lord General Ioab and from Abiathar the High-Priest and from others who were or might easily be engaged for him if David had not ended the controversie in his life-time and partly because of the singular wisdom and vertue for which Solomon was even then famous See chap. 2. 5 9. so that the earth rent r An Hyperbolical expression yet even solid Bodies have been oft broken and rent by great sounds with the sound of them 41 ¶ And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating s For Nathan having given wise counsel took all due care to expedite the execution of it that it might not be spoiled by delays as frequently happens and when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet he said Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar 42 And while he yet spake behold Jonathan the son of Abiathar t Who it seems was left at Ierusalem for a Spy as he had formerly been under Absalom the priest came and Adonijah said unto him Come in for thou art a valiant man u Or a man of vertue or worth as this Hebrew word is used Prov. 12. 4. and therefore an happy man and hast good news for thy self and us Compare 2 Sam. 18. 27. and bringest good tidings 43 And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah Verily x Or but or nay but i. e. The matter is not as thou expectest but quite contrary our lord king David hath made Solomon king 44 And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and the Cherethites and the Pelethites and they have caused him to ride upon the kings mule 45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon and they are come up from thence rejoycing so that the city rang again this is the noise that ye have heard 46 And also Solomon sitteth on the throne y i. e. Is put into actual possession of the Kingdom of the kingdom 47 And moreover the kings servants came to bless our lord king David z To praise and thank him for his great and good care in leaving them in the hands of so excellent a Successor under whom they might expect Peace and all Prosperity and to congratulate with him for Gods great Mercy to him in giving him such a Son and Successor and that his Eyes had now seen the actual accomplishment of Gods promise made to him concerning this thing saying God make the name of Solomon better than thy name and make his throne greater than thy throne And the king bowed himself upon the bed a Adoring God for this great Mercy and thereby declaring his hearty approbation and consent to this action Compare Gen. 47. 31. 48 And also thus said the king Blessed be the LORD God of Israel which hath given one to sit on my throne this day mine eyes even seeing it 49 And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid and rose up and went every man his way b i. e. The way to his own House lest they should be discovered and taken 50 ¶ And Adonijah feared because of Solomon and arose and went and caught hold on the horns of the altar c Either that which was at Gibeon as appears from 1 Chron. 16. 39. 2 Chron. 1. 3. and was made with four Horns Exod. 38. 2. to which the Sacrifices were bound Psal. 118. 27. Or rather that which David had lately set up in the Threshing-floor of Araunah which doubtless was made after the same form as that at Gibeon For First This was next at hand Secondly The Altar onely is mentioned here whereas in Ioab's case there is mention of the Tabernacle and Altar both Chap. 2. 28 29. which seems to be noted to distinguish the two Altars for Adonijah being the Kings Son he might safely go to Araunah's Altar and the People would not be forward to seize upon him or bring him to Justice but Ioab truly thought it was not safe for him to venture himself there and therefore he flieth to Gibeon as a place more remote from Ierusalem Hither he fled either to implore Gods Mercy or rather to avoid Solomon's Rage sapposing that his Reverence to that Sacred place would not permit him to pollute it with his Brothers blood or that the consideration of Gods Grace and Mercy which himself needed and begged of God in pardoning his offences and accepting the Sacrifices which he should offer there would engage and dispose him to shew Mercy to his offending and now penitent Brother or that his Piety would not allow him violently to pluck him as it were out of the Arms of God into which he had put himself And for these or such like reasons the Altar was esteemed a kind of Sanctuary or place of Refuge not onely among the Gentiles but also among the Hebrews though it be not called by that name as may be gathered from Exod. 21. 14. 1 King 2. 28. 51 And it was told Solomon saying Behold Adonijah feareth king Solomon for lo he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar saying Let king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant d He owns Solomon as his King and himself as his Servant and Subject and being sensible of his great guilt and of the jealousie which Kings have of their competitors could not be satisfied without Solomon's Oath with the sword 52 And Solomon said If he will shew himself ‡ Heb. a son of vertue or valour a worthy man e Heb. a man of strength or courage for it requires great strength of mind and resolution to resist all temptations of vice and to do vertuously * 1 Sam. 14. 4â—… 2 Sam. 14. 11. Act. 27. 34. there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth f Herein Solomon manifests his Clemency and Brotherly affection and withal his prudence in sparing him whom being his Brother and his eldest Brother too it would have been invidious to have slain but if wickedness shall be found in him g Not onely if he shall be guilty of some capital crime but of any great wickedness or evil design For as this pardon was Solomon's free act so he might justly qualify it as he pleased he shall die 53 So king Solomon sent and they brought him down from the altar and he came and bowed himself to king Solomon and Solomon said unto him Go to thine house h Lead a
towards the end of the Third Year it makes up these Three Years and Six Months Iac. 5. 17. Or 2. From the time of his going to Sarepta which probably was a Year after the Famine begun See on Chap. 17. 7. and so this might be in the middle of the Third Year which also makes up the Three Years and Six Months saying Go shew thy self unto Ahab b To acquaint him with the cause of Judgment ver 18. and to advise him to remove it and upon that condition to promise him Rain and I will send rain upon the earth c According to thy Word and Prayer which thou shalt make for it Thus God takes care to maintain the Honour and Authority of his Prophet and in Judgment remembers Mercy to Israel for the sake of the Holy Seed yet left among them who suffered in this common Calamity 2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab d Wherein he shews a strong Faith and resolute Obedience and invincible Courage that he durst at God's Command run into the mouth of this raging Lion which was a degree of Martyrdom and there was a sore famine in Samaria 3 And Ahab called ‡ Heb. 〈◊〉 ahu Obadiah which was ‡ Heb. over 〈◊〉 house the governour of his house e Being valued by Ahab for his great prudence and fidelity and therefore indulged as to the worship of the Calves and Baal now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly f Quest. How could he and some other Israelites be said to fear the Lord when they did not go up to Ierusalem to Worship as God had Commanded Ans. Although they seem not to be wholly excusable in this neglect because they should have preferred Gods Service before their Worldly commodity according to the good example of the Priests and Levites and the generality of the Godly People who did so 2 Chron. 11. 13 16. yet because they Worshipped God in Spirit and Truth and performed all Moral Duties to God and their Brethren and abstained from Idolatry and being kept from Ierusalem by violence they thought necessity and the apparent hazard of their Lives would excuse them from Ceremonial Services and God bare with their infirmity herein 4 For it was so when ‡ Heb. Izebel Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD that Obadiah took an hundred prophets g Which name is not onely given to such as are endowed with an extraordinary Spirit of Prophecy but to such Ministers as Devoted themselves to the Service of God in Preaching Praying Praising God and the like as 1 Sam. 10. 10 11 12. and in this place compared with v. 22. where Elijah saith I onely remain a prophet of the Lord to wit strictly so called and Matth. 10. 41. 1 Cor. 12. 28 29. and 14. 29. and hid them by fifty in a cave and fed them h With the hazard of his own life and against the Kings command as wisely considering that no command of an Earthly Prince could over-rule the command of the Supreme Lord the King of kings or discharge him from those acts of Piety to God and Charity to Men which Gods Law indispensably required with bread and water i Either properly which was a great kindness in those circumstances or figuratively i. e. with meat and drink 5 And Ahab said unto Obadiah Go into the land unto all fountains of water and unto all brooks k About which Grass was most probably to be found in that great drought peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive ‡ â—…eb that we cut not off 〈◊〉 selves from the beasts that we lose not all the beasts 6 So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it Ahab went one way by himself l Not daring to trust any other Obadiah excepted lest being bribed by such as had Grass for their own use they should not give him a true account and Obadiah went another way by himself 7 ¶ And as Obadiah was in the way behold Elijah met him and he knew him and fell on his face m By this profound reverence shewing his great Respect and Love to him and said Art thou that my lord Elijah 8 And he answered him I am go tell thy lord n Ahâ—… whom though a very wicked man he owns for Obadiah's lord and King thereby instructing him that he did well in owning him as such and that the wickedness of Kings doth not exempt their Subjects from obedience to their Lawful commands Behold Elijah is here 9 And he said What have I sinned o Wherein have I so offended God and thee that thou shouldest inflict this punishment upon me and expose me to certain ruin by this means that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab to slay me 10 As the LORD thy God liveth there is no nation or kingdom p To wit near to his own where he could in reason think that Elijah had hid himself Nothing is more frequent than to understand general expressions with such limitations whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee and when they said He is not there he took an oath of the kingdom and nation that they found thee not q Not that he could force other Kingdoms to take an Oath but that by his persuasions he prevailed with the chief persons in several Kingdoms for his satisfaction to Swear that they did not know of Elijah's being among them Which was not hard for him to obtain For Ahab was a great Prince and had a great interest among the Neighbouring Kings The King of Tyre was his Father-in-law the King of Moab Tributary to him Iehoshaphat his Friend and Relation to whom the King of Edom was Tributary We read also of all the kings of Arabia and of all the Kings of the Hittites and of Syria 1 King 10. 15 29. which as they corresponded with Solomon so how far they might be Allied to or Confederate with Ahab we know not nor what Articles or Agreements were between him and them among which this might be one That they should deliver up to one another all their fugitive or banished Subjects upon demand which might give sufficient ground for his desire or expectation of this Oath Quest. How then could Elijah lye hid in the House of the Widow of Sarepta Ans. That might easily be either because she her self or at least others did not know particularly who he was or because she used all possible care to conceal him her Conscience and Interest both obliging her so to do or because God secured him there 11 And now thou sayest Go tell thy lord Behold Elijah is there 12 And it shall come to pass as soon as I am gone from thee that the Spirit of the LORD r The Holy Ghost to whom the inspiration and conduct of the Prophets is commonly ascribed in Holy Scripture as Isa. 48. 16. and 61. 1. Matth. 4.
for chariot and we will fight against them in the plain and surely we shall be stronger than they And he hearkned unto their voice and did so 26 And it came to pass at the return of the year that Benhadad numbred the Syrians and went up to Aphek l Not that in Iudah of which Iosh. 13. 4. and 15. 53. but that in Asher of which Iosh. 19. 30. Iudg. 1. 31. nigh unto which was the great Plain of Galilee And this seems to be one of those Cities which Benhadad's Father had taken from Israel ver 34. Here also the Syrians might Retreat if they should be worsted ‡ Heb. to the War with Israel to fight against Israel 27 And the children of Israel were numbred and ‖ Or were Victualled were all present m i. e. All the Forces of the Israelites were here gathered together to oppose the Syrians so if those had been Conquered all had been lost and went against them n Being perswaded and encouraged so to do partly to prevent the Mischiefs of a Siege in Samaria and the waste of all the rest of their Country and partly by the remembrance of their former Success and an expectation of the same Assistance from God again and the children of Israel pitched before them o Probably upon some Hilly Ground where they might secure themselves and watch for Advantage against their Enemies which may be the reason why the Syrians â—…rst not Assault them before the Seventh Day ver 29. like two little flocks of kids p i. e. Few and Weak and Heartless being also for conveniency of Fighting and that they might seem to be more than they were divided into Two Bodies but the Syrians filled the country 28 ¶ And there came a man of God and spake unto the king of Israel and said Thus â—…aith the LORD Because the Syrians have said q Which he knew either by common Report strengthned by their present choice of a Plain Ground for the Battel or rather by Revelation from God who discovered their secret Counsels 2 King 6. 12. The LORD is God of the hills but he is not God of the valleys therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand and ye shall know that I am the LORD r To wit The Universal Lord of all Places and Persons and Things 29 And they pitched one over against the other seven days and so it was that in the seventh day the battel was joyned and the children of Israel â—…low of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day 30 But the rest fled to Aphek in the city and the wall s Or the walls the Singular Number for the Plural than which nothing more frequent of the City or of some great Castle or Fort in or near the City in which they were now Fortifying themselves or of some part of the City where they lay Which might possibly happen through Natural Causes but most probably was Effected by the Mighty Power of God then sending some sudden Earthquake or violent Storm of Wind which threw down the Wall or Walls upon them or doing this by the Ministry of Angels Which cannot be incredible to any Man except to him that denies the Truth of all the Miracles Recorded in the Old and New Testament which being Attested many of them by Iews and Heathens it is the height of Folly and Impudence to deny For if ever Miracle was to be Wrought now seems to have been the proper time and season for it when the Blasphemous Syrians denied the Soveraign and Infinite Power of God and thereby in some fort obliged him for his own Honour to give a Proof of it and to shew That he was the God of the Plains as well as of the Mountains and that he could as effectually Destroy them in their strongest Holds as in the open Fields and make the very Walls to whose strength they trusted for their Defence to be the Instruments of their Ruine But it may be further observed that it is not said That all these were killed by the fall of this Wall but onely that the wall fell upon them Killing some and Wounding others as is usual in those Cases Nor is it necessary that the Wall should fall upon every Individual Person but it is sufficient to justifie this Phrase if it fell upon the main Body of them for the Words in the Hebrew run thus the Wall fell upon 27000 not of the men that are left as we render it but which were left of that great Army fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left and Benhadad fled and came into the city t Either 1. Out of the Fields as the rest of his Army did Which is distinctly and particularly noted of him because he was the most Eminent Person in it and the Head of it Compare the Title of Psal. 18. Or 2. Aâ—… and from the noise and report of that Terrible Fall of the Wall or Walls which possily might be in the outside or Suburbs of the City from whence he â—…led further into the City ‖ Or from chamber to chamber ‡ Heb. unto a chamber within a chamber into an inner chamber u Or a chamber within a chamber where he supposed he might lye hid till he had an opportunity of making an Escape or of obtaining Mercy 31 ¶ And his servants said unto him Behold now we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings x More merciful than others because that Religion which they had professed taught them Humanity and obliged them to shew Mercy let us I pray thee put sackcloth on our loins and ropes upon our heads y As a testimony of our sorrow for undertaking this War and that we have justly forfeited our Lives for it which we submit to their mercy 〈◊〉 and go out to the king of Israel peradventure he will save thy life 32 So they girded sackcloth on their loins and put ropes on their heads and came to the king of Israel and said Thy servant Benhadad saith I pray thee let me live And he said Is he yet alive he is my brother z I do not onely freely Pardon him but Honour and Love him as my Brother 33 Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him and did hastily catch it a Or they took that Word for a good token and made haste and snatched it i. e. that Word from him i. e. from his mouth they repeated the word again to try whether the King would own it or it onely drop't casually from him or made haste to know whether it was from him i. e. Whether he spoke this from his heart or onely in dissimulation or design for it seemed too good news to be true and they said Thy brother Benhadad b Understand liveth for that he enquired after ver 32. Then he said
pretended to fear and serve both the Lord and Idols yet in truth they did not and do not fear or worship the Lord but their own Calves or other vain inventions And God will not accept that mongrel and false Worship which they pretend to give to the true God Or this may intimate that the Israelites were worse than their Successors because these feared the Lord and Idols too but they did quite cast off the fear and worship of God in their captivity and wholly degenerated into Heathenish Idolatry neither do they after their statutes d i. e. God's Law delivered to their Fathers and to them as their Inheritance Psal. 119. 111. This is alledged as an Evidence that they did not fear the Lord whatsoever they pretended because they lived in the constant breach of his statutes or after their ordinances or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob e i. e. Themselves the Noun put for the Pronoun which is usual among the Hebrews * Gen. 32. 28. and 35. 10. whom he named Israel f A Name signifying his special interest in God and power with him which was given to him not onely for himself but for his Posterity also whom God frequently honours with that Name And by this great favour he aggravates their sin 35 With whom the LORD had made a covenant g Containing many precious promises upon the condition here following see Gen 17. 7. Exod. 19. 5. and 24. 7. and charged them saying * Judg. 6. 10. Ye shall not fear other gods nor bow your selves to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them 36 But the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched-out arm him shall ye fear him shall ye worship and to him shall ye do sacrifice 37 And the statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment which he wrote for you ye shall observe to do for evermore and ye shall not fear other gods 38 And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget neither shall ye fear other gods 39 But the Lord your God h i. e. God above as the whole context shews ye shall fear and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies i And therefore you have no pretence of need to go to other gods for relief 40 Howbeit they did not hearken but they did after their former manner 41 So k i. e. In like manner and after their example these nations l Who came in their stead feared the LORD and served their graven images both their children and their childrens children as did their fathers so do they unto this day CHAP. XVIII NOw it came to pass in the third year a In the third of those nine years mentioned chap. 17. 1. of which see there See below ver 10. of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel that * 2 Chron. 28 2â—… and 29. 1. He is called Ezekias Mat. 1. 9. Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign 2 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign b How is this credible For then Ahaz who lived but Six and Thirty years chap. 16. 2. must beget Hezekiah at the Eleventh year of his Age. Ans. 1. There are some like instances mentioned by credible Authors which these very men will not deny who are so ready to quarrel with the holy Scriptures for such matters 2. This being the confessed custom of sacred and other Writers in the numbring of years sometimes to omit and sometimes to add those which are imperfect or unfinished And so Ahaz might be near One and twenty years old when he began to reign and near Seventeen years older when he died And on the other side Hezekiah when he began to reign might be onely Four and Twenty years old compleat and but entred into his Five and Twentieth year And thus Ahaz might be between Thirteen and Fourteen years old when he got Hezechiah which is not at all strange especially in that Nation to which God had promised a singular degree of Fruitfulness and in that House of David to which God had made so many and such great Promises 3. It is not certain that Ahaz lived onely Thirty six years for those Sixteen Years which he Reigned Chap. 16. 2. may be computed not from the first beginning of his Reign when he Reigned with his Father of which see the notes on Chap. 15. 30. which was at the Twentieth Year of his Age but from the beginning of his Reign alone 4. Some affirm That Hezekiah was not the Natural but onely the Legal Son and Successor of Ahaz for the name of Son is given in Scripture to such Persons as 1 Chron. 3. 16. comp with 2 King 24. 17. Matt. 1. 12. compared with Ier. 22. 30. and to Adopted Sons Act. 7. 21. Heb. 11. 24. And to Sons in Law 1 Sam. 24. 16. and 26. 17. Luk. 3. 23. Any of these Solutions are far more credible to any man of common prudence than that these Sacred Books whose Divine Original hath been so fully Evidenced both by God and Men are but the Fictions and Contrivances of a base Impostor And if none of these Solutions were sufficient it is absurd to conclude That a true Resolution 〈◊〉 be found because it is not yet found because it is 〈◊〉 That many difficulties both in Scripture and in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were formerly judged Insoluble have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore we may justly expect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Difficulties which may be thought 〈◊〉 Explained and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem his mothers name also was Abi the daughter of Zachariah c Or Abiah 2 Chron. 29. 1. 3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD according to all that which David his father did 4 * 2 Chro. 31. â—… ¶ He removed the high places d i. e. The most of them or such as the people most frequented for all were not taken away Chap. 23. 13 14. And this he attempted to do notwithstanding the peoples great and constant Affection to them partly because he had more Zeal and Courage than his Predecessors and partly because the Dreadful Judgments of God upon the Kingdom of Israel for their Superstition and Idolatry had made the People of Iudah more pliable to the Commands of God and of their good King and brake the †images and cut down the groves and brake ‡ Heb. Staâ—…es in pieces the * Numb 21. 9. brazen serpent that Moses had made e By God's Command to be an Ordinance or mean for the conveyance of God's Blessing to the People which therefore had been hitherto kept as a Memorial of God's Mercy but being now commonly abused to Superstition was destroyed for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it f Not
Iudg. 21. and because God foresaw that they would be faithful to the House of David in the division of the Tribes and therefore he would not have them diminished And Ioab presumed to leave these two Tribes unnumbred because he had specious Pretences for it for Levi because they were no Warriours and the Kings Command reached onely to those that drew sword as appears from v. 5. And for Benjamin because they being so small a Tribe and bordering upon Ierusalem their Chief City might easily be numbred afterward for the kings word was abominable to Joab 7 †Heb. and it was evil in the eyes of the LORD concernning this thing And God was displeased with this thing d Because this was done without any colour of necessity and out of meer Curiosity and Oftentation and carnal Confidence as Davids own Conscience told him which therefore smote him as it is related 2 Sam. 24. 10. therefore he smote Israel e Which is particularly related in the following verses 8 And David said unto God * 2 Sam. 24. 10. I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing * 2 Sam. 12. 13. but now I beseech thee do away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly 9 And the LORD spake unto Gad Davids seer saying 10 Go and tell David saying Thus saith the LORD I †Heb. stretch out offer thee three things chuse thee one of them that I may do it unto thee 11 So Gad came to David and said unto him Thus saith the LORD †Heb. take to thee chuse thee 12 Either three years famine or three months to be destroyed before thy foes while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee or else three days the sword of the LORD even the pestilence in the land and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel Now therefore advise thy self what word I shall bring again to him that sent me 13 And David said unto Gad I am in a great strait let me fall now into the hand of the LORD for very ‖ Or many great are his mercies but let me not fall into the hand of man 14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men 15 And God sent an * 2 Sam. 24. 16. angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it and as he was destroying the LORD beheld and he repented him of the evil and said to the angel that destroyed It is enough stay now thine hand And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing-floor of ‖ Or Araâ—…nah 2 Sam. 24. 18. Ornan the Jebusite 16 And David lift up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem then David and the elders of Israel who were clothed in sackcloth f i. e. In mourning Garments humbling themselves before God for their Sins and deprecating his Wrath against the People fell upon their faces 17 And David said unto God Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbred even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed but as for these sheep what have they done let thine hand I pray thee O LORD my God be on me and on my fathers house but not on thy people that they should be plagued 18 Then †Heb. an angel the * 2 Chr. 3. 1. angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite 19 And David went up at the saying of Gad which he spake in the name of the LORD 20 ‖ Or when Orâ—…nan turned back and saw the angel then he and his four sons with him hid themselves And Ornan turned back and saw the angel and his four sons with him hid themselves g Or And Ornan turned back i. e. turned his face from the Angel for or when for the Hebrew vau is frequently used both those ways he saw the angel and so did his four sons with him hiding themselves partly because of the Glory and Majesty in which the Angel appeared which mens weak and sinful natures are not able to bear and partly from the fear of Gods Vengeance which was at this time riding circuit in the Land and now seemed to be coming to their Family Now Ornan was threshing wheat 21 And as David came to Ornan Ornan looked and saw David and went out of the threshing-floor and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground 22 Then David said to Ornan †Heb. give Grant me the place of this threshing-floor that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD thou shalt grant it me for the full price that the plague may be stayed from the people 23 And Ornan said unto David Take it to thee and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes â—…o I give thee the oxen also for burnt-offerings and the threshing-instruments for wood and the wheat for the meat-offering I give it all 24 And king David said to Ornan Nay but I will verily buy it for the full price for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD nor offer burnt-offerings without cost 25 So * 2 Sam. 24. 24. David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight 26 And David built there an altar unto the LORD and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings and called upon the LORD and he answered him from heaven by fire h Heb. by fire sent from Heaven which was the sign of Gods Acceptance See Levit. 9. 24. 1 King 18. 24 38. 2 Chron. 7. 1. upon the altar of burnt offering 27 And the LORD commanded the angel and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof 28 At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite then he sacrificed there i When he perceived that his Sacrifice there offered was acceptable to God he proceeded to offer more Sacrifices in that place and did not go to Gibeon as otherwise he should have done 29 For the tabernacle of the LORD which Moses made in the wilderness and the altar of the burnt-offering were at that season in the high place at * 1 King 3. 4. Ch. 16. 39. 2 Chr. 1. 3. Gibeon 30 But David could not k i. e. Durst not go before it l i. e. Before the Tabernacle where the Altar stood to enquire of God m Heb. to seek God i. e. humbly to beg his Favour by Prayer and Sacrifice for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD n i. e. When he saw the Angel stand with his drawn Sword over Ierusalem as is related above v. 15 16. he durst not go away thence to Gibeon
and particularly described as the former 65 Besides their servants and their maids of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven and there were among them two hundred singing-men and singing-women y For Women as well as Men were devoted to and employed in this exercise in the Temple-Service as appears from 1 Chr. 25. 5 6. And the Parents of these Persons had taken care to instruct and exercise them as far as they could in this Art both for Gods service and for their own benefit when Ierusalem and the Temple should be rebuilt which they knew would be done after Ieremiahs 70 years were expired 66 Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six their mules two hundred forty and five 67 Their camels four hundred thirty and five their asses six thousand and seven hundred and twenty 68 And some of the chief of the fathers when they came to the house of the LORD z i. e. To the ruines of the house or to the place where that House stood that is at Jerusalem offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place 69 They gave after their ability unto the * 1 Chr. 2â—… 20. treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold ‖ A dram of Gold is supposed to be of the weight of the fourth part of a shekel and of the value of a French Crown and five thousand pound of silver and one hundred priests garments 70 So the priests and the Levites and some of the people and the singers and the porters and the Nethinims dwelt in their cities and all Israel in their cities CHAP. III. 1 ANd when the seventh month was come a Or rather was coming or drew near For the Altar was set up after this time v. 3. which yet was employed the first day of this month v. 6. This was a sacred kind of month wherein there were divers Festivals as appears from Lev. 23. for which the People had been preparing themselves and now came to Ierusalem to the celebration of them and the children of Israel were in the cities the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem 2 Then stood up ‖ Or Ioshua Hag. 1. 1. Zech. 3. 1. Jeshua the son of Jozadak b The High-Priest and his brethren the priests and ‖ Called Zorobabil Mat. 1. 12. Luk. 3. 27. called Salathiel Zerubbabel the son c i. e. The grandson for he was the son of Pedaiah 1 Chr. 3. 17 18 19. of * Deut. 12. 5. Shealtiel and his brethren and built the altar d Which was of more present and urgent necessity than the Temple both to make atonement to God for all their sins and to obtain Gods assistance for the building of the Temple and to strengthen their own Hearts and Hands in that great work wherein they saw they should have many Enemies of the God of Israel to offer burnt-offerings thereon as it is * Deut. 12. 5. written in the law of Moses the man of God 3 And they set the altar upon his bases for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries and they offered burnt-offerings thereon unto the LORD even burnt-offerings morning and evening 4 They kept also the feast of tabernacles e This seems to be mentioned Synecdochically for all the Solemnities of this Month whereof this was the most eminent and most lasting Otherwise it is not probable that they would neglect the day of Atonement which was so severely enjoined Lev. 23. 27 28 29. and was so exceeding suitable to their present condition See on v. 6. * Ex. 23. 16. as it is written and * Num. 29. 12. c. offered the daily burnt-offerings f Heb. burnt-offerings day by day i. e. Every day of that Feast they offered as many Sacrifices as were prescribed of which see Numb 29. 13 c. by number according to the custom †Heb. the matter of the day in his day as the duty of every day required 5 And afterward offered the continual burnt-offering g The Morning and Evening-Sacrifice of which see on Numb 28. 6. both of the new-moons and of all the set-feasts of the LORD that were consecrated h i. e. Set apart for the solemn and holy Service of God and of every one that willingly offered a free-will-offering unto the LORD 6 From the first day of the seventh month began they to ofter burnt-offerings i And the other Sacrifices which were to be offered with them upon that day being the Feast of Trumpets Numb 29. 1 c. Burnt-offerings are oft put for all Sacrifices as hath been observed once and again unto the LORD but †Heb. the temple of the Lord was not yet founded the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid k Though it is probable they had done somthing towards the removing of the rubbish and preparing the way for it 7 They gave money also unto the masons and to the ‖ Or workmen carpenters and meat and drink and oil unto them of Zidon and to them of Tyre to bring cedar-trees from Lebanon to the sea of * Act. 9. 36. Joppa according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia. 8 Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem in the second month began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem and appointed the Levites from twenty years old and upward to set forward the work of the house of the LORD 9 Then stood Jeshua l with his sons and his brethren Kadmiel and his sons the sons of ‖ Or Hodaviah ch 2. 40. Judah †Heb. as one together to set forward the workmen m By their presence and favour to encourage them to a chearful and vigorous prosecution of the work in the house of God the sons of Henadad with their sons and their brethren the Levites Not the High-Priest so called but a Levite of whom see chap. 2. 40. 10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD they set the Priests in their apparel with trumpets and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals to praise the LORD after †Heb. 〈◊〉 hands the * 1 Chr. 6. 3â—… 16. 7. 25. 1. ordinance of David n Heb. By or According to the hands of David i. e. in such manner and with such Psalms or Songs and Instruments as God had appointed by the Hands or Ministry of David king of Israel 11 And they * Ex. 15 〈◊〉 2 Chr. 7. 3. sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD because he is good for his mercy endureth for ever towards Israel And
which was said to be in his hand v. 14. set magistrates and judges which may judg all the people that are beyond the river all such as know the laws of thy God and teach ye them that know them not 26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy God and the law of the king u To wit concerning these matters Or which Law of God is by this my sanction now become my Law also to which I expect their punctual and ready obedience For as for the Civil Laws of the Empire Ezra neither was skilful in them nor was intrusted with the Execution of them which was committed to other hands let judgment be executed speedily upon him whether it be unto death or †Chal. â—…ing out to banishment or to confiscation of goods or to imprisonment 27 Blessed be the LORD God of our Fathers which hath put such a thing as this in the kings heart to beautifie the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem 28 And hath extended mercy unto me before the king and his counsellors and before all the kings mighty princes and I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me CHAP. VIII 1 THese are now the chief of their fathers and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes the king 2 Of the sons of Phineas Gershom of the sons of Ithamar Daniel of the sons of David Hattush 3 Of the sons of Shechaniah of the sons of * Ch. 2. 3. Pharosh a i. e. One of the Sons of Pharoh whereby hâ—… is differenced from the other Shechaniah v. 5. Zecharia and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males b Though the Males only be expressed here and in the succeeding verses yet it is more than probable they carried the Women along with them as they did carry little ones as it is expressed here v. 21. an hundred and fifty 4 Of the sons of Pahath-moab Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah and with him two hundred males 5 Of the sons of Shechaniah the son of Jahaziel c Either his onely son or the most eminent of his sons and therefore so called here and with him three hundred males 6 Of the sons also of Adin Ebed the son of Jonathan and with him fifty males 7 And of the sons of Elam Jeshajah the son of Athaliah and with him seventy males 8 And of the sons of Shephatiah Zebadiah the son of Michael and with him fourscore males 9 Of the sons of Joab Obadiah the son Jehiel and with him two hundred and eighteen males 10 And of the sons of Shelomith the son of Josiphiah and with him an hundred and threescore males 11 And of the sons of Bebai Zechariah the son of Bebai and with him twenty and eight males 12 And of the sons of Azgad Johanan ‖ Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the son of Hakkatan and with him an hundred and ten males 13 And of the last sons of Adonikam whose names are these Eliphelet Jeiel and Shemajah and with him threescore males 14 Of the sons also of Bigvai Uthai and ‖ Or 〈◊〉 as some 〈◊〉 Zabbud and with them seventy males 15 And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava d Or 〈◊〉 river of â—…ava as it is called v. 21 31. By comparing of these places it seems that Aâ—…ava was the name both of the River and of the Town or place by which it ran Either this was that River which other Writers call Adiava which runs to Assyria which thence is called Aâ—…iabene or some other River running into Euphrates and there ‖ 〈◊〉 abode we in tents three days and I viewed the people and the priests and found there none of the sons of Levi e To wit who were simple Levites and not Priests And therefore the Levites mentioned chap. 7. 7. by anticipation were not yet come to him 16 Then sent I for Eliezer f To come to me and go along with me to Ierusalem for Ariel for Shemajah and for Elnathan and for Jarib and for Elnathan and for Nathan and for Zecharia and for Meshullam chief men also for Jojarib and for Elnathan men of understanding g Who seem to have had more knowledge than pious zeal for God and his House and solemn Worship which was confined to Jerusalem 17 And I sent them with commandment g Which he might do partly by virtue of that authority which he had over them by his Priesthood and partly by that authority which he either had received or could easily procure from the King to that purpose unto Iddo the chief h The Head of the rest either by Ecclesiastical Order or Government which the Persian Kings allowed to the Jews or by some Grant or Commission from the King at the place Casiphia i Not a place near the Caspian lake as some guess from the likeness of the names for that was at too great a distance for his present purpose but some other place not far from Ahava where he knew that there was a Colledg or considerable company of Levites together and †〈…〉 I told them what they should say unto Iddo and to his brethren the Nethinims at the place Casiphia that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God 18 And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi the son of Israel and Sherebiah with his sons and with his brethren eighteen 19 And Hashabiah and with him Jeshajah of the sons of Merari his brethren and their sons twenty 20 * 〈…〉 Also of the Nethinims whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites k The Gibeonites who were devoted to this service by Ioshua and the Princes of his time Ios. 9. 21. and are said to be appointed by David and his Princes because they were confirmed by them in their former Office and more particularly applied to the several services of the Temple though this be not distinctly related in 1 Chr. 24 25 26. because his business there was to give an account only of the new constitutions and alterations made by David in those matters two hundred and twenty Nethinims all of them were expressed by name 21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava that we might afflict our selves before our God to seek of him a right way l i. e. A safe and prosperous journey or such a way and course as might be best for us for us and for our little ones and for all our substance 22 For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of Soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way because we had spoken unto the king saying The
Bebai Jehohanan Hananiah Zabbai and Athlai 29 And of the sons of Bani Meshullam Malluch and Adajah Jashub and Sheal and Ramoth 30 And of the sons of Pahath-moab Adna and Chelal Benajah Maasejah Mattaniah Bezaleel and Binnui and Manasseh 31 And of the sons of Harim Eliezer Ishijah Malchiah Shemajah Shimeon 32 Benjamin Malluch and Shemariah 33 Of the sons of Hashum Matanai Mattathah Zabad Eliphelet Jeremai Manasseh and Shimei 34 Of the sons of Bani Maadi Amram and Uel 35 Benajah Bedejah Chelluh 36 Vaniah Meremoth Eliashib 37 Mattaniah Mattenai and Jaasau 38 And Bani and Binnui Shemei 39 And Shelemiah and Nathan and Adajah 40 ‖ Or 〈◊〉 â—…bai according to some copies Machnadebai Shashai Sharai 41 Azareel and Shelemiah Shemariah 42 Shallum Amariah and Joseph 43 Of the sons of Nebo Jehiel Mattithiah Zabad Zebina Jadau and Joel Benajah 44 All these had taken strange wives and some of them had wives by whom they had children c Whereby he implies that most of their Wives were barren Which came to pass by Gods special Providence partly to manifest his displeasure against such matches and partly that the practice of this great and necessary duty might not be encumbred with too many difficulties NEHEMIAH THis Book seems not to have been written by Ezra because it is written in a quite differing and more plain and easy stile and without that mixture of Chaldee or Syriack words which is in the Book of Ezra but by Nehemiah ch 1. 1. who writ an account of his own Transactions as Ezra did of his But whether this be the same Nehemiah who came up with Zerubbabel Ezra 2. 2. Nehemiah 7. 7. may be questioned the same name being oft given to divers Persons And for the name of Tirshatha which is used both Ezra 2. 63. Nehem. 7. 65 70. that seems to be the Title of his Office and so belongs to any Governour whether it was Zerubbabel or Nehemiah or any other CHAP. I. 1 THe words a Or rather the acts or deeds as the word oft signifies of which he here treats of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah And it came to pass in the month * Zech. 7. 1. Chisleu b Which is the 9th month containing part of November and part of December in the twentieth year c Of Artaxerxes ch 2. 1. as I was in Shushan d The Chief and Royal City of Persia Esth. 3. 15. the palace 2 That Hanani one of my Brethren e Of my Family or Tribe or Nation came he and certain men of Judah and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped f Out of the slavery which they indured in strange Lands which were left of the captivity g The remnant of those numerous Captives and concerning Jerusalem 3 And they said unto me the remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province h i. e. In Iudea which was now made a province under the Persian Monarchs see the Notes on Ezra 5. 8. are in great affliction and reproach i Despised and distressed by the neighbouring Nations the wall of Jerusalem also * 2 Kin. 25. 10. is broken down and the gates thereof are burnt with fire k i. e. The walls and gates continue in the same woful plight in which Nebuchadnezzar left them the Jews not being yet in a condition to rebuild them nor having Commission from the Kings of Persia to do so but onely to build the Temple and their own private houses And this made their enemies scorn them who also would have ruined them but for fear of offending the Persian King 4 And it came to pass when I heard these words that I sate down and wept and mourned certain days and prayed before the God of heaven 5 And said I beseech thee * Dan. 9. 4. O LORD God of heaven the great and terrible God * Exod. 20. 6. that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments 6 Let thine ear now be attentive and thine eyes open that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant which I pray before thee now day and night for the children of Israel thy servants and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against thee both I and my fathers house have sinned 7 We have dealt very corruptly l Or we have wholly corrupted to wit our selves and our ways and thy Worship against thee and have not kept the commandments nor the statutes nor the judgments which thou commandedst thy servant Moses 8 Remember I beseech thee the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses to deliver to us saying * 〈◊〉 26. 39. 〈◊〉 4. 25. â—… if ye transgress I will scatter you abroad among the nations 9 But if ye turn unto me and keep my commandments and do them * 〈◊〉 30. 4. though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of heaven yet will I gather them from thence and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there 10 Now these are thy servants and thy people whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power and by thy strong hand 11 O LORD I beseech thee let now thine ear be attentive unto the prayer of thy servant to the prayer of thy servants †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who desire to fear thy name and prosper I pray thee thy servant this day and grant him mercy in the sight of this man m The King who though a God by Office is but a man by Nature and therefore his heart is wholly at thy disposal For I was the kings cup bearer n Whereby I had opportunity to speak to him and some Favour and Freedom with him which encouraged me to make this Prayer and to hope for some success CHAP. II. 1 And it came to pass in the month * 〈◊〉 3. 7. Nisan a Which was four months after he had heard those sad ridings The reason of this long silence and delay might be manifold either because he thought fit that some time should be spent by himself and possibly others of his brethren in seeking God by solemn Prayer and fasting for Gods blessing and the good success of this great affair or because he could not take so long and dangerous a journey in the depth of Winter or because his turn of attending upon the King did not come to him till that time or because till then he wanted a fit opportunity to move it to the King by reason of the Kings indisposition or occasions or multitude of attendants among whom there probably were diverse enemies to the Jews who he feared might hinder his design and desire in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes b Artaxerxes Longimanus the Son of the great Xerxes who reigned both with his Father and after his death alone whence the years of his reign are
or Error and in their Effect as guiding and directing men in the right and ready way to eternal Happiness Which also reflects upon that knowledge of Divine things which men have by the light of Nature and works of God or by the Doctrines of the Philosophers or others that wanted or neglected the light of God's word wherein there is a great deal of darkness and uncertainty and Error and Danger rejoycing the heart m Partly by that clear and certain knowledge of Divine things which it gives for knowledge is pleasant to the Soul Prov. 2. 10. and partly by the discoveries of God's Love and Grace to sinful men in Offers and Promises of Mercy therein contained the commandement of the LORD n i. e. All his Commands is * Psal. 119. 140. pure o Without the least mixture of Error or injustice or Deceit Which cannot be said of humane Laws enlightning the eyes p To wit of the Mind with an evident and compleat manifestation of God's Will and Man's Duty both which the works of Nature and all the Writings of men discover but darkly and imperfectly 9. The fear of the LORD q By which he understands not the Grace of God's fear as this Phrase is commonly taken nor the whole Worship of God as it is taken Psal. 34. 9. 11. Mat. 1â—… 9. but the Law and Word of God which is the only thing that is hâ—…re commended and which is meant by all the other parallel Titles of his Testimony and Statutes and Commandements and Iudgments and consequently by this of his â—…ear which is as it were hemmed in within them And this may well be so called by an usual Metonymy because it is both the Object and the Rule and the Cause of this Grace of holy Fear as God himself is called Fear for the like reason Gen. 31. 53. and in the Hebrew Psal. 76. 11. is clean r i. e. Sincere not adulterated with any mixture of Vanity or Falshood or Vice not requiring noâ—… allowing any uncleanness or wickedness as the Religion of the Gentiles did enduring for ever s Constant and unchangeable the same for Substance in all the Ages of the Church and the World Which is most true both of the moral Law and of the Doctrine of God's Grace and Mercy to sinful and miserable man which two are the Principal partâ—… of that Law of which he here speaks as is Evident from the whole Context For as the difference between the Old and the New Testament that lyes only in Circumstantial and Ceremonial or Ritual things which are not here intended and that Alteration also was foretolâ—… in the Old Testament and consequently the accomplishment of it did not destroy but confirm the certainty and constancy of God's word This also is opposed to humane Laws wherein there are and ought to be manifold Changes according to the difference of Times and People and Circumstances the judgments of the LORD t i. e. God's Laws frequently called his Iudgments because they are the Declarations of his righteous Will and as it were his legal oâ—… judicial Sentence by which he expects that men should govern themselves and by which he will judge them at the last day are †Heb. truste true and righteous altogether u. 10. More to â—…e desired are they than gold * Psal. 1â—…9 12. 127 Prov. 8. 11. 19. yea than much fine gold x Than Gold of the best quality and in the greatest quantity * Psal. 119. 103. sweeter also than honey y Which was most sweet in those Eastern Countries and †Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 the honey comb z Than that Honey which the Bees have most diligently wrought in their Combs and which freely flows from them which is sweeter than the rest 11. Moreover by them is thy servant a I thy servant though a King and a Prophet and of some Repute for Wisdom and Knowledge yet I am daily taught by them Or 〈◊〉 as Dan. 12. 3. or clearly admonished as this word signifies 〈◊〉 18. 20. 2 Kings 6. 10. Eccles. 4. 13. 〈◊〉 3. 17 c. and 33. 3. 9. It is a faithful and excellent Monitor to shew me my Duty in all Conditions and to preserve me from falling into sin and danger and Mischief warned and in keeping of them b To those that make it their great Design and care to conform their whole Lives to them For he speaks not of a Legal and perfect keeping of them which no man attaineth to in this Life 〈◊〉 7. 20. Gâ—…l 3. 10 11 12. 1 Ioh. 1. 8. but of doing it in an Evangelâ—…al Sence with the allowances which God through Christ makes for Humane infirmities there is great reward c In this Life and especially in the next 12. * Psal. 40. 12. Who can understand d This may be here added Either 1. As a further Proof of the Excellency and necessity of God's Law because mens Errors are so many and hard to be discovered and prevented that they indispensably need such a Friend and Counsellor as the Law is to give them the true knowledge of themselves and of their sins Or 2. As a just and sorrowful Censure of himself upon the Consideration of the exact Purity of God's Law and the Comparing of his Life with it Thy Law O Lord is Holy and just and Good But I am a poor sinful Wreâ—…ch falling infinitely short of it and Condemned by it Or 3. As a signification of the insufficiency of God's Law strictly so called for the healing and saving of mens Souls and of the necessity of further supplies of the Gospel and grace of God whereby the eyes of their Minds may be enlightned to see that light which shines in God's Law and their Hearts may be renewed to yield universal Obedience to it for which therefore he prays in the following words And withal he implies that he did not expect that reward which he last mentioned as a just Recompence to his Obedience which he confesseth to need a Pardon more than to deserve a reward but only as an effect of God's grace and goodness his Errors e Either 1. His sins of ignorance of which this word is used Levit. 4. 2 22 27. 〈◊〉 5. 6. Or rather 2. His sins in general â—…â—…ich afterwards he divides into secret and presumptuous sins Or all deviations from God's Law which are thus called 1 Saâ—… 26. 21. Psal. 119. 67 118. Heb. 9. 7. Iam. 5. 20. The Sence is I cannot comprehend the numbers or the several kinds or all the Hainous Aggravations of my sins cleanse thou me f Both by justification or the Pardon of my sins through the Blood of thy Son which is to be shed for me and by Sanctification through thy holy Spirit co-working in and with thy Word to the further Renovation of my Heart and Life For these are the two ways of câ—…eansing Sinners
seeing and envying and fretâ—…ing at it but not being able to hinder it thou †Heb. maketh 〈◊〉 anointest mine head with oyl q Or Ointment as the Syriack and Arabick Interpreters render it with Aromatical Ointments which were then used at great Feasts Psal. 92. 10. Amos 6. 6. Mat. 6. 17. Luk. 7. 38. The Sence is thy Comforts delight my Soul Comp. 45. 7. my cup runneth over r Thou hast given me a very plentiful Portion signified by the Cup given to the Guests by the Master of the Feast 6. Surely goodness and mercy s i. e. God's Favour and the blessed and Comfortable effects and Benefits of it shall follow me t By which Emphatical Expression he signifies God's admirable freeness and readiness to do Good to his People and his preventing them with Blessings all the days of my Life u Which he justly concludes from the former instances of God's Favour to him because of the unchangeableness of Gods Nature and the stability of his Covenant and Promises and I will dwell in the house of the LORD †Heb. to lâ—…gth of days for ever x Whereas I have formerly been driven from God's House I rest assured that I shall now constantly enjoy that blessed Priviledge of serving and enjoying God in his Sanctuary which I prâ—…ze more then all my Dominions PSAL. XXIV The ARGUMENT This Psalm is generally and probably thought to have been Composed by David upon that solemn Occasion of bringing the Ark of God from the House of Obed-Edom into the Tabernacle which David had built for it 2 Sam. 6. Wherein he hath a further Prospect even to the Temple which he earnestly desired and intended to build and which he knew would be built by his Son And when this was done and the Ark brought into it this Psalm was to be â—…ung and indeed to this time it seems chiefly directed For Davids Psalms were not only used by himself upon the first Occasions for which he made them but they were committed to the Preâ—… of sacred Musick for the use of the Church iâ—… all succeeding times And being a Prophet he speaks as the Prophets used of things to come as if they were already present and turns his Speech to the Temple and it's Gates as if they were now built Moreover because the Tabernacle and Temple and Ark were manifest Types of Christ and of his Church and of the Place and state of Heavenly Glory David extended his thoughts to them also or at least the Holy Ghost designed to comprehend them under these Typical Expressions A Psalm of David 1. THe * Exod. 9. 29 19. 5. Deâ—… 10. 14. 〈◊〉 41. 11. 〈◊〉 â—…0 12. 1 Cor. 10. 26. 28. earth is the LORD'S and the fulness thereof a All the Creatures and especially the Inhabitants wherewith it is replenished God's general Dominion over and Interest in all Persons and places seems to be here premised and asserted Either 1. To shew his right to Chuse any Nation whom he pleased to be his peculiar People Which priviledge being conferred upon the Israelites was a great stumbling Block to the Heathen Nations Or 2. To set forth the singular kindness and mercy of God to Israel who chose them out of all the Nations of the World to be near to him and to have special acquaintance with him although otherwise he had no other Relation to them then what he had to all mankind to wit that of a Creator and Governor Or 3. To demonstrate the Excellency of the Jewish worship and Religion above all others because the God whom they served was the God and Maker of the whole World when the Gods of the Gentiles were sorry Idols and esteemed by themselves to be but Local and confined Deities the world and they that dwell therein 2. * Job 38. 6. Psal. 104. 5. 136. 6. For he hath founded it b Justly have I said that the Earth is the Lord s for he made it and laid the Foundation of it and that in a wonderful manner upon the seas c By the Seas and Floods he means the whole Collection of Waters as well the Sea and Rivers running into it as that great Abyss of Waters which is contained in the Bowels of the Earth of which see Gen. 7. 11. and 49. 25. 2 Pet. 3. 5. This is here mentioned as an Evidence of God's wise and powerful and gracious Providence that he hath built so vast a Building upon so weak a Foundation as the Waters are Mic. 6. 2. and that although the Waters are lighter than the Earth and therefore are naturally incâ—…ned to be above it as they were at first yet God hath so far over-ruled the inclinations of Nature that the Waters shall as it were deny themselves and run down into Channels and Caverns of the Earth that so the Earth may be a Convenient Habitation for men and beasts See Gen. 1. 9. Exod. 20. 4. Psal. 104. 6. and established it upon the floods c By the Seas and Floods he means the whole Collection of Waters as well the Sea and Rivers running into it as that great Abyss of Waters which is contained in the Bowels of the Earth of which see Gen. 7. 11. and 49. 25. 2 Pet. 3. 5. This is here mentioned as an Evidence of God's wise and powerful and gracious Providence that he hath built so vast a Building upon so weak a Foundation as the Waters are Mic. 6. 2. and that although the Waters are lighter than the Earth and therefore are naturally incâ—…ned to be above it as they were at first yet God hath so far over-ruled the inclinations of Nature that the Waters shall as it were deny themselves and run down into Channels and Caverns of the Earth that so the Earth may be a Convenient Habitation for men and beasts See Gen. 1. 9. Exod. 20. 4. Psal. 104. 6. 3. * Psal. 1â—… 1. Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD d To wit Sion or Moriah the place of God's Sanctuary and special Presence This is here subjoyned Either 1. By way of Opposition though God is the God of the whole World yet he is in a peculiar manner the God of Israel and to be worshipped no where but in their Holy place Or 2. As an Inference Having asserted and proved Gods Authority and Dominion over all mankind and Consequently their Obligations to serve and worship him he now proposeth a most necessary and important Question especially in those times when all Nations except Israel were under deep Ignorance and Errors herein Namely where and how and by whom God will be served and his Favour and Blessing may be enjoyed The place is here described and the qualification of the Persons in the following Verses and who shall stand e To wit to Minister before him as this Word is commonly used with respect either to Men as 1 Kings 1. 2. Compare with 10. â—… Dan.
he was extolled d i. e. Praised by me To wit for answering my Prayers with my tongue 18 If * Prov. 28. 9. 〈◊〉 1. 15. 〈◊〉 9. 31. 〈◊〉 .. 4. 3. I †〈◊〉 see regard e Heb. If I have or had seen or looked upon to wit with approbation and affection as Iob 31. 26. Hab. 1. 13. Men look upon what they like and turn away their Face from what they loath or hate iniquity f Any sin whatsoever and especially Idolatry which is oft expressed by this Word to which the Israelites were very prone and to which they had most powerful Temptations from the Examples and Counsels and Promises and Threats of the Idolaters in whose Land and Power they had been And so this is a Purgation of themselves from that Crime somewhat like that Psal. 44. 20 21. and in general from those gross and Reigning sins whereof they had been guilty formerly in my heart g If my Heart was false to God and did cleave to Idols or to any Wickedness although I might for some prudential Reasons forbear the gross and outward Acts. Compare Psal. 44. 17 18. If I had been guilty of that Hypocrisie wherewith mine Enemies charged me and had been a secret Favourer of Wickedness when I pretended great Piety Or If I did not Cry unto God with my Heart but onely howled for Corn and Wine c. and whilst I cryed to God with my Tongue my Heart was set upon sin or I desired onely that which I resolved in mine Heart to spend upon my Lusts. the LORD will not hear me h Or Would not have heard me as divers learned Interpreters translate it the Future being put Potentially as is usual among the Hebrews For God heareth not sinners Ioh. 9. 31. nor Hypocrites Iob 27. 8 9. Prov. 15. 29. 19 But verily God hath heard me i Which is a publick Vindication and a divine Testimony of my Integrity against all my false Accusers he hath attended to the voyce of my prayer 20 Blessed be God which hath not turned away k Or rejected or removed to wit from his sight and Audience but hath received and granted it my prayer nor his mercy l Though he had now ascribed his own Innocency and sincere Piety yet he imputeth not God's hearing of his Prayers to that but solely unto God's Grace and Mercy from me PSAL. LXVII To the chief musician on Neginoth a Psalm or Song This Psalm contains a Prayer for the Church of Israel as also for the Gentile-World whose Conversion he Prophetically describes 1 GOd be merciful unto us a Thy People of Israel and bless us and * Psal. 4. 6. caus his face to shine †Heb. with 〈◊〉 upon us b As thou hast hid thy Face and Favour from us so now do thou manifest it to us For the Phrase see Numb 6. 25 26. Psal. 31. 16. Selah 2 That thy way may be known upon earth c Nor do we desire this Mercy onely for our Comfort but also for the Advancement of thy Glory and the Propagation of the true Religion among all Nations who by the Contemplation of thy Gracious and wonderful Works to and for us will be induced to Love and serve thee and to list themselves among thy People By God's way he understands Either 1. That way wherein God Walks or the manner of his dealing with his People how Gracious and bountiful a Master thou art to all thy Servants Or rather 2. That way wherein God requires Men to walk the way of Gods Precepts the way of Truth or the true Religion as the way or ways of the Lord are frequently taken Gen. 18. 19. Iudg. 2. 22. Psal. 18. 21. and 119. 1. Act. 18. 25. 26 c. the same which in the next Clause is called his Saving Health Heb. Salvation and both together signifie the way of Salvation which the Psalmist desires may be known among all Nations which was expected by the Antient and ungodly Iews at the coming of the Messias who is called the way Ioh. 14. 6. and God's Salvation Luk. 2. 30. And so the Sence of the place is this deal so graciously with thy People Israel that thereby the Gentile-World may at last be allured to joyn themselves with them and to embrace their Religion and Messias according to that famous Prophecy Zech. 8. 23. In those days ten Men out of all Nations shall take hold of the skirt of a Iew saying We will go with you for we have heard that God is with you thy saving health among all nations 3 Let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee d O hasten that time when all the Gentiles shall forsake their dumb Idols and serve and Praise thee the Living God as they will have abundant cause to do 4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy e For thy Transcendent Mercy to them in rescuing them from the Vanities and damnable Errors of their Fathers and in bringing them to the knowledge of the true God and of eternal Life for thou shalt judg f i. e. Rule and govern them as it is explained in the next Clause and as this Phrase is used the people righteously g Which is the great Commendation of any Government and the greatest Argument and Encouragement to the Gentiles to put themselves under it the rather Because they had found the Misery of Living under the unrighteous and Tyrannical Government of the Devil and of their Idolatrous and heathenish Rulers and †Heb. Lead govern h Heb. lead To wit gently as a Shepherd doth his Sheep and not rule them with Rigour as other Lords had done the nations upon earth Selah 5 Let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee 6 * Psal. 85. 12. Then shall the earth yield her increase i When the People of the Earth shall be Converted to the Worship and Service of the true God God will take away his Curse from the Earth and cause it to yield them abundance of all sorts of Fruits Under which one Blessing Promised under the Law to them that obey God all other Blessings both Temporal and Spiritual are Comprehended as is very usual in the Old Testament and God even our own God k He who is Israel's God in a peculiar manner by that everlasting Covenant which he hath made with us shall bless us 7 God shall bless us and all the ends of the earth shall fear him PSAL. LXVIII To the chief musician a Psalm or Song of David The occasion of this Psalm seems to have been David's Translation of the Ark to Zion which was managed with great Solemnity and Devoâ—…ion and Celebrated with some Psalms and this among the rest For the first Words are the very same which Moses appointed for such occasions Namb. 10. 35. and the following Verses pursue the same Matter with
like sparks of Fire of the bow the shield and the sword h Both offensive and defensive Weapons so as they could neither hurt God's People nor save themselves from Ruin and the battel i The force and fury of the Battle and all the Power of the Army which was put in Battel-Array Selah 4 Thou k O God To whom he directeth his Speech here as also v. 6 7 8. art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey l Either 1. Than the greatest Kings and Empires of the Earth which in Prophetical Writings are oft Compared to Mountains as Psal. 46. 2 3. Isa. 41. 15. Ier. 51. 25. Hab. 3. 6. And they are called Mountains of prey because then they generally were Established by Tyranny and maintained by preying upon their own Subjects or other inferior Kingdoms Or 2. Which amounts to the same thing than the most powerful Enemies of thy People upon whom they used and now desired and expected to prey Such Persons being oft expressed by the name of Mountains as Psal. 144. 5. â—…eth 4. 7. c. 5 The stout hearted are spoiled m Of all that Glory and Advantage which they either had already gotten or further expected from the Success of their present expedition which they promised to themselves They became a prey to those upon whom they hoped to prey they have slept their sleep n Even a perpetual sleep as Ier. 51. 39. 57. or the 〈◊〉 of Death Psal. 13. 3. called their sleep Emphatically as being peculâ—…ar to them and such like Men and not that sleep which is common to the good and bad Their Death he seems to call 〈◊〉 Because they were slain in the Night when they had Composed themselves to rest and sleep and so passed insensibly from one sleep to another For it is thought by many that this Psalm was Composed upon the occasion of that prodigious slaughter of the Assyrians in Iudah 2 Kings 19. 35. and none of the men of might have found their hands o They had no more strength in or use of their hands against the destroying Angel than they who have no hands 6 At thy rebuke O God of Jacob both the chariot and horse p The men who Rode upon and â—…ought from Chariots and Horses who fight with most Advantage and usually have most Courage and much more unable were their Footmen to resist or avoid the stroke are cast into a dead sleep 7 Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight q To wit to Contend with thee Standing is here opposed to flight or falling before the Enemy See Iâ—…sh 7. 12. Dan. 8. 4. when once thou art angry 8 * Psal. 46. 6 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven r Thou didst execute Judgment upon thine Enemies by an Angel sent from Heaven which is said to be heard Either because that was accompanied with terrible Thunders and Earthquakes which was not unusual in the descent of an Angel as Mat. 28. 2. and elsewhere Or because the same of it was quickly spread abroad in the Land and in the World the earth feared and was still s The effect of this Terrible Judgement was that the rest of the World were afraid to invade or disturb the Land and People of Israel and chose rather to sit still in their own Territories 9 When God arose to judgment t When God who for a season had sat still began to bestir and shew himself against his Enemies Or After God had risen c. Or Because God did arise c. to save all the meek of the earth u To save all the godly Persons who are oft called Meek ones as hath been noted again and again in Israel for whose sakes God wrought this great Deliverance which reached to all the People of the Land Selah 10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee x The blasphemous Speeches and furious Attempts of thine Enemies shall serve thy Glory and cause thy People and others to Praise and magnifie thee for that admirable Wisdom and Power and Faithfulness and Goodness which thou shalt discover upon that occasion the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain y Thou shalt prevent and disappoint the succeeding malicious Designs of thine Enemies who will meditate Revenge for those shameful and Terrible overthrows Or the râ—…der of wrath thou shalt gird thy self with i. e. Put it on as an Ornament which the Girdle was thou shalt adorn thy self with it as a Conqueror doth with the spoils of his Enemies 11 Vow z Vow a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving Either at this time for this wonderful Deliverance Or hereafter in all your Future straits and Troubles let this Experience encourage you to make such Vows to God with Confidence of Success and pay a But when God hath accepted your Vows and given you the desired Deliverance forget not to pay your Vows unto the LORD your God let all that be round about him b Either 1. All the Tribes of Israel who have the Benefit of this Mercy Or rather 2. All the neighbouring Nations on every side to whom the same of this mighty work of God shall come I advise them for the Future if they love themselves to cease from all Hostilities against God or his People and to submit themselves to the God of Israel bring presents †Heb. to the fear Gen. 31. 42. 53 unto him that ought to be feared c Whom though they do not love yet they see and feel that they have great reason to Fear and to seek his Favour 12 He shall cut off d As men do their Grapes in time of Vintage as the Hebrew Verb implies to wit suddenly violently and irresistibly This is all which they shall get by opposing him and therefore it is their Wisdom to bring Presents to him the spirit e Either 1. Their Courage Or rather 2. Their Breath and Life as he did in the Assyrian Army of princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth PSAL. LXXVII The ARGUMENT This Psalm was Composed upon the occasion of some sore and long Calamity of God's People Either the Babylonish Captivity or some other To the chief musician †Heb. upon Psal. 62. to Jeduthun a Psalm ‖ Or for Asaph of Asaph a Either that Asaph who lived and Prophecied in David's time Or one of his Successors long after him called as was usual by his Progenitors name 1 I Cried unto God with my voyce even unto God with my voyce and he gave ear unto me b This Verse seems to contain the sum of the whole Psalm consisting of two parts to wit his earnest Cry to God in his deep distress and God's gracious return to his Prayers by supporting him under them and giving him assurance of a good issue out of them of both which he speaks more distinctly and particularly of
Judgments in the execution of which thou mayst live and be happy for ever This God did presently after he brought them from Meribah even at Sinai O Israel if thou wilt hearken unto me 9 There shall no strange God be in thee neither shalt thou worship any strange God u Thou shalt renounce all false Gods and worships and worship me onely 10 I am the LORD thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt open thy mouth wide x Either 1. To pray for mercies Ask freely and abundantly and boldly as this Phrase oft signifies whatsoever you need or in reason can desire Or 2. To receive the mercies which I am ready to give you and I will fill it y I will give or grant them all upon condition of your obedience 11 But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me z Or did not assent to me or acquiesce in me or obey me or my commands 12 * Act. 7. 42. and 14. 16. So I gave them up ‖ Or to the hardness of their hearts or imaginations unto their own hearts lust a Upon their obstinate and oft-repeated Rebellions and Rejections of my Grace and Mercy offered to them I withdrew all the restraints of my providence and my Holy Spirit and Grace from them and wholly left them to follow their own vain and foolish imaginations and wicked lusts and they walked in their own counsels b They practised those things both in common conversation and in religious Worship which were most agreeable not to my commands or counsels but to their own fancies and inclinations as appeared in the Golden Calf and many other things 13 * Deut. 32. 29. Isa. 48. 18. O that my people had hearkened unto me and Israel had walked in my ways 14 I would soon have subdued their Enemies c Those Remainders of the Canaanites whom now for their unbelief and apostacy I have left in the Land to be snares and plagues to them and turned my hand against their adversaries 15 The haters of the LORD d All the haters and enemies of God's people as the neighbouring Nations were whom he calls haters of God partly because they hated the Israelites for God's sake and for the singularity of their Religious Worship as the Heathen oft declared and partly to shew the strict League and Union which was betwixt God and them by virtue whereof God had declared all their Friends and Enemies to be his own which was a great aggravation of their wickedness should ‖ Or yielded seigned obedience †Heb. lied have submitted themselves unto him e Should have professed and owned their subjection to them For the Phrase see on Psal. 18. 44. but their time f i. e. Israel's time the Relative belonging to the remoter Antecedent as it is in many other places of Scripture whereof I have formerly given Instances By their time he means either 1. Their happy time as life is oft put for an happy life or state as Psal. 34. 12. and 49. 18. Deut. 4. 1. and 5. 33 c. Or 2. The duration of their Common-wealth should have endured for ever g i. e. Lasted for a very long time whereas now their latter and dolesul end is hastening towards them 6 He should have fed them also †Heb. with the fat of wheat with the finest of the wheat and with honey h Either 1. Metaphorically with all pleasant and precious fruits and with all delights as all necessaries may be expressed under the name of wheat Or rather 2. Properly this Land of Canaan being commended for its excellent and plentiful honey and the Bees there did oft-times harbour and make their honey in the holes of Rocks and such like places from which it flowed down upon the ground See Deut. 32. 13. 1 Sam. 14. 25 26. out of the rock should I have satisfied thee PSAL. LXXXII The ARGUMENT This Psalm contains an Admonition either 1. To the chief Rulers of Israel whether Iudges or Kings or their great Council called the Sanhedrim Or rather 2. To all the Rulers of the several Nations of the World to whom this word might come as may be gathered partly from the expressions here used which are general and not peculiar to the Governors of Israel and therefore not rashly and unnecessarily to be restrained and partly from the last Verse where he mentions the whole earth and all nations as concerned in the Contents of this Psalm A Psalm ‖ Or for Asaph of Asaph 1 GOd standeth a As a Judge diligently to observe all that is said or one there and to give sentence accordingly The Judge sits when he heareth Causes but standeth up when he giveth sentence Or standing doth not note the posture but onely the being or presence of a person as Isa. 11. 10. Dan. 11. 10. Ioh. 3. 29. Whence this Hebrew Word is by some Learned Interpreters rendred is present and by others presideth as this word is used 1 Sam. 19. 20. and 22. 9. in the congregation of †Heb. God Psal. 89. 7. and 95. 3. the mighty b Or of the gods as it is explained and expressed in the next Clause the singular number being here as it is frequently elsewhere put for the plural By Gods or the mighty he understands Kings or other chief Rulers who are so called because they have their power and commission from God and act as his Deputies in his name and stead and must give an account to him of all their Actions And by their congregation he understands not a convention or assembly of such persons which seldom meet together but either 1. All Congregations or Assemblies of People in which Magistrates sit to execute Justice Or 2. All persons whatsoever of this high and sacred Order or Number for the Hebrew Word here rendred congregation doth not always signifie an Assembly of persons met together in one place but sometimes notes all the particular persons of or belonging to such a sort and body of men though dispersed in divers places as Psal. 26. 5. I have hated the congregtion of evil doers i. e. all evil doers Prov. 21. 16. he shall remain in the congregation of the dead i. e. shall be one of that number and state See also Ios. 22. 20. Psal. 74. 19. Some render it as it is in the Hebrew in the congregation of God in his own Congregation the Noun being put for the Pronoun as is usual in the Hebrew Text i. e. in the Conventions or Tribunals of Princes or Rulers which he rightly calls his because their authority is wholly derived from him But the former Exposition seems more agreeable both to the following words and to the scope and whole Body of the Psalm he judgeth c Accurately observeth all their carriages and passeth sentence upon them accordingly among the gods d i. e. Judges and
from the Babylonish Captivity wherein he partly gives God thanks for that glorious deliverance and partly implores God's mercy in compleating that work and rescuing his People from the Relicks of their Bondage and from the vexation which they had by their Neighbours after they were returned to Canaan To the chief musician A Psalm ‖ Or of for the sons of Korah 1 LORD thou hast been ‖ Or well pleased favourable unto thy land a i. e. unto thy People in removing the sad effects of thy displeasure thou hast brought back the captivity b The Captives as that Word is used Psal. 14. 7. and 68. 18. and elsewhere of Jacob. 2 * Psal. 32. 1 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sin Selah c So as not-to impute it to them or to continue the punishment which thou didst inflict upon them for it 3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath d Those Calamities which were the effects of thy just wrath conceived against us ‖ Or thou hast turned thine anger from waxsag hot thou hast turned thy self from the fierceness of thine anger 4 Turn us e Either 1. Convert us As thou hast brought back our bodies to thy Land so bring back our hearts to thy self from whom many of them to this day are alienated Or rather 2. Restore us to our former tranquillity and free us from the troubles which we yet groan under from our malicious Neighbours and Enemies For this best suits with the following Clause of the Verse which commonly explains the former O God of our salvation and cause thine anger towards us to cease f He prudently indeavours to take away the root and cause of their continued miseries to wit God's anger procured by their sins 5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations 6 Wilt thou not revive us again g Thou hast once revived us in bringing us out of Captivity give us a second reviving in bringing home the rest of our Brethren and in rebuking and restraining the Remainder of our Enemies wrath that thy people may rejoyce in thee 7 Shew us h i. e. Grant it to us as the next words explain it and as shewing signifies Psal. 4. 6. So also Psal. 60. 3. and 71. 20. Or manifest thy secret purpose of mercy to us by thy providential Dispensations thy mercy O LORD and grant us thy salvation 8 I will hear i i. e. Diligently observe And the Psalmist by declaring what he would do teacheth all the Israelites what they ought to do Or he speaks in the name of all the People of God what God the LORD will speak k Either by his Prophets or Messengers or by the works of his providence for that also hath a voice What Answer God will give to these my Prayers for * Zech. 9. 1â—… he will speak peace l For I am assured from God's gracious nature and declared will and promise that he will give an answer of peace unto his people and to his saints m Which Clause seems to be added by way of explication and restriction to shew that this glorious privilege did not belong to all that were called God's people but onely to those that were truly and really such even to his saints or holy ones but let them not turn again to folly n i. e. To sin which in Scripture is commonly called folly This is added as a necessary caution but when God shall speak peace to his People let them not grow wanton and secure nor return to their former wicked courses which if they do they will provoke God to repent of his kindness to them and to inflict further and sorer judgments upon them Others render the place And they will not or That they may not return to folly But the Particle al being prohibitive our Translation seems to be better 9 Surely his salvation o That compleat salvation and deliverance for which all the Israel of God do pray and wait even the Redemption of Israel by the Messiah of which not only Christian but even Jewish Writers understand this place and to which the following passage do most properly and perfectly belong And the Psalmist might well say of this Salvation that it was nigh because the seventy weeks determined by Daniel for this work Chap. 9. 24. were now begun this Psalm being written after Daniel's time is nigh them that fear him p The true Israel of God even all those that love and fear him By which words he both excludes all hypocritical Israelites from this salvation and tacitly assigns it to all that fear God whether Jews or Gentiles that * Zech. 2. â—… glory may dwell in our Land q And when that Salvation shall come we shall be freed from all that scorn and contempt under which we now groan and shall recover our ancient glory and the glorious presence of God the most eminent tokens whereof we have now utterly lost and the God of Glory himself even Christ who is called the brightness of his Father's glory Heb. 1. 3. comp Ioh. 1. 14. and the glory of Israel Luk. 2. 32. shall come and visibly dwell in this now despised Land 10 Mercy and truth are met together righteousness and peace r This is to be understood either 1. Of these Graces or Vertues in men So the sence is when that blessed time shall come those Virtues which now seem to be banished from humane Societies shall be restored and there shall be an happy conjunction of mercy or benignity truth or veracity righteousness or faithfulness and peace or peaceableness and concord Or rather 2. Of the Blessings of God of which the whole Context speaks And the sence is That great Work of Redemption by Christ shall clearly manifest and demonstrate God's mercy in redeeming his People of Israel and in the calling and conversion of the Gentiles his truth in fulfilling that great promise of the sending of his Son which is the Foundation of all the rest his righteousness in punishing sin or unrighteousness in his Son and in conferring righteousness upon guilty and lost creatures and his peace or reconciliation to sinners and that peace of conscience which attends upon it kave kissed each other s As Friends use to do when they meet See Exod. 4. 27. and 18. 7. So this is another expression of the same thing 11 Truth shall spring out of the earth t Either 1. Truth among men which shall be so common amongst all men as if it grew out of the earth Or rather 2. The truth or faithfulness of God which is most truly and fitly said to spring out of the earth partly because it had long been hid and buried like a root in a dry ground without any hopes of a reviving from whence yet God made it to grow as is noted Isa.
50. 12. The heavens are thine the earth also is thine as for the world and the fulness thereof x All the Creatures wherewith it is replenished as Psal. 24. 1. 50. 12. thou hast founded them y They are all thy Creatures and therefore wholly subject to thy power and pleasure and therefore all the Monarchs and Kingdoms of the Earth cannot hinder thee from making good thy promise to the House and Kingdom of David 12 The north and †Heb. the right hand the south z The northern and southern parts of the World yea even the remotest ends thereof though not yet known to us were made and are ruled by thee Or possibly he may understand the northern and southern Empires and people of the World who have from time to time annoyed and disturbed the Kingdom of David and of Israel of which this Psalm principally treats such as Syria Chaldea and Assyria which in Scripture phrase are called the north in reference to that Kingdom and Egypt and Ethiopia and Arabia which are southward from it These saith he are all thy Creatures and none of them can withstand thee if thou wilt undertake to deliver thy people But this I onely propose with submission thou hast created them Tabor and Hermon a Two eminent Mountains in the land of Canaan Tabor in the West and within Iordan Hermon on the East and without Iordan By which he may understand either first the Western and Eastern parts of the World and so all the four parts of the World are contained in this Verse But this may seem an uncouth and incongruous description of the East and West partly because the North and the South here mentioned are not those parts of the land of Canaan but of the World with respect to it and therefore the East and West should in reason have been so too and partly because these places were not so situated in Canaan for Tabor was not in the West part of Canaan but rather in the middle space between the Sea and Iordan and Hermon was not so much on the East as on the North being indeed the northern border of the land without Iordan Or secondly the several parts of the land of Canaan both within Iordan where Mount Tabor is and without it where Hermon lyes And the Mountains may be named rather than the Valleys because when their fertility is expressed the fertility of the Valleys is more strongly supposed shall rejoice b i. e. Shall be fruitful and prosperous and so give their Inhabitants cause to rejoice Joy and singing are oft ascribed to Mountains and Fields c. in a Poetical strain in thy name c In or by thy favour and the fruits thereof 13 Thou hast †Heb. aâ—… 〈◊〉 with might a mighty arm strong is thy hand d Either thy left hand because the right hand seems to be opposed to it or thy right hand as it is limited and explained in the next clause and high is e Or is or shall be exalted or lifted up That strength of thine hand hath been or shall be put forth for thy people as occasion requireth thy right hand 14 Justice and judgment f i. e. Just judgment or justice in judging as Ier. 9. 24. 22. 3. A common figure called Hendiaduo are the ‖ Or establishment or place habitation g Or the basis or foundation as this word is used Ezra 2. 68. 3. 3. Psal. 97. 2. 104. 5. the groundwork of all his proceedings and the stability of his Throne and Government For God could not be the Judge and Ruler of the World if he did not right Gen. 18. 25. Comp. Prov. 16. 12. The sence and scope of this Verse may be this Though thy present dispensations in breaking thy Covenant with David and in suffering his Posterity and thine own people to be devoured by such as are much more wicked than they be a great deep and secret yet I rest satisfied that they are just In like manner the Prophet fortifies himself under the like thoughts Ier. 12. 1. of thy throne * Psal. 85. 13. mercy and truth shall go before thy face h As thy Harbengers and Companions wheresoever thou goest Thou art neither unmerciful nor unfaithful in any of thy dealings 15 Blessed is the people i The Psalmist intending to describe the doleful estate of the Royal Family and Kingdom of Israel aggravates it by the consideration of their former felicity that know the * Numb 10. 6â—… Psal. 33. 10. Psal. 27. 6. joyful sound k i. e. Who enjoy the presence of God and his Ordinances and the tokens of his grace and mercy to them to which they were called and invited by the sound of Trumpets which upon that onely reason was very pleasant and grateful to the Israelites See Numb 10. 9 10. So the sign is put for the thing signified as is manifest both from the following clause of the Verse and because otherwise the hearing of the outward sound of Trumpets could never make them blessed they shall walk O LORD in the light of thy countenance l They shall live under the comfortable influences of thy grace and favour whereof at present we are bereaved 16 In thy name m In the knowledge and remembrance of thy name i. e. of thy infinite power and goodness revealed and imparted to them shall they rejoyce all the day and in thy righteousness n Whereby thou art both inclined and in some sort ingaged to hear the Prayers of thy people and to save them from all their Enemies shall they be exalted 17 For thou art the glory of their strength o All that strength in which they do or may glory is not their own but is a meer vouchsafement of thy grace and to thee alone belongs the glory of all their valiant archievements and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted p i. e. Our power and honour which now lies in the dust shall be raised and recovered 18 For q This Verse gives a reason of the Psalmists confidence that their horn would be exalted ‖ Oâ—…r 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 and our 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 of Is. the LORD is our defence and the holy one of Israel is our king r Having therefore so potent a friend we have no reason to despair of our restitution to our former selicâ—…y Or as the words may well be and are by divers rendred Of or From the Lord is or was our shield to wit our King as it is explained in the next branch of the Verse compared with Psal. 47. 10. and of or from the holy one of Israel i. e. the Lord who is oft so called is or was our King He gave us our King and Royal Family at first and therefore he can easily restore it when he sees it fit 19 Then s i. e. Of old for this
against his Enemies Or 2. the Angels yea God himself from Heaven who gave manifest testimony to the righteousness of the Messias declare his righteousness and all the people see his glory l Both Jews and Gentiles shall see and feel the glorious effects of his coming 7 * Exod. 20. â—… Lev. 26. 1. Deut. 5. 8. Confounded be m Let them be ashamed of their former folly herein and be thereby brought to detest and forsake them and those who will obstinately persist in their impiety and Idolatry let them be brought to confusion Or They shall be confounded for this may be a prediction and not an imprecation all they that serve graven images that boast themselves of idols * Heb. 1. 6. worship him all ye gods n All you whom the Gentiles have made the objects of their worship and who are capable of giving him worship which two qualifications agree principally if not solely to the Angels of God whom the Heathens manifestly worshipped in their Images as an inferiour sort of gods of whom therefore this Text is expounded Heb. 1. 6. 8 Zion o Thy people dwelling in Zion or Ierusalem and Iudah to whom Christ came and among whom the Gospel was first preached Or thy Church and People who both in the Prophetical writings are oft called Zion heard p The fame of thy judgments as the following words declare the ruine of Idolatry and the setting up the Kingdom of the Messias in the World and was glad and the daughters of Judah q Particular Churches or rather persons members of Zion rejoyced because of thy judgments r Not that they took pleasure in the ruine of others but because that made way for the advancement of Gods glory and Christs Kingdom in the World O LORD 9 For thou LORD art high above all the earth thou art exalted far above all gods s As thou always wert so in in truth so thou hast now proved and declared thy self to be such in the Eyes of the whole World by subduing them under thy feet 10 Ye that love the LORD t O all you who love and worship the true God and his anointed and rejoice in the establishment of his Kingdom * Psal. 34. 14. Amos 5. 15. Rom. 12. 9. hate evil u Shew your love to him by your abhorrency of all Idolatry which is sometimes called evil or sin by way of eminency and of all other wickedness he preserveth the souls of his saints he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked x And although you that love the Lord Christ and his Kingdom will meet with many troubles and persecutions yet be not discouraged for he will preserve you in troubles and in his time deliver you out of them all 11 * Psal. 112. 4. Light y i. e. Joy and felicity as this word is used Esth. 8. 16. Psal. 112. 4. and oft elsewhere is sown z Is prepared or laid up for them and shall in due time be reaped by them possibly in this life but undoubtedly in the next And therefore bear your afflictions for Christ with patience and chearfulness for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart 12 Rejoyce in the LORD ye righteous and give thanks ‖ Or to be â—…morial at the remembrance of his holiness a In consideration of his holy and righteous nature and government or of his faithfulness in making good that great promise of sending the Messias into the World for holiness is sometimes taken for faithfulness which is one part or branch of it PSAL. XCVIII A Psalm The matter and scope of this Psalm is the same with the former and is an evident prediction of the coming of the Messias and of the blessed effects thereof 1 O * 〈◊〉 33. 3. 〈◊〉 1. Sing unto the LORD a new song for he hath done marvellous things his right hand and his holy arm * 1 Sam. 25. 〈◊〉 Heb. hath gotten him the victory a God by his own onely power hath overcome all difficulties and Enemies and hath in spight of all set Christ upon his Throne and propagated his Kingdom in the World 2 * 〈◊〉 52. 10. The LORD hath made known his salvation b The redemption or salvation of the World by the Messias which was hitherto reserved as a secret among the Jews yea was not thoroughly known and believed by the most of the Jews themselves his righteousness c Either his faithfulness in accomplishing this great promise of sending the Messias or his goodness and mercy oft called by this Hebrew word or the righteousness of God or of Christ revealed in the Gospel hath he ‖ Or 〈◊〉 openly shewed in the sight of the heathen 3 He hath remembred his mercy and his truth c He hath now actually given that mercy which he had promised to the Israelites toward the house of Israel all the ends of the earth d All the Inhabitants of the Earth from one end to another have seen e i. e. Enjoyed it as this word is oft used as hath been proved again and again the salvation of our God 4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD all the earth f Because you all do now partake of the same priviledges with the Jews join with them in worshipping and praising of God make a loud noise and rejoice and sing praise 5 Sing unto the LORD with the harp with the harp and the voice of a psalm g The worship of the New Testament is here described in phrases taken from the rites of the old as Psal. 92. 3. and oft elsewhere 6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD the king 7 Let the sea roar and the fulness thereof h All those Creatures wherewith it is replenished which by a poetical strain are invited to praise God See of this and the next Verses the notes on Psal. 96. 11 12 13. the world and they that dwell therein 8 Let the flouds clap their hands let the hills be joyful together 9 Before the LORD * 〈◊〉 96. 13. for he cometh to judge the earth with righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with equity PSAL. XCIX This Psalm is supposed to be Davids and the matter of it seems to suit to his time and the state of affairs which then was although as David was a type of Christ so this Psalm may look beyond David unto the Messias But it doth not speak so fully nor clearly of the Messias as the foregoing Psalms do 1 * 〈◊〉 93. 1. THE LORD reigneth let the people a To wit such as are Enemies to God and to his people tremble * 〈◊〉 80. 1. he sitteth between the cheruhims b Upon the Ark. See 1 Sam. 4. 4. He is present with his people to protect them and to punish their Enemies let the
the House with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise be thankful unto him and bless his name 5 For the LORD is good his mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth †Heb. to generation and generation to all generations PSAL. CI. A Psalm of David This Psalm was composed by David between times of Gods promising the Kingdom to him and his actual and plenary possession of it as appears both from v. 2. and from the contexture of the Psalm wherein he speaks not of his present practice but of his purpose for the future and solemnly declares his resolution and obligeth himself to these things when he shall be in a capacity to put them in Execution 1 I Will sing of mercy and judgment a Either 1. of God towards me of Gods mercy towards me and of his just judgments upon mine Enemies Or 2. of mine towards my people I will in my Song declare my obligation and full purpose to execute mercy and judgment in my Dominion which are the two Pillars of Government of which he speaks in the following Verses Interpreters are much divided which to chuse Possibly both may be joined together and the sence may be this I will praise thee O Lord as for all thy other excellencies so particularly for those two Royal perfections of mercy and justice or judgment which thou hast so eminently discovered in the Government of the World and of thy people Israel and I will make it my care and business to imitate and follow thee as in other things so especially in those vertues which are so necessary for the discharge of my trust and the good government of thy and my people unto thee O LORD will I sing 2 I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way b I will manage all my affairs with wisdom and integrity which are the two chief qualifications requisite for all men Mat. 10. 16. and most necessary in Princes O when wilt thou come unto me c O when wilt thou give me the Kingdom which thou hast promised me that so I may be capable of executing these good purposes both for my own comfort and for the benefit of thy people Or without an interrogation as this Particle is used Exod. 20. 24. when thou shalt come to me to wit in the performance of that promise to me He speaks not exclusively as if he would not walk wisely and righteously in the mean time but emphatically that he would continue to do so when he was advanced to the Kingdom and that he would not suffer himself to be corrupted by his Royal Power and Dignity as the Princes of the World commonly were Withal he may intimate that now he could not do as he desired and that by the necessity of his affairs he was forced to make use of such men as he did not like and to wink at those miscarriages which it was not now in his power to reform God is oft said in Scripture to come to men when he fulfils a promise to them or confers a favour or blessing upon them as Gen. 18. 10. Exod. 20. 24. Psal. 80. 2. Isa. 35. 4. c. I will walk within my house d In my own Court and Family as well as in my publick administrations knowing how great an influence the example of my private conversation will have upon my people either to reform or corrupt them with a perfect heart e This Clause adds weight to the former I will not onely walk in a perfect or right way which a man may do for politick reasons or with evil design but I will do so with an upright and honest heart which is most acceptable to God 3 I will set no †Heb. thing of Belial wicked thing before mine eyes f To wit to look upon it with deliberation and design or with desire and delight as this phrase here and elsewhere implies If any ungodly or unjust thing shall be suggested to me whatsoever specious pretences it may be covered with as reason of state or worldly advantage I will cast it out of my mind and thoughts with abhorrency so far will I be from putting it in Execution I hate the work of them that turn aside g From God and from his Laws it h To wit such work Or the Contagion of such Examples I will neither imitate nor indure such works nor such workers shall not cleave to me 4 A froward heart i A man of a corrupt mind and wicked life such as other Princes chuse and prefer as being suitable to themselves and to their wicked designs shall depart from me k Shall be turned out of my Court lest they should tempt me or infect the rest of my Family or be injurious or scandalous to my people I will not know l i. e. Not own nor countenance a wicked person 5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour m Such as by secret and false informations and accusations of others seek to gain my favour and to advance themselves by the ruine of others which are the common pests of Courts and Kingdoms him will I cut off him that hath an high look and a proud heart n These he mentions because Pride is the common Plague of Courts and the Fountain of many enormities in Courtiers it makes them imperious and insolent towards the poor oppressed Subjects that resort to them for relief it inclines them to those counsels and courses not which are best for the publick good but which are most for their own honour and advantage it makes them oppressive and injurious to others that they may have wherewith to satisfy their own lusts will not I suffer 6 Mine eyes shall be upon o Either 1. to find them out Or 2. to favour and encourage them as this phrase is oft used as Psal. 34. 15. Ier. 39. 12. and 40. 4. the faithful p Men of truth justice and integrity who will be faithful first to God and then to me and to my people of the land that they may dwell with me q Or to â—…it or abide or converse with me in mine House and Counsels and publick administrations he that walketh ‖ Or perfect in the way in a perfect way r In the way of Gods precepts which are pure and perfect he shall serve me s In domestick and publick employments 7 He that worketh deceit t He who shall use any frauds or cheats or subtil artifices to abuse or wrong any of my people Which Davids Courtiers were more likely to indeavour because he would not permit any open violence shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lies u He that shall abuse me with lies as Courtiers usually do their Princes either to defend and excuse the guilty or to betray the innocent shall †Heb shall not 〈◊〉 not tarry in my sight x I will certainly and immediately banish him
both which cases it is a Metonymy of the Adjunct are like a shadow that declineth r Or that is extended or stretched out to its ulmost length as it is when the Sun is setting when it speedily and totally vanisheth And just so the hopes of our restitution which sometimes we have are quickly cut off and disappointed and I am * Isai. 40. 6. Jam. 1. 10. Psal. 109. 13. withered like grass 12 But * Lam. 5. 19. thou O LORD shalt endure for ever s But this is my comfort although we dye and our hopes vanish yet our God is everlasting and unchangeable and therefore invincible by all his and our enemies constant in his counsels and purposes of mercy to his Church stedfast and faithful in the performance of all his promises and therefore he both can and will deliver his people and * Psal. 135. â—…3 thy remembrance t Either 1. the fame and memory of thy wonderful works Or rather 2. thy name Iehovah mentioned in the former clause which is called by this very word Gods remembrance or memorial and that unto all generations Exod. 3. 15. Thus this clause exactly answers to the former and both of them describe the Eternity of Gods existence whereby the Psalmist relieves and supports himself under the consideration of his own and his peoples frailty and vanity unto all generations 13 Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion u Upon Ierusalem or thy Church and People for the time to favour her yea the set time x The end of those 70. Years which thou hast fixed of which see Ier. 25. 12. and 29. 10. Dan. 9. 2. is come 14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof y Thy people value the dust and rubbish of the holy City more than all the Palaces of the Earth and passionately desire that it may be rebuilt 15 So the Heathen shall fear the name of the LORD and all the kings of the earth thy glory z Which was in some sort fulfilled when the rebuilding of the Temple and City of God was carried on and finished through so many and great difficulties and oppositions to the admiration envy and terrour of their Enemies as we read Nehem. 6. 16. Compare Psal. 126. 2. but much more truly and fully in building of the spiritual Ierusalem by Christ unto whom the Gentiles were gathered and the Princes of the World paid their acknowledgments 16 When the LORD shall build up Zion he shall appear in his glory a His glorious power and wisdom and goodness shall be manifested to all the World 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute b i. e. Of his poor forsaken despised people in Babylon and not despise c i. e. Will accept and answer their prayer 18 This shall be written d This wonderful deliverance shall not be lost nor forgotten but carefully recorded by thy people for the generation to come e For the instruction and incouragement of all succeeding Generations The singular number put for the plural as is ordinary and * Psal. 22. 31. the people which shall be created f Which may be understood either 1. of the Jews which should be restored who were in a manner dead and buried in the grave and meer dry bones Isa. 26. 19. Ezek. 37. and therefore their restauration might well be called a Creation or as it is elsewhere a resurrection Or 2. of the Gentiles who should be converted whose conversion is frequently and might very justly be called a second Creation See 43. 1 7 15. and 65. 18. Eph. 2. 10 15. shall praise the LORD 19 For he hath looked down g To wit upon us not like an idle Spectator but with an eye of pity and relief as the next Verse declares from the height of his sanctuary h From his higher or upper Sanctuary to wit Heaven as the next Clause explains it which is called Gods high and holy place Isa. 57. 15. from Heaven did the LORD behold the earth 20 * Psal. 79. 11. To hear the groaning of the prisoner to loose †Heb. the children of death those that are appointed to death i To release his poor Captives out of Babylon and which is more from the Chains and Fetters of Sin and Satan and from eternal destruction 21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem k That they being delivered might publish and celebrate the name and praises of God in his Church 22 When the people are gathered together and the kingdoms to praise the LORD l When the Gentiles shall gather themselves to the Jews and join with them in the praise and worship of the true God and of the Messias This Verse seems to be added to intimate that although the Psalmist in this Psalm respects the deliverance of the Jews out of Babylon yet he had a further design and a principal respect unto that greater and more general deliverance of his Church and People by the Messias 23 He m To wit God to whom he ascribes these Calamities v. 10. to whom therefore he addresseth himself for relief †Heb. afflicted weakned my strength in the way m Either 1. in the midst of our expectations Whilest we are expecting the accomplishment of thy promise either of bringing us out of Babylon or of sending the Messias we faint and one of us perish after another and our hope is like the giving up of the Ghost Or rather 2. in the midst of the course of our lives Which sence is confirmed 1. from the following Clause Which after the manner explains the former he shortned my days as also from the next Verse where he begs relief from God against this misery in these words take me not away in the midst of my days 2. From the use of this word way which is used for the course of a mans life Psal. 2. 12. and which comes to the same thing for the course of a journey as it is opposed to the end of the journey Gen. 24. 27. Exod. 23. 20. and elsewhere the life of man being oft compared to a journeying or travelling and death to his journeys end And the Psalmist here speaks as other sacred Writers do elsewhere and as all sorts of Writers frequently do of the whole Commonwealth as of one man and of its continuance as of the life of one man And so this seems to be the matter of his complaint and humble expostulation with God O Lord thou didst chuse us out of all the World to be thy peculiar people and didst plant us in Ganaan and cause a glorious Temple to be built to thy name to be the onely place of thy publick and solemn worship in the World and didst make great and glorious promises that thine eyes and heart should be upon it perpetually 1 Kings
9. 3. and that thy people should be planted in thy land so as not to be moved any more or afflicted as they had been in the days of the Judges 2 Sam. 7. 10 11. From whence we promised to our selves a long and setled prosperity But alas how soon were our hopes blasted not long after the beginning of our settlement in Rehoboams time and so successively in the course of our affairs under the following Kings till at last thou didst give us up to ruine and desolation as at this day And this he doth not alledge to accuse God or excuse himself or his people but onely that he might move the Divine Majesty to shew them some pity considering the shortness of their days and his own Eternity as he pursues the argument in the following Verses he shortned my days n The days of my life or of my prosperous state as above v. 11. for adversity is a kind of death and is frequently so called 24 I said O my God * Job 36. 20 Heb. take me not away o Do not wholly cut off and destroy thy people of Israel in the midst of my days p Before they come to a full age and stature and to the plenary possession of thy promises and especially of that great and fundamental promise of the Messiah in and by whom alone their happiness is to be compleated and until whose coming thy Church is in its nonage of which see Gal. 4. 1 2 3 4. Possibly the Psalmist whom some learned Interpreters suppose to be Daniel may have respect to that Prophecy Dan. 9. 24 25. which probably was published before this time for this time was almost precisely the midst of the days between the building of the material Temple by Solomon and the building of the spiritual Temple or the Church by the Messias there being about a thousand years distance between those two periods whereof seventy Prophetical Weeks or four hundred and ninety years were yet to come And so he prays that God would not root them out in this Babylonish Captivity but would graciously restore them to their own land and preserve them as a Church and Nation there until the coming of the Messias thy years are throughout all generations q Though we successively die and perish yet thou art the everlasting and unchangeable God and therefore art and wilt ever be able to deliver thy people and faithful in performing all thy promises and therefore we beseech thee to pity our frail and languishing state and give us a more setled and lasting felicity than yet we have enjoyed and therefore we trust that thy people shall continue and be established before thee as he saith v. 28. because as thou art the everlasting God so thou hast made an Everlasting Covenant with them Psal. 105. 10. Isa. 55. 3. Ier. 32. 40. to be their God for ever and therefore thou wilt not now forsake or reject us 25 * Heb. 1. 10. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of thy hands r The Eternity of God looks both backward and forward it is both without beginning and without end The former is affirmed and illustrated v. 24 26 27. the latter is clearly implyed in this Verse Thou hadst a being before the Creation of the World when there was nothing but Eternity but the Earth and Heavens had a beginning given them by thy Almighty Power 26 * Isai. 15. 6. They shall perish s Either 1. as to the substance of them which shall be annihilated Or 2. as to their present nature and use See Isa. 65. 17. and 66. 22. 2 Pet. 3. 7 10 11. The Heavens and the Earth although they be the most permanent of all visible beings and their continuance is oft mentioned to signifie the stability and immutability of things yet if compared with thee are as nothing they had a beginning and shall have an end but thou shalt †Heb. stand endure yea all of them shall wax old t i. e. Decay and perish like a garment u Which is worn out and laid aside and exchanged for another And so shall this present frame of Heaven and Earth be as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed 27 But thou art the same and thy years shall have no end 28 The children of thy servants shall continue x Though the Heavens and the Earth perish and though we thy servants pine away in our iniquities according to thy righteous sentence and threatning Levit. 26. 39. and die in Captivity yet by vertue of thy eternal and unchangeable nature and Covenant we rest assured that our Children and their Children after them shall enjoy the promised mercies an happy restitution to and settlement in their own land and the presence of our and their Messias whom being not to come till after 490. years we shall not live to see The expression here used is general not without design partly to shew that this promised blessing belongs to the Jews not upon the account of any carnal relation to Abraham but as they are and continue to be Gods servants from whom if they revolt they lose this and all their other priviledges and partly to imply that it belongs to all Gods faithful Servants and to their Children whether they be Jews or Gentiles of whose Conversion he spoke v. 22. and their seed shall be established before thee y In the place of thy gracious presence either here in thy Church or hereafter in Heaven from which we are now banished And this phrase further intimates that their happiness did not consist in the enjoyment of the outward blessings of the land of Canaan but in the presence and fruition of God there which he mentions as the top and upshot of all his desires and their felicities PSAL. CIII A Psalm of David This Psalm contains a thankful Commemoration and Celebration of Gods mercies to the Psalmist himself and to the people of Israel and to all good men 1 * 〈◊〉 104. 1. 〈◊〉 1. BLess the LORD O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name a Let all my thoughts and affections be engaged and united and stirred up to the highest pitch in and for this work 2 Bless the LORD O my soul and forget not all his benefits 3 * 〈◊〉 9. 2 6. 〈◊〉 2. 11. 〈◊〉 â—… 47. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases b Either 1. spiritual diseases lusts or corruptions which he subdues and purgeth out by his grace as this phrase is used Psal. 41. 5. Isa. 6. 10. and 53. 5. Or 2. corporal diseases or miseries of which this word is used 2 Chron. 21. 18 19. Ier. 14. 18. and 16. 4. 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction c Both temporal and eternal from deadly dangers and miseries who crowneth thee d i. e. Encompasseth and
which is called the spirit of a beast Eccles. 3. 11. which is called their breath or spirit for the word is the same there and here v. 29. and here may be called Gods spirit because it was given and preserved by him Or rather 2. thy quickning spirit for here seems to be an opposition between their spirit v. 29. and thy spirit here and this latter is mentioned as the creating or productive cause of the former And this may be understood either 1. of the Holy Ghost to whom no less than to the Father and the Son the work of Creation is ascribed Iob 33. 4. Psal. 33. 6. or rather 2. that quickning power of God by which he produceth life in the Creatures from time to time For he speaks not here of the first Creation but of the continued and repeated production of living Creatures they are created u Either 1. the same living Creatures which were languishing and dying are strangely revived and restored which may not unfitly be called a creation as that word is sometimes used because it is in a manner the giving of a new life and being to a Creature Or 2. other living Creatures are produced or generated the word created being taken in its largest sence for the production of things out of indisposed matter by second Causes as it is used Isa. 41. 20. and 54. 16. c. thou renewest the face of the earth x And thus by thy wise and wonderful Providence thou preservest the succession of living Creatures upon the Earth which otherwise would be desolate or without Inhabitants 31 The glory of the LORD †Heb. shall be shall endure for ever the LORD shall rejoyce in his works y So the sence is Thus God doth and will advance the glory of his wisdom and power and goodness in upholding and continuing the works of his hands from generation to generation and he doth and will take pleasure both in the preservation and blessing of his works as also in his reflection upon these works of his Providence as he did rest and delight himself in the contemplation of his works of Creation as is noted Gen. 1. 31. 2. 2 3. But the words are by divers and as it may seem more agreeably to the Hebrew Text rendred thus Let for the first word is of the Imperative Mood the glory of the Lord endure for ever and let the Lord have joy Or then shall the Lord rejoyce in his works So this is added as a convenient Doxology or Thanksgiving after the Commemoration of his great and gracious works and the sence may be this Seeing therefore God hath enriched the Earth and us with so many fruits of his bounty let it be our constant desire and endeavour that God may be perpetually served and glorified in and by them and that God may be no more grieved at the remembrance of his kindness to us as he was Gen. 6. 5 6. and thereby be again provoked to destroy us but may take pleasure in beholding and cherishing of his own workmanship 32 He looketh on the earth and it trembleth * Psal. 144. 5. he toucheth the hills and they smoke z This is a further illustration of Gods powerful Providence over all the Creatures and their dependence upon him As when he affords his favour to Creatures they live and thrive so on the contrary one angry look or touch of his upon the Hills or Earth makes them tremble and smoke as once Sinai did when God appeared in it And this consideration he may possibly suggest to inforce the foregoing exhortation of glorifying God because if we do not give him the glory due to his name he can quickly right himself and destroy us and all his works 33 * Psal. 146. 2. I will sing unto the LORD a But whatsoever others do I will not fail to give God his glory and due praises as long as I live I will sing praise unto my God while I have my being 34 My meditation b Or my speech or discourse my praising of God mentioned v. 33. of him c Concerning the glory of his works shall be sweet d Either 1. to God he will graciously accept it praise being his most acceptable Sacrifice as is affirmed Psal. 69. 30 31. Or rather 2. to my self as may be gathered from the next Clause He implies that he shall not onely do this work which a man may do unwillingly or by constraint but that he will do it chearfully and with delight which is most pleasing to God I will be glad in the LORD e I will rejoice in the contemplation of Gods works and in praising him for them 35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more f But as for those ungodly Creatures who do not regard the works of the Lord which is noted as a most grievous sin and punished with a grievous imprecation like this Psal. 28. 4 5. nor give him the glory due to his name but dishonour God and abuse his Creatures and thereby provoke God to destroy the Earth and the men and things which are upon it it is my Prayer for thine honour and for the safeguard of all mankind that those Sinners who obstinately and resolutely continue in this practice of dishonouring and disobeying their Creatour may be taken out of this World that they may no longer infect it nor procure its total destruction Or it may be a prediction delivered in the form of an imprecation as hath been noted before in like Cases bless thou the LORD O my soul g But thou O my Soul come not into this wretched Society but employ thy self in this great work of blessing and praising God and it is my desire and hope that others will follow my Example Praise ye the LORD PSAL. CV The Pen-man of this Psalm was David as is manifest from 1 Chron. 16. 8 c. It is a thanksgiving to God for his mercies to his People of Israel 1 O * 1 Chron. 16. 8. Isai. 12. 4. Give thanks unto the LORD call upon his name a Or proclaim his name i. e. the same and glory of his works as it follows make known his deeds among his people b Each of you amongst his and your people or even among the Heathens as you have opportunity 2 Sing unto him sing psalms unto him talk ye of all his wondrous works 3 Glory ye in his holy name b Glory in the God whom you serve as the onely true God and one of infinite power and goodness let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD c That seek his face or presence as it follows his acquaintance and favour above all the World 4 Seek the LORD and his strength d i. e. by a figure called Hendiaduo the Lord in his strength to wit in his Sanctuary or before the Ark which is called
them 7 * 〈◊〉 18. 16. Send thine †〈◊〉 bands hand from above rid me and deliver me out of great waters from the hand of strange children n Either of the Heathen nations which envy and hate me or of the rebellious Israelites who though they profess themselves to be the Lords people yet in truth and for their carriage to me are like the barbarous Heathens 8 Whose mouth speaketh vanity o Either 1. vain brags and threatnings which shall come to nothing or 2. vain and deceitful promises or professions of friendship and their right hand p Here mentioned either 1. as it is used in swearing to note their perjury or rather 2. as an instrument of action is a right hand of falshood q Deceiving either 1. themselves by being unable to do what they designed or 2. others by not giving them that help which they promised to them 9 I will * 〈◊〉 33. 2 3. sing a new song unto thee r When thou hast granted this request of mine v. 7 8. which I know assuredly thou wilt do O God upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee 10 It is he that giveth ‖ 〈◊〉 â—…ictory salvation unto kings s Who are not preserved by their own power or prudence but by Gods special providence which for the publick good of the world watcheth over them who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword 11 Rid me and deliver me from the hand of strange children t And upon these accounts grant me the mercy which â—… desired before and now again do repeat whose mouth speaketh vanity and their right hand is a right hand of falshood 12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth u This mercy I beg not onely for my own sake but for the sake of thy people that thine and our enemies being subdued and peace established in the land thy people may enjoy those blessings which thou hast promised to them and particularly that our sons which are the strength and safety and hopes of a nation may be like plants flourishing and thriving and growing in height and strength as plants do in their youth and then onely for when they grow old they wither and decay that our daughters x Upon whom the hope of posterity depends may be as corner-stones †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 polished after the similitude of a palace y Strong and beautiful and adorned with all the ornaments belonging to their sex 13 That our garners may be full affording †〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kind all manner of store that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets z So as they may fill our streets being brought in thither for food to the Towns and Cities Or in our folds or stables as the Chaldee and others render it or as the LXX and others in their or rather in our as it is in the Hebrew out-lets or outgoings i. e. in the fields where they abide 14 That our oxen may be †Heb. able to bear bardens or loaden with flesh strong to labour a Heb. laden either with flesh and â—…at as many understand it or as others with young but then the foregoing word is not to be rendred oxen but cows as the same word and in the same Masculine gender is used Deut. 7. 13. And so this agrees best with the former prayer for the sheep v. 13. and he wisheth the same blessing of fruitfulness both for greater and smaller cattel that there be no breaking in b To wit of enemies invading the Land or assaulting our Cities and making breaches in their walls nor going out c To wit of our people either out of the Towns and Cities to fight with an invading enemy or out of the Land into captivity that there be no complaining d Or no outâ—…ry or howling for any sad tidings or publick grievances or calamities in our streets 15 * Psal. 33. 12 65. 4. Happy is that people that is in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the LORD e This is a correction of the last sentence This is a very desirable estate but the true and chief happiness of our Israel doth not consist in these things which are common to others with us but in this peculiar priviledge that the true and blessed God is our God by covenant and special relation PSAL. CXLV Davids Psalm of praise This Psalm and the rest which follow to the end are wholly laudatory setting forth the praises of God The excellency of this Psalm appears not onely from the opinion of the Hebrew Writers but also from the care which the Psalmist took to digest it into such accurate and Alphabetical order that it mighâ—… be more easily fixed in the mind and memory of the reader 1 I Will extol thee my God ‖ Or the king Compare Jeâ—… 38. 9. O King a Or the King by way of eminency the King of kings the God by whom Kings reign and to whom I and all other Kings owe subjection and obedience and I will bless thy Name for ever and ever 2 Every day will I bless thee and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever 3 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised †Heb. and of his greatness there is no search and * Job 5. 9. 9. 10. his greatness b In his Being Majesty and Glory and all Perfections is unsearchable 4 One generation shall praise thy works to another c The people that live in one age shall relate them to their posterity and so successively in all ages and shall declare thy mighty acts 5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty d Here are divers words heaped together to intimate that no words were sufficient to express it and of thy wondrous †Heb. things or words works 6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts and I will †Heb. declare it declare thy greatness 7 They shall ‖ Heb. 〈◊〉 abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness e The memorials of thy kindness to thy people thy never to be forgotten blessings and shall sing of thy righteousness 8 * Exod. 34 6 7. Numb 14. 18. Psal. 86. 5 15. 103. 8. The LORD is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and †Heb. great in mercy of great mercy 9 The LORD is good to all f Not to Israel onely but to all mankind whose hearts he fills with food and gladness as it is said Acts 14. 17. yea to all his creatures as it is in the next clause to beasts as well as men See Psal. 39. 6. and 147. 9. and his tender mercies are over all his works 10 All thy works shall praise thee g Objectively they give men and
following words which shall not pass l Which decree shall never be made void 7 Praise the LORD from the earth ye dragons m Either 1. dragons and serpents which abide in the deep caverns and holes of the earth or 2. whales or other Sea-monsters which dwell in the depths of the Sea which are oft called by this name as Iob 7. 12. Ezek. 29. 3. and elsewhere as the word here rendred deeps is most commonly used concerning the Sea and all deeps 8 Fire n Lightnings and other fire-works of the air and hail snow and vapor o Or sumes hot exhalations as the word properly signifies as cold exhalations are comprehended under the title of snow And both of them arising from the earth are here fitly mentioned as belonging to it stormy wind fulfilling his word p Executing his commands either for the comfort and refreshment or for the punishment of the inhabitants of the earth 9 Mountains and all hills fruitful trees and all cedars q Admirable for your height and strength and use though not for your fruit 10 Beasts and all cattel creeping things and †Heb. birds of wing flying fowl 11 Kings of the earth r Who though you are called gods and adored like gods by your Subjects yet are but men and the creatures and Subjects of this Soveraign Lord to whom you owe both your being and all your power and dignity and all people princes and all judges of the earth 12 Both young men and maidens old men and children 13 Let them praise the Name of the LORD for * Psal. 8. 1. Isai. 12. 4. his Name alone is †Heb. exalted excellent his glory is above the earth and heaven s Not so much in place as in excellency above all the glories which are in earth and in Heaven 14 He also exalteth the horn of his people t To wit above the horns of all the people in the world in respect of their spiritual and eternal priviledges as it here follows The born in Scripture doth commonly note strength victory glory and felicity as Deut. 33. 17. and every where the praise u Either 1. He is the praise as God is called Deut. 10. 21. to wit the God of their praise as Psal. 109. 1. the chiefest object and matter of it or 2. which is the praise Which work of God in exalting their horn is their glory and maketh them praise-worthy or obligeth and provoketh them in a singular manner to perform this great duty of praising God which is so generally neglected by others of all his saints even of the children of Israel a people near unto him x By special relation and friendship and covenant and by familiar intercourses God manifesting his face and favour to them and they frequently and solemnly approaching into his presence and worshipping him at his footstool Praise ye the LORD PSAL. CXLIX The scope and design of this Psalm is to stir up and encourage Gods people to praise him either 1. for their deliverance out of Babylon and the promises which God had given them of the perfection of that work and of the enlargement of their power and dominion in the world or rather 2. for the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel in Davids hands and for that safety and glory and victory over their enemies which they expected by that means But withal the Psalmist or the Spirit of God which dictated this Psalm to him had a further prospect even to the Messiah of whom David was a Type and who was to succeed David in the Throne and to bring that Kingdom to its highest perfection And so divers of the Jewish Doctors understand this Psalm 1 †Heb. Hallelujah PRaise ye the LORD * Psal. 33. 3. Sing unto the LORD a new song a For these new mercies conferred upon us denied to former times and his praise in the congregation of saints 2 Let Israel rejoyce in * Psal. 100. 3. him that made him b That made them not onely his creatures but which is unspeakably greater his people or that advanced and adorned them with singular priviledges as this word is used 1 Sam. 12. 6. and elsewhere let the children of Zion be joyful in their king c David and his posterity and especially the chief of all of them the Messiah Let them rejoyce and bless God that they have so potent so wise and so just a King 3 * Psal. 81. 2. Let them praise his Name ‖ Or with the pipe in the dance let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp d According to the usage of that time and dispensation 4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people e He loveth them above all people and rejoyceth over them to do them good he will beautifie f Heb. adorn or glorifie make them amiable and honourable in the eyes of the world who now hate and despise them the meek g Or humble to wit his people as he now said who are oft in Scripture described by that character because all true Israelites are such and all Israelites profess and ought to be such Or the afflicted as that word is oft used in Scripture which hath been observed before his poor afflicted and oppressed people to whom the following salvation is most needful and acceptable with salvation h Both temporal in delivering them from and setting them above all their enemies and afterwards with everlasting salvation and glory 5 Let the saints be joyful in glory i For the honour which God putteth upon them let them sing aloud upon their beds k Either 1. for their safe and sweet repose and peace which is signified by resting in beds Isa. 57. 2. or 2. by night as well as by day even in the time devoted to rest and sleep which they shall borrow to praise God for his eminent and extraordinary blessings as David frequently did upon such occasions 6 Let †Heb. the exaltations the high praises of God be ‖ Heb. in their throat in their mouth l Heb. in their throat Which signifies vocal praise and that with a loud voice and a * Heb. 4. 12. Rev. 1. 16. two-edged sword in their hand m Not onely to defend themselves from their enemies but as it follows to revenge themselves upon them 7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen n For all their cruelties and injuries towards Gods people This was literally accomplished by David upon the Philistines Ammonites Syrians and other neighbouring Nations and Princes which were bitter enemies to Gods people And the same thing was done afterward in the Christian world when God raised up Christian Princes who did by the help of the Christians fighting with and under them severely revenge the blood of the martyred Christians upon their cruel Persecutors and Tyrants in divers ages It may also be
and in stead of well-set hair baldness and in stead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth and burning p By the heat of the Sun to which they are now commonly exposed from which they used formerly to guard themselves with great care in stead of beauty 25 Thy men shall fall by the sword and thy †Heb. might mighty in the war 26 And her gates q The Gates of Zion or Ierusalem which by a Figure very usual in Sacred Scripture and all Authors are said to lament to imply the great Desolation of the Place that there should be no People to go out and come in by the Gates or to meet together in the Gates as they used to do shall lament and mourn and she being ‖ Or emptied †Heb. cleansed desolate shall sit upon the ground r Like a mournful Woman bewailing the loss of her Husband and Children CHAP. IV. AND in that day a Of which he hath hitherto been speaking Chap. 2. 3. and still continueth to speak In that calamitous time seven b Many A certain number for an uncertain women shall take hold c Shall sue to him and even lay hands upon him contrary to their Custom and their natural Modesty of one man d Because few Men shall survive that dreadful Stroke They who before were not contented with their own Husbands are now glad of a Seventh part of an Husband saying We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel e We will ease thee of that Charge which otherwise would fall upon thee by Gods Law Exod. 21. 10. onely †Heb. let thy name be called upon us let us be called by thy name f Own us for thy Wives ‖ Or take thou away to take away our * Luk. 1. 25. reproach g Virginity was esteemed a Reproach especially among that People because it was a Token of Contempt from Men and of the Curse of God Children the usual Fruit of Marriage being both an Honour to their Parents before Men and a great Blessing of God especially to that People from some of whose Loins the Messâ—…ah was to spring 2 In that day h About and after that time when the Lord shall have washed away as this time is particularly expressed v. 4. the filth of Zion by those dreadful Judgments now described shall the Branch of the LORD i Either 1. the Church and People of Israel oft called Gods vine or vineyard as we saw before and the Branch of Gods planting Isa. 60. 21. or 2. the Messiah who is commonly defined in Scripture by this Title the Branch Isa. 11. 1. Ier. 23. 5. 33. 15. Zech. 3. 8. whose name is expresly said to be the Branch Zech. 6. 12. of whom not onely Christians but even the Hebrew Doctors understand it For after the foregoing Miseries were brought upon the Iews by the Remainders of the Grecian Empire of which Daniel prophecies so exactly and particularly and afterwards by the Roman Empire the Messiah was born and after that utter Destruction brought upon the Jewish City and Temple and Nation by Titus the Kingdom of the Messiah became beautiful and glorious as it here follows be †Heb. beauty and glory beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent k The Land which for the Sins of the People was made barren upon their Repentance and return to Christ shall recover its former Fertility Under this one Mercy he seems to understand all temporal Blessings which together with spiritual and eternal God shall confer upon them and withal to intimate the Fruitfulness of the People the earth or land being oft put for its Inhabitants in Knowledge and Grace and all good works and comely †Heb. for the escaping of Israel for them that are escaped l That shall survive all the forementioned Calamities of Israel 3 And it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy m i. e. Shall be really holy as is said Chap. 60. 21. To be called is oft put for to be as Gen. 21. 12. Isa. 1. 26. 44. 5. even every one that is written ‖ Or to life So Gr. among the living n So this is a Restriction of the foregoing indefinite Proposition Not all that are left but a great number of them shall be holy even all that are written c. i. e. all the Elect who are frequently described by this Character that they are written in Gods or the Lambs book or in the book of life or of the living Psal. 69. 28. Dan. 12. 1. Phil. 4. 3. Rev. 3. 5. 13. 8. 17 8. c. But this last Clause of the Verse is by some Learned Interpreters rendred thus all that are in Ierusalem i. e. a very great number of them as such general Expressions are frequently used or the generality of them shall be written unto life i. e. shall be such as are elected unto Salvation through Sanctification Which may deserve consideration So he notes the singular Priviledge of this People at this time above the former Ages in which many were called but few were chosen in Jerusalem o Of the People living in or belonging to Ierusalem 4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughter of Zion p This shall be accomplished when God hath thorowly cleansed the Iewish Nation from their Sins and shall have purged the blood q The Blood-guiltiness and especially that of killing the Lord of Life their own Messiah of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by * Chap. 32. 15 16. the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning r This is opposed to the former Legal way of Purification which was by Water By the spirit he seems to understand the Holy Spirit of God to which this washing and purging Work is commonly ascribed as 1 Cor. 6. 11. and elsewhere which Spirit did accompany the Preaching of the Gospel and did this Work in part in some of the Iews and will do it more fully in the Body of the Nation And this Spirit may well be called a spirit of judgment because it executes Judgment in the Church and in the Consciences of Men separating the precious from the vile convincing men of Sin and Righteousness and Judgment Ioh. 16. 8 9. manifesting the Secrets of mens Hearts in the Preaching of the Word 1 Cor. 14. 25. accusing and terrifying and punishing some witnessing for and with others and filling them with Peace and Joy in believing hardning some and softning and subduing others to God as this Spirit is particularly promised to do the Iews Zech. 12. 10. And the same Spirit may be fitly called the spirit of burning as he is compared to fire Mat. 3. 11. because he doth burn up and consume the Dross which is in the
oft put for other Senses as Feeling Hearing c. as hath been oft observed before 17. And the residue thereof he maketh a god even his graven image he falleth down unto it and worshippeth it and prayeth unto it and saith Deliver me for thou art my god 18. * Chap. 45. 20. They have not known nor understood z This sheweth That they want common discretion and have not the understanding of a Man in them for he a To wit God who is easily understood and is oft expressed by this pronoun He and to whom this very act is frequently ascribed in other places of Scripture And therefore Men need not be shie in ascribing it to God here Which yet is to be soberly understood not as if God did make Men wicked but onely permits them so to be and orders and over-rules their Wickedness to his own glorious Ends. And such passages as these are added in such cases to give an account of the prodigious madness of Sinners herein because as they wilfully shut their own Eyes harden their own Hearts so God judicially blinds and hardens them and sends strong Delusions upon them and gives them up to believe Lies and then it is no wonder if they fall into such dotages hath †Heb. daubed shut their eyes that they cannot see and their hearts that they cannot understand 19. And none †Heb. setteth to his hearâ—… considereth in his heart b Whereby he implies That the true Cause of this as well as of other absurd and brutish practices of Sinners is the neglect of serious and impartial Consideration of things neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say I have burnt part of it in the fire yea also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof I have rosted flesh and eaten it and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination shall I fall down to †Heb. that which comes of a tree the stock of a tree 20. He feedeth of ashes c Which is an unsavoury unprofitable and pernicious Food and no less unsatisfying uncomfortable and mischievous is the worship of Idols * Hos. 4. 12. a deceived heart d A Mind corrupted and deceived by long custome deep prejudice gross errour and especially by his own Lusts. hath turned him aside e From the way of Truth from the knowledge and worship of the true God unto this brutish Idolatry that he cannot deliver his soul f From the snares and dangers of Idolatry This cannot is to be understood morally so as to note the great difficulty but not the utter impossibility of it for if Idolaters would consider things they might be convinced of and turned from that gross way of Wickedness as is implied from the foregoing Verse nor say Is there not a lie in ‖ Or at my right hand g What is this Idol which I have made with my right Hand i. e. with all my strength as was said before the right Hand being the strongest and the chief instrument of this and other actions which I set at my right Hand as the true God is said in Scripture to be at the right hand of his People Psal. 16. 8. 109. 31. 121. 5. Which I highly honour for the most honourable place was on the right Hand as is known to which I look and trust for relief and assistance which God in Scripture is said to afford to his People by being at and holding of their right hand Psal. 73. 23. 110. 5. What I say is this Idol Is it not a lie which though it seems and pretends to be something and to be a god yet in truth is nothing but vanity and falshood deceiving all that put their trust in it 21. Remember these h Either these Men Or which comes to one these things the deep ignorance and stupidity of Idolaters which may be a warning to thee O Jacob and Israel for thou art my servant I have formed thee thou art my servant O Israel thou shalt not be forgotten of me i I will not forget nor forsake thee and therefore thou shalt have no need of Idols Or as the ancient Interpreters and divers others render it do not forget me what I am and what I have done and can and will do for Thee the forgetting whereof is the ready way to Idolatry 22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud k As the Sun commonly dissolveth or the Wind scattereth the thickest and blackest Cloud so as there is no remnant nor appearance of it left thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins return l From thine Idolatry and other wicked practices unto me for I have redeemed thee m Therefore thou art mine and obliged to return and adhere to me 23. * Psal. 96. 11 12. Chap. 42. 10. 49. 13. Jer. 51. 48. Sing O ye heavens for the LORD hath done it shout ye lower parts of the earth break forth into singing ye mountains O forrest and every tree therein n By such invitations to the senseless Creatures to praise God with and for his People he signifies the transcendent greatness of this Mercy and Deliverance sufficient to make even the Stones if it were possible to break forth into God's praises and withal that as the brute Creatures were Sufferers by Man's Sin so they should receive benefit by Man's Redemption for the LORD hath redeemed Iacob and glorified himself in Israel 24. Thus saith the LORD thy redeemer and * Chap. 43. 1. he that formed thee from the womb o Of which Phrase see above on ver 2. I am the LORD that maketh all things * Job 9. 8. Psal. 104. 2. Chap. 40. 22. 42. 5. 45. 12. 51. 13. that stretcheth forth the heavens alone that spreadeth abroad the earth by my self p And therefore I can Save thee without the help of any other gods or men 25. That frustrateth the tokens of the liars q Of the Magicians and Astrologers and Sorcerers who were numerous and greatly employed and esteemed in Babylon Isa. 47. 12 13. Dan. 2. 2 48. and who had foretold the long continuance and prosperity of the Chaldean Empire But saith God I will confute their tokens or predictions and prove them to be Liars and maketh diviners mad r With grief for the disappointment of their hopes and predictions and their disgrace and loss which followed it that turneth wise men backward s Stopping their way thwarting and blasting their designs so as they can proceed no further but are forced to retreat and take new Counsels and giving them up to such counsels and courses as are foolish and pernicious to themselves and maketh their knowledge foolish 26. That confirmeth the word of his servant t Of his Servants the Prophets as appears from the next Clause which answers to this where he useth the plural number his messengers Isaiah and
Go ye forth of Babylon t The imperative is here as it is very frequently put for the future Ye shall go forth c. for this is not so much a command as a promise Although this form of speech may be the rather used to intimate That it was their duty to go forth as well as God's promise to carry them forth flee ye from the Caldeans with a voice of singing u With Joy and Songs of Praise to the Lord. declare ye x Publish God's wonderful Works on your behalf to all Nations tell this utter it even to the end of the earth say ye The LORD hath * Exod. 19. 4 5 6. redeemed his servant Iacob 21. And they thirsted not when he led them through the desarts y This is part of the matter which the Iews are obliged to declare to all People as they have opportunity to wit That God took the same care of them in their return from Babylon to Canaan which was through many dry and desert places as he did in their march from Egypt to Canaan They thirsted not c. i. e. They shall not Thirst. He speaks of things to come as if they were already past or present as the Prophets commonly do he * Exod. 17. 6. Num. 20. 11. caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them he clave the rock also and the waters gushed out 22. * Chap. 52. 21. There is no peace saith the LORD unto the wicked z God having in the next foregoing Verses foretold that Peace and blessed Deliverance which he would certainly give to his servant Iacob ver 20. He here adds an explication and limitation of this Mercy and declareth That wicked Men should not enjoy the benefit of this Mercy Where by the wicked he means Either 1. the Babylonians who well deserved that Title who shall be destroyed when God's Israel shall be delivered Or rather 2. the unbelieving and ungodly Iews of whom these very Words are used again Isa. 57. 21. and to whom such a Denunciation as this was far more proper and necessary at least in this place than to the Babylonians for he had already said far more and worse things than this concerning them having again and again deâ—…ared That Babylon should be destroyed in order to this deliverance of God's People out of it But there was great need why he should say this to the ungodly Iews because they were exceeding prone to cry peace peace to themselves when there was no solid ground of Peace and they confidently expected a share in this great Deliverance This therefore was a very seasonable Caution to the Iews in Babylon to take heed to themselves and to prepare for this Mercy and to purify themselves from all Wickedness because those of them who should either wickedly tarry in Babylon when God invited and required them to go out of it and when their Godly Brethren returned to their own Land and to the place of God's Worship or continue in Wickedness when they were restored to their own Country should not enjoy that Tranquillity and Comfort which they promised to themselves And the necessity of this Commination appears from the event for the Iews that returned to Canaan did for the most part relapse to many of their former Sins and therefore fell short of that Peace and Prosperity which otherwise they might have enjoyed CHAP. XLIX 1. LIsten O Isles a God having in the last Words secretly signified the Wickedness of the Iewish Nation after so glorious a deliverance and foreseeing that for their Wickedness he should cast them off he here turneth his Speech to the Nations of the Gentiles who are frequently described in this Prophecy and elsewhere under the Title of Iles as hath been formerly noted and inviteth them to hearken to those Counsels and Doctrines which the Iews would reject unto me b Unto Christ for it is apparent from ver 6. and other passages of this Chapter that Isaiah speaks these words in the name of Christ by whose Spirit they were dictated to him 1 Pet. 1. 11. and unto whom alone they belong as we shall see So this Chapter is a Prophecy of Christ which also is very proper and seasonable in this place The Prophet having at large prophesied of the Deliverance of the Iews out of Babylon he now proceeds further and prophesieth of the Redemption of the World by Christ of which that deliverance out of Babylon was a type and forerunner and hearken ye people from far c Which live in Countries far from Iudea now the onely Place of God's special Presence and Worship It is evident from the foregoing Clause and many other Passages following that he speaks of distance of Place not of Time The LORD hath called me from the womb d This or the like expression is used of Ieremy chap. 1. 5. and of Paul Gal. 1. 15. but it was far more eminently true of Christ who as he was chosen to this great office of Redemption form Eternity so he was separated and called to it before he was born being both conceived and sanctified by the Holy Ghost in his Mothers Womb and sent into the World upon this Errand of which see Mat. 1. 21. and Luke 1. 31. c. and 2. 11. c. from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name e Called by my Name and by such a Name as signified my Office and Work in the Places now mentioned 2. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword f As he made me the great Teacher of his Church and of the World so he assisted me by his Spirit and made my Word or Doctrine Quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged-sword c. as it is said to be Heb. 4. 12. killing Men's Lusts convincing humbling and converting their Souls and Mighty to the pulling down of strong holds And every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ as we read 2 Coâ—… â—…0 4 5. in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me g He will Protect me by his Power from all mine Enemies until I have finished the Work for which he sent me and made me a polished shaft h Like an Arrow whose point is bright and polished which therefore pierceth deeper This Metaphor signifies the same thing with the former Christ's piercing of Men's Hearts by his Word and Spirit in his quiver i Where Arrows are hid and kept This Quiver signifies the same thing with the shadow in the foregoing Clause even God's powerful and gracious Protection of him from Dangers and Mischiefs he hath hid me 3. And said unto me Thou art my servant O Israel k As the name of David is sometimes given to his Successors 1 Kings 12. 16. and particularly to Christ Ier. 30. 9. Ezek. 34. 23. Hos. 3.
evil as it is Isa. 1. 16. This he adds to intimate that Mens seeking and calling upon God will do them no good without Reformation of their Lives and †Heb. the man of iniquity the unrighteous man his thoughts z The sinful devices and purposes of his Mind Thus he strikes at the root of sinful actions and sheweth that the heart must be purged and changed as well as the outward actions and let him return unto the LORD a As he hath departed from God by sin let him turn to him by sincere Repentance and the practice of all Gods precepts Whereby he intimates that a meer abstinence from wicked courses is not sufficient without the exercise of the contrary Graces that we must not only cease to do evil but also learn to do well as it is prescribed Isa. 1. 16. and he will have mercy upon him and to our GOD b To the God of Israel who is and hath shewed himself to be a most merciful and gracious God for †Heb. he will multiply to pardon he will abundantly pardon c He useth so many Words and Arguments to encourage them to Repentance because the persons here invited were guilty of Idolatry Apostacy and many other gross wickednesses which he knew when they came to themselves and to a serious sense of their sins and of the just and holy Nature and Law of God would be an insupportable burden to their awakened Consciences and make them very prone to conclude that God either could not or would not pardon such horrid Delinquencies and therefore would rather drive them from God than draw them to him 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways d My disposition and carriage is vastly differing from yours If any man provoke or injure you especially if he do it greatly and frequently and maliciously you are very slow and backward to forgive him and if you do or seem to forgive him and promise to forget and pass it by yet you retain a secret grudge in your hearts and upon the least occasion and sleight offence you forget your Promise and you are soon weary with forgiving and prone to revenge your selves upon him but it is not so with me For I am slow to anger and ready to forgive all true penitents how many and great and numberless soever their sins be and my Promises of Mercy and Pardon shall be infallibly made good to them And therefore you need not fear to come to me or to find Mercy and acceptance with me saith the LORD 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth e Inexpressibly and infinitely for the distance between the Earth and the highest Heavens is unmeasurable by any man upon Earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts 10 For * Deut. 32. 2 as the rain cometh down and the snow f Which in its season contributes to the fruitfulness of the Earth as well as the Rain from heaven and returneth not thither g To wit void or without effect as it is expressed in the next verse or immediately it is not drawn up again as soon as it is come down but abides for a convenient time upon the Earth until it do that work for which it was sent but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater h That it may bring forth store of Bread-corn both for mens present supplies and for seed for the next year 11 So shall my word i My promises before recited concerning the sending of the Messiah and the blessing of his Labours with such wonderful success and concerning the reconciliation and pardon of the greatest sinners and concerning the Redemption and Salvation of his People be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not * Ch. 45. 23. Mat 10. 13. return unto me void k Without success It is an allusion to an Ambassadour who returns without dispatching that business for which he was sent but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it l It shall have that effect which I intended it shall certainly be fulfilled in manner before expressed 12 For m Or Therefore because God hath promised it and therefore will effect it ye shall go out n Ye shall be released from the place and state of your Bondage He alludes to their going out of Egypt which was a type of their succeeding deliverances and especially of their Redemption by Christ from the power of sin and of the Devil with joy and be led forth o Or be led along be conducted by the gracious and powerful presence of God as you were in the Wilderness with peace p Safely and triumphantly without fear of being retaken and brought back into slavery by your Enemies the mountains and the hills shall * Ps. 96. 1â—… 98. 8. Ch. 35. 1. break forth before you into singing and all * 1 Chr. 16. 33. the trees of the field shall clap their hands q There shall be a great and a general rejoycing at your deliverance so that even the senseless Creatures shall seem to rejoice with you and for you 13 * Ch. 41. 19 20. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle-tree q Whereas your Land was filled with Thorns and Briars as was foretold Isa. 7. 24. they shall be rooted out and it shall be planted with Fir-trees and Myrtle-trees and such other Trees which are useful either for Fruit or for Delight Or this Promise may be answerable to that Ezek. 28. 24. There shall be no more a pricking briar unto the house of Israel nor any grieving thorn c. but instead of them shall be such Trees as shall yield shade and refreshment The meaning is The Church shall be delivered from pernicious men and things and replenished with sincere and serious Believers and with all sorts of divine Graces and Blessings and it shall be to the LORD for a name r This wonderful change shall bring much honour to that God by whom it is wrought for an everlasting sign s that shall not be cut off t Which shall never be abolished but shall always live and flourish in the Minds and mouths of Men. t For a Monument or evident and glorious Token of Gods infinite Power and Faithfulness and Love to his People unto all succeeding Generations CHAP. LVI 1 THus saith the LORD a This verse and the rest of this Chapter until v. 9. seems to belong to the foregoing Prophesie From the consideration of Gods Promises made to them he moveth them to perform their duty to him Keep ye ‖ Or equity judgment and do justice b This Phrase elsewhere
to stand the most miserable condition that men can fall into Psa. 36. 12. 7 I will mention q Whether this ought to be the beginning of a new Chapter or no is not material but certainly here begins a new matter which contains the Prophets prayer either in his own name or the Church's to the end of chap. 64. wherein he begins with mentioning the great kindnesses that God had shewn the Iews and that Emphatically setting it forth with the greatest advantages and the more either to aggravate their great unkindness or to give them some hope of finding him the like again in their distresses or by way of argument with God to shew them mercy because he had been so good to them the loving kindnesses of the LORD and the praises of the LORD according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us and the great goodness towards the house of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses 8 For he said r viz within himself of old when he made a Covenant with our Fathers and brought them out of Egypt Surely they are my people s In Covenant though they are unworthy of me yet I cannot but look upon them as my people their enemies would persuade themselves O they are not God's People but cast ouâ—…s that none cared for or looked after but God will own them children that will not lie t That will keep my Covenant they will not deal falsly with me that are under such obligations or I presume they will not though they did go after their Idols and prove unfaithful to me in serving Baal and Ashteroth c. Now I presume they will do so no more thus Parents are apt tenderly to think of those Children that they have been indulgent to that they will not offer to abuse their kindness thus God thinks the best of them or he intimates here what they are obliged to do though he knew they would do otherwise or they will not degenerate after I have renewed them so he was their Saviour u viz. On these hopes and on these Conditions he undertook the charge of them Exod. 19. 5 6. Psal. 81. 8 9. 10. or he so â—…e alone was their Saviour when none to save none to uphold then he saved them not Cyrus Zerubbabel Nehemiah c. But Christ himself 9 * Judg. 10. 16. In all their affliction he was afflicted x Because of all the afflictions they endured in Egypt this notes the Sympathy that is in Christ he having the same Spirit in him that the Church hath and her head and Father or in all their afflictions no affliction so the words may be read their afflictions were rather favours then afflictions all that befell them from the red Sea through the wilderness and then Tzar is taken actively he afflicted not this may note his Clemency their sting was taken out either way it maâ—… be read according to the different spelling of â—…o whether by Aleph or Vaâ—… The first seems the more genuin they that list to drive this notion further may consult the Latine Synopsis and the English Annotations and the angel of his presence y The same that conducted them through the wilderness called an Angel Exo. 33. 2. and his Presence ver 14. and Iehovah Exo. 13. 21. so that it must be the Lord Jesus Christ who appeared to Moses in the bush as Stephen doth interpret it Act. 7. 35. c. Other Angels are in his presence but they were not always he was ever so therefore so called by way of eminency hence the LXX express it not a Lâ—…gate or Angel but himself saved them z From the house of Bondage brought them thorough the red Sea the wilderness c. Their rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10. 4. * Deut. 7. 7 8. in his love and in his pity a This shews the ground of his kindness they were a stubborn Superstitious Idolatrous people yet Christs Love and pity saved them for all that It was because he loved them he redeemed them and he * Exod. 19. 4. Deut. 1. 31. Chap. 46. 3. bore them and carried b He left them not to shift for themselves but bare them as a Father his Child or an Eagle her young onâ—…s he carried them in the arms of his power see Chap. 46. 4. and on the wings of his Providence see Deut 32. 10 11 12. and the Notes on Deut. 1. 31. And he is said to do it of old To remember his ancient kindness for many Generations past Olam signifies an Eternity or a long time past as well as to come from the daies of Abraham or Moses from their Bondage in Egypt to the time of Isaiah and it is used as an Argument to move him to do so still he will carry her till he bring her unto his Father them all the days of old 10 But they rebelled c Many of their Rebellions we read of in Exodus and Numbers in their Travels The Lord tells Moses that they had tempted him ten times and therefore severely threatens them Numb 14. 22 23. There were three principal Times of their Rebellion 1. In the Wilderness where they murmured for want of Bread and Water 2. In Canaan in noâ—… destroying but onely making Tributary suâ—…h Nations as God commanded them to destroy 3. Before the Babylonian Captivity when they set themselves against the Prophets which Stephen chargeth upon them Acts 7. 51 52. Among which also we may reckon all their behaviours under their Iudges and their Kings Or we may understand it of their not answering God's End and Expectation and * Exod. 15. 24. Num. 14. 11. Psal. 78. 40 â—…6 95. 9. Eph. 4. 30. vexed his holy spirit d Spirit of his Holiness they vexed him by their obstinacy against his will and mind and walking contrary unto him not that there are such Passions in God but it is spoken after the manner of men as they are vexed when their will is crossed therefore he was turned to be their enemy e He overthrew them not onely in the Wilderness Psal. 78. 31 33 59 60 c. sending among them fiery Serpents Numb 21. 6. but even in Canaan stirring up against them Adversaries sometimes the Philistines anon the Midianites and then the Moabites c. and he fought against them 11 Then f Or yet he remembred g This relates either 1. To the People and then He is collectively taken and so it looks like the Language of the People in Babylon and must be read he shall remember Or 2. It may look back to their condition in the Wilderness and thus they may properly say Where is he or that God that delivered his People of old to do the like for us now there is a like phrase used by Elisha 2 King 2. 14. Or rather 3. To God as it