Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 6 · Book 5 · Commentary on psalm 30
PSAL. CXXXVI.
An exhortation to confesse Gods goodnesse, power, and wisedome, shewed in the creation of the world, the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, and many other mercies.
COnfesse ye to Iehovah, for he is good, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. Confesse ye to the God of Gods, for his mercy endureth for ever. Confesse ye to the Lord of Lords, for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that doth wondrous great things himselfe alone, for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that made the heavens with prudencie, for his mercy endureth for ever. To him that spread out the earth above the waters, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. To him that made the great lights, for his mercle endureth for ever. The Sunne for dommion by day, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. The Moone and stars for the dominions by night, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. To him that smote Egypt in their first-borne, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. And brought forth Israel from mids of them, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arme, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. To him that parted the red sea into parts, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. And made Israel to passe thorow the mids of it, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. And shooke off Pharaoh and his power into the red sea, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. To him which led his people in the wildernesse, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. To him which smote great Kings, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. And killed magnificent Kings, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. Sihon King of the Amorites, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. And Ogh the King of Bashan, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. And gave their land for a possession, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. A possession to Israel his servant, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. Which remembred us in our base estate, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. And hath redeemed us from our distresser, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. Which giveth bread to all flesh, for his merciemercy endureth for ever. Confesse yee to the God of heavens, for his merciemercy endureth for ever.
Annotations.
MErcieMercy] the Hebrew Chesed signifieth a sacred affection of merciemercy, pietie, grace, benignitie, and bountifull good will towards any without respect of merit. In man sometime it is the pious benigne affection wherewith hee doth good: sometime the merciemercy or bountihed which he receiveth; as in Isa. 40. 6. it is the glorious grace which man hath from God, called by the holy Ghost in Greeke, doxa, glorie, 1 Pet. 1. 24. usually the Greeke version hath for it eleos, merciemercy, which the New Testament alloweth, Mat. 9. 13. from Hos. 6. 6. Hereof a godly man is called Chasid, gracious, or mercifull: see Psal. 4. 4.
Vers. 8. dominion] or rule, soveraigntie: see Gen. 1. 16.
Vers. 10. Aegypt] or, the Aegyptians: see Psal. 78. 43,—51.
Vers. 13. parts] or divisions. By the Iewes tradition, the red sea was parted into twelve several parts, for every of the twelve tribes to goe thorow.
Vers. 15. shooke off] that is, overthrew: so Exod. 14. 27.
Vers. 18. magnificent] mightie and excellent, mentioned after, and Psal. 135. 10, 11, 12.
Vers. 24. redeemed] or delivered, broken off, and pulled away, as by violence; for so also the word signifieth, Psal. 7. 3.
Vers. 25. bread] that is, food; Bread is used for all meats: so in the Greeke, to buy bread, Mark. 6. 36. is, to buy meat, (or victuals) Mat. 14. 15. Therefore this word is used also for beasts food, Psalm. 147. 9.
Vers. 8. make my bed] or spread my couch; in Greeke, descend. Compare Amos 9. 2.
Vers. 9. wings of the morning] or, day-dawning, which is said to have wings, for that it speedily flieth over all the aire. of the sea] meaning the furthest parts of the world, for so the sea often signifieth, Psal. 65. 6. and 72. 8. Isa. 24. 14.
Vers. 11. shroud] over-dim me, as with the darke twi-light; or shall bruise, shall crush me downe, as Gen. 3. 15. so the Greeke, shall tread me downe.
Vers. 12. darkneth] that is, hideth: Compare Iob 34. 22. Ier. 23. 24. as is, &c.] or, like darknesse, like light, that is, they are equall, as that which in Mat. 22. 30. is like, in Luk. 20. 36. is equall.
Vers. 13. covered] that is, safely kept and protected, as the Greeke saith, holpen me, or covered me with skin and flesh, &c. as Iob 10. 11.
Vers. 14. fearefully] or in fearefull sorts, to wit, I am made: or, these are fearefull things: the Chaldee saith, thou hast done fearefull things. marvellously made] or excellently made; elsewhere this word is used for separated from, and excelling others: see Psal. 4. 4.
Vers. 15. my bone] that is, bones, any of them; or my substance or strength; for thereof the bone is named. embrodered] that is, cunningly wrought with Nerves, Sinewes, Veines, & variety of limbs. A similitude taken from broiderie worke, Psal. 45. 15. nether places of the earth] so hee calleth his mothers wombe, because of Gods secret and unknowne making of men there, Eccles. 11. 5. And thus may the like phrase, Ephes. 4. 9. be understood of Christs incarnation.
Vers. 16. My unformed substance] or, Mine embryon, which is the body in the wombe before it hath perfect shape, or, unwrought up, as the Greeke here translateth it. The Hebrew name is of wrapping or winding up like a bottome, my wound-up masse, or body. all of them] all my members wound up in that my embrion or unperfected substance. Or generally, all men. The Chaldee saith, all my dayes were written in the booke of thy memoriall. were written] Hebr. shall bee written, which meaneth a continuall act: see Psal. 2. 1. So after, shall be formed. in the dayes they were formed] or, what dayes they should be formed: meaning that all his members, in the dayes that they were in fashioning in his mothers wombe, were written downe of God: or, that the dayes of their forming were written. The Chaldee saith, in the day when the world was created, &c. and when not one] Hebr. and not one of them, or in them. Meaning that God had written downe all parts of his body, not onelyonly when they were in forming, but long before. So commending his providence, who calleth things which bee not as though they were, Rom. 4. 17.
Vers. 17. how precious are] that is, how rare are thy thoughts to me, how few of them can I speake of, how incomprehensible are thy cogitations! The words following shew this to bee the meaning: Compare Iob 26. 14. And a thing is said to bee precious which cannot bee attained unto or effected; see Psal. 49. 9. Otherwise we may take it thus, Thy thoughts, that is, the thoughts that I have of thee, how precious, of how much esteeme and worth are they to me? So precious is used, Psal. 36. 8. The Chaldee expoundeth it, How honourable are they that love thee, O God, and how are their princes fortified. mightily increast] many and strong: see Psal 40. 5. the summes] Hebr. heads, used for summes, and so the Greeke, archee, Numb. 1. 2. and 26. 6. I awake and] or, when I awake I am still with thee, that is, still meditating of thee. The Chaldee referreth this to the last resurrection thus, I shall rise againe in the world to come, and shall be still with thee. See Psal. 17. 15.
Vers. 19. If thou wouldest] or, O that thou wouldest, for it seemeth here to be a wish, as also in the Greeke of the new Testament, Luk. 12. 49. what will I, if it were (that is, O that it were) already kindled. So in 1 Chron. 4. 10. If thou wilt blesse mee, that is, O that thou wouldest blesse. Or, Surely thou wilt slay, &c. and men, &c.] this may also be referred to God thus, and wouldest say, Ye bloudy men depart from me; or to David, who saith, depart ye from me. The Chaldee expoundeth it, & let the men addicted to the judgement of death depart from me.
Vers. 20. speake of thee] or against thee, as the like Hebraisme meaneth, 1 King. 21. 13. witnessed of (or against) him. See the notes on Psal. 5. 5. Or say thee, that is, mention or speake of, as Psal. 40. 11. 2 Sam. 6. 22. The Chaldee understands it of swearing, which sweare in thy name deceitfully. to a mischievous purpose] or with a crafty intent, that is, craftily, wickedly. See Psal. 10. 2. lift up doe thy foes. &c.] or, thy foes take up thy name to vanitie; this sense the Chaldee paraphrase giveth, and the phrase is taken from Ex. 20. 7. the word name being understood, (as in Lev. 24. 11. the word Lord is understood) or, thy soes lift up their head (as is expressed, Psal. 83. 2.) in vaine, that is, they are vainly proud and insolent. Often times words wanting are to be supplied: see the Notes on Psal. 103. 9. Or, they lift up thy foes in vaine, that is, the wicked (which speake evill of thee) doe vainly extollthine enemies. to false vanitie] or in vaine: see Psal. 12. 3. and 24. 4.
Vers. 21. am not I grieved] or grieve (irke) my selfe: so Psal. 119. 158. Compare also 2 Chron. 19. 2. Prov. 29. 27.
Vers. 23. Prove] or trie me. Compare Psal. 26. 2.
Vers. 24. way of sorrow] or of griefe, that is, wicked way (purposes or actions) which are grievous to God and men; and in speciall, the way of idolatry; for of this word Idols have their name: see Psal. 16. 4. So a word of griefe, Prov. 15. 1. is that which grieveth him to whom it is spoken. way of eternity] or of antiquitie, the old way, as Ier. 6. 16. meaning the way of faith and godlinesse, which God taught from the beginning, and which continueth for ever; contrary to the way of the wicked, which perisheth, Psal. 1. 6.