Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 6 · Book 1 · Commentary on psalm 9
PSAL. IX.
David praiseth God for executing of judgement. 12 He inciteth others to praise him. 14 He prayeth that he may have cause to praise him. 16 The judgements that shall come upon the wicked.
To the Master of the Musicke upon Muth labben; a Psalme of David.
I Will confesse Iehovah with all my heart, I will tell all thy marvellous workes. I will rejoyce and shew gladnesse in thee, I will sing Psalme to thy name, O most high.
When mine enemies turned backward, they stumbled and perished from thy face.
For thou hast done my judgement and my doome, hast sitten on the throne, judge of justice. Thou hast rebuked the heathens, hast brought to perdition the wicked one; their name thou hast wiped out for ever and aye.
The desolations of the enemie are wholly ended to perpetuitie, and the cities thou hast pulled up, perished is the memoriall of them of them. And Iehovah shall sit for ever, he hath prepared his throne for judgement.
And he will judge the world with justice, will judge the peoples with righteousnesses.
And Iehovah will be an high refuge for the oppressed, an high refuge at times in distresse. And they that know thy name wil trust in thee, for thou for sakest not them that seeke thee Iehovah. Sing Psalme to Iehovah that dwelleth in Sion, shew forth among the peoples his doings. For he that seeketh out blouds remembreth them, forgetteth not the crie of the meeke afflicted. Be gracious to me, Iehovah, see mine affliction from my haters, lifting up mee from the gates of death. That I may tell all thy praises in the gates of the daughter of Sion, may be glad in thy salvation. The heathens are sunke downe in the corrupting pit that they made; in the net that they hid caught is their foot.
Knowne is Iehovah, judgement hee hath done: in the worke of his hands insnared is the wicked one: Meditation Selah. The wicked shall turne into hell, all the heathens that forget God. For not to perpetuitie forgotten shall be the needie one, nor the expectation of the poore afflicted ones perish for aye. Rise up Iehovah, let not sory man be strong; let the heathens be judged before thy face. Put thou, Iehovah, a feare in them, let the heathens know that they be sory men Selah.
Annotations.
VPonUpon Muth labben] This, if it be referred to the musicke, seemeth to be a kinde of tune like that we call the Counter-tenour. Otherwise it may be read, For the death of Labben; but who he was, is uncertaine: some thinke it was Goliath; the Chaldee saith, for the death of the Sonne. It seemeth to me, as the former Psalme was of the propagation of Christs kingdome, so this is of the destruction of Antichrists.
Vers. 2. marvellous works] or wonderfull things, miracles. The originall word signifieth high and hidden, such as mans power cannot performe, nor reason reach unto, and therefore are admired.
Vers. 3. in thee] the Chaldee saith, in thy word.
Vers. 4. when my enemies turned] This may be taken for a summe of his praise for deliverances past, or, in faith for like to come, and may be read, when my foes turne backe, they shall stumble and perish. from thy face] from before thee, because of thy presence, that is, for feare of thee, and shut out from thy face or presence. So after, Psal. 68. 2, 3, 9. So the Apostle speaketh of the wickeds perdition from the face of the Lord, 2 Thess. 1. 9.
Vers. 5. done my judgement] that is, given sentence, and executed according to the right of my cause: See Psal. 7. 9. The Chaldee expoundeth it, my vengeance. sitten on the throne] or set thee downe on the throne, the seat of judgement or tribunall. This noteth both kingly authority, Psal. 132. 11, 12. and the acting or executing of the same, 2 Chron. 18. 18. Isay 6. 1. Dan. 7. 9. Rev. 20. 11.
Vers. 6. hast rebuked] with rough and severe words: but this, when God doth it, commonly importeth confusion, as being to his enemies, and therfore joyned with the curse, Psalm. 119. 21. and 68. 31. and 76. 7. and 18. 16. Zach. 3. 2. So else-where he saith, at the rebuke of thy face they perish, Psalm. 80. 17. wiped out] or, wiped away, as with the hand. And this wiping out the name, noteth an utter abolishing with great wrath, Deut. 9. 14. and 29. 20. Psal. 109. 13. for ever and aye] or, for ever and yet; or, to eternitie and perpetuity. The Hebrew Ghned, yet, is added to eternity or ever, to increase the durance of it, and to note all eternities, Psal. 10. 16. and 21. 5. and 104. 5. and 145. 1, 2. taken from Moses, Exod. 15. 18.
Vers. 7. The desolations] which the enemie made in spoiling our land; or the desolate places which the enemie builded for himselfe, as in Iob 3. 14. great men are said to build themselves desolate places. of the enemie] So the Greeke turned it. We may also reade it, O enemie, the desolations are quite ended (which thou madest;) or, are they ended? to perpetuitie] or, to victory, that is, so as it continueth for ever. Ever or Eternity hath the name Ghnolam in Hebrew, of being hid, and so unknowne: perpetuitie, Net sach, is so named of prevailing and getting victory by perpetuall durance. Hereupon that speech of the Prophet, he hath swallowed up death to perpetuity, or victorious aye, I say 25. 8. is translated by the Apostle, Death is swallowed up to victory, that is, for ever, as the same word in Amos 8. 7. and Lam. 5. 20. is also turned into Greeke by the LXXij. Interpreters. Pulled up] a similitude taken from trees, applied here to the pulling downe of cities: so planting and pulling up of a people, are set one against another, Ier. 24. 6. and 42. 10. and 45. 4. of them] twise repeated, for more vehemencie; meaning, all and every of them: or, with themselves, their memory is gone: the Greeke translateth, their memoriall is perished with a sound.
Vers. 9. will judge] or give doome unto. Two severall words for judging are here used, as before, Psal. 7. 9. with righteousnesses] that is, all manner righteousnesse and equity, or, most righteously, most equally. See the like speech after, Psalm. 98. 9. and 96. 13. and often other where.
Vers. 10. an high refuge] in Hebrew Misgab, which is, an exaltation, that is, an high place, tower, or fort to resist the enemie, Jer. 48. 1. wherein men are protected, and escape their foes invasion, Deut. 2. 36. for the oppressed] or, to the beaten downe; the poore is so called, as being pownded or s…amped by the adversary. So Psal. 10. 18. and 74. 21. at times] or in seasons, that is, seasonably at all times when they be in distresse. So Psal. 10. 1.
Vers. 11. that know] or that acknowledge thy name: such are Gods people, Esay 52. 6. and shall by him be delivered and advanced, Psal. 91. 14.
Vers. 12. dwelleth in Sion] or sitteth in Sion. The Chaldee saith, hath placed his divine habitation (or majestie) in Sion. Sitting is often used for dwelling, as is noted, Psal. 1. 1. The word in is many times omitted in Hebrew, but necessarily to be understood, as the text it selfe sheweth, as beth, house, for bebeth, in the house, 2 King. 14. 14. compared with 2 Chron. 25. 24. and 2 Chron. 26. 21. with 2 King. 15. 5. and 2 Chron. 34. 30. with 2 King. 23. 2. his doings] his practises, or wonted workes. The originall word signifieth actions done naturally, or purposely and studiously; designes, gests, or exercises enterprised advisedly, and prosecuted studiously, of naturall disposition and inclination, as Prov. 20. 11. 1 Sam. 25. 3.
Vers. 13. seeketh out] or requireth blouds, that is, God, who followeth, findeth out, punisheth and avengeth bloudshed or murder, according to the law, Gen. 9. 5, 6. See the Annotations there. The Chaldee expoundeth it, he that requireth the bloud of the innocent, remembreth his just ones. meeke afflicted] The originall here hath a double reading, Ghnanaj…m, that is, afflicted, poore; and Ghnanavim, meeke, modest, lowly: for affliction often causeth meeknesse. Therefore also Ghnani, that is, afflicted, is translated. Praus, Meeke, Matth. 21. 5. from Zach. 9. 9.
Vers. 14. from my haters] that is, which commeth upon me from them. lifting up] or, ô lifter up (exalter) of me. gates of death] This noteth present perill and feare of death, as being now neare at the very doore or gate thereof, Gen. 4. 7. Iudg. 5. 8. It noteth also power, strength, and jurisdiction which death hath; (even reigning, as the Apostle saith, Rom. 5. 14.) because Magistrates sate, and judgements were executed at the gates of cities, Deut. 22 15. Iob 31. 21. Amos 5. 10, 15. So in other Scriptures the gates of death and of hell denote their perill, strength and horrour, Psal. 107. 18. Isay 38. 10. Matth. 16. 18. Iob 38. 17.
Vers. 15. gates of the daughter of Sion] these are opposed to the former gates of death, and mean the publike places where Gods people came together at Sion gates, where God sate, vers. 12. and which he loved most, Psal. 87. 2. The daughter of Sion signifieth the Church or Congregation there gathered; as also the Chaldee Paraphrase here sheweth, translating it the congregation of Sion, for every chiefe citie was counted as a mother, 2 Sam. 20. 19. (whereupon the Apostle calleth Ierusalem, the mother of us all, Gal. 4. 26.) the villages that were neere and pertained unto such cities, are called daughters, Ios. 15. 45. 2 Chron. 13. 19. Psal. 48. 12. and the inhabitants there seated, or assemblies of people resorting thither, are likewise named daughters; as being bred, borne, nourished there, and subiect therto. Such speeches are often in the Scripture, as, daughter of Ierusalem, Lam. 2. 19. daughter of Sion, Mat. 21. 5. from Zach. 9. 9. daughter of my people, Ier. 4. 11. daughter of Tirus, Psalm. 45. 13. daughter of Babel, Psal. 137. 8. and the like.
Vers. 17. Iudgement hee hath done] or, by the judgement that he hath executed. his hands] or his palmes, the wickeds owne hands, called the palmes or hollowes, for the secret manner of working. So Psal. 7. 4. Meditation Selah] meaning that this is a matter of deepe meditation, worthy to be well minded, and spoken or sung with earnest consideration alwaies. Some retaine the Hebrew word, Higgajon Selah, for that it may import a kinde of Song or tune, (as the Greeke turneth it,) being found in this forme, onelyonly here, and in Psal. 92. 4. The Chaldee interpreteth it, the just shall joyfully shout for ever.
Vers. 18. into hell] into hell it selfe: for the word into is in effect twice put in the Hebrew for more vehemencie. forget God] the Chaldee addeth, that forget the feare of God.
Vers. 19. needy one] two names are here given to the poore, Aebjon, needy and desirous, which importeth want of things needfull, to be supplied by liberalitie, Psal. 132. 15. and 112. 9. Ghnani, poore afflicted, which need helpe and deliverance from vexation, as before, vers. 13. yet this precise difference is not alwaies observed in Scripture. perish for aye] that is, shall never perish. Here the word not, set in the beginning, serveth for a deniall of all that followeth, shall not be forgotten, shall not perish, or be lost; So in Job 30. 20, 25. and 31. 20. And the Chaldee here repeateth the word not, for more plainnesse. Contrary to this is the wickeds hope and expectation, which shall perish, Prov. 10. 28. Job 8. 13. and 11. 20. be strong] or, strengthen, confirme and harden himselfe, and so prevaile. This is fitly opposed both to the name and nature of man, which is infirme, sorrowfull, and mortall.
Vers. 21. Put a feare in them] The originall morah (used in this place onelyonly) seemeth to be put for Mora, which is Feare or Terrour, Psal. 76. 12. these two Hebrew letters being often put one for another, as Amon, Ier. 52. 15. for Hamon, 2 King. 25. 11. Shinna, 2 King. 25. 29. for Shinnab, Ier. 52. 33. Or according to the Letters it may come of Horah, to teach, and signifie a law or doctrine, and this the Greeke favoureth, translating set a lawgiver (or teacher) over them. sory men] in Hebrew Aenosh, the proper name of Adams nephew, Gen. 4. 26. signifying Sorowfull; and is after commonly given to every man for his dolefull state and mortalitie, Psal. 8. 5. and here collectively is the name of mankinde.