Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 6 · Book 2 · Commentary on psalm 7
PSAL. XLVIII.
God is magnified for the ornaments, privileges, and protection of the Church.
A song a Psalme, to the sonnes of Korach.
GReat is Iehovah, & praised vehemently in the citie of our God, the mountaine of his holinesse. Faire in situation, the joy of all the earth is mount Sion, in the sides of the North; it is the Citie of the great King. God in the loftie palaces therof, knowne he is for an high refuge. For loe the Kings were assembled, they went together. Themselves saw, so they wondered; they were suddenly …ubled, they were frighted away. Trembling tooke hold on them there; paine, as of her that travelleth with childe. With an east wind thou wilt break asunder the ships of Tarshish. Even as we have heard, so have we seene; in the citie of Iehovah of hosts, in the citie of our God; God will establish it for ever Selah. Wee have quietly minded thy merciemercy, O God, in midst of thy Palace.) As thy name, O God, so thy praise is unto the ends of the earth; thy right hand is full of justice. Let mount Sion rejoyce, let the daughters of Iudah be glad, because of thy judgements. Compasse ye Sion, and goe round about it; tell the towers thereof. Set your heart on the fort thereof, distinctly view the loftie Palaces thereof, that ye may tell to the generation after. That this God is our God, ever and aye; he will guide us untill death.
Annotations.
SOnnes of Korach] See the notes on Psal. 42. 1. Here the Greeke addeth, for the second (day) of the W…, that this Psalme was then to be sung in the Temple, as is before noted on Psal. 24. 1.
Vers. 2. the mountaine] in the Greeke, his holy mountaine; in Chaldee, the mount of the house of his Sanctuary. This was mount Sion, vers. 3. a figure of the Church of Christ, Hebr. 12. 22. Rev. 14. 1.
Vers. 3. Faire in situation] or, Beautifull of coast, or climate, situate in a faire climate or region. The Chaldee expounds …t, Faire as a Bridegroome, the joy of all that dwell on the earth. the sides of the North] the place where the Temple was builded. So Isa. 14. 13. of the great King] that is, of God, who dwelt in this citie, vers. 9. Zach. 8. 3. Hereupon Christ said, sweare not by Jerusalem, for it is the … of the great King, Mat. 5. 35.
Vers. 4. loftie Palaces] or, high bowers, or steeples. So vers. 14. and Psal. 122. 7.
Vers. 5. the Kings] we may referre this either to the Kings of Moab and Ammon, in the daies of Iosaphat, 2 Chro. 20. or to Sanacherib and his Captaines in the daies of Ezekiah, 2 King. 18. 19. or to the Philistian Princes, 2 Sam. 5. were assembled] or came together, to wit, by agreement at an appointed time and place; so the originall word impor….
Vers 7. that travelleth with childe] or, that bringeth forth. And this paine is great, and sudden, an… inevitable. See Mic. 4. 9. 1 Thess. 5. 3.
Vers. 8. an east wind] which is strong and boystrous; also drie and parching, Isa. 27. 8. Ier. 18. 17. Exod. 14. 21. and 10. 13. Gen. 41. 7. Ezek. 19. 12. Ion. 4. 8. Hereupon the Greeke translateth it, violent wind; and the Chaldee, a strong East wind, as a fire from before the Lord. of Tarshish] or, of the Ocean sea. Tarshish was the name of the son of Iavan, the son of Iapheth, the sonne of Noah, Ger. 10. 4. of whom Tarsus (mentioned in Act. 21. 34.) the chiefe citie of Cilicia in Syria had the n…m…. From thence they went by shipping into farre countries, Africa, India, Ophir, &c. 1 King. 22. 48. and 10. 22. Hereupon that Sea was called Tarshish; and generally the name is applied to every Ocean, or maine sea.
Vers. 10. we have quietly winded] or, in silence thought upon, and consequently, waited for.
Vers. 12. daughters of Iudah] the lesser cities of that tribe, which were as daughters to the mother citie Ierusalem, as the lesser cities of the Ammonites were daughters to Rabbah, Ier. 49. 3. So Ekron with her daughters, Ios. 15. 45. and many the like. So Psal. 97. 8.
Vers. 13. tell the towers] number, count them: These things seeme to intend not only a taking notice, but also a care and fortification of Ierusalem against all enemies. See Esay 33. 18.
Vers. 14. Set your heart] minde earnestly, set your affections on, as Psal. 62. 11. the fort] or strong frontier, …konce, rampart, made for strength and safegard of the citie, 1 King. 21. 23. 2 Sam. 20. 15. So Psal. 122. 7. The Chaldee understands it of the strength of people, the multitude. disti…tly view] or, lift up, meaning the eyes to behold, or reare up the bankes of buildings. The Hebrew Pasgu is here only used; of it is Pisgah, the name of an hill or mount, Numb. 21. 20. and 23. 14. Deut. 3. 17. and 34. 1. The Greeke translateth here, distinguish or distribute, following the Chaldee Passeg, which is to distribute or divide.
Vers. 15. ever and aye] ever and yet, to eternitie and perpetuitie. will guide us] or lead us, to wit, as a flocke of sheepe, Psal. 78. 52. 72. therefore the Greeke turneth it, poimanei, he will f…d, or rule as a shepherd. A like phrase is also used in speech of defence from enemies, 2 Chron. 32. 22. untill death] in Greeke, for ever. The Chaldee paraphraseth thus, For this God is our God, his divine Majestie is within it, and his dwelling is in the heavens for ever and ever; he will lead us in the daies of our youth.