Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 6 · Book 2 · Commentary on psalm 24
PSAL. LXV.
Gods praises in Sion for hearing prayer, 4 for pardoning sinnes, 6 for his just administration in the world, 10 and for his manifold blessings upon his land and people.
To the Master of the Musicke, a Psalme, a Song of David.
PRaise, silent waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion; and to thee shall the vow be paid. Thou hearest praier, unto thee all flesh shall come. Words of iniquities have prevailed against me; our trespasses, thou wilt mercifully cover them. O blessed is hee whom thou chusest and takest neere, that hee may dwell in thy courts; we shall be satisfied with the good things of thine house, with the holy things of thy Palace. Fearefull things in justice thou wilt answer us, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of those farre off by sea. O he that stablisheth the mountaines by his able might, is girded about with strength. Which appeaseth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumultuous noise of the peoples. And feare doe they that dwell in the utmost parts, for thy signes; the out-goings of morning and evening, thou makest shout. Thou visitest the land, and plenteously moistenest it; very much thou enrichest it, with the streame of God full of waters; thou preparest their corne, when so thou hast prepared it. Thou waterest abundantly the ridges of it, thou setlest the furrowes of it, thou makest it soft with showers, thou blessest the bud of it. Thou crownest the yeere of thy goodnesse, and thy pathes drop fatnesse. They drop on the pastures of the wildernesse, and the hills are girded about with gladnesse. The pastures are clad with sheepe, and the vallies are covered with Corne; they shout, they also sing.
Annotations.
PRaise, silent waiteth] or, is silent, that is, submisly and quietly expecteth thee: see Psal. 62. 2. or, VntoUnto thee there is silence and praise, that is, silence looking to receive mercies, and praise for them being received. The Greeke saith, praise becommeth thee. The Hebrew also may imply the same, though it be more significant. The Chaldee paraphraseth thus, The praise of the Angels is counted as silence before thee, O God, whose majestie (is) in Sion.
Vers. 3. Thou hearest] or, O thou that hearest, or, he that heareth: see after in vers. 7. all flesh] that is, all sorts of men; as Gen. 6. 12. Psal. 145. 21. Act. 2. 17. This is a prophesie of all Nations converted unto Christ.
Vers. 4. words of iniquities] or, of perversities, that is, perverse things, or words, unrighteous deeds. Words are often put for things, as Psal. 7. 1. mercifully cover] or expiate, propitiate, purge away, and so cover, and forgive. Of the Hebrew Caphar, which signifieth to cover, the Cover of the Arke was called Caporeth, Exod. 25. 17. in Greeke hilasterion, that is, the propitiatory, or mercy-seat, Heb. 9. 5. which name Paul giveth to Christ, Rom. 3. 25. who is the true propitiation for our sins, 1 Iob. 2. 2.
Vers. 5. takest neere] or, causest to approach, to wit, unto thy selfe; the Greeke saith, takest unto thee. thy courts] or, court-yards, the open places of the Tabernacle and Temple. There was an inner court and an outward, 1 King. 7. 12. one for the Priests, another for the people, called the great court, 2 Chron. 4. 9. 2 King. 21. 5. good things] so the Greeke explaineth it well: the Hebrew speaking of the good thing in generall, comprehending the wholestore of pleasures and commodities, …. Deu. 6. 11. Ge…. 45. 23. The like here followeth, holy, for all holy things. And among good things, understand the principall, the gift of the holy Ghost: as that which in Matth. 7. 11. is good things, in Luk. 11. 13. is called the holy Ghost.
Vers. 6. Fearefull things, &c.] God out of his Tabernacle gave oracles and answers to his people, Numb. 7. 89. and from Heaven he answered to their prayers against their adversaries, Psal. 3. 5. he answered alwaies things reverend and fearefull. those farre off by sea] whereby is meant, not onelyonly those upon the sea, whose hope God is, Psal. 107. 23. 28, &c. but those also that dwell farre asunder disjoyned by the sea, as in Ilands, which wait for his law, Isa. 42. 4. So the Chaldee interpreteth it, and of the Iles of the sea which are disjoyned from the dry land (or continent.)
Vers. 7. O he that stablisheth] or, which setteth fast: it is a continued speech to God, as the words before and after manifest, but the person changed for more passion, like that in Iob 18. 4. O he that teareth his soule, for, O thou that tearest thy soule. See the notes on Psal. 59. 10. mountaines] hereby is often meant kingdomes, polities, and commonweales, Ier. 51. 25. See Psal. 30. 8. The Chaldee understands it here, of Gods preparing food for the wild Goats of the mountaines.
Vers. 8. of the seas] waters signifie peoples, Rev. 17. 15. and seas are the huge armies of peoples, Ier. 51. 42. Esai. 17. 12, 13. All such, as well as the naturall seas, God asswageth. See also Psal. 46. 7.
Vers. 9. And they] or, When they feare. utmost parts] or borders, to wit, of the earth, as is expressed, Isa. 41. 5. the out-goings of morning, &c.] This may be meant both of the successive course of day and night, and of them that go out at morning and evening, which be men to their labour, and beasts for their prey, as is shewed, Psal. 104. 20,—23. and of people, inhabiting the East and West parts of the world.
Vers. 10. plenteously moistenest it] This sense the Greeke yeeldeth: the Hebrew also may be turned, when thou hadst made it to desire raine: or, and givest it the desire thereof. These things are spoken first of the land of Canaan; (as the Chaldee expoundeth, thou remembrest the land of Israel;) which God visited and blessed continually, as Moses telleth, Deut. 11. 12. and spiritually are meant of Christs Church, Ezek. 36. 8. 9, &c. very much] or, with multitude, to wit, of riches, (or good things.) the streame] or brooke, riveret. See Psal. 1. 3. and 46. 5. The Chaldee paraphraseth, from the fountaine of God which is in heaven, which is full of the showers of blessing. of God] that is, with heavenly, sweet and wholesome streames of waters, not as Aegypt, watered with mans labour, but drinking waters of the raine of heaven, Deut. 11. 10, 11. The streame of God may here be taken for an excellent streame, as mountaines of God, Psal. 36. 7. and the word with is to be supplied. Compare herewith Ioel. 3. 18. Rev. 22. 1. where a fountaine, and pure river of water of life, come forth from the Lords house and throne, their corne] theirs that dwell in thy land, and house: after that thou hast thus prepared the land, and watered it, thou makest it fruitfull.
Vers. 11. set lest the furrowes] or, the clods, that is, with raine thou causest the clods to lye close to cover the seed. The Hebrew words being indefinite, to settle, &c. have like signification with the former. See Psal. 49. 15. and 77. 2. and 103. 20. makest it soft] or meltest, resolvest, makest it moist, with drops of raine, that fall many. See Psal. 72. 6. the bud] or branch, that which springeth up out of the earth. This name is given to Christ himselfe, Esai. 4. 2. Zach. 3. 8. and 6. 12.
Vers. 12. yeere of thy goodnesse] that is, thy good yeere, which thou honourest with singular blessings. So God commanding the Sabbath yeere, promised to blesse the sixt yeere, that it should bring forth fruit for three yeeres, Lev. 25. 20, 21. But the good yeere is that acceptable yere of the Lord, which Christ preached, Esai. 61. 2. Luke 4. 19. thy pathes drop] the clouds which are Gods chariot, Psal. 104. 3. in which water is bound, Iob 26. 8. and from which raine is dropped, to cause the earth to fructifie, Iob 36. 28. and 38. 26, 27. And pathes here are properly such trackes as are made by chariot wheeles.
Vers. 13. of the wildernesse] where there is no man, Iob 38. 26. that grasse may grow for beasts, Psal. 104. 14. Though sometime shepherds there feed their flocks, as Exo. 3. 1. girded with gladnesse] rejoycing for the store of grasse that grow on them on every side. Things are figuratively said to be glad, when they attaine unto & abide in their naturall perfection: so light is said to rejoyce when it shineth cleare and continually, Prov. 13. 9.
Vers. 14. the pastures] or fields, are cloathed, that is, covered, abundantly stored with flockes of sheepe. For fields, the Greeke putteth Rams of the sheepe: the Hebrew Carim signifieth both, Esai. 30. 23. and 34. 6. but the grammaticall construction and coherence here sheweth it rather to be fields or pastures.