Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 6 · Book 3 · Commentary on psalm 11
PSAL. LXXXIII.
A complaint to God of the enemies conspiracie. 10 A prayer against them that oppresse the Church.
A Song, a Psalme of Asaph.
O God, keepe not thou silence, cease not as dease, and be not still, O God. For loe, thine enemies make a tumultuous noise, and thy haters lift up the head. Against thy people they have craftily taken secret counsell, and consulted against thine hidden ones. They have said, Come and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembred no more. For they have consulted in heart together, against thee they have stricken a covenant. The tents of Edom, and the Ismaelites; Moab and the Hagarens. Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek: the Philistines, with them that dwell in Tyrus. Also Ashshur is joyned with them: they have been an arme to the sonnes of Lot Selah. Do thou to them as to Midian, as to Sisera, as to Iabin, at the brooke of Kishon. Which were abolished in Endor, they became dung for the earth. Put them even their Nobles, as Oreb and as Zeeb, and as Zebach, and as Salmunnah, all their authorized Princes. Who said, Let us possesse to our selves the habitations of God. My God, set them as a rolling thing, as stubble before the wind. As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame seareth the mountaines; So pursue them with thy tempest, and suddenly trouble them with thy storme. Fill their faces with shame, that they may seeke thy name Iehovah. Let them be abashed and suddenly troubled unto perpetuity; and let them be ashamed and perish. That they may know that thou whose name is IEHOVAH, onelyonly thou art the most high over all the earth.
Annotations.
KEepe not silence, &c.] Hebr. let not silen…e (or stilnesse) be to thee, that is, sit not still, but stir up thy selfe to help and avenge us on our enemies. So silence is used for sitting still, Iudg. 18. 9.
Vers. 3. lift up the head] insolently and boldly, vaunting themselves, and warring against us. So Iudg. 8. 28. On the contrary, Gods people shall lift up their heads, that is, be of good comfort and courage, when their redemption draweth neere, Luk. 21. 28.
Vers. 4. thine hidden ones] that is, as the Greek explaineth it, thy Saints, which are hidden of God in his tabernacle in the day of evill, from the strife of tongues, Psal. 27. 5. and 31. 21. whose life is hid with Christ in God, Col. 3. 3.
Vers. 5. from being] or, that they be no more a nation; Moab and others consult thus against Israel; after, the like is against Moab, and effected, Ier. 48. 2.
Vers. 6. in heart together] this noteth their earnestnesse, craftinesse, and joint consent in evill.
Vers. 7. the tents] that is, armies with their Kings and Captaines, Iudg. 7. 13, 15. 2 Kings 7 7 10. Ier. 6. 3. Hab. 3. 7. Edom] the Edomites, or Idumeans, which were the sonnes of Esau, named Aedom: the brother of Israel; see the Notes on Psal. 60. 10. the Ismaelites] children of Ismael. the sonne of Abraham, who was (with the bond-woman Hagar his mother,) cast out of his fathers house for persecuting his brother Isaak, in whose evill wayes his children here walke, Gen, 16. 1. 15. and 21. 9 10. 14. Gal. 4. 22, 29, 30. Moab] the Moabites, the posteritie of Lot; see Psal. 60. 10. the Hagarens] the Chaldee Paraphrast calleth them Hungarians. They were the posteritie of Ietur, Maphish, and other like children of Ismael, son of Hagar, of whom came twelve Princes of their nations, Gen. 25. 12, 15, 16. some of which were called by their fathers name Ismaelites, (as before) some by their grandmothers name Hagarens, and dwelt in Arabia, Eastward from Gilead, neare to the Israelites, 1 Chron. 5. 10, 19. The word Hagarims, signifieth fugitives, or strangers, (as the Greeke turneth them, paroikous, 1 Chron. 5. 10.) they were after called Saracens, which in the Arabick tongue is theeves.
Vers. 8. Gebal] that is, the Gebalites, or Gibleans, that dwelt in the Province or Citie Gebal (or Gabala) in Phoenicia neere Sidon, whence Solomon had Masons, or stone-hewers, 1 Kings 5. 18. Ezek. 27. 9. Ammon] the Ammonites, that came of Lot, as did the Moabites, Gen. 19. 37. 38. These nations which were neerest allied unto Israel, and whom God would not suffer the Israelites to molest, when they came out of Egypt, Deut. 2. 4 5. 9, 19. combine here together against Israel to cast them out of Gods inheritance, so evill did they reward them, as King Iehoshaphat complained, 2 Chron. 20. 10, 11, 12. Amalek] the Amalekites which were of Eliphaz the son of Esau, the brother of Israel, Gen. 36. 12, 16. they dwelt in the South countrey neere Ganaan, Num. 13. 30. were the first that fought against Israel, Exod. 17. 8. &c. for which God would have had their remēbrance put out frō under heaven, Deut. 25. 17, 18, 19. and King Saul was sent to performe it, but did it not fully, 1 Sam. 15. 2, 3, 9. and 28. 18. and was himself slain by an Amalekite, 2 Sā. 1. 8, 9, 10. the Philistines] or Palestina: see the Note on Ps. 60. 10. Tyrus] the Tyrians, wch remembred not the brotherly covenant that had bin between thē & Israel, Amos 1. 9. See the Note on Ps. 45. 13.
Vers. 9. Ashur] the Assyrians, the posteritie of Shem the son of Noah, Gen. 10. 22. This nation was the rod of Gods wrath against Israel, who in the end captived ten tribes, Esai. 10. 5, 6. 2 King. 15. 29. and 18. 9, 11, 13. &c. The Chaldee paraphraseth, Senacherib also the King of Ashur, &c. an arme] that is, an helpe, (as the Greeke saith,) & a strength to Lots sons, the Moabites & Ammonites. Thus were here ten peoples, confederates against God & his people. So in Gen. 15. 19. 20. 21. there are ten wicked nations, whose land is given upon conquest to Abrahams seed.
Vers. 10. as to Midian] the Midianites, the posteritie of Abraham, by his concubine Keturah, 1 Chron. 1. 32. who being turned I do laters, drew Israel to sin in the wildernesse, for which Moses revenged the Israelites of them, by the slaughter of all their males, and their five Kings, and a wonderfull great spoile, Nū. 31. 1, 7, 8, 16. 32, &c. but after that recovering and oppressing Israel in their own land, were by Gedeon and 300 men, vanquished, when they lay in the valley like grashoppers in multitude, Iudg. 6. 1. and 7. 7. 12. 22. &c. and to this victory hath the Psalmist here reference. as to Sisera] the Captaine in the host of Iabin, King of the Canaanites; he had nine hundred chariots of Iron, and vexed Israel sore, but by Deborah a Prophetesse, and Barak a Captaine of Naphtali, the Lord destroyed Sisera, with all his host and chariots; there was not a man left, and Sisera flying, was killed by Iael, Hebers wife, who drove a naile into the temples of his head, Iudg. 4 2, 3,—21. Iabin] the King of Canaan, who upon the death of his Captaine Sisera forementioned, was subdued and destroyed before the Israelites, Iudg. 4. 23, 24. at the brooke] or in the bourn, that is, the valley of Kishon: the Hebrew Nachal (as our English bourn,) signifieth both a valley and a river running in it. Kishon was a river at the foot of mount Carmel; by it Sisera & the Kings of Canaan fought, & were vanquished; and the bourn Kishon swept them away, Iudg. 4. 13. and 5. 19. 21. Endor] a citie by Kishon, neere unto Taanach and Megiddo, where the Canaanites perished, Iosh. 17. 11. Iudg. 5. 19. dung for the earth] that is, lay rotting above ground unburied, as is explained, Ier. 8. 2. and 16. 4.
Vers. 12. Put them] or him, that is, every one of their nobles, and all jointly. See the Notes on Psal. 2. 3. Oreb and Zeeb] two Princes of the Madianites whom Gedeon slew, Iudg. 7. 25. Zebach and Salmunach] two kings of the Madianites, whom Gedeon also pursued and killed, Iudg. 8. 12, 21. authorised] or anointed, that is, Princes, as the Greeke expresseth, and the Chaldee translateth them Kings. See the Notes on Psal. 2. 6.
Vers. 14. as a rolling thing] or wheele; but here is meant a light thing, as chaffe or straw, that rolleth or turneth round before the whirlewind, as the next words shew, and a like speech in Isa. 17. 13. plainly manifest. Elsewhere the word signifieth also a wheele, Isa. 28. 28: and the sphere or round orbe of the aire, Psal. 77. 19.
Vers. 15. seare] or burne up. See the like similitudes, Deut. 32. 22.
Vers. 17. with shame] or dishonour, contempt: the Hebrew word properly signifieth lightnesse; as the contrary honour is so called of weightinesse, Psa. 3. 4. that they may seeke] or, and let them seeke: it may be meant of the enemies forementioned, forced to seeke and call on God, as Psal. 18. 42. or indefinitly, that men may seeke. So after in verse 19.
Vers. 19. Iehovah] This is the chiefest name of the eternall and most blessed God, so called of his essence, being or existence, which is simply one, Deut. 6. 4. The force of this name the holy Ghost openeth by He that is, that was, & that will be, or, is to come, Rev. 1. 4. 8. and 4. 8. & 11. 17. and 16. 5. and the forme of the Hebrew name implieth so much; Ie, being a signe of the time to come, Iehevah, he will be, …, of the time present; Hoveh, he that is; and vah, of the time past; Havah, he was. It importeth that God Is, & hath his being of himself frō before all worlds, Isa. 44. 6. that he giveth being or existēce unto all things, and in him all are and consist, Act. 17. 25. that he giveth being unto his word, effecting whatsoever he hath spoken, whether promises, Exod. 6. 3. Isa. 45. 2, 3. or threanings, Ezek. 5. 17. and 7. 27. It is in effect the same that Ehjeh, I will be, or I am, as God calleth himselfe, Exod. 3. 14. Of this the Gentiles named the greatest God, love, and Iu-piter, that is, Iah father, (of the shorter name Iah, mentioned Psal. 68. 5.) and Varro the learnedest of the Romanes, thought love to be the god of the Iewes. August. l. 1. de consens. evan. c. 22. Hereof also in Greeke writers he is called Iao, Diodor. Sicul. l. 2. c. 5. Clem. Alex. strom. l. 5. Macrob. l. 1. Saturnal. c. 18. But in the Greeke tongue the name Iehovah cannot righly be pronounced; and for it the Greeke Bibles hauehave Lord, which the new Testament followeth, as Mark. 12. 29. from Deut. 6. 4. and elsewhere usually; and the Hebrew Text sometime putteth Adonai, Lord, or Aelohim, God, for Iehovah; as Psal. 57. 10. compared with Psal. 108. 4. 2 Chron. 25. 24. with 2 King. 14. 14. When Adonai, Lord, is joyned with it. it is written Iehovih, as Psal. 68. 21. then the Iewes read it Aelohim, God, as at other times they read it Adonai, Lord; and pronounce not Iehovah at all at this day; though in ancient dayes it appeareth to be otherwise. The Greeke history of Baruch, seemeth to use in stead of it, Aionios, that is, the eternall, or, everlasting, Bar. 4. 10, 14, 20, 32, 24, 35. and 5. 2. See the Annotations on Gen. 2. 4. onelyonly thou] or, onelyonly thine, that is, which onelyonly hast Iehovah for thy name; for the true God hath onelyonly being, and Idols are nothing in the world, 1 Cor. 8. 4. and Angels, and Magistrates are called Elohim Gods, Psal. 8. and 82. but Iehovah is peculiar to very God alone. And this is that name (I suppose) which the authour of the booke of Wisedome calleth incommunicable, Wisd. 14. 21. Yet this is the name of Christ, called Iehovah our justice, Ier. 23. 6. for Gods name is in him, Exod. 23. 21. and he is very God, and eternall life, 1 Ioh. 5. 20.