Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 6 · Book 1 · Commentary on psalm 21
PSAL. XXI.
The King giveth thankes for many blessings received. 8 He professeth his confidence of further grace, and prophesieth the destruction of the wicked.
To the master of the musicke, a Psalme of David.
IEhovah, in thy strength the King shall rejoyce, and in thy salvation how vehement glad shall he be! Thou hast given to him his hearts desire, and the earnest request of his lips thou hast not kept backe Selah. For thou preventest him with blessings of goodnesse, thou settest on his head a crowne of fine gold. Life he asked of thee, thou gavest it him; length of dayes, ever and aye.
Great is his honour in thy salvation; glorious Majestie and comely honour hast thou put upon him. For thou hast set him to bee blessings to perpetuall aye; thou hast made him chearefull with joy, with thy face. For the King trusteth in Iehovah, and through the mercy of the most high he shall not be moved. Thy hand shall find out all thine enemies; thy right hand shall find out them that hate thee. Thou wilt set them as an oven of fire at the time of thy face; Iehovah in his anger wil swallow them up, & fire shal eat them. Their fruit from the earth thou wilt destroy, and their seed from the sonnes of Adam. For they have intended evill against thee: they have thought a craftie purpose, but they shall not be able. For thou wilt set them as a Butt, with thy strings thou wilt make ready against their faces. Be thou exalted Iehovah in thy strength, we will sing and praise with Psalme thy power.
Annotations.
IN thy strength] or, for thy strength, thy kingdome, strong helpe and deliverance. This Psalm, as the former, gratulateth the victory and salvation of Christ, and is by the Chaldee Paraphrast applied to the reigne of King Messias. Also the Hebrew Iismach, (Shall rejoyce,) hath the letters (being transplaced,) of the name Mashiach, Christ. shall rejoyce] or rejoyceth continually.
Vers. 4. a crowne] a signe of glorious victorie, and of the Kingdome.
V. 5. length of dayes] that is, a long continued life time, Isa. 53. 10. Iob 12. 12. So Ps. 23. 6. & 93. 5. and 91. 16. On the contrary, short of dayes, is short lived, Iob 14. 1. ever and aie] to eternall and perpetuall aie. Christ being raised from death, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him, Rom. 6. 9 But behold he is alive for evermore, Amen, Rev. 1. 18. and ever liveth to make intercession for them that come to God by him, Hebr. 7. 25.
Vers. 7. hast set him blessings] that is, made him to abound with all manner blessings himselfe, & to be an example of, or to impart blessings unto others. So to Abram it was said, be thou a blessing, Gen. 12. 2. the like promise is to his children, Ezek. 24. 36. Isa. 19. 20. with thy face] or before thy face, in thy presence as Psal. 16. 11.
Vers. 9. shall find out all thy enemies] to wit, to punish them, as … like phrase importeth, Isa. 10. 10. or, shall find for all, that is, shall be enough for all thy foes, that is, sufficiently able to overcome them: so finding is used for sufficiencie, Num. 11. 22. Iudg. 21. 14. For hand, the Chaldee saith, the stroke of thine hand.
Vers. 10. … set them] or put them all and every one, … is noted on Psal. 2. 3. So also after in vers. 11. and 13. … of fire] a fierie furnace; meaning in … affliction, Lam. 5. 10. the time of thy face] that is of thine anger, as the Chaldee Paraphrast explaineth it; for the face sheweth forth pleasure or displeasure, favour or wrath: so face is used for anger, Psal. 34 17. Lev. 20. 6. Gen. 32. 20. Lam. 4. …. …er. 3. 12. swallow them] that is, destroy or d…sh, them: so Psal. 35. 25. and 52. 6. and 55. … …] the Chaldee expoundeth it, the fire of Ge… (or of H…ll.)
Vers. 11. Their fruit] that is, their children, called the fruit of the body and wombe, Psal. 127. 3. and 132. 11. Deut. 28. 4. or their labour and that which comes thereof; as Prov. 31. 16. 31. their seed] that is, children, or posteritie, Psal. 22. 24. 31. and …7. 25. Gen. …7. 7. 10.
Vers. 12. shall not be able] to wit, to stablish, (as the Greeke explaineth) or, to effect it. After this word can, or able, there often wanteth a word to be understood: see Psal. 101. 5.
Vers. 13. a Butt] to shoot at; Hebr. a shoulder; because the earth is heaped up like shoulders. The Chaldee paraphraseth, thou hast set them to thy people as one shoulder. make ready] or fit, namely thine arrowes against their faces. The Chaldee otherwise, in the cords of thy Tent thou wilt order thy law before them.