Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 6 · Book 1 · Commentary on psalm 31
PSAL. XXXI.
David shewing his confidence in God, craveth his helpe; 8 rejoyceth in his mercies, 10 prayeth in his calamities, 20 professeth Gods goodnesse to such as feare him: 22 blesseth him for the mercies that hee had found, 24 and encourageth all the Saints.
To the Master of the Musicke, a Psalme of David.
IN thee Iehovah doe I hope for safety, let me not be abashed for ever: in thy justice deliver mee. Bow unto mee thine eare, speedily rid me: be thou to me for a rocke of firme strength, for a house of fortresses, to save me. For thou art my firme rocke and my fortresse, and for thy Names sake wilt guide me and lead me. Thou wilt bring me forth out of the net that they have hid for me, for thou art my firme strength. Into thy hand doe I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, Iehovah, God of truth. I have hated them that observe vanities of vaine falshood; and I, unto Iehovah doe I trust. I will be glad and rejoyce in thy merciemercy, which hast seene my affliction, hast knowne my soule in distresses. And hast not shut me up in the hand of the enemie, hast made my feet stand in a large roomth. Be gracious to me, Iehovah, for distresse is on me: gnawne is with indignation mine eye, my soule, and my belly.
For my life is quite spent with pensivenesse, and my yeares with sighing: my able strength is decayed mith my iniquity, and my bones are gnawne. With all my distressers I am a reproach, and to my neighbours vehemently, and a dread to my knowne acquaintance; seeing mee in the street they fled from mc. I am forgotten, as a dead man out of heart; I am as a vessell of perdition. For I heare the infamie of many; fearfulnesse from every side; when they plot together against me, they craftily purpose to take my soule. But I, unto thee doe I trust, Iehovah, I said thou art my God. In thy hand are my times, rid thou me from the hand of my enemies, and from my persecutours. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; save me through thy mercy. Iehovah, let me not be abashed, for I doe call upon thee; let the wicked be abashed, let them be silenced to hell. Let the lips of falshood be mute, that speake against the just an hard word in haughtinesse and despight. How much is thy goodnesse, which thou hast laid up for them that feare thee, hast wrought for them that hope for safety in thee before the sonnes of Adam! Thou keepest them secret, in the secret of thy face, from the rough prides of man; dost lay them up in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Blessed be Ichovah, for hee hath made marvellous his mercy to mee in a citie of strong defence. And I said in my hastening away, I am cut downe from before thine eyes; yet certainly thou heardest the voice of my supplications for grace, when I cried out unto thee. Love ye Iehovah, all his gracious Saints: Iehovah keepeth the faithful, and repayeth abundantly him that doth haughtinesse. Be ye confirmed, and let your heart wax strong, all that hopefully wait for Iehovah.
Annotations.
IN thee] the Chaldee saith, in thy word.
Vers. 3. a house of fortresses] a place of defences, a most safe hold. David being often forced to take such forts for his safetie, did not make them, but God his strength: See 1 Sam. 22. 4. and 23. 14, 19. and 24. 1, 23. 2 Sam. 5. 7. 9.
Vers. 6. commit my spirit] or commend, depose, of trust to be kept. Such words our Lord Christ uttered on the Crosse to his Father, Luke 23. 46.
Vers. 7. I have hated] in Greeke, Thou hast hated. Compare Psal. 139. 21. Vanities of vaine falshood] that is, most vaine, false, and lying vanities. The word vanitie (Hebel) here used, besides vaine worldly things against which Solomon writeth, Eccles. 1, &c. meaneth in speciall idolatry, for Idols are often called vanities, as being light, vile, and things of nought, Deut. 32. 21. 1 King. 16. 26. 2 King. 17. 15. Ier. 2. 5. and 8. 19. and 10. 15. and 14. 22, &c. They that observe lying vanities, forsake their owne mercy, Ionas 2. 8.
Vers. 8. hast knowne my soule] that is, acknowledged, cared for, and (as the Greeke translateth) saved it. See Psal. 1. 6.
Vers. 9. not shut me up] or closed me, that is, not given me into their power: So Psal. 78. 48, 50, 62. Deut. 23. 15. and 32. 30.
Vers. 10. gnawen] that is, fretted, and consumed as with wormes: in Greeke, troubled: see Psalm. 6. 8.
Vers. 11. decayed,] or weakned, so as one stumbleth and falleth downe through weaknesse, Psal. 27. 2. So Psal. 109. 24. and 105. 17. with my iniquitie] that is, punishment due for iniquitie; so the word often is used; Gen. 19. 15. 2 King. 7. 9. So, whoredome, for the punishment of whoredome, Numb. 14 33.
Vers. 12. knowne acquaintance] that is; such as I knew, respected, and favoured, and to whom I made knowne my minde, estate, &c. my familiars.
Vers. 13. out of heart] that is, out of minde, ot memory; for the remembrance of the dead is forgotten, Eccles. 9. 5. therefore the grave is the land of forgetfulnesse, Psal. 88. 13. vessell of perdition] that is, a lost or broken vessell, or instrument. So Paul mentioneth vessels of perdition, Rom. 9. 22. Or, a vessell perishing, that is, ready to perish and be lost; as a perishing sheepe, Psal. 119. 176.
Vers. 14. the infamy of many] or the diffamation (the ill report) of mightie men. The like complaint Ieremie maketh in his troubles, Ier. 20. 10. fearfulnesse from every side] or terrour round about. In Hebrew, Magor missabib, which name Ieremie gave to Pashur the Priest, signifying that he should be a terrour to himselfe, and to all his friends, Ier. 20. 3, 4. This phrase Ieremie often useth, Ier. 6. 25. and 46. 5. and 49. 29. Lam. 2. 22. when they plot] or whiles they consult: See Psal. 2. 2.
Vers. 16. my times] Hereby he meaneth, that his many and sundry events, troubles, deliverances, prosperities, adversities, life and death, (for all things have their appointed time, Eccles. 3. 1, 2.) were in the hand and disposition of God. Though times here, (as dayes in Psal. 119. 84.) may chiefly be meant of his troubles, as Psal. 9. 10. and 10. 1. but the Chaldee expoundeth it, the times of my redemption. So in 1 Chron. 29. 30. mention is made of the times that went over David, and over Israel, and over all the kingdomes of the lands.
Vers. 17. Make thy face to shine] that is, cause thy favourable countenance to appeare. This is taken from the blessing prescribed, Numb. 6. 25. and is often used in requests for grace. See Psal. 4. 7. and 67. 2. and 80. 4, 8, 20. and 119. 135.
Vers. 18. silenced] that is, through shame and feare be confounded, tamed, quieted, and made still. The word is sometime used for cut off, or destroyed, and so may here be taken. So Psalm. 49. 13, 21. The Greeke translateth, let them be brought downe. to hell] vnderstand, thrust downe to hell, or, to the grave; as the Chaldee calleth it, the house (or place) of buriall.
Vers. 19. an hard word] or durable speech; a reproach which lasteth long to a mans infamie. The Hebrew Ghnathak signifieth durance, hardnesse, and antiquitie, Psal. 6. 8, and respecteth both antique things long agoe, 1 Chron. 4. 22. and things lasting or durable for time to come, Prov. 8. 18. Isay 23. 18. And in speeches, it is put for an old said saw, takē up and applied to ones reproach, and so during long; and generally for any hard or stout speech, 1 Sam. 2. 3. Psal. 94. 4. and 75. 6. The Greeke here expoundeth it, iniquitie.
Vers. 21. Thou keepest them secret] or, hidest them in the hiding place of thy presence, where thou alwaies lookest unto them, in secret favour, which the world knoweth not of. rough prides] or knots, knobs, rough troubles. The Hebrew Racas signifieth Knitting or binding with knots, Exod. 28. 28. and 39. 21. from which a word is derived, in Isa. 40. 4. signifying knotty, knobby, or rough places, opposed to smooth or plaine. Here David useth it figuratively for rough affections or actions of men, meaning their pride, conspiracies, or molestations, as the Greek translateth, from the trouble of men. lay them up] or hide them. Hereupon Gods people are called, his stored or hidden ones, Psal. 83. 4. the strife of tongues] plea, or contradiction, as the Greeke turneth it, and the Apostle, Iude vers. 11.
Vers. 22. made marvellous his mercy] or marvellously severed it, as Psalm. 4. 4. shewed his mercy in marvellous and hidden manner. As contrariwise God threatned to make marvellous the plagues of sinners, Deut. 28. 59. of strong defence] or of siege, that is, a fortified, defenced citie, as 2 Chron. 8. 5. or a besieged citie, as 2 King. 24. 10. The Hebrew Matso… signifieth both a fort or skonce, and a siege or leager, Deut. 20. 20. and 28. 53.
Vers. 23. my hastening away] namely through amazement or feare, as the word commonly intendeth, Deut. 20. 3. Psal. 48. 6. 2 Sam. 4. 4. The Greeke calleth it an extasie (or trance.) And that David hastened him away for feare, is recorded 1 Sam. 23. 26. So Psal. 116. 11. cut downe] Ionas in his affliction respected this speech of David, and changing a letter, for Nigrazti, saith, Nigrashti, I am driven away from before thy face, &c. Ionas 2. 4. So the Greeke here translateth it, I am cast away.
Vers. 24. the faithfull] or, keepeth fidelities, as Isa. 26. 2. The originall word signifieth either faithfull persons, or truths, fidelities, as Psal. 12. 2. The Greeke here hath truths. payeth abundantly] or to abundance, with surplusage. that doth haughtinesse] This sense the Greek giveth. The Hebrew may also thus be Englished, he (that is, God) doth haughtinesse, that is, high magnificent acts. For the originall word Gaavah sometime noteth Gods high magnificence, Psalm. 68. 35. sometime mans haughtie pride, Psal. 10. 2.
Vers. 25. wax strong] or, he will strengthen, See Psal. 27. 14. hopefully wait] or persevere with hope and patience. The word jachal implieth both a patient waiting, Gen. 8. 10. and a hope or trusting, as the holy Ghost expoundeth it, Mat. 12. 21. from Isa. 42. 4. for Iehovah] which the Chaldee expoundeth, the word of the Lord.