Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 6 · Book 1 · Commentary on psalm 40
PSAL. XL.
David prophesieth of Christs afflictions and deliverance; 7 the abolishing of leg all sacrifices, and the oblation of himselfe. 10 Whereupon the righteousnesse of God is preached unto the Church. 13 His many troubles, against which he prayeth. 15 The confusion of his enemies: and joy of these that love his salvation.
To the Master of the Musicke, Davids Psalme.
WAiting, I waited for Iehovah, and he bended unto mee, and heard my cry. And he brought me up out of the pit of sounding calamitie, out of the mire of mudde, and set up my feet upon a rocke; hee ordered steadily my steps.
And he hath given into my mouth a new song, a praise to our God: many shall see and feare, and shall trust in Iehovah. O blessed is the man that putteth Iehovah his secure trust, and respecteth not unto the proud, and them that turne aside unto a lye. Thou Iehovah, my God, hast made many thy marvellous works and thy thoughts towards us; none can count them in order unto thee: would I declare and speake of them, they are mightily increast, moe than can be told. Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldest not; mine cares hast thou digged open: burnt-offering and sin-offering thou askedst not. Then said I, loe I come; in the roll of the booke it is written of me. My God, I delight to doe thy acceptable will, and thy law is within my bowels. I have preached the glad tidings of justice in the great Church; loe I close not up my lips, Iehovah thou knowest. Thy justice I have not covered within my heart, thy faith and thy salvation have I said: I have not concealed thy mercy and thy truth to the great Church. Thou Iehovah, close not up thy tender mercies from mee: let thy bounteous mercy and thy truth continually preserve me.
For innumerable evils have assailed mee round about: my iniquities have taken hold on mee, and I am not able to see; they are mightily increased, moe than the haires of my head, and my heart forsaketh mee. Vouchsafe, Iehovah, to deliver mee: Iehovah, make haste to my helpe. Let them be abashed and ashamed together, that seeke my soule, to make an end of it: let them be turned backward, and blush, that delight mine evill. Let them be made desolate, for a reward of their shame, that say to mee, aha aha. Let all that seeke thee, be joyfull and rejoyce in thee; let them say continually, magnified be Iehovah; they that love thy salvation. And I, poore afflicted and needy, the Lord thinketh on me: thou art my helpe and my deliverer; my God, delay not.
Annotations.
DAvids Psalme] or, a Psalme of David; but Davids name is here fet first, which elsewhere commonly is last: or, a Psalme concerning David that is, Christ, who is called David in the Prophets, Hos. 3. 5. Jer. 30. 9. Ezek. 34. 23. and 37 24. Of him this Psalme intreateth, as the Apostle teacheth, Hebr. 10. 5, 6, &c.
Vers. 2. Waiting] or, expecting; the doubling of this word noteth earnestnesse, constancie, patience. bended] to wit, his eare, as is expressed, Psal. 17. 6.
Vers. 3. pit of sounding calamity] or, dungeon of tumultuous desolation, which ecchoed and resounded with dreadfull noises, denoting hereby the greatnesse of Christs afflictions. mire of mud] that is, muddy (or durty) mire, or clay, signifying fast cleaving afflictions. So Psal. 69. 3. set up] or stablished, set fast my feet on a rocke, that is, on firme ground, opposed to the former mud.
Vers. 5. respecteth not] or turneth not the face; which implieth liking, or inclination of the mind and affections, Iob 36. 21. the proud] or stout, that in confidence of their strength carry themselves insolently. turne aside to a lye] swarve (or revolt) to deceiveable falshood; meaning Heretikes and Idolaters.
Vers. 6. thy thoughts] thy good meanings, or purposes. none can count in order] or, they cannot be orderly counted, or propounded. The Chaldee paraphraseth, it is not possible for to order unto thee thy praise. Here the word is used for ordering of speech, as in Iob 32. 14. Sometime it is used for matching, or comparing; so the Greeke turneth it here, in thy thoughts there is not any that can be likened to thee. would I] or, if I would declare mightily increase] or, strong, to wit, in number many: so after in vers. 13. see Psal. 35. 18. above telling] that is, moe than I or any can tell; or, moe than can be told.
Vers. 7. thou wouldest not] or delightedst not; Christ was to cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, D…. 9. 27. because it was unpossible that they should purge sinnes, Hebr. 10. 4. therefore speaketh hee thus to God his Father, Heb. 10. 5. mine eares] or, eares to me: see Psal. 3. 1. digged open] or pierced, that is, thou hast made mee obedient to thy voice, (contrary to which is the stopping of the eare, Psal. 58. 5.) so the Chaldee explaineth it, thou hast digged open mine eares, to hearken unto thy commandements: Or, mine eares thou hast boared, as thy servant for ever, according to the law, Exod. 21. 6. The Greeke Interpreters, to make the sense plainer, say, but a body hast thou fitted to me; meaning that his body was ordained and fitted to be a sacrifice for the sinnes of the world, when the other legall sacrifices were refused as unprofitable. And thus the Apostle alleageth the words, following the Greeke, Hebr. 10. 5, 10. burnt-offering] sacrifice that goeth all up in fire: See Psal. 20. 4. sin-offering] or, expiation, oblation for sinne, as the Apostle calleth it, Hebr. 10. The word Sinne is often in the Law put for the sin-offering, Levit. 4. 24, &c. Exod. 29. 14 So the Apostle saith, Him that knew no sin, he made sin (that is, a sin-offering) for us, 2 Cor. 5. 21.
Vers. 8. Loe I come] or, am come, to wit, into the world, Hebr. 10. 5. and particularly, to Ierusalem to give my selfe a sacrifice for sinne. See Mark. 10. 32, 33, 34. The Chaldee, not understanding this mystery, paraphraseth, Loe I enter into life eternall, when I have studied (or exercised my selfe) in the roll of the booke of the law, which is written for me: alluding as it seemeth to Deut. 17. vers. 18, 19, 20. the roll] or volume of the booke, that is, a booke or scroll of paper or parchment rolled up. The like phrase is used, Ier. 36. 2, &c. Ezek. 2. 9. &c. The Hebrew Sepher, book, is used generally for any writings, evidences, bils, court-rolls, &c. Deut. 24. 1. 2 King. 5. 5, 6. Ier. 32. 11. and the bookes in Israel were written in long scrolles, and folden or wrapped up. Hence is that phrase, the heavens shall be folden up like a booke, Isa. 34. 4. Rev. 6. 14. it is written] So Chist saith, The son of man goeth as it is written of him, Mat. 26. 24. and Moses wrote of me, Ioh. 5. 46. See also Luk. 24. 44. 46. Act. 13. 29.
Vers. 9. thy acceptable will] by the which will we are sanctified, even by the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once, Heb. 10. 10. See also Ioh. 6. 38. Luk. 22. 42.
Vers. 10. I have preached the glad tidings of] or, I have evangelized justice; of this word, the Evangelie or Gospell hath the name, the Greeke signifying Good tidings, and the English also to like effect, made of the Saxon godspell, that is, a good speech. And the justice here meant is thus set forth by the Apostle; Now is the justice of God made manifest without the law, having witnesse of the law and of the Prophets; namely the justice of God, by the faith of Iesus Christ, unto all and upon all that beleeve, &c. Rom. 3. 21, 22. the great church] or, assembly, congregation. So Psal. 22. 23. close not up] restraine not, as in a prison, that words should not be uttered, Ier. 32. 2, 3.
Vers. 11. I said] that is, mentioned, and spoke of, as 2 Sam. 6. 22. to the great church] the word to is referred to Gods mercy and truth extended to the church. The Greeke referreth it to concealed, and translateth, from the great church. And the Hebrew elsewhere usually speaketh, Psal. 69. 6. and 78. 4. and 139. 15.
Vers. 13. iniquities] this word as the former evils, is sometime used for sinne, sometime for the punishment of sinne. See Psal. 31. 11.
Vers. 14. Vouchsafe] or, Let it please thee.
Vers. 15. to make an end of it] to consume or destroy it. Compare this conclusion with the 70. Psalme.
Vers. 16. made desolate] or, wondrously wasted, unto amazednesse and astonishment. So after in Psal. 46. 9. and 69. 26. and 73. 19. and 79. 7. for a reward] or, an end of their shame, that they would bring upon me. End is used for reward, as Psal. 19. 12. or, For because of their shame. The Hebrew word sometime signifieth because, Isa. 5. 23. Genes. 22. 18. Deut. 7. 12. aha] the Chaldee openeth it with this paraphrase, wee are glad at (his) destruction.
Vers. 18. thinketh on me] in Greeke, hath care of me: in Chaldee, thinketh good for me. delay not] prolong not the time till the last, and consequently, faile not. The word is so to tarry or linger, as to disappoint one of his expectation, as Habak. 2. 3. Though it tarry, wait thou; for it shall surely come, and shall not delay, that is, not faile. And thus may we understand other like Scriptures, as Deut. 7. 10. God will not delay (that is, not faile) to reward him that hateth him, Deut. 23. 21. when thou vowest a vow to the Lord, thou shalt not delay (that is, not faile) to pay it. So Exod. 22. 29. and sundry the like.