Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 6 · Book 1 · Commentary on psalm 41
PSAL. XLI.
David prophesieth of Christs poverty and afflictions. 5 His prayer, and complaint of his enemies. 10 Iudas his treachery. 11 Christs resurrection and glorie, for which he blesseth God.
To the Master of the Musicke, a Psalme of David.
O Blessed is hee that prudently attendeth unto the poore weakling: in the day of evill, Iehovah will deliver him. Iehovah will keepe him and preserve him alive, he shall be made blessed in the earth; and give thou him not to the soule of his enemies. Iehovah will uphold him on the bed-sted of languishing sorrow; all his bed thou hast turned in his sicknesse. I did say, Iehovah be gracious to me; heale my soule, for I have sinned against thee. My enemies said evill of me; when shall he die, and his name perish? And if he come to see, he speaketh false vanitie in his heart, he heapeth up painfull iniquitie to him selfe: he goeth forth, abroad he speaketh it. Together against me whisper doe all that hate me; against me, they thinke evill to me. A mischievous thing is fastened in him, and he that lieth downe, shall no more rise up. Also the man of my peace, he whom I trusted in, that eateth my bread, he hath greatly lifted up the heele against me.
And thou Iehovah be gracious to me, and raise me up, and I shall repay them. By this I know that thou delightest in me, because my enemie shall not shout triumphantly over me. And me, thou hast sustained me in mine integritie, and hast setled me before thy face for ever. Blessed is Iehovah, the God of Israel, from eternitie, and unto eternity: Amen, and Amen.
Annotations.
THat prudently attendeth] or, skilfully carieth himselfe; it implieth both a skilfull minding or judging, and a cariage according, in word and deed: therefore the Chaldee paraphraseth, attendeth to the affaires of the poore to have pitie on him. the poore weakling] The Hebrew Dal hath the signification of drawing out, or emptying, and is applied to the weake, leane, sickly, whose flesh and health is spent, Gen. 41. 19. 2 Sam. 13. 4. and to the poore, whose wealth is wasted, Psal. 72. 13. and 113. 7. opposed to the rich, Exod. 30. 15. And as the poore are thus called weake, thinne, or leane; so rich and great men, are called thicke, or fat, Psal. 78. 31. The poore weakling treated of here, was David and his sonne Christ, as appeareth by the 10. verse, compared with Ioh. 13. 18.
Vers. 3. preserve him alive] conserve his life and health, as Deut. 20. 16. or restore him to health from sicknesse, as Hezekiah is said to live, when he recovered his health, Isa. 38. 9. 21. give thou him not] he turneth his speech to the Lord: and so againe in the next verse. to the soule] that is, to the lust or will, as Luke 23. 25. see Psal. 27. 12. The Greeke saith, into the hands: the Chaldee, to the will.
Vers. 4. languishing sorrow] or, of sicknesse, feeblenesse. The Chaldee expoundeth it thus; The Word of the Lord will helpe him in his life, and will appeare unto him on the bed of his sicknesse. thou hast turned] or, hast changed. It may be understood either of making his bed easie, that is, comfortable in his sicknesse, or of changing his estate from lying sicke, to sitting up in health.
Vers. 5. heale my soule] that is, heale me, who now am sicke: or, heale my soule, of sinnes, infirmities, &c. so God healed the people, when hee pardoned their uncleannesse, 2 Chron. 30. 20. and healeth the broken hearted, Psal. 147. 3. And that which the Prophet speaketh of healing of the people, the Evangelist expoundeth of forgiving them their sins, Isa. 6. 10. Mark. 4. 12. Mat. 13. 15.
Vers. 7. abroad] or, in the street.
Vers. 9. A mischievous thing] or, Some devillish matter; Heb. a word of Belial. See word for thing, in Psal. 7. 1. and Belial, (which the Chaldee here translateth perverse and wicked,) in Psal. 18. 5. And both joyned as here, in Psal. 101. 3. Deut. 15. 9. It may be understood of some odious sin and wicked vice, or, of some grievous punishmet for the same. is fastned] or, is powred into him. The originall word signifieth both, and may denote the greatnesse and fast cleaving of his sin, and likewise of his punishment: for plagues are said to be powred out, Rev. 16. 1. &c. … shall no more rise] or, shall not adde to rise.
Vers. 10. the man of my peace] that is, my familiar friend, which was at peace with me, as Iudas, Christs owne disciple. The Chaldee expoundeth it, the man that should have sought my peace. greatly lifted up] or, magnified the heele, or the foot-sole: that is, hath insolently and contumeliously abused me, seeking my ouerthrow. And this Christ applied to himselfe, Ioh. 13. 18. Hee that eateth bread with me, hath lift up the heele against me.
Vers. 12. shout triumphantly] this word noteth any loud sound with voice or trumpet, as Iosh. 6. 5. 20. Numb. 10. 7. sometime a sorrowfull crying out, as Ierem. 20. 16. but commonly joyfull shouting, as here, and after, Psal. 81. 2. and 47. 2. and 66. 1.
Vers. 13. And I,] or, As for me.
Vers. 14. Amen] or, as the Greeke translateth, So be it. But the Hebrew word Amen is used in the Greeke, English, and all other languages, to betoken vnity of faith and spirit: and it implieth both a wishing of the thing so to be, and a perswasion in faith, that so it shall be, when it is added in the end of blessings, prayers, or imprecations, Num. 5. 22. Deut. 27. 15, &c. Matth. 6. 13. 1 Cor. 14. 16. It is used also in the beginning of speeches, and then it is an earnest asserveration, as Ioh. 6. 26. Amen, Amen, that is, Verily, Verily. For so else-where, when one Evangelist saith Amen, Mat. 24. 47. another, (speaking of the same thing) saith Uerily, or, truly, Luk. 12. 44. Sometime it is the title of God himselfe, Isa. 65. 16. and of Christ, Revel. 3. 14. because of his faithfulnesse and truth in performing all promises. The Chaldee paraphraseth upon this verse thus, Blessed be the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, from this world, and unto the world to come: and let the just say,
Amen and Amen.