Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 6 · Book 2 · Commentary on psalm 22 – Commentary on psalm 23
PSAL. LXIII.
David under persecution sheweth his thirst for God, and comforts that he had found in him. 10 His confidence of his enemies destruction, and his owne safety.
A Psalme of David, when he was in the wildernesse of Iudah.
O God, thou art my God, early will I seck thee; my soule thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth ardently for thee in a land of drought, & wea…y without waters.
So as I did view thee in the sanctuary, for to see thy strength, and thy glory. Because thy mercy is better than life, my lips shall celebrate thee. So will I blesse thee in my life, in thy name will I lift up my palmes. My soule shall be satisfied as with fat and …atnesse, and my mouth shall praise with lips of shouting joy. When I remember thee on my beds, meditate on thee in the night-watches. That thou hast beene a helpfulnesse to mee, and in the shadow of thy wings I shouted. My soule cleaveth after thee, thy right hand upholdeth me. But they that seeke my soule for tumultuous ruine, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall make him run out by the hands of the sword, they shall be the portion of Foxes. But the King shall rejoyce in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory, but stopped shall bee the mouth of them that speake a lye.
Annotations.
WIldernesse of …dah] the forest of Hareth, 1 Sam. 22. 5. or, the wildernesse of Ziph, 1 Sam. 23. 14. both which were in the tribe of Iudah.
Vers. 2. early] this noteth care and diligence, Iob 8. 5. Hos. 5. 15. Psal. 78. 34. Prov. 1. 28. Luk. 21. 38. longeth ardently] this word (which is here only found) seemeth to denote an earnest or hot appetite for meat, as the former thirst is for drinke. land of drought] that is, dry land, for so the wilds or desarts were usually waterlesse, Psal. 107. 33, 35. Exod. 17. 1. Num. 20. 1, 2. Ie…. …. 6. weary] and consequently thirsty, which is caused by wearinesse. So Psal. 143. 6. Or wearisome to travell, as the Greeke translateth it, wailesse, which none can goe in.
Vers. 3. the sanctuary] or, the sanctitie▪ the holy place, so called for the more reverence, and because holinesse became that house, Psal. 93. 5. for to see] this may be meant of his present desire to behold it as in time past: or as a continued speech of his passed comfort, when I did behold thy strength. thy strength and thy glory] both these were seene in the Arke of the testimonie, whence Gods oracles were uttered, Exod. 25. 22. Num. 7. 89. called therefore the arke of Gods strength, Ps. 132. 8. & also his glory, 1 Sam. 4. 21, 22. See also Ps. 78. 61. and 105. 4.
Vers. 4. celebrate] land, … glorifie thee. The Chaldee paraphraseth on this verse thus: because thy mercy which thou wilt doe to the just in the world to come, is better than the life which thou hast given to the wicked in this world, therefore my lips shall land thee.
Vers. 5. So will I blesse thee] to wit, when th… restorest me againe … sanctuary therefore … so it may be taken for… …, S… me blesse thee. in my life] that i… … I live …i as the Chaldee saith, in my life in this world. So Psal. 49. 19. and 104. 33. and 146. 2. lift up my hands] that is, pray: which was with this gesture of holding up the palmes of the hands towards heaven, as looking to receive a blessing. So Iob 11. 13. Lam. 2. 19. and 3. 41. Psal. 141. 2. It is called also the lifting up of the hands, Psal. …8. 2. and spreading out of the palmes; Psal. 44. 21. and 88. 10.
Vers. 6. fat] or s…w…t and fatnesse. Both words in the originall signifie fatnesse: and hereby is meant satiety of pleasures; so Ier. 31. 14. Psal. 36. 9. The Chaldee expoundeth it, satisfied with thy law.
Vers. 7. when I remember] or, if I remember, …, so oft as. The Hebrew …, if, is here used for when: as also 1 Sam. 15. 17. So in Greeke, e…, of, Matth. 6. 22. i… …an, when, Luke 11. 34. watches, or oust…dies, observations, which were in the night, as is expressed, Psal. 90. 4. See the notes there.
Vers. 8. helpfulnesse] that is, a full helpe, as Psal. 44. 27. of thy …gs] which the Chaldee translateth, of thy divine majestie. So Psal. 57. 2.
Vers. 9. eleaveth after thee] this noteth love, constancy, and humility, and union in the spirit: for as man and wife cleaving together, are one flesh, Gen. 2. 24. so he that cleaveth to the Lord, is one spirit. 1 Cor. 6. 17. And this union commeth of the Lord, who saith by the Prophet, a… the girdle cleaveth to the loynes of … man, so have I tied to mee the whole house of Israel, that they might be my people, Ier. 13. 11.
Vers. 10. for tumultuous ruine] that is, to bring my soule unto destruction, or ruine. See this word, Psalme 35. 8.
Vers. 11. They shall make him run out] or, They (the enemies) shall powre out him, meaning some principall, as Saul, or every of his sees: or Hee (every one that seeks my soule) shall be made run out, that is, his bloud shall be shed, as waters, Psal. 79. 3. A like phrase is used Ier. 18. 21. Ezek. 35. 5. The Greeke translateth, They shall be delivered unto the hands of the sword. hands] that is, the edge, or force of the sword, as Iob 5. 20. Ier. 18. 21. portion of foxes] that is, left unburied, for foxes and other wild beasts to prey upon & devoure. So Sauls bloud flowed … by the sword, and his company slain on mo… G…, lay for a prey to the beasts, 1 Sam. 31. So Christs enemies slaine with the sword are eaten of ravenous fowles, Rev. 19. 21.
Vers. 12. But the King] that is, I who am King by God… anointing, … Sam. 16. 12▪ 13. and Christ the sonne of David. 8. sweareth by him] that is, by God; the Chaldee saith, by his word: by swearing, meaning Gods whole worship, whereof swearing was a part, Deut. 6. 13. Esa. 45. 23. and 65. 16. Ier. 4. 2. Therefore that which the Prophet calleth Swearing, Esa. 45. 23. the Apostle calleth Confessing to God, Rom. 14. 11.
PSAL. LXIV.
David praieth for deliverance, complaining of his enemies. 8▪ He prophesieth their destruction, whereat all man shall feare.
To the Master of the Musicke, a Psalme of David.
HEare my voyce, O God, in my praier; preserve my life from dread of the enemy. Hide me from the secret of evill doers, from the tumultuous rage of them that worke painfull iniquity. Which have whetted their tongue as a sword, have bent their arrow, even a bitter word. To shoot in secret places at the perfect; suddenly will they shoot at him, and feare not. They confirme to themselves an evill word; they tell to hide snares: they say, who shall see them? They search out injurious evils, they accomplish an exquisite search, even the inmost of each man, & the deep heart. But God hath shot at them an arrow, suddenly their strokes have beene. And when they have caused them every one to fall upon themselves by their owne tongue, they shall betake themselves to flight, whosoever seeth them.
And all men shall feare, and declare the worke of God, and prudently consider his deed. The just man shall rejoyce in Iehovah, and hope for safety in him, and glory shall all the upright of heart.
Annotations.
PRayer] or meditation: see Psa. 55. 3. the Greek saith, when I pray unto thee.
Vers. 3. the secret] or secrecy, mysterie, that is, councell, or assembly of evill doers, that is, the malignant Church, as the holy Church is called the secrecie (or mysterie) of the righteous, Psal. 111. 1.
Vers. 4. bent their arrow] that is, laid their arrow ready on their bended bow. The like phrase was in Psal. 58. 8. See also Psal. 11. 2. bitter word] or bitter thing, as the Greeke explaineth it. So after in vers. 6. an evill word, or thing. See the notes on Psal. 7. 1. A bitter word is here called an arrow; and in Ier. 9. 3. their tongue is called their bow.
Vers. 6. they tell, to hide] or, of hiding, that is, impart their counsell one to another, how to hide snares. they accomplish an exquisite search] or, a search searched out, that is, a curious diligent search. The Greek translateth, they are consumed searching out searches: meaning that they spend both their time and themselves, in searching out evils against the just. It may also be read, wee are consumed by the search searched out, meaning that in their judgment wee cannot escape their snares. even the inmost] Hebr. and the inmost, that is, whatsoever any mans wit and deepe heart can finde out: or, So deepe (is) the inward part and heart of man.
Vers. 8. have beene] or, assuredly shall be: the time past being used for more certainty, as in Isa. 9. 6. And by have beene, is meant the sure event and accomplishment of Gods judgements on them, with the continuance of the same. As the Hebrew word of being, signifieth to come to passe, or have event, 1 Sam. 4. 1. Iob 37. 6. and to continue to be, Dan. 1. 21. Esai. 66. 2. Ruth 1. 2.
Vers. 9. they have caused them every one] Hebr. caused him: which being spoken of many, as in this place, meaneth them all severally, to one man. to fall, &c.] or to stumble downe: signifying, that Gods strokes should have effect to overthrow them by their owne devices. betake themselves to flight] or, shall wander about in their flight; which noteth great feare and unstaiednesse, (which the Greeke therefore turneth, are troubled) and is meant of the wicked, their favourites.