Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 6 · Book 2 · Commentary on psalm 30
PSAL. LXXI.
The Psalmist in confidence of faith and experience of Gods favour, prayeth both for himselfe and against the enemies of his soule. 14 He promiseth constancie. 17 Prayeth for perseverance. 19 Praiseth God, and promiseth to doe it cheerefully.
IN thee Iehovah doe I hope for safety, let me not be abashed for ever. In thy justice rid thou me, and deliver me; incline thine eare unto me, and save me. Be thou to me for a rocke of habitation to enter continually; thou hast commanded to save me, for thou art my rocke and my munition. My God, deliver me out of the hand of the wicked, out of the palme of the evill doer and the levened. For thou art mine expectation, Lord Iehovih, my confidence from my child-hood. By thee have I beene holden up from the wombe; from my mothers bowels thou tookest me; of thee is my praise continually.
As a wonder I am unto many, but thou art my strong hope. Let my mouth bee filled with thy praise, all the day with thy glory. Cast me not away at the time of old age; when mine able strength faileth, forsake not thou me. For mine enemies speake of mee, and they that observe my soule consult together.
Saying, God hath forsaken him; pursue and take him, for there is none to reskue. O God, be not thou farre away from me; my God, make haste to mine helpe. Let them bee abashed and consumed that are adversaries of my soule: let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seeke mine evill. And I will patiently wait continually, and adde unto all thy praise. My mouth shall tell thy justice, all the day thy salvation, though I know not the numbers. I will enter in the powers of the Lord Iehovih; I will record thy justice, thine onelyonly. O God, thou hast learned me from my child-hood, and hitherto have I shewed thy marvellous workes. And also unto old age and hoarinesse, O God forsake me not; untill I shew thine arme to this generation, thy power to every one that shall come. And thy justice, O God, which is to on high, which hast done great things; O God, who is like thee? Which didst make mee to see distresses many and evill, didst returne and quicken me; and from the deeps of the earth didst returne and bring mee up. Thou didst much increase my greatnesse, & didst turne about and comfort me. Also, I will confesse thee with the instrument of Psalterie, even thy faithfulnesse, my God; I will sing Psalme to thee with Harpe, O holy One of Israel. My lips shall shout when I sing Psalme unto thee, and my soule which thou hast redeemed. Also, my tongue shall talke of thy justice all the day, for they are abashed, for they are ashamed that seeke mine evill.
Annotations.
IN thee] Chald. In the Word of the Lord. This Psalme which hath no title in the Hebrew, is in Greeke thus intituled: Of David, a Psalme of the sonnes of Ionada…, and of them that were first captived.
Vers. 2. deliver] or, make me to escape safe.
Vers. 3. of habitation] or of mansion, a rocke whereto I may flie and there dwell safe. God is often called a Rocke, Psal. 18. 3. and a mansion (or habitation) to his people, Psal. 90. 1. The Greeke here makes it plaine thus, Be to me for a God protector. hast commanded] to wit, thine Angels, as Psal. 91. 11. or, hast effectually appointed: See Psal. 44 5.
Vers. 4. evill doer] or, injurious, wrong doer. the levened] that is, the malicious: for maliciousnesse and wickednesse is likened to leven, 1 Cor. 5. 8. The Hebrew Chomets properly signifieth that which is levened or sowre, Exod. 12. 39. here used for the malicious or violent cruell man, as the Greeke turneth it, the injurious, or Chomets may be used for Chomes, the violent.
Vers. 5. Iehovih] or God, for it hath the vowels of Aelohim: so after, vers. 16. See Psal. 68. 21.
Vers. 6. tookest me] or, didst rid me, to wit, from danger: Compare this with Psal. 22. 10, 11. of thee] or in thee, but in is often used for of as Psal. 63. 7. and 87. 3. see the notes there.
Vers. 7. a wonder to many] or, a monster to the mighty: a signe whom the many (or mighty) doe gaze upon, speake of, and shew to others, and wonder at. A wonder and a signe are sometimes used as one, 2 Chron. 32. 24. with 2 King. 20. 8, 9. So, Christ and his Disciples were as signes and wonders in Israel, Isa. 8. 18. Heb. 2. 13. Iehoshuah and his fellowes were monstrous persons, Zach. 3. 8. the Apostles agazing stocke to the world, 1 Cor. 4. 9. hope] or refuge, a place where one hopeth for safety.
Vers. 8. with thy glory] or glory of thee, that is, with glorifying thee, honouring, beautifying, and commending thy Majestie.
Vers. 10. speake of] or say of me, that God hath forsaken me, vers. 11. or, they speake against me. observe] that is, lay wait for, it is meant here for evill: as is the observing of the steps, Psal. 56. 7. but often this phrase is used for good, to keepe, regard, and preserve the soule or life, Psal. 97. 10. and 121. 7. Prov. 22. 5.
Vers. 14. adde unto all thy praise] that is, increase it; I will praise thee more than I have done, or, more than others doe, as 2 Chron. 10. 11. I will adde unto your yoke, that is, increase it.
Vers. 15. though I know not] or, for I know not the numbers, to wit, of them. Gods justice and salvation is innumerable waies administred, which are to be celebrated, but cannot be reckoned, Psal. 40. 6.
Vers. 16. I will enter] to wit, into this worke of praising God in his power, not mine owne: or, I will enter, that is, begin with his powerfull works to praise them; or, I will enter, that is, go in hand, or goe forward with my busines through his power.
Vers. 18. unto old age] or, whiles old age is upon me, as vers. 9. So elsewhere God saith, that he had borne Israel from the wombe and birth, and would beare them still unto old age and the hoary haires, Isa. 46. 3, 4. thine arme] that is, strength, helpe, salvation. So Psal. 77. 16. Isa. 51. 5. and 53. 1. D…u. 33. 27. this generation] the men of this age. The word this (or present) is understood by that which followeth: see also Psal. 45. 4.
Vers. 19. And thy justice, O God, which is to on high] that is, which reacheth up to Heaven, viz. I will shew it. Thus the Greeke understandeth it. We may also translate, For thy justice is unto the high place, that is, to heaven, incomprehensible, as Psal. 36. 6, 7. And may be in stead of For, as Psal. 60. 13. and the high place is by the Chaldee expounded, the high heavens: so Psa. 93. 4. Mat. 2…. 9
Vers. 20. didst make me see] or us see: sheweast me and us; for the Hebrew hath a double reading, meaning David in speciall, and other Gods people with him: so after, it is read in the margine, quicken me, bring me up, (as also the Greeke …th i…) but written in the line, quicken us, bring us up. By making see, is also meant experience and feeling, as Psal. 49. 10. and evill] or evils, that is, calamities. didst returne] that is, didst againe quicken, or, wilt againe quicken me. So after. But the Greek turneth it in the time past. deeps] abyss…s of the earth, gulfs of affliction and death, elsewhere called the lowest parts, Psal. 88. 7. such Christ in his humanitie, sorrowes and death, went downe unto and returned, Eph. 4. 9. Rom. 10. 7.
Vers. 21. my greatnesse] or magnificence, majestie, honour; for Christ after afflictions entred into his glory, Luk. 24. 26. 1 Pet. 1. 11. Phil. 2 8, 9. and the godly must suffer with him, that they may also be glorified with him, Rom. 8. 17.
Vers. 22. psalterie] or lute: see Psal. 33. 2. even thy faith] or, for thy faithfull truth. holy one] or Saint of Israel: God is so called, both for that he is holinesse it selfe, and sanctifieth his people, Lev. 20. 8, 26. and againe is sanctified, that is, holily praised and honoured of them, Isa. 8. 13. So Psal. 78. 41. and 89. 19.
Vers. 24. talke of] or meditate, that is, speake advisedly and after due meditation: See Psal. 1. 2. for they] or when they are abashed, that is, destroyed: See Psal. 6. 11.