Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 6 · Book 3 · Commentary on psalm 1
PSAL. LXXIII.
The Prophet prevailing in a tentation, sheweth the occasion thereof, the prosperity of the wicked. 13 The wound given thereby, diffidence. 15 The victory over it, knowledge of Gods purpose in destroying of the wicked, and sustaining the righteous.
A Psalme of Asaph.
YEt surely God is good to Israel, to them that are pure in heart. And I, my feet almost swerved aside; my steps had welnigh slipped out. For I envied at vain-glorious fools, when I saw the peace of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death, and lusty is their strength. They are not in the molestation of sory man, and with earthly man they are not plagued. Therfore pride compasseth them about as a chaine, violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes standeth out with fatnesse, they passe the imaginations of the heart. They doe corrupt and speake with maliciousnesse of oppression, they speak from aloft. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh thorow the earth. Therefore his people turneth hither, and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. And they say, How doth God know, and is there knowledge in the most high? Loe, these are the wicked, and in tranquillity ever; they increase wealthy power. Surely in vaine have I cleansed mine heart, and washed my hands in innocency. And am plagued all the day, and my rebuke is in the mornings. If I say, I will tell thus; loe, I unfaithfully wrong the generation of thy sons. And I thought to know this, but it was a painfull thing in mine eyes. Vntill I entred into the Sanctuaries of God, did prudently attend to their last end. Surely thou dost set them in slipperie places, dost make them fall to desolations. How are they brought to wondrous desolation as in a moment? are they at an end, are they consumed with troublesome frights? As a dreame after one waketh; O Lord, when thou raisest up, thou wilt despise their image. Surely mine heart was levened, and I was pricked in my reines. And I was bruitish and knew not; as the beasts was I with thee. Yet I continually was with thee, thou hast holden me fast by my right hand. Thou wilt guide mee with thy counsell, and after wilt receive me to glory. Whom have I in the Heavens? and with thee I delight not any in earth. Wholly consumed is my flesh and my heart; the Rocke of my heart and my portion is God forever. For loe, they that are gone farre from thee shall perish, thou suppressest every one that goeth a whoring from thee. And I, to draw nigh to God is good for me; I have set my hope for safety in the Lord Iehovih, for to tell all thy workes.
Annotations.
THe third Booke] to wit, of Psalmes. See the Note on Psal. 42.
Vers. 1. of Asaph] or, to As…ph, who was both a Prophet and a singer: see Psal. 50. 1. The like title is of the 10. Psalmes following. These are for the most part complaints and meditations of the troubles of Gods people.
Vers. 2. almost] or, a very little lacked, but my feet had swarved; so after, welnigh, or, almost nothing lacked, but my steps had beene shed: noting hereby his great danger to have fallen through his infirmity, had not faith in God sustained him. swarved] or turned, declined. This and the next word slipped have a double reading in the Hebrew by the vowels, they had swar…d, they had slipped; by the consonants, it had swarved, it had slipped; meaning each of his feet, and every of his steps, to his utter ruine. slipped out] or been powred out, to wit, as water, and so I had beene lost.
Vers. 3. envied] or was jealous, had envious zeale: See Psal. 37. 1.
Vers. 4. bands] or knots, that is, paines, sores, diseases, &c. in their death] or till their death, meaning that they live long in pleasure, & dye at ease, as is explained, Iob 21. 13. They spend their daies i… wealth, and suddenly they goe downe to the grave. The Chaldee saith, For they are not terrified or troubled for the day of their death. but lusty] or, and fat is their fortitude (their firme strength of body) as Iob saith, one dieth in his full strength, bring in all ease and prosperity, his breasts are full of milke, & his bones run full of marrow, Iob 21. 23, 24.
Vers. 5. molestation of sory man] that is, such turmoile as other miserable men endure. See the like phrase in 2 Sam. 7. 14. Aenosh and Adam are here the names of all wretched mankind. See Psal. 8. 5. The Chaldee expoundeth it, They labour not in the labour of men that study in the Law, and with just men, &c.
Vers. 6. compasseth, &c.] or, is a chaine to them and to him, that is, every of them; as a collar that is hanged for an ornament about the necke. And of this word Anak, to hang a chaine, that Giant Anak had his name, whose children were called Anakims. men great of stature, proud and cruell. See Numb. 13. 23. 34. Ios. 15. 13, 14. a garment] a set habit or ornament finely fitted to the body; such was the harlots habit, Prov. 7. 10.
Vers. 7. eyes standeth] that is, Each eye standeth or starteth out of the hole for satnesse. In Chaldee, The similitude of their faces is changed for satnesse. So in Iob 15. 27. he hath covered his face with his fatnesse. they passe the imaginations, &c.] that is, they exceed in prosperity above that they could imagine or thinke; or, they surpasse in wickednesse above that which mans heart can thinke, according to that which here followeth, and as in Ier. 5. 28. it is said, they are waxen fat and shining, they doe passe the words (or deeds) of the wicked.
Vers. 8. They doe corrupt] or consume, dissolve or make dissolute by their wicked speeches, and by their oppression of men. It may be understood of corrupting, or making rotten with sinne themselves or others, or consuming and wasting with oppression. with maliciousnesse] or in evill, that is, maliciously or malignantly. from aloft] that is, loftily. Or, of the most High, that is, of God, as in the next verse: but the Chaldee expoundeth it, of the highnesse of their heart.
Vers. 9. against Heavens] that is, against God and his Saints whom they blaspheme, as it is written, he opened his mouth unto blasphemie against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven, Rev. 13. 6. So elsewhere Heavens are used for God, Dan. 4. 23. L…k. 15. 18.
Vers. 10. his people] Gods owne people are by this afflicted. Therefore the Greeke saith my people; the Psalmist speaking of his brethren, as after of himselfe, vers. 13. hither] to these thoughts and tentations, which follow in the next verses. a full] the word cup or bason is here to be understood; as strong, for strong pawes, Psal. 10. 9. See the note there. By waters of a full cup, are meant abundance of teares, which they must drinke, that is, of afflictions and tentations which they suffer; as in Psal. 80. 6. So the Chaldee explaineth it, and teares as many waters shall flow from them. wrung out to them] or drunke (sucked up) by them, as in Ps. 75. 9.
Vers. 12. in tranquillity] or quiet, safe, wealthy, at ease. Compare herewith Ier. 12. 1. 2. wealthy power] abilitie by riches; see Psal. 49. 7.
Vers. 13. cleansed] that is, laboured to cleanse and purge, by faith and continuall sanctification, Acts 15. 9. 1 Ioh. 3. 3. otherwise, who can say, I have made mine heart cleane. Pro. 20. 9. innocency] or cleannesse: see Psal. 26. 6. and 24. 4.
Vers. 14. … plagued] or touched with afflictions, punished, which the wicked are not, v. 5. my rebuke,] or blame, to wit, I beare the chastisement for my sinnes. in the mornings] that is, every morning, or early: the like phrase is Psa. 101. 8. Iob 7. 18. Lam. 3. 23. Esa. 33. 2.
Vers. 15. I will tell thus] that is, if these tentations prevaile against mee, so that I should tell and declare for truth these my carnall thoughts. Telling is often used for publishing and preaching to others: See Psal. 2. 7. u…faithfully wrong] or faithlesly transgresse against the generation of thy sonnes, (O God) that is, of thy people, called the sons of God, Deut. 14. 1. 1 Ioh. 3. 1.
Vers. 17. prudently attend to] or, consider their latter end. A like speech Moses useth, Deu. 32. 29.
V. 18. slippery places] where they suddenly fall to perdition. The Chaldee saith, in darke places.
Vers. 19. wondrous desolation] such as astonieth the beholders. Such sudden strange desolation God brought on Babylon of old, Ier. 51. 37. 41. and will againe, Rev. 18. 10. 17.
V. 20. As a dreame] to wit, so they are, or, so vanisheth their prosperity; which when one awaketh, is gone, as is plainly set forth in Esa. 29. 7▪ 8. So elsewhere it is said, he shall flee away as a dreame▪ & not be found, & shal passe away as a vision of the night: the eye which saw him shall doe so no more, &c. Iob 20. 8, 9. The Chaldee explaineth it, as the dreame of a drunken man. thou raisest up] to wit, thy selfe; that is, risest up to punish them, as Psal. 35. 23. or raisest up, to wit, them, at the last day of judgement. So the Chaldee Paraphrast turneth it, saying, in the day of the great judgement they shall rise up out of the house of the grave, in wrath thou wilt despise their image. The Greek saith, in thy citie thou wilt despise their image: the Hebrew word baghnir being ambiguous▪ In this sense, compare herewith Eccles. 8. 10. despise their image] or their shadow, that is, destroy their transitorie estate; for, man walketh in an image▪ Ps. 39. 7. Or, referring it to the last judgement, their image may meane their corrupt sinfull state, Ge. 5. 3. and the despising of it, is their utter rejection; for then they shall rise to sheme and contempt eternall, Dan. 12. 2.
Vers. 21. was levened] or lev…ned it selfe, that is, was vexed, grieved, swelled, was s…wre as leven, with my fretting griefe and anger. I was p… ked] or, sharpned (pricked) my selfe, that is, …lt sharpe paines, to wit, with my …re…ting thoughts and desires.
Vers. 22. bruitish] that is, foolish, sens…all, like a brute beast, not having the understanding of a man in me: as is explained, Pro. 30. 2. See also Psal. 49. 1…. as the beasts] that is, as one of them, or a great beast, Hebr. Beh…m…th; which is used for the vast Elephant, I…b 40. 10. The Greeke here turneth it beastiall, or brutish.
Vers. 24. to glory] or with glory, that is, gloriously, honourably. See 1 Tim. 3. 16. Phil. 3. 21. Heb. 2. 10. 1 Pet. 5. 1. 4. The Chaldee paraphraseth, Thou wilt guide me with thy counsel in this world; and after that the glorie is accomplished, which thou hast said thou wil… bring upon me, thou wilt receive me.
Vers. 25. whom have I] or, who is for me, but thee to trust in, or call upon. delight not] or take no pleasure, in any person, or thing.
Vers. 26. the R…cke] that is, the strength and hope; the Greeke saith, the God of my heart.
Vers. 27. gone farre▪ that is, the wicked who are here said to be farre from God; and in Psal. 119. 150. are farre from his Law, and therefore salvatition is farre from them, Psal. 119. 155. as here they perish, whereas the righteous are a people neere God, Psal. 148. 14. that goeth a w…oring from thee] that is, go…th after idols, departing from the true God, as Hos. 1. 2. for idolatrie or breach of Gods covenant, is often called whoredome or fornication, …er. 3. 9. 20. Ezek. 23. 3▪ 5. 7. &c▪ Psal. …06. 39.
Vers. 28. to draw nigh] so both the Greeke and Chaldee doe explaine the Hebrew phrase the drawing neere of God; and thus it is also used in Isa. 58. 2. and is done by the faith of the Gospell, Heb. 7. 19. Iehov…h] or God: see Psal. 68. 21. The Chaldee saith, in the w…rd of God. to tell] that I may tell, or declare, as the Greek explaineth it.