Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 6 · Book 3 · Commentary on psalm 16
PSAL. LXXX VIII.
A prayer containing a grievous complaint of manifold miseries.
A Song, a Psalme to the sonnes of Korach: to the master of the musicke, on Machalath leannoth; an instructing Psalme, of Heman the …zrachite.
OIehovah, God of my salvation, by day I cry out, & in the night before thee. Let my prayer come before thee; bow thine eare to my shrill cry. For my soule is filled with evils, and my life draweth neere to hell. I am counted with them that goe downe the pit; I am as a man that hath no strength. Among the dead, free like the slaine that lie in the grave, whom thou remembrest no more; and they are cut away from thine hand. Thou hast put me in the pit of the lowest places; in darknesses, in the deepe places. Thy wrathfull heat stayeth upon me; and with all thy billowes thou afflictest me Selab. My knowne acquaintance thou hast put farre away from me, hast see me for abominations to thē; I am shut up & cannot get out. Mine eye languisheth through mine affliction; I call on thee Iehovah, all the day; I spread out my hands unto thee.
Wilt thou doe a miraculous worke to the dead, or shall the deceased rise up, shall they confesse thee Selah? Shall thy mercy be told in the grave, thy faithfulnesse in perdition? Shall thy miraculous worke be knowne in the darknesse, and thy justice in the land of oblivion? But I, unto thee Iehovah doe I cry out, and in the morning my prayer shall prevent thee. Wherefore Iehovah, dost thou reject my soule; doest thou hide thy face from me? Iam poore afflicted, and breathing out the ghost from my youth; I beare thine affrightings, I am doubtfully troubled. Thy wraths passe over me, thy terrours doe dismay me. They compasse me about as waters, all the day; they are gone about against me together. Thou hast put far away from me, lover & fellow friend, my knowne acquaintance are in darknesse.
Annotations.
MAchalath] a kind of wind instrument; or, by interpretatiō, infirmitie: see Ps. 53. 1. leannoth] or, to sing by turnes, which is, when one part answereth another in singing; it may also be interpreted to afflict (or humble.) This Psalme is the most dolefull of all the Bible, full of complaints even to the end. Heman the Aezrachite] so the next Psalme is intituled of Aethan the Ezrachite: there were two of this name, Heman and Aethan, sonnes of Zerach the sonne of Iudah the Patriarch, … Chron. 2. 4, 6. men renowned for their wisedome▪ 1. King. 4. 31. also Heman and Aethan, singers and musicians of the posteritie of Levithe Patriarch, 1 Chr. 15. 17, 19. and 16. 42. Heman being son of Ioel the son Samuel the Prophet, 1 Sam. 6. 33. himselfe being also a Seer or Prophet in King Davids daies, 1 Chron. 25. 5. And of the kingdome promised to David, doth Aethan intreat, Psal. 89. 4. &c. Christs afflictions and kingdome are in these Psalmes fore-told; he was the true David, Hos. 3. 5.
Vers. 4. draweth neere] or toucheth hell, or the grave. So, to touch (or come neere to) the gates of death, Psal. 107. 18.
Vers. 5. a man] Hebr. geber, that is, a strong man, but without abilitie or power to helpe my selfe; as the Greeke saith, helplesse.
Vers. 6 free] that is, acquitted, or discharged from the troubles and affaires of this life; for in death, the prisoners rest together, and the servant is free from his master, Iob. 3. 18. 19. or free, that is, sequestred, apart from others; as King Azariah being leprous, dwelt in an house of freedome, that is, alone, apart from other men, 2 King. 15. 5. from thine hand] that is, from thy care, helpe, guidance, &c. as King Azariah before said, was cut off from the house of the Lord, 2 Chr. 26. 21. or by thine hand; and so understand from the land of the living, as Isa. 53. 8.
Vers. 7. pit of the lowest places] the nether most pit, as the Greeke saith; wch the Chaldee paraphraseth thus; in captivitie, which is like to the nether pit. darknesses] or darke places: so Psal. 143. 3. deepe places] or gulses: see Psal. 69. 3.
Vers. 8. stayeth] or, is imposed, and lieth hard. billowes] breaking waves of the sea: see Psal. 42. 8.
Vers. 9. set me abominations] that is, made me most abominable (or loathsome,) to every of them. can not get out] so Lam. 3. 7. Iob 19. 8. Of this phrase see the Note on Psal. 77. 5.
Vers. 10. languisheth] or pineth away; the Chaldee saith, droppeth teares. Compare herewith, Lev. 25. 16.
Vers. 11. the deceased] Hebr. Rephaim; dead men are so called, as being incurable or unrecoverable to life; so Isa. 14. 9 and 26. 14, 19. Prov. 2. 18. and 9. 18. and 21. 16. See also Psal. 6. 6. The Chaldee expoundeth, shall the bodies which are delivered to the dust rise up?
Vers. 12. perdition] Hebr. Abaddon, the grave where bodies perish, and seeme to be lost. So Iob 28. 22. and 26. 6.
Vers. 13. darknesse] that is, the place and state of the dead, called the land of darknesse, and shadow of death, Iob 10. 21, 22. So Eccles. 6. 4. Note here the sundry titles given to the state of death. land of oblivion] where dead men are, (as is before noted;) which also are forgotten out of minde, Psal. 31. 13. Eccles. 8. 10. and 9. 5.
Vers. 16. breathing out the ghost] that is, ready to dye, expiring, through continuall miseries. The Greeke saith, in labours from my youth. from the youth] or, for the shaking off, that is, the affliction. am doubtfully troubled] or distracted for feare lest evils should befall me.
Vers. 17. dismay] suppresse, or cut me off. The Hebrew word is larger than usuall, to increase the signification. The Greeke turneth it trouble.
Vers. 19. my knowne acquaintance are in darknesse] that is, withdraw and hide them from my sight; and (as Iob complaineth,) are strangers unto me. See Iob 19. 13, 14. Or as the Greeke referreth it to the former, and my knowne friends (to wit, thou hast put farre) from calamitie; or for the calamitie that is upon me. Or, as the Chaldee paraphraseth, and to my knowne friends, darke I am in their sight.