Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 6 · Book 3 · Commentary on psalm 9 – Commentary on psalm 10
PSAL. LXXXI.
An Exhortation to a solemne praising of God. 5 God challengeth that duty by reason of his benefits. 9 Exhorting to obedience, he complaineth of the… disobedience, which turneth to their owne hurt.
To the master of the musicke upon Gittith, A Psalme of Asaph.
SHout joyfully unto God our strength, shout triumphantly unto the God of Iakob. Take up a Psalme and give the timbrell, the pleasant harpe with the psalterie. Blow up the trumpet in the new moone, in the appointed time, at the day of our feast. For it is a statute to Israel, a judgement due to the God of Iakob. Hee put it in Ioseph for a testimony, when hee went forth from the land of Egypt, where I heard a language that I knew not. I removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands passed from the basket. Thou calledst in distresse, and I released thee: I answered thee in the secret place of thunder, I proved thee at the waters of Meribah Selah. Heare, O my people, and I will testifie unto thee, O Israel, if thou wilt hearken to me. If there shall not be in thee a forraine God, neither thou bow downe thy selfe to a strange God.
I am Iehovah thy God, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, open wide thy mouth, and I will fill it. But my people hearkned not to my voyce, and Israel was not well affected to me. And I sent him away in the perverse intendment of their owne heart, let them walke in their owne counsels. O that my people had been obedient to me, that Israel had walked in my wayes. Even soone would I have humbled their enemies, and turned my hand upon their distressers. The haters of Iehovah should have falsly denied to him, and their time should have beene for ever. And hee would have fed him with the fat of wheat, and out of the rocke, with honey would I have sufficed thee.
Annotations.
GIttith] see the Note on Psal. 8. 1.
Vers. 3. Take up] to wit, in your mouthes, or lift up your voice with Psalme or song. So in Esa. 42. 2. to lift up, is meant the voice. give] that is, bring the timbrel, &c. of these instruments, see Psal. 68. 26. and 33. 2.
Vers. 4. Blow the trumpet] or, the Cornet, (whereof see Psal. 98. 6.) this was done both to proclaime the solemnitie unto men, and to be a memoriall for them before God, Levit. 23. 4. Num. 10. 10. for in their publike worship, the Israelites used trumpets, with other musicall instruments, 2 Chron. 5. 12, 13. and 29. 27. the new moone] when a solemne feast, with speciall worship was appointed of God, Num. 28. 11, 14. and at these times (as on the Sabbaths) they used to assemble to worship, and heare Gods word, 2 King. 4. 23. Ezek. 46. 3. Esa. 66. 23. these feasts were a shadow of things to come, but the body is in Christ, Col. 2. 16, 17. the appointed time] or, the solemnitie, solemne feast, which was thrise in the yeare, 1 at the Passeover, 2 at Pentecost, and 3 at the feast of Tabernacles, Deut. 16. 26. of which last, some understand this festivitie, Ceseh, as having the name of covering in boothes: others of the covering, that is, the change of the moone when it is hid by the Sunne. feast] or daunce; see Psal. 42. 5. This may be meant of all feasts; or in speciall of the feast of blowing trumpets, in the first day of the seventh monethmonth, Levit. 23. 24. or of the Passeover, as after, verse 6.
Vers. 5. a judgement] that is, a rite, or ordinance, made by God, and a duty to be performed to him. So judgement is for dutie, Deut. 18. 3.
Vers. 6. in Ioseph] among the posteritie of Ioseph, and the other tribes of Israel. Ioseph is named as principall, having the birth-right, 1 Chron. 5. 1, 2. So Psal. 80. 2. from the land] so the Greeke turneth it, the Hebrew ghnal, being here for meghnal, the same that min, from, as 2 Chro. 33. 8. with 2 King. 21. 8. Zach. 4. 3. At their going out of Egypt, the feast of the Passeover was appointed, Exod. 12. after in the wildernesse, the other feasts, Levit. 23. or we may read it, against the land, viz. to destroy it, and the first-borne, Exod. 11. 4, 5. The Chaldee applieth this to Ioseph when hee went out of prison and ruled over the land of Egypt. I heard a language] Hebr. a lip, used for the speech or language, as Gen. 11. 1.
Vers. 7. from the burden] that is, burdens, wherewith they were vexed in Egypt, making bricks, building cities, &c. Exod. 1. 11. and 5. 4, 5, 7, 8. basket] or pot; such vessels as wherein they carried straw, mortar, bricke, &c.
Vers. 8. Thou calledst] Israel having left Egypt, Pharaoh with his host pursued them, and they were sore afraid and cried to the Lord, Exo. 14. 10, 15. secret place of thunder] out of the blacke cloud, wherewith God guided and protected Israel; but with thunder, raine, &c. dismayed the Egyptians, Exod. 14. 19, 20, 24, 25. See also Psal. 77. 18, 19. of Meribah] that is, of Strife; so named because Israel there strove with Moses, and almost stonied him, Ex. 17. 1, 2, 3 4—7. There God proved thē, to know what was in their heart, whether they would keep his commandements or no, Deut. 8. 2. Exod. 15. 25. and there they proved God, Ps. 95. 9.
Vers. 9. testifie] or protest, take to witnesse, namely the heavens and earth, &c. as Deut. 31. 28. and 32. 1 46. and 30. 19. and deeply charge thee. Compare herewith Exod. 19. 3, 4, 5, &c. and 20. 22, 23. Ier. 11. 7, 8, 8.
V. 11. open wide] that is, speake and aske freely. This sentence our Saviour openeth thus, If yee abide in m… and my words abide in you, aske what ye will, and it shall be done to you, Ioh. 15. 7. and the Apostle thus, Whatsoever we aske of God we receive of him, because wee keepe his commandements, &c. 1 Ioh. 3. 22. The Chaldee expoundeth it, Open thy mouth to the words of the law, and I will fill it with all good.
Vers. 12. not well affected] had no will, or good inclination; which they shewed presently after the giving of the Law, by making themselves gods of gold, and by their continuall rebellions afterward, Exod. 32. 1,—31.
Vers. 13. perverse intendment] or, stubborne opinion, writhing and obstinate intention, which they looked after in their erroneous heart. This word is taken from Deut. 29. 19. and after often objected to them by Ieremie, Ier. 3. 17. and 7. 24. and 9. 14. and 11. 8. And this is noted for a judgement of God, when he suffereth people to walke in their owne wayes, Act. 14. 16.
Vers. 15. humbled] and so have given them rest from their enemies, as in 1 Chron. 17. 10. compared with 2 Sam. 7. 11.
Vers. 16. falsly denied] or, fainedly submitted: see Psal. 18. 45. and 66. 3. their time] if this be referred to the enemies, it is meant their time of distresse, as Ps. 10. 1. and 31. 16. so time is used, Ier. 27. 7. Isa. 13. 22. if to Gods people, it meaneth their continued setled state, which the Chaldee translateth, their strength.
Vers. 17. fed him] that is, his people, verse 14. fat of wheat] the principall, or flower of corne: so Deut. 32. 14. Psal. 147. 14. out of the rocke] out of which God had made his people sucke honey and oile, Deut. 32. 13. Spiritually, the Rocke is Christ, 1 Cor. 10. 4. the honey is the gracious words that flow from him; sweetnes to the soule, and health to the bones, Prov. 16. 24. Psal. 19. 11. Song. 4. 11.
PSAL. LXXXII.
An exhortation to the Iudges, and reproofe of their negligence.
A Psalme of Asaph.
GOd standeth in the assembly of God, he judgeth in the midst of the Gods. How long will ye judge injurious evill, and accept the faces of the wicked Selah? Iudge ye the poore weakling and the fatherlesse: justifie the afflicted and the poore. Deliver the poore weakling and the needy, …id free out of the hand of the wicked.
They know not, neither will they understand; they will walke on in darknesse: moved shall be all the foundations of the earth. I have said ye are Gods, and ye all are sonnes of the most high. But surely ye shall die as men, and as one of the Princes shall ye fall. Rise up, O God, judge thou the earth, for thou shalt inherit in all nations.
Annotations.
THe assembly of God] that is, the assise (or session) of Magistrates; whose office is the ordinance of god, Rom. 13. 1, 2. Deut. 16. 18. and who are to execute not the judgments of man, but of the Lord, who is with them in the cause and judgement, 2 Chron. 19. 6. Deut, 1. 17. in the mids of the Gods] that is, among the Iudges (as the Chaldee translateth) or Magistrates, (v. 6) who in the Law are called Gods, Exod. 22. 8, 9, 28. because the word of God was given to them, Ioh. 10. 34, 35.
Vers. 2. How long, &c.] Thus God by his Prophet judgeth and reproveth the Gods or Iudges for unrighteous judgement. The Chaldee addeth, How long ye wicked will ye judge, &c. accept the faces] respect the persons, lift up, admire, honour or favour the faces; a thing forbidden both concerning rich and poore, Deut. 1. 17. and 16. 19. Lev. 19. 15. Prov. 18. 5. Lam. 2. 1,—9.
Vers. 3. Iudge ye] that is, defend, deliver; see Psal. 43. 1. Esa. 1. 17. justifie] that is, doe justice, as 2 Sam. 15. 4. and acquit or absolve him, his cause being right, Deut. 25. 1. Ier. 22. 3.
Vers. 5. They know not] The Iudges are ignorant of their dutie, Mic. 3. 1. Ier. 10. 21. Prov. 29. 7. The Chaldee paraphraseth, The are not wise to doe good, and they understand not the Law. they will walke on] that is, continue wilfully ignorant, and sinfull in perverting justice, Mic. 3. 9. To walke in darknesse, is to live in sin, 1 Ioh. 1. 6. Ephe. 4. 17, 18. and 5. 8. moved shall be] to wit, therefore moved, as the Chaldee explaineth it; or though moved be all the foundations; though all lawes and orders be violated, all estates disturbed, and strongest helpes come to ruine, Esa. 24. 18, 19.
Vers. 6. sonnes of the most high] the Chaldee paraphraseth, as the Angels of the high. And Magistrates should be as Angels for wisdome, 2 Sam. 14. 20.
Vers. 7. as earthly men] as Adam, that is, as any other mortall man: so after, as one of the Princes, that is, of the other Princes of the world: see the like in Iudg. 16. 7. 11. 17. Ge. 49. 16. for this Psalme was spoken to the Magistrates of Israel: for whatsoever the law saith, it saith it to them that are under the Law, Rom. 3. 19.
Vers. 8. inherit] that is, have soveraignty and dominion. So this word meaneth, Lev. 25. 45 46. Ier. 49. 2. And Christ is called heire (that is, Lord) of all, Heb. 1. 2. See Psal. 2. 8.