Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 6 · Book 5 · Commentary on psalm 3
PSAI. CIX.
David complaining of his slanderous enemies, under the person of Iudas devoteth them. 16 He sheweth their sinne. 21 Complaining of his owne miserie, he prayeth for helpe. 29 He promiseth thankefulnes.
To the Master of the Musicke, a Psalme of David.
O God of my praise, cease not as deafe. For the mouth of the wicked one and the mouth of deceit are opened against me; they have spoken with me with a tongue of falshood. And with words of hatred have they compassed meabout, and warred against me without cause. For my love they are adversaries to me, and I (give my selfe to) prayer. And they put upon me evill for good, and hatred for my love. Set in office over him the wicked one, and let the adversary stand at his right hand. When he shall be judged, let him goe forth wicked, and his prayer be to sinne. Let his dayes be few, his office let another take. Let his sonnes bee fatherlesse, and his wife a widow. And let his sonnes wandering wander and beg, and seeke out of their desolate places. Let the Creditor insnare all that he hath, and let strangers make spoile of his labour. Let there bee none extending mercy to him, and let there be none shewing favour to his fatherlesse children. Let his posterity be (appointed) to cutting off: in the generation next after let his name be wiped out. Let the iniquitie of his fathers bee remembred of Iehovah, and the sinne of his mother bee not wiped out.
Let them bee before Iehovah continually, and hee cut off the memory of them from the earth. Because that hee remembred not to doe mercy, but persecuted the poore afflicted and needy man, and the smitten in heart, to slay him. And hee loved cursing, and let it come unto him; and he delighted not in blessing, and let it bee farre from him. And he cloathed himselfe with cursing as his raiment, and let it enter as waters into his inward part, and as oile into his bones. Let it bee to him as a garment wherewith hee may cover himselfe, and for a girdle wherewith hee may gird himselfe continually. This be the worke of mine adversaries from Iehovah, and of them that speake evill against my soule. And thou Iehovih, Lord, doe with mee for thy Name sake; for good is thy mercy, deliver thou me.
For I am poore afflicted and needy, and mine heart is wounded within me. As a shadow when it declineth I am gone away, I am tossed as the Grashopper. My knees are feeble through fasting, and my flesh is leane for fatnesse. And I was a reproach to them; they saw mee, they shaked their head. Helpe thou me Iehovah, my God; save me according to thy mercy. And let them know that this is thine hand, thou Iehovah hast done it.
Let them curse, and doe thou blesse; rise they up and be abashed, and let thy servant rejoyce. Let mine adversaries be cloathed with ignominie, and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a cloke. I will confesse Iehovah vehemently with my mouth, and in the midst of many will I praise him. For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from them that judge his soule.
Annotations.
OF my praise] that is, which art praised of me, as Psal. 22. 4. or, which praisest and justifiest mee against the calumnies of mine enemies, 2 Cor. 10. 18. Rom. 2. 29. Numb. 12. 7, 8. cease not] or bee not silent: see Psalme 28. 1. of diceit] that is, the deceitfull men, as the Greeke explaineth it: so pride for proud person, Psalme 36. 12. are] or have opened, to wit, themselves.
Vers. 4. and I prayer] to wit, I made or give my selfe to prayer (as the Greeke and Chaldee saith) I prayed, or, I am a man of prayer. So I peace, Psal. 120. 7. See also 1 Cor. 14. 33.
Vers. 6. Set in office] or Make visiter, or over-seer: see verse 8. the wicked one] the devill, as 1 Ioh. 2. 13, 14. and 3. 12. and 5. 18. or generally, wicked rulers. the adversary] in Hebrew Satan, in Greeke the Devill, who is an adversary to mankind, 1 Pet. 5. 8. Rev. 12. 9. at his right hand] to resist and overcome him, Zach. 3. 1. and this is spoken of all his foes as of one man, or of some one speciall, as Doeg enemy to David, 1 Sam. 22. 9, &c. Iudas to Christ, Ioh. 13. 2. But God is at the right hand of the poore, vers. 31. Psal. 16. 8.
Vers. 7. wicked] that is (as the Greeke saith) condemned: See the Notes on Psal. 1. 1. to sinne] that is, turned to sinne, and so abominable, Prov. 28. 9. and 15. 8.
Vers. 8. his office] or charge, visitation, bishoprick, (Episcopée:) and this is applied to Iudas, whose office was derived to Matthias, Act. 1. 16, 20, 26. A Bishop and bishops charge (so called of visitation) is a common name to all overseers and offices, Numb. 4. 16. and 31. 14. Ezek. 44. 11. 2 King. 11. 15. 2 Chron. 34. 12, 17. Nehem. 11. 9.
Vers. 9. fatherlesse] or orphans and this is a curse of the law, Exod. 22. 24. Ier. 18. 21.
Vers. 10. wander] rogue about as vagabonds, Gen. 4. 12.
Vers. 11. the Creditor] he to whom he is indebted, or the extortioner, let him seise on all his goods. his labour] goods gotten by his labour.
Vers. 13. posteritie] or his last end: see Psal. 37. 37. to cutting off] or, appointed to be cut off, to perdition or to destruction, as the Greeke explaineth. The verbe active is of passive signification, as Psal. 32. 9. and 36. 3.
Vers. 15. memory] or memoriall, Psal. 34. 17. Iob 18. 17.
Vers. 16. smitten] with griefe, that is, sorrowfull, or as the Greeke saith, pricked in heart. So verse 22. See Psal. 102. 5. and 34. 19.
Vers. 17. let it come] or, it shall come: and so after.
Vers. 18. his raiment] or a mantell. let it enter] or, it entred. It may be understood of his delight in cursing, which pleased him as water and oile, or of the efficacy of the curse that should pierce his owne bowels and bones, as Num. 5. 22.
Vers. 20. the worke] that is, the wage or reward due for his worke: so Lev. 19. 13. Isa. 49. 4. Iob 7. 2. Ezek. 29. 20.
Vers. 21. Iehovih] the Name of God: see Psal. 68. 21. doe] to wit, mercy, as the next words shew, and is expressed, Psal. 18. 51. See also Psal. 103. 9. where the word anger is omitted.
Vers. 23. I am gone] or am made to goe (or depart) namely towards my grave, as Psal. 58. 9. See also Psal. 102. 12. 1 Chron. 17. 11. tossed as the grashopper] or, shaken off as the Locust, which hath no nest or biding place, but is driven to and fro, being a fearefull creature, Nahum 3. 17. Iob 39. 23. or which is carried away with the wind, Exodus 10. 1….
Vers. 24. feeble] or loosened, so that I am ready to stumble and fall. So Paul calleth them loose or feeble knees, Heb. 12. 12. from Isa. 35. 3. for fatnesse] or for oile, that is, for want of fat or oile: as for the fruits, is for want of the fruits, Lam. 4. 9. for five, is for want of five, Gen. 18. 28. for fornication, 1 Cor. 7. 2. is, for to avoid fornication. Or we may turne it without fat, for the Hebrew min, sometime signifieth without, Iob 21. 9.
Vers. 25. shaked] or wagged, a signe of scorne, Psal. 22. 8.
Vers. 27. thine hand] that is, thy handy worke.
Vers. 28. rise they up] to wit, against me (as the Greeke explaineth it) and be they abashed as disappointed of their purpose.
Vers. 30. of many] or, of the mighties, of great men, as the Chaldee saith, of wise men; but the Greeke translateth, of many.
Vers. 31. at the right hand] to assist, contrary to Satan, verse 6. that judge] that is, condemne and persecute him to death.