Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 59
The lix. PSALM.
David being beseidged in his own house prayes for deliverance, alledging his enemies cruelty, and his own innocency, and that they may not prosper in their wicked indeavours and contempt of God, which he assures himself; and strengthens his faith in God against his bloud-thirstie adversaries, whom he would not have quite cut off▪ but brought to disgrace and indigency, to exemplifie his wrath and justice against such, both to his own people for their incouragement, and the heathen for their instruction, and that they may live to tast the bitter fruit of their own prodigious malice. Lastly, he rejoyces in God because of his present deliverance.
To the President of the Quire is this Psalm made by David, Psalm lix. To the chief musician Al-taschith, Michtam of David, when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.committed for his ordering of it to be sung to the speciall tune of Michtam; the sum and substance whereof is comprised in this one word Al-taschith, signifying destroy not, upon occasion of the danger David was in, when Saul sent messengers which beset Davids house, and watched it round about all night, to have killed him in the morning. 1 Sam. 19.
1 I must now as at all other times flie to thee for refuge,1DEliver me from mine enemies, O my God; defend me from them that rise up against me. O God of my salvation, when I am in straits, as at present thou knowest me to be, out of which I pray thee to deliver me, which else is impossible; I am like to be assaulted so on every side, by men that have laid an ambuscado for me, and intend suddainly to surprize me, the Lord shew me a way to escape them.
2 I am thou knowest,2Deliver me from the wr…kers of iniquity, and save me from bloudy men. O Lord, thy servant, whom they go about to destroy, and they are wicked wretches, and bloudy-minded men, deliver me therefore from such, and let me not fall into their hands.
3For lo, they lie in wait for my soul; the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord.3 For it is my life thou seest that they seek, Saul and his wicked Courtiers contrive and attempt my destruction, not that they have any just cause so to do, for I have never done any thing but what stood with loyalty, nor ever had a thought of other towards him: Lord thou knowst it,
4They run & prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me & behold.4 When Saul bids them go, how ready and diligent are they to be imploied against me, that never did any thing to deserve it either from him or them, be thou, O Lord, as watchfull to help me, as they to destroy me, and behold me specially in this my present danger to free me from it, whom thou knowest to be guiltless and innocent.
5Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not mercifull to any wicked transgressours.5 Therefore, O Lord, that art of infinite power, and absolute command, and a faithfull God to thy faithfull servants, appear in the behalf of thine oppressed people, and me more especially, and pour out thy just displeasure upon all those that have no knowledge, nor fear of thee, but after an heathenish and irreligious manner, are enemies to those that are thine Israel indeed, though themselves be Israelites; thou that art no respecter of persons, shew no favour to any such wicked wretches, nor be no more mercifull to them, than if they were Infidels and Pagans indeed, for their malice is as much against the godly, and their sins against thee as great if not greater. But execute righteous judgement upon all unrighteous men, one as another.
6They return at evening, they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the Citie.6 They are incessantly industrious to find me out, rising early and ferreting every place where they think to have me, and hold on so from morning to night, and so from day to day, asking and enquiring after me of every one they meet, with railing and slanderous speeches, backbiting and snarling at me, and thus they do every where from house to house in Town and Countrey, where they think to hear of me.
7 They spare for no railing,7Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips; for who, say they, doth hear? but let flie against me to all men, cursing and threatning what they would do if they could catch me, and what they would give to find me, being utterly without the knowledge or fear of God, as if they speak not in his learning, nor should never be called to an account for those lies and false reports they raise against me.
8 But thou,8But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. O Lord, shalt laugh at this presumptuous folly of theirs, that dare set so light by thee, all those that care not to know and fear thee now, shall one day wish they had, when as thou shalt give them to understand that thou carest as little for, and sets as light by them as they by thee; and though Israelites in their own esteem, yet in thine, they are no better than heathens, and so they shall find.
9 Mine enemy indeed is much too hard for me,9Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence. but not for thee, so that his strength and power to afflict and wrong me, shall have this effect, it shall make me adhere to thee and depend upon thee the firmelier for deliverance, for I never yet was in so perillous condition, but thou didst protect me, nor I believe never shall.
10 But that God whom I have ever found gracious and mercifull to me,10The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies. will still be so, and do more for me than I can ask for my self. And will certainly be as good as his word, wherein he hath caused me to hope, in confounding mine enemies.
11 Yet I desire not that thou shouldst do by them,11Slay them not, least my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord, our shield. as they would do by me, destroy them out and out; both for their good and mine own, and all my friends and adherents, I rather desire they may remain standing monuments (as the Jews, Christs persecutours shall be, to the believing Gentils) of thy forepast mercies, to mind us of them that we forget not our deliverances, and that therefore thou wouldst rather chuse by thy power to abate theirs which they so much confide in, that so they may be humbled, and come to know and acknowledge thee to be as indeed thou art, O Lord, thy servants shield and faithfull protectour.
12For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing & lying which they speak.12 Bring all their sinfull slanders upon themselves in thy just judgements, let them be cast from the top of honour and affluence wherein they so pride themselves for example sake, into the bottome of infamie and indigencie, and for those curses and falshoods which they belch out against me.
13Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob, unto the ends of the earth.13 Do thou abase their power and pride, and bring them and it to nought in thy heavy displeasure, let them live like abjects, here and there, without power or credit (as shall Christs crucifiers.) And that not onelyonly for encouragement and instruction of thy peoples faith, but make them examples of thy wrath and terrour to the very heathen also every where, who are capable of instruction of that nature, that they may learn not to rebell against thee in opposing the Kingdome of Christ typically resembled in mine, over Israel; which hereby they may see thou wilt effect and make good, maugre all opposition, in faithfulness to thy covenant, and love to thy servant Jacob that type of Christ, the root of thy Church, which is thy Kingdome, in which thou rulest, and for which thou overrulest all earthly powers. Let them, Lord, know so much.
14 Let mine enemies,14And at evening let them return, and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the citie. and the enemies of thy Church, know what it is to oppress and persecute thy people, let them have enough of their own ways in the issue, and tast the bitter fruit of their eager prosecuting and malicious slandering the faithful and upright, by changing the scene, and being necessitated to range and raven for their own subsistence, with as much hunger and greediness, as ever they did for my ruine.
15 Let them come to shamefull want and penury,15Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied. even to beg their bread, and yet not get enough to satisfie their hunger, but fret and repine at this their lamentable condition; and spend their days in poverty and discontent.
16 But though they cannot but fret and …ume under their troubles,16But I will sing of thy power, yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. I will sing under mine, and shew forth thy power and goodness as concerning other remarkable deliverances, so specially this over night, from those that were appointed to kill me in the morning, when yet I shall live to sing hearty praises to thee, for thou hast contrived my rescue out of their hands that would have detroyed me, and were near the doing it.
17 Though my condition is weak,17Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy. and mine enemies potent, yet thou art strong enough to deal with them, thats my comfort, and in the faith thereof I will chear up my heart and sing to thee the praise of my success, magnifying thee, O God, for my deliverance, who hast ever been, and ever wilt be a God of protection and mercy to me.