Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 72
The lxxii. PSALM.
David having set Solomon upon his throne, a little before he dyed, praies for him, and prophesies of him according to what he praies, how blessed a King he shall prove, and what a flourishing Church and Kingdom there shall be in his daies, how he shall be admired abroad, and beloved at home, admirably prefiguring Christ, and his spiritual Kingdom.
Psalm lxxii. A Psalm for Solomon.A Psalm made by David near his death, for, and concerning his son and successour, Solomon, and his government.
1GIve the King thy judgements, O God: and thy righteousness unto the Kings son.1 O God, thou by whom Kings reign, as thou hast called me, and my son Solomon after me, to sway the Scepter of Israel, so do thou inable both me, (for that little time I have yet to live) and him in an happy succession to me, with those gifts of wisdom and knowledge, as also of justice and holiness, that are fit for Israels King to have above the Tyrants of the world, who is to represent the Messiah, thy son his government, in, and over his Church.
2He shall judge thy people with righteousness: and thy poor with judgement.2 And Lord, what I pray for, I also prophesie in thy name concerning this my son and successour, whom thou hast especially chosen before all his brethren to rule in my stead. He shall with understanding and uprightness, administer justice and judgement unto this thy people committed to his charge, and with impartialitie, with just and fatherly pitie, shall he give easie access to, and judge the cause of the poor of thy people, as well as of the rich; he shall be no accepter of persons, thy proprietie in them, shall make him accept and esteem them equally, and administer justice to them accordingly.
3 O the wonderfull happiness of peace and plentie,3The mountains shall bring peace to the people: and the little hills by righteousness. by the blessing of God that shall be all the land over under his government, by the righteous administration thereof.
4 He shall not onelyonly be a father to the poor of thy people Israel,4He shall judge the poor of the people: he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressour. but a just impartial Judge also to all other poor that come under his governance, and a mercifull protectour of the helpless, one, or other, against those that by might would wrong and oppress them, not suffering a just cause to miscarrie for want of money, and friends to carry it on, but himself shall be the poor mans advocate, and the judge of his oppressour, who shall not escape by his greatness, but be severely, yet justly censured according to his merits.
5 In his time the Temple shall be built,5They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure: throughout all generations. and the Church and people of Israel put into a flourishing condition, the worship of God in the types, and significant ceremonies thereof, shall be in his time compleated, never to receive any more augmentation after; who shall reign as well long, as happily, and is to be the liveliest type of Christ, the saviour and King of his Church, who in the age of the Gospel when he is come, and taken upon him the Kingdom, shall have a people, a Church, as in all places, so in all ages of the world, that shall fear and worship him in spirit and truth, according to those resemblances that shall be in Solomons daies.
6 His wise and just administrations with sweet and gracious deportments,6He shall come down like rain upon the new mowen grass: as shours that water the earth. shall clear up the hearts of his people, and make Israel by the blessing of God, grow again, and be a flourishing Common-wealth, that hath undergone sad times and afflictions formerly, like as Christ shall with evangelical Doctrines, and the heavenly divine graces of his spirit, distil into, and upon the hearts of his people, to their spiritual growth and refreshing.
7In his daies shall the righteous flourish: and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.7 Together with the worship of God, shall the number of the righteous people of God increase in his daies, and exceeding great happiness shall be to them during the long reign of Solomon, even as under Christ when the church shall grow, and be blessed with all spiritual imbellishments throughout the ages of the world.
8He shall have dominion also from sea to sea: and from the river unto the ends of the earth.8 He shall admirably point out Christ and his Kingdom, as in prosperitie and duration, so in extent and demensions of length and breadth, for as Christs must be universal all the world over, some of all nations, and all of some yielding their subjection to him, so shall Solomons to figure out this, be inlarged far beyond the ordinarie bounds to the uttermost extent of Moses in his predictions, even from the red sea adjoyning upon the Egyptian, unto the sea of the Philistines, parcel of the Mediterranian, and also from the greater river, the river Euphrates, unto the wilderness and Lebanon.
9They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him: and his enemies shall lick …dust.9 People remote and barbarous, shall be subject to him, and the stout and stubborn enemies of Israel, shall under his government be brought to a submissive reverential subjugation far and near.
10The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents: the Kings of Sheba, and Seba shall offer gifts.10 The Kings of Cilicia, and of the Islands in, and countries beyond the Mediterranian sea, shall have him in respect and honour, shall desire his friendship and confederation, and shall from those remote parts, send embassies and presents to him, so shall the Queen of the South come out of Sheba in Arabia-Faelix to see his glorie, and hear his wisdom, and shall not come empty-handed, but shall bring, and present him with the chiefest riches and choisest commodities of that countrey, and other far distant Kings and Princes of the world shall do the like, shall come or send to him, even from Seba in or bordering upon Ethiopia.
11 No Princes nor people round about him,11Yea, all Kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. but they shall give him precedencie of honour and dignitie, and shall serve him either as subjects, or as friends or allies, freely transacting the commodities of their countreys for the use and service of him and his. All which shall be in resemblance of that universal acknowledgement that shall be made by the Gentiles, of the sovereignty of Christ, when once he is estated in his Kingdom spiritual as Solomon (his type) in his Kingdom temporal.
12 Wherein not onelyonly greatness,12For he shall deliver the needy when he cryeth: the poor also, and him that hath no helper. justice, and merciemercy, he shall figure out the Messiah, for he shall not be a Tyrant, according to the common course of Kings, nor imploy his power to oppression and wrong, but shall be a Saviour of the oppressed and miserable, the poor and helpless shall be relieved by him, for which the Lord shall exalt and prosper him.
13 He shall be gentle-handed,13He shall spare the poor and needy: and shall save the souls of the needy. and tender-hearted to those that are the objects of compassion, and shall imploy his power and authoritie for the preservation, not for the destruction of the helpless and afflicted.
14 He shall make it his work to search out a matter in the poors behalf,14He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their bloud be in his sight. and to save him out of the hands of them that would destroy him, his wisdom & authority shall be the bulwarks of the poor mans innocencie, against the might or fraudulencie of his oppressour, how light soever others set by the lives of poor men, he shall value them at a higher rate, if they be under his protection and government, the bloud of the poor shall be as precious, as the bloud of the rich.
15And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually, and daily shall he be praised.15 Would all Kings reign thus, and improve their power and greatness to these uses, they should be happie as he shall; to whom God shall give a long and prosperous reign in peace and affluence, far and near shall he be honoured, and enriched with the presents of his friends, and tributes of his subjects willingly paid, so great and gainfull shall be their trading. To the poor he shall yield such protection, govern with such moderation, and administer justice, with so equal an hand, that all people shall bless him, pray for his long life, and happie reign, and acknowledge it a rich merciemercy of God, so to change the face of things in Israel to what they have been in former ages, by giveing them a King so divinely qualified with wisdom and and virtue, which they shall daily reap the benefit of, and he the thanks and praises.
16There shall be an handfull of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains: the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon, and they of the citie shall flourish like grass of the earth.16 The happiness of his government is not to be expressed, with what peace and plenty God shall bless them all his long reign, there shall be strange increase in the land all over, it shall seem to bring forth of it self: the blessing of God shall so strangely metamorphose things, as that barrenest places with no great pains nor cost, shall fructifie unmeasurably, a little scattered corn on mountains that cannot be husbanded, shall yet yield a great increase; high hills, shall be as fruitfull vallies, and the whole land, both town and countrie shall be exceedingly enriched, & so multiply & increase with people, as that children shall seem to grow in cities and villages, like corn and grass in the field, so populous, and plentiful shall all places be with all manner of opulencie.
17 The renown of his wisdom as it shall spread into all nations,17His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him, all nations shall call him blessed. so it shall also be recorded unto all ages; the fame of it shall never die, it shall be proverbial, As wise as Solomon, his rules and precepts shall for ever remain in the Church of God, to teach men true wisdom, and understanding, even the fear of the Lord, the onelyonly thing that makes men happie, and blessed. All nations, and all ages shall confess him to have been peculiarly chosen, and extraordinarily inspired of God, for that his Kingly office over Israel, in a blessed resemblance of Christ, who in like sort shall govern his Church with wisdom, power, and justice.
18 Thus,18Blessed be the Lord God: the God of Israel, who onelyonly doth wondrous things. O Lord, I know shall be the happie condition of thy people, in the reign of my son, Solomon. Blessed be thou, O Lord God, for it, who art the faithfull and gracious God of this thine Israel, and therefore hast thou, the onelyonly wonder-working God, marvellously endowed him with wisdom, extraordinarie and supernatural, to govern them happily, and make them a flourishing Church and State, to the admiration of all the world, that were wont to be a people of least regard.
19 And now,19And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glorie. Amen, and Amen. Lord, as thou hast got thee a name, a glorious renown over all the nations, by the wisdom, and government of Solomon, and the flourishing condition of thy people, which I pray may continue for ever; and that it may do so, let thy Kingdom come, let the Messiah happily, and speedily succeed his type and prefiguration, that not onelyonly Israel, but the whole world may flourish with a glorious Church, and the saving light of thy Gospel. Lord as I pray, so do thou say Amen unto it.
20The prayers of David: the son of Jesse are ended.20 And thus ended David his prayer for his son Solomon, which was the last he made of publick note, and upon Scripture record, in time, though not in order, he dying soon after; who was born a sheapheard, the son of Jesse, and died a King, and the father of Solomon.