Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 76
The lxxvi. PSALM.
The Psalmist illustrates the wonderfull & miraculous deliverance of Hezekiah, and the inhabitants of Ierusalem, yea, indeed of all Israel, and the whole worship of God from being utterly destroyed by that blasphemous boasting army of Senacherib; by the immediate hand of God, destroying in one night a hundred four-score and five thousand: for which he magnifies the happy condition of Gods people, and God himself; and excites both Israel to be thankfull to their God, and the neighbour-nations to own and reverence him, and their Kings to take warning, lest themselves be made examples in like sort.
Psalm lxxvi. To the chief musician, on Neginoth, a Psalm or song of (or, for) Asaph.A Psalm either made prophetically by Asaph himself, or some other man of God, and by him committed to Asaphs successours that bare his name, principally to him that is most skilfull upon the stringed instrument Neginoth, to which it is chiefly set, for his ordering it to be sung and plaied.
1IN Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel.1 AS God is more especialy worshipped within the confines of Judah, so hath he most wonderfully magnified and manifested himself there, by a most miraculous deliverance of his people out of the cruell hands of proud and potent invadours, which though it was acted in that Tribe, yet the God of all Israel did it, and ought to be magnified by them all joyntly for it, who are concerned all of them in it, and who are become terrible to their enemies, through the power and goodness of their God that wrought this great deliverance for them.
2 At Jerusalem aunciently called Salem there it was done,2In Salem also is his Tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Sion. which is the place famous for it, and for the Tabernacle also which is in it, and for which Tabernacle sake he did it, because of his residence and presence there typified in his Ark, scituate upon mount Sion, signifying his vigorous and gracious defence and protection of his Church misticall, and every member of it, in whom he hath a reall and spirituall residence.
3 There it was when he wrought this wonderfull deliverance of his people,3There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield and the sword, and the battell. Selah. and defeat of their enemies. O the miserable slaughter and havock that from heaven by the hand of an Angel he made of that numerous army of Senacherib, which beseidged Jerusalem, infinite of men kild, and of armes broken, and spoild, as if it had been in a set battel; utterly ruined them. To his name be the praise.
4 It is true that the great and infinite armies of the Assirians,4Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey. have been too strong for diverse neighbour-nations, they have conquered them, plundered and preyed upon them at their pleasure, and enriched themselves with their spoils, and destroied and burnt their Gods as they make their boasts, so that none could deliver out of their hands, but let them brag of what they have got at thine, this huge mountainous army, that thought it self able to carry all before it, thou Lord, hast given a stop to it, and approved thy self far beyond it for power and might.
5 For thou hast quite destroied it.5The stout-hearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands. Those Goddamme Gallants, that in the confidence of their strength, and pride of their hearts stuck not to blaspheme thee before Jerusalem where thou art to be worshipped, how hast thou in a moment overthrown them, yea, so many thousands of them in one night by the stroke of death hast thou made to sleep their last, never to wake again, those mighty Warriours and stout Champions that were wont to conquer and kill whole nations, and a little before had boasted what they would do to us; when it stood then upon, they were not able to resist or abide the stroke of thine onelyonly one destroying Angel, but perished without power to defend themselves, or oppose their assailant.
6At thy rebuke; O God of Jacob, both the charriot and the horse are cast into a dead sleep.6 When thou that art the God of our father Jacob, and of Israel his seed, didst vouchsafe to appear in behalf of thy people, thy bare command without ever a stroke striking served the turn, to overturn and utterly to ruinate this invincible and potent army, yea, their Princes, Nobles, and mighty men, with all their military accommodations of Horses and Chariots, and whatsoever they most confided in.
7Thou, even thou art to be feared, and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?7 O that our faith might guide our fear, then should we not thus be startled at created Powers, that we see thou canst annihilate in a moment, thou, and thou onelyonly hast power to kill, and save alive, and therefore art thou, and thou onelyonly the object both of faith and fear, for who are able to abide the least frown of thy countenance, or one word of anger from thee, not this mighty army could not, when once thou wast disposed to hear the cries of thy people, and their proud blasphemies which incensed thee against them.
8Thou didst cause iudgement to be heard from heaven: the earth feared and was still.8 Thou, Lord, didst this thing by such remarkable and clear evidence of thine immediate and omnipotent hand, as that none can share with thee in it, nor ascribe it to ought else besides thee, such extraordinary and strange vengeance didst thou take upon those blasphemous enemies, as if it had been with the stroke and terrour of a Thunder-bolt from heaven, and so terrifying it was to all nations where the fame of it came, (and it spread not a little ground, the report of this wonderfull overthrow of so mighty an army) as that none of them had the heart to invade us, but were quiet, and durst not stir though their fingers itched to be at us.
9 Upon Gods executing this just and fearfull judgement on the Assyrian army,9When God arose to judgement to save all the meek of the earth. Selah. in rescue of his own poor distressed people, even all his whole Church, and faithfull servants at once which he had upon the face of the whole earth, that were in a helpless hopeless condition, and had no remedy left but prayer.
10 Surely,10Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. Lord, thy servants need fear nothing but thee, for the rage and fury of thy peoples and Churches enemies, shall serve not for theirs, but their own destruction; thou shalt so order the matter, as that it shall prove but the ripening of their sins, and the hastening of thy righteous judgements upon their heads, and be occasion of thy peoples praises and thanksgivings to thee, and shalt so terribly affright others that are like minded towards thy Church, that they shall have no mind to meddle, when they hear so great an army, that gave out so great words and threats, could effect nothing, but came to such an end.
11 O Israel,11Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God, let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared. and chiefly you inhabitants of Jerusalem, vow praises and thanksgivings to the Lord, for this unspeakable deliverance and miraculous preservation, and forget not to pay what you owe in that kind, let neither supine negligence now you are in peace and quietness, nor unfaithfull covetousness hinder your solemn returns to God, both with inward fervour and outward legall solemnities and sacrifices, yea, let all the heathen people and nations round about, that hear of this wondrous work of God, do homage to him as the onelyonly God, worthy to be worshipped and feared of all the world, even Israels God.
12He shall cut off the spirit of Princes: he is terrible to the Kings of the earth.12 For as he hath done by these, so shall he do by others, even the Princes and Potentates of the earth, if they take not warning, thus they shall be served, it shall cost them their lives if they blaspheme and rebell against God, contemn his worship, or distress his Church, in his wrath shall he destroy them suddainly, and make them a terrour to the Kings of the earth, like as he hath made Senacherib exemplary unto them.