The Book of Psalms Paraphrased, Book 5 · Psalm 132 – Psalm 134
PSALM CXXXII.
A Song of degrees. See CXX.
ARGUMENT.
This Pſalm ſeems to have been compoſed by ſome holy man; after God had given commandment to David, by Gad the Seer, to build an Altar in the threſhing-floor of Araunah the Jebuſite; (where the deſtroying Angel ſtood) and the Lord had anſwered him by fire upon that Altar, 1 Chron. XXI. 18, 26. whereby David knew, what he had till now been ignorant of, that this was the place where God would be worſhipped and have his Temple built, XXII. 1. Accordingly we reade expreſly, that Solomon therefore built the Temple in this place; becauſe God here appeared to David his father, and David deſigned and prepared this place for it: (2 Chron. III. 1.) that there God's habitation might be fixed; and not removed, from place to place, uncertainly, as it had been in former times. For the Tabernacle, which the Hebrews call Miſchkan, had been in an unſettled condition, except one period of time, ever ſince they came into the Land of Canaan. It was firſt pitched in Gilgal, and ſtaid there 24. years. Then it was removed to Shiloh, where it remained, to the death of Eli, 369. years. After his death, Shiloh being laid waſte, it was tranſlated to Nob: where it remained, they ſay, 13. years: (but was now no better then a Cabinet without its Jewel; the Ark being in another place and never reſtored to it, after that deſolation of Shiloh; ſee Pſal. LXVIII.) And then it was carried to Gibeon, where Solomon found it, and from thence fetcht it, when he had finiſhed the Temple. Which the Hebrews therefore call Beth Olamim, the eternal Houſe; becauſe it was fixed to a place, and out of it the Ark never departed, as it had done out of the Tabernacle: but there (as the Pſalmiſt here ſpeaks Verſe 14.) the Lord took up his reſt for ever: Never to depart, that is, to any other place, till the Meſſiah came; who was the Temple of God, in whom the fulneſs of the Godhead dwelt bodily.
There are thoſe that think Solomon penned this Pſalm; becauſe (in the 2 Chron. VI. the two laſt Verſes) he concludes his prayer, at the conſecration of the Temple, with ſome part of it, viz. Ver. 8, 9, 10. And truly, ſince he ſpeaks as if the Prieſts were juſt taking up the Ark to carry it into this reſting place, and there begs that God would not, for David's ſake, turn away the face of his Anointed, (i.e. refuſe to hear his prayer) it is not an improbable conjecture: which I ſhall follow in my Paraphraſe. And connect alſo this Pſalm with the former; to which it ſeems to have reſpect: if we render the laſt word of the firſt Verſe, as the ancient Interpreters doe; not affliction, but humility, meekneſs or modeſty. Yet I have not forgot to take notice of the other ſignification: and in like manner, have expounded that phraſe the mighty God of Jacob, two ſeveral ways, Ver. 2. and 5.
1. LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions:
1. LET it appear, O Lord, that Thou art not unmindfull of the pious humility of my Father David (CXXXI. 1.) who choſe to endure many afflictions; rather then by unlawfull means to prefer himſelf to a Kingdom.
2. How he ſware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob.
2. Which when he enjoyed, his principal care was to provide a ſettled place for the worſhip of God: for he bound himſelf with a ſolemn Oath unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty One, who had preſerved him as He did Jacob, in all his troubles:
3. Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my houſe, nor go up into my bed:
3. Saying, I am reſolved, as I hope to proſper, that I will not come into the new Palace, which I have built for my ſelf, (1 Chron. XIV. 1.) much leſs go to dwell, and take up my lodging there;
4. I will not give ſleep to mine eyes, or ſlumber to mine eye-lids,
4. Nay, I will not lay my ſelf down to reſt, nor take a wink of ſleep;
5. Ʋntill I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
5. Untill I have found out a convenient place for the Ark of the Lord, (1 Chr. XV. 1. XVI. 1, 43.) an habitation for that mighty One; who there makes Himſelf preſent to his people, the poſterity of Jacob.
6. Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood.
6. And now, behold, the Lord Himſelf, to our great joy, hath told us the very place; where He will fix his habitation, (1 Chron. XXI. 18, 26.) in the territory of Bethlem Ephrata, (XXXV. Gen. 16, 19.) in the fields of that Foreſt, where the Angel ſtood; and directed David to build an Altar unto the Lord, 1 Chron. XXI. 18. XXII.
7. We will go into his tabernacles: we will worſhip at his footſtool.
7. Let us go therefore into his Tabernacles; and proſtrating our ſelves before his Majeſty, let us take up the Ark, on which his Glory ſtands, (1 Chron. XXVIII. 2.) with humble reverence: and bring it into the Temple, which is now built for it, 2 Chron. V. 2, 3, 4, &c.
8. Ariſe, O LORD, into thy reſt: thou, and the Ark of thy ſtrength.
8. And be pleaſed, O Lord, together with the Ark, the token of thy powerfull preſence among us, to tranſlate thy Divine Glory thither: (2 Chron. V. 13, 14. VII. 1, 2, 3.) there to ſettle it ſelf, and ſtir from thence no more for ever.
9. Let thy prieſts be cloathed with righteouſneſs: and let thy ſaints ſhout for joy.
9. Guard alſo thy Prieſts, who miniſter unto Thee here, and incompaſs them with thy Goodneſs: (2 Chr. VI. 41.) that they may procure thy bleſſings for others; and make all thy pious Worſhippers, who are dear unto Thee, triumph in thy kindneſs to them.
10. For thy ſervant David's ſake, turn not away the face of thine anointed.
10. I beſeech Thee, have a reſpect to the ſincere piety of my Father David, and thy gracious promiſe to him: (1 Chron. XXII. 2, 10, 14. XXVIII. 2, 6, &c.) and upon that account deny me not; but grant the petitions of thy ſervant, who by thy ſpecial appointment, ſucceeds him in the government of thy people.
11. The LORD hath ſworn in truth unto David, he will not turn from it, Of the the fruit of thy body will I ſet upon thy throne.
11. According to that Oath, whereby the Lord ſecured the Kingdom to his Family; that faithfull Oath, which He will never break, ſaying; One of thy Sons will I advance to ſit upon thy Throne, when thou ſhalt leave it, 1 Chron. XVII. 11. XXVIII. 5. 2 Chron. VI. 10.
12. If thy children will keep my covenant and my teſtimony, that I ſhall teach them; their children alſo ſhall ſit upon thy throne for evermore.
12. Yea, I will perpetuate this royal Dignity, to thy Children in all ſucceeding generations, (and not take it from them, as I did from Saul, 2 Sam. VII. 15, 16.) if they prove faithfull and conſtant in their Religion; and obſerve all the Commandments, whereby I will teach and inſtruct them, how my pleaſure is, that they ſhould worſhip and ſerve me, 1 King. II. 4. IX. 4, 5, 6.
13. For the LORD hath choſen Sion: he hath deſired it for his habitation.
13. For the Lord hath ſuch a love to Sion, the ſeat of the royal Family, (2 Sam. V. 7, 9.) that He hath choſen to place his own dwelling very near unto it, 2 Chron. III. 1. VII. 12.
14. This is my reſt for ever: here will I dwell, for I have deſired it.
14. Saying, this is the place where my Glory ſhall fix it ſelf for ever (2 Chron. VII. 16.) I will remove no more; but here will I take up my abode: for I have pitched on this place; and declared that it is acceptable unto me, above all other, 1 Chron. XXI. 26. XXII. 2.
15. I will abundantly bleſs her proviſion: I will ſatisfie her poor with bread.
15. From whence I will diſpenſe my bleſſings ſo abundantly; that Sion, (which is become the City of God, as well as of David) ſhall never be in any want: But I will make ſuch liberal proviſion for it, by fruitfull years; that the pooreſt perſon there ſhall be ſatisfied with food, 2 Chr. VII. 13, 14.
16. I will alſo clothe her prieſts with ſalvation: and her ſaints ſhall ſhout aloud for joy,
16. I will alſo defend her Prieſts, and they ſhall be giving continual thanks and praiſe, for the bleſſings they ſhall procure for my pious Worſhippers: who ſhall exceedingly triumph in my kindneſs towards them.
17. There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.
17. There will I make the Regal Power and Majeſty of David, to put forth it ſelf afreſh in his royal Succeſſours: no ſooner ſhall one be extinguiſhed, but another ſhall ſhine (1 King. XI. 36. 2 Chron. XXI. 7.) in ſuch ſplendour, as ſhall give a luſtre to the name of that anointed Servant of mine; till the great Prince, the Meſſiah, appear.
18. His enemies will I clothe with ſhame: but upon himſelf ſhall his crown flouriſh.
18. And whoſoever they be that go about to deſtroy this ſucceſſion, they ſhall be ſo miſerably defeated; that they ſhall not be able to ſhew their faces: while, with ſhame and confuſion, they behold the regal Dignity in his Family (notwithſtanding all their attempts againſt it) in an unfading glory.
PSALM CXXXIII.
A Song of degrees of David, ſee CXX.
ARGUMENT.
When there was no other ſtrife among all the Tribes of Iſrael, then who ſhould be moſt forward in returning to their allegiance; and the Children of Judah alſo were inclined as one man to bring back David to his Kingdom, from which his Son Abſalom had driven him, (2 Sam. XIX. 9, 14.) he fell into a rapturous admiration of that happy unity and concord: which he commended to them afterwards in this Pſalm, as their beſt preſervative and ſecurity in future ages. This ſeems to me more probable to be the occaſion of it, then the concurrence of all the Tribes to make him King after Saul's death, (which is the common account that is given of it) for then Sion was not in his poſſeſſion: and it is not likely he would then have made ſuch mention of it as he doth here, while it remained in the hands of the Jebuſites. But whatſoever was the firſt occaſion, it was aptly applied to their condition after the return of their Captivity from Babylon; when, as Theodoret notes, the Tribes, which had been divided by the imprudence of Rehoboam, were then again united: living under one and the ſame Government; and worſhipping God in the ſame place, and the ſame manner, as the Law preſcribed.
It was as fitly uſed by the firſt Chriſtians, to expreſs their joy for the bleſſed union of Jews and Gentiles; and may now ſerve the uſes of all Chriſtian Societies, whoſe happineſs lies in holy peace and concord.
1. BEhold, how good and how pleaſant it is, for brethren to dwell together in unity.
1. O Conſider, how beneficial and delightfull it is, beyond all expreſſion, for thoſe that come from the ſame ſtock, and are of the ſame Religion; to have no differences one with another: but to live together in ſuch a friendly agreement, as if they had but one Soul among them all.
2. It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aarons beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments.
2. I cannot reſemble it to any thing better, then to that excellent ointment compounded of ſeveral ſpices, (XXX. Exod. 21, &c.) which conſecrated the high Prieſt to the Divine Service, (VIII. Levit. 12.) and was poured in ſuch plenty, that running over all his face even to the collar of his garment, (where he did bear the names of all the Tribes of Iſrael) it perfumed all the place with its fragrant odour: for juſt ſo doth this holy concord make you both dear to God, and procure you an excellent fame among men; who cannot but be pleaſed to ſee ſuch variety of humours and inclinations all conſpiring with one accord, to promote the common good of the whole Society.
3. As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that deſcended upon the mountains of Sion; for there the LORD commanded the bleſſing, even life for evermore.
3. The dew of heaven is not more neceſſary for the parched mountains, which though never ſo diſtant one from another, (as far as from Hermon to Sion) are refreſhed with it, then this is for men of all ranks and conditions, who every where perceive the comfortable fruits of it: for to this the Divine favour is immutably annexed, which will pour upon ſuch Societies innumerable bleſſings; giving them an happy and long life, (an earneſt of endleſs felicity) in a conſtant enjoyment of all manner of good things.
PSALM CXXXIV.
A Song of degrees.
ARGUMENT.
It is uncertain by whom this Pſalm was compoſed, but it ſeems to have been made to be ſung by ſome one or more of the Levites, at the ſhutting up of the Gates of the Temple: to excite the reſt, whoſe turn it was to watch that night, to be diligent in their office of ſinging Pſalms, and making devout prayers for the people. It is the laſt of thoſe that have the Title of A Song of degrees, concerning which ſee CXX.
1. BEHOLD, beſs ye the LORD, all ye ſervants of the LORD, which by night ſtand in the houſe of the LORD.
1. ATtend to your duty, O ye Miniſters of the Lord; who not onelyonly by day, but by night alſo reverently wait upon Him in his Houſe: (1 Chron. IX. 33.) ceaſe not to declare how great, and how good the Lord is.
2. Lift up your hands in the ſanctuary: and bleſs the LORD.
2. Be fervent in your devotion; and, diſclaiming all dependance on any thing elſe, praiſe the Lord in his Sanctuary with pure hearts and clean hands; and give thanks for all his benefits.
3. The LORD that made heaven and earth, bleſs thee out of Sion.
3. Pray alſo for his people Iſrael, and ſay; The great Lord, who, though He cannot be confined, being the Creatour of all things yet, hath his ſpecial reſidence in this place, diſpenſe his bleſſings both heavenly and earthly from hence, unto every one of you.