The Book of Psalms Paraphrased, Book 4 · Psalm 93
PSALM XCIII.
ARGUMENT.
There is no Title in the Hebrew to tell… us who was the Authour of this Pſalm: Nor was there any in Origen's Hexaplus, or in Euſebius as Theodoret confeſſes: who found in the Greek Copy which he uſed, this Pſalm called An Ode of David, in praiſe of God: To which hath been ſince added, in the day before the Sabbath, when the earth began to be inhabited. Which Muſculus thinks was not raſhly done by the Greeks: but ſuſpects they were moved to it; becauſe they knew perhaps, that the Jews uſed this Pſalm upon that day. As indeed they did; for the words of the Talmud, in the Title Kediſhim confirm his ſuſpicions: which are theſe (as I find them ſet down by de Dieu, upon the foregoing Pſalm.) The Canticles which the Levites ſung in the Sanctuary, were as follow; on the firſt day of the week, the XXIV. on the ſecond the XLVIII. on the third the LXXXII. on the fourth the XCIV. on the fifth the LXXXI. on the ſixth the XCIII. and on the ſeventh the XCII.
Nor is the matter of this Pſalm more diſtant from the foregoing, then the ſixth day is from the ſeventh; for it ſeems to me to have been compoſed, when ſome of thoſe potent enemies began to take heart again, and threaten to diſturb David's peace and tranquillity: which, in the foregoing Pſalm, he had ſaid he was confident, they ſhould never be able to overthrow. Though in the more ſublime ſenſe, it ought to be applied to the ſtability of Chriſt Kingdom: which ſeveral of the Jews acknowledge is propheſied of; in this, and in all the Pſalms that follow unto the Hundredth.
1. THe LORD reigneth, he is cloathed with majeſty, the LORD is cloathed with ſtrength, wherewith he hath girded himſelf: the world alſo is ſtabliſhed, that it cannot be moved.
1. LET the Nations boaſt of the power and ſplendour of their Kings, and truſt to their military preparations; this is our glory and our confidence, that the LORD reigneth over us: whoſe royal ornaments are not gold and precious ſtones, but Majeſty it ſelf; and is not armed with ſword and ſpear, but with almighty ſtrength, which is ready to fight for us: who have this comfort alſo, that He who made the world, will ſupport that excellent order wherein we are ſettled; ſo that it ſhall not be in the power of man, to diſturb what He hath eſtabliſhed.
2. Thy throne is eſtabliſhed of old: thou art from everlaſting.
2. This we know, becauſe thy Kingdom O Lord is fixed, and immoveable: and did not begin now, when we were made thy peculiar people; but was, as Thou art, from everlaſting.
3. The flouds have lifted up, O Lord, the flouds have lifted up their voice: the flouds lift up their waves.
3. We will not be afraid therefore, though multitudes of combined enemies threaten to break in upon us like a floud: though they ſtorm, and rage, and inſolently vaunt, as if they were ſure to overwhelm us:
4. The LORD on high is mightier then the noiſe of many waters, yea, then the mighty waves of the ſea.
4. Though they roar terribly, and be as numerous as the waters of the Sea; ſwelling like its boiſterous waves, in a furious tempeſt: the great Lord is above them all; and can inſtantly depreſs them, as low as He pleaſes.
5. Thy teſtimonies are very ſure: holineſs becometh thine houſe, O LORD, for ever.
5. And thy fidelity, in performing the promiſes, wherein Thou haſt teſtified thy good will to us, is as unqueſtionable as thy power: no age ſhall find it fail: for it becomes not Thee to ſtart from thy word delivered to us, by thy Oracle; but it is thy glory to obſerve it ſacredly for ever.