Paraphrase Upon the Books of the Psalms, Book 1 · Psalm 22
The Twenty Second Psalme.
TO the ‖Praefect of his Musick.chief Musitian a.upon †the Hind of the Morning.Aiieleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.
Paraphrase. The Twenty Second Psalm was composed by David, on occasion of his own flying from his persecutors, and the calamities that befell him at that time, and belongs mystically to the crucifixion of Christ, and was therein most literally fulfilled in several passages, see Matth. xxvii. 35.43. and was by Christ recited upon the Crosse, either all, or at least some part of it, Matth. xxvii. 46. The Psalm thus composed by David, was committed to the Praefect of his Musick.
1. My Godb. my God, why hast thou forsaken me? *Far from my help are the words—why art thou so farre from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
O my God, O my God, I am forsaken by thee, mine enemies prevail against me, and all my loudest and most importunate cryes to thee for helpe, bring me no relief: How long wilt thou thus leave me to this state of destitution? I beseech thee at length to look upon me (This was farther completed in Christ upon the Crosse, when his divine nature suspended the exercise of his omnipotence so farre, as to deliver up his body to that reproachfull death, and reall separation from his soule; Mat. xxvii. 46.)
2. O my God, I cry in the day time, ‖and ךbut thou hearest not, and in the night season, and†I have no rest. am notc. silent.
O my God, I call and cry unto thee continually, day and night, and thou givest me no redresse, nor least cessation to my afflictions.
3. But thou*perseverest holy, the praises. art holy, dO thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
Yet am I not discouraged by this; I am sure that thou continuest faithful and true, such as canst not forget thy promises; thou art he that hast, and wilt continue to doe all wonderfull things for thy people: and even when for a time thou permittest them to be opprest by their enemies, thou art still most worthy to be magnified and praised by them.
4. Our fathers trusted in thee; they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
We thy people have had long experience of thy mercy and fidelity: our fathers before us in all their distresses have placed their full affiance in thee, for rescue and deliverance, and never failed to receive it from thee.
5. They cryed unto thee, and were delivered; they trusted in thee, and were not†put to shame. foreign confounded.
Upon their humble and constant, and importunate addresses to thee, they continually obtained deliverance from thee, and never were discomfited, or put to shame, in their trusting or relying on thee.
6. But I ame. a worm, and no man, a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7. All they that see me laugh me to scorn; they*put shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8. Hef. trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeingg. he delighted in him.
Mean while I am an abject, weak, contemptible person, reviled and set at nought by the vulgar and baser sort. All that behold my present low condition, think that I am utterly forsaken, and so mock me, and scoffe at me, for trusting in God, or relying on any aid of his, or taking any comfort or ground of hope from my being in his favour. (That these three verses have a largest and most literal completion in Christ in his crucifixion, see note e.)
9. But thou art he that took me out of the womb; thou didst make me hope|upon the brests of my mother, foreign when I was upon my mothers brests.
10. I was cast upon thee from the womb; thou art my God from my mothers belly.
But all this doth not discourage me. I know thy protection hath hitherto supported me in my greatest distresses and weaknesses. Thou broughtest me out of the womb of my Mother; which, duly considered, was a greater deliverance than that I now want from thee; and from that time didst sustain and uphold me, when I was not able to do the least for my self. When I came forth into the world, I had no inheritance, but thy special providence and preservation, which if it had been but one minute suspended, or withdrawn from me, I had been immediately lost: but this thou hast from my first conception thus long continued to me, and thereby testified to me convincingly, that as I have none to depend on but thee, so I may on thee confidently repose my trust.
11. Be not far from me, for†distress foreign trouble is near, for there is none to help.
Now therefore, in the approach of the greatest straits, and the most absolute destitution of all humane aids, be thou seasonably pleased to interpose thy assistance, and not to forsake me utterly.
12. Many|bullocks foreign bulls have compast me;*bulls h.strong bulls of Basan have beset me round.
My enemies are very strong and puissant, and have besieged me very close, brought me to great straites.
13. They gaped upon me with their mouth, as a ravening and a roaring Lyon.
And now are they ready to devour me: and therefore as a Lion, when he is near his prey, makes a terrible roaring, by that means to astonish the poor creature, and make it fall down, through the fright, before him; so do they now rave, and vaunt, and threaten excessively.
14. I am poured out like water, and all my bones†are parted, or, have separated themselves. are out ofi. joynt; my heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
My outward estate cannot better be resembled, than by a consumptive body, brought extream low, dayly pining and falling away very fast, the bones starting one from the other (see v. 17.) and the very heart and most vital parts quite dissolved,
15. My strength is dryed up like a potsheard, and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws, and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
The radical moisture so dryed up, that there is no more left, than in a brick or tile that comes scorcht from the kiln, the tongue dry, and not able to speak, and the whole body ready to drop into the grave.
16. For dogs have compassed me, the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: theyk. pierced my hands and my feet.
For my enemies come about me as fiercely as so many dogs, to rend and tear me; a multitude of malitious people, like a ravenous Lion, have now got me into their power, beset me, and inclosed me, on design to wound and destroy me. (This was most eminently fulfilled in Christ at his crucifixion, that being a real piercing of his hands and feet, and that caused by the importunate clamors of the Jewish sanhedrim and people; and a more literal accomplishment of the words, than belonged to David.)
17. I may tell all my bones, they look and stare upon me.
My civil state, I say, is as low as their state of body, who have no flesh left on it, whose bones consequently are so wide and distant one from another, that they may be numbred (as Christs were to be, on another occasion, by being naked and distended on the cross) and are thereupon lookt on as a prodigy, and scofft at by all beholders (as Christ also was upon the cross, Matt. xxvii. 39.)
18. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
They look on me as their prey, and all that I have as their lawful spoil or pillage, to be divided as by lot, and distributed among them. (This also was more literally fulfilled in Christ, John xix. 23.24. when the souldiers having divided his upper garments into four parts, finding his inner garment to be without seam, would not tear it, but rather cast lots who should have it.)
19. But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, hast thee to help me.
But be thou, O Lord, who art my only aid, in a special manner present, and with speed assistant to me.
20. Deliver my soul from the sword, my|desolate, or only one, foreign see note on Ps. 25. c. darling from the power of the dog.
Rescue me now, I beseech thee, that am lest destitute, and helpless, from the power and malice of these bloody men. (Or, as applied to Christ, thou shalt deliver me out of the grave, and not permit the very jaws or power of death, though it seize on me, to detain me under its dominion.)
21. Save me from the Lions mouth; for thouk. hast heard me from the horns of the Unicorn.
And as formerly thou hast answered my prayers, and preserved me from the strongest enemies, when they most insolently exalted themselves against me; so be thou now pleased to deliver me from those violent men who now are ready to devour me. (And thus was it fulfilled to Christ in his resurrection.)
22. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
And this shall give me continual matter of rejoycing, and proclaiming thy wonderful goodness toward me, and of making the most publick mentions of these thy unspeakable mercies, and ascribing the glory to thee, (this also was fulfilled in Christ, in the Apostles preaching his resurrection in all their assemblies, and magnifying God for it: See Acts ii. 47.) after this manner:
23. Ye that fear the Lord, praise him, all ye the seed of Jacob glorifie him, and fear him all ye the seed of Israel.
O bless and praise the name of our gratious Lord, all ye that profess to be his servants, all ye whom he hath thus taken to himself to be his peculiar people, and shewed such marvelous works of mercy among you; let this be a perpetual obligation to you to magnifie him, and perform all faithful obedience to him for ever. (Of this, as it respects Christ, see St. Peters Sermon Acts iii. 26.)
24. For he hath not despised nor abhorred them. †requestaffliction of the afflicted, neither hath he hid his face from him, but when he cryed unto him, he heard.
Because he is faithfull, and constantly ready to hear and answer the petitions of them that are brought to the lowest condition, and instantly answers them with timely relief, and never finally casts out, or rejects their supplications. (How this was fulfilled in Christ, see Heb. v. 7.)
25. My praise shall be‖from thee foreign of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
From these gratious revelations of thy self unto me, shall I fetch abundant matter of praise and thanksgiving, when I come to thy holy assembly; and there will I constantly offer those sacrifices, which I now devote and consecrate unto thee, that all thy faithful servants may joyn with me in this duty. (This had its completion in Christ, in respect of the commemorative Eucharistical oblations, offered up daily in the Church, in remembrance of Christs death and resurrection.)
26. The meek shall eat and be satisfied; they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
As remembring what certain returns thou makest to the prayers of the distressed, supplyest all their wants, givest them matter of thanksgiving, whosoever make their addresses to thee, and comfortest and revivest them with durable refreshments, when their condition is most disconsolate and destitute. (This is also fulfilled in the Evangelizing and comforting of the poor humble Christian, and in the Eucharistical spiritual food, and the vital effects thereof, of which Sacramentally and by faith they are made partakers.)
27. All the ends of the world shall remember, and turne unto the Lord; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
These miracles of thy mercy shall be recounted through all the world, and bring in many spiritual subjects to thy Kingdome, to serve and adore thee. (This also was most eminently completed in the effects of the resurrection of Christ, that mighty work of Gods power, and mercy, and fidelity, when the Apostles preaching of it to all the world, brought in such multitudes of proselytes to Christ.)
28. For the Kingdome is the Lords, and he is the go…rnor among the nations.
Acknowledging that as the managery and sole government of all the nations of the world doth certainly belong to thee, so all subjection and faithfull uniform obedience is most due unto thee. (This also was an effect of the promulgation of the resurrection of Christ.)
29. All they that be be fat on earth shall eat and worship, all they that goe down into the dust shall bow before him, andn. none can keep alive his own soule.
30. A seed shall serve him, it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
31. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be borne,o. that he hath done this.
And all this for the confirmation of all sorts of men in Gods service: 1. of those that enjoy prosperity in this world, as knowing that they have received it from God: 2. of those that dy, and live not themselves to see thy wonderfull work, yet shall their posterity behold and adore thee for it; or, all mortal men shall confesse that all life, and preservation, and deliverance is from God, and so they and their posterity shall betake themselves to thy service. (How this is fulfilled in Christ, see note n.) And so all successions of men shall declare to their followers, those that are not yet borne to those that shall come after them, how richly God hath performed all his promised mercies, and how seasonably and miraculously, at this time of greatest need, he hath granted me his protection and deliverance.
Annotations on Psalm XXII.
Tit. Aijeleth] For the meaning of the title of this Psalm, foreign the LXXII.foreign may first be considered, which render it foreign, and the Latine pro susceptione matutina, for the morning help. This is by the Learned Grotius thought to proceed from their reading the Hebrew otherwise than now we have it; not foreign but foreign which v. 20. is by them rendred foreign help. But that is a very remote conjecture, the words having no affinity in sound or writing. It is more probable, that from foreign and foreign robur, strength, which is made use of for the aid and relief of others (as in that v. 20. foreign thou art my strength, hasten unto my help) they deduced the word foreign, and took it in the notion of relief, and so render it, foreign help. Upon this conceited notion of foreign it is that Psal. cvii. 17. where the Hebrew hath foreign foreignfools, they transforming foreign fool into foreign robur, do consequently render it foreign, he helped them, the Latine suscepit, and the Syriack foreign helped, or strengthened: and then joyning foreign,foreign of the morning, with it, as denoting the hast or earlinesse of the helpe, they render it foreign, for morning, or speedy, or early help. From this notion of foreign for strength, the Chaldee also paraphrase it, foreign &c. for a strong or powerfull oblation, perpetual for the morning; perhaps from foreign a ramme (such as were usually offered in sacrifice) pitching on the notion of oblation. But the notion which the antient fathers, and from thence the interlinear, and most modern translations have pitcht on, is that of foreign an hind: so Prov. v. 19. in the forme wherein here 'tis foreign an hind, and so frequently foreign an hart, or stagge, Psal. xLii. 2. Gen. xLix. 21. Psal. xviii. 34. Cant. ii. 7. And this beast being generally taken notice of for swiftnesse of foot, (as in that Psal. xviii. 34. thou hast made my feet like hinds feet, in respect of his flight to some place of safety, in the following words, foreign swift as the hind saith the Chaldee) it is therefore here set to denote David in time of his flight from his persecutors; and the rather, because foreign foreignand foreign signifies also a Prince, Ezek. xxxi. 11. foreign the Prince of the Nations, Nebuchadnezzar, and Ezek. xv. 15. foreign foreignsay the Lxxii. the Princes of Moab: and so 2 King. xxiv. 15. we render the mighty of the land, the Chaldee foreign the Princes, and so Isa. Lxi. 3. And thus the title belonging primarily to David in time of his persecution, it very fitly also belongs to Christ at his crucifixion, he being that Hart, and that Prince, which was then pursued to death, and slaughter'd by the Jews; and the Psalm following in many passages more literally belonging to Christ than to David himselfe, in the first completion.
V. 2. My God] In this verse the LXXII. their rendring is observable. First, for the Hebrew foreign foreignMy God my God, they read foreign, God my God, look on me; and so the Latine: the Arabick and Aethiopick adde [my] in the first place, My God, my God, look upon me; the Jewish Arabick, my strong God, my potent God. Here 'tis evident, as oft in other places, that they gave a double signification of the latter foreign; first as reading it foreign my God, and then again foreign to me, which they chose to paraphrase by foreign look, or give heed to me. But our Saviours reciting these words upon the crosse, is an evidence, that this was not the Hebrew reading, but only the descant of the LXXII. Then in the end of the verse, for foreign foreignmy roarings, from foreign rugivit, they read foreign my errors, my incogitances, (as from foreign ignoravit, peccavit) foreign, and the Latine delictorum meorum, of my faults; and so the Syriack foreign of my follies, and the Arabick in like manner. And this is a mistake also. But then thirdly, where the Hebrew hath foreign foreignwhich taking foreign adverbially (as oft it is) is literally rendred thus, the words of my roaring are farre from my help, i. e. from helping me; the LXXII. have followed this construction, foreign— the words— are farre from my deliverance, or, from delivering me; and so the Latine, (and Aethiopick) longè à salute mea verba—the words are farre from my salvation. And to this the Chaldee agrees, foreign farre from my redemption are the words of my cry: and so the learned Schindler renders them, as an instance of the adverbial use of foreign, procul à salute meâ verba rugitus mei, the words of my roaring are farre from my help; and Seb. Castellio to the same purpose, only continuing the interrogation from the beginning of the verse, cur à meis verbis querulis remota salus est? why is deliverance removed from my complaining words? And thus in all reason are they to be rendred, to denote the ineffectualnesse of his complaints, or how little help they brought him. The other rendering puts in [ו and] where the Hebrew hath it not, and joynes together foreign deliverance, and foreign words, which cannot well joyne in sense; whereas this is most simple, only understanding the verbe [are] which is seldome exprest in these writers. Only one thing may deserve to be added from the Jewish-Arabick, who as he concurs in this latter part of the verse, [my words, and my groaning far from my helpe,] so he puts the whole verse in forme of deprecation, not of complaint, expressing the interrogation, why, as usually he doth, by the negative, Forsake me not, so as that my words and my groaning be farre from my helpe:] and that sure is the adaequate importance of them.
V. 2. Silent] The Hebrew foreign foreignsignifies rest or quiet; either of the tongue only, and then 'tis silence, or of the whole body. And so here it is most probable to be taken, to answer the former part of the verse: There 'twas, I cry in the day time, foreign and thou hearest not; and here, and in the night, (repeating foreign I cry) foreign and not, i. e. there is not any quiet to me, i. e. no answer to those prayers of mine which were addrest for quiet or deliverance from my persecutors: and therefore the Syriack, by way of Paraphrase, render it, thou attendest not to me, and so the Arabick also. As for the LXXII. their rendring foreign, which the Latine follows, & non ad insipientiam mihi, and not for folly to me, it will be hard either to give any intelligible account of the meaning of it, or of foreign being rendred by it; unlesse as Exodus xv. 16. foreign still as a stone] signifies senselesseness, so here foreign were thought to signifie senselessnesse, and accordingly, without care of the sense, thus rendred foreign by them.
V. 4. O thou that inhabitest] foreign to inhabite, foreignsignifies also to remain, or persevere: so Psal. cii. 13. thou, O Lord, foreign shalt remain, or continue for ever. And in this sense it will be best taken here, foreign but thou remainest, or perseverest holy, (the derelictions in the former verses doe not tempt him to doubt of it) foreign the praise of Israel; foreignor, O thou, the praises, or which art the praises of Israel, i. e. the object of all their praises; or yet more simply, (without the least ellipsis to be supplied) But thou remainest holy, the praises of Israel. The LXXII. retain the construction in the latter part, reading foreign, and so the Latine, Laus Israel, the praise of Israel, and the Arabick, the glorie of Israel, (as in Simeons song Luk. ii. 32. Christ is said to be the glory of thy people Israel, in whom they should rejoyce or glory:) only in the former part they have somewhat varied, foreign, But thou dwellest in thy holy place; which yet rightly considered, is but a Paraphrase of the sense in which we render it; for Gods dwelling in heaven] is but a phrase to expresse his faithfulness and mindefulness of his promise, his not being changed, and that is it which is meant by his persevering holy. The Chaldee have a little farther receded, but thou art holy who establishest the world for the praises of Israel] with reference, perhaps, to the phansy of the Jews, that the world was created for their sakes and their laws; this Paraphrase of theirs being not free from sundry of their dreams. Yet may these words bear no ill sense, and Gods making and establishing the world for the praises or glory of Israel] signifie his great care, and kindness, and consequently fidelity in performing all his promises to his people. The Syriack differ from all the former, making the whole verse but a compellation of God, in these titles, Thou, O holy, and who sittest in Israel thy glory.
V. 6. A worme] These three verses, though they have a first sense historically verified in David, at the time of his flying from his enemies, yet are they, in a much higher, and also more literal sense, fulfilled in Christ upon the crosse. And 1. the word foreign foreignworme, is thought to have a special energy in it, to denote that kinde of worme, which is begotten of a grain of coccus, or coccinele, a red berry, that yeelds the scarlet juice, with which they dy cloth of that colour, and which is full of those red wormes. So Isa. i. 18. though your sins be as scarlet, the Hebrew hath foreign as a worme, viz. this scarlet-worme. So Lam. iv. 5. they that are brought up on foreign, we rightly render it scarlet. And if it be twice dipt with it, then 'tis a darker and richer colour, Num. iv. 8. and is rendred purple by the Chaldee. And thus is it a sit title for Christ upon the crosse: a worme, in that he is despised, and trodden on, and opprest by the Jews; and more peculiarly this scarlet worme, which being prest, yeelds this rich juice, (viz. his blood) of which this royall scarlet or purple garment is made, wherein we may appear before God. In token of which he was araied in a scarlet robe, Mat. xxvii. 28. at this time peculiarly of his crucifixion. In the next place, when he is here styled the reproach of men, and despised of the people, foreign foreignfrom foreign, to scorne or set at nought, and so by the LXXII. rightly rendred foreign, one set at nought by the people, this is but parallel to that other praediction, signally pointing at his crucifixion, Isa. Liii. 3. he is despised and rejected of men— and farther parallel'd in the story, when they rejected him, and chose Barabbas, Matth. xxvii. 21. when they mocked him, v. 29. spit on him, v. 30. and mocked him again, v. 31. Then for the rest of the words, All they that see laugh me to scorne— they are exactly fulfil'd Mat. xxvii. 39. they that passed by, reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying— he trusted in God, let him deliver him now if he will have him, v. 43. As for the phrase foreign,foreign it may best be rendred, they put out the lip, from foreign emisit, dimisit, laxavit, noting that way of mocking, by the distortion of the mouth or lip; and so it agrees with laughing to scorne] praecedent, and shaking the head] subsequent: so the Syriack renders it, they moved their lips; the Chaldee, foreign they cutt with the lip, as a paraphrase to expresse reproaching or abusing; but the LXXII. only foreign, (and so the Latine, Arabick, and Aethiopick) they spake with their lips, as from the notion of foreign for opening, which applyed to the lips, denoteth speaking with them.
V. 8. Trusted] foreign foreignfrom foreign and foreign volvit, devolvit, roll or devolve, is used for committing, intrusting any thing to another, casting ones selfe on God, which is the phrase used Psal. LV. 22. cast thy burthen upon the Lord. So Psal. xxxvii. 5. foreign roll thy wayes upon the Lord, i. e. commit them to him, cast them on him; farther exprest by the next words, trust also in him— The LXXII. have rendered it according to sense foreign, He hath hoped, and so the Latine, and is fully rendred, Matth. xxvii. 43. foreign he hath confided; so also the Syriack here, and the Arabick by two words, he hath believed and confided. foreign is the imperative mood, and so may fitly be rendred, trust in God, (as a forme of reproach:) so 'tis rendered Psal. xxxvii. 5. But it may possibly be the praeter tense in Kal also, as a contraction of foreign, as that may, by analogy with some other words, be used for foreign.
V. 8. Delighted] foreign foreignvoluit, willed, is frequently used for complacuit, delectatus est, being delighted or pleased with, when it hath the preposition ב following it. And accordingly so the LXXII. their [foreign will in] must be rendred taking pleasure in; and so must the phrase be rendred Mat. xxvii. 43. foreign, not, if he will have him, but, if he love him (so foreign signifies also) if he delight, or have pleasure in him. And thus it peculiarly belongs to Christ, of whom 'tis testified by God at his baptism, Matth. iii. 17. This is my beloved sonne in whom I am well pleased.
V. 12. Strong bulls] The notion of foreign foreignhere must be resolved by the context. The word foreign signifies strong, and is sometimes applyed to God, Psal. cxxxii. 2; sometimes to Angels Psal. Lxxviii. 25. foreign the bread of the strong, we duly render Angels food, from the LXXII. who read foreign, sometimes to men, Isa. x. 13; sometimes to horses, Jer. viii. 16. and xLvii. 3; and sometimes to bulls, when in conjunction with bullocks, Isa. xxxiv. 7. Psal. Lxviii. 30. and here in this place, foreign foreignbullocks immediately foregoing. So Psal. L. 13. speaking of sacrifice, the flesh of the foreign must be the flesh of bulls or oxen. To this it is not amisse to adde, that Jer. xLvi. 15. the LXXII. for foreign read foreign. The words indeed relate to the Aegyptians, whose God Apis was, and as a God, may be so called from foreign, which oft signifies God, the ב, as it is ordinary in several languages, being changed into π, and the ד into ς, as in foreign martyr, foreign celer, and many others, those letters are permutabiles. But that God of the Aegyptians was originally an oxe, or bull; and then why may it not be thus lightly changed from Abir, a bull? And then as foreign signifies a bull also (and in Chaldee foreign from whence the Greek and Latine foreign and taurus) why may not that praefixt to foreign make foreign, and that be lightly changed into Serapis, the other title of the Aegyptians God, which also is no more originally but a bull, or oxe? But this by the way. This therefore being clear, the rendring of foreign must be simply bulls, and with foreign foreignjoyned with it, bulls of Bashan; which being a rich and fruitful place, and the cattel thereof great, and strong and fat, as the inhabitants gyants, Deut. iii. 13. and formidable, Num. xxi. 34. they are here fitly set (Poetically) to expresse potent enemies, and proud insulters; as the Kine of Bashan, Amos iv. 1. are imperious women. This the LXXII. renders foreign, fat bulls, without mention of Bashan; either as reading for it foreign, which signifies fat, or rather thus paraphrastically expressing Bashan, the cattel whereof were fat above any others.
V. 14. Out of joynt] foreign foreignsignifies dividing, parting, dissolving, dispersing, and in Hithpael reciprocally dispersing or parting themselves, so as one leaves or goes from the other. So Job iv. 11. the Lions whelps foreign, we render, are scattered abroad, LXXII. foreign, have left one another, in the notion of dispersing. And so all the antients render it here: the Chaldee foreign were dispersed; the LXXII. foreign, and so the Syriack, and Latine, and Aethiopick, were dispersed; the Arabick, dissolved: and this not to denote dislocation of bones, but their parting one from another, as in a consumption of the whole body, which is here described in this, and the rest of the verse; which is the thing which is here represented, and by it the lownesse of his present condition, or outward estate.
V. 15. Pierced] The double reading of the Hebrew here is commonly taken notice of, foreign foreignthey pierced, and foreign as a Lion; and the Chaldee hath put them both together, foreign biting me as a Lion. But 'tis evident, the LXXII. read it in the former notion only, and so render it foreign they pierced my hands and my feet; and so the Latine, Syriack, Arabick, and Aethiopick. Of these readings the enquiry must be, 1. what force they have in the first intention of the words, as they concerne David; and 2. what is to be said of them in reference to the Prophetick sense, completed in Christ. For the former, if we stand to the present Hebrew-reading, foreign as a Lion, the sense will run thus, the assembly of the wicked hath enclosed me as a Lion, both my hands and my feet, i. e. I am brought into a condition perfectly helplesse, as when a Lion hath one in his power, and is about to seize on him; neither my hands nor my feet can stand me in any stead, the former to resist, or the second to fly: where foreign to enclose] is of the same importance with foreign, so oft used in Scripture, for such an inclosure, as puts one into the power of another. But if the other reading, foreign they pierced, be admitted, the same totall impotence is still discernible. To be bound hand and foot] is the proverbial style of Scripture, for one that is delivered up to utter ruine; but to be nailed, or pierced, or fastned hand and foot, is a much higher expression of the same thing, both in respect of the certainty, and sharpnesse of the ruine. 'Tis easier to unty a knot, then loosen what is nailed, and 'tis more painfull to be pierced, then only restrained from liberty. And so in either of the readings the sense holds fitly to Davids person, as being in a sore distresse, and sad condition. Next then, to consider the place in relation to Christ, prophetically described upon his crosse; many conjectures of learned men are obvious on this place, but none more worthy to be hearkened to, than our two learned Countreymen, both exquisitely skilled in the Oriental languages, Mr. Nic. Fuller, and Mr. Ed. Pocock. From the†Miscel. l. 3. c. 12. Collections of the former we learn, that both from the little Masoreth, and from Rabbi Jacob son of Haym, and from his own ocular experience of many copies,*in defens. Hebr. Lect. advers. Lindan. Joan. Isaac Levita hath demonstrated foreign they pierced] to be the reading in the text or chetib, and the other foreign as a Lion, only in the Margine, or chere. And this farther manifested by the rendring of Aquila, one very favourable to the Jewish interest, who rendred it as a verbe, not as a substantive, and so only according to the textual, not the marginal reading. From the‖Not. Miscel. c. 4. latter we have a more particular, literal, minute account of the word it selfe: foreign, they pierced, either from foreign, or from foreign, as that is found in the Arabick (and so probably in Hebrew antiently) to be all one with foreign sodere, to digge, or pierce, and from whence is Alcaur, the digging of the earth, and Cawar, hastâ confodere, to run through with a spear. Or if it be read, as in their margine, foreign, then also is his conjecture very ingenious, that it be taken for the participle present in Kal in the plural number, from foreign, and from thence foreign, of which he brings many examples. To this he addeth also, that the Chaldees paraphrastical rendring (which from the likenesse of the word foreign, as a Lion, took occasion thus to expresse the notion of the participle, and therein the manner of their savage usage) was the original of that double reading of the Hebrew; and indeed not an effect, but the cause of it. As for those who suspect our reading as a falsification of the Christians, besides many other evidences of conviction, he there gives us the testimony of David Kimchi; who taking notice of the Christians reading in this place, different from the Jews, doth not accuse them of any fraud, as elsewhere he doth Psal. cx. and probably would have done, if he had not known that they had herein followed the most emendate copies.
V. 21. Hast heard me] From foreign to speak, or answer, or hearken to another, is the word foreign foreignhere, thou hast heard, or answered me. This verbe the LXXII. read, as if it were a noune from the other notion of foreign afflixit, and so read foreign my affliction or humiliation, (and from them the Syriack and Latine &c.) as if it were foreign my affliction.
V. 24. Affliction] foreign foreignfrom the praecedent foreign may signifie affliction, or low estate: but all the antient interpreters render it in the notion of prayer, and the like; the Chaldee foreign the prayer, the LXXII. foreign prayer, the Latine deprecationem, and so the Arabick, and the Syriack foreign the cry; and so the not despising or abhorring or casting out] will best agree with it, and the subsequents also, when I cryed unto him he heard: And so the word will well enough bear, from foreign to speak, as that is here applyed to foreign the poore, of whom the wise man saith, the poor man speaketh supplications.
V. 29. Keep alive] Where the Hebrew reads foreign foreignand he hath not quickened his soule, the LXXII. (and Syriack, Latine, Arabick, Aethiopick) render, foreign, and my soule lives to him, for foreign his soule, reading foreign my soul, for foreign not, foreign to him; and then joyning the masculine foreign to the faeminine foreign. But the Chaldee rendering it foreign and the soule of the wicked he shall not enliven] doe evidence our vulgar reading of the Hebrew to be that which they then used, and so the LXXII. to have mis-read it. The literal meaning of it is somewhat difficult. Castellio's conjecture is not unfit to be taken notice of, who joyns it with that which follows, thus; and he that hath not quickened his soul, i. e. who is dead, foreign foreignhis seed shall serve him, Eorum progenies, quorum vita non perdurat, eum colent, the progeny of them whose life continues not, shall serve or worship. And thus may the ellipsis be well enough supplied, and with as little violence as any other way. Yet because both foreign and foreign are in the singular, not plural number, (and foreign seed, without any affix of any number, must agree with those) it will be more reasonable to change his plural, eorum, and quorum, into ejus, and cujus, and then reteining that his way of interpretation, the rendring will be literally this; and for him who doth not enliven his soul, i. e. who dies, his seed or posterity shall serve him, i. e. God. This may have a commodious meaning, in respect of David himselfe, that when he is dead, and so can praise God no longer himselfe for these his mercies, yet his posterity shall praise God for them, and by that ingagement be moved to undertake, and adhere to his service. But in respect of Christ, the completion is more signal; that though he dy, yet he should have a numerous posterity, and those begotten, as it were, by his blood-shedding: as Isa. Liii. 10. when he hath made his soule an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, and this seed of his shall serve him, viz. the multitude of Christians that adore the crucified Saviour; of whom it very agreeably follows, that they shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation, being the men that make up the foreign the future age, (as Christianity is called) of which Christ is stiled foreign the father, in the LXXII. their rendring of Isa. ix. 6. If this be not the meaning of the place, then taking the words by themselves, foreign and enlivens not his own soule,] must probably be thus supplyed, as our English hath it, and none can keep (or more literally to foreign hath kept alive) his own soule: i. e. in relation to David, 'tis God that hath delivered and preserved him, and none else could have done it, being destitute of all worldly aides; and the same by way of pious aphorisme, is appliable to all others, all deliverance from the least to the greatest streight or danger, is totally to be imputed to God. But most eminently and signally to Christ, who being dead in the flesh, was quickened by the spirit; being put to that shamefull death of Crucifixion in his humane nature, was raised again by the power of his divine nature; and in that was founded the propagation of the Christian Religion, as the interpretation of that which follows, His seed shall serve him, and be numbred foreign foreignor accounted to God for a generation.
V. 31. That he hath done this] Where the Hebrew hath foreign foreignthat, or, because he hath done it, the Chaldee renders paraphrastically, and in sense, foreign the miracles which he hath wrought. The LXXII. applying it to the people that should be born, reads, foreign, which the Lord hath made, (and so the Latine and Aethiopick, and the Syriack also, save that they read it in the future.) That which is most exact, and according to the letter, will be to render foreign because he hath wrought it, by it meaning the righteousnesse praecedent: so Castellio renders it, ut exponant quâ sit usus justitiâ, that they may shew what righteousnesse he hath wrought; by righteousnesse meaning either fidelity, and performance of promise, or more fitly, in the sacred notion of foreign foreign, benignity or beneficence.