Paraphrase Upon the Books of the Psalms, Book 1 · Psalm 37
The Thirty Seventh Psalm.
A Psalm of David.
Paraphrase. The thirty seventh Psalm, composed by David, is an exhortation to contentment, and chearfull submission to all Gods dispensations; especially his eminent work of providence, in permitting wicked men to prosper for a while; with addition of reasons to inforce that exhortation, the consideration especially of the farre happier condition of godly men.
1. ‖Be not emulous. See noted.Fret not thy selfe because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
There is very little reason that any man should envie the prosperous condition of wicked men in this world, or be excited or tempted thereby to*to be like them or, joyn with them. Chald. take the same course.
2. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
For their prosperity is not likely to be durable: though they flourish for a while, yet is this no more than the verdure of the g…asse or herb of the field, which presently fades away, and then it is cut down, and carried thence.
3. Trust in the Lord, and doe good;†dwell is the land, and keep, or feed in or by faith, or continually. so shalt thoua. dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Thy much more prudent and thriving course is, to adhere and cleave fast to God, to place thy full trust in him, and goe on cheerfully in doing all the good thou art capable of; and so to continue and increase, to dwell, and seed and live in faith, to order all thy actions by the rule of Gods will and commands, as long as thy abode is on this earth.
4. Delight thy selfe also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart.
Let all thy designes, thy pleasures thy satisfactions be placed in God; let it be thy greatest joy to doe what is most acceptable to him: and then never doubt but he will bestow on thee that which is absolutely best for thee; and even whilst he withholds from thee what thou most wishest, give thee that which thou shalt finde to be much more for thy turne, and so more eminently the object of thy universal desires, those of craving that which is most for thy advantage.
5 *Devoke thy way on the Lord, and hope … him.b.Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.
Whatever thou wantest or desirest, leave it to God; make all thy applic…tions to him, and depend on him, that he will either give thee in kinde what thou desirest, or by aequivalence somewhat that is better for thee.
6. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day.
And what slanders or calumnies soever others shall lay upon thee, God will in his time, by his own wayes, vindicate thine integrity.
7. ‖Be silent to—c.Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:†envy n…t, be not a m… lous. d.fret not thy selfe because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Never think fit to repine, or complain, or murmure at Gods oeconomy, to object, if it be but in thy heart, against the prosperity of wicked men, and the strange successefulnesse of their ungodly designes; much lesse be instigated by these considerations to imitate them: have patience a while, and thou shalt see much of Gods wisdome, and justice, and even of mercy in this dispensation of his;
8. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;*envy not so as to doe evil also. fret not thy selfe in any wise to doe evill.
Such as may reasonably supersede all thy displeasure and dislikes, and secure thee from so envying their lot, as to think fit to imitate them.
9. For evill doers shall be cut off: but those that waite upon the Lord, these shall inherite the earth.
For the generall common end of wicked doers is untimely excision, signal punishment even in this life, (and that certainly attended with the miseries of another life:) whereas the lot of pious men, that adhere and keep f…st to God, is generally length of dayes, and prosperity in this world, (and if that fail, an abundant compensation of blisse in another world.)
10. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
Those that now prosper most, and are lookt on at favoured by providence above others, shall after a small space, be as remarkable for Gods judgements and vengeance, even eradication of them and their posterities.
11. But the meeck shall inherite the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
When the patient waiters on God, that will not enterprise any unlawfull course, to deliver themselves from any pressure, by some good motion of the divine providence, are returned to the most prosperous condition, to abundance of all felicity in this life.
12. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
Atheisticall wicked men are bitterly displeased at the righteous, and lay designes of treachery and mischief against such.
13. The Lord shall laugh at him; for he seeth that his day is coming.
But God dissipates their projects, frustrates and disappoints them, by bringing his vengeance upon them.
14. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
15. Their sword shall turn into their heart, and their bowes shall be broken.
When ungodly men have made all their cruellest preparations, for the oppressing all that are weaker, or more conscientious then themselves, and think they have great advantages on their side, by reason of their strength, and policy, and forwardness to adventure on any thing, be it never so unlawfull, especially when 'tis …gainst those that want strength, make not use of secular wisdome, and abhor the admitting of any unlawful means for the preserving of themselves, it is very observable, how, against all humane likelyhood, God converts their projects into their own ruine, and secures good men from the evils that were designed against them.
16. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
And therefore as there is an emptiness, and want of satisfaction in all wealth that is ill gotten; so there is also such a curse and blast attending it, that the meanest pittance well acquired is …uch to be preferred, in these (as in many other) respects, before all the possessions of all the wicked men in the world.
17. For the armes of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.
For as God is in justice ingaged to subdue the power, and blast the prosperity of wicked men; so hath he, by his gracious promise, obliged himselfe to support the pious man; and either to deliver him out of his pressures, or to uphold him under them.
18. The Lord knoweth the dayes of the upright; and their inheritance shall be for ever.
The actions of good men are seen, and laid up, and will not faile of being rewarded by God, not only with the comforts of this life continued to them and theirs, but especially with the greatest and most valuable rewards, a never failing possession in heaven secured to them.
19. They shall not be ashamed in the evill times; and in the dayes of famine they shall be satisfied.
In times of adversity, persecution and distresse, they shall be richly provided for; and even when others want, they shall have a competency as long as they rely on God, he will not fail them, nor destitute them.
20. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall‖shall consume as the pretious part of rams, they shall consume into smoak. bee. as the fat of lambs: they shall consume, into smoak shall they consume away.
But refractory men, opposers of the wayes of God, shall be used as Gods sacrifices, slain in the midst of their prosperity, burnt to ashes, and consumed into smoak; they shall finally and utterly be destroyed.
21. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
There is great difference in the actions of pious and wicked men, and such as, one would think, should much tend to the inriching the wicked, and impoverishing the pious. The former parts with nothing, neither gives, nor lends, but on the contrary borrows as much as he can, and never thinks of repaying: but the latter is so farre from such injustice, that he abounds in all works of charity and mercy, and never expects the least return for it. Or the wicked is generally in a broken, indigent, necessitous condition, is forced to borrow, and is not able to repay, and so incurrs the miseries of a wretched debtor, Mat. 18.34. but the righteous is so far from this estate, that he is able to lend and give to others.
22. For†the blessed. such asf. be blessed of him shall inherit the earth: and*the cursed. they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
And the reason is clear: God hath the disposing and distributing of the things of this world; and he hath promised his blessing to the pious and just and charitable, and denounced curses to the unjust, impious, and withall penutious, and griping worldling: accordingly so it is, he prospereth the former, and gives them and their posterities a peaceable and plentifull being here; and blasteth and curseth, and rooteth out the other.
23. The steps of a‖man foreign good man are ordered by the Lord; and he†shall accept foreign delighteth in his way.
As long as mens actions are conformable to the will of God, and the directions which he gives for the guiding of them, (as the actions of the just and charitable are) in an high degree, so long are they most acceptable, and well-pleasing to him, and so sure to be accepted by him.
24. Though he fall, he shall not be*cast away, or, dasht to pieces. utterlyg. cast down; for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
They that are carefull of these practises, when afflictions befall, shall not be ruined by them: for God, by his secret wayes of providence, shall support them under, or deliver them out of them.
25. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen theh. righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
From the beginning of my life to this day making diligent observation in this matter, I am now able truly to pronounce, that I never could see or hear of any example of a just, and pious, and virtuous man, that was eminently charitable and mercifull-minded, that ever brought himselfe or his posterity to want by that means.
26. He is‖all the day, or every day, foreign ever mercifull and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
Though he be continually pouring out of his store, in works of mercy, giving and lending freely to those that want, which a man would think sufficient to wast and ruine his worldly plenty, and impoverish him, or at least his posterity; yet he that observes shall finde it much otherwise, that the posterity of such scatterers generally thrive much the better for it.
27. Depart from evil, and doe good, and dwell for evermore.
And therefore the most prudent thriving course imaginable is this; strictly to abstain from all known sin, and to be carefully exercised in all good works, especially those of mercy; and then thou hast the promise of a long and prosperous life here, and of heaven and immortal glory hereafter.
28. For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his†mercifull ones, foreign Saints: they are preservedi. for ever; but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
For the lives of just men are acceptable to God, and to mercifull charitable men peculiarly the promise is made, that God will shew them mercy, and deal with them as they have dealt with others, relieve and support them in their distress, and signally prosper them and their posterity; and yet farther reserve a rich reward for them in another world: whilst his judgments remarkably seise on the posterity of wicked men, especially of the unjust and covetous oppressor.
29. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
Accordingly you shall observe, that just, pious, and mercifull-minded men, have their peculiar portion of a long and prosperous life in this world, they, and their posterity, if they walk in their steps.
30. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdome, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
31. The law of his God is in his heart: none of his steps shall slide.
All such mens thoughts and discourses are busied on the true saving (not worldly, carnal or diabolical) wisdome, on the practice of virtue, and the sincere obedience to all Gods commands. And this God is sure to reward with his assistance and support, and accordingly preserve them from all evill.
32. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
33. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
'Tis to be expected indeed, that wicked men should use all arts, and attempts of treachery, to oppress, and even to undoe, and kill the pious and meek, charitable person, who is most weakly furnished with worldly aids to repel or secure himselfe from their malice: But then God will interpose for his relief, and avert their designed violence from him.
34. Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherite the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
Keep close to God, and in obedience to all his laws, and in so doing rely and depend with confidence on him, and prepare thy selfe contentedly to bear whatsoever he shall send; and doubt not but, in his due time, he will bring thee to a prosperous condition, even in this world (unless in his secret wisdome he see it better for thee to expect thy full reward in another world, and that is infinitely more desirable to thee:) and thou shalt live to see his punishments poured out upon the ungodly.
35. I have seen the wicked‖terrible. k.in great power, and spreading himself like a†green tree sprung up in the place, or a flourishing native. green bay-tree.
It is matter of very vulgar observation, that wicked men are very great and formidable for a while, flourish and prosper exceedingly, and have moreover all seeming advantages to aeternize this prosperity to them and their posterity, and are not discern'd to have any thing come crosse, to hinder their thriving in the world:
36. *AndYetl. he passed away, and loe, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
And yet of a suddain, in a trice, they are destroyed, and no remainder of them is to be found; their very memory is utterly gone.
37. m.Marke the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the‖last part. end of that man is peace.
This you may generally observe, that sincere and just (especially if they be also charitable, mercifull) men doe (what ever pressures they meet with for a time) at length recover a peaceable and prosperous condition to them and their posterity.
38. But the transgressors shall be destroyed†at once. n.together; and the*last part. end of the wicked shall be cut off.
But wicked men, on the contrary, come to utter ruine and destruction: and though it be long deferred sometimes, yet it comes with a vengeance at last, to the cradicating them and their posterities.
39. For the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord; he is their strength in the time of trouble.
And the account is clear; God by his providence delivers the righteous and mercifull men, defends and supports them in all their distresses.
40. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them; he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
And a sure tenure they have in his mercy for assistance and preservation from all the machinations of wicked men, as being in the number of those that rely and depend on God, according to his own promise; and so may from his fidelity expect and challenge deliverance.
Annotations on Psalm XXXVII.
V. 3. Dwell] The latter part of this v. 3. is variously interpreted. And first for foreign,foreign all the antients agree to render it in the Imperative, inhabite the land, or dwell in it. And then all the difficulty is, whether this imperative have not the sense of a future, (as oft it hath.) If so, then our English hath rightly rendred it, so shalt thou dwell; and so the Lxxii. which render this imperatively, foreign, inhabite the land, render the next word foreign foreignand seed, foreign, and thou shalt be fed. And thus it will bear a probable sense; Trust in the Lord, and doe good; dwell in the land, i. e. by way of promise, thou shalt dwell in the land, and be fed, i. e. provided for, foreign (adverbially) constantly, continually: as v. 27. Doe good, and dwell for evermore. But I suppose, the imperative sense may also very fitly be reteined, and the force of it be discerned, either first, by taking it by it selfe, (as if the precept were therein terminated, viz. in their dwelling in the earth) in respect of those many commands, given to the Jews, of not going down into Aegypt, of not mixing, or conversing with any heathen; by force whereof this of dwelling in the land must be looked on as a strict duty: or Secondly, by joyning it with (and making it preparative to) the latter; which that it may be perspicuous, we must next examine the meaning of foreign.foreign And here for foreign feed, the Syriack rendering foreign, and seek, seems to have read, with the change of a letter, ב for ר, foreign seek; and then the sense is obvious, Seek truth. Nay foreign in Kal frequently signifies to love, to be a friend, see Psal. xiii. 20. and xxviii. 7. and xxix. 3. Judg. xiv. 20. and then 'tis, love, or be a friend or companion of truth. But all the other Interpreters adhere to our Hebrew reading, and the notion of feeding: the Lxxii. Latine, and Arabick, agree in foreign, thou shalt be fed; and the Chaldee, that renders it foreign and be strong in the faith, did most probably mean by that paraphrase to express it, food being the means of strength. Then for foreign.foreign The noun signifies either faith, or fidelity, or certitude and constancie. The Lxxii. it seems take it to signifie riches, as being the things that worldly men most trust in; and so they render it foreign, with the wealth thereof, as taking ה for an affix or pronoun, and foreign as all one with foreign mammon, riches. And thus also the Latine, and Arabick read from them. But there is no ground for this rendring. The only probable account is, that, if foreign be taken for feeding, and foreign not taken adverbially, then, as a noune, it here signifie, as ordinarily it doth, faith, so as to accord with trust in the beginning of the verse: and then understanding (as 'tis frequent) the preposition ב, the plain rendring is, foreign and feed in faith; so as Hab. 11.4. the just shall live foreign in his faith. To live in, or by his faith, is to spend his life, and order his actions according to the rule of faith, the will and pleasure of God; which is the norma or square of a just mans life and actions. And thus to feed, and live, is all one: and so to feed in, or by his faith, to keep faithfully to the commands and will of God, as sheep, that keep in the fold, as the shepherd would have them. And then here is another probable sense of these two last branches put together: Dwell in the land, and feed in faith, i. e. all the time that thou livest on the earth, dwell and feed in faith, continue in faith, and affiance, and adherence to God, fall not off from him into any evill course, whatever the temptations may be. Another not improbable way of interpreting the place may possibly be fetcht from the use of foreign among the Arabs, for observing, or keeping a command, or covenant, &c. as also to observe what will come of a thing: and then foreign will be, keep truth, or faith, adhere constantly to it; or again, observe what will come of it, what will be the end of it.
V. 5. Commit] foreign foreignfrom foreign volvit, is literally, roll; see note on Psal. xxii. f. And so here it clearly signifies, Roll thy way on God, divolve all thy concernments on him. But the antient Interpreters generally render it, as if it were foreign from foreign to reveal: so the Chaldee, Manifest thy way to the Lord; the Lxxii. foreign, reveal; and so the Latine and Arabick; yea, and the Jewish Arabick translator, Discover to him thy occasions, or matters, or needs, but gives no account of his thus rendering of foreign. But the Syriack read foreign direct thy way before the Lord.
V. 7. Rest] foreign foreignsignifies to be silent, and our English dumbe seems to be deduced from thence; and the silence in this place appears to be that, which is contrary to murmuring or complaining. The Chaldee render it foreign, from foreign siluit, quievit, tranquillus fuit; the Lxxii. foreign, be subject, by way of paraphrase, the absolute subjecting and submitting our selves to Gods will, being the full importance of this silence. As for foreign foreignthat follows, from foreign in the notion of foreign expectavit, (and accordingly the Chaldee render it foreign expect) the Lxxii. render it foreign, deprecate, as from foreign, which thus signifies; and because the praying to God is not only reconcileable with patient expecting, but withall is the ground thereof, (we have no reason to expect any relief, which we doe not pray for from God) therefore, I suppose, the Lxxii. moved also with the affinity of the words, foreign and foreign, chose to explicate it by this paraphrase: and the Syriack do more than imitate them; rendring foreign be silent, by foreign seek or aske from] as well as the other by [pray,] Aske of the Lord, and pray before him.
V. 7. Fret] foreign foreignfrom foreign or the quadriliteral foreign to envie, to contend, to emulate, to strive to be like or equal to, will here be best rendered, emulate, or envie not, so as to be incited to doe what the wicked doe, by seeing how well they prosper. Thus the Lxxii. render it foreign, envy or emulate not; so the Syriack, Latine, Arabick, and Aethiopick. The Chaldee also to the same sense, foreign provoke not, instigate not thy selfe at the wicked, who succeeds in his way, the man that executes or performs the counsell of the wicked. And that this of envying or emulating so, as to be stirred up (by way of emulation) to doe the like, is here meant, appears farther by v. 8. where the same word is used again with this addition, foreign foreignto doe evill also: foreign, say the Lxxii. so as to commit wickedness; and the Chaldee, be not incited or instigated that thou doe evill; and the Syriack, emulate him not to commit iniquity; and the Arabick most expresly by way of Paraphrase, imitate not the evill man. And thus it was before v. 1.
V. 20. Fat] From foreign pretiosum, is foreign foreignhere, as the pretious, i. e. the fat, foreign of rams, or lambs; the fat being most pretious, and most useful in the sacrifices, and that which is burnt, and, as here it follows foreign foreignis consumed in, or into smoak. Thus 'tis ordinary in Scripture to resemble wicked men, both in themselves, and in their punishments, to sacrifices or holocausts, utterly burnt or destroyed before the Lord. The sacrifice is first fatted, and then slaughtered and killed before the Lord: and so are wicked men permitted to prosper in this world, and grow rich, and proud, and then they are cut off, and destroyed utterly and eternally. The Chaldee, that render it here, the glory of the rams, adde by way of paraphrase, which are first fatted, and then their throats are cut; adding, so shall the wicked faile, and be consumed in the smoak of hell. And the Syriack in like manner, not by literal rendering, but by way of Paraphrase, The enemies of the Lord being fatted, are consumed, and goe away like smoak. The Lxxii. render it foreign, as soon as they are glorified and exalted;] taking foreign in the notion of being honoured, and for foreign foreignof rams, reading foreign, as from foreign exaltatus fuit, and ב servile. And thus also the Paraphrase is good; as soon as they are honoured and exalted, foreign, they faile or consume as smoak: and so the Arabick, when they are glorious and lifted up, they utterly fail, as smoak when it consumes. Other interpretations are given by the Hebrews. Abu Walid and Aben Ezra mention the grass of the pastures, or wood [or bushes] of the fields, which being burnt are turned into smoak. The Jewish Arab reads, like the heavy [clouds] of the meadows (as foreign is by Abu Walid and R. Tanchum interpreted, thick, heavy, involved clouds, Zach. xiv. 6.) which seeming to lye heavy over the earth, suddenly turn into smoak, and vanish. This seems to have pleased R. Sol. Jarchi.
V. 22. Blessed] foreign foreignthe blessed of him, is by the Lxxii. rendred foreign in the active, they that blesse him, according to the liberty that they frequently take of paraphrasing (instead of literal rendering) and taking in words of affinity, in order to that. And thus the sense well bears; Gods blessings generally belonging to those that are liberal, and such being said to bless God, because their liberality is an act of acknowledgement or thanksgiving, and what they doe to his poor servants, he accounts as done to himselfe. But the Chaldee and Syriack read it in the passive, the blessed of God, or those that are blessed of him.
V. 24. Cast down] foreign foreignis variously interpreted. The Lxxii. read foreign, which the Latine rightly renders, non collidetur, he shall not be dasht to pieces, as many things are by falling: but the Arabick, he shall not be troubled, as if they read it foreign, or foreign, which thus signifies: but the Syriack more singly, he is not hurt; the Chaldee by way of Paraphrase, if he fall into infirmity, he shall not dy. The Hebrew foreign signifies in Niphal either simply to be thrown, or else to be cast away, as when Jon. i. 5. the wares in the ship are cast into the Sea, or Jonas himselfe v. 12. and 15. and so it may signifie here, viz. so to fall, as to be cast away, or lost by the fall; but more probably, (and with more propriety to the mention of falling) to be thrown (as that notes a real passive, together with the effect thereof, thrown) to the ground, so as to be dasht in pieces by the fall: and to that the Lxxii. incline.
V. 25. Righteous] That foreign foreignrighteous, frequently in sacred style signifies a charitable or mercifull man, hath oft been observed, (see note on Mat. i. 9.) And that here it must be taken in that sense, appears by the context v. 21. the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth, and v. 26. He is ever mercifull and lendeth— and then there, as here, after all his profusion, his seed is blessed. But this must be taken with one caution, that this of almes-giving is but a part of the righteousness here meant, not the whole of it; the word, as it oft signifies the almes-giver, so oft signifying other parts of our duty to God, and man, and our selves, and all of them comprehended under it. And so the full importance of it here must be, he that to the other parts of a pious and good life, is observed to superadde (see v. 27.) a special degree of mercifulness and communicativeness to them that want, though of all other virtues that be most probable to diminish the possessions, yet it is the Psalmists observation, that he never saw any man impoverished by the most liberal practice of it, but, on the contrary, that his seed is blessed, his posterity is the more prosperous and flourishing by it.
V. 28. For ever] In this place there is a concurrence of two things,foreign which cast some suspicion on the Hebrew text, which now we have, as if it were some way altered from what the original copies read. For 1. this being an alphabetical Psalm, as it is acknowledged, it is yet manifest, that the leter ע is omitted: 2. the LXXII. in this place put in two words, which are not found in our Hebrew; some copies read them foreign, the blameless shall be avenged, and so the Arabick, others, foreign, but the wicked shall be persecuted, and so the Latine, injusti punientur, the unjust shall be punisht. And then 'tis the conjecture of some, that foreign being the Hebrew word for unjust, began that verse, and then there is the ע that was wanting. But then 1. it is certain, that neither the Chaldee nor Syriack acknowledge any such insertion, but follow our Hebrew herein exactly: 2. that farre lesse change will afford us the ע which we want, to complete the alphabetical order of the verses; viz. by reading foreign for ever are they kept, without the preposition ל, (which elsewhere is omitted) and then beginning the division with that ע, which is in foreign. And this is the most probable account to be given of this difficulty.
V. 35. Great power] From foreign timuit, is the noun foreign foreignformidable, terrible: The Interpreters generally render it by way of Paraphrase; the Chaldee foreign strong, powerfull; the Syriack, boasting; the LXXII. foreign, exalted above measure, and so the Latine and Arabick. But in that which follows, they use greater liberty. The Hebrew hath foreign sp…eading himself as an indigena flourishing: for so foreign,foreign from foreign effudit, signifies in Hithpael, to dilate and spread it selfe; foreign,foreign from foreign ortus fuit, is indigena, born or sprung up in that place where he continues, and is here generally thought to be limited by the adjunct foreign flourishing, to the notation of a tree, foreign a tree sprung up in the place, saith the Chaldee, any green root, or flourishing plant, saith Abu Walid, and the Jewish Arab, that springs in a moist fruitful place. And this, I suppose, because trees &c. that grow where they first sprang up, without removing to any other place, doe thrive and prosper fastest. And accordingly foreign,foreign from foreign to be green, signifies it well provided with leaves, and so with verdure. And that perhaps is the reason, why some late Interpreters have rendred it a bay tree, because that, with some others, is all the year long green. But the truth is, after all this, the rendering it a tree, hath no certain foundation. foreign signifies a free-borne person, or citizen, as that is opposed to a stranger Lev. xxiii. 42. every foreign in Israel, i. e. Israelite borne, foreign saith the Chaldee, Indigena in Israel. So Lev. xxiv. 16. foreign as well the stranger as he that is born in the land: &c. xix. 34. foreign the stranger shall be as one born among you; foreign, a native say the Lxxii. and the word is never pretended to be used in Scripture, elsewhere, for any but a man, a native Israelite. That it should signifie a tree here, Interpreters have been induced to resolve, from the Epithet foreign adjoyned to it. But sure that is of no force, being elsewhere applied to Nebuchadnezzar the King, Dan. iv. 4. I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in my house, foreign and flourishing in my palace. As for foreign spreading, which is also appliable to a tree, neither is that of any force, in the Targums iudgement, which renders it by no more then foreign strong. As for foreign (following in the next verse) that is rather a prejudice to the notion of a tree, for a tree doth not use to pass by. And indeed, when the most flourishing tree dyes, it yet remains in the earth, and cannot be said to pass away, &c. untill it be cut down, and carried away root and all. And in brief, they that resolve foreign here to be a tree, pretend not to know or determine what tree it is. It may therefore be competently probable, that it signifies here, as in all other places, a native Israelite: for such had many advantages, above a stranger, to secure his own being, and that of his posterity. For his estate could never be sold outright; and as long as he had any brother or kin alive, he could never be without hope of issue, his next of kin was to marry his wife, and raise up seed to him that died without any. Whereas the stranger on the other side had no such priviledge, but was subject to usury, and all exactions. In these respects it is very reasonable thus to interpret David here, that being to express the suddain and miraculous decay of an ungodly person, that was most unlikely for such a fate, he should instance in a native Israelite, which was provided for, and secured by such priviledges, and moreover was 1. foreign spreading, had many children, and branches of kindred, a numerous family, or, as the Targum renders it, foreign strong, and so vital; 2. foreign very fresh and flourishing; and notwithstanding all these advantages of stability, past by as a shadow, and left no memorial, or footstep behind him of his being. For all this the LXXII. hath foreign, exalted as the Cedars of Libanus; and so the Latine, Arabick, and Aethiopick. This‖Schindl. Pentagl. p. 503. D. learned men suppose to be by their reading foreign cedar, for foreign indigena, and†see Gr… tius. foreign Lebanon, for foreign green. But I rather believe, that according to their wont, they choose thus to paraphrase the darker expression; and the rather, because of this affinity of the words, which is frequently observed to have had force with them. And so the Syriack, that follows not them, doth yet use this other paraphrase, extol themselves as the trees of the wood; without question reading as we now read, but taking this liberty of expressing the sense by other not very distant words.
V. 36. Passed] The Lxxii. here read in the first person, I passed by, where the Hebrew hath foreign foreignhe passed by: and the Syriack, as well as Latine and Arabick, follow the Lxxii. But the Chaldee adhere to the Hebrew, foreign and he passed or failed from the age or world, (according to the usual notion of foreign in Arabick,) and loe he was not—
V. 37. Mark] This v. 37. is somewhat ambiguous in the Original, and so is very distantly rendered by the antient Interpreters, from that which our English and late Interpreters give it. By the Chaldee, Keep integrity, and respect uprightness or straightness, for the end of a man is peace. Where 'tis evident that foreign foreignand foreign,foreign which are, as we render them, concretes, the perfect man and the upright, are by them rendred in the abstracts, foreign and foreign integrity and uprightness. And so the Lxxii. (and Aethiopick) foreign, innocence and rectitude; and the Syriack, perfection, or integrity, and rectitude; the Latine, simplicity and equity; the Arabick, mansuetude and rectitude. And so in like manner for foreign foreignand foreign foreignobserve and see, they read keep and see to; foreign in the Chaldee, keep and respect; foreign, in the LXXII. custodi & vide, in the Latine, &c. and the Hebrew words indifferently bear these. Again, for foreign the last part of or to that man is peace, foreignwhich the Chaldee also retein, the Lxxii. read foreign, there is a remnant to the peaceable man; and so the Latine and the Aethiopick: but the Syriack, with some change, there is a good end to men of peace; and the Arabick, there shall be an end to the peaceable. Here 'tis also clear, that the Lxxii. from foreign after, take foreign for a remainder; and so again v. 38. and so Psal. cix. 13. foreign foreignthey render foreign his children: and then foreign foreignwill well bear, the man of peace. And so still there is nothing strange in that rendering; though that which our English hath given be most literal, and regular to the Hebrew, and the context, the whole Psalm being made up of observations of this kinde, how in the end, wicked men come to ruine, and good men to prosperity.
V. 38. Together] From foreign to unite, and foreign one, is foreign,foreign sometimes rendred together, sometimes, at once; and that when applied to destruction, &c. denotes utter destruction; because he that is destroyed at once, is so destroyed, as that there is nothing behinde, nothing wanting, to final and total destruction. The Lxxii. render it foreign, at once Thus Psal. xix. 9. when Gods judgements are said to be righteous, foreign (foreign, at once, say the Lxxii.) the meaning is, they are so righteous, as nothing can be added thereto.