Paraphrase Upon the Books of the Psalms, Book 4 · Psalm 105
The Hundred and Fifth Psalm.
The hundred and fifth Psalm is a thankfull pious commemoration of all Gods mercies, and providences, and fidelities to his people, the first of those three that David delivered to the hand of Asaph and his brethren, 1 Chron. xvi. 8. to be used in the daily ministery before the Arke, to record and bless the name of God.
1. O Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
Paraphrase. O let us all, in our daily prayers to God, confess and acknowledge, and proclaim to all the world, the great and gratious works which he hath wrought for his people.
2. Sing unto him, sing Psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.
3. a.‖Praise ye the name of his holinessGlory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoyce that seek the Lord.
Let us both in his publick service, and in our more private discourses and conversation, indeavour to promulgate his miracles of mercy, and so bring all other men, that worship God, to do it with all delight and joy, as to him that hath most abundantly obliged and ingaged them.
4. Seek the Lord andb. his strength; seek his face evermore.
And so in like manner let our prayers be constantly addrest to him in his sanctuary, and all the relief and deliverance we at any time want be begged from his omnipotence.
5. Remember his marvelous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,
6. O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.
To both these constant duties of prayer and praise, the people of the Jews, and all that transcribe the copie of Abrahams or Jacobs fidelity, are eternally obliged by the great and miraculous mercies afforded them by God, and the portentous judgments and punishments on their enemies, which he, by a word of his mouth, by the exercise of his immediate power, hath wrought for them.
7. He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth.
By his mercy and providence, and the exercise of his omnipotence, it is, that we have been conducted and supported, and our heathen enemies, wheresoever we came, subdued under us.
8. He hath remembred his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations:
9. Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;
10. And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a Law, and to Israel for an everlasting Covenant,
And all this as the exact performance of his part of that Covenant and Law, which he solemnly and by oath established with Abraham and Isaack and Jacob, and their posterity after them, that not to them only, but to all their successors to the end of the world, he would be a most constant protector and rewarder, in case they adhered faithfully to him; (and in case of their apostasy and rebellion, he would yet make good that promise to all others that should come in, and transcribe that copy of fidelity performed by those Patriarchs, receive the faith of Christ, and performe sincere uniforme constant obedience to him.)
11. Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance;
12. When they were‖scarce a …ier of pers…is, and they strangers— but ac. few men in number, yea very few, and strangers in it;
13. When they went from one nation to another, from one Kingdome to another people.
The summe of this Covenant, as it concerned Abraham and his seed according to the flesh, was, the bringing them into a most fruitfull and desirable land, the land of Canaan (a type and image of the state of the Gospel, and joyes of heaven) dispossessing the inhabitants thereof, and conducting them to a quiet secure injoyment of it, as of an inheritance bequeathed to them by God himselfe, and not to be acquired by any strength of their own. In which respect it was, that as God chose to make this promise to him, Gen. xii. 6, 7. at a time when he had none but his wife, and so could hardly make up a number, a pittifull weak family, and those but in a journey, admitted but as strangers to lodge in their passage to Sichem, v. 6. so, that they might be obliged to acknowledge the whole work to be wrought by God, in relation to his promise, he so disposed it, that they should not now rest, but be removed out of Canaan, and pass from one nation and Kingdome to another, from Sichem, where he built one Altar to God, v. 7. to a mountain on the East of Bethel, where he built another, v. 8. and from thence to Aegypt, v. 10.
14. He suffered no man to do them wrong, yea he reproved Kings for their sakes,
15. Saying, Touch notd. mine anointed, and doe my Prophets no harme.
When they were there, God was pleased to afford them one special instance and pledge of his favour to them, and protection over them; when the King of Aegypt took Sarah into his house, Gen. xii. 15. and was in danger to have defiled her, and so againe ch. xx. in Gerar, when Abimelech King of Gerar took Sarah v. 2. (a like passage there was afterward betwixt Abimelech King of the Philistims and Rebeckah Isaacks wife, Gen. xxvi. 8.) God plagued that King, Gen. xii. 17. and severely threatned the other, Gen. xx. 3. and suffered neither of them to violate her chastity, v. 6. but told Abimelech, that Abraham was a Prophet, v. 7. and one very highly valued by him (designed to be the root of a potent Kingdome, and the stock from whom the Messias should come) and therefore commanded him by a most severe interdict not to do any harme to him, or his wife.
16. Moreover he called for a famine upon the land; he brake the whole staffe of bread.
After this, in Jacobs time, the season being not yet come of performing this promise unto Abrahams seed, and that Gods work of possessing them of Canaan might be the more remarkable, and wholly imputable to him, and not to any strength of their own, or to natural proceedings, or casual event. God thought fit so to dispose of it, that all the posterity of Abraham should be removed out of this land, where yet they were but as sojourners. And thus it was, There fell out to be a very sore famine in all that land of Canaan, so that they had not corne for the necessities of life; and so Jacob was forced to send his sons down into Aegypt to buy corne for his family.
17. He sent a man before them, even Joseph who was sold for a servant:
And herein a wonderfull act of providence was discernible. Joseph, one of Jacobs sons, being envied and hated by the rest of his brethren, had been first taken and cast into a pit, then by occasion of some Ismaelite merchants coming by in that nick of time, Gen. xxxvii. 25. taken out, and sold to them, and carried into Aegypt, and there bought by Potiphar for a servant.
18. Whose feet they hurt with fetters,e. ‖the iron entred his soulehe was laid in irons,
Where being falsely accused by his mistress, he was cast into prison, and setters, and extremely injured and afflicted by this calumny;
19. Untill the time that his†saying came to pass wordf. came, the word of the Lord*purged tried him.
And so continued till God, by revealing to him the interpretation of Pharaohs butlers and Pharaohs bakers dreams, which accordingly came to pass, brought him to the knowledge of Pharaoh, and then the interpretation of Pharaohs dream also, revealed unto him by God, perfectly purged him from the crime of incontinence falsely charged against him, this being an evidence of his integrity and perfect innocence, that God would vouchsafe thus to inspire him.
20. The King sent and loosed him, even the ruler of the people, and let him goe free.
21. He made him Lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance,
22. To‖command binde his Princesg. at his pleasure, and†judge teach his senators wisdome.
Hereupon therefore Pharaoh not onelyonly set him free from his restraint, but withall advanced him to be next himselfe, in a most supereminent power over the whole nation, to controll and do whatsoever he pleased.
23. Israel also came into Aegypt, and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
By this means, joyned with the occasion forementioned v. 16. the famine in Canaan, upon which Jacob sent down his sons unto Aegypt (where alone by Josephs providence it was to be had) to buy food, Joseph by degrees made himself known to his brethren, and at length invited his father Jacob to come and bring all his family with him into Aegypt, providing him a part of the countrey, where they might live by themselves, and use these own rites and customes, as they pleased; and accordingly Jacob, overjoyed to hear that his beloved son, whom he thought devoured by wild beasts, was yet alive, accepted the offer, and came, and dwelt in Aegypt, Gen. xlvi.
24. And he increased his people greatly, and made them stronger than their enemies.
And in his journey at Beersheba, God appeared to him, Gen. xlvi. 1. and incouraged him in his journey to Aegypt, and promised to make of him a great nation there, v. 3. And according to that promise so it was. For there being but a small number of persons in this family when they came down, but seventy reckoned in all, Gen. xlvi. 27. whereof some also were borne after their coming into Aegypt (see note on Act. vii. b.) they were within few years increased to a multitude, and waxed exceeding mighty, and the land was filled with them, Exod. i. 7. and the King of Aegypt entred into consultation about them, taking notice to his people v. 9. that the children of Israel were more and mightier than the Aegyptians.
25. He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtily with his servants.
This great and signal goodness of God to the posterity of Jacob, in multiplying them so exceedingly, was a means to provoke the Aegyptians jealousie; and from fear they turned soon to hatred, and mischievous machinations against them, giving order first for the oppressing them by burthens and hard labour, Exod. i. 11. and when that did not prevail to the lessening, but increasing of them, v. 12. then inhansing the rigor of their servitude, v. 13, 14. and at length appointing all their male children to be killed as soon as they were borne.
26. He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron whom he had chosen.
In this point of time was Moses seasonably borne, and preserved by Gods providence miraculously: and when he was 40. years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren in Aegypt, but he was soon forced to fly thence, and sojourn in Madian, Act. 7.23, 29. and about fourty years after, v. 30. he was called by God, and sent as his impowred commissioner to Pharaoh, his brother Aaron being joyned with him, to negotiate the delivery and departure of this whole people out of the bondage of Aegypt:
27. They shewed‖the words of his signs hish. signes among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.
To that end God give them power of working miracles, to gain belief both from the Israelites themselves, that they were sent from God to deliver them, and from Pharaoh also, and particularly directed them from time to time what miracles they should work, and they performed exactly according to direction.
28. He sent darkness and†he made made it dark,… and they rebelled not against his word.
For example, when many of the miracles prescribed by God had been successeless, and but inraged, and not melted or perswaded Pharaoh, and withall now after the time that God had told Moses that he would send all his plagues upon Pharaohs heart, ch. ix. 14. and that he is said expresly to have hardened Pharaohs heart, v. 12. after which Moses was in reason to expect he would be more inraged by his signes, yet putting off all fear of Pharaohs wrath and cruelty, as soon as God Exod. x. 21. commanded Moses to stretch out his hand to heaven, that there might be darkness over the land of Aegypt, even darkness that might be felt, Moses immediately obeyed, stretched forth his hand to heaven, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Aegypt three dayes v. 23.
29. He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.
Before this, God had begun with Pharaoh with variety of other plagues; by Aarons striking his rod upon the waters, the waters of all the land of Aegypt were presently turned into blood, Exod. vii. 20. and the fish that was in the river died, v. 21.
30. *their land foreignThe land‖swermed with froggs k.brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their Kings.
Then after that, he smote all their borders with froggs, Exod. viii. 2. upon Aarons stretching out his rod over the streams, v. 5. and the froggs came and covered the whole land of Aegypt, and came into Pharaohs house, and into his bed-chamber, and upon his bed, v. 3.
31. He spake, and there came divers sorts of flyes, and lice in all their coasts.
After this at Gods appointment, Aaron with his rod smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man and beast, Exod. viii. 17. a judgment wherein the Magicians themselves acknowledged the finger of God, all their skill in sorcery being not able to arrive to this: Then, when that would not work, great swarms of flyes, Exod. viii. 24. came upon Pharaoh, and all the Aegyptians, the Israelites only being free from them.
32. He gave them haile for rain, and flaming fire in the land.
33. †and smote their vines and— foreignHe smote their vines also and their figg-trees, and*shiverd foreign brake the trees of their coasts.
Then after two other plagues, the murrein and the blains, Exod. ix. 3. & 9. God sent a most grievous haile, v. 18. and with it thunder, and fire running along upon the ground, v. 23. and these brake to small pieces all sorts of trees in the field, and smote all sorts of plants, v. 25.
34. He spake, and the Locusts came, and caterpillars and that without number,
35. And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.
Then what was left undestroyed by the hall, of their plants and corne and trees, an innumerable multitude of Locusts Exod. x. 4. came and swept utterly away, v. 5.
36. He smote also all the first-born in their land, the chief of all their strength.
In the last place, he sent his destroying Angels, in the depth of the night, to kill every first-born, the prime, and stoutest, and most valued both of man and beast, through all the land, from Pharaoh to the meanest person in Aegypt, ch. xi. 5. & xii. 29.
37. He brought them forth also with silver and gold, and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.
And upon this last judgement they were urgent and importunate to have them gone, Exod. xii. 31, 33. And the children of Israel took all the houshold-stuffe that they had, and God gave them favour in the sight of the Aegyptians, Exod. xi. 3. & xii. 36. so that they lent them many rich jewels, and denied them nothing that they required, Exod. xii. 35, 36. And one circumstance more there was very considerable, that at this time of their going out in this hast, there was not one sick or weak person among all the people of Israel, not one by impotence or sickness disabled for the march, but all together, and in one host or army, went out from the land of Aegypt (which strange remarke of Gods providence, though it be not exprest in the story, is yet intimated Exod. xii. 41.)
38. Aegypt was glad when they departed, for the fear of them fell upon them.
And now the Aegyptians were instructed by their plagues, not onelyonly to be content to lose these their so profitable servants, but even rejoyced, and lookt upon it as a deliverance to themselves, that they were thus rid of them, and so, as they hoped, of the sufferings, which the deteining them against Gods command had brought upon them. So terribly were they amated at the death of their first-born, that they cryed out, they were all but dead men, if they did not presently atone God by dismissing them, Exod. xii. 33.
39. He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light in the night.
In their march God conducted them in a most eminent manner, by his Angels in a cloud incompassing their hosts, and that cloud so bright and shining, that in the dark of the night it lighted them, and gave them an easie passage, Exod. xiii. 21, 22.
40. The people asked, and he brought quailes, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
As they past through the wilderness of Sin, and wanted food, and murmured, God pardoned their murmuring, and furnished them with quails, a most delicious sort of flesh; and instead of corne for bread, he sent them down, in a shoure from heaven bread ready drest or prepared (and thence called Manna) and that in such plenty that every man had enough, Exod. xvi. 16.
41. He opened the rock, and the waters gushod out;‖they went along a river in— foreign they ran in the dry places like a river.
At Rephidim, when they murmured for water, Exo. xvii. God appointed Moses to strike the rock in Horeb, v. 6. and there came out water in such plenty, that it ran along (see Psal. Lxxviii. 20.) and, as the Jews relate, attended them in a current or stream through the drought of the desert, (so that we hear no more of their want of water till they came to Cadesh (see note on Cor. x. b.) and then took a contrary way in their journeying.)
42. For he remembred†the word of his holyness with Abr— his holy promise,k. and Abraham his servant.
And all this an effect of his own free-mercy, in discharge of his promise made to Abraham, whose fidelity to him God was pleased thus to reward upon his posterity.
43. And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness,
44. And gave them the lands of the heathen, and they inherited the labour of the people,
And so at length having brought out his people with so much glory, victorious and triumphant, out of Aegypt, he possest them of the promised Canaan, cast out the old inhabitants before them for their pollutions and Idolatries, and planted this his peculiar people in their stead.
45. That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord.
And all this, not that they should indulge to riot, and imploy their plenty in lusts and pleasures, or grow fat and wanton, but that being thus richly supplied, wanting no manner of thing that is good, having nothing of encumbrance or diversion, but on the contrary, all kinds of encouragements to piety, they should therein constantly exercise themselves, according to the ingagements and obligations incumbent on those that had received such a succession of miracles of mercies from God, (a type of that duty now incumbent on us Christians, upon farre greater and more considerable obligations, that especially of our redemption by Christ from the power, as well as the guilt of sin) and return him the tribute of sincere obedience for ever after, approve themselves an holy peculiar people to him, zealous of good works. And in so doing, let us all indeavour uniformely to praise, and magnify, and glorify the name of God. Hallelujah.
Annotations on Psalm CV.
V. 3. Glory ye—] That foreign foreignin the reciprocal conjugation, is yet to be here rendred in the active sense, is agreed on both by the Chaldee and Syriack; foreign saith the former, praise in his name, and the other foreign praise to his name, where as בב in, so לל to is certainly a Pleonasme (as v. 15. both ב and ל are, in foreign and foreign, his anointed and his prophets:) and the whole phrase signifies no more than the Latine of the Syriack expresses, Laudate nomen Sanctitatis ejus, praise the name of his holiness, just as foreign and foreign, believing God and in God, are all one, the preposition being abundant very frequently. The Lxxii. indeed and the Latine read it in the passive sense, foreign, Laudamini in nomine sancto, be ye praised in his holy name: but this certainly without any propriety of expression, the praises of God, and not of our selves, being the duty to which we are invited in this Psalm.
V. 4. His strength] For foreign foreignhis strength, the Lxxii. seem to have read foreign be strengthened, and accordingly render it foreign, the Latine confirmamini, be confirmed, and so the Syriack foreign be strengthened; and so the sense would well bear, seek the Lord, and be confirmed, let all your strength be sought from him; so the Jewish Arab, Seek the Lord, and seek that he would strengthen you, or strength from him, or, you shall certainly be strengthened, if by prayer you diligently seek him. But we need not change the reading, for the gaining this sense. This Psalm was composed for the constant use of the Sanctuary; and then foreign may most properly here denote the Sanctuary, as it doth not unusually in several places; and so 'tis best joyned with foreign his face, the appearance and exhibition of himself in the Sanctuary: And so seeking his sanctuary, is offering up our prayers to him there, as the means of obteining all assistance and strength from him. The Chaldee read foreign his law, which we know was kept in the Sanctuary, and which all were obliged to obey that addrest unto him there, and in obedience to that all their strength consisted.
V. 12. Few men in number] The phrase foreign foreignallmost, which is here added to foreign persons of a number, or plurality, must needs be a restreint and lessening to it. A number or plurality we know is of no less than three in the Hebrew and other languages, and so persons of a number almost, cannot signify either more or less than two. And this a most exact and commodious expression to signify Abrahams state when the promise of Canaan was first made to him, Gen. xii. 7. for then before the birth of Isaac, nay of Ishmael, he had certainly no other but his wife Sarai, unless perhaps some servant, which was not here to be numbred. This therefore will be the best rendring of the phrase foreign,foreign in their being, or when they were foreign scarce, or almost, or not so much as persons of a number, or a number of persons, i. e. distinctly but two of them, Abraham and his wife.
V. 15. Mine anointed] That unction was a ceremony of inauguration, or advancing to any great office among the Jews, is sufficiently known: Hence it is that the Chaldee oft renders it by making great, Ps. xlv. 7. foreign God hath anointed thee, they render foreign hath advanced or dignified thee. And as there were three offices to which unction was used, the Regal, the Sacerdotal, the Prophetical; so each of these may not unfitly be stiled foreign foreignmy (i. e. Gods) anointed; but especially the King is thus stiled. So 1 Sam. xxiv. 6. If I shall do this foreign to the Lords anointed, i. e. to King Saul. So of Cyrus Isa. xlv. 1. thus saith the Lord foreign to his anointed. And so the Messias Dan. ix. 25. was by all that from that text expected him, looked upon as a King that should come among them. And thus in this place, where of the Patriarchs Abraham and Isaack God useth this double style, mine anointed, and my prophets, these two offices are in all reason to be understood, that as they were Prophets by God inspired, Abraham having signal revelations made unto him, particularly of the captivity of his posterity in Aegypt, and their coming out in their fourth generation, Gen. xv. 16. and again c. xvii. 6. of the great dignity that should befall his seed (and so Isaack prophecyed also of the future estates of the posterity of Jacob and Esau, Gen. xxvii. 40.) so they were designed by God as the foundation of a most illustrious Monarchy, that should spring out of their loins, (I will make nations of thee, Kings shall come out of thee, Gen. xvii. 6.) and being thus great, advanced to this dignity in Gods decree, they are justly to be equalled to the greatest Kings, anointed with oyle, being particularly owned by God, and warning given by him in an extraordinary manner to other Kings, Abimelech &c. that they should not dare to do them the least injury.
V. 18. He was laid in irons] The Phrase foreign foreignis capable of two rendrings; either the iron entred his soule, or his soule entred the iron. The Lxxii. take it in the latter sense, foreign, his soule past through iron, and so the Syriack foreign &c. his soule went into iron, and the Jewish Arab, his soule came into iron: but the Chaldee follow the former rendring, foreign the chaine of iron went into his soule. The difference of these is not great, as long as by the iron is understood, with the Chaldee, the iron chain (and to that the foregoing mention of the foreign foreigna gyve or chain inclines it: and if there be no mention of Josephs being put in chains in the story Gen. xxxix. yet the manner of securing prisoners, being ordinary by chains, and the crime objected to Joseph so great, of attempting his Mistresses chastity, there can be no cause to doubt of that, especially when the former part of the verse mentions a chain expresly) for as foreign his soule frequently signifies no more than he, and so his soule entring into iron, is no more than that he was fettered; so foreign foreignoft signifies the sensitive faculty, that which is capable of pain and grief, and then the irons entring his soule, is no more than being painfull to him. And in this sense foreign iron is certainly used Psal. cvii. of prisoners bound in affliction foreign foreignand iron, i. e. chains or fetters. But there is another possible notion of the phrase, as foreign iron may signify a sword or dart, or other sharp weapon made of that metal, by which in this book of Psalms Calumny is oft poetically exprest. So Psal. Lv. 21. their words were drawn swords, and Psal. Lvii. 4. their teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Thus have some learned men understood the phrase of Mary Christs mother, Luk. ii. 35. foreign a sword shall pass through thy soule, of the scandal and reproach of the Cross of Christ, or some other great affliction. And the metaphore is very easy, and as vulgar as the phrase of wounding ones reputation, which is constantly used of the calumniator, such as Josephs mistress certainly was, and the calumny of so foule a nature, that it must needs pierce his soule, grieve him more than setters of iron could do. If this be the notion, then the former rendring must be reteined, the iron (that sword of the mistresses tongue) entred or pierced his soule. And if not this but the other be the meaning of it, iron properly taken for setters or gyves, yet that may most sitly be the rendring still, the shackles, both the pain of them, and especially the reproach of them to a person of approved piety and chastity, must needs pierce his soule, and grieve him exceedingly: and so this may either in the literal or metaphorical sense be best resolved on for the rendring of it.
V. 19. His word came] Among the many uses of foreign or foreign foreignto come, there is one peculiar to words, or sayings, or promises, which must therefore belong to foreign his word here, viz. to come to pass, to be performed. So Jer. xvii. 15. where is the word of the Lord foreign let it come to pass, 1 Sam. ix. 6. there is a man of God, all that he saith foreign cometh certainly to pass. Gen. xviii. 19. foreign that the Lord may make come, i. e. bring to pass, all that he hath spoken to him. So Ezec. xxiv. 24. foreign when it shall come to pass. And so here unquestionably, Joseph was kept in prison under that slander, untill his word came to pass, i. e. till he interpreted the dreams of Pharaohs Officers, and his praedictions came to pass to each of them, that being the peculiar means of making him known to Pharaoh, and fetching him out of the prison Gen. xli. 14. And then his interpreting of Pharaoh's dream following it, which Pharaoh looked on as an evidence that the spirit of God was in him, v. 38. and upon which he said to Joseph, For as much as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art, v. 39. this in all reason may be resolved to be that which was respected here in the next words, foreign foreignthe word of the Lord (i. e. Gods shewing him the meaning of those dreams Gen. xli. 39. Gods telling him, or revealing to him the interpretation of them, foreign, the oracle of the Lord, say the Lxxii.) purged him (so foreign properly signifies to purge) as silver is purged in the fire, and so approved to be pure when it comes out thence, that which is not pure being destroyed there, or evidently discovered what metal 'tis. And in this sense it most exactly belonged to the passage of Joseph, under the calumny and scandal of having attempted his mistresses purity, for which he was imprisoned (which by the way makes it more probable, that that calumny was meant by the iron entring his soule) this interpretation of Pharaohs dream being clearly from God, who had sent the dream, and so an evidence that Joseph was a pure and pious person, it being not imaginable that God would vouchsafe to reveal such secrets to an impure person, or to any, but a pious and truly virtuous man. And so this is the full importance of this verse.
V. 22. At his pleasure] foreign,foreign in the notion of foreign for will or pleasure, is no more than at his will: The Chaldee render it with little change foreign, so as to (i. e. as was agreeable to) his will or pleasure; but the Syriack most expresly foreign, as he would. So the Jewish Arab foreign, as he saw fit, ex sententiâ suâ; and the Jewish Arab Glossary citing the place expounds foreign by foreign consilium, sententia, foreign. But the Lxxii. reading it seems foreign as his soule, read foreign as himselfe, and so the Latine, sicut semetipsum, without any great sense in it. As for the phrase foreign foreignto, or that he might binde his Princes, the meaning of it is clear, that he might have power over the greatest men in his Kingdome, to command or forbid the doing of any thing (so foreign also signifies) to punish them that doe contrary (and accordingly the Lxxii. render it foreign, to chastise) and so to binde, that no body could reverse what he did, according to the use of that phrase in the inscription of Isis, *Diodor. Sicul. lib. 1. p. 16.foreign, Isis Queen of the region — and whatsoever I shall binde, no man hath power to loose; making this power of binding to be an evidence of authority, and then power of binding the Sirs, or Lords, or Princes of Pharaoh, must signify Joseph's having next to the King himself, a supreme uncontrollable power. And so the word foreign generally signifies to oblige to obedience, and to punishment, to command, (so Dan. vi. 7, 8, 9. foreign is rendred foreign and foreign a decree or law) and to inflict punishment on the disobedient. Of this word see Power of the Keys Ch. iv. §. 6, 7, 8. &c. And in the same sense must the next phrase be understood, foreign foreignand he shall (not teach wisdome, but, in the notion of the word now found in the Arabick dialect) judge his Senators. The word is so used, Psal. x. 18. foreign to judge the fatherless, and Act. xxiii. 3. foreign judge me according to law, and frequently elsewhere in that dialect; which shews that this was antiently a notion of the word. And so still that denotes the supereminent power that was given Joseph, as to command the Nobles, so to judge the Judges, or Senators. According to what we finde in the story Gen. xli. 40. Thou shalt be over my house, and according to thy word shall all my people be ruled, only in the throne will I be greater than thou; and again v. 41. see, I have set thee over all the land of Aegypt: And Pharaoh took off his ring— v. 24. and made him ride in the second chariot v. 43. and without thee shall no man lift up his hand— v. 44.
V. 27. His signes] In this phrase foreign foreignthe words of his signes or prodigies, foreign words seems to be somewhat more than a pleonasme. God had told them what signes they should use, to convince the people first, and then Pharaoh, of their mission; and so in each judgment God commands, and they shew the signe: and God's thus telling, or speaking to them, is properly foreign words, and the matter of these words exprest by foreign signs or prodigies of his, viz. which as he directed, he would also inable them to do among them. Accordingly not only the Lxxii. retein foreign, the words of his signes, but the Chaldee also foreign the words of his signes. And v. 28. it follows, that they disobeyed not his word, i. e. Moses and Aaron (see note h.) disobeyed not the direction of God for the shewing that particular miracle of the three dayes darkness upon the Aegyptians. The Jewish Arab so expresseth it, as may be rendred either the thing, i. e. matter, or the command of his signes.
V. 28. And they rebelled not] The Hebrew in all copies is acknowledged to read foreign foreignand they provoked not, rebelled not, i. e. disobeyed not his word. So the Chaldee, foreign and they rebelled not, resisted not his word. Which passage is to be understood of Moses and Aaron, that how little hope soever they had of doing good on Pharaoh, yea after God had given him up to obduration, and they were to expect all rage and ill usage from him, yet as God commanded them, or according to the foreign the words of his signes, v. 27. (see note g.) they did couragiously proceed from one signe to another (not fearing the wrath of the King or people) to shew all Gods miracles upon the Aegyptians. The Latine reads, non exacerbavit, he did not provoke, in the singular, but to the same sense, referring it I suppose to Moses. But neither singular nor plural can probably refer to Pharaoh or the people of Aegypt, that he or they resisted not Gods word: for though upon that plague of darkness Exod. x. 24. Pharaoh called unto Moses and said, Goe ye, serve the Lord, yet that is attended with an only let your flocks and your heards be stayed; and then it follows v. 27. he would not let them goe. The importance therefore of foreign they resisted not, seems no more than what is affirmed in the story v. 21, 22. The Lord said unto Moses, stretch out thy hand — And Moses stretched forth his hand — i. e. readily obeyed, and did what God directed, and that at a time when Pharaoh was likely to be incensed, and vehemently offended with them. For which consideration the story there gives us this farther ground; For as v. 10. he had before expressed some anger and threats, Look to it, for evill is before you, and they were driven from his presence v. 11. so now upon the hardening his heart, which follows this plague of darkness, he said to Moses, Get thee from me, take heed to thy selfe, see my face no more, for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt dye the death, v. 28. This rage of Pharaoh Moses in reason might well foresee, but he dreaded it not, but boldly did as God directed, and that is the meaning of foreign they resisted not Gods words. The Lxxii. now read it without the negation; some copies, foreign, and they exasperated, others foreign because they exasperated his words. And the Syriack (and Arabick and Aethiopick) follow them, foreign, and they murmured (so that word seems to be translated into other languages) or resisted his word. And thus it might have truth in it, being applied to Pharaoh and the Aegyptians, who could not yet be brought to be content to let the Israelites goe free, and carry their goods with them out of their Kingdome, Exod. x. 24, 27. But 'tis more probable that the true original reading of the Lxxii. was foreign neither, which as it is the exact rendering of foreign, and not, so it is very near to foreign which some copies now have. And from this light, but very antient, corruption of their copy, the other translations have it, which consequently must be reformed by the Original.
V. 30. Brought forth] The word foreign foreignproperly belongs to water breaking or springing out of the earth, and is applied to any plentifull production, Exod. i. 7. the children of Israel grew foreign and procreated abundantly, and, as it there follows, the land was filled with them. The noune foreign from hence is used for all sorts of creatures of the earth or water that goe not on leggs, Locusts, Ants, Worms, Hornets, Fishes, &c. because they procreate so exceedingly. It cannot therefore more fitly be rendred, both according to the force of the verbe and noune, than by swarming, and that in such a degree over all the land, that the palace, which may be supposed to be most carefully kept, was not free from them. The Chaldee render it foreign, which signifies among them scaturivit, any copious production also. But the Lxxii. foreign, from the notion of the word for creeping. What is here said of foreign foreigntheir land, that that produced these swarms of froggs, is Exod. viii. 3. said of the river, and so 5. and 6. stretch forth thy hand over the streams, the rivers, the ponds, and cause froggs to come: and as this makes more for the propriety of foreign according to that of Gen. i. speaking of the waters, foreign let them swarme or produce abundantly the swimming thing; so the earth and the waters being now but one globe, the earth may be said to bring forth that which the waters produce; or 2. foreign their land may signify their countrey of which their rivers were a part; or 3. though the rivers produced the froggs, yet the land swarmed with them, as appears by the consequents, they went up into the Kings chambers.
V. 42. Holy promise] That foreign foreignjoyned to a verbe intransitive signifies with, is acknowledged by Lexicographers, and here such a verbe is understood, after foreign the word of his holiness (which he spake or had) foreign with Abraham: so the Chaldee understood it, and read foreign which with (i. e. which he had with) or to Abraham; and so the Lxxii. foreign— which he had, or which was made to Abraham.