Paraphrase Upon the Books of the Psalms, Book 4 · Annotations
Annotations on Psalm CVI.
Tit. Praise the Lord] foreign foreignis here no part, but onelyonly the title of this Psalm. This appears by two competent evidences: 1. By the joynt suffrage of all the antient translators, of which the Syriack renders it not at all, but in stead of it gives (as their use is) a large syllabus, or contents of the Psalm; but the Chaldee retein it as a title, and the Lxxii. and Latine retein the Hebrew words, putting them into one, in the direct forme of a title, foreign, Alleluja, and the Arabick more expresly, such a Psalm, noted with the title of Alleluja. 2. By express testimony of Scripture 1 Chron. xvi. There we read v. 7. On that day David delivered first (not this Psalm, as we read, but) these, viz. three Psalms to thank the Lord, into the hands of Asaph and his brethren. The first of these Psalms is the cv. recited there in the first thirteen verses, the second Psal. xcvi. the last is that which we have before us. And as the first begins v. 8. the second v. 23. so doth this third follow v. 34. Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever (and then as in a breviate, v. 35, 36. the two last verses of it) and so 'tis evident, the Alleluja in the front was not used, but left out, as being no part, but onelyonly the title of the Psalm: which by the way teacheth us, that in the offices of the Church, the titles of the Psalms were not wont to be used in the Jewish Church, but designed for other purposes, either to signify the Author, or Occasion, or Matter, or Kinde of the Psalm. This being thus cleared of this present Psalm, will be in all reason applicable to all those other Psalms which have this form of Alleluja, Praise the Lord, in the front of them, as the title in every of them, and not any part of the Psalm.
V. 7. At the sea] For foreign foreignby the Sea, the Lxxii. seem to have read foreign, the participle present from foreign to ascend, rendring it foreign ascending; but that not very fit to be accorded to the context, which speaks of their murmuring at the red sea, into which they could not with any propriety be said to ascend. And yet herein the Latine (and Arabick) follow them, though they do also truly render foreign in mare, ascendentes in mare, mare rubrum, ascending into the sea, the red sea. But the Syriack departs from them, (as the Chaldee) and reads foreign near the waters.
V. 13. They soon forgat] foreign doth questionless signify making haste; foreignand if here it did so, there is no necessity it should be joyned with the following verb, and signify adverbially, for all the antient interpreters read it as a Verb; foreign, they made hast, say the Lxxii. citò fecerunt, they did suddenly, the Latine, foreign the Chaldee, foreign the Syriack, both used for making haste, from the Syriack foreign being in commotion and perturbation. And so the sense will best bear, they made haste, i. e. took it ill, that they were not presently brought into the plenty they were promised (so after this we see Num. xx. 5. that this was their forme of expostulation with Moses, Wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Aegypt to bring us to this evill place? it is no place of seed, or figgs, or vines, or pomegranets, the plenty promised them in Canaan:) and then thus to make haste, was to be impatient to stay Gods time of giving them this inheritance; but because they had it not streight, wishing themselves back again in Aegypt. And this well agrees to the context, they made haste, they forgat his works, they waited not for his counsell, making an opposition betwixt the first and the two last of these; they made hasle, i. e. weighed not, considered not what Gods purposes or promises concerning them were, could not attend the performance of Gods promise in his own time, went on passionately in pursuit of their plenty which they lookt for, and as soon as they descried any difficulty (want of water, a desert place) concluded presently, that they were betrayed, and should be utterly undone, and lost, neither remembring what God had formerly done for them, by interposition of his power, nor waiting with patience till Gods time, or till concerning their present exigence he should make known his purposes to them. This is very agreeable to the notion of this word in Kal for making haste, and in Niphal, applied to the minde, for doing all things rashly, unconsiderately, praecipitously, and so foolishly. So Job v. 13. the counsell of the froward foreign is hasty, inconsiderate; we render it, is carried headlong. So Hab. i. 6. the Chaldeans are called a bitter nation, foreign and passionate, inconsiderate. And so for that other passion of fear, most opposite to faith, or trust in God (in which sense that is most true Isa. xxviii. 16. he that believeth will not make haste) 'tis used Isa. xxxv. 4. say unto the foreign hasty or praecipitous in heart, i. e. those which because they had not presently what they hoped, feared they should never have it, for so it follows, be strong, have some constancy of minde, fear not. And this seems to be the full importance of the word here, their passionate fear and distrust of Gods promises, because they were not instantly performed, made them hasty, praecipitous, inconsiderate: and in that fit of passion, they forgat his works—
V. 15. Leannesse] For foreign foreignmaciem, leannesse, the Lxxii. are deemed by some to have read foreign pleasure, or desire, because they render it foreign saturity, as if that were set to signify as much as they could, or did desire; and this not disagreeable to the story, which mentions it in this style Exod. xvi. 8. The Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full, and Psal. Lxxviii. 25. he sent them meat to the full, and v. 29. they eat and were well filled, for he gave them their own desire, they were not estranged from their lust. In this rendring of the Lxxii. the Syriack and Latine &c. agree: the Syriack reads foreign, and so the Latine, saturitatem, saturity; And without changing the Hebrew word foreign into any other, this probable account may be given of their rendring. 'Tis known in Physick, that upon the ingestion of meats in their quality unwholsome, or of too much of those which are healthfull, Nature with much violence seeks to discharge it selfe by the several evacuations, upon which follows a suddain and allmost incredible dejection of strength, and falling away in flesh. To this the story, Num. xi. 20. seems to referr, where 'tis said, that the Quailes should come out at their nostrills, for that is a symptome not unusual in violent vomitings, such as accompany great and dangerous surfeits; so that the plague which then befell the Israelites, seems to be that affection which Physitians name cholera, and is then properly styled foreign saturity, or surfeit by the Lxxii. and those translators that follow, or accord with them, and so not very unfitly set to express that emaciation which was an effect of this foreign, or saturity. But the Chaldee render it more to the letter foreign leannesse. The passage visibly belongs to the immediate consequents in the story of Quailes, set down Num. xi. 33. and Psal. Lxxviii. 30. (though not in Exodus) viz. that while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the Lord smote the people with a very great plague, (the judgment whereof was never the less discernible, that it was an effect of their diet, when even miracles admit the subserviency of usual means) whereupon the place was called Kibroth hattaavah, because there they buried the people that lusted. By this means they were deprived of the fruit of this their festival table, even when he gave them what they lusted for. The word foreign to attenuate, emaciate, is used also for destroying, Zeph. ii. 11. when God threatens that he will emaciate, i. e. destroy all the Gods— And then foreign may be rendred more generally destruction or plague, and so R. Tanchum on Zeph. 11. renders it destruction. The Hebrew Arabick Glossary interprets foreign by foreign defect; the Jewish Arab version hath leannesse into their body, as foreign is sometimes taken for the body. Accordingly for sending leannesse here, the Psalmist Psal. Lxxviii. 31. useth this plainer style, of slaying the fattest of them, and smiting the chosen men in Israel.
V. 20. Glory.] For foreign foreigntheir glory, which we now read, and so is followed by some copies of the Lxxii. foreign their glory, (and though others have foreign his, yet from the former both the Syriack have foreign and the Latine gloriam suam, their glory) the Original copies are by the Jews said to have read foreign his glory. What heed is to be given to the Jews herein I shall not now define, but only observe, that the notion of foreign here being that of a thick cloud, wherein God was pleased to exhibite or presentiate himself, foreign their glory may well enough have been the original word, meaning by it Gods presentiating himself to them, that when God had spoken to them out of the midst of the fire with darknesse, clouds and thick darknesse, Deut. iv. 11. and they saw no similitude, only they heard a voice v. 12. they turned this majestatick presence afforded to them, i.e. their glory, into the similitude of a calfe— the image of one of their Aegyptian Gods. Thus the word may be interpreted as we now have it, foreign their glory, for which the Chaldee read foreign the glory of their Lord; it being yet clear, that this very thing is elsewhere in Scripture frequently stiled foreign his glory, Deut. v. 24. the Lord hath shewed us his glory and his greatnesse, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. So Exod. xxiv. 16. the glory of the Lord abode upon the mount, and v. 17. the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the sight of the children of Israel. So Exod. xxxiii. 18. shew me thy glory, and ch. xl. 34. a cloud covered the tent, and the glory of the Lord (this bright cloud) filled the Tabernacle; and Numb. xiv. 10. the glory of the Lord — Thus Rom. i. 23. in the like matter and style as here, they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image — by foreign glory here meaning the glorious presence and exhibitions of God, which he was wont to afford them, which being in radiant fiery clouds, wherein Angels appeared, God himself remaining perfectly invisible, Deut. iv. 15. the making and setting up any figure or image of an oxe or calse, (whether to signify Apis an Aegyptian false God, or the image or similitude of the true God, whose voice they heard, but saw no kinde of similitude) and the proclaiming before it, These be thy Gods, O Israel, which brought thee out of Ae…ypt, Ex. xxxii. 4. and these to goe before them and conduct them, in stead of Moses, v. 1. was a great abomination and provocation. That this is the meaning of Gods glory, see 2 Pet. i. 17. where the voice from heaven [This is my beloved son—] is said to have come from the magnificent glory, which the text tells us Mar. ix. 7. came out of the cloud, that overshadowed them. So in those places of Exodus praemised, where the glory of the Lord is certainly the thick cloud, &c. on the mount, by which God exhibited himself, called in the Targum and among the Jewish writers so frequently the majestick presence, or foreign inhabitation of God (of which see more Annot. on Matt. iii. k. and Rom. i. f.) one text there is that useth the word glory of the visible throne of God the Father in heaven, Act. vii. 55. he looked into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, by glory meaning that visible satellitium of Angels, which appearing to him in a radiant manner were an evidence of Gods special presence there, according to which it is that among us the raies about the name foreign are ordinarily styled a glory.
V. 23. The breach] What foreign foreignthe breach or rupture here signifies, must be resolved by the use of both verb and noune in other places. Eccl. iii. 3. foreign to break, is applied to an house, and opposed to the building of it, and so evidently signifies the pulling down, or ruinating it; so the Chaldee renders it, foreign to pull it down. So 2 Sam. v. 20. foreign the Lord hath broken, i. e. destroyed, mine enemies before me, foreign according to the breaking, i. e. destruction, of waters, which carry all away before them, a sweeping destruction; upon which that place was called foreign the plaine of ruptures, i. e. ruines or destructions. So Exod. xix. 24. foreign lest he break on them, i. e. destroy them, foreign kill them, saith the Chaldee, foreign destroy, the Lxxii. Thus is the verb frequently rendred foreign destroying by the Lxxii. and the noun foreign ruine, Job xvi. 14. he breaketh me with breach upon breach, one ruine and destruction on the heels of another. So Jud. xxi. 15. Gods making foreign a breach in the tribes of Israel, is his having destroyed one of the tribes, that of Benjamin being lacking v. 3. and cu… off v. 6. So Ezech. xxii. 30. standing, as that oft signifies praying, interceding with God, in the foreign rupture, is explained by that which follows, that I should not destroy it, i. e. saving or rescuing it from destruction. So 2 Sam. vi. Gods smiting of Uzzah that he died v.8. is called foreign Gods breaking a breach upon Uzzah; and from thence the place is called Perez Uzzah, the breaking of Uzzah, i. e. his destruction. And thus is the word here to be understood, He said he would destroy them, or spake of destroying them, had not Moses stood before him, i. e. prayed, foreign in, or about the rupture or ruine, in that very point of time, lest he should destroy them. The Chaldee express it paraphrastically, if Moses had not stood before him, foreign and prevailed in prayer, i. e. thereby averted the destruction. So here again v. 29. foreign brake in upon them, i. e. destroyed a multitude of them. And v. 30. where the Hebrew reads the plague ceased, the Lxxii. read foreign, the same word which here they use to render foreign.
V. 26. Lifted up his hand] What foreign foreignand lifted up his hand because of them, here signifies, is best understood by the Chaldee, who render it foreign and he lifted up his hand with an oath foreign because of them; so the Jewish Arab, And he sware by his power to them, that he would &c. Thus we know the lifting up the hand is the signe of swearing, and thus the story to which this refers, exacts. For though it is at first said only, (and not under oath) Num. xiv. 12. I will smite them with pestilence— and that again retracted by God, as to the whole people, v. 20. yet it follows v. 21. (in forme of oath, when it is used by God) As truly as I live, all these men that have seen my glory— v. 22. shall not see the land, v. 23. and again v. 28. As truly as I live, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, ye shall not come into the land, v. 29. and your children shall wander in the wildernesse fourty years, and bear your whoredoms untill your carcasses be destroyed in the wildernesse, v. 33. which is the full interpretation of what is here said of destroying t…em in the wildernesse, overthrowing their seed among the nations, and sca…tering them in the lands. This being the very same passage which is referred to, Psal. xcv. Unto whom I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest, that land where God had provided a rest for his people.
V. 28. Baal-Peor] That foreign foreignBaal-Peor both here and Num. xxv. 3. is the Moabites false Idol-God, there can be no question. Peor, which the Lxxii. expressing ע by γ, translate foreign, was a mountain of Moab, Num. xxiii. 28. and Deut. xxxiv. 6. and foreign signifying Lord, must be that Idol-God peculiarly which the Moabites worshipt. The Jewish Arab renders it Peor the Idol, making Peor, the name of that mountain, the name of their Idol also, as well it might be, the mountain taking its denomination from the God that was worshipt there. Of this saith the story in Numbers, the people bowed down to their Gods, v. 2. which is here called joyning to that God Peor, or of Peor or Moab; foreign, say the Lxxii. were initiated to the rites of that Idol. And as it is there said, They called the people to the sacrifices of their Gods, so here, they eate the sacrifices of the dead, (where again the Jewish Arab reads of Idols) these their Baalim being some dead Heroes, whom they had deified, and continued to offer sacrifice to them.
V. 30. Executed judgment] The notion of foreign foreignin this place is much questioned. That foreign the Radix signifies to judge, or separate, discern, or divide, or take audience of a cause, there is no doubt: 1 Sam. ii. 25. foreign and God shall judge him, Ezech. xxviii. 23. foreign shall be judged in the midst of thee, Ezech. xvi. 51. foreign thou hast judged thy sister. But all the antient interpreters take it here in another sense, for praying, or interceding, atoning; foreign and prayed, saith the Targum, and the Syriack in the same word; the Lxxii. have foreign propitiated, the Latine, placavit appeased. And the use of the Hebrew word in Hithpael in this sense for appeasing or propitiating, is an argument that the theme originally had some such notion. Thus in that 1 Sam. ii. 25. it follows, If a man sin against God, foreign who shall intercede for him? the Targum reads foreign from whom shall he request that it may be remitted him? Hence foreign is the ordinary word for prayer, and among the Rabbines for a proseucha or oratory. And if we look into the story, we shall finde two things said of Phinees, one v. 7. that he took the javeline, and thrust them through; for which, if he was one of the Judges of Israel, as 'tis not unlikely he was being the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron, then he had a clear commission from Moses for what he did Num. xxv. 5. Moses said to the Judges of Israel, slay you every one his m…n, and then the Jus z…lotarum among the Jews, which is thought to take its rise from Phinees, is a great deviation from the pattern. The like sharp proceeding, upon express warrant we see Exod. xxxii. 27. Slay every man his companion. Secondly, that God saith of him v. 11. he hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, that I consumed them not. Both these are again set down, and joyned together, v. 13. he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel. And the latter of these, that of turning away Gods wrath, making the atonement, doth better answer the acception of foreign, than the zeal for God, as that signifies running through Zimri and Cosbi with the javelin…. And therefore the best and fullest rendring of the word seems to be, neither he executed judgment, nor he prayed, but (which is the work of prayer ordinarily, but here also of zeal to God in killing the malefactors) made an atonement, appeased, or propitiated God. The Jewish Arab reads foreign, and did what was just and right.
V. 31. Counted to him] The phrase foreign foreignand it was accounted to him for righteousnesse, may here deserve to be briefly noted, that it signifies much more than justification, as in the forinseck sense that is opposite to condemning: for thus it should note no more than acquitting or pardoning him to whom it was here so accounted; whereas by the story it is evident, that as God was atoned to the people by this act of his, and not to him, so God thought fit to reward him and his posterity for this, Behold, saith God, Num. xxv. 12. I give him my Covenant of peace: And he shall have it and his seed after him, even the Covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for God— Here his zeals being accounted to him for righteousness, is bringing this high reward upon him. The Chaldee therefore renders it foreign it was counted unto him either for righteousness, or for merit, i. e. for a very rewardable act. So foreign in Chaldee signifies both just, and worthy, and meritorious; not speaking of perfect righteousnesse, or sinlesse merit, but such as God in his goodness is pleased to reward: and the Lxxii. read foreign, it was reputed to him for righteousness, the phrase so frequently used in the New Testament for rewarding men richly and infinitely above their merit, yet this as the reward of somewhat performed by his faithfull servants, which he looks upon with special favour in the Second Covenant.
V. 33. Spake unadvisedly] How Moses's fault, which was so great as to be punished by God with exclusion from Canaan, is here exprest by these words, foreign foreignhe spake or pronounced with his lips, is not easily resolved. The word foreign is used Lev. v. 4. and there signifies to declare, to pronounce, to speak. Now if it were that he spake with his lips only, but doubted in his heart, when he struck the rock, and said, Shall we fetch you water out of this rock? then this will note his Infidelity; and perhaps the Lxxii. may referre to that, reading foreign, he doubted in his lips, i. e. did by his words signify his diffidence. But there is no reason that when in the Hebrew here it is only said, that he spake with his lips, we should thence conclude his hearts disguising with his tongue. 'Tis therefore most reasonable, that speaking with his lips being in it selfe indifferent and innocent, should onelyonly be concluded ill from the influence that the words praecedent seem to have on it, They provoked his spirit, and he spake with his lips, i. e. he spake passionately as one provoked. And then as S. James saith, the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God, ch. i. 20. so here we may conclude of Moses; God had appointed him to speak to the rock, and it should bring forth water. And he being exasperated in his spirit, put into a passion by the people, goes and strikes the ro…k twice, and sai…h, Hear ye rebells, shall we fe…ch you water out of this rock? This passion of his was it selfe a fault, and disturb'd him so, that it is not to be believed that he could discharge that duty now incumbent on him from God, in that manner as he ought to do, with that faith and affiance in God, with that care of setting out the power and mercy of God to these provokers; and these two are the crimes charged on him by God, Num. xx. 12. his unbelief, and his not sanctifying God in the sight of the people. This therefore is Moses his crime here, briefly intimated, not largely set down in this verse, that they provoked his spirit, and he spake, i. e. he spake in a provocation, and not as a meek and faithfull servant of the Lord, that desired to glorify God before the people, ought to have done. And this being here but imperfectly toucht, was left to be explicated by the story where the fact was recorded, and from thence, more than by the words, we may conclude this to be the meaning of this verse. The Jewish Arab here, differently from all others, hath it, because they contradicted his prophecy [which] he spake to them in his saying.
The End of the Fourth Book.