Paraphrase Upon the Books of the Psalms, Book 4 · Psalm 91
The Ninety First Psalm.
The ninety first Psalm is a meditation of the special security of the truly pious man, who relies on God alone for it, together with all other blessings of this world, as the reward of his firme adherence to God. ('Tis affirmed by the Chaldee and Lxxii. and Latine to have been composed by ‖foreign David said v. 2. foreign, Laus Cantici David, A laud of Canticle of David, tit.David, in reference perhaps to Gods being intreated for the land, and removing the pestilence, 2 Sam. xxiv. 25. just as it was seizing on Jerusalem, see note b. and hath its most eminent completion in the Messias.)
1. HE that†remains in the protection— dwelleth in the secret place of the most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Allmighty.
Paraphrase. He that adheres to God, that seeks and expects all his safety from his sole protection, (and accordingly qualifies himselfe for a capacity of that, keeps in those wayes to which God hath promised his safeguard) shall be sure never to faile of receiving it; His tenure cannot faile, as being founded on so sure a title, as is the promise of him that hath all power and dominion over all creatures in the world, and can certainly, and as undoubtedly will performe, whatsoever he hath promised.
2. I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge, and my fortress, my God; in him will I trust.
This general never-failing axiome gives me confidence chearfully to repose my whole trust and affiance in God, as the most sacred inviolable sanctuary, the most strong, provided, impregnable fort, the supreme and divine power, that governs and overrules the whole world, and hath by his promise obliged himselfe never to destitute me that thus hang on him.
3. Surely he will deliver thee from the snare of the fouler, and from the noysome pestilence.
In this his safeguard I shall be secured from those dangers that are in the eye of man most unavoidable, the most secret ambush that is most cunningly laid, and the most killing poyson that propagates it selfe most insensibly.
4. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust; his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
For as an Eagle or other bird doth with her wings protect and secure her feeble young ones from all approaching dangers, and to that safeguard they confidently resort, without seeking or soliciting any other (from whence, and by analogy with which it is, that in the Holy of holies the Cherubims with their wings overshadow the mercy-seat, to signify Gods gratious care and protection over all that there address themselves to him) so shall God guard and defend me, and in his protection will I repose all my hope and trust, the power of the Allmighty being abundantly sufficient, and (upon his promise given) his fidelity ingaged to afford his continual defense to all that are thus qualified for it.
5. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror bya. night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day,
6. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon-day.
To this it is consequent, that I have no cause to apprehend with terror either the most secret or the most open dangers, the most unavoidable evils that can threaten destruction or mischief to me, either by night or day.
7. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee.
Those judgments which seise on multitudes of wicked men, on every side of me, shall (like the plagues that swept away the Aegyptians, but past over the Israelites, or the plague that slew seventy thousand from Dan to Beersheba, but fell not on Jerusalem) be forbidden to seise on me.
8. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the wicked.
All the sense of evil which I need fear, is in its seising on others, not on my selfe, the beholding the untimely deaths of many others, such as is by the law denounced to ungodly men (but in time of epidemical diseases, oft seises upon others as well as them.)
9. Becauseb. thou‖O Lord art my hope, thou hast made the most High thy helpe or refuge (see Psal. xc. ….). hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High thy habitation.
I have placed all my affiance in the Lord, and thereby secured my selfe of all the protection and safeguard that the omnipotent Monarch of heaven and earth can bestow on me.
10. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
By strength hereof no kinde of mischief shall by any mishap befall or approach me.
11. For he shall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy wayes.
God having set a guard of his about me, given charge to the holy Angels, that allwayes attend and execute his commands, that as long as I cleave fast unto him, they shall secure me from all manner of evil that his providence shall permit to approach me.
12. They shall†carry thee foreign bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
When any such approacheth, those holy officers of his shall be ready with their aide, and preserve me safe from it.
13. Thou shalt tread upon the Lion and*Aspe or basilicke, foreign, Lxxii. adder; the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
The most ravenous and venemous beasts, which prey on and mischief all they meet, shall not be permitted to annoy me, but as so many conquered creatures acknowledge my power over them. (This was most eminent to receive its completion in the Messiah, here typified by the Psalmist in the miraculous power which he had over the whole creation, healing all manner of diseases, and casting out devils, and communicating this power to his Disciples, see Mar. xvi. 18.)
14. Because he hath‖delighted in me foreign set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
I have placed my whole joy and delight in God, most faithfully observed all his commands, and revealed them to others, given them knowledge of his will, how he expects to be served by them; (This had its eminent completion in Christs espousing the will of his father, and preaching it to the world) and this shall be sure to be rewarded by him with preservation or delivery from all danger, if any approach and involve me, he shall be sure to rescue me out of the power of it. (This was most literally verified in the resurrection and ascension of Christ.)
15. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him.
16. With long life will I satisfie him, and shew him my salvation.
God hath obliged himselfe by promise, and shall certainly performe it, whatsoever request I address to him, shall certainly be granted me; when any affliction comes, I am secured of his support under it, rescue out of it, and higher degree of exaltation attending it, great length of dayes in this world (This belonged not to Christ, but was abundantly made up by his resurrection) even as great as I can desire, and then a joyfull vision of him in another world.
Annotations on Psalm XCI.
V. 5. Night] In this verse, saith the learned Joseph Scaliger, Ep. ix. is an enumeration of the several sorts of evils that humane life is subject to, and those distinguisht by the several parts of the natural day, by the vicissitude of which our time and whole age is made up. The parts, saith he, are soure, midnight, and midday, the beginning of night, and beginning of day. The two former here exprest by 1. foreign foreignnight, 2. foreign foreignmidday; the two latter by 1. foreign foreignduskyness or twilight, (sit to denote the evening which is such) and 2. foreign foreigninteraiu, the day-time. To these foure, saith he, are appointed foure sorts of evils, 1. foreign foreignfear, terror, consternation, (those dangers or evils, that falling out in the night, are by the darkness and solitude of that much improved, as suddain assaults, or fires &c.) 2. foreign foreignthe arrow flying by day, (any disease or open assault, any calamity that usually befalls men) 3. foreign foreignthe pestilence, (any infectious disease, that invisibly diffuseth it selfe, and can no more be prevented than an assault in a mist or twilight.) 4. foreign foreigna wasting slaughter, (when with all the advantages that midday can give to an open assault of overpowering enemies, an utter desolation and spoile is wrought.) This the Lxxii. renders foreign, a midday accident and devil; for which Scaliger there professes to know no reason, (it is no doubt according to their custome of taking one word for some other that hath affinity with it, for foreign reading foreign, which they render elsewhere foreign, Psal. cvi. 37. and Deut. xxxii. 17.) But after all hi… care in approving this his Critical observation, he hath not made it probable that foreign in the day-time should have any propriety to the morning, the fourth part of his foreign, (not otherwise accounted for) which indeed upon all occasions is opposed to foreign the night, and never to the crepusculum, or evening. 'Tis therefore much more probable, (and agreeable to the practise of poetick writers) that the two latter, the darkeness and noon-day, should be but an explication of the two former, by night and by day, and so but the two known parts of the foreign be referred to, the night and the day; and proportionably the evils here mentioned by the Psalmist will be at most but of two sorts, the night terror being no more then the pestilence that walketh in darkness, and the arrow that flyeth by day the same thing with the destruction that wasteth at noon-day. But indeed both these in effect but one, the destroying angel, which by the pestilence swept them away both by night and day: and accordingly the Chaldee interpret the terror by night, the fear foreign of the devils that walke in the night; the arrow by day, the arrow foreign of the Angel of death; the destruction that wasteth at noon, foreign, a company or troop of devils; all three, as well as the pestilence, named, to signify the destroying angels, instruments of those Epidemical diseases sent from God. That the Psalmist here principally pitcheth on this instance of pestilential diseases, or destroying angels, may probably be in reference to that plague, which for the sins of the people first 2 Sa. 24.1. and then for David's sin in numbring the people, fell upon Israel; and destroyed seventy thousand from Dan to Beersheba, v. 15. but when it was ready to fall on Jerusalem, the angel stretching out his hand upon that to destroy it, v. 16. the Lord repented, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand; and the Prophet Gad coming to David, and directing him to rear an altar, and offer burnt-sacrifice to God in Araunahs threshing floor v. 18. (the place where the Angel stood 1 Chr. xxi. 15.) upon the humiliation of David and the Elders of Israel 1 Chr. xxi. 16.) and calling upon God, and offering burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, v. 26. God was intreated, and propitiated, and the plague was stayed, and fell not on Jerusalem at all. On this occasion it follows, that David sacrificed there on that threshing-floore of Araunah; (the tabernacle and the altar of burnt offering, which Moses made in the Wilderness, being at this time in Gibeon v. 29.) and so designed that place for Gods house ch. xxii. 1. and there the Temple was afterwards built by Solomon, 2 Chron. iii. 1. This then being so remarkable a passage of Gods providence, and mercy in sparing Jerusalem, when seventy thousand were slain in other places round about it, it might very fitly be referr'd to by the Psalmist, as a signal instance of Gods mercy, and care, and remarkable preservations over his people, and an evidence that there is no means of security, no way to avert or remove any, though but temporal evills, disease, and the like, but that one of applying ones selfe to God by humiliation, and reformation, and sacrifice, i. e. solemn intercession: and then as when Saint James, ch. vi. 14. gives the like directions in time of sickness, and promiseth that the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, it is not yet to be imagined, that no such person, which observed such directions, should ever dye, but that generally this should be a successfull way, and that no means should have that assurance of being effectual as this; so in this Psalm, the promises of immunity from dangers, pestilential diseases, &c. made to those that remain in the protection of the most High, v. 1. i. e. to pious men in the use of these means, thus adhering to, and not departing from God, are not so to be interpreted, that no pious man shall dye of any Epidemical disease, any more then that he shall not dye at all, but that this of adherence and address to God with humiliation and intercession, is the only means either to preserve single persons, or multitudes, whole nations at once; which is the full importance of Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple, 1. Ki. viii. 31. &c. which may be taken as a comment on this Psalm: whereas wicked men, that have no right to any part in this promise, are to expect excision, whole multitudes of them together, thousands and ten thousands v. 7. and that as the just reward of their impiety, v. 8.
V. 9. That foreign foreignthou must here in the beginning of the verse be understood of God, is most evident, and so the rendring clear foreign for thou, O Lord, art my hope; and so all the antient Interpreters have understood it: foreign — thou thy selfe, O Lord, art my trust, say the Chaldee; and the Lxxii. exactly accord, foreign, thou, O Lord, art my hope — and so the Syriack and Latine &c. But then that which follows, foreign the most High hast thou set or made thy help or refuge, is a part of a soliloquie between the Psalmist and his own soule, i. e. himself. And though the Chaldee feigning the Psalm to be (instead of a soliloquie) a Dialogue betwixt David and Solomon, understand this, as the former part of the verse, of God also, that he hath set the house of his Majesty on high, and so the Syriack also, thou hast set thy house on high; yet the Lxxii. and Latine, not discerning two persons in the Psalm (beside God) but onelyonly the Psalmist and his own soule, have agreed to understand it of the soule making God her refuge, foreign, altissimum posuisti refugium tuum, thou hast set, or made, the most High thy refuge. And indeed in this manner hath the whole Psalm proceeded, sometimes in the first person, ver. 2. foreign foreignI will say of the Lord, He is my refuge — then in the second person ver. 3. Surely he shall deliver thee — i. e. thee, my soule, which is in effect my selfe: and so the most perspicuous way of paraphrasing the whole Psalm is, by understanding it throughout in the same, i. e. first, person; but that so, as to extend it as appliable to all other pious men, as well as the Psalmist, (according to the general aphorisme in the first verse, He that dwelleth —) and in a most eminent manner to the Messiah, to whom the devil applyes it Matth. iv. 6. If thou be the son of God &c. for it is written (ver. 11, & 12. of this Psalm) he shall give his Angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And so saith Aben Ezra of the last verse, and shew him my salvation, it referrs foreign to the dayes of the Messias. And so R. Gaon, and Kimchi also. And so especially the latter part of the Psalm, though in a lower sense it may agree to David, yet hath its fuller completion in Christ. The Jewish Arab takes the whole Psalm for a Colloquie, or discourse by David directed to a Godly man: and therefore as he reads the first verse of the Psalm, O thou that sittest under the covert of the High, &c. I say of the Lord &c. v. 2. so he renders this ninth verse, Because thou hast said to the Lord, Thou art my refuge, and hast made the High thy habitation.