Paraphrase Upon the Books of the Psalms, Book 4 · Psalm 96
The Ninety Sixth Psalm.
The ninety sixth Psalm is a forme of common thanksgiving and praising of God for all his works of grace and mercy, as the great Creator and Preserver, Redeemer and Judge of the world. It was first composed by David, and, among others, delivered into the hand of Asapb and his brethren, at the carrying up of the Arke from the house of Obed-Edom to Zion, 1 Chron. xvi. 23. &c. and afterward lightly changed, and‖see the Lxxii. their title of the Psalm. said to have been used at the rebuilding the Temple after the Captivity: And is in the prophetick sense very appliable to Christs spiritual Kingdome and the effects thereof in the conversion of the Gentiles, &c. (see note c.)
1. O Sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord all the earth.
2. Sing unto the Lord, bless his name, shew forth his salvation from day to day.
Paraphrase. O let all men in the world acknowledge and bless and magnify the Lord of heaven, and this in the utmost chearfull joyous manner, every day of their lives; but more peculiarly we at this time, who have this present signal addition to his wonted mercies, commemorating all the glorious works and mighty deliverances which he hath wrought for his people.
3. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
Let this zeal of ours indeavour to extend it selfe to the benefit of all the heathen people in the world, those that know not God; and by proclaiming the glorious miraculous acts of his power and goodness to his faithfull servants, invite and perswade all to become proselytes to his service.
4. For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all Gods.
For certainly his power and goodness, his majesty and his mercy is most worthy to be adored by all rational creatures; and his divine vengeance (so lately felt by the Philistims, whose Gods were plagued by him, as well as their votaries, and by the Jews themselves, in that breach upon Uzza 1 Chron. 13.11.) ought in all reason to be admired, and reverenced, and trembled at by all opposers, much more than all the feigned deities that are feared and worshipped among men, and are not able to secure their worshippers or themselves.
5. For all the Gods of the nations area. idols; but the Lord made the heavens.
The choisest of those that the heathen people of the world have adored for Gods, are but either Angels, or souls of men, or celestial bodies; and what are these but the creatures of God? (who is the Creator of the highest heavens, and of all that inhabite there) and are therefore in all reason to give place to the kingdome of the Messias, which is to be erected in mens hearts: (see note c.)
6. †splendor foreignHonour and majesty are before him, strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
The sanctuary or holy place appointed for the assembly to whom God will powerfully presentiate himself, is the most glorious majestick place in the world; the Angels, those splendid ministers of his, reside there, and by their ministry our prayers are heard, our wants supplied, and so sufficiency of strength imparted to those that stand in need of it, and there petition for it. And this an image and imperfect type of what shall be at the coming of Christ, that spiritual kingdome of his among us, by the efficacy of his grace in his Church.
7. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord gloryb. and‖power, or empire. strength.
O Let all the nations and people of the world acknowledge him the great and glorious Creator and supreme sole Governour of all.
8. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name, bring an offering, and come into his courts.
Let them pay to him those acknowledgements which his all-wise and gratious providence and disposals, and the redemption which he hath wrought for the whole world, exact from all, and offer up themselves and their prayers (those their spiritual sacrifices) together to him in his Church.
9. O worship the Lord in†or, his holy majesty, see Ps. xxix. 6. the beauty of holiness: fear before him all the earth.
Let them magnify and adore him in all his glorious attributes, revere and obey him in all his commands, and never fall off or apostatize from him.
10. Say among the heathen thatc. the Lord reigneth; the world also shall be established, that it shall not be removed: he shall judge the people righteously.
Let his people of the Jews instruct the heathen world in these great Articles of their Creed, not only that the God of Israel, the Creator of the world, is also the sole Governour of it, but farther that the Messias his eternal Son, having conquered death, shall have all dominon over his Church committed to him by his Father; that by his divine providence and power he shall so over-rule, and settle, and compose the disturbances and oppositions among men, that he shall plant miraculously, and then powerfully support his Church against all the enemies thereof, destroying in a remarkable manner those that hold out against him, and will not be subject to his kingdome.
11. Letd. the heavens rejoyce, and let the earth be glad; let the Sea*make a loud noise foreign roar, and the fulness thereof;
12. Let the field be joyfull, and all that is therein; then shall all the trees of the wood‖cry vehemently foreign rejoyce,
13. †At the presence of —foreignBefore the Lord, for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
And this is matter not of mourning, but of joy to the whole heathen world, who upon this act of divine vengeance and judicature, Christs destroying their false Gods, and casting them out of their Temples, and by their forsaking those ridiculous detestable idol-worships and all the pollutions annext to them, and receiving the Christian faith, and with it mortification of lusts, practice of all Christian virtues, and tasting the inward joyes and comforts of these, shall be obliged to bless and praise and magnify God, and acknowledge this soveraign mercy farre beyond all that ever they aspired to, and admire his justice and wisdome in this blessed turne of his providence, and withall the uprightness of his judgments, the exact justice thereof in dispensing both his punishments and rewards to all the people in the world, protecting those that by adhering to him take care of their eternal wellfare, and eminently and signally destroying those that will not permit so gratious a Saviour and Redeemer (with his easy and pleasant yoke, and not only light, but beneficial burthen) to rule and reign over them.
Annotations on Psalm XCVI.
V. 5. Idols] From foreign not, is foreign foreigna thing of nothing, that which profits not: Job xiii. 4. foreign Physitians that profit not, are not esteemable, are not able to cure or help. So a false vision or prophecy, not fit to be heeded, or depended on, is called foreign a nothing, Jer. xiv. 14. and a shepheard that leaveth the flock, that instead of visiting, healing, feeding, devoureth and teareth the flock in pieces, Zach. xi. 16. is called a pastor foreign of nothing. From this notion, is the word used of the false Gods of the heathens, which Hesth. xiv. 11. are stiled foreign, things that are not, and of which therefore the Apostle pronounceth that an Idol is nothing 1 Cor. viii. 4. Not simply nothing, for that Physitian was not nothing, nor that vision, nor that shepheard, but, as the context there inclines to interpret, we know an Idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one; that the Idol-God is foreign not a God, there being in the whole world but one such, the Creator and first cause of all other foreign those that are called Gods; and again that the Idol-Gods are not able to profit, to preserve or defend their worshippers. So Deut. xxxii. 16. they provoked me to jealousie foreign with that which was not God, and Jer. ii. 9. they walkt after foreign those that profit not; where the notion of the heathen Gods is, that they are not Gods, and that they profit not. In which respect they are Esth. xiv. 10. called foreign vain things, and iii. Mac. both foreign and foreign, empty and vain. And so heer, when the Gods of the heathen are said to be foreign, the meaning is clear, they are not Gods, but creatures of Gods making; for be they the Angels of heaven, or the souls of eminent men, supposed to be assumed thither, or the Sun, Moon, and Stars, it is the Lord that made the heavens (as here it follows) and consequently all that is comprehended in them; and being creatures they are not able to profit their worshippers. 'Tis here observable with what variety the antient interpreters in this place have exprest this word. The Syriack have foreign (from foreign vain or empty) the vain things, as foreign in Hester and iii. Mac. The Chaldee have foreign from foreign to erre, and to fornicate, either as a wandring from the true to false Gods, or else as the worships of them had all manner of filthiness joyned with them. The Jewish Arab reads Idols. Abu Walid, as he puts the ordinary interpretation of the name, as denoting things of no possibility, and vain, so he commends another respect to be had in the understanding of it, according to the use in the Arabick of the word foreign, in the notion of grief and dolour, as things bringing and causing grief, and so may be compared with that other name given to an Idol, foreign from trouble or molestation. But the Lxxii. and Latine have foreign daemonia, which elsewhere they use also, Isa. Lxv. 11. for Fortune (so the Jews expound Gad there) Isa. xxxiv. 14. for foreign the wild beasts of the desert, Satyrs, &c. Deut. xxxii. 17. and Psal. cv. 35. Psal. xc. 6. for foreign and foreign the destroyer or evil Angel, as again Tob. iii. 8. vi. 17. viii. 2. and Isa. xiii. 21. for foreign the Satyr again, and Bar. iv. 7, 35. for the false Gods promiscuously, as they are there v. 7. opposed to the one true God. By all which it appears that the foreign in the Lxxii. and the Hellenists signify neither evil spirits (or devils) alone, as it is vulgarly thought, nor peculiarly the souls of men departed (as others conceive of the word) but more comprehensively all sorts of false heathen Gods, as they are opposed to the true God, whatsoever creatures have by the errors of men been deified and worshipt, in the notion wherein Plato uses foreign Gods in the plural, when, in Timaeo, he saith that the supreme God, the parent of all things, created all the rest of the Gods. See Augustin de Civit. Dei l. ix. c. 23. Of the original of this creature-worship, as farre as it concerns the starrs of heaven, Maimonides hath spoken at large, l. 1. de Idololat. and in opposition to those foreign no Gods, it is here literally to be understood, the Lord made the heavens; these visible spheres which they so admire and adore as Gods, the one God of the Jews did make. As for that of deified men, Istiaeus Milesius hath as clearly deduced the story of it (see Euseb. Chron. l. 1.) that of the line of Japhet came Zerug, foreign— who first began the Graecian or heathen worship; for, saith he, Zerug and they that were with him did with statues of pillars honour those which had antiently been warriers or Captains, or that did any virtuous or valiant act in their lives worth the commemorating, and worshpiped and sacrificed to them as Gods. After them others arising, and not knowing their predecessors intention, viz. that they honoured them as their ancestors and inventors of good things with memorials only, they worshipt them as Gods of heaven, and sacrificed to them. And this was their forme of making Gods of them. After their deaths they put their names in the books of their Priests, and solemnized a feast to them at a set time, saying that their souls were gone to the fortunate Islands, &c. In this relation thus set down in those fragments set out by Scaliger, there is certainly a foule mistake, an foreign not left out. For when of the first institutors it is here said, that they honored those Heroes foreign with memorials only, how can it be imagined that in the relation of that very passage foregoing, Istiaeus should say, foreign, they adored them as Gods and worshipt them? It must therefore of necessity be thus read, that Zerug— did with statues of pillars honour their Captains — foreign, and did not worship them as Gods, or sacrifice to them, as others arising afterward did. And of these again it is as clear, that these deified men, who were supposed to be assumed to heaven, and were no doubt many of them truly gone thither in their souls, were yet but foreign not Gods, but creatures of that one supreme Jehovah, who foreign made the heavens, and those most eminent saints that dwelt there. And this seems to be the fullest importance of this verse.
V. 7. And strength] As (from foreign fortis fuit) is foreign foreignstrength; so doth the same word signify what the Greeks call foreign power, dominion, empire. In the notion of strength or robur it may probably be used v. 6. where as beauty, so strength is said to be in his Sanctuary; beauty in respect of the glory of the divine presence, by the guard of Angels that attend there, and strength in respect of the assistance that is by God provided and furnished there to all that seek it by prayer. But the latter notion is fitter for this place, where it is joyned with glory and attributed to God; and so 1 Pet. v. 11. which seems to be taken from hence, it is foreign to him be glory and dominion; and the Arabick there read foreign, a light variation from the foreign here: and from hence Gods title of foreign is best rendred (not allmighty, or he that hath all strength, but) he that hath the foreign or foreign dominion or empire over all. And thus in the Doxologie annext to the Lords prayer, Kingdome as well as power is joyned with glory, when they are attributed to God. And to this accord the Lxxii. which here render it foreign honor, or dignity, referring to the royall power, to which that dignity belongs. And so their giving him the power or empire here, is agreeable to the proclaiming v. 10. that the Lord reigneth.
V. 10. Lord reigneth] That the Lord in this place is the Messias, foreignis the resolution generally of the antients, both Jews and Christians. Of the Jews, R. Solomon affirms this is spoken of the days of the Messiah, and gives it for a rule, that wheresoever 'tis said foreign a new song, 'tis meant of the future age, (and thus indeed Rev. v. 9. & xiv. 3. the new songs are sung unto Christ) And R. Gaon renders the reason, because then there shall be a new heaven and new earth. Kimchi also saith the Psalm concerns the dayes of the Messias. And to this foreign v. 2. hath a great propriety, having a particular notion of good tidings, or Gospel, and is duly rendred by the Lxxii. foreign Evangelize, or as a piece of Gospel preach, declare his salvation; foreign his redemption, saith the Chaldee. Of the Christians see Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew p. 298. &c. And the Psalm being (as appears 1 Chr. xvi. 23.) first composed on occasion of the bringing of the Arke to Sion (though afterward lightly changed and fitted, if we believe the Greek title of it, to the rebuilding of the Temple after the captivity, foreign) may thus fitly be understood in its prophetical extent to embrace Christs ascending to heaven in his humane nature: By his assumption of humanity he did truly dwell among us, and that much more eminently than ever he did in the Arke or Sanctuary; and the carrying of this to heaven was answerable to the bringing up the Arke, and placing it solemnly in Sion. Now to this exaltation of his, the Cross was the forerunner, and ceremony, as it were, of his inauguration, his Kingly office commencing at his resurrection from the grave, to which the Cross conveyed him, foreign, God after his death upon the Cross having given him the Kingdome of all the Earth, saith Justin p. 300. A. This is the meaning of the words, and of that antient Scholion which S. Augustin on the Psalms, and Arnobius and‖Fortunatus in Hymn. Impleta sunt qua concinit David fideli carmine, Dicens in nationibus, Regnavit à ligno Deus. others after him, and (of the most antient)†Apol. 11. p. 80. A. & Dial. cum Tryph. p. 298, 299. Justin Martyr, and*advers. Judaeos c. x. & xiii. & adver. Marc. l. iii. c. 19, 21. Tertullian recite, as from this place, foreign, The Lord hath reigned from the wood or tree, i. e. from the Cross. That these words foreign from the wood, or Cross, were once in the text, and by the Jews taken out from thence, though it have the authority of Justin, and be eagerly defended by Lindanus, hath no degree of probability in it. The very Lxxii. (which alone are concerned in the charge) in the copies which have come down to us, have it not, nor the vulgar Latine, nor yet the Arabick, nor Aethiopick, which all follow the Lxxii. no nor the version of S. Jerome, much less the Chaldee or Syriack, from all which it cannot with any shew of reason be pretended that the Jews have rased or stolne it out; (for how was it possible for them to corrupt the Greek Bible throughout the world, many of which were in the hands and libraries of heathens?) or that the universal Church, which for many hundred years hath allowed of, and confirmed the Original Copies, and all these translations, hath joyn'd with the Jews in their sacriledge, and opposition to Christianity, and that after it had received warning from so great a person as Justine was. Many other evidences are produced to this purpose by our learned Countrey-man Nicholas Fuller, Miscell. l. iii. c. 13. and his conclusion is unquestionable, that it was but a Scholion of some of the antients written in the margent of his book, (as the result of his observation of the Kingdome of Christ, discernible in this prophecy) which after by some unskilfull scribe was inserted in the text, and so perhaps in more then one, found by Justin, and by his writings communicated to others, who examined not the truth by the Hebrew text, or more antient copies of the Lxxii. Meanwhile by this gloss, and the reception of it with Justin, and Tertullian, and Augustin, &c. it competently appears to have been the opinion of the first Christians, those before as well as after Justin, that these words the Lord reigneth, and so this Psalm, belonged to the resurrection of Christ, and the regal power wherein that installed him (and accordingly it was used in the Eastern service) and this Kingdome of his set up here in this world, in converting both Jews and heathens, and bringing them into the Church. This is the ground of the style wherein the verse begins, and this his Kingdome is mentioned, Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth; as before v. 6. that all the Gods of the heathens are Idols or no Gods, but 'tis God that made the heavens, i. e. that this God, that made the heavens, should cast out all the heathen Gods out of their temples, and set up his spiritual Kingdome in its stead, throughout the heathen world, which is the interpretation of his coming to judge the earth, v. 12. thus exercising his regal power, to which he was inaugurated, in destroying idolatry through the world. From this and the like predictions it was, that as Tacitus Hist. l. v. c. xiii. Sueton. in Vespas. c. iv. and Josephus de Bell. Judaic. l. v. c. xii. tell us, there was an universal belief and rumor scattered through the East, before the reign of Vespasian (soon after the resurrection of Christ) that a King should come thence and reign over the whole world; which the heathen ignorantly applied to Vespasian, but was thus verified in Christ; not in his birth, but in this spiritual exercise of his regality, partly in converting Jews and Gentiles to the faith, and partly in destroying their worship, the Mosaical rites, together with the Temple on one side, and the heathen Temples and Oracles on the other side.
V. 11. The heavens] The heavens, and earth, and sea, and fields, foreignand trees, are here put together (after the scripture-style, which useth by the enumeration of parts, to signify the whole) to denote the whole inferior world, which (interpreting the heavens of the aiery regions) is made up of these, see note on 2 Pet. iii. e. Then for that phrase, the whole world, that in the sacred dialect also, as foreign, every creature, signifies the whole heathen world, see note on Mar. xvi. b. and Rom. viii. d. and so these two v. 11. and 12, 13. are but a poetical expression of the great causes of joy that this Kingdome of Christ, (exprest by the Lord's reigning, v. 10. and coming to judge the world v. 13.) which should be spiritually erected among them, should bring to the heathen world.