Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 116 – Psalm 117
PSALM CXVI.
Verſ. 1. I Love the Lord, &c.] By the words in the laſt verſes of this Pſalm, I will pay my vows in the courts of the Lords houſe, in the midſt of thee, O Ieruſalem, it appears that it was compoſed after the Ark was removed to Jeruſalem. And becauſe thoſe expreſſions verſ. 3. The ſorrows of death compaſsed me, and the pains of hell got hold upon me, &c. are much the ſame with thoſe which David uſed Pſal. 18.6. it ſeems moſt probable that this Pſalm was alſo compoſed by him, and both (it may be) upon the ſame occaſion, which was his deliverance out of the hands of Saul.
Verſ. 3. The ſorrows of death compaſſed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me.] So he calls his ſorrows and pains, not only becauſe he was in apparent danger of death, for which ſee the Note 2 Sam. 22.6; but alſo becauſe he was tempted to fear, that the evils that befell him proceeded from the wrath and diſpleaſure of the Lord againſt him.
Verſ. 6. The Lord preſerveth the ſimple, &c.] That is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, thoſe that are plain-hearted, and do ſincerely and ſimply mean what they profeſſe: and this indeed David might well ſpeak with reference to himſelf, who plainly meant what he profeſſed, and did not cunningly intend any hurt unto Saul, whilſt he profeſſed all fidelity to him. But rather I conceive that by the ſimple here are meant thoſe that lye open to injuries, and are eaſily circumvented, and that when they are in danger and trouble, are not cunning to work out their deliverance, as many worldly men are, but are wont only with a ſimple, quiet mind, to commit their cauſe to the Lord, and to ſeek and wait for help from him, as children that being helpleſſe in themſelves, do wholly reſt upon their parents for help. And this he ſpeaks as from his own experience; I was, ſaith he, brought low, not knowing which way to help my ſelf, and be helped me.
Verſ. 7. Return unto thy reſt, O my ſoul.] That is, Be no longer diſquieted, but reſt thy ſelf quietly, as thou haſt formerly done, upon Gods promiſes and fatherly providence, and that upon the experience thou haſt now had of Gods goodneſſe to thee; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. They that conceive this Pſalm to have been compoſed after David was delivered from the inſurrection of his ſon Abſalom, do otherwiſe underſtand this clauſe; to wit, that now he might expect to reſt quietly in his throne again, and peaceably to enjoy the liberty of Gods Sanctuary, as he had formerly done. But the firſt expoſition is clearly the beſt.
Verſ. 8. For thou haſt delivered my ſoul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.] See the Note Pſal. 56.13.
Verſ. 9. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.] That is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, I will daily ſerve the Lord in his Tabernacle, as long as I live here in this world: ſee the Note Pſal. 27.13. But what is rather meant by walking before the Lord, ſee again in the Note Pſal. 56.13.
Verſ. 10. I believed, &c.] To wit, that God would make good his promiſe to me; or particularly, that God would deliver me out of thoſe ſtreights I was in: therefore have I ſpoken, to wit, that which he had ſaid before verſ. 4. O Lord, I beſeech thee, deliver my ſoul; or, therefore have I ſpoken, that is, therefore have I ſo often ſpoken of the promiſes that God had made to me, and made open profeſſion of my confidence therein; or it may be ſpoken with reference to that which he had ſaid before in this Pſalm, concerning Gods goodneſſe and faithfulneſſe to his poor ſervants, verſ. 5, 6: I believed; that is, when I ſaw how miraculouſly God had delivered me, my faith was ſtrengthened thereby, and hence hath proceeded this confeſſion which I have here made of my confidence in God. And indeed in the 2 Cor. 4.13. where the Apoſtle cites theſe words, he ſeems rather to apply them to ſpeaking by way of confeſſion, then by way of invocation; We having the ſame ſpirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I ſpoken; we alſo believe, and therefore ſpeak, &c. As for the following words, I was greatly afflicted, they are added to ſhew that he was in great diſtreſſe even at that time, when he did thus call upon God, or encourage himſelf in his promiſes.
Verſ. 11. I ſaid in my haſte, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 31.22: All men are liars; that is, prone to lie, and to deceive thoſe that rely upon their words: and this it is thought David ſpake in reference to the prophets, Samuel eſpecially, who had anointed him and promiſed him the kingdome; and that he doth here acknowledge it, purpoſely to ſhew how unworthy he was of the mercy which God had afforded him, and that by this diſcovery of his own wickedneſſe he might the more magnify Gods goodneſſe.
Verſ. 13. I will take the cup of ſalvation, &c.] That is, I will offer unto the Lord a peace-offering of praiſe; or, I will praiſe the Lord in a ſolemn and joyfull manner: for the ground of this expreſſion, I will take the cup of ſalvation, was, either becauſe in thoſe peace-offerings they were alwaies wont to pour out a drink-offering unto the Lord; or becauſe when the ſacrificer came to feaſt with his family and friends on his peace-offerings, the cuſtome was that he took a cup in his hand, and having uſed a certain form of bleſſing God for that mercy or deliverance, which God had afforded him, he drank, and then cauſed the cup to paſſe round to all the reſt; and upon this ground it ſeems they called this cup the cup of ſalvation, or the cup of bleſsing. And indeed even to this cuſtome Chriſt may ſeem to have had ſome reſpect in the inſtitution of his laſt ſupper, the cup whereof therefore is called by the Apoſtle the cup of bleſsing, 1 Cor. 10.16.
Verſ. 15. Precious in the ſight of the Lord is the death of his Saints.] This is added as a reaſon why he would praiſe the Lord, namely, becauſe by the experience of the Lords preſerving him, he had found what precious account God makes of the lives of his faithfull ſervants: Precious in the ſight of the Lord is the death of his Saints; that is, he doth not make light of their deaths, but their lives are very precious in his ſight, even after their death he eſteems them as his jewels. But ſee the Note Pſal. 72.14.
Verſ. 16. I am thy ſervant, and the ſon of thy handmaid, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 86.16: thou haſt broken my bonds; that is, thou haſt delivered me out of all my ſtreights and dangers, or from the thraldome whereinto mine enemies would have brought me.
PSALM CXVII.
Verſ. 1. O Praiſe the Lord, all ye nations, &c.] That the Pſalmiſt ſpeaks this, as foreſeeing and foretelling that all nations ſhould by Chriſt be joyned to the Jews, and become his people, is evident, becauſe the Apoſtle Rom. 15.11. doth expreſly alledge this place to prove the calling of the Gentiles.