Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 14 – Psalm 15
PSALM XIV.
Verſ. 1. THe fool hath ſaid in his heart, There is no God, &c.] David here bewails the horrible prophaneneſſe that had overſpread the face of the Church, the Iſrael of God, in Sauls time: and ſo in the firſt place he mentions the ſecret Atheiſm that was in their hearts, as the root of all their wickedneſſe, The fool, that is, the wicked man, (ſee 2 Sam. 13.13.) hath ſaid in his heart, There is no God, that is, he doth what he can to perſwade himſelf that there is no God, and to extinguiſh the light of knowledge and conſcience that is in him concerning God; and that ſecret contempt of God, that is in his heart, is in effect a plain deniall of God and a clear ſign that he doth not indeed believe there is a God: which appears by the impiety of ſuch mens lives, they are corrupt, they have done abominable works, &c.
Verſ. 2. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men; to ſee if there were any that did underſtand, and ſeek God.] That is, any that did truly know God, and ſeek after him in the right manner, to wit, to know and ſerve him, to approve themſelves to him, and make him and his glory the end of all their actions. Some conceive that this is expreſly ſpoken of the old world; as if David had ſaid, And thus it was in the daies of Noah, The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, &c. as it is ſaid Gen. 6.12. God looked upon the earth, and behold it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way. But I rather conceive that David ſpeaks ſtill of the prophaneneſſe of his own time, (though haply in the expreſſion he uſeth he may allude to that which is there ſaid,) and that it is all one in effect, as if he had ſaid, The all-knowing God ſees it is thus: The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, that is, thoſe that are in their unregenerate eſtate, to ſee if there were any that did understand, and ſeek God; and he ſaw there was not any. For that this laſt is implyed is evident, becauſe the Apoſtle cites the words thus Rom. 3.11. There is none that underſtandeth, there is none that ſeeketh after God.
Verſ. 3. They are all gone aſide, &c.] or gone back, as it is expreſſed Pſal. 53.3. (which is the ſame in a manner with this) to wit, from God, or from the waies of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, wherein God hath preſcribed them to walk: they are all together become filthy, as being corrupt, and doing abominable things, and conſequently good for nothing; whence it is that the Apoſtle renders this clauſe thus, Rom.3.12. they are together become unprofitable. And becauſe this David, or the Lord rather having looked down from heaven, pronounceth concerning the wicked in thoſe daies of Saul, that were not regenerated by the ſpirit of God, therefore the Apoſtle applyeth it to ſhew, that thus all mankind are corrupted before they be regenerated, Rom. 3.12. See the Note Pſal. 5.9.
Verſ. 4. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread.] That is, who dayly devour the poor, who are my ſpeciall care, yea the poor of my peculiar people, the Iſraelites, and that without any fear, yea with delight, making no more conſcience of it, then a man would of eating a piece of bread, and ſo feed and fat themſelves thereby, as if they were appointed to be meat for them. See the Note alſo Job 19.22. As for the Interrogation in the beginning of the verſe, Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people, &c. ſome conceive it hath the force of a commination; as if the Lord had ſaid, Do they not know that there is a juſt God, that muſt needs one day puniſh them for this their horrible wickedneſſe and profaneneſſe? Well, they ſhall know it. Again, ſome think it hath the force of an affirmation, Have they no knowledge? yea doubtleſſe, ſo it is, they are become very brutes, they have no knowledge; elſe they would not doe as they doe. Again, ſome conceive, on the contrary, that it hath the force of a vehement negation; Can they be ignorant that they ſin in theſe things, and that there is a God that will be avenged on them for it? Doubtleſſe they are not, nor cannot be ignorant of it: and that is manifeſt by the terrours that ever and anon they feel in their conſciences; which is added in the next verſe. But others (which I judge the righteſt) do underſtand it as ſpoken by way of admiring, and bewailing that they ſhould be ſo ſtupid and brutiſh.
Verſ. 5. There were they in great fear, &c.] Pſal. 53.5. theſe words, where no fear was, are added. All the difficulty here is to know what is intended by this word (There.) Some conceive of it thus, There, that is, before God and his judgement were they in great fear; which is oppoſed, ſay they, to the judgement of the world: and they alledge that as a parallel place, Eccleſ. 3.17. God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there, that is, before God there is a time of judging men for every purpoſe and for every work. But there are three other Expoſitions of this word, which ſeem to me more probable: to wit, Firſt, that this word there hath relation to Gods puniſhing theſe Atheiſticall wretches: the former Queſtion, Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? &c. implying that God would make them know, that there was a God that would puniſh ſuch profaneneſſe and impiety, hereupon he adds There, that is, when God begins to puniſh them, were they in great fear, &c. & ſo alſo this expreſſion may imply the certainty of their puniſhment, whilſt he points at it, as it were, with his finger. Secondly, that by there were they in great fear is meant, that they were terrified in their hearts and conſciences: The foregoing Interrogation, Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? might imply, that they could not but know in their conſciences, that there was a God that would judge them; and ſo with relation thereto it follows, There, that is, in their hearts and conſciences were they in great fear. And thirdly, (which ſeems the cleareſt) that this hath relation to that which is ſaid before concerning their devouring Gods people, and not minding to call upon the Lord, namely, that there, that is, as they were running on ſecurely and in the midſt of this their profaneneſſe, horrid terrours from God ſhould ſeize upon them: and ſo this expreſſion may imply how ſuddenly this ſhould come upon them, as in Pſal. 36.12. there are the workers of iniquity fallen; and that theſe inward terrours did evince, that they could not be ignorant that there was a God that would call men to account for their ſins. For God is in the generation of the righteous, namely to protect them, and take their part againſt thoſe that injure them: and this may be added to imply, either that by the diſcovery of this the wicked are terrified, or that therefore for the righteous ſake God ſtrikes them with terrours. In Pſal. 53.5. in ſtead of this clauſe, there are theſe words, For God hath ſcattered the bones of him that encampeth againſt thee; that is, God hath deſtroyed the ſtrong enemies that had beſet thee, and ſo hath delivered thee, O thou righteous ſervant of God, thou haſt put them to shame, becauſe God hath deſpiſed them: which is the ſame in effect with that we have here.
Verſ. 6. You have shamed the counſell of the poor, becauſe the Lord is his refuge.] Here David turns his ſpeech to thoſe wicked men he had ſpoken of. The words may be taken as ſpoken ironically, You have shamed the counſell of the poor, &c. as if he had ſaid, You thought to have made fruſtrate the hope of the poor, but in your own terrours you feel what it is come to: and thus he derides them for ſcorning and deriding the poor. But rather David doth therein expreſly charge them with ſhaming, that is, with endeavouring to ſhame the counſell of the poor, either by oppoſing them in their hopes and endeavours, or rather by deriding them for hoping in God, when the Lord ſeemed not to regard them; as if he had ſaid, You will not call upon the Lord your ſelves, and you deride them that do it: and this he chargeth upon them, as that which would farther provoke the Lord to deſtroy them.
Verſ. 7. O that the ſalvation of Iſrael were come out of Sion, &c.] This might be meant, both firſt of a temporall deliverance, as if he had ſaid, O that the Lord who dwelleth in Sion would deliver his Iſrael; or that from heaven, whereof the Tabernacle in Sion was a type, he would ſave his people from the tyranny of Saul, and all other their proud oppreſſours! O that he would ſettle me in the kingdome that he hath promiſed me, that I might then purge out this profaneneſſe out of the land! and if we take it thus, then the following words muſt be thus underſtood, When the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Iacob shall rejoyce, and Iſrael shall be glad; that is, when the Lord ſhall thus free his people from the ſlavery under which they are now held, then ſhall all true Iſraelites exceedingly rejoyce. And if it be objected, that this Pſalm cannot be intended of the profaneneſſe of Sauls daies, becauſe of the mention that is here made of Sion, the Ark not being in his daies removed thither; to this it may be anſwered, either that David might ſpeak this by a propheticall ſpirit, or that haply he compoſed this Pſalm after the Ark was placed in Sion, though he writes therein of former times. And ſecondly, it may he meant of the ſpirituall Redemption of his people: Being grieved at the horrible impiety of the children of men, O, ſaith he, that the ſalvation of Iſrael were come out of Sion! that is, O that God would ſend his Son our Redeemer, to ſave man from the bondage of ſin and death! and thoſe words out of Sion are added, becauſe thence the Meſſiah was to come, Rom. 11.26. There shall come out of Sion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodlineſſe from Iacob; and thence alſo the Goſpel was expected, Eſa. 2.3. Out of Sion shall goe forth the Law, and the word of the Lord from Ieruſalem: and ſo then we muſt alſo underſtand the following words, when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, &c. to wit, of Chriſts delivering his people from the bondage of ſin and death, the great joy of all true Iſraelites.
PSALM XV.
Verſ. 1. LOrd, who shall abide in thy Tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?] This Queſtion David propounds to the Lord, that the anſwer afterwards added might be received as a divine Oracle of unqueſtionable certainty. Some underſtand it of the qualification of thoſe that preſent themſelves to ſerve God in the Tabernacle or Temple: Lord, who shall abide in thy Tabernacle? &c. as if he had ſaid, Many flock thither, but who are they that have a juſt right to come? or who are they that may expect to have this priviledge continued to them, of reſorting to thy houſe? But more generally it is underſtood of the qualification of thoſe that are true members of the Church here, and ſhall live for ever in heaven hereafter. Some conceive that it is the kingdome of heaven, that is here called both Gods Tabernacle and holy hill▪ and ſo make the ſumme of the whole Queſtion to be this, Who ſhall dwell with thee for ever in heaven? But becauſe the Tabernacle was more peculiarly a type of the Church militant, and the Temple on the holy hill of Sion a type of the Church triumphant, therefore more commonly Expoſitours underſtand this Queſtion thus, Who ſhall be acknowledged true members of thy Church on earth, and who ſhall dwell for ever in thy Church triumphant in heaven?
Verſ. 3. Nor taketh up a reproach againſt his neighbour.] To wit, by raiſing falſe reports, or any other way of reproaching them, or by hearkening to others, or enduring them that doe it. See the Note upon Exod. 2….1.
Verſ. 5. He that putteth not out his money to uſury, &c.] See the Notes Exod. 22.25, and Deut. 23.19, and under this all other unjuſt waies of gain are comprehended.
He that doeth theſe things shall not be moved.] That is, He ſhall never be caſt out as an hypocrite: he ſhall certainly continue a true member of the Church, and ſhall for ever live in Gods kingdome of glory.