Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 132
PSALM CXXXII.
Verſ. 1. LOrd, remember David & all his afflictions.] Becauſe Solomon made uſe of ſome verſes of this Pſalm, to wit, verſ. 8, 9, 10. almoſt word for word, in his prayer at the dedication of the Temple, 2 Chron. 6.41, 42. (for which ſee the Notes there) it is hence evident that this Pſalm was compoſed before that time: & probably therefore either by David, to be ſung when the Ark was removed from the houſe of Obed-Edom to Zion, or for the uſe of his ſon Solomon when he came to build the Temple; or elſe by Solomon himſelf, that the people might uſe it all the time the Temple was building, or particularly at the great ſolemnity of the Temples dedication. But however, the drift of this petition, Lord, remember David & all his afflictions, is to deſire of God, that by ſettling and proſpering the throne of David, & the Temple, the place of his publick worſhip, & by bleſſing the ſervice that was there done him, he would make it evident that he was mindfull of him, & did highly eſteem him, both for what he had ſuffered for his ſake, and eſpecially for his great ſollicitouſneſſe to have built God a houſe, which is the chief thing that is intended by his afflictions. For firſt, becauſe when David had made known how earneſtly deſirous he was to build God a Temple, God did hereupon tell him that his ſon ſhould doe it, though he might not, and did withall make many gracious promiſes to him, concerning his kingdome, the Temple, & the flouriſhing eſtate of his Church & people, 2 Sam. 7.10, 16. (concerning which ſee the Notes there) therefore this, Lord, remember David and all his afflictions, is all one in effect as if this had been added too, And remember alſo the promiſes which thou didſt then make unto him; for ſo we ſee the like expreſſion uſed, Deut. 9.27. Remember thy ſervants Abraham & Iſaac & Iacob, look not unto the ſtubborneſse of this people, that is, Remember the covenant which thou madeſt with Abraham & Iſaac & Jacob, and becauſe of that do not deſtroy this people, though they be a ſtubborn people. And 2. becauſe David had undergone ſo many afflictions, in a manner all his daies, for the advancement of Gods glory, & that in confidence that God would at laſt doe for him what he had promiſed him, and becauſe he had been ſo anxiouſly ſollicitous to build a houſe for the Lord, therefore in theſe words, Lord, remember David & all his afflictions, this alſo may be comprehended, that even in this regard God would be the readier to doe good to him, who had been ſo zealous for his glory, & had ſuffered ſo much for his ſake.
Verſ. 2. How he ſwore unto the Lord, &c.] See the Note 2 Sam. 7.3: & vowed unto the mighty God of Iacob; that is, the God whom Jacob worſhipped and truſted in, as an almighty God, Gen. 49.24. & who by his almighty power had delivered Jacob out of all his dangers and troubles.
Verſ. 3. Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my houſe, &c.] To avoid the abſurdity of thinking, that David ſhould make ſuch a raſh & unwarrantable vow as this might ſeem to be, that till he had his deſire ſatisfied in that which is afterwards expreſſed, he would abide in the open air, & never goe within his doors, nor ever take any reſt either by day or by night, ſome ſay that David ſpake this with reference to his purpoſe of taking the fort of Zion from the Jebuſites, 2 Sam. 5.6, where by revelation he knew that God meant to have the Ark ſettled, and which he might probably think would be accompliſhed within ſome ſhort time. And then others again ſay, that he meant it only of that ſtately cedar houſe, which he had lately built for himſelf in Jeruſalem, 2 Sam. 7.1, 2. to wit, that he would not goe into that houſe; & ſo alſo that he would not goe up unto his bed; nor (verſ. 4.) give any ſleep to his eyes, nor ſlumber to his eye-lids, to wit, in that houſe. But neither of theſe expoſitions give me any ſatisfaction. I rather take theſe to be hyperbolicall expreſſions of the continuall exceeding great care, wherewith he was perplexed about providing a ſettled place for the Ark to reſt in, like that Prov. 6.4, 5: Give not ſleep to thine eyes, nor ſlumber to thine eye-lids; deliver thy ſelf as a roe from the hand of the hunter, &c. Neither is it any more in effect then if he had ſaid, I will never lay by this care, to mind my ſelf in any thing whatſoever, I ſhall never with any content abide in mine own houſe, or with any quiet reſt in my bed, untill, &c.
Verſ. 5. Vntill I find out a place for the Lord, &c.] That is, Untill I find where the place is, of which God hath ſo long ſince ſpoken, (ſee the Note Deut, 12.5.) that there he would have his habitation, & that there the Ark ſhould take up its ſettled abode; or rather, Untill I provide, prepare or build a dwelling-place for the Lord; for ſo the ſame expreſſion is uſed Act. 7.46. where it is ſaid of David, that he found favour before God, & deſired to find a tabernacle for the God of Iacob, and ſo it is more clearly expreſſed in the following clauſe, an habitation (or, as it is in the Hebrew, habitations; for which ſee the Note Pſal. 43.3.) for the mighty God of Iacob, ſee above verſ. 2.
Verſ. 6. Loe, we heard of it at Ephratah, &c.] A very obſcure place this is. But the moſt probable expoſitions that I find amongſt Expoſitours are theſe. 1. That in theſe words a reaſon is given why David was ſo ſollicitous to have the Ark brought into its reſting place, and why the people were ſo glad to have this done, to wit, becauſe formerly it had been ſtill in a fleeting condition, carried up and down from one place to another: to expreſſe which they ſay, we heard of it at Ephratah, that is, we heard of the Ark, that in old time before our daies it was in Ephratah, that is, in the land of Ephraim, to wit, in Shiloh (& indeed why might not the land of Ephraim be called Ephratah, ſeeing we find that Jeroboam, becauſe he was of the tribe of Ephraim, is called an Ephrathite? 1 Kings 11.26.) we found it in the fields of the wood, that is, when the Philiſtines brought back the Ark out of their countrey, we found it in the field of Bethſhemeſh, 1 Sam. 6.12, 13, 14; or when David went to fetch it to mount Zion, we found it in Kiriathjearim, 1 Sam. 7.1. 1 Chron. 13.5, 6. which ſignifyeth properly a town or city of woods, that is, ſituated nigh unto woods; and ſo the full ſcope of theſe words is as if they ſhould have ſaid, Thus hath the Ark been formerly tranſported from place to place, but now care hath been taken to bring it to the place where it muſt alwaies abide. 2. That the care of David in bringing the Ark to the place which God had appointed for it, is ſet forth by ſhewing the different opinions which men formerly had concerning the place of the Arks ſettled abode: we heard of it at Ephratah, that is, we heard of the reſting place for the Ark, the manſion or habitation for the mighty God of Jacob, mentioned in the foregoing verſe, that it was to be in Ephratah, that is, in Bethlehem, Gen. 35.16. which was a very fruitfull place, & called therefore Ephratah, which ſignifyeth fruitfulneſſe, as for the ſame cauſe alſo it was called Bethlehem, that is, the houſe of bread (& indeed it is not improbable that ſuch a report might be ſpread abroad concerning Bethlem Ephratah, in regard that many men might be inclinable to think, that the city where David their king was born, was likely to be made the ſeat both of the kingdome and Sanctuary;) we found it in the fields of the wood, as if they ſhould have ſaid, but now we have unexpectedly found that the place where the Ark muſt be ſettled is in the threſhing-floor of Araunah the Jebuſite, ſee the Note 2 Sam. 24.18. which might be called the field of the woods, becauſe it was a woody place… or in Jeruſalem, or mount Zion, which might be ſo called, becauſe it was but a barren ſoil, and compaſſed about with hils that were covered over with wood. 3. That this is ſpoken of Davids removing the Ark to the city of Zion, We heard of it at Ephratah, that is, the ſame of this ſolemn tranſporting of the Ark to Zion was brought unto us the inhabitants of Bethlem Ephratah; we found it in the fields of the wood, that is, as is before noted, in Kiriath-jearim; for it is in the Hebrew in the fields of …oar, & Joar differeth not much from jearim. Or 4. that this was ſpoken by way of congratulating the bringing of the Ark in to the Temple, according to the deſire of David, as into the place appointed of God for its ſettled abode: We heard of it at Ephratah, that is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, We heard of the ancient men in Bethlem Ephratah, even when we were children, where the Ark was to be ſettled; or, as others, we heard of it of David the Ephrathite, that is, who was of Bethlem Ephratah; & accordingly we found it in the fields of the wood, that is, in Jeruſalem, or in mount Moriah, the floor of Araunah, as is before noted; he being anointed king, the place of the Arks ſettled abode is now diſcovered. But to me the two firſt ſeem the moſt probable.
Verſ. 7. We will goe into his Tabernacle, &c.] See the Note again Pſal. 43.3: we will worship at his foot-ſtool; ſee the Notes 1 Chron. 28.2. & Pſal. 99.5. In this verſe the people are brought in, reſolving that ſince the Ark was now brought into the place which God had choſen for its ſetled abode, they would now diligently frequent that place of his preſence & publick worſhip; & they ſpeak as rejoycing at the benefit which thereby would redound to Gods people.
Verſ. 8. Ariſe, O Lord, into thy rest, &c.] See the Note 2 Chron. 6.41.
Verſ. 9. Let thy priests be clothed with righteouſneſse, &c.] That is, Let them be righteous & holy, and live holily and righteouſly; & particularly, let them carry themſelves juſtly & holily in the execution of their prieſtly office: ſee the Note, Job 29.14. And in this expreſſion he alludes to the holy garments wherewith the Prieſts were clothed, Exod. 28.23. In the 2. Chron 6.41. this clauſe is expreſſed thus: Let thy Prieſts, O Lord, be clothed with ſalvation; & accordingly the meaning here may be, Let the manifeſtation of thy righteouſneſſe, in protecting them by thy grace & providence, & in ſhewing thy ſelf tenderly carefull over them, be an ornament to them; for which ſee the Note there. And they therefore that think this Pſalm was compoſed to be ſung at the removing of the Ark from the houſe of Obed-Edom, do conceive that David doth hereby implicitely deſire, that no ſuch thing might now befall them, as had before in the ſudden death of Uzzah. And let thy Saints shout for joy; that is, Let thy holy people exceedingly rejoyce in the manifold mercies which through thy favour they enjoy, or particularly in the benefits they enjoy by means of the miniſtry of thy prieſts, and the ſettling of the Ark amongſt them. I know that ſome underſtand this of the Levites, whoſe work it was to praiſe God with ſinging of Pſalms in the Temple. But if we compare this with the place before cited 2 Chron. 6.41. it will clearly appear that the former expoſition is the beſt.
Verſ. 10. For thy ſervant Davids ſake, &c.] That is, (ſay ſome Expoſitours) for thy Chriſts ſake, who is often in the Scripture called David; ſee the Note 2 Sam. 22.51. But others again conceive that David himſelf doth here deſire, that God would remember him his ſervant, and make good his promiſes to him, whom he had anointed king over Iſrael; turn not away, ſaith he, the face of thine anointed. And ſome reſtrain his requeſt to this, that God would not ſend him away without effecting the work he had undertaken, of removing the Ark from the houſe of Obed-Edom to Zion, as he had done before when Uzzah was ſmitten, But I rather take it to be the prayer of Solomon, or of the people on Solomons behalf, to wit, that God remembring the promiſes he had made to David, & out of the reſpect he bare to him, who was a man after his own heart, would not caſt off his ſon Solomon, that was anointed to ſucceed him in the throne, out of his ſight, nor reject his prayers, or fruſtrate him of his hope in building a Temple for the Lord, as his father had appointed him: all which will be evident by comparing this place with that 2 Chron. 6.42.
Verſ. 11. The Lord hath ſworn in truth unto David, he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I ſet upon thy throne.] See the Notes 2 Sam. 7.11, 16. and Pſal. 89.3.
Verſ. 13. For the Lord hath choſen Zion, &c.] See the Notes Pſal. 78.68. and 1 Kings 9.3.
Verſ. 15. I will ſatisfie her poor with bread.] That is, I will not only give them food enough, but alſo, by my bleſſing upon it, cauſe their food to nouriſh and ſatisfie them.
Verſ. 17. There will I make the horn of David to bud, &c.] That is, In Zion I will make the ſtrength and glory of his kingdome to grow up and encreaſe; ſee the Notes 1 Sam. 2.1, & 10. 2 Sam. 22.3. & Pſal. 89.24. But withall this expreſſion of the budding of the horn of David ſeems to have reſpect, both to the mean condition from which David was advanced, as likewiſe to the ſtrange growing up and ſhooting forth of his kingdome again in his poſterity, when it was brought very low, as it was by the ſchiſm of the ten tribes, that fell off to Jeroboam, and often afterwards in their civill wars; yea when it was in a manner cut off, as it was in the Babylonian captivity; but eſpecially when it was ſo utterly ruined at laſt, that there ſeemed to be no memoriall left of it, & yet then in Chriſt, that horn of ſalvation, Luk. 1.69. budded and ſprang forth again, and from Zion, where indeed Chriſts kingdome began, did ſpread abroad all the world over: whereto the prophets alſo ſeem to allude, where they call Chriſt the branch, as Zach. 6.12. and Iſa. 11.1 a rod out of the ſtem of Ieſſe, and a branch out of his roots. And to the ſame purpoſe is the following clauſe, I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed; that is, that there ſhall be ſtill one of his poſterity, in whom the glory of his kingdome ſhall live and ſhine forth; ſee the Note 1 Kings 11.39. Which yet was chiefly accompliſhed in Chriſt, in whom this kingdome did indeed ſhine forth moſt gloriouſly even unto the ends of the earth. But ſee the Note alſo 2 Sam. 21.17.
Verſ. 18. His enemies will I cloth with shame, &c.] See the Note Job 8.22: but upon himſelf shall his crown flouriſh; that is, upon his own head, & the heads of his poſterity, even unto Chriſt, in whom his kingdome ſhall flouriſh unto all eternity.