Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 138
PSALM CXXXVIII.
Verſ. 1. I Will praiſe thee with my whole heart, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 9.1: before the gods will I ſing praiſe unto thee; that is, before princes & great ones, ſee the Note Pſal. 107.32▪ (for theſe are often called gods in the Scripture, ſee the Note Exod. 22.28.) or, before the angels, who are preſent indeed in Church-aſſemblies, as was ſignified by the images of the Cherubims in the Sanctuary. And thence it is that Paul ſaith, that women ought to have a covering on their heads in the holy aſſemblies, 1 Cor. 11.10. becauſe of the angels.
Verſ. 2. I will worship towards thy holy temple, &c.] See the Notes Pſal. 5.7, & 28.2: & praiſe thy name for thy loving kindneſſe & for thy truth; to wit, in ſetling me in the throne of Iſrael, according as thou hadſt promiſed me: for thou haſt magnifyed thy word; to wit, in the promiſe thou haſt made concerning the Meſſiah, the greateſt good that ever thou didſt make known to thy people: or, thou haſt magnified thy word; that is, thy faithfulneſſe in making good thy word, or the infallible truth & unreſiſtable power of thy word: above all thy name; that is, above all thy other glorious attributes, to wit, in that men were chiefly raviſhed with the admiration of Gods accompliſhing the promiſes which he had made to David concerning the kingdome; the promiſes ſeemed before hand ſo unlikely to be performed, that when God had fully brought all to paſſe that he had promiſed, the faithfulneſſe of God was ſo admired herein, that comparatively nothing elſe was thought of.
Verſ. 3. In the day when I cried, thou anſweredſt me; and ſtrengthenedst me with ſtrength in my ſoul.] That is, Though thou didſt not preſently deliver me, yet a gracious anſwer I had of my prayer, in that thou didſt inwardly ſtrengthen my faith and patience and courage, and ſo didſt ſupport me from ſinking under that preſſure of afflictions that lay upon me, & enabledſt me quietly & chearfully ſtill to wait upon thee.
Verſ. 4. All the kings of the earth shall praiſe thee, O Lord, when they heare the words of thy mouth.] That is, So many of the kings of the earth, farre & near, as ſhall heare how wonderfully thou haſt made good what thou hadſt ſpoken concerning me, both when thou didſt command me to be anointed king, & when thou didſt promiſe to ſettle me in the throne of Iſrael, though I lived then in a low & mean condition, ſhall hereupon praiſe thy name. Yet becauſe David was a type of Chriſt, we may well alſo underſtand this of the kings of the Gentiles, when they ſhould be converted upon the preaching of the Goſpel to them.
Verſ. 5. Yea, they shall ſing in the waies of the Lord.] That is, They ſhall with ſinging praiſe the works of the Lord, in bringing me to the kingdome which he had promiſed me, & the manifold ſtrange waies whereby he brought it about; or, They ſhall praiſe the Lord with ſinging, they themſelves the whilſt walking in the waies wherein the Lord hath appointed them to walk. But this indeed may be moſt fitly ſaid of the converted Gentiles, with reſpect to their exceeding joy for the glad tidings of the Goſpel.
Verſ. 6. Though the Lord be high, yet hath he reſpect unto the lowly, &c.] That is, Though the Lord be a God of tranſcendent majeſty, & hath his habitation in the higheſt heavens, yet he beholdeth the loweſt, the meaneſt and the moſt deſpiſed amongſt men: yea he beholdeth them with a favourable countenance, to pity, deliver, & exalt them in due time, eſpecially when they are alſo of an humble and lowly ſpirit. For that this is included appears by the following clauſe, but the proud he knoweth afar off; that is, though he knoweth them well enough, yet it is not in a friendly manner, but with contempt, he ſtands aloof from them; even as they look with contempt upon others, ſo doth the Lord upon them. And then taking theſe words alſo as ſpoken with reference to the times of Chriſt, the meaning is clear, to wit, that God is very tender over poor humbled ſinners, but that he abhors thoſe that are proudly conceited of their own righteouſneſſe.
Verſ. 7. Though I walk in the midſt of trouble, thou wilt revive me.] That is, Thou wilt preſerve and deliver me, even when I might ſeem to be in the very jaws of death; or, Thou wilt comfort me againſt all terrours and ſorrows, inward and outward: ſee the Notes Pſal. 71.20, and 80.18.
Verſ. 8. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me, &c.] That is, Though I ſhould ſtill meet with more and more troubles, and though mine enemies ſhould ſtill rage never ſo much againſt me, God will perfect the work of my deliverance and ſalvation; yea whatever he hath promiſed to doe for me. Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever; forſake not the works of thine own hands; that is, give not over what thou haſt begun to doe for me.