Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 139 – Psalm 140
PSALM CXXXIX.
Verſ. 1. O Lord, thou haſt ſearched me and known me.] That is, thou haſt exactly known me; ſee the Note Pſal. 7.9. Yet ſome take it thus, that God had proved and ſifted him by many trials, and ſo had exactly diſcovered all that was in him. But now the ſcope of this long diſcourſe which David here enters into concerning the omniſcience of God, was either 1. hereby to intimate that he made his addreſſes now to God with all ſincerity, as to an all-ſeeing God; or, 2. hereby to appeal, as it were, to God concerning his innocency in regard of the falſe ſlanders of his enemies, as that he did no way favour any wicked or bloudy purpoſe in himſelf or in others, which he ſeems to urge verſ. 19. Surely thou wilt ſlay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore ye bloody men; or 3. hereby to preſſe God to help him, becauſe he knew his ſtreights, & exactly underſtood his condition in every regard.
Verſ. 2. Thou underſtandeſt my thought afar off.] That is, Though thou art in heaven & I upon earth, yet thus far off thou knoweſt every thought of my heart; or rather, Thou knoweſt my thoughts long before they be brought to effect, or long before they come into my mind.
Verſ. 3. Thou compaſſeſt my path, &c.] This may be read, as it is in the margin, Thou winnoweſt my path; & then the meaning is, that God did as clearly ſee every way of his, as the corn is ſeen, when it is winnowed from the chaff. But reading the words as they are in our Bibles, Thou compaſsest my path, &c. the meaning muſt needs be, that God was on every ſide preſent with him, whereever he was & whatever he did, & therefore muſt needs know all his actions. And indeed conſidering the expreſſions here uſed, Thou compaſſeſt my path, & my lying down, & art acquainted with all my waies, it is not improbable which ſome think, namely that David doth herein allude to the knowledge which huntsmen often get of ſome wild beaſt, by watching & tracing her every way, that they know exactly where ſhe uſeth to goe, & where to lye, both by day & night, and are acquainted with all her paths: ſee alſo verſ. 5.
Verſ. 4. For there is not a word in my tongue, but loe, O Lord, thou knoweſt it altogether.] That is, I ſpeak not a word but thou knoweſt it, yea and with what mind and to what purpoſe it was ſpoken; or, If I be but about to ſpeak, whilſt my words are yet, as it were, in my tongue, thou knoweſt what I mean to ſay before I ſpeak it, or, though I ſhould never ſpeak it.
Verſ. 5. Thou haſt beſet me behind and before, &c.] That is, Thou doſt environ me on every ſide with thine omnipreſence; ſee the Note above verſ. 3: and laid thine hand upon me; that is, there is no fleeing out of thy ſight or preſence; I am in that regard, as if thou layedſt thine hand upon me, and keptſt me priſoner, that I ſhould not ſtir away from thee: or this phraſe may be uſed to imply, that he muſt needs be every where in Gods eye, becauſe he was upheld, & preſerved, and guided, & led by Gods all-diſpoſing power and providence, ſo that he could not turn or ſtir any where, but as he would have him. Yea & ſome conceive that here again David alludes, as before verſ. 3. to a huntſmans beſetting and ſeiſing upon ſome beaſt he hath purſued, when at laſt he claps his hand upon her.
Verſ. 7. Whether shall I goe from thy ſpirit? &c.] That is, that I may be where thou, who art an infinite ſpirit, art not preſent? as it is more clearly expreſſed in the following clauſe, or whether shall I flee from thy preſence? Or, Whether shall I goe from thy ſpirit? that is, to be hid from thy eye, that thou maiſt not know where I am? Becauſe men know & underſtand things by their ſpirit, which is a faculty of the inward man, according to that 1 Cor. 2.11. what man knoweth the things of a man, ſave the ſpirit of a man which is in him? therefore doth David here put the ſpirit of God for the knowledge of God.
Verſ. 8. If I make my bed in hell, &c.] That is, If I goe down into the loweſt parts of the earth, or into the grave, which is as the bed where dead men are ſaid to reſt. See the Note Job 26.6.
Verſ. 9. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermoſt parts of the ſea.] That is, Could I take my flight never ſo early, or, could I flee never ſo ſwiftly from Eaſt to Weſt, as the morning light doth; for the ſun-beams are here compared to wings, (as alſo Mal. 4.2. the ſun of righteouſneſse shall ariſe with healing in his wings) becauſe they paſſe through the air ſo exceeding ſwiftly, as it were in a moment; & the uttermoſt parts of the ſea are here put for the Weſt, becauſe the Mediterranean ſea was on the Weſt of Canaan.
Verſ. 10. Even there shall thine hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.] That is, All the way I went I ſhould be under thy power and cuſtody and conduct; ſo that to be ſure there is no eſcaping out of thy preſence: ſee the Note above verſ. 5.
Verſ. 13. For thou haſt poſſeſſed my reins, &c.] That is, Thou didſt make them at firſt, & ſo they are thine, and thou haſt abſolute power over them, & therefore thou muſt needs exactly know them; & conſequently alſo all that is within me, ſee the Note Pſal. 7.9: thou haſt covered me in my mothers womb; that is, thou haſt cheriſhed & preſerved me there; or, this may be …eant of his being wrapped up in his mothers womb, in that which we call the after-birth; or, of his being covered with skin & fleſh, ſee the Note Job. 10.11. However this which he ſaith of Gods framing his body in his mothers womb, doth fully clear what he had ſaid in the foregoing verſe, that the darkneſſe and the light are both alike to God.
Verſ. 14. I am fearfully & wonderfully made, &c.] That is, There are ſo many wonders in thy making of me, that when I think of them, it ſtrikes me with aſtoniſhment, yea with dread & fear of thine infinite & incomprehenſible wiſdome and power: marvellous are thy works; that is, all thy ſeverall works of forming man in the womb; or, all thy works in generall. As for thoſe following words, and that my ſoul knoweth right well, either the drift thereof was to intimate, that even that underſtanding wherewith God had endued him, & whereby he was able to take notice of the excellency of Gods works, was one of thoſe things that were wonderfull in Gods making of him; or elſe rather to ſignify, that through frequent meditation of Gods works herein, he knew full well that they were exceeding wonderfull, though how they were done he was not able to conceive, or, though in words he was not able to expreſſe them.
Verſ. 15. My ſubſtance was not hid from thee, when I was made in ſecret, and curiouſly wrought, &c.] To wit, with nerves, ſinews, veins, & variety of bones and limbs, like a piece of embroider'd or needle-work, as the word in the Originall ſignifieth. And it may well be, which ſome ſay, that becauſe in the firſt faſhioning of an in…ants body in the mothers womb the ſeverall members do ſeem like ſo many litle thrids, therefore in alluſion thereto David uſeth this expreſſion of his being …uriouſly wrought; and where? in the loweſt parts of the earth, that is, in the clay-houſe of my mothers womb: for this he calls the loweſt parts of the earth, only to imply, that his forming in the womb was as far from the reach of any mortall eye, as if he had been made in ſome deep & dark cave of the earth, and no more to be diſcerned, then we can diſcern the growth of metals and other things that are hidden beneath in the womb of the earth. And indeed ſome conceive that where the Apoſtle ſaith of Chriſt Eph. 4.9. that he deſcended into the lowest parts of the earth, he ſpake that of his Incarnation in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and uſed that expreſſion as in reference to theſe words of David. I know ſome conceive that there is no more intended in theſe words then this, that though he were made beneath on the earth, yet that was no hinderance but that God from heaven did in every thing ſee how he was made. But the former expoſition is the beſt.
Verſ. 16. Thine eyes did ſee my ſubſtance yet being unperfect, &c.] That is, ſo ſoon as ever I was conceived, whilſt I was yet an imperfect embryo: & in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them; that is, all thoſe members of my body, which in continuance of time grew to have their perfect ſhape, were as clearly ſeen by thee, even when as yet there was none of them that had their ſhape & proportion, as thoſe things are ſeen by men, which for the help of their memory they have particularly written down in a book; or as they ſee the faſhion of any work they intend to make, in thoſe draughts and models which they have beforehand drawn in a book, for their better direction. For this he means in ſaying that all his members were written in Gods book, to wit, in the book of his eternall preſcience. And as for that clauſe, which in continuance were fashioned, &c. if we read it, as it is in the margin, what daies they should be fashioned, &c. then the meaning may be, that God had determined how many daies his members ſhould be faſhioning in his mothers womb, & that before any of thoſe daies were come, yea even from all eternity.
Verſ. 17. How precious alſo are thy thoughts unto me, O God? &c.] That is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, The thoughts which I have of thee; or rather thine eternall purpoſes & counſels, as particularly concerning the framing of mans body in the womb, ſo concerning all other things whatſoever, how incomprehenſibly excellent are they, and how delightfull to me to think of? how highly do I eſteem of them? how great is the ſumme of them? ſee the Note Pſal. 40.5.
Verſ. 18. When I wake, I am ſtill with thee.] That is, I am ſtill meditating of thy works; ſome admirable thing or other comes ſtill to mind, which ſets me afreſh on work to admire thine incomprehenſible works, ſo that I can never find out the full number of them. Yea ſome conceive that by this word still, I am ſtill with thee, David would imply, that falling aſleep with theſe thoughts in his mind, awaking he had them ſtill freſh in his thoughts, yea and haply that even in his ſleep they were ſtill in his mind; ſee alſo the Note Pſal. 73.23.
Verſ. 18. Surely thou wilt ſlay the wicked, O God, &c.] Becauſe God being every where preſent, as he had ſaid before, and ſeeing all things, muſt needs ſee all the wicked counſels & practiſes of ungodly men, therefore he concludes that God would deſtroy them. And his drift herein might be to imply, that being thus perſwaded of the end of wicked men, it was not likely that he ſhould be guilty of thoſe wicked plots and practiſes which his enemies did accuſe him of; but rather that he muſt needs reſolve, not to have to doe with any ſuch, leſt partaking with them in their ſins, he ſhould alſo partake with them in their plagues; as he expreſſeth himſelf in the following words, depart from me therefore ye bloudy men: but ſee alſo the Notes Pſal. 6.8, and 26.4.
Verſ. 20. For they ſpeak againſt thee wickedly, &c.] That is, not covertly, but openly; they manifeſt their contempt of thee, & belch out blaſphemies againſt thee: and therefore it is no wonder though they ſlander me. Or, the meaning may be only this, that they ſpake wickedly againſt God, in that they ſpake againſt Gods ſervants, & againſt thoſe things which they could not but know were done by Gods command. And thine enemies take thy name in vain; to wit, by their perjuries and profane ſpeeches of God; or, in that they talked of God, but in the mean ſeaſon fancied a God according to the conceits of their own brains, a God that did neither mind, nor would judge the wickedneſſe of men.
Verſ. 21. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? &c.] As if he had ſaid, So farre am I from thoſe waies of wickedneſſe with which they charge me, that, Lord, thou knoweſt there is nothing I ſo much abhorre, as thoſe curſed waies of wickedneſſe, whereby men doe evidently declare themſelves to be haters of thee and enemies to thee.
Verſ. 22. I count them mine enemies.] That is, I do not conceal my hatred, but declare it openly, by avoiding their ſociety, & carrying my ſelf towards them in every other reſpect, as if they were mine enemies; though indeed I doe this not becauſe they are enemies to me, but becauſe they are enemies to thee.
Verſ. 23. Search me, O God, &c.] To wit, whether I be ſuch a man as I am accuſed to be, or as I have now profeſſed my ſelf to be; as if he had ſaid, And accordingly deal both with me and my accuſers, that all men may ſee whether I or they be guilty before thee. See the Notes alſo Job 31.6. & Pſal. 26.2.
Verſ. 24. And ſee if there be any wicked way in me, &c.] In the Hebrew it is any way of pain or grief; that is, ſay ſome, any way of wickedneſſe, which may hereafter prove matter of anguiſh to mine own conſcience; or rather, any thing wherein I do wrong or hurt to any man whatſoever; or, that may be grievous either to God or man. It is therefore as if he had ſaid, My heart is deceitfull; do thou therefore, Lord, try me, and ſee whether there be any way of wickedneſſe in me, that is, any ſinfull way, to which I do wittingly give up my ſelf; or, any groſſe way of injuſtice and rebellion againſt thee. And lead me in the way everlaſting; that is, in the way that leads to life everlaſting; or, the way that laſts for ever, the way which ever was and ever ſhall be the way wherein thou haſt appointed thy ſervants to walk, to wit, the way of piety; as if he had ſaid, Uphold me in this mine integrity all my daies.
PSALM CXL.
Verſ. 1. DEliver me, O Lord, from the evil man, &c.] That is, from men that perſecute me of mere malice, without any provocation thereto on my part. And he means Saul and his complices.
Verſ. 2. Continually are they gathered together for war.] That is, to make war, or to plot how to make war, or by their ſlanders to ſtir up others to make war againſt me.
Verſ. 3. They have sharpned their tongues like a ſerpent, &c.] That is, They have framed their ſlanders ſo, that thereby they wound as mortally as doth the biting of a ſerpent, ſee the Note Pſal. 57.4: adders poiſon is under their lips; ſee the Note Pſal. 58.4.
Verſ. 4. Who have purpoſed to overthrow my goings.] That is, to fruſtrate and overturn all my counſels and undertakings; or, to overthrow and ruine me.
Verſ. 9. As for the head of thoſe that compaſſe me about, let the miſchief of their own lips cover them.] That is, ſay ſome expoſitours, let their imprecations fall upon themſelves; ſee the Notes Pſal. 109.17, 18: or rather, let their own lips be their ruine; for which ſee the Note Pſal. 64.8. Having ſaid in the ſeventh verſe, that God had covered his head in the day of battell, here he deſires that, on the contrary, the miſchief his enemies ſought to bring upon him by their lyes and ſlanders, might fall upon their own heads, & ſo overwhelm & deſtroy them; ſee the Note Pſal. 7.16. But yet ſome underſtand this verſe thus. As for the head of thoſe that compaſse me about, that is, As for the chief & ringleader of mine enemies, to wit, Saul; let the miſchief of their own lips cover them, to wit, him & his paraſites.
Verſ. 10. Let burning coals fall upon them, &c.] To wit, as caſt forth upon them from the God of heaven; and ſee the Note Pſal. 11.6. Yet ſome think that the drift of theſe words is this, Let the burning coals of their cruell ſlanders fall upon themſelves. Let them be caſt into the fire, into deep pits, that they riſe not up again; that is, into miſchiefs which may be their utter ruine, and out of which they ſhall never be able to recover themſelves. It is as if he had ſaid, As they digged pits for others, ſo let them fall into pits irrecoverably: yea and ſome underſtand this of the pit and fire of hell.
Verſ. 11. Let not an evil ſpeaker be eſtablished in the earth, &c.] That is, let him not proſper in his waies; or, let him not long continue upon earth, either in himſelf or in his poſterity. That which we tranſlate an evil ſpeaker, is in the Original a man of tongue; but thereby is meant, at leaſt principally, one that by ſlanders and evil deceitfull ſpeaking ſeeks the ruine of Gods ſervants, rather then by open violence: of which he ſpeaks in the following clauſe, evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him; to wit, as he hath hunted the righteous to deſtroy them.
Verſ. 13. Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name, &c.] That is, Though they may be ſorely oppreſſed for a time, yet ſooner or later, by delivering them, thou wilt certainly give them occaſion with great joy to praiſe thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy preſence; that is, ſay ſome, they ſhall be alwaies offering ſacrifices to thee; or rather, they ſhall alwaies enjoy thy favour and protection, (as thoſe of a mans family are continually under his eye & care) & ſhall at laſt dwell for ever with thee in heaven. But ſee alſo the Notes Pſal. 56.13, & 61.7.