Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 141 – Psalm 142
PSAL. CXLI.
Verſ. 2. LEt my prayer be ſet forth before thee as incenſe, &c.] It is in the Original, Let my prayer be directed before thee as incenſe; which is all one as if he had ſaid, By the aſſiſtance of thy ſpirit, let me be ſo directed in praying to thee, that my prayer may aſcend up to heaven as incenſe, & find as much acceptance with thee, as that legal ſervice which thou haſt appointed to be given thee in the Sanctuary: & the lifting up of my hands as the evening ſacrifice; that is, as the daily ſacrifice that was offered every morning & evening; for under one of theſe both are implyed: though inded ſome think, that the evening ſacrifice is only here mentioned, either becauſe therewith ſtill the worſhip of every day was finiſhed, or becauſe haply he did at firſt offer up this prayer, or compoſed this Pſalm to be uſed by him, in the evening. However doubtleſſe the rather did David deſire, that this prayer might be accepted of God as incenſe, and as the daily ſacrifice, becauſe he knew that one main end of thoſe ceremoniall ſervices was, to ſignify how acceptable through Chriſt the prayers of the Saints were unto God; ſee the Notes Exod. 29.38, and 30.1. whence it was alſo that about that time, which was the ninth hour of the day (about three a clock in the afternoon) the godly uſed to pray; as it is noted of Daniel, Dan. 9.21. that he was praying about the time of the evening oblation, and Act. 3.1. that Peter and Iohn went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. Yea and very probable it may ſeem, which ſome ſay, that becauſe David in his baniſhment could not come at the tabernacle, therefore he deſires that yet his prayers might be in ſtead of incenſe, and of the evening ſacrifice, and as acceptable to God.
Verſ. 3. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and keep the door of my lips.] Becauſe the lips are as a two-leaved door before the mouth of a man, through which when they are opened our words do iſſue forth, hence is this expreſſion. And this now is that requeſt which in the two foregoing verſes he had deſired might find acceptance with God. Either becauſe living in Sauls Court amongſt a crew of ungodly wretches, he feared he might be ſo far infected with their ſociety, as to learn of them to talk profanely, at leaſt might ſpeak amiſſe to gratify them; or rather, becauſe in the time of Sauls perſecuting him, his temptations were ſo many and great, by reaſon of his unjuſt ſufferings, that he judged it impoſſible for him of himſelf to bridle his tongue, at leaſt he feared leſt through impatience or incogitancy he might ſpeak ſomething whereby he might diſhonour God, or grieve the godly, or wound his own conſcience, therefore he deſires that the Lord would keep him from offending herein. Indeed he elſewhere tels us that for for this he had reſolved very carefully to watch over himſelf, and yet within a while he forgat himſelf, ſee the Note Pſal. 39.1; and therefore now he commits himſelf to Gods keeping.
Verſ. 4. Encline not mine heart, &c.] Becauſe it is not enough to watch the mouth, except the heart be alſo kept in awe, therefore is this next clauſe added, Encline not mine heart to any evil thing; that is, ſuffer it not to be enclined: to practiſe wicked works with men that work iniquity; that is, to joyn with them in their wicked practices, or to live wickedly as they doe: & let me not eat of their dainties; that is, ſay ſome, let not me delight in thoſe things wherein they delight, or, let not me feaſt with them, leſt I be corrupted by their ſociety; or, let not me feed on that which is gotten by rapine & oppreſſion, as their dainties are; or, let not me live in ſuch proſperity and plenty as they doe, leſt thereby I be puffed up in wickedneſſe as they are, let not the pleaſant lives which they live in all proſperity, plenty and pleaſure, whilſt God lets them alone as if they ſhould never be called to an account, tempt me to walk in their wicked waies; or, let not their flatteries & courteſies inſnare me.
Verſ. 5. Let the righteous ſmite me, &c.] That is, reprove me, according to that Prov. 23.35. They have ſtricken me, and I was not ſick, and 27.6. Faithfull are the wounds, that is, the reproofs, of a friend. This place may be read, as it is in the margin of our Bibles, Let the righteous ſmite me kindly and reprove me; let not their precious oyl break my head: & then the meaning is clearly this, Let the righteous reprove me, though it be never ſo ſharply, ſo it be done ſincerely out of kindneſſe and love; but let not the flatteries & feaſtings of wicked men miſchief me or deſtroy me. But indeed if we read the words as they are in our Tranſlation, Let the righteous ſmite me, it shall be a kindneſse; and let him reprove me, it shall be excellent oyl, which shall not break my head, the ſenſe is much the ſame: for ſo this may be added as in reference to the laſt clauſe of the foregoing verſe, and let me not eat of their dainties; as if he had ſaid, Let me be rather ſmitten by the righteous, then inſnared with the flattering dainties of the wicked: ſuch reproofs I ſhall take kindly, for I know they will not hurt me, but rather do me good, as refreſhing healing oyls are wont to doe, whereas the flatteries of the wicked would deſtroy me. Yet ſome do otherwiſe conceive of the manner how theſe words are here brought in upon that which went before: as 1. that having prayed verſ. 4. that God would not ſuffer his heart to be enclined to any evil thing, &c. to ſhew how ſincerely he deſired this, he profeſſeth here, that to prevent that he was moſt ready to accept of the reproofs of any good man whatſoever; or 2. that having prayed verſ. 3, 4. that he might not by the wicked practiſes of his enemies againſt him be provoked to ſpeak or doe any thing that was evil, here he profeſſeth, that if there were any good men that joyned themſelves with his malicious perſecutours, being merely miſ-led by the falſe reports that were ſpread abroad of him, let ſuch come to him and reprove him, he ſhould take it as a kindneſſe, not doubting but he ſhould ſatisfy them. For yet my prayer shall be in their calamities: which may be underſtood either 1. of his wicked adverſaries, thus, for yet, that is, yet a little while, or yet notwithſtanding their rage, I ſhall pray for them when they are in miſery; as if he ſhould have ſaid, And hereby the righteous that joyn with them may ſee, that mine enemies do perſecute me without a cauſe: or, of thoſe good men, that being deceived by his enemies, did in the ſimplicity of their hearts aid them; as if he had ſaid, I pity them for their unhappy engagement in ſo bad a cauſe, and am ſo far from wiſhing them any hurt, that when theſe their evil courſes ſhall bring miſery upon them, I ſhall heartily pray for them.
Verſ. 6. When their judges are overthrown in ſtony places, &c.] That is, When their princes & rulers, that are now mounted up in high places, ſhall be utterly deſtroyed, as men thrown headlong down from the top of high craggy rocks, or as men that ſtumble in ſtony places (& ſome think that this might be prophetically ſpoken, with reference to the overthrow of Saul & his army on the mountains of Gilboa) they shall hear my words; that is, the common people, warned by their example, ſhall then hearken to me. The meaning is, that when they ſhould ſee how God had avenged him upon his perſecutours, and how unexpectedly he was advanced to the kingdome, they would then be brought to a right underſtanding of him and of his cauſe, and ſo would hear his words, to wit, when he ſhould declare the righteouſneſſe of his cauſe, or when he counſelled them to take heed hereafter of joyning with wicked men in any ſinfull waies. For they are ſweet; that is, though now they cannot reliſh them, nor endure them, yet they are good and profitable, and then with comfort to themſelves they ſhall accept them as ſuch. Some, I know, underſtand theſe laſt words of the judges themſelves, to wit, that when Gods judgements ſhould ſeiſe upon them, they ſhould then hear his words, that is, they ſhould then call to mind what he had ſpoken to them, and ſhould approve of it, wiſhing they had not ſtopped their ears againſt it. But the former expoſition I judge the beſt.
Verſ. 7. Our bones are ſcattered at the graves mouth, as when one cutteth or cleaveth wood, &c.] .1 Some underſtand this clauſe thus, that David & his friends & followers were diſperſed & ſcattered abroad, & thereby in manifeſt danger of death. 2. Some take it as an hyperbolicall expreſſion of the terrours that often ſeized upon them, that in their fears their bones were ſometimes ſhaken, as if they would fall aſunder. 3. Some take it to be a figurative expreſſion of the deſperate danger they were in, as if he ſhould have ſaid, We are all as dead men, as it were at deaths door; we are ſure to be hacked & hewed in pieces, and ſo to be ſcattered abroad upon the earth, whereever they light upon us, if the Lord do not the more miraculouſly preſerve us; ſuch traitours, as they account us to be, are like to find no mercy from them either dead or living: & this is that which Saint Paul cals the having the ſentence of death before-hand in themſelves, 2 Cor. 1.9.4. Again, others take it as a poetical expreſſion of the barbarous cruelty of their enemies, to wit, that they uſed him and his party with as much inhumanity, as if men ſhould cut a mans throat, & then tear him in pieces before they would bury him. And 5. others underſtand this literally, that Saul and his party did thus uſe Davids followers, if any of them were but at any time ſurprized, to wit, that they chopped them in pieces, & ſo left them unburied: yea ſome adde, that they digged up their dead bodies and bones, and ſo ſcattered them about the graves mouth; which I ſee not indeed why we ſhould judge incredible, conſidering with what exceeding rage Saul and his favourers did a long time make war againſt David.
PSALM CXLII.
Verſ. 2. I Poured out my complaint before him.] See the Notes 1 Sam. 1.15. Pſal. 42.4, and 62.8.
Verſ. 3. When my ſpirit was overwhelmed within me, &c.] That is, When I was ſo perplexed, that I was ready to faint, or that I was at my wits end, not knowing which way to turn my ſelf; ſee the Note Pſal. 61.2: then thou kneweſt my path; which may be underſtood three ſeverall waies: either 1. that God knew the dangers he was in, & did accordingly deliver him, to wit, out of the ſnares which his enemies had laid for him, of which he ſpeaks in the following words, in the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a ſnare for me; or 2. that in thoſe his troubles God knew & approved his innocency, though that could not hinder his enemies from laying ſnares for him; or 3. that God knew the way whereby he might & ſhould be delivered, though he for his part knew no way how to avoid their rage, & that becauſe what way ſoever he took, they had privily laid a ſnare for him.
Verſ. 4. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me.] Either the right hand is only mentioned, becauſe that is the place for men to ſtand in for the defence of one they deſire to aid, according to that Pſal. 16.8. becauſe he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved, for which ſee the Note there; or elſe, under the right hand the left is alſo comprehended.
Verſ. 5. Thou art my refuge and my portion, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 16.5: in the land of the living; ſee the Note Pſal. 27.13. It is as if he had ſaid, that even in this life he hoped to find God mercifull to him.
Verſ. 6. Bring my ſoul out of priſon, &c.] That is, Bring me out of this cave, wherein I am now forced to hide my ſelf; or, out of theſe ſtreights I am in, being beſet on every ſide, as if I were in a priſon: the righteous shall compaſſe me about, for thou shalt deal bountifully with me; that is, upon Gods delivering me, the righteous will flock about me, either to gaze at me, as by way of admiring at the great things that God had done for me; or to congratulate my deliverance, to rejoyce and to praiſe God with me and for me; or to hear what God had done for me; or laſtly, to ſet the crown of Iſrael upon my head.