Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 144 – Psalm 146
PSALM CXLIV.
Verſ. 1. BLeſſed be the Lord my ſtrength, which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight.] To wit, that had been formerly inured only to handle a ſheep-hook and to play on a harp, and not to meddle with weapons of war; this diſcovering clearly that he had been extraordinarily taught of God herein. And thus too by alledging what God had done for him, he makes way for that requeſt which follows in this Pſalm, that God would deliver him from his enemies, as he had formerly done.
Verſ. 2. My goodneſse and my fortreſſe, &c.] See the Note 2 Sam. 22.2. As for the laſt clauſe of this verſe, who ſubdueth my people under me, though it may be extended to the Lords making him victorious over forreign nations, which thereby became tributaries to him; yet I conceive it is chiefly meant of Gods chuſing and exalting him, who was before of a mean condition, to be king over his own people, and of Gods bowing the hearts of that people to own him, and ſubmit to him as their king.
Verſ. 3. Lord, what is man, that thou takeſt knowledge of him? &c.] See the Note Pſal. 8.4.
Verſ. 4. Man is like to vanity, &c.] That is, to a vain thing, or thing of nought; there is nothing in him whereof he can boaſt, wherein he can truſt, or wherewith he can deſerve thy favour; ſee the Note alſo Pſal. 62.9: his daies are as a shadow that paſſeth away; to wit, as the ſhadow of a bird flying over ones head; or as any other ſhadow that goeth ſpeedily out of ones ſight and remembrance, and is then gone as if it had never been: but ſee the Notes alſo Pſal. 102.11, and 109.23.
Verſ. 5. Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down, &c.] See the Note 2 Sam. 22.10: touch the mountains, and they shall ſmoke; that is, draw forth from the mountains thoſe exhalations, that may afterwards produce tempeſtuous ſtorms; or rather, with thy black clouds and ſtorms of rain, thunder and lightning, cauſe the mountains as it were to ſmoke; ſee the Note Pſal. 104.32. But however, that which hereby he deſires is doubtleſſe this, that God would appear for him, and by ſome extraordinary way deſtroy his mighty enemies, that they might vaniſh as ſmoke.
Verſ. 6. Caſt forth lightnings, and ſcatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and deſtroy them.] See the Note 2 Sam. 22.15.
Verſ. 7. Send thine hand from above, &c.] See the Note 2 Sam. 22.7: rid me & deliver me out of great waters; ſee the Note 2 Sam. 22.5. Pſal. 32.6, and 69.1: from the hand of strange children; which ſome underſtand of enemies of forreign nations, living in a ſtrange land, as ſuch countreys are called Pſal. 137.4. and worſhippers of ſtrange gods, ſee the Note 2 Sam. 22.45. But the words of the following verſe do make it clear, that it is rather meant of thoſe that were his enemies amongſt his own people, whom he tearms ſtrange children, becauſe they were but baſtard Iſraelites, an adulterous generation, as our Saviour tearmeth ſuch as theſe were: but ſee the Note Pſal. 54.3.
Verſ. 8. Whoſe mouth ſpeaketh vanity, &c.] That is, words of falſhood and treachery: and their right hand is a right hand of falshood; to wit, in that their confidence in their own power will deceive them; or that they are wont to deceive thoſe to whom they promiſe aſſiſtance, yea that often their power is imployed in practiſes of treachery and falſhood. Yet ſome would more particularly reſtrain this to their ſwearing falſly with hands lifted up to heaven; concerning which cuſtome ſee the Note Gen. 14, 22. or to their breaking the promiſes they had made, & which they had confirmed by clapping of hands together, according to that Prov. 11.21. though hand joyn in hand, the wicked shall not goe unpunished. And indeed it is well known that Saul did often doe that which was contrary to the oaths & promiſes whereby he had engaged himſelf to David.
Verſ. 9. I will ſing a new ſong unto thee, O God.] See the Note Pſal. 33.3.
Verſ. 10. It is he that giveth ſalvation unto kings.] That is, that takes ſpeciall care to preſerve and proſper them, and without whom even kings are not able by their own power to preſerve themſelves.
Verſ. 11. That our ſons may be as plants, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, And this I deſire chiefly, that being delivered from the rage of mine enemies, thy people may live under my government peaceably & proſperouſly; That our ſons may be as plants grown up in their youth, that is, that they may be like young flouriſhing plants: and indeed except trees ſprout out fairly whilſt they are young and tender, they ſeldome thrive or grow up to any height afterwards. But ſee the Note alſo Pſal. 128.3.
Verſ. 14. That there be no breaking in nor going out, &c.] That is, no going out to war againſt an invading enemy, or againſt enemies that have wronged them; or, no going out into captivity, nor no flying out of the land to avoid the rage of invading enemies or oppreſſors: that there be no complaining in our ſtreets; that is, no publick wailings & outcries upon any ſodain uprores & tumults amongſt them, any tidings of diſtaſters befallen them, or dangers approaching by reaſon of any enemies invading them, or upon any other calamity whatſoever.
PSALM CXLV.
The Title. DAvids Pſalm of praiſe.] This is the laſt of the Alphabetical Pſalms; wherein all the Hebrew letters are found one after another in the begining of the verſes, one only excepted. But ſee the Note Pſal. 25.1.
Verſ. 1. I will extoll thee my God, O king, &c.] This title of king David here gives unto God, either becauſe he meant in this Pſalm to ſet forth the glorious works of God, as he was the king of the whole world, and in Chriſt more peculiarly the king of his Church; or elſe as deſiring to acknowledge, that he himſelf, though a king, was Gods vaſſal, & that he above other kings did in a ſpeciall manner hold his kingdome from and under God: and I will bleſſe thy name for ever and ever; ſee the Note Pſal. 89.1.
Verſ. 4. One generation shall praiſe thy works to another.] That is, One generation after another; in every generation God ſhall work works of wonder, that ſhall put men upon praiſing his name: or, The men of one generation ſhall praiſe thy works to others of a ſucceeding generation, and ſo ſhall ſtir up them to doe the like.
Verſ. 7. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodneſſe, &c.] That is, the many glorious things which they remember thou haſt done out of thy great goodneſſe; and ſo by this means they ſhall likewiſe perpetuate the memory of them in ſucceeding generations: and shall ſing of thy righteouſneſse; to wit, as it follows in the next verſes, The Lord is gracious and full of compaſsion, &c.
Verſ. 14. The Lord upholdeth all that fall, &c.] That is, that are in danger to fall, or that are ready to ſink under any affliction. And ſo likewiſe the ſame may be meant in the following words, and raiſeth up all thoſe that be bowed down; that is, thoſe that are even now tumbling down, or that are in danger to yield under their burdens. And yet ſome underſtand the firſt clauſe, of Gods bearing up thoſe that are ready to fall; & the ſecond, of Gods raiſing up thoſe that are fallen, or that are overpreſſed & cruſhed down with ſickneſſe, or any other affliction or ſorrow whatſoever. But however, his meaning is only, that whenever any are upheld from falling, or raiſed up again when they were fallen, it is the Lord only that doth uphold them, and raiſe them up.
Verſ. 15. The eyes of all wait upon thee, &c.] To wit, in that by the inſtinct of nature, which God hath planted in them, they ſeek for their food in the way that God hath ordered and eſtabliſhed for the feeding of them; ſee the Note Pſal. 104.21: and thou giveſt them their meat in due ſeaſon; ſee the Note Pſal. 104.27.
Verſ. 16. Thou openeſt thine hand, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 104.28: & ſatiſfieſt the deſire of every living thing; that is, thou giveſt unto each of them ſeverally ſuch meat, as according to their kind they deſire and are pleaſed with.
Verſ. 21. Let all flesh bleſſe his holy name for ever & ever.] That is, all men; ſee the Note Pſal. 65.2. Yet ſome extend this to all living creatures.
PSAL. CXLVI.
Verſ. 3. PVt not your truſt in Princes, &c.] To wit, that ſo God may have all the praiſe and glory; for in the two foregoing verſes the Pſalmiſt had ſtirred up Gods people to praiſe the Lord: nor in the ſon of man; that is, nor in any men, whoever & how great ſoever they be, & that becauſe however they are but men, poor frail creatures: in whom there is no help; that is, no power to help, not ſo much as to help themſelves, and much leſſe therefore to help others.
Verſ. 4. His breath goeth forth, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, Though any man ſhould be both able & willing to help, yet there were no truſting in him, becauſe he may die on a ſudden: His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; that is, the earth of which he was formed in his firſt creation, and wherein it is decreed he muſt at laſt be laid: in that very day his thoughts perish; that is, all thoſe great deſigns which he had in his thoughts, and conſequently whatever he had purpoſed and determined to doe for thoſe that depended on him▪ do vaniſh away and come to nothing.
Verſ. 7. The Lord looſeth the priſoners.] So that the meaneſt that are may truſt in God. And indeed that which is here ſaid concerning Gods ſetting priſoners at liberty, may be alſo extended to the freeing of thoſe that are in any great ſtreights, or under thraldome and oppreſſion: ſee the Notes Pſal. 107.10. and 116.16.
Verſ. 8. The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind, &c.] This may be alſo extended 1. to the curing of all other deſperate bodily infirmities whatſoever; 2. to the Lords enlightening the eyes of his peoples minds, either by teaching them the way of life & ſalvation, or by directing them by his ſpirit what to doe, when being in ſtreights they are in the dark, & know not which way to turn themſelves; and 3. to the comforting of thoſe that are in a manner overwhelmed with the terrours of death & deſperation, either by ſhewing them ſome hope of eſcape, or by delivering them out of their fears and dangers: the Lord raiſeth them that are bowed down; ſee the Note Pſal. 145.14. But now that this which hath been ſpoken is meant only of the righteous, when they are in any of theſe diſtreſſes, he ſheweth by adding the next clauſe, the Lord loveth the righteous; to wit, though he ſuffers them for a time to lye under thoſe ſad calamities that are before mentioned.
Verſ. 9. The way of the wicked he turneth upſide down.] That is, He utterly overthroweth all their counſels and enterpriſes, ſo that all things come to paſſe quite contrary to what they expected.
Verſ. 10. The Lord shall reign for ever, &c.] And ſo his people may ſafely reſt upon him in all generations.