Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 21
PSALM XXI.
Verſ. 1. THe king shall joy in thy ſtrength, O Lord; &c.] To wit, as thankfully acknowledging that by thine aſſiſtance he hath prevailed over his enemies. In this Pſalm the people are brought in bleſſing God for conferring upon their king thoſe mercies which they had prayed for in the foregoing Pſalm. And this muſt be underſtood both of David, and Chriſt, of whom David was a type.
Verſ. 2. Thou haſt given him his hearts deſire, &c.] As was deſired in the foregoing Pſalm verſ. 4. Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfill all thy counſell. How this was verified eminently in Chriſt ſee Pſal. 2.8. Luk. 22.15. Joh. 11.42. and 17.1, &c.
Verſ. 3. For thou preventeſt him with the bleſsings of goodneſſe, &c.] That is, Thou haſt beſtowed many good bleſſings of thine own free grace and goodneſſe, which he neither did deſire nor could deſerve: thou ſetteſt a crown of pure gold on his head; that is, thou madeſt him king over Iſrael, when he dreamt not of any ſuch thing; for this is mentioned as one of thoſe bleſſings which God beſtowed upon him undeſired. Becauſe it is by ſome conceived that the foregoing Pſalm was compoſed upon occaſion of Davids making war againſt the Ammonites, therefore they underſtand this as ſpoken with reference to their kings crown, 2 Sam. 12.30. He took their kings crown from off his head (the weight whereof was a talent of gold, with the precious ſtones) and it was ſet on Davids head: but this ſeems not ſo probable. Taking this as ſpoken of Chriſt, either it may be meant of his kingly office, the kingdome of David being reſtored in him the ſon of David, which had been quite loſt as it were for a time; or of that incorruptible crown of glory, whereto, after his ſufferings and being crowned with thorns, he was exalted in heaven. See Heb. 2.7.
Verſ▪ 4. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, &c.] That is, Being often in deſperate dangers, he deſired that thou wouldeſt ſave his life, and not ſuffer him to fall into the hands of his enemies; and thou didſt grant his requeſt, and gaveſt him his life for a prey, even length of daies for ever and ever, which was more then he deſired. And hereby may be meant, either 1. that God granted him a long, yea a very long life, to the great benefit of his people (for this only the Hebrew phraſe may imply;) or 2. that the Lord did not only cauſe him to live to a good old age, but alſo gave him aſſurance of life eternall hereafter; or 3. that God granted him that his kingdome ſhould be continued in his poſterity till the coming of Chriſt, in whom it ſhould become an eternall kingdome. And indeed if the words be underſtood of Chriſt, they muſt be referred to his deſire, that he might not be ſwallowed up of death, and to his reſurrection, and his obtaining of eternitie of dayes in heaven, both for himſelf and for his members: concerning which ſee Heb. 5.7. Rom. 6.9. Revel. 1.18. Heb. 7.25.
Verſ. 5. His glory is great in thy ſalvation, &c.] That is, His fame and renown is great by reaſon of his many glorious victories; and that eſpecially becauſe it is ſo evident, that thou, O Lord, haſt taken his part, and made him ſo victorious. Underſtanding it of Chriſt, it muſt be meant of the exceeding glory he attained by the work of mans ſalvation, however he was ſcorned and deſpiſed at firſt: concerning which ſee Joh. 13.31. and 17.1. and Philip. 2.9, 10.
Verſ. 6. For thou haſt made him moſt bleſſed for ever, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, Why ſhould I goe about to number the particular bleſſings conferred upon him, which are innumerable? Thou haſt made him moſt bleſſed in every regard: thou haſt made him exceeding glad with thy countenance. See the Notes Pſal. 4.6, 7. and 16.11. and 17.15.
Verſ. 7. For the king truſteth in the Lord, and through the mercy of the moſt High he shall not be moved.] That is, He reſteth upon the promiſes thou haſt made to him (meaning that 2 Samuel 7.16. concerning the perpetuity of his throne, and others of the like nature) and therefore his kingdome ſhall be eſtabliſhed for ever.
Verſ. 8. Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies, &c.] That is, Thine hand, O God, ſhall deſtroy all thoſe that, being enemies to thine Anointed, are alſo enemies to thee: ſee the Note Pſal. 2.2. Or, thine hand, O king, (meaning David, or Chriſt) ſhall deſtroy all thine and thy peoples enemies; they ſhall not be able to hide themſelves, or eſcape from thee.
Verſ. 9. Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger, &c.] That is, Through thy wrath they ſhall be ſtill burning like an oven, implying judgements without intermiſſion; or, they ſhall be as thoſe things which the fire devours and conſumes when they are caſt into an oven, that is, they ſhall be utterly and ſuddenly conſumed: the Lord shall ſwallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall conſume them; which may be meant of their being ſwallowed up in hell fire. See alſo the Notes Deut. 32.22. and Pſal. 11.6.
Verſ. 11. For they intended evil againſt thee, &c.] To wit, in that they intended evil againſt thy people, yea againſt thine anointed, in ſeeking to deſtroy him, or to oppoſe his kingdome; but all in vain, as is expreſſed in the following clauſe, they imagined a miſchievous device, which they are not able to effect.
Verſ. 12. Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, &c.] Or, thou shalt ſet them as a butt, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy ſtrings againſt the face of them: and ſo he compares them to men tyed to a ſtake, that they may be ſhot to death; or the bodies of wicked men are compared to a butt, and their faces to the white mark that is faſtned on the butt. See alſo the Notes Deut. 7.10, and Job 7.20.
Verſ. 13. Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own ſtrength.] To wit, by defending and advancing the kingdome of thine anointed; which may be meant both of David, and Chriſt.