Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 31
PSALM XXXI.
Verſ. 1. IN thee, O Lord, do I put my truſt, let me never be ashamed.] See the Note Pſal. 25.2. Many Expoſitours are of opinion, that the occaſion of compoſing this Pſalm was, Davids diſtreſſe when the men of Keilah were likely to have delivered him up to Saul, and when immediately after that Saul had in a manner hemmed him in, in the wilderneſſe of Maon, 1 Sam. 23.12, 26: and indeed many paſſages in the Pſalm ſeem to favour this conjecture, as ſhall be noted in the ſeverall places where it is ſo. But yet it is but a conjecture. Deliver me in thy righteouſneſse: See the Note Pſal. 5.8.
Verſ. 2. Deliver me ſpeedily.] This he adds becauſe help would elſe come too late. In 1 Sam. 23.26. it is ſaid, David made haſte to get away for fear of Saul.
Verſ. 3. For thy names ſake lead me, and guide me.] That is, direct me in the way wherein I ſhould goe, ſhew me what I ſhould doe, and carry me on therein with a ſupporting hand. Yea ſome think that he uſeth theſe two words, lead me and guide me, (both in a manner of the ſame ſignification) to imply that he deſired Gods help, not only in his preſent ſtreights, but likewiſe after that ſtill in all the difficulties he ſhould fall into. See the Notes alſo 1 Sam. 12.22, and Pſal. 25.11.
Verſ. 4. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me, &c.] Such as was that when the Ziphites obſerved the place where David hid himſelf, and diſcovered it to Saul, 1 Sam. 23.19, &c. See the Note Pſal. 25.15.
Verſ. 5. Into thine hand I commit my ſpirit, &c.] To wit, for the preſervation of my life; and however for the ſaving of my ſoul even in death it ſelf: as if he had ſaid, Having no power to ſecure my ſelf, I commit my ſoul, and conſequently my whole man, into thine hands, as confidently relying both on thine almighty power, and wiſedome, and fatherly care over me, and withall as willingly reſigning my ſelf to be diſpoſed of by thee, as thou art pleaſed. Thou haſt redeemed me, O Lord God of truth; that is, thou haſt at other times delivered me out of great dangers, which makes me with confidence now to rely upon thee the God of truth, who art ſtill the ſame thou haſt alwaies been, and never faileſt to perform thy promiſes: and in this David might have reſpect to the promiſe made to him concerning the kingdome. But yet ſome underſtand this clauſe of our Redemption by Chriſt; as if he had ſaid, Thou haſt redeemed me to thy ſelf from eternall death, and therefore being thine, and purchaſed to thy ſelf by ſo great a price, I am reſolved living or dying to rely upon thee.
Verſ. 6. I have hated them that regard lying vanities,] That is, that do ſo mind and eſteem vain hopes, or any outward things whereon it is in vain for men to hope, (as indeed they that hope in any thing but God, hope in lying vanities, that will deceive them) that either they rely thereon themſelves, or would draw others to doe ſo. Some, I know, would limit this to idols, (ſee the Note 1 Kings 16.13.) others to ſoothſayers, to which in thoſe Eaſt countries they were much addicted. But it is better underſtood more generally.
Verſ. 7. Thou haſt known my ſoul in adverſities.] See the Note Pſal. 1.6.
Verſ. 8. And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy, &c.] As indeed he was like to have been by the men of Keilah, 1 Sam. 23.7. Saul ſaid, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, and afterwards by Saul in the wilderneſſe of Maon, verſ. 26. Saul and his men compaſſed David and his men round about to take them. For the next words, thou haſt ſet my feet in a large room, ſee the Notes 2 Sam. 22.20, and Pſal. 4.2.
Verſ. 9. Mine eye is conſumed with grief, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 6.7: yea my ſoul and my belly; that is, I am extremely weakned and decayed both in mind & body; o… by his ſoul may be meant his vital parts, & by his belly his inward parts, or his whol… body. Yet many by the word ſoul underſtand that power of life which deſireth food; and by the belly, that part of the body which concocteth the meat we eat; and ſo will have the meaning of the words to be, that he had neither any appetite to eat, nor ſtrength to concoct what he did eat.
Verſ. 10. For my life is ſpent with grief, and my years with ſighing, &c.] That is, my life is waſted, and my years haſten away to an end: my ſtrength faileth becauſe of mine iniquity; that is, becauſe of my ſin, or becauſe of my miſeries and afflictions; for ſo the word iniquity is ſometimes uſed in the Scripture, as Gen. 19.15. which may ſeem here the more probable, becauſe he ſpeaks here only of his ſufferings: and my bones are conſumed, ſee the Note Job 30.17.
Verſ. 11. I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but eſpecially among my neighbours, &c.] That is, they deſpiſed and reproached me; or rather, they counted it a reproach to them to own me, or to have any thing to doe with me: and a fear to mine acquaintance; that is, mine acquaintance were afraid to ſhew me any favour, or any countenance, as being ſcared by that which befell Ahimelech and the other Prieſts that were ſlain with him, 1 Sam. 22.18. or at leaſt fearing that it would be a diſcredit and a diſparagement to them: which is more fully expreſſed in the next clauſe, they that did ſee me without fled from me; that is, as fearing to be ſeen openly in my company; or as deteſting me for thoſe foul crimes, which they here charged upon me, looking upon me as one accurſed of God. And thus too David implyes his miſery to have been the greater, in that he was thus openly and in publick deſpiſed.
Verſ. 12. I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind, &c.] That is, in regard of the love they have formerly ſhown to me, notwithſtanding all the good that I have done for the kingdome, I am in a manner now quite forgotten; becauſe they eſteem me to be a loſt man, of whom there is no hope, they now regard me not, I am now to them as a dead man out of mind. And indeed of the dead Solomon ſaith, Eccleſ. 9.5. that the memory of them is forgotten; whence it is that the grave is called Pſal. 88.12. the land of forgetfulneſſe: and therefore too he adds, I am like a broken veſſel, that is, I am forgotten and quite diſregarded, like an earthen veſſel, which being broken men caſt away, and never mind it more, becauſe it cannot be mended again.
Verſ. 13. For I have heard the ſlander of many, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 4.2. Fear was on every ſide; that is, I was beſet with fear, as being beſet with enemies on every ſide: yet it may be meant alſo of the fear of thoſe that were about him. It is in the Hebrew Magor miſſabib, an expreſſion which from this place Jeremy often uſeth in his propheſie, as Jer. 6.25, and 49.29, and in divers other places; and chap. 20.3, 4. he gave this for a Name to Paſhur the Prieſt, ſignifying that he ſhould be a terrour to himſelf, and to his friends round about him.
Verſ. 14. I ſaid, Thou art my God.] To wit, though thou haſt ſorely afflicted me. See the Note Pſal. 16.2.
Verſ. 15. My times are in thy hand, &c.] That is, The years of my life are in thy power, and not in the power of mine enemies: Or rather it may be meant more generally, of all the changes that could befall him (for to every thing there is a ſeaſon and a time, Eccleſ. 3.1.) to wit, that nothing could befall him, whether good or evil, but by Gods providence; and thereupon he inferres, as with reference to that he had ſaid of his times being in Gods hand, deliver me from the hand of mine enemies.
Verſ. 16. Make thy face to shine upon thy ſervant, &c.] That is, Manifeſt thy love and favour to me, who am indeed perſecuted becauſe I ſerve thee, by delivering me from mine enemies. See the Note Numb. 6.25, 26.
Verſ. 17. Let me not be ashamed, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 25.2. Let the wicked be ashamed; ſee the Note Pſal. 6.10: and let them be ſilent in the grave; that is, not able to ſay or doe any thing againſt the righteous; ſee the Note 1 Sam. 2.9.
Verſ. 18. Let the lying lips be put to ſilence, &c.] This may be meant not only of his enemies ſlaunders and flatteries (ſee the Note Pſal. 5.6.) but alſo of their vain boaſtings and threatnings; as may appear by the following words, which ſpeak grievous things proudly and contemptuouſly against the righteous, that is, againſt me and mine, whom they perſecute cauſleſly: for the grievous things ſpoken by them may be, not only their ſlaunders, (which may be ſo called, both becauſe they prove often the cauſe of much miſchief, and likewiſe becauſe it is ſo grievous to Gods righteous ſervants to have ſuch foul crimes charged upon them, ſee the Note 1 Kings 2.8.) but alſo their threatning of grievous things they will doe to them. And for thoſe words, proudly and contemptuouſly, ſee the Note Pſal. 12.3. Out of the high conceit that wicked men have of their wiſedome, &c. it proceeds that they contemn the righteous.
Verſ. 19. O how great is thy goodneſſe, which thou haſt laid up for them that fear thee, &c.] Becauſe of the following clauſe, which thou haſt wrought for them that truſt in thee, before the ſons of men, many learned Expoſitours hold that David ſpeaks here only of Gods goodneſſe to his people here in this world: and that of this firſt it is ſaid here, that it is laid up for them that fear him, either 1. becauſe Gods goodneſſe to them is hidden under many afflictions, and of the Lords withdrawing his help from them for a time, perhaps a long time together, ſo that not only the men of the world diſcern no ſuch thing, but even the faithfull themſelves have often much adoe to be aſſured of it; or 2. becauſe many outward bleſſings God keeps in ſtore for them, laid up as a treaſure, which they do not at all times enjoy, though others be then openly conferred upon them; or 3. becauſe Gods goodneſſe is chiefly manifeſted to them in inward ſpirituall bleſſings, which cannot be outwardly diſcerned, as in the graces of Gods ſpirit, and of that inward comfort they enjoy; of which that is ſpoken Rev. 2.17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white ſtone, and in the ſtone a new name written, which no man knoweth, ſaving he that receiveth it; or rather 4. becauſe it is the peculiar treaſure of the righteous that truly fear him: for though God affords many outward mercies to all men whatſoever, yet there is this that is peculiar to the righteous in the good he doth for them, that he doth it out of a fatherly love to them, & that he cauſeth all things to farther their eternall ſalvation. And ſecondly, it is ſaid that it is wrought for them that truſt in God, before the ſons of men, becauſe even when God hides himſelf from his ſervants for a time, yet at laſt he is wont to manifeſt his love to them ſo, by taking their part, and by delivering them out of troubles, and otherwiſe, that their innocency and Gods precious eſteem of them is manifeſt hereby as it were to all the world. But I ſee no reaſon why it may not be underſtood more generally, of all the good which God hath allotted to be the peculiar portion of his elect, and ſo may comprehend even that eternall bliſſe, of which it is ſaid that it is reſerved in heaven for us, 1 Pet. 1.4. and with reference whereto Saint John ſaith, 1 Joh. 3.2. that it doth not yet appear what we shall be, and Saint Paul 1 Cor. 2.9. that eye hath not ſeen, nor ear heard, &c. the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. For even of the goodneſſe of God thus largely taken it may be ſaid, that it is laid up for the righteous, and withall wrought for them before the ſons of men, either becauſe it is firſt laid up in Gods eternall decree, and then in time accompliſhed for them; or becauſe it is kept in ſtore for them, and in due time conferred upon them; or becauſe it is in part conferred, and in part reſerved for after-times.
Verſ. 20. Thou shalt hide them in the ſecret of thy preſence from the pride of man, &c.] See the Notes Job 29.4, Pſal. 25.14, and 27.5. The preſence of Gods favour and grace, whereby he protects his ſervants, may be called the ſecret of his preſence, either becauſe they are thereby hidden (as it were) in ſecret from the rage of their enemies; or becauſe this preſence of Gods favour with the righteous, eſpecially in their ſore afflictions, is not diſcerned by the men of the world; whence it is that they are called Gods hidden ones, Pſal. 83.3. Thou shalt keep them ſecretly in a pavilion from the ſtrife of tongues; that is, from the contention of ſlaundering and reviling tongues, or from tongues that cauſe contention, according to that of Solomon Prov. 15.1. grievous words ſtir up anger.
Verſ. 21. Bleſſed be the Lord, for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindneſſe, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 17.7. and for the following words, in a ſtrong (or fenced) city, the meaning is, that when he had no place to hide his head in, but lay naked and open to the malice of his enemies, having no place of ſhelter; yet through Gods protection he was kept as ſafe, as if he had been in a fortified city. I know, ſome conceive that it was Keilah he ſpeaks of, (which indeed Saul called a town that hath gates and bars, 1 Sam. 23.7.) namely, that God had ſhown him marvellous kindneſs there, in that he revealed to him that the inhabitants of that town would deliver him up to Saul: and others underſtand it of Jeruſalem, that God had ſhown him great kindneſſe by ſettling him after all his dangers in that ſtrong city: yea ſome conceive, that it is the Church that is here, in reference to Gods protection, tearmed a ſtrong city. But the firſt Expoſition ſeems to me the beſt.
Verſ. 22. For I ſaid in mine haſt, I am cut off, &c.] It is ſaid 1 Sam. 23.26. that when Saul with his army had in a manner compaſſed in David in the wilderneſſe of Maon, David made haſt to get away; and accordingly of this haſt ſome underſtand this place: but I conceive it is rather meant of the raſhneſſe and haſtineſſe of his ſpirit, that apprehending his danger to be unavoidable, on a ſudden tranſported with fear, he ſaid in his mind, what upon more deliberation he could not think, namely, that God had caſt him out of his ſight.