Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 40
PSALM XL.
Verſ. 1. I Waited patiently for the Lord, and he enclined unto me, and heard my crie.] Thoſe words in this Pſalm verſ. 6, 7, 8. ſacrifice and offering thou didst not deſire, &c. are clearly alledged by the Apoſtle as the words of Chriſt Heb. 10.5, 6, 7. Yet becauſe in other places of the Pſalm it is as clear, that David ſpeaks of himſelf, moſt probable it is that he doth ſo throughout the Pſalm; only in ſome places he ſpeaks what properly belonged only to Chriſt, as being a type of Chriſt, and as concerning the fleſh the father of Chriſt: ſee alſo the Note Pſal. 16.1. As for theſe firſt words, David doth therein from his former experience encourage himſelf to preſent to God thoſe following requeſts, verſ. 11, &c. I waited patiently for the Lord, and he enclined unto me; that is, he bowed himſelf to me, or he bowed his ear to me, as in Pſal. 17.6, and 31.2. (for he ſeems to repreſent God, as hearkning from on high to hear one crying out of a deep pit, as he ſpeaks of himſelf in the next verſe) or he enclined in his will to hear me. They that underſtand the whole Pſalm of Chriſt, hold that this is ſpoken of Chriſts waiting upon God in the time of his agony and paſſion, and of Gods hearing his cries; as when he prayed in his agony, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me, &c. and there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, ſtrengthening him, Luk. 22.42, 43; and ſo likewiſe at other times in his paſſion, Heb. 5.7. when he had offered up prayers and ſupplications, with ſtrong crying and tears, unto him that was able to ſave him from death, and was heard in that he feared.
Verſ. 2. He brought me up alſo out of an horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, &c.] That is, out of terrible and deſperate dangers, from which there ſeemed to be no hope that I ſhould ever have been freed. For to expreſſe this, he compares himſelf to one that was taken out of an horrible pit, that is, a deep pit, which by reaſon of its danger and darkneſſe, and the lamentable noiſes therein, muſt needs ſtrike thoſe that are there with terrour and horrour; or, as it is in the Hebrew, a pit of noiſe, ſo called, becauſe of waters that falling into it with great violence, make a roaring dreadfull noiſe; or becauſe of the ſtruglings and outcries they make that are in it, or becauſe when any thing is caſt into deep pits, it will alwaies make a great noiſe: and where he ſtuck faſt in miry clay, without a ſeeming poſſibility of getting out. And ſome refer this to the greatneſſe of Chriſts terrours and ſufferings, and his deliverance from them both. And ſet my feet upon a rock, and eſtablished my goings; that is, hath brought me into a ſure and ſafe condition, where I might walk in my place without incumbrance or danger.
Verſ. 3. And he hath put a new ſong into my mouth, &c.] To wit, both by affording me this new mercy, which occaſioned the compoſing of this new ſong of praiſe; and by ſuggeſting this Pſalm by the inſpiration of his holy ſpirit, for the uſe of his people, even praiſe unto our God: ſee alſo the Note Pſal. 33.3. Many shall ſee it, and fear, and shall truſt in the Lord; that is, Many ſhall take notice of the exceeding danger whereinto I was brought by the afflicting hand of God, and how wonderfully he did upon my prayers deliver me, to wit, either as being eye-witneſſes of it, or by reading or hearing theſe things in my ſong (for ſeeing is ſometimes put for hearing, as Exod. 20.18. and all the people ſaw the thunderings) and hereby they ſhall be brought, both to reverence thee with a filiall fear, and likewiſe to truſt in thee in all their dangers. Yet ſome apply this alſo to Chriſt, to wit, that many ſeeing what Chriſt ſuffered for ſin, ſhould learn to fear ſin, and ſeeing how God delivered him, ſhould encourage themſelves by his example to truſt in God; and eſpecially, that believing his ſuffering for them, they ſhould aſſure themſelves of ſalvation thereby.
Verſ. 4. Bleſſed is that man that maketh the Lord his truſt; and reſpecteth not the proud, nor ſuch as turn aſide to lies.] That is, that reſpects not men proud of their wiſedome, power or greatneſſe, ſo as to truſt in them, or to fear them more then God: or rather, that when he ſees wicked men, that cared not by what evil waies they advanced themſelves, proudly exalting themſelves in their flouriſhing eſtate and proſperity, and putting their confidence therein, yet doth not ſo far like or affect, or make account of, or mind and admire ſuch men, as to approve of their way, and follow their example. For by ſuch as turn aſide to lies is meant, ſuch as forſaking God, as it were, do put their confidence in lies, that is, in outward things, or in their own wiſedome or power, or any ſinfull courſes, or vain imagination, or whatever elſe which may ſeem to promiſe fair, but will deceive thoſe that rely on them: ſee the Note Pſal. 4.2. But they that take theſe alſo to be the words of Chriſt, by the proud and ſuch as turn aſide to lies, underſtand Phariſaicall Juſticiaries, and falſe teachers.
Verſ. 5. Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderfull works which thou haſt done, &c.] This proves what he ſaid in the foregoing verſe, concerning the bleſſedneſſe of the man that truſteth in the Lord: or it may be alledged as an argument to ſtir up himſelf and others to truſt in God; to wit, becauſe the many wonderfull works which God hath done throughout the world, do manifeſtly declare his almighty power and goodneſſe and providence, even as did that deliverance which God had now afforded him in his particular; ſo that men may well be ſtirred up thereby to truſt in God, and may count them happy that doe ſo: but eſpecially thoſe which he hath done for his people, which is expreſſed in the following clauſe, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward; wherein the word thoughts implyes Gods ſollicitous care for them: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee; as if he had ſaid, though men might think they had made a full recitall of them, with thee it would be found far ſhort of what is in thy works.
Verſ. 6. Sacrifice and offering thou didſt not deſire, &c.] They that hold this whole Pſalm is only to be underſtood of Chriſt, ſay, that having ſpoken of the many wonderfull works which God had done for his people, here he mentions one particular, as the moſt wonderfull of them all, to wit, his ſending him to expiate the ſins of his elect people. Sacrifice and offering thou didſt not deſire; to wit, as things that were in themſelves of any avail to ſatisfy thy juſtice for the ſins of thy people, but only as they were types and ſhadows of that ſacrifice which I was to offer for this end: for (ſaith the Apoſtle Heb. 10.4.) it is not poſsible, that the bloud of buls and of goats should take away ſins. And hence it is, that in that place alſo the Apoſtle from theſe words proves, that the ceremoniall ſacrifices were then aboliſhed, and that God deſired them not any longer; to wit, becauſe having required them only as figures of a better ſacrifice, when that was once offered, the other were to ceaſe; He taketh away the firſt (ſaith he) that he may eſtablish the ſecond. But now if we underſtand theſe words as ſpoken by David concerning himſelf, yet chiefly with reference to Chriſt, and as ſpoken alſo in the perſon of Chriſt, who was to be of the ſeed of David, & of whom David was a type; then accordingly theſe words may be here inſerted either 1. by way of tendring himſelf ready to obey the will of God in all things, who had done ſo much for him; Sacrifice and offering thou didſt not deſire, as if he had ſaid, for all theſe great things that thou haſt done for thy people, thou didſt not deſire ſacrifices & offerings, to wit, chiefly or of themſelves, as being things wherein, as conſidered in themſelves, thou couldſt take no delight, but only as they were means appointed to ſtir us up to faith & repentance & new obedience (& indeed ſo the like expreſſions are often uſed, as Pſ. 51.16. thou deſireſt not ſacrifice—thou delighteſt not in burnt-offering, & Jer. 7.22, 23. I ſpake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offerings or ſacrifices; but this thing commanded I them, ſaying, Obey my voice, &c. ſee alſo Hoſ. 6.6. and Eſa. 1.11.) no, the ſacrifice that thou deſireſt is that of new obedience, without which all externall ſacrifices are with thee of no eſteem; which is intended in thoſe following words, mine ears haſt thou opened, or, as it is in the Hebrew, boared or digged: for hereby he means, either that he had given up himſelf, and that God had accepted him to be his ſervant for ever; (alluding to that law of boaring the ear of him that was to be a ſervant for ever, Exod. 21.5, 6.) or that God had made him moſt ready to hear and obey the commandments of God; whereas men are naturally like deaf men, for the hearing and obeying of the will of God, God had given him a hearing obedient ear, according to that Eſa. 50.5. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious or particularly, that God had cauſed him to underſtand the ſpirituall meaning of the ſacrifices, and ſo he did not reſt in them, but was carefull to conſecrate himſelf unto the Lord. Or 2. by way of oppoſing Chriſts…offering up himſelf as a ſacrifice for his people, to his own inability to return any thing to the Lord, proportionable to the mercies he had received from him; which he doth by ſpeaking thus, as in the perſon of Chriſt, Sacrifice and offering thou didst not deſire, mine ears haſt thou opened, to wit, by making me moſt willing to doe what thou enjoyneſt me. The Apoſtle, following the tranſlation of the Septuagint, cites theſe words thus, but a body haſt thou prepared me, Heb. 10.5: which is indeed all one in effect with this of Davids, mine ears haſt thou opened: for ears opened, and fitted for hearing and obeying the will of God, do neceſſarily imply a body that muſt be imployed in Gods ſervice; and ſo the ears may be here figuratively put for the whole body; and the rather in this place, becauſe by the hearing of the ears a man is prepared to give up himſelf to the ſervice of God, and the very end why Chriſt had a humane body was, that he might obey the will of his Father in dying for his elect people.
Verſ. 7. Then ſaid I, Loe, I come, &c.] This may be underſtood of David, Then ſaid I, Loe, I come, &c. that is, when thou hadſt thus wonderfully delivered me, and that I underſtood thou didſt not require ſacrifice in compariſon of new obedience, or when thou hadſt given me a hearing ear and a deſire to obey thee, then did I moſt readily engage my ſelf thereto. For the following words, in the volume of the book it is written of me, though ſome underſtand this of the book of Gods eternall decree (which, they ſay, in regard of the ſecrecy of that which is contained therein, may well be tearmed a book rolled up, as the Hebrew word tranſlated volume doth indeed ſignify) yet becauſe there is no probable reaſon, why this ſecret book ſhould be here alledged, I doubt not but it is meant of the book of the old Teſtament, as is clear alſo by that which follows verſ. 8. yea thy law is within my heart. Nor is there any cauſe to queſtion, why David ſhould ſay it was there particularly written of him, that he ſhould delight to doe Gods will, &c. (for ſo that which was written in this book is expreſſed in the following verſe,) 1. becauſe what is there enjoyned in common to all Gods people, believers are wont to apply to themſelves, as if it were written particularly of them; and 2. becauſe it is there written of all the elect and regenerate children of God, that they ſhall thus readily and chearfully obey Gods will. But principally doubtleſſe this was ſpoken by David in the perſon of Chriſt, tendring himſelf to perform the will of God concerning mans redemption; Then ſaid I, Loe, I come, that is, when thou hadſt decreed, that not legall ſacrifices, but my offering of my ſelf as a ſacrifice, ſhould ſatisfy for the ſins of thy people, then did I willingly undertake to come unto Jeruſalem to ſuffer there what was appointed: or rather thus, when thou hadſt opened mine ears, when thou hadſt prepared me a body, then did I willingly enter upon this ſervice: for indeed the Apoſtle doth clearly apply this to Chriſts coming in the fleſh, Heb. 10.5, 6, 7. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he ſaith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldeſt not, &c. Then ſaid I, Loe, I come, &c. and then alſo that which follows, in the volume of the book it is written of me, muſt be underſtood of the predictions that were both in the promiſes and the types of the old Teſtament concerning the work of our Redemption by Chriſt, no particular place being cited, becauſe Chriſt is indeed the main ſcope and ſumme of the whole Scriptures: whence is that which is ſaid of Chriſt, Luk. 24.27. that beginning at Moſes and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scripture the things concerning himſelf; and that Joh. 5.39.
Verſ. 8. I delight to doe thy will, O my God, &c.] This David might truly ſay of himſelf; but chiefly it was ſpoken doubtleſſe of Chriſts readineſſe to doe that will of God, of which the Apoſtle ſaith, Heb. 10.10. by the which will we are ſanctified, through the offering of the body of Ieſus Chriſt once for all, according to that Luk. 12.50. I have a baptiſme to be baptiſed with, and how am I ſtraitned till it be accomplished! And indeed in others this diſpoſition to doe the will of God can never be found, but as they are members of Chriſt, and by grace derived unto them from him. As for the next clauſe, yea thy law is within my heart, ſee the Note P…al. 37.31.
Verſ. 9. I have preached righteouſneſſe in the great congregation, &c.] See the Notes Pſal 22.25, and 31. It may be meant either of Davids ſounding forth the praiſes of God for his faithfulneſſe, &c. and ſo may be alledged here as an argument to move God to hear his following requeſts, becauſe God is the readier to doe good to men, when they are carefull to give God the glory thereof: or rather, of Chriſts preaching the Goſpel, by himſelf and his Miniſters. Yea and ſome would include too his teaching men Gods righteous laws; which indeed he came not to make void, but preſſed evangelicall obedience thereto.
Verſ. 10. I have not hid thy righteouſneſſe, &c.] To wit, through fear or neglect.
Verſ. 11. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord, &c.] This doth clearly referre to that which went before. He had ſaid verſ. 9. I have not refrained (or withheld) my lips from publiſhing thy praiſe; and hereupon he inferres, therefore withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me: and ſo verſ. 10. he had ſaid, I have not concealed thy loving kindneſſe and thy truth; & with reference thereto therefore he adds here, let thy loving kindneſſe and thy truth continually preſerve me. Thus David prayeth to be delivered from his danger. Yet many take both this, and the requeſts that follow, to be ſpoken in the perſon of Chriſt, praying to be freed from his terrours, or from his ſufferings, by a glorious reſurrection.
Verſ. 12. Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, &c.] See the Notes Pſal. 38.4, and 31.10. and Deut. 28.15. ſo that I am not able to look up; that is, I am not able to lift up my face, implying how ſorely he was overburthened with his miſeries, or with grief, diſcouragement and aſtoniſhment of ſpirit thereby. Yet they that apply the whole Pſalm to Chriſt, underſtand this of the iniquities of the elect imputed to Chriſt. They are moe then the hairs of my head, therefore my heart faileth me: that is, my life faileth me, I am ready to die; or my wiſedome, courage, confidence and ſtrength faileth me.
Verſ. 14. Let them be ashamed and confounded together that ſeek after my ſoul, &c.] To wit, as men brought into ſo grievous and miſerable a condition, that they are even aſhamed of themſelves. See alſo the Notes Pſal. 35.26. Let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil: ſee the Notes Pſal. 6.10, and 35.4.
Verſ. 15. Let them be deſolate for a reward of their shame, &c.] That is, of their filthy and ſhamefull life; or rather, of the ſhame which they ſought to bring upon me: let that ſhame which they endeavoured to caſt upon me, befall themſelves, as a juſt recompence of their evil intentions againſt me.
Verſ. 16. Let all thoſe that ſeek thee, &c.] (See the Notes Chro. 16.11, and Pſal. 9.10. rejoyce and be glad in thee: ſee the Note Pſal. 35.27. Let ſuch as love thy ſalvation, that is, that neither hope for nor deſire ſalvation from any other way, but only from thee, ſay continually, The Lord be magnified; ſee Pſal. 35.27.
Verſ. 17. But I am poor and needy, &c.] That is, deſtitute and afflicted. See the Note Pſal. 34.6.