Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 41
PSALM XLI.
Verſ. 1. BLeſſed is he that conſidereth the poor, &c.] or, the ſick or weak: and indeed there are many paſſages in the Pſalm, as verſ. 3, 4, 5, &c. that make this interpretation very probable. But if it be tranſlated as it is in our Bible, by the poor is meant in generall the man that is in any diſtreſſe or affliction; Bleſſed is he that conſidereth the poor, that is, that ſo thinks of and weighs with himſelf the miſeries that he undergoes, that he is thereby brought from his heart to pity him, and out of compaſſion to comfort, help and relieve him; or rather, that ſo conſiders of the man and his condition, as not to paſſe any harſh and uncharitable cenſures upon him, as to judge him a wicked man, and hated of God, becauſe he is ſo afflicted, as Jobs friends dealt with him. And this David doubtleſſe ſpake with reference to himſelf, yea and, as ſome think too, with reference to Chriſt, becauſe of that which is ſaid afterwards verſ. 9. which Joh. 13.18. is applyed to Chriſt. Becauſe when David was in any great diſtreſſe, his enemies were ready to conclude, that he was caſt off and forſaken of God, therefore he doth here pronounce them bleſſed, that did better judge of thoſe that were afflicted; yea and covertly he doth in effect deſire a bleſſing from God upon thoſe, that had carried themſelves more friendly or comfortably to him in the time of his diſtreſſe, then others had done. As for the following words, the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble, and ſo on to the end of the third verſe, I conceive they are meant of him that conſidereth the poor, and are added to make good what he had ſaid concerning the bliſſe of ſuch a man, and to ſhew how abundantly God would reward him: yet they may be underſtood of the poor afflicted man; and ſo indeed they are underſtood by the moſt of our beſt Expoſitours, namely, that they are added as by way of confuting the unjuſt cenſures that are uſually paſſed upon ſuch a poor man; the world is ready to judge him accurſed of God; but there is no ground for this, for on the contrary, the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble, &c.
Verſ. 3. The Lord will ſtrengthen him upon the b…d of languishing, &c.] That is, The Lord will comfort and ſupport him in his ſickneſſe, and at length reſtore his ſtrength again: thou wilt make all his bed in his ſickneſſe; that is, thou wilt give him eaſe and reſt, and afford him all things requiſite for his refreſhing, as is done for a ſick man when his bed is made ſoft by turning it (for it is in the Hebrew, thou wilt turn his bed) and by ſtirring and tumbling the …eathers up and down, bolſter, pillow, head, feet, every where, that there may not be a hard place left in it. But yet many Expoſitours underſtand this more generally, as a figurative expreſſion of the comfort and ſupport which God affords ſuch a man in any diſtreſſe whatſoever. Becauſe men in great diſtreſſe and heavineſſe of ſpirit are wont to caſt themſelves down upon their beds, and there to lye like men half dead, hence are theſe expreſſions, The Lord will ſtrengthen him upon the bed of languishing; that is, when he is caſt down under any ſore affliction, the Lord will ſupport and help him, and not ſuffer him to ſink under that preſſure: thou wilt make all his bed in his ſickneſſe; that is, thou wilt allay and aſſwage his ſorrows, thou wilt comfort his conſcience, and give him inward quiet of mind; as when one gives eaſe to a ſick man by making and turning his bed. Yea ſome take it thus too, that God would turn his bed of ſickneſſe to a condition of ſtrength and health.
Verſ. 4. I ſaid, Lord be mercifull unto me, heal my ſoul, &c.] As if he had ſaid, I have provoked thee by my ſins to bring this miſery upon me; therefore be mercifull and be reconciled unto me, and heal my ſoul, that is, heal me; ſee the Notes Pſal. 6.2, 4, and 16.10: preſerve my life, and ſave me from this diſtreſſe I am in; for I have ſinned againſt thee: as if he had ſaid, Seeing I acknowledge my ſin, have mercy upon me, and heal me; or, Seeing thou only haſt brought this upon me becauſe I have ſinned againſt thee, whether ſhould I goe but to thee only to be healed? Or it may be underſtood of a ſpirituall healing; Heal my ſoul, to wit, of the ſorrows wherewith it is wounded for my ſins; or, Heal my ſoul by pardoning me; for ſo this expreſſion is uſed, 2 Chron. 30.20, and ſo alſo in that clauſe Eſa. 6.10. leſt they ſee with their eyes, &c. and convert and be healed; which is expreſſed by our Saviour thus, Mark 4.12. leſt at any time they should be converted, and their ſins should be forgiven them. However the drift of inſerting theſe words here I conceive is this; Intending to ſhew, as he doth in the following verſes, how far his enemies were from conſidering of his condition as they ought to have done, he premiſeth this, that he did not flatter himſelf in his ſickneſſe or diſtreſſe, but acknowledging his ſin, craved mercy at Gods hands; but yet his enemies dealt moſt unmercifully with him.
Verſ. 5. Mine enemies ſpeak evil of me, &c.] To wit, ſuch as hated him, and were his profeſſed enemies, becauſe they were curbed by the ſtrictneſſe of his government: When shall he die, and his name perish? See the Note Pſal. 9.5.
Verſ. 6. And if he come to ſee me, he ſpeaketh vanity, &c.] That is, When mine enemy cometh to viſit me in my ſickneſſe or diſtreſſe, he ſpeaks nothing but falſhood and flatteries, (ſee the Note Job 31.5.) to wit, in that he pretends to be ſorry for me, and to comfort me, and to tender me his advice, and to doe for me any office of love in a friendly manner: his heart gathereth iniquity to it ſelf, to wit, either 1. by adding ſin to ſin, in that he covers over his malice with ſuch horrid hypocriſie; or 2. by inventing and contriving all the ſeverall waies he can to enſnare me, or doe me ſome miſchief, thereby ſeeking to ſatisfy and pleaſe his corrupt luſts and affections; or 3. (which I like the beſt) by obſerving all he can in me, and drawing what he can from me, and ſo laying all up together in his mind, as the ground of his unjuſt ſurmiſes and cenſures concerning me, or of encouraging himſelf with hope of my ruine, or of plotting ſome miſchief againſt me: when he goeth abroad he telleth it; that is, he acquaints his companions, for their encouragement, with all that he had obſerved in me, or with that iniquity, thoſe unjuſt ſurmiſes, he had gathered concerning me, or the wickedneſſe he had plotted againſt me.
Verſ. 7. All that hate me whiſper together againſt me.] That is, Both mine open and ſecret enemies; or, both he that came thus to viſit me, and his companions, to whom he imparts his counſels.
Verſ. 8. An evil diſeaſe, ſay they, cleaveth faſt unto him, &c.] That is, an incurable diſeaſe, or an irrecoverable miſchief hath ſo ſeized on him, that he can never be rid of it. Yea, becauſe it is in the Hebrew, a thing of Belial cleaveth faſt unto him, many Expoſitours hold, that hereby is meant ſome diſeaſe or miſchief, that God had brought upon David in a way of vengeance for ſome horrid wickedneſſe he was guilty of; as if he had ſaid, An evil diſeaſe or miſchief with a vengeance doth now cleave faſt unto him.
Verſ. 9. Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lift up his heel againſt me.] That is, hath inſolently and ungratefully, and in a moſt reproachfull and contemptuous manner riſen up againſt me, and abuſed me, when I was in an afflicted and dejected condition. For in this phraſe of lifting up his heel againſt him, he ſeems to allude to a beaſts kicking at his maſter by whom he is fed, or the cuſtome of mens ſpurning at or trampling upon thoſe that are caſt down on the ground, in a way of deſpight and contempt. It is probable that David meant this of Ahithophel, or of ſome other that was in ſpeciall favour with him; yea it may be meant of many, the ſingular number being put for the plurall. But yet becauſe David was a type of Chriſt, and Chriſt in his ſufferings was a pattern of all the faithfull, and doth indeed ſuffer in all his members, our Saviour affirms that theſe words were fulfilled in Judas his betraying him, Joh. 13.18. that the Scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me, hath lift up his heel againſt me. And though ſome conceive that Chriſt did omit the firſt words, mine own familiar friend, in whom I truſted, purpoſely becauſe Chriſt did from the beginning know that Judas would betray him, Joh. 6.64. and could not therefore truſt in him; yet I do not ſee but that the whole verſe was applyable to Judas, and was intended by our Saviour, though he only mentioned the laſt words; and that becauſe Chriſt choſe him to be one of his diſciples, his conſtant houſhold attendants, whom he tearmed his friends Joh. 15.15. and did alwaies carry himſelf friendly to him, as to the reſt, waſhing his feet amongſt others, and tearming him friend, even when he came to betray him, Matth. 26.50. friend, wherefore art thou come? (as indeed his kiſſing of our Saviour did alſo carry an outward ſemblance of friendſhip on his part) and becauſe it was indeed a matter of truſt, at leaſt in the judgement of others, that the word of reconciliation and power to work miracles ſhould be committed to him, that he ſhould be admitted to ſuch a familiar converſe with Chriſt, and that he ſhould be peculiarly truſted with the bag, Joh. 12.6.
Verſ. 10. But thou, O Lord, be mercifull unto me, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, Though ſo many do either openly or by ſecret treachery ſeek my ruine, and though they now confidently conclude I ſhall riſe up no more; yet do thou, Lord, ſhew me mercy: and raiſe me up that I may requite them; that is, that I may puniſh them according to their demerits, as by turning them out of his court, or by ſome ſuch publick diſhonour. But however this he deſired, not out of any thirſt after private revenge, but out of zeal for Gods glory, and the welfare of the godly in the land; and as knowing that by his place, being the ſupreme magiſtrate, he was bound to puniſh all evil doers.
Verſ. 11. By this I know that thou favoureſt me, becauſe mine enemy doth not triumph over me.] This may be underſtood as an expreſſion of Davids in the time of his ſickneſſe or diſtreſſe; as if he had ſaid, By this I know well that thou favoureſt me, becauſe mine enemies I am aſſured ſhall not prevail over me. But rather I conceive that it is added by way of rejoycing for his deliverance, (the Pſalm being compoſed by him when God had recovered him, or at leaſt when he was in a way of recovery) profeſſing that hereby he was confirmed in the aſſurance of Gods love to him, or more particularly of Gods good will in appointing him to govern his people, becauſe he had not ſuffered his enemies to triumph in his ruine.
Verſ. 12. And as for me, thou upholdeſt me in mine integrity, &c.] Some underſtand this of the ſafety and proſperity of his outward condition, which the word integrity in our Tranſlation will not well bear. It is meant therefore of the integrity of his heart and ſpirit; thou upholdest me in mine integrity, that is, becauſe of the juſtice of my cauſe, and becauſe of mine uprightneſſe; or rather, in the midſt of all theſe tryals, thou haſt kept my heart ſincere towards thee, and haſt not ſuffered me to turn aſide out of the right way. And ſettest me before thy face for ever; that is, thou haſt taken me to be one of thoſe whom thou doſt ſingularly favour (and haſt therefore choſen me to attend and ſerve thee in that Regal power thou haſt conferred upon me; ſee 1 Kings 10.8.) whom thou wilt have in continuall remembrance, over whom thou wilt ſtill keep a watchfull eye, that as thou haſt at preſent, ſo thou mayeſt ſtill upon all occaſions deliver me and preſerve me, and whom thou wilt admit to enjoy thy bleſſed preſence for ever in heaven.
Verſ. 13. Bleſsed be the Lord, &c. Amen and Amen.] This word Amen, ſubjoyned in the cloſe of any prayer, ſignifies both an earneſt deſire that what is prayed for may be, and a firm believing that ſo it ſhall be. And whereas the Hebrews divide the Pſalms into five books, (which yet Luke ſpeaks of as one intire book, …earming it the book Pſalms, Act. 1.20.) here they end the firſt book. And indeed with the like cloſe of Amen and Amen, and Hallelujah, all the other do likewiſe end; as may be ſeen in the end of Pſal. 72, 89, 106, and 150.