Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 42 – Psalm 43
PSALM XLII.
The Title. TO the chief Muſician, Maſchil, &c.] See the Notes upon the Titles of the 4. and 32. Pſalms: for the ſons of Korah, who were ſingers in the Tabernacle and Temple, 1 Chro. 6.22, 31, and 2 Chro. 20.19. and ſo this Pſalm was compoſed for them, and delivered to the maſter of their quire, and that in Davids daies was Heman, 1 Chro. 6.33. It may indeed be read alſo Maſchil of the ſons of Korah: and therefore ſome conceive that the eleven Pſalms which have this Title, were compoſed by ſome of the ſons of Korah, either in the Babylonian captivity, or at ſome other time, perhaps in Davids daies; which ſome judge the more probable, becauſe they conceive it to be that Heman of the ſtock of Korah, who is mentioned 1 Kings 4.31. amongſt thoſe men of eminent note whom Solomon excelled in wiſedome; and that Solomon is the rather compared with him, becauſe Solomon alſo excelled in poetry, and compoſed many Songs, as this Heman alſo did. But for that, ſee the Note there. I rather conceive it was compoſed by David for the ſons of Korah: and becauſe he complains of ſo long abſence from the houſe of God, ſome think it more probable that his exile in Sauls daies, then when Abſalom drave him from Jeruſalem, was the occaſion of compoſing this Pſalm. But for this, ſee the Note Pſal. 43.1.
Verſ. 1. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, ſo panteth my ſoul after thee, O God▪ ] Not being ſo much grieved for the loſſe of his goods, honours, or other outward contentments, as for his abſence from Gods houſe, he compares his earneſt deſire to enjoy Gods preſence in his Ordinances, to a harts panting or braying after the water-brooks; becauſe the hart being of a very hot and dry conſtitution, is uſually exceeding thirſty, eſpecially in ſummer, or when ſhe is hunted, and dwelling in the deſarts where there is little water, doth therefore the more earneſtly pant and bray after the water-brooks to quench her thirſt; and (ſay ſome) to ſave her ſelf alſo from the hounds that purſue her.
Verſ. 2. My ſoul thirſteth for God, for the living God, &c.] Who is the fountain of life, Pſal. 36.9. the fountain of living waters, Jer. 2.13. abundantly refreſhing thoſe that come to him. When shall I come and appear before God? to wit, in his Sanctuary. And this implyeth alſo his hope, that in due time God would bring him thither.
Verſ. 3. My tears have been my meat day and night, &c.] To wit, either 1. becauſe with abundance of tears, gliding down his cheeks, his mouth was ſo filled, that he might ſwallow them like meat; or at leaſt becauſe God gave him, as I may ſay, his belly full of weeping; and therefore elſewhere in a like expreſſion there is expreſſe mention made of the plenty of tears, Pſal. 80.5. Thou feedeſt them with the bread of tears, and giveſt them tears to drink in great meaſure: or 2. becauſe he did as duely weep as he did eat his meat, yea his tears were uſually mingled with his meat, according to a like expreſſion Pſal. 102.9. I have eaten aſhes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping: or 3. becauſe forſaking his meat he gave himſelf wholly to weeping, that was in ſtead of his food: or 4. becauſe it was pleaſing and delightfull to him, and did ſtrengthen and revive him, as meat doth a hungry man. While they continually ſay unto me, Where is thy God? as if they ſhould have ſaid, Hath not that God whom you ſerved ſo zealouſly, and on whom you relyed with ſuch confidence, forſaken you at laſt? And thus, which grieved David moſt, the name of God was diſhonoured.
Verſ. 4. When I remember theſe things, I powre out my ſoul in me, &c.] That is, Giving the reins to my grief, I powre out my ſorrow in tears and complaints, &c. ſee the Note 1 Sam. 1.15: or rather, I die and faint away with grief; ſee the Note Job 30.16. As for thoſe words, when I remember theſe things, though ſome would have them referred to that which follows, concerning his former reſorting freely to the houſe of God; yet I conceive they muſt neceſſarily be referred to what he had ſaid before, both concerning his abſence from and his longing after Gods preſence in his Sanctuary, verſ. 1, 2. and likewiſe concerning his enemies upbraiding him therewith, verſ. 3. Only indeed in the following words, he makes his former liberty the reaſon why the remembrance of thoſe things was ſo bitter to him; for, ſaith he, I had gone with the multitude, &c.
Verſ. 5. Why art thou caſt down, O my ſoul, &c?] To wit, with grief? for heavineſse in the heart of man maketh it ſtoop, Prov. 12.25. Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praiſe him for the help of his countenance, that is, the help afforded me by his gracious preſence, or by his looking favourably upon me; implying that if God would but ſhew himſelf, or look favourably upon him, it would be enough. Yea I conceive that this expreſſion he the rather uſeth, becauſe as by his being driven from Gods Sanctuary, the place of Gods ſpeciall preſence, the Lord did as it were hide his face from him; ſo by bringing him back thither, he hoped the Lord would again look favourably upon him. And this he oppoſeth to that bitter taunt of his enemies, where is now thy God?
Verſ. 6. O my God, my ſoul is caſt down within me, &c.] See the former Note: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Iordan, that is, the land beyond Jordan; and of the Hermonites, that is, the people inhabiting by Hermon, a mount in the utmoſt North-eaſt bounds of the land of Canaan (yet becauſe Hermon was a long track of hills, ſome conceive that thoſe hills are here called the Hermonites (as thoſe mountains that divide Germany and France from Italy are called the Alps) and that they are mentioned thus in the plurall number, becauſe David at ſeverall times hid himſelf ſometimes in one of theſe hills, and ſometimes in another:) from the hill Mizar; which might be ſome hill in thoſe parts not mentioned elſewhere in the Scripture; or, if we read it, from the little hill, as it is tranſlated in the margin of our Bibles, it may be meant of the hills in the South of Judea, which were little hills in compariſon of Libanus and Hermon on the North and Northeaſt (and ſo the utmoſt bounds of the land of Judea are mentioned both on the Eaſt, North and South) or of mount Hermon, and that he calleth it, though a great mountain, a little hill, in reſpect of Sion, which he ſo greatly magnifyed for its ſpirituall dignity, or with relation to the fartheſt part of Hermon, where the hils are but little. However the meaning is doubtleſſe this, that being caſt down for his forced exile from Gods Sanctuary, to cheat himſelf herein, even where he was fartheſt diſtant from it, from the fartheſt parts of the land, whither he was glad to retire, he would remember God, to wit, either 1. as looking towards the Tabernacle, and by faith in ſpirit repreſenting to himſelf Gods gracious preſence there, whilſt he was abſent in body; or 2. as remembring the great things that God did for his people, when he firſt brought them into the land of Canaan, in thoſe places without Jordan, where he then wandred up and down and hid himſelf; as namely their victories over Sihon and Og, &c. or 3. as remembring Gods power, faithfulneſſe, goodneſſe and promiſes.
Verſ. 7. Deep calleth unto deep at the noiſe of thy water-ſpouts.] As if he had ſaid, When thou doſt with great terrour break forth in diſpleaſure againſt me, divers and many overwhelming calamities do fall upon me, as if they did call and invite one another to come, that they might all together violently ruſh in upon me, or that they might follow thick and cloſe one in the neck of another; even as when great ſlouds or ſhowres of rain do break in upon men, and are in danger to overwhelm them: and therefore he adds, all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. By Gods water-ſpouts are meant the ſhowres of rain, which come pouring down from heaven, ſee the Note Job 38.25. (whereto comparing his troubles, he covertly acknowledgeth that they came all from God) and the noiſe of theſe water-ſpouts is the noiſe that theſe ſhowres of rain make, when they fall down upon the earth, or the claps of thunder that are with and before theſe ſhowres. And as for that firſt clauſe, Deep calleth unto deep, either he alludes therein to the mighty flouds of rain powring down from the clouds above, and the ſtreams breaking forth from the fountains of the great deep beneath, one calling upon the other as it were, that they might together overwhelm a poor creature; or to the overflowing of ſeverall rivers, after ſuch rains, whoſe waters by that means come together, as if they had called upon one another that they might meet in one; or rather to the waves of the ſea, that come tumbling in together, or follow cloſe one upon the neck of another, as if each wave invited another; or elſe to the many mighty breaches that will be in the ſea in a tempeſt, whereinto one after another the ſhips ſeem to ſink, as if they ſhould never riſe up again, as if one of them called to the other to come in to the ſwallowing up of ſuch poor weather-beaten veſſels, according to that of the Pſalmiſt Pſal. 107.26. they mount up to the heaven, they goe down again to the depths; their ſoul is melted becauſe of troubles.
Verſ. 8. Yet the Lord will command his loving kindneſſe in the day time, &c.] That is, He will effectually aſſure my heart of his love; or rather, He will with authority and power ſend deliverance and bleſſings, the fruits and manifeſtations of his loving kindneſſe to me. The like expreſſion we have Deut. 28.8, and Pſal. 44.4. and the ground of it is, becauſe if God wills any thing to be done, it is enough; and becauſe both the angels and all other creatures are ready as it were at Gods command to help his ſervants: and in the night his ſong shall be with me; ſee the Note Job 35.10: and my prayer unto the God of my life; to wit, either by way of praiſing God for that his mercy, or by way of ſeeking farther to God upon the encouragement of that he had already done for him. Yet ſome underſtand this laſt clauſe to be added in this ſenſe, that till God did command his loving kindneſſe in the day time, &c. he would follow God with his prayers, the known means of obtaining mercies from him.
Verſ. 9. I will ſay unto God, my rock, Why haſt thou forgotten me?] See the Notes Deut. 32.4, and Pſal. 13.1.
Verſ. 11. I shall yet praiſe him, who is the health of my countenance.] Thus he calls God, either 1. becauſe God was ever his preſent and apparent help, whom by the eye of faith he did ſtill behold, and by experience did find ready at hand to help him, and to cauſe him to ſee his ſalvation; or 2. becauſe to him only he was to look in expectation of help; or 3. becauſe the help that he knew God would afford him would chear up his countenance, and clear it from ſhame and weeping, and enable him to hold up his head, and ſhew his face amongſt men, with courage and comfort.
PSALM XLIII.
Verſ. 1. JVdge me, O God, and plead my cauſe, &c.] That is, Clear mine innocency, and deliver me from mine enemies; ſee the Notes Deut. 32.36, and Pſ. 35.1. againſt an ungodly nation, to wit, Saul and his wicked crew, or rather Abſalom and his conſpirators. And accordingly we muſt underſtand the following clauſe, O deliver me from the deceitfull and unjuſt man, either indefinitely, as ſpoken of all his unjuſt and treacherous enemies, or particularly of Saul, who often pretended fair to him, when he ſought his ruine; or rather of Ahithophel, a man of noted ſubtilty, or Abſalom, who had cunningly ſtolen the hearts of the people from him, and pretended a ſacrifice at Hebron, when he meant to riſe up in rebellion againſt him: For this ſeems moſt probable, becauſe he ſpeaks verſ. 3. of going to Gods holy hill, to wit, mount Sion, where the Ark was not in Sauls time: unleſſe we will ſay, that though David penned this Pſalm with reference to his exile in Sauls daies, yet he uſed that expreſſion, becauſe he penned it after he was ſettled in the throne, and had removed the Ark to Sion; which ſeems not ſo probable. However, doubtleſſe he mentions the ungodlineſſe, injuſtice and deceitfulneſſe of his enemies, thereby to move God to pity and help him.
Verſ. 2. For thou art the God of my ſtrength.] That is, the God that giveſt me ſtrength, and art my ſtrength. See the Note Exod. 15.2.
Verſ. 3. O ſend out thy light and thy truth, &c.] That is, Manifeſt thy loving kindneſſe and favour to me to the chearing of my heart, by ſending me help, and directing me what to doe, that ſo I may come again to thy houſe, where I may enjoy the light of thy preſence, Word and Ordinances, and the truth of thy promiſes may be made good unto me. See the Notes 2 Sam. 22.29. Eſth. 8.16. Job …9.…. and Pſal. 27.1. Yet ſome would have the accompliſhment of Gods promiſes to be all that is deſired in theſe words; O ſend out thy light and thy truth, that is, By doing what thou haſt ſpoken, cauſe the light of thy promiſes to ſhine forth clearly, which now ſeem to be obſcured and overclouded. As for the following clauſe, let them lead me, let them bring me unto thy holy hill and to thy tabernacles, though ſome hold this is meant of the hill whereon Kiriath-jearim ſtood, whether the Ark was removed in the daies of Samuel, 2 Sam. 7.1. yet I rather take it to be meant of mount Sion, for which ſee the Note above verſ. 1. and that he ſpeaks of Gods tabernacles in the plurall number, either 1. becauſe the Ark was removed to ſeverall places before it came to be ſettled in the Temple; or 2. becauſe the …ent or tabernacle which David pitched for the Ark, and the tabernacle which Moſes built, were in two ſeverall places all Davids time, ſee 1 Chro. 16.37, 38, 39; or 3. becauſe the tabernacle conſiſted of two parts, to wit, the holy place and the moſt holy.
Verſ. 4. VponUpon the harp will I praiſe thee.] See the Note Pſal. 33.2.
Verſ. 5. Why art thou caſt down, O my ſoul? &c.] See the Notes Pſal. 42.5, 11.