Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 44
PSALM XLIV.
The Title. TO the chief Muſician for the ſons of Korah, Maſchil.] See the Note upon the Title Pſal. 42. By many paſſages of this Pſalm it ſeems probable, that it was not compoſed by David (becauſe the people of Iſrael were never in his daies in ſo ſad a condition as is here deſcribed) but that rather it ſets forth their condition in the Babylonian captivity, or afterwards under the perſecution of Antiochus Epiphanes in the daies of the Maccabees, and was therefore compoſed by ſome of Korahs poſterity, or ſome other holy man of God that lived in thoſe times. Yet there are ſome learned men that do rather think it was compoſed by David, and that to repreſent the calamitous condition of Gods people by reaſon of the oppreſſion of the Philiſtines, and other neighbouring nations, even from the daies of Samſon unto his time: which indeed is very likely, if not moſt probable.
Verſ. 1. We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didſt in their daies, &c.] In the name of the whole Church the prophet here mentions what had been by tradition from their fathers reported to them, to wit, what work he did in their daies: where the ſingular number is put for the plurall, what work, that is, what great and glorious works he did in thoſe times; or elſe it is meant of that great work particularly, of putting the Iſraelites into poſſeſſion of the land of Canaan, of which he ſpeaks in the following verſe, How thou didſt drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedſt them, &c. ſee the Note 2 Sam. 7.10.
Verſ. 3. Thine arm and the light of thy countenance.] That is, thy favour. See the Notes Numb. 6.25, 26, and Pſal. 4.6.
Verſ. 4. Thou art my king, O God, &c.] That is, Thou, who haſt formerly done ſuch great things for thy people, art my king; (it is the people of Iſrael that here ſpeaks as one man, as being all united in body) therefore as a king command deliverances for Iacob; for which ſee the Notes Pſal. 42.8, and 20.1, and 24.6.
Verſ. 5. Through thee will we push down our enemies, &c.] See the Notes Deut. 33.17: through thy Name, that is, through thy help, ſee the Notes, Pſal. 20.5, 7. will we tread them under that riſe up againſt us; that is, we ſhould ſubdue them with eaſe, and uſe them with contempt, if thou wouldeſt aſſiſt us.
Verſ. 7. And haſt put them to shame that hated us.] See the Note Pſal. 40.14.
Verſ. 9. But thou haſt caſt us off, &c. and goeſt not forth with our armies.] To wit, as our Captain, to help us againſt our enemies. He may ſeem herein to allude to that ancient cuſtome of carrying out the Ark with them in their wars.
Verſ. 11. Thou haſt given us like sheep appointed for meat, &c.] And not reſerved for breeding or for wooll. The meaning of this expreſſion is, that God had brought them into ſuch a condition, that they were in the power of their enemies, as ſheep are in the hands of the butcher, being no way able to reſiſt them, ſlaughtered every day, or in imminent danger to be ſlaughtered, no man making any conſcience of taking away their lives; and as if God eſteemed them a people good for nothing, but to be devoured with delight by their enemies: and haſt ſcattered us among the heathen; and ſo thoſe that were not ſlain, were ſold for ſlaves.
Verſ. 12. Thou ſelleſt thy people for nought, &c.] What is meant by Gods ſelling his people, ſee in the Note Deut. 32.30: But by ſelling them for nought here is meant, either that they were ſold amongſt the heathens at a poor, baſe price, for little or nothing as we uſe to ſay; or that they were given up to their enemies, as a thing of no value; or that, whereas when men ſell any thing, they uſe to receive a valuable price for it, God had parted with his people, and received nothing for them; which ſome think is alſo intended in the following words, and dost not encreaſe thy wealth by their price: as if they had ſaid, Thou getteſt nothing, but only looſeſt by the bargain, in that thou haſt loſt the people that were thy portion and inheritance, and haſt not taken any other people in their ſtead; yea in that the people to whom they were ſold, did not yield him any acknowledgement, nor did him any homage, as a recompence for his loſſe. But indeed others underſtand this laſt clauſe, and doſt not encreaſe thy wealth by their price, either 1. as intimating at what a low rate they were ſold; God did not doe as men uſe to doe, that ſeek to enhaunce the price of what they ſell, making what tryall they can to ſee who will give moſt: or 2. as implying, that God had not done it with expectation of ſome greater benefit, that might redound to him hereafter; as thoſe that when they ſell not for preſent money, do ſell at the dearer rate: or 3. that God ſuffered their enemies to have them upon what price and condition they pleaſed, in that he made them not pay dear for their conqueſt, but ſuffered them to ſubdue them ſo eaſily, without any conſiderable loſſe or dammage to themſelves. But however, obſervable it is, that whilſt they call themſelves ſtill Gods people, Thou ſelleſt thy people for nought, there is therein an intimation of their hope, that yet for all this God would at laſt remember the intereſt he had in them.
Verſ. 14. Thou makest us a by word among the heathen, &c.] See the Note Deuter. 28.37: a shaking of the head among the people; ſee the Note Job 16.4.
Verſ. 15. My confuſion is continually before me, &c.] That is, It is ever in my mind, that I can never forget it; or, I am continually an eye and ear-witneſſe of that which overwhelms me with confuſion, to wit, the reproaches of their enemies: and the shame of my face hath covered me; that is, my face is full of ſhame and bluſhing; or, I am ſo aſhamed, that I dare not look up, and am loth men ſhould ſee me.
Verſ. 16. For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth, &c.] To wit, not us only, but even our God alſo: by reaſon of the enemy and avenger; ſee the Note Pſal. 8.2.
Verſ. 17. Yet have we not forgotten thee, &c.] To wit, by forſaking the true Religion to pleaſe our enemies: and this is alledged as another argument to move God to help them.
Verſ. 19. Though thou haſt ſore broken us in the place of dragons, &c.] That is, though thou haſt ſorely afflicted us, in a place of horrid terrours & deſperate dangers, being continually in the power of men, fierce and cruell as dragons. He alludes to thoſe dens and wilderneſſes, which were uſually the habitation of dragons, as was that great and terrible wilderneſſe Deut. 8.15. which the Iſraelites went through, wherein were fiery ſerpents and ſcorpions; and to the ſame purpoſe alſo is the following clauſe, for even therein likewiſe there may be an alluſion to the dreadfull darkneſſe of thoſe dragons dens: and covered us with the shadow of death, concerning which ſee the Notes Job 3.5, and Pſal. 23.4.
Verſ. 20. If we have forgotten the name of our God, &c.] That is, if we have forgotten our God, to wit, by any defection to their Idol-Gods; ſee the Note Pſal. 5.11.
Verſ. 21. Shall not he ſearch this out? &c.] That is, If this we had done, it could not have been hid from God; and he therefore knows that it is not ſo; to him we appeal. Or, If we had done this, God would have known it, and would have called us to an account for it; the temptation of Gods ſeeming to have forſaken us would not have excuſed us, and therefore we durſt not doe it. For he knoweth the ſecrets of the heart; and much more ſuch open defections to Idolatry.
Verſ. 22. Yea, for thy ſake are we killed all the day long, &c.] That is, So far are we from any ſuch apoſtatizing from thee, that for thy ſake, and the conſtant profeſſion of thy truth, are we continually afflicted and martyred: (and this he alledgeth alſo to move God thereby to plead their cauſe.) And indeed the ſufferings of the faithfull, both in Babylon and in the daies of the Maccabees, were for their conſtancy in the true Religion; and therefore doth the Apoſtle urge this place to encourage Chriſtians in their ſufferings, Rom. 8.36. we are counted as sheep for the ſlaughter: ſee above verſ. 11.
Verſ. 24. Wherefore hideſt thou thy face, and forgetteſt our affliction, &c.? To wit, notwithſtanding we have not forgotten thee, as they had ſaid before verſ. 17. ſee the Note Pſal. 13.1.
Verſ. 25. For our ſoul is bowed down to the duſt, &c.] That is, Through the heavy weight of our afflictions, we are brought down to the loweſt degree of miſery; or we are as dead men ready to drop into the grave: ſee the Notes Pſal. 6.5, and 22.15. Our belly cleaveth unto the earth, that is, we are no better then dead men; or, we are irrecoverably caſt down and trodden under foot. Yet ſome would have this underſtood of their falling down on the ground, and lying there till their bellies ſeemed as it were to be glued to the earth, by way of humbling themſelves before the Lord.
Verſ. 26. Redeem us for thy mercies ſake.] That is, thereby to manifeſt and magnify thy mercy; or, becauſe thou art mercifull. And thus though they had before alledged their integrity, verſ. 17, 18, 19; yet now for the procuring of help, they plead nothing but Gods mercy.