Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 46
PSALM XLVI.
The Title. TO the chief Muſician for the ſons of Korah, &c.] See the Note upon the Title Pſalm 42. A Song upon Alamoth; ſee the Note 1 Chron. 15.20.
Verſ. 1. God is our refuge and ſtength, &c.] See the Note Exod. 15.2. Ours, who are his people: for this Pſalm ſeems to have been compoſed, by way of praiſing God for delivering Jeruſalem out of the hands of many violent and mighty enemies, that ſought her ruine.
Verſ. 2. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midſt of the ſea.] That is, though there ſhould be never ſuch terrible alterations, confuſions and deſolations in all the kingdomes throughout the world, ſo that the whole world ſhould ſeem to be turned upſide down, and there ſhould be no likelyhood of any place of reſt for the Church. But ſee the Note Pſal. 23.4.
Verſ. 3. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, &c.] That is, ſwell and rage; or be muddy and foul. However the meaning is this: though all the nations of the world do raiſe great combuſtions, even to the terrour and endangering of many kingdomes and great ones in the world (for that may be intimated in the following clauſe, though the mountains shake with the ſwelling thereof) and though they tumultuouſly aſſemble themſelves together for the ruine of the Church, foaming out their own shame Jude 13. like the troubled ſea when it cannot reſt, whoſe waters cast up mire and dirt, Iſa. 57.20. For by many waters in the Scriptures is often meant many people: ſee the Note Numb. 24.7.
Verſ. 4. There is a river, the ſtreams whereof ſhall make glad the city of God &c.] To wit, Zion; ſo called, becauſe it was, as is added in the next words, the holy place of the Tabernacles of the moſt high, that is, the holy city, where the Arke was placed in a Tabernacle: ſee the Note Pſ. 43.3. many Expoſitours hold that this is meant of the river Kidron, 2 Sam. 15.23, or of the the ſtreames of Gihon or Shiloah, 2 Chron. 32.30, which flowed into that river, and then compaſſed half the city of Ieruſalem: and accordingly that which is here ſaid they underſtand thus; that whilſt the whole world ſeemed to be in an uproar round about them, the inhabitants of Ieruſalem, knowing themſelves to be under the protection of the Almighty, did quietly reioyce in the pleaſures which that little river yielded them, both by its watering the place & making it fruitfull, & in the defence which it was to the city. And thus, they ſay, this little river is oppoſed to the raging waters, of which the prophet had before ſpoken, to wit, the tumult of their enemies round about them; and the delight they quietly took in the one, to the terrors that were threatned by the other: which they ſeek to make good by comparing this with a like place Iſa. 8.6. where the Iewes are blamed, for being diſcouraged with their ſeeming weak condition, deſiring to ſtrengthen themſelves by the ayd and power of the kings of Iſrael and Syria, as not thinking themſelves ſafe under Gods protection, under the expreſſion of refuſing the waters of Shiloah that goe ſoftly, and rejoycing in Rezin and Remaliahs ſonne. But though there may be in theſe words an alluſion to theſe brooks that watered Ieruſalem; yet I doubt not but the river here directly intended, the ſtreames whereof shall make glad the city of God, is the preſence of God amongſt them, who is the fountain of all good, and by whoſe beneficence juſt matter of gladneſs and ioy was continually derived to them: and ſo in the following verſe that which is here figuratively expreſſed, is clearly explained, There is a river, the ſtreames whereof shall make glad the city of God &c. God is in the midſt of her; she shall not be moved &c. for which ſee the Notes Pſal. 16.8, and 21.7. Yea and becauſe the miniſtry of the word, and the operations of Gods ſpirit, are the chief evidences of Gods gracious preſence amongſt his people; it may be figuratively applyed to either of theſe, that they are the river, the ſtreames whereof make glad the city of God: ſee Joh. 7.38.
Verſ. 6. The heathens raged, the kingdomes were moved, &c.] Though ſome underſtand this laſt clauſe of the ſhaking of thoſe kingdomes, by the avenging hand of God, that raged againſt his people; yet I rather take it, that both theſe clauſes intend one and the ſame thing, to wit, that many nations of the heathens did in a rage riſe up in a tumultuous manner againſt Gods people. And then by way of oppoſition it follows, he uttered his voice: that is, the Lord thundered from heaven; or, the Lord promiſed deliverance to his people; or, he gave ſome manifeſt tokens of his indignation againſt them, and miraculouſly helped his people without any humane meanes (for to this purpoſe the like expreſſions are uſed 2 Sam. 22.8. &c.) or, his will and command was that it ſhould ſo be: and then, the earth melted, that is, the inhabitants of the earth, or the enemies that had as it were overſpred the face of the earth, fainted and periſhed, and were gone in an inſtant. Now though this may be generally underſtood, as that which hath and doth befall the Church in all ages: yet more probable it is, that the prophet here ſpeaks of ſome particular deliverance, which was the occaſion of penning this Pſalm.
Verſ. 7. The Lord of hoaſts is with us, &c.] See the Note Gen. 2.1: the God of Iacob is our refuge; ſee the Note Pſal. 20.1.
Verſ. 8. Come, behold the works of the Lord, what deſolations he hath made in the earth.] To wit, by the mighty havock he hath made amongſt the enemies, that from ſeverall countries were gathered together againſt his people. Now this alſo may be underſtood, either of the great works that God hath done for his Church in all ages; or of that particular, upon which this Pſalm was compoſed.
Verſ. 9. He maketh wars to ceaſe unto the end of the earth: he breaketh the bow &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, By this which God hath done, you may ſee, that he can and doth, when he is pleaſed, put a full end to all the wars throughout the world. The expreſſion is much like that Eſa. 2.4. they shall beat their ſwords into plow-ſhares, and their ſpeares into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up ſword againſt nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Verſ. 10. Be ſtill, &c.] This is here inſerted to ſhew, that by thoſe judgements fore-mentioned, which God had executed, he did in effect ſay to men, as is here expreſſed, Be ſtill, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, to wit, either by their ſubmiſſion to me, or by their confuſion. And it may be ſpoken either to his own people, that they ſhould quietly wait upon God without fear or murmuring, or troubling themſelves to ſeek help elſewhere: or rather to his enemies, who worſhipped falſe Gods, that they ſhould give over their rage againſt Gods people; or that without any tumultuous diſturbance of affections, they ſhould ſeriouſly conſider what God had done, and thereby know that the God of Iſrael was the only true God, againſt whom there was no contending: ſee the Note Pſal. 4.4.