Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 48
PSALM XLVIII.
Verſ. 1. GReat is the Lord, and greatly to be praiſed, in the city of our God, &c.] To wit, Becauſe though God hath manifeſted his tranſcendent greatneſſe throughout the world, yet above all he hath done this in Jeruſalem, and in his Church, whereof Jeruſalem was a type, as being the citie of God, and the mountain of holineſse; of which ſee the Note Pſal. 2.6: and though the men of the world would not ſee nor magnify this greatneſſe of God, yet his people have alwaies done it. Now from that which is ſaid afterwards, verſ. 3, &c. God is known in her palaces for a refuge; for loe the kings were aſſembled, &c. it is generally held, that this Pſalm was compoſed upon occaſion of ſome notable deliverance, which God had afforded the city Jeruſalem, when the neighbouring kings had conſpired againſt her.
Verſ. 2. Beautifull for ſituation, &c.] Mount Sion is here ſaid to be 1. beautifull for ſituation, not only becauſe it had ſo pleaſant a proſpect, and was a place that yielded ſuch delight in every regard, but alſo eſpecially with reſpect to its beauty from the Temple, Gods dwelling-place: and 2. the joy of the whole earth, not ſo much becauſe thoſe that reſorted thither from far countries, were ſo much delighted with the goodly ſight of the city and Temple; as becauſe thoſe that reſorted thither to worſhip from all parts of the earth, as the Ethiopian Eunuch did Act. 8.27, were ſo exceedingly cheared thereby, and eſpecially becauſe the Goſpel, that went out of Zion Iſa. 2.3. was indeed the joy of the whole earth: 3. on the ſides of the North; which is ſo diverſly expounded, that ſome hold the meaning is, that it was in the South of the city, by the ſide of the North, or oppoſite to the North; and others, which ſeems more agreeable with the words, that it was on the North ſide of Jeruſalem, whence is that vaunting ſpeech of the Aſſyrian, Iſa. 14.13. I will ſit alſo upon the mount of the Congregation in the ſides of the North: and 4. the city of the great king, meaning the city of David, as it is called 2 Sam. 5.7, or rather the city of God, the great king of the world.
Verſ. 3. God is known in her palaces for a refuge.] That is, In the houſes of this city built like palaces for the ſtatelineſſe of them, God, as is well known, is the refuge of his people; they are not ſecured ſo much by their forts and bulwarks, as in other cities, as by the preſence of God amongſt them. Or by her palaces may be meant her very forts and bulwarks, which for their ſightlineſſe and beauty are called palaces, and ſo the words may imply, that God was the defence even of their fortreſſes and defenced places.
Verſ. 4. For lo, the kings were aſſembled, &c.] That is, They have ſeverall times combined together againſt Jeruſalem: as when the Philiſtine Princes, upon Davids taking the fort of Zion, came up againſt him, and ſpread themſelves in the valley of Rephaim, 2 Sam. 5.17, 18; and when the Ethiopians came againſt Aſa, 2 Chron. 14.7; and when the Moabites and Ammonites and others invaded the land in Iehoſhaphats daies, 2 Chron. 20.1, 2; and when the kings of Syria and Iſrael beſieged Ahaz in Jeruſalem, 2 Kings 16.5; and when Sennacherib ſought to take the city in Hezekiahs time, who doubtleſſe had many petty kings in his army, 2 Kings 18.17. Or it may be meant of ſome one of theſe in particular, which was the occaſion of compoſing this Pſalm. They paſſed by together, that is, they altogether vaniſhed on a ſudden; or rather, they marched on together to ſurprize Ieruſalem.
Verſ. 5. They ſaw it, &c.] That is, They ſaw the city, and ſo were amazed; or, they ſaw how wonderfully God appeared for the city, and ſo they marvelled, &c. that is, by this means they were aſtoniſhed, and perplexed, and fled away.
Verſ. 6. Fear took hold upon them there, &c.] That is, even whilſt they were before Ieruſalem, and ſo were even ready to beſiege it, flattering themſelves with aſſurance that they ſhould take it, and ſtriking the inhabitants with great terrour, ſuddenly they themſelves were ſurprzied with fear; or, when they began to turn their backs to eſcape away, fear took hold of them, and marred their flying: and pain as of a woman in travail; that is, 1. ſuddenly, 2. in greateſt extremity, 3. irreſiſtably, and 4. with a continuall ſucceſſion of griefs, even as throes come upon a woman in travail.
Verſ. 7. Thou breakeſt the ships of Tarshish with an Eaſt-wind.] That is, with a tempeſtuous wind; ſee the Note Iob 38.24. And what is meant by the ships of Tarshish, ſee in the Note 1 Kings 10.22. Some would have them ſo called from Tarſus, a chief haven-town in Cilicia, Act. 21.34: which cannot be, for it could not be three years voyage going thither and coming back, as it was with Solomons navy that went to Tarſhiſh, 2 Chron. 9.21. However, this here, I conceive, is ſpoken as by way of ſimilitude, as if it had been thus; As thou breakeſt often the ſtrongeſt ſhips that ſail in the ſea by ſome violent wind, ſo doſt thou break in pieces the combined forces of thy peoples enemies. Yet becauſe there is expreſſe mention in 2 Chron. 20.2. that of that great army that invaded the land of Iudah in Iehoſhaphats daies, ſome came from beyond the ſea, ſome conceive that this was ſpoken particularly with reference to the breaking of thoſe ſhips. But the firſt expoſition is the beſt; though I yield that it may be taken generally, that when ever Gods people are invaded by ſea, there, as well as by land, God appears for them, and doth often with his tempeſts break their ſhips in pieces.
Verſ. 8. As we have heard, ſo have we ſeen in the city of the Lord, &c.] That is, What we have heard promiſed in thy word and by thy prophets, we have ſeen fully made good to thy people; and what we have heard thou haſt done for our fathers, the ſame we have ſeen done for our ſelves.
Verſ. 9. We have thought of thy loving kindneſſe, O God, in the midſt of thy temple.] This may be referred to the time after the deliverance, which God had afforded Ieruſalem, whereof he had ſpoken before verſ. 3, 4, &c. and then the meaning is, that they had remembred the loving kindneſſe of God, and had praiſed his name for it. But moſt Expoſitours refer it to the time before that deliverance, as if he had ſaid, Being in great ſtreights and fears, we thought of thy loving kindneſſe, and truſting therein, we waited patiently, and thou haſt not failed our expectation. As for thoſe laſt words, in the midſt of thy temple, they are added, not to limit their thinking of Gods loving kindneſſe only to that place, as if they thought not of it any where but there: but 1. becauſe that was the ſign of Gods dwelling amongſt them as his people, and ſo hereby he would imply, that they thought of that love he bare them as his peculiar people, whereof the temple was a token and pledge; and 2. becauſe there they heard out of his word of the tender love he bare them, and were by theſe thoughts ſtirred up and encouraged to pray unto him. But this, as the reſt, muſt be eſpecially applyed to the Church, the true Temple of God.
Verſ. 10. According to thy name, O God, ſo is thy praiſe unto the ends of the earth, &c.] Some make this a parallel place with that verſ. 1. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praiſed, and ſo underſtand it thus; that as Gods Name is above all names, God infinitely excelling all the great ones of the world, ſo is his Name accordingly exalted with tranſcendent praiſe throughout the world. Others give the ſenſe of the words thus; Thou art known, and accordingly praiſed unto the ends of the earth; or, whereever thy Name ſhall be heard, thou ſhalt be praiſed for thy wonderfull works; or, whereever the fame of this great deliverance afforded thy people ſhall be ſpread, or generally the fame of all thy noble acts, accordingly ſhalt thou be praiſed throughout all the earth; or, which to me ſeems the beſt, that which thou haſt revealed of thy ſelf, thou doſt indeed make good by thy glorious works, and ſo giveſt all the earth occaſion to praiſe thee. Thy right hand is full of righteouſneſſe; to wit, in regard of the many and many proofs thou giveſt of thy righteouſneſſe, by preſerving thy people, and deſtroying their enemies; yea in regard that thou art holy and righteous in all that thou doeſt.
Verſ. 11. Let mount Sion rejoyce, let the daughters of Iudah be glad.] That is, the people of Judah, to wit, becauſe of Gods judgements on their enemies; ſee the Note 2 Kings 19.21: or the leſſer cities, towns and villages of Iudah, which were as daughters to the mother city Ieruſalem; ſee the Note 2 Sam. 20.19.
Verſ. 12, Walk about Sion, &c.] This is a poeticall deſcription of the continued ſplendour, ſtatelineſſe and ſtrength of the city Ieruſalem; and ſo alſo under that figure, of the ſpirituall magnificence, the large extent and ſtrength of the Church in the daies of the Goſpel. For this calling men to view her round about, was to imply either 1. that they ſhould not find that there was the leaſt breach made in her walls, or that her towers, bulwarks, or palaces were any way defaced, notwithſtanding the late engagement of her enemies againſt her, ſee verſ. 4, 5, &c. or 2. how beautifull, ſpacious, and for ſtrength impregnable that city was. Yet is not this city thus repreſented, as if her ourward fortifications could make her invincible, but as appearing in theſe glorious ſigns of Gods love and care and bleſſing upon her, to be the city God had choſen to dwell in, and thereby impregnable, as he had ſaid before verſ. 3.
Verſ. 13. Conſider her palaces, &c.] Some render it, Raiſe up her palaces, that is, highly eſteem and commend them: but the tranſlation in our Bibles beſt agreeth with the former expreſſions, Conſider her palaces, to wit, how they ſtand ſtill in their full beauty, or, how beautifull and ſtrong they are: that ye may tell it to the generation following, to wit, how miraculouſly God hath preſerved them; or how many and how ſplendid they are. And herein alſo (as ſome learned men obſerve) is covertly implyed, that there was a time coming, when the beauty of that earthly Jeruſalem ſhould not be to be ſeen; that ſo we might expect, that what is ſpoken here of the beauty and perpetuity of that earthly Jeruſalem, muſt be chiefly made good in that ſpirituall Ieruſalem, the Church of Chriſt.
Verſ. 14. For this God is our God for ever and ever, &c.] As if he had ſaid, This God, whom we aſſuredly know to be the only true God, who hath choſen Ieruſalem to be his dwelling-place, and thereupon hath thus beautified and protected it, is our God, and ſo will be for ever and ever: ſee Iſa. 25.9.