Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 60
PSALM LX.
The Title. TO the chief Muſician upon Shushan-eduth, &c.] Shoshannim the plurall number of this word Shushan, we have in the Title of the 45. Pſalm, concerning which ſee the Note there. And becauſe Eduth ſignifyeth a teſtimony or beautifull ornament, therefore ſome tranſlate Shushan-Eduth, the Lilly of the Teſtimony, becauſe this Pſalm was a glorious teſtimony of David faith and thankfulneſſe; or becauſe praying in this Pſalm for the good ſucceſſe of his forces gone out againſt the nations here mentioned, he inſiſteth largely on the glorious promiſes that God had made concerning the kingdome of David, and the enlarging of his peoples territories, verſ. 6, &c: and others, the lilly of beauty or ornament, becauſe this Pſalm ſhews that the kingdome of Iſrael ſhould be glorious and eminent above other kingdomes, as the lilly is above other flowers: and others, a ſix-ſtringed inſtrument of the Teſtimony, becauſe the Prieſts uſed to play hereon before the Ark, which was called the Teſtimony. Michtam of David, to teach: the ſame I conceive is intended in this clauſe, as is in thoſe Titles, A Pſalm of David, Maſchil, Pſal. 32, and, A Pſalm of David to bring to remembrance, Pſal. 38. concerning which ſee the Notes there. Yet ſome would expreſſe the particulars which this Pſalm was intended to teach: as that it was to teach poſterity the great things that David had done; or to teach that God would fully make good his promiſe concerning the land of Canaan, though hitherto a good part of it had been kept from them: yea and ſome hold that theſe words imply, that the Levites were to teach it their ſcholars, that it might be ſung as a triumphant ſong when David ſhould return with triumph. As for the following words, when he ſtrove with Aram Naharaim, &c. ſee the Notes 2 Sam. 8.3. and 13.
Verſ. 1. O God thou haſt caſt us off, thou haſt ſcattered us, &c.] This is ſpoken of the ſad condition, wherein the people had been, not only in the daies of the judges, but alſo more lately under Saul, eſpecially towards the later end of his reign, when partly by reaſon of Sauls cruelty to the Prieſts and other the godly of the land, and partly by reaſon of the frequent invaſions of the Philiſtines and other bordering nations, the Iſraelites were often ſorely diſtreſſed, and ſometimes forced to fly and hide themſelves in ſeverall places: ſee 1 Sam. 13.19, and 31.7. Yea and it may comprehend all the time when there was civill war between David and the houſe of Saul, in the beginning of Davids reign; all which time the land was under great afflictions, and that juſtly for their ſins, as he intimateth in the next words, thou haſt been diſpleaſed.
Verſ. 2. Thou haſt made the earth to tremble, thou haſt broken it, &c.] Either this is ſpoken in reference to the inhabitants of the land, that God made their hearts to tremble, and that he had broken them in pieces with civill diſſentions; or elſe the meaning is, that God had brought ſuch grievous troubles upon them, that the earth ſeemed as it were to tremble under them as with an earthquake, and to be …ent aſunder.
Verſ. 3. Thou haſt shewed thy people hard things, &c.] That is, Thou haſt brought upon us many grievous miſeries; ſee the Note Pſal. 4.6: thou haſt made us to drink the wine of astonishment; that is, thou haſt brought us to ſuch a condition, that we are aſtoniſhed and tremble and ſtagger, full of horrour and trouble of ſpirit, dull and ſtupid in the evils that are fallen upon us, and even bereaved of ſenſe and underſtanding, not knowing what to doe, or which way to turn our ſelves, no otherwiſe then as if we had been made to drink of ſome venemous or enchanted cup. See the Note Pſal. 11.6.
Verſ. 4. Thou haſt given a banner to them that fear thee; that it maybe diſplayed becauſe of the truth.] This may alſo be underſtood of thoſe foregoing evil times, whereof David had ſpoken hitherto: as if he had ſaid, To make good the truth of thy promiſes, and to let thy people ſee how faithfull thou art in all thy promiſes, even in thoſe times thou haſt returned in mercy to them that feared thee, and haſt led them forth to ſight with their enemies, and haſt made them victorious over them. For by giving a banner to them that feared him is meant, not only that God had led them forth and encouraged them to goe forth with banners diſplayed againſt their enemies, but alſo that he had given them the victory in the day of battel, whereof diſplayed banners were a ſign. And if we underſtand it thus, of what God had done for his people in former times after he had ſorely afflicted them, then is it alledged as an argument to move God to doe the ſame for his people now again. But I rather think that David ſpeaks here of what God had done at preſent for them. And accordingly by the banner diſplayed is meant, either Gods anointing David to be the king of his people; as if he had ſaid, Though thou haſt many years thus afflicted thy people, yet now thou haſt raiſed up a banner to them that fear thee, in that thou haſt given me to be king to this people, whom they follow chearfully, and under whoſe conduct they have fought ſucceſfully againſt their enemies: or elſe, the many victories which God had given them; and then it is as if he had ſaid, However it hath been formerly, yet now for their ſakes that fear thee, and to ſtrengthen our faith with aſſurance that thou wilt make good all thy promiſes, and particularly thoſe concerning the enlarging of our dominions, by the many victories given us for the gathering together and encouragement of thy ſcattered and diſheartned people, as oft as we goe out with our armies we return victoriouſly; not as formerly, with moſt of our enſigns and ſouldiers loſt, but as conquerours with banners diſplayed; and hereby we are heartned with aſſurance, that God will ſtill ſubdue our enemies under us.
Verſ. 5. That thy beloved may be delivered, &c.] This may be referred to the foregoing verſe, as another reaſon why God had lifted up a banner to them that feared him, to wit, that thoſe his beloved ones might be delivered, who before were in danger to be overrun by their enemies round about them; or elſe rather it is to be referred to that which follows; as if it had been expreſſed thus, Save with thy right hand and hear me, that thy beloved may be delivered. This and the ſeven following verſes we have again in the end of the 108. Pſalm.
Verſ. 6. God hath ſpoken in his holineſſe, &c.] That is, ſay ſome, in his Sanctuary. But the meaning hereof they make to be this, that God had promiſed him that the kingdome of Iſrael ſhould be ſettled upon him and his ſeed for ever: and though this promiſe was brought to him by Samuel firſt, and lately by Nathan, 2 Sam. 7.11, 12, &c. yet for the aſſured certainty of it he looked upon it no otherwiſe, then as if it had been an oracle given by God himſelf out of his Sanctuary. But I rather underſtand it thus: God hath holily and faithfully promiſed the kingdome to me and mine: as he is a holy God he hath promiſed it; and therefore he can no more fail of performing his promiſes, then he can ceaſe to be a holy God: ſo that it is all one in effect as if he had ſaid, God hath ſworn by his holineſſe; according to that Pſal. 89.35, 36. Now hereupon David adds, I will rejoyce; as if he had ſaid, And herein I will rejoyce, and will chearfully enjoy the victories and kingdome which God hath given me. Though God hath given me great encouragement by the ſucceſſe of my wars, and hath given me great cauſe thereby to think that God, who was offended with his people in the daies of Saul, is now become favourable again to them; yet that which I build upon is the promiſe of God: I did not by any faction exalt my ſelf to be king, but God promiſed the kingdome ſhould be mine. And this promiſe, together with his rejoycing in that God had already, and would yet farther perform it for him, he expreſſeth in the following words, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth; that is, God hath put all the land of Canaan, both the countrey within Jordan, where Shechem ſtood, and the countrey without Jordan, where Succoth was, under my abſolute dominion, and hath appointed it to be left unto my poſterity by right of inheritance. The phraſe uſed alludes to the power that lords have to divide a land which is brought under their ſubjection, as Joſhua did the land of Canaan. And the rather doth he mention theſe places, (together with Gilead and Manaſſeh in the following verſe) becauſe they had ſtood out longeſt againſt David, and had moſt obſtinately ſided with Iſhboſheth, ſee 2 Sam. 2.8: and therefore the certainty of Gods promiſe was herein moſt notably diſcovered.
Verſ. 7. Gilead is mine, and Manaſſeh is mine, &c.] See the former Note: Ephraim alſo is the ſtrength of mine head; the ground of this expreſſion is, becauſe this tribe was above others numerous and ſtrong, and had many that were famous men of valour and expert in war, concerning which ſee the propheſies concerning this tribe Gen. 48.19. and Deut. 32.11: and either he alludes therein to the heads of thoſe beaſts that are armed with horns, making Manaſseh and Ephraim the horns wherewith he would gore his enemies; or elſe the meaning is, tha… Ephraim was the ſtrength of his head, that is, of his kingdome and ſovereignty, his headſhip and principality; or that from them he would have many to be of his life-guard; and ſo the like phraſe is uſed 1 Sam. 28.2. for which ſee the Notes there. Iudah is my law-giver, which is ſaid either becauſe in Jeruſalem, which was in Judahs portion, the great councell of the Sanhedrim was kept, ſee the Note Numb. 11.16. as likewiſe Davids ſovereign court of juſtice, Pſal. 122.5. there are ſet thrones of judgement, the thrones of the houſe of David; or 2. becauſe he meant chiefly out of this tribe to chuſe his princes, judges and counſellors, that ſhould give laws to the people, and be ſubſervient to him in the government of the kingdome; or 3. becauſe out of his loyns (who was of this tribe) there was ſtill to be a king ſitting on the throne of Judah, according to that propheſy (whereto he alludes) Gen. 49.10. The ſceptre shall not depart from Iudah, &c.
Verſ. 8. Moab is my washpot, &c.] Though in the foregoing verſe he gloried in the Iſraelites ſubjection to him, yet the ſervices he there aſſigns to them are ingenuous and honourable, becauſe he was to rule over them as brethren; but theſe now aſſigned to the forreign nations, that were ſubdued by him, are baſer and ſervile. Moab is my wash-pot; or, wash-boul; that is, I will make no more reckoning of them, then a man doth of a pot provided to waſh diſhes in, or rather to waſh his feet in (for that in thoſe Eaſtern countreys they uſed to doe very frequently) I will imploy them in the baſeſt of ſervices, making them the ſcullions of my kitchin: yea, and it may imply alſo, that he would no more ſcruple the deſtroying of them, then a man would to throw an earthen pot againſt the ground and daſh it in pieces; ſee the Note 2 Sam. 8.2: Over Edom will I caſt out my shoe; that is, I will trample upon the Edomites, as a vanquiſhed people, and will take poſſeſſion of their countrey, as mine by conqueſt, ſee the Note Ruth 4.7. Or elſe this phraſe may imply, that he would uſe them as his ſlaves: for this phraſe may be taken from that contemptuous carriage of maſters towards their ſlaves, when they in anger throw their ſhoes at their heads, or at leaſt in a way of ſcorn do throw them at them, intending they ſhould make them clean, or bring them after them. And this he expreſſeth in the future tenſe, becauſe the Edomites were not wholly ſubdued. Philiſtia, triumph thou becauſe of me; to wit, as becomes ſubjects to honour the victories of their king. It may be read alſo, as it is in the margin of our Bibles, triumph thou over me; but then it muſt be underſtood as ſpoken in a way of mocking them: as if he had ſaid, You Philiſtines were wont to domineer and triumph over us, and now of late to ſcorn me, as if I ſhould never have been able to ſubdue you; but now you ſee God hath brought you in ſubjection to me: And indeed in Pſal. 108. this clauſe is expreſſed thus, Over Philiſtia will I triumph.
Verſ. 9. Who will bring me into the ſtrong city? &c.] That is, the ſtrong cities of Edom; as is implyed in the next words, who will lead me into Edom? as if he had ſaid. Having vanquiſhed the Edomites in the open field, as is expreſſed in the title of this Pſalm, how ſhall I now come to ſubdue their defenced cities? And indeed that the cities of the Edomites were very ſtrong, appears plainly by that of the prophet to Edom, Obad. 3. The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwelleſt in the clefts of the rock, whoſe habitation is high, that ſaith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? But yet many Expoſitours do rather think that Rabbah of the Ammonites is the ſtrong city here intended, 2 Sam. 12.26. and that chiefly becauſe it may ſeem ſtrange, that there ſhould be mention here made of all the bordering enemies of Iſrael round about, and yet nothing ſaid of them.
Verſ. 10. Wilt not thou, O God, which hadſt caſt us off? &c.] Thus David gives a hint again, how much better it was with Gods people now under his government, then it had been in Sauls reign, that they might acknowledge that God was pleaſed with the ſettling of him in the throne.