Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 63 – Psalm 64
PSALM LXIII.
The Title. A Pſalm of David, when he was in the wilderneſſe of Iudah.] To wit, the foreſt of Hareth, 1 Sam. 22.5. or the wilderneſſe of Ziph, 1 Sam. 23.14, and 26.1, 2. both which were in the tribe of Judah, and David often in both of them in great diſtreſſe and danger, by reaſon of the inceſſant perſecution of Saul.
Verſ. 1. My ſoul thirſteth for thee, &c.] To wit, to enjoy the preſence of God in his Tabernacle; ſee the Note Pſal. 42.22: my flesh longeth for thee (which is added, becauſe when the ſoul of a man doth earneſtly deſire any thing, the body will be likewiſe ſtirred and affected therewith:) in a dry and thirſty land where no water is; that is, a land that being chapt through drought, doth ſeem to thirſt for water, and when it comes, drinks it in greedily like a thirſty man; or, a land wherein the inhabitants or paſſengers for want of water are dryed up with thirſt: and indeed the word in the originall ſignifyeth a weary land, that is, a wilderneſſe, through which travellers could not paſſe without much faintneſſe and wearineſſe. Now thus David deſcribes the place where he was, 1. to imply his faith and confidence in God, in that being in ſuch ſtreights he did not forget God, nor caſt away his hope in him, but rather his diſtreſſe made him long the more after God; and 2. to expreſſe thereby the fervency of his deſires after God, in that as great as his wants were being in ſuch a dry and barren wilderneſſe, yet he minded not his ſtreights in ſuch outward reſpects, in compariſon of his deſire to enjoy Gods preſence in his Sanctuary. Yea and it may imply alſo that the place where he hid himſelf was as void of ſpirituall comforts, as it was of water; and that the parched ground thirſted not more after water, then he did after God.
Verſ. 2. To ſee thy power and thy glory, ſo as I have ſeen thee in the Sanctuary.] Some conceive that David in theſe words deſired, that he might be as effectually refreſhed with the conſideration of Gods power and glory, even whilſt he was in that dry wilderneſſe, as ever he had been in the Sanctuary. But I rather conceive that Davids deſire herein is, that he might again enjoy the ſigns of Gods powerfull and glorious preſence in his Sanctuary, with the ſame refreſhing to his ſoul, as he had formerly done; to wit, the Ark (for which ſee the Notes 1 Sam. 4.21. 1 Chron. 16.11. and 2 Chron. 6.41.) and all other the holy Ordinances that were thereto be enjoyed.
Verſ. 3. Becauſe thy loving kindneſſe is better then life, my lips shall praiſe thee.] His aim herein may be to imply, either 1. that however he was at preſent in a ſad condition, in a place that was altogether comfortleſſe, and withall in continuall danger of his life; yet being aſſured of Gods favour, which may juſtly be preferred before life it ſelf, he ſhould in that alone have abundant cauſe to bleſſe God: or 2. that when he was reſtored to the enjoyment of the ſigns of Gods loving kindneſſe in his Sanctuary, he would there praiſe Gods name, & that not ſo much for his deliverance, as for that diſcovery of Gods loving kindneſſe, which was far better then life it ſelf: or 3. that there was more aſſurance for a mans ſafety in Gods loving kindneſſe, then there was in life it ſelf, or in all the naturall advantages that tended to the preſervation of life, ſo that the aſſurance of Gods favour might be a juſter ground of praiſing God even in the greateſt dangers, then any ſafety in regard of his outward condition could yield.
Verſ.4. Thus will I bleſſe thee, while I live, &c.] This word (thus) may have reference to divers particulars. Thus, that is, as I purpoſe and do at this preſent, though in great diſtreſſe; or thus, that is, Being thus reſtored, according to my deſire, to thy Sanctuary, there I will openly praiſe thee. But I rather think it refers to thoſe affections he had deſcribed to be in himſelf concerning his deſire after Gods Tabernacle; Thus, that is, being thus affectionately deſirous of enjoying thy preſence in the Sanctuary, and eſteeming thy loving kindneſſe better then life it ſelf, I will bleſſe thee, while I live, that is, whereever and in what condition ſoever I am. I will lift up my hands; to wit, in praiſing thee, or in praying to thee; as if he had ſaid, Being thus delivered I ſhall be for ever encouraged to pray unto thee; ſee the Note Job 11.13: in thy name, that is, to thy name, as it is elſewhere expreſſed, Pſal. 9.2; as if he had ſaid, I will call upon thee: yet it may be underſtood divers other waies; in thy name, that is, through thy help; or, at thy command; or, truſting in thy goodneſſe and mercy.
Verſ. 5. My ſoul shall be ſatisfyed, as with marrow and fatneſſe, &c.] This, with that which follows in the next verſe, may be meant, either of the time when he ſhould be reſtored to Gods Sanctuary again, to wit, that then remembring on his bed the comforts he had found in Gods Ordinances, and the enjoyment of Gods preſence therein, his ſoul ſhould be abundantly ſatisfied therewith; or elſe of the time of his exile in the wilderneſſe, to wit, that even there, when he could not come at Gods Tabernacle, and when he was in no little want of outward things, yet remembring God, his ſoul ſhould be abundantly ſatisfied with ſpiritual comforts. For the phraſe here uſed, ſee the Note Pſal. 36.8.
Verſ. 6. When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.] That is, at ſeverall times of the night, for they divided the night by ſeverall watches: ſee the Note Judg. 7.19.
Verſ. 7. In the shadow of thy wings will I rejoyce.] To wit, as chickens that ſleep ſecurely and with content under the wings of their dams. See the Notes Ruth 2.12. and Pſal. 17.8, and 57.1.
Verſ. 8. My ſoul followeth hard after thee, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, Though I be driven far from Gods Tabernacle, and God may ſeem to have caſt me off; yet out of the ſtrength of my affections to him, and through faith in his mercy and the fatherly love he bears to me, even in this afflicted condition, notwithſtanding all the diſcouragements that lye in my way, my thoughts are ſtill running after God; neither do I ceaſe conſtantly to deſire and ſeek with all earneſtneſſe after his favour, yea and after his favourable preſence in his Sanctuary. And then for the following words, thy right hand upholdeth me, either they are added 1. as the motive that encouraged him to follow ſo hard after God, namely, that God had ſtill preſerved him, and ſupported him in all his troubles; or elſe 2. as the effect of his ſo preſſing after God, to wit, that becauſe he did thus truſt in God, therefore God did uphold him; or 3. as the means whereby he was enabled in ſo ſad a condition to perſevere ſtill in ſeeking after God, namely, becauſe God by his ſpirit did ſupport him.
Verſ. 9. But thoſe that ſeek my ſoul to deſtroy it, shall goe into the lower parts of the earth.] That is, They ſhall be laid in the grave, or thrown into hell, or hide themſelves in caves and dens.
Verſ. 11. But the king shall rejoyce in God, &c.] This he ſpeaks of himſelf in the third perſon, believing aſſuredly that God would yet in time make good his promiſe to him concerning the kingdome: every one that ſweareth by him, that is, by God, shall glory; that is, all that truly worſhip God, that truly fear and ſerve God, ſhall triumph when God ſhall deſtroy mine enemies, and exalt me to the throne, as knowing that hereby the good of the people in generall ſhall be promoted, and that in my kingdome the kingdome of the promiſed Meſſiah ſhall begin to ſhoot forth. Becauſe ſwearing by God is appointed as a part of divine worſhip Deut. 6.13. therefore uſually in the Scripture it is figuratively put for the whole worſhip of God; as Iſa. 45.23. unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall ſwear, and Iſa. 65.16. he that ſweareth in the earth shall ſwear by the God of truth. Yet withall this may particularly imply ſuch as did ſincerely appeal to God, as the witneſſe of their innocency: and therefore unto theſe are oppoſed, in the following clauſe, thoſe that ſpeak lies, but the mouth of them that ſpeak lies shall be ſtopped; to wit, either by being cut off and deſtroyed; or by being ſo confounded with ſhame, that they ſhall not dare to utter any ſuch lies any more.
PSALM LXIV.
Verſ. 1. PReſerve my life from the fear of the enemy.] That is, Preſerve me from being afraid of the enemy; or from the evil which I fear the enemy ſhould doe me.
Verſ. 3. Who whet their tongue like a ſword, and bend their bows, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 57.4.
Verſ 4. That they may shoot in ſecret at the perfect, &c.] That is, at me, who am perfectly clear of the leaſt evil intended ever againſt them. See the Notes Pſal. 11.2, and 26.1.
Verſ. 5. They commune of laying ſnares privily; they ſay, who shall ſee them?] That is, the ſnares they have laid; or themſelves that laid the ſnares: ſee the Note Pſal. 59.7.
Verſ. 6. They ſearch out iniquities, &c.] That is, They ſeek to lay divers iniquities to my charge; or they deviſe and plot how they may unjuſtly oppreſſe & ruine me: and accordingly the following words, they accomplish a diligent ſearch, do ſet forth their diligence in plotting miſchief againſt him; and perhaps alſo in trying all wayes to effect and accompliſh what they had ſo contrived. Only indeed this laſt clauſe may be tranſlated otherwiſe, we are conſumed by that which they have throughly ſearched: and then the drift of the words is, to imply the exceeding danger the righteous ſervants of God were in by reaſon of theſe crafty plots of their enemies, namely, that in the judgement of their enemies the righteous could never eſcape their ſnares, and were no better then dead men already; and that in true judgement, if they were left unto themſelves, it could be no better with them. And therefore he adds, both the inward thought of every one of them and the heart is deep; that is, they are full of deep diſſembling, craft and ſubtilty: ſo that hereby they are charged 1. that they did not carry on their deſigns with open fury and violence, but whilſt they were ſilent and diſſembled outwardly, they maliciouſly contrived miſchief againſt him in their hearts; and 2. that being men of a deep reach, they found out many unexpected waies of deceit and miſchief.
Verſ. 8. So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themſelves, &c.] This is thus expreſſed to ſignify, 1. that when Gods wrath was fallen upon them, they ſhould accuſe and condemn themſelves; 2. that the evil intended againſt David by their bitter words ſhould fall upon themſelves; 3. that their ſlanders and bitter words ſhould be the means of their own ruine; & 4. that at leaſt this ſhould bring down Gods vengeance upon them. However he implyes, that thus they ſhould be ſlain with their own ſword, and that the arrows they ſhot againſt David ſhould recoil back, and wound themſelves: ſee before verſ. 3.
Verſ. 10. The righteous shall be glad, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 58.10.