Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 8
PSALM VIII.
The Title. TO the chief Muſician upon Gittith.] See the Note upon the Title Pſal. 4. For theſe words, upon Gittith, which are alſo the Title of the 81 and the 84 Pſalm, the conjectures of Expoſitours are various. Firſt, ſome conceive that this Pſalm was to be ſung with thoſe muſicall Inſtruments, which were uſed by the Levites of Gathrimmon, who were called Gittites, as Obed-Edom is called 2 Sam. 6.10; or becauſe David compoſed this Pſalm to be ſung when the Ark was removed to or from the houſe of Obed-Edom the Gittite. Secondly, others think, becauſe Gath in Hebrew ſignifieth a wine-preſſe, that the muſicall Inſtrument wherewith this Pſalm was to be ſung, had the form of a wine-preſſe; or that it was compoſed to be ſung at the vintage amongſt the wine-preſſes, perhaps at the feaſt of Tabernacles, which was about that time; or that it was to be ſung in the tune of thoſe lightſome ſongs, which they uſually ſung at their vintages. And thirdly, others ſay that it was compoſed upon occaſion of ſome great deliverance or mercy afforded to David, that had ſome relation to Gath a city of the Philiſtines; or that Gittith was the name of ſome muſicall Inſtrument, as the Gittern is with us; or the name of ſome ſong or tune, uſed or invented at Gath of the Philiſtines. And indeed of all theſe conjectures this laſt ſeems to me the moſt probable.
Verſ. 1. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy Name in all the earth! &c.] That is, thy ſame and glory! what excellent things are by thy works manifeſted and known of thee throughout the world! For by the Name of God in the Scripture is often meant the ſame of all his glorious attributes, his power and mercy, &c. as in Mal. 1.11. From the riſing of the Sun to the going down of the ſame my Name shall be great among the Gentiles. And becauſe David in the following part of the Pſalm ſpeaks of the great goodneſſe of God to man, and that, as ſome think, in relation to Chriſt, it is likely that even here he hath principally reſpect unto that: and he expreſſeth it by way of admiration, how excellent is thy Name! to imply, that he was not able to ſet it forth in words, as it ought to be. As for the following words, who haſt ſet thy glory above the heavens, therein a reaſon is given why Gods Name muſt needs be exceedingly excellent in all the earth, to wit, becauſe he had ſet his glory above the heavens: whereby is meant, either that God had manifeſted ſo much of his glorious excellencies above in the heavens, which he had taken as the royall ſeat and throne of his Majeſty, by the influences and power whereof the things below are preſerved, cheriſhed and governed, that the whole earth ſtirred up thereby muſt needs ſound forth his praiſes; or elſe that Gods glory is ſo great, that the whole world is not able to contain it: to which purpoſe the like phraſe is often uſed, as Pſal. 108.4. Thy mercy is great above the heavens; and Pſal. 113.4. The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens; and in many other places. Others do alſo underſtand this glory of God above the heavens of the Angels praiſing God, and of the glory of Chriſt ſitting at the right hand of his father; but David ſpeaks here, as I conceive, of the glory of God, which is manifeſted to all the inhabitants of the earth.
Verſ. 2. Out of the mouth of babes and ſucklings haſt thou ordained ſtrength, &c.] This I conceive is to be underſtood, as the words do plainly hold forth, of little children and ſucking infants, namely, that they do wonderfully ſet forth the glory of God. For David intending now in the ſequele of the Pſalm to ſhew more particularly, how God hath manifeſted his glorious excellencies, eſpecially his goodneſſe and mercy, in man above all his other creatures, he begins here with this, that even in their tendereſt years, whilſt they are but babes and ſucklings, God is exceedingly glorified in them. And whereas this is ſaid to be done out of the mouth of babes and ſucklings, either no more is intended thereby but this, that by the teſtimony of babes God doth declare his many glorious excellencies, (even as for the ſame cauſe, Pſal. 19.1. the heavens are ſaid to declare the glory of God, to wit, becauſe in them there is ſo much to be obſerved, that doth ſhew forth the glory of God,) as that they ſhould ſo ſtrangely make their way out of their mothers wombs; that ſuch poor helpleſſe things ſhould be ſo wonderfully ſuſtained and preſerved, being in themſelves expoſed to all kind of miſeries; and that eſpecially by the inſtinct of nature, which God hath planted in the hearts of parents, whereby even thoſe that are moſt graceleſſe, are yet tender over them, and willing for their good to undergoe any trouble in their noyſomneſſe and continuall rawling; and many other wonderfull providences beſides that may be obſerved in children; or elſe this expreſſion may have particular relation to thoſe things that concern the mouths of babes and ſucklings; as that they ſhould ſo preſently, by a ſecret inſtinct of nature, hunt and wind about for the breaſts, thoſe bottles wherein God hath wonderfully provided milk out of bloud for their nouriſhment, and which he hath made ſoft, thereby fitting them for their tender mouths; as likewiſe that they ſhould know how to draw and ſuck forth the milk there prepared for them, the paſſages through which the milk iſſues forth being ſo ordered, that neither the ſtreightneſſe thereof ſhould make it too hard for them to draw it forth, nor the too great wideneſſe thereof ſhould endanger the ſtifling of them by its coming forth too faſt; and likewiſe that being grown up a little, they ſhould ſo ſoon frame their tongues and mouths to ſpeak the words they hear others ſpeak: for indeed in regard of theſe many wonders the tongues of ſtammering children, yea the mouths of ſucking infants, do moſt rhetorically ſpeak forth the praiſes of God before they can ſpeak. As for that phraſe of ordaining ſtrength, Out of the mouth of babes and ſucklings thou haſt ordained (or founded) ſtrength, either the meaning is, that God had firmly determined and ordered it to be inviolably and unalterably ſo, that the glory and praiſe of Gods ſtrength ſhould be manifeſted out of the mouth of babes and ſucklings; and indeed, becauſe whatever diſcovers the ſtrength of God, tends to his glory and praiſe, therefore Gods glory and ſtrength are often joyned together in the Pſalms, as Pſal. 29.1. give unto the Lord glory and ſtrength, and ſo often elſewhere; and theſe very words are render'd by the Septuagint, as they are alſo cited by our Saviour, Matth. 21.16. Out of the mouth of babes and ſucklings thou haſt perfected praiſe: Or elſe, God is ſaid to have ordained ſtrength by the praiſe that redounds to God out of the mouths of young infants, in relation to thoſe following words, becauſe of thine enemies, that thou mightest ſtill the enemy and the avenger; namely, to imply that there is ſtrength enough in the mouths of poor feeble infants, to ſtop the mouths, or to confound all the proud Atheiſts in the world, that deny the power of Gods all-ruling providence: for theſe are they that are here called Gods enemies, to wit, becauſe their wiſedome, yea their whole lives are nothing elſe but a continuall enmity againſt God; and the avenger, either becauſe not believing the providence of God, they mind only the revenging of themſelves upon their enemies; or becauſe ſuch Atheiſticall wretches do hate God, and ſeek as it were to dethrone God, and being fighters againſt God, are uſually alſo bloudy perſecutours of his ſervants, and are ever thirſting to be revenged on them; for any deadly and much incenſed enemy is uſually called an avenger in the Scripture, as we may ſee Pſal. 44.16. This I take is the proper meaning of this place. Yet there is another Expoſition that hath much probability in it; to wit, that God doth uſually chuſe to glorifie himſelf by weak and ſimple and deſpiſed people, (whom he tearms here babes and ſucklings, as Chriſt alſo tearms them, Matth. 11.25. thou haſt hid theſe things from the wiſe and prudent, and haſt revealed them unto babes) rather then by the great learned and wiſe men of the world: and that the Lord doth this, that he might ſtill the enemy and the avenger; that is, that he might confound all the wicked enemies of God and his people; as when he cauſed the Goſpel to prevail in the world by ſuch ſimple and ſuch mean men: and when he reveals the wiſedome of God to ſuch rather then others, this is ſufficient to confound the great and wiſe men of the world, according to that of the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 1.27. God hath choſen the foolish things of the world to confound the wiſe, &c. And this, they ſay, David might alledge, to anſwer why he ſhould undertake to ſet forth the praiſe of God, which in the foregoing verſe he had implyed was inexpreſſible, to wit, becauſe God is wont to glorify himſelf by babes and ſucklings: Which makes ſome alſo incline to think, that David compoſed this Pſalm in his younger years, when he kept his fathers ſheep, and ſo admires that God ſhould imploy ſuch a babe as he was in ſetting forth his praiſe: and to make this the more probable, they obſerve that verſ. 3. he ſets forth the glory of the heavens, as they glitter in the night ſeaſon, (when he uſed to watch his flocks) making mention of the moon and ſtars, not of the Sun, and verſ. 7. ſpeaking how all the creatures are put under mans ſubjection, he reckons the ſheep firſt. But however, for our Saviours applying of theſe words, Matth. 21.16. to the Acclamation that was made to Chriſt, by children and others of the common ſort of people, that cryed Hoſanna to him as he rode into Jeruſalem; I conceive the drift thereof was to imply, that if Gods all-ruling Providence was magnified, as David ſaid, by the mouths of babes and ſucklings, it need not then ſeem ſtrange, that God ſhould by his Providence ſtir up thoſe children & deſpiſed people to give that Teſtimony to him, the promiſed Meſſiah, even to the confuſion of the Scribes & Phariſees, that were the enemies and perſecutours of Chriſt, his Goſpel and diſciples. Yet there are ſome, I know, that hold that David did prophetically in theſe words foretell, how by the acclamation and Teſtimony of ſuch deſpiſed ones Chriſts glory and kingdome ſhould be promoted; to which purpoſe they ſhew that in thoſe words, thou haſt ordained ſtrength, by ſtrength may be meant a ſtrong and firm kingdome, as elſewhere it is, namely Pſal. 86.16. give thy ſtrength unto thy ſervant; and again, Pſal. 110.2. The Lord shall ſend the rod of thy ſtrength out of Zion.
Verſ. 3. When I conſider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers; the moon and the ſtars, which thou haſt ordained.] That is, which received their being at thy command, and were by thy appointment diſpoſed of and ordered according to their ſeverall places and motions and influences. As for the firſt clauſe, by the work of thy fingers there is meant, I conceive, the work of thy hands, as the heavens are called Pſal. 102.25: yet the moſt Expoſitours encline to think, that by tearming the heavens the work of Gods fingers or his finger-work may be implyed, both with what facility, and with what curioſity God made the heavens; that which is made with the fingers requiring art rather then ſtrength, as we ſee in arras, tapeſtry, and all embroidered works, whereto the heavens are here compared.
Verſ. 4. What is man, that thou art mindfull of him? and the ſon of man, that thou viſiteſt him?] As if he had ſaid, Becauſe the heavens, the moon and ſtars are ſuch glorious creatures above that which is in man, or rather, becauſe by the glory of theſe heavenly bodies we may clearly ſee how infinitely glorious the Lord is that made them, and that hath taken them to be his dwelling-place, therefore when I conſider thy heavens, &c. then think I, What is man? that thou art mindfull of him? &c. that is, what is mortall man, duſt and aſhes, or, what are the poor ſinfull children of men, that thou ſhouldeſt ſo highly regard him, and be ſo tenderly carefull of him? And this is meant eſpecially of man, as conſidered in the ſtate of redemption through Chriſt, by whom God viſited man in great mercy, (according to that Luk. 1.98. Bleſſed be the Lord God of Iſrael, who hath viſited and redeemed his people) and recovered for him all thoſe priviledges of his firſt Creation, which he had loſt by the fall of Adam. And hence it is that the Apoſtle, Heb. 2.6. applyeth theſe words to Chriſt particularly, (though all the faithfull, as members of Chriſt, muſt needs be comprehended) becauſe it is by Chriſt that man recovers what the firſt Adam had loſt. Nor need we ſtumble at it that theſe words ſhould be applyed to Chriſt, wherein the Prophet doth ſo vilifie man; for indeed in regard of Chriſts humane nature he was as other men, and it was an act of wondrous free grace, that in him man ſhould be exalted to ſuch a high degree of honour. See the Notes Job 7.17. and 10.12.
Verſ. 5. For thou haſt made him a little lower then the angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honour.] This David ſpeaks as in relation to that glorious eſtate, wherein man was at firſt created; when in regard of his earthly body, and that in caſe of ſin ſubject to diſſolution, he was indeed made in a condition lower then the angels; and yet withall, becauſe his ſoul was of a ſpirituall ſubſtance, and endued with reaſon and underſtanding like unto the angels, and that he was made after Gods own image for wiſedome, holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, fitted for the hope of a bleſſed and eternall life, and that all things were made to be ſerviceable to him, and all earthly things were put under his Dominion, it might well be ſaid, that though he was created in a condition lower then the angels, yet it was but a little lower then the angels, and that he was crowned with glory and honour, as being made ſo like unto God, and all things put in ſubjection unto him as their Lord and King. Indeed man ſoon fell from this glorious condition; but yet David ſpeaks of it, as of the preſent bliſſe which through Gods goodneſſe man did enjoy, for thou haſt made him a little lower then the angels, &c. partly becauſe there are ſome remainders of this glorious condition ſtill left in man; but eſpecially becauſe in Chriſt man hath recovered that dignity, which our firſt parents loſt; and that not only in regard of the exaltation of mans nature in the perſon of Chriſt, but alſo in regard of the renovation of Gods image by Chriſt in all his members (which is begun here in all believers, who are made by him partakers of the divine nature, and at laſt perfected in the glory of heaven) and the right which they have in all things through Chriſt, who is the heir of the world, Rom. 4.13. And this is thought to be the reaſon why the Apoſtle doth particularly apply this to Chriſt. Yet ſome do rather hold, that the Apoſtle doth only there elegantly ſhew, how that which David ſpake of man in generall, might in another ſenſe be moſt fitly applyed to Chriſt: Thou madeſt him a little lower then the angels, or a little while inferiour to the angels; to wit, all the time of his humiliation, but eſpecially in the time of his agony and his dying upon the Croſſe; the bitterneſſe whereof that he might be enabled to undergoe, there appeared an angel unto him from heaven ſtrengthening him, Lu. 22.43: & then thou crownedſt him with glory & honour; which was, when he roſe again from the dead, aſcended into heaven, & ſat down there at the right hand of the Majeſty of God, far above all principality & power, &c. Eph. 1.21.
Verſ. 6. Thou haſt put all things under his feet.] This muſt be underſtood, as that which went before, partly with relation to that glorious condition wherein man was at firſt created, and partly with relation to what remainders thereof man ſtill enjoyeth, and partly to that which man hath recovered and doth enjoy in and by Chriſt. And withall it ſeems principally meant of thoſe ſublunary things, which are as it were wholly at mans diſpoſing: for though all the creatures, even the ſun, moon and ſtars, were made for mans uſe, and ſo he may be ſaid to be created Lord over all things; yet this phraſe of being put under his feet ſeems to imply a ſubjection of thoſe things, over which man hath power of life and death, and to doe with them for his uſe what he pleaſeth. But yet, becauſe Chriſt hath abſolute power over all the creatures, therefore the Apoſtle, applying theſe words to Chriſt, Heb. 2.8, takes them in their utmoſt extent, proving from thence the ſubjection even of the Angels to Chriſt, as alſo 1 Cor. 15.27. where he proves from thence that all his enemies, yea even death it ſelf, muſt be at laſt vanquiſhed by Chriſt.
Verſ. 7. All ſheep and oxen, yea and the beaſts of the field.] That is, wild beaſts that live abroad in the fields; which is added, becauſe this advanceth much the dominion of man, that they alſo ſhould be ſubject to him, and Gods goodneſſe to man in giving him ſo large a dominion. See alſo the Note verſ. 1.
Verſ. 8. The fish of the ſea, and whatſoever paſſeth through the paths of the ſeas.] To wit, thoſe ſea-monſters, and other creatures that live in the waters, that cannot ſo properly be called fiſh.
Verſ. 9. O Lord, our Lord, &c.] See the Note verſ. 1.