Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 71
PSALM LXXI.
Verſ. 1. IN thee, O Lord, do I put my truſt, &c.] Many paſſages in this Pſalm make it moſt probable, that this Pſalm was compoſed by David in his old age, when his ſon Abſalom was riſen up againſt him, ſee verſ. 9, and 18. But for the two firſt verſes, ſee the Notes Pſal. 31.1, 2.
Verſ. 7. I am as a wonder unto many, &c.] That is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, either 1. becauſe thou haſt ſo wondrouſly advanced me, raiſing me from keeping ſheep, to ſit on the throne of Iſrael, and haſt alwaies hitherto ſo miraculouſly preſerved me; or 2. becauſe I walk ſo ſtrictly, and becauſe my waies ſeem ſo ſtrange to them, in that I reſtrain my ſelf from that liberty and from thoſe pleaſures to which others give up themſelves, and can ſo willingly expoſe my ſelf to ſo great troubles for conſcience ſake, and then bear them too with patience and chearfulneſſe, according to that which Peter ſaith to the faithfull in thoſe times 1 Pet. 4.4· they think it ſtrange that you run not with them to the ſame exceſſe of riot; or 3. becauſe thou haſt now forſaken me, who have alwaies ſerved thee ſo conſtantly, and truſted in thee with ſo much confidence. But I rather conceive the meaning is, that becauſe of his uncouth waies, and becauſe of the grievous afflictions which God had brought upon him, raiſing up his own ſon againſt him, that ſought to bereave him both of his life and kingdome, they gazed and pointed at him in a way of wonder, as ſome fool or mad-man; yea they withdrew themſelves and fled away from him, as ſome deteſtable monſter, one that was the ſhame of mankind, not worthy to live amongſt men, and by whom it was pity the earth ſhould be any longer defiled: in oppoſition to which therefore he adds, But, let them judge as they will of me, thou art my ſtrong refuge. And indeed we find the like expreſſions uſed elſewhere much to the ſame purpoſe, as Iſa. 8.18. and Zach. 3.8. and 1 Cor. 4.9.
Verſ. 8. Let my mouth be filled with thy praiſe.] That is, Let me have cauſe to praiſe thee, and enable me to praiſe thee freely, abundantly and continually, that I may have nothing elſe in a manner in my mouth, but thine honour and praiſe; ſee the Note Job 8.21.
Verſ. 12. O my God, make haſte for my help.] As if he had ſaid, And hereby diſprove what mine enemies boaſt of, to wit, that thou haſt forſaken me: and his own confidence that they were herein deceived, he implyes in thoſe words, O my God.
Verſ. 14. But I will hope continually, &c.] This hath reference to that foregoing deſire verſ. 12. that God would make haſt to help him; and is as if he had ſaid, that however, though God ſhould deferre to help him, yet he would ſtill wait in hope upon God.
Verſ. 15. My mouth shall shew forth thy righteouſneſſe, and thy ſalvation all the day, &c.] That is, thy faithfulneſſe and juſtice, manifeſted in ſaving and delivering thy righteous ſervants; ſee the Note Pſal. 51.8: for I know not the numbers thereof; that is, for thy mercies and deliverances are innumerable, ſo that I ſhall never want matter of praiſing thee, nor can ever ſufficiently extoll thy name. Others, I know, give an expoſition of theſe words that is ſomewhat different from this; my mouth shall shew forth thy righteouſneſſe, that is, I will, the beſt I can, generally declare thy juſtice in puniſhing the ungodly, and thy ſalvation, to wit, in the preſervation and deliverances of thy righteous ſervants; for I know not the numbers thereof, that is, I muſt needs confeſſe, that both thy judgements on the wicked, and thy mercies to the righteous, are more then I can reckon. But the firſt expoſition is the beſt.
Verſ. 16. I will goe in the ſtrength of the Lord God, &c.] That is, I will walk dayly in the confidence of Gods ſtrength, and not of mine own; whatever I undertake and whereever I goe, I ſhall goe on in aſſurance of aſſiſtance and protection from the almighty God; however weak I am in my ſelf, and however violent mine enemies be againſt me, and though I meet with never ſo many and great troubles and hinderances and diſcouragements in my way, yet I ſhall goe on with chearfulneſſe, courage and confidence, not falling back, or turning aſide to the right hand or the left, for any evils I may meet with in my courſe: I will make mention of thy righteouſneſſe, even of thine only; that is, I will not mind any other helps or ſupports, but will rely upon thy faithfulneſſe ſolely and wholly. I know ſome do reſtrain the firſt clauſe either to his praiſing God (for having ſaid in the former verſe, that his mouth ſhould ſhew forth Gods righteouſneſſe, &c. here he addes, ſay they, that he would enter upon this work in Gods ſtrength) or elſe to his going out to warre againſt his enemies, or his perſevering to withſtand them in the maintenance of his juſt cauſe in the confidence of Gods aid. But I conceive it is beſt to underſtand it more generally, of his reſting upon Gods power and help in all things whatſoever.
Verſ. 17. O God, thou hast taught me from my youth.] That is, ſay ſome, by the holy inſtructions of my parents and teachers, and withall by thine own ſpirit: or rather, thou haſt taught me experimentally even from my youth by many wonderfull deliverances, how good and faithfull thou art, how tenderly carefull thou art over me, and what a ſtrong and ſure refuge thou art to all that fly unto thee: and thus I have been trained up from my childhood, to truſt in thee, and to fly to thee in all my troubles.
Verſ. 18. Forſake me not untill I have shewed thy ſtrength to this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.] That is, to ſucceeding generations; to wit, either by recording it in the Pſalms, ſee the Note Pſal. 45.17; or by relating it to them who ſhould report it to thoſe of another generation, and ſo it ſhould be ſucceſſively made known in all ages.
Verſ. 19. Thy righteouſneſſe alſo, O God, is very high.] See the Notes Pſal. 36.5, 6.
Verſ. 20. Thou, which haſt shewed me great and ſore troubles, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 4.6: shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth; that is, from thoſe deſperate dangers, wherein I ſeemed to be as a man that was dead and buried. See the Note Pſal. 42.7.