Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 73
PSALM LXXIII.
Verſ. 1. TRuly (or yet) God is good to Iſrael, even to ſuch as are of a clean heart.] That is, that are upright-hearted amongſt the people of God. Yet ſome would have the meaning of theſe words to be this, that they whoſe hearts are clear from paſſion do know God to be good, though others being under temptation and diſturbed with paſſion cannot often be ſo perſwaded. With the like abrupt expreſſion the 62. Pſalm begins; concerning which ſee the Note there.
Verſ. 2. But as for me, &c.] As if he had ſaid, Though this be ſo, and I knew it well enough, as having had frequent experience of Gods manifold goodneſs, both to my ſelf & other his faithfull ſervants, and though I have alwaies endeavoured in all things to approve my ſelf to God: yet my feet were almoſt gone; that is, I was almoſt tranſported beyond the bounds of piety, even to the accuſing of God in words, at leaſt in thought, of injuſtice and unfaithfulneſſe; or, I had almoſt fallen from this perſwaſion of heart concerning the goodneſſe of God to the righteous, and from believing the truth of Gods promiſes, yea almoſt from the uprightneſſe of my waies, yielding to doe as thoſe wicked men did, whom the Lord thus proſpered. And obſervable it is, that all ſinfull ſlips were ſo grievous to David, that he laments here even that his ſteps had wel-nigh ſlipped.
Verſ. 4. For there are no bands in their death, &c.] This may be underſtood either 1. of the ſodainneſſe of their death, to wit, that they drop, as it were, on a ſodain into the grave, without any foregoing ſickneſſe or pain; which then is more fully ſet forth in the following clauſe, but their ſtrength is firm, not waſted by any foregoing ſickneſſe, ſee the Note Job 21.13: or 2. of the gentleneſſe and eaſineſſe of their death, that they do not die a hard and bitter death, either by reaſon of inward gripes and pinches of conſcience, and terrours of mind, or of bodily pangs and ſtrugglings with death, their ſouls being bound within them as with bands, which death hath much adoe to untie or break, ſo that they cannot depart, or at leaſt are long held back, as with bands, from dying; (but how this can agree with that following clauſe, but their ſtrength is firm, I cannot well ſee:) or 3. of their dying a naturall death, to wit, that they are never brought to die as malefactours, being bound with bands, cords or chains; and that becauſe the laws can take no hold of them: whatever wickedneſſe they commit, by reaſon of their riches and greatneſſe, they are ſure to eſcape: or 4. of their dying in a good old age; namely, that they are not violently dragged to an untimely death by any ſickneſſe or diſmall caſualty, but having ſweetly paſſed over the whole natural courſe of their lives, they quietly give up the ghoſt. And their ſtrength is firm; that is, proportionably to their years, all their life long they are ſtrong and healthfull, till at laſt, being ſpent by mere old age, their life is expired, and they goe down into the grave.
Verſ. 6. Therefore pride compaſſeth them about as a chain, &c.] That is, Becauſe of this their proſperous condition, they carry themſelves proudly in every regard, in their countenance, ſpeech, geſture, &c. as ſome men will do when they have gotten a chain of gold, they grow highly conceited of themſelves, being ready ſtill to boaſt of and advance themſelves, and to deſpiſe others; or they pleaſe themſelves and glory in their pride, as eſteeming it an ornament to them: violence covereth them as a garment; as if he ſhould have ſaid, And by reaſon of this their pride, they become bold, cruell and violent oppreſſors of others; for this expreſſion of violence covering them as a garment, is to imply, that they do not only conceive it in their minds, but alſo expreſſe it outwardly in their deeds, yea and glory in it, as men do in ſome gorgeous attire, ſeeking to outſtrip one another herein, as they ſeek to outſtrip one another in bravery, and perhaps wearing the trophies of their oppreſſions in a way of boaſting. And to this ſome adde alſo, that oppreſſion is as conſtantly their practice, as it is for men every day to put on their garments; and that hereby they ſeek to defend themſelves, as men ſhelter themſelves from the cold by their raiment. But however the main drift in alledging this is, to ſet forth how ſtrange it might ſeem, that when men did thus abuſe the bounty and goodneſſe of God, he ſhould notwithſtanding ſuffer and proſper them ſtill.
Verſ. 7. Their eyes ſtand out with fatneſſe, &c.] Becauſe the fatneſſe of the face makes the eyes to be hidden rather then to ſtand out, ſome would have this clauſe rendered thus, Their eyes goe out with fatneſſe, meaning, that they had ſcarce any eyes to be ſeen: but now others ſay that fatneſſe doth often cauſe the eyes of men to ſwell and ſtare out of their heads. However many learned men take it to be only a figurative expreſſion of the ſwelling of their minds, manifeſted in their outward habit and geſture: as if he had ſaid, Their minds ſwell out with their proſperous eſtate, as mens eyes ſtand out with extreme fatneſſe of body; and ſee alſo the Note Job 15.27. They have more then heart could wish; that is, more wealth. But yet it may be underſtood more generally, to wit, that all things proſper with them, even in a manner above what themſelves or any other man could have expected or deſired.
Verſ. 8. They are corrupt, &c.] That is, ſtark rotten and naught, or, diſſolute and licentious, letting the reins looſe to all manner of wickedneſſe: and ſpeak wickedly concerning oppreſsion; where that word wickedly is added, either 1. only becauſe oppreſſion is a great wickedneſſe; or 2. to imply that herein lay their great wickedneſſe, that they were ſo farre from hiding their oppreſſion, that they were not aſhamed openly to boaſt of it and glory in it; or 3. becauſe their ſpeech herein was ſo exceedingly preſumptuous and bold, as if they were above all order and law, and might doe with any man what they pleaſed themſelves: they ſpeak loftily; to wit, as looking down with contempt upon others.
Verſ. 9. They ſet their mouth againſt the heavens, &c.] To wit, in that they blaſpheme God and his Saints; or in that they ſpeak proudly, contemptuouſly and wickedly of all divine things: and their tongue walketh through the earth; that is, they ſpeak evil of all men, as any occaſion is given, not ſparing any; and in doing this their tongues ſcarce ever lye ſtill. But the ſenſe of the whole verſe may be this, that they talk and bragge, as if neither God nor man could hinder them in any thing they have a mind to doe.
Verſ. 10. Therefore his people return hither, &c.] That is, The people of God, who is implyed in the foregoing verſe in thoſe words, They ſet their mouth againſt the heavens; as if he had ſaid, Becauſe the wicked do thus proſper, therefore the godly themſelves, Gods own dear people, do often fall into theſe thoughts and temptations, wherewith I was aſſaulted, and are wel-nigh overcome by them, ready to fall from their ſtedfaſtneſſe, and to betake themſelves to tread in the ſteps of ſuch wicked men; or, they do often fall into theſe thoughts, expreſſed in the following verſe, How doth God know, &c. And waters of a full cup are wrung out to them; that is, God doth wring out to them a cup full of the waters of affliction, or ſorrow, or tears, according to that Pſal. 80.5. Thou feedeſt them with the bread of tears, and giveſt them tears to drink in great meaſure: and theſe are ſaid to be wrung out, by alluſion to the cuſtome of wringing or ſqueezing the druggs which make a potion bitter or diſtaſtfull, that it may thereby be made the more exceeding bitter. So that this clauſe is here added, either to ſhew the effect of theſe thoughts and temptations, returning again and again upon them, namely that their ſouls are thereby even overwhelmed and filled with bitter ſorrows; or elſe to ſhew the time when the godly are aſſaulted with this temptation, namely, when themſelves were made to drink deep of the cup of affliction; or, which is much the ſame, to ſhew the cauſe why they ſtumble ſo at the proſperous eſtate of wicked men, namely, becauſe they themſelves are in the mean time in a moſt afflicted ſad condition; but ſee the Note Pſal. 11.6. I know that ſome Expoſitours do underſtand this not of the godly, but of carnall men amongſt Gods people; Therefore his people return hither, that is, multitudes, even of thoſe that profeſſe themſelves the people of God, do turn to theſe men, that thus proſper in the world, and ſide with them, and applaud them, and doe as they doe: and then the meaning of the ſecond clauſe, and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them, they will have to be, that hereupon they have their ſhare in the plenty of theſe wicked great ones. But the firſt expoſition is far the beſt.
Verſ. 11. And they ſay, &c.] Some conceive that here the Pſalmiſt returns to ſet forth the impious language of thoſe profane wretches, of whom he had ſpoken before verſ. 9. But rather they are the words of the people of God, whereinto they were ready to break forth, when they ſtumbled at the proſperity of this ungodly crue, as is expreſſed in the foregoing Note. And they ſay, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? ſee the Notes alſo Job 22.12, 13, 14.
Verſ. 12. Behold, theſe are the ungodly, who proſper in the world, &c.] This may be alſo taken as a continuance of the foregoing ſpeech of Gods people, ſtumbling at the proſperity of the wicked; and the like may be ſaid of the two following verſes. But rather it is the Pſalmiſt that doth here again ſet forth how himſelf was aſſaulted with this temptation; and then doth afterwards ſhew in the remainder of the Pſalm how he got the maſtery of it.
Verſ. 13. Verily I have cleanſed my heart in vain, &c.] That is, I have in vain laboured through thine aſſiſtance to cleanſe it; for otherwiſe who can ſay, I have made my heart clean? Prov. 20.9. ſee 1 Joh. 3.3. and 5.18: and washed my hands in innocency; ſee the Note Pſal. 26.6.
Verſ. 14. For all the day long have I been plagued, &c.] That is, continually; and chaſtened every morning, that is, without delay, or day after day; as ſure as the morning riſeth every day, ſome diſtreſſe or other is ſure to befall me. But ſee the Note Job 7.18.
Verſ. 15. If I ſay, I will ſpeak thus, behold, I should offend againſt the generation of thy children.] Having ſaid verſ. 12. Behold, theſe are the ungodly who proſper in the world, &c. here he inſerts another behold, as in oppoſition to that; Nay, ſaith he, If I ſay I will ſpeak thus, behold, I should offend againſt the generation of thy children: to wit, either becauſe they have alwaies acknowledged this truth, that God doth often proſper the wicked, and ſorely afflict his own dear children; or becauſe ſeeing it hath alwaies been the portion of Gods children to be often in an afflicted condition, if I ſhould ſay that they only are happy that are in a proſperous condition for outward things, I ſhould deny them in effect to have been thy children, and ſhould charge them with folly in flattering themſelves with vain hopes of thy love and favour, and in binding themſelves to ſuch ſtrict rules of righteouſneſſe, when it was not like to be any advantage to them.
Verſ. 16. When I thought to know this, &c.] That is, when I purpoſed and endeavoured to ſearch it out by mine own reaſon, how it could ſtand with Gods juſtice and holineſſe in his government of the world, that the righteous ſhould be ſo greatly diſtreſſed, & the worſt of the wicked ſhould ſo exceedingly flouriſh; it was too painfull for me, that is, I did afflict & weary my ſelf to find it out, & all in vain.
Verſ. 17. Vntill I went into the Sanctuary of God.] That is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, untill in my meditations I aſcended into Gods holy dwelling place in heaven, and conſidered that there he had prepared a place of eternall reſt and bliſſe for his righteous ſervants, from whence the wicked ſhould be ſurely excluded. But I rather underſtand it thus, Untill I ſearched Gods holy Word, reſolving to judge herein according to what he had revealed there; or, Untill I went into Gods holy Tabernacle, and by prayer deſired the Lord to inform me herein, and was there inſtructed by the teaching of his word in the aſſemblies of his people, or by divine oracles there given by his prieſts.
Verſ. 18. Surely thou didſt ſet them in ſlippery places, &c.] To wit, either becauſe in proſperity men are prone to fall into all kind of wickedneſſe & profaneneſſe; or rather, becauſe wicked men ſeldome continue long in their proſperous eſtate, but are ſuddenly brought down and are utterly ruined; and ſeem therefore here to be compared to men ſtanding aloft on ſome ſlippery pinacle, from whence falling they muſt needs be daſhed in pieces, as the following words imply, thou caſtedſt them down into deſtruction.
Verſ. 19. They are utterly conſumed with terrours.] To wit, wherewith they are ſtricken, either by God immediately, ſee the Note Pſal. 53.5; or by the ſtrange, ſudden and unexpected judgements of God upon them; or by the laſhes of their own guilty and accuſing conſciences.
Verſ. 20. As a dream when one awaketh, &c.] That is, ſo are they, or, ſo vaniſheth their proſperity; ſee the Note Job 20.8. Or rather we may underſtand it thus, with relation to the following clauſe, As men awakened from a dream deſpiſe their moſt pleaſing dreams, as knowing them to have been mere fancies, ſee Iſa. 29.7, 8; ſo, O Lord, when thou awakeſt, that is, when thou riſeſt up as one awakened from ſleep, to execute judgement on theſe men, thou shalt deſpiſe their image, that is, by deſtroying them thou ſhalt make it manifeſt both to themſelves and others, that they were but as a viſion of a dream; and that the high conceits they had of their bliſſe, were but only the imaginations of men that were lulled aſleep with the pleaſures of this life, and not awakened to judge rightly of things: ſee the Note alſo Pſal. 39.6.
Verſ. 21. Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.] That is, inwardly afflicted; ſee the Notes Job 16.13, and 19.27. and Pſal. 7.9, and 16.7. Some underſtand it of his grief, becauſe he had been ſo fooliſh and brutiſh, as to ſtumble at the diſpenſations of God before ſpoken of. But it is rather meant of his former vexing and fretting, when he envied the proſperity of the wicked.
Verſ. 22. So foolish was I and ignorant: I was as a beaſt before thee.] That is, in thy judgement, or in compariſon of thee; or, when I come to judge by mine own reaſon of thy waies and works, how wiſe ſoever I may ſeem to be in humane affairs, yet in this I am no more able to comprehend thy wiſedome, then a beaſt is to comprehend the waies of men. And all this he ſaith, becauſe in this temptation he had only minded preſent things.
Verſ. 23. Nevertheleſſe, I am continually with thee, &c.] Some underſtand this of the Pſalmiſts conſtant cleaving to God, his ſerving him and truſting on him, even when he was aſſaulted with ſtrong temptations to the contrary. But I rather underſtand it of Gods fatherly care over him; I am continually with thee; that is, in my greateſt diſtreſſe thou doſt not caſt me off, yea notwithſtanding thoſe fooliſh and brutiſh thoughts which I ſometimes give way to: thou haſt holden me by my right hand; to wit, that I might not be overborn by this or any ſuch like temptations, ſee alſo the Note Pſal. 16.8.
Verſ. 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counſell, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 21.3: and afterward receive me to glory, that is, thou wilt exalt me to a proſperous condition here, (for this is alſo included) and wilt afterwards receive me into thy heavenly glory.
Verſ. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I deſire beſides thee.] That is, I have no other God in heaven, to truſt on or call upon; nor is there any creature upon earth, on whom I ſet my heart: thou art my only hope and confidence, my joy and comfort and love and delight, thou art all in all to me.
Verſ. 26. My flesh and my heart faileth, &c.] That is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, with earneſt longing after God; and indeed ſo the ſame expreſſion is uſed Pſal. 84.3. But I rather underſtand it thus, My flesh and my heart faileth, that is, Being left to my ſelf, I may be, and am often in great ſtreights and danger, brought ſo low, that my ſtrength and heart may be in a manner overwhelmed with trouble and ſorrow, and in the judgement of men I may ſeem paſt all hope of recovery. But God is the ſtrength of my heart, in the Hebrew the rock of my heart, ſee the Note Deut. 32.4: my ſupporter and comforter; ſee the Notes Pſal. 27.1. and 43.2: and my portion for ever; ſee the Note Pſal. 16.5.
Verſ. 27. They that are far from thee shall perish, &c.] Theſe words far from thee imply an abſolute forſaking God, to cleave to the creatures. The beſt of Gods ſervants may ſometimes grow ſtrange to God, and may turn away from God by doubting of his providence, and by ſtepping awry into ſome ſinfull waies: but then they recover themſelves again. But now when men do wholly withdraw themſelves from their obedience to God, to walk after their own luſts, & do truſt in and love any creature more then God, theſe may be ſaid truly to be far from God, and to goe a whoring from God, and therefore are ſure to periſh; as it follows in the next clauſe, thou hast deſtroyed all them that goe a whoring from thee.
Verſ. 28. But it is good for me to draw near to God, &c.] As if he had ſaid, Be the proſperity of the wicked never ſo great, let others doe what they will, I ſee it is beſt to cleave only to God, and to reſt wholly upon him. I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works; to wit, becauſe God never fails to give them that truſt in him abundant cauſe of praiſing him.