Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 78
PSALM LXXVIII.
Verſ. 1. GIve ear, O my people, to my law, &c.] That is, to my doctrine, which from God I ſhall deliver to you, and which muſt therefore be as a law to you for the ordering of your lives; ſee the Note Pſal. 1.2: and ſo the Apoſtle calls the Goſpel which he preached, his Goſpel, Rom. 2.16. As for thoſe words, O my people, if we look upon this Pſalm as compoſed by David, it is no wonder that he ſhould call the Iſraelites his people, he being their king: and if Aſaph, or any other holy man of God, compoſed it, he might tearm them his people, either as being his country-men, as Jeremy doth Jer. 9.2. or as being called of God to be their teacher. What may be probably thought concerning the time when this Pſalm was compoſed, ſee in the folloing Notes, verſ. 9.
Verſ. 2. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark ſayings of old.] By the opening of the mouth in Scripture is uſually meant a beginning to ſpeak; or elſe to ſpeak after ſome deliberation, ſincerely, and plainly, and freely. And ſome conceive that the relating and applying of ancient hiſtories is here called parables and dark ſayings, either becauſe (as the Apoſtle ſaith 1 Cor. 10.11.) all theſe things happened unto them for types, or becauſe there are many holy inſtructions covertly couched under theſe examples; or becauſe the providences that are here related in Gods continued goodneſſe to ſuch a ſtiff-necked people as Iſrael was, muſt needs be riddles to humane reaſon. But for this ſee the Notes Numb. 23.7. and Pſal. 49.4. In Matth. 13.35. we find this place alledged by the Evangeliſt, who ſaith, that Chriſt taught the people in parables, that it might be fulfilled which was ſpoken by the prophet, ſaying, I will open my mouth in parables, &c. But the drift of thoſe words was not to ſignify, that the Pſalmiſt did herein propheſy concerning the manner of Chriſts teaching; his meaning is only this, that in regard of Chriſts teaching by parables, that might be well ſaid of Chriſt, which the Pſalmiſt here ſpeaks of himſelf: only theſe words here, dark ſayings of old, the Evangeliſt renders, things which have been kept ſecret from the foundation of the world, becauſe Chriſt indeed taught myſteries, which from the creation till then had not been ſo diſtinctly revealed.
Verſ. 5. For he eſtablished a Teſtimony in Iacob, &c.] This may be meant of the law in generall, both ceremoniall and morall, together with the promiſes annexed, which they were bound to teach their children, Deut. 6.7. and was indeed a teſtimony of Gods delivering them out of Egypt, and the covenant which thereupon he made with them as his peculiar people, ſee the Note Exod. 25.16; and likewiſe more particularly of that particular charge, that they ſhould teach their children ſucceſſively the great works that God had done for them, Deut. 4.9.
Verſ. 8. And might not be as their fathers, &c.] To wit, As men are naturally prone to be; a generation that ſet not their heart aright, and whoſe ſpirit was not ſtedfaſt with God: that is, that ſet not their hearts ſincerely and conſtantly to truſt in God, and to doe that which was right in his eyes.
Verſ. 9. The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battel.] That is, being a warlike people, and well provided for arms, yet they fled before their enemies; which was an evident ſign that Gods hand was againſt them. Some underſtand this of that ſlaughter of the ſons of Ephraim 1 Chron. 7.21. whilſt they were yet in Egypt. But becauſe the Pſalmiſts intent is clearly, not to ſet forth the wickedneſſe of one tribe only, but of all the Iſraelites, therefore by Ephraim here, I conceive, is meant, either the people of Iſrael in generall, and that they are called Ephraim, becauſe that was the moſt numerous and potent of all the tribes of Iſrael; or the kingdome of the ten tribes, which is uſually in the prophets called Ephraim, both for the reaſon before given, & alſo becauſe the chief city of that kingdome was in that tribe, & Jeroboam, that was the chief promoter of that great apoſtacy from the houſe of David, was alſo of Ephraim. And accordingly if we underſtand it of any one particular overthrow, either it muſt be meant of that great ruine of the kingdome of the ten tribes by the Aſſyrians, 2 Kings 17.5, 6. (and then indeed they might the rather here be called Ephraim, becauſe that Idolatry which Jeroboam brought in, and which made them unworthy of the name of Iſrael, was a main cauſe of that deſtruction;) or elſe of that diſcomfiture of the Iſraelites by the Philiſtines, when the Ark was taken, 1 Sam. 4.10. And this indeed many learned Expoſitours do the rather think, 1. becauſe Shiloh, where this overthrow was given them, was in the tribe of Ephraim, and ſo probably the army of Iſrael might chiefly be gathered out of that tribe; and 2. becauſe it ſeems by the later part of the Pſalm, that the drift of the Pſalmiſt herein is to ſet forth how Shiloh was rejected, and Sion the city of David was choſen to be Gods dwelling-place in ſtead thereof: and ſo hence it is that firſt here he ſhews how God was offended with the Iſraelites for their ſins at that time, when the Ark was taken from Ephraim; and then, to aggravate their ſins, in that the great works that God had formerly wrought for their fathers, were no better remembred by them, and improved to make them carefull to pleaſe God, he makes a large recitall of thoſe wonders which God had done for them; and ſo in the cloſe of the Pſalm he returns again to ſhew, how God in his diſpleaſure removed the Ark from Ephraim, and in favour to David removed it to Sion in the tribe of Judah.
Verſ. 12. Marvellous things did he in the ſight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.] That is, in the countrey of Zoan, a chief city in Egypt; ſee Numb. 13.22, and Iſa. 30.2, 3, 4. the ſame that was alſo called Tanais.
Verſ. 14. In the day-time alſo he led them with a cloud.] See the Note Exod. 13.21. This figured Chriſts guiding his Church, till he hath brought them to their heavenly inheritance; and thence it is that Paul makes this cloud a repreſentation of Baptiſme, 1 Cor. 10.2. and they were all baptized unto Moſes in the cloud and in the ſea.
Verſ. 15. He clave the rocks in the wilderneſſe, &c.] The word rocks in the plurall number implyes, that this was done twice; ſee the Notes Exod. 17.6, and Numb. 20.11. As before he clave or divided the ſea, ſo now with as much eaſe he clave the rocks; and as before he made the waters to ſtand on heaps like rocks, ſo now he made the rocks to diſſolve as it were into water. And gave them drink as out of the great depth; that is, in great plenty; ſee the Notes Exod. 17.6.
Verſ. 17. And they ſinned yet more againſt him, &c.] To wit, even after God had wrought ſuch wonders for them: by provoking the moſt High in the wilderneſſe; to wit, when their late deliverance out of Egypt was yet freſh in memory, where they had many miraculous ſigns of Gods preſence amongſt them continually in their eye, and where their daily dangers and wants might well have made them afraid to provoke God.
Verſ. 18. And they tempted God in their heart, &c.] See the Note Exod. 17.2: by asking meat for their luſt; ſee the Note Numb. 11.4. for of that murmuring the Pſalmiſt ſeems to ſpeak here, their firſt crying for meat Exod. 16.3. being before the firſt fetching water out of a rock, which this was not, as is clear verſ. 20. Behold, he ſmote the rock, &c.
Verſ. 19. They ſaid, Can God furnish a table in the wilderneſſe?] That is, Can he provide us meat, yea variety and delicacies, as we had in Egypt?
Verſ. 20. Behold, he ſmote the rock, that the waters gushed out, &c.] It is not neceſſary we ſhould conceive that the Iſraelites ſpake theſe words; but that the Pſalmiſts drift is to imply, that their murmuring for fleſh was all one in effect, as if they had thus ſaid. And that which is here charged upon them may either be, that they queſtioned the will of God, Behold, he ſmote the rock, &c. can he give bread alſo? can he provide flesh for his people? as if they had ſaid, He that brought water out of the rock, might he not alſo, if he would, if he loved us and took care of us, give us bread and fleſh likewiſe to eat? or elſe that they queſtioned the power of God, Behold, he ſmote the rock, that the waters gushed out; as if they had ſaid, This is not ſo great a matter, ſince water doth naturally in many places flow out of rocks: but can he give bread alſo? that is, bread-corn (for at that time they had none but manna) or meat; as the following words expreſſe it, Can he provide fleſh for his people?
Verſ. 21. So a fire was kindled againſt Iacob, &c.] That is, the wrath of God, as it is explained in the next words, and anger alſo came up againſt Iſrael. But yet ſee the Note Numb. 11.1.
Verſ. 23. Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the gates of heaven.] To wit, to give them manna in great plenty, as out of his ſtore-houſes. And therefore having formerly done this for them, they had no cauſe to murmure for fleſh.
Verſ. 24. And had rained down manna upon them.] This expreſſion is uſed to imply in what plenty the manna was given, and becauſe it fell together with the dew.
Verſ. 25. Man did eat angels food.] So their manna was called, either 1. becauſe it was provided and ſent by the miniſtry of angels; or 2. becauſe it ſeemed to come down from heaven, the dwelling-place of the angels; or 3. to ſet forth the excellency of this bread, that it was meat as one would ſay fit for angels, if angels needed meat. And ſo indeed the exceeding glory of Stephens countenance is ſet forth by this, that they ſaw his face, as if it had been the face of an angel, Act. 6.15. and Paul calls an excellent tongue, the tongue of angels, 1 Cor. 13.1. See alſo the Note Numb. 16.35.
Verſ. 26. He cauſed an eaſt-wind to blow, &c.] See the Note Numb. 11.31.
Verſ. 28. And he let it fall in the midſt of their camp, &c.] That is, the fleſh mentioned in the foregoing verſe; to wit, the quails, which being fat and heavy fowls, and having their wings moiſtened with the South-eaſt wind, fell upon the earth, and ſo were gathered by the Iſraelites. See the Notes Numb. 11.31.
Verſ. 30. They were not eſtranged from their luſt, &c.] That is, Having the quails continued to them, they ſtill glutted themſelves therewith, though they had already eaten greedily on them; and then the wrath of God fell upon them. See the Note Numb. 11.33.
Verſ. 31. The wrath of God came upon them, and ſlew the fatteſt of them, &c.] See the Notes Job 15.27, and Pſal. 22.29, and Numb. 11.33.
Verſ. 32. For all this they ſinned ſtill, &c.] To wit, when they refuſed to enter the land of Canaan: and believed not for his wondrous works; that is, ſincerely and conſtantly, though now and then for the preſent they ſeemed to be ſtrongly convinced by the mighty works of God, Exod. 14.31.
Verſ. 33. Therefore their daies did he conſume in vanity, &c.] That is, ſay ſome, they were preſently conſumed, as ſome vain thing that is gone on a ſudden. But I rather think it is meant of that ſentence which God pronounced againſt them, that they ſhould all periſh in the wilderneſſe, that they ſpent their whole life in fruitleſſe labours, wandring up and down, and being ſtill travelling towards Canaan, but all in vain, in regard they never came to that land, in hope whereof they were brought out of Egypt. And their years in trouble; to wit, they lay ſtill under Gods diſpleaſure, and were ſtill afflicted with many and divers troubles all the time of their being in the wilderneſſe.
Verſ. 34. And they returned, and inquired early after God.] That is, They preſently ſeemed to repent and turn to God.
Verſ. 38. But he being full of compaſsion, forgave their iniquity.] In regard of thoſe that did but feignedly repent, there can be no more intended hereby, but that the Lord did upon their ſeeming repentance withdraw his plagues and judgements; yet withall we may be ſure that God was truly reconciled to thoſe amongſt them that did truly repent, and did indeed fully acquit them of all their tranſgreſſions.
Verſ. 39. For he remembred that they were but flesh, &c.] That is, 1. corrupt, naturally prone to ſin; and 2. weak and frail, unable to bear the full wrath of the Lord, if it ſhould be poured upon them, yea ſuch as were ſubject to many calamities, and ſure ere long to die of themſelves, and therefore a fitter object of pity, then of continuall diſpleaſure. And that this laſt is indeed chiefly intended, is the more probable, becauſe of the following clauſe, where he adds alſo, that they were a wind that paſseth away, & cometh not again; that is, ſuch as would be ſoon irrecoverably gone.
Verſ. 41. Yea, they turned back, &c.] That is, After ſome ſhews of repentance, when the hand of God was upon them, they ſoon turned back to their former evil waies: and tempted God; ſee the Notes Exod. 17.2. & Deut. 6.16: and limited the holy one of Iſrael; to wit, by preſcribing God what he muſt doe, or elſe they would not believe in him; or by conceiving of God after the manner of men, that this he could doe, & this he could not doe, & ſo robbing him of the glory of his omnipotency.
Verſ. 45. He ſent divers ſorts of flies among them, which devoured them, &c.] To wit, by their extreme annoyance, and the miſchief they many waies did them; ſee the Notes Exod. 8, 21: and frogs which deſtroyed them; to wit, in that they were alſo ſeverall waies very miſchievous to them, and when they lay dead in heaps, both air, earth and water were infected and corrupted therewith.
Verſ. 47. He destroyed their vines with hail, and their ſycamore trees with froſt.] Or, with great hail-ſtones. The meaning is, that the hail did not only beat off the leaves and fruit of their vines & other trees, or otherwiſe marre them, but that it did even kill the very roots of the trees, that they never grew more; ſee the Note Exod. 9.23.
Ver. 49. He caſt upon them the fierceneſs of his anger, wrath & indignation & trouble, &c.] That is, many ſupernaturall & dreadfull plagues, that came thick upon thē, & were clear evidences of Gods indignation againſt them: & that by ſending evil angels among them; that is, Angels by whoſe miniſtry theſe plagues were inflicted on them: & therefore there is no neceſſity that this ſhould be meant of devils: the good angels may be called evil, with reſpect to the ſore evils they inflicted then upon the Egyptians. I know that ſome Expoſitours hold that the Egyptian plagues were inflicted by devils; & they ground their opinion wholly upon this paſſage of the Pſalmiſt. But becauſe (as St. Auguſtine argues well) the devils ſided with the Egyptian ſorcerers againſt Moſes & Aaron, in working their magick miracles, it is no way probable that they were imploied on the other ſide too in plaguing the Egyptians. And therefore either it was by the miniſtry of the holy angels, that all theſe evils were brought upon Egypt; or elſe we muſt ſay that it is the judgements themſelves, or the inferiour creatures by whom theſe judgements were inflicted, that are here called figuratively, becauſe they were ſent of God, evil angels.
Verſ. 50. He made a way to his anger, &c.] To wit, 1. by giving way to bring greater judgements upon them then hitherto he had done, even to the taking away of the life both of man & beaſt, from wch hitherto his compaſſion had reſtrained him, & providing that nothing ſhould hinder the juſt execution of his wrath herein; & thus I conceive the following words do explain this firſt clauſe, ſhewing how he gave way in his anger to the ſlaying of the firſt-born in Egypt: he ſpared not their ſoul from death, but gave their life over to the peſtilence. Yet this laſt clauſe may be read, as in the margin of our Bibles, but gave over their beaſts to the murrain; which muſt then be underſtood of that plague Exod. 9.3. for which ſee the Notes there.
Verſ. 51. And ſmote all the firſt-born in Egypt, the chief of their ſtrength, &c.] See the Note Gen. 49.3: in the tabernacles of Ham; that is, of the Egyptians, for Egypt is in the Hebrew called Mizraim, of Mizraim the ſon of Ham, Gen. 10.6. who firſt peopled that country.
Verſ. 52. But made his own people to go forth like sheep, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 77.20.
Verſ. 53. And he led them on ſafely, ſo that they feared not.] That is, they had no cauſe to fear, the Lord going along with them as their guardian. Or the meaning may be, that though through weakneſs & infidelity they were ſometimes afraid, as we ſee Exod. 14.10: yet by the mighty works of God they were ſtill at laſt heartned & encouraged again.
Verſ. 54. And he brought them to the border of his Sanctuary, &c,] That is, to the land where he had determined to dwell amongſt them in his Sanctuary: even to this mountain which his right hand had purchaſed; to wit, mount Sion, or the land of Canaan, a land of mountains and valleys, Deut. 11.11. See the Note Exod. 15.17.
Verſ. 56. Yet they tempted, &c.] To wit, by ſinning againſt God; ſee the Note Deut. 6.16: and provoked the moſt High God, and kept not his teſtimonies; to wit, in that they kept not Gods command for deſtroying the Canaanites; ſee the Note Pſal. 19.7.
Verſ. 57. They were turned aſide like a deceitfull bow.] That is, like a bow that ſhoots awry, & not whether the archer that uſeth it aims to ſhoot; to wit, becauſe whereas they- ought to have been guided by God, after all their fair profeſſions & promiſes of being faithfull to God & their pious judges, ſuch as thoſe to Joſhua, Joſh. 1.16, 17. All that thou commandeſt us we will doe, &c. they perfidiouſly fell off, & went awry, & did not order their waies as God expected & required; and particularly whilſt they pretended to worſhip only the true God, they ſuddenly turned aſide to the worſhip of idols.
Verſ. 60. So that he forſook the tabernacle of Shiloh, &c.] To wit, In that the Ark, the ſign of his preſence, was carried thence into captivity by the Philiſtines, 1 Sam. 4.11. and the Tabernacle alſo was thence removed, ſee the Note 1 Chron. 21.1. and neither of them were ever brought back thither again: the tent which he placed among men; It is not among the Iſraelites, but among men, to imply Gods abaſing himſelf to dwell amongſt ſuch baſe and wretched creatures as men are.
Verſ. 61. And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemies hand.] That is, the Ark; ſee the Notes 1 Chron. 16.11. 2 Chron. 6.41, and 1 Sam. 4.21, 22. Yet ſome underſtand it of Gods giving up the ſtrongeſt and chiefeſt of the people to be ſlaves to the Philiſtines.
Verſ. 63. The fire conſumed their young men, &c.] That is, The force or heat of the battel, or the fire of Gods wrath, mentioned in the foregoing verſe, did ſuddenly make an end of them: and their maidens were not given to marriage; to wit, by reaſon there was ſuch a ſcarcity of young men after that battel; or becauſe thoſe that were betrothed to them were ſlain. It is in the originall, their maidens were not praiſed: but the meaning is, that they were not praiſed with Epithalamiums or marriage-ſongs, as Brides at their weddings uſed to be.
Verſ. 64. Their prieſts fell by the ſword, and their widows made no lamentation.] The meaning is, either 1. that being overwhelmed with ſorrow they could not weep; or 2. that being in captivity amongſt the Philiſtines they were not ſuffered to lament the death of their husbands; or 3. that dying with grief they lived not to make any lamentations for them at their funerals; or 4. that they were ſo taken up and oppreſſed with their own miſeries, and eſpecially with the miſeries of the Church and people of God in generall, that they had not leaſure to bewail their husbands: of both which laſt we have a clear inſtance in the wife of Phinehas in particular, 1 Sam. 4.19, 20. who dying made no mention of her husband.
Verſ. 65. Then the Lord awaked as one out of ſleep, &c.] To wit, as one fallen faſt aſleep after much wine drunk, as the following words do imply, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reaſon of wine. However the drift of this expreſſion is to imply, that as one that was looked upon to be in a dead ſleep, he did the more unexpectedly fall upon them, and as one that had forborn them a while, he did with the more fury and ſeverity break forth upon them.
Verſ. 66. And he ſmote his enemies in the hinder parts; he put them to a perpetuall reproach.] This is meant of the Lords ſmiting the Philiſtines with emerods, ſee the Note 1 Sam. 5.6. the ſhame whereof was made perpetuall by thoſe golden images of their emerods, which they ſent to the Iſraelites, ſee the Note 1 Sam. 6.4. Yet ſome do alſo include herein the ſhame that was done them in the Lords caſting down their Idol Dagon, and breaking it in pieces upon the threſhold; the memory of which reproach became the more perpetuall by that ſuperſtitious practiſe, which upon that occaſion they took up, of never treading after that upon the threſhold: ſee the Note 1 Sam. 5.5.
Verſ. 67. Moreover he refuſed the Tabernacle of Ioſeph, and choſe not the tribe of Ephraim.] To wit, 1. in that he would not let the Ark be any longer there (for that this is chiefly meant here is evident by that which is added verſ. 69. concerning the building of the Temple) ſee the foregoing Notes verſ. 9. and 60; and 2. that the ſupreme magiſtracy was not continued in that tribe, though it began there, when Joſhua, who was of that tribe, was made their Ruler.
Verſ. 68. But choſe the tribe of Iudah, &c.] To wit, that the place of Gods worſhip and the ſupreme magiſtracy ſhould be ſettled in that tribe: the mount Sion which he loved; that is, which he choſe, not for any other cauſe, but of his own free grace, becauſe he was pleaſed to ſet his love upon it.
Verſ. 69. And he built his Sanctuary like high palaces; like the earth which he hath eſtablished for ever.] That is, that it might be the ſettled place of his worſhip, even unto the coming of the Meſſiah; who ſhould then eſtabliſh it in the Church, the true Sion, unto the end of the world.
Verſ. 71. He brought him to feed Iacob his people, &c.] To wit, David; ſee the Note 2 Sam. 5.2: and Iſrael his inheritance; ſee the Note Deut. 4.20.
Verſ. 72. So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart, &c.] To wit, as ſincerely ſeeking the peoples good: and guided them by the skilfulneſſe of his hands; to wit, in that he did all things in the adminiſtration of his kingdome, as became a wiſe and skilfull governour. Yet in this expreſſion there ſeems to be an alluſion to the hook which ſhepheards uſed to carry in their hands, therewith to order their ſheep.