Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 87
PSALM LXXXVII.
Verſ. 1. HIs foundation is in the holy mountains.] It ſeems probable by the manner of the Pſalmiſts expreſſing himſelf here, that having been long meditating with himſelf of the happineſſe of Zion, in that it was the city of God, hereupon he breaks forth abruptly thus, His foundation is in the holy mountains; that is, The foundation of the temple or city Jeruſalem, which he hath choſen and built for his own ſettled dwelling-place, he hath laid in the holy mountains: whereby may be meant, either particularly the hills of Sion and Moriah, whereon the Temple and city of David were built; or generally the mountains in and about Jeruſalem, according to that Pſal. 125.2. the mountains are round about Ieruſalem: which he calls holy mountains, becauſe they were ſanctified & ſet apart to be the lace of Gods ſpirituall preſence & worſhip. And doubtleſſe this which is here ſaid of the ſituation of Zion in the mountains, is to imply the ſtrength & ſtability thereof. It is the judgement of divers learned Expoſitours, that this Pſalm was compoſed for the encouragement of Gods people, when after their return out of Babylon they had been many years oppoſed & hinder'd in rebuilding the city & temple, & were at laſt ſtirred up by the prophets Haggai & Zachary again to ſet upon the work: Though they were poor and but few in number, & had many mighty adverſaries, and though the foundation that was laid for the Temple gave not the leaſt hopes that ever it would equall the glory of the former Temple, Ezr. 3.12; yet the Pſalmiſt wills them to conſider, that it was God that had laid the foundation, both of the Temple and city, as the prophet Iſaiah ſaith alſo Iſa. 14.32. the Lord hath founded Zion, and that too in the place which himſelf had choſen for his holy habitation, and for the habitation of his people; and therefore they need not fear but he would proſper their work, and that he would ſtrengthen and eſtabliſh it for ever. But however it is evident in the Pſalm, that the chief drift of it is to ſet forth the ſtrength and glory of the Church of Chriſt, that ſpirituall Sion: and this therefore is here principally intended, that this holy Jeruſalem, which God built and not man, had her foundation in the holy mountain, not only becauſe it muſt needs be invincibly ſtrong, as being founded upon Chriſt, ſo that the gates of hell shall not prevail againſt it Matth. 16.18; but alſo becauſe it was out of Zion that the Goſpel and Church of Chriſt did firſt come forth, & ſpread it ſelf over all the world.
Verſ. 2. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion, more then all the dwellings of Iacob.] That is, ſay ſome Expoſitours, more then all the ſynagogues in the land or more then all the places wherein God had formerly dwelt in tabernacles among his people. But I rather take it thus, that God loved Sion more then all the towns and cities, which God had given the ſeed of Jacob in the land of Canaan for their habitation, and that becauſe he had choſen that for his ſettled dwelling-place.
Verſ. 3. Glorious things are ſpoken of thee, O city of God.] As if the prophet had ſaid, (ſpeaking in reference to the ſad eſtate of Gods people and the city Jeruſalem, after their return from the Babylonian captivity,) O thou city of God, Though thou art now in a poor and low and deſpiſed condition, and there may ſeem to be little or no hope for the preſent that ever it will be better with thee; yet certainly in the writings of the prophets, and by the prophets too that are now living, glorious things are ſpoken, that is, foretold concerning thee, that ſhall in time to come befall thee. Yet ſome, I know, do underſtand it thus, glorious things are ſpoken of thee, that is, are every where reported of thee.
Verſ. 4. I will make mention of Rahab, &c.] That is, of Egypt; for Egypt is uſually called Rahab in the Scripture, as Pſal. 89.10. and Iſa. 51.9▪ and that either from her ſtrength and pride (which the word Rahab ſignifyeth) by reaſon of her exceeding great riches and power, or becauſe of ſome chief city in Egypt that was ſo called. Some Expoſitours conceive, that in this and the following verſe Zion is preferred before all the nations here mentioned, for the many famous men that ſhould ſpring up there; and accordingly they underſtand the words thus, I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me; behold Philiſtia and Tyre with Ethiopia; this man was born there, as if he had ſaid, I will to my countrey men and friends, with whom I conferre, talk of the glory of Egypt and Babylon, and likewiſe of Philiſtia and Tyre and Ethiopia; and ſo perhaps in talking of them, ſome one man in theſe nations may be found, of whom it may be ſaid, by way of extolling him for his eminency, This man was born there: but now in Sion, as it follows in the next verſe, many ſuch men of renown ſhall be found, of Zion it shall be ſaid, This and that man was born in her. But doubtleſſe theſe words contain a prophecy of the bringing in of all nations to be joyned to the Church and people of God; theſe being here expreſſed by name in ſtead of all, either becauſe theſe were beſt known to the Jews, or becauſe theſe were the greateſt and richeſt of nations in thoſe times, or the moſt notorious for ſuperſtition and all other wickedneſſe whatſoever, and uſually the greateſt enemies to the people of God, and therefore moſt unlikely to be joyned to her; this being much for the honour of Zion, that thoſe that formerly fought her ruine, ſhould now count it their greateſt glory to be numbred amongſt her children. Accordingly therefore theſe words muſt be underſtood, and that either as the words of the Pſalmiſt, or as ſpoken in the name of the Church, glorying as it were in her great enlargements: I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me; that is, to thoſe that are already knit to me, to thoſe that are my familiar friends, or that are already citizens of Sion, I will ſpeak of the Egyptians and Babylonians upon occaſion of their coming in to joyn themſelves to us. I will make honourable mention of them and of their piety & worthy deeds; or, In ſpeaking to thoſe that are fellow-citizens of Sion, I will take in and make mention of, not the Jews only, but even the Gentiles alſo: and the meaning is, that their converſion ſhould be famouſly known and ſpoken of. Behold Philiſtia and Tyre with Ethiopia; as if it had been ſaid, I will alſo make mention of theſe nations, or theſe alſo ſhall be numbred amongſt the citizens of Zion: of them it ſhall be ſaid, this man was born there, that is, theſe before-mentioned were born there, for the Scriptures do uſually ſpeak of whole nations as of one man, as in Pſal. 25.22. Redeem Iſrael, O God, out of all his troubles. However the meaning is this, that divers of theſe nations ſhould joyn themſelves to the Church, being there begotten again by the immortall ſeed of the Word, and ſo ſhould renounce their former countreys, counting it their greateſt honour to be new-born citizens of Gods ſpirituall Zion; or that thoſe that ſhall be thus converted from heatheniſme and joyned to the Church, ſhould be in all reſpects as thoſe that are born there.
Verſ. 5. And of Zion it shall be ſaid, This and that man was born in her.] That is, whereas now the inhabitants of Zion are very few, then many and many of divers nations and countreys and conditions ſhall day after day be added to the Church, and it ſhall be counted an honour to be numbred amongſt the citizens of Zion. The like expreſſions we have elſewhere in the prophets concerning the calling of the Gentiles, as Iſa. 44.5. One shall ſay I am the Lords; and another shall call himſelf by the name of Iacob; and another shall ſubſcribe with his hand unto the Lord, and ſurname himſelf by the name of Iſrael: and ſo likewiſe Iſa. 54.1. See alſo the foregoing Note.
Verſ. 6. The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there.] That is, The Lord himſelf, the king of Zion, yea the king of the whole world, ſhall to their great honour, when he takes notice of all the inhabitants of the world, own them as true members of his Church, and enroll them in the Regiſter of the citizens of Zion, as thoſe whoſe names were from all eternity written alſo in the book of life. The Pſalmiſt alludes to the cuſtome of king, that are wont to take the number and to keep a regiſter of the names of their ſubjects: and the drift of the words is to imply, that God, to whom all nations are exactly known, and at whoſe diſpoſing they are, ſhall every where bring into his Church thoſe he deſires to honour, and ſhall readily own them for his people.
Verſ. 7. As well the ſingers, as the players on inſtruments shall be there, &c.] That is, So great ſhall the bliſſe of Sion be, that it ſhall be a place of continuall joy, the inhabitants ſtill ſeeking to praiſe God for his goodneſſe, and to extoll the happineſſe of his city and people. All my ſprings are in thee, that is, all from whence any good or comfort comes flowing into my ſoul is in thee, O city of God; from the preſence of God and his holy Ordinances there, all ſaving knowledge, grace and comfort, thoſe living waters that can only refreſh my ſoul, come flowing in to me, ſee the Note Pſal. 68.26; or, all my ſprings are in thee, that is, whatever is within me, that can contribute any thing to the ſetting forth of thy praiſe, O Zion, ſhall be ſpent upon thee; all the thoughts and affections of my heart, all my skill in muſick, and the vein that I have for poetry, ſhall be poured forth in thy praiſes, and ſhall continually ſend forth new and freſh praiſes of thee. Either of theſe waies this laſt clauſe may be moſt probably underſtood. Yet ſome take it thus, All my ſprings are in thee, that is, all my delights are ſet upon thee, all my affection is to thee, O Zion; or, as if it were ſpoken to God, All my thoughts are on thee, O God, all my delight and hope is in thee, and all my affection is to thee.