Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 10
PSALM X.
Verſ. 1. WHy ſtandest thou afar off, O Lord? &c.] See the Note upon Exod. 32.11. The Greek and Vulgar Latine Tranſlation make this a part of the foregoing Pſalm; and ſo they doe likewiſe with the 104 and 105 Pſalms: but then to make up the number of 150 Pſalms, they divide other Pſalms into two.
Verſ. 2. The wicked in his pride doth perſecute the poor, &c.] This David might intend concerning himſelf, as being brought very low by the continuall perſecution of Saul and his faction; yet he expreſſeth it generally, becauſe it is uſually ſo with others likewiſe: but however, that they are poor and afflicted whom the wicked man perſecutes, is mentioned as a great aggravation of his cruelty. Let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined; that is, let them be enſnared by their own plots. Yet ſome underſtand it of their being diſcovered and apprehended, and puniſhed by the Magiſtrate for their plots againſt the righteous.
Verſ. 3. For the wicked boaſteth of his hearts deſire, &c.] That is, he glorieth in the ſinfull deſires of his heart, as juſtifying them, and applauding and encouraging himſelf therein: or, he glorieth of his ſucceſſe in his wicked deeds, wherein he hath accompliſhed the deſires of his heart. As for the following words, and bleſſeth the covetous, whom the Lord abborreth, either they may be meant of the wicked mans bleſſing himſelf in his covetous practiſes, to wit, that he juſtifyeth, applaudeth and encourageth himſelf therein, as aſſuring himſelf that they ſhall bring no evil upon him; and ſo ſome read this clauſe, as it is in the margin of our Bibles, the covetous bleſſeth himſelf, &c. or they may be meant of his juſtifying and applauding other covetous wretches like himſelf.
Verſ. 4. The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not ſeek after God.] That is, Through his pride, which he diſcovereth in his countenance, he never minds whether his waies be pleaſing to God or no; he never ſeeks Gods favour, but reſolves to doe what he liſts himſelf.
Verſ. 5. His waies are alwaies grievous, &c.] That is, a matter of grief, troubleſome or miſchievous to others. Thy judgements are far above out of his ſight. Some by the judgements of God do underſtand the laws of God, as if he had ſaid, He never minds thy commandments; but doubtleſſe the meaning is, that he never regards nor thinks of the judgements which God is wont to execute upon wicked men: as for all his enemies he puffeth at them, that is, he ſlights them, as if he were able to blow them away with a puff.
Verſ. 7. His mouth is full of curſing, &c.] By curſing here ſome underſtand all kind of evil ſpeaking, to wit, when wicked men curſe and revile and falſly accuſe the godly. But others underſtand it of the falſe oaths whereby wicked men are wont to deceive the innocent; his mouth is full of curſing, that is, he is frequently wont with curſes and imprecations annexed to ſwear this and that, when yet his heart and tongue agree not together: which may ſeem the more probable, becauſe with curſing here deceit and fraud are joyned: as likewiſe becauſe of the following clauſe, under his tongue are mischief and vanity, or iniquity; for this expreſſion implyeth, that under ſmooth and plauſible language he hides miſchief and vanity.
Verſ. 8. He ſitteth in the lurking places of the villages, &c.] Some underſtand this literally of thieves and robbers; but it is rather ſpoken by way of ſimilitude, to wit, that wicked men do lye in wait for any advantages to oppreſſe and ſlay the godly, and do uſe all cunning and diſſembling courſes to accompliſh their deſires, even as robbers are wont to lye lurking in thickets and caves about villages to watch for paſſengers that goe by, and then unawares break out upon them, and rob and murder them: and ſuch likewiſe is that laſt expreſſion of this verſe, his eyes are privily ſet againſt the poor; that is, he cloſely watcheth to miſchief the poor, even as ſuch robbers that ſtand peeping out of their lurking places to watch for thoſe that goe by, or as thoſe that aim to ſhoot a man, doe it with fixing their eyes half-ſhut upon him.
Verſ. 9. He doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his net.] That is, When he hath enſnared him by his fraudulent and diſſembling dealings, then, poor wretch, with all violence he ſeiſeth upon him.
Verſ. 10. He croucheth and humbleth himſelf, &c.] To wit, as a lion, that lyes cloſe to the ground, that he may the better hide himſelf, and with the more ſpeed and ſtrength may ſuddenly leap out upon his prey: that the poor may fall by his ſtrong ones; that is, that he may tear the poor in pieces by the ſtrength of his teeth or paws. Now we muſt know, that it is the ſhew which the wicked man often makes of an humble, lowly mind, and his craft in concealing and diſſembling his miſchievous purpoſes, that is here compared to the crouching of a lion: and by his ſtrong ones may be meant thoſe ſtrong and mighty men, that are ſubſervient to the wicked man in his oppreſſions.
Verſ. 15. Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man, &c.] That is, Break in pieces their power: ſee the Notes upon Deut. 33.20. 1 Sam. 2.31. As for the following clauſe, Seek out his wickedneſſe till thou find none, that which he deſires of God therein, I conceive, is this; that whereas the wicked man was ready to flatter himſelf, that God would never require his wickedneſſe of him, as he had ſaid before verſ. 13. the Lord would make him ſee the contrary, and would to that end ſeek out his wickedneſse, that is, call him to an account, lay all his ſins to his charge, and judge and puniſh him for them, till he found none, that is, till there be no wickedneſſe of his left unpuniſhed, or till by deſtroying ſuch wretches there be no more foot-ſteps to be ſeen of any ſuch wickedneſſe, according to that Ezek. 23.48. where the Lord having ſhown how he would deſtroy his rebellious people, he adds, Thus will I cauſe lewdneſse to ceaſe out of the land. Others, I know, underſtand this laſt clauſe of wicked men, thus; ſeek out his wickedneſſe till thou find none, that is, Deſtroy thou the wicked man till there be none left, or that others may be warned by his example, and ſo there may be no more any ſuch Atheiſticall wretches to be found upon the earth. Others take it thus; Diſcover thou, Lord, the evil purpoſes of the wicked man, and then they ſhall not be able to effect what they have miſchievouſly intended. But the firſt Expoſition is farre the beſt.
Verſ. 16. The Lord is King for ever and ever, &c.] This is here alledged, as that whereon he grounded his hope and deſire that God would deſtroy the wicked, namely, becauſe being the great King of the world, to him it belonged to execute judgement; and being King for ever, though he did deferre to help his oppreſſed people for a time, yet there was no perill in that, ſince it would be alwaies in his power to doe it. Now for the following clauſe, the heathen are perished out of his land, either it is meant of the wicked Iſraelites, who are here called the heathen, to ſhew that they were no better then heathens in Gods account, whence it is that the prophet uſeth that expreſſion, Amos 9.7. Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians to me, O children of Iſrael, ſaith the Lord? and then it muſt be taken as a commination that God would certainly deſtroy them out of his land, though it be expreſſed as if it were done already, to ſhew the certainty of it, and by way of triumphing in their approaching ruine: Or elſe rather it is meant of the Canaanites, whom God caſt out before the Iſraelites; and then it is added, that thence he might imply, that as God had caſt out and deſtroyed thoſe nations for their wickedneſſe, ſo he would likewiſe doe with thoſe wicked Iſraelites, that now defiled the land by their wickedneſſe no leſſe then the other had done.
Verſ. 17. Lord, thou haſt heard the deſire of the humble; thou wilt prepare their heart.] Some read this laſt clauſe, Thou wilt confirm their heart; and then the meaning is, that God would ſupport and bear up the ſpirits of his ſervants in hope that he would not for ever forſake and caſt off his people, and ſo would enable them ſtill to call upon him.