Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 97 – Psalm 98
PSALM XCVII.
Verſ. 1. THe Lord reigneth, &c.] See the Notes Pſal. 93.1, & 22.28, & 96.10. But becauſe the Apoſtle alledgeth the laſt clauſe of the 7. verſe of this Pſalm, as ſpoken of Chriſt Heb. 1.6. it is evident that this alſo is to be underſtood of Chriſts taking upon him the exerciſe of his regall power, after he had vanquiſhed & ſubdued his ſpirituall enemies; there being an alluſion therein to the acclamations that are made to kings at their inaugurations & coronations: and therefore as foretelling that the heathens ſhould ſubmit to Chriſt, and partake of the joy of his kingdome, he adds, let the earth rejoyce; that is, all the inhabitants of the earth: let the multitude of iſles be glad thereof; that is, the Gentiles, even in the remoteſt iſlands; for thus alſo that which is Iſa. 42.4. and the iſles shall wait for his law, is render'd by the Evangeliſt Matth. 12.21. and in his name shall the Gentiles truſt. Yet withall it may well be, which ſome Expoſitours think, to wit, that ſome glorious victory of David over his enemies, wherein he was a type of Chriſt, was an occaſion of his penning this Pſalm.
Verſ. 2. Clouds and darkneſſe are round about him, &c.] As if he ſhould have ſaid, This great Lord and king of the Church is exceeding terrible to thoſe that will not ſubmit to his government: for here he ſets forth Chriſt, as it were appearing from heaven to pour forth his wrath upon his enemies in the black darkneſſe of ſome ſtormy cloud; much according to that deſcription which we have of Gods proceeding in judgement againſt men, 2 Sam. 22.8. for which ſee the Notes there. And the drift of this is, partly to make his people the more fearfull of diſobeying his commands, and partly to let them ſee how able he is to confound at his pleaſure both his and their enemies. I know ſome do underſtand this of Chriſts coming in the clouds with power and great glory to judge the world, Matth. 24.30. but I ſee no reaſon why we ſhould reſtrain the words to that. As for the next clauſe, righteouſneſſe and judgement are the habitation of his throne; the meaning may be, that the Lord Chriſt will make men holy, juſt and righteous, yea by the imputation of his righteouſneſſe, perfectly ſuch, and that by his Word and ſpirit he will cauſe them to doe that which is juſt and right in all their waies. But ſee alſo the Note Pſal. 89.14.
Verſ. 3. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.] That is, His judgements, like a conſuming fire, ſhall deſtroy all his enemies: ſee again the Notes 2 Sam. 22.8, 13, 15. Pſal. 50.3.
Verſ. 4. The earth ſaw and trembled.] This may be meant either of the earth it ſelf, or of the inhabitants of the earth, who ſhall, will they, nill they, ſee the unreſiſtable power and wrath of the Lord Chriſt, and tremble at it. See the Notes 2 Sam. 22.8. Pſal. 46.6, and 60.2, and 76.8.
Verſ. 5. The hills melted like wax at the preſence of the Lord.] To wit, by the fire and lightnings mentioned in the foregoing verſes. And this alſo may be meant, either of the hills literally, to wit, that the Lord in his wrath can quickly conſume them; or elſe of the great ones of the world, or thoſe whoſe hearts do moſt ſwell and riſe againſt God, that they ſhall faint and fade away, when the Lord breaks forth in his wrath againſt them. See the Note Pſal. 22.14.
Verſ. 6. The heavens declare his righteouſneſſe, &c.] That is, the angels; or the judgements of God manifeſted from heaven, whether by tempeſtuous ſtorms, thunder and lightening, or otherwiſe; ſee the Note Pſal. 50.6: the people ſee his glory; to wit, as it is manifeſted in his righteouſneſſe and judgements. And this implyes the calling of the Gentiles.
Verſ. 7. Confounded be all they that ſerve graven images, &c.] Upon the conſideration of the glory and divine majeſty of Chriſt, the king of the Church, the Pſalmiſt breaks forth into this expreſſion of his deteſtation of all idol-worſhip, and his deſire of the enlargement of Chriſts kingdome: and it is as if he had ſaid, Let the glory of this king make all idolaters aſhamed and even confounded for their former brutiſh folly, and ſo come in and ſubmit to him; or elſe let them be confounded and deſtroyed. And herein there is alſo a propheſy implyed, that when Chriſts kingdome was erected by the preaching of the Goſpel, this ſhould be done. As for the laſt clauſe, worship him all ye gods, the Apoſtle doth expreſly underſtand it of the holy angels, Heb. 1.6. where to prove that Chriſt was preferred above the angels, he cites this place, And again, when he bringeth in the firſt-begotten into the world, he ſaith, And let the angels of God worship him. But though the angels are included, (and thence the place is ſo cited by the Apoſtle) yet it may be alſo extended to all that are called gods, ſee the Note Exod. 22.28. yea to the heathens idol-gods, worship him all ye gods; as if he had ſaid, Let every thing that is falſly eſteemed and worſhipped as God, yield and ſubmit it ſelf to this true God and king of his Church.
Verſ. 8. Sion heard, and was glad, and the daughters of Iudah rejoyced, becauſe of thy judgements.] That is, they heard, by the preaching of the Goſpel, of Chriſts coming into the world to erect his kingdome in his Church, after he had vanquiſhed all his and their ſpirituall enemies, and of his governing his Church with all exact righteouſneſſe, and particularly of the confuſion and ruine of idolaters, and the ſpreading of his kingdome throughout the world; and this was matter of great joy to them. Now though this may be truly ſaid of the whole Church, yet this joy is here particularly aſcribed to the Jews, both becauſe they were to have the firſt fruits of this joy, and likewiſe becauſe the Goſpel of the kingdome was to goe out from them into all the world. And then alſo it is ſaid, Sion heard, rather then Sion ſaw; both becauſe they were to rejoyce in the hope hereof, before it was accompliſhed, in that it was revealed to them before-hand by the predictions of the Prophets; and alſo becauſe the kingdome of Chriſt was to ſpread it ſelf ſo into the fartheſt parts of the world, that they ſhould rather hear the report of it, then ſee it. But ſee alſo the Note Pſal. 48.11.
Verſ. 9. For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth, &c.] To wit, as having all things throughout the whole earth in ſubjection under thee: thou art exalted far above all gods; that is, far above all principality and might and power and dominion, &c. Eph. 1.21. See alſo the Note Deut. 10.17.
Verſ. 11. Light is ſowen for the righteous, &c.] Upon the promiſe made in the foregoing verſe, he preſerveth the ſouls of his ſaints, &c. becauſe it might be objected, that they are often in a very afflicted condition, by way of preventing this objection, the Pſalmiſt adds theſe words; Light, that is, joy, ſee the Note Eſth. 8.16. is ſown for the righteous, that is, it is promiſed to, and in and through Chriſt it is prepared for the righteous, and in good time they ſhall be ſure of it: though for a time no ſuch thing may be ſeen, as it is with ſeed when it lyes covered under ground, according to that Col. 3.3. ye are dead, and your life is hid with Chriſt in God, and that 1 Joh. 3.2. it doth not yet appear what we shall be; yet at laſt it ſhall ſpring up, and ſhall by degrees, as the corn doth, grow and encreaſe, and as the light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day, Prov. 4.18. till at laſt they ſhall reap a full harveſt of joy in heaven.
Verſ. 12. Rejoyce in the Lord, ye righteous, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 32.11: and give thanks at the remembrance of his holineſſe; that is, give praiſe to his holy name, acknowledge that all the good you enjoy comes from him. But ſee the Note Pſ. 30.4.
PSALM XCVIII.
Verſ. 1. O Sing unto the Lord a new ſong, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 33.3: for he hath done marvellous things. This may be underſtood both of ſome wonderfull victory that God gave David over his enemies, which might be the occaſion of compoſing this Pſalm; and likewiſe chiefly of the marvellous things which were done in and by Chriſt, in the work of our redemption; as his Incarnation, that new thing the Lord created in the earth, Jer. 31.22. and his miracles, but eſpecially his victory over Satan, ſin, death and hell, whereof Davids were types. His right hand and his holy arme hath gotten him the victory; that is, merely by his own immediate almighty power, in the Lord Chriſt he hath prevailed over his and his Churches enemies, whoſe cauſe indeed is his own. And moſt probable it is, that this word (holy) his holy arme hath gotten him the victory, is purpoſely added, becauſe it was by reaſon of his holineſſe that he prevailed over theſe his enemies; according to that Joh. 14.30. the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me: ſee alſo Heb. 7.26, 27.
Verſ. 2. The lord hath made known his ſalvation, &c.] According to the expoſition of the foregoing verſe, this alſo may be meant of ſome glorious deliverance which God had given his people, the fame whereof was ſpread amongſt the nations a far off; but chiefly it is meant of the Lords making known the way of eternall life and ſalvation, by the preaching of the Goſpel, amongſt the heathen: to which purpoſe alſo is the following clauſe, his righteouſneſſe hath he openly shewed in the ſight of the heathen; ſee the Note Pſal. 22.31.
Verſ. 4. Make a joyfull noiſe unto the Lord all the earth, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 66.1.
Verſ. 7. Let the ſea roar, &c.] See the Notes Pſal. 96.11. and 1 Chron. 16.31.