Annotations on Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon, Annotations 2 · Psalm 99 – Psalm 100
PSAL. XCIX.
THis Psalm is a Psalm of praise, stirring up the people of God to that duty by a three-fold exhortation. The first in the three first verses. The second in the fourth and fifth, the third in the four last.
The Prophet layes down the grounds of the duty:
1. Gods universal Sovereignty over all things.
Vers. 1. The Lord reigneth.] Exerciseth kingly Authority, which is supream Sovereign and absolute, having no Superiour nor partner.
2. His gracious presence in his Church set out figuratively in that phrase, He sitteth between the Cherubims. The Cherubims were Images of flying men, which shadowed the Mercy-seat, or covering of the Ark with their faces toward one another, and looking downward upon the Ark, and seem to have been types of the holy Angels, both looking into the great Mystery of Christs Incarnation, and the Redemption of mankinde wrought by him, and also standing prepared and addressed to yeeld their service unto Christ, as ministring spirits for the good of his Church in any imploiment, and from thence did God give answers to his people by the Ministry of the High-priest, and there did he vouchsase some visible sign of his Divine Majesty, so that it was a testimony to Gods people of his being graciously present with them in Christ to do all spiritual good for them.
3. The effects of both these, viz. the trembling of all people, and shaking of the earth. Trembling and shaking are effects of a great measure of fear, overcoming the person in whom it is, and leaving him destitute of all power to resist and oppose, or flie from the thing feared. The meaning seemeth to be, that all men, yea, and all things shall even faint and shrink before the Lord, as utterly unable to stand against him when he comes to fight for his Church, and defeat their projects and practices against it.
4. Gods greatnesse in his Church, vers. 2. The Lord is great in Zion, and he is high above all people.] By Zion, a part put for the whole, is meant the whole Church, where Christ is acknowledged, and the name of God called upon in him. God is said to be great there, because in the Church, and for the maintenance and guidance of it, he principally declares his greatnesse.
High above all people] Not alone in respect of authority or right to govern, but also in respect of strength, power and sufficiency, so that he is able to effect his own will amongst and against them, and they cannot hinder his designs and purpose, or effect any thing contrary to his good pleasure.
Secondly, The Prophet layes down the duty it self:
In the third verse is the matter of the Exhortation, with a reason to confirm it also, Let them praise] Or, They shall or ought to praise; it is so an Exhortation to a duty, that it also shews a necessity, and fore-tels the performance of it.
Thy great and terrible Name] That is, thy self that art great and fearfull.
For it holy] So it is concisely in the Original, and may be meant of the name of God or himself, all is one; for when the name of God is said to be holy, the meaning is, Himself is, and known so to be. The Name of God signifies his renown and honour, and sometimes those things by which he is made known and called, and sometimes himself so called and made known, as here.
Vers. 4. The Kings strength also loveth Judgment] By it here may be meant wisdom and understanding to moderate justice. Justice is,
1. Commutative, which stands in the right behaviour of one person to another in all things, as also toward the Governour.
2. Distributive, which is proper to Superiours and Governours, and standeth in the right ordering of their Inferiours by punishing and rewarding them according to their works.
Thou dost establish equity] To establish equity is to appoint and ordain by his powerfull authority, the doing of that which is right and equal, to ratifie it as aHast established] Or, Dost establish. It notes a constant act, hast done, and wilt continue to do it. Law, which cannot be altered or disanulled.
Thou executest judgement and righteousnesse in Jacob] Thou givest to every manEquity, the word signifies rightnesses, or straightnesses. All the directions of Gods word, which hold forth a good conversation of life, because it is a performing of that which Gods understanding hath judged and acccounted fit and convenient to be done. according to his works, Psal. 99. 14. In Jacob, in the Church.
Vers. 5. Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool: For he is holy.] Ut sit excelsus in cordibus vestris. Hieron.
To exalt is to lift on high, not in place but worth, so termed figuratively, because it makes him eminent, the meaning is, take notice of, confesse, acknowledge, make known and set forth Gods excellency.
To worship is to bow down the head or whole body in testimony of doing honour.
The Footstool of God is his Ark, Temple or Tabernacle. A footstool is theA…, or toward the footstool. The Tabernacle is called his Footstool, because of the abasement of the people of God in his service. Id est, Vertite vos versus Arcam, ut mos est Israelitis, Ps …8. 2. … Reg. 8. 44. Dan. 6. 10. Et hoc ipso Psalmo Arca verò dicitur scabellum pedum Dei, 1 Paral. 28. 2. Infrà Ps 132. 7. comparatione coeli scilicet, cujus respectu & terra, maximè verò Judaea, scabellum pedum Dei dicitur, Isa 66. 1. Matth. 5. 35. Thren. 2 1. Grotius. Vide Calvinum. lower part of a Throne prepared for him to rest his feet upon that sits on the Throne.
This Hebrew word here translated Footstool is six times used in the Old Testament, and hath alwayes the word feet added to it, as 1 Chron. 28. 2. Psal. 132. 7. & 110. 1. Isa. 66. 1. Lam. 2. 1. and here.
The LXX who translated the Hebrew into Greek, do herein follow the Hebrew, so do the Pen-men of the New Testament, who wrote in Greek, and that in eight several places, as Matth. 5. 35. & 22. 44. Mark 12. 36. Luke 20. 43. Acts 2. 35. & 7. 49. Heb. 1. 13. & 10. 13. Once the word Footstool is singly used without the addition of the other phrase of feet, Jam. 2. 3. Doctor G…uge on Heb. 1. 14. Sect. 154.
These signs were fitly called his footstool, there his feet as it were are set, a littlelow expression of his greatnes is here, a mean and scant manifestation of his excellencies, but the fulnesse of his Majesty is seen alone in Heaven.
For he is holy] Gods holinesse is thrice repeated in this Psalm. Holinesse in God is that Excellency of his Nature, whereby he is separated to himself, regards himself, knows himself, esteems himself, loves himself, doth all for himself.
Vers. 6. Moses and Aaron among his Priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name.] The Lord raised up holy Priests and Prophets for his people, Moses and Aaron were Priests, Moses extraordinarily, Aaron ordinarily, Samuel a Prophet called on his Name in behalf of his people to turn away punishment from them. See Jer. 15. 1.
They called upon the Lord, and he answered them.] God heard them, and at their request did forbear to plague the people.
Vers. 7. He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the Ordinance that he gave them.] This is meant not alone of those particular times, when God spake out of a cloudy pillar to Moses and Aaron, as he did often, but of his giving unto the people the whole Law out of Mount Sinai, which was full of darknes and fire to, Exod. 19. 18. and that because he telleth of their keeping the Laws after in the next clause.
Vers. 8. Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God: thou wast a God that forgavest See Psal. 25. 14.them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.] That is, that didst sometimes forbear to punish them, and forgavest their sins, and sometimes again didst severely punish them for their sins, or that pardoned the penitent amongst them, but did avenge himself upon the impenitent, didst punish their inventions, or works, or deed….
PSAL. C.
THis is a Psalm of praise, that is, a Psalm made for this purpose to be sung to the praise of God in the Assemblies of his Saints.
Vers. 1. Make a joyfull noise unto the Lord.] Shout to him out of great gladnesse in respect of his goodnesse, and the benefits he gives us, especially himself, or out of applause of his excellent works. The word is used to signifie the blowing of an alarm with Trumpets, Levit. 10. 5. the Prophet may well allude to this custome of blowing with Trumpets over their Sacrifices, as they were wont to do in their new Moons, and this they did to expresse the greatnesse of their joy in God.
All ye Lands.] Heb. All the earth, not alone all the Land of Israel at that time,He prophetically intimates the conversion of the Gentiles unto God by the preaching of Christ in the world. but all the world after Christs coming.
Vers. 2. Serve the Lord with gladnesse.] That is, Do his works, submit to his Laws, acknowledge his Sovereignty over us, and be ruled by him, and that cheerfully.
Come before his presence with singing] The face of God here signifies his gracious presence in his Tabernacle.
Come before.] That is, present ones self in that place', with reference to this presence, and with observation of it. The singing of Psalms with great joy and gladnesse.
Vers. 3. Know ye that the Lord he is God, it is he that hath made us, and not we our selves, we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.] Here is the reason of the former, he to whom this service is to be performed is indeed God, and therefore worthy to be served, and the benefits he hath done for us require no lesse.It is to be understood rather of the spiritual Creation, than the bodily formation.
Made us.] Formed each of us in the womb.
Not we our *And his we are: … the Hebrew in the Margin readeth it. Both senses are good; and the Chaldee keepeth this latter.selves.] This work is wholly and only Gods.
We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture] Admits us to be his, and provides us pasture as a shepherd for his sheep.
Vers. 4. Enter into his Gates with thankesgiving, and into his Courts with praise, be thankefull unto him, and blesse his Name.] Gates and Courts of the Tabernacle and Temple, he requireth to give thanks, and praise him publickly when they met together at the place appointed by God for that purpose.
Vers. 5. For the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting.] Apt to procure welfare to himself eternally and infinitely, and also to all creatures.
And his truth endureth to all generations] Faithfull in keeping Covenant, and making good his promises.