Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 35
PSAL. XXXV.
VErſ. 1. Plead my cauſe, O Lord] We may ſafely pray the ſame, when oppreſſed with calumnies, and falſe accuſations, as now David was by Sauls Sycophants, or (as others think) when he was in great heavineſſe, and even heart-ſick; after that Amnon had defiled Tamar, and Abſolom had ſlain Amnon; his diſaffected ſubjects, ſuch as Shimei, inſulted over him, and ſaid, it was juſt upon him for the matter of Uriah, and other miſcarriages; which they wrongfully charged him with. See a promiſe in this caſe, Iſa. 49.21.
Fight againſt them, &c.] Or, devoure them that devoure mee; for in Niphal only it ſignifieth to fight.
Verſ. 2. Take hold of ſhield and buckler] Jehovab is a man of war, Exod. 15.5. and ſo he is here ſtirred up to harneſs himſelf: Not that he needeth weapons defenſive, as here, or offenſive, as verſ. 3. for he can deſtroy his enemies, ſole nutu ac flatu, with a nod, or a blaſt: But this is ſpoken after the manner of men, and for our better apprehenſion of Gods readineſſe to relieve his diſtreſſed ones.
Verſ. 3. Draw out alſo the ſpear] viz. That thy contending and appearing for mee, may appear to be ſufficient and glorious.
And ſtop the way] Heb. And ſtop, viz. the doores, as Gen. 19.6, 10. & 2 King. 6.32. leſt the malecontents come in and kill mee. Or, ſhut mee up from my perſecutors, that they find mee not; like as afterwards, God hid Jeremy and Baruch, when ſought for to the ſlaughter.
Say unto my ſoul I am thy ſalvation] Facito ut haec animula te ſibi teſt antem audiat, &c. Inwardly perſwade my heart to firm affiance in thee, amidſt all mine afflictions.
Verſ. 4. Let them be confounded and put to ſhame] Here David beginneth his imprecations; which yet non maledicens dixit ſed vaticinantis more praedixit, ſaith Theodoret, he doth not utter as curſing, but as propheſying rather. If we ſhall at any time take upon us thus to imprecate (as we may in ſome caſes) we muſt ſee to it, firſt that our cauſe be good. Secondly, that we do it not out of private revenge; but meerly for the glory of God. Thirdly, ut ne voculam quidem niſinobis praeunte Dei, non carnis, ſpiritu effundamus, that we utter not a ſyllable this way, but by the guidance of Gods good Spirit.
Verſ. 5. Let them be as chaffe] Facti ſint à corde ſu… fugitivi, Let them flye before their own conſciences, reſtleſſe and uncertain whither to turn themſelves.
And let the Angel of the Lord chaſe them] It may be underſtood both of the evill Angels, and of the good; ready at Gods command to do execution upon his enemies. Chaffe driven before the wind may reſt againſt a wall; but where ſhall they reſt who are chaſed by an Angel? where ſhall the ungodly and the ſinner appear, 1 Pet. 4.18? Surely no where.
Verſ. 6. Let their way be dark and ſlippery] Heb. Darkneſſe and ſlipperineſſe. If a man have neither light, nor firm footing, and a feirce enemy at his heeles,See Jer. 23.1… what ſhift can he make for himſelf? The word rendred ſlippery is of a double form (like that libbi ſecharchar, my heart panteth or beateth about, throbbeth, Pſal. 38.10.) to increaſe the ſignification. The ſoul of a wicked man is as in a ſling, 1 Sam. 25.29. violently toſſed about.
Verſ. 7. For without cauſe have they hid for mee, &c.] The Wicked are ſo acted and agitated by the Devill their task-maſter, that though they have no cauſe to work miſchief to the Saints, yet they muſt do it; the old enmity, Gen. 3. ſtill worketh: But this rendreth their deſtruction certiorem & celeriorem, more ſure and more ſwift.
Verſ. 8. Let deſtruction come upon him at unawars] i.e. Upon the whole rabble of them, as if they were all but one man. Or, elſe he ſtriketh at ſome chieftain amongſt them. Let his deſtruction be as ſuddain as ſignal.
Verſ. 9. And my ſoul ſhall be joyfull in the Lord] This was that he aimed at in his foregoing imprecations, viz. the glory and praiſe of God, and not his own reaking his teen upon his enemies.
Verſ. 10. All my bones ſhall ſay Lord, who is like unto thee?] Not my ſoul only, but my body alſo ſhall joyn in this joyfull acclamation; yea my bones ſhall ſay, &c. that is, whatſoever ſtrength and vigour is in mee, it ſhall be ſpent in celebrating thy praiſes. Or, although I have nothing left mee but skin and bones, ſo poor am I grown, yet I will not be wanting to the work.
Verſ. 11. Falſe witneſſes did riſe up] So they did afterward againſt the Lord Chriſt, and ſundry of his faithfull ſervants, as St. Paul, Athanaſius, Enſtathius Biſhop of Antioch, Alſted. Chronol. Act. & Mon.(falſely accuſed of Adultery, and depoſed, about the end of Conſtantine the great's reign) Cranmer charged with Adultery, hereſy and treaſon; Philpot with paricide; Latimer with ſedition; whereof he was ſo innocent, that he feared not to ſay in a Sermon before the King, as for ſedition, for ought that I know, methinks I ſhould not need Chriſt, if I may ſo ſay.
They laid to my charge things that I knew not] Such as whereof I was not only innocent, but ignorant alſo. The Hebrew is, They asked mee, and ſo would have, by cunningly contrived queſtions, made mee mine own accuſer.
Verſ. 12. They rewarded mee evill for good] To render good for evill is divine; good for good is humane; evill for evill is brutiſh; but evill for good is deviliſh.
To the ſpoyling of my ſoul] i.e.Intentant caedem. Kimchi. To the depriving mee of that life which I have ſo often hazarded, to ſave theirs. Or, this their deviliſh dealing with mee, erat mihi quaſi mors amarum, was as bitter as death to mee.
Verſ. 13. But as for mee, when they were ſick] i.e. Any way afflicted, when they ayled any thing.
My cloathing was ſackcloath] I put my ſelf in mourners habit; Incedebam atratus, to teſtifie my good affection to ward them.
I humbled my ſoul with faſting] In die deſignato, in a ſolemn day ſet apart for the purpoſe;Kimchi. De Elia & jejunio cap. 8. as the a with a pathach ſheweth. Jejunium eſt humilit as mentis, miſerationis expenſa, charit at is illecebra, allevamentum infirmitatis, alimentum ſalut is, ſaith Ambroſe, Faſting is the affliction of the ſoul, the coſt of compaſſion, &c.
And my prayer returned into mine own boſome] i. e. Though they had no benefit by it, yet my ſelf had;2 Sam. 1.22. for no faithfull prayer is ineffectuall; like Jonathans bow, it never returneth empty. I received the fruit of my prayers for them upon my boſome.
Verſ. 14. I behaved my ſelf as though he had been, &c.] My Brother a thouſand times. This was much to do to an enemy; but poſſibly all this might be before they fell out.
I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth, &c.] The Mother is uſually moſt dearly-beloved, and not without cauſe; as having been ante partum oneroſa, in part… doloroſa, poſt partum laborioſa. Kimchi.Or, as a ſuckling cryeth in the loſſe of his Nurſe.
Verſ. 15.Morbus eſt ſic dictus quia incedere nequit niſi cum dolore quaſi claudicando. Aben-Ezra. Dum illum ride…, pene factus ſum ille. Epiſt. 9. lib. 2. But in mine adverſity] Heb. In my halting; when through weakneſſe I could not but halt before my beſt friends, as we ſay.
Yea the abjects gathered themſelves together] Claudi congregati ſunt, & ſecundum claudicationem meam claudicabant, ut me deriderent, So the Syriack ſenſeth it. They halted as I did, by way of deriſion; but they ſhould have known, firſt, that mocking is catching, as we ſay; Tully confeſſeth, that whiles he laughed at one Hircus a very ridiculous man, he became as bad almoſt himſelf. Secondly, That ſuch cruell mockings, are grievous ſins, and ſuch as God ſeverely puniſheth. Some render it the Smiters, that is, the tongue-ſmiters, as Jer. 18.18. Others, the ſmitten, that is, the abjects, the vile perſons; the baſeſt can mock, as did Tobiah the Servant, Neh. 2.19. and thoſe Peſts, Pſal. 1.1.
And I knew it not] Or, Such as I knew not, took no notice of, they were ſo baſe; See the like, Job 30.8.
They did tear mee] ſc. With their tongues, as doggs toſſe and tear carrion with their teeth, Scindunt illud quod reparare nequeunt, non per poenitentiam, ſaith Kimchi. They tear that which they cannot make good again, no not by repentance, viz. my good name. Or. they rent, ſc. their garments, as if they had been very ſorry for mee, as Gen. 37.34. Job 2.12. This they did, as Auſtin speaketh, ſimulatione miſeriae, non compaſſione miſericordiae, out of deep diſſimulation.
Verſ. 16. With Hypocriticall mockers in feaſts] Cum ſannionibus placentae v…lcibi, with hypocriticall mockers for a cake, or dainties; there is an elegancy in the origiginall (which ſheweth it to be proverbiall) and cannot be engliſhed. R. Solomon telleth us here, that they who delighted in flatteries, gave their flatterers cakes baked with honey, to make them the more to flatter them. Solomon telleth of ſome that will tranſgreſſe for a peece or bread, Prov. 28.21. So thoſe paraſiticall Prophets,Menſarii ſcur…. Ezek. 13.19. Or, I am made their table-talk, as Hoſ: 7.8. ſcornfully deriding mee at their feaſts, and in their cups.
Verſ. 17. Lord how long wilt thou look on] i.e. carry thy ſelf as a Spectator of my miſeries, and a tolerator of mine enemies, thoſe architects of mine afflictions.
Reſcue my ſoul from their deſtructions] i. e. Their ſnares and ambuſhes, whereby they ſeek to deſtroy me.
My darling from the Lions] See the Note on Pſal. 22.20.
Verſ. 18. I will give thee thanks in the great Congregation] For examples ſake to others; for Magnates magnetes. Acts 18.8. when Criſpus the chief Ruler of the Synagogue beleeved, many of the Corinthians beleeved alſo. Great men are the Looking-glaſſes of the Country, according to which moſt men dreſs themſelves: many eyes are upon them; they had need therefore to be exact, for they are ſure to be exemplary.
Verſ. 19. Neither let them wink with the eye] Which is the geſture of a malicious Scoffer, Prov. 6.13. & 10.10.Ne amarulenter Ludificentur me. Trem:
Verſ. 20. For they ſpeak not peace] Which yet God doth to his people, Pſa. 85.9. and that is their comfort; I am for peace, ſaith David elſewhere, but when I ſpeak of it, they are for war, Pſal. 120.7.
Againſt the quiet of the Land] i.e. Againſt my ſelf, and ſuch as I am, who ſtudy to be quiet, and to do our own buſineſs, 1 Theſ. 4.11. affecting rather quietneſs from the World, than acquaintance with it.
Verſ. 21. They opened their mouth] As if the very banks of blaſphemy had been broken down.
Our eye bath ſeen] Eye for eyes, unleſs we would ſay that all the wicked are ſo conjoyned, that they may ſeem to have but one Eye, Heart, Head, &c. and then they ſay as Hannibal did, when he ſaw a ditch full of mans bloud, O formoſum ſpectaculum! O gallant fight! O rem regiam, as Valeſus ſaid, when he had ſlain three hundred Proteſtants.
Verſ. 22. This thou haſt ſeen, O Lord] This anſwereth to that before, verſ. 21. Our eye hath ſeen it, as Aben-Ezra obſerveth. So doth
Keep not ſilence] To that, they opened their mouth wide againſt me. Ibid.
Verſ. 23. Stir up thy ſelf, and awake] This is the ſame in effect with the beginning of the Pſalm; to ſhew his ardour and intention of affection.
Verſ. 24. According to thy righteouſneſs] i.e. for the honour of thy Juſtice, wherein elſe thou art likely to ſuffer.
And let them not rejoyce over me] For I quarter Armes, as I may ſo ſay, with thee, Lord; and my diſgrace will reflect upon thee.
Verſ. 25. Ah, ſo would we have…t] Heb. Ah, ah, our ſoul; that is, our deſire: we are voti compotes.
We have ſwallowed him up] As Swine do ſwill, or ravenous beaſts their prey.
Verſ. 26. Let them be aſhamed, &c.] They ſhall ſo: and this prayer againſt the Churches enemies ſhall ſtill ſpeak effectually.
Verſ. 27. Let them ſhout for joy, &c.] He concludeth with hearty prayer for the Church, as he doth in divers other Pſalms.
That favour my righteous cauſe] Though perhaps they dare do no more than inwardly favour it, and by their prayers to God promote it.
Let them ſay continually, &c.] Let them have continual cauſe to praiſe God for this ſweet property, that he delighteth in his peoples proſperity, and afflicteth them not from his heart, nor grieveth the Children of men, but for their greateſt good, Lam. 3.35.
Verſ. 28. And my tongue, &c.] I do ſolemnly promiſe that thy praiſes ſhall never dye on my hand, &c.