Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 72
PSAL. LXXII.
A Pſalm for Salomon] Whom his Father David had crowned whilſt yet alive; and now, at point of death, leaveth him this his laſt bequeath as a Baſilicondoron, a direction in point of Government, and a prediction of a moſt flouriſhing reign thereupon; This laſt he ſo deſcribeth, that by a ſpirit of Prophecy, attributing eternity thereunto, he riſeth up from Salomon to Chriſt, of whom hee was a type; like as alſo the Promiſe made to David concerning Salomon and Chriſt, was conceived in ſuch terms by God himſelf, as if they had been almoſt one and the ſame perſon, 2 Sam. 7.13, 14. 1 Chron. 22.10.
Verſ. 1. Give the King thy Judgements, O God] i. e. Give me for that little time I have here to live, and reign, skill and will to do it aright, and as thy Law requireth.
And thy righteouſneſs unto the Kings Son] To Salomon, and his Succeſſors; for Davids great care was the welfare of Gods people after his deceaſe, for which end he both prayeth, and principleth his Son Salomon; and herein his great piety to the end appeareth. I could not but love the man (ſaid Theodoſius the Emperour concerning Ambroſe) who, as whiles he lived, he heartily wiſhed that the contentions that were in the Church might be quenched, though it were with his bloud; ſo when he dyed, he was more ſollicitous of the Churches welfare than of his own.
Verſ. 2. He ſhall judge thy people with righteouſneſs] ſc. If thou pleaſe to remember thy promiſe to me, and to anſwer this my prayer of faith founded thereupon.
And thy poor] Or, thine afflicted. The people (the poor afflicted eſpecially) are the Lords; and therefore not to bee tyrannized over, and trampled on by their Governours.
Verſ. 3. The mountain ſhall bring peace] i. e. They ſhall not be ſo peſtered and infeſted by Theeves and Robbers, who uſually … and hide themeſelves in hills and hollow places.
By righteouſneſs]. By right adminiſtration of Juſtice, as it was here in King Alfreds days, who ordained that his … ſhould be divided into T…s. or Tythings, every of which ſeverally ſhould give Bond for the good abearing of each other; and he who was of that … behaviour, that he could … be admitted to theſe Tythings, was forth wich conveyed to the Houſe of Correction. The ancienteſt of theſe men were called by a ſpecialty the Tything men.
Verſ. 4. He ſhall judge the … of the people.] Indeed all, indifferently, without reſpect of perſons; but a poor mans Tale ſhall be heard and his Cauſe judged, as well as a rich mans. Under Chriſts Government it ſhall be ſo howſoever; I know thy poverty, but thou art rich, ſaith he. Rev. 3.9. Amongſt men both in ſures of Love, and of Law, Money maketh Miſtery Not ſo here.
And ſhall break in peeces the oppreſſour] The Sycey…nt, ſaith the Creek; the Slanderer, ſaith the Latine; the Devil, ſay ſome. Over theſe He ſhall, turn the wheel.
Verſ. 5. They ſhall fear this] Who haſt bleſſed them with ſo good a King; ſuch as maketh it his main care to ſet up God, where-ever he hath to do.
As long as the Sun and Moon … ] The Lacedonians publickly profeſſed, Quoad ſol codem it itenire maebit, quo … meet, … ſociat cum Xerxe …, whiles the Sun ſhall hold on his courſe, we will never make a League with Xerxes.
Verſ. 6. He ſhall come down like rain upon the … graſs] That is, he ſhall bee very dear to us, and much delighted in. See Job 29.23. with the Note.
As ſhowers that water the earth] This is chiefly fulfilled in Chriſt, who by raining down righteouſneſs, maketh his Church to grow and flouriſh.
Verſ. 7. In his days ſhall the righteous flouriſh] As watered Gardens, Jar. 31.12. or as the Willows by the water courſes. Iſa. 44.4. foreign
And abundance of peace] The work of righteouſneſs ſhall be peace, and the effect of righteouſneſs quietneſs, and affurance for ever, Iſa. 32.17. Chriſts ſubjects have peace, … Iſa. 25.3 a multiplied peace, a multiplied pardon, Iſa. 55.7. where ſin aboundeth, grace ſuperaboundeth; neither can they commit more than God will remit unto them.
Verſ. 8. He ſhall have dominion alſo from Sea to Sea] Salomon ſhall from the Mediterranean in the Weſt, to the Perſian Sea or Indian Ocean in the Eaſt.
And from the river unto the ends of the earth] i.e. From Euphrates, and the Northern Countries, to Aegypt, and the utmoſt pares of all Africa. This was a Type of Chriſts univerſal dominion thoroughout the whole World, Zech. 9.9. Pſal. 110.1.
Verſ. 9. They that dwell in the Wildereneſs] Wild, Barbarous, rude people; ſuch as were the ancient Britains our Progenitours, till Chriſt the Sun of righteouſneſs ſhone upon them till they were brought to the obedience of faith:Bond in Hors…. Tun… enim ſensin… evannit ferit as, indias ezulavit immanit as, corruit crudelites, &c. for then it was otherwiſe.
And his enemies ſhad lick the duſt] A Ceremony much in uſe among the Eaſterlings, Proſtrani adorant hi…rationem… ſaith Herodotus of the Perſians; Lib. 1.they worſhip their betters, by falling to the ground before them: and how Tridetes King of Parthians worſhipped Nero. is to be read in Die Caſſius. Chriſts foes ſhall all bee made his footſtool.
Verſ. 10. The Kings of Tarſhiſh, and of the Iſles] i.e. All the Kings of the earth, which being encompaſſed with the Ocean, is therefore by the old Geographers called, a great Iſland. Judes, though part of the Con…i…at, is called, an Iſle, Iſa. 20.6. becauſe ſeparated from other Countries: with whom God would have his people to have as little to do as might be that they might not be corrupted with forein faſhion. This was a … in Salomon See 1 King. 4.21. 24 & chap. 10.25. perfectly it is, and ſhall be in Chriſt; De … of the Chriſt a certain ſaith Kimchi; all the Kingdom of the earth ſhall one day but his Kingdoms: he ſhall be the … and be alone.
Ver. 11. … King …
Verſ. 12. For … If the people complained of] See on verſ. 9. If the people complained of Salomon …, and … yoke … as by thy Father, it was but of a ſinful …, ſaith … people … know when they are well, but quarrelling at, and complaining of the preſent Government; you even … Chriſts … yoke, and light burden, as if importable.
Verſ. 13. He ſhall ſpare the poor an … ] Hereby David ſheweth his Son and all his Succeſſours, Qua… debent …, what manner of man a King ought to be. Regiment without Righteouſneſs turneth into tyranny: it is but Robbery with authority. O. Scipio Naſtra, for his good Government was … med Optimus by the Senate, and had an houſe gived him at the P…lick charge; in … ſaira, that the poor might repair to him.
Verſ. 14. He ſhall redeem their ſoul from decent and violence] Thoſe two noted Engines of all miſchief to the poor, viz. privy deceit (Ufury, the Septuagint and Vulgar render it) and open violence, foreign fraud and force, craft and cruelty.
And precious ſhall their bloud be in his ſight] He ſhall be very tender of their lives, that they bee not cauſeleſly caſt away; either in times of Peace or War. Precious alſo in the ſight of the Lord Chriſt, is the death of his …, his Martyrs, Pſal. 116 15.
Verſ. 15. And he ſhall live] The King ſhall, according to the poor mans prayer when releeved, or the poor ſhall, and the King ſhall give him gold brought from Sheon, or … the happy. Whereupon
Prayer ſhall be … &c.] By the poor for him, or though … applying it to Chriſt) and for the increaſe of his Kingdom, and for his coming.
Verſ. 16. There ſhall be an handful of Corn, …amp;c.] … The batr… mountain ſhall yeeld Corn abundantly, and alſo by handfuls: as … in thoſe ſeven years of plenty, Gen. 41.47.
The fruit thereof ſhall … ] The Corn ſhall … and …, like the Trees in Lebanon, ſhaken by the Wind.
And they of the city ſhall flouriſh] Men alſo increaſe and multiply. Jerem. 31.27. to a very great number, as piles of Graſs Chriſts subjects ſhall.
Verſ. 17. … for ever] i. e. His Kingdom, for it ſhall not bee nomen inane. Other Kingdoms have their times, and their turns, their riſe, and their ruines; not ſo Chriſts, and this is great comfort.
His name ſhall be continued] Fil… nomini … it ſhall be begotten as one Generation is begotten of another. Heb. His name ſhall be childed; that is, ſo continued as Families are continued; there ſhall bee a conſtant ſucceſſion of Chriſts Name to the end of the World there will ſtill be Chriſtians who are his Children. Heb. 2.13, 14. The old Hebrews tell us, that J…nn…n (the Hebrew word …ere uſed) is one of Chriſts Names:
And men ſhall be bleſſed in him] Or, they ſhall bleſs themſelves in him, viz. in Salomon, but eſpecially in Chriſt of whom Salomon was but a ſhadow.
All Nations ſhall call him bleſſed] If all Generations ſhall call the Mother of Chriſt bleſſed, Luke 3.48. how much were Chriſt himſelf:
Verſ.Sunt verba leribae, ut hodit, Aben-Ezra, ex R. Jehudah. 18. Bleſſed be the Lord God] …, theſe are the words of the Pſalmiſt ſay the Rabines, bleſſing God, who had given Le…gneph church, ſtrength to him fainting to finiſh the Second Book of the Pſalms as he had done the Firſst or rather praiſing God for all the … the Lord Chriſt.
Verſ. 19. And bleſſed …; ſo unſatisfiable, and unweareable are the … a Chriſt, And … God expecteth that … by all his, at all …
Verſ. 20. The Prayer …