Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 109
PSAL. CIX.
A Pſalm of David] Written by him, uſque ad… terribili & b…rrifica eratiom, ſaith Be…, in ſuch terrible terms, as the like in not tobe found in holy Scripture; wherefore it is to be read and uſed with very great judgement, and not as thoſe miſc…ants of whom Faber writeth, Quod more magic… clam … bunc Pſalmam per … exectation is in torum beſtes, that after a conjuring faſhion they muttered out this Pſalm, by way of curſe upon their enemies.
Verſ. 1. Hold not thy peace] But plead my cauſe, clear mine innocency.
O God of my praiſe] The object of my praiſes, or thou that keepeſt up my credit, as a witneſs, judge, and avenger of mine integrity.
Verſ. 2. For the mouth of the wicked] There is nothing more eaſie, than to wag a wicked tongue.
They have ſpoken againſt me with a lying tongue] But with ſo much impudence, as if it were a very truth. Socrates in his Apologie, My Lords, ſaid he to the Judges, I know not how you have been affected with mine accuſers eloquence, while you heard them ſpeak: For mine own part, I aſſure you, that I, whom it toucheth moſt, was almoſt drawn to beleeve that all they ſaid, though againſt my ſelf, was true, when they ſca…oe uttered one word of truth.
Verſ 3. They compaſſed me about alſo, &c.] So that I could not find out any way to clear my ſelf, though never ſo innocent.
And fought againſt me] So they ſmote Jeremy with the tongue, and our Saviour ſuffered the contradiction of ſinners, Heb. 12.
Verſ. 4. For my lave they are mine adverſaries] Heb. They Satanico By hate me. To render evil for evil is brutiſh, but to render evil for good, is devilliſh.
But I give my ſelf to prayer] Heb. But I am prayer, or, a man of prayer, as Pſal. 120.7. But I am peace. So, being defamed we pray, I Cor. 4.12. When out Saviour was wearied out with the Peoples obſtinacy, he turns him to God by prayer, Mat. 11.26. and prayed for his Crucifiers, Mat. 27. Send me to my Toads again (in the Dungeon) where I may pray for your Lordſhips converſion, ſaid Saunders the Martyr to Wincheſter.
Verſ 5. And they have rewarded me] See verſ. 4. Flectere naturam gratia nulla poteſt.
Verſ. 6. Set thou a wicked man ever him] Whoſe tender mercies may be cruelties: let the Devil be his Task-maſter. Thus he prayeth againſt Doeg, or Ahitophel, but certainly Judas, Act. 1.20. And ſo the primitive Chriſtians prayed againſt Julian the Apoſtate, and afterward againſt Arius the heretick, whoſe death was precationis opus non morbi, Lib. 1. cap. 15.the effect of prayer, rather than of his diſeaſe, ſaith Socrates. We are bound to pray daily, Thy Kingdome come, but muſt be adviſed how we pray, as David here doth, againſt particular perſons: His curſes here and elſewhere are indefinite, or conditional; either he nameth not the man, or intendeth it, if God intend it ſo, or they are non tam vota quam vaticinia, not ſo much prayers as prophecies.
And let Satan (or an Adverſary) ſtand at his right hand] To withſtand him, and get the better of him, as Zach. 3.1. Or, to aggravate his fault before an unjuſt Judge.
Verſ. 7. When he ſhall be judged] Let him him be caſt in all his Sutes, cauſa excidat.
And let his prayer become ſin] Quet opud judicem pre…es adhibebit tot fibi mulctas accerſat: If he beg favour of the Judge, let it be the worſe for him, as it befel Haman, Eſt. 7.7, 8.
Verſ. 8. Let his dayes be few] Let his execution be haſtened, as Hamans was. Ahitophel, and Judas were their own deaths-men. Doeg doubtleſs come to an ill end; and ſo did other perſecutors. See the book of Martyrs.
And let another take his office] Praefecturam. Officers are oft-times the Churches chiefeſt enemies; Popiſh Biſhops, eſpecially, as here in Q. Maries dayes. Judas was guide to thoſe that took Jeſus, Act. 1.16.20.
Verſ. 9. Let his children be fatherleſs] Helpleſs and ſhiftleſs. A ſore vexation to many on their death-beds, and juſt enough upon graetleſi perſecutors. But happy are they who when they lye a dying, can ſay as Luther did, Domine Dous gratias age tibi quod v… lueris me eſſe pauperem, & mendicum, &c. Lord God, I thank thee for my preſent poverty, but ſuture hopes. I have not an houſe, lands, poſſeſſions, monies, to leave behind me. Thou haſt given me wiſe and children, behold I return them back to thee, and beſeech th…e to nouriſh them, keep them ſafe, as hither…o thou haſ… done me, O thou Father of the … judge of ….
Verſ. 10. Let his children be … ] Let them w…ndring w…nder, … Gen. 4.12. Cains curſe. Let them rogue about,— & timedâ voce ragare cibet. This is many times a token of Gods wrath.
Out of their deſolate places] Or, for that their places are deſolate, and will afford them no ſuccour.
Verſ. 11. Let the extortioner catch all that he hath] As it were in nets and ſnares, that is in bonds, debts, morgages; So Chryſoſtome expoundeth, Pſal. 10.9. Et ipſum & omars ejus facultates inexplicabilibus ſasis laqueis immitas foeneratores irretiant, let the mercileſs uſurer make a prey of him and his eſtate.
And let the ſtranger, &c.] Who hath no right to it, and will ſhew as little mercy. The Chaldee here hath it, Colligat fiſcus omnia quae ipſius ſunt. And Quae non capit Chriſtus, rapit fiſous, ſaith Bernard.
Verſ. 12. Let there be none to extend mercy to him] Let God in his juſtice ſet off all hearts from him, that had been ſo unreaſonably mercileſs. Thus no man opened his mouth to intercede for Haman; Judas was ſhaken off by the Prieſts, and bid ſee to himſelf, &c.
Neither let there be any to favour his fatherleſs] Pupillis puſillis. Let there be none to plead their Pupils cauſe againſt the griping extortioner, or the ſtranger that violently invadeth their right.
Verſ. 13. Let his poſterity be cut off] Sit ejus exitus excidium, ſo ſome render it, Let his end be deſtruction, but it is better to take it, as we tranſlate, Let his posterity, &c. Let them be razed and rooted out of remembrance, they and their whole race.
Let their name be blotted out] That they may not live, ſo much as by ſame. The Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, have no memorial but what they have in the Bible, and that is for no good. And the like may be ſaid of Meroz, Judg. 5.23. which ſeemeth to have been ſome City near the place where the battel was fought; but what it was none can determine, ſith there is no mention elſwhere to be found of it, which ſeemeth to be an effect of that bitter curſe pronounced againſt it. See Prov. 10.7.
Verſ. 14: Let the iniquity of his fathers, &c.] In whoſe ſinful ſteps he treadeth, be charged upon him.
And let not the ſin of his mother] Who bred him no better, but cockered him in wicked courſes, and gave him no good example, Partus fer e ſequitur ventrem.
Verſ. 15. Let them be before the Lord] Stand ever upon record in his preſence, to provoke him to wrath. A heavy curſe indeed.
Verſ. 16. Becauſe that he remembred not to ſhow mercy] Here the Prophet beginneth to ſhew why he uſeth ſuch doleful imprecations againſt his enemies, viz. not out of a ſpirit of revenge, or a falſe zeal, but as truly ſeeking Gods glory, and his Churches ſafety, which could not other wiſe be procured, unleſs theſe mercileſs men were devoted to deſtruction. He remembred not, that is, de industria oblitus eſt & omiſit, he forgot and neglected it for the nonce.
Verſ. 17. At he loved curſing, &c.] The back-ſlider in heart ſhall he filled with his own Wayes, Prov. 14.14. Curſing men are curſed men, as were eaſie to inſtance in ſundry, as Hacket hanged in Q. Elizabeths Reign, and Sir Jervaſe Ellowaies Lieutenant of the Tower in K. James his dayes, according to their own wiſhes. See Mr. Clarks Mirror, p. 210 &c. The Jews are ſtill great curſers of Chriſtians, they ſhut up their daily prayers with Maledic Domine Nazaraek, and how it cometh home to them who knoweth not, even wrath to the utmoſt, I Theſſ. 2.16?
Verſ. 18. As he cloathed himſelf with curſing as with his garment] Ut veſtis commenſ…rata corpori, as the inner garment that ſticks cloſeſt to the body, and is not done off, but with much ado, as he hath wrapped, and truſſed up himſelf in curſing.
So let in come into his bowels like water] Let him have his belly full of it, and his bones full too.
And like ey!] Which eaſily ſoaketh through. See Nam. 5.22.
Verſ. 19. Let it be unto him as a garment] Not as an inner, but outer garment alſo,Actio & merces. that men may ſee and ſay, This it an accurſed perſon; the viſible vengeance of God purſueth him.
Verſ. 20. Let this be the reward] Opus vel Oper a precium. The ſame Hebrew word ſignifieth Work and Wages, Job 7.2. Iſa. 49.4. perſecutors ſhall be ſure of their payment.
Verſ. 21. But do thou for me] Fas mecum, ſis mibi à latere, ſtick to me, act on my behalf, and for my behoof.
Verſ. 22. For I am poor and needy] As a Lazar ſheweth his ulcers to move pity; ſo doth David his indigency, and aylements.
And my heart is wounden] I have mine inward troubles alſo; or I am cordiciſus vulneratus, almoſt dead, animam age.
Verſ. 23. I am gone like the ſhadow] Abii, perii, evenui, I vaniſh as the long ſhadows do, ſo ſoon as the Sun ſetteth.
As the Locuſt] Leapeth from hedge to hedge, ſo do I from place to place, being toſſed from poſt to pillar, foreign I Cor. 4.
Verſ. 24. My knees are weak through fasting] Either for lack of meat, or ſtomach to it; genua la…am, my knees buckle under me, the ſtrong men bow themſelves, Eccleſ. 12.3.
My fleſh faileth of fatneſs] I am lean and low brought. Chriſt might well cry out, My …a…eſs, my leanneſs; ſo buſie he was for his Father, and ſo worn out, that they judged him well nigh fifty, when he was not much above thirty, Job. 8.57.
Verſ. 25. I become alſo a reproach] In reſpect of my leanneſs.
They ſhaked their beads] This is threatned as a curſe, Deut. 28. but may befall the beſt, as it did our Saviour, Pſal. 22. Mat. 27.
Verſ. 26. Help me, O Lord] Prayer, like thoſe arrows of deliverance, muſt be multiplied, as out trouble is lengthned and lyeth on.
Verſ. 27. That they may know] That I am delivered meerly by thy preſence and power. It is the ingenuity of the Saints, in all their deſired, or expected mercies to ſtudy Gods ends more than their own.
Verſ. 28. Let them curſe, but bleſs thou] Yea the rather, as a Sam. 16.12. and I wot well that thoſe whom thou bleſſeſt ſhall be bleſſed, as Iſaac once ſaid of his ſon Jacob, Gen. 27.33.
When they ariſe] To plead their own cauſe, couſa extidant.
Verſ. 29. As with a mantle] Sicut diploide, ſaith the Vulgar, as with a doublet, q.d. Let them be double aſhamed; for which purpoſe alſo he here doubleth his prayer.
Verſ. 30. I will greatly praiſe the Lord] Diligenter & impenſe, Gods bleſſings are binders; and great deliverances call for ſuitable praiſes, the neglect hereof is crimen ſtellionatus, couſenage.
Verſ. 31. For he ſhall ſtand at the right hand] As a ſaithful and powerful (foreign ſive foreign) Champion, and not as Satan ſtandeth at the perſecutors right hand, verſ. 6.
From thoſe that condemn him] Heb. From the judges of his ſoul, ſc. Saul, and his Courtiers, who judged him worthy of death.