Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 12
PSAL. XII.
VErſ. 1. Help Lord] 'Twas high time to call to Heaven for help, when Saul cried, Go kill me up the Prieſts of Jehovah (the occaſion as it is thought of making this Pſalm) and therein committed the Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, as ſome grave Divines are of opinion, 1 Sam. 22.17 David after many ſad thoughts about that ſlaughter, and the occaſion of it, Doegs malicious information; together with the paucity of his faſt Friends, and the multitude of his ſworn Enemies at Court, breaks forth abruptly into theſe words, Help Lord, help at a dead lift. The Arabick verſion hath it, Deliver me by main force, as with Weapons of War, for the Lord is a Man of War, Exod. 15.3.
For the godly man ceaſeth] Heb. The merciful man, who having obtained mercy from thee, would ſhew me mercy, and defend mine innocency; ſuch as theſe are baniſhed the Court, which is now poſſeſſed by Paraſites and Sycophants.
For the faithful fail] Veraces, the true and truſty ones, ſuch as a man may ſafely confide in; theſe are rare Birds. See Mic. 7.1, 2, 3, &c. with the Notes there, When the Son of Man cometh, ſhall be finde faith (in this ſence alſo) in the earth? Luke 18. Hard and ſcarce. When Varus was ſlain Auguſtus complained that now he had none left, that would deal plainly and faithfully with him; Lewis the Eleventh of France would ſay, that he had plenty of all things but of one. And being asked of what? Of Truth, quoth he. Aurelian the Emperour was bought and ſold by his Counſellours, for he might know nothing, but as they informed him. David complaineth of Saul, that he was too too apt to hearken to every claw-back tell-tale, 1 Sam. 24.9. & 26.19. ſo that he could have no fair dealing.
Verſ. 2. They ſpeak vanity every one with his neighbour] They ſpeak falſly and fraudulently, and therein have an Art, as Jer. 9.4, 5. ſuch as the Devil hath taught them.
With flattering lips] Blandientibus, vel dividentibus. The Syriack verſion hath it, with dividing lips, ſuch as ſeparate very friends.
With a double heart do they ſpeak] Heb. With an heart and a heart. So Horace ſaith of Ulyſſes.
Curſus duplicis per mare Ulyſſei.
The Prophet here meaneth that they had one heart in their body, and another in their mouth,Od. 6. Animus verſutulus … verſatilis. being deſperate diſſemblers, ſuch as the French are ſaid to be. Thoſe men of Zebulon were none ſuch, 1 Chro. 12.33.
Verſ. 3. The Lord ſhall cut off all flattering lips] as a rotten member is cut off from the body — Ne pars ſincera trahatur; or as a barren tree is ſtocked up, that it cumber not the ground. There is a wonderful ſympathy between Princes and Paraſites, whoſe ſong is, Mihiplacet, quicquid Regi placet; and whoſe practice is to ſpeak ſuavia potius quam ſana, ſweet, rather than ſound things. But God will cut off ſuch lips (taking notice of the offending member) as hee dealt by Doeg, Ahitophel, Shebna, Shemaiah the Nehelamite, Jer. 29.32.Hen. Steph. … pol…pro Mero and as it were to be wiſhed that Chriſtian Princes would do, ſerving them all as the Theſſalians did that City in Greece called foreign, or flattery, which they deſtroyed and pulled down to the ground.
And the Tongue that ſpeaketh proud things] Magnifica, bubbles of words, bluſtering ſpeeches, breathing out nothing but arrogance, and contempt of God and his people. Theſe grandilsqui muſt one day anſwer for their hard ſpeeches with flames about their ears, whatever they meet with in the mean while, as did Neſtorius, Tho. Arundel, Stephen Gardiner, and others, plagued here in their tongues, thoſe little Members that had boaſted ſogreat things, Jam. 3.
Verſ. 4. Who have ſaid, with our tongues will wee prevail) Dictitant enim, this was a common word with them; And ſurely the tongue is a deſperate weapon, made in the form a flaming ſword, and elſewhere by David compared to a Tuck or Rapier, Pſal. 42. to a raſor alſo doing deceit, Pſal. 52. The Chalde Paraphraſt hath this Text thus, Becauſe wee can ſwear and lie, therefore wee ſhall prevail.
Our lips are our own] Heb. are with us, that is, wee have the command of our tongues, and have words at will; wee can ſpeak perſwaſively, and therefore wee doubt not to perſwade Saul to any thing againſt David. Socrates in his Apology, My Lords ſaid he to the Judges; I know not how you have been affected with mine adverſaries 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 ſcarcely uttered one word of truth. Caim Curio the Roman was ingenioſe nequam, wittily wicked;Patercul… and the Duke of Backingham in his ſpeech to the Londoners, for Rich. 3. gained this (though ſlender) commendation, that no man could deliver ſo much bad matter in ſo good words, and quaint phraſes.
Who is Lord over us?] ſc. to hinder us from ſpeaking what and when we liſt with fineneſſe and eloquence; though to the ſlaying of three at once, the tale-bearer, the tale-hearer, and the party traduced. R. Samuel Ben. Jochai hath this note upon the Text; A ſlanderous tongue is called Laſhon Tabithat, becauſe it ſlayeth three;Lingus … but here it ſlew four, viz. Doeg, Saul, Nob the City of the Prieſts, and Abner, who ſuffered it ſo to be, 1. Sam. 22.
Verſ. 5. For the oppreſſion of the poor] whoſe very oppreſſion (though they complain not) hath a voice and God will hear it, for he is gracious, Exod. 22.27. Hee heard Hagars affliction, though ſhe ſaid nothing, Gen. 16.11. hee heareth the young Ravens that cry unto him by implication only.
For the ſighing of the needy] If it bee but their breathing, Lens. 3.56. God can feel it, but the ſighs of his people are effectuall orators, Exod. 2.23, 24, 25. & 3.7. and their tears he puts in a bottle, Pſal. 56.9.
Now will I ariſe] ſc. in the nick of time, when all ſeems to be loſt. Mans extremity is Gods opportunity. Cum duplicarenter lateres, venit Moſes, ſee Iſa. 33.10. Now, Now, Now.
Saith the Lord] Dixit mihi per Prophetiam, Iſa. 22.14.
From him that puffeth at him] That defyeth him, and thinks hee can blow him away at a blaſt; but if God ariſe onelyonly, his enemies ſhall bee ſcattered;R. David. as Thiſtledown is by a puff of wind, Pſa. 68.1. Some render the Text, Hee will puff at him, that is, the oppreſſed will now dare to ſpeak freely, who before durſt not mute.
Verſ. 6. The words of the Lord are pure words] free from all inſincerity or falſhood; and not like thoſe of Sauls flatterers, vile and vitious. All Gods promiſes are infallible, and ſuch as a man may write upon, as they ſay; They are yea and Amen, 2 Cor. 1.20. that is, Truth and aſſurance. God hath hitherto kept promiſe with nights and dayes, that they ſhall one ſucceed another, Jerem. 33.20, 25. therefore much more will he keep promiſe with his people.
As ſilver tryed in a Furnace] In a ſublimatory or crucible. The Greeks call it foreign St. Peters word, … Ep. 1.7.
Purified ſeven times] that is, ſufficiently. Alchimie-gold as it will not paſſe the ſeventh fire, ſo it doth not comfort the heart, as true gold will.
Verſ. 7. Thou ſhalt keep them] that is, Verba praedicta, the forementioned words or promiſes, ſaith Aben-Ezra. Or, keep thou them (prayerwiſe,) and ſo David puts Gods promiſes in ſuit. A certain good man having all taken from him, and his Wife deſiring to know how hee and his Family ſhould live? He anſwered, hee would now put his Bond in ſute; that is, he would urge God with his Promiſes.
Thou ſhalt preſerve them] Heb. Him, that is, every one of them, viz. the poor and needy, amongſt whom David reckons himſelf, which ſhews his humility.
From this Generation] So they are called for their multitude, in oppoſition to thoſe few faithful ones, verſ. 1. An evil and adulterous Generation they were, a Baſtardly brood, as Mat. 12.39. Omne tempus feret Clodios, Catones non omne feret, ſaith Seneca.
Verſ. 8. The wicked walk on every ſide] In circuitu, ſaith the Vulgar; the circular Motion is moſt ſubtle, the Devil walketh the round to do miſchief; but better render it circumqua que on every ſide, to ſhew their numbers and their inſolencies; all places are full of them, ſuch duſt-heaps are found in every corner; when as the godly are as the ſalt of the earth, ſprinkled here and there (as Salt uſeth to be) to keep the reſt from putrifying.
When the vileſt men are exalted] Heb. Vilities, the abſtract for the concrete, quiſquiliae, foreign. Oft, empty Veſſels ſwim aloft, rotten Poſts are gilt with adulterate Gold, the worſt weeds ſpring up braveſt. Chaff will get to the top of the Fan; when good Corn, as it lieth at the bottom of the heap, ſo it falls low at the feet of the Fanner. The reaſon why wicked men walk on every ſide, are ſo brisk, ſo buſie, and who but they? is given in to be this, becauſe Loſels and Rioters were exalted. See Prov. 28.12.18. & 29.2. As Rhewms and Catarrhes fall from the Head to the Lungs, and cauſe a Conſumption of the whole body; ſo it is in the Body Politick. As a Fiſh putrifies firſt in the head, and then in all the parts: So here. Some render the Text thus, When they (that is the wicked) are exalted, it is a ſhame for the Sons of men, that other men, who better deſerve preferment, are not only ſlighted, but vilely handled by ſuch worthleſs Ambitioniſts; who yet the higher they climbe, as Apes, the more they diſcover their deformities.