Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 132 – Psalm 134
PSAL. CXXXII.
VErſ. 1 Lord, Remember David] Origen holdeth Solomon to have been pen-man of all theſe Songs of degrees, as hath been before noted. But as that is not …ly (ſee the titles of Pſal. 122. & 124. & 131.) ſo diverſe interpreters conceive this … bee his; becauſe much of it is the ſame with that prayer hee made at the dedication of the Temple, 2 Chron. 6.16, 41, 42. Here then hee prayeth God to remember David, that is (not his merits and ſuffrages, as the Monks would have it, but) the promiſes made unto him (for the which Solomon praiſed God as well as for the performance to himſelf, 2 Chron. 6.10.) and his ſingular ſollicitude about the houſe and worſhip of God,Ita ut do…mire non potuit. Kimchi. which was ſo great, as that it affected, yea afflicted his ſpirit; whence it followeth here, and all his afflictions; for which it is, 2 Chron. 6.42. the mercies or kindneſs of David.
Verſ. 2. How he ſware unto the Lord] Out of the abundance of his affection, 1 Chron. 29.3. See Pſal. 119.106. he ſolemnly took God to witneſs: and this he did, ſay the Rabbines, at that time when he ſaw the puniſhing Angel, and was terrified.
And vowed to the mighty God of Jacob] Jacob is mentioned, ſay the Hebrews, Quia primò vovit, Kimchi. Aben-Ezra.becauſe he firſt vowed to God, Gen. 28.20. whence he is called, Pater votorum, the Father of vows.
Verſ. 3. Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my houſe] i. e. Of my New-built houſe, 1 Chro. 15.1. 2 Sam. 1.2. Thoſe in Malachi were not ſo well-minded, chap. 1.4.
Verſ. 4. I will not give ſleep to mine eyes] viz. With any good content; or, more than needs muſt.
Verſ. 5. Until I finde out a place for the Lord] The Jew-Doctors tell us, that as the earth is in the middle of the world, ſo is Judea in the middle of the earth, Jeruſalem in the middle of Judea, the Temple in the middle of Jeruſalem, and the Ark in the middle of the Temple.
An habitation] Heb. Habitations: haply becauſe the Temple conſiſted of three parts, or partitions.
Verſ. 6. Lo we heard of it at Ephratae] At Bethlehem Ephrata, Davids Birth-place, there we heard of it long ſince by our Progenitours. Of it, that is, or the Ark, ſaith Chryſoſtom; Dicit …am in famin. i. e. divinam praeſentiam. R. Arama.of Gods reſting-place, ſaith Auſtin; of the place where Chriſt ſhould be born, ſaith Hierom; where the Temple ſhould be ſet, ſaith Aben-Ezra: where the Sbechinah, or divine preſence ſhould reſide, ſay other Rabbines.
We found it in the fields of the wood] At Jeruſalem, ſay ſome; or at Kiriath…earim, as others will have it. The Chaldee interpreteth it of the wood of Libanus, the place, ſaith he, where the Patriarchs worſhipped.
Verſ. 7. We will go into his Tabernacles] We will cheerfully and unanimouſly frequent his publick worſhips, in the place he hath pitched upon (called, his gates, and his Courts, Pſal. 100.4.) ſaying, as verſ. 8, 9, 10. foreign, follow God, was the old rule among the very Heathens.
We will worſhip at his footſtool] i.e. At his Ark, where hee uttered Oracles, and wrought miracles, &c. which yet was but his footſtool, to lift his people heaven-ward, Chriſt-ward, who was the truth of that type, the Ark, the Mercyſeat.
Verſ. 8. Ariſe O Lord into thy reſt] The place of thy reſt: for the Ark was tranſportative, till ſetled in Solomons Temple: ſo, till we come to Heaven, wee are in continual motion.
Thou and the Ark of thy ſtrength] The Ark in the Temple was the chiefeſt evidence of Gods preſence, and the moſt principal type of Chriſt, in whom the fulneſe of the Godhead dwelleth bodily. The word is Aron, which is put for a Coffin, Coffer, or Chest, Gen. 50.20. 2 King. 12.9. This ſheweth, that all the Counſels of God, all the love and favour of God, all that God accounteth precious, are treaſured up in Chriſt, Col. 2.3. & 1.13 Iſa. 42.1. Heb. 10.12.
Verſ. 9. Let thy Prieſts be cloathed with righteouſneſs] i. e. With Salvation, as verſ. 16. No ſurer ſign of Gods gracious preſence with a people, than a powerful Miniſtery, cloathed with inward purity and holineſs, repreſented by the holy Garments.
And let thy Saints ſhout for joy] i. e. Thoſe that are converted by ſuch a Miniſtery; let thoſe that are juſtified by faith have peace with God, and joy unſpeakable, full of glory.
Verſ. 10. For thy ſervant Davids ſake] For thy Covenants ſake made with him, and for thy Chriſts ſake, who is oft called David, as Hoſ. 3. ult. ſo for the Lords ſake, Dan. 9.17.
Turn not away the face of thine anointed] Of thy Chriſt: defer not his coming, or deny not my requeſt, as 1 King. 2.16, 17, 20.
Verſ. 11. The Lord hath ſworn in truth] The Eternity of Iſrael cannot lye, 1 Sam. 15.29. yet tendring our infirmity, he ſweareth and ſealeth to us.
Of the fruit of thy body] David was excellent at making the utmoſt of a Promiſe, at preſſing, and oppreſſing it, till he had expreſt the ſweetneſs out of it, Iſa. 66.11. See how hee improveth Gods Promiſe, and worketh upon it, 1 Chron. 17.23, 24, 25, 26. Solomon had learned to do the like.
Verſ. 12 If thy Children will keep my Covenant] Although Gods Covenant is free, yet is it delivered under certain conditions on our part to bee obſerved; which are as an Oar in a Boat, or Stern in a Ship, turning it this way or that, &c.
For ever more] For a long ſeaſon and Chriſt, for all eternity.
Verſ. 13 For the Lord hath choſen Zion] Hee choſe it for his love; and loved it for his choice.
Verſ. 14 This is my reſt for ever] It was ſo becauſe God was pleaſed to make it ſo; hee reſted in his love; hee would ſeek no further, Zeph. 3.17.
For I have deſired it] This alone made the difference, as it a ſo did betwixt Aarons rod, and the reſt that were laid with it.
Verſ. 15 I will abundantly bleſs her proviſion] Her ſtock and her ſtore;Vi…tico ejus affatim benedicam. T…em. ſo that ſhe ſhall not want neceſſaries, which yet ſhee ſhall hunt for (that is, labour for) as the Hebrew word importeth; and know how ſhee comes by; therefore it is added
I will ſatisfie her poor with bread] Dainties I will not promiſe them; a ſufficiency but not a ſuperfluity: poor they may be, but not deſtitute bread they ſhall have, and of that, Gods plenty, as they ſay; enough to bring them to their Fathers houſe, where is bread enough. Let not therefore the poor Iſraelite fear to bring his offerings, or to disfurniſh himſelf for Gods worſhip, &c.
Verſ. 16 I will alſo cloath her Prieſts, &c.] So that they ſhall ſave themſelves and thoſe that hear them, 1 Tim. 4.16 Thus God anſwereth his peoples prayers both for temporalls and ſpiritualls: See verſ. 9. and that with an overplus of comfort; they ſhall ſhout aloud.
Verſ. 17 There will make the horn of David to bud] A metaphor from thoſe living creatures, quorum ramoſa ſunt cornua which have ſnags in their heads (as Deer have) which are unto them in ſtead of boughs. For horn, ſome read beam of David, confer Luk. 1.78.
I have ordained a Lamp] i. e. A ſucceſſor (— cui lampada tradat) and that a glorious one at length, Chriſt, who is foreign Light eſſentiall, Joh. 12.46. Of Aſcanius the ſon of Aeneas, and likewiſe of Tullus Hoſtilius, it is ſtoried, that light flames were ſeen about their heads, when they lay in their cradles; and that thereby was foreſignified, that they ſhould bee Kings.
Verſ. 18 His enemies will I cloath with ſhame] Shame ſhall bee the promotion of all ſuch fools as ſet againſt Chriſt and his people: yea they ſhall bee cloathed with it; ſo that it ſhall bee conſpicuous to all men.
But upon himſelf ſhall his Crown flouriſh] His royall Diadem,Nezer. whereby hee is ſeparated and diſtinguiſhed from other men. Alexander dropt his Diadem once into the water, and becauſe hee who fet it out, put it on his own head whiles hee ſwam out with it, hee cut off his head. Our Edward the fourth hanged one for ſaying hee would make his Son owner of the Crown; though hee only meant his own houſe (having a Crown for the ſign) in Cheapſide.
PSAL. CXXXIII.
VErſ. 1 Behold how good and how pleaſant it is] This, David is thought to have ſaid to the people, when after eight years unnaturall war, they came together to Hebron, to anoint him King over all Iſrael, 2 Sam. 5. Behold; bee affected with that happineſs of yours which no tongue can utter. Accipe quod ſentitur antequam diſcitur, as Cyprian ſaith in another caſe.
How good and how pleaſant] Precious and profitable, ſweet and delectable, foreign, dainty and goodly, as Rev. 18.14. Communion of Saints is the next happineſs upon earth, to communion with God.
For Brethren] Whether by Place, Race, or Grace, which laſt is the ſtrongeſt tye; and ſhould cauſe ſuch an harmony of hearts as might reſemble that concord and concent that ſhall bee in Heaven.foreign. …thenaeus. … 3. The Th…bans in their armies had a band of men they called The holy Band; conſiſting of ſuch only as were joyned together in the bonds of love, as would live and dye together: theſe they made great account of, and eſteemed the ſtrength of their armies.
To dwell together] Heb. Even together, that is, even as God dwelleth with them, Pſal. 132. to bee kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, Rom. 12.10. to bee as thoſe Primitive Chriſtians were, Act. 2. of one heart, and of one ſoul. The number of two hath by the Heathens been accounted accurſed; becauſe it was the firſt that departed from Unity.
Verſ. 2 It is like the precious ointment] This ſimilitude ſetteth forth the pleaſure and amaenity of it; as the other (from the dew) the profit and commodity. — Sic miſcuit utile dulci. This ointment was moſt rich (as made up of the chiefeſt ſpices, Exod, 30.) and very fragrant, refreſhing the ſenſes, not of Aaron only, but of all about him;…al. 5. ſo doth Chriſtian unity and amity (that fruit of the Spirit) far beyond that common friendſhip ſo highly extolled by Cicero, and other Heathens; and is therefore here fitly compared to that Non-ſuch odoriferous ointment.
Upon the head, that ran down upon the beard] So the Spirit of grace, that oil of gladneſſe, Pſal. 45.7.) poured out abundantly, even to a redundancy, upon Chriſt the head, runneth down upon all the members of his body myſticall, even to the meaneſt, ſo that they have grace for grace.
Verſ. 3 As the dew of Hermon] Moiſteneth and maketh fertil the Country of Baſhan. Hermon is a very high hill ever covered with ſnow; whence ariſeth a perpetuall vapour, the originall and fountain of dew, to all Jury.
And as the dew that deſcended] The ſpirituall dew diſpenſed from God in Sion, where hee is ſincerely ſerved.
For there the Lord commanded the bleſſing] A powerfull expreſſion, highly commending brotherly love as a complexive bleſſing, and ſuch as accompanieth ſalvation.
PSAL. CXXXIV.
VErſ. 1 Behold, bleſs yee the Lord] This ſhort Pſalm (the laſt of the fifteen Graduals) is br…ve Sacerdotum ſpeculum, ſaith an Expoſitour; a mirrour for Miniſters, who are firſt excited by a Behold, as by the ſounding of a trumpet, or the ringing of a Sermon-bell: And ſecondly, exhorted to praiſe God, and to pray unto him; whereunto if wee adde their teaching of Jacob Gods Judgements, whereof Moſes mindeth them, Deut. 33.10. what more can bee required of Archippus, to the fulfilling of his miniſtry? and if hee bee ſlack, hee muſt bee told of it, Col. 4.17. yet with all due reſpect and reverence to his office, 1 Tim. 5.1. And it were fat better, if they would rouſe up themſelves with the wakefull Cock, and not keep ſleepy centry in the Sanctuary.
All yee Servants of the Lord] Yee Prieſts and Levites, who are Gods Servants, but of a more than ordinary alloy; ſervants of nobleſt imployment about him. Such are all faithfull Miniſters; each of them may ſay with Paul, Act. 27.23. whoſe I am, and whom I ſerve.
Which by night ſtand in the houſe of the Lord] Keeping watch and ward there in your turns, Num. 58.1, 2, &c. 1 Chron. 9.33. The Rabbins ſay, that the High-Prieſt only ſat in the Sanctuary (as did Eli, 1 Sam. 1.) the reſt ſtood; as ready preſt to do their office.
Verſ. 2 Lift up your hands in the Sanctuary] Or, Lift up holy hands, as 1 Tim. 2.8. One readeth it, out of the Hebrew; Lift up your hands, Sanctuary, that is, ye Sanctuary-men, continens pro contento Hearts and hands muſt both up to Heaven, Lam. 3.41. and God bee glorified both with ſpirits and bodies, which are the Lords, 1 Cor. 6.20.
And bleſs the Lord] Like ſo many earth'y Angels; and as if yee were in Heaven already, ſay
Verſ. 3 The Lord that made Heaven and Earth] And therefore hath the bleſſings of both lives in his hand to beſtow. See Num. 6.24.
Bleſs thee out of Zion] They are bleſſings indeed that come out of Zion; choice, peculiar bleſſings even above any that come out of Heaven and Earth. Compare Pſal. 128.5. and the promiſe, Exod. 20.24. In all places where I put the memory or my name, I will come unto thee and bleſs thee.