Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 144
PSAL. CXLIV.
A Pſalm of David] The Greek addeth, Againſt Goliah: And the Chaldee for the hurtfull ſword, verſ. 10. hath Goliahs ſword.
Bleſſed bee the Lord my ſtrength] See Pſal. 18.1. and obſerve how this Pſalm ſuiteth with that.
Which teacheth my hands] Uſed to the hook and harp, and not to the ſword and ſpear: but God hath apted and abled them to feats of armes, and war-like exploits. It is God that giveth skill and ſucceſs, ſaith Solomon, Prov. 8. wiſdome and ability, ſaith Daniel, chap. 2. And as in the ſpirituall warfare, ſo here, our weapons are mighty through God, 2 Cor. 10.4. who promiſeth that no weapon formed againſt his people ſhall proſper, Iſa. 54.17.
Verſ. Genebr.2 My goodneſs and my fortreſs] See Pſal. 18.2. with the Notes, His epithet is & elogiis eblanditur Deum, foreign. Thucyd.ſaith an Interpreter.
Who ſubdueth my people under mee] This is the work of God and not of Kingcraft, to make men good ſubjects, who are naturally diſcontented at the preſent government, bee it never ſo good, and apt to rebell.
Verſ. 3 Lord, what is man?] What am I that thou ſhouldeſt do all this for mee? or, what is the ſtrongeſt man alive, when ſuch a Giant as Goliah ſo ſuddenly and eaſily is ſlain by mee?
That thou makeſt account of him?] Tantus tantillos, & tales ſaith a Father.
Verſ. 4 Man is like to vanity] See Pſal. 39.6. & 62.9. Adam Abelo compar eſt, Adam is Abels mate.
His dayes are as a ſhadow] Which is a meer privation, and hath no ſubſiſtence at all.
Verſ. foreign.5 Bow thy Heavens, O Lord] Come to my help ſuddainly and ſeaſonably, as it were out of an Engine.
Touch the Mountains] Theſe high and haughty enemies of mine, do thou but lightly routh them, and it ſhall ſuffice; they ſhall ſoon burn, and bee turned into ſmoke as the mountains that are thunder-ſtruck.
Verſ. 6 Caſt forth lightening and ſcatter them] All this was done according to Davids deſire, Pſal. 18.13, 14. God ſometimes anſwereth his ſuitors, ad cardinem deſ…d…ri…: and ſaith unto them, Bee it unto you even as yee will. This is a wonderfull condeſcenſion.
Verſ. 7 S…d thine hand from above] Heb. Hands. both hands, all thy whole power; for I need it.
Verſ. 8 Whoſe mouth ſpeaketh vanity] They keep touch no further than will ſerve their own turns.
And … ] No though they give their hands upon it that they will keep ….
Multis annis … tra…ſa…is,
Nulla fides est in pactis.
Verſ. 9 I will ſing a new ſong] Upon the receipt of any new mercy, like as in a lottery, at every new prize drawn, the trumpet ſoundeth.
Verſ. 10 It is hee that giveth ſalvation (or victory) to kings] Ferdinand, Balth. Ex…. Val. Max. Chriſtian. p. 516.King of Arragon, ſending his ſon againſt the Florentines, thus beſpake him: Victoria mihi crede, non hominum diſci…is aut induſtria camparatus, ſed Dei O. M. … arbitrio, De… igitur inprimis cole, in cum confide, a qua tum victorias … quae que provenire dubi… procul eſt, &c. Beleeve mee, ſon, victories are not gotten by art or induſtry; but given of God.
Who delivereth David his ſervant] All Kings are Gods ſervants for the common good of mankinde, ſaith Plutarch: but David by a ſpecialty.Plut. foreign.
From the hurtfull ſword] Of Goliah, ſaith the Chaldee; and of all his other enemies: for (as it was ſaid of Queen Elizabeth) hee ſwam to the Crown thorough a Sea of ſorrows, and might rather marvell that hee was, than muſe that hee ſhould not bee, were it not that Gods holy hand had protected him beyond expectation.
Verſ. 11 Rid mee and deliver mee] Hee repeateth his former petition, verſ. 7.8. for an utter riddance of thoſe ill members that ſtood in the way of Iſraels welfare; and broke off Davids new ſong or Pſalmody, verſ. 9.
Verſ. 12 That our ſons may bee as plants, &c.] As young plants, fair and flouriſhing.
That our Daughters may bee as corner ſtones, &c.] Tall and trim comely of perſon, and coſtly-arrayed; reſembling the poliſhed-pillars at Palace-gates. Tremellius rendreth the laſt words of this verſe, … ſtructura Templi, may bee the building of the Temple, that is, may bee ſuch living ſtones as may bee uſed to the building and poliſhing of Gods Church, that wee may altogether grow up to an holy Temple in the Lord, Epheſ. 2.21. & 4, 12, 13. For indeed what can better preſerve Jacob from confuſion, or his face from waxing pale, than to ſee his Children, the work of Gods hands, framed and fitted for Gods building. This maketh religious parents to …anctifie Gods name (as here) even to ſanctifie the holy one, and with ſingular incouragement, from the God of Iſrael, Iſa. 29.22, 23.
Verſ. 13 That our garners] Heb. Our co…ers; i. e. that every corner of our houſes may bee filled with precious and pleaſant riches.
That our ſheep] Faetoſae multiparae, mille cuplantes, myriadificantes.
Verſ. 14 Nor going out] viz. To incounter the enemy, or to bee led into captivity.
No complaining] No out cries but Harveſt-homes.
Verſ. 15 Happy is the people] That hath ſuch a confluence of outward comforts. In Hezekiahs dayes only it was ſo, ſay the Rabbines, peace, plenty, and poſterity. The Syriack rendreth it queſtion-wiſe, Is not the people happy that is in ſuch a caſe? No: not except they have God to boot: as if they have, they are happy howſoever, Deut. 33.29. … vita carnis anima est, ita beatitude hominis Deus, ſaith Auſtin.