Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 23
PSAL. XXIII.
VErſ. 1. The Lord is my Shepherd] This Pſalm may well be called Davids Bucolicon, or Paſtoral; ſo daintily hath he ſtruck upon the whole ſtring, through the whole Hymn. Eſt Pſalmus honorabilis, ſaith Aben-Ezra; it is a noble Pſalm, written and ſung by David; R. Kimchi. R. Solom.not when he fled into the Forreſt of Hareth, I Sam. 22.5. as ſome Hebrews will have it; but when as having overcome all his enemies, and ſetled his Kingdom, he enjoyed great peace and quiet, and had one foot as it were upon the battlements of Heaven.Leo. Modena The Jews at this day uſe for moſt part to repeat this Pſalm after they are ſate down to meat. God is often in Scripture called the Shepheard of his people, Pſal. 80.1. Ezek. 34.12, 14, 15. Iſa. 40.11. Joh. 10.11. 1 Pet. 2.25. although non eſt officium magis contemptibile quam opilionis, ſaith R. Joſ. Bar. Hamna. there is not a more contemptible office than that of a Shepheard. Every Shepheard was an abomination to the Aegyptians. But God diſdaineth not to feed his Flock, to guide, to govern, to defend them, to handle, and heal them, to tend, and take care of them; and all this he hath tied himſelf by Covenant to do, Ezek. 34.25. well therefore might David confidently conclude,
I ſhall not want] Non deficiam, indigebo, deſtituar. The wicked in the fulneſs of his ſufficiency is in ſtraits, Job 20.22. Tantalus-like, he is ever wanting: content he hath none. Contrarily, true piety brings true plenty, and a Saint is never to ſeek of wel-contenting ſufficiency, 1 Tim 6.6. for to him, Parva ſeges ſatis eſt. And he ſaith,
Diſcite quam parvo liceat producere vitam,
Et quantum natura petat, &c.Lucan, Pharſt lib. 4.
Verſ. 2. He maketh me to lye down in green paſtures] In folds of budding-graſs, where he feedeth me daily, and daintily, plentifully, and pleaſantly, as among the Lillies, Cant: 6.3. that is, amidſt the Ordinances (David here ſeemeth to reſemble powerful and flouriſhing Doctrine to green Paſtures, and the ſecret and ſweet comforts of the Sacraments to the ſtill waters) where I ſhall not need to bite on the bare ground, but may go in and out, and finde paſture, Joh. 10.9. ſuch as will breed life, and life in more abundance, Joh. 10.10. Iſa. 49.10. fat paſtures hee provideth, Ezek. 34.14. and fair Coates, or Coverts from the Suns heat, as the word here uſed may alſo be rendred. Confer Cant. 1.6. Virgil ſaith, it is the office of a good ſhepheard, Aeſtibus in mediis umbroſam exquirere vallem.
He leadeth me (Heb. Gently leadeth me) beſide the ſtill waters] Heb. waters of reſts, Ex quibus diligunt oves bibere, ſaith Kimchi, ſuch as ſheep love to drink of, becauſe voyd of danger, and yeelding a refreſhing air. Popiſh Clergy-men are called the inhabitants of the Sea, Rev. 12.12. becauſe they ſet abroach groſs, troubled,Brightman. brakiſh, and ſowriſh Doctrine, which rather bringeth barrenneſs to their Hearers, and gnaweth their entralls, than quencheth their thirſt, or cooleth their heat. The Doctrine of the Goſpel (like the waters of Sil…, Iſa. 8.6.) run gently, but taſte pleaſantly.
Lene fluit Nilus, fed cunct is amnibus extat
Ʋtilior.Claud.
Verſ. 3.De nat. Animal. lib. 9 He reſtoreth my Soul] He reduceth me, when like a loſt ſheep I have gone aſtray, Pſa. 119.176. A Sheep, ſaith Ariſtotle, is a fooliſh and ſluggiſh Creature. Et omenium quadrupedum ſtupidiſſimum, apteſt of any thing to wander, though it … no want, and unableſt to return. The Oxe knoweth his owner, and the Aſſe his Maſters crib. Swine in a ſtorm run home, and at night will make to the trough; But a ſheep can make no ſhift to ſave it ſelf from tempeſts or inundations; there it ſtands and will periſh, if not driven away by the ſhepheard. Loe ſuch a ſilly ſhiftleſſe thing is man left to himſelf. But bleſſed be God for a Chriſt that beſt of Shepheards, who reſtoreth the loſt ſoul, and maketh it to return into the right way, giving it reſt, and cauſing it to ſerve Him without fear in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, Luk. 1.74.
Hee leadeth mee in the paths of Righteouſneſs] Or, In plain ſmooth eaſie paths, or ſheep-tracks, wherein I may walk unweariably, unblameably, without ceſſation or ceſpitation. The wayes of ſin are craggy, crooked, full of errour, and terrour, leading to thoſe precipices that tend to deſtruction. From ſuch ſtand off, ſaith Chriſt to his ſheep, who are all rationall, and will bee ruled by him, Joh. 10.
For his Names ſake] i.e. Of his free grace, and for his meer mercy-ſake. Otherwiſe, hee would never do us any of theſe good offices, but let us alone to periſh in our own corruptions.
Verſ. 4. Yea though I walk thorow the valley of the ſhaddow of death] In the moſt dark and dangerous places, where there is Luctus ubique, pavor, & plurima mortis imago, thoſe dark places full of cruelty, Pſal. 74.20. where Wolves wait for mee. Though I walk (not ſtep) thorow (not croſſe) the valley (not a dark entry only) of the ſhaddow of death (the darkeſt ſide of it, death in its moſt hideous and horrid repreſentations) I will not fear; for I fear God, and have him by the hand; I muſt needs bee Tutus ſub umbra leonis, ſafe by his ſide, and under his ſafe-guard. It God be for us, who can be againſt us?
For thou art with mee] Hence my ſecurity; ſee a promiſe anſwerable to it, Joh. 10.28. Chriſt is not to loſe any of his ſheep, Joh. 17.12. Having therefore this Ark of Gods Covenant in our eyes, let us chearfully paſſe the waters of Jordan, to take poſſeſſion of the promiſed land. Cur timeat hominem homo, in ſinu Dei poſitus, ſaith a Father?
Thy rod and thy ſtaff] Hee purſueth the former Allegory; Shepheards, in driving their flocks, have a rod or wand in their hand, wherewith they now and then ſtrike them; and a ſtaff or ſheep-hook on their necks, wherewith they catch and rule them. Of Chriſts rods and ſtaves, ſee Zach. 11.7. &c. fooliſh Shepheards have only forcipes & mulctram, Zach. 11.15. R. Solomon, by rod here underſtandeth afflictions, by ſtaff ſupport under them, a good uſe and a good iſſue.
They comfort mee] Gods rod, like Aarons, bloſſometh; and like Jonathans, it hath hony at the end of it.
Verſ. 5. Thou prepareſt a table before] Here hee makes uſe of another Metaphor from a liberall feaſt-maker, or (as ſome will have it) from a moſt kind Father, making proviſion for his dearly beloved child; So did God for David, both in regard of temporalls and ſpiritualls. God had given him (as hee doth all his people) all things richly to injoy, all things needfull for life and godlineſſe, the upper and nether ſprings, the bleſſings of the right hand and of the leſt, bona throni, & bona ſcabelli, as Auſtin phraſeth it. Now outward proſperity when it followeth cloſe walking with God, is very ſweet; as the cipher when it followeth the figure addeth to the number, though it bee nothing in it ſelf. Davids Table was laden with Gods Creatures, and did even ſweat with variety of them. God had let down to him, as afterwards hee did to Peter, a veſſell with all manner of beaſts of the earth, and foules of the air in it, Act. 10.12. This he is very ſenſible of, and thankfull for, as a ſingular favour.
In the preſence of mine enemies] i.e. In fight and ſpite of them, hoſtibus videntibus & ringentibus. God doth good to his people maugre the malice of earth and of Hell.
Thou anointeſt my head with oyle] A peece of entertainment common in thoſe times, and amongſt that people, Luk. 7.36, 37, 38. to ſhew the greater reſpect to their gueſts. And although this is not every good mans caſe in temporall reſpects, yet at the Word and Sacraments God anointeth his gueſts with the Oyl of gladneſſe.
My cup runneth over] Hee had not only a fullneſſe of abundance, but of red…ndancy, Thoſe that have this happineſſe muſt carry their cup upright, and ſee that it overflow into their poor Brethrens emptier veſſe…s.
Verſ. 6. Surely goodneſſe and mercy, &c.] Vtique bonit as & beneficentia, Or, as Tremellius hath it, Nihil niſi bonum & benignitas, Nothing but goodneſſe and loving-kindneſs, &c. This is his good aſſurance of Gods favour for the future, grounded upon Gods promiſe; whereby hee was well aſſured that mercy ſhould follow him, though hee ſhould bee ſo fooliſh as to run from it; like as the Sun going down, followeth the paſſenger that goeth Eaſtward, with his beames.
And I will dwell, &c.] Devoted to his fear I will ſtick to him in life, in death, and after death. Apprehenſions of mercy in God, muſt work reſolutions of obedience in us.