Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 28
PSAL. XXVIII.
Verſ. 1. Unto thee will I cry O Lord my Rock] That thou mayeſt grant mee what I begged ſo earneſtly of thee in the former Pſalm eſpecially, verſ. 4. One thing have I deſired of the Lord, that I will ſeek after, &c. For this Pſalm is of the ſame ſubject with that; and ſeemeth to have been made much about the ſame time; viz. after that David had twice ſpared Sauls life, 1 Sam. 24.4, 5, 6, &c. & 26.12, 21. Only here he expreſſeth himſelf, not as if hee had been a private perſon, and in daily danger of his life; but as deſtined and deſigned to the Kingdome by Almighty God, to whom therefore hee prayeth for himſelf and the people, and againſt their inplacable enemies, with ſo great confidence, as that he preſently praiſeth him for his requeſt obtained, verſ. 6.
Bee not ſilent to mee] Ceaſe not, as deaf, from mee. If God ſeem to be deaf to us, wee muſt cry the louder; that having prepared our hearts by ſuch a ſeeming ſilence, hee may cauſe his ears to hear, Pſal. 10.17. which he will not fail to do, when once wee ſet up our note, and make bitter moan.
Leſt if thou bee ſilent, &c.] Here are his reaſons to help his hope to bee heard. God is well pleaſed that wee argue it out with him in prayer.
Like them that go down into the Pit] Or, dirty dungeon, that is, the grave; or, as Kimchi, lest I bee as the wicked, that go down to Hell. The Righteous periſheth, Iſa. 57.1. that is, the World looks upon them as loſt.
Verſ. 2. When I lift up my hand] An ordinary geſture in prayer; expreſſing faith (for they held out their open hands, as craving beggars with the Palmes upward, 1 King. 8.22.) and helping fervency; whilſt hands and heart went up together to God in the heavens,Tertul. Lam. 3.40. Preces fundimns, colum …, miſericordi… …, &c.
Toward thy holy Ona… ] Called Debbir, becauſe there-hence God ſpake and gave anſwer, Toward this (a…ype of Chrift, the Word eſſentiall) David lifteth up his hands that it might bee as a Ladder, whereby his prayer might get up to Heaven.Hered. Clio. The Devill alſo (who delighteth to be Gods ape, but for mans miſchief) gave or and c…at. … and elſwhere; but foreign & … doubtfull and lying; as to Croeſus, Pyrrbus, others. But the eternity of Iſrael cannot lye, 1 Sam. 15. every word of God is pure, hee is a ſhield to them that put their truſt in him, Prov. 30.5.
Verſ. 3. Draw mee not away with the wicked] Who ſeek to draw mee away from my ſetled purpoſe of attending upon thee foreign, 1 Cor. 7.35. and are therefore likely to be drawn away by thee to Execution, as Malefactors are drawn, hanged and quartered (there wanteth but a hurdle, a horſe, and a halter, ſaid Belknapp to do mee right) as Siſera was drawn by God to the River Kiſhon to be ruined,Sen. Judg. 4.7. Ducunt volentem fata, nolentem trahunt.
Which ſpeak peace to their Neighbours, but miſchief is in their hearts] Saul and his Courtiers are here noted.Perſ.
Aſtutam vapido ſervantes pectore vulpem.
The Florentine Secretary (Machiavell) was not born of many years after; but the Devill was as great a Maſter then as afterwards; and David oft complaineth of it.
Verſ. 4. Give them according to their deeds] God loveth to retaliate; and David out of a publick and prophetick ſpirit (not from private revenge, or troubled affectious) taketh thus upon him to imprecate,
And according to the wickedneſſe of their endeavours] They were therefore old habituated irreclaimable ſinners whom he thus curſed, And againſt ſuch, this and ſuch like imprecations are ſtill in force.
Give them after the works of their hands] Becauſe they regard not the works of thine hands, Verſ. 5. Par pari, ſaith Aben-Ezra here.
Verſ. 5. Becauſe they regard not the works of the Lord] that is, ſaith Kimchi, the worſhip of God they care not for; but follow the vanities of the World. Or, the works of God in heaven and earth; the conſideration whereof is a part of Gods worſhip. Or, they regard not the works of the Lord, that is, the firſt making: nor The operation of his hands] that is, the preſent diſpoſing of his Creatures, either by way of mercy, or judgement, whereof theſe brutiſh perſons make no obſervation at all, Pſa. 92.5, 6, 7. Iſa. 5.12. particularly they neither regard my preſent affliction, Amos 6.6. nor beleeve my future exaltation to the Throne, as God hath promiſed mee; but oppoſe it all they can; and would gladly prevent it, which yet they cannot, but will bee found fighters againſt God.
Hee ſhall deſtroy them, and not build them up] Deſtroy them in this World, and not build them up in the World to come, ſay the Rabbines. Or, as others, he ſhall break them down, as men do old rotten ruinous houſes,Jun. and never more repair or rebuild them. Non poteſt Deus non perdere judicuis ſuis, qui non crudiuntur documentis. They that will not be ruled, ſhall bee ruined. See 1 Sam. 2.25.
Verſ. 6. Bleſſed bee the Lord, becauſe hee hath beard, &c.] God will one day turn the prayers of his people into praiſes. David Verſ. 1. had ſaid, Bee not ſilent to mee; here, Bleſſed bee God, for hee hath anſwered mee. So Jehoſaphat had his Bacah ſoon turned into Berachah, 2 Chron. 20.18, 19. See Davids Syllogiſm; and mark his Concluſion, Pſal. 66.18, 19, 20. not according to the rules of Logick, but better.
Verſ. 7. The Lord is my ſtrength and my ſhield] So that I am furniſhed and harneſſed within and without. See Pſal. 18.2.
My heart truſted in him, and I am helped] Faith ſubſtantiateth things not yet ſeen, Heb. 11.1. it altereth the Tenſes, ſaith One, and putteth the future into the preſent tenſe, as here.
My heart greatly rejoyceth, &c.] Inwardly I am glad, warmed at heart; and outwardly chearfull, even unto ſinging. And what will David ſing? See his Ditty in the next words.
Verſ. 8. The Lord is their ſtrength] Not mine only, as verſ. 7. but the ſtrength of all and every one of the holy Community, of true Chriſtians, partakers of Chriſts unction, of his Spirit.
Verſ. 9. Save thy people] The Church muſt ſhare in our prayers.
And bleſſe thine inheritance] Which cannot but be dear to thee.
Feed them alſo] For they are but ill-favouredly fed by Saul.
Lift them up] Over all their enemies, as Pſal. 27.6.