Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 38
PSAL. XXXVIII.
A Pſalm of David to bring to remembrance] Made purpoſely for a memorial, both of what he had ſuffered, and from what he had been delivered. See 1 Chron. 16.4. Exod. 30.16. Lev. 2.2. & 6.15. Recordat… autem intelligitur miſerie ex miſericordia, Pſal. 132. Iſa. 62.6. & 63.7. It is probable that David had ſo laid to heart the Rape of his Daughter Tamar, the Murther of his eldeſt Son Amnon, the flight of his next Son Abſolom, and other troubles that befell him; (Baſil thinks Abſoloms conſpiracy, Ahitophels perfidy, Shimeies inſolency, &c.) that it coſt him a great fit of ſickneſs; out of which hardly recovering, he penned this and ſome other Pſalms (as the 35.39, 40.) but this eſpecially for a Momento, to imminde him of his own late miſery, and Gods never-failing mercy to him. Both theſe we are wondrous apt to forget, and ſo both to loſe the fruit of our afflictions, by falling afreſh to our evil practices (as Children ſoon forget a whipping.) and to rob God our Deliverer of his due praiſes: like as with Children, eaten bread is ſoon forgotten. Both theſe miſchiefs, to prevent, both in himſelf and others (for we are bound not only to obſerve Gods Law, but alſo to preſerve it as much as may be from being broken) David compoſed this Pſalm, for to record, or to cauſe remembrance (See the like title, Pſal. 70.) and for a form for a ſick man to pray by, as Kimchi noteth; not to be ſung for thoſe in Purgatory, as ſome Papiſts have dreamed.
Verſ. 1. O Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath] He beginneth and endeth the Pſalm with Petitions, filleth it up with ſad complaints; wherein we ſhall finde him groaning, but not grumbling; mourning, but not murmuring; for that is not the guiſe of Gods people. He beginneth with Eheu Jehova non recuſo coargui & caſtigari; Correct me O Lord, but with Judgement, not in anger, leſt thou bring me to nothing, Jer. 10.24. See Pſal. 6.1. with the Notes.
Verſ. 2. For thine arrows ſtick faſt in me] i. e. Sickneſſes of body,R. Obadiah. Deus amatquod ſagittat. Aug. and troubles of minde, Job 6.4. Pſal. 18.14. the Jew-Doctors ſay, that he had a Leproſie for fix Months; and that the Divine preſence was taken away from him; ſo that he complained not without cauſe. But theſe were ſagitta ſalut is, ſaith Chryſoſtom, Arrows of Salvation, Love-tokens from the Lord, not unlike Jonathans arrows, 1 Sam. 20.36. and he had been fore-warned of them by Nathan the Prophet; 1 Sam. 12 and ſo bore them the better. Praeviſa jacula minus forinnt, Darts fore-ſeen are in a manner dintleſs.
And thine band preſſeth me ſore] Heb. Thou letteſt down thy hand up…s me. Now Gods hand is a mighty band, 1 Pet. 5.6. and the weight of it is importable, but that Ʋna eadem que manus, &c.
Verſ. 3. There is no ſoundneſs in my fleſh becauſe of … ] This was the immediate cauſe of Davids miſery, it came from …ove diſpleaſed; and … ſins ſeldom …pe better. But bleſſed be our Almighty …, who … health out of ſickneſs, by bringing thereby the body of death into a Conſumption.
Neither is there any reſt in my bones] …is repetit, mere l…gentium. He ſaith the ſame thing twice; as Mourners uſe to do but with an aggravation of his pain, reaching to his very bones.
Becauſe of my ſin] This was the remote cauſe of his preſent ſufferings; and is the true Mother of all mans miſerie. Now when theſe two (Gods wrath, and mans ſin) meet in the ſoul, as phyſick and ſickneſs in the ſtomack, there muſt needs be much unreſt, till they be vomited up by confeſſion. Tis as naturall for guilt to br…d diſquiet, as for putrid matter to br…d vermin. Let God therefore be juſtified, and every mouth ſtopped.
Verſ. 4.Sicut aquae praevalentes in quibus erat abſorptus▪ Kimchi For mine iniquities are gone over my head] So that I am even overwhelmed by them, and almoſt drowned in perdition and deſtruction. The Goſpel is poſt naeufragium tabula; and aſſureth us that God hath caſt all our ſins into the bottom of the Sea; and this keepeth the head of a ſinking ſoul above water.
As an heavy burden] How light ſoever ſin ſeemeth in the committing, it will lye full heavy, even as a Talent of lead, Zach. 5.7. or as an huge Mountain, Heb. 12.1.A facie irae tuae. A facie peccati mei. A facie ſtulritiae meae. when once we come to a ſight and ſenſe of it, when Gods wrath and mans ſin ſhall face one another, as the former verſe hath it, according to the originall.
Verſ. 5. My wounds ſtink, and are corrupt] What his grief or diſeaſe was, we read not; ſome ſay the Leproſy; ſome take all this allegorically, the word rendred wounds, Livores vibices turnices.ſignifieth ſtripes, ſcarres, wailes, mattery ſoares, running ulcers, the effects of the envenomed arrowes of the Almighty. Could we but foreſee what ſin will coſt us, we durſt not but be innocent. That we do not, is extream fooliſhneſſe, as David here acknowledgeth.
Becauſe of my fooliſhneſſe] In not conſidering aforehand the hainouſneſſe of my ſin…nor the heavineſſe of the divine diſpleaſure. The word ſignifieth unadviſed raſhneſſe, Prov. 14.17. and tis probable he meaneth his great ſin with Bathſheba, wherein he was miſcarried by his luſts to his coſt. See Pſal. 107.17, 18. Becauſe of my fooliſhneſſe, i.e. Quia non praveni Nathanons confeſſione, ſaith R. Obadiah, becauſe I prevented not Nathans comming, by a voluntary confeſſion of my ſin unto the Lord.
Verſ. 6. I am troubled (Heb. wryed) I am bowed down &c.] Incurvus et prorſu… obſtipus, arroque vul…u ſquallidus, vix corpus traho, I am a pittifull poor creature, and in a moſt heavy Condition, as appeareth by my gate, my geſture, my looks, and habit. See Pſal. 35.14.
Verſ. 7.Faemora me… prorſus occupat atdens ulcus. Vat. In quit us eſt concupiſcentia, Theodoret. For my loyns are filled with a loothſome diſeaſe] The loins, thoſe ſeats of luſt, are now grievouſly inflamed and pained with ſome impoſtumated matter, or peſtilentiall carbuncle: Morbo viliſſim, quem nominare dedecet, ſaith Aben-Ezra. God oft puniſheth ſinne in kind, and ſpeaketh to the Conſcience in its own Language, that ſuch a ſickneſſe was the fruit of ſuch a ſin.
And there is no ſoundneſſe in my fleſh]
Principium dulce eſt, ſed finis Amoris amarus,
Lata venire Venus, triſtis abire ſolet.
Sinne is as the poyſen of Aſpes, which firſt tickleth him that is ſtung, and maketh him laugh: till by little and little, it gets to the heart, and then puts him to intollerable torture.
Verſ. 8. I am feeble and ſore broken] Through the length and nature of my diſtemper, Iſai. 38.10, 12. The ſame Hebrew word ſignifieth pining ſickneſſe, and a th…, becauſe of the thinneſſe and weakneſſe of it.
I have … ] But not repined: this nature prompteth to, when we are in extremity; and grace is not againſt it.
Verſ.9. Lord all my deſire is before thee] Confuſed deſires, broken requeſts, if from a … ſpirit are upon the file of heaven, and ſtand before God till they may have an anſwer.
And my … hid from thee] No, not my breathing. Lam. 3.56 God … groaning of his people go to his heart.
Verſ. 10. … ] Heb. … toſſed and …ro, circuivit cor moum, inordinate movetur, et non quieſcit, ſaith Aben-Ezra The Hebrew word ſignifieth ſuch a kind of motion as that of Merchant, who runne up and down from one Countrey to another. Alſo the two laſt Radical are doubled to note, that it is more than an ordinary ſtirring and motion of the ſpirit, becauſe it is not come to its reſt. All earthly things to the ſoul are but as the air to the ſtone, can give it no ſtay till it come to God the center. As the circle is the perfecteſt figure, becauſe it beginneth and endeth the points do meet together. (as Mathematicians give the reaſon) the laſt point meeteth in the firſt, from whence it came. So ſhall wee never come to perfection or ſatiſfaction (ſaith a Reverend man) till our ſouls come to God, till God make the circle meet, &c. The Wicked wall… the round from one creature to another, Plaſ. 12.9. but they come not at God and hence they are ſo diſ-ſatisfied. Return to thy reſt (Heb. Reſts) ſaith David to his ſoul, that is to God, to whom hee here maketh his moan, Miſer anime varias ſubinde partes abreptus me deſerit.
As for the light of mine eyes] that lumen amicum of mine eyes is almoſt quite benighted.
Verſ. 11. My lovers and my friends ſtand aloof from my ſore] Heb.Praehorrore detrectantes accedere. Trem. …ry ſtrank, which therefore ſome Jew-Doctors will have to bee the Leproſy, which was noyſome and contagious: and therefore by the Law of God none were to come near ſuch. So among the Perſians, none might come neer a Piſaga (ſo they called a Leper) and therefore Magabyzus having offended Artaxerxes, Cteſ. Perſ.kept himſelf five years from Court pretending himſelf a Leper and in that ſpace made his peace with the King. But in Davids friends, who dealt thus with him, it was not ſo much fear of danger, as pride and perfidy, that made them deny him all duty and friendſhip, Pſal. 31.11. Job was ſo uſed, Chap. 6.15.Sophoc. Val. Mar. Plutarch. in Alex. and our Saviour when hee hung naked on the Croſſe, Luk, 23.49. and St. Paul, when hee made his defence before Nero, 2 Tim. 4.16. So was not Oreſtes by his friend Pylades, nor Dam…n by his Pythias, nor Achilles by Patr…clus, which made Alexander cry out O felicem juvenem! Trouble tryeth who are friends who traytors.
Verſ. 12. They alſo that ſeek after my life] That ſeek and would ſuck my blood. As his friends were ſlack to help him, ſo his foes were active to hurt him. This David relateth before the Lord, that hee may pitty him and be ſo much the more ingaged to him; for hee knew that where humane help faileth,foreign ab foreign divine beginneth.
Speak miſchievous things] Exitialia, ſuch things as wring from mee that lamentable voice, Woe and Alaſſe, woefull evills.voce foreign
And imagine deceits] Or, Murmure,
Verſ. 13. But I as a deaf man heard not] But poſſeſſed my ſoul in patience; in quietneſſe and confidence was my ſtrength, Iſa. 30.15. As they were Maſters of their tongues, ſo was I of mine ears. Hee that cannot bear calumnies reproaches and injuries, cannot live, faith Chytraeus; let him even make up his pack, and get him out of the World. Vitus Theodorus ſends to adviſe with Melancthon what to do when Oſiander preached againſt him? Melancthon deſired him for Gods ſake to make no reply, but to behave himſelf as a deaf man that heard not. Vitus writeth back that this was very hard; yet he would obey. Another bravely anſwered one that railed upon him, Facile eſt in me dicore, cum non ſim reſponſurus, Thou maieſt ſpeak what thou wilt; but I will hear no more than I liſt, and puniſh thee with ſilence, or rather with a merry contempt. Princes uſe not to chide … Embaſſadours offer them indecencies, but to deny them audience. That man certainly enjoyeth a brave compoſedneſſe, who ſetteth himſelf above the flight of the injurious claw.
And I was as a dumb man, &c.] He anſwered them by ſilence and taciturnity which is the beſt anſwer to words of ſcorn and petulancy; Thus Iſaac his Brother Iſmael and our Saviour, Pilat, Herod, and Caiaphas; and Giles of Braſſels, when the barking Fryers reviled him, held his peace continually; inſomuch that thoſe blaſphemers would ſay abroad, that he had a dumb Devil in him.Act. & M…n 811. This is a great victory, not to render evill for evill, or railing for railing, a Pet. 3.9. Nihil fortius, nihil magis egregiam quam audire … ſaith Caſſiodore, nothing is more and return no anſwer. As on the contrary, … he goes by the worſt that hath the better, faith Baſit. And, Sile, & funeſtam dediſti plagam, ſaith …. Say nothing in ſuch a caſe, and thou thereby giveſt thine adverſary a deadly blow.
Verſ. 14. Thus was I … a man … ] He doubleth his ſpeech, to ſhew his holy pertinacy in a prudent and patient ſilence, though greatly provoked. David was, as it is reported of … the Emperour, foreign, careful of what was to be done by him, but careleſs of what was ſaid of him by others. As Auguſtus, he did but laugh at the Satyrs and Buffoner… publiſhed againſt him. He knew that as Phyſical pils muſt not bee chewed, but ſwallowed whole; ſo muſt many injuries and indignities. Conviti… ſpreta ex… leſ…nt.
Verſ. 15. For in thee, O Lord, do I hope] This was the ground of his patience, and differenceth it from that of Heathens, which was rather perti…acy than patience, and came not from a right principle.
Thou wile hear] Or anſwer; and therefore what need is there of my anſwer.
Verſ. 16. For I ſaid, hear me, leſt otherwiſe, &c.] He ſpread their vile ſpeeches before the Lord, as afterwards good … did Rabſheeds Letter; and as it was ſaid of Charls 5. that he ſpake more to God than to men; ſo did David. His former ſilence therefore was not either from ſtupidity (a Sheep bitten by a Dog is as ſenſible thereof as a Swine, though he make not ſo great a noyſe) nor from inability to make his own defence, if it had been to any purpoſe, for he was both innocent and eloquent: but he thought it farre better to ſuſtain himſelf in faith and patience, and meekly to commit himſelf to God in well-doing, as unto a faithfull Creator. Beſides, he feared, leſt if he ſpake at all in this caſe, he ſhould ſpeak unadviſedly with his lips (as it is very eaſte to exceed) and ſo give occaſion to the enemy to triumph, as the Papiſts did over Luther, for his hot and haſty ſpeeches.
When my foot ſlippeth] Or, when my tongue out-laſheth in the leaſt, they deſire no other ſport, but lay it in my diſh as a foul diſgrace. My Motto therefore ſhall be, (and my practice according) Taceo, Fero, Spero, I ſay nothing, but ſuffer, and hope for better.
Verſ. 17. For I am ready to halt] i.e. to miſ-behave my ſelf, and ſo to marre a good cauſe by ill managing it, and then what will become of thy great Name? This is a very forcible inotive to prevail with a jealous and juſt God.
And my ſorrow is continually before me] That is, my ſin, as Eccleſ. 11.10. Or, my ſorrow, but much more my ſin the cauſe of it.
Verſ. 18. For I will declare mine iniquity] To them that viſit me in this diſeaſe, ſaith Aben-Ezra, that they may pray for me, according to Jam. 5.16. or rather to God, that he may pardon me, and eaſe me. Or thus, When I declare, &c. Then
Verſ. 19. Mine exemies are lively, &c.] q. d. It is nuts to them, and they ſoon compoſe Comedies out of my Tragedies, growing more inſolent by mine afflictions, and upbraiding me with my ſins.
Verſ. 20. They alſo that render evil for good] Whilſt they rejoyce at my miſery, who faſted for them in their adverſity, Pſal. 35.15.
Are mine adverſaries] Heb. They Satanically hate me, as if they were transformed into ſomany breathing Devils.
Becauſe I follow the thing that good is] This was Devil-like indeed: this was to hate and perlecute God in David. Tertul.Thus Cain the Devils Patriarch hated his brother Abel, and ſlew him: And why? Becauſe his own works were evil, and his brothers righteous, 1 Joh. 3.12. For like cauſe Meab fretted at Iſrael, Numb. 22.324 and the Courtiers at Daniel, chap. 6.5.
Verſ. 21. Forſake me not, O God] This was that he moſt of all feared, Spiritual deſertion. So Jeremy, Be not …, O God; and then I care not what elſe can befall me.
O my God, … than farre from me] Though my friends ſtand aloof, verſ. 11. yet …e thou ever a… hand …o help me.
… his bleſſings to us.