Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 48
PSAL. XLVIII.
A Pſalm, a ſong for the ſons of Korah] When and by whom compiled, we certainly know not. If by David, probably it was upon occaſion of the Philiſtines comming up to ſeek him, but were ſent away back with ſhame and loſſe, 2 Sam. 5.7, 9. If upon the ſlaughter of Sennscheribs army by an Angel, Iſaiah or ſome other Prophet of thoſe times (as there were many) might be the Pen-man. It ſeemeth to be of the ſame time and occaſion with Pſal. 76.
Verſ. 1. Great is the Lord] Greater, Job 33.12. Greateſt of all, Pſal. 95.3. Greatneſſe it ſelf, Pſal. 345.3. A degree he is above the ſuperlative.
And greatly to be praiſed] No mean praiſes can be meet for ſo great a Majeſty. It muſt be modus ſine modo.Bern.
In the City of our God] i. e.Lib. 3. de uſu part. In the Church; for others will not, cannot do it to divine acceptation. Galen, amazed at the wonderfull frame of mans body, ſang an hymn to the Maker thereof, but yet he lived and dyed a Pagan.
Verſ. 2.Pulcher ſurculo. Beautifull for ſituation] A beautifull Nymph, ſo R. Solomon. Or, beautifull for the branch that droppeth balſam, ſaith Moller; that is, for the Ark there ſeated. Or, for the tract and climat, as Joſh. 12.23. ſituat on the Northſide of Jeruſalem, as Iſa. 14.13. in a cold, drie and clear air, as Job 37.22. Sanantur illi, qui illic infirms conveniu…t, ſaith Kimchi, they which come thither weak, are made well.
The joy of the whole earth] Not only of the whole Land, becauſe thither three times a year the Tribes went up, the Tribes of the Lord unto the Teſtimony of Iſrael, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord, Pſal. 122.4. nor only of the Eaſt, whereof Jeruſalem was held and call'd the Queen, Ʋrbium totius Orient is clariſſima, ſaith Pliny, ſee Lam. 1.1. but alſo of the whole earth; Sumen totius orbis, as one calleth it, and Rabſhakeh himſelf (in that, more ingenuous than Strato) confeſſeth Judaa to be a Land of Corn and Wine, of bread and Vineyards, Iſa. 36.17. Hence it is called the excellency of Jacob, Pſal. 47.4. the goodneſs of the Lord for Wheat and for Wine, and for Oyl, and for the young of the flock, and of the Herd; for all which men ſhould come and ſing in the height of Zion Jer. 31.12. but eſpecially for ſpirituall bleſſings, that their ſouls might be as watered gardens, and they not ſorrow any more at all, ib. but come to Zion with ſongs and everlaſting joy upon their heads, Iſa. 35.10. for the grace of God that bringeth ſalvation to all men, therehence appearing, Tit. 2.11. Iſa. 2.3, 4. If Plutarch could ſay of Rome in Numa's time, that the Neighbour Villages ſucking in the air of that City, breathed Righteouſneſſs; how much better might the ſame be ſaid of this City of the great King, where God himſelf was reſiant, and his ſincere ſervice was eſtabliſhed, Pſal. 132.13?
Verſ. 3. God is known in her Palaces for a refuge] As the City was an ornament to the whole Country; ſo was God to the City, as being a common refuge to both; and as having his holy Temple there, not a profeſſed Sanctuary for impiety, as Fl…us …pitefully ſtiled it, but farre better deſerving than Nama's new Temple in Rome did, to be called, foreign, the Sacrary of Faith, and Peace, where the true God was truly worſhiped, and found to be a very preſent help in trouble, the be…t bulwark.
Verſ. 4. For … the Kings were aſſembled] The Princes of the Philiſtines, 2 Sam. 5. Or, Sennacheribs Princes, which were all Kings, Iſa. 10.8. Oecolampadins upon Iſa. 13.19. ſaith, that there were twenty and two Kingdomes in Aſſ…ria; theſe all came with combined forces to lay Jernſaiem deſolate, but could not effect it.
They paſſed by together] They could do this City (dear to God. and ſecured by him, the Athenians boaſted that they were foreign, beloved of God, the Hier…ſ… lymitans were ſurely ſo) no more harm, than as if they had been ſo many wayfaring men that had paſſed by it, with their ſtaves in their hands.
Verſ. 5. They ſaw it, and ſo they marvelled] None of them could ſay as Caſar, Ʋeni, vidi, vici, but the contrary; they no ſooner ſaw this Heaven-guarded City, but their hearts miſ-gave them; and they were ready to ſay as that Duke of Saxeny did, who intending to make war upon the Biſhop of Magdeburg, and underſtanding that he made no great preparation for defence of himſelf, and his territories, but ſought help from Heaven by faſting and prayer, Inſaniat alius, ſaid he, God bleſſe mee from ſuch a madneſſe, as to meddle with a man who confideth in God, and committeth himſelf wholly to his protection.
They were troubled and haſted away] Heb. they fled with an baſty or head-long flight, being ſmitten with a ſuddain terrour, ſuch as was that of the Egyptians, when their Charret wheels were taken off; of the Poiliſtines, when for haſte they left their Gods behind them, 2 Sam. 5. of the Syrians, 2 King. 7. when they left all and ran for their lives; of the Aſſyrians, when the Angel had ſlain an hundred eighty five thouſand in their camp, &c.
Verſ. 6. Fear took hold upon them there] By So in the former verſe, and There in this, the ſhamefull flight of theſe enemies is lively deciphered, and as it were pointed at with the finger. So Pſal. 14.5. There were they in great fear; for God is in the Generation of the Righteous.
And pain as of a Woman in Travel] Their grief was no leſs than their fear: and it came upon them, Cert…, cito, ſubito, ſuddainly, ſorely, irreſiſtably, inevitably.
Verſ. 7. Thou breakeſt the ſhips of Tarſhiſh] i. e. Of the Ocean, or of the Mediterranean Sea, Iſa. 2.16. & 23.1, 6, 10, 14. The meaning is, like as thou O God with thine Eaſt-wind that Euroclydon eſpecially, which Pliny calleth Navigantium Peſtem (the Mariners miſchief) art wont to daſh and drown the talleſt ſhips at thy pleaſure; ſo thou both canſt, and wilt deal by thy Churches enemies: To whom therefore this Text ſhould be as thoſe knuckles of a mans hand were to Belſhazzer, to write them their deſtiny; or as Daniel was to him, to read it unto them.
Verſ. 8. As we have heard] viz. by the relation of our Fore-Fathers, Pſal. 44.1. or rather by the promiſes contained in the Holy Scriptures, which now we ſee verified and exemplified in our ſignall deliverances. Hieruſalems conſtane protection then is here affevered and aſſured, per comparationem promiſſionis & experientie ſimul, & ſimilitèr eam conteſtantium. See the like, Job 42.5. with the Note.
In the City of our God] The Church is the City of the living God, Heb. 12.22. a City that breedeth men yea Conquerours, as Herodotus ſaith of Ecbatana the Metropolis of the Medes, and as Pindarus of another place, foreign, &c.Herod. Clio… Nemeis Od. …
God will eſtabliſh it for ever] There ſhall be a Church till the Worlds end, maugre all her enemies.
Verſ. 9 We have thought upon thy loving kindneſſe] Heb. We have ſilently muſed or minded, as being amazed, or rather amated thereat, not able to ſpeak for a while, we were ſo tranſported when we met in thy Temple for the purpoſe to praiſe thee, as for thy loving kindneſſe towards us, ſo for thy power and Juſtice exerciſed on our enemies.
Verſ. 10. According to thy Name O God, ſo is thy praiſe] i. e. It is infinite and inexpreſſible, Pſal. 148.1. Pſal. 145.3. Gods Name is exalted above all bleſſing and praiſe, as thoſe holy Levites acknowledge, Noh. 9.5. The diſtance betwixt God and us is infinite; and we ſhould labour to fill up that diſtance, if poſſible, with our praiſes.
Thy right hand is full of righteouſueſs] i. e. of noble Acts, which thou haſt done for us according to thy promiſe, Pſal. 25.10.
Verſ. 11. Let. Mount-Zion rejoyce, let the Daughters, &c.] Let the Church Catholick, and each particular Member thereof give God the glory of his Juſtice, and ſee that their joy be ſpirituall.
Verſ. 12. Walk about Sion, and tell the Towers thereof] q.d. Are they not ſtill the ſame, and as many as they were before the approach of the enemy? is any thing diminiſhed or defaced by the late ſiege, or aſſault? Therefore thus ſaith the Lord concerning the King of Aſſyria, He ſhall not come into this City, nor ſhoot an arrow there, &c. Iſa. 37.33.
Verſ. 13. Mark ye well her Bulwarks] Not at all impaired. The great Turk could never have gotten the Rhodes, but by treachery, notwithſtanding his long and mighty batteries made upon that place day and night. How he raged at the laſt aſſault of Scodra, and blaſphemed, ſee Turk. hiſt. page four hundred twenty three. Geneva, Hanc urbem non niſi miraculoſe ſtetiſſe & ſtare per multos …nos res ipſa clamst. Anton, Fayus.is invironed with enemies, French, Spaniſh, Savoy, Pope, and barred out from all aid of neighbour Cities and Churches; yet is upheld, as it were, by an immediate hand of Heaven, as Beza hath ſet forth in an elegant Emblem.
Verſ. 14. For this God is our God] To draw them up to this conſideration it was, that the Propher ſo calls upon people to view Sion, &c. and to take notice that ſhe might well have written upon her gates (as that City Hippocrates writeth of, had) Intacta manet, the Daughter of Sion is a Maid ſtill, through the proweſſe of her Champion.
Even unto death] And after too; for this is not to be taken excluſive, He will never leave us, nor forſake us.