Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 54
PSAL. LIV.
MAſchil] Inſtructing us, ſaith One, to draw neer to God, as dangers draw neerer to us,
When the Ziphims] Which ſignifieth Flouriſhing; Erant autem Ziphaei ex ſtirpe Caleb. 1. Chron. 2. … & Nabal, ſed degeneres,they might have flouriſhing eſtates, but they had withered ſouls; elſe they would never have ſought twice over to have betrayed good David into the hand of Saul, 1 Sam 23. & 26.
Came and ſaid to Saul] If a Ruler hearken to lyes, all his ſervants are wicked, Prov. 29.12. See the Note there.
Doth not David hide himſelf with us?] viz. In the wood and wilderneſſe neer unto our City? But what if he did, ſhould they therefore diſcover him, and ſo pull the vengeance of God upon themſelves and their City? George Eagles (alius Trudgeover the World) hid himſelf in a corn-field,Act. & Mon. was deſcryed by Ralph Lurdain for mony, and burnt at Chelmsford; where afterward the ſame Lurdain was hanged for ſtealing an horſe; and confeſt it was juſt in God upon him, for bewraying that innocent man.
Verſ. 1. Save mee, O God, by thy name] i. e: By thy ſelf, and eſpecially by thy goodneſs, whereby thou art nominatiſſimus in Eccleſia, well known in thy Church, as a main peece of thy name, Exod. 34.6, 7.
Verſ. 2. Hear my prayer, O God] He runs to God by moſt earneſt prayer, for our inſtance and inſtruction in like caſe; for we muſt prepare for the like trialls, nec de cruce disputandum eſt. otioſe & velut in umbra, &c.
Ver. 3. For ſtrangers are riſen up againſt mee] He meaneth not foreiners,Nothi & ſpurii. but home-dwellers; Saul, Doeg, Ziphims, &c. ſtrangers to Religion, reaſon, common humanity, Jews outwardly, but not inwardly; Heathens upon the matter, Pſal. 59.5. Rev. 11.2. Am. 9.7. The Pope ſhewed himſelf no better in delivering up for mony Zemes the great Turks Brother, who fled to him for ſafeguard of his life, wrongfully ſought after.
Oppreſſours ſeek after my ſoul] i.e. My life at leaſt; my ſoul alſo they would deſtroy, if it lay in their power, as the Papiſts delivered up John Hus to the Devil when they burnt him; and would not allow Hierom of Prague a Confeſſour, though he requeſted it. So the Monſter of Millain that made his enemy firſt curſe Chriſt in hope of life, and then ſtabbed him to death, ſaying, Now go ſoul and body to the Devill. So hee that for ſpite procuring a man to bee hanged,Bodio. derep. and ſeeing him penitent, ſaid, I am afraid the rogue will go to Heaven.
They have not ſet God before them This was the root of all their out-rages, they made no reckoning of God, pr…ut eſt judex & vindex mali, as he is a ſevere Judge, and a ſharp revenger of ſin and wickedneſſe.
Verſ. 4. Behold, God is mine helper] And that mine enemies might have ſeen, had they ſet God before them. The Dutch have a proverb, where God hath a mind to deſtroy a man, he firſt putteth out his eyes.
The Lord is with them that uphold my ſoul] That favour my righteous cauſe and wiſh my wel-fare, as doth Jonathan, and the reſt that fear God; who although they be but few and feeble in compariſon, yet they have God with them, and for them, (non interfuit modo, ſed etiam praefuit) and how many do you reckon him for? as Antigonus once ſaid. David was invironed, and in great danger to be ſurprized; but God reſcued him by an invaſion of the Philiſtines, 1 Sam. 23.27, 28. The Lord knoweth how to deliver his, 2 Pet. 2. R. Moſes expoundeth it, God is loco omnium, & ſuper omnes, in ſtead of all, and above all.
Verſ. 5. He ſhall reward evill unto mine enemies] Or, Mine obſervers, that watch mee a miſchief. I ſhall eſcape out of trouble, and they ſhall come in my ſtead, Prov. 11.8.
Cut them off in thy truth] i.e. According as thou haſt pronounced againſt ſuch as ſeek and ſuck innocent blood.
Verſ. 6. I will freely ſacrifiſe unto thee] Or, Liberally; not with an ill will and pinchingly. The Arabick rendreth it, Laudabo te obediens. Praiſe is the beſt ſacrifice, and obedience is the beſt praiſe.
I will praiſe thy name, O Lord, for it is good] Thy name is good, and it is a good thing to praiſe it; for thereby men do thee right, help thee to thine own, ſecure to themſelves former favours, and procure future.
Verſ. 7. For he hath delivered mee] i. e. He ſurely will: this is the language of faith; this is the triumph of Truſt.
And mine eye hath ſeen my deſire upon mine enemies] This was not an evill eye of envy or private revenge; ſuch as was that of him, who when he ſaw a pit full of mansblood, cryed out, O formo ſum ſpectaculum! O brave ſight! or that of Antichriſt who hath oft glutted his eyes with many ſuch goodly bloody ſights; as when he cauſed the Maſſacre of Paris to be painted in his Palace,Thuan. and had the Admirals head ſent him for a preſent: But as admiring Gods juſtice on his enemies, and love toward his people, he was well pleaſed with ſuch a providence, and beheld it with comfort. The Arabick rendreth it, Oculus meus requievit. Tremellius, Mine eye beholdeth mine enemies; I dare now boldly look them in the face, being ſtrengthened with thy might, &c.