Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 55
PSAL. LV.
A Pſalm of David] Whether made upon occaſion of his flight from Keilah, 1 Sam. 23. or from Abſolom, 2 Sam. 15, & 16. Idemeſt argumentum, & idem uſus hujus Pſalmi at que ſuperioris, ſaith Beza; this and the former Pſalm are of the ſame argument, and for the ſame uſe. It is moſt probable that this Pſalm was written when Abſolom was up, and Huſh…i related unto Zadock the troubled ſtate of the City, 2 Sam. 17.15. with which compare, verſ. 9, 10, 11. of this Pſalm. For thereupon David, put into a great perturbation, as verſ. 4, 5. wiſhed for the wings of a Dove, not the pinnions of a Dragon, that he might flye farro away.
Verſ. 1. Give ear to my prayer, O God] Davids danger was preſent, his prayer therefore is preſſing; being not the labour of his lips, but the travell of his heart. The breath that commeth from the lips is cold, not that which commeth from the lungs.
Hide not thy ſelf] As men when they are not willing to be ſued unto, will not be ſeen.
Verſ. 2. Attend unto mee, and hear me… ] Heb. Anſwer mee, that is, grant mee deliverance from this death which threatneth mee. This is his ſenſe, as appeareth by the ſequel; though at preſent be could not inſtance, but only beggeth audience.
I … my compla… ] H…b. I taſſ… this way and … I am ſo much troubled, ut meipſum lamentando huc & illuc verſare, & mire agitare cogar.Prae dolore moveo me nunc huc nu… illuc. Campe…ſis.
And make a noiſe] Plango, & perſtrepo; Of our Saviour it is ſaid, that being in an agony, he prayed more earneſtly; He bent, as it were, all his nerves, and ſet up his note, Luk. 22.44.
Verſ. 3. Becauſe of the voice of the enemy] He may very well intend Shimeies bitter revilings, 2 Sam. 16.5. &c.
For they caſt iniquity upon mee] They tumble it on mee, as men do ſtones or any thing elſe upon their beſiedgers, to endammage them; ſo did theſe, ſin, ſhame, any thing, upon innocent David, to make him odious.
And in wrath they hate mee] Heb. They ſatanically hate mee.
Verſ. 4. My heart is ſore pained within mee] No otherwiſe than a woman is pained in travel; cordicitus doleo.
And the terrours of death are fallen upon mee] Cauſed doubtleſſe by the deep ſenſe and conſcience of his late grievous ſins.
Verſ. 5. Fearfulneſs and trembling are come upon mee] Fearfulneſs of heart, and trembling of body; which laſt falleth out,Timor cord… tremor corpris. when as the Spirits flying back to the heart, to relieve it, leave the outward parts deſtitute.
And horrour hath over-whelmed mee] This was Davids infirmity; for he ſhould have better fortified his heart againſt that cowardly paſſion of fear: the Devill alſo had a finger in it. At another time David could better reſolve and ſay, What time I am afraid, I will truſt in thee.
Verſ. 6. And I ſaid, O that I had wings like a Dove] Ut citiſſime & longiſſime fugerem, that I might ſwiftly fly far off from Abſoloms purſuers; as the Dove ſaveth her ſelf by flight, and not by fight, ſcoureth away to the Rocks and deſerts, Jer. 48.28. Many fouls are ſwifter of flight than Doves; but theſe hold out better. R. Jonah ſaith, that whereas other birds when they are wearied with flying, do reſt them upon rocks or trees, and are taken; the Dove doth not ſo, but letteth down one wing, and flyeth with the other, and thereby eſcapeth the purſuer.R. Jonah ap… Kimchi.
For then would I flee away] But whither, he ſaith not, becauſe he knew not. The Church in the Revelation fled into the wilderneſs, Rev. 12. God provided a Pella for thoſe primitive Chriſtians. Luther being asked where he would be at quiet from his enemies? anſwered, Sub caelo, ſome where God would ſecure him.
Verſ. 7. Lo then would I wander farre off] Farre from the force and fury of theſe breathing Devills. Jeremy wiſheth the like; as being tired out by the ungodly practices of his countrymen, chap. 9.2. And many a dear Child of God forced to be in bad company cryes, O that I had the wings &c. Or if that O will not ſet him at liberty, he takes up that Woe, to expreſſe his miſery. Woe is mee that I ſojourn in Meſhech, &c.
And remain in the Wilderneſſe] Among wild beaſts; which were better than to abide with theſe Lycanthropi, men more cruel, ſavage, and bloody than any beaſts.
Verſ. 8. I would haſten my eſcape from the windy ſtorm, &c.] I would thruſt my ſhip into any creek in the whole World, go as farre as my leggs, nay wings could carry mee. Of the ſwiftneſſe of the Doves flight, ſee Plin. l. 10. c. 37. and how David haſtened his flight from Abſolom, ſee 2 Sam 15.14.
Verſ. 9. Deſtroy O Lord, and divide their tongues] Heb. Swallow them up, O Lord, and divide their tongues; by an alluſion, as ſome conceive, to thoſe two famous Judgements of God upon Dathan and Abiram, firſt, Numb. 16. and then, ſecondly, upon the Babel-builders, Gen. 11. both which were thrown out for examples, to all ſucceeding ages, (as St. Jude ſaith of the Sodomites, Jud. 7.) and are to be conſidered of by the Saints, as here in their prayers againſt their enemies. How God anſwered this prayer of David, ſee 2 Sam. 17.1. &c.
For I have ſeen violence and ſtrife in the City] i. e. In Jeruſalem, ſomething I have ſeen, but more outrages I have heard of, ſince Abſolom with his army came into it. The rude ſouldiers plunder the poor Citizens at pleaſure; and cannot agree among themſelves in dividing the ſpoil.
Verſ. 10. Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof] The ruffianly ſouldiers do, as in garriſons is uſuall: Or Violence and Strife do; ſo that in no place are good men in ſafety, from rapines and robberies.
Miſchief alſo and ſorrow are in the midſt of it] What work may be thought make the common ſouldiers, among the women eſpecially, when Abſolom openly defileth his Fathers concubines in the ſight of all Iſrael, 2 Sam. 16.22? when Tilly took Magdeburg in the late German wars, beſides many other outrages, the Ladies, Gentlewomen, and others, like beaſts and dogs they yoked and coupled together, leading them into the woods to raviſh them. Such as reſiſted they ſtripped naked, whipt them, cropt their ears, and ſo ſent them home again.
Verſ. 11. Wickedneſſe is in the midſt thereof] As if it were no longer as once Theopolis, but Poneropolis, for all kind of naughtineſſe there.
Deceit and guile depart not from her ſtreets] The Vulgar hath it, Ʋſura & dolus, Uſury and guile; and Theodorets note here is, Not andum est, non modo Novi Teſtamenti perfectionem, ſed Legis ſtatum faenus damnare, that Uſury is condemned in both old and new Teſtament.
Verſ. 12.foreign For it was not mine enemy that reproached mee] Achitophels perfidy and villany troubled David more than all the reſt; there not being any wound worſe, as Sophocles ſaith, than the treachery of a friend; he being ſuch a kind of enemy, quem ne que fugere, ne que fugare poſſumus, as Bernard hath it; whom we cannot eaſily prevent. See Pſal. 41.9.
Then I could have born it] Though as a burden; but nothing ſo grievous; I ſhould not have much mattered it.
Verſ. 13. But it was thou a man, mine equall] Heb. According to my rank, my compeer, my collegue, mine Alter-ego, my boſome-friend, one that ſtood even with mee, and upon the ſame ground as it were.
My guide] In all mine affaires and actions; ſo that I thought nothing well done, that I did not by his advice and counſel, my Duke, my Doctor, my Rabbi Davidis, as Rabby David hath it, out of Kabuenaki.
Verſ. 14. We took ſweet counſell together] It was my great delight to conferre and conſult with him,Religio a religand…. eſpecially about the things of God, and the exerciſes of Religion; which is or ſhould be ſacratiſſimum inter homines vinculum, the ſtraiteſt tye of all.
And walked unto the houſe of God in company] But ſo do thoſe falſe Italians, who carry a pocket-Church-book with a piſtol hid in the binding, which turning to ſuch a page diſchargeth;Il Mercurio Italico, Introd. a plot to intrap him whom they hate, even while they are in their devotions together, when there's leſt ſuſpicion.
Verſ. 15. Let death ſeize upon them] Irruat ſuper illos mors, as a mercileſſe Land-Lord, as a cruel creditor, or as he in the Goſpel who took his fellow by the throat and ſaid, Pay that thou oweſt mee. A ſad time it muſt needs be with the wicked, when death ſhall come upon them with a writ of Habeas corpus, and the Devil with another of Habeas animam. Capiat illos mors, ſo Aben-Ezra rendreth it, Exigat mors in eos, ſo Kimchi, a foreign Pſal. 89.2…. Here it is written ſaith he, without an Aleph, as it were with a ſwift hand; and as if death and ſeize were all one word; to note the ſudden ſtroak of death, and that it will ſoon diſpatch them: To which ſenſe alſo ſome render it, Decipiat eos mors, Let death deceive them; be too nimble for them.
And let them go down quick into Hell] As did Dathan and his complices, Numb. 16. See on verſe 9. According to this imprecation, Ahitophel and Judas hanging themſelves, went to Hell alive, that is, hail and well; not infeebled by ſickneſſe firſt. Auguſtine ſaith, that Hereticks do the like, falling with open eyes, and ſelf-condemned.
For wickedneſſe is in their dwellings, and among them] Heb. In their ſo journing-place (for here we are but gueſts or ſojourners) and in the middle of them, that is, in their hearts and houſes both, undi que circumfluunt malitia & maleficiis, they are as naught as need to be.
Verſ. 16. As for mee, I will call upon God] Or, I have called upon God, ſc. for good to bee done to my ſelf, verſe 1. &c. and for evill to mine enemies, verſe 9. &c. (of which ſort of imprecations, ſee the Note on Pſal. 35.4.)
And he hath heard mee] I know he hath, both for my, ſelf, verſ. 17, 18. and againſt them, 19, 20, 21. for why? firſt, they fear not God, 19. ſecondly, they break covenant, 20. thirdly they uſe deceit, 21. Theſe courſes will work their ruth and ruine.
Verſ. 17. Evening and morning, and at noon will I pray] So Daniel prayed three times a day, chap. 6.10. and in the Temple they prayed at the third, ſixth, and ninth hour of the day. The Saints ſet themſelves certain hours to pray in (beſides extraordinary occaſions puttin… them upon that daily ſacrifice) the better to arrouſe their ſpirits, and to keep conſtant intercourſe with God. Papiſts have their ſet times; and Mahometans, what occaſion ſoever they have, either by profit or pleaſure, to divert them, will pray five times every day. This they do of form and cuſtome, not of conſcience; take we heed of thoſe ordinary marre-goods, formality, and cuſtomarineſſe: it hath been bewailed before, that many hold only a certain ſtint of daily duties (as malt-horſes their pace, or mil-horſes their round) and reſt upon them when they have done, uſing the means as Mediators; and ſo fall ſhort of Chriſt.
And cry aloud] Rouſing up my ſelf, and wreſtling with God, not in a cuſtomary, frigid, bedulling way; but with all intention of ſpirit, and contention of ſpeech.
And he ſhall hear my voice] How ſhould he do otherwiſe, I comming upon him with ſuch earneſtneſſe? Preces fundimus, caelum tundimus, miſericord…as extorquemus, ſaid thoſe Primitive Chriſtians whoſe prayers came before God as the noiſe of many waters, Rev. 14.2.
Verſ. 18. Hee hath delivered my ſoul in peace from the battel] This he ſpeaketh upon his prayer, by the force of his faith; as being aſſured of victory before the battel was fought, or ſtroak ſtruck, as they ſay.
For there were many with mee] i.e. Gods holy Angels, as 2 King. 6.16, 17.Vel multi ex Iſraele orantes pro Davide, ſic Aben-Ezra.
Verſ. 19. God ſhall hear] ſc. My prayers which are on the file before him, and as Sollicitours with him. Mittamus preces & lachrymas, cordis legatos, ſaith Cyprian: Up go prayers, down come deliverances.
And afflict them] Ludit ambiguitate verbi; The ſame word ſignifieth to afflict, and to anſwer, q.d. he ſhall anſwer mee, but afflict them; anſwer them with blows, with bitter anſwers.
Even he that abideth of old] And is therefore no changeling;Sedet Deus ad judicandum, & ſurgit ad puniendum. Aug. the Eternity of Iſrael cannot lye, nor repent; for he is not a man, that he ſhould repent, 1 Sam. 15.29. neither can mine enemies hide themſelves from him in any ſtarting-holes.
Selah] Id eſt, modo honorabili, ſaith R. Gaon. Or, So be it, O Lord. It is ſet in the middle of the verſe, as reſpecting both parts of it.
Becauſe they have no changes, therefore they fear not God] Changed they are not by repentance (which is ſuch a change of the heart, as bringeth forth a reformed life) but continue obſtinate and obdurate; neither have they any alterations in their outward eſtate; they are not poured from veſſell to veſſell, have a conſtant proſperity (ſuch as Demetrius called mare mortuum, a dead Sea) and do therefore ſettle upon their lees, caſt away all care of God and his ſervice.
Verſ. 20. He hath put forth his hands, &c.] That wicked Ahitophel hath. The Fathers underſtand it of God, and his Judgements.
He hath broken his Covenant] His oath of allegiance, and a particular oath when he was ſworn of Davids counſel.Herod. Melp. The Scythians were ſtrict covenant-keepers; and the Carthaginians infamous for the contrary; as now the Turks are.
Verſ. 21. The words of his mouth were ſmoother than butter] Full finely he could ſooth and ſmooth mee up, whiles he was my counſellor, with his Pithanologie.
Mel in ore, verba lactis:
Fel in corde, frans in fact is.
But war was in his heart] Heb. His heart was war; ſo in another Pſalm David ſaith of himſelf, I am peace; but when I ſpeak of it, they are for war.
His words were ſofter than oyl] So were Joabs to Amaſa, Judeſſes to Chriſt; Cteſias.Cambyſes's to his Brother whom he ſlew; Andronicus's to his Nobles, put to death by him, whiles he wept over them, as if he had been the ſorrowfulleſt man alive.Turk. Hiſt. ſol. 50. Whereupon the Hiſtorian cryeth out, O deep diſſimulation, and Crocodiles tears. &c! The wiſer ſort deemed Andronicus his prayſings to be the beginnings of a mans diſgrace; his bounty, his undoing; and his kindneſſe, his death.Agedum igitur animula mea cur te diuti… Excruci…s? …
Verſ. 22. Caſt thy burden upon the Lord] Dare tuum, vel Donum tuum, that is, whatſoever thou wouldeſt have the Lord beſtow upon thee, caſt it firſt by faith upon him in prayer; even all thy cares, buſineſſes, travels, and troubles. This, David ſpeaketh firſt to himſelf, and then to others. R. Solomon maketh this Gods anſwer to Davids prayer, Spiritus ſanctus ſic reſ…ndit, ſaith he.
And he ſhall ſuſtain thee] Or,Thou ſhalt have thy foreign thy demenſum, thy due allowance. victual thee, nouriſh thee as a Foſter-father; as Joſeph did his father and brethren, chepi tappam, according to the mouthes of their little ones, Gen. 47.12. as Barzillas at this time nouriſhed David at Mahanaim, 2 Sam. 17.27. & 19.32.
He ſhall never ſuffer the righteous to be moved] Or if moved, yet not greatly moved, Pſal. 62.2. not removed. Hee will eſtabliſh the juſt, Pſal. 7.9.
Verſ. 23. But thou O God ſhalt bring them down into the pit of deſtruction] Into the deep Gehenna, ſaith the Chaldee; thou ſhalt hurl them into Hell, from their lofty tops here.
Blondy and deceitful men ſhall not live out half their days] Heb. Shall not half their days; that is, ſhall be ſoon cut off, dye in the flower of their age, come to an untimely end;Ad generam Cexeris, &c. either the Sword in Battel, or the Sword of Juſtice ſhall cut them off; or ſome treachery of men, or their own intemperance, or Gods immediat hand ſhall make an end of them betimes, and before they come to the full age of a man, or before they have effected their evil deſigns (Luther rendreth it, Non dimidiabunt negotia) or before they are in fit caſe to dye, Tempore non ſuo, Eccleſ. 7.17. then when it were better for them to do any thing than to dye. Our Richard 3. and Queen Mary, reigned the ſhorteſt while of any other ſince the Conqueſt. Charls the Ninth of France, that bloudy Prince, dyed young, of a bloudy Diſeaſe, &c. Abſolom and Abitophel came to Tragical and unhappy ends; ſo did all the Primitive Perſecutors, thoſe cruel-crafties.
But I will truſt in thee] For ſafety here, and for Salvation hereafter.