Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 74
PSAL. LXXIV.
A Pſalm of Aſaph] Concerning the Babyloniſh Captivity, ſaith Kimchi; which either was here fore-told by Davids Aſaph, or bewailed by another of that name, who lived at that very time, when the Jews groaned under thoſe grievous calamities.
Verſ. 1. O God, why haſt thou caſt us off for ever?] The greatneſs of their grief, and diuturnity of their miſery draw from them ſuch expreſſions of diſcontent, as if they were doubtful of an utter dereliction.
Why doth thine anger (or thy noſe) ſmoke againſt the ſheep of thy paſture?] Anger is a fire, and in men or other Creatures enraged, a ſmoke formeth to go out of their Noſtrils. Xenoph…n ſaith of the …he…ns, when they are angry, they breath fire. This then is ſpoken of God, after the manner of men.
Verſ. 2. Remember thy Congregation which thou haſt purchaſed] His complaints end not in murmuring and grunting againſt God, but in humble Petitions ſo intermingled with ſighs and groans, as that his ſpeech is not ſo plain and perfect as at other times. Th… which he mainly … i… the …, that … of heavenly Honey, as one calleth it.
The rod of thine inheritance] Inheritances were … to be … out by Rods and …
… Metaphor from combatants, Qui … pedes & paſſ…, ut violenti… in hoſt…m invehantur. Some have reward … thereby the Temple, that place …, Ezek. 43.
… whither he … for ſafety.
Verſ. 4. … Poſuerunt ſign… ſua, ſigna. Kimchi. R. Solom.are ſo called by a word …
They ſet up their … for ſigns] They ſet them up upon the very Temple (as if they had conquered God himſelf) thoſe their Trophies and Monuments of victory. Some referre us for the ſenſe of theſe Words to Ezek. 21.2… others render them thus, They have … in their, … (or … the ſacred) ſignes, and to have pointed there holy places. Beſides, what Antioch… did (concerning which ſee the Books of Maccab…s, and … ) in after times, the Arms of Rome were ſet upon the Temple, and a Sw… … …ven over the gate: this was the abomination of deſolation fore-told by our Saviour, Mat. …4▪ 15.
Verſ. 5. Aman was … according it, &c.] i. e. Time was when the Workmen got them a name, by cutting down and fitting the Timber, for this building the Temple, renowned throughout the whole World for coſtly and choyſe materials, for curious and exact Workmanſhip, for Spiritual employment, and for myſtical ſignification; never was there the like edifice.
Verſ. 6. But now they break down the carved work … ] The Chaldeans did with Military violence, and afterwards the Romanes under Titus, who could not preſerve it from the Souldiers fury, though he deſired ſo to have done, as … Hiſtorians have told us. Now, if the enemies rage were ſo great (as is here deſcribed) againſt the outward marks of Religion, how much more ſhould our zeal kindle againſt the moſt coſtly or curious Monuments of Idolatry and Superſtition? Ziſca the valiant B…he…ine overthrew three children Monaſteries with their Mawmets, and among the reſt the famous Monaſtery called the Kings Court, a mile from Prague, in the walls whereof the whole Bible was moſt exquiſitely written in Letters of gold.
Verſ. 7. They have caſt fire into thy Sanctuary] Heb. They have ſent thy Sanctuary into the fire. So the French Papiſts, under the conduct of the Guiſes, dealt by the publick Meeting-houſes of the Proteſtants there, and particularly, by that Church at …ions, which was called …. Hoc apud Ethnic… … horrendum, Herodot. in V…an.The Heathens obſerved of ſuch as deſtroyed Temples, that they commonly came to ſome fearful end, by Thunder-bolts, or otherwiſe.
Verſ. 8. Let us deſtroy them together] Them, that is, the Saints; let us prey upon them as Hawkes do upon Doves; or them, that is the Temples and Schools; theſe the Devil ever ſought to deſtroy, as contary to his Kingdom; and ſo … ſtill by the Turks and Papiſts, and other Hereticks.
They have burnt up all the Synagogues] The…e were a kind of Chapels of eaſe to the Temple at Jeruſalem, and in theſe the people met frequently, on the Sabbath eſpecially, for holy Exerciſes, as we do in our Churches. The good Centurion built one of theſe, Luke 7.5. See Jam. 2.2.
Verſ. 9. We ſee not our ſignes] Thoſe teſtimonies of Gods ſpecial … the publick Ordinances, together with the legal Ceremonies, which was then Chriſt in Figures, q. d. ….
There is … any Prophet, &c.] Hence ſome conclude, that this Pſalm was written about the end of the Babyloniſh Captivity, when there was Cha…th …, … up of Prophecy, as … ſo that they had Prophets …
…
Verſ. 11. Why withdraweſt thou thy hand?] Some by hand underſtand the left hand, and ſo both hands are withdrawn, yea held behind (retrovertis) after the manner of thoſe that have little to do, and leſſe to care for.
Out of thy boſom] Another poſture to the ſame purpoſe, Prov. 19.24. & 26.15.
Verſ. 12. For God is my King of old] He is the ſame, yeſterday, to…y, and for ever. I doubt not therefore but he will ſee to the ſafety of his loyall ſubjects.
Working ſalvation in the midſt of the earth] i.e. Openly, and to the view of all. Jeruſalem is in the midſt of Judaea, and Judea is in the midſt of the earth; the very center and navel of the habitable world, ſay the Fathers; it joyneth thoſe of the Eaſt to the Weſt by the Midland-ſea, and thoſe of the North to the South by the ſame Sea, running out as farre as the lake of Maeotis, very farre North, and by the red Sea deſcending very low into the South. This Country therefore God ſeemeth purpoſely to have eſpyed out, as himſelf ſpeaketh, that therehence he might ſend abroad ſalvation into all parts. And hereabout, ſome gather from Joel 3.2. Chriſt will ſit to judge the world, at the laſt day, Pſal. 50.1, 2.
Verſ. 13. Thou didſt divide the Sea, &c.] Thou in this and the following verſes is emphaticall and excluſive, q. d. Thou, and none but Thou.
Thou brakeſt the heads of the Dragons] Or, Crocodiles, So he calleth Pharaohs chieftains who were Satans ſwordmen, and with him had their heads broke at the red Sea.
Verſ. 14. Thou brakeſt the heads of Leviathan] i.e. Of Pharaoh himſelf. See Iſa. 27.1. & Ezek. 29.3. Egypt is ſituate between two ſeas; and a great part of it overflowed by the River Nilus. Pharaoh therefore is fitly compared to the Maſter-fiſh, and his Captains to Crocodiles.
And gaveſt him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderneſs] i. e. To the birds and wild-beaſts, who fed upon the dead carcaſſes of the Egyptians caſt upon the ſhore; the Iſraelites having firſt taken the ſpoil of them, whereby they were provided of many neceſſaries for their voyage toward Canaan.
Verſ. 15. Thou didſt cleave the fountain and the flood] i. e. Fontium & torrentium ſcatebras & latebras, thou didſt ſet the rock abroach once and again, Exod. 17.6. Numb. 20.11. reſciſſis ipſius naturae legibus.
Thou driedſt up mighty rivers] Jordan (wherein ſome ſay met two great Rivers, Jor and Dan) whereunto the Chaldee here addeth Arnon and Jabbok, wherof ſee Numb. 21.14. Deut. 2.37.
Verſ. 16. The day is thine, the night alſo is thine] He had argued with God, and ſtrengthened his own faith from Gods extraordinary works; and now he doth the like from his ordinary works in nature, with the alternal courſe thereof, wherein appeareth a kind of image of the ſeaſonable driving away of calamities, and turning all things into a deſired ſtate, Pſal. 30.5. Lam. 3.23.
Thou haſt prepared the light and the Sun] i. e. That firſt light ſcattered abroad the heavens, but afterwards gathered into the Sun, as into a veſſel. By light ſome underſtand here the Moon, that other great luminary; it being the manner of the Hebrews, nomen generis reſtringere ad ſpeciens deteriorem.
Verſ. 17. Thou haſt ſet all the borders of the earth] Securing it from the overflowings of the Sea, and appointing to the ſeveral Nations the bounds of their habitations.
Thou haſt made ſummer and winter] Plaſmasti ea. Now thou that haſt done all this and more for mankind in general, wilt thou be wanting to thy Church?
Verſ. 18. Remember this] Forgetfulneſſe befalleth not the Lord; nevertheleſſe he giveth us leave to be his Remembrancers, and not to keep ſilence when he is concerned. Iſa. 62.6.
That the enemy] See verſ. 10.
And that the fooliſh people have blasphemed thy Name] This irketh the Saints worſe than their own particular ſufferings. The Egyptians, out of their reſpect to their Mercurius Triſmegiſtus, would not raſhly pronounce his name; no more would the Grecians their god Jupiter, no not when they ſware by him.Turtur minimus cenſetur in columbarum genere, Arist… Should not we be much more tender and reſpective of the holy and reverend name of our God, taking it ill when by any it is blaſphemed?
Verſ. 19. O deliver not the ſoul of thy Turtle-dove] Turturilla tua, that groaneth unto thee, being not more innocent chaſt, mild, ſimple and ſociable, than weak, ſhiftleſſe,Columb. mas & faemina dormiunt & paſcuntur codem in loco. Arift. hiſt. anim. lib. 8. c. 3… Patitur & non rapit. Kimchi. and unable to defend her ſelf from thoſe beaſts of prey. Optatus, obſerveth, that no fowl is more preyed upon by Hauks, Kites, &c. than the Dove; yet are there ſtill more Doves than Hauks or Kites for all that; So the Church increaſeth, notwithſtanding all perſecutions.
Unto the multitude] Or, To the beaſt, the wild-company. The ſame word is put here alſo immediatly for the Congregation or lively flock of Chriſt.
Verſ. 20. Have reſpect unto the Covenant] This the Church knew to be her beſt plea; and therefore ſhe ſo plieth it.
For the dark places of the earth are full of cruelty] That is, ſaith Baſil, thoſe places where men are in the darkneſs or ignorance, not knowing God, are full of ambition and tyranny. Others make this the ſenſe. We can hide our ſelves no where, but the Perſecutors ferret us out.
Verſ. 21. O let not the Oppreſſed, &c.] Contuſas non revertatur confuſas, let him not take the repulſe, be diſappointed of his expected help from Heaven.
Verſ. 22. Plead thine own cauſe] For if we miſ-carry, Thou art ſure to ſuffer among the proud Chaldees, as an impotent God.
Remember how the fooliſh man, &c.] See verſ. 18.
Verſ. 23. The tumult of thoſe that riſe up againſt thee increaſeth daily] Heb. Aſcendeth, viz. up to Heaven, as Jon. 1.2. there is not hoe with them. Mundi laetitia eſt impunita nequitia. If the Lord take them not a link lower, as we ſay, they will grow intolerably inſolent.