Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 79
PSAL. LXXIX.
A Pſalm] Of like ſubject, with Pſalm 74. bewayling the ſame calamity of the Jews, whether under Nebuchadnezzar or Antiochus is uncertain; but foreſeen by Aſaph, or deſcribed by ſome other Prophet, and committed to ſome of Aſaphs ſucceſſours to be ſung. Cantant juſti etiam in adverſis; as birds in the Spring tune moſt ſweetly, when it raineth moſt ſadly.
Verſ. 1. O God the Heathen] Ex abrupto ord…tur; q. d. canſt thou endure it? Is it not high time for thee to ſet in? Lo they have filled the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel, Iſa. 8.8. that is, O thou who art God with us, who giveſt with the Father,Cum parte dator, inter nos petitor. Aug. who prayeſt with the ſuitor, and who in all our afflictions art afflicted.
The holy Temple have they defiled] Spoliando, funeſtando, & omnia profana impia que munera obeundo, See Pſal. 74.7.
They have laid Jeruſalem on heaps] In rudera, into an Orchard-keepers cottage, foreign. Sept.ſaith the Vulgar. An elegant Hypotypoſis.
Verſ. 2. The dead bodies of thy Servants] Either they denyed them the honour of buriall (which is reckoned among the foreign the dues of the dead) or elſe they mangled their dead bodies, and exerciſed their rage upon them,foreign, &c. as the Papiſts did upon Huſſe, and Zuinglius, and many of the Engliſh Martyrs. A barbarous practice, as Pauſan…as judged it in Herodot. Call…ope.
The fleſh of thy Saints, &c.] Of thy beneficiaries, whoſe ſouls are with thee in Heaven; theſe have not ſo much as a burying-place on earth, but lye like common carrion Morticina, like cattle that dye of the murrain, and are moſt ignominiouſly dealt withall: And yet theſe are Gods Saints, and in ſome ſenſe, Martyrs.
Verſ. 3. Their blood have they ſhed like water] They made no more reckoning of it, than of ditch-water; and were ready to ſay as Hannibal did when he ſaw a ditch full of mens blood, O formoſum spectacutum! O beautifull ſight!Contemptim vel abjecte.
And there was none to bury them] Either none to bury them at all;Immaniatis eſt Scythicae non ſepelir… mortuos. Sen. ad Ma…tiam. which the Jews accounted worſe than death, Eccleſ. 6. and the Romans extreme cruelty: Or none to bury them, cum ritibus with the accuſtomed rites and ceremonies, as Jacob was buried, Gen. 50. but not Jeconiah, Jer. 22.18.
Verſ. 4. Wee are become a reproach to our neighbours] To the Edomites, Philiſtines, Syrians, Tyrians, &c. who do now compoſe comedies out of our tragedies.
A ſcorn and deriſion to them that are round about us] Quorum opprobriis, Iudibriis, & contumeliis ſumus expoſiti. This was more grievous to them than ſtripes or wounds, ſaith Chryſoſtom; becauſe theſe being infflicted upon the body, are divided after a ſort betwixt ſoul and body; but ſcorns and reproaches do wound the ſould only. Hebet quendam aculeum contumelia, they leave a ſting behind them,Act. 5 in Ver. as Cicero obſerveth.
Verſ. 5. How long wilt thou be angry, &c?] Or, How long? wilt thou be angry for ever? The Pſalmiſt knew that the enemies were but Gods executioners; and that if he were but once pacified, they ſhould ſoon be put out of office.
Shall thy jealouſy] viz. For our Idolatry, Exod. 20.
Verſ. 6. Pour out thy wrath, &c.] Even the full vials of it.
That have not known thee] More than by the book of the Creatures, wherein there is indeed a foreign, ſomething of God manifeſted, Rom. 1.19, 20. even his eternal power and God-head, rendring men without excuſe, but nothing of his goodneſs and patience leading them to repentance, chap. 2.4.
That have not called upon thy Name] A note of prophaneneſs, Pſal. 14.4.
Verſ. 7. For they have devoured Jacob] As Wolves and other ravenous creatures do the ſimple ſheep.
His dwelling-place] Or, his cottage, his ſheep-coat.
Verſ. 8. O remember not againſt us former iniquities] Or, The iniquities of them … were before us, wherewith we alſo are juſtly chargeable; the ſin of the golden calf, ſaith the Arabick here,foreign. Diodor. Curt. lib. 7. an ounce whereof is in all our ſufferings to this day, ſay the Jews. Alexander ſlew the Bran…hidae, and utterly deſtroyed their City, becauſe their Fore-fathers had long before indeavoured to betray Greece into the hands of Xerxes.
Speedily prevent us] Leſt they come too late; for we are at laſt gaſp.
Verſ. 9. Help us — for the glory of thy Name] A ſpeeding argument. God will do much for his own glory, his wife as it were.
Purge away our ſins] Which nothing can do, but tender mercy.
Verſ. 10. Where is their God?] See Pſal. 42.3. So Turks at this day (when they have the better of Chriſtians) cry, where is the Chriſtians God? We are the right Muſalmans, &c.
By the revenging of the blood of thy Servants, &c.] For the which make thou inquiſition, and do juſtice.
Verſ. 11. Let the ſighing of the priſoner, &c.] It was lately in many places of this land a like difficult thing, to find a wicked man in the enemies priſons, or a godly man out of them. The ſights of ſuch were ſhril in Gods ears.
Preſerve thou thoſe that are appointed to dye] Heb. The children of death, thoſe that being deſtined to deſtruction ſeem to be as much in deaths power, as children are in their Parents. The Arabick rendreth it, Redime filios occiſorum, Redeem the children of thoſe who are ſlain, leſt the name of their Parents be blotted out.
Verſ. 12. Into their boſomes] Full meaſure, preſſed down, ſhaken together, and running over, Luk. 6.38. See Iſa. 65.6, 7. Jer. 32.18.
Wherewith they have reproached thee] viz. In reproaching us, who do quarter armes, as it were, with thee.
Verſ. 13. So wee thy people — will give thee praiſe] A ſervice which the Saints know to be ſo acceptable to God, that they commonly promiſe it, and accordingly perform it, Hoſ. 14.2. ingaging alſo their children, as here, to do the like.