Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 88
PSAL. LXXXVIII.
A Song or Pſalm] Pſalmus totus luctuoſus, a dolefull ditty beginning and ending with complaints; and therefore ſung in the primitive times, among other penitentiall Pſalms, at the publick confeſſion of perſons excommunicated.
Upon Mahalath Leannoth] A muſicall inſtrument ſounding heavily as a ſhaulm doth; and therefore called Infirmity, for humbling, or for Antiphonies. A fit title.
Maſchil of Heman the Ezrahite] i.e. The inſtruction of Heman, who was a very wiſe man, 1 King. 4.31. deſcended of Zerah the ſon of Judah, 1 Chron. 2.4. and thence called the Ezrahite, Brother to Ethan who penned the next Pſalm. 1 Chron. 2.6. Nobile par fratrum.
Verſ. 1. O Lord God of my ſalvation] This is the only one expreſſion of his faith found in this whole Pſalm; and it muſt be underſtood that he thus beleeved and prayed, as here, and verſe 2, when he was at worſt, and moſt deſpairingly complained.
I have cryed day and night before thee] Though in ſuch a ſtate as they were, Act. 27.20. when neither Sun nor Star appeared, yet he caſt anchor, and prayed ſtill for day.
Verſ. 2. Let my prayer come before thee] He did not caſt out brutiſh and wild complaints and moans in miſery, as 'tis naturall for people to do, but poured forth his ſoul into Gods bleſſed boſome, and now prayeth an anſwer.
Verſ. 3. For my ſoul is full of trouble] Hypotypoſis hominis luctuoſiſſimè affecti. Here we have the lively picture of a man under bitter affliction. Extraordinary wiſe he was, and extraordinary troubles he had. None out of hell ſuffer more than Gods deareſt children. This good man felt himſelf in the ſuburbs of hell, as it were.
And my life draweth nigh unto the grave] Or, Ʋnto hell; The ſame word ſignifieth both, becauſe death is hells harbinger; and would be ſo to the …ect, but for Chriſt.
Verſ. 4. I am counted with them, &c.] I am looked upon as irrecoverable, given up for deſperate. Conclamatum eſt.
I am as a man that hath no ſtrength] A man no man; weak as water, foreign.
Verſ. 5. Free among the dead] Free of that company,A mundo manumiſſus. one of the Many among the Manes, or Ghoſts; a free denizon of that ſociety, of that moiety of mankind that are dead. Yea, I am mortuorum minimus, as R. Jonah rendreth it, according to the Arabick.
Like the ſtain that lye in the grave] That are thrown on heaps into a pit, as after a field fought.R. David.
Whom thou remembrest no more] As to this preſent world, and as it way ſeem to others, with whom out fo ſight, out of mind, dead folk are ſoon forgotten. Varro thinks Lethum death, hath its name foreign, from forgetfulneſs; becauſe they which have now forgotten all the world, ſhould ſoon be forgotten of the world.
And they are cut off from thine hand] Thy providence over them in matters belonging to life is at an end.
Verſ. 6. Thou haſt laid me in the loweſt pit] In ciſterna infimbrum, in the deepeſt dungeon, in lutoſo lacu. ſuch as Jeremy was caſt into, chap. 37.
In the deeps] In voragin…bus, out of which none eſcapeth, nothing can be boyed up, as they call it.
Verſ. 7. Thy wrath lyo…b hard upon mee] So it did upon David, Pſal. 32.3. but eſpecially upon the Son of David, the Lord Chriſt, of whoſe ſufferings theſe were but types; or as chips of his croſs.
And thou haſt afflicted mee with all thy waves] But all this while it is thy doing, and that carrieth comfort in it.
Verſ. 8. Thou haſt put away mine acquaintance, &c.] Job and David complain of the like miſery. Optimum ſolatium ſodalitium; but woe to him that is alone.
I am ſhut up] Miſerably inclaved in this forlorn comfortleſſe condition, a perpetual priſoner.
Verſ. 9. Lord, I have called daily upon thee] Which he would not have done, if he had caſt away his confidence; for how ſhall they call upon him, on whom they have not beleeved, Rom. 10? The Saints when they want the Sun, yet they have the day-ſtar in their hearts.
Verſ. 10. Wilt thou ſhew wonders to the dead?] Wilt thou delay to deliver mee till I am dead, and then raiſe mee again by a miracle, that I may praiſe thee? But he ſhould have conſidered, that God neither needeth our poor praiſes, not can his help ever come too late.
Shall the dead ariſe] Heb. The Giants, that is, thoſe that are ſwallowed up of death, as the Giants were of the deluge.
Verſ. 11. Shall thy loving kindneſs, &c.] The ſame again, and verſe 12. a third time, pro more delentium. See Pſal. 6.5. & 30.9.
Verſ. 12. In the land of forgetfulneſs] So the ſtate and place of the dead is called, and why, ſee the Note on verſe 5.
Verſ. 13. But unto thee have I cryed] O condeſcend to thy poor crying creature in extremity.
In the morning] See the Note on Pſal. 5.3.
Verſ. 14. Lord why caſteſt thou off, &c.] Luther ſaith of himſelf,Juſt. Jon. Ep. ad Melan. that after his converſion he lay three days in deſperation. And afterwards, he ſometimes ſuffered ſuch deſertions, ut nec calor, nec ſanguis, nec ſenſus, nec vox ſupereſſet, ſaith an eye-witneſſe.
Verſ. 15. I am afflicted, &c.] He was brought up in the School of temptations, and kept in this form from his youth. He was put ſoon too't, and ſo deep leſſons had he ſet him, that he had like to have loſt his wits. I am diſtracted, ſaith hee, I am held upon the wheel.
Verſ. 16. Thy foirce wrath, &c.] As rivers of brimſton.
Have cut me off] Multis exciſionibus, ideo que duplicatur Tau.
Verſ. 17. They compaſſed mee about] As the water compaſſeth the earth like a girdle.
Verſ. 18. Lover and friend, &c.] See verſe 8. and mark how mournfully he concludeth; as doth alſo the Church, Lam. …. ult.