Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 91
PSAL. XCI.
VErſ. 1. He that dwelleth in the ſecret place, &c.] The ſafety of a Saint is in this whole Pſalm (Quo nihil ne que ſolidius ne que ſplendidius dici poteſt) ſet forth to the life, Verbis vivis, animatis ſententiis & ſpiritus f…rvore flagrantiſſimis.
Shall abide under the ſhadow of the Almighty] Under the pleaſant and aſſured defence of God; he ſhall lodge under the ſhadow of Shaddai, and there ſing away care, and fear.
Verſ. 2. I will ſay of the Lord] I dare ſay it is ſo as I have ſaid, ſaid the Pſalmiſt, (whom the Jews make to be Moſes) and I will preſently make proof of it in my ſelf; Non verbis ſolum praedicans, ſed exemplis. Some conceive that the Beleever having heard the former Propoſition, verſ. 1. is here brought in profeſſing his faith; and ſaying to the Pſalmiſt, Behold, I dwell in the ſecret place of the moſt High, and ſhall I abide under the ſhadow of the Almighty? The Anſwer follows.
Verſ. 3. surely he ſhall deliver thee from the ſnare of the Fowler] i. e. Of the Devil, and his Emiſſaries, 2 Tim. 2.26. who by force and fraud ſeek to inſnare the Saints. Gratiae privativae multò plures ſunt quam poſitivae, ſaith Gerſon. God daily delivereth his from innumerable deaths and dangers. By Fowler here, ſome underſtand the puniſhing Angel, 2 Sam. 24. and conceive that this Pſalm was penned upon occaſion of that great Plague that followed upon Davids numbring the people; for then, if ever, both Prince and People ſtood in need of ſpecial comfort, and here they have it. Divine conſolations are therefore ſweet, becauſe ſeaſonable and ſuitable.
And from the noyſome Peſtilence] That uncomfortable and contagious diſeaſe.Ab excidio exitiorum. The vulgar rendreth it, and from rough words. In Hebrew Dabhar ſignifieth a word, Debher, a Peſt; an evil tongue hath the Peſtilence in it.
Verſ. 4. He ſhall cover thee with his feathers] As the Hen doth her Chickens; Fides eſt quae pullaſtrum, Chriſtum gallinam facit, ut ſub pennis ejus, ſperes; num ſalus in pennis ejus, ſaith Luther: It is Faith which maketh thee the little Chicken, and Chriſt the Hen; that thou maiſt hide, and hope, hover, and cover under his wings; for there is health in his wings.
And under his wings ſhalt thou truſt] For without Faith what uſe is there to us of the Promiſes. Non de ſe debet ſperare Chriſtianus; ſi vule eſſe firmus vapore materno nutriatur, ut pullus gallinaceus, ſaith Austin; Let no man hope for ſafety or ſtrength, but under Chriſts wings graciouſly ſtretcht out over him.
Verſ. 5. Thou ſhalt not be afraid for the terrour by night] Thou ſhalt be freed, if not from the common deſtruction, yet from the common diſtraction. Impavidum ferient ruinae.
Nor for the arrow that flyeth by day] Sudden ill occurrences quae nec provident nec praecavent fideles, the arrows of Death ſhall come whisking by thine ears, and not hit.
Quid quiſ que Hor. lib. …. Od. 13.vitet nunquam hominiſatis
Cautum eſt in horas — Improviſa lethi
Vis rapuit, rapiet que gentes.
True Faith is a Target, and ſaveth a man, if not from the ſmart, yet from the hurt of evil accidents.
Verſ. 6. Nor for the Peſtilence] Called before Terrour, and Arrow, as ſome conceive. Hippocrates calleth it foreign, the Divine Diſeaſe, becauſe ſent more immediately from God, as an evil Meſſenger. Not but that a good man may dye of the Plagues, as did Oecolampadius, and many others; Hezechiah is thought to have had it, ſo had reverend Beza (his Family was four ſeveral times viſited here with) who was much comforted under that and other heavy afflictions by this ſweet Pſalm, which therefore he hugg'd and held moſt dear all the dayes of his life, as himſelf witneſſeth in his argument, and uſe of this Pſalm.
Nor for the deſtruction that waſteth at noon-day] For the noon-day-Devil (ſo the Vulgar rendreth it after the Sept.) as, for Peſtilence walking in darkneſs, one old Engliſh Manuſcript hath Goblin. The Chaldee here expounds it, the company of Devils. As, in the next verſe, A thouſand ſhall fall at thy ſide, and ten thouſand, &c. R. Solomon expoundeth, A thouſand Devils ſhall pitch their tents on thy right hand, and on thy left; but ſhall not hurt thee, becauſe the good Angels ſhall counterguard thee againſt them. But it is better to underſtand all (as before) of the Peſtilence, though I doubt not but the Devil that old man-ſlayer hath a hand in this, and other common calamities; yet not without the Lords over-ruling power limiting him.
Verſ. 7. A thouſand ſhall fall, &c.] This deadly diſeaſe layes heaps upon heaps, (as we have had lamentable experience) and ſcarce leaveth living enow to bury the dead, as in the dayes of Decius the Emperour.
But it ſhall not come nigh thee] Thou ſhalt be antidoted, and priviledged; ſc. if God ſee it good for thee. See verſ. 6. and thou be carefull to ſerve his providence. The Turks ſhun not the company of thoſe that have the plague; but pointing upon their foreheads, ſay, It was written there at their birth when they ſhall dye. Thus to do, is not to truſt god, but to tempt him.
Verſ. 8. Only with thine eyes ſhalt thou behold] And ſay, O the ſeverity of divine juſtice! O the venemous and miſchievous nature and effects of mens ſin! Behold the goodneſſe and ſeverity of God; on them which ſell ſeverity, but toward mee goodneſſe, if I continue in his goodneſſe; otherwiſe I ſhall alſo be cut off, Rom. 11.22.
And ſee the reward of the wicked] Thy ſelf being as it were ſhot-free; thy ſincerity prevailing for thy ſafety.
Verſ. 9. Becauſe thou haſt made the Lord which is my refuge, &c.] Becauſe thou haſt done, as I do, thou ſhalt ſpeed as I have ſped; for God is rich in mercy to all his.
Even the Moſt High thy habitation] See Pſal. 90.1.
Verſ. 10. There ſhall no evill befall thee] No devoratory evill, as Tertullian expreſſeth it; nothing that tendeth ad exitium, but only ad exercitium, and ſuch as ſhall end in thy good.
Neither ſhall any plague] What a wonderfull ſeparation made the Lord betwixt the houſes of the Iſraelites and the Egyptians, Exod. 11.7? See Job 5. and take theſe places, as verſe 6. For it may befall a Saint to ſhare in a common calamity; as the good Corn and weeds are cut down together, but for a different end and purpoſe,
—Non te tua plurima, Pentheu,
Labentem texit piet as —
Verſ. 11. For he ſhall give his Angels charge over thee] This guard of Angels, many Angels, yea all, if need be, to ſecure every poor beleever, how manly ſoever he thinks of himſelf, or is eſteemed by others, is no ſmall priviledge. See Mat. 4 6. with the Note.
To keep thee en all thy wayes] In all thy lawfull and Chriſtian undertakings; for no further doth God or his holy Angels take charge of thee. If we keep not within Gods precincts, we cannot look for his protection. Wefts and ſtrayes fall to the Lord of the ſoil. The State ſecureth none that are abroad at undue hours, that travell not betwixt Sun and Sun. Divines obſerve, that the Devil, citing this Text, Mat. 4.6. left out theſe words on purpoſe, as not for his purpoſe; yet doth not our Saviour ſo much as upbraid him with this mutilation, nor yet tell him of that which followeth, verſe 13. Thou ſhalt tread upon the Lyon and Adder, &c. to teach us, in dealing with an adverſary, not to lye at the catch, but anſwer to the thing, &c.
Verſ. 12. They ſhall bear thee up in their hands] See the Note on Mat. 4.6. and be ſenſible of the many good offices done us by the bleſſed Angels, not once looking for our thanks.
Verſ. 13. Thou ſhalt tread upon the Lyon, &c.] No Creature ſhall harm thee, ſo as to hinder thineeternal happineſſe. See Iſa. 11.6, 7, 8. Hoſ. 2.18. Job 5.23. Mar. 16.18. this Text was ſhamefully abuſed by Pope Alexander, Anno 1159. when at Venice he trod upon the neck of the Emperour Frederick Barbaroſſa; and ſaid, as here, ſuper leonem & aſpidem ambulabis, &c.
Verſ. 14.Ardet me, am plexus eſt me. Becauſe he hath ſet his love upon mee, &c.] Becauſe he cleaveth unto mee, and acquieſceth in mee. Thus God is brought in ſpeaking toward the cloſe of all, for greater aſſurance. Aben-Ezra ſaith, it is the ſpeech of God to his Angels.
I will ſet him on high, becauſe he hath known my name] And hence it is, that his heart is ſo ſet upon mee. They that know Gods name will ſurely truſt in him, Pſal. 9.10. Thy name is as an ointment poured out, therefore do the Virgins love thee, Cant. 1.3. But unkent unkiſt, as the Northern Proverb hath it; men therefore care not for God, becauſe they know not his excellencies.
Verſ. 15. He ſhall call upon mee] This is an indiſpenſable duty; and will be chearfully performed by thoſe that know and love the Lord.
I will deliver him, &c.] As he did David, Joſeph, Daniel, and others.
Verſ. 16. with long life, &c. he ſhall have enough of this life preſent even to a ſatiety; and Heaven in the end. The Hebrews call this Pſalm Canticum de accidentibus. When Beza came firſt to the reformed Church, hee found them ſinging this Pſalm, and was greatly encouraged.