Works Volume 4, Book 3 · Psalm 77
The Seventy Seventh Pſalm.
TO the chief Muſitian ‖for foreignto Jeduthun, a Pſalm of Aſaph.
Paraphrase. The ſeventy ſeventh Pſalm is a pious reſolution of affiance in, and prayer to God, in all the miſeries that befall us in this life, by way of dialogue between diffidence and a well-grounded hope and faith. It ſeems to have been compoſed by Aſaph in reference to the ‖foreign, This Pſalm is ſpoken in the tongue or Dialect of the Captives. Kimchi.captivity, and committed to the Praefect of Muſick, to be ſung to thoſe inſtruments in which Jeduthun and his poſterity were imployed.
1. †My voice was unto God, and I cried, my voice unto God, foreignI cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice, and he gave ear unto me.
Paraphrase. 1. My diſtreſſes were great, and I had none but God to fly to: to him therefore I addreſt my requeſt importunately, and he was pleaſed to relieve me out of them.
2. In the day of my trouble I ſought the Lord; my *hand was ſtretcht out —and remitted not▪ſore ran in the night and ceaſed not; my ſoul refuſed to be comforted.
Paraphrase. 2. When any affliction came, this was my conſtant practice, never to give over praying, never to take any repoſe by diverting from that imployment.
3. I remembred God, and ‖tumultuated, or made a noiſe; or was clamorous, I meditated, or prayed—was troubled: I complained, and my ſpirit was *troubled, agitated.overwhelmed. Selah.
Paraphrase. 3. But betaking me to God, and with all importunity making my requeſts to ſound in his ears, I prayed with all the ardency and devotion and affection of my ſpirit.
4. Thou holdeſt mine eyes waking; I am ſo troubled that I cannot ſpeak.
Paraphrase. 4. When I am in the night on my bed, thou, O Lord, ſeeſt how I am imployed every minute of it; when any matter of trouble ſeiſeth on me, I betake my ſelf to this kind of ſilent meditation.†didſt …old, or keep the watches of mine eyes; I was troubled, and ſpake not.
5. I ‖conſider or recount.have conſidered the days of old, the years of †ages, ſee note d.antient times.
Paraphrase. 5. I recount all the eminent paſſages of thy providence toward this nation of ours, beginning from the firſt foundation of it.
6. I call to remembrance my ſong in the night; I commune with mine own heart, and my ſpirit *demandeth, asketh. foreignmade diligent ſearch,
Paraphrase. 6. And thus I think over my own compoſures in the ſolitudes of the night, converſing ſilently with my ſelf, in this form of dialogue betwixt me and my own ſpirit: And firſt my ſpirit or mind asks the queſtion, in this or the like form, reflecting on the diſtreſſes that are now upon us▪
7. Will the Lord caſt off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?
Paraphrase. 7. God is diſpleaſed and chaſtiſeth us ſeverely, as if he would never be attoned,
8. Is his mercy clean gone for ever? ‖is his word aboliſhed foreignDoth his promiſe fail for evermore?
9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger ſhut up his tender mercies? Selah.
Paraphrase. 8, 9. His mercies and his promiſes gave us ground of hope, and will he never remember theſe? Is he finally reſolved never again to turn to us in mercy?
10. And I ſaid, this *my deſertion is a change of the right— or the years of—is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the moſt High.
Paraphrase. 10. The continuance and repetition of his judgments for ſo many years, or in ſo many forms frequently varied, but ſtill lying heavy upon us, makes this a ſeaſonable fear.
11. I will remember the works of the Lord; ſurely I will remember †from the antient times of thy wonders, ſee note d.thy wondrous works.
12. I will meditate alſo of thy works, and talk of thy doings.
Paraphrase. 11, 12. But I ſoon anſwered and ſilenced theſe my melancholy▪ infidel reaſonings, and oppoſed unto them the acts, the many illuſtrious miraculous acts of God, in bringing us out of Egypt, poſſeſſing us of Canaan, ſubduing all our neighbouring enemies, &c. infallible evidences both of his power, and fidelity to all that depend on him; and reſolved more reaſonably to ſtay and ſupport my ſelf with the meditation and ſolemn reflection on theſe, by his former dealings inviting the continuance of them, and raiſing to my ſelf confident preſages of his future mercies.
13. Thy way, O God, is in ‖holineſs, foreignthe ſanctuary: who is ſo great a God as our God?
Paraphrase. 13. And upon an intire ſurvey of all I am forced to acknowledge, that all Gods dealings are moſt juſt and holy, he never fails the leaſt in the performance of his promiſes; but, on the contrary, hath magnified his power (as well as juſtice and fidelity) in a moſt illuſtrious manner, in all his dealings with his people.
14. Thou art the God that doeſt wonders; thou haſt declared thy ſtrength among the people.
15. Thou haſt with thine arm redeemed thy people, the ſons of Jacob and Joſeph. Selah.
Paraphrase. 14, 15. When thou reſcuedſt thy people of Iſrael out of the bondage of Egypt, the poſterity of Joſeph all begotten there, and all the reſt of the ſeed of Jacob which came to Egypt to Joſeph, (and were at firſt kindly treated by the King, but after a while oppreſt and tryannically inſlaved) thou didſt it in a moſt mighty miraculous dreadful manner, ſo as convinced the very obdurate heathens of thy power and vengeance upon them.
16. The waters ſaw thee, O God, the waters ſaw thee; they were afraid, the depths alſo were troubled.
Paraphrase. 16. And when the Iſraelites by thy conduct came to the ſea ſide▪ the very …, that untamed body, was reſtrained by thee, and as in a frightful dread of thy majeſty fled from before them, gave them leave to paſs as on dry ground through the chanel of it.
17. The clouds poured out water, the sky ſent out a ſound; *thy ſharp ſtones foreignthine arrows alſo went abroad.
18. The voice of thy thunder was in the heavens, the lightnings lightned the world, the earth trembled and ſhook.
Paraphrase. 17, 18. And on the other ſide the Lord ſent out his judgments upon the Egyptians, lookt unto their hoſt through the pillar of fire and cloud, and troubled them, Exod. 14.24. by which was intimated the tempeſtuous rain and thunder reſounding in the air, and ſending out ſhafts or ſharp ſtones, and again thunders in the clouds, and lightning flaſhing in their eyes, to the diſturbing them extreamly.
19. Thy way is in the ſea, and thy paths in the great waters, and thy footſteps are not known.
Paraphrase. 19. And thus whilſt thy people were conducted and carried ſafe by thee through the midſt of the red ſea, the Egyptians were in no wiſe able to follow them, (but were all firſt diſordered and reſtrained in the ſpeed of their march, God took off their chariot wheels that they drave them heavily, Exod. 14.25. and ſoon after by Moſes's ſtretching out his hand, ſwallowed up and deſtroyed by the ſea returning upon them, v. 26.) and ſo thy works of providence in preſerving ſome, whilſt by the ſame means thou deſtroyeſt others, moſt undiſcernible and inſcrutable.
20. Thou leddeſt thy people like a flock by the hand of Moſes and Aaron.
Paraphrase. 20. And in ſum, thy care over thy people, and thy conduct by the hand of Moſes and Aaron, hath been experimented to be like that of the moſt watchful and skilful ſhepherd over a flock, ſecuring them from all aſſaults or violence of their enemies. And thy dealings with them there, are a full ſecurity to us now, if we continue our faithful dependence on thee, that thou art both able and ready to relieve and reſcue us out of the greateſt captivities, and moſt preſent dangers.
Annotations on Pſalm LXXVII.
foreignV. 2. My ſore ran] foreign from foreign pretraxit, extendit ſe, being here applied to foreign my hand, will moſt probably be rendred, was ſtretched out, or ſtretched it ſelf;foreign and to that beſt agrees foreign and remitted not, gave not over, fell not down from foreign remiſſum eſſe. 'Tis true when it is joyned with any fluid thing, it ſignifies to flow, or run about, as of water, tears, wine, or blood, but here with the hand (if that be the meaning of foreign) the ſtretching out is the moſt proper notion of it: and though the LXXII. for foreign ſeem to have read foreign over againſt him, yet they have ſufficiently expreſt the ſenſe, and reſtrained it to the notion of foreign for my hand, foreignforeign, I ſought him with my hands by night toward him. The Chaldee having taken foreign by it ſelf, and given it a paraphraſe remote enough foreign prophecy reſted upon me (from one uſe of the word foreign ſpoken of God, for the Spirit of God, 2 King. 3.15.) do alſo paraphraſe foreign by the eye dropping of tears; but the Syriack reading foreign as if it had been foreign his hand, convert it to another matter. 'Tis true foreign ſignifies many things beſides an hand, particularly a ſtroke, or hurt, or wound that befalls any, but this ſure reſpecting him that ſtrikes or inflicts it, whoſe hand or ſtroke it is ſaid to be, not his who is ſtriken by it. So Deut. 32.36. where their hand is thus interpreted by the Chaldee, 'tis foreign the ſtroke of the hater, and Exod. 24.11. where the not laying the hand, is by the Chaldee rendred not hurting, and ſo foreign interpreted by foreign hurt; yet the foreign his hand or hurt, is not there applied to the patients, but to the agent, God. And Abu Walid, who renders it here a wound or ſtroke in reſpect to the ſufferer, mentions it as a diſtinct ſignification from what it hath in other places. And ſo ſtill it is moſt reaſonable to underſtand it in the ordinary ſenſe, foreign my hand, and then foreign muſt be the extending, holding out, or up, the hand, by which prayer is fitly expreſt, whereof that is the ſolemn geſture.
foreignV. 3. And was troubled] foreign, from foreign ſonuit, fremuit, cannot better be rendred than by, I made a noiſe, which following the remembring of God, and the other phraſes v. 1. and 2. of crying, and ſtretching out the hand, muſt needs be underſtood of the voice of his prayers very importunate in Gods ears, (and either very loud or very moanful) or, as 'tis uſed Pſal. 39.6. very unquiet, and clamorous in Gods ears: and then follows to the ſame matter, foreign I will or did meditate, foreigneither anſwerable to the remembring God in the beginning of the verſe, or elſe in the notion of praying, as Pſal. 55.17. it was rendred by the Chaldee foreign I will pray: and here foreign I will ſpeak before the Lord: and laſtly, foreign my ſpirit was involved, anxious, troubled; the Syriack render it foreign was rapt, caught into an extaſie, as it were, exagitated, or diſturbed. And ſo every part of this verſe is an expreſſion of the Pſalmiſts devotion, in the day of his trouble, v. 2. but not of his affliction it ſelf.
foreignV. 4. Eyes waking] foreign (from foreign cuſtodivit) ſignifies watches, or vigils, whether the ſpaces into which the night was divided, the firſt, ſecond, or third watch, or the office of watching for ſuch a ſpace. Here it ſeems to be taken in the latter ſenſe, for the office of guarding, watching over; and then foreign joyned with it, holding the watches (parallel to foreign, keeping the watches, Luk. 2.8. is the executing of that office.) This is here poetically ſpoken of God, that he holds the watches of the Pſalmiſts eyes, i. e. ſees and knows how they are imployed, every minute of the night. And this is here uſed but as a preface to introduce what follows in the reſt of the Pſalm, which is made up of the meditations which he had on his bed, and in which he ſpent the night, ſuppoſing God to be preſent to them. foreign ſaith he,foreign I was in perturbation, agitated, diſquieted, foreign and ſpake not vocally, but as in a deep meditation: foreign I recounted or thought on the years that were paſt —
V. 10. My infirmity] This v. 10. may perhaps be beſt rendred, if it be taken as the concluſion of the ſad hopeleſs thoughts, ſet down v. 7, 8, 9. There by way of queſtion his ſpirit had ſeemed to ſay, that there would never be any end of the preſent afflictions, that Gods mercies were forgotten, and his promiſes caſſate, as if the decree were gone forth, Gods oath in his wrath, a final irreverſible ſentence, of which he would not repent, ſaith Raſi: And in the ſame tenor 'tis here added,foreign I ſaid foreign this my diſeaſe (ſo the Syriack render it, foreign, from foreign agrotavit, and ſo both foreign in Hebrew, and foreign, and foreign, primarily ſignifie) this my wound, or this my dejection, ſaith Abu Walid, or perhaps this my deſertion. (for foreign is uſed by the Arabs alſo for deſertus fuit, being put away, as in divorce, Mat. 19.7.) foreign. Here the word foreign is capable of ſeveral interpretations, either for changes, or years. In the firſt ſenſe it will be foreign a change, or changes (from foreign mutavit) of the right hand of the higheſt, not a mutability in Gods counſels, or providence, but a varied puniſhment ſent by him, foreign a repeated blow or plague, ſaith the Syriack; and ſo ſure the Chaldee underſtood it, who render it thus, foreign and I ſaid, foreign this diſeaſe foreign a mutation, or, is a mutation foreign of the ſtrong right hand of the moſt High, a varying of his inflictions, not any inconſtancy in his providence and counſels. If it be that, it muſt be by way of interrogation, And I ſaid this is my infirmity, What? ſhall the right hand of the moſt high change? But it may be taken alſo in the ſecond notion for years, as 'tis evidently uſed v. 5. and from that verſe the ſenſe reacheth down to this place, after this manner, I have conſidered the days of old, foreign the years of ages, foreignviz. of the ſeveral ages, wherein our nation hath been retrenched, and by degrees prepared for this final deportation under Zedekiah, as 1. the captivity of the tribes beyond Jordan, and Galilee, 2 King. 15. then of the remainder belonging to the Kingdom of Samaria, 2 King. 17. and laſtly of Judah, both to Pharaoh Necho, the Aegyptian King, and then to Nebuchadnezzer in his firſt and ſecond war, 2 King. 23. and 24. In relation hereto the Pſalmiſt asks v. 7. foreign will the Lord caſt off for ages, i. e. for ſeveral ages, will he be favourable no more? and ſo on in divers phraſes v. 8. and 9. and then v. 10. And I ſaid this my diſeaſe or deſertion, foreign is the years of the right hand of the moſt high, i. e. my captivity is laſting, my ſufferings many, the meaſure of their duration, as the years of eternity. This latter ſenſe ſeems ſomewhat more conſonant to the genius of theſe writings, wherein it is cuſtomary for the verſes to refer by ſeveral characters, and allude to each other, and ſo in likelihood this is the importance of foreign. But the former alſo will well enough be born; and in either of them this verſe very fitly concludes the firſt part of this dialogue, which all inclined to the ſad part of the reflexion. And then v. 11. follows the ſecond part of it, of a quite contrary reſolution, to the end of the Pſalm, I will remember the works of the Lord, ſurely I will remember, foreign from the antient of thy wonders, i. e. I will take up another Epoch, that of all the miraculous deliverances of our nation, when firſt brought out of Aegypt; I will put the Lord in mind of all his former mercies, and by that recognition endeavour to perſwade him to a repetition of them; which belongs clearly to that new matter. The LXXII. for foreign read foreign, now I began, as from one notion of foreign in Hiphil coepit; and herein the Latine follow them; but the Syriack, as was ſaid, forſake them, and adhere to our rendring of that word, my infirmity. Abu Walid, who renders foreign this my diſeaſe, or my dejection, being caſt down or wounded (as coming, ſaith he, either from foreign or foreign) and foreign years, will have the whole paſſage run thus, And if I ſay this my proſtration or diſtreſs or ſuffering ſhall be for the remainder of time perpetual; I call to mind thy former benefits to us, and my hope is ſtrengthened, and deſpair ceaſeth, making this ſadder part an introduction to the more chearful. And ſo the Jewiſh Arab, And when I ſay this is my dejection, proſtration, and the ſpace [or duration] of the plague [or puniſhment] of the moſt High, I remember, &c.