Works Volume 4, Book 4 · Psalm 92 – Psalm 93
The Ninety Second PSALM.
A Pſalm or Song for the ‖day of Sabbath, ſee note c.Sabbath day.
Paraphrase. The ninety ſecond Pſalm is a joyous meditation on the gratious works of God toward his people, and his judgments on wicked men, appointed in the Jewiſh Church to be uſed on the Sabbath day; not ſo much to commemorate the Creation, and Sabbath following that, as to foretel their peace and proſperity in this world, and withal, that †foreign the age to come of the Meſſiah which ſhall be all Sabbath. Sol. Jarchi.reſt from perſecutions which God had promiſed to give his Church under the Meſſiah. See note a. on the title to the Romans, and 2 Theſſ. 1. note a. and Heb. 3. c. (The Jewiſh Arab aſcribes this Pſalm alſo to David.)
1. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord; and to ſing praiſes unto thy name, O moſt Higheſt;
2. To ſhew forth thy loving-kindneſs in the morning, and thy faithfulneſs every night;
3. Upon an inſtrument of ten ſtrings, and upon the Pſaltery, upon the ‖ſong or loud voice (ſee Pſal. …. 6.) on the harp. foreignharp with a ſolemn ſound.
Paraphrase. 1, 2, 3. There is nothing that better becomes a pious man than to confeſs and laud and magnifie the great and glorious Name of Almighty God, morning and evening every day to proclaim his gratious goodneſs in promiſing, and his fidelity in performing what he hath promiſed, and to do this with all the advantage that art and all ſort of Muſical Inſtruments and voices can add to it; there being no ſo proper and ſeaſonable imployment for all theſe, as that of worſhipping and glorifying the great and good Creator of all the world, and faithful protector of his ſervants.
4. For thou, Lord, haſt made me glad through thy work; I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
Paraphrase. 4. The works of thy creation were all exceeding good, and thy continued protections and preſervations, the glorious, all-wiſe and all-gratious diſpenſations of this thy providence, are matter of the moſt raviſhing tranſporting exultation.
5. O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
Paraphrase. 5. Thy actions and thy counſels are evidences of thy tranſcendent unfathomable power, and wiſdom, and goodneſs.
6. A brutiſh man knoweth not, neither doth a fool underſtand this.
7. When the wicked ſpring as the graſs, and †allwhen all the workers of iniquity do flouriſh, *that they may be deſtroyedit is that they ſhall be deſtroyed for ever.
Paraphrase. 6, 7. Such, as wicked men, that go on proſperous and uninterrupted in their courſe, do not at all diſcern or comprehend the meaning of; for when they from their ſucceſſes gather matter of triumph, applaud and congratulate their proſperities, this is a moſt groſs and ſad miſtake in them: The only true account which is to be made, or concluſion to be collected from theſe their temporary ſucceſſes, being rather this, 1. That now they are haſtening to their exciſion, their bravery like that of a flower being a moſt certain indication of their approaching ruine, whilſt the righteous flouriſh like a Palm or Cedar, v. 12. get heighth and ſtrength and glory from their age; and, 2. That Gods vengeances due to them, and not yet inflicted, will one day come upon them the more direfully and unavoidably for theſe their preſent ſhort proſperities, even utter ruine and deſtruction.
8. But thou, Lord, art moſt high for evermore.
Paraphrase. 8. And herein Gods power and juſtice and fidelity is, and ſhall be moſt eminently diſcernible, to the eternal diſcomfiture and confuſion of all the enemies of him and his Church.
9. For lo thine enemies, O Lord, for lo thine enemies ſhall periſh: all the workers of iniquity ſhall be ‖or ſeparated.ſcattered.
Paraphrase. 9. For God ſhall certainly diſtinguiſh and make a difference betwixt wicked and pious men, his enemies and his friends and faithful ſervants; and what-ever indiſcrimination there appears between them here in this world for ſome time, he will undoubtedly make the ſeparation, he will viſibly ſeiſe on the ungodly, the oppreſſors and perſecutors of his Church, blaſt their greateſt proſperities, diſſolve their ſtrength, rout their armies, bring them to nought, and adjudge them to irremediable periſhing.
10. But my horn ſhalt thou exalt like the horn of an Unicorn; I ſhall be anointed with freſh oyl.
Paraphrase. 10. Whilſt, on the other ſide, the truly pious men ſhall have all their oppreſſions and ſufferings repaired, and be rewarded abundantly with honour and exaltation, deliverance and peace here in Gods ſeaſon, advancement to a flouriſhing condition here in this world, and eternal bliſs in another life.
11. Mine eye alſo ſhall †behold or look on mine enemies. foreignſee my deſire on mine enemies, and mine ears ſhall *hear the wicked— foreignhear my deſire of the wicked that riſe up againſt me.
Paraphrase. 11. And this change ſhall be moſt viſible and illuſtrious; the judgments of God and deſtructions that fall upon the obſtinate enemies of God and his Church, ſhall be very ſtupendious and remarkable.
12. The righteous ſhall flouriſh like a palm-tree; he ſhall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon.
Paraphrase. 12. And the proſperity and peaceable flouriſhing of the Church in the fruits as well as the profeſſion of piety, in the former reſembling the fertility of the palm-tree, in the latter the tallneſs of the Cedar, ſhall be as remarkable alſo.
13. Thoſe that be planted in the houſe of the Lord, ſhall flouriſh in the Courts of our God.
14. They ſhall ‖Yet more foreignſtill bring forth fruit in old age, they ſhall be fat and flouriſhing.
Paraphrase. 13, 14. They that ſincerely and faithfully give up their names to the ſervice of God and his worſhip, ſhall at length injoy great tranquility, liberty of holy offices, and all other ſuch moſt deſirable priviledges and opportunities of piety: ſuch trees as theſe, (as men are ſaid to be trees inverted) may, without violation of the law, he planted near the altar, and flouriſh in the courts of God. And the Church ſhall be much increaſed by this means, propagated beyond the holy land over the face of the whole earth, and not decay with age, but herein alſo imitate the palm-tree, v. 12. that the older it grows, is ſtill the more fertile.
15. To †declare or ſhew forth foreignſhew that the Lord is upright; *my rock foreignhe is my rock, and there is no unrighteouſneſs in him.
Paraphrase. 15. All this as an eminent teſtimony of the great juſtice and uprightneſs of Gods judgments, who although he permit wicked men to flouriſh, and his own people to be afflicted for a while, yet at length changeth the ſcene, and by interpoſition of his almighty power ſubdues the wicked, reſtores and advances his faithful ſervants to all proſperity and flouriſhing in this life.
Annotations on Pſal. XCII.
V. 7. When the wicked] The 7. and 8. verſes are ſo to be joyned together, and read as in one period, and affixt to v. 6. that they may ſet down the error that is there imputed to the ignorant or inconſiderate wicked man; he thinks well of his own condition, meaſuring by his preſent ſucceſſes, and atheiſtically deſpiſing any future account that he ſhall be concerned in: and this is the error noted v. 6. and refuted in the two following verſes;foreign foreign in the wickeds ſpringing or ſprouting out like graſs, or flower of the field, or when, or that, or how the wicked do ſpring foreign— and all the workers of wickedneſs do flouriſh, foreign to their deſtruction, or that they may be deſtroyed for ever; foreign, ſay the LXXII. that they may, this being the event and conſequent of their flouriſhing like graſs, for ſo, we know, the flouriſhing of that abodes its ſuddain periſhing, either by exciſion, or natural decay (which is not true of the flouriſhing of palms and Cedars, v. 12.) foreign and, foreignor but thou, Lord, art moſt high — They flouriſh, and thereby do but accelerate their ruine, and over and above, make it more ſad when it comes, but God remains juſt and magnified in theſe ſtrange turns of his providence. The Jewiſh Arab here refers the ſixth verſe to what precedes ver. 5. reading it, How great are thy works, O Lord, and thy thoughts, &c. And man is more fooliſh than that he ſhould know them all, and more bruitiſh than that he ſhould underſtand it; and then begins a new ſentence with the ſeventh verſe.
V. 9. Scattered] From foreign partitus eſt, whence both the Latine partiri, and the Engliſh part, (in the notion of dividing or ſeparating) is deduced,foreign is foreign here in Hithpael, which the Interlinear renders ſegregabuntur, ſhall be parted or ſeparated. And thus it may poſſibly be a judicial phraſe, to denote the diſcrimination that is made betwixt men, as betwixt the ſheep and the goats, Mat. 25.32. All the nations ſhall be gathered together or aſſembled before him, (as a Judge) and foreign, he ſhall ſeparate them one from another, as the ſhepherd foreign, ſeparates the ſheep from the goats. For this interpretation we have the authority of the Chaldee which paraphraſe it by foreign &c. in the world to come they ſhall be ſeparated from the congregation of the juſt. And in this ſenſe, if it be admitted, it will be all one with what is ſaid in more words, Pſal. 1.4. The ungodly are not ſo, but — and the ungodly ſhall not ſtand in the judgment, nor ſinners in the congregation of the righteous, v. 5. as that ſignifies condemnation, rejection, periſhing, v. 6. and ſo foreign (as in the Jewiſh, ſo) in the Chriſtian Church, hath been always uſed to ſignifie the cenſures. But the LXXII. render it by foreign, ſhall be ſcattered, and the Syriack foreign ſhall be diſperſed: we have the word, Pſal. 22.14. my bones are out of joynt, parted aſunder; but here being ſomewhat beyond periſhing, it ſeems to be the ſcattering of enemies in a rout, which have been worſted in battel, and ſo this may be pitcht on as the more probable rendring.
foreignV. 10. Anointed] From foreign perfundere, is foreign here I am anointed; and ſo the Chaldee and Syriack appear to have read it. The LXXII. ſeem to have read it as from foreign ſenuit, and ſo render it foreign, my old age, and ſo the Latine and Arabick: and then for foreign with freſh or green oyl, the copies which we now have of the LXXII. read foreign, which the Latine render in miſericordia uberi. But as the Syriack, ſo the Arabick and Aethiopick depart here from the Latine, and aſſure us that the LXXII. wrote not foreign, but foreign, oyl. Now as there were many uſes of oyl, ſome vulgar among the Jews (ſee Mat. 6. note i.) others were extraordinary, the ceremony of inauguration to ſome office of dignity; ſo it might here be uncertain to which of theſe the phraſe belonged, did not the context determine it, and the conjunction of anointing with exaltation, foreign the exalting of the horn, foreignforeign as of an Ʋnicorn, is queſtionleſs the advancing to Regal Monarchick power, of which that horn of an Ʋnicorn is a moſt ſignificant Emblem: and then the anointing with freſh or rich oyl, adjoyned to it, muſt in all reaſon be applied to the ſame matter, and denote the inauguration to the Regal power; and then as the Chaldee confirm this, foreign, thou haſt magnified, i. e. exalted or inaugurated me with the oyl of exaltation or inauguration (anointing by them being ſtill expreſt by exalting) ſo the very reading of the LXXII. (though varied from the Hebrew) may bear a commodious ſenſe, and that which ſufficiently expreſſes the true meaning, foreign, my old age ſhall be in fat oyl, i. e. the latter part of my age ſhall be advanced to regal power. What is primarily meant by this, or ſo as might be applied to the Pſalmiſt's time which wrote it, cannot eaſily be determined, becauſe the writer of the Pſalm is not reſolved on among the Jews: the Rabbins ſaying it to have been made by Adam preſently after the creation, before the Sabbath, and ſo the Chaldee paraphraſe, and Kimchi; but others, as Aben Ezra, ſaying that all from the XC. to CI. were written by Moſes. Which though it be readily refuted from Samuels being mentioned Pſ. 99. yet may have truth to this, as to ſome others, particularly the XC. and then that being accepted that Moſes was the author of the Pſalm, and the title of the Pſalm being A Pſalm or Song (a joyful Euchariſtical celebration) foreign for the day of Sabbath, deſigning it to be uſed on their Sabbath-days, and probably referring to that Sabbath, that reſt, which was by Moſes promiſed the people of the Jews, Deut. 12.9, 10. this may moſt fitly be reſolved on as the primary ſenſe of it, that God would bring his people the Jews at length, after a wilderneſs of troubles and many enemies, to reſt in Canaan, and eſtabliſh them a Kingdom in peace. But the more eminent, and that as (or more literal ſenſe of it, pertains to the Chriſtian Church, firſt Chriſt, then Chriſtians. Chriſt the Meſſias, after his being perſecuted and crucified, was to be raiſed and inaugurated to his ſpiritual Kingdom, and that commencing in the deſtruction of his enemies the Jews; and the Chriſtians for ſome time after his death perſecuted by the ſame Jews, were to have their reſt, halcyonian days of peace (ſee note on Heb. 3. c.) and this expreſt by their being Kings and Prieſts unto God (ſee note on Apoc. 1. d.) parallel to the horn being exalted as the horn of an Ʋnicorn, and being anointed with freſh oyl here, as it hath before been interpreted.
The Ninety Third PSALM.
The ninety third Pſalm is a brief meditation on the power of God, and his providence, as in the works of his creation, and the ſtability of thoſe laws whereby all are governed, notwithſtanding the tumults of this ſublunary world, ſo in ſetling his Church in peace, and faithful performing of his promiſes to his ſervants. It is reſolved by the ‖R. Saad. Gaon, and Raſi, and Kimchi.Jews to have its fulleſt completion in the Meſſias.
1. THe Lord reigneth, he is clothed with Majeſty; the Lord is clothed with ſtrength, †he hath girded himſelf foreignwherewith he hath girded himſelf: the world alſo is eſtabliſhed, that it cannot be moved.
Paraphrase. 1. The Lord hath now been pleaſed powerfully and illuſtriouſly to ſhew forth himſelf, to give ſignal teſtimonies of his omnipotence, he is come out as in a royal, ſo in a military manner, hath ſecured the whole nation (ſee note on Matth. 24. c.) from all the dangers that incompaſt it, and ſet it ſafe from the fear of evil; (And this an emblem of the ſpiritual Kingdom of Chriſt, ſee note c. on Pſal. 106.)
2. Thy throne is eſtabliſhed of old, thou art from everlaſting.
Paraphrase. 2. This gives us occaſion now ſeaſonably to praiſe and magnifie him in all his glorious attributes of power and juſtice, which from all eternity have belonged to him, his rightoouſneſs being as eternal as his being.
3. The flouds have lifted up, O Lord, the flouds have lifted up their voice, the flouds lift up their waves.
Paraphrase. 3. When the violent uproars and ſeditions of wicked men did their utmoſt to diſturb and overwhelm all, imitating the waves and ſurges of the rivers or ſeas, v. 4. which make a great noiſe and roaring. (And ſo when the devils and wicked men ſtood out againſt, rejected and crucified the Meſſias.)
4. The Lord on high is mightier than the noiſe of many waters, yea even than the mighty waves of the Sea.
Paraphrase. 4. God was then pleaſed ſeaſonably to interpoſe his allmighty power, to ſubdue and quiet them, and fruſtrate their moſt boiſterous aſſaults, ſhewing them and all the world beſide, that his ſtrength is far ſuperiour to the ſtrength of the moſt riotous unruly creatures, and can, when he pleaſe, reſtrain and ſtill them: (And ſo did he in the reſurrection ſet up the Kingdom of the Meſſias)
5. Thy teſtimonies are very ſure; holineſs becometh thine houſe, O Lord, ‖to length of days foreignfor ever.
Paraphrase. 5. And according to his ſtrength, ſo is his fidelity; he is able to perform whatſoever he pleaſe, and having interpoſed his promiſe, he will certainly fulfil it; he can no more fail in that, than he can renounce his holineſs, which is of all others his moſt divine attribute, always moſt illuſtriouſly viſible in all his proceedings, and ſo ſhall continue to the end of the world. (And this diſcernible in nothing more, than in his making good his promiſes to the Chriſtian Church.)