Works Volume 4, Book 5 · Psalm 118
The Hundred and Eighteenth PSALM.
The hundred and eighteenth Pſalm ſeems to be a gratulatory hymn to David upon his full and moſt undiſturbed poſſeſſion of the Kingdom, after the Ark was brought to Jeruſalem, as may be conjectured from ver. 19, 20, 26, 27. and was probably appointed to be ſung at the Feaſt of Tabernacles, v. 15. (ſome parts of it in the perſon of the people, and others, by way of alternation, in the perſon of the King himſelf) the moſt joyfull ſolemnity in the whole year, as about which time the armies returned home from the field, and Hoſanna, v. 25. the acclamation then uſed of courſe, though no extraordinary accident had happened. It is applied both by our Saviour, Matt. 21.42. and by S. Peter, 1 Pet. 2.4. to Chriſt the Son of David, as by his aſcenſion he was inſtalled to be the King, and ſo the head corner ſtone of the Church; and it is therefore made up of lauds and praiſes to God for all his mercies.
1. O Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, becauſe his mercy endureth for ever.
2. Let Iſrael now confeſs that his mercy endureth for ever.
3. Let the houſe of Aaron now ſay that his mercy endureth for ever.
4. Let them now that fear the Lord ſay that his mercy endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 1, 2, 3, 4. It is now a fit ſeaſon for all, people and Prieſts, eſpecially for all truly pious men, (the moſt concerned and intereſſed perſons) to laud and magnifie the great goodneſs and conſtant mercies of God toward us, let all therefore joyn uniformly in the performance of it.
5. I called unto the Lord in diſtreſs: the Lord anſwered me, ‖with inlargement, foreignand ſet me in a large place.
Paraphrase. 5. When I was brought into great diſtreſs, (may David now ſay) I addreſt my prayers to God for deliverance, and he preſently ſent me a moſt ſeaſonable relief.
6. The Lord is on my ſide; I will not fear what man can doe unto me.
Paraphrase. 6. And having God to take my part, I have no reaſon to apprehend the power or malice of man, whatſoever it is.
7. The Lord †is to me among my helpers foreigntaketh my part with them that help me: therefore ſhall I *look upon, ſee note on Pſal. 112.2.ſee my deſire upon them that hate me.
Paraphrase. 7. As long as he is on my ſide to ſupport and aſſiſt me, I ſhall not fear to meet an whole hoſt of enemies.
8. It is better to truſt in the Lord than to put any confidence in man.
9. It is better to truſt in the Lord than to put any confidence in Princes.
Paraphrase. 8, 9. He that repoſeth his whole truſt in God, hath thereby a far better ſecurity than all the Princes or men in the world can yield him.
10. All nations compaſſed me about; ‖in the name of the Lord will I truſt, therefore I will— ſee note a.but in the name of the Lord will I deſtroy them.
11. They compaſſed me about, yea they compaſſed me about; †ſee v. 10.but in the name of the Lord I will deſtroy them.
Paraphrase. 10, 11. Let all the men and nations in the world begirt me never ſo cloſe, and leave me no way in humane ſight for mine eſcape and relief, yet I have my confidence in God; and being thus fortified with ammunition and auxiliaries from heaven, I ſhall make no doubt to repell and deſtroy them all.
12. They compaſſed me about like bees, they ‖or flamedare quenched as the fire of thorns, †In the name— ſee v. 10.for in the name of the Lord I will deſtroy them.
Paraphrase. 12. Let them ſwarm about me as thick as bees, ſeiſe on me with the ſame violence that the fire doth upon ‖Chaff, Syr.chaff or thorns which it preſently ſets a flaming and conſumes; yet being thus armed as I am with a full truſt and reliance on the omnipotent power of God, I ſhall eſcape their fury, and cut them off, in ſtead of being deſtroyed by them.
13. Thou haſt thruſt fore at me, *to ruine or fallingthat I might fall: but the Lord helped me.
Paraphrase. 13. Mine enemies violence was ſo great, that I had no power to reſiſt it, but was juſt ready to fall and ſink under it: and juſt then, when my diſtreſs was greateſt, God interpoſed for my relief.
14. The Lord is my ſtrength and my ſong, and is become my ſalvation.
Paraphrase. 14. On him have I always depended as my onelyonly ſupport, him have I always acknowledged and praiſed, and expreſt my confidence in him; and accordingly now in time of my want he hath reſcued me, and ſet me in perfect ſafety.
15. The voice of rejoycing and ſalvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly,
16. The right hand of the Lord is exalted, the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.
Paraphrase. 15, 16. And thus it is with all that adhere ſtedfaſtly to their obedience to, and truſt in God; their whole lives are made up of receiving and celebrating mercies and deliverances from God, ſuch as his omnipotent hand worketh for them, either without the aſſiſtance of humane aids, or ſo as the ſucceſs is eminently imputable to God and not to man.
17. I ſhall not dye, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.
Paraphrase. 17. And having received this inſtance of his mercy at this time, being now ſecured from my greateſt dangers, what remains for me, but to ſpend my whole age in proclaiming the power, and mercy, and fidelity of my deliverer, and call all men off from their vain and weak truſts, the arm of fleſh, to this more skilfull and politick dependence on God?
18. The Lord hath chaſtened me ſore; but he hath not given me over unto death.
Paraphrase. 18. God hath moſt juſtly delivered me up to be ſeverely puniſht, purſued and hunted by my enemies; but then hath ſeaſonably delivered me out of their hands, and not permitted me to be overwhelmed by them.
19. Open to me the gates of righteouſneſs: I will go into them, and I will praiſe the Lord.
20. This ‖is the gate foreigngate of the Lord into which the righteous ſhall enter.
Paraphrase. 19, 20. The ſanctuary of God, the holy place whither all good men reſort, to petition mercies, and to acknowledge them when they are received, is that to which, as I am moſt bound, I will now make my moſt ſolemn addreſs, and there commemorate God's mercies to me. Or, I will make uſe of all †ſo the Jewiſh Arab.occaſions as may make way for the prai…ng God,
21. I will praiſe thee, for thou haſt heard me, and art become my ſalvation.
Paraphrase. 21. Proclaiming to all the gracious returns I have received to my prayers, the abundant and ſeaſonable deliverances which God hath afforded me.
22. The ſtone which the builders refuſed, is become the head-ſtone of the corner.
23. This †was fr… the Lord foreignis the Lord's doing, it is marvellous in our eyes.
Paraphrase. 22, 23. And now may all the aſſembly of Iſrael rejoyce, and joyn in their congratulations, that being now fallen out in King David's exaltation to the throne (and much more eminently in the reſurrection and aſcenſion of the Meſſiah) which is ordinarily ſaid, (whether by way of Hiſtory or Parable) that the ſtone which, in the laying the foundation of ſome eminent building, was oft tried by the builders, and as oft rejected by them, as unfit for their uſe to any part of the fabrick, and thereupon caſt among and covered over with rubbiſh, was at length, when they wanted a ſtone for the moſt eminent uſe, the coupling and joynting the whole fabrick together, found moſt exactly fitted for the turn, and ſo put in the moſt honourable place, the chief corner of the building. A thing ſo unexpected and ſtrange, that it was with reaſon judged as ſpecial an act of God's providence, as if it had been ſent them down immediately from heaven. As ſtrange was it, and as imputable to God's ſpecial hand, that David, of no eminent family, the ſon of Jeſſe, and withall the youngeſt and moſt deſpiſed of his brethren, ſhould be in Saul's ſtead exalted by God to the regal throne, and being for this driven by Saul from his court, and purſued as a partridge on the mountains, ſhould yet continually eſcape his hand, and be peaceably placed in his throne. And ſo yet farther in the myſtery, that the Meſſiah, the ſon of a Carpenter's wife, with him brought up in the trade, that whilſt he made known the will of God had no dwelling-place, that was rejected by the chief of the Jews, as a drunkard and glutton, and one that acted by the Devil, as a blaſphemous and ſeditious perſon, and as ſuch put to the vileſt death, the death of the Croſs, and was held ſome ſpace under the power of the grave, ſhould be raiſed the third day from death, taken up to heaven, and there ſit in his throne to rule and exerciſe regal power over his Church for ever. This certainly was a work purely divine, and ſo ought to be acknowledged and admired by us.
24. This is the day the Lord hath made: we will rejoyce and be glad in it.
25. Save now, I beſeech thee, O Lord; O Lord, I beſeech thee, ſend now proſperity.
Paraphrase. 24, 25. This day is the celebrating of a mercy wrought eminently, ſignally and peculiarly by the Lord ('twas he that exalted David to the throne, and he that will advance the Meſſias to his regality in heaven) and thereby peculiarly conſecrated by God to his ſervice, and ſo for ever deſerves to be ſolemnized by us, being matter of the greateſt joy imaginable to all ſubjects, either of David's or of Chriſt's Kingdom (and ſo this Pſalm fit for a Paſchal Pſalm in the Church of Chriſt for ever.) Now it ſeaſonable to uſe Hoſannahs (ſee note on Pſal. 20. d. and Matt. 21. a.) acclamations and wiſhes of all manner of proſperity to this King exalted by God, David, the type of the Meſſiah. Let us all joyn in doing it moſt ſolemnly, crying, people and prieſt together.
26. Bleſſed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have bleſſed you ‖from foreignout of the houſe of the Lord.
Paraphrase. 26. The Lord be praiſed for the great mercy of this King, ſent us ſo peculiarly by God, but eſpecially for the Meſſias, whoſe coming hath been ſo long promiſed and expected (ſee Matt. 21.9.) All we that belong to the houſe of God, the Prieſts that wait on his ſanctuary, do heartily bleſs God for this day, and beſeech his bleſſing on him that is now crowned: and ſo ſhall all the Church of the Meſſias for ever celebrate him, bleſs God for his exaltation, and pray to God to proſper this regal office unto him, bringing in the whole world unto his ſervice.
27. God is the Lord †and hath ſhined upon us foreignwhich hath ſhewed us light: bind the ſacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.
Paraphrase. 27. Thus hath God ſhewed forth himſelf as in mercy, ſo in power for us; he hath magnified himſelf, exerciſed this double act of his dominion over the world, 1. in raiſing David from ſo mean an eſtate to the regal throne, 2. in raiſing Chriſt from death to life, and then aſſuming him to an intire dominion over the world, to endure to the day of judgment. And in both theſe he hath revived us with the moſt chearfull beams of his divine goodneſs. O let us in commemoration thereof keep an anniverſary ſacrifical feaſt (ſee v. 24.) to praiſe and magnifie his name for theſe and all his mercies, every man giving thanks and ſaying,
28. Thou art my God, and I will praiſe thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
Paraphrase. 28. I will laud and praiſe thy mercies, ſo eminently vouchſafed unto me, and in ſo peculiar a manner inhanſed to the benefit of my ſoul, and proclaim thy goodneſs and ſuperlative divine excellencies to all the world:
29. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 29. Calling unto all to confeſs and extoll thy acts of providence and divine diſpenſation, wherein thou haſt moſt graciouſly exhibited thy ſelf to us, and from time to time continued to oblige us, and ſo wilt continue for ever.
Annotations on Pſal. CXVIII.
foreignV. 12. Quenched] foreign, which from foreign to be extinguiſht, or go out, is regularly interpreted, quenched, is yet by the ancient interpreters far otherwiſe rendred. The Chaldee reade foreign burning, and the LXXII. foreign were on fire, the Arabick inflamed, and the Latin exarſerunt, they burnt or flamed; which makes it probable, that as many other words in the Hebrew language are uſed in contrary ſenſes (ſee Mr. Pocock in his Miſcellany notes cap. 2.) ſo foreign, which ſignifies in other places paſſively to be conſumed or extinguiſht, may ſignifie here, as an foreign, to flame, or in an active ſenſe, as in Arabick 'tis uſed, violently to break in or ſet upon, as in war or contention, when men violently ruſh one on another. So R. Solomon on the place, notes the ſignification of foreign to be ſudden leaping, uſed therefore of fire and water, for their ſudden leaping out of their place, and then applied to fire, it will be flaming. And thus it beſt agrees with that which follows, as fire among the thorns, for 'tis certain that flames violently: and thus it beſt connects with the antecedents, the other example of their coming about him like bees, with which 'tis joyned without any note of disjuction. This I ſay, becauſe all the ancient interpreters, except the Syriack, agree in this rendring; and the Syriack reteining the Hebrew word foreign, muſt be interpreted to the ſame ſenſe that ſhall appear to belong to the Hebrew, and by the addition of the copulative and, doth rather incline to this ſenſe, They came about me like bees, and they— If this be not it, then the meaning of thoſe interpreters muſt be ſuppoſed to be, that as the fire among thorns is ſoon extinguiſht by the conſumption of the thorns, ſo for the time that it burns, it flames extremely; and ſo the ſimilitude of his enemies is ſuppoſed to hold in the burning, as well as the extinction, (and ſo 'tis obſerved of the bees that they dye, or loſe all vigor, when they ſting, animaſque in vulnere ponunt) and then ſtill this divolves to the ſame effect or purpoſe. But for the notation of the word it ſelf, that 'tis here uſed in the ſenſe of flaming, and not being extinguiſhed, one farther argument may be drawn from the whole contexture, ſpecially from the phraſe foreign in the name of the Lord, and the foreign which follows, both thrice repeated in the ſame manner v. 10, 11, 12. thus, All nations compaſſed me about; foreign in the name of the Lord, foreignforeign therefore (ſo ſaith the Chaldee, and ſo foreign oft ſignifies) I will deſtroy them. That the words are to be rendred by ſupply of an ellipſis from v. 9. I will truſt in the name of the Lord, rather than by reading foreign in conſtruction before in the name of the Lord, and ſo rendring it for in the former, and but in this verſe, we are taught by the Chaldee, who thus render that verſe, All people compaſſed me about; I truſted in the name of the word of the Lord, foreign therefore I ſhall cut them off. And ſo again v. 11. They compaſſed me about, they compaſſed me about; In the name of the word of the Lord foreign I truſted, therefore I ſhall cut them off. And then in all reaſon ſo it muſt be here, v. 12. In the name of the Lord I truſted, therefore I ſhall deſtroy them. And if ſo it be, then the former part of the verſe, if it go on in the ſame ſcheme with the former two verſes, muſt moſt probably ſet down the enemies beſieging, and aſſaults onelyonly, leaving their deſtruction to the laſt words of the verſe, as in the two former it was; and then foreign muſt ſignifie they were inflamed, or burnt, as the fire among the thorns, or elſe it will not belong to that ſenſe. The other rendring is preſt with diverſe, but eſpecially with this inconvenience, that after he hath ſaid they are quenched or extinct, he is ſuppoſed to add, that he will deſtroy them, which cannot in propriety belong to thoſe that are extinct, i. e. deſtroyed already. And whereas our Engliſh endeavours to help that, by rendring foreign for in this verſe, whereas it was rendred but v. 10. and 11. firſt there is no appearance of reaſon for that change, but to anſwer this objection, to facilitate this rendring, (of which the principal doubt is;) and ſecondly, it doth not perform what it pretends to, for it cannot be any reaſon (ſo for notes) of their being extinct already▪ that he will, or hath confidence that he ſhall deſtroy them. If therefore the notion of quenching be ſtill reteined, it muſt be by taking the praeter tenſe in ſignification of the future, thus, they compaſſed me like bees, they ſhall be extinct — So the Jewiſh Arab takes it, If or though they compaſs, &c. certainly they ſhall be extinguiſhed — making foreign a particle of aſſeveration, as Abu Walid notes.
V. 13. foreignThat I might fall] The full importance of foreign is beſt expreſt gerundially, ad cadendum, to falling, not onelyonly to expreſs their deſire who thus preſt and thruſt at him, that he might fall, for that is ſuppoſed in the violence of their impulſion, expreſt by repetition of the verb foreign thou haſt by thruſting thruſt me, but to ſignifie the event or ſucceſs of it, that I was falling, or ready to fall, foreign ſay the LXXII. in the infinitive mood gerundially, and ſo the Chaldee and the Syriack; and ſo the Jewiſh Arab, It is a long while that thou haſt driven or thruſt me to falling. And this expreſſes the greatneſs and ſeaſonableneſs of the deliverance, that when he was falling, God helped him.
V. 16. Is exalted] For the paſſive notion of foreign, which the Chaldee follows, foreignreading foreign exalted, the LXXII. reade. foreign, hath exalted me, and ſo the Syriack and Latin and Arabick; either from the active notion of foreign exaltavit, elevavit, wherein we have it v. 28. foreign I will exalt thee, from which foreign is the participle, and ſo literally ſignifies exalting; or elſe expreſſing the ſenſe by a ſhort paraphraſe, God's right hand being therefore ſaid to be exalted, as alſo to doe valiantly, becauſe it had exalted him, and given him victory over his enemy.
V. 22. The ſtone] The author of Hiſtoria Scholaſtica mentions it as a Tradition, foreignthat at the building of the ſecond Temple, there was a particular ſtone of which that was literally true which is here parabolically rehearſed, viz. that it had the hap to be often taken up by the builders, and as oft rejected, and at laſt was found to be perfectly fit for the moſt honourable place, that of the chief corner-ſtone, which coupled the ſides of the walls together, the extraordinarineſs whereof occaſioned the ſpeech here following, This is of the Lord, and it is marvellous in our eyes. If there were indeed any ſuch tradition of the Jews, as he reporteth, and truth in the tradition, it were neceſſary to reſolve that this Pſalm was made at the foreign or dedication and conſecration of the ſecond Temple, or on ſome like occaſion after that. But although theſe two verſes thus hiſtorically interpreted might incline to that date of it, (and then the gates of righteouſneſs v. 19. would well refer to the gate of the ſecond Atrium, the publick ſolemn way into the Temple, by which the Jews and Proſelytes of righteouſneſs entred, the Proſelytes of the gates entring onelyonly the firſt court) yet the reſt of the Pſalm is not ſo agreeable thereto, being much more applicable to David in reſpect of the difficulties which he had overcome in his way to the Kingdom. And accordingly the Chaldee interpret all the verſes to the end expreſly of him, foreign, &c. The builders deſpiſed the youth which was among the ſons of Jeſſai, and he deſerved to be conſtituted foreign the King and Ruler. This hath been from the Lord, ſaid the builders; this is wonderfull in our eyes, ſaid the ſons of Jeſſai. The Lord made this day, ſaid the builders; let us rejoyce and be glad in it, ſaid the ſons of Jeſſai. We pray thee, O Lord, beſtow ſalvation now, ſaid the builders; we pray thee, O Lord, proſper us now, ſaid the ſons of Jeſſai. Bleſſed is he which cometh in the name of the word of the Lord, ſaid the builders; let them bleſs you from the houſe of the ſanctuary of the Lord, ſaid David. The Lord our God hath ſhined on us, ſaid the tribes of the houſe of Judah; Bind the young lamb (foreign, the Latin abſurdly renders it puerum) for a ſacrifice of ſolemnity with chains till you have ſacrificed him, and poured out his blood upon the horns of the altar, ſaid Samuel the Prophet. Thou art my God, I will confeſs before thee; thou art my God, I will praiſe thee, ſaid David. Samuel anſwered and ſaid, Praiſe ye, all ye congregation of Iſrael, confeſs before the Lord that he his good, that his mercy endureth for ever. This makes it not unreaſonable to reſolve, that the whole Pſalm belongs to David, and that it was compoſed either by him, or by ſome other in commemoration of his exaltation to, and full poſſeſſion of the Kingdom; which being from a very low condition, and other the like circumſtances of improbability, it was very fitly reſembled by this of the ſtone which the builders refuſed, &c. whether that were a ſtory of any real paſſage, or whether onelyonly an emblem and parabolical expreſſion of what was here done; and both that emblem and this real exaltation of David a moſt lively type of the humiliation and exaltation of the Meſſiah, and his aſcenſion, and taking poſſeſſion of heaven, and ſo is made uſe of Matt. 21.42. Mar. 12.10. Luk. 21.17. Act. 4.11. Eph. 2.20. 1 Pet. 2.4. and by way of Prophecy, Iſa. 28.16. And to him it belongs more eminently and more compleatly, than to David's perſon it could, the tribes of Iſrael and Judah being not divided before, and ſo not united by David; whereas Chriſt of Jew and Gentile made one Church, and ſo was moſt literally the chief corner-ſtone, that coupled the walls and knit the building together, which cannot ſo literally be affirmed of David. Of this we have the confeſſion of the Jews themſelves. Sol. Jarchi on Mich. v. 2. ſaith, Out of Bethlehem ſhall come foreign Meſſiah the ſon of David, foreign ſo be (the Pſalmiſt) ſaith, the ſtone which the builders refuſed, &c. (And ſo v. 15. the voice of joy, &c. Kimchi and Jarchi refer to the days of the Meſſiah, as from the stones of Iſrael, Gen. 29.24. they fetch their dream of their ſuffering Meſſias Ben Joſeph, or Ben Ephraim.)
foreignV. 27. Sacrifice] The Hebrew word here is foreign, which is ordinarily uſed for a feſtival, but ſometimes by metonymie ſignifies the ſacrifice uſed at ſuch times. So Exod. 23.18. the fat foreign, not of my feaſt, but foreign of my feſtival ſacrifice, ſaith the Chaldee. So Iſa. 29.1. foreign behead or kill the ſacrifices. So Amos v. 21. where we reade, I hate, I deſpiſe foreign, it is moſt probably to be rendred your ſacrifices: for as what follows, I will not ſmell in your ſolemn aſſemblies, muſt be underſtood of the ſmoak of their ſacrifice, or their incenſe, foreign oblation ſaith the Chaldee, and the LXXII. foreign ſacrifices, and not of the days or aſſemblies themſelves; ſo the inſuing verſe is expreſs, Though you offer me burnt-offerings and meatofferings, I will not accept them. So Mal. 2.3. the dung foreign (in all probability) of their ſacrifices. And thus have the Chaldee rendred it in this place, foreign the young lamb for a feſtival ſacrifice. Of this 'tis here ſaid, foreign bind it with cords, as the ſacrifice is wont to be when 'tis killed,foreign foreign even to the horns of the altar; i. e. after 'tis bound, kill it, and doe all other things preparatory to the offering it up, till at laſt you lay it upon the altar, and ſprinkle the blood on the horns of it. So Kimchi and Jarchi literally expound this of bringing the ſacrifice bound, till he came to the altar, foreign. But the Jewiſh Arab will have it ſignifie the continuance or being inſtant in ſacrificing or bringing ſacrifices. The horns of the altar were on every corner of it, Exod. 27.1. and ſo by ſprinkling the blood on the horns of the altar, was perhaps meant the ſprinkling it round about (ſo we know the appointment was, Exod. 29.15, 16. Thou ſhalt take the ram— and thou ſhalt take his blood and ſprinkle it round about upon the altar; ſo Lev. 1.5. they ſhall ſprinkle the blood round about upon the altar.) Or elſe ſprinkling it on the horns was the ſhorter way (ſee Lev. 4.7, 18. and c. 8.15. and c. 9.9. and 16.18.) and was by interpretation the ſprinkling it round about, every horn repreſenting the ſide next that corner. But for binding the ſacrifice to the horns of the altar, whilſt it was killed, we find no ſuch cuſtom in the Law; and therefore ſure the words are to be interpreted by ſuppoſing an ellipſis in them, which is to be ſupplied as the Chaldee hath done, bind it with bands till ye have ſacrificed it, and poured the blood thereof upon the horns of the altar. But from the ambiguity of foreign uſed frequently for a feaſt, the LXXII. have far departed from this ſenſe, and reade foreign, appoint the feaſt in condenſis, (the vulgar render it) in the thick boughs; and ſo Heſychius, foreign. But alſo foreign ſignifies to hide or cover; foreign, ſaith he. And ſo the LXXII. here may have uſed it for the booths or tabernacles, of which the Jews had a foreign or feaſt yearly. However though I ſuppoſe them to have receded from the true meaning of the words already ſhewod, yet they ſeem to have had a meaning very commodious to the Hoſanna foregoing, v. 25. For as there was uſe of thoſe acclamations at the feaſt of tabernacles (in the notion of foreign) ſo to them were adjoyned branches of trees, &c. as we ſee in the Goſpel, where they cut down branches from the trees, and ſtrawed them in the way, and cried Hoſannah. And ſo Neh. 8.15. Go forth and fetch Olive branches, and Pine branches, and Palm branches, and branches of thick trees; the Hebrew reads foreign, the very word which is here uſed for a band or cord, and is there rendred by the LXXII. foreign thick wood (as here foreign) perhaps it were better rendred wood of bands, i. e. bundles of wood, for ſo Elias Levita tells us in his Thisbi, that to bind up Hoſannahs was to bind up bundles of willow boughs, which were moſt uſed in the feaſt of tabernacles. And ſo by foreign, they probably meant the feaſt of tabernacles, celebrated with willow boughs, with which they ſtrawed and adorned the court of the Temple, foreign, even to the horns of the altar. The Syriack here reade, Bind with chains foreign their Latin renders it ſolennitates, ſolemnities; but this ſure (proportionable to the notion of foreign) for the ſacrifices uſed at thoſe ſolemnities, as when eating the feaſt (foreign 2 Chron. 30.22. a word of the ſame origination) muſt needs ſignifie the ſacrifices of the feaſt.