Works Volume 4, Book 3 · Psalm 83
The Eighty Third PSALM.
‖A Canticle of Pſalm foreign See Note on Pſal. 3. a.A Song, or Pſalm of Aſaph.
Paraphrase. The Eighty third Pſalm, the laſt of the number of thoſe that were compoſed by Aſaph, is a complaint addreſt to God againſt the oppreſſors and adverſaries of his people the Jews (and, under that type, of the oppoſers of the Church of Chriſt) and a prediction of Gods ſevere puniſhments that ſhould fall upon them. It ſeems moſt probably to have been compoſed in Jehoſaphats time, yet may not unfitly be referred to all the oppoſitions againſt the Jews to the time of the captivity under the Aſſyrians; ſee note c.
1. Keep not thou ſilence, O God, hold not thy peace, and be not ſtill, O God.
2. For loe thine enemies make a tumult, and they that hate thee have lift up their head.
Paraphrase. 1, 2. O bleſſed Lord, be thou at length pleaſed to ſhew forth thy ſelf, to interpoſe, and vindicate thine own honour, in repreſſing the proud, tumultuous, importunate adverſaries of thee and of thy people.
3. They have taken crafty counſel againſt thy people, and conſulted againſt thy †or, treaſures.hidden ones.
Paraphrase. 3. Their malice and avarice is great, and accordingly their conſultations and deſigns very treacherous and bloody, and cunningly managed for the invading this Nation which ſo neerly relates to thee (but eſpecially thy Temple which is among us, either as that which ſeems to ſecure thy protection over us, or as by the magnificent ſtructure and riches thereof it invites them to pillage it.)
4. They have ſaid, Come, and let us cut them off from being a Nation, that the name of Iſrael may be no more in remembrance.
Paraphrase. 4 And their joynt reſolution is, that they will imploy all their ſtrength utterly to deſtroy us, to invade, and poſſeſs themſelves of the land, and finally to root out all the inhabitants.
5. For they have conſulted together with one conſent, they are confederate againſt thee;
6. The Tabernacles of Edom and the Iſhmaelites, of Moab and the Hagarens;
7. Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek, the Philiſtims, with the Inhabitants of Tyre.
Paraphrase. 5, 6, 7. To this end a multitude of Nations have from time to time combined and joyned in the ſame malitious purpoſe, (if not altogether, yet all in their ſeveral ſeaſons, ſome after, and taking advantage by the others.) Thus the Idumeans and Arabians, of both ſorts, thoſe of the poſterity of Iſmael and from Cethura, the Moabites, and Syrians, and Ammonites, and Amalekites, and Philiſtims, and Tyrians, (the neighbours, but inveterate enemies of this Kingdom, 2 Sam. 8.11.)
8. Aſſur alſo is joyned with them; they ‖were as arme to foreignhave holpen the children of Lot.
Paraphrase. 8. And thus at length the Aſſyrians, either as confederates with them, or as the principal invaders, under Salmanaſar and Senacherib, on the ſame deſtructive and bloody deſign that had been of old eſpouſed, but could not then be effected by the Ammonites and Moabites, have now contributed their utmoſt to the waſting and deſtroying this land, and ſo been ſucceſsful inſtruments of delivering us up to theſe our neighbours rapines. (See note c.)
9. Do unto them as unto the Midianites, as to Siſera, as to Jabin at the brook of Kiſon,
10. Which periſhed at Endor; they became as the dung of the earth.
Paraphrase. 9, 10. But this their malice to us is not likely to ſucceed well to them, but ſhall bring upon them the like deſtructions which have from time to time befallen the enemies of this Church and choſen people of God, not by their own ſtrength, but by Gods ſpecial interpoſing for us: even ſuch as befell the hoſt of Midian, when by Gods direction to Gideon they were diſcomfited by no more than Three hundred Men (a moſt diſproportionable number) with empty pitchers and lamps in them, Judg. 7.16. and by the ſword of the Lord and of Gideon, v. 18. ſuch as under the conduct of Deborah befell Jabin King of Canaan, who was diſcomfited, and Siſera Captain of his hoſt ſlain by Jael a woman, Judg. 4.21. which fight as it was near the River Kiſhon, Judg. 4.7. and v. 21. ſo Endor near to Megiddo and Tanaach, Judg. 5.19. was the peculiar place where the ſlaughter was made, wherein that whole hoſt was utterly deſtroyed.
11. Make their †Princes.nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, yea all their Princes as Zeba and as Zalmunna,
12. Who ſaid, Let us take to our ſelves the *beauty, or ornaments, or paſtures.houſes of God in poſſeſſion.
Paraphrase. 11, 12. Such as when in the purſuit of Gideons victory over the Midianites, there were four Kings ſlain, Oreb and Zeeb, Judg. 7.25. and Zeba and Zalmunna, Judg. 8.12. So ſhall it fare with all thoſe that deſign to oppreſs and deſpoil Gods people, and the poſſeſſions ſetled on them by God, or to invade his Temple, and ſacrilegiouſly pillage the riches thereof.
13. O My God, make them ‖as.like a wheel, as the ſtubble before the wind.
14. As the fire burneth a †a foreſt.wood, and as the flame ſetteth the Mountains on fire:
Paraphrase. 13, 14, 1…. Thou, O Lord, ſhalt in thy time (when they have been thy ſcourge to chaſtiſe us) proceed in great ſeverity againſt them, uſe them as the husbandman doth the chaffe in a threſhing floor, firſt threſhing, then winnowing, and then burning it up: and ſo ſhalt thou afflict them, diſſipate them, and finally conſume them.
15. So perſecute them with thy tempeſt, and *terrifie them. foreignmake them afraid with thy ſtorme.
16. Fill their faces with ſhame, that they may ſeek thy name, O Lord.
Paraphrase. 16. Thy ſeverity toward them may be more for their advantage than any proſperity could be; when they diſcern themſelves diſappointed and diſcomfited in their enterpriſes of malice, this may poſſibly work upon them, and bring them to the acknowledgment of thee.
17. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever, yea let them be put to ſhame and periſh.
18. That men may know that thou hh.‖art thy name Jehovah, alone the—or according to thy— art—whoſe name alone is Jehovah, art the moſt high over all the earth.
Paraphrase. 17, 18. But if this be not the ſucceſs of it, 'tis then juſt with thee that they ſhould be delivered up to everlaſting confuſion and deſtruction, that others, though not they, may be inſtructed by it, and brought, by the ſight of thy judgments on proud obdurate Atheiſts, to acknowledge thee to be what thy Name Jehovah imports, the one ſupreme ruler and diſpoſer of all the men in the world.
Annotations on Pſal. LXXXIII.
foreignV. 1. Silence] From the two acceptions of the word foreign, to be ſilent, and to be like, is foreign here variouſly interpreted. The LXXII. Latine, Syriack, Arabick and Aethiopick agree to read it in the latter notion, foreign, who ſhall be likened to thee? But the Chaldee, by reading foreign hold not thy peace, determine it to the former. And ſo doth the Context, the verſe conſiſting of two phraſes more both to the ſame purpoſe.
foreignV. 3. Hidden ones] The Chaldees rendring may here deſerve to be conſidered. Inſtead of foreign, which we render ſecret ones, they read foreign that are hidden in thy treaſures, and ſo Abu Walid, thoſe that are kept by thee. And thus foreign is certainly uſed, Pſ. 17.14. thou ſhalt fill, foreign with thy hidden, i. e. thy treaſure; and Ezek. 7.22. They have polluted foreign my treaſure. And therefore in this ſenſe it is moſt probable to be uſed in this place alſo. All the queſtion is, what is meant by Gods treaſure; and that is not improbably ſolved by the Chaldee in that place of Ezek. 7.22. foreign the earth, or land of the houſe of my Schechinah, or habitation, the land or people of the Jews, among whom Gods houſe or place of reſidence was, or rather the Temple or Sanctuary it ſelf, (which is expreſly ſaid to be that which ſhould be defiled, their holy places, v. 24. my ſanctuary, and my houſe, chap. 8.6. and 9.6. and 7.) of which God was juſtly thought to have ſuch a ſpecial care, and yet which was for their ſins, v. 20. under the title of the beauty of his ornament, delivered up by him to be polluted▪ (And that this paſſage in Ezechiel may poſſibly be parallel, for the time, to that which is ſpoken of in this Pſalm, ſee note c.) To this I ſuppoſe agrees the rendering of the LXXII. foreign, thy holies, not as of perſons, as the Latine ſanctos tuos, but in the neuter gender, as foreign, the holies, plural, do frequently ſignifie the Sanctuary, and particularly in the places of Ezechiel forecited, c. 8.6. and 9.6. and ſo the Syriack, foreign thy holies. And thus foreign, thy ſecrets, ſeems elegantly oppoſed to foreign foregoing, they wage their ſecrets againſt Gods adyta. And to this ſenſe will the word foreign treaſure be the rather interpreted, becauſe of the great wealth in the Temple, which was that which provoked and invited the avarice of wicked men, to conſult and deſign the invading of it. And to this ſenſe it would be determined by v. 12. where they are introduced, ſaying, Let us take to our ſelves the beauty or ornaments of God in poſſeſſion; but that that word foreign is capable of another interpretation, ſee note f. But if it be taken in the Maſculine for the people foregoing, in the beginning of the verſe, then it muſt ſignifie the people of Iſrael, as thoſe which are under Gods ſpecial protection, kept, and in ſpecial manner tendred by him.
V. 6. Edom] It is not reſolved among Interpreters to what times this Pſalm belongs, and who theſe ſeveral people are who are here named. And I ſuppoſe the former of theſe will be probably reſolved on by the latter. Of Edom, and Moab, and Ammon, and Amalek, and the Philiſtims, and the Inhabitants of Tyre and Aſſur, there can be no difficulty: Theſe evidently denote ſo many people, the Edumaeans and Moabites, and Ammonites, and Amalekites, and Philiſtims, and Tyrians, and Aſſyrians. Then for the Iſhmaelites, they are the Arabians called Scenitae, twelve Princes according to their Nations, Gen. 25.16. And the Hagarenes, the poſterity of Abraham by Cetura, (which is ſuppoſed to be Hagar, after Sarahs death) were Arabians alſo, and joyned together with the Iſhmaelites into one Nation. Then for Gebal, foreignthat was the name of a region in Arabia, if we may believe Stephanus, foreign, (though out of Hecataeus he tells us, that Gabala was a City of Phoenice, out of Strabo of Syria) from whence we have the Giblines (foreign, ſaith Stephanus) 1 King. v. 18.So Plin. l. 5. c. 20. (mentioned as excellent artificers) and ſo again, Ezech. 27.9. in both which places the LXXII. read foreign, for foreign. Laſtly, for the children of Lot, thoſe, we know,foreign were Moab and Ben-ammi, and ſo the Moabites and Ammonites before mentioned meant thereby. Now many of theſe did oppoſe and were enemies to the children of Iſrael at ſeveral times, and that in a ſignal manner: To David, 2 Sam. 8. who there diſcomfited the Philiſtims, the Moabites, the King of Zobab, the Syrians of Damaſcus, the King of Hamath, the children of Ammon and Amalek, and the Edumaeans. So again in Jehoſaphat's reign, 2 Chron. 20. and to that many circumſtances of this Pſalm very fully accord: For as here 'tis ſaid, they are confederate againſt thee, the Tabernacles of Edom and the Iſhmaelites, of Moab and the Hagarens, Gebal and Ammon; ſo 2 Chron. 20.1. the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beſides the Ammonites came againſt Jehoſhaphat to battel, a great multitude, &c. and v. 10, and 22. the inhabitants of mount Seir are diſtinctly named, to anſwer the mention of the Idumaeans and Iſhmaelites. And whereas here the Auxiliary Nations are ſaid to have been foreign an arme, or help to the children of Lot, foreignwhich very probably ſignifies the Moabites and Ammonites to have been the principal in the quarrel, this exactly accords with that ſtory, 2 Chr. 20.1. So to the mention here, v. 12. of their deſign of taking the houſes of God (of which ſee note f.) in poſſeſſion, Jehoſhaphat, v. 11. ſets the parallel, Behold how they reward us, to caſt us out of our poſſeſſion which thou haſt given us to inherit. Laſtly, as the Pſalmiſt by praying, v. 15. predicts Gods perſecuting them with his tempeſt, &c. ſo in that chapter, v. 22. the Lord ſet ambuſhments againſt the children of Ammon, &c. and they were ſmitten. And it is not improbable that Jehoſhaphat, an eminent reſtorer of the Muſick of the Temple, who alſo indited a Prayer upon this exigent, v. 6. &c. ſhould likewiſe take order for a ſolemn hymn on purpoſe for this occaſion. It is therefore very reſonable, what Kimchi poſitively affirms, foreign this Pſalm was ſpoken of the war which was in the days of Jehoſhaphat. And herein it might not be unſafe to acquieſce. Yet the circumſtances of the Pſalm will alſo well enough agree to another interpretation, viz. to all the oppoſitions which had been made to this people from the beginning of their poſſeſſing of Canaan, to that of the Aſſyrians incluſively. For as thoſe others, Moab and Ammon eſpecially, had violently, but not ſucceſsfully, invaded them, both in David's and Jehoſhaphat's time, and had continually a covetous deſire to get this fruitful ſoil into their hands, (and we read not that the Aſſyrians were their auxiliaries in any of thoſe their aſſaults, as here is affirmed, v. 8.) ſo when the Aſſyrians at laſt invaded this people, and carried them captive to Aſſyria, 'tis evident that in doing ſo, they did much gratifie all thoſe other the neighbours and conſtant enemies of the Jews, and principally the Moabites and Ammonites. Of the Edumaeans 'tis expreſly affirmed, Pſal. 137.7.— the children of Edom in the day of (i. e. this heavy viſitation on) Jeruſalem, ſaid, Down with it, down with it, even to the ground. So it is obſervable of the ſame Edumaeans, and of the Iſhmaelites and the Hagarens (three of thoſe which are here named) Iſa. 21. the firſt, under the name of the deſert of the Sea, v. 1. viz. in Etham, Exod. 13.20. and 15.22. Num. 33.8. the ſecond, under that of the inhabitants of Dumah, v. 11. one of the ſons of Iſhmael, Gen. 25.14. the third, under the title of Arabia, v. 13. For all theſe having joyned with the Aſſyrians againſt the Jews, are foretold there the puniſhments which they ſhould meet with for it; as here, v. 9, 10, 11. is likewiſe foretold of them, and of the Edumaeans again upon the ſame account, Iſa. 34.5. and 63.1. And the ſame muſt be ſuppoſed of thoſe other people, the Moabites and Ammonites, &c. which being neighbours and enemies to the Jews, the Aſſyrians that came and waſted Jeruſalem may not unfitly be ſaid to have been foreign an arme to theſe children of Lot, foreigni. e. to have effectively performed that which they ſo vehemently deſired, and oft attempted to do. And accordingly ſoon after the carrying away of Zedechiah follows the deſtruction of the Ammonites, and that as a puniſhment for their poſſeſſion of the land of Iſrael after their ejection, Jer. 49.1. ſo again of the Edumaeans, v. 7. of the Syrians of Damaſcus, v. 23. of the Arabians, noted by Kedar, v. 28. But moſt expreſly in the Prophecy of Ezechiel, c. 25. where firſt the Ammonites are to be puniſhed for their clapping their hands, and ſtamping with their feet, and rejoycing in heart, with all their deſpight againſt the land of Iſrael, v. 6. and 10. then the Moabites, v. 8. for ſaying, Behold the houſe of Judah is like to all the heathen, i. e. for triumphing and rejoycing over her affliction: then the Edumaeans, v. 13. and laſtly the Philiſtims, becauſe they dealt by revenge, and took vengeance with a deſpiteful heart, to deſtroy Iſrael for the old hatred or enmity that was betwixt them, v. 15. And ſo it fared alſo with Tyre, Ezech. 26. Becauſe Tyrus hath ſaid againſt Jeruſalem, Aha, ſhe is broken that was the gates of the people; I ſhall be repleniſhed, now ſhe is laid waſt, v. 2. All which put together, 1. the conjunction of all theſe in this deſolation of the Jews by the Aſſyrians, the former enmities, and frequent invaſions and wars of all theſe againſt the Jews, 2. and the not only rejoycing at it, but partaking of the ſpoils of it, 3. the deſtructions which ſoon befell them as a puniſhment thereof, may ſerve for a key to let us in to the full importance of this Pſalm, which will beſt be divided into theſe two parts, the conjunction and continual (not any one ſingle) conſpiration of the enemies of God againſt his people, and the deſtructions that at laſt attended them, v. 9, 10. &c.
foreignV. 10. Endor] foreign Endor is not mentioned in the ſtory to which this paſſage of the diſcomfiture of Jabin's hoſt and ſlaughter of Siſera belongs, Judg. 4. yet appears, Joſ. 17.11. to be part of the portion that fell to Manaſſes. Now to this adjoyned Taanach and Megiddo, as is expreſt in that place of Joſhua. And in Deborah's ſong we find that this fight with the King of Canaan was in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, Judg. 5.19. and ſo it will not be ſtrange, that they ſhould here be affirmed to have periſhed at Endor, which ſo neer joyns to thoſe places.
foreignV. 11. Nobles] foreign from foreign voluntary, ingenuous, liberal, is the title not of Nobles only, but eſpecially of Rulers or Princes, to whom that quality ſo properly belongs, and ſo well becomes, and bears analogy to that of foreign, benefactors, Luk. 22.25. (ſee note c. on that Chapter.)
V. 12. Houſes] That foreign in Piel ſignifies to deſire, and foreign in Niphal, deſirable, faire, beautiful (for which the Rabbines uſe foreign, and foreign, the Chaldee foreign) there is no doubt.foreign From this foreign here doth regularly come, and not from foreign, and in this ſenſe the word is uſed, Pſal. 33.1. foreign, praiſe is comely, foreign, ſay the LXXII. So 93.5. foreign holineſs is comely for thy houſe, and Iſa. 52.7. How foreign beautifull? And ſo the Chaldee underſtands it here, foreign all the bravery, or ornaments of God, from the Hebrew foreign ornatus eſt (as Ezek. 7.20. the Sanctuary is ſtyled foreign the glory or beauty of his ornament, in the ſame word which the Chaldee here uſeth.) The Latine render them duly omne mundum; but the Syriack ſeems to have miſread the Chaldee, foreign Cities, for foreign mundum, and accordingly they read foreign City. But the Jewiſh Arab reads, the dwelling places of God, foreign, the Arabick foreign, that anſwereth to foreign in Hebrew, ſignifying, to dwell, and making it probable that the root in Hebrew alſo might have that ſignification. And the LXXII. ſeem to have expreſt this notion, reading foreign, altar, and ſo the Arabick and Aethiopick; or as other copies have it, foreign, Sanctuary, which the Latine follows, and read Sanctuarium. This therefore may well be the meaning of the foreign here, the Sanctuary, or Temple of God, (eſpecially if the Pſalm be underſtood of the Aſſyrian invaſion, for that fell heavy on the Temple) the Hebrew foreign (very eaſily tranſmuted into the Greek foreign, and foreign,) that beautiful fabrick, ſet apart to his ſervice. There is yet another notion wherein foreign is oft uſed for paſtures, or feeding grounds, and hath frequently the addition of foreign wilderneſs, or deſert, by which title the Jews call all land that was untilled. So Joel 1.19. the paſtures of the wilderneſs, the LXXII. read foreign, the beautiful places, and Jer. 9.10. foreign, the paths; but Jer. 23.10. foreign, the feeding places of the wilderneſs, and Joel 2.22. foreign, the fields of the deſert. And in this ſenſe 'tis poſſible it ſhould be here taken, in reference to the Scenitae, Arabians, and Moabites (if the Pſalm belong to their war in Jehoſaphat's time) whoſe wealth was their Cattel, and not being content with their own paſtures, they would take theſe paſtures and fat demeans of God into their Common. Thus the Midianites had done, Judg. 6, 5. for they came up with their cattel, and their Tents, &c. and the ſtory of Gideon in repelling theſe, and taking Oreb and Zeeb, Jud. 7.25. is here mentioned, v. 11. and to the mention of them it here follows immediately, Who ſaid, Let us take to our ſelves theſe foreign, whether beauties, ornaments, or paſtures of God in poſſeſſion. Which, if it belong to thoſe Midianites in Judges, cannot be applicable to the Temple: And if it belong to the Moabites, &c. in Jehoſaphat's time, then ſtill this circumſtance of the perſons to whom 'tis applied, makes this interpretation the more probable, in caſe the Pſalm belong to that war, wherein the Moabites and Ammonites were the principal, who probably moſt affected theſe their paſtures.
V. 13. Wheel] What foreign here ſignifies, foreignmuſt be uncertain, becauſe of the ambiguity of the word foreign, which as it ſignifies a wheel, ſo it is alſo uſed for ſtraws, ſtubble, duſt, or chaffe, &c. which, becauſe of its lightneſs, is toſſed and turned, and carried away by the wind, according to the primitive notion of foreign to turne. In this latter ſenſe the word is found, Iſa. 17.13. as the chaffe of the mountains before the wind, foreign and as galgal before the whirlwind. The Chaldee there retain the very Hebrew word foreign in what notion ſoever belongs to that word; but the LXXII. read foreign, the duſt of the wheel, and ſo the Arabick from them, and the Syriack to the ſame ſenſe foreign, which the tranſlator there duly renders feſtuca; and ſo the Syriack word ſignifies without any queſtion, Mat. 7.3. where for foreign, mote in thy brothers eye, they read foreign. Thus Abu Walid ſaith that foreign is here foreign ſmall motes, or pieces of any thing, lying on the ground, as of ſtraw, &c. which he ſaith is manifeſt by foreign, which follows, though, ſaith he, ſome render it in the notion of wheel, by a manifeſt error, though an antient one. So the Jewiſh Arab renders it foreign as ſmall duſts that one ſcatters with his hand, or ſcatterings of things. And thus the learned Val. Schindler underſtands it in this place, and then there can be no difficulty in the whole paſſage; foreign as motes or chaffe will be all one with foreign as motes (the Engliſh word of great affinity with the Hebrew) and ſtubble, which is joyned with it in Iſaiah, and foreign to the ſame ſenſe here. In Iſaiah, they will be chaſed as the foreign of the mountains before the wind, and like the foreign before the whirl-wind; where foreign and foreign ſeem to differ as little as wind and whirl-wind. And here only the order inverted, and foreign for foreign, make them as foreign and as foreign, as chaffe and as ſtubble before the wind. And thus the rendring is very natural. And yet after all this, none of the antient interpreters adhere to this notion, but render it in the former (as Abu Walid truly obſerved of the antients) that of a wheel; ſo the Chaldee with a large paraphraſe to expreſs this to be their meaning, as a wheel foreign— which is turned and moved, and never ſtands ſtill in a declivity. The LXXII. foreign, as a wheel; the Syriack as foreign, the word which they certainly uſe for a wheel, Eccl. 12.6. Iſa. 28.28. and Ezech. 23.24. And ſo the Latine, pone eos ut rotam; and the Arabick and Aethiopick, ſet them as a wheel. And in reverence to this concurrent judgment of all theſe, together with the Interlinear and our modern tranſlators, it will not be amiſs to retain this notion of wheel, yet ſo as may beſt agree with the context, and with the mention of wheels when it is joyned with chaffe, &c. in other places. For the wheel was the inſtrument uſed in husbandry for the beating the corn out of the ſtraw, and breaking the ſtraw into ſmall parts, foreign, Iſa. 28.28. the threſhing-wheels of a Cart: ſee the manner of it largely ſet down in Annot. on Mat. 3.1. And then the phraſe in this ſenſe will be very intelligible and expreſſive alſo, if only we be careful to obſerve, that the wheel here is the inſtrument of breaking or threſhing, and ſo that the words muſt be thus rendred, not make them, ut rotam, as a wheel, i. e. as a wheel is made, but make them, ut rota, as a wheel makes other things, i. e. as a wheel deals with the corn, ſo ſhalt thou deal with them, threſh and break them in pieces. So ſhall we find the phraſe in that eminent place, Iſa. 28.28. Corn is bruiſed, becauſe he will not ever be threſhing it, nor breaking it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruiſe it with his horſemen: where the wheel is the agent (and not the patient) that which breaks. This was needful to be advertiſed; becauſe in the next word foreign like the chaffe or ſtubble before the wind, the chaffe is the patient (and not the agent) that which is driven away by the wind, after the wheel hath done its execution upon the ſheaves, threſht out the corn, broken the ſtraw, for then what remains, but that the duſt and chaff, and all that is good for nothing, be winnowed, and carried away with the wind? What their manner of winnowing was, is alſo at large ſet down Annotations on Matth. 3.1. And from thence this 14th. verſe explained, as far as the flames ſetting the Mountains on fire, not burning the earth or body of the mountains, but only burning the chaff which is winnowed from the corne upon the threſhing-floor, ſituate for that turn on ſome eminent place, and ſo making a flame upon the mountain. This being without queſtion the meaning of that latter part of v. 14. it is moſt probable that it ſhould belong alſo to the former. All the difficulty is in the notion of foreign,foreign which we render a wood (and may be thought to refer to fire burning wood) but ſignifies any open place, where graſs and trees grow, a foreſt, &c. ſo Pſal. 132.6. where we render foreign the wood, 'tis certain the threſhing-floor of Araunah the Jebuſite is meant by it, for there we know the Temple was built; and ſo 1 King. 7.2. we render foreign foreſt, the houſe of the forreſt of Lebanon, Solomons own houſe being near the Temple, in that tract of ground not in that wood) called Lebanon, where the tall Cedars grew. The Chaldee there renders it foreign a houſe of pleaſure, or ſummer-houſe for the Kings, ſuch as was wont to be in the freeſt and cooleſt aire. The ſame is, Mic. 3.12. called, the mountain of the houſe, foreign on the high place of the foreſt. And then this very well agrees to the matter in hand, the foreſt and the mountain being in effect as to this uſe, all one, both of them open places, where the wind comes and drives away the duſt and chaffe (eſpecially when it is the higher part of the foreſt, ſuch as that floor of Araunah was) and ſuch as were generally ſet apart for this purpoſe. And ſo for the fire to burn the foreſt, is no more than the flames burning the mountains, both of them to expreſs the concluſion of a threſhing, when the chaffe hath the fire ſet to it, and is burnt all up, that it be not, upon the turning of the wind, blown back on the corn again: of which ſee more, Annot. on Mat. 3.1. That both theſe verſes, 13, and 14, intirely belong to this one matter, the threſhing and winnowing, and burning the chaffe conſequent to it, appears by the foreign, or application of the ſimilitude, v. 15. ſo perſecute them with thy tempeſt, and terrifie them with thy ſtorme or whirl-wind, which hath no propriety to any other notion of the words but that of winnowing.
V. 18. Whoſe name is Jehovah] The conſtruction of the words in the cloſe of the Pſalm lyes moſt probably thus, foreign, and they ſhall know, foreigni. e. it ſhall be known by this means, foreign thou art thy name Jehovah, foreigni. e. that thou art what thy name Jehovah imports; and what that is, is expounded in the remainder of the verſe, foreign —thou only the high over all the earth, that being indeed the meaning of Jehovah, the infinite, eternal, and ſo only ſupreme power over all the world. But it is poſsible that before foreign thy name, ſome prepoſition (as 'tis ordinary) is underſtood, and ſo it will be rendred more expreſly, to the ſame ſenſe, that thou, according to thy name Jehovah, art only, &c. Or becauſe foreign name is among the Rabbins ordinarily uſed for God himſelf, therefore it will not be remote from Hebrew ſtyle, if foreign be reſolved to ſignifie no more than Jehovah, and then this will be the rendring, that thou, Jehovah, art alone the moſt High—