Works Volume 4, Book 3 · Psalm 74
The Seventy Fourth PSALM.
MAſchil of Aſaph.
Paraphrase. The Seventy Fourth Pſalm compoſed by Aſaph (ſee note on Pſalm 73. a) and ſet to the tune known by the name of Maſchil or intelligent (ſee note on Pſal. 32. a.) is a prayer for deliverance and ſafeguard of Gods Church and people from their enemies, and ſeems to have been endited under the captivity, and deſcribes the ſacking of Jeruſalem by Nebuchadonoſor, and their ſtate of ſadneſs under the deportation.
1. O God, why haſt thou caſt us off for ever? ‖ſhall thy- foreignWhy doth thy anger ſmoak againſt the ſheep of thy paſture?
Paraphrase. 1. O God, return to us in mercy, we beſeech thee, and let us not alwyas lye under thy diſpleaſure, and the ſharp expreſſions of it, who are thine own choſen peculiar people.
2. Remember thy congregation which thou haſt purchaſed of old, the †Nation, or Kingdom.rod of thine inheritance which thou haſt redeemed, this mount Sion wherein thou haſt dwelt.
Paraphrase. 2. We are thy Church which long agoe thou wert pleaſed to gather, and account of as thine own, as a man doth the poſſeſſion which he hath purchaſed with his price; we are a nation which thou once broughteſt out of Egypt with a mighty hand, many ſigns and wonders being ſhewed for the reſcuing us out of the Aegyptian ſlavery; and ſince that time all the ſucceſſions of us have been thine: among us hath the Ark of the Covenant reſided, and therein the continued exhibition of thy preſence, in Mount Sion, the place conſecrated to thy ſolemn ſervice. O do not thou forget and renounce all theſe thy gratious relations towards us.
3. Lift up thy feet *or becauſe of the utter deſtructions, all evil hath the enemy done in, or on—unto the perpetual deſolations, even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in thy ſanctuary.
Paraphrase. 3. The enemies both of thee and us, the Chaldeans have ſacked thy Temple, and uſed it reproachfully, being (for our ſins, moſt juſtly) permitted by thee to work deſolations among us, and even to invade and deſtroy thy holy place conſecrated to thy peculiar preſence and ſervice. But thoſe that are thus malicious, God will at length (interpoſe his power, and) utterly deſtroy. (Thus it fared as with the Philiſtims of old, ſo ſoon after this with the Chaldaeans, and at length with heathen Rome.)
4. Thine enemies roar in the midſt of thy congregation; they ſet up their Enſignes for ‖or trophees foreignſigns.
Paraphrase. 4. For a while tyrannical unjuſt oppreſſors may invade Gods people, and ſacrilegiouſly break in upon his holy place, and prove victorious and ſucceſsful therein.
5. †They ſhew themſelves as one that lifts up axes on high in the thicket of trees.A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees:
Paraphrase. 5. Hew down and deſtroy, as one that comes to a wood well grown with inſtruments of exciſion in his hand, and preſently ſets about the execution.
6. ‖And וBut now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
Paraphrase. 6. And thus do our enemies now lay waſt the rich and beautiful ſculptures, deſigned for thy honour and ſervice, and uſe all means of violence they can think of, to perfect their malicious deſigns hewing, and knocking, and
7. They have eaſt fire into thy ſanctuary; they have †violated, or deſtroyed to the ground the foreigndefiled by caſting down the dwelling-place of thy name to the ground.
Paraphrase. 7. Setting on fire and utterly demoliſhing the fabricks erected for thy preſence. (How this was eminently fulfilled on the Temple of Jeruſalem, ſee Mat. 24.2.)
8. They ſaid in their hearts, *their children together, or at once.Let us deſtroy them together; they have burnt up all the ſynagogues of God in the land.
Paraphrase. 8. And that they might make but one work of it, to root out all religion both from the preſent and future ages, burning down and deſtroying all ſorts of ſacred Aſſemblies, Oratories, or Synagogues all the Nation over.
9. We ſee not our ſigns; there is no more any Prophet, neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
Paraphrase. 9. And to increaſe our miſery, the gift of Prophecy by which we were wont to have ſigns given, to make known Gods will to us, is now ceaſed and loſt from among us, and we have now none to conſult or enquire of, how long this deſolation ſhall continue. (This was moſt fully completed in the deſtruction by Titus, when though there were many ominous and prodigious ſigns, yet there was no Prophet ſent by God, of whom they might ask or be adviſed in any thing.)
10. O God, how long ſhall the adverſary reproach? ſhall the enemy blaſpheme thy name for ever?
Paraphrase. 10. Bleſſed Lord, let not our enemies any longer have this occaſion to ſcoff at and deride our affiance in thee, and to reproach and blaſpheme thee our God, as if thou wert unable to reſcue us, or chaſtiſe them.
11. Why ‖recalleſt, ſee note f.withdraweſt thou thy hand, even thy right hand? †from within thy boſome deſtroypluck it out of thy boſome.
Paraphrase. 11. But be thou at length pleaſed to ſhew forth thy power, in executing thy judgments on them, in ſubduing and bringing them down.
12. For God is my King of old, working ſalvation in the midſt of the earth.
Paraphrase. 12. For thou alone art he that haſt guided and defended us from the beginning, giving many ſignal and illuſtrious deliverances to thy people.
13. Thou didſt *drive, or cauſe to recede, ſee note b.divide the ſea by thy ſtrength: thou brakeſt the heads of the dragons in the waters.
Paraphrase. 13. When the Aegyptian hoſts purſued them at their departure out of Aegypt, by thy power the red ſea was driven back, to give paſſage to the Iſraelites, but returned with violence on the Aegyptians, and deſtroyed them.
14. Thou brakeſt the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gaveſt him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderneſs.
Paraphrase. 14. And in the ſame deſtruction Pharaoh the oppreſſive King was himſelf incloſed and drowned, and ſo devoured by the fiſhes, which the Ichthyophagi, (ſo called from their eating of fiſh) inhabiting the deſert on the ſhores of that ſea, do feed on.
15. Thou didſt ‖bring o…cleave the fountain and the flood, thou driedſt up †rapid foreignmighty rivers.
Paraphrase. 15. And as in the wilderneſs to ſatisfie their thirſts, thou cauſedſt a full current of water to flow out of an hard rock, only by Moſes ſtriking the rock with his rod; ſo when there was need, thou driedſt up great and violent rivers, ſome others (it ſeems) as well as that of Jordan, to give an eaſie paſſage to thy people.
16. The day is thine, the night alſo is thine; thou haſt prepared the *Moonlight and the Sun.
17. Thou haſt ‖appointed all the bounds foreignmade all the borders of the earth, thou haſt made ſummer and winter.
Paraphrase. 16, 17. In ſum, thou which haſt made the day and the ſun to rule that, the night and the Moon to give light to that, which haſt ſetled all the climes of the earth, and all the various ſeaſons of the year, doſt alſo with the conduct of thy providence diſpoſe all other inferior effects, and conditions of men, and canſt reſtrain and puniſh, defend and ſupport, and reſtore to proſperity, as thou pleaſeſt.
18. Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, ‖or, the Lord foreign, LXXII▪O Lord, and that the fooliſh people have blaſphemed thy name.
Paraphrase. 18. Be thou therefore now pleaſed to interpoſe on our behalf, and repreſs our adverſaries, which have not only reproached and triumpht over us, but at once violated thy bleſſed and holy name, blaſphemed and contemned the God we worſhip and depend on.
19. O deliver not the ſoul of thy turtle-dove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
Paraphrase. 19. O Lord, we are like turtles, in an afflicted, and ſo a mournful condition; and yet, as turtles, conſtant in our fidelity to thee, have not taken in any rival into thy ſervice, O let not an helpleſs multitude of ſuch, whoſe innocence delivers them up to the hatred of vultures, become for ever a prey to them: either repreſs them, I beſeech thee, or ſecure us, that wait only on thee, and depend on thy aid againſt our enemies.
20. Have reſpect unto the Covenant; for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
Paraphrase. 20. Thou haſt promiſed thy aids and protections to all that uprightly ſerve and adhere unto thee, and haſt ſtill an holy covenant, Dan. 11.30. by force of which we ſtill, how low ſoever we are brought, are confident to receive deliverance from thee. And now there is ſpecial need of it, the multitude being ſo great of unjuſt and cruel oppreſſors, which ſecretly lay and manage their deſigns of darkneſs againſt us. O be thou now pleaſed ſeaſonably to make good thy promiſes to us.
21. O let not the oppreſſed return aſhamed: let the poor and needy praiſe thy name.
Paraphrase. 21. O let not our truſt and reliance on thee be diſappointed, ſuffer not our oppreſſors ſtill to triumph over us; but return our captivity, reſcue us out of our preſent low dejected eſtate, that we may have the comfort of receiving deliverances from the and thou the juſt honour of our acknowledments.
22. Ariſe, O God, plead thine own cauſe; remember †thy reproach from the fool, every day foreignhow the fooliſh man reproacheth thee daily.
23. Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the *noiſe foreigntumult of thoſe that riſe up againſt thee ‖aſcends, goes up foreignencreaſeth continually.
Paraphrase. 22, 23. Lord, it is not againſt us only that their reproaches are meant, but they advance higher, even againſt thy ſacred Majeſty, whom they ſcoffe at and blaſpheme daily. This is a moſt horrible crying ſin, that cannot chuſe but provoke thine indignation; and yet of this are theſe Atheiſts continually guilty (their ſucceſſes againſt us and proſperous impieties puffe them up into this high degree of profaneneſs to ſcoffe at the God we worſhip, as one that is not able to protect his clients.) O let this excite and engage thee to interpoſe thy hand, to ſhew forth thy power, to undertake our defenſe and patronage, to repreſs and ſo confute their folly, that at length they may acknowledge their ſins, and adore thy Majeſty.
Annotations on Pſalm LXXIV.
foreignV. 2. The rod.] From the notion of foreign, a rod or ſcepter, is that other notion of it, for a Kingdom, or Empire; and be…ng here joyned with foreign of thine inheritance, it ſignifies a nation, which through all ſucceſſions, God had a peculiar right and title to.
foreignV. 3. Lift up thy feet, &c.] What foreign lifting up thy feet, here ſignifies, will be beſt learnt from Gen. 29.1. There of Jacob 'tis ſaid, foreign he lift up his feet, and went into the Eaſt Countrey. For foreign there, the Syriack hath foreign, the ſame word which here we have; and that foreign are all one with foreign feet, is evident from the ſcripture-uſe of it, Pſal. 17.5. and in many other places. And then as lifting up the feet, is there in Geneſis no more different from the going that follows, than opening the mouth from ſpeaking; ſo Gods coming, or preſence, being in ſcripture-dialect frequently uſed for his inflictions of puniſhment, this will conſequently be the meaning of the phraſe here, when to it is immediately joyned, foreign to deſolations. Abu Walid renders it, Tread hard upon thine enemies. The Jewiſh Arab, Shew forth thy puniſhment, adding in a note that the lifting up the feet implies puniſhment, the bringing under by force being uſually expreſt by treading under the feet. There is another notion of foreign for a mall or hammer, Iſa. 41.7 and Kimchi would have that the meaning here, foreign lift up thy mall, in oppoſition to the axes and hammers, v. 6. and thus alſo Abu Walid, lift up thy daſhing Inſtruments. And the LXXII. that read foreign, lift up thy hands, come neerer that: but the Chaldee puts it out of queſtion, foreign, lift up thy goings or footſteps, i. e. come. foreignFor foreign to vaſtations, or deſtructions, from foreign with ש, the LXXII. as from foreign with ש to lift up) read foreign, upon their prides, or elations (ſee note on Pſ. 73. h.) yet differ not much in the ſenſe: Gods lifting up his feet, or coming, as to act revenge upon their prides, being in effect the deſtroying of them. Thus Abu Walid alſo, becauſe of the utter deſtructions which the enemy hath made, and becauſe of all the evil that he hath done in, or on the ſanctuary. And Aben Ezra, becauſe of the perpetual vaſtations, i. e. becauſe of thine inheritance which is waſt. But the Chaldee again is moſt expreſs, foreign to lay waſt the nations, viz. thoſe that had dealt ſo cruelly with Jeruſalem, the Chaldaeans, in revenge of whoſe deſolations and vaſtations, God ſhould now come to his deſolations on them. To deſolations here is added foreign perpetuity, foreignto ſignifie final, utter deſolations, confronted to the perpetuity of Gods abſence, v. 1. And then as the reaſon to excite God to this, follows, foreign, &c. all evil hath the enemy done in or on thy Sanctuary. God hath deſerted his Sanctuary, by the going up of the Schecina from between the Cherubims, Ezek. 10.4. and in conſequence to that, the heathen people had invaded that holy place, and laid it waſt: he is now beſought to return, and come to them again in mercy and reconciliation to them, and in vengeance to thoſe that in waſting them had oppoſed him; and this is the full importance of this verſe.
V. 4. Signs] foreign ſignifies a ſign, and from thence a ſtandard, or enſign in Militia; and the ſetting up this in any place which hath been taken by armes, is a ſign of that victory; and ſo an enſign or ſtandard thus ſet up is in effect a trophee. And this gives the different rendrings to the ſame word in this place. In the firſt place foreign their enſignes;foreign but then being ſet up, they become foreign trophees. There is another notion of foreign v. 9. for ſuch ſigns as diviners give, to foretell things to come; and of theſe Jarchi underſtands it, that having finiſht their conqueſt according to the auſpicia or ſigns of ſoothſayers, Ezek. 21.21. The King of Babylon ſtood at the parting of the way to uſe divination, he made his arrows bright, he conſulted with Teraphim, he lookt in the liver) they reſolve their divinations were true, their ſigns foreign real ſigns. And this is no improbable interpretation of the words.
foreignV. 5. Famous] foreign in Niphal (from foreign knew) ſignifies to be known, or in the notion of Hithpael, reciprocally, to make himſelf known, to ſet himſelf out, to ſhew himſelf: and being in the ſingular number, Abu Walid ſeems to underſtand it of the ſtroke or puniſhment from God. Let it be known, as the ſtroak of him that lifteth up axes. But it more probably connects with the enemies in the former verſe, either as 'tis ordinary to change the numbers, or elſe as underſtanding each or every of them, that were before ſpoken of; and ſo this verſe well connects with the former, they, or every of them, ſhew themſelves foreign— as one makes to aſcend foreign on high, foreigni. e. lifts up foreign axes, inſtruments of hewing or cutting down, of exciſion,foreign foreign in the thicket (from foreign perplexus fuit) of wood, or as the LXXII. not amiſs, foreign, in a cops, or wood of trees. Thus the Chaldee interprets this verſe: but the LXXII. for the former part of it, ſo as will hardly be intelligible, foreign, and they knew not as to an entrance on high, as in a wood of trees with axes; and yet the Latine follow them, & non cognoverunt (for foreign was known) and they knew not, ſicut in exitu, as in the end (for foreign as one that lifts) ſuper ſummum on the top (for foreign up, or on high) and then in the beginning of the next verſe quaſi in ſylva lignorum ſecuribus — as in the wood of trees with axes. But in the former way of conſtruction the ſenſe is obvious, and ſuch as well connects with that which follows, foreign and now, not as a notation of time, but as an expletive, or bare copulative, which the Chaldee expreſt by foreign and ſo, as the foreign, or counterpart of the ſimilitude, as they cut down wood, ſo theſe break and cut down foreign carved works from foreign aperuit, in the notion of ſculpture,foreign when applyed to ſuch materials, Zach. 3.9. for which the LXXII. read foreign, their doors, as in the notion of foreign from the ſame root, that ſo ſignifies.
V. 8. foreignDeſtroy them] foreign is by all the antient interpreters, the Syriack only excepted, rendred as from foreign filius; foreign their children, ſaith the Chaldee, foreign, their kindred, ſay the LXXII. and ſo the Latine, (and Arabick and Aethiopick) cognatio eorum: yet the Syriack foreign let us deſtroy them, deducing it, as 'tis thought, from foreign vim intulit, oppreſſit. And thus Abu Walid deduceth it, and Aben Ezra, as likewiſe Kimchi approves it. But the former ſeems more regularly the rendring of it, and being here joyned with foreign together, (their poſterity at once, or together) it is a proverbial expreſſion, to ſignifie utter deſtruction, as we know it is when they and their children at once are involved in the ſame calamity. The Jewiſh Arab follows this notion of children, or poſterity, but renders it of the enemies. So that their poſterity have ſaid of us in their minds, all of them, when they have burnt up all the Synagogues of the Almighty in the land, that we do not ſee our ſigns, &c. i. e. as he gives his note, the ſecond order or progeny of our enemies have ſaid of us, that we have not ſeen our ſignes, &c.
V. 11. Pluck it] From foreign conſumptus eſt, foreignis foreign in Piel, conſume thou, ſo Pſal. 59.14. 'tis twice uſed, foreign Conſume in thy wrath, conſume. And ſo in all reaſon 'tis here to be rendred, and being joyned with foreign from within thy boſome, foreignit muſt ſignify drawing out the hand thence to deſtroy: and ſo 'tis paraphraſed by the Chaldee, draw it (i. e. thy right hand preceding) out of the midſt of thy boſome, and deſtroy. And thus it coheres with the former part of the verſe,foreign foreign why returneſt thou thy hand, or recalleſt it into thy boſome? The Jewiſh Arab reads; Turn not from them thy hand, even thy right hand, but conſume them out of the midſt of thy houſe, giving a note that the houſe of God is called foreign. For foreign the LXXII. read foreign, and the Latine, in finem, from the notion foreign finitus eſt.
V. 14. The people inhabiting the wilderneſs] What is here meant by foreign the people of the wilderneſs, foreignmay ſeem ſomewhat uncertain. By Leviathan, the Whale is literally meant, but Poetically, Pharaoh, the King of Aegypt, as by the Dragons, v. 13. his Army that purſued Iſrael. Now of theſe it is ſaid, Ex. 14.30. that Iſrael ſaw the Aegyptians dead on the ſea ſhore, and then being thus made a prey to the wild-beaſts and birds, 'tis not improbable that theſe wild beaſts and birds ſhould here be expreſt by foreign, the people of the wilderneſs, as being the only proper inhabitants thereof. That foreign people, hath ſometimes that interpretation in Scripture, appears by Prov. 30.25. and 26. where the Ants are ſtyled foreign, a people, and ſo the Coneys alſo. And in analogy with this interpretation it is, that God in the Prophets expreſſes the defeat and ſlaughter of an army, by making a great feaſt, and inviting a multitude of gueſts to it, Iſa. 56.9. meaning Beaſts and Birds of prey. But though to the bodies of the Aegyptians drown'd in the ſea, and here meant, this interpretation of people for beaſts be moſt agreeable, yet becauſe Aegyptians are here not named, but poetically expreſt by Leviathan and the Dragons, and thoſe are more …oper food for men than for birds and beaſts, and becauſe the *foreign. Pauſan. in Attic.inhabitants of that deſert lying by the red ſea, did feed wholly on fiſh, and were therefore called Ichthyophagi, fiſh-eaters, it will be moſt reaſonable to interpret this foreign people of the wilderneſs, of theſe Ichthyophagi, near whoſe ſhore Pharaoh and his hoſts were drowned. Of their feeding on the Leviathan, or Whale, when they meet with it, as well as on leſſer fiſhes, Agatharcides tells us, cap. 20. foreign, they feed and live on the whales which are caſt on dry land: and ſo Diodorus Siculus, l. 3. foreign, &c. they are fed or nouriſhed by Whales, and other foreign, fiſhes of a vaſt ſize, foreign, which becauſe of their greatneſs are hard to be taken; anſwerable to the foreign dragons, v. 13. Of theſe Aben Ezra interprets this place, foreign the inhabitants of the wilderneſs by the ſhore of the ſea, the ſame that are mentioned by the name foreign Pſal. 72.9. they that dwell in the wilderneſs ſhall bow before him; which were men ſure, and not beaſts, and particularly theſe Ichthyophagi by the red Sea, which was one of the Seas mentioned, v. 8. Of this ſea †l. 3.Diodorus Siculus hath a remarkable paſſage pertinent to our preſent purpoſe, It is, ſaith he, a tradition among the Ichthyophagi that dwell near, which they have conſerved from their anceſtors, that at a certain great foreign, ebbe or receſs of the Sea, foreign, every place of that ſinus was dried up, foreign, the Sea departing to the other oppoſite parts, and then again, foreign, flowing back with a huge flote, it was reſtored to its former courſe. Which certainly refers to this part of hiſtory, and ſets it down moſt exactly according to the truth: not that the Sea ſo parted aſunder, that the Iſraelites might paſs from one ſide to the other on dry land, as over Jordan they did, (for that they did not thus paſs over, but came out at the ſame ſide of the Sea that they went in; ſee note i.) but that as in a great ebb, (ſuch as was never ſeen before, nor ſince) the Sea departed ſo far from the banks of Aegypt, that the Iſraelites firſt, and the Aegyptians after them, went in, and marcht in the midſt of the channel on dry ground, and then waters returned, Exod. 14.28. i. e. flowed back again, and drowned the Aegyptians, and caſt up their bodies on the ſhore, as the Text ſaith, Ex. 14.30. and thereby made the parallel more complete betwixt Pharaoh with his Aegyptian Armies, and Leviathan, and the Dragons, or great fiſhes, which are wont to be caſt upon the ſhore by the tides; and ſo the Ichthyophagi come out at ſet times to gather them, twice a day, ſaith Ag…tharcides, at the third and ninth hour, foreign, when the tide comes in from the ſea to the dry land. Which being conſider'd, it now appears how far theſe two interpretations are from being unreconcileable, they being both moſt true, one in the Hiſtorical, the other in the Poetical ſenſe. In the Hiſtorical ſenſe, Pharaoh and the Aegyptians were drowned in the Sea, then caſt upon the ſhore, and devoured by the Beaſts and Birds of the Wilderneſs, which muſt then be the foreign people in the wilderneſs; but this here poetically deſcrib'd by the Whale and other great fiſhes caſt upon the ſhore by the tide, and gathered up and uſed for food by the Ichthyophagi, which are properly, and not poetically ſtyled, foreign the people of the wilderneſs. And ſo this is the complete importance of this verſe.
V. 15. Cleave] foreign as it ſignifies to cleave, foreignſo alſo to bring forth or fetch out; expreſſiſti, ſaith Seb. Caſtellio. It is uſed of Birds diſcloſing or hatching their young ones, Iſa. 34.15. and 59.5. becauſe that is done by the young ones cleaving, or breaking the ſhell with their bills. And accordingly 'tis here uſed of God's wonderful work, of cleaving, and ſo bringing or cauſing to break out (the LXXII. well expreſs it by foreign, the Latine by dirupiſti,) waters out of the rock, and that in ſuch plenty that it became a river, which ran along with them in their journeying (ſee note on 1 Cor. 10.4.) in reſpect of its firſt coming out of the rock 'tis here called foreign a fountain;foreign but in reſpect of the current, here is added foreign and a flood, or torrent.
Ibid. Rivers] What the ſtrong rivers were which were here referred to, foreignthe Chaldee hath undertaken to ſpecifie, Arnon, and Jabbok, and Jordan. That the red ſea was not in this verſe referred to, is probable, becauſe that had been before mentioned, v. 13. and that under another ſtyle foreign,foreign from that notion of foreign to go back, or recede, wherein the Arabs uſe; and ſo God by his ſtrength dealt with that, made it go back, and give place to the Iſraelites entring into the Channel, not ſo as to part aſunder, for them to go quite over from one ſide to the other: for 1. the way from Aegypt to Canaan led them not croſs the red ſea, 2. their journeyings ſet down Num. 33.6. and 8. ſhew that as before their entring into the Sea, they were in Etham in the edge of the wilderneſs, ſo after they were come out of the Sea, they came into the ſame wilderneſs of Etham, and went three dayes journey in it, an evidence that the Iſraelites came out on the ſame ſide of the ſea as they went in. That this and no more is the meaning of foreign, paſſing through the red ſea, Heb. 11.29. their walking on dry land in the midſt of the ſea. Exod. 14.29. ſee note on Heb. 11. b. But then Jordan, that was dried up, and gave them an eaſie paſſage over it, Joſ. 3.16. But as for any miraculous drying up either of Arnon or Jabbok, there is no Hiſtory of it in Scripture, only one intimation there is, Num. 21. that may incline us to credit the Targums tradition. For there on the mention of their remove, and pitching on the other ſide of Arnon, v. 13. it follows, wherefore it is ſaid in the Book of the wars of the Lord, what he did in the red ſea, and in the Brooks of Arnon. VVhere the comparing and joyning Gods miraculous works in the red ſea, with thoſe he did in the brooks of Arnon, is an indication that ſome ſuch like thing was done for the Iſraelites at thoſe brooks, as was before done at the red ſea, viz. at the time of its receding before the Iſraelites. And from that book of the wars of the Lord the Chaldee by Tradition might have it.
V. 16. The light] From foreign luxit, foreignis foreign in general any lu…ary or receptacle of light, indifferently the Sun and the Moon, Gen. 1.16. But being joyned with, and ſo oppoſed to the Sun, as here the night is to the day, it muſt needs ſignifie the luminary of the night, the Moon, as the Sun is of the day: and accordingly the Chaldee renders it foreign the Moon, and the LXXII. foreign, and ſo the Syriack, foreign and the Jewiſh Arab, Thou haſt prepared the Moon with the Sun. Only the Latine reads auroram, the morning.
V. 19. Thy Turtle] From foreign the original of our Latine turtur, which is but the doubling of it, is foreign here thy turtle;foreign which being by the Pſalmiſt deſigned poetically to ſignifie the pious, faithful ſervants of God, who make good their fidelity to him, which in the ſpiritual ſenſe is parallel to to the purity and chaſtity of the turtle, the Chaldee and LXXII. have choſen to paraphraſe it, the former by foreign thoſe that learn thy law, with reſpect to foreign law, which hath ſuch affinity with it; the other by foreign, confeſſing to thee, as if it were foreign, the letters whereof differ ſo little from it.