Works Volume 4, Book 4 · Psalm 93
The Hundred and Third PSALM.
‖Davids. foreignA Pſalm of David.
Paraphrase. The hundred and third Pſalm is a ſolemn acknowledgment of the great and abundant mercies and deliverances of God, eſpecially that of pardoning of his ſin, and not exacting the puniſhments due to it, which muſt interweave in every mercy or deliverance which is beſtowed on ſinfull men, whoſe demerits have ſo much provoked the contrary. It was compoſed by David, as 'tis †ſo Aben Ezra and Kimchi.thought, on a recovery from ſickneſs, and is alſo a *foreign it was ſpoken by prophecie, Chald.prophetick deſcription of the ſtate of Chriſtians under the Goſpel.
1. Bleſs the Lord, O my ſoul, and all that is within me bleſs his holy name.
2. Bleſs the Lord, O my ſoul, and forget not all his benefits:
Paraphrase. 1, 2. When I behold God in himſelf and his glorious divine attributes, but eſpecially in his works of mercy toward me, I am obliged with my whole heart, and all my moſt ardent affections of devotion, to bleſs and praiſe his name for all the mercies and favours which in great bounty he hath afforded me.
3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diſeaſes:
4. Who redeemeth thy life from deſtruction, who crowneth thee with ‖mercy foreignloving kindneſs and *commiſeration, or bowels foreigntender mercies:
5. Who ſatisfieth thy mouth with good things, ſo that thy youth is renewed like the Eagles.
6. The Lord executeth righteouſneſs and judgment for all that are oppreſſed.
Paraphrase. 3, 4, 5, 6. Particularly that for ſome time having corrected me for my good, to bring me to repentance, he hath now returned to me in mercy, pardoned my ſins, which moſt juſtly deſerved this his wrath, and withdrawn his puniſhments from me; and not onelyonly reſcued me from the greateſt dangers hanging over my life, out of the bowels of his compaſſion to his diſtreſſed creature, but reſtored me to a perfect health, and to a moſt proſperous condition, a confluence of all mercies, to ſurround me, and ſatisfie all my deſires, and ſo made my old age like that of the Eagle, when ſhe hath moulted the old, and comes out furniſhed and adorned with new young plumes, as freſh and flouriſhing as in youth it ever had been; hereby exerciſing that ſignal property of his, to vindicate the cauſe of all thoſe that ſuffer injuries, to puniſh the oppreſſor, and relieve thoſe that are not able to defend themſelves.
7. He made known his ways unto Moſes, his *inclinations or natureacts unto the children of Iſrael.
8. The Lord ‖mercifull foreignis mercifull and gracious, ſlow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Paraphrase. 7, 8. Thus did he once proclaim his name to Moſes and the Iſraelites, Exod. 34. and therein his glorious nature, and the manner of his dealing with men, all exactly according to the rules of the moſt abundant mercy, in giving and forgiving, and ſparing long, and never ſending out his thunderbolts or deſtructions, till our provocations, continued in impenitently, extort and force them from him.
9. He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10. He hath not dealt with us after our ſins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Paraphrase. 9, 10. And this is God's conſtant courſe; though he rebuke and expreſs his juſt diſpleaſure, and puniſh us for our ſins, yet upon our reformation and ſerious return to him he takes off his puniſhing hand again, and will not proceed with us according to that meaſure that our ſins might juſtly expect from him.
11. For as the heaven is high above the earth, ſo great is his mercy †or abovetoward them that fear him.
Paraphrase. 11. On the contrary, to them that love and fear and ſerve him faithfully, his mercy is moſt abundantly poured out, as much above the proportion of their ſervices, as heaven is above the earth, nay infinitely more, there being indeed no proportion between them.
12. As far as the Eaſt is from the Weſt, ſo far hath he removed our tranſgreſſions from us.
Paraphrase. 12. And by that mercy of his it is, that at this time he hath ſo perfectly reconciled himſelf to us, and freed us from the puniſhments due to our ſins:
13. Like as a father pitieth his children, ſo the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
Paraphrase. 13. And ſo he conſtantly will deal with all that ſincerely return from their ſins to new obedience, having the bowels of a father to all ſuch, which will never permit him to be wrath with penitents, to ſcourge but rather compaſſionate that child that reforms that for which the puniſhment was ſent.
14. For he knows our frame, he remembreth that we are duſt.
Paraphrase. 14. For he knows and conſiders the frailneſs and fickleneſs and great infirmities of our lapſed ſinfull nature, our firſt original out of the duſt of the earth, an emblem of our meanneſs and vileneſs, to which the ‖foreign Our evil concupiſc…nce that hur…ies …s to ſin. Chald.corruption introduced by Adam's firſt ſin, (ſee note on Pſal. 51.3.) and hereditarily derived to us, hath added wicked inclinations, which oft betray us to actual ſin, if we do not ſtrictly watch and guard our ſelves; and ſuch is our weakneſs in this lapſt ſtate, that the moſt perfect, being not able to keep always upon ſo diligent and ſtrict a watch, do oft ſlip and fall: All which God is graciouſly pleaſed to weigh, and not to deal in rigour with us, to puniſh us, or to caſt us out of his favour, or withdraw his grace from us for every ſin that we commit through this weakneſs, but in all his proceedings with us, to make an allowance for ſuch ſins as are committed through infirmity, ſudden ſurreption, continual incurſion of temptations, &c. and for theſe to afford his mercy (in Chriſt) to all that ſincerely endeavour his ſervice, and do not indulge themſelves to any deliberate ſin.
15. ‖The days of men foreignAs for man, his days are as graſs; as a flour of the field, ſo he flouriſheth.
16. For the wind paſſeth over it and it is gone, and the place thereof ſhall know it no more.
17. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlaſting to everlaſting upon them that fear him, and his righteouſneſs unto childrens children,
18. To ſuch as keep his covenant, to thoſe that remember his commandments to doe them.
Paraphrase. 15, 16, 17, 18. Man is a pitifull, weak, feeble, frail creature, fit to be compared with the moſt ſhort-lived herb, or flour, which in its height of flouriſhing is ſuddenly blaſted and deſtroyed, and gone, never to return again. And herein is the infinite mercy of God toward his ſervants to be ſeen, that it is much more durable than their lives: If they adhere faithfully to him in conſtant loyalty to his precepts, perform their part of the Covenant made with him, that of uniform, ſincere, though not of never-ſinning obedience, his mercies ſhall continue to them even after death (and then what matter is it, how ſhort their preſent life is?) to their perſons in eternal immarceſcible joy and bliſs in another world, and to their poſterity in the bleſſings of this life, which he hath promiſed not onelyonly to the third and fourth, but to the thouſandth generation, Exod. 20.6. and being thus by promiſe obliged, will be ſure to perform it to all thoſe that are carefull to obſerve the condition of it.
19. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Paraphrase. 19. This is he ſurely able to doe, being the omnipotent God of heaven and earth, ſitting in heaven as a great Monarch in his throne, and exerciſing dominion over all creatures in the world, who are all moſt ready to obey him, and doe whatſoever he will have them. But moſt eminently this will he doe, by ſending his Son the Meſſias into the world, the ſpring of all grace and mercy, who, after his birth and death, ſhall riſe, and aſcend, and enter on his regal office in heaven, ſubduing the whole heathen world in obedience thereto. See Rev. 4.2.
20. Bleſs the Lord, ye his Angels, that excell in ſtrength, that doe his commandments, †at hearing the—hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21. Bleſs ye the Lord, all ye his hoſts, ye miniſters of his, that doe his pleaſure.
Paraphrase. 20, 21. A natural and proper conſequent to this it is, that (as Rev. 4.8. at the erecting of Chriſt's throne, all the living creatures reſt not day and night, ſaying, Holy, holy—ſo) the Angels of heaven (meant by thoſe living creatures) thoſe Courtiers that attend his throne, and are by him indued with the greateſt power of any, that incompaſs him, many Myriads of them, and doe whatſoever he commands them with all the readineſs and ſpeed imaginable, theſe glorious creatures that are witneſſes and miniſters of his great and wonderfull acts of mercy, ſhould for ever bleſs and magnify his ſacred name.
22. Bleſs the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion: bleſs the Lord, O my ſoul.
Paraphrase. 22. And that all the men in every corner of the world acknowledge and bleſs and praiſe his name, as being all the ſubjects of his kingdom as well as works of his power; among whom it is moſt juſt that I, that have received ſuch mercies from him, ſhould take up my part of the Anthem, make one in the quire and conſort of thoſe that ſing continual praiſes to him.
Annotations on Pſal. CIII.
foreignV. 5. Thy mouth] What foreign here ſignifies, is not agreed among interpreters. The Chaldee renders foreign the days of thy old age, referring it, ſaith Schindler, to foreign old, worn out clothes, oppoſed to the renewing of the age, which here follows. But the word is uſed for the mouth Pſal. 32.9. foreign whoſe mouth muſt be holden — the LXXII. there render it foreign his jaws. According to this notion it is that the Syriack here render it foreign thy body, but the LXXII. foreign, thy deſire, or ſenſitive appetite, the ſatisfying of which is the providing for the body all the good things it ſtandeth in need of, and ſo is a commodious paraphraſe for filling the mouth, the organ of conveying nouriſhment to the body. Aben Ezra, and Kimchi, that refer this Pſalm to David's recovery from ſickneſs, give this farther account of the phraſe, becauſe in ſickneſs the ſoul refuſeth meat, Job 33.20. and the Phyſician reſtreins from full feeding, and preſcribes things that are nauſeous: In which reſpects the bleſſing of health is fitly deſcribed by the contrary. Abu Walid recites two interpretations; 1. that of our tranſlators, 2. taking foreign in the notion of ornament, that multiplieth thy adorning with good, i. e. that abundantly adorneth thee with good, Aben Ezra approves the notion of ornament, but applies it to the ſoul, the ornament of the body, i. e. who ſatisfieth thy ſoul with good: And an Hebrew Arabick Gloſſary renders foreign thy body.
foreignIbid. Thy youth is renewed like the Eagles] Of the Eagle S. Auguſtin affirms, that the beak grows out ſo long that it hinders her taking her food, and ſo would endanger her life, but that ſhe breaks it off upon a ſtone; and of this he interprets the renewing her youth here. But S. Hierome on Iſa. 40.30. more fitly expounds it of the changing of feathers. Of all birds it is known, that they have yearly their moulting times, when they ſhed their old, and are afreſh furniſhed with a new ſtock of feathers. This is moſt obſervable of Hawks and Vultures, and eſpecially of Eagles, which when they are near an hundred years old, caſt their feathers, and become bald, and like young ones, and then new feathers ſprout forth. From this ſhedding their plumes, they ſeem to have borrowed their name, foreign an Eagle from foreign or foreign decidit, defluxit to fall or ſhed. To their bareneſs, or baldneſs, the Prophet Micah refers, c. 1.16. inlarge thy baldneſs as the Eagle, foreign as the Eagle whoſe feathers ſhed. And to the coming again of their feathers Iſaiah relates, c. 40.30. they that wait on the Lord ſhall renew their ſtrength foreign as Eagles they ſhall ſend up their feathers: foreign, they ſhall ſprout out their feathers, ſay the LXXII. and ſo the Syriack foreign they ſhall ſend out their wings; but the Chaldee foreign and they ſhall be renewed to their youth, foreignjuſt as here foreign thy youth ſhall be renewed as an Eagle; which therefore in all reaſon muſt refer to the new or young feathers, which the old Eagle yearly ſprouts out. Aquila longam aetatem ducit, dum vetuſtis plumis fatiſcentibus, novâ pennarum ſucceſſione juveneſcit. The Eagle is very long-lived, whilſt the old plumes falling off, ſhe grows young again with a new ſucceſſion of feathers, ſaith S. Ambroſe Serm. 54. So the Jewiſh Arab reads, So that thy youth is renewed like the feathers of Eagles.
foreignV. 7. His acts] From foreign to machinate, to deſign, to ſtudy, to attempt to doe any thing, is foreign here annext to foreign his way, by theſe to ſignifie the nature and ways of God, or his diſpenſations toward men. The place here evidently refers to Exod. 33. There Moſes petitions God, ſhew me thy way that I may know thee, v. 13. and I beſeech thee ſhew me thy glory, v. 18. by his way and glory meaning his nature, and his ways of dealing with men, that they might diſcern what to conceive of him, and expect from him. And he ſaid, I will make all my goodneſs paſs before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord, v. 19. by which his nature is ſignified: and what that name is, is ſet down by enumeration of his attributes, c. 34.6. The Lord, the Lord God mercifull and gracious, long-ſuffering and abundant in goodneſs, juſt as here in the next verſe, The Lord is mercifull — Which concludes that God's foreign here are his nature, that which in men would be called ſtudium or indoles, diſpoſition or inclination, as foreign his way is his dealings,foreign his methods or courſe of dealing with men, the firſt his attributes, the ſecond his actions, all which are totally made up of mercy and compaſſion, and grace, not puniſhing his ſervants according to their ſins. The LXXII. fitly render it foreign his wills, or inclinations, but the Chaldee foreign his doings (and ſo the Syriack foreign) but the learned Caſtellio moſt fully to the ſenſe of the place in Exodus, naturam ſuam, his nature. The Jewiſh Arab foreign his nature or properties in the plural (for ſo the word here is.)
V. 11. Toward] Though foreign ſignifie on, foreignand toward, as well as above, or over, and be fitly ſo rendred v. 13. and 17. where (as here) God's mercy is ſaid to be foreign upon his children, and foreign upon them that fear him; yet the compariſon that is here made between the heaven, and the earth, and the height or excellence of one foreign (not upon, but) above the other, being anſwered, in the foreign, by the greatneſs or ſtrength (ſo foreign ſignifies) of God's mercy foreign, that phraſe muſt by analogy be rendred, above, not upon, or toward them that fear him. And then the meaning muſt needs be this, that whatſoever our fear or obedience to God be, his mercy toward us is as far above the ſize or proportion of that, as the heaven is above the earth, i. e. there is no proportion between them, the one is as a point to that other vaſt circumference; nay the difference far greater, as God's mercy is infinite, like himſelf, and ſo infinitely exceeding the pitifull imperfect degree of our obedience. The other expreſſion that follows v. 12. taken from the diſtance of the Eaſt from Weſt, is pitcht on, ſaith Kimchi, becauſe thoſe two quarters of the world are of greateſt extent, being all known and inhabited. From whence it is that Geographers reckon that way their Longitudes, as from North to South their Latitudes.
V. 20. foreignHearkning] The notation of foreign in this place ſeems beſt expreſt by the Arabick, ſtatim atque audiunt, as ſoon as they hear, for that is the character of the Angels obedience, that as ſoon as they hear the voice of God's word, as ſoon as his will is revealed to them, they promptly and preſently obey it. The Chaldee render it foreign at his voices being heard, the LXXII. foreign as they hear, or as ſoon as they hear.