Works Volume 4, Book 5 · Psalm 144
The Hundred and Forty Fourth PSALM.
A Pſalm of David.
The hundred forty fourth is a fiducial and humble prayer to God for deliverance from his heathen enemies, and proſperity upon his people, and this founded in his former experiences of God's interpoſition for him, for which he humbly praiſeth and bleſſeth his holy name. It was compoſed by David, in reflexion, ‖foreign, LXXII. ſo the Chaldee alſo v 10.as 'tis thought by ſome, on Goliah and the Philiſtims; but moſt certainly of a latter date, when he was ſettled in the Kingdom, ſee v. 2, and 10. By the Jews, Kimchi and Saadiah Gaon, it is referred to the Meſſias.
1. BLeſſed be the Lord my ſtrength, which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight.
2. My †mercy foreigngoodneſs and my fortreſs, my high tower and my deliverer, my ſhield, and he in whom I truſt, who ſubdueth my people under me.
Paraphrase. 1, 2. For all the preſervations and victories which have been injoyed by me, I am infinitely obliged to bleſs and praiſe and magnifie the one ſupreme God of heaven and earth, from whom it is that I have received all the ſtrength and skill in military affairs which I have ever ſhewed; an act of whoſe ſpecial mercy and favour, preſervation and protection I muſt acknowledge it, that I have ever been ſucceſsfull or ſafe in any enterpriſe. In him therefore with all reaſon I wholly repoſe my full truſt and confidence.
3. Lord, what is man, that thou takeſt knowledge of him? or the ſon of man, that thou makeſt account of him?
4. Man is like to vanity: his days are as a ſhadow that paſſeth away.
Paraphrase. 3, 4. For my ſelf, I am but a mean, infirm, frail, mortal man, ſubject to all the miſadventures which are conſequent to the feeble, inconſtant, tranſitory condition of men, and it is an infinite mercy of dignation in God, to take ſo much conſideration of me, as to make uſe of me as his inſtrument in ſubduing the enemies of his people. (And herein was David a type of Chriſt, who having humbled himſelf to aſſume our humane mortal fleſh, became by his divine power in that fleſh victorious over the powers of hell. Heb. 2. b.)
5. Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains, and *let them ſmoke foreignthey ſhall ſmoak.
6. Caſt forth lightning and ſcatter them; ſhoot out thine arrows and deſtroy them.
7. Send thine hand from above, rid me and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of ſtrange children;
8. Whoſe mouth ſpeaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falſhood.
Paraphrase. 5, 6, 7, 8. It muſt therefore be thine own work, O Lord, the interpoſition of thine own almighty hand, to which we muſt owe all our deliverances and preſervations. If thus thou wilt vouchſafe to own thy ſervants, and by thy meſſengers and miniſters, the Angels of thy preſence, exhibit and preſentiate thy ſelf among us, then ſhall all our enemies be diſperſt and deſtroyed, not by the ſtrength or dint of our weapons, but as by thy thunderbolts and darts of lightning, by the artillery of heaven, by thy divine aſſiſtance, and protection over us (ſee note on Pſal. 18. d.) And thus be thou graciouſly pleaſed to magnifie thy power and mercy to us at this time, to deliver us from theſe puiſſant heathen armies, which have nothing but their own ſtrength and number to depend on or boaſt of, which worſhip and rely on falſe idol gods, which are not able to help, and ſo are ſure to diſappoint them, and ſo their hands fail no leſs in their undertaking than their mouths do, when thou the onelyonly Lord of heaven and earth, of thoſe angelical hoſts, comeſt out and appeareſt againſt them.
9. I will ſing a new ſong unto thee, O God: upon a Pſaltery, ‖of ten ſtrings foreign ſee Pſal. 32. note a.and an inſtrument of ten ſtrings, will I ſing praiſes unto thee.
Paraphrase. 9. All the returns that I can make for this mercy, is my praiſing and magnifying thy name for it: And that I ſhall be carefull to perform with the choiceſt ditties and ſweeteſt inſtruments, (and all little enough to reſound thy praiſes, who haſt wrought ſo wonderfully for us) ſaying,
10. It is he that giveth ſalvation unto Kings, who delivereth David his ſervant from the hurtfull ſword.
Paraphrase. 10. All honour and praiſe be aſcribed to the ſupreme God of heaven, from whom it is that the greateſt Kings of the earth receive their ſtrength and authority, and to whom they owe all their deliverances and preſervations. And the ſame ſtrength and power of his hath he graciouſly pleaſed to afford me at this time, that have no other title to it, but that I am his ſervant, and of my ſelf ſo much weaker than my adverſaries, that I am ſure to be deſtroyed by them, if God do not defend and preſerve me.
11. Rid me and deliver me from the hand of ſtrange children, whoſe mouth ſpeaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falſhood.
Paraphrase. 11. O be thou now pleaſed to continue this thy mercy to me, the enemies being ſtill the ſame, idolatrous, heathen, wicked men, that do not acknowledge or confeſs the true, but profeſs and depend on falſe Idol gods, and ſeaſonably at this time to reſcue and preſerve me out of their hands.
12. That our ſons may be as plants †growing great foreigngrown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner-ſtones, poliſhed after the ſimilitude of a palace:
13. That our garners may be full, affording *from this to that ſort, ſee note c.all manner of ſtore: that our ſheep may bring forth thouſands and ten thouſands in our ‖folds, ſee note d.ſtreets:
14. That our oxen may be †fat, or fleſhyſtrong to labour: that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no *crycomplaining in our ‖fields, or yards.ſtreets.
Paraphrase. 12, 13, 14. Be thou pleaſed at length to reſtore peace and proſperity to the land; that our families may flouriſh in goodly and beautifull children; that our proviſions at home, and our flocks and herds abroad may be very thriving and proſperous; and that thoſe goods which thy bleſſing beſtows upon us may not be in danger of hoſtile invaſions; that we may poſſeſs and injoy our ſelves in a chearfull continued peace, without any diſturbances or diſquiets.
15. Happy is the people that is in ſuch a caſe: yea happy is the people whoſe God is the Lord.
Paraphrase. 15. This were a very happy condition indeed; and this and all other happineſs of what ſort ſoever is the ſure and conſtant portion of thoſe that perform faithfull obedience unto God, and depend on him onelyonly for the acquiring it.
Annotations on Pſal. CXLIV.
foreignV. 3. What is man] By foreign man, and foreign ſon of man, as all or any of mankind may be underſtood in the condition of frail, mortal, miſerable, and unworthy creatures; ſo the Pſalmiſt himſelf, David, and the ſon of David, the Meſſias, is eſpecially to be underſtood in this place. The occaſion of the Pſalm is, by the title in the LXXII. and Latin and Arabick, not improbaly noted to be the combat with Goliah. And for the ſetting out the wonderfull mercy of God to him in that, 'twas very conſiderable, that he was but a young ſtripling, the youngeſt and moſt inconſiderable of all the ſons of Jeſſe, who alſo was but an ordinary man. And accordingly Pſal. 8. which hath probably been reſolved to be compoſed on this occaſion of Goliah of Gath, the ſame conſideration hath a principal place, v. 4. What is man, that thou art mindfull of him? and the ſon of man, that thou viſiteſt him? there foreign and foreign, weak man and ſon of mortal ordinary man, as here foreign and foreign. Which accordance as it is ſome argument to confirm that (as this) Pſalm to have been compoſed on that occaſion, ſo it will apply theſe words in their more eminent, prophetick, myſtical ſenſe, to Chriſt our Saviour in his ſtate of humiliation (wherein yet by the power of his Divine nature he did ſo many wonderfull works) by virtue of the Apoſtle's teſtimony, Heb. 2.6. where he cites thoſe words from Pſal. 8.4. (exactly parallel to theſe) and applies them particularly to Chriſt.
V. 8. foreignMouth ſpeaketh vanity] In this verſe ſomewhat more ſeems to be expreſt than is ordinarily obſerved in it. The Chaldee interprets it of falſe oaths and wicked laws; and the moſt obvious ſenſe is followed by the reſt of the interpreters, vain or lying ſpeeches, and wicked works or actions: and thus it may fitly enough be adapted as the motive to God to deſtroy them. But if we conſider 1. that the prayer is againſt David's enemies, the Philiſtims, foreignand thoſe by the title of foreign ſons of the ſtranger, the title that ordinarily belongs to Idolaters, and 2.foreign that foreign and foreign vanity and falſhood frequently ſignifie the falſe Idol gods, and 3. that their mouth ſpeaking fitly ſignifies profeſſion either of a true or falſe God▪ and 4.foreign that foreign their right hand may poetically ſignifie, him, or them, on whom they depend, as their foreign, their patrons or auxiliaries, (as when it is ſaid, the Lord at my right hand, Pſal. 110.5. and many the like, the meaning is, he aſſiſts and takes my part) and ſo foreign right hand of falſhood, foreignbe a vain gainleſs helper, that fails all that depend on him; on theſe conſiderations it will not be unreaſonable thus to interpret the whole verſe of theſe idolatrous Philiſtims, whoſe gods cannot ſtand them in any ſtead againſt the one true God of heaven, to whom David makes his addreſs; and that this is the fuller importance of it, and that as a motive fit here to be uſed in a prayer to God, to incline him to own his ſuppliants againſt ſuch kind of enemies as theſe.
foreignV. 12. Corner-ſtones] From foreign an angle or corner, two formations there are in theſe 12, and 13. verſes foreign and foreign, and are to be diſtinguiſht by the matter of the context. For as in a building there are either the exteriour or interiour parts and corners; ſo here the foreign or outer corners are the ſtones in the corners of the building, angular pillars ſaith Caſtellio, which are here foreign hewen, and ſquared, and carved, and ſo for the beauty of them, in an foreign palace eſpecially, are fit to expreſs the daughters of a proſperous family, in whom beauty is much valued. But foreign the inner parts or corners of the building, are the repoſitories, places on purpoſe for keeping of ſtore and proviſions (ſuch are cellars, larders, and the like) which the LXXII. rightly render foreign, and the Latin promptuaria, repoſitories for all kind of proviſions (and not ſo fitly garners or granaries, which are proper to corn or grain.) The former of theſe foreign is rendred by the LXXII. foreign beautified, either by way of paraphraſe (as foreign, carved or poliſhed, they render foreign adorned about) or as if it were from foreign beauty or ſplendour; and ſo the Chaldee, foreign beautifull. Of the latter when 'tis here ſaid, that being full they bring forth or yield foreign, this is interpreted by them foreign, from this to that; not by miſtake probably of foreign for foreign, as ſome conceive, but as taking foreign (as it is) for a word of a large ſignification, to ſignifie any thing to which the matter ſpoken of ſhall determin it, (and ſo ſure the Chaldee doe, which render it foreign from year to year) particularly any kind of food or victuals, and ſo by this phraſe, from this to that, meaning from this ſort to that ſort, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi underſtand it, i. e. ſomewhat of all ſorts, to expreſs the greateſt plenty of all commodities for daily uſe or proviſions. The Jewiſh Arab renders foreign by meaſures.
foreignV. 14. Strong to labour] From foreign to carry on ſhoulders, as a porter doth, is foreign here, not ſo much to ſignifie their patience of weight (as the Chaldee interpret it by foreign patient of burthen, and ſtrong-backt for carriage or ſervice, ſaith Abu Walid, and ſo the Jewiſh Arab, our oxen carrying forth good) for oxen were not then wont to be ſo imployed to bear burthens on their backs or ſhoulders, (though now adays the Turcomen and ſuch like moving people uſe to carry their tents and other utenſils on cows backs) but more probably to note the weight of fleſh they carry about with them, which therefore the LXXII. render foreign, the Latin craſſae, thick or fat, the Syriack foreign ſtrong, for ſo thoſe are that are moſt fleſhy, and ſo onuſtus is wont to be uſed for rich, or one that is in all plenty, and ſo not for patience of burthens, though that, as this, do thus originally ſignifie, and though with us the lading be in a cart, yet we uſe to ſay the oxen are heavy laden. The phraſe that here follows in this matter of oxen, foreignforeign not breaking in and not going out, is not improbably to expreſs the ſafety of their herds, not onelyonly from ſtraying, but, as in time of war, from invaders and abactors, whoſe breaking in (foreign, breaking down or fall of the partition, or wall, or ſept, ſay the LXXII.) is attended with the cattels foreign paſſing through, or going out: and then follows foreign clamour, vociferation; foreign cry, ſay the LXXII. The ſame word they uſe Iſa. 5.7. to render foreign, which is there oppoſed to righteouſneſs, whether in the notion of juſtice or mercy, and is the conſequent of oppreſſion; and ſo it may be here fitly uſed to expreſs hoſtile oppreſſions and invaſions. But the phraſe may be alſo applied, that among their cattel none maketh abortion, foreign never a breaker out: ſo Pharez came by his name, Gen. 38.29. How haſt thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee; therefore his name was called Pharez. foreign alſo hath a peculiar notion in relation to the birth of children; But that being the regular birth, it is not ſo well appliable to this place, unleſs by the figure foreign we thus read, no eruption, and no going out, i. e. no violent going out, for then that is clearly no abortion. Kimchi obſerves of theſe three verſes 12, 13, 14. that there is mention of all thoſe three bleſſings of the Womb, of the Earth, and of Cattel, ſet down Deut. 28.4. The laſt word of the verſe, foreign, we render in our ſtreets; ſo foreign ſignifies Gen. 19.2. as the ſtreet is oppoſed to an houſe or covert, from foreign broad, or large. But our Engliſh ſtreet hath a particular relation to a town, or village, or city; and ſo it ſeems not ſo proper to this place, where being applied to oxen, it will ſignifie in reaſon the place where they lie and feed, foreign, the LXXII. duly reade, in their ſtabula, whether fields or cloſes, where they are kept. Or if in that verſe it may retein the notion of ſtreet, being applied to the men who are thus oppreſt, and may bemoan their loſſes in the field by their complaints in the city, (ſee Mar. 5.14.) yet this will not be applicable to v. 13. where the ſame word being uſed foreign, we render it in like manner, in our ſtreets, but being applied to ſheep, muſt ſignifie their folds or paſtures, where they lie and bring forth; which though it be abroad, without doors, that is all that foreign imports, from the literal notion of which the LXXII. there have their rendring foreign, and the Latin in egreſſibus ſuis, in their goings out) yet they are ſafe there, and multiply exceedingly. The Jewiſh Grammarians, Abu Walid and Kimchi, aſſign not to the word foreign any more particular ſignification than of broad-places, which may then be as well back-ſides; as we ordinarily call ſuch yards as are about the houſe, in which cattel are kept, or the like places, as well as ſtreets. And the word which the Jewiſh Arab uſes may be rendred fields.