Works Volume 4, Book 5 · Psalm 110
The Hundred and Tenth PSALM.
A Pſalm of David:
The hundred and tenth Pſalm was certainly compoſed by David, (ſee Matt. 22.43.) not concerning himſelf, and God's promiſing the Kingdom to him after Saul, as the Chaldee ſuppoſe but by way of propheſie of the exaltation of the Meſſias (ſee Matt. 22.44. Act. 2.34. 1 Cor. 15.25. Heb. 1.13.) to his Regal and (which never belonged to David) Sacerdotal office; both which are by him exerciſed at the right hand of his Father, and ſettled on him as the reward of his humiliation and paſſion, (ſee Phil. 2.8, 9.)
1. THE Lord ſaid unto my Lord, ſit thou on my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footſtool.
Paraphrase. 1. The Meſſias which is to come into the world is to be looked on by all men with adoration, as being though born in the mean eſtate of humane fleſh, and of King David's ſeed, yet really much higher than David (which he could not be if he were not God himſelf, the King of Kings and Lord of lords.) And of him, Jehovah, the one ſupreme God, Creator of heaven and earth, hath decreed, that having been for ſome time oppoſed, and at length crucified, by thoſe whom he was ſent to call powerfully to repentance, he ſhould be exalted in that humane nature which here he aſſumed, to the higheſt pitch of glory and majeſty and authority in heaven, there to exerciſe all power over this inferior world, to reign 1 Cor. 15.25. till he hath ſubdued all that oppoſeth th… his kingdom; 1. his crucifiers, by converting ſome, and deſtroying others, 2. the Idolatrous heathen world, by ſubjecting them to the Goſpel, 3. the power of ſin, and 4. Satan in mens hearts, and at laſt 5. death it ſelf, 1 Cor. 15.26. And when all this is done at the concluſion of this world, then ſhall he give up his power into his Father's hand from which he had it, and himſelf be ſubject to him that put all things under him, 1 Cor. 1….27.
2. The Lord ſhall ſend the rod of thy ſtrength out of Sion: rule thou in the midſt of thine enemies.
Paraphrase. 2. This kingdom of his is to be a ſpiritual kingdom, exerciſed by the ſword or ſ…epter of his ſweet but powerfull ſpirit, the Goſpel of Chriſt, the power of God unto ſalvation to all that believe and obey it. And this ſhall firſt be preached (after his reſurrection and aſcenſion) by his Apoſtles at Jeruſalem (ſee Pſal. 2.6.) to thoſe that crucified him, and from thence it ſhall be propagated to all Judaea, and then to all parts of the habitable world, on purpoſe deſigned to bring home ſinners to repentance and change of life. And the ſucceſs thereof ſhall be admirable, a Church of humble obedient Chriſtians gathered from amongſt his greateſt enemies, ſome of the rebellious Jews, and great m…ltitudes of heathen Idolaters.
Thy people ſhall be ‖a people of voluntary oblationswilling in the day of thy †ar…y or …ortespower, in the beauties of *the ſanctuary.holineſs, ‖thy children ſhall be to thee the dew from the womb of the morning.from the womb of the morning, thou haſt the dew of thy youth.
Paraphrase. 3. At the going out of the Apoſtles upon their great expedition, their ſacred warfare, to conquer the obdurate world, all that have any thing of humility or piety wrought in their hearts by the efficacy of his preventing grace, ſhall come in and receive the faith of Chriſt moſt willingly, forſake and leave all to follow him, and attend him in his Church, and the multitude of diſciples ſhall be as (the ſtars of heaven, the ſands on the ſea-ſhore, or) the dew that in the morning covers the face of the whole earth.
4. The Lord hath ſworn and will not repent, Thou art a prieſt for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Paraphrase. 4. And as he is to be a King, ſo is he to be a Prieſt alſo. At his exaltation and aſcending to heaven, God his Father hath firmly decreed that he ſhall be advanced to ſuch a ſort of Prieſthood as that of Melchizedek was (ſee Heb. v. 6. and 7.17.) who had thoſe two great offices of King and Prieſt united in him; ſo ſhall Chriſt be inſtated *foreign in the world to come Chald.at the right hand of his Father, in the full power of entertaining and bleſſing his faithfull ſervants, ſuch as Abraham was, when he was entertained and treated by Melchizedek, and bleſſed by him. And the interpretation of this his benediction is, his giving them grace to turn away every man from his iniquities, Act. 3.26. to aid them againſt all their ſpiritual enemies, and ſupport them in all their neceſſities. And this office, commencing at his aſcenſion, is never to have an end, never to be ſucceeded in by any, as the A…ronical prieſthood deſcended from father to ſon, but to continue in his hands, and to be moſt ſucceſsfully exerciſed, till it be at the end of this world delivered up to God the Father.
5. The Lord at thy right hand ſhall ſtrike through Kings in the day of his wrath.
Paraphrase. 5. But as he ſhall be a moſt mercifull High Prieſt to all that humbly receive, and obey, and addreſs themſelves to him; ſo to all obdurate ſinners, that ſtand out, and oppoſe his power in their hearts, that will not ſuffer this Prieſt to bleſs, this King to reign over them, he ſhall manifeſt himſelf a moſt terrible Judge, and deſtroy the mightieſt grandeur and proweſs upon earth, that doth not come in unto the faith.
6. He ſhall judge among the †nation…, he ſhall fill them foreignheathen, he ſhall fill the places with the dead bodies, he ſhall *ſtrike through (ſee v. 5.) the head ever much land foreignwound the heads over many countreys.
Paraphrase. 6. All the impenitent wicked world, both of Jews and Heathens, he ſhall moſt illuſtriouſly deſtroy, make them a kind of Akeldama; and the greateſt Antichriſtian Monarchy in the world, moſt eminently that of heathen Rome (which ſo bloodily perſecutes the Chriſtians) ſhall be demoliſhed (ſee Rev. 18.2.) and Chriſtian profeſſion ſet up in the place of it.
7. He ſhall drink of the brook in the way, therefore ſhall he lift up the head.
Paraphrase. 7. Thus ſhall the Meſſias and his Kingdom be advanced. And all this but a proportionable reward deſigned by his Father to his great humiliation, and patience, and fidelity and conſtancy in the purſuit and diſcharge of the office prophetick aſſigned him here on earth, the calling home ſinners to repentance: In this he ſhall be ſo diligent and induſtrious, ſo vigilant and intent on all opportunities of advancing this end, of doing the will of his Father, the work for which he was ſent, that he ſhall wholly neglect himſelf, his own will, his own eaſe, his own ordinary food, take that which comes next, and is moſt mean and vile, like a General in his keeneſt purſuit of his enemies, that ſatisfies the neceſſities of nature with water out of the next brook, &c. (and with the ſame alacrity he ſhall at laſt undergo the moſt contumelious death) and for this eſpouſing of God's will, and deſpiſing and contemning himſelf, God ſhall highly exalt him, and poſſeſs him of that both Regal and Sacerdotal power, to continue to him, and by his hands, in that humane nature wherein he thus ſerved his Father, to be adminiſtred for ever.
Annotations on Pſal. CX.
V. 1. My Lord] That foreign to my Lord here, denotes the Meſſiah, will appear not only by our Saviour and his Apoſtles, who inſiſt on this Pſalm above any Text in the Old Teſtament, (as the late Jews, and ſome others who are willing to be lookt on as very good Chriſtians, are moſt induſtrious to evade it) but even by the teſtimonies of the ancient Jews themſelves, the evidence of truth breaking forth in deſpite of the moſt partial and reſolved intereſt. Moſes Haddarſan on Gen. 37.12. ſaith, foreign &c. The Redeemer whom I will raiſe up from among you, ſhall not have a father, according to that of Zach. 6.12. behold the man whoſe name is the branch, and Iſa. 53. he ſhall come up, &c. So alſo David ſaith of him Pſal. 110.3. out of the womb, &c. laſtly the Scripture ſaith of him, This day have I begotten thee, Pſal. 2. So on Gen. 18. Hereafter God holy and bleſſed ſhall ſet the King Meſſias foreign on his right hand, as 'tis written Pſal. 110. The Lord ſaid, &c. And to the ſame purpoſe again on Gen. 14.18. So Midraſh Tehillim, on occaſion of theſe words, I will declare the Law, &c. Pſal. 2. ſaith, foreign, &c. the affairs of the Meſſiah are ſet forth in the ſcripture of the Law, of the Prophets, and of the Hagiographa: In the Law Exod. 4.22. In the Prophets, Iſa. 52.13. and 42.1. In the Hagiographa Pſal. 110. The Lord ſaid, and the dew of thy birth, &c. So again Midr. Tehil. on Pſal. 18.35. thy right hand ſhall uphold me, ſaith, foreign &c. R. Joden ſaid that in the age of the Meſſiah the bleſſed God will ſet the King Meſſiah at his right hand, as it is written, The Lord ſaid to my Lord. R. Saad Gaon on Dan. 7.13. he came with the clouds of heaven, ſaith, And this is foreign Meſſiah our righteouſneſs, as 'tis written, The Lord ſaid, &c. So th… …eruſalem Talmud tract. Berachoth c. 5. ſaith, this verſe, the dew of thy birth, &c. is to be explained by Mich. 5.7.
V. 3. Thy power] For the explicating this very obſcure verſe, the firſt thing to be taken notice of is the importance of foreign from foreign power or ſtrength, foreignas that ſignifies an army, or military forces, as we call them. The Meſſias in the former verſes is ſet upon his throne for the exerciſe of his regal power, with a ſword or ſcepter in his hand; and as ſuch he is ſuppoſed to rule in the world, to go out to conquer and ſubdue all before him. The army which he makes uſe of to this end, is the college of Apoſtles, ſent out to preach to all nations: and the time of their thus preaching is here called foreign the day of his power, or forces, or army; foreign in the day that he ſhall wage war or joyn battel, ſaith the Chaldee. In which day, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, the people that belong to God, foreign thy people, foreignthoſe that are at all affected to piety, foreign, fit for the Kingdom of God, Luk. 9.16. foreign, diſpoſed, arrayed, ordered, on file for the kingdom of heaven, Act. 13. 48. all that are any way liſted among God's ſouldiers, all theſe ſhall become foreign i. e.foreign (repeating foreign again) a people of voluntary oblations (ſo foreign ſignifies liberal, voluntary, ſpontaneous oblation, or contribution to the ſervice of God) ſuch as ſhall willingly offer up and conſecrate themſelves, and all that they have, to God's ſervice, forſake all and follow Chriſt, bring their eſtates, and lay them at the Apoſtles feet, as we know the believers did. Act. 2. an eſſay of the great charity and liberality which the faith of Chriſt brought into the world. This they ſhall do foreign in the beauties of holineſs, foreignor of the Sanctuary, i. e. I ſuppoſe, myſtically in the Chriſtian Church, beautified with all thoſe graces which the ſpirit of Chriſt works in the hearts of believers. foreign 1 King. 7.18. ſignifies the Ark of the Covenant or Sanctuary, and from thence the place in the Temple where the Ark was placed was called the foreign holy of holies; and ſo I ſuppoſe the LXXII. underſtood it here, when they rendred foreign of thy holies, for ſo the plural foreign every where ſignifies the Sanctuary; and the beauties of the Sanctuary are literally the ornaments of the Prieſts and Levites, their Urim and Thummim, which they have on when they carry the Ark (ſee note on Pſal. 29. b.) But myſtically theſe are the graces of Chriſt, the inward beauty or glory which ſhines in the Chriſtian Sanctuary or Church, which is as it were the arena or place where theſe forces of God are muſtered: Or perhaps in the beauties of holineſs, as that ſignifies no more than God's ſacred Majeſty, in whoſe ſervice they are liſted, and on whoſe expedition ingaged, according to Caſtellio's reading, quo die expeditionem ſacrâ o…m majeſtate facies, in the day when thou ſhalt with thy ſacred majeſty make thine expedition. Another ſenſe the words may be capable of, which the comparing the mention of Sion v. 2. and beauty of holineſs here ſuggeſteth, by taking foreign power, or hoſt, or army, in the ſenſe that frequently belongs to foreign, which ſignifies an hoſt in ſcripture, viz. the attendance on the Sanctuary, the Prieſts foreign warring his warfare, i. e. officiating. And then foreign will ſimply import free-will offerings, and the ſenſe run thus, Thy people will be a free-will offering in the day of thy Aſſemblies in the Sanctuary, ſhall offer (in ſtead of any thing elſe) themſelves lively ſacrifices, holy and acceptable. And this, if accepted, need not be deemed to exclude the other rendring, but the prieſtly and kingly offices of Chriſt being both here ſet down in this Pſalm, the words (as is frequent in theſe compoſitions) may have been purpoſely contrived to fit both. Then follows foreign, which may perhaps be thus moſt literally rendred,foreign foreign thy children or progeny (ſo the Chaldee muſt underſtand it, when they joyn it with foreign ſhall ſit) foreign to thee, i. e. ſhall be to thee, foreign dew foreign from the womb of the morning: i. e. according to the proportion of the dew which the morning brings forth (as it were out of its womb) in ſuch plenty as to cover the face of the whole earth, ſo ſhall thy children be, ſo numerous, the multitudes of …hoſe that receive the faith of Chriſt, this dew on the face of the earth, being like the ſand of the ſea and ſtars of heaven; by which two expreſſions is ſet out elſewhere the ſpiritual ſeed of Abraham, the multitude of believers. i. e. Over all the face of the earth, through all nations ſhall the Chriſtian faith be propagated by this the Apoſtles foreign expedition or warfare, their preaching and promulgating of the Goſpel. Another poſſible rendring the words are capable of, thus; foreign,foreign uſed ten times in ſcripture, in all the other places expreſſes an immediately preceding birth, and is equivalent to as ſoon as born. So Pſ. 58.3. the wicked are eſtranged foreign from the womb, or birth; Pſ. 22.10. I have been caſt on thee from the womb, i. e. ever ſince my birth. Then, though foreign be by many conſtrued,foreign from the morning, as if מ were a Praefix; yet ſeeing the ש hath no dageſch, others conceive it a Noun, though not elſewhere found, yet guidable by the ſignification of its neighbouring words, and then it will note either morning or youth. foreignNext foreign is twice uſed, beſide this place, and ſignifies not children but childhood, or the firſt age of youth. So Eccl. 11.9. & 10. foreign childhood and youth are vanity. Where foreign being joyned with it 'tis made more probable that here, where foreign is joyned with it, they ſhould both be taken in this ſenſe, wherein there confeſtly they are. If this be accepted, then the Hebrew will be thus literally rendred, foreign From the womb youth is to thee, i. e. as ſoon as thou art born, thou enjoyeſt a firm and vigorous youth (increaſing ſuddenly in wiſedom and ſtature and favour with God and man) foreign thy infancy the dew, i. e. is as the dew upon the face of the earth, in a moment ſpreads it ſelf over all, is ſeen fall'n rather than falling, is ſprightly and aerial, and makes all things elſe ſo too. And then in accordance with it will be rendred what follows, Thou art a Prieſt for ever, art never ſuperannuated for the ſervice of the tabernacle, like the Levitical Prieſts, nor ever removed from it by death. In the following words the ח in foreign is by the Jewiſh writers,foreign Kimchi and Aben Ezra, allowed to be paragogical, and ſo foreign to ſignifie foreign according to the manner or order; which is exactly the LXXII. their rendring, foreign, that is inſiſted on by the Apoſtle in the New Teſtament, to which alſo the Syriack accords, foreign according to the likeneſs. And then it is ſtrange the Interlinear ſhould make it a ſuffix, and render it ſecundum verbum meum, according to my word: and yet herein ſome other learned men have imitated them. The Jewiſh Arab interpreting this whole Pſalm of Abraham, as a relation of his victory over the Kings, and telling us that he was made a Prieſt in the place of Melchizedek, for his miſcarriage in his bleſſing, becauſe in it he made mention of Abraham's name before God's, renders the latter part of this third verſe thus, and from the deep of the black ſea, that thou mayeſt caſt for thee the portions of thy children, explaining it by a Note to this purpoſe, he teacheth him, that they (viz. his children or poſterity) ſhall divide the countreys from the black ſea to the utmoſt of regions, ſaying that he takes foreign from foreign Prov. 16.33. and foreign to caſt. Abu Walid expounds thoſe words foreign by from the belly or womb of the darkneſs, i. e. ſaith he, from the time that thou wert in the dark of the womb; that the meaning might be, Proſperity hath accompanied thee from the time that thou wert in the dark of the womb, i. e. from thy firſt forming or creation, that is it that he ſaith, foreign, from thy firſt ortus or original. And ſo he would have both thoſe paſſages joyned in their ſignification. In this verſe the LXXII. have made many changes. Firſt for foreign thy people, they appear to have read foreign with thee, and ſo render it foreign. For foreign voluntary oblations, they reade▪ foreign, government (not as the Latin renders them, prin…um, beginning) as from foreign an foreign or Prince, Pſal. 113.8. Then for foreign of the morning, they reade foreign, before the morning-ſtar, omitting the word foreign dew, and for foreign thy progeny, they reade foreign, and ſo render it foreign, I begat thee; and ſo the Syriack, foreign from ancient time I begat thee my ſon. And to this as the Latin exactly accords, ex utero ante Luciferum genui te, and the Arabick in like manner, ſo doth the Syriack alſo (ſave that for foreign, before the morning-ſtar, they reade foreign from of old) and many of the ancient Fathers have followed them, eſpecially *Edit. Pamel. p. 586. G.Tertullian, l. v. contra Marcion. c. ix. who applies it to the nativity of Chriſt in the night, and that of a Virgin without the knowledge of any man, and refutes the Jews, who applied the Pſalm to Hezekiah. That the Jews after Chriſt's time did thus apply it to Hezekiah, as the Chaldee Paraphraſes underſtand it of David, appears evident from that Father. But before their hatred of Chriſt did thus ingage them, ſome of the ancient Jews (ſee note a.) applied it to the Meſſias; and they are followed by Iſaac Benarama on Gen. 47. and the paſſage next following of this King being a Prieſt, makes it impoſſible, according to their own principles, to be applied to any King of the Jews, the Prieſthood among them being peculiar to the Aaronical tribe. And therefore the Chaldee, which applies it to David, interprets this of his exaltation to greatneſs in the world to come, by way of reward to his having been an immaculate King here,
V. 5. foreignThe Lord at thy right hand] In this Pſalm it is evident v. 1. that foreign is the title of God the Father, and ſo again v. 4. and foreign of the Meſſias God the Son, in reſpect of that dignity, and dominion, and regal power to which he was to be exalted at his aſcenſion, that at the name of Jeſus every knee ſhould bow— This is expreſſed v. 1. by his ſitting at God's right hand, for which the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 15.25. reads, foreign, It muſt be that he reign — By this 'tis evident that in this verſe foreign The Lord at thy right hand, muſt be underſtood of the Meſſias inſtated in his regal power at the right hand of his Father, and not of the Father, as … foreign to back and help him, as Pſal. 16.8. and elſewhere the phraſe is uſed. For of the Son thus exalted we know it is that we reade Joh. 5.22. that the Father hath committed all judgment to the Son. Agreeable to which it is that this Adonai or Lord at Jehovah's right hand here, ſhall ſtrike through Kings in the day of his wrath, i. e. ſhall act revenges moſt ſeverely on the oppoſers of his Kingdom; which revenges in the New Teſtament are peculiarly attributed to Chriſt, and called the coming of the Son of man, coming in the clouds, coming with his Angels, and the approaching, or coming of his Kingdom.
V. 7. foreignBrook of the way] foreign ſignifies any hollow place or vale, a receptacle of waters, and from thence a ſmall river or brook, which hath not its original from any ſpring, but is filled with rain-waters, and ſo is full in the winter, but in the ſummer dried up. So Gen. 26.17. foreign in the valley of G… rar; Joel 3.18. a fountain ſhall come forth and water foreign the valley of Shittim: and 2 King 3.16. make this valley full of ditches; and v. 17. ye ſhall not ſee rain, yet that valley ſhall be filled with water. And being here joyned with foreign in the way, foreignit ſeems to ſignifie no more than thoſe plaſhes of water, which in the winter are frequent in highways, from the fall of much rain. Theſe firſt from the places where they are collected, (no pools on purpoſe provided for the receit of waters, but every little cavity in the way, which is thus filled by rain,) and ſecondly, by the ſtagnancy or ſtanding ſtill of theſe waters, and thirdly, by the frequency of paſſengers fouling them, are to be concluded very unfit for the uſe of men, very inconvenient for drinking, and would never be uſed for that purpoſe, were it …ot by him that hath no other, or that ſo far intends the haſte of his way, and ſo far deſpiſes or neglects himſelf, as to content himſelf with the worſt and meaneſt ſort of accommodation, that which will juſt ſatisfie the neceſſities of nature. This is moſt obſervable of ſouldiers in an haſty march, that are thirſty, but will not make ſtay at an Inn to refreſh themſelves with wine, or ſo much as go out of their way to make choice of or ſeek out for wholſome water, but inſiſt on their purſuit, and ſatisfie their thirſt at the next receptacle of waters, the next puddle or trench, or ditch, or brook they meet with. This is a ſign of great alacrity in a ſouldier, and withall of great humility, and contempt of hardſhip and difficulties, of ſubmitting to any the meaneſt and moſt ſervile condition: and may well here be uſed poetically to expreſs the great humiliation and exinanition of the Meſſias, aſſuming the real form and all the mean offices of a ſervant, purſuing the work to which he was ſent with all alacrity, counting it his meat (and drink) to doe the will of him that ſent him, and finiſh his work, Joh. 4.34. and in fine laying down his life, ſuffering as willingly a moſt bitter contumelious death; which being by him expreſt by drinking of a cup, and that a ſpecial ſort of cup, ſuch as others would not probably be content with, (Are ye able to drink of the cup that I ſhall drink of? Matt. 20.22.) and that an inſupportable bitter cup, Matt. 26.39, 42. (Father if it be poſſible, let this cup paſs from me) it may very fitly be extended to his death, as well as to all that was preparative and in the way to it. And to this the lifting up his head, reigning victoriouſly over all his enemies, being conſtituted Judge of quick and dead, is here juſtly apportioned, according to that of Phil. 2.8, 9. He made himſelf of no reputation, but humbled himſelf, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the croſs. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him— Another notion there is of foreign for a torrent or river, Prov. 18.4. a flowing foreign torrent, or river, and ſo Am. 6.14. unto the foreign we render it river of the wilderneſs. If it be here taken in that notion, then drinking of it may be a proverbial ſpeech to expreſs victory, as Iſa. 37.25. when Sennacherib is boaſting of his conqueſts, he thus ſpeaks, I will enter into the height of his border, and the forreſt of his Carmel: I have digged and drunk water, and with the ſole of my feet I have dried up all the rivers of the beſieged places. Where the former part being an expreſſion of victory and forcible ſeiſure; and ſo the latter alſo of blocking up and cloſe ſiege, the middlemoſt may probably be to the ſame ſenſe; and the rather becauſe of the cuſtom of Eaſtern Princes, who in token of dedition exacted from ſubjugated Provinces Earth and Water, Judith 2.7. In reference to which, the digging up Earth and drinking Water will ſignifie a forcible entry, a method of battery (where the milder ſummons have not prevailed) thereby to take livery and ſeiſm of an hoſtile Countrey. And if that be the notion here, then the phraſe ſignifies Chriſt's victory atchieved by his death over Satan, Sin and Hell. Which being wrought upon the Croſs, is fitly precedaneous and preparative to the lifting up of his head.