Works Volume 4, Book 5 · Psalm 111
The Hundred and Eleventh PSALM.
Praiſe ye the Lord.
The Hundred and eleventh Pſalm is one of thoſe whoſe Title (ſee Note a. on Pſal. 106.) is Hallelujah, and is accordingly ſpent in praiſing and magnifying the name of God for all his works of power and mercy. It is compoſed in twenty two ſhort Metres, each beginning with the ſeveral Letters of the Hebrew Alphabet.
1. I Will praiſe the Lord with my whole heart, in the ‖ſecret or c…nſel foreignaſſembly of the upright, and in the congregation.
Paraphrase. 1. From the bottom of my ſoul, and with the full quire of all the faculties thereof, I will acknowledge and bleſs the name of God. This I will doe more privately in counſel of all pious men, the true Iſraelites, when ever any tranſaction of concernment is to be adviſed on by thoſe that make ſtrict conſcience of their duty; and this will I doe in the moſt publick and ſolemn aſſembly. No juncto is too cloſe, no congregation too wide, for ſuch a moſt due performance.
2. The works of the Lord are great, †ſtudied by or found by, or in all their purpoſes, or deſ…gns.ſought out of all them that have pleaſure therein.
Paraphrase. 2. Marvellous are the works of God, and of all other ſorts of ſtudy moſt worthy to be the exerciſe and imployment of all pious men, who can entertain themſelves with more pleaſure in ſuch meditations, than in all other the moſt ſenſual divertiſements, and receive great profit and advantage by it.
3. His work is *honour and glory foreignhonourable and glorious, and his righteouſneſs endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 3. All that he doth is infinitely magnificent and beautifull, the works of his creation moſt admirable and ſtupendious, and ſo the works of his preſervation and providence full of omnipotent greatneſs and wiſedom. But above all, his juſtice and purity, his deteſtation of all ſin and exact fidelity in all his promiſes is infinitely to be magnified, as that which goes through all his other works.
4. He hath made ‖him a name or memorial by or of his wonderfull—his wonderfull works to be remembred: The Lord †graciousis gracious and full of compaſſion.
Paraphrase. 4. The great miraculous works of his providence among us have made ſuch impreſſions on men as will never be forgotten, but recorded and reported for ever: and indeed God hath made ſpecial ordinances, the Paſſeover, &c. to that purpoſe: Yea they have given him a title whereby he is known by all, the ſame that he once proclaimed of himſelf to Moſes, when he deſired to know and diſcern his nature more perfectly, The Lord, gracious— i. e. a moſt gracious and mercifull Lord, not forward to puniſh every ſin that out of frailty is committed againſt him, but abundant in mercy and loving kindneſs to all that faithfully adhere to him.
5. He hath given *or ſpoil, ſee note d.meat unto them that fear him; he will ever be mindfull of his Covenant.
Paraphrase. 5. He never fails to provide for them that ſerve and obey him, all things that they ſtand in need of; he hath promiſed never to leave nor forſake ſuch: and whatſoever he hath thus by Covenant obliged himſelf to, he will be certain duly to perform. Thus did he promiſe Abraham concerning his poſterity in Aegypt, Gen. 15.13. and accordingly it was ſignally performed.
6. He hath ſhewed his people the ‖virtue foreignpower of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.
Paraphrase. 6. His providence hath moſt effectually and eminently been diſcernible in his dealing with his people the Jews, before whom he hath caſt out the Canaanites and other inhabitants of ſeven very fruitfull nations, who had exceedingly provoked him with their unnatural ſins, and given to this his people the quiet poſſeſſion of them, to which they had not the leaſt right or title but from his immediate donation.
7. The works of his hands are †fidelityverity and judgment, all his commandments are ſure.
Paraphrase. 7. And herein, as in all things elſe, his actions have been moſt juſt and righteous, juſt vengeance to obdurate ſinners, as perfect fidelity and performance of his promiſe to Abraham his ſervant. And ſo all his appointments both for the rooting out and planting in, his menaces and promiſes, are moſt aſſuredly performed, there is no fruſtrating of any of them.
8. They ſtand faſt for ever and ever, and are done in truth and righteouſneſs.
Paraphrase. 8. Being once ratified and confirmed by him, they are ſure to have that exact uprightneſs in them that they remain ſteady and immutable.
9. He ſent redemption to his people, he hath commanded his covenant for ever; holy and reverend is his name.
Paraphrase. 9. And the like wonderfull act of power and mercy and fidelity was it in God, that he reſcued and brought out the ſeed of Abraham, to whom his promiſes were made, from the ſlavery of Aegypt (an emblem of our greater redemption from the bondage of Sin and Satan wrought by his own Son) and by a mighty hand made good his promiſes to them of bringing them into Canaan. Thus firm and inviolable are all God's pacts and agreements made with his people, to whom as his mercies are moſt admirably firm, and for ever to be acknowledged with thankſgiving, ſo his judgments are moſt dreadfull and formidable to all that provoke them to fall upon them.
10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wiſedom; a good underſtanding *are they to all that do the… foreignhave all they that doe his commandments: his praiſe endureth for ever.
Paraphrase. 10. There is therefore no ſuch excellent prudential courſe as the preſerving in our breaſts a juſt and due reverence of God, an awe to his laws, and a dread to his judgments; and when all is conſidered, this will be found the prime wiſedom. And the reaſon is clear; The Law of God is the declaration of thoſe things which are moſt our concernments to know, his commandments bring all profitable knowledge and judgment to them that carefully ſet themſelves to, and are daily exerciſed in the practiſing of them. They that conſtantly guide their lives according to thoſe divine directions, will ſoon diſcern experimentally what others at a diſtance never dream of, that the practice of his precepts is of all other things moſt for their turns, moſt agreeable to all their intereſts both in this and another world. And ſo for that moſt eminent mercy of ſuch his divine and moſt excellent precepts (as well as for other parts of his Covenant, his grace and mercies) all poſſible praiſe is for ever due to his moſt holy name.
Annotations on Pſal. CXI.
V. 1. Praiſe ye the Lord] What was obſerved, and competently proved, note foreignon Pſal. 106. that Hallelujah was no part, but onelyonly the Title of the Pſalm, is applicable to this alſo and more that follow, and is here moſt clearly demonſtrable. For this Pſalm (as alſo the next) is one of thoſe that are compoſed with exact reſpect to the order of the letters of the Alphabet. And it is S. Hierom's true obſervation, that this Pſalm is the firſt which is purely Alphabetical, the 25th. and others, which are well-nigh ſuch, failing or abounding in ſome Letter, whereas this, leaving foreign for the Title, begins with foreign, as the 112. doth with foreign, and in very ſhort metre goes on exactly according to the letters of the Alphabet, which it could not be imagined to do, if it began with foreign Hallelujah.
foreignV. 1. Ʋright] Of the word foreign upright, 'tis Kimchi's obſervation, foreign it is an appellative of Iſrael, as Numb. 23.10. Let me die foreign the death of the upright. And ſo they are called by a name of much affinity with this, Jeſurun, in the notion, and by analogy as in the New Teſtament the Chriſtians are called Saints.
foreignV. 2. Sought out] foreign to ſeek, inveſtigate, ſearch, is uſed for meditating, ſtudying, and from thence foreign a ſchool, or place for ſtudy of the Law, and in Arabick foreign an Academy, or Ʋniverſity; and accordingly 1 Cor. 1.20. foreign, the inquirer, is the ſtudent, he that ſpends his time in ſearching and finding out difficulties (ſee Note f. on that place:) and then foreign here applied to the great works of God, may be rendred are ſtudied, or meditated on, foreign by all that have delight or pleaſure in ſuch ſtudy or meditation, ſought of all that deſire them, ſaith the Jewiſh Arab. But the word alſo ſignifies to be found, Iſa. 65.1. I am found by them that ſought me not. And then this will bear an excellent ſenſe, frequently met with in other places, that the ſecret of the Lord is with them that fear him, his way is plain unto the righteous, (ſo Abu Walid, they are evident or plain to all that delight in them, or love them) though the wicked ſhall fall therein, and the like. The next words, foreign,foreign are capable alſo of another rendring, in the notion of foreign Eccl. 3.1. where we render it purpoſe, and Eccl. 5.7. where we render it matter, and the LXXII. foreign, thing, in both places. And by analogy with thoſe the phraſe may here ſignifie in all their parts, deſigns, or purpoſes, or in all their ſeveral concernments.
foreignV. 4. Made his wonderfull works to be remembred] The moſt proper rendring of this verſe will be pitcht on by obſerving the notion of foreign for a memorial, any thing by which a man may be remembred, any name or title attributed to any for any notable action or excellency. So the LXXII. Exod. 17.14. render foreign by foreign, name, and Hoſ. 12.5. The Lord God of hoſts, foreign the Lord is his memorial; that ſure is, the Lord is his name. And accordingly the Mazorites call God's name foreign memorial. Accordingly foreign he made a memorial, is no more than he hath made him a name; either by common way of ſpeaking, he hath left remembrances of himſelf which will continue (as Gen. 11.4. Let us make us a name, and 2 Sam. 7.9. I have made thee a great name, and v. 23. of God himſelf, that he went to make him a name, and to doe for you great things, very agreeable to the ſtyle here, he hath made a memorial or name foreign by his wondrous works, and ſo the Chaldee underſtand it here, foreign he hath made him a good memorial) Kimchi reads it, a memorial of his wonders in Aegypt, in giving us the Sabbath, Paſſeover, and other feaſts; accordingly Aben Ezra renders foreign v. 5. the ſpoil of the Aegyptians, according to the promiſe of God, Gen. 15.13. But it may be alſo interpreted more minutely and critically, he hath made him a title, a name, by which he expects to be called, viz. this which here follows, as the breviate of that by which he was pleaſed to proclaim himſelf, Exod. 34.6. foreign The Lord mercifull and gracious, not making this a diſtinct ſentence from the former, but affixing it as that name which he hath made himſelf by his works.
V. 7. Commandments are ſure] From foreign which ſignifies true and ſure and faithfull, is the Epithet of God's Commandments here foreign.foreign How it is to be rendred, will be beſt gueſt by conſidering the context, and the peculiar importance of the Commandments here. The former verſe ſpeaks of the heathen nations, the Canaanites, &c. who were by God's appointment rooted out of their land, and the Iſraelites planted in their ſtead. In this, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, there was foreign fidelity and judgment: fidelity in performing the promiſe made to Abraham many years before, and juſt vengeance on thoſe nations for their ſins, the meaſure of which they had now filled up. And as the ground of both theſe, 'tis here added that foreign all his commandments — The word which we render commandments, foreigncomes from foreign to viſit either for good or evil, which ſignifies alſo to command, or give order. So of Cyrus, Ezr. 1.2. foreign he hath charged me, and 2 Chron. 36.23. foreign the Lord hath charged me, (the ſame Cyrus) to build him an houſe at Jeruſalem. In this ſenſe of the word it may here be fitly uſed for God's appointments and commands to the children of Iſrael to root out the Canaanites, and to take poſſeſſion of their land, (not underſtanding it of the Commandments or Law of God written in their hearts, againſt which theſe nations had ſo unnaturally offended.) So when Joſhua, Joſ. 8.29. commanded to cut down the carcaſſe of the King of Ai, &c. the Chaldee render it by foreign, and frequently in the like ſenſe. And then of theſe commands of God, theſe appointments of his, for the good of the one ſort, and the puniſhment of the other (the LXXII. fitly render it foreign, commands or expreſſes given by him) the Pſalmiſt ſaith, they are foreign ſure, firm, faithfull, i. e. are moſt certainly performed: whenſoever he gives order for the deſtroying of a nation, it ſhall certainly be performed, unleſs by their ſpeedy repentance they avert it, Jer. 18.8. and ſo for his command of building and planting, v. 9. And this in both parts is the probableſt meaning of the place, as will be gueſt by the inſuing verſe, They ſtand faſt for ever and ever—
V. 10. foreignBeginning of wiſedom] The word beginning is of uncertain ſenſe. It may ſignifie the firſt in time onelyonly, and ſo the rudiments, firſt foundation or ground-work, and ſo though the moſt neceſſary, yet the moſt imperfect part of the work. And if it ſhould thus be underſtood here and in other places, the ſenſe would be no more but this, that there were no true wiſedom, which had not its foundation in piety and fear of God. But the word foreign (as foreign head) ſignifies the firſt in dignity as well as in order or time, and is frequently uſed for the chief or principle of any kind. So Deut. 18.4. foreign (the Chaldee reade foreign the head) the prime, the principal, i. e. the beſt, of thy corn and wine and oile, and of the fleece of thy ſheep. So Amos 6.6. that anoint themſelves foreign with the chief of ointments, the beſt and moſt precious; and 1 Sam. 15.21. foreign the firſt of that which was devoted, is interpreted v. 9. by foreign and foreign the goodneſs, and, all the good, as that is oppoſed to the baſe and vile in that verſe. So Numb. 24. Amalek was foreign firſt, i. e. chief, of the nations. And thus it is to be underſtood here, that the fear of the Lord (which ſignifies all piety) is the principal or chief of wiſedom, as ſapientia prima in Horace is the principal or moſt excellent wiſedom; according to that of Job chap. 28.28. Ʋnto man he ſaid, Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wiſedom, and to depart from evil is underſtanding, that by way of eminence, the moſt excellent wiſedom and underſtanding. The Jewiſh Arab reads, The firſt thing that wiſedom gives in command is the fear of the Lord, and a goodneſs of underſtanding is to all that doe that.