Works Volume 4, Book · Psalm 10
The Tenth PSALM.
The Tenth is a Pſalm of Davids, joyned by the LXXII. to Pſalm ix. but in the Hebrew divided from it: and it is a complaint made to God of the riotous oppreſſions of wicked men, and an humble relyance on him for his repreſſing them.
1. WHy ſtandeſt thou afar off, O Lord? why hideſt thou thy ſelf in times of trouble?
Paraphrase. 1. O thou all-ſeeing Lord, thou art ſometimes pleaſed to withdraw thy ſelf a while from the aid of ſuppliants, and in times of the greateſt ſtreights (which are the fitteſt ‖foreign, Lxxii. See Pſal. 9.9.opportunities) to ſuſpend thy interpoſitions, and permit oppreſſors to proſper, and we ſilly creatures are often poſed thereby, diſcern not the cauſes which move thy wiſdom to it.
2. ‖or, In the pride of the wicked the poor is ſet on fire.The wicked in his pride doth perſecute the poor: Let them be taken in the devices which they have imagined.
Paraphrase. 2. That wicked men ſhould make uſe of their worldly power to injure and beat down thoſe that are not able to reſiſt, is nothing ſtrange, their pride incites them to it: But it is thy property to reſiſt the proud, and defend the needy, and to bring ruine on godleſs men, by the ſame means by which they deſigned it to others. Be thou now pleaſed thus to reveal thy ſelf.
3. For the wicked boaſteth of his hearts deſire, *and the covetous blaſphemes and provoketh God.and bleſſeth the covetous, whom God abhorreth.
Paraphrase. 3. For 'tis to the great diſhonour of thy Name, that the wicked is thus permitted to proſper in his deſigns: he boaſteth and placeth a pride in it, that without any check he can do what he pleaſe. And ſo the covetous deſigner, that for the inriching himſelf oppreſſes and injures others, either perſwades himſelf that God ſees not at all, or that he meddles not with the Government of the World, or elſe makes God an acceſſary, and favourable to it; every of which is indeed an horrible blaſphemy, and muſt needs provoke him exceedingly.
4. ‖The wicked in the haughtineſs of his look.The wicked through the pride of his countenance †ſaith, God will not require, or conſider, or ſearch out all his devices, or will not ſeek; all his thoughts are, there is no God.will not ſeek after God; God is not in all his thoughts.
Paraphrase. 4. For thus the impious atheiſtical worlding reſolves within himſelf, that all his deſigns are ſo ſubtilly and cloſely managed, ſo politickly laid, and ſecretly wrought, that no God in heaven ſhall ever be able to diſcover them, much leſs to fruſtrate or puniſh them.
5. *His ways ſhall travail, or bring forth at every ſeaſon.His ways are always grievous: thy judgments are far above out of his ſight: as for all his enemies he puffeth at them.
Paraphrase. 5. He purſues his own wicked courſes very conſtantly and induſtriouſly. As for Gods laws, or the judgments due from him to ſinners, he never conſiders or lays them to heart: and ſo being confident of his own wit and ſtrength, and ſetting all his thoughts on the miſchieving his oppoſers, and never dreaming of any check from any, he deſpiſeth, and contemns them all.
6. He hath ſaid in his heart, ‖I ſhall not be moved for ever and ever (that not on miſchief, or) from doing miſchief.I ſhall not be moved; for I ſhall never be in adverſity.
Paraphrase. 6. And reſolves in his own thoughts that he will never give over his oppreſſive and wicked ways, upon any apprehenſion or fear, whether of God or man.
7. His mouth is full of curſing and deceit and frauds, under his tongue is miſchief and †iniquity, or falſeneſs.vanity.
Paraphrase. 7. On this account he makes no ſcruple to take and break oaths, to imprecate all curſes on himſelf, for the confirming of that which is moſt falſe; and ſo he may cheat and injure others, cares not what maledictions he calls down upon himſelf; and thus is he always employed. His tongue ſerves him for no other uſe, but to oppreſs and defraud others.
8. He ſitteth in the lurking places of the *or, fields.villages; in the ſecret places doth he murther the innocent: his eyes ‖infidiouſly watch.are privily ſet againſt the poor.
Paraphrase. 8. And all advantages he makes uſe of to catch and kill; he is always upon ſome ſecret deſign of rapine and blood; and innocent poor men that never provoked him, or were his enemies, are the ſpecial perſons at whom his treachery is directed.
9. He lieth in wait πin a cloſe or ſecret place, foreignſecretly, as a Lion in his den; he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor ωby drawing foreignwhen he draweth him into his net. αand teareth him in pieces..
Paraphrase. 9. For theſe he lies in ambuſh, as a Lion in expectation of his prey, on purpoſe to tear and devour them; lays his toils to inſnare them, with all the ſubtlety imaginable; draws them into his power; and then uſeth the utmoſt ‖foreign, Lxxii. rapit Lat. Arab.violence upon them, rends them and preys on them.
10. He coucheth βhe humbleth himſelf and falleth, that he may prevail over the poor.and humbleth himſelf, that the poor may fall by his ſtrong ones.
Paraphrase. 10. And as a Lion is then moſt couchant, when his aims are moſt bloody, and deſigns that inſidious poſture to that very end; ſo doth he put on the guiſe of the greateſt meekneſs and humility, on purpoſe, that, as a Lion again, he may make uſe of it to the greateſt advantage of ſeiſing on his prey (oppreſſing any that are weaker than he) whenſoever it comes within reach of him.
11. He hath ſaid in his heart, God hath forgotten; he hideth his face, he will not ſee it.
Paraphrase. 11. All this while he perſwades himſelf that God takes no notices of theſe oppreſſions of his, is confident never to be called to any account for them.
12. Ariſe, O Lord; O God, lift up thy hand, forget not the ‖the afflicted foreignhumble.
Paraphrase. 12. But thou, O Lord of all power and juſtice, and withal of grace and mercy to them that wait on thee, be pleaſed at length to ſtretch forth thy hand of defence and relief to all that are thus oppreſſed and injured.
13. Wherefore doth the wicked *provoke, See v. 3. note b.contemn God? he hath ſaid in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
Paraphrase. 13. This thy longanimity in forbearing of wicked men, and permitting them to proſper, makes them blaſpheme thee, as one that either doth not ſee, or will never puniſh their violences. v. 3.
14. Thou haſt ſeen it, for thou beholdeſt miſchief and ſpight, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himſelf unto thee, thou art the helper of the fatherleſs.
Paraphrase. 14. But they will one day find themſelves in a ſad errour, and diſcern to their coſt, that God hath ſeen all the oppreſſions of their lives, and will repay indignation and anger and wrath upon every Soul that hath gone on in this enormous atheiſtical courſe; and on the other ſide take a ſpecial care of all helpleſs men, that rely and truſt on him, and commit themſelves by patience and piety to his cuſtody.
15. Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man; *thou ſhalt ſeek his wickedneſs, not find it.ſeek out his wickedneſs, till thou find none.
Paraphrase. 15. For thou, Lord, wilt ſhew forth thy vengeance, and bring to nothing the oppreſſors power: viſit him and his deeds, till they be utterly deſtroyed.
16. The Lord is King for ever and ever; the heathen are periſhed out of his land.
Paraphrase. 16. Thus will God vindicate himſelf to have the governing of the world in his hands: and though wicked men and oppreſſors proſper for a time, and this tempt men to ſome doubts, and atheiſtical diſputes; yet the concluſion will clear the doubt, (and confirm all, that conſider it, in the adoration of Gods power and juſtice) viz. the utter extirpation of wicked men out of Canaan, the emblem of Heaven.
17. Lord, thou haſt heard the deſire of the humble, thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cauſe thine ear to hear.
Paraphrase. 17. Thou haſt, O Lord, by promiſe obliged thy ſelf never to reject any humble ſuppliant that wants, and waits for thy help: the ardency of humble addreſſes to thee is thine own gift; and then thou canſt never reject or deſpiſe thoſe requeſts, which are thus, by thine own ſpirit and appointment, directed and brought to thee.
18. To judge the fatherleſs and the oppreſſed, that the man of the earth may no more *tyrannize foreignoppreſs.
Paraphrase. 18. And this gives ſecurity and confidence to the moſt helpleſs and deſolate, that thou wilt in thy good time interpoſe thy aids and thy vengeance, to relieve the oppreſt, when he is duly qualified for that mercy, and to ſubdue and confound the atheiſtical tyrannizing oppreſſors, and ſhew them how ſmall reaſon they had, to rejoyce and boaſt of Gods not ſeeing or conſidering their actions.
Annotations on Pſalm X.
foreignV. 2. Perſecute] foreign ſignifies two things, (as was ſaid note on Pſal. 7. e.) to perſecute, and to be ſet on fire: and though we render it in the former ſenſe, and ſo apply it to foreign the wicked, in the active ſenſe, [the wicked perſecutes the poor] yet the antient Interpreters generally render it in the paſſive, and apply it to foreign the poor, that in the pride of the wicked he is ſet on fire, i. e. brought into great tribulation; foreign, ſay the LXXII. in the ſenſe that S. Peter uſes foreign, 1 Pet. 4.12. for a great perſecution and affliction, that fell on godly men. And thus the ſenſe will very well bear it in this place, and the matter be little varied, which way ſoever the rendring be; it being all one, whether the wicked in his pride perſecute the poor, or the poor be perſecuted, and afflicted, and oppreſt in, or through the pride of the wicked. The Chaldee exactly follows the Hebrew, and is as ambiguous as that, but is tranſlated in the paſſive ſenſe.
V. 3. Bleſſeth] Some incertainty there is in rendring this latter part of the third verſe. The LXXII. beſides that they take foreign the wicked from the beginning of the next verſe, and joyn it with this, [foreign, the wicked hath provoked the Lord] they alſo render foreign paſſively,foreign foreign, is bleſt, and foreign, the injurious; and ſo the Syriack and Latine. But the Chaldee varies from them, and keeps nearer the Hebrew. The chief difficulty is in the rendring of foreign; which though in Kal it ſignifies to bleſs, yet in Piel, as here 'tis uſed, it is obſerved ſometimes to ſignifie in a contrary ſenſe, to curſe, or blaſpheme. So evidently Job 1.5. Peradventure they have ſinned foreign and curſt God in their heart; the Targum read foreign and provoked God: ſo again v. 11. and c. 11.5. and 9. Curſe God and die: ſo 1 King. 21.10. of Naboth, foreign Thou haſt blaſphemed, or curſed God, foreign ſaith the Targum, Blaſphemed before God: and ſo again v. 13. And thus the Arabick word to bleſs, as Mr. Pocock cites it out of Nehayah, ſignifies alſo to reproach or rail at; and many other words of contrary ſignifications are noted by him, Not. miſcell. ch. 2. And ſo moſt reaſonably it muſt ſignifie here; and then the meaning will be clear foreign in the Nominative Caſe, as in the beginning of the verſe foreign had been, and no ellipſis to be ſupplyed, ſave only of the copulative [and] (which is much more frequent and eaſie than what is neceſſary to the common way of interpreting it) thus, foreign and the covetous (or in the LXXII. their rendring foreign, the injurious, or oppreſſor) blaſphemes foreign and provoketh the Lord.
V. 4. foreignSeek] What foreign here ſignifies is matter of ſome queſtion. The Syriack renders it foreign from foreign to ſearch or examine; the Latine renders it perpendere, to perpend or weigh, the Chaldee foreign which ſignifies to require, (and thus it is uſed in the notion of avenging or puniſhing, Gen. 9.5. and here v. 13.) the LXXII. foreign, and ſo the Latine to ſeek, the Arabick to ſearch. It ſignifies alſo to interrogate, in order to learning, ſo to ask, as when we conſult, or take any thing into ſerious care or conſideration; and then if the foreign be applyed to the wicked, (as generally the Tranſlators apply it) the rendring muſt be, the wicked in the haughtineſs of his looks will not conſult, or ſearch after, or conſider God. And then the chief difficulty will be in the latter part of the verſe, foreign i. e. literally, No God all his thoughts: which being elliptical, muſt be ſupplyed either by addition of [is in] God is not in all his thoughts; ſo the Syriack underſtands it, foreign No God in all his thoughts, and to the ſame purpoſe the LXXII. and Latine, and Arabick, foreign, God is not before him: or elſe by the addition of [ſees or knows] God ſees not all his thoughts or devices, (And thus the Chaldee expounds it, but yet with a farther addition, (neceſſary to connect it to the former words) foreign and will ſay in his heart, All my devices are not manifeſt before the Lord:) or yet more promptly, and with leſs change, There is no God, are all his thoughts; ſo the Jewiſh-Arabick ſeems willing to ſupply it, rendring it, In all his thoughts he ſaith there is no God; and this is agreeable to Kimchi and others. In this variety of conjectures how the ellipſis may be beſt ſupplied, it may not be amiſs to propoſe another rendring of the whole verſe, by addition but of one word in the beginning, viz. [ſaith] (than which no word almoſt is more frequently underſtood) thus, The wicked in the elation of his countenance (as that is an indication of his heart, and therefore the Chaldee reads foreign in the pride of his ſpirit) ſaith, foreign God ſhall in no wiſe (ſo the double negative foreign ſignifies) require (in the notion of puniſhing) or (in the other vulgar notion) conſider all his devices. Thus the words flow very naturally, and the ellipſis is much more intelligible, and eaſily ſupplyed, than any other way: and to this ſenſe the context inclines; Thy judgments are far out of his fight, v. 5. and he hath ſaid in his heart, God hath forgotten, he hideth his face, he will never ſee it, v. 11. and this the interpretation of his blaſpheming God, foregoing v. 3.
foreignV. 5. Grievous] foreign is here by the Chaldee rendred foreign are proſpered, as if it were from foreign to be ſtrong, or proſper, by the LXXII. foreign, are polluted, or profaned, as from foreign to violate or pollute, or profane, and ſo the ſenſe will well enough bear; His ways are always polluted, or defiled, as the Atheiſts always muſt be, who conſiders not, nor dreads Gods judgments. But the radix foreign, from whence it regularly comes, ſignifies properly to be tormented, after the manner eſpecially of women in labour, and accordingly 'tis frequently uſed for bringing forth: ſo Iſai. 54.1. foreign and foreign are words of the ſame importance as travailing and bearing; ſo Jer. 4.31. foreign, as of one that travaileth; ſo Pſal. 29.9. The voice of the Lord, or thunder foreign makes to bring forth (ſpeaking of the hinds, which are ſaid to bring forth with difficulty, and to do it with more eaſe, when being frighted with thunder, their wombs open;) and ſo very frequently in other places, where the LXXII. render it foreign, to be in travail ▪ And thus it ſeems to learned men to ſignifie in this place. See Schindler Pentagl…tt. p. 539. D. who renders it parient, enixè urgebunt vias ſuas, they ſhall painfully, induſtriouſly urge, or preſs their own ways, (ſo we had foreign, travailing with iniquity, Pſal. 7.14.) or rather in the ſingular of the perſon, his way… ſhall travail or bring forth at every ſeaſon; [his ways] in oppoſition to [Gods ways or judgments] following, which are ſaid to be far above, not conſidered by him. In this verſe the punctation may poſſibly lie thus, Thy judgments are far above; over againſt, or before him (foreign) are all his enemies, (his eyes and thoughts purſue them only) he puffeth (breatheth out threatnings and reproaches) at them. This way the Hebrew ſuffixes do more clearly anſwer one the other.
אV. 6. For I ſhall never] The particle foreign which] doth alſo ſometimes ſignifie quod, in the notion of quia, becauſe; and ſo our ordinary rendring ſuppoſes here, and takes foreign evil, not for ſin, but puniſhment; and then foreign is not amiſs tranſlated, [for not in evil, i. e. for I ſhall not be in evil, or adverſity.] But all the antient Interpreters underſtand both foreign and foreign otherwiſe. The Chaldee joyn it with the former part of the verſe, thus, I ſhall never be moved foreign from doing evil. The LXXII. and Latine and Arabick all ſeem to deſign the ſame ſenſe, foreign, I ſhall not be ſhaken or moved—without evil; and the Syriack by way of Paraphraſe, foreign; he meditates miſchief. All which inclines us to underſtand foreign in the notion of ut, that, in which 'tis frequently uſed, Gen. 11.7. foreign (as here) ut non, that they hear not, and in many other places: and then the meaning will be perſpicuous, he ſaith in his heart, I ſhall or will by no means be moved for ever and ever, that not (i. e. ſo as not to be) in miſchief, or ſo as not to be doing ſome ill, (as foreign Exod. 32.22. ſignifies being ſet on wickedneſs, the ſame▪ that foreign, 1 Joh. 5.19.) which there the Chaldee have fully paraphraſed, I ſhall never be removed from doing ill, and the LXXII. more briefly, and imperfectly, [without ill] which yet is equivalent to [that not with ill] and ſo to be interpreted, which the Syriack meant to expreſs more fully, [they imagine evil] meditate evil, i. e. evil, and nothing elſe, have no kind of check in ſo doing.
V. 7. Curſing] The Verb foreign ſignifies to ſwear, foreign(and ſometimes to forſwear) but ſo to ſwear, as was uſual among the Jews, with imprecation joyned with it, (as when Matth. 26.74. 'tis ſaid of Peter that he curſed and ſware, i. e. ſware with an imprecation) praying for evil againſt themſelves in caſe they ſware falſe. And in this ſenſe the Noun is here taken, for that oath with imprecation; and being rendred [curſing] it is not malediction, or ex…oration of others, but of himſelf, in caſe he performed not his oath: and foreign deceit joyned with it, (which the LXXII. render foreign, bitterneſs, as if it were foreign which ſignifies that, and the rather becauſe foreign following was ſufficient to expreſs deceit) denotes the perjury, and ſo really imprecating all curſes on themſelves, which in order to gaining to themſelves, and oppreſſing of others, they are without any regret frequently guilty of.
V. 7. foreignVanity] The Hebrew foreign ſignifies not only ſorrow, and hard travail, or labour, from whence the LXXII. render it foreign here, but alſo violence, rapine, injury, iniquity, Joh 11.14. Prov. 30.20. and Pſal. 5.5. and ſo 'tis to be rendred in this place, and the Greek foreign to be underſtood in that notion,foreign. wherein foreign, wicked, doth come from it, meaning primarily him that doth foreign inferre, injures, oppreſſes any other. See Matth. 5.39. Note g.
V. 8. Villages] foreign a Court, open without walls, foreignſignifies alſo a Village, as that differs from a walled Town, and City, and ſo alſo any place, without dwelling or building in it, a field, &c. and in Arabick green graſs; and ſo Pſal. 103.15. the life of a man is foreign as the herb or g…ſs. And this is more proper for the turn in this place, ſpeaking of ambuſhes, or laying of wait, for which the Villages (in our ordinary uſe of the word for little Towns) are not ſo commodious as the green graſs, wherein one may lie and be hid, or the fields, which are far from any houſes. The LXXII. read here foreign, with the rich, reading (as 'tis moſt probable) foreign, with the change of two letters foreign. into others of a near ſound with them, foreign.
V. 8. Privily ſet] foreign ſignifies to hide, foreignor lay up in ſecret; but withal to watch, or inſidiouſly to lay wait. So Prov. 1.11. foreign we render it, let us lay wait for blood. So Pſal. 56.7. foreign we render, they hide themſelves, but the ſenſe directs to this end of hiding, to lay wait. And ſo here undoubtedly it ſignifies, as both the antecedents and conſequents demonſtrate. The LXXII. render it foreign, and ſo the Latine and Syriack, noting the intentneſs of his looking, or watching, as for a ſpoil or prey; the Arabick, ſhall look upon, or obſerve; and ſo belong to the ſame ſenſe, which the Chaldee more fully expreſs by foreign inſidiabitur, lie in ambuſh, or ſecretly obſerve.
foreignV. 10. He croucheth] This paſſage may a while deſerve to be examined, as it lies in the antient interpreters. And 1. foreign is from foreign comminnit, contrivit: the Chaldee read foreign conteret, and the interlinear atteret; but both ſeem to uſe it in the reciprocal ſenſe. But tis poſſible it ſhould be rendered tranſitively, and he teareth him in pieces, and ſo connect, and be joyned with the end of the former verſe, as the expreſſion of Lion-like cunning, and cruelty there deſcribed, thus, [he catcheth the poor by drawing him into his n…t, and rends him into the ſmalleſt pieces.] Thus the LXXII. ſeem to have underſtood it, rendring it foreign, he ſhall humble (as from foreign humiliavit) him, i. e. the poor, and joyning it with foreign, in his net, in the former verſe; and the Syriack leave it out, as being before ſufficiently expreſt by catching him in his net: whereas they that with the Chaldee ſet it at the beginning of this tenth verſe, do 1. omit the copulative ו unrendred, or turn it into a jod; 2. underſtand it in the neutral ſenſe, he croucheth, as from foreign, which indeed may be ſo taken, but is not received by the Chaldee, or Interlinear, (the chief fautors of that interpretation) both which take it in the notion of foreign conterit; 3. are fain to inſert a ו copulative before the next word, and render foreign, and humbled himſelf.] All which are removed, and the matter laid clear and current in this uniting, and rendring of it, [he doth catch the poor by drawing him into his net, and teareth him in pieces.] And then the tenth verſe will be perſpicuous alſo, foreign, he ſhall ſtoop, (ſo foreign from foreign,foreign curvatus eſt, moſt properly ſignifies,) foreign and fall: thus the LXXII. render it, foreign, he ſhall ſtoop and fall; and the Syriack, foreign be humbled, and fall; and the Latine, inclinabit & cadet, he ſhall bend himſelf and fall; and ſo the Arabick and Aethiopick; and ſo the ſimilitude with the Lion enclines it, who lies down, is couchant, or, as in the Apologue in Horace, Ep. l. 1.1. feins himſelf ſick,
—Vulpes aegr…to cauta Leoni
Reſpondit—tua me veſtigia terrent,
Omnia te advorſum ſpectantia, nulla retrorſum.
by that means to ſecure himſelf of his prey, or to fit him to ſeize on it. So ſaith the Jewiſh Arabick Tranſlator: This is a deſcription of the faſhion of a Lion; for when he means to leap, he firſt coucheth, that he may gather himſelf together, then he rouzeth himſelf, and puts out his ſtrength, till he tear his prey: therefore when he ſpeaketh thee fair, beware of him, for this is but his deceit. Then follows foreign, to prevail, or, that he may prevail over the poor. The LXXII. render it, foreign, in his prevailing ever the poor, and ſo the Latine and Arabick and Aethiopick;foreign and ſo foreign may ſignifie to be ſtrong, and that comparatively, ſtronger than another; ſo Gen. 26.16. foreign thou art ſtronger than I: the Chaldee expound it by foreign from foreign which ſignifies to overcome, to prevail over another. And thus is foreign generally expounded by the LXXII. foreign, and foreign, and foreign, all words of prevailing and overcoming. And then the prepoſition foreign ſeems beſt to be rendred by pro, or propter, or ad (ſo 'tis acknowledged to ſignifie, and foreign in the LXXII. is frequently taken for foreign) as the end for which he coucheth and falls: that as the couchant Lyon lies ſtill, and then rouſeth himſelf, when his pr…y comes into his reach, and ſo ſe… ſes upon it; ſo he, by the like art of humility and ſecrecy, may break forth upon the poor man, and devour him. The Syriack here have a way by themſelves; after [he ſhall be humbled and fall] wherein they follow the LXXII. they read inſtead of foreign, diſeaſes, and ſorrows are in his bones; queſtionleſs reſpecting that of the Lion, expreſt by the Apologue in Horace, in feigning himſelf ſick, that he may by that means obtain his prey. And ſo this ſerves to confirm this interpretation, which yet without that help is cohaerent, and facile in every part; whereas our ordinary rendring joyneth the ſingular foreign fall, with the plural foreign poor; and though the margin reads foreign in two words, and the interlinear render it congregatio attritorum, the army, or congregation of afflicted ones; yet neither any of the antient interpreters acknowledge that reading, nor can there be place for it here, this word foreign being uſed twice more in this Pſalm (though no where elſe) to ſignifie the poor, v. 8. and 14. It is more reaſonably ſuggeſted in favour of that interpretation, that it is an elegance both in Hebrew and Arabick, to uſe the verb ſingular with the nominative plural, eſpecially when the verb is placed firſt, as here it is; and therefore I acknowledge that to be no objection againſt the ordinary rendring in caſe the former of the notion of foreign, and foreign be of no force; Of which, as of a conjecture only, the Reader may paſs his judgment; And if he ſhall prefer the ordinary rendring, then the main difficulty will be in the phraſe foreign And 1.ו the ו will not be barely either converſivum, or copulative, but as Eben-Ezra oft compares it to the Arabick foreign denoting the conſequence of one thing to another, ſo as to imply [that] or [untill] and ſo 'twill be rendred; he humbleth himſelf and the poor fall, or that, or untill the poor fall—Then for foreign that may be rendred aſſaults: So Abu-Walid ſaith it is here a Noun, ſignifying contention, or aſsault, and applyes this notion to it in other places of Scripture, and in the Miſhnaioth, and ſo doth Kimchi in his Radices; and in his commentary on this Pſalm he puts both together, ſtrength and contention, rendring it, foreign by the ſtrength of his contention and warlike aſſaults. But then thus alſo it will be as well applyable to the other interpretation, which underſtood foreign of the aſſailant, he falleth with his fierce aſſaults foreign (underſtanding the praepoſition foreign) on the poor; and in this ſence Abu-Walid compares foreign with the Arabick foreign to fall, and to fall on, in ſence of aſſault.
V. 15. foreignSeek till thou find none] To be ſought and not be found] ſignifies proverbially that which is loſt or deſtroyed utterly. So Pſal. 37.36. I ſought him but he could not be found] is but another phraſe to ſignifie what went before [he paſſed away, and loe he was not] So Job 20.8. he ſhall flee away as a dream, and ſhall not be found] all one with, He ſhall periſh for ever, they ſhall ſay, where is he? v. 7. So Ezek. 27.21. though thou be ſought for, yet ſhalt thou never be found again. So Rev. 16.20. the mountains were not found, i. e. they were deſtroyed. So Chap. 18.21. Babylon ſhall be thrown down, and ſhall be found no more at all. So Pſal. 69.20. I looked for comforters but I found none] to expreſs a heavy, diſconſolate condition. So Jer. 1.20. the ſins of Judah ſhall be ſought for, and ſhall not be found] is a prophetical expreſſion to note the taking away of ſin, viz. by pardon and remiſſion, which is the blotting them out, for ſo it follows, for I will pardon them, &c. And here it is taken in the ſame manner, not for the pardoning, but deſtroying, and ſo beſt connects with breaking the arm of the wicked (deſtroying him and his oppreſſions together) precedent, and the heathens periſhing out of the Land, v. 16. The Chaldee more fully expreſs it, Let their impiety be ſought for, and not found; and ſo the LXXII. and the Latine, and the Arabick, his ſin ſhall be ſought, and he ſhall not be found becauſe of it. Other like phraſes there are, As Pſal. 28.5. thou ſhalt deſtroy, or pull them down, and not build them up. They ſhall fall and not be able to ſtand; Shall lye down, and not riſe, and the like.
V. 16. foreignHeathens] What foreign nations or heathen] ſignifies in this place, is manifeſt by the former verſes, eſpecially the fifteenth immediately foregoing, where the ſubject of the diſcourſe is the wicked and evil man; who as there they are to be broken, and ſought and not found, ſo here of the foreign 'tis ſaid, that they ſhall periſh. 'Tis therefore to be reſolved, that the nations or heathen are here, as in many other places of the Pſalmiſt, the wicked men among the Jews, and not only the Idolatrous Gentiles ſo called. So Pſal. 59.5. Awake to viſit the nations, or heathen, i. e. the wicked tranſgreſſors, in the end of the verſe, thoſe of the Jewiſh nation ſent by Saul to ſlay David. So v. 8. thou ſhalt have all the heathen in deriſion, ſpeaking of the ſame men. That the Greek foreign, parallel to this, ſignifies not the Gentile Nations onelyonly, but ſometimes, when the context enforceth, peculiarly the Jews, ſee Annot. on Matt. 24. e. and proportionably foreign, an heathen] is uſed for a deſperate obſtinate ſinner, Matt. 18.17.