Works Volume 4, Book · Psalm 14
The Fourteenth PSALM.
TO the chief Muſitian a Pſalm of David.
Paraphrase. The fourteenth Pſalm is a ſad reflection on the wickedneſs and univerſal defection of his ſubjects, the men of Iſrael, in the conſpiracy and rebellion of Abſalom, 1 Sam. 15. looking only to God for deliverance from them. It was indited by David, and committed to the Prefect of his Quire.
1. The fool hath ſaid in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doth good.
Paraphrase. 1. This wicked Nation is now made up of ſuch, as have caſt off all fear, and care, and even acknowledgment of God: whatſoever they do with their mouthes, (which perhaps are not let looſe to that boldneſs) their actions, as far as they are interpreters of their thoughts, evidence an Atheiſtical principle of belief within them, that †foreign God hath not the power of the Earth, Chal.God hath not the governing and judging of the doings of men; for ſuch are their dealings, ſo falſe, ſo deteſtable, and ſo univerſally ſuch, that a man cannot judge more favourably of them, than that they never expect to be accountable to God for what they do.
2. The Lord looked down from Heaven upon the children of Men, to ſee if there were any that did underſtand and ſeek after God.
Paraphrase. 2. Should God from his throne of Majeſty and tribunal of juſt judgment ſurvey, and examine all the inhabitants of the whole Nation, making inquiſition for thoſe that conſider and make conſcience of duty, and indeavour to approve themſelves to his pure eyes;
3. They are all *Grown foure,gone aſide, they are altogether become *putrid.filthy; there is none that doth good, no, not one.
Paraphrase. 3. He would find a moſt lamentable appearance, an univerſal deteſtable decay of all juſtice, all Duty, both toward God and Man, baſe rotten converſation, and no conſiderable degree of piety, or humanity, or any thing that is good in any. (This, as it was obſervably true of Iſrael, that people of God, ſo eminently owned and favoured by him in Davids time, and in their behaviour toward him: ſo had it a farther †foreign The Pſalm was by the ſpirit of Prophecy delivered by David. Chald.prophetick truth in it, in reſpect of the Univerſality of them at the time of Chriſt's appearing in the World, and in their actions toward him, and his Apoſtles after him, to the Jews of which Age St. Paul applies it, Rom. 3.10.)
4. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, *They have not called. foreignand call not upon the Lord?
Paraphrase. 4. 'Tis ſtrange the conſpirators ſhould thus go on in their Atheiſtical folly, and never be wrought on by all the evidences of Gods power and juſtice among them, *foreign, LXXII.never brought to any degree of ſenſe or remorſe, but ſtill go on in their preſumptuous (and withal aſſiduous, conſtant) courſe of injuſtice and cruelty. And the effect is yet more ſad; others that ſee them go on thus, follow them into their impieties, do not adhere (as they ought) to God, depend on his ſupport, but joyn and comply with the conſpitators.
5. There ‖They feared a fear, but.were they in great fear, for God is in the generation of the righteous.
Paraphrase. 5. When they appeared powerful, and threatned all that would not go along with them, the Men of Iſrael were univerſally terrified, and joyned themſelves to the rebel forces; but this moſt cauſeleſly and impiouſly, never conſidering, that God is more to be feared than Man, and that he will never fail thoſe that ſtick faſt and conſtant to him.
6. You have ſhamed the counſel of the poor, becauſe the Lord is his refuge.
Paraphrase. 6. But alas, they laughed at thoſe that made conſcience of their duty, thought it a ridiculous thing for any to conſult, whether it were lawful or no, when there was ſo much viſible danger in it; to adventure on hazards, and expect ſecurity from heaven, was a reproachful thing; their worldly wiſdom was their only counſeller, and that adviſed them to joyn with thoſe, whoſe ſtrength was moſt viſible: And that made the defection ſo general.
7. †Who ſhall give from Sion the ſalvation of Iſrael foreignO that the ſalvation of Iſrael were come out of Sion. When the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob ſhall rejoyce, and Iſrael ſhall be glad.
Paraphrase. 7. O how happy a thing were it, that God, whoſe ark (the place of his ſpecial reſidence and exhibition of himſelf) is in mount Sion, would return us to a peaceable ſtate of attending his ſervice there, that he would bring all back to Jeruſalem, that have been driven from thence by occaſion of this rebellion of Abſalom. When that deſired work ſhall be compleated, it will be matter of univerſal joy to all the tribes both of Iſrael and Judah. See 2 Sam. xix.
Annotation on Pſal. XIV.
foreignV. 3. Gone aſide] The word foreign is not vulgarly underſtood. That foreign ſignifies receſſit, declinavit, there is no doubt; And this is commonly applyed to a way or path, declining from the right way, or going in a wrong. But that ſeems not to be the notion of it here, but another, taken from wine, when it grows dead, or ſoure; thus Hoſ. 4.18. foreign their drink is gone aſide, or grown ſowre; and accordingly wine that is thus dead, is in Greek called foreign, wine that is gone out of it ſelf, and by Cicero, vinum fugiens, wine that is fled. And that this is the notion that belongs to this place may be judged by that which next follows; foreign from foreign to be rotten, or putrified, and that properly belongs to fleſh, which is corrupted and ſtinks, and ſo the proportion is well kept between d…ink and meat, the one growing dead or ſoure, as the other putrifies and ſtinks, and then is good for nothing, but is thrown away: in which reſpect the LXXII. have fitly interpreted the latter by foreign, are become unprofitable, or nothing worth. In this notion it is fitly applyed to any kind of defection or Apoſtacy from any piece of known duty, as here of allegeance to their Prince ſet over them by God.
foreignV. 5. In great fear] That fear is oft taken for the object of fear, dangers or threats is an ordinary obſervation. foreign, fear, i. e. danger, threatned by the tyrant, in Alex. Aphrodis: So when Menander ſaith of a fair-tongued woman, that ſhe is foreign, an exceeding fear, i. e. danger. Of this ſee Annot. on Luk. 1.9. This is moſt viſible, 1 Pet. 3.14. foreign, fear not their fear, i. e. whatſoever, evil perſecuting enemies can threaten to bring upon you▪ And this ſeems to give us the beſt underſtanding of this phraſe, foreign there they feared a fear, i. e. they apprehended ſome danger, and by that were hurried into this defection from their lawful Sovereign in the former part of the Pſalm. The Pſalm ſeems to have been indited upon the defection of Iſrael from David to Abſalom: It was begun by the young Mans depraving his Fathers Government, and flattering the people with an expectation of great reformations from him; but when by theſe inſinuations he had gained the hearts of a great part of the people, and was now proclaimed King in Hebron, then many others, for fear of this his growing power, came in, and joyned with him: and that was the cauſe of the Univerſality of the defection of the Tribes of Iſrael; they that were not corrupted by his flattery, were yet by fear brought over to him, and where ever he moved, all were ſo far wrought on by this fear, and debauched from their duty, that in fine, the Story taketh not notice or any that made oppoſition againſt, or refuſed to joyn with him. And ſo this ſhews us the fitneſs of the connection of this paſſage with the former verſes. David complains of Iſrael, that they were univerſally guilty of this defection, v. 3. none adhered to that duty of Allegiance that they ought, thoſe that were in the Conſpiracy, devoured and deſtroyed every day the ſubjects of David, whom he calls his People, v. 4. and by this means carried all before them: The reaſon was, they feared a fear, or a danger, fear poſſeſt them, and inclined them to a general compliance with Abſalom's party: and ſo that is the moſt probable perſpicuous meaning of the place. Now as this Pſalm, beſides the literal Hiſtorical, had alſo a Myſtical, Prophetical ſenſe, and as ſuch, is ſignally referred to by the Apoſtle, Rom. 3. as a teſtimony (prophetical) of the univerſality of the defection of the Jews from God in that Age: The Scribes and Phariſees conſpired againſt him, and by fear gained the People to the like complyance; they that did believe, durſt not profeſs it, for fear of them; his Friends kept their kindneſs to him ſecret, but the Perſecuters did oppoſe him openly, and ſo the voices of the People were brought to joyn with the Rulers, to require him to be Crucified. In the Apoſtles times it was thus alſo: The fear of the Perſecution from the Jews kept many from receiving the faith of Chriſt, many that had received it, from aſſembling with them; Heb. 10.25, 26, 38. and generally this was the ground of the Gnoſtick Hereſie, or rather Apoſtacie, the fear of perſecutions; and ſo in the Revelation, c. 21.8. the fearful Gnoſticks and unbelieving Jews are joyned, as in the ſin of denying the faith, ſo in the puniſhment of it. And ſo this is the account that is viſible to be given of thoſe teſtimonies, Rom. 3.10. ſome taken from this Pſalm, and the reſt which follow, v. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. out of ſeveral other parcels of the Pſalms: All which (from that place of the Apoſtle, in all probability) ſome Chriſtian Tranſcribers of the Copies of the LXXII. have here put together, over and above what is to be found either in the Hebrew, Chaldee, or Syriack; for that the Tranſlators before Chriſt's time ſhould here interpoſe thoſe Additions, it is not imaginable. In this verſe alſo the LXXII. have made an addition to theſe words [there they feared a fear] annexing, foreign, where there was no fear, or danger; and it is uncertain, whether the Tranſcribers tranſferred it by memory from Pſal. 53.6. where the ſame phraſe is, with that addition, foreign no fear was] or whether the LXXII. (after their Paraphraſtical manner, frequently obſervable in them) added theſe words, either the more to expreſs the nature of the fear, viz. that it was a meer worldly, and ſo cauſleſs fear, or elſe to fit the words to connect with what follows, foreign, becauſe, or for God is in the generation of the righteous, thus; The generality of the people was moved with fear to joyn with Abſalom; but this a Panick, cauſeleſs fear: if they had called on God, v. 4. and adhered and relyed on him, they had not needed to fear any evil; for God is preſent among ſuch, to protect them, and to convert all their temporary ſufferings to their advantages. But this ſenſe is as fully contained in the Hebrew words without this addition,foreign if only the foreign that follows be rendred not [for] but [but] which is not an unuſual ſignification of it; Gen. 65.8. it was not you that ſent me hither, foreign but God, and if it be ſo rendrend here, the ſenſe will be perſpicuous: There they feared a fear, the generality of them fell off; but God is in the generation of the righteous; by the help of God I have been ſuſteined, though the generality of my Subjects, through flattering inſinuations firſt, and then through fear, was fallen off from me. Here only it is to be remembred, that the generality (though ſet in very comprehenſive phraſes, All gone out of the way, none that doth good, no not one) is not ſo to be interpreted, as to belong to all, and every Jew at that time; for it is certain ſome, though very few in compariſon, adhered to David, 2 Sam. 15.17, 18. and went out to fight with Abſalom, 2 Sam. 18.1. And ſo in the Prophetick ſenſe, as it belonged to the times of Chriſt and his Apoſtles; when though 'tis ſaid they were all gaue out of the way—Rom. 3. yet, as elſewhere appears, a remnant there was, which ſtill adhered to God, believed in Chriſt, and remained ſtedfaſt in his Doctrine▪ See Rev. 7.4. But theſe phraſes muſt be interpreted ſo, as general expreſſions are wont to ſignifie, he ſo as to admit of ſome exceptions, or elſe be applyed only to the men of Iſrael, who univerſally went after Abſalom, 2 Sam. 18.6. whilſt Davids forces were raiſed only of his own ſervants, men of Judah, and the Cherethites, Pelethites, Gittites, which came after him from Gath, 2 Sam. xv.18. and flying from Jeruſalem he was relieved by the Ammonites, &c. c. 17.27. and Ittai the Gittite, of Gath a City of the Philiſtims, ſubdued by him, was one of his three Chief Commanders, c. 18.2. And ſo this perſpicuouſly applies the whole Pſalm to this particular matter of Abſalom's Rebellion.