Works Volume 4, Book · Psalm 22
The Twenty Second PSALM.
TO the ‖Praefect of his Muſick.chief Muſitian upon †the Hind of the Morning.Aiieleth Shahar, A Pſalm of David.
Paraphrase. The Twenty Second Pſalm was compoſed by David, on occaſion of his own flying from his perſecutors, and the calamities that befell him at that time, and belongs myſtically to the Crucifixion of Chriſt, and was therein moſt literally fulfilled in ſeveral paſſages, ſee Matth. 27.35.43. and was by Chriſt recited upon the Croſs, either all, or at leaſt ſome part of it, Matth. 27.46. The Pſalm thus compoſed by David, was committed to the Praefect of his Muſick.
1. My God my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? *Far from my help are the words—why art thou ſo far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
Paraphrase. 1. O my God, O my God, I am forſaken by thee, mine enemies prevail againſt me, and all my loudeſt and moſt importunate cryes to thee for help, bring me no relief: How long wilt thou thus leave me to this ſtate of deſtitution? I beſeech thee at length to look upon me. (This was farther completed in Chriſt upon the Croſs, when his Divine Nature ſuſpended the exerciſe of his omnipotence ſo far, as to deliver up his body to that reproachful death, and real ſeparation from his Soul; Matth. 27.46.)
2. O my God, I cry in the day time,‖and ו but thou heareſt not, and in the night ſeaſon, and †I have no reſt.am not ſilent.
Paraphrase. 2. O my God, I call and cry unto thee continually, day and night, and thou giveſt me no redreſs, nor leaſt ceſſation to my afflictions.
3. But thou *perſevereſt holy, the praiſes.art holy, O thou that inhabiteſt the praiſes of Iſrael.
Paraphrase. 3. Yet am I not diſcouraged by this; I am ſure that thou continueſt faithful and true, ſuch as canſt not forget thy promiſes; thou art he that haſt, and wilt continue to do all wonderfull things for thy people: and even when for a time thou permitteſt them to be oppreſt by their enemies, thou art ſtill moſt worthy to be magnified and praiſed by them.
4. Our fathers truſted in thee; they truſted, and thou didſt deliver them.
Paraphrase. 4. We thy people have had long experience of thy mercy and fidelity: our fathers before us in all their diſtreſſes have placed their full affiance in thee, for reſcue and deliverance, and never failed to receive it from thee.
5. They cryed unto thee, and were delivered; they truſted, in thee, and were not †put to ſhame. foreignconfounded.
Paraphrase. 5. Upon their humble and conſtant, and importunate addreſſes to thee, they continually obtained deliverance from thee, and never were diſcomfited, or put to ſhame, in their truſting or relying on thee.
6. But I am a worm, and no man, a reproach of men, and deſpiſed of the people.
7. All they that ſee me laugh me to ſcorn; they *putſhoot out the lip, they ſhake the head, ſaying,
8. He truſted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, ſeeing he delighted in him.
Paraphrase. 6, 7, 8. Mean while I am an abject, weak, contemptible perſon, reviled and ſet at nought by the vulgar and baſer ſort. All that behold my preſent low condition, think that I am utterly forſaken, and ſo mock me, and ſcoff at me, for truſting in God, or relying on any aid of his, or taking any comfort or ground of hope from my being in his favour. (That theſe three verſes have a largeſt and moſt literal completion in Chriſt in his crucifixion, ſee note e.)
9. But thou art he that took me out of the womb; thou didſt make me hope ‖upon the breſts of my mother, foreignwhen I was upon my mothers breſts.
10. I was caſt upon thee from the womb; thou art my God from my mothers belly.
Paraphrase. 9, 10. But all this doth not diſcourage me. I know thy protection hath hitherto ſupported me in my greateſt diſtreſſes and weakneſſes. Thou broughteſt me out of the womb of my Mother; which, duly conſidered, was a greater deliverance than that I now want from thee; and from that time didſt ſuſtain and uphold me, when I was not able to do the leaſt for my ſelf. When I came forth into the World, I had no inheritance, but thy ſpecial providence and preſervation, which if it had been but one minute ſuſpended, or withdrawn from me, I had been immediately loſt: but this thou haſt from my firſt conception thus long continued to me, and thereby teſtified to me convincingly, that as I have none to depend on but thee, ſo I may on thee confidently repoſe my truſt.
11. Be not far from me, for †diſtreſs foreigntrouble is near, for there is none to help.
Paraphrase. 11. Now therefore, in the approach of the greateſt ſtraits, and the moſt abſolute deſtitution of all humane aids, be thou ſeaſonably pleaſed to interpoſe thy aſſiſtance, and not to forſake me utterly.
12. Many ‖bullocks foreignbulls have compaſt me; *bullsſtrong bulls of Baſan have beſet me round.
Paraphrase. 12. My enemies are very ſtrong and puiſſant, and have beſieged me very cloſe, brought me to great ſtraits.
13. They gaped upon me with their mouth, as a ravening and a roaring Lion.
Paraphrase. 13. And now are they ready to devour me: and therefore as a Lion when he is near his prey, makes a terrible roaring, by that means to aſtoniſh the poor creature, and make it fall down through the fright, before him; ſo do they now rave, and vaunt, and threaten exceſſively.
14. I am poured out like water, and all my bones †are parted, or have ſeparated themſelves.out of joynt; my heart is like wax, it is melted in the midſt of my bowels.
Paraphrase. 14. My outward eſtate cannot better be reſembled, than by a conſumptive body, brought extreme low, dayly pining and falling away very faſt, the bones ſtarting one from the other (ſee v. 17.) and the very heart and moſt vital parts quite diſſolved,
15. My ſtrength is dryed up like a potſheard, and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws, and thou haſt brought me into the duſt of death.
Paraphrase. 15. The radical moiſture ſo dryed up, that there is no more left, than in a brick or tile that comes ſcorcht from the kiln, the tongue dry, and not able to ſpeak, and the whole body ready to drop into the grave.
16. For dogs have compaſſed me, the aſſembly of the wicked have incloſed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Paraphrase. 16. For my enemies come about me as fiercely as ſo many dogs, to rend and tear me; a multitude of malitious people, like a ravenous Lion, have now got me into their power, beſet me, and incloſed me, on deſign to wound and deſtroy me. (This was moſt eminently fulfilled in Chriſt at his crucifixion, that being a real piercing of his hands and feet, and that cauſed by the importunate clamors of the Jewiſh fanhedrim and people; and a more literal accompliſhment of the words, than belonged to David.)
17. I may tell all my bones, they look and ſtare upon me.
Paraphrase. 17. My civil ſtate, I ſay, is as low as their ſtate of body, who have no fleſh left on it, whoſe bones conſequently are ſo wide and diſtant one from another, that they may be numbred (as Chriſts were to be, on another accaſion, by being naked and diſtended on the Croſs) and are thereupon lookt on as a prodigy, and ſcoft at by all beholders (as Chriſt alſo was upon the Croſs, Mat. 27.39.)
18. They part my garments among them, and caſt lots upon my veſture.
Paraphrase. 18. They look on me as their prey, and all that I have as their lawful ſpoil or pillage, to be divided as by lot, and diſtributed among them. (This alſo was more literally fulfilled in Chriſt, John 19.23, 24. when the ſoldiers having divided his upper garments into four parts, finding his inner garment to be without ſcam, would not tear it, but rather caſt lots who ſhould have it.)
19. But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my ſtrength haſt thee to help me.
Paraphrase. 19. But be thou, O Lord, who art my only aid, in a ſpecial manner preſent, and with ſpeed aſſiſtant to me.
20. Deliver my ſoul from the ſword, my ‖deſolate, or only one, foreign ſee note on Pſ. 25. c.darling from the power of the dog.
Paraphrase. 20. Reſcue me now, I beſeech thee, that am left deſtitute, and helpleſs, from the power and malice of theſe bloody men. (Or, as applied to Chriſt, thou ſhalt deliver me out of the grave, and not permit the very jaws or power of death, though it ſeize on me, to detain me under its dominion.)
21. Save me from the Lions mouth; for thou haſt heard me from the horns of the Unicorn.
Paraphrase. 21. And as formerly thou haſt anſwered my prayers, and preſerved me from the ſtrongeſt enemies, when they moſt inſolently exalted themſelves againſt me; ſo be thou now pleaſed to deliver me from thoſe violent men who now are ready to devour me. (And thus was it fulfilled to Chriſt in his Reſurrection.)
22. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midſt of the congregation will I praiſe thee.
Paraphrase. 22. And this ſhall give me continual matter of rejoycing, and proclaiming thy wonderful goodneſs toward me, and of making the moſt publick mentions of theſe thy unſpeakable mercies, and aſcribing the glory to thee, (this alſo was fulfilled in Chriſt, in the Apoſtles preaching his reſurrection in all their aſſemblies, and magnifying God for it. See Acts 2.47.) after this manner:
23. Ye that fear the Lord, praiſe him, all ye the ſeed of Jacob glorifie him, and fear him all ye the ſeed of Iſrael.
Paraphrase. 23. O bleſs and praiſe the name of our gratious Lord, all ye that profeſs to be his ſervants, all ye whom he hath thus taken to himſelf to be his peculiar people, and ſhewed ſuch marvellous works of mercy among you; let this be a perpetual obligation to you to magnifie him, and perform all faithful obedience to him for ever. (Of this, as it reſpects Chriſt, ſee St. Peters Sermon, Acts 3.26.)
24. For he hath not deſpiſed nor abhorred the †requeſt.affliction of the afflicted, neither hath he hid his face from him, but when he cryed unto him, he heard.
Paraphrase. 24. Becauſe he is faithful, and conſtantly ready to hear and anſwer the petitions of them that are brought to the loweſt condition, and inſtantly anſwers them with timely relief, and never finally caſts out, or rejects their ſupplications. (How this was fulfilled in Chriſt, ſee Heb. v. 7.)
25. My praiſe ſhall be ‖from thee foreignof thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
Paraphrase. 25. From theſe gratious revelations of thy ſelf unto me, ſhall I fetch abundant matter of praiſe and thanksgiving, when I come to thy holy aſſembly; and there will I conſtantly offer thoſe ſacrifices, which I now devote and conſecrate unto thee, that all thy faithful ſervants may joyn with me in this duty. (This had its completion in Chriſt, in reſpect of the commemorative Euchariſtical oblations, offered up daily in the Church, in remembrance of Chriſts death and reſurrection.)
26. The meek ſhall eat and be ſatisfied; they ſhall praiſe the Lord that ſeek him: your heart ſhall live for ever.
Paraphrase. 26. As remembring what certain returns thou makeſt to the prayers of the diſtreſſed, ſupplyeſt all their wants, giveſt them matter of thanksgiving, whoſoever make their addreſſes to thee, and comforteſt and reviveſt them with durable refreſhments, when their condition is moſt diſconſolate and deſtitute. (This is alſo fulfilled in the Evangelizing and comforting of the poor humble Chriſtian, and in the Euchariſtical ſpiritual food, and the vital effects thereof, of which Sacramentally and by faith they are made partakers.)
27. All the ends of the world ſhall remember, and turn unto the Lord; and all the kindreds of the nations ſhall worſhip before thee.
Paraphrase. 27. Theſe miracles of thy mercy ſhall be recounted through all the world; and bring in many ſpiritual ſubjects to thy Kingdom, to ſerve and adore thee. (This alſo was moſt eminently completed in the effects of the reſurrection of Chriſt, that mighty work of Gods power, and mercy, and fidelity, when the Apoſtles preaching of it to all the world, brought in ſuch multitudes of proſelytes to Chriſt.)
28. For the Kingdom is the Lords, and he is the governor among the nations.
Paraphrase. 28. Acknowledging, that as the managery and ſole government of all the nations of the world doth certainly belong to thee, ſo all ſubjection and faithful uniform obedience is moſt due unto thee. (This alſo was an effect of the promulgation of the reſurrection of Chriſt.)
29. All they that be fat on earth ſhall eat and worſhip, all they that go down into the duſt ſhall bow before him, and none can keep alive his own ſoul.
30. A ſeed ſhall ſerve him, it ſhall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
31. They ſhall come, and declare his righteouſneſs unto a people that ſhall be born, that he hath done this.
Paraphrase. 29, 30, 31. And all this for the confirmation of all ſorts of men in Gods ſervice: 1. Of thoſe that enjoy proſperity in this world, as knowing that they have received it from God: 2. Of thoſe that dye, and live not themſelves to ſee thy wonderful work, yet ſhall their poſterity behold and adore thee for it; or, all mortal men ſhall confeſs that all life, and preſervation, and deliverance is from God, and ſo they and their poſterity ſhall betake themſelves to thy ſervice. (How this is fulfilled in Chriſt, ſee note n.) And ſo all ſucceſſions of men ſhall declare to their follower…, thoſe that are not yet born to thoſe that ſhall come after them, how richly God hath performed all his promiſed mercies, and how ſeaſonably and miraculouſly, at this time of greateſt need, he hath granted me his protection and deliverance.
Annotations on Pſal. XXII.
foreignTit. Aijeleth] For the meaning of the title of this Pſalm, foreign the LXXII. may firſt be conſidered, which render it foreign, and the Latine pro ſuſceptione matutina, for the morning help. This is by the Learned Grotius thought to proceed from their reading the Hebrew otherwiſe than now we have it; not foreign but foreign which v. 20. is by them rendred foreign, help. But that is a very remote conjecture, the words having no affinity in ſound or writing. It is more probable, that from foreign and foreign robur, ſtrength, which is made uſe of for the aid and relief of others (as in that v. 20. foreign thou art my ſtrength, haſten unto my help) they deduced the word foreign, and took it in the notion of relief, and ſo render it, foreign, help. Upon this conceited notion of foreign it is that Pſal. 107.17. where the Hebrew hath foreign fools, foreignthey transforming foreign fool into foreign robur, do conſequently render it foreign, he helped them, the Latine ſuſcepit, and the Syriack; foreign helped, or ſtrengthened: and then joyning foreign,foreign of the morning, with it, as denoting the haſt or earlineſs of the help, they render it foreign, for morning, or ſpeedy, or early help. From this notion of foreign for ſtrength, the Chaldee alſo paraphraſe it, foreign &c. for a ſtrong or powerful oblation, perpetual for the morning; perhaps from foreign a ramme (ſuch as were uſually offered in ſacrifice) pitching on the notion of oblation. But the notion which the antient fathers, and from thence the interlinear, and moſt modern tranſlations have pitcht on, is that of foreign an hind: ſo Prov. v. 19. in the form wherein here 'tis foreign an hind, and ſo frequently foreign an hart, or ſtagg, Pſal. 42.2. Gen. 49.21. Pſal. 18.34. Cant. 2.7. And this beaſt being generally taken notice of for ſwiftneſs of foot, (as in that Pſal. 18.34. thou haſt made my feet like binds feeds, in reſpect of his flight to ſome place of ſafety, in the following words, foreign ſwift as the bind ſaith the Chaldee) it is therefore here ſet to denote David in time of his flight from his perſecutors; and the rather,foreign becauſe foreign and foreign ſignifies alſo a Prince, Ezek. 31.11. foreign the Prince of the Nations, Nebuchadnezzar, and Ezek. 15.15.foreign foreign, ſay the LXXII. the Princes of Moah, and ſo 2 King. 24.15. we render the mighty of the land: the Chaldee foreign the Princes, and ſo Iſa. 61.3. And thus the title belonging primarily to David in time of his perſecution, it very fitly alſo belongs to Chriſt at his Crucifixion, he being that Hart, and that Prince, which was then purſued to death, and ſlaughter'd by the Jews; and the Pſalm following in many paſſages more literally belonging to Chriſt than to David himſelf, in the firſt completion.
V. 2. My God] In this verſe the LXXII. foreigntheir rendring is obſervable. Firſt, for the Hebrew foreign My God, my God, they read, foreign, God my God, look on me; and ſo the Latine: the Arabick and Aethiopick add [my] in the firſt place, My God, my God, look upon me; the Jewiſh Arabick, my ſtrong God, my potent God. Here 'tis evident, as oft in other places, that they gave a double ſignification of the latter foreign; firſt as reading it foreign, my God, and then again foreign to me, which they choſe to paraphraſe by foreign, look, or give heed to me. But our Saviours reciting theſe words upon the Croſs, is an evidence, that this was not the Hebrew reading, but only the deſcant of the LXXII. Then in the end of the verſe, for foreign my roarings, foreignfrom foreign rugivit, they read foreign my errors, my incogitances, (as from foreign ignoravit, peceavit) foreign, and the Latine delictorum meorum, of my faults; and ſo the Syriack foreign of my follies, and the Arabick in like manner. And this is a miſtake alſo. But then thirdly,foreign where the Hebrew hath foreign which taking foreign adverbially (as oft it is) is literally rendred thus, the words of my roaring are far from my help, i. e. from helping me; the LXXII. have followed this conſtruction, foreign—the words—are far from my deliverance, or, from delivering me; and ſo the Latine, (and Aethiopick) longè à ſalute mea verba— the words are far from my ſalvation. And to this the Chaldee agrees, foreign far from my redemption are the words of my cry: and ſo the learned Schindler renders them, as an inſtance of the adverbial uſe of foreign, procul â ſalute meâ verba rugitus mei, the words of my roaring are far from my help; and Seb. Caſtellio to the ſame purpoſe, only continuing the interrogation from the beginning of the verſe, cur à meis verbis querulis remota ſalus eſt? why is deliverance removed from my complaining words? And thus in all reaſon are they to be rendred, to denote the ineffectualneſs of his complaints, or how little help they brought him. The other rendering puts in [ו and] where the Hebrew hath it not, and joyns together foreign deliverance, and foreign words, which cannot well joyn in ſenſe; whereas this is moſt ſimple, only underſtanding the verb [are] which is ſeldom expreſt in theſe writers. Only one thing may deſerve to be added from the Jewiſh-Arabick who as he concurs in this latter part of the verſe, [my words, and my groaning far from my help,] ſo he puts the whole verſe in form of deprecation, not of complaint, expreſſing the interrogation, why, as uſually he doth, by the negative, Forſake me not, ſo as that my words and my groaning be far from my help:] and that ſure is the adaequate importance of them.
foreignV. 2. Silent] The Hebrew foreign ſignifies reſt or quiet; either of the tongue only, and then 'tis ſilence, or of the whole body. And ſo here it is moſt probable to be taken, to anſwer the former part of the verſe: There 'twas, I cry in the day time, foreign and thou heareſt not; and here, and in the night, (repeating foreign, I cry) foreign and not, i. e. there is not any quiet to me, i. e. no anſwer to thoſe prayers of mine which were addreſt for quiet or deliverance from my perſecutors: and therefore the Syriack, by way of Paraphraſe, render it, thou attendeſt not to me, and ſo the Arabick alſo. As for the LXXII. their rendring foreign, which the Latine follows, & non ad inſipientiam mihi, and not for folly to me, it will be hard either to give any intelligible account of the meaning of it, or of foreign being rendred by it; unleſs as Exodus 15.16. foreign ſtill as a ſtone] ſignifies ſenſeleſsneſs, ſo here foreign were thought to ſignifie ſenſeleſsneſs, and accordingly, without care of the ſenſe, thus rendred foreign, by them.
foreignV. 4. O thou that inhabiteſt] foreign to inhabit, ſignifies alſo to remain, or perſevere: ſo Pſal. 102.13. thou, O Lord, foreign ſhalt remain, or continue for ever. And in this ſenſe it will be beſt taken here, foreign but thou remaineſt, or perſevereſt holy, (the derelictions in the former verſes do not tempt him him to doubt of it) foreign the praiſe of Iſrael;foreign or, O thou, the praiſes, or which art the praiſes of Iſrael, i. e. the object of all their praiſes; or yet more ſimply, (without the leaſt ellipſis to be ſupplied.) But thou remaineſt holy, the praiſes of Iſrael. The LXXII. retain the conſtruction in the latter part, reading foreign, and ſo the Latine, Laus Iſrael, the praiſe of Iſrael, and the Arabick, the glory of Iſrael, (as in Simeons ſong, Luke 2.32. Chriſt is ſaid to be the glory of thy people Iſrael, in whom they ſhould rejoyce, or glory:) only in the former part they have ſomewhat varied, foreign, But thou dwelleſt in thy holy place; which yet rightly conſidered, is but a Paraphraſe of the ſenſe in which we render it; for Gods dwelling in heaven] is but a phraſe to expreſs his faithfulneſs and mindfulneſs of his promiſe, his not being changed, and that is it which is meant by his perſevering holy. The Chaldee have a little farther receded, but thou art holy who eſtabliſheſt the world for the praiſes of Iſrael] with reference, perhaps, to the phanſy of the Jews, that the world was created for their ſakes and their Laws; this Paraphraſe of theirs being not free from ſundry of their dreams. Yet may theſe words bear no ill ſenſe, and Gods making and eſtabliſhing the World for the praiſes or glory of Iſrael] ſignifie his great care, and kindneſs, and conſequently fidelity in performing all his promiſes to his people. The Syriack differ from all the former, making the whole verſe but a compellation of God, in theſe titles, Thou, O holy, and who ſitteſt in Iſrael thy glory.
V. 6. A worm] Theſe three verſes, though they have a firſt ſence hiſtorically verified in David, at the time of his flying from his enemies, yet are they, in a much higher, and alſo more literal ſenſe, fulfilled in Chriſt upon the Croſs. And 1. the word foreign. worme,foreign is thought to have a ſpecial energy in it, to denote that kind of worme, which is begotten of a grain of coccus, or coccinele, a red berry, that yields the ſcarlet juice, with which they dy cloth of that colour, and which is full of thoſe red wormes. So Iſ… 1.18. though your ſins be as ſcarlet, the Hebrew hath foreign as a worme, viz. this ſcarlet-worme. So Lam. 4.5. they that are brought up on foreign, we rightly render it ſcarlet. And if it be twice dipt with it, then 'tis a darker and richer colour, Num. 4.8. and is rendred purple by the Chaldee. And thus is it a fit title for Chriſt upon the croſs: a worme, in that he is deſpiſed, and trodden on, and oppreſt by the Jews; and more peculiarly this ſcarlet worme, which being preſt, yields this rich juice, (viz. his blood) of which this royal ſcarlet or purple garment is made, wherein we may appear before God. In token of which he was araied in a ſcarlet Robe, Mat. 27.28. at this time peculiarly of his crucifixion. In the next place, when he is here ſtyled the reproach of men, and deſpiſed of the people, foreign from foreign,foreign to ſcorn, or ſet at nought, and ſo by the LXXII. rightly rendred foreign, one ſet at nought by the people, this is but parallel to that other praediction, ſignally pointing at his crucifixion, Iſa. 53.3. he is deſpiſed and rejected of men— and farther parallel'd in the ſtory, when they rejected him, and choſe Barabbas, Matth. 27.21. when they mocked him, v. 29. ſpit on him, v. 30. and mocked him again, v. 31. Then for the reſt of the words, All they that ſee me laugh me to ſcorn— they are exactly fulfill'd, Mat. 27.39. they that paſſed by, reviled him, wagging their heads, and ſaying—he truſted in God, let him deliver him now if he will have him, v. 43. As for the phraſe foreign,foreign it may beſt be rendred, they put out the lip, from foreign emiſit, dimiſit, laxavit, noting that way of mocking, by the diſtortion of the mouth or lip; and ſo it agrees with laughing to ſcorn] praecedent, and ſhaking the head] ſubſequent: ſo the Syriack renders it, they moved their lips; the Chaldee, foreign they cut with the lip, as a paraphraſe to expreſs reproaching or abuſing; but the LXXII. only foreign, (and ſo the Latine, Arabick, and Aethiopick) they ſpake with their lips, as from the notion of foreign for opening, which applyed to the lips, denoteth ſpeaking with them.
V. 8. Truſted] foreign from foreign and foreign volvit, foreigndevolvit, roll, or devolve, is uſed for committing, intruſting any thing to another, caſting ones ſelf on God, which is the phraſe uſed uſed Pſal. 55.22. caſt thy burthen upon the Lord. So Pſal. 37.5. foreign roll thy ways upon the Lord, i. e. commit them to him, caſt them on him; farther expreſt by the next words, truſt alſo in him— The LXXII. have rendered it according to this ſenſe foreign, He hath hoped, and ſo the Latine, and is fully rendred, Matth. 27.43. foreign, he hath confided; ſo alſo the Syriack here, and the Arabick by two words, he hath believed and confided. foreign is the imperative mood, and ſo may fitly be rendred, truſt in God, (as a form of reproach:) ſo 'tis rendred Pſal. 37.5. But it may poſſibly be the praeter tenſe in Kal alſo, as a contraction of foreign, as that may, by analogy with ſome other words, be uſed for foreign.
foreignV. 8. Delighted] foreign voluit, willed, is frequently uſed for complacuit, delectatus eſt, being delighted or pleaſed with, when it hath the prepoſition foreign following it. And accordingly ſo the LXXII. their [foreign, will in] muſt be rendred taking pleaſure in; and ſo muſt the phraſe be rendred Mat. 27.43. foreign, not, if he will have him, but, if he love him (ſo foreign ſignifies alſo) if he delight, or have pleaſure in him. And thus it peculiarly belongs to Chriſt, of whom 'tis teſtified by God at his baptiſm, Matth. 3.17. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleaſed.
foreignV. 12. Strong Bulls] The notion of foreign here muſt be reſolved by the context. The word foreign ſignifies ſtrong, and is ſometimes applyed to God, Pſal. 132.2; ſometimes to Angels, Pſal. 78.25. foreign the bread of the ſtrong, we duly render Angels food, from the LXXII. who read foreign, ſometimes to men, Iſa. 10.13; ſometimes to horſes, Jer. 8.16. and 47.3; and ſometimes to bulls, when in conjunction with bullocks, Iſa. 34.7. Pſal. 48.30.foreign and here in this place, foreign bullocks immediately foregoing. So Pſal. 50.13. ſpeaking of ſacrifice, the fleſh of the foreign muſt be the fleſh of bulls or oxen, To this it is not amiſs to add, that Jer. 46.15. the LXXII. for foreign read foreign. The words indeed relate to the Aegyptians, whoſe God Apis was, and as a God, may be ſo called from foreign, which oft ſignifies God, the foreign, as it is ordinary in ſeveral languages, being changed into foreign, and the foreign into foreign, as in foreign, martyr, foreign, celer, and many others, thoſe letters are permutabiles. But that God of the Aegyptians was originally an Oxe, or Bull; and then why may it not be thus lightly changed from Abir, a Bull? And then as foreign ſignifies a Bull alſo (and in Chaldee foreign from whence the Greek and Latine foreign, and taurus) why may not that praefixt to foreign make foreign, and that be lightly changed into Serapis, the other title of the Aegyptians God, which alſo is no more originally but a Bull, or oxe? But this by the way. This therefore being clear, the rendring of foreign muſt be ſimply bulls, and with foreign joyned with it,foreign bulls of Baſhan; which being a rich and fruitful place, and the Cattel thereof great, and ſtrong and fat, as the inhabitants gyants, Deut. 3.13. and formidable, Num. 21.34. they are here fitly ſet (Poetically) to expreſs potent enemies, and proud inſulters; as the Kine of Baſhan, Amos 4.1. are imperious women. This the LXXII. renders foreign, fat bulls, without mention of Baſhan; either as reading for it foreign, which ſignifies fat, or rather thus paraphraſtically expreſſing Baſhan, the cattel whereof were fat above any others.
foreignV. 14. Out of joynt] foreign ſignifies dividing, parting, diſſolving, diſperſing, and in Hithpael reciprocally diperſing, or parting themſelves, ſo as one leaves or goes from the other. So Job. 4.11. the Lions whelps foreign, we render, are ſcattered abroad, LXXII. foreign, have left one another, in the notion of diſperſing. And ſo all the antients render it here: the Chaldee foreign were diſperſed; the LXXII. foreign, and ſo the Syriack, and Latine, and Aethiopick, were diſperſed; the Arabick, diſſolved: and this not to denote diſlocation of bones, but their parting one from another, as in … conſumption of the whole body, which is here deſcribed in this, and the reſt of the verſe; which is the thing which is here repreſented, and by it the lowneſs of his preſent condition, or outward eſtate.
V. 15. Pierced] The double reading of the Hebrew here, is commonly taken notice of,foreign foreign they pierced, and foreign as a Lion; and the Chaldee hath put them both together, foreign biting me as a Lion ▪ But 'tis evident, the LXXII. read it in the former notion only, and ſo render it foreign, they pierced my hands and my feet; and ſo the Latine, Syriack, and Aethiopick. Of theſe readings the enquiry muſt be, 1. what force they have in the firſt intention of the words, as they concern David; and 2. what is to be ſaid of them in reference to the Prophetick ſenſe, completed in Chriſt. For the former, if we ſtand to the preſent Hebrew-reading, foreign as a Lion, the ſenſe will run thus, the aſſembly of the wicked hath encloſed me as a Lion, both my hands and my feet, i. e. I am brought into a condition perfectly helpleſs, as when a Lion hath one in his power, and is about to ſeize on him; neither my hands nor my feet can ſtand me in any ſtead, the former to reſiſt, or the ſecond to fly: where foreign to encloſe] is of the ſame importance with foreign, ſo oft uſed in Scripture, for ſuch an incloſure, as puts one into the power of another. But if the other reading, foreign they pierced, be admitted, the ſame totall impotence is ſtill diſcernible. To be bound hand and foot] is the proverbial ſtyle of Scripture, for one that is delivered up to utter ruine; but to be nailed, or pierced, or faſtned hand and foot, is a much higher expreſſion of the ſame thing, both in reſpect of the certainty, and ſharpneſs of the ruine. 'Tis eaſier to unty a knot, then looſen what is nailed, and 'tis more painful to be pierced, then only reſtrained from liberty. And ſo in either of the readings the ſenſe holds fitly to Davids perſon, as being in a ſore diſtreſs, and ſad condition. Next then, to conſider the place in relation to Chriſt, prophetically deſcribed upon his croſs; many conjectures of learned men are obvious on this place, but none more worthy to be hearkened to, than our two learned Countreymen, both exquiſitely skilled in the Oriental Languages, Mr. Nic. Fuller, and Mr. Ed. Pocock. From the†Miſcel. l. 3. c. 12. Collections of the former we learn, that both from the little Maſoreth, and from Rabbi Jacob ſon of Haym, and from his own ocular experience of many copies, *in defens. Hebr. Lect. adverſ. Lindon.Joan. Iſaac Levita hath demonſtrated foreign they pierced] to be the reading in the text … chetib, and the other foreign as a Lion, only in the Margine, or chere. And this farther manifeſted by the rendring of Aquila, one very favourable to the Jewiſh intereſt, who rendred it as a verbe, not as a ſubſtantive, and ſo only according to the textual, not the marginal reading. From the ‖Not. Miſcel. c. 4.latter we have a more particular, literal, minute account of the word it ſelf: foreign, they pierced, either from foreign, or from foreign, as that is found in the Arabick (and ſo probably in Hebrew antiently) to be all one with foreign fodere, to digg, or pierce, and from whence is Alcaur, the digging of the earth, and Cawar, haſtâ confodere, to run through with a ſpear. Or if it be read, as in their margine, foreign, then alſo is his conjecture very ingenious, that it be taken for the participle preſent in Kal in the plural number, from foreign, and from thence foreign, of which he brings many examples. To this he addeth alſo, that the Chaldees paraphraſtical rendring (which from the likeneſs of the word foreign, as a Lion, took occaſion thus to expreſs the notion of the participle, and therein the manner of their ſavage uſage) was the original of that double reading of the Hebrew; and indeed not an effect, but the cauſe of it. As for thoſe who ſuſpect our reading as a falſification of the Chriſtians, beſides many other evidences of conviction, he there gives us the teſtimony of David Kimchi; who taking notice of the Chriſtians reading in this place, different from the Jews, doth not accuſe them of any fraud, as elſewhere he doth, Pſal. 110. and probably would have done, if he had not known that they had herein followed the moſt emendate copies.
foreignV. 21. Haſt heard me] From foreign to ſpeak, or anſwer, or hearken to another, is the word foreign here, thou haſt heard, or anſwered me. This verbe the LXXII. read, as if it were a noun from the other notion of foreign affixit, and ſo ſo read foreign, my affliction, or humiliation, (and from them the Syriack and Latine, &c.) as if it were foreign my affliction.
foreignV. 24. Affliction] foreign from the praecedent foreign may ſignifie affliction, or low eſtate: but all the antieut interpreters render it in the notion of prayer, and the like; the Chaldee foreign the prayer, the LXXII. foreign, prayer, the Latine deprecationem, and ſo the Arabick, and the Syriack foreign the cry, and ſo the not deſpiſing or abhorring, or caſting ou… ] will beſt agree with it, and the ſubſequents alſo, when I cryed unto him he heard: And ſo the word will well enough bear, from foreign to ſpeak, as that is here applyed to foreign the poor, of whom the wiſe man ſaith, the poor man ſpeaketh ſupplications.
foreignV. 2…. Keep alive] Where the Hebrew reads foreign and he hath not quickened his ſoul, the LXXII. (and Syriack, Latine, Arabick, Aethiopick) render, foreign, and my ſoul lives to him, for foreign his ſoul, reading foreign my ſoul, for foreign not, foreign to him; and then joyning the maſculine foreign to the foeminine foreign. But the Chaldee rendring it foreign and the ſoul of the wicked he ſhall not enliven] do evidence our vulgar reading of the Hebrew to be that which they then uſed, and ſo the LXXII. to have miſ-read it. The literal meaning of it is ſomewhat difficult. Caſtelli… 's conjecture is not unfit to be taken notice of, who joyns it with that which follows, thus; and he that hath not quickened his ſoul, i. e. who is dead, foreignhis ſeed ſhall ſerve him, Eorum progonies, quorum vita non perdurat, cum colont, the p…gony of them whoſe life continues not, ſhall ſerve, or worſhip. And thus may the ellipſis be well enough ſupplied, and with as little violence as any other way. Yet becauſe both foreign and foreign are in the ſingular, not plural number, (and foreign ſeed, without any affix of any number, muſt agree with thoſe) it will be more reaſonable to change his plural, eorum, and quorum, into ejus, and cujus, and then reteining that his way of interpretation, the rendring will be literally this; and for him who doth not enliven his ſoul, i. e. who dies, his ſeed or poſterity ſhall ſerve him, i. e. God. This may have a commodious meaning, in reſpect of David himſelf, that when he is dead, and ſo can praiſe God no longer himſelf for theſe his mercies, yet his poſterity ſhall praiſe God for them, and by that ingagement be moved to undertake, and adhere to his ſervice. But in reſpect of Chriſt, the completion is more ſignal; that though he dye, yet he ſhould have a numerous poſterity, and thoſe begotten, as it were, by his blood-ſhedding: as Iſa. 53.10. when he hath made his ſoul an offering for ſin, he ſhall ſee his ſeed, and this ſeed of his ſhall ſerve him, viz. the multitude of Chriſtians that adore the crucified Saviour; of whom it very agreeably follows, that they ſhall be accounted to the Lord for a generation, being the men that make up the foreign, the future age, (as Chriſtianity is called) of which Chriſt is ſtiled foreign, the father, in the LXXII. their rendring of Iſa. 9.6. If this be not the meaning of the place, then taking the words by themſelves, foreign and enlivens not his own ſoul,] muſt probably be thus ſupplied, as our Engliſh hath it, and none can keep (or more literally to foreign hath kept alive) his own ſoul: i. e. in relation to David, 'tis God that hath delivered and preſerved him, and none elſe could have done it, being deſtitute of all worldly aides; and the ſame by way of pious aphoriſme, is appliable to all others, all deliverance from the leaſt to the greateſt ſtreight or danger, is totally to be imputed to God. But moſt eminently and ſignally to Chriſt, who being dead in the fleſh, was quickened by the ſpirit; being put to that ſhameful death of Crucifixion in his humane nature, was raiſed again by the power of his divine nature; and in that was founded the propagation of the Chriſtian Religion, as the interpretation of that which follows. His ſeed ſhall ſerve him, and be numbred foreign,foreign or accounted to God for a generation.
V. 31. foreignThat he hath done this] Where the Hebrew hath foreign that, or, becauſe he hath done it, the Chaldee renders paraphraſtically, and in ſenſe, foreign the miracles which he hath wrought. The LXXII. applying it to the people that ſhould be born, reads, foreign, which the Lord hath made, (and ſo the Latine and Aethiopick, and the Syriack alſo, ſave that they read it in the future.) That which is moſt exact, and according to the letter, will be to render foreign becauſe he hath wrought it, by it meaning the righteouſneſs praecedent: ſo Caſt…llio renders it, ut exponant qu… ſit uſus juſtiti…, that they may ſhew what righteouſneſs he hath wr…gh… ▪ by righteouſneſs meaning either fidelity, and per…ce of promiſe, or more fitly, in the ſacred notion of foreign, ben…gn…y, or beneficence.foreign