Works Volume 4, Book · Psalm 27
The Twenty Seventh PSALM.
A Pſalm of David.
Paraphrase. The Twenty Seventh Pſalm was compoſed by David in time of his diſtreſs▪ wherein placing all his truſt and confidence in God, he eſpecially expreſſeth his deſire of returning to the participation of Gods publick ſervice.
1. The Lord is my light and my ſalvation; whom ſhall I fear? The Lord is the ſtrength of my life; of whom ſhall I be afraid?
Paraphrase. 1. Whatſoever my diſtreſſes are, I have a God of might, who will deliver me out of this dark and forlorn condition, will preſerve me ſafe from all the malice of my enemies. It were then great folly in me, to betray any the leaſt fear, or apprehenſion of the dangers that incompaſs me.
2. When the wicked, even mine enemies, and my foes ‖came nee… upon me, foreigncame upon me to eat up my fleſh, they †or, ſhall Humble and fall.ſtumbled and fell.
Paraphrase. 2. When ungodly men make their approaches againſt me, very bloodily reſolved to devour and deſtroy me utterly, then will God certainly interpoſe his hand, to diſcomfit and diſappoint my ſoreſt enemies, and reſcue me out of their hands: for thus he hither to hath done in my greateſt dangers.
3. *If an hoſt incamp, foreign—Thought an hoſt ſhould encamp againſt me, my heart ſhall not fear: ‖If war riſe— foreign—though war ſhould riſe againſt me, in this will I be confident.
Paraphrase. 3. Whatſoever the danger be, whether by cloſe ſiege, or by pitcht battail, yet have I ſtill my reliance firm, in confidence of Gods aſſiſtance and relief, and that will keep all fear from me.
4. One thing have I deſired of the Lord, that I will ſeek after; that I may dwell in the houſe of the Lord all the dayes of my life, to behold the †ſweetneſs foreign ſo the Chald. and Syr. but the LXXII. foreign, the Lat. voluptatem, pleaſantneſsbeauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his Temple.
Paraphrase. 4. There is but one thing that I am much ſollicitous for, or importunate in my Prayers, viz. (not that I be ſetled in my regal throne, which he *The LXXII in the Title of the Pſalm add, foreign, before he was anointed.ſeems not yet to be, but) that I may have that benefit of peace to partake of Gods publick ſervice in the Aſſembly, and never to be taken off from it, to injoy that ſweetneſs and tranſcendent pleaſure and delight of converſing daily and frequently with God, and receiving counſel and directions from him in all my doubts. The being but for a time deprived of this felicity is indeed matter of ſome ſadneſs to me, from which I daily pray to be releaſed. But beſides this, I have nothing elſe to complain of in my preſent diſtreſſes.
5. For in the time of trouble he ſhall hide me in his pavilion; in the ſecret of his Tabernacle ſhall he hide me, he ſhall ſet me up upon a rock.
Paraphrase. 5. Were I but returned to the Sanctuary, I ſhould look upon it, and make uſe of it as of a refuge of perfect ſafety, to which in any difficulty I might confidently reſort, and be ſecured by God, as in a tower or fortreſs.
6. And now ſhall my head be lifted up above mine enemies ‖ſee Pſal. 26. note d.round about me: therefore will I offer in his Tabernacle ſacrifices of †jubilation.joy; I will ſing, yea I will ſing praiſes unto the Lord.
Paraphrase. 6. And as now it is, though I am at preſent withheld from that felicity, yet have I confidence that my prayers ſhall be heard, that I ſhall be delivered from mine enemies power, and exalted above them all, and afforded all matter of joy and Sacrifices, when I do come to Sion, and abundant thanksgivings unto God.
7. Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice; have mercy alſo upon me, and anſwer me.
Paraphrase. 7. And therefore with this confidence I now offer up my Prayers to thee, O Lord, for mercy and compaſſion, and gracious returns to all my wants.
8. ‖To th… ſaid my heart, ſeek ye my face: Thy—When thou ſaidſt, Seek ye my face, my heart ſaid unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I ſeek.
Paraphrase. 8. Whatſoever ſupply I lack, my heart directs me whither to apply my ſelf, by reſounding in my ears thoſe gracious words of thine [ſeek ye my face,] calling all, that want any thing, to ask it of thee. To thee therefore I make my addreſs with thine own words of invitation in my mouth. [Thy face, O Lord, will I ſeek] making all my application to thee, and to none other.
9. Hide not thy face †from me foreignfar from me, put not thy ſervant away in anger: thou haſt been my help; leave me not, neither forſake me, O God of my ſalvation.
Paraphrase. 9. Lord, vouchſafe me thy wonted preſence and favourable aſpect, withdraw all expreſſions of thy diſpleaſure. Thy former continued reliefs have ingaged me to hope for deliverance from none but thee: O do not thou leave me, for then I ſhall be utterly deſtitute.
10. ‖for my foreignWhen my father and my mother forſake me, *and the foreignthen the Lord will take me up.
Paraphrase. 10. It is one of thy wonderful works of mercy, to provide for thoſe whoſe parents have expoſed and left them helpleſs, (the young Ravens, Pſalm 147.9.) And the like I truſt thou wilt do for me, though all hmane aids ſhould utterly fail me.
11. Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain way, becauſe of mine enemies
Paraphrase. 11. Lord, do thou inſtruct and direct me what courſe I ſhall take, that mine enemies may have no advantage againſt me, but that I may eſcape ſafe out of their hands.
12. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies; for falſe witneſſes are riſen up againſt me, and ſuch as breath out ‖injury rapine.cruelty.
Paraphrase. 12. Permit me not to fall into their power; for as they have begun with ſlander and calumny, ſo will they end, if thou do not divert or with-hold them, in injuſtice and rapine.
13. *Unleſs I had believed—I had fainted, unleſs I had believed to ſee the goodneſs of the Lord in the land of the living.
Paraphrase. 13. Had I not had a full confidence that I ſhould by Gods great mercy be ſupported in my diſtreſs, and reſtored to thoſe injoyments of reſt and peace, which God had faithfully promiſed me. (Here the Pſalmiſt abruptly, but elegantly breaks off the ſpeech.)
14. *Expect foreignWait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he ſhall ſtrengthen thy heart: wait, I ſay, on the Lord.
Paraphrase. 14. O my ſoul, do thou patiently expect Gods leaſure; be not diſcouraged with thy preſent evils, but arm thy ſelf with conſtancy and fortitude, and never doubt of Gods ſeaſonable reliefs.
Annotations on Pſalm XXVII.
foreignV. 2. Stumbled] Though foreign and foreign be in the Praeter tenſe, yet 'tis uſual in the Prophetick writings, that theſe ſhould be taken in the future tenſe, when the context inclines that way. And ſo here it doth, being a profeſſion of his confidence in God, that he will deliver him out of his preſent diſtreſſes; as both the antecedents v. 1. and conſequents v. 3. make evident. And accordingly it is moſt probable that here thus it ſhould be, v. 2. and ſo the Jewiſh Arab reads, they ſhall ſtumble, and fall; and ſo the learned Caſtellio renders it, ſi invadant—offenſuri ſunt atque caſuri, If they invade me, they ſhall ſtumble and fall. Though it be alſo poſſible, that it may reflect upon his paſt experiences of Gods mercies, as pledges of his future, and then it may retain the praeter tenſe. And therefore I deemed it ſafeſt to take that in alſo in the Paraphraſe.
foreignV. 6. Joy] foreign ſacrifices of jubilation, are thoſe of the ſolemn feaſts, attended not only with the harmony and Muſick of the Levites, but the Hoſannahs and acclamations of the people. Hence Jeremy compares the military clamours of the victorious Chaldeans in the Temple, to thoſe that were formerly made there in the day of a ſolemn feaſt, Lam. 2.7. They have made a noiſe in the houſe of the Lord, as in a day of a ſolemn feaſt. And this is that foreign or joyful ſound, which they that hear, are by David pronounced bleſſed, Pſal. 89.15. Bleſſed is the people that know the joyful ſound.
V. 8. My heart] For the meaning of this v. 8. little help will be had from the antient Interpreters. The Syriack leave out a part of it unrendred, and have only thus much, My heart ſaith unto thee, and my face ſhall ſeek thy countenance. The LXXII. (and after them the Latine, Arabick, and Aethiopick,) in ſtead of Seek ye my face,] read, I have ſought thy face;] foreign, My heart ſaid to thee, I have ſought thy face; thy face, Lord, will I ſeek: and other copies with ſome change, foreign, &c. My heart hath ſaid to thee, I will ſeek the Lord; my face hath ſought thee, thy face, Lord, will I ſeek. But the Chaldee keeps cloſe to the Hebrew, only for [ſeek ye] reads in the ſingular ſeek thou. The full meaning of it will eaſily be gathered, by reflecting on Gods mercy and kindneſs unto men, ready to defend them, if they will but call to him for his help. This is conteined in this ſuppoſed ſpeech or command of Gods, [foreign,foreign ſeek ye my face,] thereby inviting all to addreſs their prayers to him. This gracious ſpeech of Gods, David here meditates upon, and on it founds his confidence, and in his addreſſes to Heaven firſt minds God of this his command, or invitation, or incouragement to all, to ſeek to him, (that is the meaning of [My ſoul ſaid to thee, ſeek ye my face,] laying a foundation of claim in Gods own words;) and then he makes uſe of this priviledge immediately, anſwers the invitation in the very words wherein 'twas made, [Thy face, Lord, will I ſeek.] This Caſtellio hath paraphraſtically expreſt, ſic animo cogito, velle te tuum quaeri conſpectum; tuum conſpectum, Jova, quaero. I thus think in my mind, that thou wouldſt have thy face ſought: Thy face, Lord, I ſeek. The Jewiſh-Arab hath here another conſtruction, making foreign my face, to govern, and not be governed by the verb, thus; My heart ſaid of thee, O my face, ſeek him, (becauſe ſaith he, the other members are at the command of the heart, to do what that bids) therefore will I ſeek the light of thy countenance, O Lord.
V. 12. foreignSuch as breathe cruelty] For foreign breathers or ſpeakers of injury or rapine, (foreign ſignifying injury or rapine, and foreign to breathe or ſpeak) the LXXII. read foreign, iniquity hath lied to, or againſt it ſelf, and the Latine and Aethiopick (and in effect the Arabick) follow them. How they came thus to vary from the original, is not eaſie to reſolve: what is moſt probable may be briefly noted. Near unto foreign to breathe or ſpeak is foreign and foreign laqueus (from whence is the Greek foreign) a ſnare. One of theſe the LXXII. may have miſtaken for the other. So the learned ‖Pentagl. p. 1426. c.Schindler ſuppoſeth them to have done, Iſai. 42.22. foreign which he renders, all the young men have been puft at, (foreign in the infinitive to be rendered in the praeter tenſe.) To this the Chaldee paraphraſe ſeems to accord, foreign were covered with ſhame or confuſion: but the LXXII. read foreign, a ſnare in their receſſes: where as they render foreign, from foreign a ſecret chamber, frequently rendred foreign, ſo they took foreign as from foreign and accordingly rendred it foreign, the ſnare. And herein the ſenſe favours them there, and our tranſlation hath followed them. And if as there, ſo here, they deduced foreign from foreign a ſnare, then taking foreign for iniquity in the nominative caſe, they might thus (by periphraſis) expreſs its being inſnared, by its lying againſt it ſelf.
V. 13. foreignI had fainted] In the Hebrew there is an apoſiopeſis, a figure of elegance, purpoſely breaking off in the midſt of the ſpeech; yet ſo as every man can foreſee what kind of concluſion ſhould follow, if he did not purpoſely divert to the contrary. As Neptune in Virgil, Hes ego—the beginning of a threat, but then artificially breaking off into an exhortation to prevent it,— ſed motos praſtat componere fluctus, but 'tis your beſt way to quiet the waves: ſo here, foreign,foreign except, or unleſs I had believed to ſee the goodneſs of the Lord in the land of the living — The LXXII. render it foreign, I believe to ſee (and ſo the Syriack foreign I believed that I ſhould ſee, and ſo the Latine, &c.) not at all rendring foreign unleſs, nor taking notice of the figure, or manner of ſpeech, the abrupt breaking off in the midſt. But the Chaldee reads juſt as the Hebrew doth, and thinks not fit to ſupply what is wanting, but leaves it in ſuſpence. And ſo ſure that is the fulleſt way of rendring it, that ſo the figure may be diſcernible; which conſiſting wholly in the breaking off, or concealing ſomewhat, is loſt, if the ſenſe be made perfect by addition of any other words. The only difficulty is,foreign what is here meant by foreign the land of lives, or of the living. And the anſwer will be brief, that though the phraſe may very fitly denote (where the context requires it) the future age, whether as that denotes the age of the Meſſias, or the life eternal after the end of this; and though there is no cauſe of doubt, but that David believed both theſe; yet it being the matter of the whole Pſalm to expreſs his confidence, that God would not now leave him in his preſent diſtreſs, but deliver him out of his enemies hands, and return him home in ſafety and peace; in all reaſon that is to be deemed the meaning of it here alſo, as the land of the living oft ſignifies a proſperous life in this world, but this not excluding, but including alſo his hopes of the other, which much added to his ſupport alſo.
foreignV. 14. Shall ſtrengthen] foreign is literally to be rendred, he ſhall ſtrengthen, and may ſo be applied to God by way of promiſe, that he ſhall ſtrengthen his heart that waits on him. But yet it is alſo to be remembred, that the Hebrews do oft uſe to confound conjugations, and uſe the active in the third perſon, to denote the paſſive in ſome other perſon: Thou fool, this night ſhall they take thy ſoul from thee, i. e. thy ſoul ſhall be taken away: So 2 Sam. 24.1. And he moved David, i. e. David was moved, (ſee examples in note on Luk. 16. b.) and then ſo it may well be here, be of good courage, and he ſhall ſtrengthen thy heart, i. e. (to continue the conſtruction with the antecedents and conſequents) let thy heart be ſtrengthened, (all the imperative) wait on, or expect the Lord. And thus all the antient Interpreters render it: foreign ſtrengthen thy heart, ſay the Chaldee; foreign, let your heart be ſtrengthened, ſay the LXXII. and ſo the Syriack foreign and Latine, & confortetur, and the Arabick ſo alſo, (only reading it, my heart, in ſtead of your, reading the whole verſe accordingly, I hope—) So Pſal. 31.24. and thus in both places the Jewiſh-Arabick Tranſlator renders it.