Works Volume 4, Book · Psalm 38
The Thirty Eighth PSALM.
A Pſalm of David, to bring to remembrance.
Paraphrase. The Thirty eighth is a mournful complaint of Davids, reciting his preſent miſeries, and calling to God to remember, and pity, and relieve him.
1. O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath, neither chaſten me in thy hot diſpleaſure.
Paraphrase. 1. O God of all Juſtice, and yet of all mercy too, let not thy puniſhments, though moſt juſtly deſerved by my ſins, break out in extremity againſt me.
2. For thine arrows ‖are entred deep in me, and thy hand is come down upon me.ſtick faſt in me: and thy hand preſſeth me ſore.
Paraphrase. 2. They are already very ſharp and heavy upon me.
3. There is no ſoundneſs in my fleſh, becauſe of thine anger: neither is there any reſt in my bones, becauſe of my ſin.
Paraphrase. 3. My ſins have moſt ſadly provoked thy wrath, and the effects of that are very ſenſible: mine eſtate is become like to thoſe that are under ſome ſore malady, that hath ſeized on every part of their bodies, and allows them no intermiſſion of pains and miſtery, no reſt or ceſſation of their anguiſh.
4. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head; as an heavy burthen, they are too heavy for me.
Paraphrase. 4. Or to thoſe that are plunged deep over head and ears in water, overwhelmed, and ready to be drowned by it; or to thoſe that, under ſome inſupportable weight or burthen, are preſt to the ground▪ the number and weight of my ſins is ſo great, and from thence my puniſhments ſo many, and ſo heavy, that I am oppreſt and overcharged by them.
5. My ‖bruiſes.wounds ſtink, and are corrupt, becauſe of my fooliſhneſs.
Paraphrase. 5. Or again, to one that hath received many ſore blows and bruiſes; which as they are very painful at preſent, ſo if they be not well lookt to, and the congeled blood carefully drawn out, they will ſoon putrifie and grow noiſome. And mine own abſurd and foul follies have brought all this upon me.
6. I am *incu…vate.troubled, I am bowed down †to extremity.greatly: I go mourning all the day long.
Paraphrase. 6. Like to one that with ſome chronical diſeaſe is extremely decayed, and bent down toward the earth▪ and ſo is forced to go continually in that ſad mournful poſture, that is wont to be uſed in time of lamentations.
7. For my *flanks.loins are filled with a ‖inflammation.loathſome diſeaſe; and there is no ſoundneſs in my fleſh.
Paraphrase. 7. Like to one that is full of boyles and ſwellings in ſeveral parts of his body, and ſo is very ſorely and painfully diſeaſed.
8. I am feeble, and †brought low, or worn away. foreignſore broken: I have roared for the *groaning▪ foreign LXXII,very diſquietneſs of my heart.
Paraphrase. 8. Laſtly, like to one that with long and terrible pains, through grieving, and ſighing, and roaring for them, is brought into a very weak and low eſtate, a conſumption of the whole body. And all this have my own …ins, moſt abſurdly committed, and moſt beſtially continued in for a great ſpace, moſt juſtly brought upon me.
9. Lord, all my deſire is before thee, and my groaning is not hid from thee.
Paraphrase. 9. O bleſſed Lord, thou ſeeſt my wants, and the continual miſery that I am in.
10. My heart ‖turns round foreignpanteth, my ſtrength faileth me: †and the light of mine eyes they alſo are not with me. foreignas for the light of mine eyes, it alſo is gone from me.
Paraphrase. 10. I am as one in an amazement or giddineſs, ready to ſink or tumble, his eyes dim, ſo that he cannot make uſe of them any more than if he had none.
11. My lovers and my friends ſtand *on the other ſide of my bruiſe.aloof from my ſore, and my kinſmen ſtand afar off.
Paraphrase. 11. And in all my diſtreſs I was ſo far from receiving any reliefe or comfort from man, that they which were neereſt knit to me by the tyes of nature and friendſhip, were ſome of them afraid of owning me, others never conſidered me.
12. They alſo that ſeek after my life‖uſe violence againſt lay ſnares for me; and they that ſeek my hurt, ſpeak †evil.miſchievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.
Paraphrase. 12. As for▪ mine enemies that projected to take away my life, at leaſt to do me ſome great hurt, their actions, their words, their thoughts were continually intent on ſome kind of violence, miſchief, or deceit, or other.
13. But I as a deaf man heard not, and I was as a dumb man that opened not his mouth.
14. Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whoſe mouth are no reproofs.
Paraphrase. 13, 14. And all this I bare with patience; I took no notice of their behaviour toward me, never rebuked the one nor the other, for what they did or ſaid unto me.
15. For in thee, O Lord, do I hope; thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.
Paraphrase. 15. My full truſt and dependance is on thee, O Lord and my aſſured confidence, that thou wilt in thy good time interpoſe thy hand and deliver me.
16. For I ſaid, ‖leſt peradventure they rejoyce. foreignhear me, leſt otherwiſe they ſhould rejoyce over me: when my foot ſlippeth, they magnifie themſelves againſt me.
Paraphrase. 16. To thee therefore I make my petition, that thou wilt not leave me to mine enemies will, to rejoyce and triumph over me, as they are very forward to do, and to make their boaſts what victories they have obtained over me, if at any time any the leaſt evil befalls me.
17. For I am ready to †fall: ſee Pſal. 35. note f.halt, and my ſorrow is continually before me.
Paraphrase. 17. And now indeed this is my condition; for I am in continual danger, and expectation of ruine, if thou be not pleaſed to ſupport me.
18. For I will declare mine iniquity: I will i be *afraid of.ſorry for my ſin.
Paraphrase. 18. And I muſt acknowledge and confeſs, that they are my many grievous tranſgreſſions, which have brought this anxiety upon me, given me reaſon continually to fear leſt by them I have forfeited thy protection; and then there is nothing but ruine to be expected.
19. But mine enemies ‖…e and are — foreignare lively, and they are ſtrong; and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplyed.
Paraphrase. 19. And to this my fear agrees the proſperity of my unjuſt and cauſeleſs enemies, who live and increaſe in ſtrength, their forces are daily multiplyed: And this may well mind me of the increaſe of my ſins, to which this is imputable, for otherwiſe I am ſure I have not provoked them by any injury done to them; only my ſins againſt thee have thus ſtrengthened them.
20. They alſo that render evil for good are mine adverſaries, becauſe I follow the thing that good is.
Paraphrase. 20. To them I have done nothing but good, and yet they perſecute me, and make theſe unkind returns for all my kindneſs; having no other matter of quarrel to me, but my doing that which is juſt and good, and never wronging them, how much ſoever I am wronged by them.
21. Forſake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me.
Paraphrase. 21. O God of power, do not thou leave me to their malice: O Father of mercy, and that to me thy ſinful ſervant, let not my ſins remove thee from me.
22. Make haſte to help me, O Lord my ſalvation.
Paraphrase. 22. O thou, whoſe title it is to ſave and deliver thoſe that are in the greateſt danger, and even on ſinners to have mercy, and reſcue them from the due reward of their ſins, and haſt to me made moſt gratious promiſes of this kind, I beſeech thee no longer to defer, but in my greateſt extremity relieve me opportunely and ſpeedily.
Annotations on Pſal. XXXVIII.
Tit. To bring to remembrance] It is uncertain what foreign, foreignin the title of this Pſalm, ſignifies. Some of the Hebrews apply it to their Muſick, but give no clear account of their reaſons, or meaning herein. That which ſeems moſt probable, is, that, as the meat-offering, Levit. 2.2.9.16. is called foreign a memorial, an offering of ſweet ſavour to God, and elſewhere, foreign for a memorial, Lev. 24.7. or rather, as Gods remembring any man is his relieving and helping him; ſo a prayer to God in time of diſtreſs, may fitly be ſtiled foreign, to cauſe remembrance. Thus this Pſalmiſt elſewhere prayes, Lord, remember David and …la his troubles, Pſal. 132.1. and, remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies, Pſal. 25.6. Remember thy congregation, Pſal. 74.2. and many the like. And accordingly this Pſalm, and the ſeventieth, which have this title, are moſt earneſt prayers for relief. There, Make haſt, O God, to deliver me, make haſt, make haſt to help me, O Lord, &c. and here, O Lord, rebuke me not, &c. in the beginning, and forſake me not, O Lord, O my God, be not far from me; make haſt to help me, O Lord my ſalvation, in the end. What the diſtreſs was, that cauſed ſo paſſionate a prayer for relief, will be hard to define Particularly. The outſide of the words and expreſſions ſignifies a ſharp and noyſome diſeaſe. And 'tis not improbable that David ſhould have his part in that kind of affliction, who had ſo large a portion of other ſorts; or that, ſince his perſecutions have furniſhed the Church with ſo many excellent pieces of devotion, his bodily afflictions ſhould proportionably do ſo to: eſpecially, ſince we ſee King Hezekiah, both in his ſickneſs and his recovery, making attempts of this kind. But 'tis alſo poſſible, that Davids other diſtreſſes, of which we have more certain evidence in his ſtory, his perſecutions under Saul, and from his own Son Abſalom, might, by a Pſalmiſt, in Poetick ſtyle, be thus reſembled, and compared with the ſoreſt and moſt noiſome diſeaſes. And therefore I deemed it more ſafe to ſet the paraphraſe, with this latitude of ſignification, applying the words to his ſtreights in general, ſtore of which it is certain he had; rather then to confine them to noiſome diſeaſes, which we read not that he was viſited with at any time.
V. 2. Stick] From foreign deſcendit, are two words in this v. 2. diſtinguiſhable by the nouns to which they are applyed. The former foreign,foreign applyed to arrows, ſignifies going down, i. e. entring deep into the fleſh. The LXXII. read foreign, the Latine, and Syriack and Arabick, infixae ſunt mihi, are faſtened in me; which is but a natural conſequent of entring deep, and ſo is ſet to paraphraſe it. The latter foreign,foreign applyed to hand, ſignifies to come down, or deſcend, with ſome weight to fall upon him. This the Chaldee render foreign remained, and the Syriack foreign and did reſt, as if they read it from foreign to reſt. But the LXXII. foreign, confirmaſti, ſaith the Latine, thou haſt confirmed thy hand upon me, i. e. let it fall hard upon me: the Arabick rightly expreſs their meaning, thy hand is become hard upon me; and ſo this is a good paraphraſtical explication of it.
V. 5. Wounds] From foreign convenit, ſociatus eſt, foreignis foreign a bruiſe from any blow, becauſe the blood or matur aſſociates and gathers together in that place: it ſignifies alſo a boyle or apoſteme. Here 'tis in the former ſenſe, as cauſed by a blow or ſtroke, (and figuratively ſignifies any effect of Gods wrath or diſpleaſure;) and it is ſaid to putrifie, and to ſtink, for ſo the blood and humors thus congregated, and ſtanding ſtill, do putrifie immediately, and will be noiſome, if they be not drawn out. The LXXII. therefore fitly render it, foreign, vibices, ſuch as come from blowes; (but the Syriack, foreign boiles, in the other notion of it) and ſo I ſuppoſe the Chaldee alſo, foreign from foreign and foreign puduit, pudefecit, becauſe ſuch bruiſed parts look black and blew, and are matter of ſhame (from whence the Greek foreign, to give blowes under the eye, is frequently uſed for putting to ſhame;) and accordingly the Chaldee would more fitly be rendered vibices, than cicatrices, ſcars, as the Tranſlation of the Targum and the vulgar Latine have it.
foreignV. 6. Troubled] foreign from foreign incurvatus eſt, is regularly to be rendered, I am incurvate: ſo the Chaldee foreign, from foreign incurvatus eſt, ſignifies. The LXXII. paraphraſe it by foreign, I was afflicted; the Syriack, foreign I was in commotion, I was afraid. But the literal muſt be reteined, to connect it with foreign I was depreſt, foreignor bowed down, that follows; which the LXXII. rightly renders foreign, I was crookt, or bent down. As for the foreign uſque valde, foreignexceeding much, or to extremity, the LXXII. render it foreign, until the end: ſo the Latine, uſque in finem; and ſo the Arabick, for ever, in the notion of foreign for eternity. But in v. 8. where the phraſe is uſed again, they render it foreign, and the Latine nimis, in the notion of that word for very much.
foreignV. 7. Loins] The notion of foreign for the flank is known in Scripture, Lev. 3.4. the kidneys and the fat which is upon them, which is over, or by foreign the flanks: ſo Job 15.27. fat on his foreign flank. And ſo here it muſt be taken for that ſinewy part of the body, next under the loynes, the groine, &c. wherein boils and plague-ſores frequently riſe. Some copies of the LXXII. render it foreign, and thoſe the Latine follow, and read lumbi, loines: but Suidas tells us, what parts of the body foreign, (or, in Hippocrates's dialect, foreign) are; foreign, ſaith he, the kidneys are ſituate in them. Athenaeus, l. 9. out of Simariſtus foreign l. 3. tells, foreign, the word ſignifies fleſhy (in oppoſition to bony) parts over againſt the loins; and out of Clearchus, foreign, l. 2. that they are foreign, muſculous parts on each ſide, adding, that ſome call them foreign. This I ſee …e learned men will have changed into foreign … wombes of the reins, becauſe as was ſaid, foreign, the kidneys are placed in them. But I conceive that is not the importance of foreign, in compoſition, eſpecially at the end of a word: certainly foreign, Exod. 16.13. Numb. 11.31. Pſal. 104.40. Wiſd. 16.2. and 19.12. is not the womb of the quails, but a great ſort of quails, the mother quaile, as foreign is the great, and ſo the mother City: and in this ſenſe ſure the foreign, cannot be called the foreign, the great, or the mother-kidneys. I ſhall therefore adhere to the vulgar reading, that they are in Clearchus called foreign, the great, or the mother nerves: for ſuch indeed are the flanks, griſſly, or nervous parts, beyond all others in the body; and that makes them very ſenſible when any inflammation or ſwelling is in them. Other copies of the LXXII. have inſtead of foreign, my ſoul, and the Arabick follows them. But the former is ſurely the truer reading.foreign Then for foreign wherewith he ſaith his flank is filled, that from foreign vilipendit, is ordinarily rendered in the notion of foule or vile: the Latine renders it illuſionibus, and the Arabick and Aethiopick to the ſame ſenſe, with reproaches, from the Greek foreign, which the Romane edition of the LXXII. have. But it muſt be remembred, that foreign ſignifies alſo to roſt or burne, &c. and ſo the noun by analogy may ſignifie inflammation, (ſuch we know all thoſe boiles and ſores are) and the Chaldee here renders it foreign burning, from foreign to inflame or burne, and from thence is both foreign a feaver, or burning diſeaſe, and foreign a carbuncle, which as it ſignifies a gem, ſo a coal of fire, and a burning boile, or ſwelling alſo. And whereas thoſe editions of the LXXII. which read foreign (not foreign) read (not foreign, but) foreign, that muſt needs be a corruption, very probably for foreign, inflammations; and then there will be a perfect agreement betwixt the Hebrew and Chaldee and LXXII. and the rendring be clear, my flanks are filled with inflammations, by thoſe ſignifying boiles, ſwellings, carbuncles in thoſe nervous parts, very painful and ſenſible by that means.
V. 11. Sore] From foreign to touch, or to wound, or to come near, is foreign here, foreignmy wound, or ſtroke, or bruiſe, the evils that have befallen me. The Chaldee render it foreign my wound or contuſion, the Syriack foreign my grief; but the LXXII. as reading it foreign the verbe, and in the notion of approaching, render it foreign, they came neer, foreign, they came neer me and ſtood over againſt me: and by this they have fully, though paraphraſtically, expreſt the ſenſe of it; as Luk. 10.31, 32. foreign, paſſing by over againſt him that was wounded, ſignifies, not taking any care of him.
V. 12. Snares] foreign is certainly from foreign, foreignand that in Piel ſignifies colliſit, concuſſ…, proſtravit, to deſtroy, ſaith Abu Walid, to lay grins or ſnares, ſaith the Jewiſh Arabick tranſlator, any injurious, or violent uſage, toward any; ſo Pſal. 109.2. foreign let the uſurer catch, or take by violence all that he hath. The Chaldee there render it foreign, from foreign, which with them is to levy, take, or exact: and accordingly the LXXII. here render it foreign, uſed violence; and the Latine, vim faciebant; the Syriack foreign bound me, laid hold on me; and the Arabick, oppreſt me. Only the Chaldee that there rendred it rightly, yet here reading it, as from foreign to lay ſnares; render it foreign laid ſnares; as on the other ſide the LXXII. which duly interpret it here, yet in that of Pſal. 109.11. read foreign, ſearch; either taking it for foreign, that ſo ſignifies, or reſpecting the notion wherein the Arabs uſe foreign, for diſcovering, or ſearching out, as it is in Kamus the great Arabick Dictionary.
V. 12. foreignMiſchievous] From foreign fuit comes the noun foreign for an evil event, calamity, miſchief: ſo Pſal. 41.3. the peſtilence foreign of hurts, we rightly render the noiſome or noxious peſtilence. So Mic. 7.3. foreign the miſchief of his ſoul; and ſo moſt probably, Prov. 10.3. God will overthrow foreign the miſchief of the wicked; and Prov. 17.4. applyed, as here, to the tongue, foreign we rightly render it a naughty tongue. Now becauſe falſeneſs, and deceit, and lying, is generally the means by which the tongue is enabled to hurt, therefore the Chaldee here render it, foreign a lye; and ſo the Syriack alſo, and the LXXII. foreign, vanity, by which they frequently ſignifie falſhood alſo. But the more general notion of it for any kind of evil or miſchief, ſeems moſt proper for it in this place, that of deceits following in this verſe.
V. 18. Be ſorry] foreign ſignifies indeed ſorrow, foreignbut that for the future, and that is all one with fear or ſolicitude; ſo Jer. 17.8. ſhall not be careful in the time of dearth; Jer. 42.16. ſpeaking of the ſword foreign ye feared; Jer. 49.23. on the ſea foreign we render ſorrow, it is, fear or ſollicitude, to expreſs the faintheartedneſs precedent: ſo 1 Sam. 9.5. foreign, and take thought, i. e. be afraid for us. And ſo here foreign I will be afraid of my ſin, ſollicitous concerning it, leſt it bring miſchief upon me, as it juſtly may.