Works Volume 4, Book 2 · Psalm 42
The Forty Second PSALM.
TO the chief Muſitian, Maſchil, for the ſons of Corah.
Paraphrase. The Forty Second is the firſt of the ſecond Book of Pſalms, in the Hebrew partition of them, (which ſecond Book reaches to the end of Pſalm LXXII. and contains one and thirty Pſalms.) It was compoſed in time of his diſtreſs, in his flight from Abſalom, and is chiefly ſpent in bemoaning his detention from Sion, the place of Gods ſolemn worſhip; and was ſet by him to the tune known by the name of Maſchil, (ſee note on Pſal. 32. a.) and committed to the Praefect of his Muſick, to be ſung by the Poſterity of Corch, the ſons of Heman, 1 Chron. 25.4. ſtiled Heman the finger, 1 Chron. 6.33. who came from Elkanah, Aſſir, Abiaſaph, v. 36, 37. three of the poſterity of Coreh. Exod. 6.24. and 1 Chron. 6.22.31. and were not ſlain, Num. 26.11.
1. As the ‖hinde brayeth.hart panteth after the water-brooks, ſo †brayeth.panteth my ſoul after thee, O God.
Paraphrase. 1. No Deer, when he is in the greateſt inward inflammation, expreſſeth more ardent deſire and thirſt of water, than my heart is at this time affected with toward God and his publick ſervice.
2. My ſoul thirſteth for God, for the living God: when ſhall I come and appear before God?
Paraphrase. 2. I am in a moſt impatient thirſt, much afflicted to be kept ſo long from that place, where God is pleaſed to exhibit himſelf to thoſe that come to worſhip him.
3. My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually ſay unto me, Where is thy God?
Paraphrase. 3. It is very great cauſe of continual ſorrow unto me, to hear men reproach me for my truſt in God, thinking that I am wholly forſaken by him.
4. *I remembred theſe things, and poured out my ſoul upon me: for I had gone into the covering, or had gone with the multitude, I had put them forward.When I remember theſe things, I pour out my ſoul in me: for I had gone with the multitude; I went with them to the houſe of God, with the voice of joy and praiſe, ‖a feſtival multitude, or multitude going in devotion.with a multitude that kept holy-day.
Paraphrase. 4. This puts me into a great exceſs of ſorrow and impatience, when reflecting on what I have formerly injoyned▪ I remember how I was wont to go in the ſociety of many pious men, to the place of Gods worſhip, in a moſt cheerful, devout, alacrious manner; but now am, as in a wilderneſs, wholly deprived of theſe moſt divine, pleaſant, and valuable opportunities.
5. Why art thou caſt down, O my ſoul, and why art thou diſquieted in me? Hope thou in God; for I ſhall yet praiſe him, for the help of †or my, ſee note f.his countenance.
Paraphrase. 5. But let me not be dejected, or diſturbed even with this, though as ſad a reflection as is poſſible, viz. to be deprived of theſe bleſſed advantages of ſolemn converſe with God: A full reliance, and reſignation to the divine will, is a medicine for this alſo: and I do not yet deſpair, but I ſhall find ſome way of eſcape, for which to pay my acknowledgments. The time will come, when God ſhall afford me occaſion to praiſe him (ſee v. 8.) for this deliverance alſo, and for the ſupports which his favour hath yielded me in the midſt of all this ſadneſs.
6. O my God, my ſoul is caſt down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and ‖Hermonim, from the little hill.of the Hermonites, from the hill Miſſar.
Paraphrase. 6. Mean-while in this great dejection of my ſpirit, flying from one place to another, from one ſide of Jordan, and the Countrey adjoyning, paſſing over that River, and then ſtill flying on the other ſide of it, from Hermon to Tabor▪ I have nothing to ſupport my ſelf, but meditation on that God which I have hitherto ſerved, and never been deſtituted by him.
7. Deep calleth unto deep †by the voice.at the noiſe of thy water-ſpouts: all thy waves and thy billows *againſt me have paſſed by, or over.are gone over me.
Paraphrase. 7. And by the ſame God, by the ſame moſt gracious providence, I have now been ſupported alſo. For though I have for a while been under thy diſpleaſure, thy puniſhments lying heavy upon me▪ and by them my enemies incouraged to deſign me all miſchief, (who ſeeing the effects of thy diſpleaſure on me, are ſoon excited to add more weight to my preſſures) and though by the conjunction of theſe I have been ready to be overwhelmed; yet at length all is paſt over without doing me any hurt.
8. ‖In the day commanded the Lord his benignity, and in the night was his ſong with me, my prayer—Yet the Lord will command his loving kindneſs in the day time, and in the night his ſong ſhall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
Paraphrase. 8. And the account of it is clear. His gracious providence hath ſurrounded me day and night, my whole time hath been divided between receiving, and acknowledging, and again praying for mercies from him, as from one that delighted in doing me good.
9. I will ſay unto God, My rock, why haſt thou forgotten me? why go I mourning, becauſe of the oppreſſion of the enemy?
Paraphrase. 9. Thus therefore have I conſtantly addreſſed my ſelf to him in this mournful ditty, ſaying. O thou which art the only aid and ſupport of my life, the only ſure fortreſs wherein I can repoſe any truſt, how am I deſpiſed and rejected by thee? what a black gloomy condition am I now in? mine enemies being permitted by thee to oppreſs me ſorely.
10. As with a ſword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me, while they ſay daily unto me, Where is thy God?
Paraphrase. 10. Shimei hath reviled me bitterly, 1 Sam. 16.7, 8. I am pierced hereby, and wounded to the very heart, like one that hath received a killing wound, or ſtroke in his body. And in this greateſt exigence, this loweſt depreſſion, that either the ſcorn or malice of mine enemies can bring upon me, concluding by my preſſures, that God hath utterly forſaken me.
11. Why art thou caſt down, O my ſoul? and why art thou diſquieted within me? Hope thou in God; for I ſhall yet praiſe him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Paraphrase. 11. My ſoul ſhall ſtill make a comfortable reflection in its conſtant recourſe to God: in this my ſaddeſt condition, I have always had ſome hope and comfort left to ſupport me, and keep me from being utterly caſt down, or diſturbed immoderately. And upon the ſtrength thereof, I ſhall for ever incourage my ſelf, to rely and caſt my ſelf intirely on him: not deſpairing but that he will one day return in mercy to me, deliver me out of all my diſtreſſes, and ſhew forth his favour and loving kindneſs to me.
Annotations on Pſal. XLII.
foreignV. 1. Panteth] foreign ſignifies to cry, and is applyed to Beaſts, eſpecially to Deer, when they impatiently deſire the water. This they are ſaid to do, when they have eaten ſome vipers, which medicinally they are ſaid to ſeek and eate, and then are inflamed thereby, and vehemently deſire water to cool them. This they do again when they are hunted hard, that they may cool, and relieve themſelves from the dogs that way. But the more prompt and ready interpretation is, that feeding in a dry and parched wilderneſs, they want, and oft-times can find no water, and then go about and make a mournful noiſe for it. And thus is it moſt fitly applyed to David, when in his flight from Abſalom he was thus in the wilderneſs, deſtitute of the ſpiritual advantages of joyning with the people of God in his ſervice. The word foreign muſt be here taken in the foeminine gender, foreignas appears by foreign following; and accordingly the LXXII. read foreign, in the foeminine.
V. 4. Remember] The firſt words of this v. 4. are by the LXXII. literally rendred from the Hebrew. That reads foreign where the future (as oft elſewhere,foreign) being uſed for the praeter tenſe, the rendring muſt be, I remembred theſe, and poured out my ſoul on my ſelf, i. e. gave my ſelf up into the power of my paſſion, let looſe the reins to my grief; the word foreign ſoul, foreignbeing uſed for the ſenſitive part of the man, and ſo for grief and paſſionate ſorrow. And thus the LXXII. render it, foreign, I remembred theſe things, and poured out my ſoul upon me. But in the remainder of the verſe there is ſome difference: foreign in the future for praeter again,foreign they render, foreign, I will paſs; whereas ſetting down the cauſe of his ſorrow, and the object of his remembrance, it is moſt reaſonable to render it in the time paſt, for, or becauſe I had paſt. Then for foreign,foreign they read, foreign, in the place of the wonderful tabernacle; in all probability reading foreign (which is a future verb, from foreign) as if it were from foreign magnificus, grandis, magnificent, great, excellent, and ſo wonderful. But of theſe words in the Hebrew if we take a cloſer inſpection, we ſhall find them capable of a double rendring; and it will be very uncertain which ſhall be preferred. For the verb foreign from whence foreign comes, hath a double notion; it ſignifies moſt frequently covering, but ſometimes mixing or confounding. In the former notion, it will ſignifie the covering in the Tabernacle, called (from this theme) foreign the covering, … Kin. 16.18. and ſo the Chaldee here have rendred it foreign (and the Jewiſh Arab Interpreter foreign to the ſame ſenſe) umbraculum the covering, meaning no doubt the tabernacle; and ſo the Syriack, foreign (from foreign to cover) in thy covering: and then this is fully expreſt by the LXXII. their reading, foreign, in the place of the tabernacle; and their meaning is plain, I will paſs, for I had paſt, into the Tabernacle, I went with them to the houſe of God. But Abu Walid, mentioning the opinion of ſome who would here underſtand it in the notion of covering, rejects that, and prefers the other, of a company or multitude, or number of men: and the interpretation of the clauſe in his way is, When I paſſed in a company, or multitude, whom I ſet, or put forward to the houſe of God, i. e. whom I followed, or, drove, as it were, before me. For this he will have to be the ſignification of foreign to put or ſet forward, and cauſe to move or go, as a nurſe doth her child, (ſo the word is uſed in the Miſnah) putting it forward to go. And ſo R. Tanchum renders the word, I cauſed them to go. The Jewiſh Arab Interpreter, in a note, ſaith, it implyes ſuch a putting forward, or egging, as the Arabians uſe in their journyings, eſpecially by night: So, ſaith he, our fathers uſed to incite and put men forward, ſaying, Ariſe, let us go up to Zion to the Lord our God. But this word foreign may likewiſe be compared with the Arabick foreign, and then it will ſignifie, to go haſtily, and to throng. And to this agrees foreign in the end of the verſe,foreign which literally ſignifies the feaſting multitude: the Chaldee read foreign, &c. the tumult or noiſe of the people which come to celebrate the feaſts at Jeruſalem; but the LXXII. foreign, the noiſe of the feaſters, from that notion of foreign to tumultuate or make a noiſe, which refers to the noiſe and ſtir at going up to the feaſt from all parts of Judea. The Jewiſh Arab interpreter renders it foreign the multitude of ſuch as went in devotion [to the Temple.] And ſo Abu Walid explains it of ſuch as came to the houſe of God, taking foreign in the notion wherein the Arabs uſually take foreign, to go in devotion, or viſit ſome place accounted ſacred. This notes the joy in undertaking the journey to Gods ſervice, and not the feſtivity it ſelf, when they were come up. Their very going up was a kind of proceſſion, much more then their feaſts themſelves; in oppoſition to which the celebration of Idolatrous feaſts is by the Jews called foreign a ſadneſs: though the heathen Tacitus make the contrary obſervation, (as every one thinks fit to commend his own rites, and defame others) Romani laetos feſtoſque ritus habent, Judaei triſtes ſordidoſque; The Romans have joyful and feſtival Rites, the jews ſad and ſordid.
V. 6. Hermonites] The land of Jordan is that which lies and is enricht by that river, whoſe head is at the foot of Lebanon. Of Hermon, a high hill on the other ſide of Jordan on the eaſt, and known by four names, ſee note on Pſal. 29. d. From this foreign Hermonim here hath its name;foreign and ſignifies the region betwixt Hermon and Tabor, and the inhabitants thereof: which being on a little riſing, it may here be fitly expreſt by foreign from the hill of littleneſs, or the little hill. But Solomon Jarchi and Aben Ezra render Hermonim as the common name of ſeveral hills, as the Alpes in Italy, the mountains of Ararat in Aſia, the mountains of the Moon in Africk. And then Miſſar may likewiſe be the name of an hill, poſſibly that which bordered upon Soar. Gen. 19.30. and then Miſſar and Hermon will be the geſſes of Davids march, the length of the whole Countrey beyond Jordan, which he traverſt in his flight from Abſalom, 2 Sam. 17.22.
foreignV. 7. Deep] foreign is an abyſſe, or deep pit, a place of much waters; ſometimes the whole globe of earth and ſea, Gen. 1.2. ſometimes the whole body of waters here below, Gen. 7.11. Prov. 8.24; and frequently the bottome of the ſea, ſtyled foreign, the Abyſs, Luk. 8.31. Here it ſignifies literally a multitude of waters, either all breaking out of the earth, called the fountains of the great deep, Gen. 7.11. (ſee the Targum on Eccl. 1.7.) or elſe ſome pouring down out of the clouds (ſee note on Pſal. 29.3. ſome riſing out of the earth: ſo ſaith the Chaldee, foreign, the ſuperior abyſſe calls unto the inferior abyſſe. Inſtead of calling ſome render meets; ſo Symmachus, foreign, one deep met another: and that notion the Jewiſh Arab interpreter embraces, foreign deep meeting deep. And this no doubt may go for a ſignificant paraphraſe of it, and hath foundation in the affinity betwixt foreign to meet, and foreign to call. But the literal notation of foreign is certainly that of calling; and that is retained by the Chaldee, and Syriack, and the LXXII. and the reſt of the antient interpreters: and the expreſſion is poetical, their meeting together is, as it were, calling to, and anſwering one the other. And thus, we know, it was in the deluge (to which this probably refers) Gen. 7.11. the ſame day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows or floodgates of heaven were opened. This their breaking out at the ſame time from both places, from above and from below, ſeems to be the fulleſt meaning of the abyſſe calling to, and anſwering one the other. And that which is ſuppoſed to begin, and ſo to call the other, is the Superior, that from the clouds (ſo ſaith the Chaldee:) and this calling is by means of the water-ſpouts, ſo the clouds are poetically ſtyled foreign thy (i. e.foreign Gods) ſpouts (foreign a pipe or ſpout, from whence is Aſſinarus the name of a river in Thucydides, l. 7. deſcending from a ſteep place in a deep channel) The LXXII. read foreign, thy cataracts, pouring down of waters from a much higher place to a low, from the top of an hill or houſe; that as, when it rains apace, that which falls on the top of the houſe, being conveighed thence by ſpouts, (domatum fiſtulas, St. Jerome calls them) comes pouring down upon the ground, and makes a great noiſe in falling, (ſo Kimchi explains it, as the water from the houſe top flows down by the pipe, and cauſeth a great ſound by its deſcent) and much increaſes the flood of water that was below: ſo God pouring out rain from the clouds, as by thoſe ſpouts from the top of the houſe, firſt makes a great noiſe, then much increaſes the water which was formerly below, and makes the ſprings and brooks to riſe, as it were in anſwer to this voice of the clouds, which by this means call upon them, and rouſe them up. This makes it neceſſary to render foreign by the voice of the water-ſpouts, foreignas the inſtrument by which the ſuperiour abyſs calls to the inferior; as one calls, or ſignifies his pleaſure, or ſummons another by a pipe. 'Tis true, the fountains in the earth, the meatus by which the waters paſs into the ſea, are by the Targum, Eccleſ. 1.7. ſtyled foreign the water-pipes of the abyſs; and that may ſeem to determine the phraſe here to theſe inferiour waters. But 'tis as ſure, that any other courſe of waters may be ſo called alſo; and ſo this opening of the windows of heaven, the cataracts from the clouds, that ſuperior abyſs, as here the Chaldee underſtands it. And this is a moſt poetical expreſſion of miſeries flowing in one upon another, ſome from God, and ſome from men; Gods puniſhments for ſin inviting as it were, and calling out the infernal ſpirits, and the malice of men here below, which ſeeing God diſpleaſed, and ſo being permitted by him to be executioners of his wrath, break out violently upon him. And the ſame is farther expreſt by the two words in the remainder of the verſe. All foreign thy colliſions, foreignor fractures] from foreign to break, i. e. all the effects of thy diſpleaſure, which come like waves of the Sea, raiſing themſelves, and then breaking and pouring out upon me. This the LXXII. read, foreign not in the notion of that word, which the vulgar underſtand it in, when they render it excelſa tua, thy high things; but as that word oft ſignifies wavering, and being driven uncertainly (ſee note on Luk. 12. a) and thoſe we know are compared to the waves of the ſea, driven by the winds and toſt, Jam. 1.6. The Syriack render it foreign thy tempeſts, from foreign to break; and ſo alſo the Arabick, thy tempeſts. The other word foreign is beſt rendred by billows, foreignfrom foreign to roll or tumble together in an heap, as the ſea doth its billows: and ſo the LXXII. expreſs the meaning by foreign, which ſignifie theſe. To this the foreign following will be moſt fitly annext, All thy colliſions and rollings on me. And then foreign will ſtand by it ſelf,foreign and the beſt rendred paſſed by, or over, without doing me any harme at all. So Pſal. 48.4. The Kings of the earth were aſſembled, they paſſed by together, without any hoſtile attempt; as farther appears there, v. 5. they were troubled and haſted away. And thus the word foreign is moſt frequently rendred foreign, paſſing over, or by. And then the following verſe, In the day commanded the Lord his benignity] connects very perfectly with it, as the account, why the colliſions and rollings on him, the ſea foaming and making a noiſe, did yet paſſe over, and not drown or hurt him, viz. becauſe God day and night continually protected him.
V. 8. The Lord] For the underſtanding of this v. 8. and connecting it with the antecedents and conſequents, the frequent obſervation of the future tenſe being uſed for the praeter, will be moſt uſefull, and indeed perfectly neceſſary. For the former verſe being in the firſt part of it a ſad deſcription of his miſerable eſtate, and the effects of Gods diſpleaſure toward him, and the latter part of it (as hath been ſhewed) a thankfull acknowledgement of his deliverance from all the miſchievous effects of it; this v. 8. will be a fuller declaration of this mercy of God, to whom only the deliverance was due, In the day commanded the Lord— Not, The Lord will command his loving kindneſs—but more fitly and literally, foreign In the day time commanded the Lord his loving kindneſs, foreigni. e. God was thus pleaſed to deal with me, all the day long to ſend out (ſo foreign ſignifies to diſpenſe, to conferre) benefits and mercies on me, and in the night his ſong was with me; every day I received, and every night I made acknowledgment of his mercies to me: and my prayer to the God of my life, i. e. I ſtill lookt upon God as one that favoured me, and conſtantly preſerved me, and poured his benefits upon me, and ſo prayed to him with all joy and cheerfulneſs and alacrity, and as it follows v. 9. I will ſay unto God, My rock, why haſt thou forgotten me? And this ſeems to be the cleareſt meaning of this place; though the learned Caſtellio, having rendred foreign obruunt, overwhelm, v. 7. hath accordingly affixt another interpretation to theſe verſes, ſolebat Jova, &c. Nunc mihi—God was wont to conferre his benefits in the day time, &c. — Now I muſt thus make my complaint unto my God.
V. 11. My countenance] foreign here my countenance, foreignmay poſſibly have this difference from foreign his countenance, v. 6. (which the Chaldee there renders the redemption foreign which is from before him) that David firſt mentions the ſalvations of Gods countenance, i. e. his ſaving power and providence, and then cloſeth the Pſalm by applying it to himſelf, and acknowledging the particular mercy of his deliverance. Yet conſidering that all the Antients verſions, the Chaldee only excepted, ſeem to have read foreign my countenance (foreign, faciei mei, my face) in both places, and that theſe words are the burden as of this, ſo of the following Pſalm, and that as the ſenſe is the ſame in other words, ſo in all likelihood the two Pſalms did correſpond in this; therefore 'tis not improbable, that the old reading was here in both places foreign my countenance, as it is in both places of the following Pſalm.