Works Volume 4, Book 2 · Psalm 57
The Fifty Seventh PSALM.
TO the chief Muſitian, Altaſchith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the Cave.
Paraphrase. The fifty ſeventh Pſalm was compoſed by David, on occaſion of what happened in Sauls purſuing him, 1 Sam. 24. when David finding Saul in the Cave, might have killed him if he would, but ſpared him, and thereby gave him aſſurance of his friendſhip (and not, as he had been calumniated, enmity) to him. It was ſet to the tune of a former Pſalm, which began with the words, Deſtroy me not, and it is (as the former) ſtiled his jewel, (ſee note on Pſal. 16. ….) in reſpect of the greatneſs of the mercy recounted in it. It was committed to the Prefect of his Muſick.
1. Be merciful unto me, O Lord, be merciful unto me, for my ſoul truſteth in thee: yea in the ſhaddow of thy wings will I make my refuge, untill theſe calamities be overpaſt.
Paraphrase. 1. To thee, O Lord, I make my moſt affectionate and humble addreſs, relying on thee, repoſing my whole truſt in thee, neither ſeeking nor projecting any means of ſafety to my ſelf, ſave that which conſiſts in thine only aid and protection. Be thou mercifully pleaſed to afford me this at this time, and continue it, till this perſecution be over.
2. I will cry unto God moſt high, unto God that ‖performeth for me foreignperformeth all things for me.
Paraphrase. 2. The Lord that hath eſpouſed my cauſe, is a God of might. All that I ever received, hath been from him, my deliverances his immediate vouchſafements; to him therefore now do I with all chearful confidence addreſs my ſupplications.
3. He ſhall ſend from heaven and ſave me ‖he hath put to ſhame.from the reproach of him that would ſwallow me up. Selah. God ſhall ſend forth his mercy and his truth.
Paraphrase. 3. When malicious-mind… men are moſt bitterly ſet againſt me, even to devout and deſtroy me utterly, God ſhall ſend me relief from his throne, by ſome means which he ſhall think fitteſt to chuſe for me, by his †ſo the Chald.Angels, or by his gracious over-ruling providence, diſappointing thoſe that had theſe bloody deſigns againſt me. He hath bound himſelf by promiſe, and ſo both his mercy and fidelity are concerned in it, and he will make good both unto me.
4. †I lie, or, my ſoul, I lie among lions, the ſons of men are ſet on fire, their teeth—My Soul is among Lions, and I lie even among them that are ſet on fire, even the ſons of men; whoſe teeth are ſpears and arrows, and their tongue a ſharp ſword.
Paraphrase. 4. My life is in the ſame danger as if I were incompaſt with Lions; virulent men, ſuch as are continually inflaming and inciting Saul to purſue and deſtroy me, never ſay any thing but with ſome bloody deſign of bringing miſchief upon me.
5. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, let thy glory be above all the earth.
Paraphrase. 5. Lord, be thou pleaſed to reſcue me out of this danger, and ſo to magnifie thy own glory over the pride and malice of the greateſt men, by diſcomfiting and fruſtrating the deſigns of ſuch.
6. They have prepared a net for mp ſteps, my ſoul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midſt of which they are fallen themſelves. Selah.
Paraphrase. 6. They have deſigned very treacherouſly againſt me, like fowlers that by digging holes, and laying gin… or toils in them, inſnare the ſimple unwary bird; and God hath diſappointed them in all their deſigns, brought on them what they had projected againſt me.
7. My heart is *prepared foreign ſee 2 Chron. 30.19. Ezr. 7.10. Pſal. 10.17.fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will ſing, and give praiſe.
Paraphrase. 7. This is enough to raiſe and enliven, and inſpirit any mans heart, to praiſe and magnifie the mercy of ſo ſignal a deliverance. And as there is nothing ſo fit, ſo nothing that I ſhall more readily perform.
8. Awake up my glory, awake Pſaltery and Harp, ‖I will awake the morning.I my ſelf will awake early.
Paraphrase. 8. My tongue (ſee Pſal. 16. note ….) ſhall begin the hymn, and the inſtruments of Muſick ſhall follow in a chearful and melodious note, they ſhall no longer lie idle, when ſuch eminent mercies exact their acknowledgments, and my heart, whoſe tribute is moſt due, and every member of my body, faculty of my ſoul, and action of my life ſhall be moſt diligent in an early payment of it.
9. I will praiſe thee, O God, among the people, I will ſing unto thee among the nations.
Paraphrase. 9. My acknowledgment ſhall not be made to thee in private only, but in the midſt of the congregation, with the greateſt ſolemnity poſſible, calling all others to aſſiſt me in ſo weighty a work.
10. For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the †Sky.clouds.
Paraphrase. 10. For thou haſt in a moſt eminent manner, made good thy great mercy moſt undeſervedly and gratiouſly promiſed to me, and thereby thy fidelity alſo.
11. Be thou exalted, Lord, above the heavens, or thy glory islet thy glory be above all the earth.
Paraphrase. 11. Lord, be thou pleaſed to reſcue me out of this preſent danger, and ſo to magnifie thy own glory over the pride and malice of the greateſt men by diſappointing and fruſtrating their deſigns againſt me, (ſee v. 5.)
Annotations on Pſalm LVII.
foreignTit. Altaſchith] foreign from foreign perdidit, is a form of deprecation [deſtroy not.] It is four times uſed in the titles of the Pſalms, in this, and the two next ſucceeding 58. and 59. and 75. This makes the Chaldees gloſs improbable, viz. that it was compoſed at a time, when he ſaid Deſtroy me not, for that will not fitly be applicable to any, much leſs to all of theſe. 'Tis much more probable that as many other titles of the Pſalms, ſo this was deſigned to denote the melody or tune to which it was ſet, the ſame that had formerly belonged to ſome Pſalm or hymn, beginning with thoſe words, foreign deſtroy not.
foreignV. 3. The reproach] All the Antient Interpreters make foreign a verb (and ſo ſure it is of the preterperfect tenſe in Piel) and apply it to God, that he ſhall deliver David, having ſhamed or reproached his enemies. So the Chaldee foreign he hath reproached, the Syriack foreign and he ſhamed or reproached. So before them the LXXII. foreign, the Vulgar dedit in opprobrium, he gave to reproach, and accordingly the Arabick and Aethiopick. And in all reaſon …o we are to render it, rather then imagine the prefix … to be wanting. But another rendring the words are alſo capable of, foreign he that would ſwallow me up hath reproach't or rail'd againſt me.
foreignV. 4. My ſoul] The rendring of this fourth verſe will depend upon the notion of foreign my ſoul. This, according to the moſt uſual notion of foreign ſignifies no more then I my ſelf, and then it may not improbably connect with foreign in the firſt perſon my ſoul, i. e. I lie among Lions: If not ſo, yet reteining the literal rendring [my ſoul] that may be taken in the vocative caſe, as part of a ſoliloquy, O my ſoul, I lie—In either of theſe rendrings the following words will flow readily, foreign the ſons of m…n are ſet on fire, foreignforeign &c. their teeth are ſpears—
foreignV. 8. Awake] foreign from foreign is moſt fitly to be taken in the tranſitive ſenſe for exciting or ſtirring up, and ſo awakening. So 'tis generally taken, and then foreign being a noun, that ſignifies the dawning firſt light of the morning, the phraſe foreign will be beſt rendred, I will awake the morning, a Poetick ſtrain, imitated by Ovid, and frequent among Poets, Non vigil ales ibi criſtati cantibus oris Evocat auroram, The cock by his crowing calls not up the morning there.
V. 10. The clouds] From foreign comminuit, foreignis the noun foreign the heaven, from the thinneſs of the Subſtance thereof. And it ſeems to be taken not for the aereal part (which contains the Clouds) but the aethereal, which comprehends the Sun, Moon, and Stars. So Pſalm. 89.37. where the Moon is called the faithfull witneſs foreign in heaven. So v. 6. who in the heavens foreign ſhall be compared unto the Lord? meaning the higheſt heavens, not the clouds. So Iſai. 45.8. foreign in the plural, Let the heavens diſtill righteouſneſs, to ſignifie not the clouds that diſtill the dew (as the Chaldee there underſtands, and renders it, foreign and the clouds) but God the Lord, that doth all theſe things, v. 7. ſo Jer. 51.9. is lifted up to foreign where the Chaldee renders foreign the heavens of heavens, or higheſt heavens. I ſuppoſe there in the notion of the higheſt heavens, though that phraſe do not always ſignifie ſo (ſee note on Pſal. 148.4.) And ſo in this place foreign in the former part of the verſe regularly ſignifies the regions of the air, foreignfrequently called foreign, heavens; and then in all reaſon foreign ſhall ſignifie not the ſame again, but the aethereal regions, and ſo will beſt be rendred, Skie, the ſeat of the Stars: the Chaldee reteineth the ſame word, only changed into the plural, foreign ▪ heavens, the Syriack alſo, departing from the LXXII. (which read foreign ▪ clouds) render it foreign, to the heavens of heavens. The Jewiſh Arab renders it foreign from a root differing from the Hebrew only by the change of ח into ה, foreign which though not uſually found applied to the heavens, yet may well ſignifie the higheſt of them, properly ſignifying heights, as joyned with the name of mountain, the heights or higheſt tops of the mountains, and that is the peculiar ſtyle for the athereal bodies, foreign, heights, and foreign, the higheſt, which makes it reaſonable for us to render it Skie, and not Clouds.