Works Volume 4, Book 2 · Psalm 58
The Fifty Eighth PSALM.
TO the chief Muſitian, Altaſchith, Michtam of David.
Paraphrase. The fifty eighth Pſalm is a contemplation of the injuſtice and incorrigible wickedneſs of men, eſpecially of his enemies that exaſperated Saul againſt him, together with Gods unexpected ſpeedy vengeance on them. 'Twas ſet to the tune which began with the words. Deſtroy not, (ſee note on Pſal. 5… ▪ ….) and (as ſeveral others) ſtyled Davids jewel, becauſe of the ſignal acts of Gods juſt judgment mentioned in … ▪ (ſee note on Pſal. 16. a.) and was compoſed by David, and committed to the Praefect of his Muſick.
1. Do ye indeed ſpeak righteouſneſs, O ‖congregation foreigncongregations? do ye judge uprightly, O ye ſons of men?
Paraphrase. 1. 'Tis lamentable to conſider how little truth and juſtice is left in the world, even among th…ſe whoſe quality moſt … it from them.
2. Yea in heart ye work wickedneſs, †on the earth; Your hands, or you with your hands frame violence.you weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
Paraphrase. 2. All their thoughts and deſigns are continually imployed in miſchief, all the buſineſs of their lives to fit it, and frame it, perfect and compaſs it to the beſt advantage.
3. The wicked are eſtranged from the womb; they go aſtray *from the belly foreignas ſoon as they be born, ſpeaking lyes.
Paraphrase. 3. Vice begins and takes poſſeſſion of them very early, from their very birth, as it were; in their very firſt and tendereſt childhood, they tranſgreſs the rules of juſtice, tell lyes as ſoon as they are able to ſpeak; the corruption of their nature ſoon ſhews it ſelf in inclinations to ill, and they make not uſe of divine grace, or humane diſcipline, to reſtrain it, but ſet out, and begin their age with ſinning, and ſo proceed without reformation.
4. Their poiſon is like the poiſon of a ſerpent: they are like the deaf adder that ſtoppeth her ear.
5. Which will not hearken to the voice of the charmers, ‖the wiſard that uſeth incantationscharming never ſo wiſely.
Paraphrase. 4, 5. They are full of nothing but wickedneſs, therein to be reſembled to ſerpents, the moſt poiſonous noxious creatures: and one reſemblance more they have to one famous ſort of ſerpents, thoſe of whom the naturaliſts ſay, that being deaf of one ear by nature, they have a way of making themſelves perfectly deaf, on purpoſe to preſerve themſelves from the force of the wiſards charms, deſigned to lull them aſleep and take them. And thus do theſe obſtinate incorrigible men reſolve never to admit or hearken to any means, which may have force to perſwade them to leave their wicked ways, are to all methods of working their reformation impregnable, and imperſuaſible.
6. ‖Thou wilt break foreignBreak their teeth, O God, in their mouth; break out the †grinders foreigngreat teeth of the young Lions, O Lord.
Paraphrase. 6. But God will diſappoint their poiſonous and miſchievous deſigns; he will weaken and diſable them, deprive them of the weapons, or opportunities of their malice; as ſnakes or ſerpents that have their teeth pulled out: and for the more violent open oppreſſors, that Lion-like invade the innocent, he will diſarm them of thoſe inſtruments whereby they rend and enjoy their prey, and though their ravenous wicked inclinations and appetites remain, yet ſhall God reſtrain them from breaking out, to the deſtroying of his ſervants.
7. *They ſhall melt as waters go from themſelves; he ſhall direct his arrows (ſee note on Pſa. 64. a.) as if they were …ut aſunder.Let them melt away as waters that run continually: when he bendeth his bow to ſhoot his arrows, let them be cut in pieces.
Paraphrase. 7. Their preparations and forces ſhall be routed, all their deſigns diſappointed and fruſtrated, never attaining the end which their malice had projected to the hurt of others.
8. As a ſnail that melteth, ‖he ſhall paſsaway as the deciduous faln, or dead embryon of a woman, they ſhall not—let every one of them paſs away, like the untimely fruit of a woman, that they may not ſee the Sun.
Paraphrase. 8. As a ſnail melts, and exhauſts, and utterly conſumes it ſelf, when it goes out of the ſhell, every motion tends to the diſſolving and melting of it; or as an Embryon in the womb, when the ligatures of life are diſſolved, preſently pines away, and comes to nought; ſo ſhall they and all their malitious deſigns be blaſted and fruſtrated and deſtroyed, and never arrive or attain to their deſired ſucceſs.
9. Before your †or thorns know the brier.pots can feel the thorns, he ſhall *hurry them away as it were alive, as it were in fury; or ſo ſhall rawneſs, ſo ſhall anguiſh know them, or affright them.take them away as with a whirlewind, both living and in his wrath.
Paraphrase. 9. And the unexpected ſuddenneſs of this is oft very obſervable: You cannot imagine a cauldron, with a flame of brambles or thorns under it, to be ſooner heated, and that which is in it ſcalded by the fire, or a thorn and a brier entangled one in another, that this vexation, or deſtruction and diſcomfiture is wrought on wicked men: As a tempeſt, or whirlewind, or as a man in a rage hurries away any thing, ſo ſhall the wicked be hurried away, ſeiſed on, and carried alive, as it were, in a trice, before they can think of any means to prevent it.
10. The righteous ſhall rejoyce when he ſeeth the vengeance; he ſhall waſh his footſteps in the blood of the wicked.
Paraphrase. 10. All good men ſhall ſee, and obſerve this dealing of God with theſe, and bleſs his Name for their own deliverance out of their hands, and receive benefit and confirmation by ſight of this vengeance that falls on them.
11. ‖And וSo that a man ſhall ſay, Verily there is †fruit foreigna reward for the righteous; verily he is a God that judgeth the earth.
Paraphrase. 11. And all that behold it ſhall be forced to acknowledge, that piety and vertue are matters of advantage and benefit in this world, (abſtracted from all reward in another life;) diſappointments, and ſuddain blaſts, and deſtructions being the ordinary guerdon of impiety, and peace and proſperity of conſcientious and pious dealing, of juſtice, and of charity. And this on both ſides an infallible evidence of conviction, that this world is not governed by chance, but adminiſtred and managed by an all-mighty, all-wiſe, and moſt juſt providence.
Annotations on Pſalm LVIII.
foreignV. 2. Weigh] All the Antient Interpreters conſent to annex foreign on the earth] to the former part of the verſe: foreign, ye work wickedneſs on the earth, ſay the LXXII. and ſo the Chaldee, and Syriack, &c. by that meaning all the ſpace that they live upon the earth in this world.foreign Then for foreign your hands,] they generally render it ſo, as to go before, and govern the verb foreign: ſo the LXXII. foreign; and the vulgar, injuſtitias manus veſtrae concinnant, your hands weave, or frame wickedneſs; the Chaldee foreign your hands prepare evil; and the reſt after the ſame manner, (only the Jewiſh Arab goes the other way, reading, In the regions you weigh the injuſtice of your hands.) And in caſe the verb (as it will bear) ſhould be in the ſecond perſon, there will yet be no reaſon to joyn foreign to foreign the iniquity of your hands: The more probable rendring will be by underſtanding the prepoſition ב (prefixt to foreign heart in the former part of the verſe, and ſo fit to be foreign, repeated here) in, or with the heart ye work wickedneſs on the earth, with your hands you frame or prepare violence. The word foreign ſignifies to weigh in a balance, foreignand to frame any thing by rule and line: and in this latter ſenſe the Chaldee underſtand it, rendring it by foreign from foreign to prepare, or fit, or frame, any thing; and herein the Latine chooſe to follow them (rather than the LXXII.) concinnant, they frame, which the LXXII. more looſely and paraphraſtically render▪ foreign, they complicate, as that ſignifies weaving, or texture, and ſo by a metaphore, framing alſo.
3. From the womb] foreign and foreign, from the womb, foreignand from the belly, are not ſtrictly to be taken for the hour or minute after birth, as if they did actually ſin, or tell lyes, as ſoon as ever they were born; but in that latitude that averſions (ſo foreign ſignifies) and ſtraying and ſpeaking lyes are capable of,foreign i. e. as ſoon as they are by age, and underſtanding, and uſe of their faculties qualified for ſinning, which is not many moneths after their birth, they do actually fall into ſin, and accordingly grow up with it, without reformation.
V. 4. Deaf adder] foreign the deaf viper, foreignor adder, is ſaid to be ſo called, becauſe (ſaith Schindler in the word foreign) being deaf of one ear, he uſeth to ſtop the other with duſt, or with his tail, to avoid the force of charms or incantations wherewith he is wont to be caught. Of this art of catching Dragons in India, Philoſtratus gives an account in the *L. 3. c. 2. p. 113. A.life of Apollonius; On the mountain, ſaith he, foreign, they are wont to hunt the dragons; and there are three parts of the prize, when they are caught (foreign) foreign,P. 114. …. the eyes, the skin, and the teeth, but eſpecially the firſt, the apples of their eyes being foreign,Ib. A. 116. A. a ſtone bright as fire, foreign, florid and ſparkling out all manner of colours, and of ſecret and unſpeakable efficacy, ſuch as Gyges his ring is ſaid to be. The hope of this gain ſtirs up the inhabitants to uſe all arts to circumvent and take them. And this is the Indian manner of it,P. 114. C. foreign— they take a ſcarlet coat imbroydered with golden letters, and ſpread it before the ſerpents hole, and theſe golden letters have a faſcinating power over him, and therewith his eyes, though as hard as ſtones, are yet overcome and laid to ſleep. And beſides, foreign, They have Charms of hidden wiſdom (or ſorcery) which they uſe to him, and thereby he is brought to put his neck out of the hole, and ſleep upon the golden letters, and then the Indian taking that advantage cutteth off his head with an axe, and ſeiſeth upon his prey, the ſtones which he findes in the head. Here is a ſignal teſtimony of the received cuſtome of charming or inchanting of ſerpents, very agreeable to the expreſſion of the Chaldee here, which ſtiles it the voice of inchanting words, which binde the Serpents, i. e. lay them faſt aſleep. For the avoiding of which danger, the deaf adder, ſo called, becauſe he hears but of one ear, is ſuppoſed to ſtop his other ear, and ſo to ſecure himſelf. Whether there be exact truth in this, is not material to the Pſalmiſts uſe of it, or to the explicating the meaning of this alluſion, which as from a thing vulgarly believed, ſets forth the matter in hand, the imperſuaſibleneſs of wicked men, who will not be wrought upon by any the wiſeſt and divineſt arts of perſwaſion, to forſake his courſe, or be won and gained and caught to virtue, but fortifies himſelf impregnable againſt all ſuch artifices, that he can foreſee likely to have efficacy upon him.
foreignV. 5. Charmers ▪] foreign from foreign to murmur or whiſper, ſignifies thoſe that uſe charms. As for the other part of the verſe, it will beſt be underſtood by joyning the laſt word foreign the wiſe, foreignor wiſard, by way of appoſition to the charmers precedent; and then with that will connect foreign that inchants inchantments, i. e. uſeth all the inchantments he is furniſht with, foreignforeign (from foreign to aſſociate) denoting a conjurer, or inchanter, that either brings many creatures into one place by his charms, or elſe ſtills them, that they ſhall not hurt, by that means. And then the phraſe [inchanting inchantments] is but ordinary Hebrew ſtile, very frequent in all words where any foreign, aggravation is to be expreſt.
foreignV. 6. Teeth] The mention of [teeth] in this firſt place, with the relative [their,] looks moſt probably on the adders or ſerpents immediately foregoing, whoſe poyſon and noxious power is in their teeth, and the way to diſarm a ſnake is to deprive him of his teeth. This they that keep them tame uſually do, by putting to them a piece of red cloth in which they love to fix their teeth, and ſo draw them out. And breaking them is equivalent to drawing them. This mention of teeth fairly introduces that which follows concerning the Lion, whoſe doing miſchief with that part is more violent and formidable, and ſo ſignifies the open riotous invader, the violent and lawleſs perſon, as the ſerpents teeth the more ſecret undiſcernible wounds of the whiſperer, or backbiter, which yet are as dangerous and deſtructive as the former, by the ſmalleſt prick killing him on whom they faſten.
foreignV. 7. Run] foreign (from foreign going or going away) will be here beſt joyned with foreign as waters, and rendred thus, They ſhall melt as waters depart or go foreign from themſelves (ſo the Chaldee foreign they ſhall fall away from themſelves) this being the nature of water, foreignwhen it is not coopt up in ſome veſſel, or incloſed within banks, to run about, to depart from its own ſphaerical nature, and every part to leave the other (ſo the Jewiſh Arab reads, let them be diſſolved as waters, that go their way) or when it is in a current, continually to flow, and not remain: and ſo the reſemblance is moſt fit to deſcribe the deſtruction which is here aboded to the wicked, by way of melting or falling aſunder, which is nothing elſe but the departing of one part from the other, ſo as not to return again to their ſtate. To this well accords the other part of this verſe, He ſhall direct or ſend out his arrows, foreignforeign as if they were cut in ſunder, (from foreign to cut in pieces:) i. e. when he prepares his arrows, ſends out the inſtruments of his malice, they ſhall not come to their deſigned mark; but, as when arrows are cut in ſunder, before they go out of the bow the pieces fly not out, but fall preſently to the ground, ſo ſhall it be with his intended miſchiefs, they ſhall be fruſtrated, diſappointed utterly, unable to hurt any man. Abu Walid obſerves of the word foreign, that it implies as much as if 'twere ſaid, let them be cut in two like ſtraws. And the Jewiſh Arab, though he interpret the former part by change of the perſon, [when thou ſetteſt thine arrows to the ſtring againſt them] yet in this part he agrees, [ſo let them be cut off as an ear of corn. The noun foreign we have Deut. 23.26. for ſtalks, or ears of corn; and if the verb may draw any ſignification from thence, then this will be the meaning, that their arrows, when ſhot, ſhould fall aſunder, like the ear from the ſtraw, to which Job ſeems to refer ch. 41.27, 29. He eſteemeth iron as ſtraw, and braſs as rotten wood, Darts are counted as ſtubble, &c. In the beginning of the verſe, for foreign ſhall melt, foreignfrom foreign liquefacit, the LXXII. reads foreign, which is thought to ſignifie being deſpiſed or contemned, and ſo to be the rendring of foreign ſprevit: but foreign may rather be underſtood there for bringing to nothing, and ſo the vulgar Latine underſtood the LXXII. who read ad nihilum devenient, they ſhall come to nothing; and ſo it is a clear periphraſis of the melting which the Hebrew deſigned, and fitly agrees to the reſemblance of water falling on a plain, where it runs abroad, and comes to nothing.
V. 8.foreign Snail] What foreign here ſignifies cannot be certainly defined, being but this once in the whole Bible. The LXXII. render it foreign, as wax, and the Syriack and Latine &c. follow them. And if it be thus rendred,foreign then the verb foreign which is joyned to it, muſt be taken in the Arabick notion of it (not unuſual in the Bible) for periſhing and being deſtroyed, or in the notion wherein 'tis uſed here v. 7. of waters which go from themſelves, and is there a reſemblance of melting. But the Chaldee may alſo deſerve to be heard, who read foreign as a reptile, or crawling, &c. which interpreting the word of ſome creeping thing, which is an eminent example of melting, ſeems to apply it to a ſnail, (which notion Abu Walid prefers before any) when he goes out of his ſhell, (to which alſo the [foreign walking or going out] fitly agrees) which melts and leaves the marks thereof behind, whereſoever he goes, foreign wets or moiſtens his way, ſaith the Chaldee, till at length by degrees he conſumes and deſtroys himſelf. And with this agrees the latter part of the verſe, that other reſemblance of foreign the abortive, foreignor as the word from foreign ſignifies, the falling fruit of a woman, meaning the child in the womb, when by the diſſolving of the ligatures, by which it is knit to the womb, and by which it receives all its nouriſhment, it falls down, and if it continue in the womb, from that time it preſently melts and conſumes away, as the ſnail did by going out of his ſhell. For this the LXXII. read foreign, the fire fell (and ſo the Latine and Syriack, &c.) reading it ſeems foreign, and applying it to the wax precedent: As on the other ſide, the Chaldee, looking forward to the concluſion of the verſe, of not ſeeing the Sun, for foreign the woman, read foreign the mole, and ſo joyn that with the abortive child, as an abortive and blind mole (ſo falſe conceptions, or liveleſs embryons are wont to be called) which ſee not the Sun. But the Hebrew will beſt be rendred ſo, as the ſnail and the child dead in the womb may be the two reſemblances to expreſs the blaſting of the wicked mans deſignes; and then the not ſeeing the Sun] be applied only to the wicked, not either to the ſnail, or that fruit in the womb (though in the latter of them it certainly holds alſo) that he ſhall not ſee the Sun, i. e. ſhall not bring his deſigned or projected malice to light, ſhall be diſappointed and blaſted, and conſumed, before he bring it forth.
foreignV. 9. Pots] foreign ſignifies two things, a thorne, and a pot or veſſel to be ſet over the fire. In the latter ſenſe the LXXII. (though they here, and Eccl. 7.7. render it in the former foreign, and Hoſ. 2.6. foreign) do oft take it and render it foreign, cauldron, 22. times, and foreign, braſs-pot twice, and foreign, which we render pot, 2 Chron. 4.11. and foreign, a pan, Exod. 27.3. and 38.3. and Jer. 52.18. and foreign a cauldron, Jerem. 52.19. And if we ſhall here take it in that ſenſe, then for the pot to underſtand (ſo foreign from foreign ſignifies) or rather to feel the thorns, foreigni. e. the fire that is made of thorns (a quick and ſcorching fire) will be no more than to be heated by a fire of thorns: That is very inſtantly done, the fire is inſtantly kindled into a great flame, and ſo the Cauldrons that are over it are ſoon heated, and what is in them, ſcalded by it. This reſemblance therefore is fitly ſet to expreſs the ſwiftneſs of wicked mens deſtruction, and hath the ſame importance, that the Greek adage, foreign ▪ or the Latine, citius quam aſparagi coquuntur, ſooner than aſparagus is boiled. (which yet is ſo very little while a doing.) But the LXXII. as was ſaid, render foreign here in the other notion by foreign, thorns; and ſo it may alſo ſignifie. For thorns and briers, foreign and foreign, being both noxious ſhrubs, of the ſame kind, full of hooks and prickles, upon the firſt touch are united and claſpt faſt together, entangled in one another, and grow one upon the ſuddain, have an intimate acquaintance as it were (the importance of foreign) upon the firſt meeting. And in this ſenſe there is ground alſo for the Proverb, eſpecially when there is ſpeech of divers naughty perſons (as here there is) agreeing one with the other in their irregular intangling figures, i. e. in the like miſchievous diſpoſitions. And to this purpoſe is that adage in Ariſtotle, Moral. l. 7. foreign, One thief, and one wolf or rapacious perſon knoweth another. And then it will be thus rendred, Ere your thorns underſtand or know the brier, ere they are combined together, where they can grow acquainted (which they uſually do at their very firſt encounter, and can hardly be got aſunder again) foreign ſo, &c. Theſe latter words (as the former, and in proportion with them) are alſo capable of a double interpretation. For if foreign be taken,foreign as moſt frequently it is, for vivum, living, then moſt probably foreign muſt be rendred in the notion of foreign horruit, foreignor horripilavit, horror or ſtaring of the hair, cauſed by fright, or of foreign (changing ש into ט) carrying away with a whirlwind or tempeſt; and then the latter part will be thus rendred, ſo ſhall he affright and perplex them, or ſo ſhall he hurry them away with a whirlwind, as it were alive (as when the earth ſwallowed up Corch) and (again) as in anger or fury. For when a man is in rage, then he hurries them away with whom he is thus diſpleaſed, and ſtays not firſt to kill, and then carry away, which requires time, but as it were alive hurries them tempeſtuouſly no man knows whither, by both theſe noting the ſwiftneſs and terribleneſs of it. And though God be not capable of ſuch incitation, yet foreign,foreign as if he were thus in a rage or incitation, he will thus hurry them away, as it were alive. And ſo this may be the meaning of the phraſe, if only we ſuppoſe an ellipſis of ב in before foreign, and read as it were in anger, or fury; but it is poſſible foreign may be ſubſtantively taken,foreign and be of ſome affinity with foreign and then both theſe joyn together in the nominative caſe. To which purpoſe it may be conſidered, that Levit. 13.16. in the examination of the leper, foreign ſignifies raw fleſh, and ſo our old tranſlation here took it, rendring it a thing that is raw. And then rawneſs and anger (in that dialect, wherein we call a ſore angry, which is painful or inflamed) will ſignifie joyntly that anguiſh which proceeds from an inflamed wound, and thus be rendred, ſo ſhall rawneſs, ſo ſhall anger, or inflammation (foreign from foreign inflammatus eſt) affright, or perplex them. Beſides this, the Arabick notion of foreign is conſiderable,foreign for knowing or underſtanding; and then there will be a farther elegancy, in alluſion to the knowing of the briers and thorns forementioned; and the rendring thus, Ere the thorns know the briers, ſo ſhall rawneſs, ſo ſhall inflammation or anguiſh know them. And if foreign will bear this ſenſe propoſed, this will be a fair and ready meaning of the paſſage.
V. 10. foreignWaſh his footſteps] foreign ſignifies primarily (from foreign impulit) an hammer, then the ſoles of the feet by which the earth is troden on, or beaten: ſo the LXXII. (though here they read foreign, hands) render it Pſal. 17.5. foreign, my footſteps, where the Chaldee hath foreign my feet. As for the phraſe, waſhing their feet in the blood of the ungodly, it literally ſignifies the plentifull effuſion of the blood of wicked men, which the godly live to ſee; but figuratively to refreſh (as waſhing of feet was deſigned to weary travailers) to recreate, and withal to benefit and profit them (as bathing was a principal part of the antient medicine;) and ſo, beſides the thankful acknowledgment of Gods mercy to them, in thus deſtroying their enemies, (which is ſome refreſhment to thoſe that are under their perſecution) they receive profitable document alſo to cleave faſt to God, and the practice of all virtue, which hath this aſſurance to be ſecured and remunerated in this life.