Works Volume 4, Book 2 · Psalm 59
The Fifty Ninth PSALM.
TO the chief Muſitian, Altaſchith, Michtam of David, when Saul ſent, and they watcht the houſe to kill him.
Paraphrase. The fifty ninth Pſalm was compoſed on a ſpecial occaſion, ſet down 1 Sam. 19.11. when, after Sauls caſting his javelin at David, he fled to his own houſe, and Saul ſent meſſengers to watch the houſe in the night, that they might ſlay him in the morning, but David being by Michals help let down by a window, eſcaped, v. 20. This Pſalm, as the former, was called his jewel, and was ſet to the tune forementioned (Pſal. 57. a.) and committed to the Praefect of his Muſick.
1. Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that riſe up againſt me.
2. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and ſave me from the bloody man.
Paraphrase. 1, 2. O thou my moſt gratious God, mine only Protector and Defender, be thou pleaſed to interpoſe thine hand, to reſcue me out of the power of my wicked and blood-thirſty enemies.
3. For lo, they lie in wait for my ſoul: the mighty are gathered againſt me, not for my tranſgreſſion, not for my ſin, O Lord.
4. They run and prepare without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.
Paraphrase. 3, 4. Now is a ſeaſon for this thy ſpecial interpoſition, for the aid and relief of thy all-ſeeing Providence; for now Saul and his ſervants have deſigned my death: and though I never in the leaſt provoked him, but, on the other ſide, have deſerved very well of him, yet are they reſolved to intrap and catch me, and then to take away my life.
5. Thou therefore, O Lord God of hoſts, the God of Iſrael, awake to viſit all ‖or nations. foreignthe heathen, be not merciful to any wicked tranſgreſſor. Selah.
Paraphrase. 5 Now therefore, O thou moſt powerful God, which canſt with the leaſt b…ck of thine diſcomfit the ſtrongeſt forces, and haſt promiſed to watch over thy faithful ſervants, be thou pleaſed to ſhew forth thy juſt judgments among men, to vindicate the innocent, and to diſſipate all obſtinate wilful ſinners, (ſee v. 8. and Pſalm 10.16.) This thou wilt certainly do, who art the upright judge of all the word: and though thou wilt pardon, and accept upon their repentance and amendment, the lapſes of thy ſervants; yet 'tis certain, that even in thy covenant of mercy there is no relief for the wilful and impenitent: And this abodes moſt ſadly to Saul at this time.
6. They return at evening; they make a noiſe like a dog, and go round about the City.
Paraphrase. 6. As hungry dogs that come home at evening, and are very unquiet, and go about the walls of the City for Carrion, dead carcaſſes caſt out thither, or any thing elſe that may ſatisfie their hunger; ſo do the ſervants of Saul purſue and ſeek after my life, with the greateſt impatience and greedineſs that is poſſible.
7. Behold, they †ſpeak withbelch out with their mouth, ſwords are in their lips; for, *or who doth hear, or obey foreignWho, ſay they, doth hear?
Paraphrase. 7. All their conſultations and diſcourſe is to contrive how they may take away my life; and herein they go on unanimouſly, no man among them makes conſcience of duty, (as if there were never a God in heaven to obſerve and puniſh ſuch injuſtice and violence.)
8. But thou, O Lord, ſhalt laugh at them; thou ſhalt have all ‖or nations foreignthe heathen in deriſion.
Paraphrase. 8. But thou, O Lord, art a beholder of all their actions as of all things elſe that are done in the world: whoſoever hath any deſign contrary to thee, (ſee v. 5.) though thou permit him a while, yet in thy ſeaſon thou ſhalt diſappoint and puniſh him. This is the method of thy Providence over all the people of the world; and thus ſhalt thou now do in this caſe, diſappoint and fruſtrate all them that watch to take away my life.
9. ‖His ſtrength will I repoſe on thee, or, his ſtrength will I ward or keep my ſelf from, at thee,Becauſe of his ſtrength will I wait upon thee; for God is my defence.
Paraphrase. 9. The God of heaven is the only ſafeguard and ſecurity, the only means of protection I have, or can pretend to; therefore on him only will I depend for relief, or reſcue from this danger.
10. The God of †or, his. See note b.my mercy ſhall prevent me: God ſhall let me ſee my deſire upon mine enemies.
Paraphrase. 10. All the good that can ever befal me comes from the meer grace and mercy of God; on that therefore I wait with confidence, and implore with humility, that he will now timely afford it me, and diſappoint and diſcomfit mine enemies.
11. Slay them not, leſt my people forget: ſcatter them by thy power, and bring them down, O Lord our ſhield.
Paraphrase. 11. As for the manner of it, that muſt alſo be referred to the wiſdom of thy choice, to do it in ſuch a way as may have the deepeſt and moſt laſting impreſſion on the beholders: and that it will not ſo probably do, if thou involve them in one ſpeedy univerſal ſlaughter, which, though it may affect the beholders at the time, will be ſoon forgotten again; but by ſome more lingring way, ſcattering them firſt, and then rendring them the objects of contempt, caſting them ſeverally into a very low condition in their diſperſions; for that will continue to mind men of this work of thy vengeance, to which all theſe evils are naturally conſequent. And this is the method that thou wilt now uſe in diſcomfiting them, and defending me.
12. *The ſin of their mouth is the word of their lips, and they ſhall be takenFor the ſin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride, and for ‖perjury foreigncurſing and lying which they ſpeak.
Paraphrase. 12. This have they juſtly brought upon themſelves by their perjurious falſeneſs and boldneſs, their maligning and threatening thoſe which never deſerved ill of them, and their continual going on, and obſtinate imperſuaſibleneſs therein.
13. Conſume them in thy wrath, conſume them that they may not be; †and they ſhall know, foreignand let them know that God ruleth in Jacob, unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
Paraphrase. 13. And thus ſhall God certainly deal with them, ſending puniſhment upon puniſhment till they be quite deſtroyed; and this in ſo ſignal a manner, that all that behold it ſhall diſcern Gods judgment in it, and his particular Providence in the government of the world.
14. And at evening *they ſhall return, foreignlet them return, and let them make a noiſe like a dog, and go round about the city.
Paraphrase. 14. Under this judgment of Gods, they ſhall indeed be what their own voluntary ſins had made them before, v. 6. the hunger of the dog ſhall be their plague, as the ravenouſneſs hath before been their ſin.
15. ‖They ſhall wander, foreignLet them wander up and down for meat, †if they be not ſatisfied and continue all night.and grudge if they be not ſatisfied.
Paraphrase. 15. A beggarly and indigent, and ſo an unſatisfied and weariſome condition, ſhall be their lot, the greateſt worldly plague that can fall on any, large appetites, and no poſſeſſions or acqueſts to ſatisfie them.
16. But I will ſing of thy power; yea I will ſing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou haſt been my defenſe and refuge in the day of my trouble.
Paraphrase. 10. Mean while I am eternally obliged to proclaim thy power and might, and withal to make my ſolemneſt acknowledgments of thy favour and goodneſs to me, and to make this the matter of my daily morning lauds, that in my greateſt diſtreſs thou haſt thus delivered and ſecured me.
17. Unto thee, O my ſtrength, will I ſing: for God is my defenſe, *God is my mercy. foreignand the God of my mercy.
Paraphrase. 17. To the therefore I thus come, with all the rejoycing of an humble heart, as to one that never fails to relieve, when I want relief, and ſo eminently to make good his promiſed bounty toward me.
Annotations on Pſalm LIX.
foreignV. 7. Belch] From foreign ſcaturivit, is the ſame word uſed in a metaphorical ſenſe, for pouring out words, as a ſpring doth water, and ſimply for ſpeaking, as Pſal. 78.2. foreign I will utter dark ſayings, and Pſal. 19.3. night unto night foreign ſhall utter a word, and Prov. 1.23. foreign I will declare to you. And ſo in all reaſon here foreign they ſpeak with their mouths, and ſwords are in their lips, i. e. whenſoever they ſpeak or ſay any thing, 'tis ſome bloody matter or other: and accordingly as the Chaldee retain the Hebrew word, ſo the LXXII. read foreign, and the Latine loquentur, they will ſpeak; and the Syriack more expreſly foreign the word of their mouth a ſword in their lips.
foreignV. 9. Becauſe of his ſtrength] What foreign here ſignifies, is ſomewhat hard to determine. 'Tis literally to be rendred his ſtrength; yet all the antient interpreters, as now we have them, render it, as if it were foreign my ſtrength; foreign my ſtrength, ſaith the Chaldee, and foreign, my ſtrength, the LXXII. and the Latine, fortitudinem meam. And ſo the context may be deemed to require, which joyns it with foreign to thee, as if it were thus to be rendred, my ſtrength will I keep or repoſe with, or on thee, foreign(taking foreign from foreign in the notion of repoſuit, as it ſometimes ſignifies) for God is my defence. This interpretation of the phraſe is generally pitcht on by the interpreters, ſave that the Syriack takes a greater liberty of paraphraſe, and reads, foreign O God, I will glorifie thee, (upon the ſame account, I ſuppoſe, that Pſal. 8.2. for ſtrength the LXXII. read foreign, praiſe) by that yet meaning to expreſs the true power of the phraſe; the repoſing ones ſtrength on God, being indeed the glorifying and bleſſing him for all the ſtrength one hath. And ſhould this be reſolved on to be the ſenſe, the words might yet remain unchanged, as our Hebrew now reads them, foreign his, i. e. Gods ſtrength; thereby meaning that ſtrength which I have from God: in which reſpect Gods ſtrength and mine are all one: what is mine, as of the receiver, is his, as the donor; and when it is given me, yet it is not ſo mine, as to ceaſe to be his, but ſtill remains much more properly his than mine, as being free to him to withdraw it when he will; his, principally and originally, and in fulneſs, and mine only derivatively, imperfectly, and dependently from him; I am a tenant at will, to be put out of poſſeſſion when he pleaſeth. And for the ſeeming incongruity between [his] and [to the] it is not new; but frequent in the Hebrew, which oft paſs from one tenſe, and from one number, and from one perſon, to another. The very next words are an example of it, for after God, mentioned in the ſecond perſon, foreign to thee, foreignfollows immediately in the third, for God is my defence. And indeed foreign his ſtrength agreeing ſo well with God, in the end of the verſe, and the ſenſe lying thus, God is my defence, therefore his ſtrength will I repoſe on thee, i. e. on God, the appearance of incongruity will not be in foreign his ſtrength, but rather in foreign to thee. But neither is that new or ſtrange, the tranſition from one perſon to another being ſo very ordinary. In the next verſes we have foreign his mercy, foreignwith the points of foreign my mercy, the chere being for the one, and the chetib for the other. And accordingly, of the Interpreters, ſome read the one, ſome the other, both certainly meaning the ſame thing; the Chaldee foreign the God of my grace or goodneſs or mercy, but the LXXII. foreign, my God his mercy, and ſo the Latine; but the Syriack in the middle between both, foreign O Lord, thy grace— Thus much hath been ſaid in compliance with the rendrings of the antient Interpreters, as we now read them. But there is another notion of the phraſe, of which it is capable; as foreign his ſtrength] may be underſtood of the ſtrength or forces of Saul ſent againſt David to watch the houſe, in the title of the Pſalm, and as foreign may be rendred I will guard, or look to, or beware of, or keep my ſelf from, ſo as to avoid the danger of this ſtrength of his, and this foreign at, or with, or by flying to thee, i. e. to God, as he is foreign my, i. e. Davids refuge, in the end of the verſe. And thus the words moſt probably ſignifie, his ſtrength I will ward, or avoid, or beware, or take heed of at thee. And if the compoſure ſeem harſh or ſtrange, it muſt be imputed to the poetry, which conſiſts principally in affinity of words or ſounds, and light variations, and correſpondencies obſerved betwixt ſeveral parts of the compoſure. Saul ſent, foreign and they guarded in the ſenſe of beſieging) the houſe, in the title of the Pſalm, and foreign I will ward (in the ſenſe of taking heed of, or avoiding) his ſtrength, in the end of this firſt part of this Pſalm: And then in correſpondence with it, is the concluſion of the latter part of the Pſalm, very lightly varied, v. 17. Here the firſt part of the concluding verſe runs foreign, there 'tis foreign. And the latter parts are of the ſame affinity alſo, foreign, for God is my defence, the ſame in both; and only foreign his mercy, changed into foreign my mercy, as foreign his ſtrength, into foreign my ſtrength. Thus much being ſaid for the confirming this interpretation, 'twill now be eaſie to conform the antient interpretations to it, if only we ſhall ſuppoſe the true original copies of them to have been in the third; not firſt perſon, and to have been changed by ſcribes, on purpoſe to conform this ninth to the laſt verſe. There indeed 'tis foreign and foreign my ſtrength, and my mercy, as in the interpreters, ſo in the Hebrew it ſelf: But here in the tenth verſe, all copies of the Hebrew have foreign his ſtrength; therefore 'tis reaſonable to reſolve, that ſo it was when the Interpreters rendred it, and according to that reading their interpretations (being probably by ſcribes corrupted) ought in reaſon to be reſtored, the Chaldee, not foreign my, but foreign his ſtrength— and ſo the LXXII. foreign (not foreign but) foreign, his ſtrength will I watch, or ward (the Hebrew foreign, and Greek foreign, frequently ſignifies cavere ſibi, ſo to obſerve, as to avoid and keep out of the danger) at, or with, or by betaking my ſelf to thee. And ſo in the Latine, and other tranſlations, which are more reaſonably to be accorded to the Hebrew, than the Hebrew to them.
V. 11. Slay them not] In this place the antients rendrings are very different. The LXXII. apply the forgetting] to the enemies, ſlay them not, foreign, leſt they forget; and ſo the Latine and Syriack, ne quando obliviſcantur, leſt they forget. And ſo the Hebrew may bear;foreign foreign] may be rendred, leſt they forget my people, as well as, leſt my people forget. The LXXII. indeed now read, foreign, leſt they forget thy Law; and ſo the Arabick follow them: but that is likely to be an error of ſome antient ſcribe, for both the Syriack and Latine, that are wont to follow the LXXII. read foreign populi mei, my people. But the ſenſe inclines the Hebrew the other way, foreign leſt my people foreign forget: the Chaldee adds, in the former part, a word, which renders an account of the latter, ſlay them not ſuddenly leſt my people forget it. One act of univerſal ſlaughter, ſuddenly at an end, is not apt to have ſuch a durable impreſſion on the beholders, as another more lingering puniſhment, under which men lie long, pine away and conſume, as the ſcattering here following includes. And ſo this is to be reſolved the due rendring of it.
V. 12. For the ſin of their mouth] The cleareſt rendring of this 12th. verſe will be by acknowledging no ellipſis in it, thus, foreign the ſin of their mouth, foreignforeign the word of their lips, or is the word of their lips, i. e. (according to Hebrew idiom) every word of their lips, is the ſin of their mouth, ſo many words, ſo many ſins; (and then follows regularly, foreign and they ſhall be taken in their pride; this their puniſhment is the conſequent of that their confident habitual going on in ſin.) The Syriack have thus paraphraſed it, foreign the ſin of their mouth, their lips have ſpoken, i. e. whatſoever their lips have ſpoken hath been ſin; but the LXXII. more literally, foreign· more probably it ſhould be read, in the nominative caſe, foreign and foreign, and ſo in the other interpreters which follow them; the Chaldee taking the greater liberty, uſual to them, of paraphraſing, in ſtead of rendring the words, foreign, &c. becauſe of the ſin of their mouth, &c. which as a paraphraſe may be born, but is neither the full, nor proper rendring of it.
V. 15. Grudge] The verb foreign is equivocal, foreignand ſignifies both pernoctare and querulari, to continue all night, and to growl or murmur: and in both theſe ſenſes the alluſion will here be proper to the returning in the evening, and making a noiſe like a dog, v. 14. But the conſtruction lying thus [they ſhall wander for meat foreign, &c. if they be not ſatisfied, foreign and they ſhall—] it will be moſt reſonable to render it in the notion of continuing all night, thus, they ſhall wander, &c. and continue all night; and ſo the Chaldee and Syriack by foreign, from foreign pernoctare, appear to have underſtood it, though the LXXII. read foreign, and ſhall murmur.