Works Volume 4, Book 2 · Psalm 69 – Psalm 70
The Sixty Ninth PSALM.
TO the chief Muſitian upon ‖the ſix-ſtringed inſtruments, ſee Pſal. 45. note a.Shoſhannim, A Pſalm of David.
Paraphrase. The ſixty ninth Pſalm is a prayer and complaint to God againſt his enemies, and a prediction of the judgments that ſhould befal them. 'Twas compoſed by David in time of eminent diſtreſs, and committed to the Praefect of his Muſick to be ſung to the inſtruments of ſix ſtrings.
1. Save me, O God, for the waters are come in unto my ſoul.
Paraphrase. 1. Lord, be thou pleaſed to interpoſe thy hand of deliverance in this ſo ſeaſonable a time of exigency, when I am ſo near to be overwhelmed with dangers.
2. I ſink in deep mire where there is no ſtanding: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
Paraphrase. 2. I am not able to ſecure or defend my ſelf, to find any way to ſupport me in this diſtreſs, or deliver me out of it; my enemies are many and mighty, and without thy help I am ſure to be overborn by …
3. I am weary of my crying; my throat is dried, mine eyes fail, while I wait for my God.
Paraphrase. 3. I have long calle… … unceſſantly made my complaint to thee, and am ready to faint, and to be diſheartned, becauſe thou art not yet pleaſed to hearken to me.
4. They that hate me without a cauſe are more than the hairs of my head; ‖my enemies that oppreſs me wrongfully foreignthey that would deſtroy me being mine enemies wrongfully are mighty: then I reſtored that which I took not away.
Paraphrase. 4. And mine adverſaries daily increaſe beyond number, have nothing from me to provoke them, nothing but patience of their injuries, and readineſs (when I have not in the leaſt offended them) to ſatisfie their cauſeleſs quarrels by mine own diminutions; and yet they are ſo far from being melted or mollified with my ſoft returns, that they ſtill grow more obſtinate and obdurate: and as they are very willing, ſo are they very able to miſchief me.
foreign5. O God, thou knoweſt my fooliſhneſs, and my ſins are not hid from thee.
Paraphrase. 5. To thee, O Lord, I make my appeal, who perfectly knoweſt what I have done amiſs, either through ignorance, or more criminouſly, and canſt certainly teſtifie for me, that I have not been guilty of any thing whereby to deſerve this uſage from them.
6. Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of hoſts, be aſhamed for my ſake; let not thoſe that ſeek thee be confounded for my ſake, O God of Iſrael.
Paraphrase. 6. If thou forſake, and do not vindicate my cauſe, if thou permit me to be thus overborn by injurious men, 'twill be a great diſcouragement and reproach to thoſe that faithfully ſerve and depend on thee. Thy glory therefore is concerned in it; O let this move thee to haſten to my relief.
7. Becauſe for thy ſake I have born reproach, ſhame hath covered my face.
Paraphrase. 7. For I have been oft ſcofft at, and upbraided by men, for relying on thee, and keeping faſt mine h…ld on thee, whilſt I receive no deliverance from thee.
8. I am become a ſtranger unto my brethren, and an alien to my mothers children.
Paraphrase. 8. Thoſe that are neareſt to me in blood, and ſuch like relations, avoid me, and diſclaim me, becauſe I am reſolved to adhere to thee, and expect with patience the iſſues of thy providence.
9. For the zeal of thine houſe hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.
Paraphrase. 9. I have ſhewed my ſelf very affectionately zealous for thy honour and worſhip, and this hath brought hatred and perſecutions upon me; all the ſcoffs that blaſphemous Atheiſts have caſt on thee are become my portion, becauſe I own depending on thee. (This had a more eminent completion in Chriſt, ſee Joh. 2.17. Rom. 15.3. when his zealous expreſſions of diſlike to the corruptions of the Jews brought his crucifixion upon him.)
10. When I wept †in the faſting of my ſouland chaſtened my ſoul with faſting, this was to my reproach.
11. I made ſackcloth alſo my garment, and I became a proverb unto them.
Paraphrase. 10, 11. If at any time, either by faſting or wearing of ſackcloth. I ſeemed to them to perform any ſpecial act of devotion to God, this was made matter of ſcorn and reproach and bitter ſarcaſm.
12. They that ſit in the gate ſpeak againſt me, and I *amwas the ſong of the drunkards.
Paraphrase. 12. And thus have I been uſed both by the grave men that ſit in the ſeats of judicature, and by the vaineſt and lighteſt, that ſpend their time in drinking exceſſively, they pleaſe themſelves by ſcoffing at me.
13. But ‖I make my — foreignas for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy ſalvation.
Paraphrase. 1…. In this ſad diſtreſt condition, as in a ſeaſon moſt capable of thy merciful interpoſition, I humbly addreſs my prayer to thee: O be thou pleaſed for thy abundant mercies, and for thy righteous promiſe ſake, to receive and anſwer it.
14. Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not †or ſtick foreignſink: Let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.
Paraphrase. 14. Lord, ſuffer me not to remain any longer in this diſconſolate and dangerous condition, the…e preſent preſſures, and continual expectations of being overwhelmed by them, but haſten timely, I beſeech thee, to my reſcue.
15. Let not the water-flood overflow me, neither let the deep ſwallow me up; and let not the pit ſhut her mouth upon me.
Paraphrase. 15. How low ſoever my condition, and how imminent ſoever my danger is, Lord, do thou ſupport, that I periſh not under it.
16. Hear me, O Lord, for thy loving kindneſs is ‖gracious, … bountifulgood: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.
17. And hide not thy face from thy ſervant; for I am in trouble, hear me ſpeedily.
Paraphrase. 16, 17. Lord, thou art a God of infinite mercies, of the tendereſt and moſt compaſſionate affections to thoſe that are in any diſtreſs, O be thou pleaſed at this time thus to exhibite thy ſelf to me, to reſcue me out of this diſtreſs, and no longer to delay thy timely ſuccours.
18. Draw nigh unto my ſoul and redeem it; deliver me becauſe of my enemies.
Paraphrase. 18. Thou canſt not but take notice of the pride and malice of mine oppoſers: O do not thou permit them *foreign Chald. that my enemies may not lift up themſelves againſt me.to triumph over me, as they certainly will, when they think me forſaken by thee.
19. Thou haſt known my reproach and my ſhame and my diſhonour; mine adverſaries are all before thee.
Paraphrase. 19. Thou ſeeſt how contumeliouſly I have been uſed by them, thou diſcerneſt every word and thought of theirs againſt me, which are by interpretation againſt thy ſelf alſo.
20. Reproach hath broken mine heart, I am full of heavineſs: and I looked for ſome to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
Paraphrase. 20. And this it that ſo extreamly pricks and wounds me, that makes my ſorrow ſo comfortleſs and unſupportable, that when I have prayed for and expected relief from thee, I have yet been diſappointed, and ſo ſcoft at by my enemies for the vanity of my hopes, which being repoſed on thee, have not as yet been anſwered by thee.
21. They gave me alſo gall †to— foreignfor my meat, and in my thirſt they gave me vinegar to drink.
Paraphrase. 21. In ſuch a diſtreſs, men of any tolerable good nature would have had ſome compaſſion upon me, and at leaſt afforded me ſome allays, if not relief; but theſe hard-hearted men have ſtudied to add to my weight, and farther to imbitter my ſufferings to me. (How this had a more eminent and more literal completion in the ſouldiers uſage to Chriſt upon the Croſs, ſee Mat. 27.34. Mar. 15.23. Joh. 19.28, 29.)
22. *Their table ſhall be for—Let their table become a ſnare before them; and †their peace-offerings ſet a trap.that which ſhould have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.
Paraphrase. 22. But Gods vengeance ſhall find theſe out, that have d…lt thus barbarouſly with … their oblations and prayers ſhall be ſo far from pacifying him, or being accepted by him, or bringing them any …tage, that (like the offerings to falſe Gods, ſtiled the preparing a table, &c. Iſai. 65.11.) they ſhall provoke God, and turn to their miſchief. (How this was fulfilled of the Jews crucifiers of Chriſt, whoſe worſhip and temple was aboliſhed and deſtroyed for that fact, ſee Rom. 11.9.)
23. †Their eye ſhall—Let their eyes be darkned that they ſee not; and make their loyns continually to ſhake.
Paraphrase. 23. And their end ſhall be occaecation and terrors, obduration and deſpair. (And ſo alſo of the impenitent Jews, after the crucifixion of Chriſt.
24. Pour out thine indignation upon them; and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.
Paraphrase. 24. The ſevereſt puniſhments of God ſhall overtake them, and all the moſt miſerable effects of his diſpleaſure.
25. Let their habitation be deſolate, and no man to dwell in their tents.
Paraphrase. 25. And in fine, utter deſolation and eradication. (This had a moſt eminent completion in the final deſtruction of the Jews preſently after their crucifying of Chriſt.)
26. For they perſecute him whom thou haſt ſmitten, and they ‖add▪talk to the grief of thoſe whom thou haſt wounded.
Paraphrase. 26. For when God was pleaſed to withdraw his countenance, and fatherly to chaſtiſe his ſervants for their good, theſe cruel unmerciful men, in ſtead of coming in to their comfort or relief, indeavoured to heap afflictions and reproaches upon them.
27. †Gir…, … PermitAdd iniquity unto their iniquity, and let them not come into thy righteouſneſs.
Paraphrase. 27. And accordingly God in his juſt diſpleaſure ſhall withdraw his grace from them, and permit them to accumulate one ſin upon another, ſo as never finally to return to amendment of life, and capacity of his mercy.
28. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
Paraphrase. 28. And then ſuddenly cut them off in the midſt of their ſins, and not ſuffer them to live any longer among pious men, who are ſo maliciouſly bent againſt them. (How ſignal a completion this had in Judas, after his betraying of Chriſt, ſee Act. 1.20.)
29. But I am poor and ſorrowful: let thy ſalvation, O God, ſet me up on high.
Paraphrase. 29. Mean while, O Lord, be thou pleaſed to deliver me out of this ſad diſtreſt diſconſolate condition.
30. I will praiſe the name of God with a ſong, and magnifie it with thanksgiving.
Paraphrase. 30. That I may be excited thereby, and engaged to make my moſt ſolemn and thankful acknowledgments to thee.
31. This alſo ſhall pleaſe the Lord better than an oxe or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
Paraphrase. 31. That being the moſt acceptable ſacrifice that can be preſented to thee, and which alone ſhall be uſed by the Chriſtian Church in ſtead of all the Moſaical.
32. The humble ſhall ſee this and be glad; and your heart ſhall live that ſeek God.
Paraphrase. 32. This ſhall be a joyful ſpectacle to all that depend and relie on God. Thy ſeaſonable interpoſing for me that rely on thee, and ſtand in ſuch need of thy relief, and am reſolved never to give over my affiance on thee, will be the moſt ſeveraign cordial to all that have eſpouſed thy ſervice, the greateſt matter of joy and tranſportation to their very hearts.
33. For the Lord heareth the poor, and deſpiſeth not his priſoners.
Paraphrase. 33. An inſtance to confirm their belief of that great truth, and divine axiome, That God never was or will be wanting to any faithful ſervant of his in time of diſtreſs, that continues his prayers to and affiance in him.
34. Let heaven & earth praiſe him, the ſea & every thing that *treadeth or creepeth in them foreignmoveth therein.
Paraphrase. 34. For this and all other thy glorious excellencies, and emanations of goodneſs toward us thy unworthy creatures, may all the Angels and Saints in Heaven, and all the inhabitants of this inferiour globe, pay their due tributes of lauds and thankſgiving to thee.
35. For God will ſave Sion, and will build the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and have it in poſſeſſion.
Paraphrase. 35. For whatever diſtreſs befalls his people, he will timely deliver them out of it, return their captivitie…, when they have reformed their lives, (forſaken their ſins, which bring their puniſhments on them) and reſtore them to a proſperous peaceable ſtate.
36. The ſeed alſo of his ſervants ſhall inherit it, and they that love his Name ſhall dwell therein.
Paraphrase. 36. Which they and their poſterity ſhall ſucceſſively injoy, as long as they make good their piety and conſtant obedience to his commands.
Annotations on Pſal. LXIX.
foreignV. 4. Would deſtroy] From foreign ſuccedit, to cut ſhort, is foreign here, thoſe that cut me ſhort, i. e. oppreſs or perſecute me: the LXXII. render it ſo, and joyn it with foreign falſely, foreign, they that perſecute me unjuſtly.
foreignV. 10. My ſoul] The word foreign ſignifying the ſenſitive ſoul or animal faculty, which in faſting or abſtinence is afflicted, 'tis ordinary in ſcripture to deſcribe bodily faſting by afflicting the ſoul, which is more than ſimply faſting. So the Chaldee renders it, exactly according to the Hebrew, foreign, and I wept in the faſting of my ſoul. The LXXII. paraphraſe it by foreign, and I bowed down my ſoul by faſting.
foreignV. 12. Gate] foreign the gate, is frequently taken for the place of judicature, which was wont to be in the gate of the city. So Deut. 25.7. Let his brothers wife go up to the gate to the Elders; the Chaldee read, to the gate foreign of the houſe of judgment. So Ruth 3.11. all the foreign gate of my people] is by the Chaldee rendred, all that ſit in the gate of the Sanhedrim: and ſo Ruth 6.1 Boaz went up to the gate, i. e. to the gate of the houſe of the judgment of Sanhedrim. So Heſt. 2.19, and 21. Mordecai ſat in the Kings gate,] is by ſome learned men underſtood of his ſitting in the Sanhedrim, which the King inſtituted. And ſo in all reaſon it is to ſignifie here, and denotes the ſolemneſt and graveſt Senators; as after, the more unworthy, the drunkards, &c.
foreignV. 18. Good] The word foreign in this, as in many other places, ſignifies abundance of goodneſs or mercifulneſs. So in St. Paul Rom. 5.7. foreign, a good man, in oppoſition to foreign, a righteous man,] is a merciful-minded man in a high degree, above the proportion of foreign, mercifulneſs, which is oft expreſt by foreign, righteouſneſs. Accordingly the LXXII. here render it foreign, bountiful or gratious, and ſo the Latine benignae. And to this is proportionable what follows, the multitude of thy tender mercies.
foreignV. 22. That which ſhould have been for their welfare] What foreign ad paces, for proſperities, here ſignifies, may perhaps beſt be learned from the Chaldee Paraphraſt, who explains it by foreign (from foreign mactavit) their victims or ſacrifices, frequently called peace-offerings, and ſo here abbreviated into foreign for peace, as ſin-offerings are ſtiled foreign, of, or for ſin; and though the word, when it is uſed for peace-offerings, is without ו, and vowel'd with י, yet is foreign peace ſcarce ever found in the plural, as here, but in the notion of peace-offerings. And beſides, the prepoſition prefixt ל (wherein the poetry of the verſe ſeems to conſiſt, almoſt all the words beginning with ל being rendred of, or for, accords well, Offerings of, or for, peace. To this the context alſo agrees, joyning the table and theſe peace-offerings in the ſame ſenſe, to denote a ſacrifical feaſt, of which the foreign, or portions were wont to be the furniſhing of a feaſt for the Sacrificers. Abu Walid reads, to thoſe that are in peace, i. e. as he ſaith, to themſelves, who have long been ſecure and ſafe from the turnings of the world, let their table be now a trap and ſnare to them. The LXXII. read foreign, and for a retribution, in the ſame ſenſe as foreign, and foreign, for a ſnare, and a ſtumbling-block. The account of which is to be taken from the diſtant notions of foreign, (noted Pſal. 7. note c.) for returning evil, as well as good, (and accordingly the Jewiſh Arab, as there Pſal. 7.4. ſo here interprets it by thoſe that are contrary to me, or oppoſe themſelves againſt me.) From the verſion of the LXXII. when St. Paul cites this verſe Rom. 11.9. he only reads, let his table be made a ſnare, reteining the ſenſe completely in that variety of words; the true notion of foreign being conteined in the mention of the table, as the ſacrifice is oft comprehended under the mention of the Altar. That this and the following verſes are to be underſtood in the future ſenſe by way of prediction, and not as an imprecation, ſee Saint Auguſtine de Civ. l. 17. c. 19. Haec non optando ſunt dicta, ſed optandi ſpecie, prophetando, Theſe things are not ſaid by way of wiſhing, but under the ſhew or ſcheme of wiſhing, by prophecy. And indeed the Hebrew foreign is in the future, and is moſt fitly rendred, ſhall be. And ſo doth the Jewiſh Arab Interpreter obſerve, that ſuch ſeeming imprecations, as here and elſewhere occur in this book of Pſalms, are not ſo much foreign by way of imprecation, as foreign by way of Prophecy, or prediction of what in Gods juſt judgments would certainly befal theſe.
V. 26. foreignThey talk] The Hebrew foreign in this place ſeems to be beſt rendred by the LXXII. foreign, they added to. So the Syriack, Latine, Arabick, and Aethiopick read alſo: and this agreeably enough to the Theme, foreign, which ſignifies to number, and of that we know addition is one ſort. And accordingly the learned Caſtellio reads, ſauciorum tuorum numerum adaugentes, increaſing the number of thy wounded.
V. 27. Add iniquity] That foreign to give, foreignſignifies alſo to permit, appears by Eſth. 9.13. foreign let it be given to the Jews, i. e. permitted them. So Exod. 12.23. and ſhall not ſuffer (the Hebrew hath foreign give) the deſtroyer to come in; the Chaldee read foreign permit, and the LXXII. foreign, to the ſame ſenſe. So Pſal. 16.10. Thou ſhalt not ſuffer (foreign again, give) thy holy one to ſee corruption. And ſo foreign give wickedneſs, is no more than permit: for ſo 'tis ordinary with God, as a puniſhment of ſome former great ſin or ſins, though not to infuſe any malignity, yet by withdrawing his grace, and delivering them up to themſelves, to permit more ſins to follow, one on the heels of the other, and ſo to be ſo far from reforming and amending, as daily to grow worſe and worſe, to be more obdurate, and ſo finally never to enter into Gods righteouſneſs, i. e. into that way of obedience required by him, and which will be accepted by him,foreign or (as foreign in the notion of mercy may ſignifie, being applied to God) into his mercy, ſo as to be made partakers of it.
V. 28. foreignBook of the living] The phraſe foreign the book of the living, is to be interpreted, according to the cuſtome of thoſe times, of a regiſter of names of thoſe who live in any kingdom. Thus Luk. 2.1. we have the foreign, the inrolling of all in the Emperors dominions: and accordingly foreign is ordinarily taken for a catalogue, and the catalogue of the living, is the number of thoſe that are alive at any time, who when they die, their names are blotted out, and ſo are no longer written in this book or catalogue of the living. See Pſal. 139.16. where Gods book is this rigiſter, or cenſual book, or roll, where all that are born are inrolled: ſo Exod. 32.32. blotting him out of Gods book, is no more than dying, in ſtead of the people.
The Seventieth PSALM.
TO the chief Muſitian, A Pſalm of David to bring to remembrance.
Paraphrase. The ſeventieth is a mournful affectionate prayer to God for relief out of his preſent miſeries, a beſeeching God that he will at length remember him: ſee Pſal. 38.1.
1. Make haſte, O Lord, to deliver me, make haſte to help me, O Lord.
Paraphrase. 1. See the ſame very little varied Pſ. 40.13, 14, 15, 16, 17.
2. ‖Or, They ſhall.Let them be aſhamed and confounded that ſeek after my ſoul: let them be turned back and put to confuſion that deſire my hurt.
3. †Or, They ſhall.Let them be turned back for a reward of their ſhame that ſay, Aha, Aha.
4. Let all thoſe that ſeek thee rejoyce and be glad in thee; and let ſuch as love thy ſalvation ſay continually, Let God be magnified.
5. But I am poor and needy, make haſte unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer, O God make no tarrying.