Works Volume 4, Book 2 · Psalm 72
The Seventy Second PSALM.
A Pſalm for Solomon.To Solomon foreign
Paraphrase. The ſeventy ſecond Pſalm was compoſed in contemplation of Solomons ſucceeding David in the throne, and the happy days of his reign, and under that type looks forward to the days of the Meſſias, (as the Jews themſelves apply it; ſee note c.)
1. Give the King thy judgments, O God, and thy righteouſneſs unto the Kings ſon.
Paraphrase. 1. O Lord, I beſeech thee to pour out upon Solomon my ſon, who is to ſucceed me in the throne, all the royal virtues, and skill in government, (according to the rule which thou haſt preſcribed to Kings) and all manner of juſtice and goodneſs in the admiration of ſo ſublime an office:
2. He ſhall judge thy people with righteouſneſs, and thy poor with judgment.
Paraphrase. 2. That ſo he may manage this power with all indifferency, and impartially relieve all that make their appeals to his tribunal;
3. The mountains ſhall bring peace unto the people, and the little hills ‖righteouſneſs.by righteouſneſs.
Paraphrase. 3. And both the higher and lower Judicatures move ſo regularly, that the whole Kingdom may be governed peaceably and juſtly.
4. He ſhall judge the poor of the people; he ſhall ſave the children of the needy, and break in pieces the oppreſſor.
Paraphrase. 4. And all innocent perſons receive the benefit of his patronage and protection, and all injurious invaders of others rights be ſeverely puniſhed by him.
5. †or, with the Son and before the Moon, generation of generations ſhall fear or adore thee.They ſhall fear thee as long as the Sun and Moon indure, throughout all generations.
Paraphrase. 5. Then ſhall his government be famed, and his wiſdom and happy adminiſtration be lookt on with continual reverence by all poſterities, and therein be a type of the Kingdom of the Meſſias, who ſhall deſcend from him, and ſet up his throne in mens hearts, when the Jewiſh Kingdom ſhall determine, and be adored and worſhipped at ſet hours conſtantly every day throughout all ages.
6. He ſhall come down like rain upon the mowed graſs, as ſhowers that water the earth.
Paraphrase. 6. Then ſhall he be an inſtrument under God of refreſhment, and incouragement; and growth to all virtue, (and ſo ſhall the Meſſias in a moſt eminent manner.)
7. In his days ſhall the righteous flouriſh, and abundance of peace *till the Moon ce…e, or, till there be no Moon foreignſo long as the Moon endureth.
Paraphrase. 7. And as long as he reigns, the nation ſhall be managed with all juſtice, and peaceableneſs and proſperity, and from him ſhall the Meſſiah ariſe in the time appointed by God, and ſettle and eſtabliſh a Church, which ſhall never utterly periſh till the end of the world.
8. He ſhall have dominion alſo from ſea to ſea, and from the river unto the ends of the ‖land foreignearth.
Paraphrase. 8. The whole Jewiſh nation, the Kingdom of Iſrael and Judah, both ſhall remain under his ſubjection as long as he lives, (ſee note on Pſal. 11. f.) and ſo ſhall the bordering nations alſo, the Philiſtims, and Moab …, and Idum…ans, and Syrians, &c. (As for the Meſſias, of whom he is the moſt eminent type, he ſhall begin his ſpiritual Kingdom in Judaea, and propagate it over all the world.)
9. They that dwell in the wilderneſs ſhall bow before him, and his enemies ſhall lick the duſt.
Paraphrase. 9. And others more remote ſhall do him homage, and thoſe that oppoſe and make war againſt him, ſhall be ſubdued and deſtroyed. (And ſo in the days of the Meſſias, the heathen nations ſhall ſubmit to the faith of Chriſt, and they that obſtinately oppoſe it ſhall be deſtroyed.)
10. The Kings of Tarſhiſh and of the Iſles ſhall bring preſents; the Kings of Sheba and Seba ſhall offer gifts.
Paraphrase. 10. And many Princes from the remoteſt parts of the world (ſee note on Pſal. 48.6.) ſhall ſend tokens of their reſpect and reverence to him, ſee note c. and 1 King. 10.1. Matth. 12.42. (And ſo in like manner the Gentile nations ſhall receive the faith of Chriſt, and as a praeſignification thereof, the Magi, Mat. 2. ſhall bring him preſents, as ſoon as he is born.)
11. Yea, all Kings ſhall fall down before him, all nations ſhall ſerve him.
Paraphrase. 11. And in ſu…, the generality of the Potentates of the world▪ and all the people thereof ſhall acknowledge and magnifie his government. (And ſo ſhall the Gentile world univerſally ſubject themſelves to Chriſt.)
12. For he ſhall deliver the needy when he cryeth, the poor alſo and him that hath no helper.
Paraphrase. 12. As the government of a juſt and merciful Prince that is ready to relieve all that are oppreſt and wronged. (And therein a type of Chriſts Kingdom, who never denies grace and pardon to the humble ſuppliant, that having no truſt to rely on …n himſelf, ſees in prayer to his free grace and mercy▪)
13. He ſhall ſpare the poor and needy, and he ſhall ſave the ſouls of the needy.
Paraphrase. 13. A Prince of bowels and compaſſion to them that▪ are in any kind of diſtreſs▪ to defend and deliver them out of it. (And ſo ſhall Chriſt not only not puniſh the lowly penitent ſinner▪ but beſtow all that i… pretious upon him, even grace here, and eternal ſalvation hereafter.)
14. He ſhall redeem their ſoul from deceit and violence; and pretious ſhall their blood be in his fight.
Paraphrase. 14. To reſcue them out of the hand of the injurious and oppreſſor, and preſerve their lives from the invader, as thoſe that are much valued and eſteemed by him. (And ſo ſhall Chriſt redeem, in the moſt eminent manner, thoſe that rely on him, from all their ſpiritual enemies, Sin and Satan, from the power of the one, and tyranny of the other, and pay his own life a ranſome for mankind.)
15. And he ſhall live, and to him ſhall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer alſo ſhall be made for him continually, and daily ſhall he be praiſed.
Paraphrase. 15. As long as he lives ſhall ſtrangers reverence, and ſubjects continually bleſs and pray for him, as the Author of a peaceable and happy life to them. (And ſo ſhall the faith of Chriſt have the reverence of ſtrangers, be admired by all that hear of it, as being made up of the moſt excellent divine doctrines of charity, purity, ſubjection, &c. and for all thoſe that ſet themſelves to the practice of his precepts, they ſhall have cauſe to bleſs them and magnifie them as the greateſt mercy that could ever have been vouchſafed them.)
16. There ſhall be an handful of corn in the earth, upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof ſhall ſhake like Lebanon, and they of the city ſhall flouriſh like graſs of the earth.
Paraphrase. 16. In his time ſhall there be great abundance of all things, and Gods hand very remarkable▪ in bleſſing and proſpering the ſmalleſt quantity of ſeed, ſown in the barrenneſt ſoile, into a moſt plentiful harveſt, and this city ſhall thrive proportionably, the number of the inhabitants ſhall increaſe as faſt as the ſeed which is ſown doth. (And ſo in the dayes of the Meſſiah ſhall Gods providence and his grace moſt ſignally evidence it ſelf, in bringing forth a multitude of believers by a little contemptible preaching of the faith, among the moſt idolatrous obdurate Gentiles.
17. His name ſhall endure for ever, his name ſhall ‖deſcend upon his children before the S…n.be continued as long as the Sun; and †theymen ſhall be bleſſed in him: all nations ſhall call him bleſſed.
Paraphrase. 17. And his memory and honour ſhall outlive his perſon, ſhall never be blotted out, but ſhall flouriſh, and deſcend upon his poſterity, as a mark of renoun to all that ſhall come from him. And for all others, when they ſhall bleſs any Prince or royal perſon, they ſhall do it in this form. The Lord make thee like Solomon. And in ſum, all the nations in the world ſhall look upon him as a moſt bleſſed perſon, a moſt wiſe and a moſt proſperous Prince. (And ſo ſhall Chriſt, pretypified by Solomon, be in a moſt eminent manner remembred, even adored and worſhipped and magnified for ever. All they that receive his faith ſhall, as his ſons, be called by his name, be known by the title of Chriſtians, and be looked upon as a moſt happy and bleſſed ſort of men, that they are vouchſafed that dignity of being his ſons, to be taught and educated by him, and to tranſcribe his copies, to be like him in all goodneſs.)
18. Bleſſed be the Lord God, the God of Iſrael, who only doth wondrous things.
Paraphrase. 18. For theſe and all other his mercies ſo wonderfully wrought for his ſervants, and which none elſe is able to work, the eternal Lord of heaven and earth, who alone is worſhipped by the Jews, and which hath choſen them to himſelf to be his people, be now and ever magnified.
19. And bleſſed be his glorious name for ever, and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen.
Paraphrase. 19. And O that all the men in the world would ſet themſelves induſtriouſly and faithfully to his ſervice, that they would bleſs and praiſe him continually, offer up their daily oblation of lands and thankſgiving to him, and all hearts be throughly poſſeſt with his divine excellencies, and endeavour to expreſs the power thereof in all the actions of their lives, in doing what he hath directed and exemplified to them. O that every man would ſay Amen to this prayer. O that God would once grant this petition.
20. The prayers of David the ſon of Jeſse are ended.
Paraphrase. 20. Here is the concluſion of the ſecond Book of Pſalms, which were, if not all compoſed, yet perhaps all collected and put into this order by David. The other Books that follow being a collection of Aſaph and other men▪ in which ſome there are alſo of Davids compoſing, after the finiſhing of this collection, or ſhutting up of this Book.
Annotations on Pſalm LXXII.
foreignV. 3. Righteouſneſs] foreign in this place is by the LXXII. rendred foreign, in righteouſneſs, and ſo joyned in conſtruction with foreign, ſhall judge, in the beginning of the next verſe; and ſo it muſt be, if the ב have any ſignification.ב But it is not unuſual for this and other prepoſitions to be uſed as expletives; and accordingly the Chaldee retains it here (foreign,) whilſt yet both the Syriack and Latine leave it out, and read foreign, thy righteouſneſs, and juſtitiam righteouſneſs. And ſo the ſenſe is moſt perſpicuous.
foreignV. 5. They ſhall fear thee] For foreign they ſhall fear or reverence thee, The LXXII. ſeem to have read foreign and he ſhall prolong (his life) and ſo render it foreign, he ſhall endure as long as the Sun; and ſo the Latine, & permanebit cum ſole, and he ſhall abide with the Sun. But the Chaldee adhere to our reading of the Hebrew, and render it both by foreign they ſhall fear from, or be afraid of thee; and again, by foreign they ſhall pray before thee, and ſo the Syriack, foreign (from foreign to fear or adore) which the Interpreter renders, adorabunt te, ſhall adore thee. foreignThen for foreign with the Sun, foreign and before, or in the preſence of the Moon,] the Chaldee ſeems to give the true notion of it, foreign with the aſcending of the Sun, and foreign before, or in the preſence of the light of the Moon, i. e. by day and by night, continually, foreign generation of generations, i. e. either in the nominative caſe, generation of generations ſhall fear thee, or ſupplying the want of the prepoſition▪) throughout all generations. And ſo the primary literal meaning is, that all poſterity ſhall revere Solomon continually, eſteem of him as of the wiſeſt and juſteſt Prince. But the more ſublime (and that as literal) ſenſe belonging to Chriſt (of whom Solomons wiſdom and proſperous government was a type) will be this. That both by day and night all generations ſhall adore Chriſt, pray to him, and perform ſolemn ſervice to him, and through all ages never ceaſe to do ſo, while (as the Jewiſh Arab renders it) the Sun endureth.
foreignV. 9. Dwell in the wilderneſs] From foreign a dry or deſart place, is foreign here, the inhabitants of the deſart: ſuch were the Aethiopians and others, and therefore the LXXII. have choſen to paraphraſe it, foreign, the Aethiopians, as v. 10.foreign for foreign and foreign they read, foreign, Arabians and Sabaeans; by the former Scheba, with ש, noting the inhabitants of Arabia Foelix, from whence comes Gold, v. 15. by the latter, with ם, all the whole Region of Arabia, Madiam, and Epha, (ſaith S. Hierome) which is called Saba, the Queen whereof came to Solomon, 1 King. 10.1. and is called the Queen of the South, Mat. 12.42. becauſe Arabia Felix reacheth to the South, and belongs to the Aethiopick Sea, and torrid Zone, and ſo is ſtiled the Queen of the South, from the ends of the earth.
foreignV. 12. Crieth] foreign, from foreign clamavit, ſignifies him that cries: But the LXXII. from foreign rich or powerful, read foreign, from the powerful; but this perhaps by way of Paraphraſe, becauſe the oppreſſion of ſuch is it that cauſeth the poor to cry.
foreignV. 16. Handful] foreign a ſmall quantity of corn (from foreign minutus eſt) is in all the copies of the LXXII. rendred foreign, and from thence by the vulgar Latine firmamentum, foreignby the Arabick and Aethiopick in like manner, without any mention of corne or any thing to render foreign. The Chaldee read foreign (from foreign, which ſignifies both fulcivit and comedit) the food or fulciment of bread, i. e. bread for food, or for refection and ſtrengthening; and the Syriack foreign plenty of corn; all varied much from the literal importance of the Hebrew. The reaſon of this variation as to all thoſe that follow the LXXII. is evidently the ſame, either having an eye to the Chaldee foreign in the notion of fulcimentum, as that agrees with the phraſe elſewhere uſed, the ſtaffe of bread; or more probably a miſtake in the copies of foreign, firmamentum, for foreign, a handful, for ſo foreign regularly ſignifies, and ſo foreign a hand, 1 King. 18.44. is rendred by the Chaldee foreign the palme of the hand, and ſo in Syriack foreign is the ſole of the foot, and among the Rabbines is applied both to hand and foot, foreign the palme of the hand, foreign the ſole of the foot. This therefore is the moſt probable meaning of the place, foreign there ſhall be a handful of corn, and that ſown (ſo foreign in the earth, noteth) foreign on the head, i. e. top of the hills, the moſt ſtony, dry, and barren plat; and yet foreign the fruit thereof, that which comes from this handful, in this barrenaeſt ſoil, foreign ſhall ſhake like Libanus, i. e. like the trees of Libanus, whoſe tallneſs cauſeth a great noiſe, when they are ſhaken with the wind. And this reſemblance ſignifies the great growth of this corn, which makes it liable to the wind, and being ſhaken by it, it makes a noiſe like the talleſt trees on the top of an hill. An excellent poetical deſcription of the greateſt plentifulneſs, when a handful of corn ſown on the barrenneſt ſoile, ſhall yet bring forth ſo proſperouſly. And this the Chaldee and Syriack were, it ſeems, willing to expreſs by periphraſis, and not literally, and ſo only mention▪ the one, the bread that comes from it, for food, the other, the plenty of the corne, without mention of the ſmall proportion of the ſeed it ſprings from. This R. Obad. Gaon applies to the Meſſias (as Aben Ezra, Midras Tehilin and he, do the whole Pſalm) ſaying that he is the foreign, beginning like an handful of wheat, but afterwards ſhall grow into a multitude, like the herb of the field: ſee Jo. 12.24. Abu Walid in his rendring it may ſeem ſingular, unleſs the like myſtical uſe be made of it: He makes the words thus to ſound, He ſhall be a pure piece of juſtice upon the earth, or there ſhall be, or let there be from him, abſolute juſtice in the earth: Ʋpon the top the mountains let his fruit encreaſe, (viz. his children or progeny) like Lebanon, i. e. as the trees of Lebanon, which proverbially ſignifie a great multitude. The Jewiſh Arab renders it to this purpoſe, God make him as fruitful corn in his countrey on the top of its mountains, and make him rich fruit, as Lebanon, &c. taking foreign (as Abu Walid doth) for [let him be] or [he ſhall be,] not [there ſhall be;] and rendring foreign, let him be rich, as if it were foreign by tranſpoſition of letters, but that Abu Walid rejects.
V. 17. As long as the Sun] What foreign before, or at the faces, or in the preſence of the Sun, foreign] ſignifies, will be learnt from what was ſaid, note b. of foreign before, or in the preſence of the Moon (i. e. in the night time,) and proportionably to continue foreign before the Sun, muſt be to live, to ſurvive, to flouriſh in oppoſition to periſhing, which is expreſt by not ſeeing the ſun. And this is appliable to names, to memories, as well as to perſons: the names of good men foreign (from foreign a ſon) ſhall deſcend upon their children, foreigni. e. continue ſucceſſively before the Sun, i. e. live, and proſper; and the names of evil men die and periſh. The LXXII. literally enough, render it, foreign ▪ ſhall continue before the Sun; and ſo the Syriack, foreign is before the Sun. But the Jewiſh Arab, in agreement with his notion of v. 5. till the heavens vaniſh.
V. 17. Men ſhall be bleſſed] foreign they ſhall be bleſſed in him, foreign] is no more than, men ſhall bleſs themſelves in him, i. e. when they will bleſs any man, they ſhall uſe this forme, let him be bleſſed as Solomon was. Thus we ſee the phraſe explained, Gen. 48.20. In thee ſhall Iſrael bleſs, ſaying, God make thee as Ephraim; where to bleſs in any man, or any name,] is to pray that he may be as that man, wiſe as Solomon, a peaceable and happy ruler as Solomon, &c. (ſee more of this phraſe note on Gal. 3. c.) The interpreters generally joyn it with the nominative caſe that follows, [all nations ſhall be bleſſed in him;] and ſo it may well be: but it may alſo be ſet abſolutely, they ſhall be bleſt, i. e. men ſhall bleſs themſelves in or by him, and then, foreign all nations ſhall bleſs him, or proclaim him bleſſed. The Chaldee renders it foreign all nations ſhall be bleſſed in his righteouſneſs, or purity; merito, ſaith the Latine interpreter of the Targum, which though it have a primary ſenſe in application to Solomon, thus; All nations ſhall bleſs themſelves in this or the like form, God make thee as pious, juſt, blameleſs, excellent a perſon as Solomon was; yet it muſt be allowed a much more eminent notion, in reference to Chriſt, that all Chriſtians ſhall deſire to imitate his divine patterns, and bleſs and pray for one another, in that form, God indow thee with ſome degree of thoſe virtues, which were eminently obſervable in Chriſt.