Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 3 · Psalms · Psalm 110 – Psalm 111
PSAL. CX.
A Psalme of David.
FOR the first words, The Lord said to my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, enough is said by our Lord himself, to shew, that it is spoken prophetically Vers. 1.of him, Matth. 22. 44. where the explanation may be seen.
The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. That is, thy Gospel, which shall be of power, as a Kings Scepter, the Ensigne of Soveraign Vers. 2.Authority; and so thy Kingdom, beginning to be preached in Zion, shall be set up in all other Nations. Be thou Ruler amongst thine enemies, which is, Rom. 5. 3.when they that were sinners, and so enemies before, are converted and reconciled and subjected to Christ.
Thirdly, Thy People shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holinesse: Before he spake of the rod of Christs power going out, now he saith, That in the day in which he goeth out, Thy people shall be willing, that is, they, in whose hearts this power taketh place to convert them, shall shew all willingness and chearfullness in submitting to the Gospel, as indeed they did, being full of joy, where the Faith of Christ was imbraced, as it is sayd of them in Samaria, Act. 18. and of the Eunuch baptized, that he went away rejoicing; and the Jailour Act. 16. so Act. 1. 46. 47. So that they, who live not in obedience to the Gospell out of good will, but for fear coming to duties in publick, and by compulsion giving, and being restreined from gross sins, have not yet felt the power of Christ in their hearts to alter Note. and change them, and although they beleive, they are none of his regenerated ones, neither shall they enter into the Kingdome of Heaven: for true Christians are Voluntiers In the beauties of holinesse, this is to shew, what manner of people these Voluntiers should be beautifull or shining through holiness, as it is said, Wisdome makes the face to shine, sin deformeth and makes black, that God cannot love; but holinesse beautifieth and maketh amiable. Note. To be willing to do Christ an duties, but not to be of an holy life, is not to be so willing as they in the day of Christs power; but as in the night of Satans power still. Of the womb of the Morning thou hast the dew of thy birth; This is by Expositois most commonly understood of the Faithfull, who are born of the Spirit of Christ, for which birth, or they, which are born of him are spoken of, and they are compared to the dew, which falleth in the calm and silent night, and in great abundance, to shew the great number that should be borne unto Christ, as …t is sayd, When he shall make his soule an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, Esa. 53. 10. and in another place the same Prophet speaks of them as an admirable great company; so that the Church is brought in way of admiration, saying, who hath born me all these? And in the morning, as the word signifieth, to denote that this should be betimes, even so soon as the light of the Gospel began to dawn; and it is called, Hebr. The dew of his youth, because they of whom he speaketh, are new born by Regeneration, and so very young, Joh. 3. 3. see also Micah 5. 7 where the Faithfull are again compared to the dew, and for the dew or rain coming out of the womb of the morning, Job 38. 28. 29. and a multitude likened to the dew, 2 Sam. 17. 12. And being thus taken, it is as if he had sayd, Thou O Christ, betimes at the going out of the Gospel hast abundance of people born unto thee, not being brought in by tumult, but quietly; even so many as the Dew covering the Ground Hyperbolically. Some refer it to Christ, in respect of his divinity thus, Early, even from Eternity, thou hast thy Essence by being begotten of the Father, alleadging for this, Prov. 8. 22. 23. and this is favoured by the Septuag. Of the womb before the morning Star begat I thee. Others in respect of his humanity, giving this for the sense; Thou art born in such obscurity, that a thing can hardly be seen so soon in the Morning, when it is yet between darknesse and light; so is thy Birth such, that it may well be called a great mystery, 1 Tim. 3. 16. Of all these, the first as it is most followed, is best; for why Christs divinity should be compared to the deaw, I see not, or why called the deaw of his youth; it is neither young, nor old, but alwayes the same: and if it had been said, the Star of the Morning, his humanity might well have been understood; but not, being said the deaw.
Thou art a Priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedek. Of which see, Vers. 4.Heb. 5. 6.
The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through Kings in the day of his Vers. 5. 1 Cor 15.wrath. Christ is said to be at the right hand of God, Act. 7. Rom. 8. and therefore God the Father is here spoken to, touching his Son and our Lord; and hereby is shewed, that he hath power enough, even to destroy the proudest Kings in the World, that will not submit, but rebell against him, and persecute him in his Members, as did Herod Ast. 12, and was therefore stricken and eaten up with wormes: see a like passage before, Psalme 2. Jerome inquiring how the Lord, bidding him sit on his right hand, is now said to be on his right hand, answereth, that this is spoken, to shew the equality of the Father and the Son: And to the same effect is Verse 6. He Vers. 6.shall judge amongst the Heathen, &c. as Kings, so common people, that reject his Gospell, shall suffer by his Judgments in multitudes; so that with their Corpses, pits shall be filled, and that not only of the taile, but of the heads of Countries also.
He shall drinke of the Brooke in the way, therefore he shall lift up his head. Vers. 7. Calvin.Some understand this, saith Calvin, of his afflictions, of which he was said to drink; Can yee drinke of the Cup that I shall drinke of, Some, of a Brook running with blood, of which he is said to drink; when so many are by his Judgments slain, for their rebelling against him, as to fill large places. But Calvin.rejecting both these, he saith, it is alluded to those valiant men of Gedean, who did not lye down to drink, when they were brought to the waters, as others; but taking up a little in their hands lapped it, as a Dog hasty of his way secketh not for water to drink going out of his way therefore; but lappeth it here and there as he findeth it in his passage, putting down his head a little, but immediately lifting it up again.
For the first Exposition is Jerome, alledging further to prove it, his going Hieron.over the Brook Kedron, when he was neer the time of his suffering, spoken of John 18. 1. unto which he saith it is here alluded. Augustine saith, that by August.his drinking of the Brook in the way, is meant his humbling himselfe to be born of a Woman, and to suffer Death: For the course of a mans life, that is soon swallowed up of Death again, is like unto a Brook of water, which is alwayes running, till it cometh into the Sea: so mans life, so soon as he hath received it, is alwayes running, til that it be swallowed up of the Grave; and because Christ humbled himselfe to drink of the same Brook, he exalted his head most high, as Phil. 2. 6. Basil will have the poor life that he lead here, Basil.meant; being content with the meanest drink, even water in the way as he travelled. Of all these Expositions, that of Jerome seemeth to me the best; because the drinking here spoken of is rewarded with exaltation, which followed not, but went before his Judgments, shewed upon the rebellious; for which it cannot be understood of his drinking any River of blood, thus made to run, or of his courageous and speedy pursuing of his Enemies, so that he would not tarry to satisfie his thirst better, then with water running in the way: unlesse that by his lifting up his head we understand the glory and fame, which he purchased unto himselfe since his ascention, by the debellation of his obstinate Enemies; as the Iewes at the destruction of their City, and heathen Emperours since, of whom it is noted, that in three hundred yeares after the going out of the Gospell, during which time they raised persecution against Christs Church, many of them came to violent ends, and the raigne of others of them was but short, till Constantine, the first Christian Emperour, who raigned forty yeares in great glory: And then his drinking of the Brook in the way, may be, according to Calvin, spoken of his valiant and expedite going on without stay, as Ioshuah, to pursue his Enemies with his Judgments, till that he brings all under his feet, as he shall do before the end of the World.
PSAL. CXI.
THis Psalme, as also Psalme 112. and 113. is a Psalme of praise, and therefore they are all begun with Halalujah, which is therefore by some made the Title, as also Psalme 105. and 106. which begin likewise; where see, what hath been noted upon it. And more singularly this, and Psal 112. are composed more curiously, according to the Hebrew Alphabet every sentence beginning with one of those Letters: as the first with foreign, the second with foreign, the third with Gimel, &c. to the end of the Psalme; so was Psal. 25. and the 119. beginning each part with a Letter, in order also; intimating these Psalmes above others, to be metricall according to Hebrew meter. God is here praised, first for his works, secondly for his word, Verse 7. For his works, they are first celebrated in generall, Verse 2, 3, 4. as they were more largly, Psal. 104. Secondly in particular, his works of mercy. Vers. 2, 3.The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. And this is demonstrated, first Vers. 4. Vers. 5. Basil.by his giving meat to his people; that is, Manna, and quailes in the Wildernesse: although Basil would have spirituall meat here meant. Secondly, by remembring his Covenant at all times; so that when he was most provoked, as Exod. 32. yet for his Covenants sake with Abraham, Isaack, and Iaacob, he destroyed them not. Thirdly, by shewing his people the power of his Vers. 6.works, when he brought them with a strong hand out of Aegypt. Fourthly, by giving them the heritage of the Heathen, when he brought them into the Land of Canaan. Of all which see more at large before, Psal. 105. and 106. 2. For his word, all his Commandements are sure, they stand fast for Vers. 7. Vers. 9.ever. Of which see more at large, Psal 19. 7, 8, 9. Again, another part of Gods word is, his Covenant; according to which he redeemed his people: He sent redemption to his people, He commanded his Covenant for ever, holy and reverend is his name. Which redemption was not only of Israel out of Egypt, but of the faithfull of all Countries and Nations by Christ. Lastly, his word is praised for this, that hereby his feare is wrought in us, which is the beginning of wisdome; whereby we come to have praise for ever, not of man, but of God, Rom. 2. 29. that which we have done out of his feare being commemorated and commended at the last day.Matth. 25: