Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 3 · Psalms · Psalm 139 – Psalm 140
PSAL. CXXXIX.
To him that Excelleth, a Psalme of David.
OF this Title see often before. Thou hast proved me O Lord, and known Vers. 1. Basil.me: What saith Basil here, doth not God know, without trying and searching? And answers, yes, but it is thus spoken, to shew, that he knoweth most exactly, nothing that is in man lying hid from him, although kept in greatest secresy; even as a dark room by men searched with lights in every corner, nothing can lye hid in it, but it is found out: to expresse which further, the Lord saith, Zeph. 1. 12. I will search Jerusalem with lights; for all Heb. 4. 13.things are naked & manifest to God, with whom we have to do, therefore it is thus spoken only for further expression.
Now David beginneth, and proceedeth far in this Psalme in shewing Gods exact knowledge of all things, in him, and in every man, because he was about to appeale to God, touching the high esteem that he had all his thoughts and wayes in, and the hatred that was in him of all the wicked enemies of God, of which see, Verse 17. 18. and Verse 21. that it was thus with him in sincerity.
Thou knowest my sitting down, and my uprising, and my thoughts afar off: Vers. 2. August.August. applyeth this to Christ, as if it were meant of his death and resurrection; and to the Faithfull, as spoken of his lying down oppressed by sin, & humbling himself therefore, and rising up again with Comfort for the Forgivenesse thereof. But I passe this over, as more witty then solid, because all things in this Psalme agree well to David, but some of them not to Christ, because there was no sin in him, for which he should have any thoughts of hiding ought that was in him from God; but David did something sometime in secret, which he sought by all means to hide. In saying therefore, Thou knowest my sitting and rising, he meaneth, that the Lord knew, what he did when he was at home and abroad, and what Cogitations were in his mind being by himself and in his bed. For the word rendred Thoughts, it signifieth companions, or friends; and therefore is by Ainsworth rendred, Ainsworth.My familiar thoughts: however it is to be conceived, that the Hebrewes do thus call thoughts, because they are commonly with us, and delighted in, as familiar freinds. Now he saith, God knoweth them, as well as we our selves, that we may take heed how we dissemble with him; and he knoweth Note: them afar off, that we may not think, that the great distance between Heaven, the seat of Gods Majesty, and Earth where we are, can hinder him from seeing into, and knowing our very hearts.
Thou hast beset me behinde and before, and layd thy hand upon me: Hebr. Thou hast streightned me, Like one kept in a place alwayes in view, that he Vers. 5.cannot goe backward nor forward, and so be out of sight, and this is done by Gods hand or power who thus holdeth every man.
Such know ledge is too wonderfull for me, I cannot attain unto it: That is, Vers. 6.If I should inquire how this can be, that God should …exactly know mine, and the Deeds, Words, and Thoughts of every man, because neither I nor any other Man can doe the like, touching any one Man, I should in vaine make such an inquiry; and so shall any one, that would measure Gods knowledge by his own Module, when as indeed it it is transcendent, and above all humane capacity, how he should know these things. Wherefore we must by faith beleeve it, and reverently admire his knowledge therefore as infinite, and by us incomprehensible, and so live, and think, speak, Note. and do, as they that cannot whithersoever they go, be out of Gods sight at any time, who is a most severe Judge against all sin.
Verse 7, 8. &c. are nothing else but a collection, or inference made upon Vers. 7, 8.the premises, Vers. 5. for if I be held so streightly, that I can neither move backward nor forward, I shall think in vain of fleeing away to hide me. And whereas speaking of Heaven and Hell, and the Seas, he saith, Thou art there, nothing else is meant hereby, but thou art every where to see me; so that a man going any whether by changing his place is still confined to Godward, being as it were kept alwayes in one streight place open to his view. Of the wings of the morning he speaks figuratively, alluding to the morning star, which is now on the one side of the Sea, and in a short time on the other, as if it had wings wherewith to fly with greatest swiftness to and fro.
Thou hast possessed my reines, thou hast covered me in my Mothers womb: Vers. 13.To make that which was said before more credible, David here bringeth an argument from Gods making of him, and therefore seeing, and knowing, and holding him in his hand, when he was in his Mothers womb, and therefore how should he be hid from him now living, and going up and down in the world, there being no place wherein a man can be in greater secrecy then there.
I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and that my Soul knoweth right well: Vers. 14.Man for the wonderfullnesse of his frame is called by the Philosopher foreign, a littie world; but this is spoken, not only in respect of the Body, but also of the understanding beyond all other terrestriall creatures in him; having a head to conceive and invent, and a tongue to speak and argue, and hands to act beyond them all. But if the frame of man be so miraculous, how saith he that he knoweth it very well? He meaneth not saith Calvin, that Calvinhe had the exact knowledge, how God proceeded in making man so many wayes so admirable, as Philosophers take upon them to know the causes of all things; but only knew, he was thus made by God, not to passe over such wonderfull works of his without admiring and praising of his power and wisdome shewed herein.
My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously Vers. 15.wrought in the lower parts of the Earth.
My substance being yet imperfect, in thy booke were all my members written: Vers. 16.Here he amplifieth this argument begun, Verse. 13. that God knoweth and seeth every man in every place. For he saw my matter, of which, being at the first a kind of confused Chaos, I was formed so excellent in all my parts and lineaments, even when I was but an Embrio, and still in a secret place, my Mothers womb: and these words, In the lower parts of the Earth, are added, in opposition to Heaven above, the vast distance not hindering God from seeing me even then and there. For his members writing in a booke, this is spoken, not that God hath a Booke in which to write, but to shew what a care he had, that in framing him, there might be no limb or part deficient, or amisse formed, their number and form being as exactly set down in Gods providence before, as if they had been written and described in a booke.
How precious are thy thoughts to me O Lord, how great is the summe of them? Now he sheweth how greatly his heart was taken up with a most Vers. 17.high estimation, and unspeakable love towards God, in the consideration of these things and innumerable more; to which his wisdome and Providence dayly extendeth: The Vulg. For Thoughts, hath Freinds, How honored of me are thy friends O God, their Principalities are very much comforted; Hebr. the word foreign signifieth Freinds, as was said before, and the word foreign rendred Precious, signifieth either precious or honored, & foreign rendred Summ, Heads; & foreign rendred Great, Strong or mighty, so that if we render it verbatim, as the words are most commonly taken it goeth thus, how honored of me are thy freinds how mighty are their heads? And to this agreeth the Cald. Par. How honorable Cald. paraph.are they that love thee O God? how are their Prince fortified? And this is followed generally by the Ancients, and for it makes that which followeth, Ver 19, 20, 21, 22. Slay the Wicked, they speake against me wickedly, thine enemies Vers. 19, 20. 21, 22.take thy name in vain. Doe not I hate them O Lord that hate thee? For having finished his discourse touching Gods works towards him, and made profession of his faith, that he beleeved that God knew his very heart, now out of the truth of his heart, he cometh to make profession of his entire love towards all that were like minded, calling them the freinds of God, as on the contrary side, he professeth to hate the Wicked and Hypocrites, who were contrary minded, taking haply Gods name into their mouthes, and pretending piety towards him; but this being nothing else in them but a taking of Act. 21. Revel. 7.his name in vain, if any shal rather prefer the former reading, he may follow that which his own judgment leadeth him to; but then ther wil not be so good acoherence betwixt these words and those following, V 19. 20 &c. But if we follow the next, we shall both keep closer to the Heb. words, & the coherence wil be better. If it be said, but the words of v…. 8 If I count them they are more Vers. 21.in number then the Sands, shew plainly, that by heads before spoken of Sums, or numbers of thoughts are meant in the …; I answer, these words will as well agree, if we take it of such as love God, and turne to him as friends, for these are set forth, Psal. 110 3. to be as many, as the dew covering 2 Pet. 2. 8.the Earth, and in Judea alone. When the Gospell was first preached, it is said, there were many Myriads that beleived, and of all Nations innumerable that were sealed; and it is said to Abraham, Gen. 13. 16. that his seed should be as the dust, for the hatred wherewith he saith, that he hateth Gods Enemies, he meaneth that his love to God and his freinds was so great that he consorted not with any other, but was vexed and greived, as Lot, at the unclean conversation of the Sodomites, not faining an hatred against them, but loving them indeed, but perfectly and really hating them for this their Wickedness. But this is to be made a rule in case of incorrigibility, otherwise whilst there is hope, that is to be followed, 2 Thes. 3. 15. Yet reject him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a Brother. For the clause of V 18. When I awake I am still with thee: The meaning is, whilst I live here I am in thy presence, so when as I shal sleep by the sleep of death, and wake again at the resurrection, I shall be for ever in thy presence, see the like Psal, 15. 17. so also the Cald. Paraph. As he began, Thou hast proved and known me: Verse 1, so he concludeth, appealing to God again, Search me, and prove me, &c. as who should say, in what I have spoken, I passe not for mans testimony whether it be true or no; but upon thee do I put my selfe, O Lord, for tryall, who I know, wilt herein give testimony on my side, and I pray thee stil to lead me on in this way, and of all virtue to the end, and finally bring me to everlasting life.
PSAL. CXL.
THis Psalme having the same title with the former is a prayer against Davids malicious enemies, who raild upon him, and laid wait to insnare him, and fought against him, but that God covered his head, Verse 7. and finally he promiseth himself an hearing, ending in this confidence with praise V. 12. 13.
It is in argument much like to Psalme 120. some saith Calvin, think it Calvin.to have beene made against Doeg, but this is rightly rejected by him, because Saul, and others his Sycophants, wrought continually against him, both by deeds and words, so that most probably he complaineth of them all, and prayeth against them: Moreover, there is a Psalme before against Doeg, Viz. Psalme 52.
They have sharpned their tongues like a Serpent: so spoken, because the Vers. 3.tongue of a Serpent is sharp and peircing, and the Poison of aspes, is further spoken of, to shew, that there was as much danger in their venemous speeches, as in most deadly poison.
Thou hast covered my head in the day of battell, Hebr. Of armour, For David had never indeed any battell with Saul, but declined it; but Saul ofter armed Vers. 7.against him; but then Gods providence covered him as a sheild: but the head is only spoken of, to set forth his whole Body, because that is cheifly aimed at by the enemy, as wherein the life principally lyeth.
For the head of those that compasse me about, let the mischeife of their own Vers. 9. Of this word, rend…ed Gall, see Psalme 69. Verse 22.lips cover them: Hebr. the head or gall of my beseigers, and labour, or trouble of their lips let cover them. God, he saith, had covered his head in the day of battell: Now contrariwise he sheweth, what should cover the head of his enemies, viz. it should come to them, as with their lips they had maliciously spoken against him: for it may be thus rendred: the head of my beseiger, let the trouble of his lips cover it: for cursing, let him be covered with Cursing, ac with a cloake.
Let coales of fire fall upon them, he shall cast them into deepe places; they Vers. 10.shall not rise: Or let coales fall upon them, he shall cast them into the fire: for either reading is good: It is alluded to the burning of Sodom, and seemeth to have reference to the sending of the wicked into hell fire at the day of Judgment, see Rom. 12. 20.
Let not an evill speaker be establisht: Hebr. A man of tongue: For in a multitude of words there cannot want sin; therefore it is given in charge, Be swift to heare, slow to speake. Of keeping the tongue, see Psalme 39. 1.