Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 3 · Psalms · Psalm 147
PSAL. CXLVII.
THis Psalme is in vulgar Latine divided into two, viz. 146. and 147. beginning at verse twelve, and so that translation cometh in fine to the same number of Psalmes with ours, Psal. 146. being there, Psal. 145. but take we it as it is Hebr. for one Psalme consisting of twenty verses. He proceedeth herein as he did, Psal. 146, viz. after exhortation to praise God, in the title he bringeth arguments, or layeth downe grounds of praise;
1 It is good, it is comely; 2. The Lord buildeth Jerusalem, and gathereth together Vers. 1. Vers. 2.the out-casts of Israel; which, if the Psalme were made by Haggai, and Zechary, as was said before upon Psal. 146. may well be expounded of the building of Jerusalem after their returne out of captivity, when the Jewes were called, the out-casts of Israel were come againe to Jerusalem, in Nehemiah his time, who built walls about the City, being much opposed, but yet by Gods help in a short time perfecting that worke. Jerom understands Hieron.it of the Church under the Gospel, and likewise the next words:
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds; of the brokenhearted Vers. 3.for sinne, and the wounded hereby, for of our being wounded thus, the Parable of him that travelled from Jerusalem to Jericho, who fell amongst theeves and was wounded, speaketh, and the next words:
He telleth the number of the starres, &c. Of the meek spoken of, verse 6. He Vers. 4. Vers. 5.lifteth up the meek, but casteth the wicked downe to the ground: for these, saith he, be the starres here spoken of, witnesse Daniel, who saith, The righteous shall shine as the firmament, and they that turne others to righteousnesse as the starres. And Dan. 12.this is to be noted as most wonderfull, the Angels sinning meant here, by the wicked are made to come from Heaven downe to the ground, but the men broken-hearted for sinne are lifted up to Heaven, and placed there as bright shining starres; and I see nothing against it, but that first understanding this according to the letter, it may well be drawne up to such a Spirituall sence. But we are not to exclude, from this spoken of the Stars, the proper meaning, that God knoweth them all, although innumerable, which is another ground of praising him, as being in his understanding infinite, and so hitherto are three grounds of praise: 1. For his building Jerusalem, &c. 2 For healing the broken-hearted with long continuing miseries. 3 For his unparalleld understanding about the starres. Now followeth the fourth:
He covereth the heaven with clouds, &c. much like to Psal. 104. 13, 14. only Vers. 8. Vers. 9. Calvin.here the young Ravens that cry to him are particularly mentioned, because, as Calvin saith, they are of the basest and most contemptible sort of Fowles, wch none esteem of, but for their hurtfulnesse destroy, and therefore in speaking of Gods hearing them when they cry to him, he most highly extolleth his providence, as being over not only the better sort of Creatures, but even the basest of all; whereas the Rabbins in expounding this say, that for nine dayes the Raven forsakes her young, being newly hatcht, as not acknowledging them, because, being without feathers, they are so unlike unto her, in which time they having nothing to sustaine them, Wormes breed of the putrifaction of the meat, brought thither formerly by their Damme, and thereupon they live, he rejects it, as a putid invention; yet the Philosopher saith, that for some time, having no other food, they live upon the dew of Heaven, and to this the Psalmist might have respect, when he saith thus, it being so extraordinary an act of providence thus to keep life in them: For their crying to God, Calvin also thinkes, that this is spoken of more then of other Fowles, because they make more noyse then others in their crying. Hitherto according to the letter.
But Jerom maketh also a Spirituall exposition hereupon, and upon the Hierom.gathering of the Clouds, verse 8. and making grasse through the raine to grow upon the mountaines; for, saith he, if it were only literally meant, it would have been said, in the vallies, for there the grasse groweth in greatest abundance, and in speaking of this other particular, he would have said, the Ravens, that cry to him, as well as the young of Ravens foreign and indeed understands it literally, and it must follow, saith he, that the young of Ravens shall be saved, because who so calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Therefore by the Clouds and Raine here spoken of, he understandeth heavenly Doctrine to drop downe, which he gathereth, and sendeth out Preachers. For thus Esa, 5. the Lord threatens his Vine-yard, that the Clouds shall not raine upon it, and let my doctrine, saith Moses, distill as the raine; and where this raine falleth, the mountaines bring Deut. 33.forth Grasse; that is, the most eminent men for holinesse bring forth, upon the receiving of this Doctrine, fruites of good Workes, where-with men and women, that are poore, be fed, who are set forth under the name of Beasts, as man generally is, because he dyeth, as doth the beast, Psal. 49.
Lastly, the sons of the Raven, for so the word signifieth, cry to him, and are fed, not the Raven it selfe, that is, the Devil, whose children the wicked are, till they be converted, and then, which they shew that they are by calling upon God, they cry to him, and are fed with the bread that came downe from Heaven, Christ Jesus, to eternall life; to this effect almost Jerom, I having made but little alteration in citing him. Hitherto the fourth ground of praise, now followeth the fifth.
He hath strengthened the barres of thy gates, &c. speaking to Jerusalem, Answer Vers. 13. Vers. 14.me (O Jew) saith Jerom, how was this fulfilled touching your Jerusalem, which the Romanes destroyed, wherein thy Children perished by famine, and for peace had the sword raging amongst them, were her Children blessed in her, had shee peace, was shee fed with the fat of Wheat? And if thou canst not acknowledge that another Jerusalem must needs be here meant, viz. the Christian Church, the barres of the Gates whereof are the Prophets, and Apostles, barring out all such as obey not their teaching. But the barres of the Gates of the Church, are rather those barres which Christ put hereunto, when he said, The gates of hell shall not Matth. 16.prevaile against it; That is, the Divine power founding it so strongly upon a Rock, that no adverse power stirred up by Hell can over-throw it; the Children here are blessed, and multiplied, and here is peace with God, and feeding with the Floure, which is the fat, or the best part of the Wheat, that is, the Word and Sacrament, and this is further confirmed:
He sendeth out his Commandement upon earth, his word runneth very swifily; whereby he sheweth what he meant by the fat of Wheat, viz. the Gospel, Vers. 15.which went all over the world, and that in a short time after the coming downe of the Holy Ghost, as the Sun coming forth, and inlightening all parts of the world, as Psal. 19. being for the swiftnesse of going set forth by Heathen Poets, as drawne in a Chariot by flying Horses.
He giveth Snow like Wooll, and scattereth his boare frost like ashes; he castetb Vers. 16. Vers. 17. Vers. 18.out his Ice like morsels, who can stand before his cold? he sends out his Word and melteth them, be causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. Here is a sixth ground of praising God for the mighty workes of his Providence, as in covering the Heavens with Clouds, and sending raine before spoken of; so now in the Snow, Frosts causing Ice, and an hoarinesse like ashes upon the face of the earth, which are dissolved againe at his word, or will. And of this Jerom also giveth this Spirituall sence, Christ is the Lambe of God, as a sheep before the shearer; from him then cometh wooll for a garment Hieron.to cover us, that beleeve, & then we are white as the snow, Esa. 1. 18. Psa. 51. Wash me, and I shall be whiter then snow; and by sinne, being cold as the dead, and frozen into hardnesse of heart, his Word cometh, and then all this hardnesse is dissolved, the heart melteth before it, as the hoare Frost before the heat of the Sunne, and the Ice, being otherwise in danger of extremity of heat in Hell fire; and the wind, that is, the Spirit blowing, as Joh. 3. the waters flow, that is, teares of repentance come pouring out, of which we may make use, as an excellent Allegory, or Similitude, but not passing over the literall sence, as he doth in all these things, which is most properly the meaning of Raine, and Snow, and hoare-Frosts, and Ice: the Philosophers discourse much, and shew Naturall causes thereof, but here we are taught, that God and his mighty power is to be looked at in all these things, and he to be praised therefore.
He hath shewed his Law to Jacob, and his judgements to Israel; Here is the seventh Vers. 19.ground of praise in this Psalme, because he had spoken, verse 18. of his Word, and Commandement, now he saith, that this is shewed to Jacob, calling it, Law, and Judgements, hereby meaning, that every one who prevaileth with God to be blessed, for so Jacob had his name turned to Israel, hath his Law of Faith and Justification by Grace shewed him, and then suffers by his Judgements, of which it is said, that they must begin 1 Pet. 4. August.at Gods house. But what is it that followeth? He hath not dealt so with the Heathen, &c. Sol. He doth not hereby meane, that any Nation is excluded from this, but being converted, all the Heathen also are one Israel, because in Gal. 3. 28.Christ all are one; but before their conversion they have no knowledge of these things, the Law of Faith is foolishnesle to them, and the judgements upon Beleevers are taken by them for signes of Gods wrath, utterly disliking their wayes, so August.