The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon, Part 1 – Part 3
Of the Title of the Pſalme.
BEfore I come to the words, will firſt illuſtrate unto yo… the title or inſcription of th… pſalme, whereby ye may the be… ter underſtand the nature, the occaſion and ſubject of the whole the inſcription is in theſe words▪ To the chief Muſician upon ſh… ſhan-eduth, Michtam of David to teach, vvhen he ſtro… vvith Aram Naharaim and vvith Aram-Zobah, vvhen Joab returned, and ſmot of Edom in the valley of ſalt, twelve thouſand.
1. Shuſhan.
BY Shuſhan here ſome underſtand a ſix ſtringed inſtrument, upon which the chief Muſician was ordained to play the praiſes of God, contained in this pſalme; we have the like title prefixed to the fourtie five pſalme, To the chief Muſician upon Shoſhannim, that is, a ſix ſtringed inſtrument ſo called from the Hebrew word Sheſh, which ſignifieth ſix;foreign others not without good reaſon think that this pſalme be ſo called, for its beautie, becauſe it is pleaſant and of a good ſavour, like a Lillie, who for its ſix leaves is in the Canticles called Shoſhan, Cant. 2.1I am the Roſe of Sharon, and the Lillie of the Ʋalleyes; Dearly Beloved, this day have brought for yo… comfort this moſt pleaſant Lill… from the Garden of God.
2. Eduth.
SEcondly it is called Eduth, th… is, the teſtimonie, this declaret… the Pſalme to be a teſtimonie o… Davids faith in the day of troubl… wherein both through God, an… for God he did moſt valiantly or it may be called Eduth, the teſt… monie, becauſe it was ordaine… to be ſung by the Prieſts befo… the Arke,Exod. 40.5 which was called Aron-Eduth the Arke of the teſt… monie, becauſe it was a Teſtimonie or witneſſe of Gods preſen… among his people.
3. Michtam of David to teach.
THirdly, the Pſalme is calle… Michtam of David to teac… that is a golden Pſalme, full of …olden doctrine, to teach chiefly …en of warre on whom to re…y in a day of Battell. The He…rew word Michtam is from that other word Cethem, foreignwhich ſigni…ieth moſt fine gold; the Spouſe …n her Song giveth this word to Chriſts head; My beloved, ſaid …he, is white and rudy, Cant. 5 10the faireſt …mong ten thouſand; his head is Cethem as the moſt fine gold. Maſſa auri vel auram obrizum.Such …s this Pſalme well in the margent …f your Bibles called a Golden Pſalme: there be great riches; I …ring unto you this rich propine …rom God, a moſt excellent trea…ure, and offer it unto you this day; The thieves, the men of warre may ſteele or ſpoile you of your Gold, as the Danites did to Mi…ah when they bereaved him of his Silver-images, Judg. 18.18but if ye get this gold, ye ſhall live and die rich, …n deſpight of all the world.
I think that there was Silver and Gold in great aboundance i… Laodicea, whoſe words were ſ… rich,Rev. 3.17 I have need of nothing but becauſe that Church had ver… little of this Gold, Chriſt Jeſu… proclaimed her a begger, miſ… rable and poore.
If ye conſider this moſt fin… gold, this land of all lands is th… moſt rich in Gold mines; there … no ſuch plenty of Gods word under the cope of heaven, as by h… favour we have this day; Go… word is our gold; for this gol… we muſt all be ready to lay dow… our lives:Rev. 3.11 It was Gods counſe… to Philadelphia, Hold faſt th… which thou haſt, that no man ta… thy crown; let us do ſo with th… gold of GODS word; let n… man take it from us.
This gold is better then an… gold of the earth; the earth gol… is both dumb and dead, it can ſa… nothing for the comfort of it… owner, in the terrours of death, but this gold is a teacher; it is heer called Michtam of David for to teach: This is not the gold of Papiſts idols Elilim, teachers of vanities. So called from Elil, foreign Lev. 26.1that is nothing, theſe golden nothings with their golden beards, have mouthes and ſpeake not, eyes and ſee not, eares and heare not; Behold a great plague, theſe that make them are like unto them; Pſal. 135.18ſo is every one that truſteth in them, or maketh any religious uſe of them; It is no wonder that Papiſts can not eaſily be drawne from their idolatrie; the reaſon is this, there is a fearfull curſe upon them, they are by GOD in his wrath ſtupified and made deaf like their golden idols; Bleſſed be the Lord, our Bibles are Michtams jewels of gold, for to teach ſouls what to do in ſuch terrible dayes, as are theſe wherein we live; therein we have comforts both in life an… death.
4. When he ſtrove with… Aram Naharaim and with Aram-Zobah, when Joab returned, and ſmote of Edom in the valley of ſalt, twelv… thouſand,
THe occaſion and Subject o… this Pſalme, were many enemies Syrians and Edomites gathered in Battell againſt David wh… fought againſt them, and by th… power of GOD ouercame them▪
The enemies who were Syrian… are here called Aram Naharai… and Aram-Zobah; the Syrian… are called Aramites from Aram the Son of Shem, the Son Noah▪ Shem had Elam, and Aſhur, and Aram, and Arphaxad; the Aſſyrians came of Aſhur, and the Syrians of Aram, Gen. 10.22and the Iſraelite… came of Arphaxad, for Arphaxad begat Salah, and Salah begat Heber, from whom GODS people were firſt called Hebrews, after from Ja…obs wreſtling were called Iſraelits, And laſt of all from Judah the ſon of Jacob, were called Jews: The …nd of Aram, which was Siria, …ad manie parts, as Padan aram, Gen. 28.2 1 Chro. 19 6 Gen. 24.10…nd Aram Maacah, and Aram of …amaſcus; here we have Aram …aharaim ſo called from the He…rew word Nahar, that is a flood, foreignbe…auſe it did lye between the two …vers Tigris and Euphrates; for his cauſe by the Greeks it was …alled Meſopotamia, that is the …nd between the rivers, here alſo made mention of Aram-Zobah, which was a countrey neere the …ther; unto theſe were joined E…om, the poſteritie of Eſau, who …as called Edom, that is red, becauſe …hen he was borne, he came out …ed all over like a hairie mantle; Gen. 25.25…heſe Edomites joined with the other duplicate page duplicate page Syrians, came againſt Dav… in hope to have Canaan, whic… as they eſteemed, belonged b… better right unto the poſteritie … Eſau, who was the elder b… ther; mention here is onelyonly ma… of twelve thouſand Edomites ki… led; the reſt of the hiſtorie is … downe at large in the eigh… chapter of the ſecond boo… of Samuel.
The place where this batt… was foughten is called the val… of Salt, a place as ſome thin… neere unto the lake Aſphalti… where Sodome and Gomorah we… before their deſtruction, a… where Lots wife was turned i… a pillar of Salt: Gen. 19.26 Gen. 14.3In Geneſis, t… valley is called the valley of S… dim, which is the ſalt Sea, a pla… by God, in a manner ſown w… ſalt, and made barren by Go… curſe,Pſal. 107.34 who when he is angrie p… teth a fruitfull land to Saltne… that is to barrenneſſe,Deut. 29.23 for Salt cauſeth barrenneſſe.
The diviſion of the Pſalme.
THe parts of this Pſalme are chiefly three; In the firſt part, David complaineth of GODS hard dealing with his people; O GOD, ſaith he, thou hast caſt us off thou haſt ſcattered us, thou haſt beene diſpleaſed, &c. Of this untill the fourth verſe: In the ſecond part from the fourth verſe untill the ninth, he comforteth himſelf in GOD, Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, &c. In the third part from the ninth verſe untill the end, he powreth out wiſhes and prayers for help in his troubles, and at laſt endeth the Pſalme with a moſt couragious reſolution, to fight for the glory of God, and for the liberties of the Kingdom… Through God we ſhall do valiant… This Pſalme is moſt fit for a d… of Battell, the Lord teach me t… day with Habakkuk to ſay,Hab. 2.1 I… ſtand upon my watch, and ſet me u… the tower, and will watch to ſee w… God will ſay unto me.
The diviſion of the Text.
IN the wordes of the text, th… bee two chiefe parts; In t… firſt part we have Davids pra… er, Give us help from troub… for vaine is the help of man; the ſecond part wee have Davi… couragious reſolution, Throu… God wee ſhall doe valiantly; … hee it is that ſhall treade do… our enemies.