and thy truth unto the clouds.] For it is fit my thankfulness should be as boundless as thy mercy, which transcends all my expressions; and hath nothing equal to it, but thy faithfulness and truth. Ver. 11. Be thou exalted, O God, above the beavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.] Be thou still exalted in these, O God, and raise to thyself thereby the highest praise; spread the fame of them every where, that thou mayest be glorified throughout all the world. THE ARGUMENT.-This and the next psalm, in order of time, precede the foregoing. But it is an ordinary method among the Hebrews to go backward from the last to the first: as they seem to me to do very plainly, in these three psalms, which have the title of Al-taschith. For David's first escape, when Saul sent to kill him, was certainly the occasion of the 59th psalm. And then, Saul calling his privy council together, who, without any ado, pronounced him guilty of high treason: it is the subject of this present psalm. And after that, Saul persecuted him with the greater colour and show of justice, accusing him of the worst of crimes; as he complains in many places, particularly in the psalm foregoing. Which being called Al-taschith, for a peculiar reason, (see there). This, when it was delivered to the chief musician, was appointed to be sung after the same manner with that, and had the same name given it, with the title of Michtam also; because it contains a memorable reproof of those evil counsellors, who, against their conscience, had condemned David, merely to please the king, and give him a pretence to destroy him. And therefore, he prophecies a signal vengeance should overtake them, (which he would have every body observe), and that so suddenly and dreadfully, that he compares it to the mischief which a whirlwind doth, when it carries all before it in a moment; and particularly, he remembers the pots and caldrons over the fire, which should suffer by it; to intimate, I suppose, that these men were great oppressors, and devoured the people; as the prophets often complain, in that very language, particularly Micah, iii. 2. 3. where you read how the senators of Israel broke the very bones of the poor, and chopt them in pieces as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron. Which place affords the best explication that I can find of the 9th verse of this psalm. Where I take hai and haron to refer to thorns, and render the former green, or alive, the other dry, or scorched and burnt. But whatsoever these words signify, the repetition of chemo before each of them, plainly denotes, (to any one that understands the Hebrew language), that the things meant by those words should be served both alike. Ver. 1. men ?] Do se ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of From whom may we expect justice, if not from the princes and rulers of the people met together in council? But let me ask that grave assembly, Do you verily think, that you have pronounced a righteous sentence against me? did you judge according to your consciences, uprightly and sincerely, and not suffer yourselves to be biassed by your affections? Ver. 2. Yea, in heart you work wickedness: you weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.] You know the contrary to be true; and that you are not only disposed to do as the king would have you, but have hearts fraught with malice and wicked devices against me: you that ought to weigh things in an even balance, and judge a cause according to its merits, suffer yourselves to be inclined by base respects, to do an open violence to your country, and to oppress the innocent. Ver. 3. The wicked are estranged from the womb they go astray, as soon as they be born, speaking lies.] But it is no wonder I am thus used by a wicked brood, who never had any sense of God and goodness, but were depraved from the very womb; going astray as soon as they could go, and telling lies as soon as they could speak. Ver. 4. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent ; they are like the deaf adder, that stoppeth her ear:] And such is the malignity of their venomous nature, they tell the most malicious and destructive lies of me; which strike at my life as plainly, as if they were the poison of a serpent: whom they resemble in this also, that they will not be better instructed, nor, as becomes good judges, keep an ear open to farther information; but are as obstinate as the deaf adder, (so much spoken of in our neighbouring countries), which can hear well enough, but stops both her ears, Ver. 5. Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.] ers, charming never so wisely.] And will not listen to the magical song, wherewith their cunning men are wont to charm those serpents, and draw them together out of their holes. Vér. 6. Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.] I appeal, therefore, from them, unto thee, O God, the most righteous Judge; beseeching thee to disable those men's forces, whose wickedness is incorrigible: though they be as strong and terrible, as fierce and ravenous, as the young lions, thou, O Lord, who art superior to all, canst easily disarm them, and leave them a desire, without any power to do me mischief. Ver. 7. Let them melt away, as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.] Or if they have any strength remaining, let their courage fail them when they would attempt any thing against me; let them be dissipated like waters which slide away when Saul bends his mind to do me any harm, let him miss his aim, like him that shoots a broken arrow out of his bow; Ver. 8. As a snail which melteth, let every one of them and was sent to the master of music in the tabernacle, to be sung as the two former, which have the name of Al-taschith. See Psal. lvii. pass away; like the untimely birth of a woman, that they Ver. 1. DELIVER me from mine enemies, O may not see the sun.] Or be like a snail, that appears with a threatening look when it puts forth its horns; but the farther it goes, the more it wastes and spends itself: whatsoever designs he and his followers may have to destroy me, let them all miscarry and prove like an abortive child, which dies in the womb, and never sees the light of this world. Ver. 9. Before your pot can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.] O ye unrighteous judges, who, instead of preserving the people, devour and eat them up: God shall hurry you away suddenly, as in a furious tempest; which before your flesh-pots can feel the thorns, carries them all away, both the green thorns and the dry. Ver. 10. The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.] Which just judgement of God, when in nocent people, whom you have oppressed, shall be hold, it will fill them with joy; yea, they shall triumph over these wicked men, like a great conqueror; who, returning with an absolute and complete victory from the slaughter of his enemies, dips his feet in their blood, as he passes over their carcases. Ver. 11. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.] And the most vulgar people, who observe little, seeing so remarkable a vengeance, shall confess, and say, Surely it is best to be just and pious: surely there is a supreme Judge, whatsoever profane men imagine, who takes notice of all that is done upon earth, and punishes or rewards men according to their deserts. PSALM LIX. To the chief musician, Al-taschith, Michtam of David, when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. : THE ARGUMENT.-The title sufficiently informs us of the occasion of this psalm, wherein David expresses what his thoughts and affections were, when Saul sent officers to watch his house all night, and to slay him when he came out of his doors in the morning as you may read 1 Sam. xix. from ver. 11. to ver. 18. He represents his danger; beseeches God's protection; describes the wickedness of his enemies, and their diligence to destroy him; commends himself to God; expresses his confidence in him; and at last gratefully acknowledges God's goodness, who, by the kindness of his wife, preserved him from this danger. Which was so great, and the deliverance from it so remarkable, that he would have it commemorated in this psalm: Which is therefore called Michtam, (see Psalm xvi.), my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.] O God, who hast hitherto graciously preserved me, (see Sam. xix. 10.), take me now into thy protection, and deliver me from this great danger: thou seest the number and the power of my enemies, who are risen up to destroy me, be thou my defence, I beseech thee; and bring me into some place of safety, where they may not be able to reach me. Ver. 2. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.] Rescue me from the malice of men, whose business and constant employment it is to do wickedly save me from the cruelty of those whom nothing but my blood will satisfy. Ver. 3. For lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.] For lo, a strong guard hath beset my house, and lies in wait to apprehend me, and take away my life; though I have committed no offence against them, either great or less, as thou, O Lord, from whom nothing can be hid, very well knowest. Ver. 4. They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.] Unprovoked by me, (I dare again repeat it, so great is my innocence), they very busily run to and fro, and with all diligence dispose their watch in every place to hinder my escape: O that thou wouldest therefore seasonably interpose for my succour, and consider the danger of my condition. Ver. 5. Thou, therefore, O LORD God of bests, the God of Israel, 'awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.] What is all their power and force to thine? who art the sovereign Lord of all the world, and commandest all the hosts in heaven and earth; and hast made also a gracious covenant with thy people, to protect and defend them: appear now for my relief, and punish all those wicked men, who call themselves thy people, but are as barbarous and cruel, as false and perfidious, as the heathen; do not spare them, therefore, nor shew any favour to such as violate all the laws of justice and charity, and keep no faith with their neighbours. Ver. 6. They return at evening; they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.] After I had escaped the fury of Saul in the day, he renews his attempts in the evening, and sends armed men to apprehend me, (1 Sam. xix. 10. 11.); some of which lie about my house, ready, like a growling dog, to seize upon me; and others (should they miss me there) go round about the city, to way-lay me in every corner. Ver. 7. Behold, they belch out with their mouth : swords are in their lips; for who, say they, doth hear?] Behold, how full their hearts are of malice! which burst out at their mouth: they openly threaten to kill me, (1 Sam. xix. 15.); for who, say they, shall call them to any account for it, when they have dispatched me? Ver. 8. But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.] Thon, O Lord, art not in their thoughts, who wilt so disappoint them in their designs, as to make them very ridiculous; thou wilt expose all those paganish people to the scorn and derision of those who see how they are defeated, (1 Sam. xix. 15.). Ver. 9. Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.] For what is the strength of Saul to thee? on whom I will wait with the same diligence that they watch for me; knowing that I am safer under God's protection, than if my house were an impregnable tower. they please, (ver. 7.), lying near my house, like a dog, ready to seize upon me; or hunting about the city every where to apprehend me. Ver. 15. Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.] They shall be punished in their kind, and go up and down the city and country hereafter, upon another design; wandering like a hungry dog, from door to door, to get something to eat; and forced to pass whole nights in complaints, for want of satisfaction: Ver. 16. But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning; for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.] Whilst I (whom they thought to have devoured) am praising thy power, as I intend to do continually, I will get up early, to give thee the highest praises for Ver. 10. The God of my mercy shall prevent me: thy mercy, (as I did that morning when I had escaGod shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.] He ped the hands of those that watched for me), because who hath given me so many demonstrations of his thou didst so mightily defend me, and take me into love, will not now desert me; but make way for my thy gracious protection, when I was in such a timely escape, notwithstanding all their diligence to strait, that without thy miraculous mercy I must apprehend me: let them observe me as closely as have perished. they can, God will let me behold their disappoint ment. Ver. 11. Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O LORD our shield.] Not that I desire they should all be slain at one stroke, which, though a terrible vengeance, might soon slip out of my countrymen's mind; whose profit I desire, more than my own private revenge: and therefore wish rather thou wouldest employ thy power, O Lord our protector, first to depose them from their honour and high place; and having laid them low, and made them contemptible, then to disperse them here and there, and make them wander up and down as vagabonds; that they may remain every where public spectacles of thy just displeasure. Ver. 12. For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride; and for cursing and lying, which they speak.] The falsehoods and calumnies which their mouths continually utter, deserve this vengeance, which shall certainly come upon them; for, though they may thrive by this means for the present, yet at last these very artifices shall prove their ruin; especially since they are so arrogant and audacious, as to dare to forswear themselves, and to confirm their forgeries with oaths and horrid execrations. Ver. 13. Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be; and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.] Let such vile wretches as these, who incense thy just displeasure against them after this manner, be utterly consumed; let them waste away by degrees in their dispersions, till there be none of them found; that they may be convinced there is a supreme Being, and most righteous Judge, who governs all things, and controuls even kings themselves, not only among us, but throughout the world. Ver. 14. And at evening let them return, and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.] Let them therefore watch me now, as narrowly as Ver. 17. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing; for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.] It is but just that I should praise thee (who didst inspire me with strength and courage) with the same diligence that I prayed to thee, against the power of Saul, (ver. 9.); for whosoever was the instrument, it was God that brought me into a place of safety; that God who hath been most merciful to me, and tied me unto him by innumerable benefits. THE ARGUMENT.-This psalm, we learn by the title, was penned by David, after Saul's persecution was ended by death, and David not only ruled over Judah, but Israel also. Till which time, the Philistines and other nations afflicted the country very much, by reason of the divisions there were between the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah; as they had done also all the days of Saul, while he was busying himself in pursuing his hatred against David, and neglected his foreign enemies so much, that the Philistines were too hard for him, and at last overthrew him, in that great battle wherein he and his sons were slain, 1 Sam. xxxi. But when David was come to the crown, and both kingdoms also united in him, God himself seemed to lift up an ensign to them, (as he speaks here, ver. 4.), to call them to resort with one consent unto David, in assured hope of vietory over their enemies. Accordingly he subdued the Phi listines, as you read, 2 Sam. viii. 1. (which chapter must be read for the understanding of this psalm); and after that smote the Moabites, ver. 2. of that chapter; and then, in a memorable battle, (parti- And returning from this victory, after his lieutenant- Ver. 1. God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us; thou hast been displeased, O turn thyself to us again.] O God, the Judge of all the world, who hast lately rejected us, and refused to go out with our armies; who hast broken and scattered our forces, (1 Sam. xxxi. 1. 7.), so highly had our sins provoked thy displeasure; I most humbly beseech thee to return to us with thy favour, and make us as prosperous as we have been unsuccessful. Ver. 2. Thou hast made the earth to tremble, thou bast broken it; heal the breaches thereof, for it shaketh.] There have been dreadful commotions among ourselves, and miserable rents and divisions, (2 Sam. ii. 9. 10. 17. iii. 1.), the woful effects of which remain to this day, and call for thy help, who alone canst repair the breaches our folly hath made, and perfect the union which is begun. Ver. 3. Thou hast shewed thy people hard things; thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.] Thou hast made us feel what it is to offend thee, by inflicting grievous punishments upon us; wherein thou hast fulfilled the words of thy servant Moses; (Deut. xxviii. 8. 34.): for we have been like to men bereft of the use of their reason, by some intoxicating potion, and have madly destroyed one another. Ver. 4. Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee; that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selab.] But now thou hast granted the desires of those that devoutly worship thee, and, according to thy faithful promise, (2 Sam. iii. 9. 18.), given me to them to be their king, to whom they should all repair, as soldiers do to their ensign when it is lifted up, and unanimously fight against their enemies under my conduct. Ver. 5. That thy beloved may be delivered, save with thy right hand, and hear me.] Which I beseech thee to bless and prosper; that by the mighty power accompanying my arms, I may be an instrument of delivering thy beloved people from those that have oppressed them. Ver. 6. God hath spoken in his holiness, I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.] Why should I doubt of it? and not rather rejoice in assured hope of victory; since God, who is most holy, and cannot lie, hath said, he will deliver them by my hand, (2 Sam. iii. 18.), and hath already put me in possession (as he also promised, ver. 2.) of all the country about Samaria, which I will distribute under such officers, as I think fit to set over them. Ver. 7. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine, Eph. raim also is the strength of mine head; Judab is my law giver.] Gilead also, and Manasseh, who were lately under another king, (2 Sam. ii. 9.) have submitted themselves unto me; and so hath the tribe of Ephraim, which is a main support of my autho-. rity; these, and all the rest of the tribes of Israel, are now united to the royal tribe of Judah, which (according to the word of our fore-father, Gen. xlix. 1o.) supplies me with wise and able men to administer the laws, and order the affairs of my kingdom: Ver. 8. Moab is my wash-pot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; Philistia, triumph thou because of me.] Which shall now extend itself beyond the bounds of this country, for I will tread Moab. under my feet, and reduce them to the vilest servitude, (2 Sam. viii. 2.); I will trample also upon the Edomites, and make them my slaves, 2 Sam. v. 14.; the Philistines likewise, whom I have begun to smite, (2 Sam. v. 17. &c. 22. &c.), shall add to my triumphs, and be forced to meet me as their conquering Lord. (2 Sam. viii. 1.) Ver. 9. Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?] These are difficult things indeed; and I may well ask, when I consider how potent these nations are, by what power or force shall I enter that strongly-fenced city, in the frontiers of their country? Who is it that will conduct me into Idumæa, and make me master of it? Ver. 10. Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?] But I can soon answer myself; for why should I despair of thy presence with us, O God of all power and might? who formerly, indeed, didst reject us, and forsake the conduct of our armies; but now, I hope, wilt graciously aid us, and make us victorious. Ver. 11. Give us help from trouble; for vain is the help of man.] Do not frustrate these hopes, but afferd us thy help against the Syrians also, (2 Sam. human serve me; I fled to thee, and was protected as in an impregnable fortress, when Saul sought to destroy viii. 5.), now that they distress us; Ver. 12. Through God we shall do valiantly; for be it is that shall tread down our enemies.] By whose assistance we will behave ourselves courageously, and do valiant acts; for God will utterly rout our enemies, and tread them down like mire in the streets. me. Ver. 4. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever; I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.] Which makes me hope thou wilt restore me again to the place where thou dwellest, and that I shall never be thus banished from it any more, but remain in safety under thy Almighty protection, in which I will put my entire confidence. Ver. 5. For thou, O God, hast heard my vows : thou bast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.] And since thou, O God, hast heard the prayers, which with these vows I made unto thee, and hast given me again the possession of that country which is the inheritance of thy faithful people; Ver. 7. He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him.] He shall sit upon his throne, and ever govern in the fear of God: O that thy goodness and faithfulness, which are a stronger guard than all his military forces, may be ever ready at hand to defend him. THE ARGUMENT.-All agree, that in the beginning of this psalm, David relates what his thoughts were, when he fled either from Saul, or from his Ver. 6. Thou wilt prolong the king's life; and his son Absalom, who drove him over Jordan, as far years as many generations.] I doubt not but thou wilt as Mahanaim, the very extremity of Judea. Of grant their king a long and prosperous reign over this latter, it is most probable, he complains here, them, and add so many years to those which his enever. 2. because afterwards he calls himself king, mies would have cut off; as if thou hast given him ver. 6. which he would not have done during the a new life, and added another age unto the former. life of Saul, though he was anointed, and designed by God to that high dignity, because nothing could have justified Saul's persecution of him so much as his taking upon him that title. may be said, indeed, that he kept this psalm private till he was possessed of the kingdom, and then delivered it to the chief musician, to be as Psal. iv. But that will not seem so likely, when we consider that his danger was over before he had finished this psalm, and called himself a king, as appears from the latter part of it, beginning ver. 5. Where, after a pause, he begins to acknowledge how God had granted the desires he made, when he was in distress; and thankfully commemorates his mercy, in bringing him back again to his tabernacle; hoping he would prolong his life in the throne, (ver. 6.), to which he was newly either advanced, or restored by God's goodness. I shall suppose the latter in my paraphrase. Ver. 1. sung HEAR my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.] O God, the supreme Governor and Judge of all the world, graciously vouchsafe to admit and answer the petitions of a poor supplicant, who, in a most lamentable condition, cries unto thee most earnestly for relief. unto Ver. 2. From the end of the earth will I cry thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: dead me to the rock that is higher than I.] Of which I will not despair, though I am upon the brink of being thrust out of my kingdom, (2 Sam. xvii. 22. 24.), and in such anxiety of mind, that I am even overwhelmed with fear, and grief, and care; still I cry unto thee, saying, Secure me, I beseech thee, and bring me into a place of safety, which as without thee I am not able to reach, so there my enemies may not be able to approach me. Ver. 3. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.] For in all my distresses hitherto thou hast been pleased wonderfully to pre Ver. 8. So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.] So will I perpetually sing psalms in praise of them, and learn thereby to be faithful to my promises, and day by day perform the vows which I made unto thee when I was in trouble. PSALM LXII. To the chief musician, to Jeduthun. A Psalm THE ARGUMENT.-There are no petitions at all in this psalm, nor any thanksgivings, but only expressions of David's faith and confidence in God. Which (notwithstanding the straits he was in, as appears from ver. 3. 4.) grew greater and stronger, (compare ver. 2. with ver. 6.), and moved him to earnest exhortations of all other persons never to trust in men, much less in those wicked arts of fraudulent dealing and robbery, whereby men are wont to advance themselves to great estates, hoping thereby to be so strong, that nobody dare meddle with them; but to place all their confidence in God alone, who can and will make those supports fail those that rely upon them, and bless the piety of such men as depend wholly upon him. Which would make one think this psalm was penned by him when he had overcome all the fears into which the rebellion of Absalom at first put him, but yet was not restored to his kingdom. Unto which when he returned, he cominitted this meditation to the master of the music, to be sung according to the tune to which Jeduthun, a famous artist, had set the 39th psalm. |