of the waters the rising mountains and the low-laid valleys did then appear Vers 9. Thou hast set a bound that they may not passe over c. See the Notes Job 38.8 9 10. Vers 13. He watereth the hills from his chambers c. See the Note above vers 3. That which is here noted as remarkable is that even the mountains where there are no springs and brooks of water are yet watered with the dew and rain that fall from the clouds the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works that is with the rain which is thy work causing the clouds to be filled therewith and causing it to be showred down when thou pleasest upon the earth or with the rain which proceeds from the clouds or with the fruits which thou causest the earth by this means to bring forth Vers 14. He causeth the grasse to grow for the cattel and herb for the service of man c. That is and all kind of herbs which are for the use of man whether for food or physick that he that is that God may bring forth food out of the earth This I conceive is the meaning of these words Yet some Expositours understand them otherwise to wit that God causeth not the grasse only but the herb to grow for the cattel for the service of man that is that the cattel being nourished thereby may be serviceable to man That he may bring forth fruit out of the earth that is that man by his labour in tilling the earth may eat of the fruit thereof Vers 15. And wine that maketh glad the heart of man and oyl to make his face to shine c. To wit when it is used by men in their anointing of themselves with precious ointments for which see the Note Psal 23.5 Yet some understand it of the vertue that there is in oyl when it is eaten to chear the hearts of men and so to make them look with a chearfull and lightsome countenance according to that Prov. 15.13 A merry heart maketh a chearfull countenance However by joyning that which follows concerning the support of mans life by bread and bread which strengtheneth mans heart there is this covertly commended to our observation That God hath provided not only for mans necessity but also for his delight Vers 16. The trees of the Lord c. That is high and lofty trees as the cedars are called cedars of God Psal 80.10 though it be render'd in our translation the goodly cedars are full of sap whereas one might wonder how the earth should yield sap enough for trees of so mighty a height and so huge a bulk Or by the trees of the Lord may be meant such trees as grow of themselves by the sole providence of God and are not set or planted by man as the following clause seems to explain it the cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted Vers 19. He appointeth the moon for seasons c. See the Notes Gen. 1.14 the sun knoweth his going down see the Note Job 38.12 And here begins the relation of the works God created the fourth day Vers 21. The young lions roar after their prey c. That which the prophet saith Amos 3.4 Will a Lion roar in the forrest when he hath no prey will a young lion cry out of his den if he have taken nothing may seem to imply that lions use not to roar till they have taken their prey whereas the Psalmist here seems to say that they roar after their prey and do hereby as it were seek their prey of God But herein we shall find no contradiction if we consider 1. that a lion may be said to have a prey or to have taken his prey as the Prophet speaks because it is surely his when he hath once discovered it though he have not yet gotten it into his paws and 2. that it may well be that the lion is wont to wander up and down silently for fear of frighting away the beasts he seeks after till he hath espied a prey and then he may be said to roar both for his prey and because he hath gotten a prey And indeed Naturalists report that by the lions roaring even those creatures that are swifter of foot then he are so astonished that they fall down and are easily taken by him Vers 25. So is this great and wide sea c. Having said in the foregoing verse the earth is full of thy riches he adds so is this great and wide sea wherein are things creeping innumerable to wit things that creep along upon the ground or that glide in the waters And thus the Psalmist enters here upon the works created on the fifth day see Gen. 1.20 only he mentions not the fowls which were created also on that day because of them he had occasionally spoken before in speaking of the trees wherein they make their nests as for the same reason he omits also to speak of the beasts and cattel created on the sixth day because of them he had also occasionally spoken before Vers 26. There is that Leviathan c. See the Notes Job 41.1 c whom thou hast made to play therein This is said either 1. because these huge whales do by swimming and tumbling up and down in the sea and clapping their sinns and tails seem to sport themselves as other lesser fishes are wont to do or 2. because by reason of their great strength their overturning of boats or ships and hunting and devouring all other creatures that live in the waters is but a sport to them or 3. because they securely lord it in the sea not fearing man or any other creature whatsoever as upon the same account it is said of the Babylonians Habak 1.10 they shall scoff at the kings and the princes shall be a scorn unto them they shall deride every strong hold c. Vers 27. These wait all upon thee c. As if he had said Though there be such an infinite number of birds beasts and fishes yet thou providest for them all And in that expression of the creatures waiting upon God the Psalmist seems to allude to that which may be ordinarily seen in farms and countrey-houses to wit how the cattel and fowl will look and follow after those that at certain set times are wont to give them their meat and so likewise in the following clause that thou maist give them their meat in duo season where by their meat he intends the severall sorts of meat which he provides for the severall creatures according to their kinds and by those words in due season is hinted to us that provident care of God over them in that 1. he provides for them so liberally in the summer that there is a supply for them all the year after 2. that he provides for some of them severall sorts of food some at one time and some at another Vers 28. That thou givest them they gather c. Here again he alludes to the feeding
used to expresse mans dying and the order of them there is some difficulty Some conceive that in the first words But man dieth and wasteth away by mans dying is meant the same that is afterwards tearmed giving up the ghost and then by wasting away is meant either his wasting away by sicknesse and if so then there is an hysteron proteron in the words as if he had said Man dieth being wasted away with sicknesse or else rather his wasting away by death as if he had said man dieth and then consumes and rots away But others take dying and wasting away in the first clause to be but preparatories and antecedents to mans giving up the ghost which the particle yea seems to confirm man dieth and wasteth away that is man decayeth and wasteth away by degrees death creeping upon him daily by little and little yea at last man giveth up the ghost and then where is he Vers 11. As the waters fail from the sea and the flood decayeth and dryeth up By the sea here may be meant any great confluence of waters for such are usually in the Scriptures called seas as for instance that which is called the lake of Genesareth Luke 5.1 is also called the sea of Tiberias Ioh. 21.1 But however the greatest difficulty here is what is meant by the waters failing from the sea and the flouds decaying and drying up and to what purpose it is here alledged Some understand it thus that as when the waters fail from the sea that is when the sea fails to send forth waters through the pores of the earth unto the rivers then the rivers and flouds decay and dry up so the naturall and radicall moisture being spent in a man he dies as it is expressed in the following verse and so is laid in the bed of his grave Again others give this to be the meaning of it that as when the waters fail or passe away from the sea or rivers to wit either by evaporation or by running over the banks into the land or by gliding away in their severall channels or by soaking into the earth and so drying up in times of great heat and drouth these very waters thus failing or passing away do never return to their places again so it is with man when he dies he is taken away and there is no possibility of his returning to his place again for so it follows in the next verse Vers 12. So man lyeth down and riseth not till the heavens be no more c. This phrase till the heavens be no more may be taken two severall waies to wit either that man being once laid in the grave shall never rise again namely to live again here in this world and that because the heavens shall for ever continue whence is that expression Psal 89.29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever and his throne as the daies of heaven and vers 36 37. His seed shall endure for ever and his throne as the Sun before me c. or else that he shall not rise again till the generall Resurrection when it may be said that the heavens shall be no more because if they shall not be wholly dissolved yet at least they shall be so farre changed that they shall be no more the same heavens that they were before according to that Psal 102.26 all of them shall wax old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed and that of the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.12 13. The heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat neverthelesse we according to his promise look for new heavens c. Vers 13. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave that thou wouldest keep me secret untill thy wrath be past c. 1. Many Expositours understand this of Iobs desiring to die that he might be freed from those heavy effects of Gods wrath that now he endured and be laid in the grave where he should be sure to be shelterd from all storms till the indignation of God against him were over and that the following words that thou wouldest appoint me a set time and remember me are either a farther enlarging of this his request namely that God would appoint him a set time when he would lodge him in that longed-for bed of his grave and that at that set appointed time he would not fail to remember to hide him there and if so we understand these words it was unadvised passion and not grace that was breathed forth in this desire or else are added to imply his expectation of being raised up again at the last day and so the meaning of the words they take to be this that in regard of the grievous calamities that he now suffered he was most desirous to die only then withall he desired that God would not cast him off in the grave but set him a time wherein he would remember him in mercy and raise him up again to wit at the day of the generall Resurrection 2. Others do otherwise understand these words to wit that Iob having before said that when man dieth he is irrecoverably cut off from living any more in this world he professeth here that were it not for that he should be glad with all his heart that he might dy and be laid up in the grave because there he should be hidden as it were from the wrath of God that now he endured O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave that thou wouldest keep me secret untill thy wrath be past that thou wouldest appoint me a set time and remember me as if he should have said so that I might be laid in the grave only for a time and that God would appoint me a set time wherein he would not fail to remember me in mercy and to raise me up again to live here in a more comfortable condition even as the stocks of trees that are cut down that seem in the winter to lye dead in the ground and yet in the Spring do sprout out afresh then it would be a pleasure to me to die and to be laid up in the grave And indeed this I conceive is more probable then some judge it to be 1. Because he speaks of Gods appointing him a set time which seems to intend a prefixed time for his rising again in particular namely to live here in this world and cannot well be understood of that day which God hath appointed for the generall Resurrection of all mankind 2. Because he speaks of it as of a most unlikely and improbable thing which he could rather wish then believe O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave c. and 3. Because this well agrees with the generall scope of Iobs speech in this place 3. Some take it thus that he desires that God would at a set time appointed lay him up in his grave in the chambers of death only he would not that God should
spirit thus to doubt of Gods goodnesse and faithfulnesse to his servants but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High that is the great works which by his almighty power he hath in all ages wrought for the deliverance of his people Though the remembrance of these things hath not hitherto prevailed over my doubts and fears yet doubtlesse when I have seriously laid them to heart they will at length prevail to strengthen my faith and hope in God Vers 11. I will remember the works of the Lord c. That is Though at first this doth not appease my spirit yet I will still and still meditate on the great things God hath done for his people as being abundantly sufficient to comfort me in my sorrows surely I will remember thy wonders of old see the Note Psal 25.6 And hereby he intimates that as we use not to question the love of an old friend that hath been many years faithfull to us so it would be very injurious to question Gods goodnesse and faithfulnesse to his servants which had been approved by experience of many generations in that however he hath afflicted them for a time yet at last he hath alwaies wrought wonderfully for them Vers 13. Thy way O God is in the Sanctuary That is in the Temple or in the Heaven However the meaning is that the works of God are hidden from the eyes of the world as the holy things of the Temple might not be seen by men or which is all one in effect that the works of God are above the reach of humane reason as those things in the heaven are only to be discovered by faith see the Note Psal 36.5 Yet some do otherwise understand this expression as namely that the proceedings of Gods providence amongst his people might be known in the Sanctuary according to that Psal 73.16 17 concerning which see the Note there Vers 15. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people c. To wit after thou hadst suffered them to be in bondage in Egypt for many years together as if thou hadst meant to cast them off for ever for this seems to be alledged to discover his acknowledged weaknesse in those thoughts of his before mentioned vers 7 8 9 the sons of Iacob and Ioseph that is all the tribes of Israel But though some conceive that all the tribes are here called the sons of Ioseph because they were all nourished by Ioseph as a father yet I rather conceive that by the sons of Joseph are only meant the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh and that they are severally mentioned either by way of honour to Joseph by whose means the whole posterity of Abraham was preserved or out of respect to the future numerousnesse and dignity of the tribe of Ephraim by whose name the whole kingdome of the ten tribes was afterwards called or rather because the sons of Joseph were born in Egypt which the other sons of Jacob were not and yet their posterity and that as two distinct tribes were delivered out of Egypt together with the rest Vers 16. The waters saw thee O God the waters saw thee they were afraid c. That is At thy presence they flew back and were divided the depths also were troubled that is even the deep sea was divided to the very bottome Vers 17. The clouds poured out water c. See the Note Exod. 14.24 thine arrows also went abroad see the Note 2 Sam. 22.15 Vers 19. Thy way is in the sea c. That is Thou canst make a way for thy people through the greatest dangers as appeared by thy leading the Israelites through the red sea and thy foot-steps are not known that is thy wayes in the government of thy Church are not to be discovered by humane reason as that way through the red sea was a way which no man could have thought of or found out when God had carried his people that way there was no following by the track that they left behind them in regard the waters presently returned and covered the ground again so that when the Egyptians would have followed them they could not passe through Vers 20. Thou leddest thy people like a flock c. That is with all possible tendernesse love and unwearied providence And by saying that God led them like a flock he implyes also that it was not by their own arms or strength or wisdome that they were protected from dangers as they went but merely by the watchfull care of God over them By the hand of Moses and Aaron mean and obscure and contemptible men no way likely by so high a hand to have carried the people of God out of the dominions of such a potent prince as Pharaoh was PSALM LXXVIII Vers 1. GIve ear O my people to my law c. That is to my doctrine which from God I shall deliver to you and which must therefore be as a law to you for the ordering of your lives see the Note Psal 1.2 and so the Apostle calls the Gospel which he preached his Gospel Rom. 2.16 As for those words O my people if we look upon this Psalm as composed by David it is no wonder that he should call the Israelites his people he being their king and if Asaph or any other holy man of God composed it he might tearm them his people either as being his country-men as Jeremy doth Jer. 9.2 or as being called of God to be their teacher What may be probably thought concerning the time when this Psalm was composed see in the folloing Notes vers 9. Vers 2. I will open my mouth in a parable I will utter dark sayings of old By the opening of the mouth in Scripture is usually meant a beginning to speak or else to speak after some deliberation sincerely and plainly and freely And some conceive that the relating and applying of ancient histories is here called parables and dark sayings either because as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.11 all these things happened unto them for types or because there are many holy instructions covertly couched under these examples or because the providences that are here related in Gods continued goodnesse to such a stiff-necked people as Israel was must needs be riddles to humane reason But for this see the Notes Numb 23.7 and Psal 49.4 In Matth. 13.35 we find this place alledged by the Evangelist who saith that Christ taught the people in parables that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying I will open my mouth in parables c. But the drift of those words was not to signify that the Psalmist did herein prophesy concerning the manner of Christs teaching his meaning is only this that in regard of Christs teaching by parables that might be well said of Christ which the Psalmist here speaks of himself only these words here dark sayings of old the Evangelist renders things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world because
dungeons see the Note Psal 88.7 being bound in affliction and iron that is with iron fetters or chains which did sorely afflict them Psal 105.18 or being bound not only with iron chains but also with the cords of penury and all manner of afflictions out of which they can no more free themselves then they can shake off their fetters see Job 36.8 Vers 11. Because they rebelled against the words of the Lord and contemned the counsell of the most High That is either the word written or at least the law of nature written in all mens hearts see the Note above vers 6. Vers 12. Therefore he brought down their heart with labour c. That is he humbled their proud hearts with sore afflictions hard bondage see the Note Psal 90.10 they fell down that is before their enemies and so became captives or they fell into thraldome or lay in great distresse or they were dejected in spirit and there was none to help that is to comfort or deliver them Vers 17. Fools because of their transgression and because of their iniquities are afflicted To wit with sicknesse as is clear in the following verses And this is the third instance here given of Gods miraculous deliverances of men Vers 23. They that go down to the sea in ships c. The ground of this expression is either because the banks of the sea are higher then the waters that beat upon them or because of the low land which is by the sea side whether men must goe down from the higher parts of the land when they intend to go to sea that do business in great waters to wit either merchants that trade by sea Rev. 18.17 or rather marriners fishermen And this is the fourth last instance of Gods miraculous deliverances of men Vers 24. These see the works of the Lord his wonders in the deep Though the sea be full of wonders yet this is doubtlesse principally meant of those wonders related in the following verse to wit how suddenly God raiseth tempests of incredible violence what mighty mountains of waters there will be then raised in the sea and how calm the Lord makes all as suddenly again Vers 27. They reel to fro c. To wit through the swimming of their heads which is indeed usuall with men that are sea-sick in a storm or rather the rolling of the ships this way that their being driven about sometimes one way sometimes another according as the winds blow the sea-men having no power to order their ships and are at their wits end that is their art and skill fails them and they know not what course to take Vers 32. Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people praise him in the assembly of the elders That is in the most publick assemblies as those usually are where the magistrates meet But withall the elders may be particularly mentioned not only because such wise men were best able to judge of these wonderfull works of God but also because there was most need that the rulers of the people should learn to stand in awe of the mighty power of God Vers 33. He turneth rivers into a wildernesse c. In the following verses the Psalmist sets forth the providence of God by shewing the strange and unexpected changes which he often makes in the world as first here his making fruitfull places barren and barren places exceeding fruitfull Vers 34. A fruitfull land into barrennesse c. In the Hebrew it is into saltnesse for which see the Notes Deut. 29.23 and Judg. 9.45 Vers 36. And there he maketh the hungry to dwell c. To wit either because those that were very poorly provided for there before in a manner famished do after this live there very comfortably in great abundance or else because poor people being forced from their native countries by war oppression or penury do remove thither invited by the fruitfulness of the place that they may prepare a city for habitation Vers 38. He blesseth them also so that they are multiplyed greatly c. This is the second great change here mentioned which God often makes in the world to wit that he mightily encreaseth advanceth the inhabitants of cities kingdomes then diminisheth brings them low again As for the next clause suffereth not their cattel to decrease the contrary is thereby implied to wit that he doth exceedingly encrease them Vers 40. He poureth contempt upon princes causeth them to wander in the wildernesse c. See the Notes Job 12.21 24. And this is the third great change which God often makes in the world to wit that he pulls down those that are on high and raiseth those that are in a low condition Vers 41. Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction and maketh him families like a flock That is exceeding numerous It may also imply that God would guide and protect them as a shepheard doth his flock as in opposition to that which was before said of princes that he causeth them to wander in the wildernesse c. Vers 42. The righteous shall see it and rejoyce c. As seeing hereby that it shall be well with them see the Note Job 22.19 and all iniquity shall stop her mouth see the Notes Job 5.16 and Psal 63.11 PSALM CVIII Vers 1. O God my heart is fixed c. The seven first verses of this Psalm we had before almost word for word Psalm 57.7 c. and the rest of this Psalm we had before Psal 60.5 for which therefore see the Notes in both those Psalms PSALM CIX Vers 1. HOld not thy peace O God of my praise Many of our best Expositours take the word praise actively as if he had said O God whom I desire alwaies to praise or O God who hast alwaies given me occasion to praise thy name appear in my defence and be the same to me still that thou hast alwaies hitherto been that I may praise thy name But others take it passively as if he had said O Lord thou art he in whom only I glory accounting it my greatest praise that I am thy servant and have an interest in thee and in whom alone all my praise doth consist because thou upholdest me in my just cause whilst others cry out against me as a perfidious wicked man I beseech thee appear still in my defence And indeed this last I conceive the most probable and that because this seems to be prefixed as by way of opposition to that which follows in the next verse for the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitfull are opened against me as if he had said Because wicked men do slander me I appeal to thee for my justification as the witnesse and patron of mine innocency and therefore whilst they cry out against me with full mouth as a pestilent enemy to the state be not thou silent on whom I wholly depend
thy self to the search of their fathers for we are but of yesterday and know nothing c. shewing that we are not to be carried away merely with the learning or age of the speaker but by the eare must judge of what is spoken even as by the mouth we judge of the tast of meats that are set before us or else rather by way of reprooving his friends because they slighted and disregarded his words yea because they misconstrued what he had spoken and that for want of due pondering and considering his words Doth not the eare try words and the mouth tast his meat as if he had said ought you not to let your ears doe their office which is to attend to that which I speak and not thus to slight what I say and so for want of well weighing my words to misunderstand and pervert what I have spoken And indeed because Elihu useth the same expression thereby to perswade Iob and his friends well to mind what he would say chap. 34.2 3. Hear my words O ye wise men and give ear unto me ye that have knowledge for the ear tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meat this is that I conceive which Iob also chiefly intended in these words Vers 12. With the ancient is wisedome and in length of daies understanding Either this is added as a farther illustration of that which he had said concerning the knowledge of God which may be learnt from the creatures namely that hence it comes to passe that ancient men that have many years observed what God hath discovered in the works of creation are therefore better able to judge of these things then young men are and some are of opinion that Iob might herein covertly strike at some of his friends that were younger then he and yet insulted over him as if he were not worthy to speak to them But yet because elsewhere it seems evident that these friends of Iob were very aged men chap. 15.10 With us are both the gray-headed and very aged men much elder then thy father saith Eliphaz and Elihu speaking to these friends of Iob chap. 32.6 7. I am saith he young and ye are very old wherefore I was afraid and durst not shew mine opinion I said Daies should speak and multitude of years should teach wisedome I should rather think that this is added either in answer to that which Bildad had said chap. 8.8 9. concerning enquiring of the aged of which mention is made above in the foregoing Note or at least in answer to the high opinion which his friends might have of their great wisedome because of their years wherein he first yields that it is true indeed that with the ancient is wisedome that is they have had a fair advantage for the gaining of wisedome but then adds in the following verse what doth plainly imply that yet all the wisedome in man however it is to be esteemed in it self is no better then vanity if it come to be compared with the wisedome of God and that therefore we ought not so to prize the judgement of men of great years as therefore to reject any truth which God hath taught us Vers 13. With him is wisedome and strength he hath counsell and understanding Some indeed conceive that Iob here expresseth what it is that men learn concerning God from the creatures to wit that with him that is with God is wisedome and strength c. But rather as is noted on the former verse this is added as by way of correcting or opposing what was said there concerning the wisedome of the aged Nay saith he with him that is with God is both wisedome and power too and that in such a transcendent manner that the wisedome that is in the wisest of men is not worthy the name of wisedome in comparison of that which is in God he is essentially infinitely incomprehensibly wise and mighty and this unsearchable wisedome he daily exerciseth in disposing all things that are done in the world Vers 14. He shutteth up a man and there can be no opening That is if he undertake to shut up a man for ever either in prison or in any streights of distresse or under the power of any sicknesse or calamity whatever there is no possibility ever to find out any way to set such a man free Vers 15. Behold he withholdeth the waters and they dry up c. That is he withholdeth the waters from above the rain and then the waters beneath in ponds lakes brooks and rivers do soon dry up or it may be understood without any such distinction of the waters above and the waters beneath to wit that if God commands that there shall be a drought and forbears to give a supply of water either by rain from above or springs and fountains beneath there will soon be no water left which agreeth fully with that of the prophet Nahum chap. 1.4 He rebuketh the sea and maketh it dry and dryeth up all the rivers yea and then all things growing in such places are dryed and parched up too also he sendeth them out and they overturn the earth that is the fruits and inhabitants of the earth where these flouds of water come Vers 16. With him is strength and wisedome c. This is the very same that Iob had said before vers 13. for though in the originall there be not the same words here and there yet they are to the same purpose and meaning and therefore are rendered by our Translatours with the same words and two probable reasons may be given why here he should so immediately repeat the same thing again as 1. Because that vers 13. might be only intended to shew what God is in himself to wit that he is a God of infinite wisedome and might and then this here he might adde either to shew that this wisedome and might of God is every moment discovered in his wise and wonderfull ordering of all things that are and that are done in the world or else that all the strength and wisedome that is in the creature comes from him and is at his disposing so that he gives and takes it away as seems good in his own eyes and 2. Because being now to instance in works of providence that are farre more above the reach of mans reason then any thing he had yet spoken of he repeats again here that which he said before concerning the wonderfull power and wisedome of God thereby as it were to curb men from quarrelling and contending with God about such things which is most clear in the first particular he alledgeth in the words that immediately follow The deceived and the deceiver are his that is they are both alike under Gods all-ordering power and command who is the Sovereign Lord of the whole world and are herein guided by his providence and made to serve his counsels and glory when one man seduceth another into any errour or any other way gulls and deceives him there is
though this phrase of Gods calling him may be used in reference to the manner of Gods raising men from the dead concerning which the Apostle saith 1. Thess 4.16 The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first c. yet by the call of God may be meant simply the will and command of God as where it is said that God called for a famine upon the land Psal 105.16 that is he commanded a famine to be in the land and so our Saviour speaks of the Resurrection Ioh. 5.28 The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice c. and 3. Some understand it of Gods calling him out of this world by death and so conceive that Iob here professeth his readinesse to yield to Gods call herein and that because he knew God would one day remember him in mercy and not utterly castâ—off the work of his own hands Vers 16. For now thou numbrest my steps c This is added as a reason why he so earnestly desired to die or to be hid in the grave as he had said vers 13. till Gods wrath and indignation was over or why he had besought God that he would withdraw his hand and let him finish his daies in peace vers 6. namely because God did now at present proceed with such severity against him as one that took strict notice of all his waies that not one sin of his might scape unpunished See chap. 10.14 To which purpose also is that which follows in the next verse of Gods sealing up his transgressions in a bag that is his laying them up in store as evidences and indictments against him of which see the Note Deuter. 32.34 Vers 18. And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought and the rock is removed out of his place c. The drift of these words is either 1. To imply that God proceeded with as much fury and violence against him as when he overturns mountains and removes rocks out of their places c. or 2. To intimate that if the strongest creatures and those that seem most stedfastly setled in their places cannot stand before the indignation of the Lord much lesse could poor weak man stand before it and that therefore God needed not proceed with such over-bearing violence against him as he now did or 3. To bewail his continuing so long in so great miseries that when the strongest creatures were not able to stand before Gods power when he meant to bring them to nought and so the hope of man was destroyed by his hand as is expressed in the last clause of the 19 verse that is all things wherein vain men hope or all the vain things wherein men are wont to hope yet he a poor weak creature should hold out against so many and great afflictions and live in the midst of so many deaths or 4. To renew his old request that he might die that since all things even those that were the most like to continue were often removed and wasted out of their place so he desired it might also be with him or 5. To intimate his fear least his patience should fail and thereupon to desire that God would in pity release him surely the mountain falling cometh to nought c. as if he had said mountains and rocks will fail and how much sooner may my patience fail My strength is not the strength of stones as he had said before chap. 6.12 and therefore either remove my afflictions or remove me out of this world or 6. To shew that God proceeding so severely against him and not suffering any sin of his to passe unpunished as he had said in the foregoing verses as other creatures that seem more surely setled then man is do utterly perish by the mighty power of God so it must needs be with man he also must needs be cut off irrecoverably The mountain saith Iob falling cometh to nought and the rock is removed out of his place to wit sometimes by extraordinary earth-quakes sometimes by the violence of great flouds and inundations of waters the waters wear the stones by continuall beating and dropping upon them thou washest away the things that grow out of the dust namely when rivers or seas overflowing or breaking through the banks do with a mighty torrent sweep away all before them and thou destroyest the hope of man that is and thus after the same manner is man cut off and destroyed by death and that as concerning any hope of living again here in this world irrecoverably and this I conceive most probable to have been the drift of Iob in these words being the same in effect with that which he had said before vers 11 12. Vers 20. Thou prevailest for ever against him and he passeth thou changest his countenance and sendest him away That is it is alwaies thus be a man never so strong die he must if thou contendest with him he must needs sink under thine hand and that irrecoverably it being altogether impossible that he should resist the stroke of thine hand his comelinesse and beauty thou soon turnest into a ghastly ashy palenesse and so sendest him packing out of this world Vers 21. His sons come to honour and he knoweth it not c. This may be meant either of man after death as in reference to what he had said immediately before concerning mans passing away out of this world to wit that after that he never knoweth more what is done here in this world whether his children live in prosperity or misery it is all one to him for he knoweth not how it fares with them and then it is added to shew how absolutely men are by death cut off from all possible communion with those that remain behind them Or else it may be meant of man when he is dying to wit either that through the anguish and extremity of pain and misery which he endures he regards no earthly thing how nearly soever it concerns him be his children in a prosperous or in a mean condition he minds it not it works in him neither joy nor sorrow or else that this is one part of his misery that dying he knoweth not what shall become of his children Vers 22. But his flesh upon him shall have pain and his soul within him shall mourn Those Expositours that understand the foregoing words of man after death must needs find it too difficult to give a reason how after that this should come in But his flesh upon him shall have pain c. Yet two severall waies they alledge how this may be inferred upon that which went before though so understood for 1. Some take the words to be a figurative and poeticall expression of the sad condition of a man cut off by death his flesh upon him shall have pain alluding to the worms gnawing the flesh of his
majesty and glory and then the full discovery of that infinite light and glory wherein God dwells is the face of his throne which in this life is hidden from the best of his servants Or else the clear and bright outside of heaven which appears to the eye of man that looks up thither is the face of his throne and then therefore God holdeth back the face of his throne when as it is in the next clause he spreadeth his cloud upon it that is when he withdraws it from the sight of man by overspreading it with clouds See the Note 2 Sam. 22.12 Vers 10. He hath compassed the waters with bounds untill the day and night come to an end That is as long as this world shall last and it is said that God hath compassed the waters with bounds both because he did at first dispose of the waters in those hollow places and channels of the earth wherein they are now held of which see the Note Gen. 1.9 and also because by his Providence he doth still keep in the unruly waves not suffering them to break out beyond the bounds whereto God hath confined them Vers 11. The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof That is When God shews himself in his indignation in thundering and tempestuous storms or earthquakes the very heavens seem as affrighted to tremble as if the foundations thereof were shaken yea the whole Universe seems to be moved as a house built upon pillars totters when the pillars thereof are shaken so that one would think that heaven and earth would come together Some by the pillars of heaven here understand the angels others the strength and powers of heaven others those high mountains and hills which stand up in the air as pillars supporting the heavens and whereon the heavens to the eye of man seem to lean and rest and are therefore called the foundations of heaven 2 Sam. 22.8 of which see the Note there but the first Exposition is most generally approved Vers 12. He divideth the sea with his power c. Some Expositours understand this of Gods dividing the Red sea before the Israelites when he carried them out of Egypt and accordingly also they understand the following clause and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud to wit that God by his wisedome drawing their enemies into the Red sea as into a net did there destroy that insolent tyrant Pharaoh and with him those proud Egyptians that followed him But I cannot conceive that Job intended any such thing because first it is generally held that Job lived long before Moses time and 2. he seems all the way here to speak of the ordinary continuall works of Gods providence and not of any such unusuall and extraordinary work and therefore it is not said that he divided but he divideth the sea with his power Nor is it much more probable that others say that by these words he divideth the sea with his power is meant that God causeth the waters of the sea through the earth to rise up in severall fountains and springs and so divideth it into severall seas and rivers and brooks The true meaning of these words I conceive is this that God divideth the sea that is he breaks the waves thereof and causeth them to cleave in sunder and so to fight and dash one against another to wit when in tempestuous weather he maketh such gulfs in the sea the waves standing up like mountains on each side of them that the very foundations of the earth seem to be discovered as is expressed 2 Sam. 22.16 of which see the Note there and accordingly we must understand the following clause of Gods stilling the sea again when it is thus tempestuous and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud For though some by the proud here understand the whale and that the rather because the whale is elsewhere called a king over all the children of pride chap. 41.34 and is many times cast up in great tempests and left dead upon the land yet I rather think that by the proud is meant the proud sea according to a like expression chap. 38.11 where God saith of the sea here shall thy proud waves be stayed and so the meaning is that when the sea swells and rageth and lifts up his proud waves as it were unto the clouds God presently subdues and stills the proud sea and makes it lye down as still as a dead man doth when he falls down being smitten through by the sword or arrow of his enemy Vers 13. By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens c. Because in the foregoing verse Job had spoken of stilling the tempestuous sea therefore some conceive here he shows how this is done to wit by a sudden clearing of the heavens By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens that is By a fair gale of wind he drives away the clouds and then the garnishing of the heavens with innumerable lights is evidently seen But because our Translatours have render'd the words not he doth garnish but he hath garnished therefore I rather understand it of Gods creating the Sun Moon and stars at the first By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens that is by his own essentiall power or by his holy spirit he hath adorned the heavens with many glorious lights As for the following clause his hand hath formed the crooked serpent some by the crooked serpent understand that meteor sometimes seen in the aire which naturalists call the flying serpent and others those celestiall circles or sphears which are involved one within another as a serpent wrappeth up himself in many folds or else some of the Constellations of heaven as some understand it of the Zodiack which goes athwart the heavens others of that which is called via lactea the milky way and others of that Constellation near the Northern Pole which from its fashion or figure is called the Dragon or Serpent that divides the two Bears with its tail which may seem I confesse the more probable because of the joyning of this with that foregoing clause of Gods garnishing the heavens But yet because it may well be questioned whether those figures of the heavenly Constellations which Astronomers have fancied and the names which thereupon have been given them were so ancient as the daies of Job I think it farre more probable which others say that by the crooked serpent is meant all kind of serpents that crawl upon the earth or all kind of sea-monsters that are in the Ocean or more particularly the Whale which is indeed elsewhere also called Leviathan the piercing serpent or the Bar-like crooked serpent Isa 27.1 who thereupon do make the generall drift of these words to be this that as God made the beauteous lights of the heavens above so he also made the most deformed and harmfull creatures that are on the earth or in the sea below and that in both God hath manifested his almighty power
man yet the wisedome of God they cannot search out But where saith he shall wisedome be found c. where by wisedome is meant the wisedome of God in his unsearchable waies as when he prospers the wicked and afflicts the righteous c. Vers 2. Iron is taken out of the earth or dust and brasse is molten out of the stone That is Iron is taken out of a brittle kind of earth wherewith it is mixed and brasse out of the stone wherewith it is as it were incorporated it is commonly called the Cadmian stone as being a hard masse like a stone and mingled with stone Vers 3. He setteth an end to darknesse c. Some understand this of Gods putting an end to the darknesse of the night by causing the light of the day to succeed in the room thereof and others understand it generally thus that man by the naturall wisedome that God hath given him discovers and finds out the most hidden and unknown things But the most Expositours hold that Job still proceeds to speak of that choice art of discovering and drawing forth the minerals that are in the bowels of the earth yea and perhaps in the sea also He setteth an end to darknesse It is spoken either of man to wit that men by going into those mines which they have digged deep in the earth with candles or torches in their hands do there discover those minerals which had from the creation lain hid there in darknesse or that by fetching them out thence they bring those treasures to light which had been alwaies before hidden in darknesse for though there be no expresse mention made of man in the foregoing verses yet because in that which he had said before concerning the taking of gold silver iron and brasse out of the earth his meaning was that those things were done by man therefore as in relation still to man by whom those things were done he adds these words also He setteth an end to darknesse Or else it is spoken of God to wit that He namely by man as his instrument and by the art and skill that he hath given to man putteth an end to darknesse that is as is before said by discovering to man and bringing forth to open view by the skill and industry of man those precious minerals that lay so low in the dark bowels of the earth that one would have thought it impossible they should ever have been discovered He putteth an end to darknesse and searcheth out all perfection that is by searching he finds out and brings to light all the perfection of nature or those things which are most precious and hardliest found man discovers perfectly The phrase may imply both the preciousnesse of those things that are found out and likewise the bringing of them to their full perfection and the drift of all is still to shew that all finite things man is able to comprehend only the wisedome of God is incomprehensible As for the following clause the stones of darknesse and the shadow of death thereby is meant either those gems and precious stones which are indeed of all other things most highly prized and therefore may be mentioned here as the perfection of nature or else any minerall stones yea and even those flints and rocky stones which they digge through that they may come at the mineralls all which may be called stones of darknesse and the shadow of death because they lye hid in the dark bowels of the earth where never light was seen and perhaps because those that descend into those dark and deadly vaults of the earth are exposed there to manifold dangers of death But what is meant by the darknesse of the shadow of death see more fully in the Note chap. 3.5 Vers 4. The floud breaketh forth from the inhabitant even the waters forgotten of the foot c. A very hard place this is and therefore Expositours differ much concerning the meaning of it But because the drift of the Chapter is clearly to shew that however man by the wisedome that God hath given him is able to find out many secret things and to effect matters of great wonder yet he is no way able to comprehend the unsearchable wisedome of God therefore there are only two Expositions which to me seem probable as being agreeable to the generall drift of Job in this place The first is that it is meant of mens finding out the way to turn the waters of rivers into other channels or of draining lands that are overflown and drowned with waters for by the floud that breaketh forth from the inhabitant is meant either the streams that break through or over the banks of the Sea or rivers and so overflow those grounds which were dry land good pasture or arable before and are said to break forth from the inhabitant because they break forth from the inhabitants that dwell on the banks of those rivers or notwithstanding all that the inhabitants can doe to damme them or keep them up and drown some adjoyning grounds where the foot of man never trod on water or where never man remember'd any such floud of waters before and are therefore tearmed waters forgotten of the foot and then the draining of these grounds by carrying these waters away in channels digged for that purpose is expressed in the following words they are dryed up they are gone away from men Or by the floud that breaketh forth from the inhabitant is meant that torrent of waters which breaketh forth from rivers or overfloweth grounds in those new channels which are made by the inhabitants thereabouts for the diverting of those rivers some other way or for the draining of those fenny grounds which waters are therefore called the waters forgotten of the foot because when they are thus carried some other way men walk dry-foot over those old channels where the rivers did formerly run or over those grounds that had been long drowned under water as if they had forgotten that ever there had been waters there and so the grounds are then made habitable dry and usefull for seed or pastorage from whence they had no benefit before which is intimated in the last words as a matter of wonder they are dryed up they are gone away from men The second Exposition is that here an instance is given of a wonderfull difficulty which those that work in mines underground do sometimes meet with which yet the wisedome of man finds a way to overcome to wit that when men are digging in those mines many fathom under ground a floud of waters sometimes breaks out upon those poor wretches that dwell there in those dark caves of the earth though they doe what they are able to prevent it even a floud of waters which the foot of man never waded nor came near and whereof they had not the least knowledge The floud breaketh out from the inhabitant even the waters forgotten of the foot but yet by the art and industry of man labouring day
being kept secret in the bosome of God or only by God revealed unto men Vers 14. The depth saith It is not in me and the sea saith It is not in me By the depth as it is here distinguished from the sea we must needs understand either deep rivers or the waters that are under the earth or else rather the depth of the earth it self as Psal 75.20 there is expresse mention made we see of the depths of the earth But however the meaning of this clause is either that man cannot find out wisedome though he travels by land or by sea never so farre or rather that it cannot be found either in the entrails of the earth or in the bottome of the sea as gold and silver and other costly minerals and precious stones many times are Vers 15. It cannot be gotten for gold c. See the former Note vers 13. Vers 17. The exchange of it shall not be for jewels or vessels of fine gold The price whereof is much enhaunsed many times by the curious workmanship thereof Vers 19. The Topaz of Ethiopia shall not equall it That is even those gems that are the more esteemed because they are fetched from a far country Vers 20. Whence then cometh wisedome c. See the former Note vers 12. Vers 21. Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living and kept close from the fowls of the air Though we read the last clause as some do and kept close from the fowls of heaven yet that it should be meant of the angels in heaven seems to me very improbable Rather I conceive the meaning of the whole verse to be either that man can no where find out this supernaturall wisedome as he doth many of the secrets of nature minerals and precious stones c. and so this clause that it is kept close from the fowls of the air is added to imply that as it cannot be found in the depths of the earth or sea as he had said before so neither in the regions of the air above no where under heaven no where but in the bosome of God so that though men could mount up into the air and from thence behold all things on the earth as the quick-sighted fowls of the air do yet they could not thereby discover this wisedome or else more generally that no creature can attain to this wisedome farther at least then God is pleased to reveal it to them nature is a mere stranger to it and therefore it is hid from all creatures high or low whatever they are Vers 22. Destruction and death say We have heard the fame thereof with our ears The meaning is that though they had heard some talk or mention of wisedome yet that was all they were never able fully to find it out Some by destruction and death understand the devils and damned in hell others the souls of the Saints departed to wit that even when they are no longer clogged with earthly bodies and so are the freer to search after wisedome they were never able fully to comprehend it yea and others understand it more generally yet of all men that have lived formerly from the first creation and are now dead to wit that they were never any more able to find out this wisedome of God then those that are now living though formerly they lived many years and so had great advantage to gain more wisedome then others and though some of them were in their times men of great wisedome as the Philosophers and others yet this supernaturall wisedome of God they were never able to comprehend that which they had was but a shadow of wisedome as farre short of true wisedome as the fame of a thing is short of the thing it self But lastly others understand by destruction and death hell and the grave or rather the depths and bowels of the earth and sea and so make the meaning to be this that though there the fame of wisedome hath been heard to wit because the providence of God extends it self to the ordering of all things there yet there this supernaturall wisedome cannot be learnt or found And this Exposition I conceive most probable and judge this which is said here to be much the same with that before vers 14. The depth saith It is not in me Vers 23. God understandeth the way thereof and he knoweth the place thereof If we conceive that Job speaks here of that supernaturall knowledge of God and the way of salvation which is indeed the only true wisedome of man the meaning then must needs be that God only knoweth how this is to be attained because God must reveal it to man or he can never attain it But if we understand it of the secret wisedome of God in the government of the world as questionlesse Job intended it then the meaning of the words is that God and he only understands where this wisedome is because it rests only in his own bosome he fully knows all the waies of his Providence to wit how and why all things are done as why the wicked often prosper and the righteous are afflicted which are all to man altogether unsearchable Vers 24. For he looketh to the ends of the earth c. That is he beholds all things not only in heaven but also throughout the world to wit that he may order and dispose of them as seems good unto himself and this Job alledgeth as an evident proof that therefore God must needs perfectly know the cause of all things that are done in the world which are hidden from man And indeed this place makes it clear as I conceive that the unsearchable wisedome Job speaks of in this chapter which is known only to God and which man cannot attain is that of his counsels in all the waies and works of his Providence Vers 25. To make the weight for the winds and he weigheth the waters by measure The meaning is that God doth appoint and order such a quantity and measure both of the winds and waters whether we understand it of the rain that comes down from the clouds or of the waters that are in seas rivers brooks and springs upon the earth as may serve just for the accomplishment of what he hath purposed with himself whether for judgement or mercy that either the winds or waters are more or lesse in one place or in another it is not by chance but by the Providence of God who sees well and understands all that he doth Vers 26. When he made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder c. The drift of these words is to shew that the unsearchable wisedome whereby God governs the world and the fulnesse thereof was with God and therefore known to him from the beginning of the world yea even from eternity When he made a decree for the rain c. that is when from all eternity he decreed or when at the first creation he established an order how
have let loose the rains to their malice and wickednesse and give liberty to themselves even to my face to use me as they please Vers 12. Vpon my right hand rise the youth c. They are said to rise against him upon his right hand to imply either first their opposing him in every thing he did because the right hand is the instrument of working or secondly their endeavour to weaken him because in a mans right hand his strength chiefly lyes or thirdly the advantage they had over him in regard of the very low condition whereto he was brought because the right hand is the upper hand or fourthly that these youngsters who were wont to hide themselves for fear of him as he had said before chap. 29.8 did not now abuse him secretly and behind his back but were ready at every turn to beard him and oppose him to his face And indeed the like expression is used elsewhere upon most of these grounds as where David saith of his great enemy Psal 109.6 Set thou a wicked man over him and let Satan stand at his right hand and Zach. 3.1 where Joshua the high priest was seen and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him As for the following words they push away my feet though some Expositours understand thereby that they bereaved him of his estate and of every thing else that might be any support to him and of all power to help himself yet I rather take it to be a proverbiall speech signifying with what extreme contempt they abused him that they sported themselves with him as those do that lay stumbling-blocks in a poor mans way and trip up his heels And then in the last clause and they raise up against me the waies of their destruction they are compared to souldiers that lay siege against a place of which see the Note chap. 19.12 where there is the like expression but the meaning is that they sought by all means to destroy him Vers 13. They marre my path The meaning of this may be either first that they cast an aspersion of hypocrisie upon all the waies of holinesse and righteousnesse wherein he had formerly walked or secondly that hating his waies and courses they sought to overthrow both him and them or thirdly rather that they had cut off from him all way of escape They set forward my calamity they have no helper That is they have none amongst them that will help me or there is none to help me against them Yet I acknowledge the most received Exposition of these words is they have no helper that is they need no body to animate and provoke them to these mischievous courses against me yea as base and mean as they are against me poor wretch they may easily prevail and need no helper Vers 14. They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters c. That is Being deprived of my estate authority and power which hitherto kept them off and made them afraid to meddle with me and God withall having withdrawn his protection which was that indeed that had hitherto secured me they came in upon me thick and threefold with all violence even as souldiers that have besieged any place when they have made a breach do rush in like a torrent of waters and bear down all before them In the desolation they rolled themselves upon me that is as souldiers break in through the ruines they have made in a breach so they taking advantage of my downfall come tumbling in upon me as the waves of the sea or as stones that roll down from a steep hill and with all violence acting mischief upon mischief they do utterly oppresse and overwhelm me Vers 15. Terrours are turned upon me they pursue my soul as the wind That is the terrours of death and of Gods wrath which are worse by farre then any outward affliction can be do often suddenly violently and unresistably surprize follow and pursue my soul See the Note chap. 6.4 Vers 16. And now my soul is poured out upon me That is To my exceeding grief I see the strength and courage of my soul or the powers of my life spend and run out apace I faint and die away through the continuall wasting of my spirits I melt away in tears and sorrow and my soul passeth away out of my broken body as water runs out of a broken vessel We have the like expressions Psal 42.4 when I remember these things I poure out my soul in me and Lam. 2.12 their soul is poured out into their mothers bosome Vers 17. My bones are pierced in me in the night season c. That is even in the night when others find some refreshing rest my most inward parts are in continuall pain and anguish Vers 18. By the great force of my disease is my garment changed it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat The meaning of this is that by that purulent bloody matter which issued in great abundance out of his ulcers his garment was continually stained and that being stiffened with that congealed matter it was as hard and streight round about his body as the collar of his coat was about his neck Vers 19. He hath cast me into the mire and I am become like dust and ashes Some Expositours referre this to the extreme contempt whereinto God had brought him to wit that God trampled him down in the mire that he was no more regarded then the dirt under mens feet and others referre it to the low and weak condition whereto he was brought in regard of his health namely that he was more like a dead carkasse then a living man no better then dust and ashes and as one that was already thrown down into the grave But because in the foregoing verse he had spoken of the filth of his ulcers I rather conceive that here also he intends his loathsome condition in that regard to wit that he was no other to look on then a heap of mire and as he had said before chap. 7.5 cloathed with clods of dust concerning which see the Note there Vers 20. I â—ry unto thee and thou dost not hear me I stand up and thou regardest me not Standing up is a gesture of those that pray whence is that Jer. 15.1 Though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my mind could not be toward this people and that Matth. 6.5 they love to pray standing in the Synagogues So that the second clause may be no more then a reiterating of that which in other tearms he had said in the first clause But yet some conceive that as by crying in the first clause he meant to imply his earnestnesse in prayer so also by standing up in the second place he implyed both his eagernesse to be heard and his persevering still to presse God waiting for an answer and withall that he did in prayer present himself before God to see as it were if such a pitifull spectacle would move him to
all the works of God in generall to wit that men may behold them even those that are afarre off though indeed they cannot perfectly understand them Vers 26. Behold God is great and we know him not c. As if he had said This you will find by observing diligently the works of God to wit that God is incomprehensibly great and that therefore it is not for man to blame any thing that God doth Vers 27. For he maketh small the drops of water c. That is He maketh the rain which is by the heat of the Sun drawn up in vapours from the earth and sea to distill down by degrees in round small drops according to the proportion of the vapours that goe up and this is mentioned as a work which we are not able to comprehend See the Note chap. 26.8 Vers 29. Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds or the noise of his Tabernacle That which man cannot perfectly understand in the spreadings of the clouds may be either how farre a cloud will spread when it riseth or how the clouds come to be spread out in so vast an extent all the heavens over and that many times in a very different manner some being clouds without water others yielding soft and gentle rain others pouring forth violent and stormy showres some bringing winds with them others frost or hail or snow and then by the noise of his Tabernacle is meant the roaring of the winds or thunder above in the clouds Gods Tabernacle or pavilion as it is called 2 Sam. 22.12 of which see the Note there Vers 30. Behold he spreadeth his light upon it and covereth the bottome of the sea This verse is diversly expounded Some understand it plainly thus that God spreadeth his light over the clouds Gods Tabernacle above as they are called in the foregoing verse and withall covereth the bottome of the sea with waters beneath Others conceive that Elâ—hu speaks here of the sudden changes that God often makes in the air to wit that sometimes the thick clouds being scattered he spreadeth his light all over his Tabernacle above and maketh the clouds that are there to be lightsome and bright and then at other times with clouds gathered together he covereth the bottome of the sea that is he covereth all things with darknesse even to the bottome of the sea a work the more wonderfull because the same Sun that dispels the clouds at one time doth also gather them at another And lastly some give this to be the meaning of the words that God by the light of the Sun or by the flashes of lightening which he scattereth abroad in the clouds doth not only enlighten the clouds above but also causeth it to pierce through the waters even to the covering or overspreading of the bottome of the sea with its light And this seems best to agree with our Translation Vers 31. For by them he judgeth the people he giveth meat in abundance That is By these clouds causing showres and thunder and lightening God both judgeth that is punisheth the wickednesse of men to wit by great flouds which often destroy not only the fruits of the earth but likewise men and cattel and also moistneth the earth at other times and makes it yield an abundant encrease for the nourishment of man Vers 33. The noise thereof sheweth concerning it the cattel also concerning the vapour That is the noise of the wind or thunder in the clouds above foresheweth the showres of rain that are coming the cattel also by a naturall instinct discern the vapours ascending and so foresee and by severall actions and motions do as it were give warning to men of the wet weather that approacheth CHAP. XXXVII Vers 1. AT this also my heart trembleth c. To wit at the consideration of that which he meant next to speak of which is concerning the thunder vers 2. Hear attentively the noise of his voice c. Indeed this may have reference likewise to that which went before in the former chapter especially if that which is said there vers 29. and 33. concerning the noise in Gods Tabernacle be meant of the thunder But this word also At this also my heart trembleth seems rather to imply that he meant to alledge another speciall work of God full of terrour whereof he had not spoken before Vers 3. He directeth it under the whole heaven and his lightening unto the ends of the earth That is he causeth the thunder and lightening to passe from one end of the heaven to the other as Christ saith Matth. 24.27 The lightening cometh out of the East and shineth even unto the West Yet withall those words He directeth it seem also to hint to us that the thunder and lightening are guided by the speciall providence of God whithersoever they goe Vers 4. After it a voice roareth c. For the lightening is seen before the thunder is heard though the thunder be before it he thundreth with the voice of his excellency that is with an excellent voice or with a voice that clearly discovers his transcendent excellency and he will not stay them when his voice is heard that is he stayes not the lightenings when once it begins to thunder but they are presently with us before the clap of thunder is heard or he will not stay the storms of rain whereof he had spoken before chap. 36.27 28. but immediately after the thunder they come pouring down in a most vehement manner Vers 5. God thundreth marvellously with his voice c. This word marvellously may not only have reference to that marvellous noise that the thunder makes but also to those strange effects of the thunder and lightening observed by many as that it will melt a sword in the sheath or mony in a purse and neither hurt the sheath nor the purse break the bones in a mans body and kill a child in the womb and yet not the least sign of hurt to be seen outwardly and many other effects of the like nature To which also some limit the following words great things doth he which we cannot comprehend But that I conceive must be extended also to that which follows concerning snow and frost for though philosophers do give the reason of all these things yet they do it but imperfectly and there is much uncertainty in many things they say and besides why these things are done at such a time and in such a place rather then another they can never give a reason Vers 6. For he saith to the snow Be thou on the earth c. This expression Be thou on the earth may seem to imply not only the coming of the snow down upon the earth but also its usuall lying for a time upon the earth before it melts away likewise to the small rain and the great rain of his strength that is the great mighty showres of rain which sometimes fall or those violent storms which discover the mighty strength
when he speaks still of the works of God in the first and third day of the Creation and of the stars he speaks afterward vers 31 32. Vers 8. Or who shut up the sea with doores when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb Some understand this of the first creating of the waters together with the earth and then the womb out of which as in a moment they suddenly brake forth must be the womb of Gods almighty power or eternall decree and that which is said of Gods shutting up these waters as with doores is meant of Gods holding in the waters in their circumference about the earth as they were in that first instant of their creation when the earth round about lay overwhelmed therein as in a deep and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters Gen. 1.2 But others again understand it of the breaking forth of the waters out of that Chaos or deep of earth and water wherein they were at first created as if it had issued out of the womb to wit when God said on the third day Gen. 1.9 Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place and then the doores wherewith it was shut up are the sea shores wherein it is held And indeed because it is this gathering together of the waters that can properly be called the sea and because in the following verse he speaks of binding up the waters with a cloud and the clouds were not created till the second day I should think this last Exposition the best unlesse rather we understand it of both joyntly together Vers 9. When I made the cloud the garment thereof and thick darknesse a swadling-band for it Following the Metaphor in the foregoing verse where the sea was compared to a new-born babe here he speaks of swadling of it with a cloud and darknesse and that to intimate the mighty power of God who can turn and wind and bind up at his pleasure the huge Ocean sea as easily as a nurse doth her sucking child Now according to the different Exposition of the foregoing verse if we understand it of the first creation of the waters then the garment and swadling-band wherewith God bound up these waters must be that darknesse wherewith as with a black cloud that confused Chaos of earth and water was overspread the light not being then as yet created as it is expressed Gen. 1.2 and darknesse was upon the face of the Deep but if we understand it of the gathering together of those waters into one place to make the sea then the thick and black clouds wherewith God compassed the earth and the sea round about are the garment and swadling-band wherein God hath bound it Vers 10. And brake up for it my decreed place c. To wit those hollow places in the earth wherein God laid the sea as it were in a cradle concerning which see the Note Gen. 1.9 And for the following words and set bars and doores c. see the Note chap. 26.10 Vers 12. Hast thou commanded the morning since thy daies and caused the day-spring to know his place That is Didst thou ever in all thy time by thy command cause the Sun to arise at any other time or at any other place then according to its ordinary course or rather because the Lord seems here to proceed to speak of the works of creation on the fourth day when the Sun and other the lights of heaven were made Didst thou at first establish the vicissitude of day and night and appoint at what severall times and in what severall points of the heaven the Sun should arise and the day-light break forth sometimes sooner and sometimes later sometimes in one part of the heaven and sometimes in another according to the severall seasons of summer and winter Vers 13. That it might take hold of the ends of the earth c. That is That from the place where it riseth it might in an instant as in the twinckling of an eye passe to the uttermost parts of the earth and indeed because the morning light doth so speedily spread it self from one end of the heaven to the other therefore doth David ascribe wings to the morning Psal 139.9 If saith he I take the wings of the morning c. But how do the next words come in that the wicked might be shaken out of it what can the spreading of the morning light to the ends of the earth doe to the shaking of the wicked out of it that is to the destroying of the wicked I answer Some Expositours hold that this is here inserted not to imply that the rising of the morning light is any cause of the destroying of wicked men but only because as the Sun riseth daily so the wicked are day by day destroyed and cut off by the just judgements of God as men not worthy to behold the light of the Sun and hence it is that though God cuts off wicked men by night as well as by day yet having spoken of the rising of the morning light that he might follow on the same Metaphor he speaks only of cutting them off by day as men unworthy to enjoy the light of the day That it might take hold of the ends of the earth that the wicked might be shaken out of it as if he had said Art thou the cause that the morning light takes hold of the ends of the earth and that the wicked are then cut off as men not worthy to see the light And this is the reason too that though good men die daily as well as wicked men yet he speaks not of them but of the wicked only because to the godly death is only a passage to a better life and they cannot properly be said to be shaken out of the earth as wicked men may be who are as it were with violence turned out of the world and out of all the felicity they could hope to enjoy here and thrust out into utter darknesse But because the words in the following verse seem to speak of the effects of the morning light I cannot think it so probable that this should not also be understood so Now there are two other Expositions given of the words that make the morning light the cause that the wicked are shaken out of the earth The first is that by means of the morning light they are cut off and destroyed from the earth either because thereby they are discovered and known or because thereby they are apprehended carried before the judgement seat and so are cut off as malefactours and so are shaken out of the earth as a man would shake moths or dust from off a garment which may be judged the more probable if it were the custome of those times as some say it was early in the morning to sit upon the tryall and judgement of malefactours whereon they say that of the prophet is grounded Jer. 21.12 Oh house of David
at the first dawning of the morning Vers 19. Out of his mouth goe burning lamps and sparks of fire leap out This may be meant first as the words in the foregoing verse of the glittering of the water he spouts out of his mouth appearing afarre off like sparkling fire or secondly of his breath which being like thick and hot smoke appears to the beholders as if there were some great fire from whence it proceeded as is expressed in the following verse Out of his nostrils goeth smoke as out of a seething pot or caldron or thirdly of the exceeding heat of his breath which by reason of the fiery constitution of his body may be sulphureous and so appear as fire or at least exceeding hot as if there were sparkles or flames of fire went along in it or as if it were hot enough to set any thing on fire for all these are hyperbolicall expressions according to that which followeth vers 21. his breath kindleth coals And indeed that inward heat which must concoct meat for such a mountainous body had need to be like that of those huge fires in kitchins where meat is dressed for great families Vers 22. In his neck remaineth strength c. That is In that part of his body which is next his head which is the neck in other creatures he is exceeding strong and able to bear down all before him and sorrow is turned into joy before him that is that which is very terrible in it self and would exceedingly fright others and cause sorrow and mourning in others as when he meets with other huge sea-monsters or ships armed for fight or any other enemy it is a joy to him as hoping then to get some good prey or delighting in his pride to try his strength upon them Vers 24. His heart is as firm as a stone yea as hard as a piece of the nether milstone That is He is as fearlesse and mercylesse as if his heart were of stone yea the hardest of stones for the nether milstone is named not so much because that still stands firm and is never moved as because the milstone is made of a very hard stone and the nether milstone because it must bear the other is usually the harder of the two Some understand it as an hyperbolicall expression of the hardnesse of the flesh of his heart to wit that it is firm and hard more like a stone then flesh But the former Exposition I like much better Vers 25. When he raiseth up himself the mighty are afraid c. That is When he lifteth up himself and so is seen above the waters as a mountain in the sea the stoutest that are whether you understand it of fishes beasts or men will be afraid and it may more especially be meant of marriners and souldiers in ships men that are of all the most bold and fearlesse and to men I am sure the following clause must be restrained by reason of breakings they purify themselves that is by reason of the Leviathans violent breaking of the sea as he turns this way or that which makes it perilously rough and boisterous or by reason of the mighty waves dashing and breaking one upon another or upon any thing that is in their way occasioned by the rouling of his vast body in the sea or by reason of his usuall breaking and dashing of ships in pieces they apprehend themselves in present danger of death and so thereupon doe what they can to expiate their sins that if it may be they may be delivered from that danger as by confessing their sins by praying to God for mercy and favour by offering sacrifices or at least binding their souls in a vow for sacrifices or other things Some understand it of their vomiting by reason of the seas tumbling their ship as if it had been translated they purge themselves or of a worse purging through fear but our translation they purify themselves will hardly bear such an Exposition Vers 26. The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold the spear the dart nor the habergeon Or the breast-plate This last is mentioned amongst the rest to imply that as no weapon can hurt him so no arms can defend the man that shall dare to contend with him that his teeth will pierce through an iron breast-plate as easily as through a mans skin or that be a man never so well armed he will soon for all that devour and swallow him up Vers 30. Sharp stones are under him c. That is Usually he lyes upon the sharpest-pointed stones and rocks and yet they never hurt him As for the next clause he spreadeth sharp-pointed things upon the mire though some take them to be a high hyperbole to wit that by his weight he grinds the stones into dust and so spreadeth it upon the mire yet I rather conceive that by spreading sharp-pointed things upon the mire is only meant that by his weight he often breaks the craggy and sharp ends and pieces of the rocks he lyes upon which by that means are scattered here and there upon the mire in the bottome of the sea or else the scattering of stones slung at him and the pieces of swords and spears and darts which being broken upon his scales do fall and sink down to the bottome of the sea Vers 31. He maketh the deep to boyl like a pot c. The meaning is that partly by the moving of his huge body and partly by his blowing out the waters from his mouth he causeth the sea to swell and tumble and bubble and foam as a pot of seething water will do when it boyls on the fire And in the following clause he compares it particularly to the boyling of a pot of oyntment he maketh the sea like a pot of oyntment either because that useth to be done with a violent fire and by reason of its thicknesse doth rise and swell the more or else rather to expresse how muddy the sea is made thereby and what a froth and scum there will be on the top of the waters Vers 32. He maketh a path to shine after him one would think the deep to be hoary That is As he swims along he leaves a kind of furrow behind him which appears as the path where he went where the water is shining and frothy as if there were a hoary frost upon the waters Vers 33. Vpon the earth there is not his like c. No not the Behemoth before spoken of Vers 34. He beholdeth all high things c. Some understand this of the height of his body to wit that when he raiseth up himself he can behold the very tops of the masts of ships and the highest hils and mountains on the lands But there are two other Expositions of the words that seem far more probable first that that they were intended to set forth his fearlesnesse to wit that he is not afraid to behold the mightiest and most terrible of all Gods creatures but
is man that thou art mindfull of him c. that is what is mortall man dust and ashes or what are the poor sinfull children of men that thou shouldest so highly regard him and be so tenderly carefull of him And this is meant especially of man as considered in the state of redemption through Christ by whom God visited man in great mercy according to that Luk. 1.98 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath visited and redeemed his people and recovered for him all those priviledges of his first Creation which he had lost by the fall of Adam And hence it is that the Apostle Heb. 2.6 applyeth these words to Christ particularly though all the faithfull as members of Christ must needs be comprehended because it is by Christ that man recovers what the first Adam had lost Nor need we stumble at it that these words should be applyed to Christ wherein the Prophet doth so vilifie man for indeed in regard of Christs humane nature he was as other men and it was an act of wondrous free grace that in him man should be exalted to such a high degree of honour See the Notes Job 7.17 and 10.12 Vers 5. For thou hast made him a little lower then the angels thou hast crowned him with glory and honour This David speaks as in relation to that glorious estate wherein man was at first created when in regard of his earthly body and that in case of sin subject to dissolution he was indeed made in a condition lower then the angels and yet withall because his soul was of a spirituall substance and endued with reason and understanding like unto the angels and that he was made after Gods own image for wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse fitted for the hope of a blessed and eternall life and that all things were made to be serviceable to him and all earthly things were put under his Dominion it might well be said that though he was created in a condition lower then the angels yet it was but a little lower then the angels and that he was crowned with glory and honour as being made so like unto God and all things put in subjection unto him as their Lord and King Indeed man soon fell from this glorious condition but yet David speaks of it as of the present blisse which through Gods goodnesse man did enjoy for thou hast made him a little lower then the angels c. partly because there are some remainders of this glorious condition still left in man but especially because in Christ man hath recovered that dignity which our first parents lost and that not only in regard of the exaltation of mans nature in the person of Christ but also in regard of the renovation of Gods image by Christ in all his members which is begun here in all believers who are made by him partakers of the divine nature and at last perfected in the glory of heaven and the right which they have in all things through Christ who is the heir of the world Rom. 4.13 And this is thought to be the reason why the Apostle doth particularly apply this to Christ Yet some do rather hold that the Apostle doth only there elegantly shew how that which David spake of man in generall might in another sense be most fitly applyed to Christ Thou madest him a little lower then the angels or a little while inferiour to the angels to wit all the time of his humiliation but especially in the time of his agony and his dying upon the Crosse the bitternesse whereof that he might be enabled to undergoe there appeared an angel unto him from heaven strengthening him Lu. 22.43 then thou crownedst him with glory honour which was when he rose again from the dead ascended into heaven sat down there at the right hand of the Majesty of God far above all principality power c. Eph. 1.21 Vers 6. Thou hast put all things under his feet This must be understood as that which went before partly with relation to that glorious condition wherein man was at first created and partly with relation to what remainders thereof man still enjoyeth and partly to that which man hath recovered and doth enjoy in and by Christ And withall it seems principally meant of those sublunary things which are as it were wholly at mans disposing for though all the creatures even the sun moon and stars were made for mans use and so he may be said to be created Lord over all things yet this phrase of being put under his feet seems to imply a subjection of those things over which man hath power of life and death and to doe with them for his use what he pleaseth But yet because Christ hath absolute power over all the creatures therefore the Apostle applying these words to Christ Heb. 2.8 takes them in their utmost extent proving from thence the subjection even of the Angels to Christ as also 1 Cor. 15.27 where he proves from thence that all his enemies yea even death it self must be at last vanquished by Christ Vers 7. All sheep and oxen yea and the beasts of the field That is wild beasts that live abroad in the fields which is added because this advanceth much the dominion of man that they also should be subject to him and Gods goodnesse to man in giving him so large a dominion See also the Note vers 1. Vers 8. The fish of the sea and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas To wit those sea-monsters and other creatures that live in the waters that cannot so properly be called fish Vers 9. O Lord our Lord c. See the Note vers 1. PSALM IX The Title TO the chief Musician upon Muth-labben It is here again very uncertain what is meant by this word Muth-labben namely whether it were the name of some Instrument or some Tune or some song or some part in musick as some indeed think that hereby was meant that which we call the Counter-tenor Some translate the words upon the death of his son and so conceive the Psalm was composed upon the death of Absalom which Davids extreme heavinesse then makes improbable Others render it upon the death of Laben and so hold that Laben was the name of some great Commander that was slain when David got some glorious victory over his enemies or that it was Nabal or Nebal that is here by a transposition of the letters called Laben And then again others translate it Upon him that was between that is that stood between the two camps when he came forth and defied the whole army of Israel meaning Goliah But it is evident that this Psalm was composed after the Ark was placed in Sion vers 11 and 14. and whether therefore it were composed in remembrance of a victory obtained so long before is altogether uncertain Vers 1. I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart c. That is first sincerely wholly ascribing the glory
of any meat concerning which notice was given them that it had been offered to idols to wit because all the creatures being the Lords they were to use them to his glory and therefore might not eat them to the scandall of their brethren or because the whole world being the Lords they need not fear they should not have to eat seeing out of his rich store he was able to provide otherwise for them But if any man say unto you This is offered in sacrifice unto idols eat not for his sake that shewed it and for conscience sake The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Vers 2. For he hath founded it upon the seas and established it upon the flouds That is say some Expositours by the seas and by the flouds as we use to say in that sense that London stands upon the river of Thames But rather it is said that God hath founded it upon the seas c. because whereas the naturall place of the earth is to be under the waters God hath ordered it so that it is above the seas and above the flouds so that in outward appearance it seems as it were to stand upon the waters and hereby it was made fit for the habitation of his creatures See the Note Gen. 1.9 Vers 3. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place As if he should have said Though all the inhabitants of the world be the Lords yet to dwell in Gods holy hill as members of his Church his peculiar people that 's a priviledge which few to speak of do enjoy yea even amongst those that are his people in outward profession But for the more clear understanding of these words see the Notes Psal 2.6 and 15.1 Vers 4. He that hath clean hands c. That is He whose works are blamelesse and a pure heart that is a heart purified by faith from all sinfull pollutions all erroneous opinions and carnall affections he that is carefull to approve his heart unto God as well as to avoid sin outwardly As for the following clause who hath not lift up his soul unto vanity that is diversly expounded Some understand it of the man that hath not worshipped idols which are often tearmed vanities in the Scripture see the Note 1 Kings 16.13 Others of him that doth not give his mind to vain and foolish sinfull practises or that doth not heed or trust in the vain and foolish designs of the world nor the allurements of Satans temptations see the Notes Job 31.5 and Psal 4.2 But there are two Expositions which most follow The one is that by lifting up his soul unto vanity is meant vain and false swearing for because they that swear do engage their souls thereby and as it were offer them up as a pledge unto God 2 Cor. 1.23 I call God saith the Apostle as a record upon my soul therefore the man that swears vainly and falsly may be said to lift up his soul unto vanity and so they make this to be much the same with that which follows nor sworn deceitfully The other is that by the man who hath not lift up his soul unto vanity is meant the man that doth not set his heart upon vanity because men are wont with much eagernesse to look and gape after those things which they earnestly desire Psal 123.1 2 therefore by a borrowed speech they that earnestly look after and greedily desire the vain things of this world riches and honours and pleasures or that prosecute eagerly any vain or sinfull desire they are said to lift up their souls unto vanity The same expression is used in the Hebrew much to the same purpose Deuter. 24.15 and Jer. 22.27 Vers 5. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord c. That is He and he alone shall receive the blessing which the Lord hath promised his people to wit all blessings temporall spirituall and eternall for thus are all these comprehended under this word the blessing 1 Pet. 3.9 knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a blessing though indeed both here and there the blessing of eternall life may be principally intended concerning which Christ shall say Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you c. Matth. 25.34 And so in the following clause and righteousnesse from the God of his salvation it is this blessing promised that is there tearmed righteousnesse to wit either because it shall be the reward of their righteousnesse or because God out of his righteousnesse or faithfulnesse will bestow it upon them in both which regards the glory of heaven is accordingly called a crown of righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4.8 See the Note Psal 5.8 Some I know understand this of the righteousnesse of God in Christ but in regard he speaks of rewarding the righteous the first Exposition must needs be intended Vers 6. This is the generation of them that seek him c. By a generation of men in the Scripture is usually meant some sort or kind of men as Matth. 12.39 An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign and Luk. 16.8 The men of this world are in their generation wiser then the children of light and so it is taken here This is the generation of them that seek him that is These that I have before described are that sort or kind of men that do truly seek God and are the true people of God Yet withall I doubt not but that the title of the generation of them that seek him is here limited to these purposely to shew how vainly those Israelites boasted of being the seed and generation of Abraham and the peculiar people of God who in the mean time lived not as became Gods people and that though they went up amongst others to worship God in his holy place for this is spoken in reference to that before vers 3. who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord c. yet they did not indeed seek God and therefore in the second clause by turning his speech to God for so some read it as it is in the margin of our Bibles that seek thy face O God of Iacob he doth as it were call God to witnesse that it was so and so doth withall covertly imply that however men might esteem them Gods people yet before Gods tribunal it would not be so But if we read it as it is in our Text the meaning is this that seek thy face O Iacob that is seek to joyn themselves to the true Church and people of God according to that of the prophet Isa 44.5 One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Iacob c. Vers 7. Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the king of glory shall come in In these words first David expresseth his earnest desire that the Temple might be built and the Ark settled therein and
therefore being grieved that they should proceed so far and so long without being called to an account desired that justice might be executed on them 2. that David penned this Psalm for the use of others and not only for himself and 3. that these expressions were in David rather prophesies then imprecations he did rather by the instinct of Gods Spirit foretell that it should be so then pray that it might be so Vers 5. Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands c. This may be meant generally of all the works of Gods providence wherein the hand of God was apparently seen the good he did for the righteous and his judgements on the wicked for so the very same words are used by the prophet Isa 5.12 but withall it may be more particularly meant of Gods chusing and anointing David to be king the many victories he obtained whereby much good had been done for Gods people and the Lords delivering him from so many desperate dangers which were clear proofs of Gods tender care over him and the precious account he made of him and that he had determined he should be king which his enemies not regarding did as it were obstinately fight against God for which cause saith David he â—hall destroy them and not build them up that is he shall destroy them without all hope of recovery for this phrase of building up men see the Note Job 22.23 Vers 8. The Lord is their strength c. Having spoken in the foregoing verse how he had been helped he adds The Lord is their strength that is the strength of my souldiers and so though they were but few in comparison of mine enemies by their help I have been preserved or it may be meant of Gods people as being spoken in reference to the following verse The Lord is their strength that is the strength of his people see the Note Exod. 15.1 and he is the saving strength of his anointed that is of me his anointed and so he tearms himself because that was the ground both of his enemies rage against him and of his confidence in God Vers 9. Save thy people and blesse thine inheritance c. See the Note Psal 25.22 Feed them also or rule them to wit as a shepheard doth his flock see the Notes Psal 23.1 2 c. and lift them up for ever that is exalt them and make them every way great and glorious even above other nations or set them in a safe condition above the reach of their enemies and that successively in all generations Some understand it also of Gods carrying them on and raising them still up to farther degrees of grace till they were brought at last to live for ever with God in heaven PSALM XXIX Vers 1. GIve unto the Lord O ye mighty give unto the Lord glory and strength That is Confesse how glorious and strong the Lord is that both by word and deed to the praise of his name and strength is here the rather mentioned because those works of God of which he speaks afterward do singularly manifest his mighty power and strength or acknowledge that all the glory and strength you have yea all glory and strength whatsoever is of God His intention in these words is that the great ones of the world that in their pride are wont above others to exalt themselves against God should humble themselves under the hand of God who is of such infinite power and hath all things subject to him as he sheweth in the following verses see also the Note Psal 8.2 Vers 2. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name c. That is due to him or such glory as is due to a God of such Majesty the acknowledgement of his infinite excellencies or the worship which he hath prescribed in his Word worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse that is in his beautifull holy place in his glorious Sanctuary as it is in the margin See the Notes Psal 27.4 and 1 Chro. 16.29 Vers 3. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters c. The thunder is called the voice of the Lord because it comes out of heaven and is an effect of Gods mighty power and some think that it is said to be upon the waters that is upon the sea because it maketh a noise and runneth as it were upon the sea a long time together But I rather understand these words thus The voice of the Lord is upon the waters that is in the watry clouds for so also Psal 18.11 the clouds are called dark waters And because in such storms of thunder there useth to be abundance of rain therefore in the last clause it is said the Lord is upon many waters Having in the beginning of the Psalm called upon the mighty men of the world not to exalt themselves against God but to humble themselves before him here he puts them in mind of this mighty work of God because nothing doth more terrify the most atheisticall men convincing them that there is a God that is higher then the highest then the thunder doth And some conceive that it was some extraordinary tempest perhaps some tempest that helped to the foyling of Davids enemies that was the occasion of composing this Psalm Vers 4. The voice of the Lord is powerfull c. That is of mighty force the voice of the Lord is full of majesty to wit both in regard of the dreadfull noise it makes and of the bright flashes of lightening that goe along with it Yet some conceive that it is said to be powerfull and full of majesty because Gods mighty power and glorious majesty is thereby so clearly discovered Vers 5. The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars c. To wit by the thunderbolts which are cast down upon the earth in the thunder claps or by the tempestuous winds which do many times accompany the thunder However herein and that which follows is covertly implyed how strange it would be if men that have reason and understanding should not be deeply affected with this terrible voice which works so mightily upon the very unreasonable and senslesse creatures Vers 6. He maketh them also to skip like a calf c. Either it is in regard of the bowing and tumbling of the cedars this way and that by the force of the winds in such tempests that they are said here to skip like a calf or else in regard of the violent rending and hurling of these trees up by the roots or else in regard of the leaping and flying of the splinters and broken pieces of the trees severall waies when they are thunder-strucken and violently torn in pieces thereby As for the following words Lebanon and Sirion of which see the Note Deut. 3.9 like a young unicorn either they are meant of the trees that grow on those mountains and indeed that seems to me the most probable or if they be meant of the mountains
compassing him as with a shield Psal 5.12 Vers 11. Be glad in the Lord c. Hereby he implyes what exceeding joy follows upon faith when men are thereby reconciled unto God and are assured of the pardon of their sins for of that he speaks in this whole Psalm PSALM XXXIII Vers 1. REjoyce in the Lord O ye righteous c. Thus as the foregoing Psalm ended so this begins for praise is comely for the upright to wit in regard they above others have such speciall and abundant cause to praise God so that no imployment is fitter for them as likewise because they alone do truly know God and heartily desire to glorifie his name and so from them it is acceptable with God whereas when wicked men that have no tast of Gods goodnesse do undertake to praise God they do but profane Gods holy name and therefore God abhors their praises see Psal 50.16 Vers 2. Praise the Lord with harp This Instrument is first mentioned wherein David did much delight and in the playing whereon he was eminently skilfull 1 Sam. 16.18 It is called Psal 81.2 the pleasant harp Vers 3. Sing unto him a new song This is required either to imply that to him that attentively considers the works of God there will still be occasion of composing new songs of praise or rather to imply with what fervency and chearfulnesse of spirit he desired they should praise God because upon occasions of unusuall joy they were wont to compose new songs and to fit them with some rare and exquisite tune and so they were sung and heard with the more earnestnesse and delight Yet some say that by a new song is meant a song that should never grow stale and out of date in the Church where the people of God do continually enjoy manifold blessings conferred upon them in Christ Vers 4. For the word of the Lord is right c. That is All his commands concerning the government of the world are just and equall every way right and unreprovable and all his works are done in truth that is sincerely without any guile and faithfully according to what he hath promised or spoken to his people Some indeed understand the first clause of the written word to wit that that word of the Lord is right that is that what he hath promised yea all that he hath spoken therein is faithfull and true sincere and without deceit yea every way blamelesse of which see also the Note Psal 19.8 But the first Exposition is the best as agreeing with that which follows vers 6 and 9. Vers 5. He loveth righteousnesse and judgement That is he loveth to do justice and judgement Vers 6. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made c. See the Notes Gen. 1.1 2 3 c. and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth that is by his command see the Note also Gen. 2.1 Yet some conceive that the three persons of the holy Trinity are here severally mentioned Vers 7. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap c. This is meant of that gathering of the waters of the sea together in the first creation see the Note Gen. 1.9 and Job 38.8 9 10 yet because they are still kept in the hollow places of the earth by the same almighty power by which they were at first disposed of there it is expressed in the present tense He gathereth the waters c. he layeth up the depth in store-houses Vers 10. He maketh the devices of the people of none effect Though whole nations do combine together and set themselves to bring any thing to passe God can easily crosse them Vers 14. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth So he calleth the sons of men as by way of contempt to imply the basenesse even of the greatest of them in comparison of the Lord whose throne is in heaven Vers 15. He fashioneth their hearts alike c. That is all mens hearts none excepted one as well as another And this is ascribed to God 1. because he it is that createth the souls and spirits of men in their first conception with all the severall faculties thereof see the Note Numb 16.22 and 2. because he ordereth and disposeth of their hearts and all the motions thereof as it is said of the kings heart Prov. 21.1 he turneth it whithersoever he will And this is here expressed thus to imply that therefore God must needs exactly know all men they being his workmanship yea even the thoughts and intentions of their hearts and much more their works which is expressed in the next clause he considereth all their works Vers 18. Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him c. See the Note Psal 11.7 Vers 20. Our soul waiteth for the Lord c. This he speaks in the name of the whole Church to wit that they would with all their souls wait upon God for help in all their troubles PSALM XXXIV The Title A Psalm of David when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech c. To wit feigning himself mad which circumstance seems here to be expressed because this tended much to the magnifying of Gods grace that notwithstanding his infirmity therein yet God was pleased to deliver him see the Notes 1 Sam. 21.10 11 13. This is also one of the Alphabeticall Psalms his exceeding joy causing him to compose this Psalm with the more exquisite art but for this see the Note Psal 25.1 Vers 1. I will blesse the Lord at all times c. That is as long as I live both in prosperity and adversity I will never forget this wonderfull deliverance And thus he ascribes his escape not to that which he did but to the providence of God which is more clearly expressed afterwards vers 4. Vers 2. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord c. That is from my very soul I will boast of the Lords favour and goodnesse to me the humble shall hear thereof and be glad that is they shall hear of my praising the Lord and out of love to God shall rejoyce that his name is so exalted or rather they shall hear of my deliverance and so shall be glad both on my behalf that God hath so preserved me and reserved me still to sit on the throne of Israel and on their own behalf as encouraged by mine example chearfully to expect the like deliverance from God For who are meant by the humble here see in the Note Job 22.29 Vers 3. O magnify the Lord with me c. This may be spoken to all the faithfull in generall or in particular to the humble mentioned in the foregoing verse Vers 4. He heard me and delivered me from all my fears And indeed when he was discovered and brought to Achish he could not but be surprized with divers fears as lest Achish should slay him and perhaps with great tortures to satisfie
distant from it from the farthest parts of the land whither he was glad to retire he would remember God to wit either 1. as looking towards the Tabernacle and by faith in spirit representing to himself Gods gracious presence there whilst he was absent in body or 2. as remembring the great things that God did for his people when he first brought them into the land of Canaan in those places without Jordan where he then wandred up and down and hid himself as namely their victories over Sihon and Og c. or 3. as remembring Gods power faithfulnesse goodnesse and promises Vers 7. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy water-spouts As if he had said When thou dost with great terrour break forth in displeasure against me divers and many overwhelming calamities do fall upon me as if they did call and invite one another to come that they might all together violently rush in upon me or that they might follow thick and close one in the neck of another even as when great slouds or showres of rain do break in upon men and are in danger to overwhelm them and therefore he adds all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me By Gods water-spouts are meant the showres of rain which come pouring down from heaven see the Note Job 38.25 whereto comparing his troubles he covertly acknowledgeth that they came all from God and the noise of these water-spouts is the noise that these showres of rain make when they fall down upon the earth or the claps of thunder that are with and before these showres And as for that first clause Deep calleth unto deep either he alludes therein to the mighty flouds of rain powring down from the clouds above and the streams breaking forth from the fountains of the great deep beneath one calling upon the other as it were that they might together overwhelm a poor creature or to the overflowing of severall rivers after such rains whose waters by that means come together as if they had called upon one another that they might meet in one or rather to the waves of the sea that come tumbling in together or follow close one upon the neck of another as if each wave invited another or else to the many mighty breaches that will be in the sea in a tempest whereinto one after another the ships seem to sink as if they should never rise up again as if one of them called to the other to come in to the swallowing up of such poor weather-beaten vessels according to that of the Psalmist Psal 107.26 they mount up to the heaven they goe down again to the depths their soul is melted because of troubles Vers 8. Yet the Lord will command his loving kindnesse in the day time c. That is He will effectually assure my heart of his love or rather He will with authority and power send deliverance and blessings the fruits and manifestations of his loving kindnesse to me The like expression we have Deut. 28.8 and Psal 44.4 and the ground of it is because if God wills any thing to be done it is enough and because both the angels and all other creatures are ready as it were at Gods command to help his servants and in the night his song shall be with me see the Note Job 35.10 and my prayer unto the God of my life to wit either by way of praising God for that his mercy or by way of seeking farther to God upon the encouragement of that he had already done for him Yet some understand this last clause to be added in this sense that till God did command his loving kindnesse in the day time c. he would follow God with his prayers the known means of obtaining mercies from him Vers 9. I will say unto God my rock Why hast thou forgotten me See the Notes Deut. 32.4 and Psal 13.1 Vers 11. I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance Thus he calls God either 1. because God was ever his present and apparent help whom by the eye of faith he did still behold and by experience did find ready at hand to help him and to cause him to see his salvation or 2. because to him only he was to look in expectation of help or 3. because the help that he knew God would afford him would chear up his countenance and clear it from shame and weeping and enable him to hold up his head and shew his face amongst men with courage and comfort PSALM XLIII Vers 1. JVdge me O God and plead my cause c. That is Clear mine innocency and deliver me from mine enemies see the Notes Deut. 32.36 and Ps 35.1 against an ungodly nation to wit Saul and his wicked crew or rather Absalom and his conspirators And accordingly we must understand the following clause O deliver me from the deceitfull and unjust man either indefinitely as spoken of all his unjust and treacherous enemies or particularly of Saul who often pretended fair to him when he sought his ruine or rather of Ahithophel a man of noted subtilty or Absalom who had cunningly stolen the hearts of the people from him and pretended a sacrifice at Hebron when he meant to rise up in rebellion against him For this seems most probable because he speaks vers 3. of going to Gods holy hill to wit mount Sion where the Ark was not in Sauls time unlesse we will say that though David penned this Psalm with reference to his exile in Sauls daies yet he used that expression because he penned it after he was settled in the throne and had removed the Ark to Sion which seems not so probable However doubtlesse he mentions the ungodlinesse injustice and deceitfulnesse of his enemies thereby to move God to pity and help him Vers 2. For thou art the God of my strength That is the God that givest me strength and art my strength See the Note Exod. 15.2 Vers 3. O send out thy light and thy truth c. That is Manifest thy loving kindnesse and favour to me to the chearing of my heart by sending me help and directing me what to doe that so I may come again to thy house where I may enjoy the light of thy presence Word and Ordinances and the truth of thy promises may be made good unto me See the Notes 2 Sam. 22.29 Esth 8.16 Job â—9 â— and Psal 27.1 Yet some would have the accomplishment of Gods promises to be all that is desired in these words O send out thy light and thy truth that is By doing what thou hast spoken cause the light of thy promises to shine forth clearly which now seem to be obscured and overclouded As for the following clause let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy hill and to thy tabernacles though some hold this is meant of the hill whereon Kiriath-jearim stood whether the Ark was removed in the daies of Samuel 2 Sam. 7.1 yet I rather take it
the covenant blessings which they enjoyed above other nations as the Ark the Urim and Thummim their sacrifices and sacraments and sabbaths and all other legall rites which were also signs and shadows of good things to come and 3. the signs whereby the prophets were wont to shadow forth the things which they foretold were to come to passe And this some conceive is added as in opposition to what they had said before of their enemies vers 4. they set up their ensigns for signs as if they had said Whilst we daily see the signs of our enemies subduing us our signs of Gods favourable presence amongst us we see not And then it followeth there is no more any prophet neither is there among us any that knoweth how long where by their not having any prophet may be meant that they had no ordinary teacher to instruct and comfort them in their great afflictions and by their not having any that knoweth how long may be meant that they had none endued with an extraordinary spirit of prophesie that could inform them how long their troubles would continue according to that Lam. 2.9 the law is no more her prophets also find no vision from the Lord. Or else both clauses may intend the same thing to wit that they had not as formerly any prophet amongst them Now however it be clear that thus it was with the Jews under the tyranny of Antiochus Epiphanes for which see 1 Maccab. 4.46 yet I see not why it may not be also meant of the Babylonian captivity For though Ezekiel and Daniel were prophets amongst the Jews in Babylon yet because it is evident that Ezekiel began not to prophesie till the fifth year of Jehoiachins captivity Ezek. 1.2 and that we read not of his prophesying any longer then till the 25. year of that captivity Ezek. 40.1 or at the most till the 27. year Ezek. 29.17 and for Daniel we read not that he taught the people as a prophet and when and how long he prophesied is very uncertain it may well be that for a time either before or after the prophesying of Ezekiel and Daniel they were in Babylon without any prophet at all amongst them Vers 12. For God is my king of old working salvation in the midst of the earth That is openly in the view of all men all the world over And hereby the Church encourageth her self in that prayer in the foregoing verse that God would pluck his right hand out of his bosome to destroy her enemies namely because God was her king however now for a time he afflicted her and seemed to withdraw himself from her and so had been of old see the Note above vers 2. and because all the salvation that had been ever wrought for any upon the face of the earth was his work and the same therefore he could doe for his people again See also the Note Psal 44.4 Vers 13. Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters That is Thou hast destroyed Pharaoh his Nobles and army who are tearmed Sea-dragons or Crocodiles in allusion either 1. to the cruelty of the Egyptians in slaying the male-children of the Israelites or 2. to their pursuing them through the red sea or 3. to the situation of Egypt that lay close upon the sea and was besides plentifully watered with that great river Nilus wherein there were many Crocodiles and Sea-dragons as is evident by a like expression which the prophet Ezekiel useth concerning Pharaoh Ezek. 29.3 Thus saith the Lord God Behold I am against thee Pharaoh king of Egypt the great dragon that lyeth in the midst of his rivers Vers 14. Thou brakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces c. That is of Pharaoh see Isa 27.1 and 51.9 But why are there many heads here ascribed to Leviathan I answer either 1. thereby the better to represent the dreadfulnesse of this adversary of Gods people by setting him forth not as an ordinary whale but as some many-headed monster or as a Sea-monster that had a head as bigge as many heads as the Elephant is for this cause called Behemoth that is Beasts see the Note Job 40.15 or 2. to expresse hereby the destruction of Pharaohs Princes and Captains together with himself and that either by tearming them the heads of Pharaoh or by speaking of them as of so many severall Leviathans Thou brakest the heads of the Leviathans that is of every one of those Sea-monsters Pharaoh and all his great ones with him And gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wildernesse of which expression there are severall expositions given by Interpreters as 1. that being drowned in the red sea and so made meat for the fish therein they hereby became meat also for the people inhabiting the adjacent wildernesse that lived much upon the fish of that sea or 2. that their dead carcases being cast upon the shoar as is expressed Exod. 14.30 became meat for the birds and beasts of prey that were in the forementioned wildernesse who are called here the people inhabiting the wildernesse as elsewhere the ants are called a people not strong and the conies a feeble folk Pro. 30.25 26. and the locusts a strong nation Joel 1.6 and indeed this exposition I conceive very probable or 3. that the Israelites being gotten safe over the red sea or the nations that dwelt in the wildernesse there did even glut and satiate themselves with the spoil of their dead carcases and did long after live upon the wealth which they got by that means Vers 15. Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood c. Some understand this of Gods causing fountains and rivers to break forth out of the earth in severall places for the watering of the ground But rather it is meant of Gods miraculous cleaving the rocks in the wildernesse that springs and rivers of water might thence break forth for the use of Gods people there Exod. 17.6 Numb 20.11 And so likewise the following clause thou driedst up mighty rivers some understand of the ordinary drying up of rivers when God is so pleased but rather it is meant of Gods dividing Jordan before the Israelites wherein it is said that he dryed up mighty rivers in the plurall number either because many rivers did run into Jordan or rather because Jordan had at that time overflowed all her banks and so became as it were many severall rivers Vers 19. The day is thine the night also is thine c. To wit as being created and governed by thee and that for thine own service thou hast prepared the light and the Sun where by the light is meant either the light wherewith the night is enlightened which was last named in the foregoing clause to wit the moon and stars or else rather that light which God did create the first day Gen. 1.3 and which afterwards he placed in the Sun vers 13. Vers 17. Thou hast set all the
long as for the same reasons they are also compared to cedars in the following clause he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon see the Notes Numb 24.6 and Psal 1.3 Yet some conceive that they are compared to the palm-tree likewise because this tree yields most sweet fruit and though it have never so great weight laid upon it yet it will thrive and prosper and as it were raise up it self the higher whence it was that the branches of this tree used to be worn in garlands and carried in mens hands as signs of victory see Rev. 7.9 and so the righteous prosper under afflictions and oppressions and that they are compared to cedars because the wood of these trees is of a sweet favour and not subject to rot or decay with age and used much in the building and adorning of princes palaces However doubtlesse the chief drift of the words is to signify that though the righteous may be brought very low yet they shall rise and grow up flourish again exceedingly Vers 13. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God The reason is here given why the righteous are sure thus to flourish to wit because they not only live in the Church where they enjoy the means of grace but also are by a lively faith rooted in Christ of whom the Temple was a type see the Notes Numb 24.6 and Psal 1.3 Why the courts of Gods house are expresly here mentioned see in the Note Psal 84.2 Vers 14. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age c. To wit the fruit of holinesse and righteousnesse and so likewise they shall be blessed of God and shall be as a flourishing tree that decays not with age yea old age shall be to them but a renewing of their vigour in that they shall live for ever in Gods house in heaven even in his kingdome of glory see Isa 65.20 Vers 15. To shew that the Lord is upright c. As if he had said And thus by destroying the wicked in the conclusion and blessing the righteous he sheweth forth clearly that he is just and faithfull in all that he doeth whatever men may think to the contrary because they see that it is but for a time that God prospers the wicked and afflicts the righteous or this shall be the fruit mentioned in the foregoing verse which the righteous shall bring forth in their old age to wit that they shall declare and set forth that the Lord is just and upright and that there is no iniquity in him PSALM XCIII Vers 1. THe Lord reigneth c. As if he had said In the midst of all those confusions and hurly-burlies that are in the world which seem to threaten the utter ruine of the Church the Lord who is the God and king of Israel governeth the whole world and so is the sure defence of his people he is clothed with majesty the Lord is clothed with strength wherewith he hath girded himself that is he hath by his works manifested himself to be glorious in majesty and power as a king clothed with his royall robes and is alwaies as one that is ready prepared for battel the world also is established that it cannot be moved as if he had said And hence also it comes to passe that the whole world and all things therein are established that it cannot be moved that is that the world by the supporting providence of God is firmly settled according as it was at first established by the law of creation and consequently also that the Church throughout the world is firmly settled and preserved that it should not be rooted up But now many understand this Psalm throughout of Christs exercising his kingly power Matth. 28.18 for which see the Note Psal 22.28 Vers 2. Thy throne is established of old c. It is in the Hebrew from then and so the meaning may be that even from the first creation and settling of the world of which he had spoken in the foregoing words God had established the heaven for his throne as it is elsewhere called Psal 11.4 And it is very probable that having spoken before of Gods establishing the earth so here he should also speak of his establishing the heaven But yet the words may be understood thus Thy throne is established of old that is Thy kingdome and government hath been from the beginning yea from all eternity as thy self art according to that which follows thou art from everlasting Vers 3. The flouds have lifted up O Lord the flouds have lifted up their voice c. That is they rage and make a mighty tumult But alas God doth at his pleasure overrule and awe them as it follows in the next verse The Lord on high is mightier then the noise of many waters yea then the mighty waves of the sea for which see the Note Psal 89.9 For this may be understood literally of the swelling waves of rivers and seas see the Note Psal 65.7 or of the rage of the enemies of Gods people see the Note Psal 46.3 Vers 5. Thy testimonies are very sure c. See the Note Psal 19.7 Having in the former verses spoken of Gods governing the world in generall here he adds that speciall mercy that God had given them his Word which was sure and faithfull and then also that he had taken them to be a holy people unto himself establishing a covenant of life eternall with them which was their excellency their glory above all other nations all which many learned Expositours conceive is implyed in that next clause holinesse becometh thine house O Lord for ever But then again we may probably conceive otherwise of the inference of these words upon that which went before to wit that herein the Psalmist shews that by the Lords quelling those proud waves which had beaten so furiously upon his Church whereof he had spoken in the two foregoing verses he had approved the faithfulnesse of his promises and that because these his testimonies were so very sure therefore it could not be but that the Church must be preserved against the rage of all her enemies And then for that last clause holinesse becometh thine house for ever either the meaning must be that Gods approving his holinesse and faithfulnesse by the defence of those that fled to his house for shelter did well become his house for ever or that God to make good his faithfulnesse was engaged to preserve his Temple and Church from being polluted and profaned by her enemies or that because of Gods faithfulness it became Gods people to carry themselves always before God in a holy manner but especially in the holy assemblies As for those that understand this Psalm of Christ they take this as spoken in reference to Gods faithfulnesse in performing all his promises concerning the Messiah and particularly in preserving his Church from being polluted PSALM XCIV Vers 1. O Lord God to whom
God thou art very great thou art clothed with honour and majesty See the Note Psal 93.1 Vers 2. Who coverest thy self with light as with a garment c. That is Who dost discover thy glory which is invisible in it self by the light which thou hast created even as a king appears to men gloriously adorned with his robes of royalty And this the Psalmist recounting the works of God mentions in the first place because in the worlds creation it was the work of the first day And it may the rather be compared to a garment wherewith God doth as it were cover himself because the heaven where God is in a speciall manner present is all over covered as it were with light Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain that is as easily as one may draw a curtain to wit the curtains of a tent under which God is pleased to withdraw himself as it were from the sight of his creatures see the Notes Gen. 1.6 and 2 Sam. 22.12 And this with that which followeth in the two next verses he addeth next because these were the works of the second day Vers 3. Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters c. That is Who by his watry clouds hath divided the region of the aire as it were into severall chambers from whence when he pleaseth he doth marvellously many waies shew forth his glory see the Note Gen. 1.6 who maketh the clouds his chariot who walketh upon the wings of the wind that is who guides and governs the clouds and the swift flying winds as he pleaseth see the Note 2 Sam. 22.11 12. Vers 4. Who maketh his angels spirits c. Because the Apostle doth plainly apply this to the angels Heb. 1.7 And of the angels he saith Who maketh his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire therefore many of our best Expositours hold that the Psalmist doth indeed speak here concerning the angels Having say they spoken in the foregoing verses concerning the heavens before he comes in the following verses to speak of the earth and the things therein he doth here insert this passage concerning the angels because they do as it were communicate both with heaven and earth as having their constant habitation in heaven yet so that they are ordinarily sent forth into the earth and imployed there in the service of God for the good of men Now they that are of this opinion as it is clear our Translatours were do thus understand the words to wit either that God made his angels of a spirituall incorporeal substance and withall lightsome bright and glorious creatures like a flame of fire or else that he made his angels spirits or winds that is active and swift in the services enjoyned them flying as speedily as the winds to doe whatever he gives them in charge and a flaming fire that is pure and simple active and fervent strong and vigorous and of a kind of fiery efficacy suddenly piercing things carrying all before them and consuming Gods enemies with unresistable violence and in all these things like unto the fire whence it is they say that some of the angels are called Seraphims that is burning and frequently the angels have appeared like fire as to Elijah 2 Kings 2.11 and to Elishâ— 2 Kings 6.17 But now on the contrary other learned men and of the best Expositours do hold that the Psalmist doth here speak of the winds and fiery meteors and accordingly they take the meaning of the words to be this that God maketh the spirits or winds to be his angels or messengers and a flaming fire that is the thunder and lightning and other fiery meteors to be his ministers according to that Psal 148.8 fire and hail snow and vapour stormy wind fulfilling his word And indeed because the Psalmist speaks in such order here of the works of creation according to the daies wherein they were created I cannot but think that he speaks in these words concerning the winds and fiery meteors in the aire But why then doth the Apostle apply this to the angels I answer 1. that some think the Apostles purpose was only to shew that what is here said concerning the winds and meteors may be also analogically said concerning the angels as God useth the winds and meteors as his messengers and ministers ordering them and imploying them as seems good in his own eyes so doth he also make use of the ministry of angels 2. that even the Psalmist in saying that God useth the winds as his angels doth also clearly thereby imply that even the angels are but Gods servants creatures made for and imployed in his service as he is pleased to order them and therefore not equall to him who is the Son of God and Lord of all things which is all the Apostle there contends for and 3. that the Psalmist speaks here of the winds and meteors as they are under God ordered and governed by the angels see the Note 2 Sam. 22.11 and that consequently he speaks therefore of the angels as they are in the winds meteors moving them clothed as it were with them that therefore the Apostle might well say that the Psalmist speaks here of the angels this last is I conceive the most satisfactory answer Vers 5. Who laid the foundations of the earth c. See the Notes Job 26.7 and Psal 24.2 Here begins the relation of Gods work of creation on the third day when he established the earth in its place and made a separation betwixt the earth and the waters and caused trees and plants and herbs to grow up therein as is expressed in the following verses Vers 6. Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment the waters stood above the mountains Some understand this of the earths being wrapped about with the sea as with a garment and some of Noahs sloud But it is clearly meant of the earths being at first covered round about under a deep of water Gen. 1.2 9. before the waters were separated from it which is related in the following verses Vers 7. At thy rebuke they fled at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away That is at thy thundring command at thy mighty dreadful command which every creature must needs hear and which no creature hearing it dares disobey see the Note Gen. 1.9 Vers 8. They goe up by the mountains they go down by the valleys c. That is in going to the place appointed for them nothing can stop their course but by the mighty power of God they run up the mountains and so down the valleys These words may be read as they are render'd in the margin the mountains ascend the valleys descend and then the meaning thereof must be that the waters being separated from the earth God did at the same time bring the earth into that fashion and form that now it hath being distinguished here and there with mountains and valleys or that upon the removall
the most best Expositours do by substance understand true happinesse which consists in the enjoyment of God in having our souls adorned with true grace here in the blisse of life eternall hereafter and that because these have true substance solid consistency in them and shall be possessed by them that have them as an inheritance for ever and fully satisfy the desires of their souls whereas worldly wealth though for that men are usually miscalled substantiall men in true judgement is not but only in shew semblance in opinion and imagination Prov. 23.5 wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not at least such things can only be reckoned amongst mens moveables nor can ever fill the desires of our souls it is only life eternall that deserves to be counted our inheritance Vers 22. The Lord possessed me c. To wit as his wisdome as his son that was alwaies with and in the Father according to that Joh. 1.1 In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God in the beginning of his way that is say some of his eternall decrees or rather of his works of Creation and consequently from eternity as the following words explain it before his works of old see the Note Psal 93.2 for he that was in the beginning of the creation must needs have had a being before and that must needs be an eternall being Vers 23. I was set up from everlasting c. That is say some Expositours I was appointed to be the Mediatour the anointed king of his Church or rather I was with and in the Father of equall majesty and power with him and by me he appointed to make and govern all his creatures from the beginning or ever the earth was to wit so much as in the Chaos when it was yet without form and void Gen. 1.2 Vers 24. When there were no depths c. To wit of water no seas lakes or rivers see the Note chap. 3.20 I was brought forth that is I was from all eternity begotten of my Father for the wisdome of the Father speaks here of himself after the manner of men Vers 26. While as yet he had not made the earth c. That is He had not yet separated the waters from it compacted it into a solid body and made it dry land that it might be habitable for man beasts see the Note Gen. 1.9 and thence are those following words added nor the fields that is he had not yet adorned and furnished the earth with grasse herbs and plants trees nor the highest part of the dust of the world that is those parts of the earth which are above the water the dry land that admirable superficies of the whole earth which is now so goodly to behold Yea hereby may be implyed that there was not yet so much as a little dust made I know that because those words in the Original which we translate the fields may be render'd the open places therefore some conceive that thereby is meant the air or the whole superficies of the continent so far as it may be seen by the eye of man or the plains champian countries as opposed to the mountains and hils mentioned in the foregoing verse And so likewise because those last words nor the highest part c. may be read nor the chief part of the dust of the world therefore some understand thereby the habitable part of the world or the most commodious goodly and delightfull parts of the earth But the former exposition seems to me the clearest Vers 27. When he prepared the heavens I was there c. To wit as an agent and fellow-worker with the Father when he set a compasse or a circle upon the face of the depth that is when he reduced the immense depth of the earth and water into a perfect globe making it exactly round as if it had been measured with a pair of compasses Vers 28. When he established the clouds above c. That is When he caused them to abide in the firmament notwithstanding they are full of water which one would think might make them break in pieces at all times and fall down to the earth see the Note Job 26.8 when he strengthened the fountains of the deep that is when he gave power to the springs fountains that come originally from the sea or however out of the deep places of the earth to yield continually without being ever drawn dry abundance of waters which run in their severall channels with mighty strength violence whence is that expression of the Prophet Isa 8.7 the waters of the river strong and many Vers 29. When he gave to the sea his decree that the waters should not passe his commandement See the Note Job 26.10 Vers 30. Then I was by him as one brought up with him I was daily his delight rejoycing alwaies before him The Son of God the wisdome of the Father applying himself to our capacity doth here compare himself to a child that precious in the eyes of those that bring him up to a nursling smiling upon his nurse or to a little child sporting and playing before his father that to set forth 1. the mutuall delight and complacency which the Father the Son took in each other from all eternity the great delight which they joyntly took in the excellency of the work of wisdome to wit the creation as likewise his wise ordering of all the creatures that he had made and 2. more particularly the delight which the Father took in his Son in whom he was alwaies well pleased in whom he reioyced more then in the works that were made by him which is expressed in that clause and I was daily his delight Vers 31. Rejoycing in the habitable part of his earth c. To wit as some say in that the wisdome of God made it with ease without any toil labour or rather as taking pleasure in the excellency of the work as likewise afterwards in the governing of it by his providence in doing good unto all the creatures therein And my delights were with the sons of men to wit first in that he delighted in man as the master-piece of the whole work of creation for whom the whole world was made who himself was made after the image of God so only capable both of observing the works of wisdome of being instructed in the waies of wisdome and 2. in that he loved them dearly so accordingly delighted in them as 1. to be with 〈◊〉 whence it was that he often appeared to the patriarchs prophets and at last when the fulnesse of time was come took upon him mans nature and dwelt amongst them as the son of man conversed familiarly with them doth still where his Church is dwell amongst them by the presence of his grace in his Ordinances and by his spirit in their hearts
of worldly men nor have I by mine own reason understanding study attained the knowledge of the mysteries of salvation the knowledge of the holy those saving holy truths which are revealed in the holy Scripture which all the saints they only do attain Vers 4. Who hath ascended up into heaven or descended c. That is Who is it that doth by his Providence govern all things both in heaven above and in the earth beneath or rather Who hath been able to goe up into heaven to see what is done there or to know what God hath there determined concerning the way and means of mans salvation and who hath then descended again to tell what he hath seen there or to make known unto others the counsels of God concerning mans salvation It is as if he had said surely no mere man ever did this It is as possible for man with his body to climb into heaven and then to come down again as it is for him to know all the creatures in heaven and earth or much more to rule and govern them or as it is for him to understand of himself or by his own power the way and means of life eternall It is onely God that hath all the creatures at his beck and command and that therefore exactly understands them all and it is God only that can reveal to man what he hath from all eternity appointed concerning the way of mans salvation So that the drift of this passage is to shew how poor and weak and brutish mans knowledge is in comparison of Gods or how impossible it is that man should understand any thing of true wisdome unlesse it be by revelation from God in Christ And it may well be that with respect to this place Christ used that expression concerning the impossibility of mans attaining the saving knowledge of heavenly mysteries unlesse they were by him who came out of the bosome of the father revealed unto them Ioh. 3.13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven even the Son of man which is in heaven Yea and to the same purpose are the following Questions Who hath gathered the wind in his fist that is Who hath the winds absolutely at his disposing so that he can hold them in or let them loose at his pleasure Who hath bound the waters in a garment that is as in a garment which may be meant both of the waters in the clouds which are as a black mantle wherewith the heavens are sometimes covered wherein the waters are bound up that they may not all fall down together suddenly but may be distilled down by little and little as through a strainer likewise of the waters below as namely the waters of the sea which are there held within the sea-shoares by the speciall Providence of God as with a garment for which see also the Note Iob 38.9 or the waters in the earth which are there covered bound up as in a garment so are strained out here there in springs fountains Who hath established all the ends of the earth that is Who hath caused the whole globe of the earth from end to end every way to stand fast in the midst of the aire without any thing to support it or Who hath setled the sea-shoares so fast sure that they are not overborn by the sea notwithstanding the raging billowes thereof do with such violence beat upon them What is his name what is his sons name if thou canst tell As if he should have said Tell me who it is name me the man if thou art able that hath done these things or if such a man there hath been only he is now dead tell me then any of his sons or posterity that are descended from him And the question doth doubtlesse imply a vehement negation that there was never any but God the only-begotten Son of God that could do these things whose name must needs be ineffable because his offence being is incomprehensible which shews that the scope of all these Quere's is to imply how brutish the knowledge of man is in comparison of the wisdome of God whereby he hath done and doth daily such wonderfull things and so far above the reach of our understanding and that therefore the only way for men to attain wisdome is not curiously to search into those things which are above their reach but humbly to seek it from God in Christ Vers 5. Every word of God is pure c. See the notes Psal 12.6 119.140 Having shewn in the foregoing verse that God in Christ is the only fountain of all true wisdome this is added to shew that God hath in his word the unquestionable foundation of faith revealed this wisdome unto us and that here therefore we can only attain the saving knowledge of God and of Christ He is a shield unto them that put their trust in him that is to them that having attained the true knowledge of him do thereupon put their trust in him in the sure promises which in his word he hath made to them Vers 6. Adde thou not unto his words c. As namely by pretending any revelation from God by canonizing any humane writings or by misinterpreting the Scriptures so affirming that to be the word of God which indeed is not And observable it is that Agur makes no mention here of the sin of diminishing ought from Gods word as Moses doth Deut. 4.2 which was doubtlesse because men are most prone by false glosses wresting of it to adde unto it Lest he reprove thee that is Lest he severely punish thee to wit for thy sawcinesse presumption in falsifying his word thou be found a liar namely when God shall discover thy forgeries impostures Vers 7. Two things have I required of thee c. To wit two things particularly principally as most needfull both for Gods glory his own good deny me them not before I dye that is as long as I live in this world for so it is in the Original withhold them not from me before I dye Vers 8. Remove far from me vanity and lyes c. By vanity may be meant all vain courses as Idolatry see the Note 2 Kings 17.15 or pride or covetousnesse such other sins as carry men greedily to seek after or to glory or delight in the vain things of this world see the Notes Psal 4.2 24.4 yea all kind of sin and wickednesse whatsoever see the Note Iob 31.5 by lies all errors in judgement evill thoughts concerning God all false dealing either by word or deed all perjury craft cousenage hypocrisy And by desiring that God would remove these far from him may be meant that God would pardon him not lay these to his charge likewise that he would sanctify him purge him from these corruptions not suffer them at any time to prevail against
and Wind and Waters are yea and that the mutability and mortality of man being as naturall to man as these perpetuall motions are to these Creatures that can no more be avoided in man to make him happy than the constant motions of these creatures can be hindered or changed Again 2. Others hold that the drift of these passages is by shewing the instable condition of the creatures to prove their vanity especially in regard of making men happy And hereupon it is that having said That all things under the Sun are vanity he first begins here with the Sun it self the rather because if the Sun which is under God the first cause of the generation and corruption of things below be subject to vanity it is no marvel though other things be so too Now by the Sunnes continuall wheeling about the earth Solomon proves the vanity thereof especially in regard of making man happy and that because 1. If it could bring any happiness to man in its rising when it sets at night it would be lost again And 2. notwithstanding any benefit that it yeelds to men by its heat and light moving thus year after year in one constant way no man can expect any further advantage by it than others have had in their generation who have onely enjoyed it for a time and never received any durable happinesse from it But thirdly others say and that to me seems the most probable that the drift of Solomon in this place is further to shew That man is more vain than other creatures that seem to be in the most restless condition and that because they keep stedfastly their set course according to the Law of their creation whereas men one generation after another do continually passe away And this he first sheweth in the Sun which observeth its constant course in its rising and setting and being set doth still rise again in equal glory whereas man dieth and is gone and never returneth again which is just what the Heathen Poet said Soles occidere redire possunt Nobis cum semel occidit brevis lux Nox est perpetua una dormienda Vers 6. The Wind goeth toward the South and turneth about unto the North c. Because in the originall the Wind is not expressed in the beginning of this verse therefore some translate it He goeth toward the South c. and so understand it as with reference to the foregoing verse of the Sun to wit that one halfe of the year namely in Summer and Autumn it goeth toward the South and the other half of the year namely in the Winter Spring it turneth about into the North. But now our Translators take it as spoken with respect to the last clause of the verse where the Wind is mentioned and accordingly do understand this also of the Wind that it sometimes bloweth from the South and then it goeth about into the opposite part of the heaven and bloweth from the North It whirleth about continually that is it suddenly passeth about the heavens sometimes being in one point of the heaven and presently again in another and the Wind returneth again according to his circuits that is it whirls about from one quarter of the heaven to another again and again as it hath formerly done As for the drift of Solomon in these words it is the same as before in the foregoing verse for which see the Note there Vers 7. All the Rivers run into the Sea yet the Sea is not full c. That is so as to swell above the earth and to over-flow the Banks and Bounds which God hath set to it Vnto the place from whence the rivers come thither they return again Where I conceive the order of Solomons words makes it clear that the Fountains and Springs from whence the waters of the Rivers do flow are said here to be the place whither they return again For first he speaks of the Rivers running down from thence into the Sea and notes this as observable that notwithstanding the Sea is not full and then to shew the reason why the Sea doth not over-flow its banks by this means he adds that unto the place from whence the Rivers come thither they return again to wit because from the Sea they go through certain pores and veins and secret passages of the earth by which means also being strained they lose the saltnesse they had contracted in the Sea and become sweet and fresh again and so return back to the fountains from whence they came As for the drift and scope of these words it is the same with that which is said before concerning the revolutions of the Sun vers 5. for which see the Note there Onely the vanity of the creatures in their not satisfying the desires of men either in point of knowledge or otherwise is here more fully set forth by the Seas not being full notwithstanding so many Rivers do continually flow into it Vers 8. All things are full of labour c. Some Expositors understand this as that which went before of the restless motions of the Creatures as if Solomon had said As these particulars before mentioned so indeed all things in this world generally do as it were weary themselves with continual restlesse labours never abiding long in one setled condition but being all in their kinds some way or other inconstant transitory and fleeting and accordingly they conceive the drift of these words is likewise either 1. To shew that therefore all things here below are representations of mans vanity and inconstancy so that where ever we turn our eyes we may behold our own vanity or 2. to prove that men can never enjoy any stable happinesse by things that are so mutable and unstable But the generality of Expositors do otherwise understand these words to wit that all things are said to be full of labour because mens endeavours about them either in seeking to attain them or in the enjoying and making use of them or in searching to find out the nature the causes and reasons of them which some think is principally here intended do weary them with continuall toyl and labour so that this may be taken as another argument whereby Solomon proves the vanity of all worldly things to wit because all things here below yea even those things wherein men take most delight do weary them with continuall toil and labour and that which bringeth so much trouble to men and is so far from yeelding them perpetuall contentment that they become weary of it can never make a man happy and therefore must needs be vain as to such a purpose As for the following words Man cannot utter it That is no man whatsoever no not the wisest of men the tongue of man is not able to express it that must needs be meant either of the continuall restlesnesse changeablenesse of the creatures of which some understand the foregoing words that this cannot by any words be set forth or else rather
their subjects with heavy exactions and to set all to sale justice and offices and all for money V. 20. Curse not the King c. They that conceive the four foregoing verses to be the complaint of murmuring subjects concerning their Princes do accordingly also hold that in this verse there is an answer returned to those their murmurings But rather I conceive that Solomon having now spoken of the misgovernment of riotous and foolish Princes doth hereupon take occasion to warn subjects that they must not because of this take liberty to revile them to think much lesse to speak otherwise of them then as may stand with the loyalty of subjects Curse not the King See the Note Exod. 22.28 no not in thy thought some read it as it is in the margin of our Bibles no not in thy conscience and so the meaning may be no not when thou art alone by thy self and so no man but thy self is conscious to what thou hast spoken But reading it as it is in our Translation no not in thy thought either it may be taken as an expression setting forth a forbearance from speaking evil of Princes even in mens greatest privacy when they are alone by themselves far from the hearing of any body so that they would think that it is as impossible that any body should know what they have said as that they should know their thoughts or else it may be taken according to the letter that men must not so much as think evil of or wish evil to their Princes and that both because if any such evil thoughts against Princes be nourished in the heart it will at some time or other break out at the lips or discover it self in some expressions of discontent and displeasure as likewise because even such thoughts are sinful and being known to God he hath many wonderful wayes both to discover and punish them and curse not the rich that is neither the King nor his Nobles and Peers or none that are of great estate and of high place in thy bedchamber that is not to thy most intimate friends no not to thy wife that lyeth in thy bosom or do it not where thou art alone by thy self or where thou thinkest thy self most secret and retired and far from any ear that can hear thee for a bird of the air shall carry the voice and that which hath wings shall tell the matter as if he should have said It will out at some chink or other some body will over-hear thee some way or other it will be speedily discovered to those whom thou hast so cursed it may be by some unlikely persons or unlikely means which no man would have suspected and so that which thou spakest in such secret will be every where spread abroad openly by tatling talebearers and some mischief or other it will bring upon thee The expression is much like that Habak 2.11 the stone shall cry out of the wall and the beam out of the timber shall answer it and the drift of it is onely to shew that Kings have many ears and eyes as we use to say and therefore some body or other will inform them of it or else that however God from whom it cannot be concealed will certainly punish them for it CHAP. XI Vers 1. CAst thy bread c. Some Expositors give this account of the dependance of that which is here said upon that which went before That Solomon having often formerly prescribed this as a cure of the vanities of all things here below that men should quietly and comfortably enjoy the good blessings which God hath afforded them for the refreshing of themselves here now he sheweth how they ought likewise to make use of them for the relieving and refreshing of others But then again others conceive of it thus that having in the former Chapter shown how available true wisdom is towards mens living with much comfort and tranquillity of mind in the midst of all the vanities of this life in that it teacheth men how to avoid the displeasure of Princes here he sheweth how available charity is to the same end or having there shewn how wisdome directs men to carry themselves towards superiors here he sheweth likewise how it directs men to carry themselves as they ought to do towards their inferiors as namely to those that are in want Cast thy bread upon the waters By bread may be meant mens provision for food and under that may be comprehended all other necessaries fot the support of mens lives then by mens casting their bread is meant their giving freely of that which they have for the relief of the poor See the Note Pro. 22.9 Or by bread may be meant seed and then cast thy bread is sow thy seed Either therefore in these words Cast thy bread upon the waters Solomon intends that men should liberally give alms to the poor because that which is so given will be as seed that is sown in fruitful grounds lands that have been lately moistened with abundance of rain from heaven or grounds that lie close upon rivers which do usually yield a great increase and then according the following words are to be understood for thou shalt find it after many dayes to wit that the seed of alms thus sown shall at last yield them a plentiful harvest because God will certainly sooner or later abundantly reward them Or else rather his aim is so to enjoyn the giving of alms as withall covertly to answer an objection which mens corrupt hearts are wont to make against it Cast thy bread upon the waters that is Do good to those from whom thou hast not the least hope of receiving any recompence Though the alms thou givest may seem to be as clearly lost and cast away as if they were cast into the sea Though it may seem as unlikely to yield thee any profit as if a husbandman should cast his seed into a river in hope of reaping from thence a plentiful harvest and that because those to whom thou givest are no way able to requite thee or because they are unthankful such as will never remember the good thou hast done them or vile wretches altogether unworthy of relief yet withhold not thy hand from giving for thou shalt find it after many dayes that is thine alms shall be returned with encrease to thee Though the reward do not come presently yet waite for it it will certainly come at last As that which the ebbing waters carry away will be brought back again Or as the seed which being sown seems to be lost doth after many dayes bring in a plentiful harvest So that which thou givest in this kind thou shalt unexpectedly sooner or later find recompenced to thee God may make those very men able and willing to requite thee Or how ever he will be sure to recompence it if not to thee yet it may be to thy children or childrens children At least in heaven thou shalt be sure of