Hand him, but the meaning is, that his Hatid ſhould ſow him, (i e.) Diſcover and work before him : for Verbal words are oft underſtood Really, as Calling is put for Being, Iſa. n. 26. and 94 6. fo teaching or ſhewing. is put tor doing, as Pſal. 16. laſt and 60. 3
5 Thine arrows « are ſharp in the heart of the kings
enemies x, whereby the people fall under thee y.
# The ſame thing, for Subſtance with zhe Sword, v. $4 both no.. ting the Inſtruments by which he Conquers. his Enemies ; which is no other than his Word, which is ſharpand powerful, and pierceth the Hearts of Men, Heb 4. 12. which alſo firſt wounds Sinners, and then heals them 3 and which is for the Fall as well as for the Riſing of many, Luke 2+ 34. and for judgment, as well as for Mercy, John 9, 39+ to ſome a Savour of Death, aud t others a Saveur of Life, 2 Cor,2, 16. and therefore is fitly Compared to 4rrows ; which Title is ſomes times given to words, as Pſalm 64. 4. and frequentlie to God's Plagues or Judgements, Demt, 32 23. Pſalm 18 as the Word becomes to ungodlie Men by their own Fault. And theſe Metaphorical Weapons are oft aſcribed to Chriſt ; who hath a Bow, Revel, 6, 2* and Weapons of Warfare, 2 Cr. 16. 4. and whoſe Mouth God is faid to make a Sword, and an &rrow, Iſaiah 49. 2.X (fe e._) Of thine Enemies: the third Perſon being put for the
ſecond, asis uſual in Prophetical Wri:ings ; which here may ſeem to
have ſome Emphaſis, as deſcribing the Perſons againſt whon ke ſhot his Arrows, andthe Reaſons why he did ſo, becauſe they were the E- nemies of his Kingdom, and would not have him to Reign over them, Lube 19. 27,. y Either, a5 flain by thine Arrows 3 Or, as proftrateat thy Feet, after the manner of Conquered Perſons. Pſalm 18. 38, and 20, 8, According to this and many other Travſlations, the Words are Tranſplaced, which in the Hebrew lye thus, Thin Arrows are ſharp, whereby the people do fall under thee, in the Heart, (Ci. e. ) in the midſt, which isoft called the Heart, as Exed. 15.8, Deut. 4. 11, And fo it may be here; for the Army, as ſfuch,hath no Heart, Properly fo
called. And ſo this is fitly alledged, as a P-oof of the ſharpneſs and force of his Arrows, that they not onely wound thoſe who march in the Front, but even thoſe whoare inthe midſtof the Army, where they may ſeem ſecure, and out of their Reach ) of the Kings Enemies. But the midle Words may be, and are by many included wichin a Pa- rentheſ1s, and ſo they may agree with our Tranſlation thus. Thine 4r- rows are (harp ( for the People fall under thee, which is an Evidence of their ſharpneſs ) zn the Heart \ or againſt the Heart ; Or, piercing into the Heart, Which 1s an eafie and uſual Eilipſis) of the Kings Ene« mes, |
6 * Thy throne, O God s&, 7s for ever and ever 4
the ſcepter of thy kingdom 3s a right ſcepter h.
z It is moſt Ey:dent, that the Specch i> ſtill conti:.ue+ to the ſame Perſon, whom he calls King, ve I. 14+ ans here God, Which change of rhe Title was very expedicnt, and in ſome ſort necetlary to give us 2 true underſtanding of this Pſalm, and to aſſure us that he doth not ſpeak of Solomon (to whom neither theſe nor the foregging nor the following Words agree, becauſe his Reign was peaceable and fhort, 1nd ſtained with many and great iniquities ) but a far greater Kiog, even of the Meſſias, who is not onely a Man, but alſo the mighty God, aS he 1s called, 1ſa_ g. 6. and as the Apoſtle ſolidly proves from this place, Heb, 1. 8. For though the Name of Elzbiy, or Ged, be { cme- times given In Scripture to ſome Creatures, yet in thoſe Caſes it is al- ways Clogged with fomediminiſhing Expreſſion, ſignifying that they are oncly made or called Geds, and that onely for a certain Time and Purpoſe, as is manifeſt from Exod. 4. 16+ and 7. 1. Pſal. $2. 6, and it 1s no where put ſimplie aud abſolutelic for any Perfon ,but him, who is God bleſ524 for ever, Rom. g. $5. aTo wit, Properly and in thine own Perſon, 1n which as he Lives for ever, ſo he muſt neceſſarily Reign for ever + whereas David, whoſe Throne is ſaid to be Efabliled for ever: 2. Sam. 7, 16. was a Mortal mzn. and therefore that Promiſe was not intended of, nor conld be fulfilled in, his Perſon, without including hisPofteritie, And as he here gives to the Meſſias, the Name of Gad, which was never given to David nor Solomon, fo ke aſcribes an ever- laſting Kingdom to him, in ſuch a Sence as it was never given to them. So Dan' 2, 44» and 9+ 14. b It 1snot ſtrange that thy Throne is not liable to the ſame uncertainties, and Caſuaitics with the Thrones ot carth!y Princes, becauſe their Scepters are commonly managed with great injuſtice and manifold iniquities, which lay the Foundation of their overthrow ; whereas thou rulett with Exa&t Righteouſneſs and Equity, whereby thy Throne is Eſtabliſhed, grov, 16, 12.
7 Thou loveſt righteouſneſs, and hateſt wickedneſs c : therefore 4 God, thy God e hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladneſs f above thy fellews g.
c Thou doſt not onely do that which is good, and ayoid that which is Evil; Which even bad Princes ard Men may do, and ſome- times Afually do for Politick, or Prudential Reaſons, but thou doſt this fincerely, and from an inward Principle, even from a true Love to Ged, and Goodneſs, and froman implacable Hatred againſt all Wickedneſs, ' So this Particle is commonly uſed, And fo it denot- eth, Either, 1. Thereward of Chriſt's righteous Adminiſtration of his Kingdom. So the Sence is : Becauſe thou haſt given ſo many and great Proofs of thy Loye to Righteouſneſs, and of thy Hatred of fin, and that not onely by the conſtant Courſejof thy Life, but alſo by thy Death and Paſſion, therefore God hath raiſed and czalted thee far above all Men and Angels, to a ſtate of Joy and endleſs Glory at his right Hand ; which is fitly exprefſed by the 03! of Gladneſs, For a- nointing doth not always ſignific the Conferring of inward Gifts or En- dowments, but ſometimes onely notes the Deſignation or inaugura-
|