the Teſtimos.y, or Oracle : But why it was ſo called, is a matter of meer conjeure, and of ſmall importance to us to kaow. 6 To wit, in an eminent manner : Or for the ſpecial inſtruftion of Gods Church an : People in ſome points of great moment;as,con- cerning the grievous Ca!lamities, to which Gods Churchand Peo- ple were obnoxaous, V. I. 2, 3. and concerning the certainty of Gods promiſes, and of their deliverance out of them, upon Condition of their Faith and Obedience. which Do&rines were of great moment, eſpecial'y to the Iſraelites, who were and were likely to be exerciſed in the ſame manner, and with the ſame va- riety and viciflitudes of Condition, under which their Anceſtors had been. Or, whereas other Songs were to be learned onls by the Levites, or by ſome of them, this poſſibly was one of them, which the people alſowere to be taug'r, and were to ſing upon occaſion,becauſe of the publick and general Concernment w hich they all had in the matter herein contained, c Or, rhe Syrians ( ſo called from 4ram, the Son of Sem, Gen. 10. 22- ) of the two Rivers, or of Meſoporamia, the Country between thoſe two great and famous Rivers, Tigris, and Euphrates, a Or, the Syrians of Zo- bah, part of riaſo calicd, 2 Sam.6. 5, 12. e This Report ſeems not to agree with the Hiſtories to which this P/al2 is ſuppoſed to relate, 2 Sam. 8, 13. and 1 Chron. 18. 12. neither in the perſons lain, who are Edomites, 1 Chron. 18. 12. but Syrians here, and 2 Sam. $. 13. nor intheir numbers, which are here only twelve thouſand, and there eighteen thouſand ; nor in the perſons to whom this ViRtory is aſcribed, who is Joab here, Pawvid,2 Sams. 13. and Abiſþai, 1 Chron. 18. 12. But theſc Difficulties may eaſi- Iy be reſolved by theſe Conſiderations : 1. That David being King, and Joab Lord-General of all his Forces, and Abiſhai his L'icurenant-General, as to a conſiderable part of his Army, the ſame Vi&ory may well be aſcribed to any, or every one of them; as it is uſually done in like Caſes in tae Roman and Grecian Hiſto- ries. 2, That the Edomires and Syrians were united in this War. 3: That twelve thouſand might be ſlain in the pitche bar- rel, and the reſt by the purſuers in their flight. 4. That theſe ſeveral places may ſpeak of ſeveral Fights. Sec more of this bu- ſineſsin the Notes, on 2 Sam. 8. 13.
The Pſalmiſt complaining of former Jad Judgments, . 13. acknowledgeth Gods preſent Mercy, 4. Comforting himſelf in the promiſes, he prayeth for help, and therein truſteth, 5 I 2.
God, * thou haſt caſt us off f, thou haſt + ſcat-
tered usg, thou haſt been diſpleaſed ; O turn thy ſelf co us again:
L M Ss.
f Or rej:#ed, or forſaken us, as tothy gracious and powerful pre- ſence, not only in the time of the Judges, but alſo during Sauls Reign. g Heb. broken us ; partly by that dreadful overthrow by the Phil:ſtins, 1 Sam. 31. and partly by the Civil War in our own Bowels, between me and I1/bboſheth. 2 Thou haſt made the earth to tremble b ; thou haſt broken it: heal * the breaches thereof ;, for it ſhak- *p,,. ethe - þ A. Poetical and Hyperbolical Expreſſion, ſignifying great and dreadful changes among the people, as Hagg. 2. 7. compe with Heb. 12. 26, 27- Scealſo r Sam, 14. 15. # Reconcile all thoſe differen- ces which our Civil Wars have made among us.
3 Thou haſt ſhewed & thy people hard things : thou haſt made us to drink the wine of aſtoniſhment /.
k Heb. Made them to ſee, 7. e. to experience or feel, as ſeeing is oft put, as Pſalm 49. 10. and oftelſewhere. 1 Thou haſt filled us with no Jeſs horrour and trembling, than men intoxicated with ſtrong and ſtupifying Drink, which they are forced to drink, Compare
Iſa. 51. 17, 21. |
4 Thou haſt given #2 a banner » to them that fear thee s : that it may be diſplayed becauſe of the truth p. Selah.
” Either, 1. Formerly. As thou haſt ſometimes afflited thy people, ſo at other times thou haſt delivered them. Or rather, 2, Now lately by and under me. » Which is a Sign and Inſtrument. 1. Of union. This pcople who were lately divided and under ſc- veral Banners, -thou hait now gathered together and united under one Banner, to wit, under-my Government 2. Of Battcl. Thou
ehaſt given us an Army, and power to oppoſe our Enemiess We
had our Banner to.ſet againſt theirs. 3. Of Triumph. We have not loſt o.ir Banner, but gained theirs, and brought it away in Triumph : Compare Pſal. 20. 5. e Or for, or on the behalf of chem that frar thee. An emphartical paſſage implying, that God. gave ſo great a Bleſſing to the people of 1ael, for the ſake of thoſe few ſin= cere Iſraelites which were among them. p Not for any merit of ours, but to ſhew thy fairhfulneſs in making. good thy promiſes which thou haſt made, both to me, concerning the eſtablithing of this Kingdom to me, and to my ſeed for ever, and to thy people in general ; whom thou haſt frequent'y promiſed to hear and help when they call upon thee in times of trouble.
5 * Thar thy beloved q maybe delivered, ſave with thy right hand, and hear me.
9 Thy beloved people laſt mentioned.
- 6.God hath {ſpoken » in his holineſs : T willrejoyce s; [ will divide #« Shechem x, and mete out the Valley of SUCCOth y. .