'O God, haſt prepared z of thy goodneſs « for the poor 6. + Thy people of Iae!, who are all united in one Body,under thee their Head and Governour- For though this Word commonly ſignifies Living Creatures, yet ſometimes it ſignifies a Company of Men, as here below, v: 31. and 2 Sam. 23. 13- Compared with 1 « - Chron, 11. 15. and Pſal. 74. 19- Or, the proper ſignification of the * Word may be retained, and it may be rendred, thy Flock: For God oft compares himſelf to a Shepherd, and his people to Sheep, and par- ticularly, he is faid to have ledd his people like a Flock, by the hand of Moſes and Aaron, Pſal. 77. 20. To wit, in the Wilderneſs :; and Con- - ſequently he may be here ſaid to have brought his Sheep into, and made them tro dwell in Canaan, as in a Green and good Paſture, as God ſpeaks of bis people under this very Metaphor, Pſal. 23. 2. z Or, prepared it, which pronoun is oft underſtood, and here moſt eaſily out of the foregoing Clauſe of this Verſe, where it is expreſ- ſed; Preparedit, to wat, this Land for the uſe of thy people: which God did many ways ; partly, by deſigning it for them, and expel- ling the old Inhabitants ro make way for them; and partly, by fur- - niſhing ir with all ſorts of proviſions, both for neceſſity and delight and making it fruitful by his ſpecial Bleſſing, in giving Rain in its © proper Seaſons @ By thy free and ſingular Goodneſs, Which may be-referred both to the Cauſe of this preparation, God did ir © not for their Righteouſnes orWorthineſs, but out of his meer Mercy asGod off relieth them ; and to the manner and Meaſure of ir,God did wonderfully increaſe the Fruits of it, that it might ſuffice for the ſupply of ſuch a numerous people ; which without his extra- ordinary Bleſſing it would not do, as appears by the ſtate of that Land art this day, as it is Reported by Travellers and Eye-witneſſes of it. b To wit, for thy people of [rael, whom he here calls poor , partly, to repreſs that pride and Arrogance, ro which they are ex- cecging prone ; and to mind them of the Dependence upon God for all that they have and Hope. for :and partly, becauſe they re- ally were, when God undertook the Condutt of them into Canaan, a very poor and beggerly people, and ſo they would have ſtill been, if God had not provided for them in a ſingular manner. 4 Heb. 11 The Lord gave the word c; great was the | com-
m7. pany of thoſe that publiſhed zt 4.
c 7. e. The Matter ofthe Word or Diſcourſe here following. He put this Triumphant Song into their Mouths ; he gave his people all thoſe Succeſſes and Vi&ories, which are here Celebrared. Or. gave the matter or thing, which was publiſhed. d The works of God on the behalf of his people were ſo glorious and wonder- Ful that all ſorts of perſons, both men and women, that heard of them, broke forth into Songs of praiſe to God for them. The He- brew words of the Feminine Gender, hecauſe it was the manner of the Hebrews, that when the Men returned Victorious from the Battel, the Women went out to meet them with Songs of Triumph V. 25. Exod. 15. 20. Judg. 11. 34. 1 Sam. 18.6. ; xb,"di2 72 Kings of armies e | did flee apace : and he that did flee, tarriedat home divided the ſpoil f.
e The Kings of Canaan, and other Nations which came forth a- ainſt the 7ſraelites, accompanied with great and numerous Armies. E: The ſpoil was ſo much, that there was enough, not only for the roper uſe of thoſe who took it, bur alſo to be divided to their Wives and Children, when they came home. This Verſe,and that 34 which follows may be taken; Either, r. For the Triumphant Song Mp ſung by thoſe Publiſhers mentioned, v- 11. Or, 2, For the Words of David, continuing the Relation of the Victories granted by God to J{-acl over their Enemies. 1 Or,Raw 73 Trough ye g have lien among || the pots h.yer ſhall {2 ge be 5 as the wings of a dove covered with filver, and
Th x her feathers with yellow gold &. g Ye Iſraclites: to whem he now turneth his Speech. b Like Scullions that commonly lye down in the Kitchin among the Pots . or Hearth-ſtones, whereby they are very much diſcoloured and de- formed : Which is fitly oppoſed to the following Beauty. Though ou have been filled with Afffition, and Contempt. # Or,ye have een. Which may ſeem more ſuitableto the Context both foregoing 45 and following, wherein he doth not ſpeak prophetically of things 2 to come, but Hiſtorically of things paſt. So the Sence of the Verſeis ; Though you have formerly been expoſed to great Servi- br tude and Reproach, and Miſery, to wit, in Egypr, yet ſince that _ time God hath changed your Condition greatly for the better. & Beautiful and Glorious, like the Feathers of a Dove, which accor- ding tothe Variety of its poſtures, and of the light ſhining upon it, look like Silver or Gold. ; | JOrfr be 24 When the Almighty ſcattered kingsſſin it /, || it bewas,&c.'yras white as ſnow in Salmon m. Or, thow 7 In Canaan, at the coming of the 1/ra:1:tes thither.. The Land * was as white as Mount Salmon is with the Snow,which falls and lies £9 W#. fr 21ong timeuponit; which is oppoſed to the Native obſcurity of thar Mountain by the many ſhady Trees which were there,Judg. 9. 48, But becauſe there is nothing certain ; Either, concerning
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the great height of this Mountain, or, concerning we do read ot Szow of Lebanon, Jer. 18. 14. other © Hareboany A Hebrew and Chriſtian, and the Chalde: among the reſt, take thi
Word Salmon fora Common, and not a Proper Name "ſignif 1 ya Darkneſs or a Shadow, as the Root from whence it comes _ a - ſtionably ſignifies, Nor is ir ſtrange, if this Word be no —_ elſe taken in that Senſe, bur here, becauſe that is the Lor 6 vic Hebrew Words, or of tome lignifications of them, that they are = be found but in one Text of Scripture, This being ,granted wa Words are or may be rendred thus, it was Snow-white,or thou mas 7 it Snow-white in Darkneſs, or as the Chaldee renders this Word - the ſhadow of Death; ( i. e. ) Thou didſt cauſe Light to ſhine out of Darkneſs ; When the ſtate of thy people; and ofthe Land ofCana;
which thou hadit given to them, was Dark and Diſmal or Blood E by reaſon of the Wars raiſed againſt them by the Canaanitiſh Kings. thou didſt quickly change it, and whereas it was Red like 0s ah or Crimſon, thou madeſt it whiter than Snow. p