IOr, fo A Pſalm || of Aſaph. Aph, The Pſalmif exhorting and expoſtulating with the Judges, 1 —— g. Re-
proveth their want of Judgment and Negligence, 5 en 7,
And pray eth the Load to Tuadge, 8.
3 | Defend the poor and fatherleſs g: do juſtice to þ f Heb. | the afflicted and needy. Tuage.
g So far as juſtly you may ; as this Clauſe muſt be limited by comparing this with L-vit- :9. I5- hþ Heb» Juſtifie, ro wit, when his Cauſe is juſt, and he is oppreſſed by a potent Adverſary. |
4 * Deliver the poor and needy s: rid them out of the *Pr.24.1 hand of the wicked.
7 Theſe he recommends to the ſpecial care and proteQion of Magiitrates, becauic ſuch are commonly negle&ed and cruſhed by men in liyher place and power, and they are unable to right themſelves. |
5 They & know not /, neither will they underſtand mm ; they walk on » in darkneſs e: all the foundations of the earth are f out of courle p. Od
k The Magitltrates of whom this Pſalm treats I To wit, the : Truth and Right of the Cauſe, nor the duty of their place. Men are oft ſaid in Scripture not #0 know what they do not love and pra« tiſe m This their ignorance is wi'ful arid affe&ed ; They will not ſearch out tae Truth, and they ſhut their eyes leſt they thould ſee what they would not: » They perſiſt and proceed? Ir is not one raſh and tranſient aftion, but their conſtant courſe. 0 Either, 1. In ignorance: Or, 2. Intheir iinful and unrighteous courſes, as darkneſs is taken Eph. 4. t7, i8s and 5.8. 1 John r 6. Being
+ Heb.
blinded by their corrupt affe&tions and Intereſts, Exod. 23- 8. p Tis corruption of the ſupreme Rulers doth flow from them to their inferiour Officers and Members, and maniteſtly tends ro the diifolution of all Civil Socieries, partly by ſubverring that order and honeſty by which they are ſupported ; and partly by prove k= ing God the Governour of the World to deſtroy them for their wickedneſs. |
6 * TI have ſaid, Ye are gods 9, and all of you.r are children of che moſt High 5.
q I hive given you my Name and Power to rule your People in my ſtead. r Not only the Rulers of 1/rael, but of all other Na- tions ; For all powers are ordained by God, Rom. 13.1 5s Repre- fenting my Perſon, and bearing both my Name and lively Chara- Qers of my Majeſty and Authority, as Children bear the Name and Image of their Parents.
7 But ye ſhall die z the princes x.
: But-lct not this make you inſolent and ſecttre; For though, you are goods by nanic and office, yer ſtill you are mortal men, you muſt die and give vp your account to me your ſuperiour Lord ind Govcrnour; And you ſhall die aid fall! ty the hands vi my Juſtice, if you perſiſt in your unjuſt and ungodiy courſes. . = Or, like ordinary men, as the Hebrew word Adam fometunes ſignifies, as it doth Pſalm 49. 2. Ifirt be objeCted, that there 4cam is op= poſed to1ſh, which notes perſons of an higher Rank ; In like man» ner it is here oppoſed to the lame fort of men. who are here calle& gods, x So the ſenſe. is, Tu (who are eſteemed by your ſelves and others, gods upon earth) ſhall fa! ( or aye, as he ſaid in the for- mer branch; Falling being oft pur for dying, with this addition, that it notes nor an ordinary, but a violent and judicial death, as Exod+ 19. 21+ Jer: 39: 18- Hoſea 5+ 5-) like one ( or like other, or ethers, as this very word is rendred, Judges 16+ 7, 11, which alſo is expounded rhere, verſe 17- like every or any) of the princes, i Co as other unrighteous or tyrannical Rulers have done in all toreg9« ing Ages, and ſtill do, your eyes ſeeing it; Even in like o anner ſhall you, tro whom now I ſpeak, fall and periſh, if you do not learn by their Exampless But theſe words are by ſome late Leaz=
like men s, and fall like one cf
&.
ad gs. 4 ty b: he judgeth c among the gods d.
» As a Judge diligently to obſerve all tha is ſaid or done there ; | and to give ſentence accordingly. The Judge fits when he heareth | Cauſes, but ttaadeth up when he giveth ſentence, Or ſtanding doth ;,
ned Interpreters tranſlated otherwiſe, and that very agreeably ro the Hebrew words and accents, And you, O ye princes. (or you that are princes, before called gods) fball fail ike one or Fre every or any of them, 1+ e+ of the ordinary. men laſt mentioned. So there 3s ouly an Elipgs of #2 Pronoun, whick 1s frequent mm the, Hes | "IS 2s. brew
| | (| $; 1
| :
Or, for faph.
* Heb. | They have
dren of "Lot.
22.
* Judg
I5, 24: and 5.27
25.
LXXXU!.
Joſ. 13.5.
been an arm | Fo the chile
* Judg. 7. from *4- ſera,
" for the earth 7.
'* Judg. 7.
AS 4
brew Language. Or, ſha fail together, as the word is tranſlated, Ezra 2. 64. and 3. 9. or alike, asit is rendred, Eccleſ. T1. 6. in like manner, to wit, as ordinary men do- Your God-head ſhall be ta- ken away from you, and your death ſhallſhew you to be but mor- tal men as others are.
8 Ariſe, O God, judge the earth y, for thou ſhalt
inherit all nations z.
x Seing the ſtareof the World is ſo univerſally corrupt and def- perate, and thy Vicegerents betray their truſt, and oppreſs and ruine the Narions of the Earth, whom they were appointed to pre- ſerve, do thou therefore, O God, take the Sword of Juſtice into thine own hand, and maintain rhe Cauſe and Rights of the Op- prefled againſt their potent opprefſors, and let Truth and Jultice be eſtaBliſhed in all the parts ofthe Earth. z For as thou waſt the Creator, ſo thou £141] art the Supremeand unqueſtionable Lord and Poſſeffor and Ruler of all Nations, and therefore do thou gun and reſcue them from all thoſe who invade thine and their Rights. And although at preſent thou ſeemeſt in ſome ſort to confine thy Care to Iſrael, and to negle& other Nations, yet there 1s a time coming when thou wilt bring all Nations to the knowledge of thy ſelf, and'the obedience of thy Laws, and govern them by thy Son and Spirit which thou wilt ſend into the Word for that purpoſe. Do thou therefore preſerve them in the mean time till that bleſſed day cometh, and haiten the coming of it.
P'SA L. LXXXIIL