Mulberry 6 Who palitng /through the valley || of Baca , make memake jr a weli n: the rain allo | filleth the pools o. him a well, } Or, being uſed topaſs ; for he feems not to ſpeak of one parti-
Cc, cular a&, but of a common courſe or cutome m2 A place fo called, t Heb. co= which ſome fev iſh and othes Writers affirm to have been a very
vererh, dry place, 4nd thcrefoie incommodious ft r Travellers in thoſe hot
Countries, and in hot Seaſons. Which place may be here mention- ed not exclulively to other ways ani paſſag's, for this high way being but one, and on one fide ct Jer. ſa! m, could not be a ge- neral way for all the Iſraelites thither, bur Synecdochically for all places of like nature, which made their Journey to Jeruſalem un- Pleaſant or incoavenient. But their Zeal for God's ſervice did eaſily overcome this and other difficulties. Or, The valley of tears, as this vallcy might be called for tie trouble or vexation which. Travellers found there by reaſon of droughr, or otherwiſe. » Or, wells, i- e- They dig divers little pits or welJs in it for their relief. This trouble they willingly undertook rather than to negleC& the opportunity of going up to Jeruſalem at their ſolemn times. And pollibly they did this, not only for themſelves, bur for the benefit of other Travellers who came after them ; whereby they ſhewed both their Piety and Chariry: o God recompenlcth their diligence in making pits, or little pools, or ciſterns, with his Blefling, ſend- ing Rain wherewith they may be filled, and the thirlty "Travellers refrethed. Poſſibly the words may be thus reridred, which is more agreeable to the order of the Hebrew Text, yes, or alſo (and ſo the Hebrew particle Gam, hath that emphatis, which, as ſome Learned Interpreters obſerve, is not given to it in other Tranſlations. They do not only make little pirs or wells, as it was now faid, but alſo) pools or cifterns (for this Hebrew word is by the Learned rendred both ways) wh:ch, ſo the Relative Particle 15 to be underitood, as it is very frequently in many Texts of Scripture) zhe rain filleth, or may fil, (i &) Which may receive and keep the Rain which God ſendeth for the refreſhment of theſe Travellers, whoſe great numbers made the proviſion .of water more neceſſary, Bur it is not neceſſary to underſtand this and the foregoing Clauſe of what theſe Paſſengers did for their own uſe, as they travelled through this or ſuch like places, but it may be meanr of what pious per- ſons did tefore that time, who, having their Hearts ſet upon God's Houſe, and the path-ways leading to it, as was ſaid verſe 5. and be- ing deſirous to advance the Worthip of God, and to encourage the people to come to Jeruſalem, endeavoured to make thoſe ways (ſome parts whereof were very incommodious) eaſte and conveni- ent; and particular'y, becauſe thole Eaſtern Countries were hot and dry, and ſprings of water were ſcarce there ; as we may learn from Gen- 26» 15- and Judg- I- 15- and many other paſſages of Sacred Scripture and other Authors, which was a great annoyance to Tra- vellers, they made theſe pits and pools or ciſterns in ſuch places where they were moſt neceſſary, and through wiich great numbers of people paſſed in their journey to the Houſe of God.
7 They go || from ſtrength to ſtrength pz} every one of
[Or, from them in Zion appeareth before God 9. >a t0 þ The further they travel onward in that way, inſtead of being bo" faint and weary as Travellers in ſuch caſes uſe to be, they grow G _ the ſtronger and ſtronger, being greatly refreſhed with the comfort- | wh 8045. able end of their Journey expreſſed in the following words. Or, it be in They go from company to company, For they uſed to travel in Troops T $ or Companies for many reaſons, and ſome Companies were before y others,accordingly as they were nearer to the place of Worſhip, or more diligent or expeditious in their travel. And ſuch as were moſt Zealous would uſe their utmoſt endeavours to out-itrip others, and to overtake one company of Travellers after another, that ſo
; ear, O God of Jacob. Selahe
they might come with the firſt unro God in Zo. 4 This is here added as the blefled Deſign and Fruit of their long and tedious Journey, as that wiich pur Life into them, and made them bear all inconveniences with great chearfuJneſs, they are all graciouſly ad- mitted into the preſence of God in Ze. But the words are and may be otherwite rendred, until every one of them appear before , the God of gods in Zion. Or, The God of gods ſball be ſeen (or, uſeth ro appear, or, manifeſt himſelf s For the Future Tenie oft notes the continuance of the Attion) in Zion, Which is mentioned in the
' turned thy ſelf from the fierceneſs of thine anger.
} # M .. # | P:41. LAN |
Wo 1 cloſe as the reaſon of that aferion and induſtry, which is &cſcri- bed in the foregoing paſſages.
8 O LORD God of hoſts r hear my prayer 5: give
| [| $
» Who can'lt eaſily remove and ſubCue thoſe enemies of mine, who baniſh and keep me from the place of thy Worſhip. s In NY me to thy Ilouſe and Service ; which is my chief deſire, verſes 2, 3.
9 Behold, O God our ſhield, and look upon the face t of thine anointed s.
s Do not' turn away thine eyes from him as men do from thoſe woom they hate or deſpiſe, bur caſt a favourable eye towards him. By Face he means either his perſon, the word Face being oft redun- dant, asit is Gen- 43+ 3+ or his ſtate and condition. *s Either, 1. QF Chriſt, whoſe proper Name is the Mezfiah, or the anointed. So the meaning may be, Lord, I deſerve not one good lock from thee, becauſe by my great wickedneſs I have procured thy juſt dif pleaſure, and this baniſhment ; but look upon thy Chriſt, whoſe coming and meritorious paſſion, though future to us, is preſent to thee, and for his ſake look upon me. Or, 2. Of me, who, though a vile Sinner, am thine anointed King, 2 Sar. 12. 7+ and 23- 1+ |
to For a day in thy courts is better than a thouſand + Heb. | x: T I had rather be a door-keeper y in the houſe of choke 1
my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedneſs z. ;he ro}