Heman's deep diſtreſs and dejettion of mind almoſt to de- ſpair. / But though this was the occaſion of ir, it is of more gene- ral uſe for the in{truftion and conſolation of all good Men when they come into ſuch Deſpondencies, and therefore was by the di- re&tion of God's Spirit made publick, and commirted to the Sons of Korah. IOr,of. A Song or Pſalm || for the ſons of Korab, to the chief mulician upon Mahalath @,Leannoth 6, || Maſchil of
3 #4. M$.
f I am nor without hopes that thou haſt a true kindneſs for me and wilr fairhfully perform thy gracious Promiſes made to me. and to all thar love thee and call upon thee in Truth. Bur then this muſt be done ſpeedily, or I ihall be utterly uncapable of tuch a Mercy. 12 dhall thy wonders be known in the dark «? and thy 11ghteoutiels in the land of forgerfulneſs x? s In the grave, which is called the land of darkneſs, Job 10. 2T, 22. x In the grave, fo called, either firſt atively becauſe there Men foreget and neglett all the concerns of this life, being indeed bur dead carkafles without any ſenſe or remembrances. Or rather ſecondly paſſively, becauſe there men are foregotten, nor only b men, as 1snoted, Job 24. 20, Pſalys 31. 12, but by God himſelf, ag he complained, verſe 5.
13 But unto thee have I cryed, O LORD, and in , the morning tball my prayer prevent * thee y.
} (i. e. ) Early come to thee before the ordinary time of Mor- ping Prayer, or before the dawning of the. Day, or the riſing of the Sun, The ſenſe is, Though I have hitherto got no anſwer to my Prayers, yet I will not give over praying nor hoping for an anſwer.
14 LORD, why caſteſt thou off my Soul? why hideſt thou thy face from mes !
= This proceeding ſeems nor to agree with the benignity ofthy nature, nor with.the manner of thy dealing with thy people. if lam aftlited and ready to die, from my youth
up a: while * I ſufferthy terrors b,T am diſtracted.
# My whole life hath been filled with a ſucceſſion of deadly cala- miries. O Lord, take ſome pity upon me, and let me have alittle breathing ſpace before I die. 6 Upon my mind and conſcience, which do accompany and aggravate my outward miſeries.
16 Thy herce wrath goeth over me, thy terrors have [| cat me oif. Valmoſt cut; 17 They came round about me || daily like water c, |Or,lth they compaſled me about together. aays
c As the Waters of the Sea encompaſs him which is in themidſi and botrom of ir.
18 Lover and friend haft thou put far from med, aud mine acquaintance into darkneſs. | a Of which ſec the note on verſe 8. P:S AE. EAXAXEL The ARG UME NT.
Heb.& pf 95. Jo
* Job 6.4,
Or, a _ * Heman c the Ezrahite. | Borabice a Which ſeems to be the name of the tune or inſtrument, as Pſalm om $3- #* This may be either the Jatter part of the proper name i of the tune or inſtrument: Or an appellative name,and fo divers 3Chr 2.6 take it and render it, to ſing, or to beſung, to wit, alternatively, or te © by turns. «c Probably the ſame perſon who was famous in Da- ; wid's time, both for his skill in Muſick, and for general Wiſdom : Of whom fee 1 Kengs 4. 31. 1 Chron. 6. 33. & As Ethanalfo is called, i Kings 4. 31. The Pſaimift declares his former praftice of prayer to God, 1. Beggeth pre- ſent audience, 2. Acquainteth the Lord with his miſery and frailty, 7, 4. Which he ſuffereth by God's wrath, and his friends forſaking him, Ky 5 —8, His Mourn.,ng and Expoſtulation, < 18. LORD God of my ſalvation e, I have cryed day and night before thee. | e Who haſt to often ſaved me from. former diſtreſſes, and, I hope, wiltſt doſo at this time. ; Bok : 2 Let my prayer come before thee; incline thine ear unto my Cry, | #Heb.glur= 23 For my ſoul f is | full of troubles, and my life red with. draweth nigh unto the grave.
f Properly fo called; for that he was under great troubles of mind from a ſenſe of God's wrath and departure from him 1s evi-
dent from verſe 14, 15, 16. : ; 4 I am counted with them that go down into the
pitg: Iam as a man that bath no ſtrength. z 1 am givenup by my Friends and acquaintance for a Joſt man. 5 Free among the dead b,like the ſlain thati1e in the grave, whom thou remembreſt no more i; and they
fOr.'sy :by are cut off [|from thy hand &. |
hand. þ Well nigh diſcharged from the warfare of the preſent life, and centred as a member into the ſociety of the dead ; as Iſraeliciſh ſervants when they were made free were thereby made Deniſons of the Common-wealth of IFael, I expe@ no other freedom from my miſecries, bur that which death gives, as Jeb 3. 17, 18. thou ſcemeſt wholly to neglett and ro bury in oblivion : For he ſpeaks of rheſe matrers not as tliey are in truth, for he knew very well that foregetfulneſs was not incident to God, and that God did remember all the dead, and would caJl them ro an acconnr, bur only as to ſenſe and appearance, and the opimion of the World, a;.d the ttate and things of rhis-trfe. & From the care and condutt of thy providence. Whichisto be underſtood as tiieformer claufe.
with the foregoing branch wh'ch it explains and improves, and with the order of the words; for ir ſeems improper after he had
they arecur of, to wit, by death. : ;
6 Thou haſt laid me in | the loweſt pit, * in dark- neſs, in the deeps /. ;
[ Either firſt in the grave ; the ſame thing being expreſſed in divers words; Or ſecondly, in hopeleſs and remedileſs ca-
FHeb. the
pr? of the
places ve-
low.
*PF 143.3 Jamities. +7 Thy wrath »» lieth hard upon me, and * thou haſt
*PL. 42.7- afflicted me with all thy waves n». Selah:
m Either firſt the ſenſe of thy wrath; Or rather ſecondly the ef- feQs of it; as the next clauſe explains this. » Withthy judgements, breaking in furiouſly upon me like the waves of the Sea.
HR58 8 * Thou haſt puraway mine acquaintance far from Tob 19. | { 37. 5 me ; thou haſt made me an abomination unto them o :
*Pl142 4. 1 am (hutup p, and I cannot come forth. |
o I am-ſo ſad a ſpeQacle of thy vengeance, that my friendsavoid and deteſt me, leſt by converſing with me, they ſhould either be filled with terrors, which men naturally abhor ; or be made par- takers. of my guilt or plagues. p Ether in the pit or deep men- tioned, verſe 6. or in- my own Houſe or Chamber, being atraid or albamed to go abroad.
9 Mine eye mourneth by reaſon of aflition; LORD ] have called daily upon thee, I have ſtretched out my