prayeth in divers parts of this Pſalm ; and that at laſt chou would. eſt crown me with eternal Salvation in thy Kingdom, which it is apparent that Daviddid believe and expett, and hath been already proved from divers paſſages of this Book.
175 Lec my ſoul tive, and it ſhall praiſe thee : and]
let thy judgments s help mes
s Either, 1. thy providenrial diſpenſation, whereby thou judgeſt and ruleſt the world, puniſhing the wick<d, and proteCting and de- livering the Godly. Or, 2. thy word or Teſt:monaes, as this word moſt commonly ſignifies in this Pſalm, which are the only ground
P $4 E M26
joice at thy word, as one that findeth great
but thy law do Tlove.
c Or, faiſhood, either 1. in my ſpecch and aGtions; all hypocri- crifie and deceit, which 1s the common practice of mine enemies, and of all godleſs politicians: or, 2. in doctrine and worſhip, as this word ſeems to be uſed v. 29. becauſe both there and here it is
164 * Seven times d a day dol praiſe thee: becauſe
hy law,
Pſal. CM
the place of thy worſhip and preſence, and forced to wander hither and thither hiding my ſeIfin mountains and caves and wocds, ex- poled to a thouſand ſnares and dangers. « As the ſhepherd doth tus wandring ſheep, and bring me back into thy fold: FS.A L' CXX. The ARGUMENT.
His Pſaim ſeems to have been compoſed, either, x. by David in the time of his perſecution by Saul, when he expoſed both to the ſwords and tothe calumnies of his enemies ; of which two eyils he:complains in this Pſalm: Or, 2. by ſome other holy Prophet in a time of the Churches perſecution. | A ſon * of degrees a. z Or, of «ſcents, as others render it, and as the word properly ſig- *Neh.{ nittes. This title is given to this and to the fourteen following tl Pſalms ; concerning the reaſon whereof,. there are divers ConJe- Etures, the chief of which are theſe ; either, 1. becauſe of the excellent matter of them, as eminent perſons are called men of high degree, x Chron. 17.17, Forin them are contained, as lear. ned men have obſerved, many do&trines or inſtruQions of great uſe and importance, and thoſe delivered: with extraordinary bre.= vity and elegancy : Or, 2. becauſe they were ſung upon the fif- teen degrees of ſtairs of the Temple, which the Jewiſh Writers mention, or, at leaft, upon ſome high place : or, 3. becauſe they were ſung with azvery loud voice : Or, 4. becauſe they were ſung by the Jews when they returned from Baby/onand went up to Jeraſalem. Which ſome judge the more probable,. becauſe It ſuits with the order of thele Pſalms ; whereof the firſt was to be uſed by them when they were preparing for their depar-= ture, and ſuffered delays in it from- the calumnies of their ene= mes; the ſecond, in their Journey ; the third, upon their arri- val at Jeruſalem ; thefourth, after the building of the City and Temple, &c. And although one of theſe Pſalms is aſcribed ro David, and another to Solomon, yet they alſo, as well as the reſt, might be applyed to ths uſe 3 and fo right this Pſalm. alſo, . though David firſt compoſed it upon another occaltion Or,s.from ſomething which was peculiar in'them, either in the Poetry, or in the manner of ſinging them. Bur theſe things being now loſt and unknown, not only to Chriſtians, but even to fthe Jews themſelves, we muſt be contentedly ignorant of this as well as of molt other titles of the Pſalms ; and -the rather, becauſe they do not at all concern the matter, nor are they neceſflary to the un« derſtanding of them. | David prayeth againſt lying x and deceitful tongues, 1 — and compl ameth that his habitation was unavoudably among wicked and unpeaceable men, 5 # th
N * my diſtreſs I cried unto the LORD, and he heard *Jon: 2
me. 2 Deliver my foul, O LORD, from lying lips b,end from a deceitful tongue c.
b From theunjuſt cenſures and malicious ſlanders ofmine ene« mies, who traduce'me as an egregious hypocrite, as a Rebel and Traitor. c Which covereth miſchievous deſigns with prerence of kindneſs, . | |
3 || What ſhall be given unto thee 4? or what ſhall
be done unto thee, thou falfe tongue ? a Whoſoever thou art whoare gailty of theſe praftices. He ap- plies himſelf ſeverally ro the conſciences of every one of them. Or, he deſigns Doeg, orſome other perſon in Sauls Court eminent for this wickedneſs. The ſente may be this, It 1s true, thou doſt me ſome miſchief. But what benefit doit thou ger by it, if all thy accounts be caſt up? Foralthough thou mayeſt thereby obtain ſome thee # favour and advantage from Sal, yet-thou wilt affuredly bring me ce
pon thy ſelf rhe curſe and vengeance of God ; and then thou wilt be no gainer by the bargain. And to do miſchief to another with- out benefic to thy ſelf, is an inhumane and diabolical wickedneſs.
Tror 4 ſhall zh deceitfh fongue þ wnts #
be added.
4 | Sharp arrows of che mighty, with coals of juni- || Or, Te PET C. as the
e So this verſe containsan anfwer to the queſtion, v. 3. and de. clares the ſlanderers Recompence : which is the wrath and venge- ance of the mighty God, which in Scripture, and particularly in this Book, is-cft compared to Arrows, as Pſal, 7. 13, 14, &c. and ©
like ſharp Arrows, &c, | | 5 Wo is me, that I ſojournin Meſech; that I dwell iri the tents of Kedar f.
f M:ſech and 'Kedar are- two ſorts of people oft mentioned in Scrip<. ture, and reckoned amongſt the heathen and þbarbarous Nations, Bat their names are nor here to be underſtood properly, { for we do not read that either David, or the Uraclites in the Babyloniſh Captivity dwelt 'in their-Lands ) but only Metaphorically, as the ungodly Iſraelites are-called Sodom and Gomorrsh, Iſa. 1. 10. and Amorites and Hittites, Ezek, 16.:3, 45. and as in common ſpeech a= mong us, men 6fan evil. charatter 'are called Turks or Jews. d ſo he explains himſelf in the next verſe by this deſcription of them, him or them that hated* peace, although David' ſought peace with chem, v. 7. And ſo he ſpeaks either, -1. of the [Philiſtins, among whom he ſojourned for a ttme. 'But he did-nor-ſeek peace with them, bur ſought their: Ruine, as the event thewed ; nor did they