Psalms 108
PATchance) into rich and fruitful pastures: and sends such plenty.of water into dry and sandy grounds, A Song or Psalm of David. The title tells us this Song-Psalm (sec the reason of this name upon Psal. lxvii.) was made by David: and was vol. in. placed here, as I conjecture, because now he was in a hopeful way to perfect some victories which he had begun to win; whereby some of those captives in strange lands (mentioned ver. 2, 3. of the foregoing Psalm) were rescued and set at liberty. What those nations were, over whom he was about to triumph, see in the title of Psalm lx. Fot the latter part of this Psalm, from ver. 6. to the end, is the very same (with some light variations) with the eight last verses of that; as the former part of it is very little different from the five last verses of Psalm lvii. Which the Psalmist, I suppose, here placed instead of those wherewith the sixtieth begins (though he retains all the latter end of it), because now, as I said, he had made some progress in those wars, which he was but entering upon when he made that sixtieth Psalm. And therefore here he begins with thanks to God for his mercy, as there he laments the ill condition wherein he found the affairs of the kingdom when he came to the crown.
Psalms 108:1
\J GOD, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. My heart is ready, O most gracious God, it is firmly resolved to give thee most solemn thanks: my tongue also, wherewith I ought to glorify thee, shall sing of thy goodness; and, with all the expressions of joy, set forth thy praise.
Psalms 108:2
Awake, psaltery and harp; I myself will awake early. Nor shall any of the instruments of music be silent, but accompany ray hymns: which I will sing unto thee so early, that I will prevent the rising of the sun.
Psalms 108:3
I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. Nor will I merely make thee my private acknowledgments, but publish thy praise in the greatest assemblies of thy people, among whom this song shall be sung: yea, other nations shall read therein, how thankful I am for what thou hast begun to do for us..
Psalms 108:4
For thy mercy is great above the heavens, and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. For it is fit my thankfulness should be as boundless as thy mercy: which infinitely transcends all my expressions; and hath nothing equal to it, but thy faithfulness and truth.
Psalms 108:5
Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; and thy glory above all the earth.~. Be thou more and more exalted in these, O God; and raise to thyself thereby the highest praises: spread the fame of them every where, that thou mayest be glorified throughout the world. Ver. G. TJiat thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and anstver me.] Especially now, I beseech thee to grant my humble petitions, that by thy mighty power, accompanying my arms, I may be an instrument of delivering thy beloved people from their oppressors.
Psalms 108:7
God hath spoken in his holiness; I ivill rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. Why should I doubt of it, and not rather rejoice in assured hope of a perfect victory? since God, who is most holy, and cannot lie, hath said he will deliver them by my hand; (2 Sam. iii. 18.) and hath already put rae in possession (as he also promised, ver. 2.) of all the country about Samaria; M’hich 1 will distribute under such officers as I think fit to set over them.
Psalms 108:8
Gilead ismine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength ofminehead; Jitdah is my lawgiver. Gilead, 2D
And there he maketh the hungry to dwell,,that they may prepare a city for habitation-. That there they, who lived wretchedly before, find a comfortable habitation: and are invited to build towns and cities in those formerly desolate places.
And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, ivhich may yield fruits of increase. Where they sow all manner of grain, and plant vineyards; which recompense their pains with a plentiful harvest, and a joyful vintage..
He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly, and suffereth not their cattle to decrease. His blessing also makes the inhabitants fruitful, as well as their ground: they grow exceeding populous, together with their flocks and their herds, which by the increase of people are not diminished.
Again they are minished andbrought low throitgh oppression, affliction, and sorrow. But when they prove ungrateful to him, he quite alters the course of his providence; and on a sudden sends some grievous pestilence, which lessens their numbers; or lays them low by tyrannical oppressors (into whose hands he delivers them), by dearth, and other calamities, which make them pine away in grief and sorrow.
Hepoureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way. Their princes and the most eminent persons in their country are not able to preserve themselves from contempt and scorn; to which they are so openly exposed, that they who had troops of followers and attendants are utterly deserted, and forced to walk in solitary places to hide their shame, without any means that they can see to recover their thrones, out of which they are disgracefully thrown.
Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock. Which he bestows upon some poor despicable person, whom, from a low condition, he raises to the highest dignity; and gives him a very numerous issue, to maintain and continue the hopour he hath conferred on him.
Tlie righteous shall see it, and rejoice; and all iniquity shall stop her mouth. Which is a great encouragement to the righteous; who herein behold with joy the wise and just providence of Almighty God: butgives the wicked (who under those bad princes were insolent, and full of proud boasts) such a rebuke, that they hang down their heads, and are confoundedly put to silence.
JVJioso is ivise, and ivill observe these things, even they shall understand the loving -kindness of the Lord. And therefore whosoever will be truly wise, ought to mark and ponder such passages as these in the Divine government; that they may make others, who are less considerate, understand how very kind and gracious the Lord is, to those who study to please him, and to obtain his favour by dutiful obedience, and humble submission to him.