Psalms 30

Vcr. l; XxIYEunto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Ifird glory and strength. O ye princes and rulers of the world, who so readily receive the lowest prostrations from your subjects; give unto the Lord of all that honour which he justly expects from you: acknowledge his supreme power, which you have so lately felt; and submit to his authority. A Psalm and Song, at the Dedication of the House of David. The title of this Psalm differs from all the foregoing; it being the first that is called a Psalm and Song, or a Psalm-Song: as others, we shall see in due place, are called a Song and Psalm, or a Song-Psalm. The difference of which it is hard to find out. (See Argumentof Psal. lxvii.) But here the words may be otherwise construed; for they run currently enough in the Hebrew; thus, A Psalm, A Song of Dedication of the Homemade by David; who would not eat in his house till he had first, in a solemn manner, addressed himself to God, at his entrance into it; either after it was newly built, (2 Sam. v. 11.) or (which agrees best with a great part of the Psalm) when he returned to it again, after he bad been driven from it by the rebellion of Absalom, who defiled it. (2 Sam. xvi. 21.) Then he gave God thanks for his being restored to a peaceable possession of his palace; and made a feast for his friends (as the manner was, at their coming to dwell in a new-built house), with extraordinary piety and devotion, acknowledging God’s goodness, who had graciously reinstated him in his throne. The Talmudists generally understand by the house here mentioned, the house of the sanctuary; (see Mr. Selden, lib. iii. de Synedr. cap. 13.) but I see no ground for it: for David did not build God a house, nor do the words of the Psalm (as Theodoret observes) agree to that matter. or, at best, of a sick man’s recovery, that is just at the point of death.

Psalms 30:1

JL WILL extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over 7ne. Lord, to whose powerful providence I ascribe my late wonderful deliverance, I will give thee the highest praises, and never cease to magnify thy name; who hast drawn me up out of that depth of misery into which I was plunged, and filled me with that joy which my enemies hoped to have had in my destruction.'

Psalms 30:2

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Do him honour suitable to the excellence of his majesty: and, as a sign you have him in great veneration, come and cast down yourselves before him in the sanctuary; where he hath fixed his glorious residence among us. O Lord, my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.] O Lord, my gracious God, I was in a most forlorn and languishing condition; like a sick man who cannot help himself: but I addressed myself in earnest prayer to thee; and thou hast restored me to my former estate again.

Psalms 30:3

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth; the lA>rd is upon many waters. “WTiose voice was it but his, which you heard in the clouds? (whither the voice of no earthly monarch can reach.) From thence his glorious majesty thunders; and makes not only the earth, but the great ocean, tremble, at that token of his presence. Vcr. 4. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.] You think there is great power in your words: but as they can be heard but a little way, so they are of little force, in comparison with this mighty voice; wherein the Lord expresses how potent he is; and strikes a dread and horror into all that hear it. O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.] Whichmercy is the more to be admired, because there seemed to be no more hope of my restoration, than there is of the resurrection of a dead man out of his grave';

Psalms 30:4

Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. Join with me then, all ye that are sensible of the Divine benefits, in this duty of praise to him who hath called me from death unto life again: give thanks together with me (for my single praises and thanksgivings are not sufficient), and gratefully commemorate his power, and goodness, and wisdom, and truth, which he hath shewn in my restitution. Vcr. 5. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favouris life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’] AV herein you may see his clemency towards his faithful servants: whom he may correct very sharply, for a little time; but is soon reconciled, and then extends his favour to them without any end: and sends them deliverance so unexpectedly and suddenly, as well as seasonably, that where nothing but lamentations were heard over night, there nothing but shouts of joy are heard in the morning.

Psalms 30:5

The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon^ It makes the strongest trees of the forest quake; nay, breaks them into shivers: the cedars, as hard and tall as they are; even the cedars of Libanus, which are framed for tbeir durableness and goodly bulk, are thrown down and shattered by it.

Psalms 30:6

He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. It lifts them up into the air when it hath torn them in pieces; and makes the mountains themselves leap like the young creatures which live upon them. • i - Vqr.’ 7. TJie voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.] Flashes of fire break out together with it; and, cutting their way through the clouds, are scattered, with a wonderful swiftness, into all quarters. And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.] Yet that must not make them secure, nor confident in any thing but his goodness alone. For therein I was to blame, that when I was delivered from the persecution of Saul, and settled peaceably in my kingdom, I fancied vainly, thatnow I should never be any more disturbed.

Psalms 30:7

Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. But I soon found that that was more than I could promise myself; and that it depended solely on thy favour, O Lord, by whom my throne was established in the strong fortress of Zion, (2 Sam. v. 7. 9.) For thou, being offended with mc, didst withdraw thy gracious presence from me; and presently I was involved in new troubles and dangers.-

Psalms 30:8

The voice of the Lordshaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. The force of it is felt in the most desert places, even in that vast and horrid wilderness of Kadesh; which, by overthrowing trees and rocks, it renders still more horrid. I cried unto thee, OLord; and unto the Lord I made supplication.]’ And had no way to relieve myself, but by making my addresses to thee, O Lord; and earnestly beseeching thee to pardon me, and restore me to thy favour.

Psalms 30:9

The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory. It opens the wombs of hinds, which otherwise bring forth with the greatest difficulty: and it lays bare the covers of the wild beasts in the forest, whom it frightens into their dens, while his temple remains unshaken by these tempestuous blasts, and all his pious worshippers there securely sing the praises of his glorious majesty and power, saying, What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? sliall it declare thy truth?] For what service, said I, can I do thee when I am dead? shall my ashes be able so much as to praise thy goodness, or declare thy faithfulness to thy promises? Will they not rather seem to fail, and lose their credit, together with me? Spare me therefore, O Lord; and deliver me from those that seek my life: let me live, to tell how good and how true thou art.

Psalms 30:10

The Lord sitteth upon tJie flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever. The Lord is the great King, who governs even the clouds, and orders the thunder-showers, to do what execution he pleases. When all other monarchs “fail, the Lord still remains the same throughout all generations; and the thunder doth not more easily tear the trees and rocks, than ho can break in pieces the proudest princes: who ought therefore to tremble before him, and to dread his judgments. Ilear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper.] Do not deny me, O Lord, but take* compassion upon my sad estate. Lord, be thou my helper; who art able to restore mc to my former happiness, without any other assistance; as thou alone, I am sensible, not the strongest guards, canst preserve me in it.

Psalms 30:11

The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.~\ But as for all those that are sincerely devoted to his service, though never so weak and feeble, the Lord will bo their support: they may depend upon his power to defend them in the greatest dangers, and against the mightiest enemies: the Lord will not only preserve them from evil, but bless and prosper them with all manner of happiness. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with * gladness:] In this manner I humbly besought thy mercy, and obtained a gracious answer: for joy and gladness are returned again, after a short time of sadness and sorrow.

Psalms 30:12

To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks Unto thee for ever. Which engages me to do thee all the service I am able; and, in the most magnificent manner, to sing thy praises without ceasing. O Lord, my most gracious God, I will be as good as my resolution; and spend my whole life in giving thanks unto thee/ for thy faithful mercy towards me.