Psalms 58

I was just falling into their hands, I am miraculously preserved; find they themselves precipitously run into that very danger, wherein they thought to have caught me, (1 Sam. xxiv. 3 — 5, &c.) To the chi^f Musician. Al-taschith. Michtam of David. ARGUMENT.. This and the next Psalm, in order of time, precede the foregoing. But it is an ordinary method among the Hebrews to go backward from the last to the first; as they seem to me to do very plainly in these three Psalms, which have the title of Al-taschith. For David’s first escape, when Saul sent to kill him, was certainly the occasion of Psal. lix. And then Saul calling his privycouncil together, who, without anymore ado, pronounced him guilty of high-treason; it is the subject of this present Psalm. And after that Saul persecuted him with the greater colour and show of justice, accusing him of the worst of crimes; as he complains in many places, particularly in the Psalm foregoing: which being called Al-taschith, for a peculiar reason (see there), this, when it was delivered to the chief musician, was appointed to be sung after the same manner with that, and had the same name given it, with the title of Michtam also; because it contains a memorable reproof of those evil counsellors, who, against their conscience, had condemned David, merely to please the king, and give him a pretence to destroy him. And therefore he prophesies a signal vengeance should overtake them (which he would have every body observe); and that so suddenly and dreadfully, that he compares itto the mischief which a whirlwind doth, when it carries all before it in a moment: and particularly, he remembers the pots and caldrons over the fire, which sh *uld suffer by it; to intimate, I suppose, that these men were great oppressors, and devoured the people; as the prophets often complain, in that very language, particularly Micah, iii. 2, 3. where you read how the senators of Israel broke the very bones of the poor, and chopped them in pieces, as fot the pot, and as flesh within the caldron. Which placq affords the best explication that I can find of thQ ninth verse of this Psalm. Where I take hai and haron to re-7 fcr to thorns, and render the former green, or alive, the other dry, or scorched and burnt. But whatsoever these words signify, the repetition of chemo before each o£ them plainly denotes (to any one that understands the Hebrew language), that the things meant by those words should be served both alike.

Psalms 58:1

JLrO ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?. From whom may w r e expect justice, if not from the princes and rulers of the people met together in council? But let me ask that grave assembly, Do you verily think that you have pronounced a righteous sentence against me? Did you judge according to your consciences, uprightly and sincerely; and not suffer yourselves to be biassed by your affections?

Psalms 58:2

Yea, in heart you work wickedness; you weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. You know the contrary to be true; and that you are not only disposed to do as the king would have yon; but have hearts fraught with malice and wicked devices against me: you that ought, to weigh things in an even balance, and judge a cause according to its merits, suffer yourselves to be inclined by base respects, to do an. open violence to your country, and to oppress the innocent.

Psalms 58:3

The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies,. But it is no wonder I am thus used by a wicked brood, who never had any sense of God and goodness; but were depraved from the very womb: going astray as soon as they could go; and telling lies as soon as they could speak.

Psalms 58:4

Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear. And such is the malignity of their venomous nature, they tell the most malicious and destructive lies of me; which strike at my life as plainly as if they were the poison of a serpent: whom ^ they resemble in this also, that they wilj not be better instructed, nor, as becomes good judges, keep an ear open to farther information; but are as obstinate as the doaf adder (so much spoken of in our neighbouring countries), which can hear well enough, but stops both her ears.

Psalms 58:5

Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely. And will not listen to the magical song, wherewith their cunning men are wont to charm those serpents; and draw them together out of their holes.

Psalms 58:6

Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth; breaks out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord. 1 appeal, therefore, from them unto thee, O God, the most righteous judge", beseeching thee to disable those men’s forces, whose wickedness is incorrigible: though they be as strong and terrible, as fierce and ravenous, as the young lions, thou,

Psalms 58:7

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; Iio\ll sing and give praise,. My heart also is ready, O God, my heart is prepared, and firmly resolved to pay thee the vows which I mado in my distress; my song shall be of thee; and, with all the joy I can express, I will set forth thy praise. Ver. §. Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.] My tongue, wherewith I ought to glorify thee, shall be no longer silent, or merely full of complaints; nor shall any instrument of music be wanting to accompany my hymns: which I will sing unto thee so early, that I will prevent the rising sun.

Psalms 58:9

I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people; I ivill sing unto thee among the nations. Nor will I content myself with my private acknowledgments of thy goodness; but I will 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 to thee for what thou hast done.

Psalms 58:10

For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto tlte clouds. For it is fit my thankfulness should be as boundless as thy mercy; which transcends all my expressions; and hath nothing equal to it, but thy faithfulness and truth.

Psalms 58:11

Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth. Be thou still exalted in these, O God, and raise to thyself thereby the highest praise: spread the fame of them every where, that thou mayest be glorified throughout all the world.