Psalms 8

ther; for beside the shame of not being able to compass his design, he shall suffer that himself which he laboured to do to me. Just as you see sometimes a man fall into the pit which was digged with his own hands; so shall he fall upon the sword which himself hath drawn,(lSam.xxxi.4.) To the chief Musician upon Gittith. A Psalm of David. The Targum takes the word Gittith to denote that this Psalm was to be sung to a harp which David brought with him from Gath. Others think it to be only a note in music; or to have relation to the time of vintage. But Theodoret looking upon it (as indeed it seems to be), t/‘oXjuoc tTTivUioc, apsalm of triumph to God, the author of some great victory he had gotten, I take it to have been composed by David, and delivered to the master of the music in the tabernacle, after he had overthrown that haughty insolent giant, Goliath of Gath. Which is very agreeable to the matter of the Psalm, and a lively emblem of Christ’s conquest over our great enemy the devil. To the chief Musician upon Muth-labben. A Psalm of David. ARGUMENT. i A Psalm which David composed and delivered to the • master of music in the tabernacle, when he was in some great distress: (ver. 13.) wherein he commemorates ♦ God’s former deliverance of him; both when he killed Goliath, and got frequent victories afterward over the Philistines, and other enemies of Israel, (ver. 11. 15.) I mention Goliath, because, among’the various opinions about Muth-labben, I find none so probable as theirs,‘who think it hath some relation to him: to whom there are three ways of applying those Hebrew words. All of them by- Almuth, understand to be meant-vpott the death: and then Labben, some think, signifies the son, thut is, a great man, as I have expounded in my preface to this work. Others render it the white; that is, an • illustrious, noble person, or one famous in arms, as Goliath was. Others render it intermediate; which agrees also to that champion, who came out and stood: between the two armies, and defied Israel, (1 Sam. xvii. • 4, &c.) Thus the Chaldee paraphrase here interprets. But that this Psalm was not made just after David’s victory over him, with respect merely to his death, is apparent from the mention of Zion, ver. 11. 14. which was not then in the hands of Israel. And therefore he only calls to mirid (as I said in the beginning) this /deliverance, upon some fresh occasion he had to implore the mighty assistance of the Divine Power, which then first began to appear to him. liftest me up from the gates of death.’] In confidence of this, I cry unto thee now, O Lord, for my seasonable relief, in this necessitous condition to which my enemies have reduced me. O merciful God, who hast delivered, me from the greatest dangers, from the lion and the bear, from Goliath, who thought to give my flesh to the birds and the beasts, (1 Sam. xvii. 44.) from Saul, and all others who were ready to swallow me up; cast a gracious eye upon my present distress, and bring me out of it. - >;

Psalms 8:1

\J LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. OLord, the Sovereign of the w r orld, who art graciously pleased to own us in a peculiar manner to be thy subjects, who can behold the wonders of thy works, and the wisdom of thy providence, and not be astonished at the incomparable greatness and splendour of thy majesty? which all the earth proclaims with the highest praises; but cannot be contained within the spacious bounds of the heavens, whose glorious brightness it far surpasses. JL WILL praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will sheiv forth all thy marvellous ivories.] I will acknowledge, O Lord of heaven and earth, thy omnipotent goodness, with the heartiest devotion and entire affection to thee. Nor will I content myself to praise thee for this last victory alone, but on this occasion commemorate all the wonders thou hast formerly done for me. *Ver. 2. I wilt be glad and rejoice in thee: I tvill sing praise to thy name, O thou Most High.’] The thoughts of which are so pleasing and delightful to me, that I cannot but be exceeding glad and leap for’joy; while I celebrate w4th my songs thy supreme majesty; whose power infinitely excels the united foTce of all creatures upon earth.

Psalms 8:2

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies; that thou Slightest still the enemy and the avenger. What an amazing wonder is it, that thou shouldest enable the weakest of men to do the greatest and most praiseworthy things! and particularly hast now assisted mc (who, in comparison of Goliath, am but an infant) with power and strength to subdue that mighty giant! It is enough to confound all the enemies, arid to stop the mouths of the most pernicious opposers of thee and of thy people: as the far more to be celebrated works of the Messiah and his disciples, when they shall but speak the word, shall confound even the devil himself, that great enemy of thine, and tormentor of mankind.

Psalms 8:3

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained. Who are extremely stupid if they do not most thankfully acknowledge thy singular love to them. For when I seriously look up to thy celestial habitation, and consider the vastness of that admirable structure, and behold also those lights which thou hast placed there in beautiful order, When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.] It was thou who madest my enemies turn their backs, and seek for safety in flight: (1 Sam. xvii. 51.) and the dread of thee so pursued them, that they stumbled and fell down wounded, (ver. 52.) and were destroyed, because they saw thee appear against them.

Psalms 8:4

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?. I know not what to say, but am perfectly astonished to think that thou, whose greatness I see so visibly in the heavens, shouldest condescend so far as to shew such grace and favour as thou dost to this wretched creature man: particularly to me, who am the meanest of my brethren. Lord, what am I, that thou shouldest work such salvation by my hands? Nay, what is the greatest prince in the world, that thou shouldest thus honour him? But that thou shouldest advance our mortal nature so highly in that Son of man, the Lord Christ, whom the world will vilify and despise, exceeds all wonder, and ought to be the matter of our perpetual admiration. For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou sattest in the throne judging right.’] For in that great controversy between us and the Philistines, (1 Sam. xvii. 9.) wherein I stood up against Goliath/ thou didst take my part (as thou hast done since in many other battles), asserting the cause which I defended, and openly givingjudgment on my side.

Psalms 8:5

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou hast raised man to such a dignity, and honoured him so highly, (particularly me, whom thou hast used as thy minister to punish that insulting giant, who defied thy armies, 1 Sam. xvii.) that he is not much inferior to the celestial hosts: as shall be more clearly seen in thy Son Christ, whom thou hast determined to advance far above the highest angels in heaven, after he hath for a short space been much beneath them, by submitting himself to a poor condition in our flesh, that he might lay down his life for man, (Heb. xi. G, 7, &c.) TJtou hast rebuked the fieathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.] Thou hast given a terrible rebuke to the audacious insolence of those nations; thou hast cutoff their daring champion, who so impiously defied thy armies, and cursed me by his gods: thou hast put them to shame, and made their names infamous to all generations, v Ver. G. O thou enemy! destructions are come to a perpetual end; and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.] O thou insulting enemy, who in thy own thoughts hadst completely devoured us, where are the utter desolations thou threatenedst to our country? and the cities which thou intendest to lay even with the ground? How vain were thy hopes of leaving no remembrance of them but in their ruins.

Psalms 8:6

Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou Host put all things under his feet. Whose glory is great, even in the dominion thou hast given him over all thy creatures in this lower world: (though this be nothing comparable to the exaltation of the great Son of man, under whoso feet thou hast put in subjection all creatures whatsoever, even those in the highest heavens.) There is nothing here but he hath a power over it, and finds means to make it subject to his pleasure.

Psalms 8:7

All sheep and oxen, yea, ahd the beasts of the field. Not only the beasts that are tame, such as sheep and oxen, but those that are wild, even tigers, bears, and lions.. But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.] Such shall be the end of all the rest of my enemies, who can never prevail against ihe Lord. For, though earthly thrones may tumble down, he and his throne cannot possibly be disturbed, but remain fixed for ever; and his justice is as immutable, which he will equally dispense to all.

Psalms 8:8

The fowl of the air, and the fishes of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. Yea, and the fowls of the air cannot fly so high, but he hath ways to reach them; nor can the fishes in lakes, or rivers, or those in the deepest ocean, exempt themselves from his dominion. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.] For his jurisdiction is not limited, nor can his justice be corrupted: but the whole world is under his government, and no wicked man is so powerful, that he should be able to escape his vengeance, which shall pursue everyone of them, and render to him exactly according as he deserves.; Ver.- 9. Tlie Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.] And, as he will punish the wicked, be their authority never so great; so he will preserve the righteous, be they never so helpless. They may safely fly unto him for sanctuary against the unjust persecutions of their mighty oppressors, and he will give them seasonable relief in all their distresses.

Psalms 8:9

O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!. ’ All which moves me again to cry out and conclude as I began, in the highest admiration of thy most powerful wisdom and goodness, saying, O mighty Lord, our most gracious Governor, who can comprehend the excellent greatness of thy majesty? O how transcendent is thy loving-kindness in all thou hast done, and wilt do for man! How loudly ought the whole world to sound forth thy praise!

And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. All they that are acquainted with thee, and with the merciful and just methods of thy providence, will consent to this; and, abhorring all undue ways of saving themselves in troublesome times, will heartily confide in thee: for it was never known, that thou, Lord, hast left any man destitute of thy help, who hath piously made his constant addresses to thee.

Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings. Let them join, therefore, their songs with mine, and praise the Lord, who dwells among us by his special presence in the sanctuary. Let us make all the world know what wonderful things he hath done for us, that they may also learn to trust in him.

When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble. Who, though he may seem to wink for a time at the crueUy of violent men, yet will call them at last to a strict account for all the innocent blood they have shed, and for their unjust and unmerciful usage of meek and humble persons; whose cry he never forgets (though he doth not presently answer it), but takes a fit time to be avenged of their oppressors. - - ^ Veivl3. Have mercy -upon me, O Lord; consider my> trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, UioutliaV

TJiat I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter ofZion: I will rejoice in thy salvation. That I may go into thy sanctuary (which now thou hast placed in Zion), and there, in the most frequent assemblies of thy people, add this to, all the rest of thy praises, that thou hast heard my cry.’ O how joyful shall I be! how shall I triumph, when I magnify thy power in my deliverance! > \ 1. X

His mischief shall return upon his oion head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. The mischief which with so much pains he contrived against me, shall be retorted upon that head which projected it: all his violence and cruel persecutions, wherewith he thought to oppress me, shall fall down (like a stone thrown into the air) upon himself, and crush him to pieces.

1 mill praise the Lord according to his righteousness; and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high. Which shall afford matter of perpetual praise to me; who’ will most thankfully acknowledge not only the power, but the just judgment of God, and his faithfulness to his word. With the greatest delight and joy shall my songs celebrate the glorious majesty of the Lord, which far surmounts our highest thoughts and thanksgivings. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.] This makes me confident that I am not deceived, when I look to sec these wicked men, who now seek my ruin, precipitate themselves into the pit of destruction. Nay, so shall all those people perish (though never so numerous), who, forgetting what God had done to others, proceed on in the same impious designs, against the innocent.

For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever. For the. Lord, in due time, ivill shew that he doth not neglect them when they are poor andhelpless, though for the present he defer to relieve them. Let them patiently wait upon him under their affliction, and he will not fail their expectation.

Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail; let the heathen be judged in thy sight. And may I desire thee, O Lord, to delay no longer? O suffer not weak and wretched man to domineer on this fashion, nay, boast of his victories; but call all those nations that oppose thee to an account, and condemn them to that punishment which they deserve.

Put them in fear, OLord; that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Strike a terror into them, O Lord, by some sharp vengeance inflicted on them. Shake out of their mind the vain opinion they have of themselves and of their power; and make the nations sensible they are but frail and miserable men. vol. in.

Tlie heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. Which the experience I have had of thy goodness makes me comfortably expect: for I have often seen all the designs and contrivances of the Philistines and other nations against thy people, to conclude in nothing but their own utter ruin; their engines recoil upon themselves, as Goliath was slain by his own sword. Ver. 1G. The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.] This is a thing notorious to all, and for which thou art renowned. By this thou convinccst the minds of those that deny thy providence. ■ Nor is there any thing more admirable, and worthy of our meditation, than this thy righteous judgment upon the ungodly; when they are entangled in their own devices, and 5 contrary to all expectation, bring upon themselves that destruction which they had prepared for others..