David acknowledges

PSALM XVI.

the Lord's goodness.

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A. M. 2944. 4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied ||ritance and of my cup: thou main- A. M. 2944. B. C. 1060. that hasten after another god: their tainest my lot. drink-offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take their names into my lips.

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6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleaplaces; yea, I have a goodly herit

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5 The LORD is the portion of mine inhe-age.

'Or, give gifts to another. Exod. xxiii. 13; Josh. xxiii. 7; Hos. ii. 16, 17.

d Deut. xxxii. 9; Psa. lxxiii. 26; cxix. 57; cxlii. 5; Jer. x. 16;
Lam. iii. 24. Heb. of my part.e
4
Psa. xi. 6.

Verse 4. Their sorrows, &c.-Having showed his vour to me, that I should know, worship, and serve great respect and affection to the saints and servants him, the only true God. And as other nations have of the true God, he now declares what an abhor- chosen, and adhere to their false gods, so have I chorence he had for those that worshipped idols, the in- sen Jehovah, and will cleave to him. And of my crease of whose sorrows he foretels, that a considera-cup-The portion that is put into my cup, as the tion thereof might be a means of awakening and con- ancient manner was in feasts, in which each had his verting them to the Lord. That hasten after an- portion of meat and of wine allotted to him: see other God-Or, that present to, or endow, (as the verb || Psa. xi. 6. Thus while the carnal part of mankind 175, mahar, signifies, Exod. xxii. 16,) another God, take the world for their chief good, and place their namely, with oblations, as it follows. The sense is, felicity in the enjoyments of it, every truly pious and Idolaters, notwithstanding all their zeal or cost about spiritual person, like David, will say, The Lord is heir idols, gain nothing to themselves but abund- the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup. ance of sorrow and misery. This he mentions as a This is the portion I make choice of, and will gladly reason why he would have no fellowship with them take up with, how poor soever my condition may be in their idolatrous worship; and also, that by this in this world. Let me have the love and favour of comparison he might illustrate and commend his God, and be accepted of him: let me have the comown happiness, in having the Lord for his portion, fort of communion with him, and satisfaction in the of which he speaks, verses 5, 6. Their drink-offer- communications of his graces and comforts : let me ings of blood-Under which he comprehends all have an interest in his promises, and a title by protheir offerings, none of which would he be concerned mise to everlasting life and happiness in the future in offering; but he mentions these particularly, be- state, and I have enough, I need no more, I desire cause of the peculiar wickedness implied in these sa- no more, to complete my felicity. Thou maintainest crifices, more than in others. For in these, as divers my lot-My heritage, in allusion to the land of Calearned men have observed, the heathen used not naan, divided by lot. As thou hast given me an exonly to offer, but even to drink part of the blood of cellent lot, having planted me among thy own peotheir sacrifices, whether of beasts or men, according|ple, and in that place, which thou hast chosen for thy as either of them were sacrificed. Which must needs have been very hateful to God, because he had so severely forbidden his people to drink or eat blood, either at their sacrifices or at their common meals. By this the psalmist probably meant to convince those Israelites of the greatness of their sin who hankered after idolatry, and made no conscience of maintaining communion with idolaters, (which was the case with many of them in Saul's time,) as well as to justify himself for his detestation of them and of all fellowship with them. Nor take up their names into my lips-The names of those other gods mentioned before. I abhor the very name and memory of them. Not that he thought it absolutely unlawful to mention the names of these idols, which is frequently done by holy prophets, but he means thus to express the odiousness of idolatry, by showing his hatred to the very names of idols. Compare Exod. xxiii. 13; Deut. xii. 3; Hos. ii. 16, 17; Eph. v. 3. Verse 5. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance-Hebrew, p7, chelki, of my division, that is, of that portion which God hath mercifully divided, or distributed to me, and which, by his grace, I have chosen for myself. I envy not the vast riches and glory of idolaters, but do heartily rejoice in God as my portion, and desire no better nor any other felicity. God, who hath suffered other nations to walk in their own idolatrous ways, hath granted this fa

dwelling, and for the house and ordinances of thy worship, so, I doubt not, thou wilt uphold and preserve me there, in spite of all the malicious designs of mine enemies, that seek to drive me hence. Thus may the true Christian say: Thou, that hast by promise made over thyself to me to be mine, wilt graciously make good what thou hast promised. Thou wilt not leave me nor forsake me, nor put it into the power of mine enemies to rob me of my happiness in communion with thee, while I cleave to thee with full purpose of heart; and while the life I live in the flesh is by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Verse 6. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places-In a sweet land, flowing with milk and honey, and, above all, blessed with the presence and knowledge of the true God. The allusion is the same as it was in the preceding verse, lines signifying the lot or tract of land which it was anciently the custom to divide by lines. Those have reason to speak in this language who have God for their portion, for they have a worthy portion, a goodly heritage. What can they have better? What can they desire more? Return unto thy rest, O my soul, and look no farther. "Gracious souls," says Henry, "though they still covet more of God, never covet more than God; but, being satisfied they possess his loving-kindness, are satisfied with it, and

f Psa. xvii. 3.

in whom he trusts.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, my glory rejoiceth: my flesh shall rest in hope.

10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.

k

Psa. lxxiii. 23; cx. 5; Psa. xxx. 12; lvii. 8.- Heb. dwell confidently.-
Psa. xlix.
Psa. xv. 5.
15; Acts ii. 27, 31; xiii. 35.—m Lev. xix. 28; Num. vi. 6.

Acts ii. 15, &c.
cxxi. 5.

Hitherto David seems to have spoken chiefly in his own person, and with special regard to himself, but now he appears to be transported by the Spirit of prophecy, to be carried above himself, and to have an eye to the man Christ Jesus only, who is, and was, the end of the law, and the great subject and scope of all the prophecies. In other words, having hitherto spoken of himself as a member, he now begins to speak of himself as a type of Christ, in whom this, and the following verses, were truly and || fully accomplished. Christ, as man, did always set his Father's will and glory before him, as he himself often declares: see John x. 18, and xiv. 31. He is at my right hand-To strengthen, protect, assist, and comfort me. And this assistance of God was necessary to Christ as man. I shall not be moved-Either from the discharge of my duty, or from the attainment of that glory and happiness which are prepared for me. Though archers shoot grievously at me, and both men and devils seek my destruction, and God sets himself against me as an enemy; yet I am assured, he will deliver me from all my distresses.

envy not any their carnal mirth and sensual pleasures and delights, but account themselves truly happy in what they have, and doubt not but to be completely happy in what they hope for. And those whose lot is cast, as David's was, in a land of light, in a valley of vision, where God is known and worshipped, have, upon that account, reason to say, the lines are fallen to them in pleasant places, much more they that have not only the means but the end, not only Immanuel's land, but Immanuel's love." Verse 7. I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel The Hebrew, 'y', jegnatzani, may be rendered, hath consulted for me, that is, by his wise and gracious counsel hath provided so good a heritage for me: or, who hath inspired that counsel and wisdom into me by which I have chosen him for my portion and happiness, and am so fully satisfied with him. So ignorant and foolish are we, that, if we be left to ourselves, our hearts will follow our eyes, and we shall choose our own delusions, and forsake our own mercies, for lying vanities: and, therefore, if we have indeed taken God for our portion, and preferred spiritual and eternal blessings before those that are sensible and temporal, we must thankfully acknowledge the power and goodness of divine grace, directing and enabling us to make that choice. My reins also-That is, my inward thoughts and affections (which are commonly signified by the reins, Psa. vii. 9, and xxvi. 2; Jer. xi. 20, and xii. 2, and xvii. 10) being inspired and moved by the Holy Spirit; instruct me—, -Admonish me concerning my duty and happiness, direct me what course to take, how to please and glorify God, and to put my whole trust in, and live to him; in the night seasons— Even when others are asleep my mind is employed about God and things divine, and engaged to improve the silence and solitude of the night in holy meditation, prayer, and devotion. All this may be applied to Christ, who made the Lord his portion, and was pleased with that portion; made his Father's glory his highest end, and made it his meat and drink to seek that, and to do his will, and delighted to prosecute his undertaking, pursuant to his Father's counsel, depending upon him to maintain his lot, and carry him through his undertaking. And we ought so far to apply it to ourselves as to learn from it wherein our duty and happiness consist, and to examine ourselves by it, whether we are properly influenced by such discoveries, and act accordingly. Verse 8. I have set the Lord always before me I have always presented him to my mind as my wit-word ans, hades, seldom means, and into which ness and judge, as my patron and protector, in the discharge of my office, and in all my actions.

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Verse 9. Therefore-Upon this ground and confidence; my heart is glad I feel, not only a perfect satisfaction, but joy and triumph in my heart. And my glory-My tongue, as St. Peter explains it, Acts ii. 26. For the Hebrews give the tongue the name of glory, Psa. xxx. 12, and lvii. 8, and cviii. 1, because it was bestowed upon us that we might thereby glorify God and because it is our glory, as being the instrument of expressing our thoughts by words, & privilege not vouchsafed to any of the inferior creatures; rejoiceth-Hebrew, 1, jagel, exulteth; declares my inward joy. For this word signifies, not so much inward joy, as the outward demonstrations of it. My flesh also shall rest in hope-My body shall quietly and sweetly rest in the grave, to which I am hastening, in confident assurance of its not suffering corruption there, and of its resurrection to immortal life. The flesh, or body, is in itself but a dead lump of clay; yet hope is here ascribed to it figuratively, as it is to the brute creatures, Rom. viii. 19, because there is a sufficient cause and foundation for such hope, if it were capable of it, the good promised and expected being future and certain.

Verse 10. Thou wilt not leave my soul in hellHebrew, x, lesheol, rendered, as ad, by the LXX., and eiç ade, in hades, Acts ii. 27, which word generally means the invisible world, or the state of separate spirits; not a place of torment, which the

Christ's soul certainly did not go after it left the body, but into paradise, Luke xxiii. 43-46. See

David appeals to God

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PSALM XVII.

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for his integrity.

11 Thou wilt show me the path || joy; Pat thy right hand there are A. M. 2944. of life in thy presence is fulness of pleasures for evermore.

Cor. xiii. 12; 1 John iii. 2.-P Psa. xxxvi. 8.

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thy countenance: whereas, in this life thou hidest thy face, and showest us only thy back parts, and we are in a state of comparative absence from thee, and see thee only through a glass darkly, and enjoy thee but in part. Is fulness of joy-Full and per

n Matt. vii. 14. Psa. xvii. 15; xxi. 6; Matt. v. 8; Bishop Pearson on the Creed, and Rev. xx. 14, where death and hell (in the original hades) are said to be || cast into the lake of fire, which shows that hades is a different place, or state, from the lake of fire, or what we call hell. The meaning of which passage is evidently, that then, the dead being raised, the||fect joy, and satisfaction, which it is in vain to expect state of separate spirits shall no longer have any ex- in this life, and which is only to be found in the istence, but men's souls and bodies, being again vision and fruition of thee, Exod. xxxiii. 14. See the united, the wicked shall have their place in the lake margin. At thy right hand—Which he mentions as of fire, or in hell, properly so called, and the right- a place of the greatest honour, the place where the eous in the third heaven, the everlasting kingdom | saints have their station at the last day, Matt. xxv. of our Lord and Saviour, evidently distinguished 33, and where Christ himself is said to sit, Psa. cx. from paradise, the place of holy souls, 2 Cor. xii. 1; Matt. xxvi. 64; Col. iii. 1; Heb. i. 3. There are 2, 4; neither wilt suffer thy Holy One-Me, thy pleasures for evermore-Everlasting delights in the holy Son, whom thou hast sanctified and sent into || contemplation and fruition of God. Observe, reader, the world; (for it is peculiar to Christ to be called through the resurrection of Christ, here foretold, he Holy One of God, Mark i. 24; Luke iv. 34;) to every dying believer in him, like his dying Master, see corruption-To be corrupted in the grave as the may cheerfully put off his body in confident expectbodies of others are. Perhaps we ought to observe || ation of a blessed immortality. His flesh also shall here that, in our printed Hebrew copies, the word rest in hope. Our bodies have little rest in this rendered Holy One is plural, on, chesideika: world; but in the grave they shall rest as in their but as the best expositor of the text, St. Peter, (with beds, Isa. lvii. 2. We have little to hope for from the LXX.,) renders it in the singular, Tov Oσtov σ8, this life, but we may rest in hope of a better life, Acts ii. 27, and xiii. 35, and as several Hebrew manu- and put off the body in that hope. Death destroys scripts read it in the singular, and as the Masorites || the hope of man, Job xiv. 14, but not the hope of a themselves have ordered it to be so read, we may be true Christian, Prov. xiv. 32. He has hope in his satisfied it is the true reading. death, "living hopes," says Henry, "in dying moments; hopes that the body shall not be left for ever in the grave; but though it see corruption for a time, it shall, at the end of time, be raised to immortality; Christ's resurrection is an earnest of ours, if we be his." Observe further: "In this world sorrow is our lot, but in heaven there is joy; all our joys here are empty and defective; but, in heaven, there is fulness of joy; our pleasures here are transient and momentary, and such is the nature of them that it is not fit they should last long; but those at God's right hand are pleasures for evermore; for they are the pleasures of immortal souls in the enjoyment of an eternal God."

Verse 11. Thou wilt show me the path of lifeThat is, the way that leadeth to life; not to a temporal || and mortal life here, for he is supposed to be dead and buried, (verse 10,) but to an endless, immortal, and blessed life after death, in the presence of God, as it follows; the way to which is by the resurrection of the body. The sense, therefore, is, Thou wilt raise me from the grave, and conduct me to the place and || state of everlasting felicity. In thy presence-He- || brew, TN, eth panecha, or, before thy face, that is, in that heavenly world where thou art graciously and gloriously present; where thou dost clearly and fully discover thy face, and the light of

PSALM XVII.

David, being in great distress and danger by the malice of his enemies, addresses himself by prayer to God, his tried refuge, and seeks help and protection from him. He appeals to God for his integrity, 14. Prays still to be upheld therein, and preserved from the malice of his enemies, 5–9. Describes their wickedness, 10–12. Beseeches God to disappoint them, and deliver him, 13, 14. Comforts himself with hopes of future happiness, 15. Dr. Delaney supposes that David wrote this Psalm immediately on his parting with Jonathan and going into exile, as recorded 1 Sam. xx. 42.

NOTES ON PSALM XVII.

Verse 1. Hear the right, O Lord-Hebrew, py, tzedek, righteousness, that is, my righteous cause,

or me, who, notwithstanding all their accusations, and slanders, am righteous in my conduct toward them and all men, Attend unto my cry—My fer

be upheld and preserved. Let us go and do like- || about-And thereby show both their extreme malice wise. and my danger.

Verse 6. I have called upon thee—It hath been, still is, and shall be, my constant course, to apply myself to thee for assistance and deliverance. For thou wilt hear, O God-Though thou mayest delay for a season, I am well assured that thou wilt hear and answer me.

Verse 7. Show thy marvellous loving-kindnessNamely, in preserving and delivering me: which, if thou dost, I must ever acknowledge it to be an act of kindness, or free grace and mercy, yea, and of marvellous kindness, because of my extreme and pressing dangers, out of which nothing but a miracle of divine mercy and power can save me; O thou that savest by thy right hand-By thy great power, and needest not the agency of any other; them which put their trust in thee-Or, in it, namely, thy right hand, as was now expressed; from those that rise up against them-Hebrew, p, memithkomemim, from, or, because of, those that exalt themselves, not only against me, but also against thee, who hast engaged and declared thyself for me. But the latter clause of this verse is differently translated in the margin, and, as many eminent interpreters, both ancient and modern, think, more agreeably to the Hebrew text. The reader, therefore, will please to attend to it, and to observe, that rising up against God's right hand, a sin which, according to that translation, David charges upon his enemies, signifies opposing God's power, or counsels, whether respecting the exaltation of David, and the Messiah his seed, or any other of his dispen

sations.

Verse 10. They are enclosed in their own fatThey live in great splendour and prosperity, while I am exercised with many sore troubles. A similar phrase occurs Job xv. 27; Psa. lxxiii. 1. Dr. Dodd considers it as a poetical, or proverbial speech, to signify haughtiness, as caused by wealth or great prosperity; together with that indulgence of the sensual appetites, and disregard to the duties of religion, which are a consequence of such haughtiness." Jeshurun waxed fat, that is, rich and prosperous; and the consequence was, that he kicked, grew refractory, proud, and insolent, and would not submit to the yoke of God's law, but lifted up the heel against him. The psalmist adds here, They speak proudly-Boasting of their own power, and of the great things they had done, or would do. "Pride," says Dr. Horne, "is the child of plenty, begotten by self-indulgence, which hardens the hearts of men against the fear of God and the love of their neighbours; rendering them insensible of the judgments of the former and the miseries of the latter. Let every man take care," adds he, "that by pampering the flesh, he do not raise up an enemy of this stamp against himself."

Verses 11, 12. They have compassed us in our steps-In all our ways. We go from place to place: we flee for safety to rocks, caves, and woods; but whithersoever we go they are at hand, and ready to surround us. See an instance of this 1 Sam. xxiii. 26. They have set their eyes-Namely, upon or against us. They have discovered us, and keep their eyes fixed upon us, that we may not escape, or Verses 8, 9. Keep me as the apple of the eye- as intending to shoot at us with their arrows. BowWhich thou hast marvellously fenced on every side, ing down to the earth-Couching and casting themand which men use their utmost care and diligence selves down upon the earth, that they may not be to preserve. Hide me under the shadow of thy discovered, and so may watch the fittest opportunity wings-Protect me from my enemies, visible and to surprise us. Which sense is favoured by the next invisible, as a hen protects her chickens from birds verse, and by comparing Psa. x. 10. The Hebrew, of prey. There seems also to be an allusion to the however, anh, lintoth baaretz, may be renwings of the cherubim, overshadowing the mercy-dered, to cast us down to the earth, that is, They seat. From the wicked-Or, Because of the wicked. From my deadly enemies-Hebrew, Mine enemies in, for, or, against my soul, or, life, whom nothing but my blood or life will satisfy. Who compass me

have fixed their eyes upon us, in order that they may watch their opportunity to lay us prostrate on the ground, and destroy us. Like a lion, greedy of his prey-Which is hungry, and therefore cruel.