EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.

Title.—This Psalm was composed, as the title notes, by David prayer-wise, when he hid himself from Saul in the cave, and is inscribed with a double title, Al-taschith, Michtam of David. Al-taschith refers to the scope, and Michtam to the dignity of the subject-matter. The former signifies destroy not, or, let there be no slaughter; and may either refer to Saul, concerning whom he gave charge to his servants not to destroy him; or rather it hath reference to God, to whom in this great exigence he poured out his soul in this pathetical ejaculation; Al-taschith, destroy not. The latter title, Michtam, signifies a golden ornament, and so is suited to the choice and excellent matter of the Psalm, which much more deserves such a title than Pythagoras’ golden verses did.—John Flavel (1627-1691), in “Divine Conduct, or the Mystery of Providence.”

Title.—A Psalm composed when David fled from Saul in the cave, which is referred to in Ps. cxlii., and which, because it is without any other distinction called “the cave,” is probably that celebrated cave where David with his six hundred followers lay concealed when Saul entered and David cut off the skirt of his robe. The king, accompanied by three thousand followers, chased him to the loftiest alpine heights—“to the sheep-cotes,” where the cattle were driven in the hottest summer months only—to hunt him in every hiding-place. There was a cave, in the darkened cool of which David and his men were hid. Such caves in Palestine and the East are frequently enlarged by human hands, and so capacious that they accommodate thousands of people. This song of complaint was written during the hours of suspense which David spent there, to wait until the calamity was overpast (ver. 2); in which he only gradually gains a stout heart (ver. 8). His life was really suspended by a hair if Saul or any of his attendants had espied him!—Augustus F. Tholuck, 1856.

Title.—“The cave.” There appear good grounds for the local tradition which fixes the cave on the borders of the Dead Sea, although there is no certainty with regard to the particular cave pointed out. The cave so designated is at a point to which David was far more likely to summon his parents, whom he intended to take from Bethlehem into Moab, than to any place in the western plains.... It is an immense natural cavern, the mouth of which can be approached only on foot along the side of the cliff. Irby and Mangles, who visited it without being aware that it was the reputed Cave of Adullam, state that it “runs in by a long winding, narrow passage, with small chambers or cavities on either side. We soon came to a large chamber with natural arches of great height; from this last there were numerous passages, leading in all directions, occasionally joined by others at right angles, and forming a perfect labyrinth, which our guides assured us had never been perfectly explored—the people being afraid of losing themselves. The passages are generally four feet high by three feet wide, and were all on a level with each other.” ... It seems probable that David as a native of Bethlehem, must have been well acquainted with this remarkable spot, and had probably often availed himself of its shelter, when out with his father’s flocks. It would, therefore, naturally occur to him as a place of refuge when he fled from Gath.—John Kitto (1804-1854), in “A Cyclopædia of Biblical Literature.”

Whole Psalm.—Mystically this hymn may be construed of Christ, who was in the days of his flesh assaulted by the tyranny both of spiritual and temporal enemies. His temporal enemies, Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and people of Israel, furiously raged and took counsel together against him. The chief priests and princes were, saith Hierome, like lions, and the people like the whelps of lions, all of them in a readiness to devour his soul. The rulers laid a net for his feet in their captious interrogatories, asking (Matt. xxii. 17), “Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not?” and (John viii. 5) whether the woman taken in the very act of adultery should be stoned to death or no. The people were “set on fire,” when as they raged against him, and their teeth and tongues were spears and swords, in crying, “Crucify him, crucify him.” His spiritual enemies also sought to swallow him up; his soul was among lions all the days of his life, at the hour of his death especially. The devil in tempting and troubling him, had laid a snare for his feet; and death, in digging a pit for him, had thought to devour him. As David was in the cave, so Christ the Son of David was in the grave.—John Boys, 1571-1625.

Verse 1.—“Be merciful unto me, O God,” etc. This excellent Psalm was composed by David when there was enough to discompose the best man in the world. The repetition notes both the extremity of the danger, and the ardency of the supplicant. Mercy! Mercy! Nothing but mercy, and that exerting itself in an extraordinary way, can now save him from ruin. The arguments he pleads for obtaining mercy in this distress are very considerable. 1. He pleads his reliance upon God as an argument to move mercy. “My soul trusteth in thee,” etc. This his trust and dependence upon God, though it be not argumentative in respect of the dignity of the act; yet it is so in respect both of the nature of the object, a compassionate God, who will not expose any that take shelter under his wings, and in respect of the promise, whereby protection is assured to them that fly to him for sanctuary. Isa. xxvi. 3. 2. He pleads former experiences of his help in past distresses, as an argument encouraging hope under the present strait (ver. 2).—John Flavel.

Verse 1.—“Be merciful unto me.” According to the weight of the burden that grieveth us, is the cry that comes from us. How do poor condemned prisoners cry to their judges, “Have pity upon us, have pity upon us!” David, in the day of his calamities doubles his prayer for mercy: “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee,” etc. “Until these calamities be overpast.” It was not a single calamity, but a multitude of calamities which compassed David, and therefore he compasseth the Lord about with petitions. His spirit being up in prayer, like a bell that rings out, he strikes on both sides, “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me.”—Joseph Caryl.

Verse 1.—“Be merciful unto me.” The first clause contains the prayer itself in a very forcible word חָנֵּנִי, properly, “Show thy most tender affection to me,” such as animals, with a humming sound, show to their young.—Hermann Venema.

Verse 1.—“For my soul trusteth in thee.” The best reason with God, who “taketh pleasure in those that hope in his mercy.” Ps. cxlvii. 11.—Pool’s Synopsis.

Verse 1.—“Soul.” His soul trusted in God; and this is a form of expression the force of which is not to be overlooked; for it implies that the trust which he exercised proceeded from his very innermost affections—that it was of no volatile character, but deeply and strongly rooted. He declares the same truth in figurative terms, when he adds his persuasion that God would cover him with the shadow of his wings.—John Calvin.

Verse 1.—“In the shadow of thy wings I will trust;” properly, I will seek for protection. The very delightful figure here employed, is taken from the chicken lying safely hid under the mother’s wings: at the same time it seems to have reference to the wings of the cherubim, by which the mercy-seat was covered.—Simon de Muis, 1587-1644.

Verse 1.—“The shadow of thy wings.” Compare Psalm xvii. 8; lxi. 4; and Matthew xxiii. 37; and the Apocalyptic imagery, describing the church fleeing from the dragon in the wilderness; and “to her are given the two wings of the great eagle,” and she is delivered from the dragon, who desires to swallow her up. See Rev. xii. 6, 15, 16.—Christopher Wordsworth, 1868.

Verse 1.—“Until these calamities be overpast.” He compareth his affliction and calamity to a storm that cometh and goeth: as it is not always fair weather with us in this life, so not always foul. Athanasius said of Julian furiously raging against the Lord’s Anointed, “Nubecula est, cito transibit,” he is a little cloud; he will soon pass away. Man is born to labour and dolor, to travail and trouble; to labour in his actions, to dolor in his passions; and so, “Great are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of all.” If we put our trust in him and cast all our care upon him, he will in his good time bring it to pass, that all our afflictions shall overpass. He will either take them from us or us from them, and then we shall assuredly know that the troubles of this life present are not worthy of the glory which in the life to come shall be showed unto us. For as the globe of the earth, which improperly for his show of bigness we term the world, and is, after the mathematician’s account, many thousand miles in compass; yet, being compared unto the greatness of the starry sky’s circumference, is but a centre or little prick: so the travail and affliction in this life temporal, in respect of the joys eternal in the world to come, bear not any proportion, but are to be reputed in comparison a very nothing, as a dark cloud that cometh and goeth in a moment.—John Boys.

Verses 1, 2, 3.—“In the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast,” etc. As if he said, Lord, I am already in the cave and in the hold, and in the shadow of it, but yet for all that I think not myself safe indeed, till I have made my refuge in the shadow of thy wings: that is therefore the course I resolve and build upon. It was wisely done of him: and mark what course he takes to do it, verse 2, “I will cry unto God most high,” I will by prayer put myself under the shadow of God’s wings; and mark what success should follow, verse 3, “He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.” When we send prayers up to heaven, God will send help down from heaven. But yet David prays to God, as well as trusts in God. And unless we pray as well as trust, our trust will fail us, for we must trust to God for that we pray for.—Jeremiah Dyke, 1620.

Verse 2.—“Unto God that performeth all things for me.” God’s favours already received are a pledge that he will complete his work of love “upon (עַל) me.” The beginning is the earnest of the completion. His word is a guarantee for the performance of “all things” that I need. (Compare verse 3; Psalm lvi. 4; 1 Samuel ii. 9; iii. 12; xxiii. 17; xxiv. 21; Psalm cxxviii. 8; Job x. 3, 8; xiv. 15; Philippians i. 6; Isaiah xxvi. 12).—A. R. Fausset.

Verse 2.—“God that performeth all things for me.” Heb. that performeth (or perfecteth, or finisheth, as this word is rendered, Psalm cxxxviii. 8, i.e., will certainly perform or finish), for, or towards, or concerning me. He doth not express what he performeth, or perfecteth, or fulfilleth, but leaveth it to be understood, as being easy to be understood. “He performeth” or perfecteth, to wit, all that he hath promised; engaged himself to perform what he hath begun to do, or what is yet to be performed; it being usual in the Hebrew language to understand a verbal noun after the verb. He implies that God is not like men, who make large promises, but either through inability, or carelessness, or unfaithfulness, do not perform them, but will certainly be as good as his word.—Matthew Pool, 1624-1679.

Verse 2 (last clause).—The word which we translate “performeth” comes from a root that signifies both to perfect and to desist or cease. For when a business is performed and perfected, the agent then ceases and desists from working: he puts to the last hand when he finishes the work. To such a happy issue the Lord hath brought all his doubtful and difficult matters before; and this gives him encouragement that he will still be gracious, and perfect that which concerneth him now, as he speaks, Psalm cxxxviii. 8, “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.” The Septuagint renders it by τὸν εὐεργετήσοντά με, who profiteth or benefiteth me. And it is a certain truth, that all the results and issues of providence are profitable and beneficial to the saints. But the supplement in our translation well conveys the importance of the place: “who performeth all things;” and it involves the most strict and proper notion of providence, which is nothing else but the performance of God’s gracious purposes and promises to his people. And therefore Vatablus and Muis supply and fill up the room which the conciseness of the original leaves, with quæ promisit: “I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth the things which he hath promised.” Payment is the performance of promises. Grace makes the promise, and providence the payment. Piscator fills it with benignitatem et misericordiam suam; “unto God that performeth his kindness and mercy.” But still it supposes the mercy performed to be contained in the promise, and much more so in the providential performance of it to us.—John Flavel.