1The Psalmist complaineth of the desolation of the sanctuary: 10he moveth God to help in consideration of his power, 18of the reproach of the enemies, 19and of his church and covenant.
01Maschil 2of Asaph.
1 See Psalm 32 in the title.
2 Or, for Asaph, which may be understood of Asaph himself or his posterity. See the annotation at Psalm 50 in the title. Some think that Asaph himself composed this psalm by a prophetical spirit of the times to come, to be used when these troubles would befall the people of God.
1O GOD, why hast thou cast us off 3for ever? why doth thine 4anger smoke against the 5sheep of thy pasture?
3 Or, always, altogether, entirely. See of the Hebrew word Psalm 13 on verse 1.
4 Or, thy nose. Compare 2 Sam. 22:16. Otherwise smoking anger is the same as burning anger, as God’s wrath is often compared with fire, which uses to send up smoke. See Deut. 29:20; Psalm 80:4.
5 See Psalm 100:3.
2Remember thy 6congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the 7rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
6 Thy church, Thy people Israel.
7 That is, Israel, which is Thine heritage, which Thou hast measured out unto Thyself, as it were, with rods. So Jer. 10:16. Compare Deut. 32 on verse 9; Psalm 16:5, 6.
3Lift up thy 8feet unto the 9perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy 10hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
8 Or, goings, steps; that is, make haste, fall hard into line, to take a view of those long-lasting desolations and to take order accordingly; spoken of God after the manner of men.
9 Hebr. desolations of eternity, that is, exceeding long and lasting.
10 Or, defaced. Hebr. properly: made evil.
4Thine enemies 11roar in the midst of thy 12congregations; they set up 13their ensigns for signs.
11 As lions.
12 Where at set times Thy people are gathered to perform their solemn worship of God and to hear the Word of the Lord; such as were in those days the temple and the synagogues, whereof verse 8.
13 They have replenished all with their idolatrous signs, or warlike banners, unto a sign of their conquest and mastery over us.
5A man was 14famous according 15as he had lifted up axes upon the thick 16trees.
14 Hebr. is known; that is, every one, namely, of the enemy; that is, every one of them grows famous and renowned, is taken notice of, as one that did notably acquit himself of his manhood or valor. Compare Psalm 9:16; Prov. 31:23.
15 That is, they have hewn and hacked as if they were cutting wood in the forest.
16 Or, wood. For, it may likewise be taken for the tight ornamental carpentry of the sanctuary, the meaning being all one; then it might be rendered thus: as bringing up the axes on high or to the top, or, as having brought up, or, plying or laying on the axes aloft, that is, every one became famous as going to work in that manner, or, thereby that he thus did and bestirred himself; the particle as, or like, is not always taken for comparing of things, but sometimes also setting out the very act and truth of things. See Gen. 27 on verse 12; Neh. 7 on verse 2.
6But now they break down 17the carved work thereof at once with 18axes and hammers.
17 That is, the cut or carved work of the sanctuary, whereof verse 3, where the congregation used to assemble, which seems to be implied by the word thereof. Hebr. her openings. See of this word Exod. 28:11.
18 The Hebrew word has its designation from hurting, falling, felling, or pulling down, signifying likewise such a tool or instrument whereby something is torn or broken off to be pulled down, as pickaxes, iron hooks, halberds.
7Theya have 19cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name 20to the ground.
a 2 Kings 25:9.
19 Hebr. sent.
20 That is, to the very ground; or, they have profaned it, breaking and razing it to the ground.
8They said in their hearts, Let us 21destroy them together: they have burned up all the 22synagogues of God in the land.
21 Other, spoil them. Or, oppress them. From the Hebrew word here used, comes another (word), signifying dove, the same being every man’s prey as it were. Other, their children say in their heart: They have, etc.
22 That is, all the synagogues and schools of the prophets where the Word of God was wont to be read and taught or expounded.
9We see not our 23signs: there is no more any 24prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth 25how long.
23 Neither the ordinary nor the extraordinary signs and tokens of God’s gracious presence and favorableness.
24 Compare Ezek. 7:26. From this passage, considering that the author of this psalm was a prophet and man of God himself, the opinion of some seems the less strange who hold that this psalm was made by Asaph or some other prophet of that name (as we find the like prophetical prefaces prescribed elsewhere in the Word of God) before this sad condition befell God’s people, and whilst the public worship of God was yet in use and practice, as may be gathered from verse 1, to serve God’s church in sundry times thereafter, partly in the Babylonian captivity after that Ezekiel had ceased to prophecy, partly under the grievous tyranny of Antiochus, unto which some apply this peculiarly, while the time of the deliverance out of the Babylonian captivity was expressly prophesied by Jeremiah. Some perceive that this psalm (as some others of like argument) was made in that time of Antiochus by some man of God or prophet, that is, teacher, who truly, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has taught God’s people and has made this psalm, but was no such prophet, as the others were peculiarly so called in former times since they had Divine revelations of things to come, of whom Malachi was the last.
25 That is, how long those miseries and desolations were to last.
10O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name 26for ever?
26 That is, continually, without end or ceasing. See on verse 1.
11Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy 27right hand? 28pluck it out of 29thy bosom.
27 Whereby Thou wast wont so powerfully to protect and save us; spoken after the manner of men.
28 That is, employ it, or set it to work; the contrarily is said of them, who are loath to work. Prov. 26:15.
29 Namely, of these desolations of the enemy and of our miseries. Or, consume, namely, these enemies. Other, put it out fully out of the midst of thy bosom.
12For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13Thoub didst divide the 30sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the 31dragonsc in the waters.
b Exod. 14:21, etc.
30 Understand the Red Sea or the Reed Sea.
31 That is, the stout and insolent grandees and commanders of Pharaoh.
c sea monster, crocodile, serpent*
14Thou brakest the 32heads 33of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat 34to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
32 That is, that great head, which is instead of many; as the elephant is called behemoth, that is, beasts, seeing it is a very large animal, Job 40:15, etc. Or, by these heads we may understand Pharaoh’s captains.
33 That is, of that terrible sea monster or of the sea dragon, unto which Pharaoh and other great tyrants are compared, Isa. 27:1. Compare also Ezek. 29:3, 4, 5; 32:2. See further of Leviathan, Job 41:1, etc.
34 That is, to the fowls and wild beasts, which have devoured the dead carcasses of the drowned Egyptians, being cast on land or driven to the shore (Exod. 14:30). Thus are the ants, grasshoppers, conies, etc. called a people and nation, Prov. 30:25, 26; Joel 1:6. Otherwise it may likewise be understood thus, that God gave the spoil of the Egyptians to His people for their maintenance in the wilderness. Compare Num. 14:9 and Deut. 31:17 with the annotations.
15Thoud didst 35cleave the fountain and the flood: thoue driedst up 36mighty 37rivers.
d Exod. 17:5, 6; Num. 20:11; Psalm 105:41; Isa. 48:21.
35 That is, Thou hast cleft a rock, from which came forth a fountain and a brook.
eJoshua 3:13, etc.
36 Hebr. rivers of strength.
37 As the waters of the river Jordan where the children of Israel went over dry foot. The verse implies: Thou hast brought forth waters where there is no appearance of any, and dries them up where they are in abundance.
16The day is thine, the night also is thine: thouf hast prepared the 38light and the sun.
fGen. 1:14, etc.
38 That is, a light-giving body, whereby the moon and stars may be understood here to give light by night, as the sun does by day. See Gen. 1:16; Psalm 136:7, 8, and compare Job 31:26, where by the light, the sun seems to be understood, but the moon is expressed by name.
17Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
18Remember this, that 39the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
39 Other, the enemy hath reproached or scorned, O LORD, etc.
19O deliver not the 40soul of thy turtledove 41unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the 42congregation of thy poor 43for ever.
40 That is, the life of Thy church, which is so powerless and helpless to withstand this fierce multitude as a turtledove is against the violence of ravenous beasts; managing herself in stillness, with weeping and moaning to God, and remaining spiritually and inwardly fair, plain or single hearted, meek and faithful to her God. To which sense and purpose the similitude of doves is frequently used in the Holy Scripture. See Psalm 55:6; Psalm 56 in the title; Psalm 68:13; Cant. 1:15; 2:14; 4:1; 5:12; 6:9; Isa. 38:14; 59:11; Ezek. 7:16; Hosea 11:11; Mat. 10:16.
41 Or, to this wild troop. See of the Hebrew word Psalm 68 on verse 10.
42 Such as belong to Thee and suffer for Thy Name’s sake. Compare Psalm 69:26, 33; 72:2.
43 That is, continually evermore; as verse 1.
20Have respect unto the 44covenant: for the 45dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
44 Which Thou hast made with Abraham and his seed, grounded on the Messiah.
45 That is, all the corners of the land are like to murdering-dens, out of which the enemy practices all manner of cruelty and violence.
21O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
22Arise, O God, 46plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man 47reproacheth thee daily.
46 See Psalm 35:1.
47 Hebr. of thy reproach, of a fool.
23Forget not 48the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee 49increaseth continually.
48 Or, the cry.
49 That is, increases still. Compare 1 Kings 22:35. Or, mounts up to Thee towards heaven; as Jonah 1:2.