Psalm 16

A just man’s prayer in tribulation against the matice of his enemies.

1 Hear, O Lord, my justice: attend to my supplication. Give ear unto my prayer, which proceedeth not from deceitful lips.

2 Let my judgment come forth from thy

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

countenance: let thy eyes behold the things that are equitable.

3 Thou hast proved my heart, and visited it by night; thou hast tried me by fire: and iniquity hath not been found in me.

4 ‘That my mouth may not speak the works of men: for the sake of the words of thy lips, I have kept hard ways.

5 Perfect thou my goings in thy paths; that my footsteps be not moved.

6 I have cried to thee, for thou, O God, hast heard me: O incline thy ear unto me, and hear my words.

7 Show forth thy wonderful mercies; thoa who savest them that trust in thee.

8 From them that resist thy right hand keep me, as the apple of thy eye. Protect me under the shadow of thy wings.

9 From the face of the wicked who have afflicted me. My enemies have surrounded my soul:

10 They have shut up their fat: their mouth hath spoken proudly.

_ 11 They have cast me forth, and now they have surrounded me: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth.

12 They have taken me, as @ lion prepared for the prey; and as a young lion dwelling in secret places.

13 Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, and supplant him; deliver my soul from the wicked one; thy sword

14 From the enemies of thy hand..O Lord, divide them from the few of the earth in their life: their belly is filled from thy hidden stores. ‘They are full of children: and they have left to their little ones the rest of their substance.

15 But as for me, I will appear before thy sight in justice: I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear.

EXPLANATION OF THE PSALM.

1 “ Hear, O Lord, my justice : attend to my supplication. Give ear unto my prayer, which proceedeth not from deceitful lips.”

He first prays that his just canse may be heard, for with a just judge, the cause is more regarded than the person ; he asks then that his prayer may be attended to; for God not only loves justice, but also the just ; and, as St. James hasit, “ The prayer of the just availeth much.” He finally unites both justice and prayer, when he says, “ Give car unto my prayer which proceedeth not from deceitful lips” that is, my prayer that does not proceed from deceitful lips, but is based on justice. The meaning then is,

COMMENTARY ON THE; PSALMS.

Lord, may justice. move thee; may prayer, the aed of. the just, move thee. \

12 ‘S Let my judgmené :.come firth Lace they connte~ nance : let thy eyes behold the, things that are equitable,”

‘Another argument) from the justice) of God,’ as: if he said: Ta,you, 0 God, J appeal.; by,you, as being the most just, of judges, Iwished,to be judged, ‘Fron thy countenance,” that:is, from thy mouth let judgnent proceed-—my, sentence)be pronounced, ““Let thy eyes behold the things that. are equitable.”, Close not thy eyes, and;cloak not the calumnies of the wicked, but open them.and, see what justice demands.

80% Thouchast proved my heart, and) visited it by night; thou hast tried me oy sires and wiiguty hath not, been found in.me :”

Avreason | asaanol for, ainhibas to ibe jnidged by Gives for he, alone searches the hearts, and thoroughly ey the innocence of his servants... ‘Zhou hast proved ny heart; you have tried’ me where no. one! else can, interiorly ;.y.ou, have, proved my sincerity, and’ he tells:how ‘f Zhou hast visited it by night.” ‘Om two occasions'\one’s interior may be' seen 3, when:an opportunity offers: for sinning in private; and in the time of tribulation ; for\there are many wicked persons, to all appearance) with a fair exterior,. when they have an

opportunity of committing sin in private, without any:

fear of detection, then only shew what they are made’

of. So in the time of prosperity, the bad cannot be?

distinguished from. the. good.;but. apply. the) fire of persecution, andthe. gold, shines out, the. stubble: burns.> The first: is ‘expressed, by the words, * Visited tt’ by: night;” that is, in'secret, when. an opportu-’ nity for committing sin presented itself ; the second comes under the words, “ Thow hast A ted me by fire? thati is, with. grievous tribulations ; and yet thou hast’ found no iniquity in, me,

4 That my mouth may not speak the works of men:., Sor the sake oe the Bee, A thy lips, I have kept hard. Pie a

He ‘shows ree it iyapoened that “There was no mniquity found in him,” from the fact of his having, képt' to “The hard ways” of justice; not for any earthly hope or reason, but because such was agree- . able to God’s commands.’ ‘For those who observe Gods commandments from human motives do so exteriorly, when they’ are likely to be observed, and, thus the latent iniquity is detected in them ; ‘but they who observe the commandments, in order to please ;

God; keep them’ externally and’ internally, and thus »

no iniquity is detected in such persons, He therefore , says: “I have kept hard ways ;” that is, Lhave kept to the road’ of justice, however rough and rugged,

nor has tribulation’ df any sort ‘caused me. to 0 ‘out of it. “ For the sake’ of the words of thy lips,” influenced thereto by your’ commandments, yourthreats, and your promises, “That my mouth may not speak the works of men:” that I may not be obliged to, ask © the help ‘of man ; that I; ‘may not put my hope in man} “f oer oe (meaning RESP the works.of men.” \

‘is no one who can resist thy will.”

5)‘ Perfect thou. my goings in thy, paths ; that my footsteps be not moved,”

Acknowledging, that it, was not by his own strep gth, but by the grace, of God, that he remained in the narrow. path, of justice, , he: asks God to,confirm the favour. , “Perfect thou,m, y goings. in thy are that my footsteps be not moved.” strengthen an make sure my footsteps, in this your. path, for fear, if deprived of EY help, I may stray from, it

6 Ihave enied to thee, for thou; O.God, hast heard me; Q incline thy ear unto me, and: hear my words.”

\ Having explained, the arguments derived; from hig own innocence, and from the justice of, God, he again repeats the prayer in the beginning of the Peal Lord, to thee ‘have cried, for thow hast heard me.’ Ihave cried with’ confidence, to thee, for on all, occa, sions you have heard ’mé,.and\ now too, with your, usual henignity, 6 tidpoline bee ear to wie, and hea words.’ 9°;

** Shew forth ty wonderful» mercies ; thou aha, re them. that trust,in, thee... \. Qi

A third argument derived from Goa’s mercy: I have proved my innocence; have appealed to. your justice, I now invoke your merey, for, however. ins, nocent'I may, consider myself of the crimes for which , Iam suffering, I:may have many other sins for which | I. may. be justly punished, \“.Shew forth thy wonder=\ Jul mercies” then... Astonish ‘every one at the extent) of them in‘ délivering me, for to you it belongs to: dex) liver all who. put their trust in|thee. | 4

8 “+ From them that resist thy right hand keep me, as. the.apple of thy ye Protect me, under the shadow Praf thy. ings.) |

» Protectme, as you would “* The apple of your eye,” with the greatest: care, from those * That resist thy | right hand: in injuring those whom you protect, or who refuse to walk,where you lead... This does not contradict the passage inthe book of Esther, “ There) Fot' the will \ spoken of there, is the will of his good pleasure which is always carried out; but here is meant the will: of his expression, which is not always carried) out, for’ God permits the wicked to. do many things: opposed to his expressed will; that is\against his law, and» afterwards punishes them according to their merits. | “ The apple of your ey yey”? a most? delicate, ‘though / valuable article, requiring the greatest care, and,» therefore, provided by nature with various coverings, > as \well.as with brows: and eye-lashes 5 isuchi are we, » frail and delicate, soa such is the care we a in| need of. b dtd

« Protect me ee the shadiea of taps wings.” The! same petition, under another figure, »As\the chickens are covered by the wings of the hen, are hidden, and; lie, securely under them, so that the birds| of prey cannot hurt, them ; the just man prays to me $0) Lap tected from ‘his persecutors. iio) io) ;

9. From the face of the wicked who ibd apron me. My enemies have surrounded my soul: |) i

% The face of the wicked,” signifies the sight of the wicked ; as the wings of the hen cover the chickens, and prevent their being seen by the birds of prey; or it may mean the bite or the anger of the wicked, for their teeth, as well as their anger, are displayed in the faces. “ Who have afflicted me,” means that the just man, having been so often and so severely bitten by the wicked, appeals to God’s protection, for fear of being entirely destroyed under the repeated biting. Such similes are of frequent occurrence in the Holy Scripture. ‘J will rejoice under the covert of thy wings,” Psalm Ixii.; ** He will overshadow thee with his shoulders: and under his wings thou shalt trust,” Psalm xe. ; and the Lord himself, in Matt. xxiii. “ How often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen gathereth her chickens under her wrngs, and thou would not,” ‘ My enemies have survounded my soul.” ‘The last argument drawn from the malice of his enemies. They have surrounded, pressed in upon me on every side.

10 ‘“* They have shut up their fut: their mouth hath spoken proudly.”

' That is, they have no mercy, thouzh they see me reduced to the last extremities. ‘ Shut up their fat,” is synonymous with, ‘* Closing his bowels ;” that is, having no mercy, according to 1 John iii., ‘“‘ He that hath the substanez of this world, and shall see his brother in need, and shall shut up his bowels from him: how doth the charity of God abide in him?” As fat increases, the bowels generally close ; and the prophet chose the former expression, that he may net only declare the fact, but the cause of the bowels being closed, namely, the increase of the fat, which means, the wealth of this world, which causes man to be proud, to despise his neighbour, and thus spiritually Shut up his bowels.”

11 “ They have cast me forth, and now they have surrounded me: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth.”

• In order to shew the malice of his enemies, he goes on to shew how they assail him, now in one way, presently in quite a different manner, yet always in a destructive manner. One time “ They cast me forth ;” wow * they surround me:? those who just banished me from sharing or enjoying anything with them now seck me, surround me that they may oyerwhelm me with injuries; and the reason is, because ‘ they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth ;” meaning they have firmly resolved not to look up to God, who is in heaven, nor to fear him; but to look down on the earth alone, and seek for the things that belong to it.

12 “ They have taken me, as a lion prepared for the prey ; and asa young lion dwelling in secret places.”

' They have not only surrounded me, but treated me with the greatest cruelty ; with the same cruelty and avidity that a lion pounces on its prey, ‘ and as a young lion dwelling in secret places ;? the same idea repeated,

COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS.

13 “ Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, and supplant him ; deliver my soul from tie wicked one; thy sword.”

Having explained the malice of bis enemies, he asks of God, who al ne can do it, to come and free him. ‘Arise, O Lord ;’ do not defer your help any longer, ‘disappoint him ;” that wicked man, who like a lion laid hold on me to devour me, disappoint his teeth, that he may not fasten them in me and kill me. And, in fact, it is God alone that can “ disappoint” the action of any one or thing, however violent; as he disappointed the teeth of the lions from hurting Daniel, and the fury of the fire from consuming the three thrown into the furnace; a source of consolation to the just, who know God’s power to be equal to protect them from either the teeth of the lion or the flames of the furnace. ‘ Supplant him.” Deceive him; make him, by thy wonderful providence, suppose that when he is fastening his teeth in his own flesh, he is fastening them in the flesh of the just. “ Deliver my soul from the wicked.” Do not allow me to be killed by the wicked, raging like a roaring lion; but save me, protect me. “‘ Thy sword ;”’ some connect it with the preceding; others make it the beginning of the next sentence. If we adopt the reading of the Vulgate, the meaning is, deliver my soul from the wicked; to do which you must take “thy sword” from your evemies ; meaning their power of harm,

14 “ From the enemies of thy hand. O Lord, divide them from the few of the earth in their life : their belly is filled from thy hidden stores. They are full of children: and they have left to their little ones the rest of their substance.”

A prophetic imprecation, in which is predicted separation of the wicked from the just, the former obtaining the goods of this world, the latter those of the world to come. ‘ Divide them from the few ;” separate the crowd of the wicked from “ your little Jlock,” “in thear life,” not only in the world to come, which is sure to them, but even in the present, which . may be properly called “ their life,” which alone they love and seek, separating themselycs from the just, who are dead to the world. The separation consists herein, that “ther belly is filled from thy hidden stores ;” that is, they fill their belly with the fruits and good things of the earth, supplied by God’s bounty, from his hidden treasures every succeeding year, and say it is their own portion. “ They are Jull of children: and they have left to their little ones the rest of their substance,” They abound in children, to whom they leave the residue of what themselves cannot consume, for the children of this world look - upon it as supreme happiness to abound in riches, and to be blessed with heirs to enjoy them,

_ 15 “ But as for me, I will appear before thy sight in Justice : J shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear,

The difference herein consists, they covet an abundance of the good things of this world. _“ Bué J,” as well as the rest of the just, will “hunger after

COMMENTARY

justice” here, to have satiety of glory and happiness hereafter; and, as I study to live in justice, in thy sight here, your glory will appear to me hereafter ; and then will I be truly satisfied, having no more to seek or to desire,