Annotations upon the five bookes of Moses, the booke of the Psalmes, and the Song of Songs, or, Canticles VVherein the Hebrevv vvords and sentences, are compared with, and explained by the ancient Greeke and Chaldee versions, and other records and monuments of the Hebrewes: but chiefly by conference with the holy Scriptures, Moses his words, lawes and ordinances, the sacrifices, and other legall ceremonies heretofore commanded by God to the Church of Israel, are explained. With an advertisement touching some objections made against the sinceritie of the Hebrew text, and allegation of the Rabbines in these annotations. As also tables directing unto such principall things as are observed in the annotations upon each severall booke. By Henry Ainsworth.

PSAL. LXXIV.

The Prophet complaineth of the desolation of the Sanctuary. 10 He moveth God to helpe in conside∣ration of his power, 18 of his repreachfull ••nemies, of his children, and of his Covenant.

An instructing Psalme of Asaph. [unspec 1]

WHerefore, O God, hast thou cast us off to perpetuitie: shall thine anger smoake against the sheep of thy pasture? Remember thy congregatiō, [unspec 2] which thou hast purchased of old, the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed, this mount Sion wherin thou hast dwelt. Lift [unspec 3] up thy feet to the desolatiōs of perpetuitie, the enemy hath done evill to all things, in the San∣ctuary. Thy distressers roare in the mids of thy [unspec 4]

synagogues; they have set their signes for signes. He was knowne, as he lifted on high, [unspec 5] [unspec 6] axes against the thicket of the wood. And now the carved workes thereof all together they have beat down, with beetle and mallets.

They have cast into the fire thy sanctuaries, [unspec 7] to the earth they have profaned the dwelling place of thy name. They said in their heart, [unspec 8] let us make spoile of them altogether; they have burned all the synagogues of God in the land. We see not our signes, there is not any Prophet more, nor any with us that knoweth [unspec 9] how long. How long, O God, shall the di∣stresser [unspec 10] reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name to perpetuity? Wherefore turnest [unspec 11] thou away thine hand, even thy right hand? draw it out of the midst of thy bosome, make a full end. For God is my King from antiqui∣ty, [unspec 12] he worketh salvations in the midst of the earth. Thou didst breake asunder the sea by thy strength, didst breake in peeces the heads [unspec 13] of the dragons in the waters. Thou didst [unspec 14] quite burst the heads of Livjathan, didst give him for meat to the people that dwell in drie desarts. Thou didst cleave the fountaine and the streame, thou diddest dry up the rivers of [unspec 15] strength. The day is thine, the night also is [unspec 16] thine; thou hast prepared the light and the Sunne. Thou hast constituted all the borders of the earth, the summer and the winter, them [unspec 17] hast thou formed. Remember this, the ene∣my reproacheth Iehovah, and the foolish peo∣ple [unspec 18] blaspheme thy name. Give not the soule [unspec 19] of thy turtle-dove to the wilde company; the company of thy poore afflicted forget not to perpetuity. Have respect unto the covenant, [unspec 20] for full are the darknesses of the earth, of the habitations of violent wrong. Let not the op∣pressed [unspec 21] return ashamed; let the poore afflicted and needy praise thy name. Rise up, O God, [unspec 22] pleade thou thy plea, remember thy reproach from the foole all the day. Forget not the voice of thy distressers; the tumultuous noise [unspec 23] of them that rise up against thee ascendeth continually.

Annotations.

OF Asaph] or, to Asaph; in Chaldee, by the hands of Asaph: see Psal. 50. 1. If Asaph (who [unspec 1] lived in Davids daies) made this Psalme, it was a prophesie of troubles to come. If some other Pro∣phet made it when calamities were on Israel, then was it committed to Asaphs posterity the singers, called by their fathers name; as Aarons posterity, are called Aaron, 1 Chron. 12. 27. thine anger smoake] or, thy nose smoke, that is, burne, as was threatned, Deut. 29. 20. A manifestation of fore displeasure: see Psal. 18. 9. and 80. 5. sheepe or flocke, that is, us thy people, as Psal. 79. 13. The stocke comprehendeth sheepe and goats, Lev. 1. 10.

Vers. 2. purchased of old] or bought of y••re, when [unspec 2] thou broughtest them out of Egypt, Exod. 15. 16. or understand, that thou hast purchased it, hast re∣deemed, &c. the rod of thine inheritance] that is, Israel, Ier. 10. 16. called elsewhere the line of Gods inheritance, Deut. 32. 9. which he measured out for himselfe as land is meted with a rod or line. It may also be read the scepter, or the tribe of thine inheritance, as Esa. 63. 17. for the Hebrew Shebet, which properly is a rod or staffe, is sometime a scep∣ter, Psal. 45. 7. sometime a tribe, Psal. 78. 67.

Vers. 3. Lift up thy feet] or thy hammers, that is, [unspec 3] thy strokes, to stampe or beat downe the enemy unto perpetuall desolations. Thus the feet are used to tread downe with, Isa. 26. 6. and so the Greeke ta∣keth it here, changing the metaphor, and transla∣ting it, thy hands, which are also instruments to strike downe with. Or lift up thy feet, that is, Come quickly to see the perpetuall desolations which the e∣nemy hath made. hath done evill] that is, bro∣ken, robbed, burned, wasted all things; as did Nebuchadnezar in the Temple, 2 King. 24. 13. and 25. 9, 13, 14, &c.

Vers. 4. thy synagogues] or assemblies, either the [unspec 4] courts and places about the temple, where the peo∣ple assembled, or the other synagogues in Ierusalem, as after in vers. 8. he speakes of all the synagogues in the land, places where prayers and lectures of the law were used, Act. 16. 13. and 15. 21. The assem∣bly of Christians is called also by this name syna∣gogue, Iam. 2. 2. their signes] or banners, which are signes of victory, or of idolatry. See after, vers. 9.

Vers. 5. He was knowne] He, that is, A man, [unspec 5] or every one of the enemies was knowne, that is, re∣nowmed, or famous, as having done some notable act. as he lifted on high] or, as he that bringeth aloft, that is, as a man brings the axe aloft over his head, to fell downe the thicke wood with might and maine. They cut downe the wood of the tem∣ple, as men doe trees in a forest. thicket of the wood] that is, the thick wood or tree, whose boughes are wrapped one in another: or, (if we understand it of the wood-worke in the Temple,) the infolded graven wood, which he that did most eagerly cut downe, was most renowmed.

Vers. 6. And now] or, And then, at the same time. [unspec 6] So Ps. 27. 6. carved workes] gravings, or (as the Hebrew phrase is) openings, used for graven or car∣ved workes, Exod. 28. 11. The Greeke here turneth it, doores, which also have their name of opening.

Vers. 7. thy sanctuaries] the temple (which had [unspec 7] divers holy places) was burned by Nebuzar-adan, 2 King. 25. 9. to the earth] to wit, burning or rasing downe to the ground.

Vers. 8. Let us make spoile] or, wee will op∣presse, [unspec 8] prey upon them. Of this Hebrew root, the Dove hath her name in that tongue, as be∣ing subject to the prey and spoile of Hawkes, &c.

wherefore in vers. 19. he calleth the Church a tur∣tle-dove.

Vers. 9. our signes] the testimonies of Gods pre∣sence and favour, extraordinary or ordinary, as the [unspec 9] sacrifices, &c. Dan. 11. 31. So Circumcision, the passeover, the Sabbath, &c. were for signes to Isra∣el, Gen. 17. 11. Exod. 12. 13. and 31. 13. or, as the Chaldee expoundeth it, the signes which the Pro∣phets gave us. any Prophet] that could see and foretell by the spirit an end of these troubles, Lam. 2. 9. A Prophet (N••bi) is one that from the in∣ward counsell of God uttereth oracles. In old time he was called a Seer, 1 Sam. 9. 9. Amos 7. 12. how long] to wit, this affliction shall endure. The like speech is in Psal. 6. 4.

Vers. 11. draw it, &c.] this word, or some such, seemeth here to be understood, as often in the He∣brew: [unspec 11] see Psal. 69. 11. The drawing the hand out of the bosome denoteth a performance of the worke without ••••acknesse, as we may see by the contrary, Prov. 26. 15. full end] by consu∣ming our enemies, and accomplishing our delive∣rance.

Vers. 13. the sea] in Chaldee, the waters of the red sea. of the dragons] or whales, meaning the [unspec 13] noble men of Egypt, who pursuing the Israelites were drowned in the red sea, Exod. 14. 28. For great persons are likened to Dragons or Whale-fishes, as Ezek. 29. 3.

Vers. 14. the heads] that is, the head, as the Greek translateth it, called heads for the excellency and [unspec 14] principality. of Livjathan] or, of the whale, meaning Pharaoh king of Aegypt, who was drow∣ned with his Princes, Psal. 136. 15. Livjathan is the name of the great whale-fish, or sea Dragon, so called of the fast joyning together of his scales; as he is described, Iob 40. 20. and 41. 6, &c. and is used to resemble great tyrants, here, and in Isa. 27. 3. So the Chaldee expoundeth it, the heads of Pharaoh•• mighty men. in dry desarts] that is, to the wilde beasts of the wildernesse, which might de∣voure the Egyptians after they were drowned, and cast upon the shore, Exod. 14. 30. The beasts may be called a people, as Conies, Pismires, Locusts, &c. are called peoples and nations, Prov 30. 25. 26. Ioel 1. 6. See also the notes on Psal. 72. 9. unlesse by these dwellers in dry places, we understand the Isra∣elites in the wildernesse, to whom the spoile of the Egyptians was as meat; as elsewhere they said of the Canaanites, they are bread for us, Num. 14. 9. This the Chaldee favoureth.

Vers. 15. didst cleave the fountaine] bringing a [unspec 15] well and streame of water to thy people out of the rockes, Exod. 17. 6. Num. 20 11. Isa. 48. 21. Psal. 105. 41. rivers of strength] that is, strong, rough, or vehement rivers, as the waters of Iarden were dried up, that Israel might goe thorow, Ios. 3. 15,—17. The Chaldee Paraphrast addeth also the rivers Arnon and Iabok; whereof see Num. 21. 14. Deut. 2. 37.

Vers. 16. the light] The Hebrew Maor is pro∣perly [unspec 16] a lightsome body, as is the Sunne, Moone, Stars. &c. Genes. 1. 14, 15. and here may be meant of the Moone, as the Chaldee translateth it, for the S••••e next followed. For these God is else-where also celebrated, Psal. 2, 6. 7. 8. 9.

Vers. 19. soule of thy turile-dove] that is, the life [unspec 19] of thy Church, called a turtle-dove, for their dan∣ger to be pre••ed upon by the wicked, as before, v. 8. being of themselves weake, mo〈…〉〈…〉ull, and ••••mo∣rous; also for their faith and lo••••lty towards God, and innocency of life. In these respects a•••• doves mentioned, Hos. 11. 11. Ezek. 7. 16. Isa. 38. 14. and 59. 11. Song 4. 1. and 6. 8. Matth. 10. 16. So the Chaldee explaineth it, Give not the soules of them that teach thy law, to the people which are like wilde beasts. wilde company] or wilde beasts, as the Greeke translateth it, meaning the cruell people like wilde beasts, as the Chaldee saith. The same word straight-way followeth for the Church, or lively stocke of Christ. See the notes on Psal. 68. 11. 31.

V. 20. the covenant] which thou didst make with [unspec 0] our fathers, (as the Chaldee addeth to explaine it,) it may be meant of the covenant with Abraham and his seed, as is expressed, Psal. 105. 8, 9. 10. or, which was made with Noah, that the world should no more be drowned, as once it was, when it was full of cruelty, Genes. 6. 13. 17. 18. and 8. 21, 22. which covenant the Prophets apply to the Church after, Esa. 54. 9. the darknesses] that is, darke places, as in Ps. 88. 7. and 143. 3. he meaneth that the base obscure places werefull of violence, even folds or habitations of cruelty; no cottage being free from the rapine of the enemies. Darke places may be put for base or meare 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as in Prov. 22. 29. darke or obscure persons, are the base sort. The Greek here also translateth it darke persons, meaning the vile gracelesse enemies.

Vers. 22. pleade thy plea] defend thine owne [unspec 22] cause: see Psal. 35. 1. from the foole] under∣stand, which thou sufferest from the foole, or impious, Nabal, which word was also before, v. 18. whereof see Psal. 14. 1. The Chaldee paraphraseth, from the foolish King.

Vers. 23. ascendeth] that is, commeth up unto [unspec 23] thee, it is so great; as Iona. 1. 2. or, it increaseth, as the battle is said to ascend when it increased, 1 Kin. 22. 35.