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. LXXVII.

The Psalmist sheweth what fierce combat hee had with diffidence. 11 The victory which he had by consideration of Gods great and gracious workes done of old.

To the Master of the Musicke, to Ieduthun, a Psalme of Asaph. [unspec 1]

MY voice was to God, and I cried out: my voice was to God, and he gave [unspec 2] eare unto mee. In day of my di∣stresse I sought the Lord, my hand by night [unspec 3] reached out and ceased not, my soule refused to be comforted. I remembred God, and [unspec 4] made a troubled noise; I meditated, and my spirit was overwhelmed Selah. Thou hel∣dest the watches of mine eies, I was stricken a∣mazed [unspec 5] and could not speake. I recounted [unspec 6] the daies of antiquity, the yeeres of ancient times. I remembred my melody in the night; with my heart I meditated, and my spirit sear∣ched [unspec 7] diligently. Will the Lord cast off to e∣ternities, [unspec 8] and not adde favourably to accept any more? Is his mercy ceased to perpetuity; is his word ended to generation and generati∣on? [unspec 9] Hath God forgotten to be gracious; hath he shut up in anger his tender mercy [unspec 10] Selah? And I said, doth this make me sicke, [unspec 11] the change of the right hand of the most high?

I will record the actions of Iah; surely, I [unspec 12] will remember thy miracle from antiquity. And I will meditate of all thy worke, and will [unspec 13] [unspec 14] discourse of thy practises. O God, thy way is in the sanctuary; who is so great a God as God? Thou art the God that doest a marvel∣lous [unspec 15] worke, thou hast made knowen thy strength among the peoples. Thou hast re∣deemed [unspec 16] thy people with arme, the sonnes of Iakob, and of Ioseph Selah. The waters saw [unspec 17] thee, O God, the waters saw thee, they trem∣bled, also the deeps were stirred. The clouds [unspec 18] streamed downe waters, the skies gave out a voice, also thine arrowes walked about. The [unspec 19] voice of thy thunder was in the round aire; lightnings illuminated the world, the earth was stirred, and quaked. Thy way was in [unspec 20] the sea, and thy pathes in the many waters, & thy footsteps were not knowen. Thou didst [unspec 21] leade thy people like a flocke, by the hand of Moses and Aharon.

Annotations.

TO Ieduthun] or, for him: see Psal. 39. 1. and [unspec 1] 62. 1.

Vers. 2. he gave eare] so the Greeke explaineth [unspec 2] the Hebrew phrase to give eare: see the like Psal. 65. 11.

Vers. 3. sought the Lord] in Chaldee, sought in∣struction [unspec 3] from before the Lord, and the spirit of pro∣phesie rested upon me. retched out] or, flowed, was powred out, that is, was stretched out in prayer: (a vehement figurative speech, like that of powring out the heart, Psal. 62. 9.) or, was wet with continuall wiping of mine eies: or by hand may be meant plague or sore (as in Iob 23. 2.) which continually ran. The Chaldee expoundeth it, by night mine eie dropped teares, and ceased not.

Vers. 4. meditated] or praied. See Psal. 55. 3, 18. [unspec 4] overwhelmed] or covered it selfe, that is, swow∣ned or fainted with sorrow. So Psal. 142. 4. and 143. 4. and 107. 5. Lam. 2. 12.

Vers. 5. the watches] or the wards, custodies, (that [unspec 5] is, as the Chaldee explaineth it, the lids) of mine eies, so that I cannot sleepe. stricken amazed] beaten with terrour, as with a hammer; or, as the Greeke saith, troubled. So Dan: 2. 1, 3. Gen. 41. 8. could not speake] so the Hebrew phrase spake not, is sometime to be interepreted: as, who shall judge, 2 Chron. 1. 10. for which in 1 King. 3. 9. is written, who can (or, is able to) judge. So Psalme 78. 20.

Vers. 6. of ancient times] or, of eternities, that is, [unspec 6] of ages past. This hee did according to the com∣mandement, Deut. 32. 7. for former histories are written for our learning, Rom. 15. 4. 1 Cor. 10. 11.

Vers. 7. my melody] or musicall play, to wit, how [unspec 7] I had before time played, and sung songs of praise for thy benefits; (see Psal. 33. 2, 3.) or, I remem∣bred my musicke, and tooke my instrument, and thus I sung. spirit searched] in Chaldee, the knowledge of my spirit searched marvellous things.

Vers. 11. doth this make me sicke] doth it grieve [unspec 11] and weaken me, that the right hand (the admini∣stration) of God is changed, and hee keepeth not one constant course in his workes? The Prophet seemeth to checke himselfe for his infirmity. Or, (taking it not for a question) it maketh me sicke; or, this is my infirmitie. the change] or, that chan∣ged is; for so the Hebrew phrase, to change, may be resolved.

Vers. 12. will record] will remember for my selfe, [unspec 12] and mention to others: The Hebrew implieth both these, by a double reading. miracle] that is, mi∣racles or wondrous works (as the Greeke explaineth it) all and every of them, done of old. So after in vers. 15.

Vers. 13. discourse] or meditate, intreat of, both [unspec 13] in minde and talke.

Vers. 14. in the Sanctuary] or in sanctitie, in the holy place, as the Greeke turneth it: meaning, it is [unspec 14] most holy, and secret, hidden from the eyes of the world, as holy things were hidden in the Sanctua∣rie, especially the Ark and Cherubims where God sate. So as it was not lawfull for people or Priests to see them, Num. 4. 6, 7, 15, 20. Levit. 16. 2. Com∣pare also herewith, Psal. 73. 16, 17. The Chaldee translateth, O God how holy are thy wayes. a God] or a mightie one, a Potentate: Hebr. Ael. So in the next verse. as God] in Greeke, as our God: in Chaldee, as the God of Israel.

Vers. 15. Marvellous work] that is, works, won∣ders. This is taken from Exod. 15. 11. [unspec 15]

Vers. 16. with arme] that is, with power: an arme stretched out, as Exod. 6 6. in Greeke, with thine [unspec 16] arme. of Iaakob] that is, the tribes of Israel, borne of him. of Joseph] this may be meant (as the Chaldee Paraphrast taketh it) of all the Is∣raelites whom Ioseph nourished, Gen. 45. 10. 11. and 50. 21. called therefore his sonnes; or in speciall of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasses, the sonnes of Ioseph, noted from the rest, for more honour. Compare also herewith Psal. 80. 2, 3.

Vers. 17. The waters] of the red sea, Exod. 14. 21. Psal. 114. 3. The Chaldee paraphraseth, They [unspec 17] saw thy divine Majestie from the midst of the sea, O God. trembled] or were pained, as a woman in travell. So Psal. 29. 8. and 97. 4.

Vers. 18. streamed] or gushed with a tempest. [unspec 18] These things were when the Lord looked unto the host of the Aegyptians out of the fiery and cloudy pillar, and so feared and hindred them with stormy tempests, that their chariot wheeles fell off, &c. Exod. 14. 24. 25. And thus Israel was baptised in the cloud and in the sea, 1 Cor. 10. 1. 2. thine arrowes] or stones (as this word also signifieth, Lam. 3. 16.) meaning haile-stones. See Psalm. 18. 15. Ios. 10 11.

Vers. 19. in the round aire] in the sphere or globe. [unspec 19] The aire is so called of the round forme, which it (with all the heavens) hath. Of the thunder in the aire, see Iob 37. 2,—5. Psal. 29.

Vers. 20. Thy way] wherein thou wentest, and leddest thy people; confounding thy foes, Exod. [unspec 20] 14. 19, 20, 22. Nehem. 9. 11. So elsewhere, his way is in the whilewind, Nahum 1. 3. were not knowne] to wit, before that time; nor after, for the waters returned to their force, and drowned the Ae∣gyptians: Exod. 14. 27. So his other wayes are past finding out, Rom. 11. 33. that men must walke by faith, not by sight, 2 Cor. 5. 7.

Vers. 21. lead thy people] thorow the sea, and af∣ter thorow the wildernesse towards Canaan; Moses [unspec 21] being their King, and Aaron their Priest. The Me∣mory of which mercy is often celebrated, Deut. 8. 2,—5. 15. and 32. 10. Ier. 2. 2, 6. Amos 2. 10. Mic. 6. 4. Psal. 136. 16. Act. 7. 35. 36.