Annotations on five poetical books of the Old Testament (viz.) Job, Psalmes, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Canticles / by Edward Leigh ...

PSAL. III.

THe Titles of the Psalmes are Canonicall Scripture, as ancient as the Psalmes* 1.1 themselves.

This is called a Psalm of David, because it intreateth particularly and literally of him.

Potest hic Psalmus & ad David, & ad Christum, & per eum ad omnes sanctos pertinere. Hieron.

Vers. 2. There is no help for him in God.] The Hebrew hath a letter more than ordinary, which letter added doth adde to the signification, saith Kimchi.

As if he should say, There is no help for him here in this world, nor any help for him hereafter in the world to come.

Vers. 3. A shield to me, my glory.] All my glory and defence is in him.

Vers. 7. Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God, for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone, thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.] q. d. In former times when I have been as hardly distressed as now, by the assaults of many and violent enemies, thou hast put them all to rebuke and shame, and quite destroyed their strength, and delivered me, therefore now do the same for me, yea I know thou wilt do the same▪ 1 Sam. 17. 34.

Vers. 8. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord.] The Hebrew is, Salvation unto the Lord, Salus Domini, Arias Mont. so much his, that the holy Ghost putteth no∣thing between it and him.

Thy blessing is upon thy people.] Is is not in the Hebrew, we supply the sense: The blessing of God imports all good things, and the love of God with them.

Selah.] The Hebrew word signifieth Elevation, or lifting up, whether of the* 1.2 minde, to mark, or of the voice to strain it, or of both. M^r Wheatly reading the Psalmes in English, never read it. Menasseh Ben Israel saith, it signifies Eternity, and that the Jews reading the Old Testament in their Synagogues, do also mention this word when it occurres.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Titulus Cla∣vis, say the Fathers, the Title of the Psalm is the Key of the Psalm, it opens the whole Psalm. Non est ulla salus isti in Deo planè. Junius There is no help at all for him. The like addition of a letter is in many other places, as Psal. 44. 27. & 92. 16. & 9••. 17. & 63. 8. & 125. 3. Job 5. 16. Ainsw.
• * 1.2

  Verbum Sela, LXX. inter∣pretes. Symmachus & Theodotius diapsalma transtulerunt. Aquila verò, semper: & puto musici cujusdam soni esse signaculum, aut certe perpetuitatem eorum quae praedicta sunt judicari, ut ubicunque Sela apponitur: ibi sciamus non tantum ad praesens tempus, verum ad aeternum, vel quae sequuntur, vel quae praecesserunt pertinere. Hier. in loc. Dictionem Selah, plerique interpretum exponunt pro in aeternum, quemadmodum & Chaldaica versio ejus per totum Psalterium. Similiter reddidit & Jonathan Chaldaeus in oratione Abakuk, in hac queque significatione accipi solet in precationibus nostris. Caeterum sapiens Rabbi Aben Ez a (piae memoriae) exponit per vere. Ego autem dico, quod non sit dictio significativa, sed tantum judicium elevandae vocis, & deducitur à verbo Salah quod exaltare significat. Hoc est, in co loco ubi legitur haec dictio, suit elevatio vocis Psalmi. Cujus rei argumentum est, quod non invenitur haec dictio nisi in carmine & Psalmis. Non enim invenies eam, nisi in illo libro & in oratione Habakuk, quae & ipsa carmine conscripta est. Rabbi Dav Kimchi Commentarium Hebraicum In Decem primos •• salmos Davidicos cum versione Lacina è regione per Paulum Fagium. Selah juxta Kimchium elevationem significat est vocabulum musicum, cujus usus, cum veterum musica nobis incognita sit, ignoratur. Hulsius in loc.