A paraphrasticall explication of the twelve minor prophets. Viz. Hoseah. Joel. Amos. Obadiah. Jonah. Micah. Nahum. Habakkuk. Zephaniah. Haggai. Zechariah. Malachi. / By Da. Stokes. D.D.

Of the Title of the third Chapter, and of the Musicall termes there mentioned.

1. A Prayer of the Prophet Habakkuk upon Shigionoth, wherein he expresseth his content, and acquiescence in the solution of his former doubts, from the Divine Oracle:

comforts himself in the examples of Gods love and Providence over his Church: puts his own pious thoughts, and Resolutions into a Divine Meditation: and refers all to be set to a Musi∣call Tune. As appears by the Shigionoth in the front: and the Musicall Sela•• in the body, and again by his Neginoth in the foot of this ex∣cellent Song, and divine Ditty.

For Shigionoth first it seems to be some Mu∣sicall Tune, or Instrument. I agree with those that take it to be some erraticall, various, de∣lightfull Modulation: and I think it to be the same Tune, or Instrument, that the sweet sin∣ger of Israel made choice of, under the name of Shiggaion, in the Title of the seventh Psalm. Which is also a Prayer of Davids, made upon occasion of some words (or actions) of Cush the Benjamite, i. of Saul, that was like a Cush, or AEthiopian in this, that he would no more change his malice to David, than the AE∣thiopian his skin.

As for Selah (in the third, and thirteenth verse of this Chapter,) that is a Musicall note, which serves as a direction for the rai∣sing up of the voice in that place, wherein it is fixed. And I like that which Kimehi joynes with it, the elevation of the heart too. We never meet with it, but in the Psalmes of Da∣vid (in whose time it seems to have been

taken up as a word of Art) and, after him, in this Prayer of Habakkuk.

Then for the word Neginoth, It is properly referred to Instruments of Musick, especially those that were played upon with the fingers, and had the Voice joyned with them, as in the solemn Hymnes, and other Musicall Service of the Jewish Church.

And he that had a more extraordinary skill in that way, and was the chief in composing, or overseeing that kind of Melody, is called here, by the Prophet Habakkuk, in the con∣clusion of this Prayer, and by the Royall Pro∣phet, in the Title of the fourth Psalm. Menat∣seach Binginoth.

One thing more I have to say, before I come to the Prayer it-self, that in this Chapter, (as it may well be expected where such Musick is) the holy Prophet, in expressing his Meditati∣ons, seems to use a kind of Divine (b) Poetry. And he must follow that kind of Poeticall ex∣pression, that will follow the Prophet, in this Musicall Chapter.

Notes

• (b)

  vide Observationes nostr. hebraicas, pag. vel cap. 287. &c. ad fin••••n lib.