Henry Ainsworth on Psalms 61

PSAL. LXI.

To the Master of the Musicke, upon Neginath, a Psalme of David.

HEare thou, O God, my shouting, attend to my prayer. From the end of the land unto thee do I call when my heart is overwhelmed: lead thou me unto the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast beene a safe hope to me, a tower of strength from the face of the enemie. I will so journe in thy tent for ever, I will hope for safetie in the secret of thy wings Selah. For thou, O God, hast heard my vowes, hast given inheritance to them that feare thy name. Thou wilt adde daies unto the daies of the King, his yeares shall be as generation and generation.

He shall sit for ever before God; prepare thou mercy & truth, which may keep him. So will I sing Psalme to thy name, unto perpetuity, that I may pay my vowes day by day.

Annotations. VPon Neginath] or with neginath, that is, the playing on the strings of the instrument: meaning that this Psalme was to be sung with musick of stringed instruments. See Psal. 4. 1. Vers. 3. end of the land] the utmost border of the land of Canaan, where David sometime was driven to abide, 2 Sam. 17. 24. or, end of the earth. is overwhelmed] or covered over, to wit, with griefe, (as the Greeke explaineth it,) whereby it fainteth; opprest with sorrow. So Psal. 102. 1. and 77. 4. and 107. 5. and 142. 4. lead thou] or, thou wilt lead: a speech of faith, from former deliverances, as the next verse sheweth. higher than I] which I cannot get up on, unlesse thou lead me. Vers. 4. a safe hope] or, shrowding place, where he hoped for, and had found safe shelter. Vers. 5. I will sojourne] or shall abide. See Psal. 15. 1. in the secret] or, the hiding place, called else-where the shadow of his wings, Psal. 36. 8. and 63. 8. See Psal. 91. 1,—4. Vers. 6. my vowes] that is, my prayers made with vowes, as the Saints used, Gen. 28. 20. Iudg. 11. 30, 31. Hereupon, prayer is called in Greeke Proseuche, of powring out vowes to God. inheritance to them] so the Greeke also hath it; or, given me the inheritance of them; that is, such a blessing as usually thou bestowest on such as feare thee. The Chaldee paraphraseth, thou hast given an inheritance in the world to come to them that feare thy name. Vers. 7. Thou wilt adde] or prayer-wise, adde thou &c. so the rest. daies unto daies] or, upon daies, that is, a long life. of the King] meaning himselfe, and specially Christ, who was to be his Sonne after the flesh. So the Chaldee saith, of the King Christ. See Psalm. 72. and 89. 21, 30, 37, 38. Vers. 8. He shall sit] to wit, on the throne, that is, reigne, or sit, that is, dwell, or abide, as Psalm. 140. 14. prepare] or, appoint, as his due and readie portion. The Heb[illegible: 1 letter]. is Man, a name whereby that prepared meat was called, which God gave his people from heaven, Psal. 78. 24. Vers. 9. day by day] or day and day, that is, daily. The Hebrew usuall phrase is, day day, so Psal. 68 20. Gen. 39. 10. Isa. 58. 2. Exod. 16. 5. sometime day and day, as Hest. 3. 4. 2 Cor. 4. 16. So two two, Mark. 6. 7. for, two and two. The Chaldee maketh this paraphrase, when I pay my vowes in the day of the redemption of Israel, and in the day when the King Christ shall be anointed to reigne.