Henry Ainsworth on Psalms 63:1-11

PSAL. LXIII.

A Psalme of David, when he was in the wildernesse of Iudah.

O God, thou art my God, early will I seck thee; my soule thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth ardently for thee in a land of drought, & wea[illegible: 1 letter]y without waters.

So as I did view thee in the sanctuary, for to see thy strength, and thy glory. Because thy mercy is better than life, my lips shall celebrate thee. So will I blesse thee in my life, in thy name will I lift up my palmes. My soule shall be satisfied as with fat and [illegible: 1 letter]atnesse, and my mouth shall praise with lips of shouting joy. When I remember thee on my beds, meditate on thee in the night-watches. That thou hast beene a helpfulnesse to mee, and in the shadow of thy wings I shouted. My soule cleaveth after thee, thy right hand upholdeth me. But they that seeke my soule for tumultuous ruine, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall make him run out by the hands of the sword, they shall be the portion of Foxes. But the King shall rejoyce in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory, but stopped shall bee the mouth of them that speake a lye.

Annotations. WIldernesse of [illegible: 2 letters]dah] the forest of Hareth, 1 Sam. 22. 5. or, the wildernesse of Ziph, 1 Sam. 23. 14. both which were in the tribe of Iudah. Vers. 2. early] this noteth care and diligence, Iob 8. 5. Hos. 5. 15. Psal. 78. 34. Prov. 1. 28. Luk. 21. 38. longeth ardently] this word (which is here only found) seemeth to denote an earnest or hot appetite for meat, as the former thirst is for drinke. land of drought] that is, dry land, for so the wilds or desarts were usually waterlesse, Psal. 107. 33, 35. Exod. 17. 1. Num. 20. 1, 2. Ie[illegible: 1 letter]. [illegible: 1 word]. 6. weary] and consequently thirsty, which is caused by wearinesse. So Psal. 143. 6. Or wearisome to travell, as the Greeke translateth it, wailesse, which none can goe in. Vers. 3. the sanctuary] or, the sanctitie▪ the holy place, so called for the more reverence, and because holinesse became that house, Psal. 93. 5. for to see] this may be meant of his present desire to behold it as in time past: or as a continued speech of his passed comfort, when I did behold thy strength. thy strength and thy glory] both these were seene in the Arke of the testimonie, whence Gods oracles were uttered, Exod. 25. 22. Num. 7. 89. called therefore the arke of Gods strength, Ps. 132. 8. & also his glory, 1 Sam. 4. 21, 22. See also Ps. 78. 61. and 105. 4. Vers. 4. celebrate] land, [illegible: 1 word] glorifie thee. The Chaldee paraphraseth on this verse thus: because thy mercy which thou wilt doe to the just in the world to come, is better than the life which thou hast given to the wicked in this world, therefore my lips shall land thee. Vers. 5. So will I blesse thee] to wit, when th[illegible: 2 letters] restorest me againe [illegible: 1 word] sanctuary therefore [illegible: 1 span] so it may be taken for[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 word], S[illegible: 4 letters] me blesse thee. in my life] that i[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 word] I live [illegible: 1 span]i as the Chaldee saith, in my life in this world. So Psal. 49. 19. and 104. 33. and 146. 2. lift up my hands] that is, pray: which was with this gesture of holding up the palmes of the hands towards heaven, as looking to receive a blessing. So Iob 11. 13. Lam. 2. 19. and 3. 41. Psal. 141. 2. It is called also the lifting up of the hands, Psal. [illegible: 1 letter]8. 2. and spreading out of the palmes; Psal. 44. 21. and 88. 10. Vers. 6. fat] or s[illegible: 1 letter]w[illegible: 1 letter]t and fatnesse. Both words in the originall signifie fatnesse: and hereby is meant satiety of pleasures; so Ier. 31. 14. Psal. 36. 9. The Chaldee expoundeth it, satisfied with thy law. Vers. 7. when I remember] or, if I remember, [illegible: 1 word], so oft as. The Hebrew [illegible: 1 word], if, is here used for when: as also 1 Sam. 15. 17. So in Greeke, e[illegible: 1 span], of, Matth. 6. 22. i[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 span]an, when, Luke 11. 34. watches, or oust[illegible: 1 letter]dies, observations, which were in the night, as is expressed, Psal. 90. 4. See the notes there. Vers. 8. helpfulnesse] that is, a full helpe, as Psal. 44. 27. of thy [illegible: 1 span]gs] which the Chaldee translateth, of thy divine majestie. So Psal. 57. 2. Vers. 9. eleaveth after thee] this noteth love, constancy, and humility, and union in the spirit: for as man and wife cleaving together, are one flesh, Gen. 2. 24. so he that cleaveth to the Lord, is one spirit. 1 Cor. 6. 17. And this union commeth of the Lord, who saith by the Prophet, a[illegible: 1 letter] the girdle cleaveth to the loynes of [illegible: 1 word] man, so have I tied to mee the whole house of Israel, that they might be my people, Ier. 13. 11. Vers. 10. for tumultuous ruine] that is, to bring my soule unto destruction, or ruine. See this word, Psalme 35. 8. Vers. 11. They shall make him run out] or, They (the enemies) shall powre out him, meaning some principall, as Saul, or every of his sees: or Hee (every one that seeks my soule) shall be made run out, that is, his bloud shall be shed, as waters, Psal. 79. 3. A like phrase is used Ier. 18. 21. Ezek. 35. 5. The Greeke translateth, They shall be delivered unto the hands of the sword. hands] that is, the edge, or force of the sword, as Iob 5. 20. Ier. 18. 21. portion of foxes] that is, left unburied, for foxes and other wild beasts to prey upon & devoure. So Sauls bloud flowed [illegible: 1 word] by the sword, and his company slain on mo[illegible: 1 span] G[illegible: 1 span], lay for a prey to the beasts, 1 Sam. 31. So Christs enemies slaine with the sword are eaten of ravenous fowles, Rev. 19. 21. Vers. 12. But the King] that is, I who am King by God[illegible: 1 letter] anointing, [illegible: 1 word] Sam. 16. 12▪ 13. and Christ the sonne of David. 8. sweareth by him] that is, by God; the Chaldee saith, by his word: by swearing, meaning Gods whole worship, whereof swearing was a part, Deut. 6. 13. Esa. 45. 23. and 65. 16. Ier. 4. 2. Therefore that which the Prophet calleth Swearing, Esa. 45. 23. the Apostle calleth Confessing to God, Rom. 14. 11.