Henry Ainsworth on Psalms 66:1-20

PSAL. LXVI.

To the Master of the Musicke, a Song, a Psalme.

SHout ye unto God all the earth. With Psalme sing the glory of his name, put glory to his praise. Say unto God, how fearefull is every of thy workes! through the greatnesse of thy strength, thine enemies shall falsly deny to thee. Let all the earth bow downe themselves to thee, and sing Psalme to thee; let them sing Psalme to thy name Selah.

Come and see the workes of God; he is fearefull in his doing toward the sonnes of Adam. He turned sea to dry land, they passed thorow the River on foot, there did wee rejoyce in him. He ruleth with his power for ever, his eyes espie among the nations; the rebellious, let them not exalt themselves Selah.

Ye peoples, blesse our God, and make the voice of his praise to be heard. That putteth our soule in life, and hath not given our foot to be moved. For thou, O God, hast proved us, thou hast tried us as silver is tried. Thou hast brought us into the net, thou hast laid straitnesse on our loines. Thou hast caused men to ride upon our head, we came into fire and into waters, and thou hast brought us out to an abundant place. I will come into thine house with burnt-offerings, I will pay to thee my vowes. Which my lips have opened, and my mouth hath spoken in the distresse upon me. Burnt offerings of marrowed rammes I will offer up to thee with incense; I will make ready beeves, with goat-bucks Selah. Come heare ye and I will tell, all ye that feare God, what he hath done to my soule. Vnto him I called with my mouth, and he was extolled under my tongue. If I had seene in my heart painfull iniquitie, the Lord would not have heard. But surely God hath heard, hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer and his mercy from me.

Annotations. SHout] to wit, with a joyfull or triumphant noise: see Psal. 41. 12. all the earth] or, all the land, that is, the inhabitants thereof, as the Chaldee explaineth. So vers. 4. and Psal. 98. 4. and 100. 1. and often in the Scripture. Vers. 2. put glorie] in Greeke, give glory to his praise, that is, make his praise glorious and honourable. A like phrase is in Ios. 7. 19. put glory to Iehovah, that is, give him glory. Vers. 3. fearefull is every, &c.] or, fearefull art thou in thy works. One word singular, and another plurall, meaneth exactly all and every one, as Psal. 57. 2. and 62. 5. falsly deny] or l. e, that is, fainedly submit: See Psal. 18. 45. Vers. 4. Let all] or, All shall. Vers. 5. in his doing] or, in practise; the Greek translateth, in counsels: See Psal. 9. 12. Vers. 6. sea to dry land] the red sea God turned to dry land by a strong east wind, dividing the waters, that Israel might goe thorow it, Exod. 14. 21, 22. thorow the river] Iarden, when the banks thereof were full, was dried; the waters stood still on an heape till all the people went thorow it, Ios. 3. 13, 14,—17. So the Chaldee explaineth it, [illegible: 1 word] the river [illegible: 1 word] the sonnes of Israel went on their feet. there did we rejoyce] he teacheth them to apply their fathers deliverances to themselves: for all things fore-written are for our learning and use, Rom. 15 4. Alike speech another Prophet useth, he found him in Rethel, and there he spake with us, Hos. 12. 4. The Chaldee paraphraseth, I will lead them to the mount of the house of the Sanctuary, there we will rejoyce in his Word. Vers. 7. espie] that is, watchfully view in the nations, that is, (as Solomon expoundeth it) in every place, both the evill (persons) and the good, Prov. 15. 3. the rebellious] or, the off-fallen, froward and refractarie persons, which exasperate and provoke the Lord to bitternesse, as the Greeke here translateth. exalt] or, be exalted (puft up) in themselves. Vers. 8. peoples] tribes of Israel, called also pe[illegible: 1 letter] ples, Act. 4. 27. make to bee heard] or, cause (men) to heare, sound forth audibly: See Psal. 26. 7. Vers. 9. That putteth our soule in life] that is, first giveth, then preserveth life, and finally, restoreth our dead soules unto life. Saving from dangers of death, Psal. 30. 4. quickning them that were dead in sinnes. Ephes. 2. 1. The Chaldee expounds it, the life of the world to com[illegible: 1 letter], given ou[illegible: 1 letter]foot to be moved] that is, suffered our estate to be changed to our ruine: So Psal. 38. 17. and 121. 3. See Psal. 15. 5. Vers. 10. as silver is tried] Hebr. as to try silver; and this meaneth sore afflictions, as at large is shewed, Ezek. 22. 19, 20, 21, 22. wherefore when God mentioneth lesser trialls, he saith, Loe, I have tried thee, but not as silver, Isa. 48. 10. Hereby also is meant a purifying from drosle and corruption by afflictions. See Mal. 3. 3. Zach. 13. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 7. Vers. 11. straightnes] or affliction, as the Greek also turneth it; but hereby a strait chaine or wringing girt may bee meant, such as burthens are tied with to beasts backs. Vers. 12. upon our head] to use us as beasts for to carry them; it meaneth servile subjection: See the like in Isa. 51. 23. came into fire and into waters] that is, passed thorow afflictions of sundry sorts, Psal. 32. 6. Ezek. 15. 6, 7. Also in Num. 31. 23. those things are said to come into (or passe thorow) fire, which would abide the same without being consumed, as metals. That sense hath also use here, as after is shewed. an abundant place] or, a moist, a well watered land, where we may drinke our fill. The Greeke calleth it a refreshing; which well fitteth with the comforts of the Gospell, as Act. 3. 29. Vers. 14. opened] that is, uttered, or promised distinctly and seriously, as the Greeke saith, distinguished: for the mouth being opened in vowes, signifieth that they may not be called backe, Iudg. 11. 35, 36. distresse upon me] or in my distresse: so Psal. 18. 7. and 59. 17. Vers. 15. marrowed rammes] that is, fat and lusty. The word rammes is in Hebrew set after the word incense: which may therefore be read, the incense (or perfume) of rams, meaning the fat which was burned on the altar. And so it may intend peace offerings, as before he mentioned burnt offerings: See Levit. 3. 9, 10, 11. compared with Levit. 1. 10,—13. The Chaldee expoundeth it, incense of spices, and sacrifices of Rams. make ready] or offer, as the Greeke interpreteth it. The Hebrew word to make or doe, is used for dressing or making ready of meat, or sacrifices, Gen. 18. 8. Iudg. 6. 19. Exod. 10. 25. and 29. 36. Levit. 16. 24. and 22. 23. beeves] the Hebrew bakar is the Beefe generally; one for many, as in Psal. 8. 9. These were the principall sacrifices, Lev. 1. 2, 10. Ver. 17. under my tongue] that is, with my tongue: or it may be meant of the heart and inward parts, which are under the tongue. Vers. 18. If I had seene in my heart] that is, had regarded with it: so to see, is to behold with a corrupt affection, Iob 31. 26. Thus God cannot see evill, Habak. 1. 13. would not have heard] for, God heareth not sinners, Iohn 9. 31. nor hypocrites, Iob 27. 8 9. Prov. 15. 29. The Greeke maketh it a wish, Let not the Lord heare me.