Henry Ainsworth on Psalms 94

PSAL. XCIV.

O God of vengeances, Iehovah; O God of vengeances, shine thou clearly. Be thou lifted up, O Iudge of the earth; render a reward unto the proud. How long shall the wicked, O Iehovah; how long shall the wicked shew gladnesse? Shall they utter, shall they speake a hard word; shall they boast themselves, all that work iniquity?

Thy people, Iehovah, they bruise in peeces, and afflict thine heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherlesse. And say, Iah shall not see, nor Iakobs God understand. Vnderstand yee brutish among the people; and unconstant fooles, when will ye be prudent? He that planted the eare, shall not he heare? or he that formed the eye, shall not he see? He that chastiseth the heathens, shall not he rebuke? he that teacheth man knowledge? Iehovah knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanitie. O blessed is the man, hee whom thou chastenest, O Iah, and teachest him out of thy law. To give him quietnesse from the daies of evill, untill a pit of corruption be digged for the wicked. For Iehovah will not leave his people, and will not forsake his inheritance. But judgement shall returne unto justice; and after it, all the upright in heart. Who will rise up for mee against evill doers? who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquitie? Vnlesse Iehovah had beene an helpfulnesse unto me, my soule had almost dwelt in silence. When I said, my foot is moved, thy mercy, Iehovah, staied me up. When many were my cogitations within me, thy consolations delighted my soule. Shall the throne of wofull evills have fellowship with thee, which frameth molestation by a decree? They runne by troups against the soule of the just, and condemne as wicked the innocent bloud. But Iehovah is to me for an high refuge; and my God, for the rocke of my safe hope. And he will returne upon them their iniquitie, and in their malice he will suppresse them: Iehovah our God will suppresse them.

Annotations. GOd of vengeances] to whom vengeance belongeth, as Deut. 32. 35. and which punishest evils. So elsewhere he is called the God of recompences, Ier. 51. 56. shine cleare] to our comfort, and our foes terrour. See Psal. 50. 2. and 80. 2. Vers. 2. be lifted up] on thy throne, and in thy just judgement. So Psal. 7. 7, 8. Vers. 4. Vtter] or talke lavishly, well out as a fountain: see Ps. 19. 3. Iam. 3. 11. a hard word] hard things, durable reproaches: See Psal. 31. 19. boast] or exalt themselves with speaking & applying things to their owne praise. This word is used in the good part, Esa. 61. 6. Vers. 9. that planted the eare] that is, made and set it in the body. So in Esa. 51. 16. he is said to plant the heavens. Vers. 10. man knowledge] here is to be understood, shall not he know? Such unperfect speeches through passion of minde, are often in Scripture, Psal. 6. 4. 2 Sam. 5. 8. supplied in 1 Chro. 11. 6. The Chaldee maketh this paraphrase, Is it possible that he hath given the Law to his people, and they not be rebuked when they sinne? Did not God teach the first man knowledge? Vers. 11. the thoughts of men] the inward disceptations and reasonings of all men, even the wisest. This sentence Paul alleageth against the wisedome of the world, 1 Cor. 3. 20. and as an expositor, in stead of men, he putteth the wise. Vers. 12. the man] Hebr. geber, the mighty. shastenest] or nurturest, instructest, as this word is Englished, Deut. 4. 36. which this place seemeth to have reference unto. For chastisement or restraint is by word or deed. And here the doctrine of Gods Law is opposed to all wise mens cogitations. Vers. 14. not leave his people] not give them over, or reject them, (as the Greeke turneth it,) to wit, those whom he hath foreknowen and chosen, because it hath pleased the Lord to make them his people; as 1 Sam. 12. 22. Rom. 11. 1, 2, &c. Vers. 15. judgement shall returne to justice] that is, severity to mercy: the rigour of the Law changed to the clemency of the Gospell. So judgement is often used for sentence of punishment, as Ier. 52. 9. and justice for grace and mercy: see Psal. 24. 5. Or, judgement, which in the affliction of Gods people, and prosperity of the wicked, seemeth to be parted from justice, shall returne unto it, when the godly are delivered, and the wicked punished. after it] so the Greeke turneth it; or, after him, meaning God. Vers. 16. who will rise up] or, who standeth up, namely, to assist me? meaning, no man doth. Vers. 17. an helpfulnesse] that is, a full helpe: see Psal. 44. 17. in silence] the place of stilnesse and silence, that is, the grave, as the Greeke explaineth it: so Psal. 115. 17. see also Psal. 49. 13. Vers. 18. is moved] or slippeth: see Ps. 38. 17. Vers. 19. my cogitations] my carefull troubled thoughts, perplexed as the branches of a tree, (for so the word properly signifieth,) therefore the Greeke turneth it sorrowes. So Ps. 139. 23. Vers. 20. of wofull evils] or of mischiefes, the mischievous tyrannous throne of the unrighteous Iudge, shall it have fellowship (or be joyned) with thee (O God) meaning, it shall not: as, Shalt thou build? 2 Sam. 7. 5. is, Thou shalt not build, 1 Chr. 17. 4. See also Psal. 5. 5. which frameth] or, he that frameth, or formeth. by a decree] or, for a statute, a law. V. 21. run by troupes] combine and gather together as banded to fight: in Greeke, they hunt for. V. 23. will turne] Hebr. hath turned, that is, will assuredly turne. in their malice] or, for their evill.