Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 116

2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live .

Heb. in my days, as long as I have a day to live, as this phrase is used a Kings 20. 19. Isa. 39. 8. Comp. Iob 27. 6.

Marginal references: Heb. in my days.

3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me : I found trouble and sorrow.

Dangerous and deadly calamities, as bitter as death. Or, the cords of death.

Or, of the grave, or, of death, either killing pains: or, such agonies and horrors as dying persons use to feel within themselves.

Heb. found me, i. e. surprised me. Having been long pursuing me, at last they overtook me and seized upon me, and I gave up my self for lost.

Marginal references: Psal. 18. 56.; Heb. found me.

5 Gracious is the LORD , and righteous : yea, our God is merciful.

This he mentions either, 1. as that which he found by experience in answer to his prayers: or, 2. as the argument by which he encouraged himself to pray.

Therefore he will maintain me and my just cause against my unrighteous oppressors, and perform his promises, and save those who faithfully serve him and put their trust in him.

6 The LORD preserveth the simple : I was brought low, and he helped me.

Sincere and plain-hearted persons, who dare not use those frauds and crasty and wicked artifices in saving themselves or destroying their enemies, but wait upon God with honest hearts in his way and for his time of deliverance. Which was the case of David, who, though he had the prospect and promise of the Kingdom, yet would not make haste to it by indirect courses, as by cutting off Saul, when he had great provocation and fair opportunity to do it: of which see 1 Sam. 24. & 26. Such persons he calls simple or foolish, as this word is commonly rendred, not because they are really so, but because the world esteems them so.

7 Return unto thy rest , O my soul, for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.

Unto that tranquillity of mind and cheerful confidence in Gods promises and providence, which thou didst once enjoy.

Marginal references: Psal. 13. 6.

8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling .

My self.

To wit, into mischief and the pit of destruction.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] 56. 13.

9 I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living .

Or, I shall walk, &c. This is either, 1. the Psalmists promise to God in requital of the favour last mentioned, I will therefore please God, as this phrase is used Gen. 5. 24. comp. with Heb. 11. 5. Gen. 17. 1. I will devote my self to the worship and service of God. Or, 2. his thankful acknowledgment of Gods further favour. Though I be now banished from the place of thy presence and worship, yet I assure my self that I shall be restored to it, and shall spend my days in thy house and service, which is the one thing that I desired above all other things, Psal. 27. 4.

Amongst living men in this world. See on Psal. 27. 13.

10 I believed , therefore have I spoken : I was greatly afflicted .

To wit, Gods promise of deliverance and of the Kingdom made to me by Samuel, which I was confident he would perform in spight of discouragements and difficulties.

So these words are translated, as by others, so by the Apostle, 2 Cor. 4. 13. I have spoken, either 1. what I have now said, v. 9. or 2. what I have uttered to others concerning Gods promises made to me. Which I was not ashamed nor afraid to publish when I had occasion, because I was fully perswaded that God would make them good.

Or, when I was, &c. or, although I was, &c. such particles being very frequently understood. The sence is, And this I did even in the midst of many and sore afflictions.

Marginal references: Cor. 4. 13.

11 I said in my haste , All men are liars .

Yet once I confess I spake very unadvisedly.

Through hastiness and precipitation of my mind, for want of due consideration, as the same phrase is used, Psal. 31. 22. Or, in my terror or amazement, when I was discomposed and distracted with the greatness of my troubles.

The sence is either, 1. All men, yea even my former friends and companions, prove deceitful and perfidious, all humane help faileth me; so that my case is desperate, if God do not help me. Or, 2. All men, Gods own Prophets not excepted, are liable to mistakes by the condition of their nature, as they are men, and therefore may easily deceive others; and this might be the case of Samuel in his promise of the Kingdom to me. Thus he questions the truth of Gods promises, yet so as he doth not strike directly at God, but onely reflects upon the instrument.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] 3. 4.

12 What shall I render unto the LORD, for all his benefits towards me ?

Yet notwithstanding all my dangers and my distrust of God too, God hath conferred so many and great blessings upon me, that I can never make sufficient returns to him for them.

13 I will take the cup of salvation , and call upon the Name of the Lord .

I will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving to God, as this phrase seems to be explained below, v. 17. where the latter clause of the verse is the same with that which here follows. The phrase is taken from the common practice of the Jews in their Thank-offerings, in which a Feast was made of the remainders of the Sacrifices, and the Offerers, together with the Priests, did eat and drink before the Lord, and amongst other Rites, the Master of the Feast took a cup of wine into his hand, and solemnly blessed God for it and for the mercy which was then acknowledged, and then gave it to all the guests, who drunk successively of it. See 1 Chron. 16. 2, 3. To which custom it is supposed that our blessed Saviour alludes in the institution of the Cup, which also is called the Cup of blessing, 1 Cor. 10. 16. which is in effect the same with the Cup of salvation. This Metaphor of a Cup is used both of afflictions, as Psal. 11. 6. & 75. 9. and of comforts, as Psal. 23. 5. Ier. 16. 8.

Or, publish or preach in or of the name of the Lord, i. e. his gracious nature and the great things which he hath done for me. For he speaks of praise rather than of prayer, as appears both from the former clause, and by comparing v. 17.

14 I will pay my vows unto the LORD, now in the presence of all his people .

The praises and sacrifices which I vowed to God in the time of my distress.

That they who heard my vows, or understood them by the report of others, might be witnesses of my payment of them, and not be scandalized by my unfaithfulness in that matter.

15 Precious in the sight of the LORD, is the death of his saints.

He sets an high price upon it, he will not readily grant it to those that greedily seek it; and if any son of violence procure it, he will make him pay very dearly for it; and when the Saints suffer it for Gods sake, as they frequently do, it is a most acceptable Sacrifice to God, and highly esteemed by him. Thus, the blood of Gods people is said to be precious in his sight, Psal. 72. 14. And, in the same sence, the life of a man is said to be precious in his eyes who spareth and preserveth it, as 1 Sam. 26. 21. 2 Kings 1. 13. Gods people are precious in his eyes, both living and dying, for whether they live, they live unto the Lord, or whether they die, they die unto the Lord, Rom. 14. 8.

16 O LORD, truly I am thy servant , I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid : thou hast loosed my bonds .

This is either, 1. an argument used in prayer, It becometh thee to protect and save thy own servants, as every good master doth: or rather, 2. a thankful acknowledgment of his great obligations to God, whereby he was in duty bound, to be the Lords faithful and perpetual servant. For this suits best with the context.

Either, 1. the son of a mother who was devoted and did devote me to thy serviet. Or, 2. like one born in thy house of one of thy servants, and so thine by a most strict and double obligation.

Thou hast rescued me from mine enemies, whose captive and vassal I was, and therefore hast a just right and title to me and to my service.

Marginal references: Psal. 86. 16.

18 I will pay my vows unto the LORD, now in the presence of all his people .

And as I said before, so I now repeat my promise, for the greater assurance, and to lay the stricter obligation upon my self.