Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 16:4

4. Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another God : their drink offrings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.

Or, that present, or endow (as this Verb signifies, Exod. 22. 16.) another God, to wit, with Oblations, as it follows. God is not expressed in the Hebrew text, but seems fitly and necessarily to be understood, because of the following Offerings, which are made to none that is not either really or by Reputation a God. The Sence is, Idolaters, notwithstanding all their zeal or cost about their Idols, gain nothing to themselves, but abundance of sorrow and misery. This he mentioneth partly as one Reason, why he would have no fellowship with them in their Idolatrous worship, which he adds in this Verse: and partly that by this Comparison he might illustrate and commend his own Happiness, in having the Lord for his Portion, of which he speaks, v. 5, 6. Or thus, let their sorrows be multiplied, &c. Having shewed his great Respect and Affection to the Saints, and excellent Servants of the true God, he now declares what an abhorrency he had for those that forsake the true God, and worship Idols. To whom he wisheth increase of their sorrows, whereby they may either be awakened and converted to the Lord again, or may be cut off; if they be impenitent and incorrigible.

Under which he comprehends all their Offerings, the reason being for Substance the same in all: but he mentions these particularly, because of a special Corruption in them above their other Sacrifices, to wit, that the very matter of them was unlawful, as we shall see: Which also might serve both to convince and deter those Israelites which harkened after Idolatry, and made no Conscience of maintaining Communion with Idolaters, which was the Case of many of them in Saul's time; and to justifie himself for his Detestation of them, and of all fellowship with them.

In which the Gentiles used (as divers learned men have observed) to Offer and sometimes to drink part of the Blood of their Sacrifices, whether of Beasts or of Men, as either of them were Sacrificed. Which must needs be very hateful to God, because he had so severely forbidden the drinking of Blood to his people either at their Sacrifices, or in their common Food.

(i. e.) Of those other Gods mentioned before. I abhor the very name and memory of them. Not that he thought it unlawful to name these Idols, which is frequently done by the holy Prophets, but to express the odiousness of the thing by his loathing of the very name and shadow of them. Compare Exod. 23. 13. Deut. 12. 3. Hos. 2. 16, 17. Eph. 5. 3. Or the Sence is, I will not swear by them: For taking up ones names is used for swearing, Exod. 20. 7.

Marginal references: Or, give gift to [illegible: 1 word].; Josh. 23. 7.