Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 30

1. I Will extol thee, O LORD, for thou hast lifted me up , and hast not made my foes to rejoyce over me .

Or, drawn up, to wit, out of the deep Pit, or Waters; to which great Dangers and Afflictions are frequently Compared.

Which they both desired, and Confidently expected an occasion to do.

2. O LORD my God, I cryed unto thee, and thou hast healed me .

(i. e.) Delivered me from the Fears and Troubles of my Mind, which are oft compared to Diseases, and from very dangerous Distempers of my Body.

3. O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave : thou hast kept me alive , that I should not go down to the pit .

My deliverance is a kind of Resurrection from the Grave, upon the very brink whereof I was.

This he adds to explain the former Phrase, which was Ambiguous.

(i. e.) into the Grave which is oft called, the Pit, as Psal. 28. 1. and 69. 15. and 88. 4. Isa. 38. 17.

Marginal references: Psal. 71. 20. & 86. 13.; Heb. H[illegible: 1+ letters]ll, so Gr.

4. Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness .

Or, at the mention, &c. When you call to mind, or when others Celebrate, as I do this day, the Holiness of God's Nature; which he Demonstrates by his Works▪ by his Faithfulness, Care, and Kindness towards his holy Ones.

Marginal references: Psal. 97. 12.; Or, to the Memorial.

5. For his anger endureth but a moment , in his favour is life : weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning .

Commonly the Afflictions which he sends upon his People are short; and last but for a few moments of their Lives.

Or, Life, (i. e.) Our whole Life, is in his Favour, (i. e.) He heapeth his Favours upon them, for the greatest part of their present Lives, and in the next Life which endures for ever; of which the Chalde[illegible: 1+ letters] Paraphrast, expounds this place. And indeed without the Consideration of eternal Life, the difference between the duration of the Afflictions, and of the Happiness of God's people, were neither so Evident nor Considerable, as David here makes it. Life is oft put for along and Happy time, as Psal. 34. 12. and 133. 3. Prov. 3. 2. and for an Eternal and immortal Duration, 2 Tim. 1. 10. Iam. 1. 12. And in Civil Affairs; Estates for Life are opposed to those that are but for a short time.

(i. e.) It comes speedily and in due season.

Marginal references: Heb. there is but a moment in his Anger.; Isa. 26. 20. & 54. 7, 8. 2 Cor. 4. 17.; Heb. in the Evening.; Heb. singing.

6. And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved .

I thought my self past all Danger of further Changes, forgetting my own Frailty, and the uncertainty of all Worldly things.

Marginal references: Job. 29▪ 18.

7. LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong , thou didst hide thy face , and I was troubled .

Thou hast so firmly settled me in my Kingdom: which he calls his Mountain; Partly, because Kingdoms are usually called Mountains in Prophetical writings, as Psal. 46. 3, 4. Isa: 2. 2. Ier. 51. 25. Dan. 2. 34, 35. 44, 45, and Partly, with respect to Mount Sion, where he built his Royal Palace, the Dedication whereof is mentioned in the Title of the Psalm.

(i. e.) Withdraw thy Favour and Help.

I was quickly brought into such Distresses of Body, and Anxiety of Mind, that I saw the Vanity of all my Carnal Confidences.

Marginal references: Heb. settled strength for my Mountain.; Psal. 46. 4, 5. & 48. 1, 2, 3. & 87▪ 5.; Psal. 104. 29.

9. What profit is there in my blood , when I go down to the pit ? shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

To wit, unto thee, as the latter part of the Verse explains it. What wilt thou gain by it?

(i. e.) In my violent Death, as Blood is frequently used, as Gen. 37. 26. Numb. [illegible: 1+ letters]5. 33. Ios. 20. 3. 1 Sam. 25. 26. 33. Mat. 27. 6.

When I dye. See above, on v. 3. Shall they that are Dead, or gone down into the Dust, Celebrate thy Faithfulness and Goodness in the Land of the Living? Or, shall my Dust or Dead Corps praise thee? No Lord, shouldest thou cut me off in the beginning of my Reign, thy Name would lose the Praises, which many will return to thee for my Life, and be exposed to Reproaches, as if thou hadst not kept thy Word with me: and I should lose those Opportunities of praising thy Name, and serving my Generation, which I prize above my Life.

Marginal references: Psal. 6. 5. & 88. 11. & 115. 17.

11. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my saccloth , and girded me with gladness .

Having related his Prayer, he now declares the gracious Answer which God gave him.

(i. e.) Given me occasion to put off that Saccloth; which they used to wear in times of Mourning. See Esth. 4. 1. Psal. 35. 13. Isa 32. 11. Ioel, 1. 13.

Either, with Garments of Gladness, or Rejoycing: Or, with joy, as with a Garment surrounding me, on every side; as he is for the like Reason, said to be girded with strength, Psal. 18. 32.

Marginal references: Isa. 61. 3.

12. To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent; O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

My Soul: Or, rather my Tongue, to which both singing and silence most properly belong. See on Psal. 7. 5. and 16. 9.

Marginal references: That is, my Tongue, Or, my Soul.