Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 34

1. I Will bless the LORD at all times : his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

I will never forget to bless God for this miraculous Deliverance.

2. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD : the humble shall hear thereof and be glad .

Shall glory in this, that I have so powerful and so gracious a Lord and Master.

Or, the Meek, (i. e.) The Godly, oft called in Scripture by that Title; and particularly my Friends and Favourers in Israel, whom he thus calls in Opposition, to his proud and furious Adversaries, in Saul's Court and Camp.

Both for their Love to me, and to the publick good of Israel, which they know that I design and seek above all things; and for the Comfort and Benefit of my example to them, in like Straits and Difficulties.

3. O magnifie the LORD with me , and let us exalt his name together .

Joyn your Praises with mine, O all ye humble Ones.

Not in place, for David was now banished from the place of God's publick Worship, but in Affection and Work: Let our Souls meet, and let our Praises meet in the Ears of the all-hearing God. Or, alike, (i. e.) With equal Zeal and Fervency; let none be willing to be out stripped by another.

5. They looked unto him , and were lightned , and their faces were not ashamed .

The humble, v. 2. Or they fear him, v. 7. when they were in Distress. Or, it is an indefinite Expression.

Either, 1. Unto the Lord, expressed v. 4. (i. e.) They sought and expected Help from him. Or rather, 2. Unto this po[illegible: 1+ letters]r Man, as it follows, v. 6. or unto David. So he speaks of himself in the third Person, which is usual. So the Sence is, when I was delivered, v. 4. men looked upon me, with wonder and Astonishment, as one saved in a prodigious manner.

(i. e.) Comforted and encouraged by my Example. But these and the foregoing Words are by the antient Interpreters, read Imperatively, as an Exhortation to others, to whom he oft addresseth his Speech, as v. 3 8, 9, 11. Look unto him, (with an Eye of Faith and Prayer) and [illegible: 1+ letters]e ye inlightned, (i. e.) Take Comfort in the Expectation of Mercy from him. And then the last Words they render thus, and your (Heb. their. But the Change of Persons, is very frequent in this Book) Fear shall not be ashamed.

They were not disappointed of their Hope, but found Relief, as I did.

Marginal references: Or, [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] unto him. [illegible: 1 word] 31. 16.

6. This poor man cryed, and the LORD heard him; and saved him out of all his troubles.

(i. e.) David, of whom they that looked, &c. v. 5. spake these Words.

7. The Angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

(i. e.) The Angels, the singular number being put for the plural, as it is, Psal. 78. 45. and 105. 33. 40. for it is both improper and unusual, to ascribe encamping, and that round about all good Men, to one created Angel. And we find many Angels employed in this Work, Gen. 32. 1, 2. 2 Kings 6. 1[illegible: 1+ letters].

Guardeth them from Dangers on every side; to which work they are appointed by God. Heb. 1. 14.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1+ letters]ech. 9. 8. &c [illegible: 1 word]. 32. 1, [illegible: 1 word] ▪ Kin 6. 17.

8. O tast and see that the LORD is good : blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

(i. e.) Consider it seriously, and thoroughly, and affectionately; make tryal of it, by your own and others Experiences. This is opposed to those sleight and vanishing Thoughts, which men have of it.

(i. e.) Merciful and Gracious, to wit, to all his people.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 2. 3.; [illegible: 1 word]. 2. 12.

9. O fear the LORD , ye his Saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

(i. e.) Reverence, and serve him, and trust in him: for Fear is Commonly put for all the parts of God's Worship.

10. The young lyons do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing .

Either, 1. Properly, See Iob 4. 11. Or, 2. Metaphorically so called, the great Potentates of the Earth, who are oft so called, as Ier. 2. 15. Ezek. 38. 13. Nah. 2. 1[illegible: 1+ letters].

Which is necessary and truly good for them, all Circumstances Considered: of which God alone is a competent Judge: And therefore although God doth usually take a special Care, to supply the wants of good Men, and hath oft done it, by extraordinary ways, when ordinary have failed, yet sometimes he knows, and it is certainly true, that Wants and Crosses are more needful, and useful to them than Bread, and in such Cases it is a greater mercy of God, to deny them supplies, than to grant them.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 10, 11. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word].

11. Come ye children , hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD .

Whom I love as mine own Children, and who own me as your Civil Father, your Prince; see 2 Kings 5. 13. and as your spiritual Father, a Prophet: for the Disciples of the Prophets were called their Sons. 2 Kings 2. 3.

(i. e) The true and principal way of Worshipping and serving God with his Acceptation, and to your own Salvation.

12. What man is he that desireth life , and loveth many days, that he may see good ?

To wit, seriously and in good earnest, so as to be willing to use any indeavours which shall be prescribed to him: For otherwise the question were needless▪ for there is no man but desires it, at least Coldly and Faintly.

A long and happy Life, begun in this World and continued for ever in the next. And thus Life is oft used, as Psal. 16. 11. and 30. 5.

Heb. Loveth days to see (i. e. In which he may see, i. e. Enjoy) Good, to wit, Prosperity or Happiness.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1+ letters] Pet. 3. 10.

13. Keep thy tongue from evil , and thy lips from speaking guile .

From all manner of evil speaking, from all opprobrious, injurious, false and deceitful Speeches: Which, though men Commonly use to ease and gratifie their own Minds, or to Compass their Designs, do frequently fall upon their own Heads, by provoking both God and Men against them.

Or, guileful Words, contrary to thy Intentions, and with a purpose of deceiving men by them.

14. Depart from evil , and do good : seek peace , and pursue it .

(i. e.) From all sin, and especially from all wicked and injurious Acts, and practises against thy Neighbour.

Be ready to perform all good and friendly Offices to all Men, as thou hast Opportunity.

Study by all means possible, to live peaceably and quietly with all Men, avoiding Grudges, Debates, Dissensions, Strifes and Enmities.

Do not only embrace it gladly when it is offered, but follow hard a[illegible: 1+ letters]r [illegible: 1+ letters]t, when it seems to flee away from thee, and use all possible indeavours by fair Words▪ by Condescensions, and by the Mediation or Assistance of others to recover it, and to Compose all Differences which may arise, between thee and others. It is here observable, that whereas he said he would Teach them the Fear of the Lord, v. 11. the Lessons he teacheth them, v. 13, 14: are only such as concern Men. Not that he meant to exclude Duties of piety towards God, which he every where enjoyneth and presseth as most necessary, but only to Teach us, what is oft inclucared, both in the Old and New Testament, that sincere Religion towards God, is always accompanied with a Conscientious discharge of our Duties to men; and to Convince the Hypocritical Iraelites, and particularly his Adversaries, that so long as it was their daily Course and Practise, to speak and Act all manner of Evil against him, and other good Men, all their pretences to Religion, were but vain.

Marginal references: Psal. 37. 27:; Heb. 12. 14.

15. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous , and his ears are open unto their cry.

This is added to prove his last Assertion, to wit, that the practice of these Duties, v. 13, 14. is the true and best, and indeed the only way to see that good proposed and promised, v. 21. both because such righteous Persons, howsoever they may meet with Affronts and Injuries, from Men, are under the special Care and Favour of God, in this Verse; and those who do the Evils there forbidden, shall find to their cost, that God is their Enemy, v. 16.

Marginal references: Job 36. 7: Psal. 33. 18. 1▪ Pet. 3. 1[illegible: 1+ letters].; Neh. 8. 3.

16. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil , to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth .

(i. e.) His Anger, oft called his Fa[illegible: 1+ letters]e, as Levit. 17. 10. and 20. 5. Ier. 44. 11. Lam. 4. 16. because Anger discovers it self in the Face.

(i. e.) Whose common Course and study, and business it is to do Evil: For else [illegible: 1 word] is not a just man upon Earth, that doth good and sinneth not, Eccles. 7 20.

Heb. They cry, to wit, the righteous, as is manifest both from the Nature of the thing, and from v. 15. where they are so called, and with which this Verse is to be continued, the 16th. Verse coming in by way of parenthesis, as is very usual in many places of Scripture.

m Utterly to deprive both them and their Children, of that Worldly Happiness; which is the only thing that they desire, and seek, by their wicked Courses.

Marginal references: Jer. 44. 11. Am. 9. 4.

18. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart: and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit .

Ready to hear and succour them; though by the severe Course of his Providence towards them, he seems to themselves and others to stand afar off, as David complains, Psal. 10. 1.

By which he understands, Either, 1. Those whole Spirits are oppressed, and even broken with the greatness of their Calamities. But this may be▪ and frequently is the Lot of wicked Men. And therefore in this Sence, and to such Persons, this Proposition and Promise is not true: Or rather, 2. Those whose Hearts or Spirits are truly and deeply humbled, under the hand of God and the Sence of their sins, and God's displeasure for them, which was David's Case, Psal. 6. 1. &c. and 32. 3, 4. whose proud and self-willed Hearts are subdued, and made obedient to God's Will, and submissive to his Providence. For to all such, and to such onley, this Promise is verified.

Marginal references: Heb. to the [illegible: 1 word] of Heart.; Heb. Contrite of Spirit.

20. He keepeth all his bones ; not one of them is broken .

(i. e.) All the Parts and Members of their Bodies, which are Synecdochically expressed by the Bones, which are the stay and strength of the rest.

God will not suffer any Mischief to be al him: though he may be oft afflicted, yet, he shall not be destroyed. But these Words, though they are here spoken of the righteous M[illegible: 1+ letters]n in general, of whom they are true in a [illegible: 1 word] Sence; yet they had a further meaning in them, being designed by the Spirit of God, which Dictated to David, not onely the Matter, but the very Words and Expressions, to signifie a great Mystery, that none of Christ's Bones should be broken; to which purpose they are alledged, Io[illegible: 1+ letters]. 19. 36.

21. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous , shall be desolate.

Either, 1. The Evil of sin: his own wickedness though designed against others, shall destroy himself. Or, 2. The Evil of Misery. When the afflictions of good Men, shall have an happy Issue, theirs shall end in their total and final Destruction.

That persecute them, and Plot their Ruine; which is an Evidence that they hate them, whatsoever they may pretend to the contrary.

Marginal references: Psal. [illegible: 1+ letters]4. 23.; Or, shall be [illegible: 1 word].

22. The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants : and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

(i. e.) Their Lives or their Persons from the malicious Designs of all their Enemies, and from Desolation or utter Ruine, as it follows.

Marginal references: Psal. 97. 10.