Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 4

1. HEar me when I call O God of my righteousness : thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress, have mercy upon me and hear my prayer.

Either the witness and defender of my righteous cause: Or, from whom I expect that righteous judgment and decision of my cause, which I cannot obtain from mine Enemies, who load me and my cause with mani[illegible: 1+ letters]old Injuries and Calumnies. Or, O my righteous God. Or, O God of my mercy; which title is given to God elsewhere, as Psal. 59. 10, 17, whereas this title, O God of my righteousness, is not given to God in any other place of Scripture. Psal. 59. 10, 17. O God, to whose mercy I owe all that I have or hope for: which was a very fit and powerful Argument in Prayer, and very agreeable to the following words, in which there is an acknowledgment of Gods former Mercies, and a petition for mercy. And so this and other words in Hebrew and Greek which properly signify righteousness, are oft used for mercy or kindness, as Isa. 58. 8. Psal. 31. 1. and 36. 10. 2. Cor. 9. 9. and in many other places.

(i. e.) Freed me from my former straits and troubles. So he urgeth God and strengtheneth his own Faith with his former Experiences.

Thou maist justly destroy me for my many and great sins, and therefore I flee from thy Justice to thy Mercy, on which all my hopes are grounded.

Marginal references: Psal. 25. [illegible: 1+ letters]. & 59. 10, 17. & 109. 1.; Or, be [illegible: 1 word] to me.

2. O ye sons of men , how long will ye turn my glory into shame ? how long will ye love vanity and seek after leasing ? Selah.

(i. e.) Princes and Potentates, as this Hebrew Phrase seems, and is thought to signify, who are engaged with Saul or Absalom against me.

Or, shall my Glory be for a shame, (i. e.) be made by you matter of reproach and scorn? By his Glory probably he means that high Honour and royal Majesty which God had either promised to him, or conferred upon him: wherewith, when he was in great straits and dangers, they might possibly reproach him in some sort as this, Is this the man, whom God so highly loves and honours and will exalt, who now flees from one Mountain or Cave to another, who runs away to the Philistins, whom his own Son hath banished out of the land? Is this the effect of his glorying and [illegible: 1+ letters]oasting of Gods favour and promises?

(i. e.) Affect and pursue these courses and designs of opposing me and my Kingdom, which you will certainly find to be vain and to no purpose.

Or, lying, the same thing with vanity; these two words being promiscuously used, as Psal. 62. 9. Only this seems to add some Emphasis, and to intimate the fair hopes and promising probabilities of Success which they had, and which aggravate their disappointment. Or, by lying, he may design those horrid Calumnies which the Partisons either of Saul or Absalom had raised against him, and which they joyned with their other Indeavours to make him odious to all the people, and so the better to effect his Ruine.

Marginal references: Psal. 6[illegible: 1+ letters]. 4.

3. But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly , for himself : the LORD will hear when I call unto him .

You fight not against me but against the Lord.

Or, hath wonderfully separated me, hath rejected the other royal Person and Family, and hath called me by name, and chosen me out of all the Tribes and Families of Israel, and out of my father's Family, though I was the youngest of them, and thought by Samuel and by my Father to be most remote from this Honour.

(i. e.) M[illegible: 1+ letters], whom, though you traduce and censure, as if I were an egregious Hypocrite and Impostor, who only pretended Religion for my own ambitious ends, God hath pronounced to be a man after his own heart, 1. Sam. 13. 14. And that I am such in [illegible: 1+ letters]ome good measure, both my own Conscience and the general course of my life bear me witness: Which testimony David gives to himself, not out of a vain-glorious humour, but meerly because he was constrained to it by the Calumnies of his Enemies, for his own just and necessary Vindication. Or [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word], as this word oft signifies: Him, whom [illegible: 1+ letters]e hath been pleased to chuse and advance, not for any worth or merit of mine, but out of his free grace and kindness to me; who therefore will maintain the work of his own hands and grace, although I cannot deny that I have been guil [illegible: 1+ letters] of divers frailties and miscarriages, for which God might justly reject me, if he should deal with me according to the rigours of his Justice.

Either 1. In his stead, or to be his [illegible: 1+ letters]icegerent, as all Kings are, and especially the Kings of Gods own People. Or rather 2. For his own service and glory, to fulfil all his will, as it is expressed, Acts 13. 22. Which may be spoken by way of opposition to Saul, who had no regard to God nor to his Will and Glory, but minded only his own honour and advantage.

Therefore I am assured that God will hear my Prayers and save me out of your hands.

4. Stand in awe , and sin not : commune with your own heart upon your bed , and be still . Selah.

Tremble therefore and be afraid, if not of me, yet at least of God, who hath engaged himself in my Cause or Quarrel, and will be an Adversary to my Adversaries, Or, be angry, as this word is here rendered by all the antient and some modern Translators, and, as it is thought, by the Apostles, Eph. 4. 26. Or, Are you angry, for it may be taken interrogatively: Admit you be angry or displeased that God hath preferred me an obscure Person and of a mean Family, before so many noble and mighty men, yet or but (as it follows) sin not; (i. e.) do not so far indulge your anger as to break forth into murmuring against god, or rebellion against me: but seasonably suppress and mortify your unadvised and sinful Passion, least it break forth to your own Ruine. This Hebrew word signifies in general a vehement commotion of the mind or heart, whether through grief, as 2. Sam. 18. 33. or fear, as Exod. 15. 14. Deut. 2. 25. or anger, as Gen. 45. 24. 2. Kings 19. 27, 28. Prov. 29. 9. Ezek. 16. 43.

By cherishing and prosecuting your anger and malice against me, and your Rebellion against Gods Authority.

Calmly and deeply consider these things in your own Breasts in the silent night, when you are at leasure from the croud of distracting business, and free from the company of crafty and dawbing Parasites.

Either 1. As to your outward Actions: for this Verb oft signifies a cessation of Actions, as Ios. 10. 13. Iob 30. 27. Proceed no further in your wicked speeches and contrivances against me. Or rather 2. As to your inward passions. Compose your tumultuous minds; as this Verb is used Psal. 37. 7. and 62. 2. and 137. 2. Suppress your anger and rage which though directed against me onely, yet is indeed against God and against his counsel and providence.

5. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness : and put your trust in the LORD .

To wit, unto God, that he may be reconciled to you, and may pardon all your Murmurings and Insurrections against him and against me. For it seems plain that this, as well as the former verse, is spoken not to David's friends and favourers, as some think, but to his enemies, even to those sons of men, v. 2. to whom he directeth his speech v. 3. But know, and v. 4. Stand in awe, and here Offer.

(i. e.) Righteous Sacrifices; which requires that the persons offering them be righteous and do righteous things, and offer them with an honest mind, and with faith (as it follows) and true repentance. Without which he intimates that all their Sacrifices were of no esteem with God, and would be wholy unprofitable to them. And withal, it is probable that he reflects upon the followers of Saul or of Absal[illegible: 1+ letters]m, who had the only place of Sacrifice in their possession, whilest David was debarred of the opportunity of sacrificing, as he complains, 1. Sam. 26. 19. and accordingly they gloried in their Sacrifices, and upon that account promised themselves success against David, who was by Gods providence deprived of the opportunities of reconciling and engaging God by Sacrifices.

(i. e.) And then (i. e.) so doing, you may rely upon God, and confidently expect his assistanee, which otherwise it is in vain for you to hope for. Withal he seems to reflect upon his Enemies who trusted to an arm of flesh, to their own great numbers and power, and to intimate what his course was, to wit, to trust in the Lord.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 51. 19. [illegible: 1 word]. 15. 8. [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word]. 2[illegible: 1+ letters]

6. There be many that say, who will shew us any good ? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us .

Either, 1. Of my own followers, who are weary of waiting upon God and ready to despair. Or rather, 2. Of mine Enemies, and of the body of the people, who were either engaged against him, or at least unconcerned for him, and sought only their own ease and advantage.

Heb. make or give us to see, (i. e.) to enjoy, as this phrase is frequently used, as Psal. 27. 13. and 34. 12. Eccles. 2. 1. and 3. 13.

(i. e.) Worldly good, as appears by the opposition of the light of Gods Countenance to it in the next words, and by the explication of it of Corn and Wine in the next verse. (i. e.) Who will put an end to our present Broil[illegible: 1+ letters] and Troubles and give us that tranquillity and outward happiness which is the [illegible: 1 word] thing [illegible: 1 word] we desire. Withal he may seem to intimate the reason and [illegible: 1 word] which induced so many persons to take [illegible: 1 word] against him which was their eager desire of Honour or [illegible: 1 word] Advantage, which they promised to themselves by appearing against [illegible: 1 word]. See 1. Sam. 22. 7.

(i. e.) Upon me and my Friends. Give us assurance of thy love and favour to us, and evidence it [illegible: 1 word] us by thy powerful and gracious assistance.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 6. 25. [illegible: 1 word] Psal. 21. 6. [illegible: 1 word] 44. 3. [illegible: 1 word] 67. 1.

7. Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their [illegible: 1 word] and their wine increased .

Whatsoever thou shalt do with me for the future, as to my outward distresses and concernments. I have at present unspeakable pleasure and full satisfaction in the impressions and testimonies of thy love in and to my Soul; whereby also I am encouraged with confidence to expect good success to my righteous Cause.

Than worldly Persons have in the time of a plen[illegible: 1+ letters]iful Harvest, which is a time of great rejoycing, Iudg. 9. 27. Isa. 9. 3. Ier. 48. 33.

8. I will both lay me down in peace , and sleep: for thou LORD onely makest me dwell in safety .

This word relates to the two following Verbs; as soon as I am laid down I will quietly compose my self to sleep; whereas many lye down upon their beds and cannot sleep through distracting cares or troubles. Or, in lik[illegible: 1+ letters] manner, (i. e.) as they do who have abundance of Corn and Wine, of whom he last spoke, Luke 12. 19.

Either 1. In outward peace or safety, as the next clause explains it. Or 2. In inward peace or tranquillity of mind, as Luke 2. 29. resting securely upon Gods promises, and the conduct of his wi[illegible: 1+ letters]e and gracious providence.

I owe not my safety to my own valour or wisdom, nor to the courage of my followers, but to thee onely. Or, thou Lord, makest me to dwell alone in safety: Either 1. [illegible: 1 word], or apart from mine Enemies. Compare Deut. 33. 28. Or rather, 2. Though I be in a manner alone, (i. e.) forsaken and destitute of friends or helpers, as that word is used Psal. 102. 7. Lam. 1. 1.

Marginal references: Psal. 3. 5.; Heb. [illegible: 1 word], or [illegible: 1 word].