Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 63

1 O God, thou art my God , early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee , my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is .

In Covenant with me.

Heb▪ in the Morning. Which implies the doing it with greatest Diligence and Speed, taking the first, and the best time for it, as Iob 8. 5. Psal. 78. 34. Prov. 1. 28.

(i. e.) For the Presence and Enjoyment of thee, in thi[illegible: 1+ letters]e House and Ordinances, as the next Verse declareth it.

Or, languisheth, or Pineth away. The desire of my Soul after thee, is so Vehement and insariable, that my very Body feels the Effects of it, as it commonly doth of all great Passions.

So called; Either. 1. Metaphorically; In a Land where I want the refreshing Waters of the Sanctuary. Or, 2. Properly: I thirst not so much for Water (which yet I greatly want) as for thee.

Marginal references: Psal. 42. 2. & 143. 6.; Heb. weary.; Heb. without Water.

2 To see , thy power and thy glory , so as I have seen thee , in the sanctuary.

(i. e.) To enjoy, as seeing is oft taken.

Either, 1. The Ark, which is called God's Strength and Glory, 1 Sam. 4. 21. 1 Chron. 16. 11. Psal. 78. 61. Or rather, 2. The powerful and glorious Effects, and Evidences of thy gracious Presence there.

Whereof I have formerly had great and Comfortable Experience; which makes me more sensible of my present loss, and more Thirsty after those enjoyments.

3 Because thy loving kindness is better than life : my lips shall praise thee n.

This is the Reason of the foregoing thirst after God. [illegible: 1+ letters] (i. e.) The Discoveries and Influences of thy Grace and Favour, which thou usually impartest to thy People in the Sanctuary.

Is more durable and Comfortable, and Satisfactory than the present Life, with all imaginable Advantages belonging to it.

Both for my former Tasts and Experiences of this Truth; and for the assurance of my Restitution, to the same blessed Enjoyments.

4 Thus will I bless thee, while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name .

(i. e.) So as I have done and now do. Or, upon that occasion, when I shall be restored. Or, for this Reason, being so sensible of the sweetness of thy Favour. Or, certainly: For this Particle is sometimes used, as a note of Asseveration, as it is, Psal. 127. 2. Isa. 16. 6.

Towards thee in Heaven, in Prayers and Praises.

According to thy Command. Or, with Confidence in thy Name.

5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness: and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.

When thou shalt fulfil my earnest Desire of enjoying thee in the Sanctuary: though now in my exile I Groan and Pine away for want of that Mercy.

Marginal references: Psal. 103. 5.; Heb. Fatnesses.

6 When I remember thee upon my bed , and meditate on thee in the night-watches .

In the mean time, whilst I cannot enjoy thee, I will Quiet and Comfort my self with the Thoughts, and Remembrance of thy Kindness to me.

Heb. Upon my Beds, implying that he was frequently forced to change his Bed and Lodging, being driven from place to place.

In the several seasons of the Night, which was divided into three or four Watches; of which see Exod. 14. 24. Iudg. 7. 19. Mark 13. 35. When others sleep securely, my sleep is interrupted by my Perplexity and Grief, for my absence from thy House, and when I awake, my Thoughts are fixed upon thee, &c.

Marginal references: Psal. 42. 8. & 119. 55.

7 Because thou hast been my help; therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoyce .

I will rest securely and joyfully in thy Protection.

8 My soul followeth hard after thee : thy right hand upholdeth me .

(i. e.) Pursueth thee Eagerly and Diligently, and Resolvedly, and as it were step by step, when thou seemest to run away from me: Which is the Emphasis of this Hebrew word. My Soul and Spirit cleaveth to thee, as this Verb signifies, Gen. 2. 24. [illegible: 1 word]. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. 11. when my Body is absent from thy Sanctuary.

I do not lose my [illegible: 1+ letters]abour in following hard after thee; for though I am not yet restored to the Enjoyment of thy Presence in thy House, yet I have present supports from thee, whereby my Spirit is kept from sainting under my m[illegible: 1+ letters]nifold Pressures, and is enabled with Faith and Patience to wait upon thee, till thou seest fit to deliver me.

9. But those that seek my soul to destroy it , shall go into the lower parts of the earth .

(i. e.) To take away my Life.

Either, 1. Into Hell. Or rather, 2. Into their Grave, as this Phrase is used, Ez[illegible: 1+ letters]k. 31. 14. 18. But how is this true, when they are supposed to be devoured by Foxes, v. 10. Ans. This may be understood; Either, 1. Of divers Persons. Some of their slain might be Buried, and others lye unburied. Or, 2. Of the same Persons; they did go into the Earth, but not immediately, but were first devoured of Foxes, and the remainders of them were Buried, as is frequently done in such Cases. Or, this Phrase may note not so much the Place, as the State, of the Dead; this being universally said of those that dye, whether they are buried or unburied, that they return to the Earth or Dust, Iob 1. 21. Eccles. 12. 7.

10. They shall fall by the sword , they shall be a portion for foxes .

(i. e.) Dye in Battel, as David foretold, 1 Sam: 26. 10. and as was Accomplished in Saul, and his followers, who were David's greatest Enemies, 1 Sam. 31.

Their Carkasses shall be unburiedupon the Earth, and thereb become a prey to Wild and Ravenous Creatures, and e[illegible: 1+ letters]pecially to Foxes, which were in those Parts in great abundance; and which did and do seed not onely upon Fruits, Cant. 2. 15. but also upon Flesh, as Experience sheweth. Besides some very Learned men think that the Word rendred, Foxes, is more general and Comprehends, besides Foxes, another sort of Creatures, like unto them called [illegible: 1 word], which were very numerous in this Country: Of which see on Iudg. 15. 4.

Marginal references: Heb. they shall make him run out like water by the Hands of the Sword.

11. But the king shall rejoyce in God, every one that sweareth by him : shall glory : but the mouth of them that speak lyes , shall be stopped .

I who am already anointed King, and who shall be actually King, when these mine Enemies are fallen by the Sword. He speaks of himself in the third Person, either out of Modesty; or out of Prudence, because it was Ambiguous, and might be understood; Either of himself, or of Soul, whereby he might avoid the Envy of the Expression; if this Psalm was Composed before he was King.

Either, 1. By the King; by whom they sometimes did swear, as Gen. 42. 15. 2 Sam. 15. 21. But they did also swear by some other Persons, of Eminent Place and Authority, though under the King, as 1 Sam. 1. 26. and 20. 3. Nor is it likely, that the Psalmist would justifie those kinds of Oaths, this Practise of swearing by ones Name, being Accounted a part of that Worship which is proper to God, both in the Old and New Testament. If this were meant of the King, it might better be rendred, that sweareth to (for so the Particle Beth is sometimes used) him, as Subjects used to swear Homage to their Prince. So the Sence is: All those that shall own me for their King. Or, 2. By God, who was last mentioned, that sweareth by the Name of God, to wit, in Truth, and Iudgment, and Righteousness, as it is expressed, I[illegible: 1+ letters]r 4. 2. (i. e.) Every sincere Servant and Worshipper of God; Swearing, being oft put for the whole Worship of God, whereof it is a Considerable part, and Sw[illegible: 1+ letters]arers by God for Worshippers of him, as Isa. 19. 18. and 45. 23. Compared with Rom. 14. 11. and Isa. 65. 16.

Shall rejoyce in my Deliverance and Exaltation, both for their Respect to the Honour and Service of God, which I shall advance, and for the Benefits which all good Men, and the whole Kingdom shall feel by my Government, whereas in Saul's time the vilest Men were exalted, and good Men oppressed and Persecuted, and the whole Kingdom Groaned under his Tyranny.

That now make it their Business to invent or spread lying and slanderous Reports, concerning me and others of God's People.

I shall severely restrain and punish such wicked Practises.