Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 8:2

2. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength , because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger .

Either 1. Properly such. For there is much of God's Glory seen in Infants in their Conception and strange Progress from small and contemptible Beginnings, in their Preservation and Nourishment in the dark Cell of the Womb, in their bringing forth, and bringing up, in providing Breasts and Milk for them, and keeping them from innumerable Dangers, from which they are utterly unable to keep themselves. But this though it sets forth God's Praise, yet how it stills the Enemy and Avenger, seems not clear. Or rather 2. Metaphorically so called, babes not so much in age and years, as in disposition and condition, weak and foolish, and contemptible and harmless Persons, who are very frequently called Babes or Children, as 2. Chron. 13. 7. Prov. 1. 4. Eccles. 10. 16. Isa. 3. 4. Mat. 18. 3. [illegible: 1+ letters]ph. 4. 14. &c. For such are very unfit to grapple with an Enemy: and therefore when such Persons conquer the most powerful and malicious Enemies, it must needs exceedingly confound and silence them, and mightily advance the Glory of God: as indeed it did, when such mean and obscure Persons as the Apostles, and Ministers, and Disciples of Christ were, did maintain and propagate the Gospel in spight of all the Wi[illegible: 1+ letters], and Power, and Rage of their Enemies. See 1. Cor. 1. 25, 27, 28, 29. And of such Babes as these Christ himself expounds this place, Mat 21. 16. Of which more, God willing, upon that place.

Or, thou hast sounded (or confirmed, or established, or firmly setled, or fitted, or pe[illegible: 1+ letters]fected, as it is rendered by the LXX and vulgar Latin here, and by St. Matthew, Ch. 21. 16. (i. e.) perfectly or firmly setled) Strength: By which he seems to understand either 1. The Celebration or Praise of his Strength or Power, by comparing this with Mat. 21. 16. where it is rendered Praise. So it is onely a Metonymy of the Adjunct, which is most frequent in Scripture and all Authors. And so the word Strength seems to be taken Psal. 29. 1. and 96. 7. Or 2. A strong and mighty Kingdom, the Abstract being put for the Concrete, than which nothing is more frequent, even the Kingdom of Christ, or his Gospel, which is oft called the Arm or Power of God, as Psal. 110. 2. Isa. 53. 1. 1. Cor. 1. 18, 24. And this Kingdom being an everlasting, and invincible, and all-conquering Kingdom, Dan. 2. 44. it is no wonder it is here called Strength. And this Gospel or Kingdom is here said to be founded or established, not by the Hands or valiant Actions of Men of Might, as other Kingdoms are, but meerly by the [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] Babes, &c. (i. e.) by the Words and Discourses of Christ's Apostles and Disciples. Which is justly observed and celebrated here as a wonderful Work of God.

(i. e.) Silence, and Confound, and Conquer, either by Convincing and Converting them, or by destroying them.

The Enemies of God and of his People, the Devil, the head of them, whose Kingdom and Power is abolished by this means, and all Men who fight under his Banner against God and Christ and his Members.

Which Title most truly and fitly agrees, first [illegible: 1+ letters]o the Devil, who being sente[illegible: 1+ letters]d by God to eternal Flames, and Conquered, and Tormented by Christ, maketh it his great business to revenge himself, which because he cannot do upon God and Christ, he indeavours to do it upon their Servants and Children; and next, to all these Men who are his Vassals and espouse his Quarrel; who also are provoked and conceive, though falsly, that they are injured by the Gospel, and by the Pr[illegible: 1+ letters]achers, Professors, and Pr[illegible: 1+ letters]ctisers of it, and therefore seek to revenge themselves o[illegible: 1+ letters] them. Whereof we have an eminent Instance, [illegible: 1+ letters]evel. 11. 10. Compare Heb. 11. 37.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 21. 16.; [illegible: 1 word]. [illegible: 1 word].; [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] to [illegible: 1 word]