Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 84:5

5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee : in whose heart are the ways of them .

Who trusteth in thee as his onely strength and refuge and portion. Or, who hath strength in (or rather for, as the Hebrew prefix Beth is frequently used, as hath been noted again and again) thee (i. e.) Who hath (or, who useth: for having is sometimes put for using; of which see Mat. 13. 12. 1 Cor. 7. 2.) ability of body and mind for thee, and for thy service; or for that Journey which here he seems to insinuate, and in the following Words and Verses he particularly describes. For it must be considered that all the Males of Israel were obliged to come to the Tabernacle or Temple thrice in a year, Exod. 34. 23, 24. and that some of them lived at a great distance, and consequently were to take a long and troublesome Journey, which also might at some times and places be accompanied with hazards and other inconveniences; and therefore such as wanted either courage or bodily strength might be discouraged or hindred from undertaking it, and from the enjoyment of God in his solemn and publick worship. Which though in some cases it might not be their sin, yet surely it was a great affliction and infelicity; and consequently it was a blessed thing to be freed from those impediments, as the Psalmist here observes.

(i. e.) Of those men; for though man be the singular number, it is understood c[illegible: 1+ letters]llectively of all that sort or company of men. But these words of them, are not in the Hebrew, and, as some Learned Men have observed, seem to disturb or darken the sence. Others therefore seem to render the words better and more agreeably to the Hebrew Text, in whose heart are thy (which Pronoun is oft understood) ways, to wit, those ways which lead to thy house; or, the ways, so called emphatically, or by way of eminency, the ways of (or, to) Zion, as they are called Lam. 1. 4. as is evident from the seventh Verse of this Psalm, So the meaning is, Blessed are they whose thoughts and affections are much and strongly fixed upon the high ways, and their journeys to Zion▪ who have both strength of body, as is said in their former branch, and readiness of heart, as is here added, to go to Zion; which are the two qualifications requisite for that journey. Blessed are they whose hearts are set upon Zion and their journeys thither; that are continually, or from time to time stirring up, and bespeaking themselves and others as they did, Ier. 31. 6. Arise ye, let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God. As when a man's heart is knit in true friendship to one that lives at some distance from him, he is oft thinking with great desire and delight of the place where he dwelleth, and of the way leading to it.