PSALM 118 THE ARGUMENT This Psalm most probably was composed by David, when the civil wars between the houses of Saul and David were ended, and David was newly settled in the kingdom of all Israel, and had newly brought up the ark of God to his royal city, But though this was the occasion, yet David... [ Continue Reading ]
ISRAEL, after the flesh, all the tribes and people of Israel, except the Levites.... [ Continue Reading ]
The priests and Levites, who were greatly discouraged and oppressed in Saul's time, and shall receive great benefits by my government.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Gentile proselytes, whereof there were in David's time, and were likely to be, greater numbers than formerly had been.... [ Continue Reading ]
SET ME; which verb is tacitly included in the former, and is easily understood out of PSALMS 31:8, where the full phrase is expressed, and from the following word. See the like examples in the Hebrew text, GENESIS 12:15 PSALMS 22:21, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
A frail and impotent creature in himself, and much more when he is opposed to the Almighty God.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD TAKETH MY PART WITH THEM THAT HELP ME; he is one of the number of my helpers, and enables them to defend me.... [ Continue Reading ]
As mine adversaries do in their own numbers, and in their great confederates.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL NATIONS COMPASSED ME ABOUT; the neighbouring and heathen nations, Philistines, Syrians, Ammonites, Moabites, &c., who were stirred up, partly, by the overthrows which David had given some of them; partly, by their jealousy at David's growing greatness and fear for themselves; and partly, by thei... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY COMPASSED ME ABOUT; the repetition implies their frequency and fervency in this action, and their confidence of success.... [ Continue Reading ]
LIKE BEES; in great numbers, and with great and potent fury, and to their own ruin, as bees do when they fly about a man, and leave their stings in him. THEY ARE QUENCHED: so this word is used JOB 6:17, JOB 18:5,6 21:17. Or, as the LXX. and Chaldee render it, _they burnt or flamed_, i.e. raged again... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU, O mine enemy, and the head of all mine enemies. Possibly he understandeth Saul, whom for honour's sake he forbears to name; or some other chief commander of his enemies. Or the singular word is here put collectively for all his enemies.... [ Continue Reading ]
MY STRENGTH AND SONG; the author of my strength, and therefore the just object of my song and praise. My salvation, i.e. my Saviour.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE VOICE OF REJOICING AND SALVATION, of rejoicing and thanksgiving for the salvation and deliverance which God hall wrought for me, is in the tabernacles of the righteous; partly because they clearly saw God's hand in the work, and therefore took pleasure in it; and partly because all good men suff... [ Continue Reading ]
IS EXALTED; hath appeared evidently, and wrought powerfully and gloriously on my behalf.... [ Continue Reading ]
I SHALL NOT DIE, to wit, so soon as mine enemies desire, nor by their sword, as they hope and endeavour. DECLARE THE WORKS OF THE LORD; one branch whereof is the total destruction of mine enemies. He implies that he did not desire life, nor should employ it, as his enemies did theirs, but for the se... [ Continue Reading ]
HATH CHASTENED ME SORE by the hands of mine enemies, whom God used to that very purpose for my greater good, and their own greater and surer ruin and confusion.... [ Continue Reading ]
OPEN TO ME, O ye porters, appointed by God for this work. Or it is a figurative and poetical manner of expression, whereby he speaks to the gates themselves, as if they had sense and understanding. Or by saying _open_, he implies that they had been long shut against him in Saul's time. _The gates of... [ Continue Reading ]
These may be the words either, 1. Of the Levites, the porters returning this answer to the foregoing question: This is the gate of the Lord which thou seekest, and which shall be opened to thee according to thy desire, and thy just privilege, for then art one of those righteous ones to whom this of... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
The commonwealth of Israel and the church of God are here and elsewhere in Scripture compared to a building, wherein as the people are the stones and the matter, so the princes and rulers are the builders, whose office it was to erect, and support, and improve the building, and to use their wisdom a... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS; this strange event; the feminine gender being put for the neuter, as it is in other places of Scripture. THE LORD'S DOING; peculiarly an effect of his omnipotent wisdom; done not only without the help of man, but against all the artifices and forces of men.... [ Continue Reading ]
MADE; either created, or exalted and glorified, as this word is used, 1 SAMUEL 12:6, or sanctified by his glorious presence and work, and by his appointment, as a time or season never to be forgotten, but to be observed with great thankfulness and rejoicing, as it follows.... [ Continue Reading ]
I BESEECH THEE; or, _we beseech thee_; for the Hebrew words may be rendered either way. These seem to be the words of the Levites, to whom he spake PSALMS 118:19; or of the people, using these joyful acclamations or prayers to God for the preservation of their king and kingdom. This also is interpre... [ Continue Reading ]
BLESSED BE HE; we earnestly pray that God would bless his person and government, and all his enterprises. _That cometh_, to wit, unto us, from whom he was long banished; or unto the throne; or from his Father into the world; the Messias, who is known by the name of him _that cometh_ or _was to come_... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD IS THE LORD; God hath proved himself to be the Lord Jehovah by the accomplishment of his promises. SEE POOLE ON "EXODUS 6:3". Or, _the Lord or Jehovah is God_, as it was said upon another solemn occasion and appearance of God, 1 KINGS 18:39; or, _is the mighty God_, as this name of God signifies... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]