Thy congregation — Thy people. Thine inheritance — The tribe of Judah, which thou hast in a special manner chosen for thine inheritance, and for the birth of the Messiah. Nor is it strange that he mentions this tribe particularly, because the calamity here remembered, did principally befal this trib... [ Continue Reading ]
Lift up — Come speedily to our rescue. Because — Because otherwise our destruction is irrecoverable.... [ Continue Reading ]
Roar — In a way of triumph. Midst, &c. — In the places where thy people used to assemble for thy worship. Set up — Monuments of their victory.... [ Continue Reading ]
Famous — The temple was so noble a structure, that it was a great honour to any man to be employed in the meanest part of the work, though it were but in cutting down the trees of Lebanon.... [ Continue Reading ]
Axes and hammers — These words are not Hebrew, but Chaldee or Syriack, to point out the time when this was done, even when the Chaldeans brought in their language, together with their arms, among the Israelites.... [ Continue Reading ]
Destroy them — All at once. So they intended, although afterwards they changed their council, and carried some away captive. Burnt up — All the public places wherein the Jews used to meet together to worship God every sabbath — day.... [ Continue Reading ]
Signs — Those tokens of God's gracious presence, which we used to enjoy. The temple and ark, and sacrifices, and solemn feasts, were signs between God and his people. Prophet — Who can foretell things to come. Probably Ezekiel and Jeremiah were dead when this psalm was composed; and David was involv... [ Continue Reading ]
Why — Why dost thou forebear the exercise of thy power? Bosom — In which thou now seemest to hide it.... [ Continue Reading ]
King — It belongs therefore to thy office to protect and save me. Midst — In the view of the world.... [ Continue Reading ]
Dragons — He means Pharaoh and his mighty men.... [ Continue Reading ]
Leviathan — Pharaoh. The people — To the ravenous birds and beasts of the desert. These creatures are significantly called the people of the wilderness, because they are the only people that inhabit it.... [ Continue Reading ]
The flood — Thou didst by cleaving the rock, make a fountain and a stream to flow from it, for the refreshment of thy people in those dry deserts. Driedst — Jordan and the Red Sea; for the sea itself; yea, a greater sea than that, is called a river, Jonah 2:3, where the Hebrew word is the same which... [ Continue Reading ]
The light — The moon, the lesser light.... [ Continue Reading ]
Set — Thou hast fixed the bounds of the habitable world in general, and of all the countries and people upon the earth. And as this clause shews God's power over all places, so the next displays his dominion over all times and seasons.... [ Continue Reading ]
Remember — Though we deserve to be forgotten, yet do not suffer our enemies to reproach the name of the great and glorious God.... [ Continue Reading ]
Soul — The life. Turtle — dove — Of thy church, which is fitly compared to a turtle — dove, because simple and harmless, and meek, and faithful.... [ Continue Reading ]
The covenant — Made with Abraham, whereby thou didst give the land of Canaan to him, and to his seed for ever. Dark places — This dark and dismal land in which we live.... [ Continue Reading ]
Return — From the throne of thy grace, to which they make their resort.... [ Continue Reading ]