Zeal - That fervent love which I have for thy house and service, and glory, and people. Eaten - Exhausted my spirits. Upon me - I have been as deeply affected with thy reproaches, as with mine own. This tho' truly belonging to David, yet was also directed by the spirit of God in him, to represent the disposition and condition of Christ, in whom it was more fully accomplished, to whom therefore it is applied in the New Testament, the first part of it, John 2:17, and the latter, Rom 15:3.
Wept - For their impiety. Reproach - They derided me for it.
Proverb - A proverb of reproach.
That sit - Vain and idle persons, that spend their time in the gates and markets.
In the truth - Or, According to thy saving truth, or faithfulness; grant me that salvation, which thou hast graciously promised.
Gall - Instead of giving me that comfort which my condition required, they added to my afflictions. Vinegar - These things were metaphorically fulfilled in David, but properly in Christ, the description of whose sufferings was principally intended here by the Holy Ghost.
Their table - And this punishment in their table, exactly answers their sin, in giving Christ gall for his meat, ver.21. A snare - Their table or meat, which is set before them, shall become a snare: the occasion of their destruction.
Eyes - Not the eyes of their bodies, but of their minds: as they that shut their eyes and will not see, so they shall be judicially blinded. To shake - To take away their strength.
For - Which is an act of barbarous cruelty. Talk - Reproaching them, and triumphing in their calamities.
Wilt add - Give them up to their own lusts. Not let them - Partake of thy righteousness, or of thy mercy and goodness.
Living - Of eternal life.
On high - Out of the reach of mine enemies.
This - This hearty sacrifice of praise, is more grateful to God, than the most glorious legal sacrifices. Hath horns - That is both tender and mature, as it is when the horns bud forth, and the hoofs grow hard.
The humble - Those pious persons who are grieved for their calamities, will heartily rejoice in my deliverance. Live - Or, be revived, which were dejected, and in a manner dead with sorrow.
Prisoners - Those who are in prison or affliction for his sake.
Sion - His church and people. They - His servants, as is explained in the following verse. There - In the literal Canaan for a long time, in the heavenly Canaan for ever.
A wonder - For my many and sore calamities.
The numbers - Of thy salvations and mercies vouchsafed to me.
Make mention - To support and comfort myself with the remembrance of it. Righteousness - Of thy faithfulness in making good all thy promises.
Very high - Most eminent.
Bring me - From the grave.
Judgments - He saith judgments in the plural number, because though the office of judging and ruling was but one, yet there were divers parts and branches, of it; in all which he begs that Solomon may be directed to do as God would have him to do.
Thy afflicted ones - For such are thine in a special manner, thou art their judge and patron.
The mountains - Which are so dangerous to passengers, in regard of robbers and wild beasts. Hereby it is implied, that other places should do so too, and that it should be common and universal.
Judge - Vindicate them from their oppressors.
Thee - Thee, O God, this shall be another blessed fruit of this righteous government, that together with peace, true religion shall be established, and that throughout all generations, which was begun in Solomon's days, but not fully accomplished 'till Christ came.
He shall come - Christ did come down from heaven, and brought or sent down from heaven his doctrine, (which is often compared to rain) and the sweet and powerful influences of his spirit.
Dominion - From one sea to another, or in all the parts of the habitable world. This was accomplished in Christ, and in him only. The river - Euphrates: which was the eastern border of the kingdom of Canaan, allotted by God, but enjoyed only by David, Solomon, and Christ. Of whose kingdom this may be mentioned, as one of the borders; because the kingdom of Christ is described under the shadow of Solomon's kingdom.
The sea - Of remote countries, to which they used to go from Canaan by sea; which are frequently called isles in scripture; the kings that rule by sea or by land.
All nations - Which cannot be said of Solomon with any truth or colour, but was unquestionably verified in Christ,
Deceit and violence - The two ways whereby the lives of men are usually destroyed. Precious - He will not be prodigal of the lives of his subjects, but like a true father of his people, will tenderly preserve them, and severely avenge their blood upon those who shall shed it.
Live - Long and prosperous, as Solomon: yea, eternally as Christ. Gold - This was done to Solomon, 1Kings 10:15, and to Christ, Matt 2:11. But such expressions as these being used of Christ and his kingdom, are commonly understood in a spiritual sense.
A handful - This intimates the small beginnings of his kingdom; and therefore does not agree to Solomon, whose kingdom was in a manner as large at the beginning of his reign, as at the end, but it exactly agrees to Christ. The earth - Sown in the earth. Mountains - In the most barren grounds. Shake - It shall yield such abundance of corn, that the ears being thick and high, shall, when they are shaken with the wind, make a noise not unlike that which the tops of the trees of Lebanon, sometimes make. Of the city - The citizens of Jerusalem, which are here put for the subjects of this kingdom.
The prayer - This psalm is the last which David composed: for this was wrote but a little before his death.
A clean heart - To all true Israelites, who love God, and serve him in spirit and truth.
My feet - My faith in God's providence, was almost overthrown.
No bands - They are not dragged to death, by the sentence of the magistrate, which they deserve.
As other men - As good men frequently are.
And speak - Boasting of their oppressions.
Against - Against God, blaspheming his name, and deriding his providence. Walketh - Using all manner of liberty, reproaching all sorts of persons.
Turn - To this wicked company. Waters - And partake of the same prosperity with their leaders. God seems to give them a full cup of consolation, as if he would wring out all his blessings upon them.
Behold - These seem to be the words of the psalmist, summing up the matter.
In vain - Hence I was sometimes tempted, to think that religion was a vain, unprofitable thing. True religion is here described by its two principal parts, the cleansing of the heart, and the hands.
Offend - By grieving, discouraging and tempting them to revolt from God.
To know - To find out the reason of this providence.