Joseph - The children of Joseph or Israel. The name of Joseph, the most eminent of the patriarchs, is elsewhere put for all the tribes. Cherubim - Which were by the mercy seat above the ark.
Before Ephraim - Here is an allusion to the ancient situation of the tabernacle in the wilderness, where these tribes were placed on the west - side of the tabernacle, in which the ark was, which consequently was before them.
Turn us - To thy self.
Preparedst - Thou didst root out the idolatrous nations. Deep root - Thou gavest them a firm settlement.
The hills - They filled not only the fruitful valleys, but even the barren mountains.
The river - They possessed the whole land, from the mid - land sea to the river Euphrates.
Hedges - Taken away thy protection.
They - Thy people, signified by the vine. So now he passes from the metaphor to the thing designed by it.
Be - To protect and strengthen him. Right - hand - Benjamin signifies the son of the right hand, a dearly beloved son, as Benjamin was to Jacob. Son of man - The people of Israel, who are often spoken of as one person, as God's son and first - born.
Go back - Revolt from thee to idolatry or wickedness. Quicken - Revive and restore us to our tranquility.
Joseph - Among the people of Israel. Testimony - For a witness of that glorious deliverance. He - God. Went - As a captain at the head of his people. Egypt - To execute his judgments upon that land. I - My progenitors, for all the successive generations of Israel make one body, and are sometimes spoken of as one person. A language - The Egyptian language, which at first was unknown to the Israelites, Gen 42:13, and probably continued so for some considerable time, because they were much separated both in place and conversation from the Egyptians.
Pots - This word denotes all those vessels wherein they carried water, straw, lime, or bricks.
Calledst - At the Red Sea. Secret place - From the dark and cloudy pillar, whence I thundered against the Egyptians.
Testify - This God did presently after he brought them from Meribah, even at Sinai.
Wide - Either to pray for mercies, or to receive the mercies which I am ready to give you.
Him - Unto Israel. Their time - Their happy time.
Honey - With all pleasant and precious fruits.
Standeth - To observe all that is said or done there. Mighty - Kings or chief rulers. By their congregation he understands all persons whatsoever of this high and sacred order. Judgeth - Passes sentence upon them. The gods - Judges and magistrates are called gods, because they have their commission from God, and act as his deputies.
How long - The psalmist speaks to them in God's name. Accept - By giving sentence according to your respect or affection to the person.
They - The magistrates of whom this psalm treats. Know not - The duty of their place. Nor will - Their ignorance is wilful. Walk on - They persist: it is their constant course. In darkness - In their sinful courses. The foundations - This corruption of the supreme rulers, flows from them to their inferior officers and members.
Have said - I have given you my name and power to rule your people in my stead. All - Not only the rulers of Israel, but of all other nations. Children - Representing my person, and bearing both my name and authority.
Like men - Or, like ordinary men.
Arise - Take the sword of justice into thine own hand.
Hidden ones - Thy people of Israel, who are called God's hidden or secret ones, to intimate the respect which God has to them, as to his peculiar treasure.
The tabernacles - The people dwelling in them. Ishmaelites - Some of the posterity of Ishmael, called by their father's name, as others of them are supposed to be called Hagarens from their grandmother Hagar.
Gebal - An Arabian people so called by ancient writers dwelling in the southern border of Canaan, where most of the people here mentioned had their abode.
Of Lot - Moab and Ammon.
A wheel - Whereas they promise to themselves a sure possession, let them be like a wheel, which is very unstable, and soon removed.
The mountains - The woods upon the mountains, which in those hot countries, when they have once taken fire, burn with irresistible violence.
May seek - May own and worship thee as the only true God.
They - That constantly abide in thy house; the priests and Levites, or other devout Jews who were there perpetually, as Anna, Luke 2:36 - 37. They will - They are continually employed in that blessed work.
Whose strength - Who trusteth in thee as his only strength. Thy ways - Blessed are they whose hearts are set upon Zion and their journey is thither.
Baca - A dry valley in the way to Jerusalem, here put for all places of like nature. Make a well - They dig divers little pits or wells in it for their relief. The rain - God recompenses their diligence with his blessing, sending rain wherewith they may be filled.
They go - They grow stronger and stronger. Appeareth - This is added as the blessed fruit of their long and tedious journey.
Look - Cast a favourable eye towards him. Anointed - Of me, who though a vile sinner, am thine anointed king.
Than dwell - In the greatest glory and plenty.
A sun - To enlighten and quicken, and direct and comfort his people. Shield - To save his people from all their enemies. Grace - His favour, which is better than life. Glory - The honour which comes from God here, and eternal glory.
Captivity - The captives.
Turn us - Restore us to our former tranquillity, and free us from the troubles which we yet groan under.
Revive us - Give us a second reviving in bringing home the rest of our brethren, and in restraining our enemies.
Will hear - Diligently observe. Will speak - What answer God will give to my prayers. Peace - He will give an answer of peace. Saints - Not to all that are called God's people, but only to those who are truly such.
His salvation - That compleat salvation for which all the Israel of God wait; even the redemption by the Messiah; of which not only Christian, but even Jewish writers understand this place; and to which the following passages properly belong. And the psalmist might well say this salvation was nigh, because the seventy weeks determined by Daniel were begun. Glory - The glorious presence of God, and the God of glory himself, even Christ, who is the brightness of his father's glory.
Kissed - That great work of redemption by Christ, shall clearly manifest God's mercy in redeeming his people Israel, and in the conversion of the Gentiles; his truth in fulfilling that great promise of sending his son, his righteousness in punishing sin, on his son, and in conferring righteousness upon guilty and lost creatures; and his peace or reconciliation to sinners, and that peace of conscience which attends upon it.
Truth - Truth among men. Righteousness - And God's justice shall be satisfied: he shall look down upon sinful men with a smiling countenance.
Before him - As his harbinger. He shall fulfil all righteousness, he shall satisfy the righteousness of God, and shall advance righteousness and holiness among men. Set us - Shall cause us to walk in those righteous ways wherein he walketh.