Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/3_500_e.lzh/3_546.TXT

Text File | 1995-01-25 | 7KB | 145 lines

\\INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 6\\

\*\\<<To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, a Psalm of
David>>.\\
What is designed by %the chief musician%, and what
is meant by %neginoth%, have been observed in the title
of \\#Ps 4:1\\. As for %sheminith%, it seems to be one particular
sort of the neginoth, or stringed instrument,
which this man had the care of; see the title of \\#Ps
12:1\\: which most of the Hebrew writers {y} understand of
the harp of eight strings, to which this psalm was
set; and which, from the number of its strings, was
called %sheminith%, which signifies %the eighth%: and this
receives confirmation from \\#1Ch 15:21\\. The
eighth string was added to the harp by Simonides,
according to Pliny {z}: but if such an harp is here meant,
this refutes it, for David lived long before Simonides.
Though some {a} have thought it refers to a poem or
song of eight notes, to the tune of which this psalm
was sung; or to the eighth note, which was grave, and
which we call the bass. As for the eighth day of circumcision,
of which some Jewish writers mystically
interpret it; or the eighth, that is, the first day, or
Lord's day, to which some of the ancient Christian
writers refer it, or the eighth age, or millennium, as
Theodoret; these can by no means be admitted of.
The occasion of it was either some bodily disease the
psalmist laboured under, or some distress of soul, on
account of sin; and the rather this seems to be the
case, seeing the psalm begins with the same words as
\\#Ps 38:1\\, in which the psalmist so much bewails
his iniquity. Some have thought it was drawn up for
the use of any and every sick person; and others say
it was written on the account of Israel in captivity,
who were then as sick persons {b}: but rather the occasion
of it was bodily sickness, inward guilt of conscience
for sin, and distress by enemies; as appears
from, \\#Ps 6:3,4,7,8\\.

\*Ver. 1. \\O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger\\,
The Lord sometimes rebukes or reproves men by his
spirit, and sometimes by his word and ministers, and
sometimes by his providences, and that on account of
sin; to bring to a sense and acknowledgment of i it;
and particularly for remissness in duty, or neglect of it;
and for trusting in the creature, or in any outward enjoyment,
boasting of it, and loving it too much; and
these rebukes of his own people are always in love,
and never in wrath, though they sometimes fear they
are; see Psalm 88:7, 16 La 3:1\\; and therefore
deprecate them, as the psalmist here does; not the
thing itself, but the manner in which it is apprehended
it is done, or doing;
\*\\neither chasten me in thy hot
displeasure\\; when God chastens his own people it is
not in a way of vindictive wrath, or as a proper punishment
for sin; for this would be contrary to Christ's
suretyship engagements and performances, and to the
doctrine of his satisfaction for sin; it would draw a
veil over it, and render it of none effect; it would be
contrary to the justice of God to punish both surety
and principal; and to the everlasting love of God to
them, in which he always rests, and from which there
can be no separation; nor would they be dealt with as
children; and besides would be condemned with the
world, and killed with the second death; whereas they
will not, though chastened of God, it is the chastening
of a father, is very instructive to them, and is always
for their good, spiritual and eternal; is in measure, in
judgment, and in love; and never in fury and hot displeasure;
but this being feared, is deprecated.

\*Ver. 2. \\Have mercy upon me, O Lord\\, &c.] He knew
he was a sinner, both by original sin and actual transgression,
which he was always ready to own; he knew
that what he had done deserved the wrath of God,
even his hot displeasure; and that for such things it
came upon the children of disobedience: he knew that
there was mercy with God through Christ, and therefore
he flees unto it, pleads for it, and entreats the
manifestation of forgiving love: he pleads no merits of
his own, nor makes any mention of former works of
righteousness done by him, but throws himself upon
the mercy of God in Christ; giving this as a reason,
\*\\for I [am] weak\\; either in body, through some disease
upon him; or in soul, being enfeebled by sin, and so
without spiritual strength to do that which was good
of himself;  to exercise grace, and perform duty, and
much less to keep the law of God, or make atonement
for sin, or to bear the punishment of it;
\*\\O Lord, heal
me\\; meaning either his body, for God is the physician
of the body, he wounds and he heals; so he healed
Hezekiah and others; and he should be sought to in
the first place by persons under bodily disorders: or
else his soul, as in \\#Ps 41:4\\; sin is the disease of the
soul, and a very loathsome one it is, and is incurable
but by the balm of Gilead, and the physician there;
by the blood of Christ, and forgiveness through it;
and the forgiveness of sin is the healing of the diseases
of the soul, \\#Ps 103:3\\;
\*\\for my bones are vexed\\; with
strong pain; meaning his body, as Kimchi and Aben
Ezra observe; because these are the foundation of the
body, and the more principal parts of it: and this may
be understood of his grief and trouble of heart for his
sins and transgressions, which is sometimes expressed
by the bones being broke, and by there being no rest
in them, \\#Ps 51:8 38:3\\.

\*Ver. 3. \\My soul is also sore vexed,\\, &c.] Or %exceedingly
troubled% {c}, and even frightened and thrown into a
consternation with indwelling sin, and on account of
actual transgressions, and by reason of the hidings of
God's face, and through the temptations of Satan, and
because of the fear of death; to which Old Testament
saints were very incident.
\*\\But thou, O Lord, how long\\?
it is an abrupt expression, the whole he designed is
not spoken, being hindered through the grief and sorrow
with which his heart was overwhelmed; and is to
be supplied after this manner,
\*"shall I
"have refreshment?"\*
as the Chaldee paraphrase; or,
\*"wilt thou
"look and not heal me?"\*
\*as Jarchi; or
\*"my soul be
"troubled?"\*
\*as Aben Ezra; or
\*"shall I be afflicted,
"and thou wilt not heal me?"\*
\*as Kimchi; or
\*"wilt
"thou afflict me, and not arise to my help?"\*
\*see \\#Ps 13:1,2\\.

{y} Targum, Jarchi, Kimchi, & Ben Melech in loc.
{z} Nat. Hist. l. 7. c. 56.
{a} In Aben Ezra in loc.
{b} Vid. Kimchi & Aben Ezra in loc.
{c} \^dam hlhbn\^ %turbata est valde%, V. L. conturbata, Junius &
Tremellius, Piscator; %territa valde%: Pagninus, Montanus; %consternata
valde%, Cocceius.