Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/3_500_e.lzh/3_549.TXT

Text File | 1995-01-25 | 5KB | 104 lines

\\INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 7\\

\*\\<<Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the Lord, concerning the\\
\\words of Cush the Benjamite>>\\.
The name of this psalm, %Shiggaion%, either respects
the music or the matter of the psalm. Some take it
to be the name of the musical instrument to which
the psalm was set {n}: so Habakkuk's prayer is said to
be %upon shigionoth%; which is the same word with this,
only of the plural number, \\#Hab 3:1\\. Others say it
was the first word of a song, to the tune of which this
was sung {o} And others understand it of a certain
kind of a song {p}: and the Targum renders it, %the
interpretation of the ode of David%; which Ainsworth renders,
%David's interpretation of the law%; leading \^atyrwa\^
instead of \^atydwa\^, as does also the king of Spain's Bible.
And certain it is that it is the name of a song; since
it follows, %which he sang unto the Lord%; in his presence,
before him, and to the glory of his name. But the
question is, of what sort it is? and why it should be
so called? since its root \^hgv\^ signifies %to err% or %wander%:
it is more generally rendered, %an erratic% or %wandering
ode%; a song or psalm, which consisted of various kind
of metre: it was sung with various notes, and all kind
of music, which made it very pleasant. Hence some
render it, %David's delight%, as R. Obadiah Gaon; and
the verb from whence it is derived is translated %ravished%
in \\#Pr 5:19,20\\; and Ben Melech says, the word
signifies \^twhrew hxmv\^, %joy and pleasure%; and Aben Ezra
observes that some interpret it \^gwnet\^, %delight%. But
others are of opinion that this word regards the subject
matter of the psalm, and may be rendered, %David's ignorance%
or %error%; his sin of ignorance; and respects his mistaken
conduct with regard to his enemies, particularly
Saul, in making imprecations upon them, \\#Ps 6:10\\;
in cursing them, and especially King Saul; when a king
is not to be cursed, \\#Ec 10:20\\; and in cutting off the
skirt of his garment, for which his heart smote him,
\\#1Sa 24:4,5\\. Some render it, %the care of David%,
as Cocceius; which he wrote in deep meditation, when
he had forgot himself, and was as it were in an ecstacy;
setting forth %the sum of his cares%, as Ainsworth
expresses it, when he was harassed and greatly afflicted by
his enemies. The occasion of it is, %the words
of Cush the Benjamite; which some understand of
Shimei the Benjamite, who came out and cursed David
as he went along, when he fled from Absalom,
\\#1Sa 16:5-11\\. Theodoret thinks Hushai is meant,
who persuaded Absalom not to follow the counsel of
Ahithophel; on which account David penned this
psalm. Others interpret it of one of Saul's courtiers,
who was of the tribe of Benjamin, and whose name
was Cush {q}; and which is very likely, since it is evident
that some of Saul's courtiers accused David to
him, and charged him with seeking his hurt, not only
to take away his crown and kingdom, but his life,
\\#1Sa 24:9 26:19\\. Though the generality
of the Jewish writers {r} interpret it of Saul himself, who
is called Cush, in allusion to his father's name Kish,
who was a man of Benjamin, \\#1Sa 9:1\\; or else because
Cush signifies %an Ethiopian%, to which he may
be compared, as the children of Israel in \\#Am 9:7\\.
For as the Ethiopian is various in his skin, so was Saul
in his actions, as Jarchi observes; or rather because,
as Kimchi and Ben Melech express it, as the Ethiopian
does not change his skin, \\#Jer 13:23\\; so Saul did
not change his hatred to David. Though the same
writers observe, that he may be called so by the rule
of contraries, because he was a very goodly and beautiful
man; the words referred to are supposed to be
those in \\#1Sa 22:7,8\\.

\*Ver. 1. \\O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust\\,
&c.] The psalmist expresses his interest in God as
his covenant God, and his trust and confidence in
him; and with these he sets out as the stay of his soul,
and his bulwark against the fears of his enemies; and
he does not say that he had trusted in God, or would for
the future trust in him; but that he did trust in him,
and continued to do so. And God is to be trusted in at
all times; in times of affliction, temptation, and desertion;
and these the psalmist premises to his petition,
which follows, as an encouragement to him to hope
for success, since God was his God, and none that ever
trusted in him were confounded;
\*\\save me from all
them that persecute me, and deliver me\\; persecution is
no new thing to the people of God; David had his
persecutors, and many of them; the Church, in Jeremiah's
time, had hers; the saints, in the times of the
apostles, and in all ages since, have had theirs. Every
one that will live godly in Christ Jesus must expect
persecution in one shape or another; and there is none
can save and deliver from it but God, and he can and
will in his own time, \\#2Co 1:10\\. David was sensible
of this, and therefore applies to him, and him only; and
not to an arm of flesh, to his friends, or to neighbouring
princes and powers.

{n} Menachem in Jarchi in loc. So David de Pomis, Lexic. fol. 204. 1.
{o} Aben Ezra in loc.
{p} Kimchi in loc.
{q} Aben Ezra & Obadiah Gaon in loc.
{r} Targum, Jarchi, Kimchi, Arama, & Ben Melech in loc.