Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/3_600_e.lzh/3_611.TXT

Text File | 1995-01-30 | 6KB | 109 lines

\*Ver. 7. \\Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses\\,
&c.] That is, in chariots and horses prepared for
war; which, besides their use for carriage, did great
annoyance to the enemy in battle, and were very terrible
to them, and were greatly trusted in by those that
possessed them, \\#De 20:1 Isa 31:1\\; such chariots
as were called %currus falcati%, that bad scythes at
the sides of them, which being drove with fury among
the infantry, cut them down as grass is mown with
scythes; such the old Canaanites used, which were
very terrible, \\#Jos 17:16 Jud 4:3\\; and horses
trained up for war do much execution in a battle by
pawing and trampling; see \\#Job 39:21-25\\; though
these are vain things for safety, and not to be depended
on, for salvation and victory are of the Lord, \\#Ps
33:17 Pr 21:31\\; and such are the chariots
and horses of the sun, and the idols in which the Gentiles
trusted, \\#2Ki 23:11 Ps 115:8\\; and all
external things in which men depend for salvation, as
fleshly privileges, outward works of righteousness,
morality, a profession of religion, a round of duties,
&c. all which are disclaimed by those who know the
way of life and salvation by Christ, \\#Ho 14:3\\;
\*\\but we will remember the name of the Lord our God\\; not
any of the names by which the Lord God is called, as
Elohim, Elshaddai, Jehovah, and the like; though
each of these are worthy of remembrance, and greatly
serve to encourage faith in him; but rather the perfections
of God, such as the goodness, wisdom, and
power of God, which are to be remembered and confided
in; and not the friendship of princes, the schemes
of human policy, and the outward forces of strength;
or else God himself is intended, whose name is himself,
and is a strong tower to the righteous: and to remember
him is to bear him in mind, and not forget him;
to have the desires of the soul towards him, and to
the remembrance of him; and to make mention of
him, of his names, attributes, word, and works; which
is both for his glory and for the encouragement of faith
in him, both in ourselves and others; it is to call upon
his name in times of trouble, and at all times, and
also to trust in him and not in an arm of flesh; for it
stands opposed to trusting in chariots and horses; and
it is to call to mind past instances of his goodness, wisdom,
and power, and be thankful for them, and make
use of them to engage confidence in him; and which
should be done from the consideration of his being
God and not man, and of his being our God, our covenant God and Father.

\*Ver. 8. \\They are brought down and fallen\\, &c.]
These are they that rode in chariots and on horses,
and trusted in them; who are brought down from their
places of honour and safety; and fall, not into the
hands of their enemies, and into a low and mean
estate, but to the ground by death; as also such who,
being like Capernaum, lifted up to heaven with their
own outward attainments, and think to get thither by
them, are brought down to hell, and fall into the pit
of corruption;
\*\\but we are risen, and stand upright\\;
who remember the name of the Lord, and trust in
him; the church is sometimes in a very low and depressed
condition; it consists of a poor and an afflicted
people, and who are persecuted by men; so the church
has been under the Heathen Roman emperors, and
under the Papacy, and will be as long as she is in the
wilderness, and the witnesses prophesy in sackcloth;
and especially when they wiLl be slain, and their bodies
lie on the earth unburied; but these shall rise and
stand upright, and ascend to heaven; there will bea
glorious state of the church; there will be a reviving
of the interest of Christ, through the bringing in the
fulness and forces of the Gentiles, and the conversion
of the Jews; the dry bones will live again, and stand
upon their feet, an exceeding great army; in those
days the righteous will flourish and have abundance of
peace and prosperity. This may also include the first
resurrection, which the saints will have a part in; the
dead in Christ will rise first, and will stand before the
Lord with confidence, and not be ashamed; when the
ungodly shall not stand in judgment, nor sinners in,
the congregation of the righteous; for though these
words are expressed in the present tense, because of
the certainty of them, they belong to future times;
hence the following petitions.

\*Ver. 9. \\Save, Lord\\, &c.] Not %the king%, as the
Septuagint, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions read the
words, joining the word %king% to them, which is in the
next clause; but this, as Aben Ezra observes, is not
right, because of the accent %athnach%, which divides
these words from the following; rather the word us
may be supplied; and so the Syriac version renders it,
%the Lord will deliver us%; and the Targum is, %O Lord%,
\^Nl qrp\^, %redeem us%, or %save us%; that is, with a temporal,
spiritual, and eternal salvation: this petition is directed
to Jehovah the Father, as the following is to the
King Messiah;
\*\\let the King hear us when we call\\; for
not God the Father is here meant, though he is an
everlasting King, the King of kings; and who hears
his people, when they call upon him, and while they
are calling; yet he is rarely, if ever, called %the King%,
without any other additional epithet; whereas the
Messiah often is, as in the next psalm, \\#Ps 20:1,7
45:1\\; and prayer is made to him, and he hears and receives
the prayers of his people; and, as Mediator,
presents them to his Father perfumed with his much
incense; for he is a Priest as well as a King.