Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/4_000_t.lzh/4_057.TXT

Text File | 1994-09-06 | 7KB | 128 lines

Josh. xxiv. 26, and so the psalmist seems to envy and
grudge the place these birds had, and wishes he had
the same nearness as they. Kimchi observes, that if
this is to be understood of David, when in the land of
the Philistines, at that time high places and altars
were lawful everywhere, and there birds might build
their nests; but if of the captivity, the birds found a
place and built their nests in the ruins of the temple
and altars; and so Jarchi; for as for the temple, it
was not built in the times of David; besides, when
built, had a scare-crow on itt: though the words may
be considered as in connexion with ver. 3. and what
goes before be read in a parenthesis, as they are by
R. Judah Ben Balsam, cited by R. Aben Ezra; my
soul 1ongeth for the courts of the Lord crieth out for
the living God: even thine altars, 0 Lord of hosts;
that is, for them; or may be supplied thus, I desire
thine altars, 0 Lord of hosts {u}: as the birds above
mentioned seek for a nest, and desire to find one, and
have what they want, and nature prompts them
to; so I desire a place in thine house and courts, and
near thine altars; see Matt. viii. 20. or thus; as these
birds rejoice, when they have found an house or nest
for themselves and young; so should I rejoice, might
I be favoured once more with attendance on thine al-
tars, O Lord of hosts: mention is made of altars, re-
ferring both to the altar of burnt-sacrifice, and the altar
of incense, both typical of Christ, Heb. xiii. 10. and of
his sacrifice and intercession; both which believers
have to do with: 'tis added, my King, and my God;
when, by attending at his tabernacle, courts, and al-
tars, he would testify his subjection to him as his King,
and his faith in him, and thankfulness to him, as his
God; see John xx. 28.
Ver. 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house,
&e.] The house of God, in his tabernacles and courts;
referring to the priests and Levites, who were fre-
quently officiating there, in their turns, night and day;
and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Gibeon, where
the ark and tabernacle were, who had frequent oppor-
tunities of attendance on divine worship: and happy
are those who have a name and place in the church of
God, who abide there, and never go out; see Psal.
lxv. 4. the Targum is," blessed are the righteous,
"&c." and the Arabic version,-blessed are all they that
dwell, &c. they are happy on account of their settle-
ment, and also on account of their work, as follows:
they will be still praising thee. Selah ; which is delight-
ful employment; for praise is pleasant and comely;
and in which they are continually and constantly en-
gaged, as their mercies return upon them, as they do
every day; and especially on Lord's days, or at the
stated times of public worship; such will bless and
praise the Lord, both for temporal and spiritual bless-
ings, as long as they live; see Heb. xiii. 15.
Vet. 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee,
&e.] Or, for thee, as some choose to render the words;
who have bodily strength from the Lord, for his wor-
ship and service, to go up to his house, and serve him:
this, with what follows in the two next verses, seem
to refer to the males in Israel going up from different
parts of the land to Jerusalem to worship, who had
strength so to do; when the women and children, for
want thereof, stayed at home, which was their infelicity,
as it was the happiness of the males that they had ab.i-
lity for such a journey and serv!ce: the Targum is,
"whose strength is in thy Word ;' the essential Word,
the Messiah, who have spiritual strength in and fi'om
him; see Isa. xlv. 24. without this there is no heart to
go up to the house of God; and this will carry through
a great deal of bodily weakness; and by it saints over-
come the temptations of Satan to the contrary, and
perform the several duties of religion: in whose heart
are the ways of them; or thy ways {x}; the ways of God,
the ways of Zion, the ways to the house of God; who
have these ways at heart, who ask the way to Zion
with their faces thitherwards; who have not only abi-
lity, but inclination and readiness of mind, to walk in
them; whose hearts are bent upon them, regarding no
objection, difficulty, and discouragement; who stir up
themselves and others to go up to the house of God,
and are heartily desirous of being taught his ways, and
walking in them, and take great pleasure and delight
therein; they are ways of pleasantness and paths of
peace to them; the word properly sig. nifies highways r,
ways east up. Some render it ascensions in his heart {z};
the affections of whose heart go up to God, like pillars
of smoke perfumed with frankincense, are after God,
his ways and worship, and are set on things above.
Ver. 6. Who passing through the valley of Baca,
&c.] Kimchi interprets it a valley of springs, or foun-
tains, taking the word to be of the same signification
as in Job xxxviii. 16. and mention being made of a
well and pools in it, or of mulberry-trees, which grow,
as he says, in a place where there is no water, and such
a place was this; and therefore pools or ditches were
dug in it, and built of stone, to catch rain-water for the
supply of travellets; and so Aben Ezra says, it is the
name of a place or valley where were trees, called mul-
berries; and is by some thought to be the same with
the valley of Rephaim, where we read of mulberry-
trees, 2 Sam. v. 22, 23. the Septuagint render it the
valley of weeping, and the Vulgate Latin version the
valley of tears; which have led some interpreters to
think of Boohim, a place so called from the children
of Israel weeping there, Judg. ii. 1, 5. it does not seem
to design any particular place, through which all the
males could not pass from the different parts of the
land of Israel, as they came to Zion at tile three grand
festivals; but any difficult and troublesome place, any
rough valley, or dry and thirsty land, where there was
no water: so saints are pa'.,,sengers, travellets, or pil-
grims, in this world, and often pass through a valley;
are in a low valley, through the weakness of grace; a
rough one, through affliction; and a dark one, through
desertion and temptation; and a valley of weeping and
tears, on account both of outward and inward trials.
The way to Zion, or to the house and ordinances of
God below, lies through the valley of weeping; none
come rightly thither but who come weeping over their

{t} To drive away birds, or to destroy them, Misn. Middot, c. 4. s. 6.
Maimon. & Bartenora, in ib.
{u} So Noldius, p. 23.
{x} Semitae tuae, Tigurine version; so Kimchi.
{y} \^twlom\^ viae stratae, Montanus, Cocceius.
{z} Ascensiones in corde suo, V. L. so Sept.