Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/4_200.lzh/4_206.TXT

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persecuting Saul, and of them fi'om his real'administra-
tion; and the victories David obtained over all his
enemies: for, when the righteous are in 'authority, the
people rejoice, Prov. xxix. 2. And still much more oc-
casion is there of joy, in the dwelling-places of the
saints, though but cottages, and in the churches of God,
the tabernacles of the most High, on account of the
spiritual and eternal salvation Christ is the author of
which joy is inwardly felt in the heart, and outwardly
expressed by one saint to another; and in vocal prayer
to God, and in singing his praises; which may be done
in the houses of the saints, as well as in the house of
God. What this voice, or the righteous with their
voice, expressed in their several dwelling-houses, is as
follows; for the word saying may be supplied, and the
words connected thus: saying, the right hand of the
Lord doth valiantly; or acts powerfully {b}; in helping
and assisting David, in protecting and defending him,
in raising him to the throne, and in giving him rest from
all his enemies; and so in supporting the Messiah, his
antitype, as man and Mediator, in his work and under
his sutferings; in raising him from thedead, and exaltlug
him at his right hand; and which was done with his
right hand, Acts if. 33. and v. 31. Jarchi refers this joy
here expressed to future times, the times of the Messiah:
and in an ancient{c} writing of the Jews the right hand
of the Lord, three times mentioned in this and the fol-
lowing verse, is interpreted of the Messiah, the sort of
David.
Vet. 16. The right hand of the Lord is exalted, &c.]
Lifted up, very eminent and conspicuous, easily to be
observed in the instances before given, and become great
and glorious in power; see Exod. xv. 6. The power of
God is superior to all enemies; and is beyond concep-
tion and expression; and is able to do for his people
above all they are able to ask or think. The right hand
of the Lord doth valiantly: or acts powerfully. This is
repeated for the confirmation of it, and to shew how
much the righteous were affected with it, and how de-
sirous they were of glorifying of it; the right handof the
Lord, being three times mentioned, may have respect
to the three divine Persons in the Godhead, whose
right hand or power is the same: and as the right
hand of the Father has done powerfully in the instances
given, so the right hand of the Son has worked mightily
in vanquishing all enemies, sin, Satan, death, and the
world; in obtaining the salvation of his people, and in
raising himself from the dead: and so the right hand
of the Holy Spirit has wrought powerfully on Christ,
on whom he rested as the Spirit of might, and through
whom Christ offered himself to God, and by whom he
was raised from the dead; and also in the conversion of
sinners, and in helping, assisting, strengthening, and
protecting the saints.
Vet. 17. I shall not die, but live, &c.] Not that he should
never die, David knew he should; but that his present
afflictions would not issue in death; or he should not die
by the hands of his enemies, he sometimes feared he
should; but now believed he should live, as he did, to a
good old age: he knew he should live spiritually and eter-
nally, and not die a second death; and so may all true
believers and members of Christ say. Yea, these words
may be considered as the words of Christ; who, though
he came into the world to die, and did die for the sins
of his people; yet he knew he should not die before
his time, nor should he continue long under the powerof
death; but should live again, and live for evermore, and
not die; death should have no more dominion over him;
see Psal. xvi. 10. Rom. vi. 9. Anddeclare the works of the
Lord; the wonderful appearances of' God in a provi-
dential way, and all his marvellous works of grace; as
David did, and as all the people of God more or less
do; and which is the end of their living; not to eat
and drink, and gratify their carnal senses, but to
glorify God, by declaring what he has done for them-
selves and others. So the Messiah declared the name
of God, his nature, perfections, mind and will, word
and works, among his brethren in the great congrega-
tion, Psal. xXii. 22.
Ver. 18. The Lord hath chastened me sore, &c.] Or,
in chastening hath chastened me a. David was exercised
with many afflictions; and though these were sore ones
to the flesh, yet they were only the chastenings of a
father, and were all in love and fbr his good; as are
all the afflictions of God's people; for whom he loves
he chastens. Indeed the chastisement of the Messiah
was a proper punishment for sin, and so a sore one in-
deed; he being the surety of his people, on whom the
chastisement of their peace was laid; that is, the punish-
ment of their sin, Isa. liii. 5. But he hath not given me
over unto death; as yet, or to the power of it, so as to
continue under it. This is to be understood in the sense
as before; see the note on ver. 17.
Ver. 19. Open to ,r,e the gates of righteousness, &c.]
The doors of the sanctuary or tabernacle, so called, be-
cause none but righteous persons might enter in at
them, or who were clean in a ceremonial sense; and
because sacrifices of righteousness were here offered.
The words are addressed to the porters, or Levites,
that kept the doors of the tabernacle, to open them.
The Targum is, "open to me the gates of the eft of
"righteousness ;" Jerusalem, so called Isa. i. 26. Ythe
gates of which were opened to David, when he took it
from the Jebusites. An emblem of the church or city of
God, the gates of which are opened to the righteous to
enter into now; and of the New Jerusalem, and of the
heavenly glory, into which thesaints wili havean abun-
dant entrance hereafter; seelsa. xxvi. 1,2. Rev. xxii. 14.
Moreover, these may be the words of the Messiah, re-
quiring the gates of heaven to be opened to him by his
blood, he havingobtained redemption for Iris people; see
Psal. xxiv. 7, 8, 9, 10. I will go in to them, and I will
praise the Lord: at the gates of the tabernacle David
entered, and praised the Lord for his deliverance and
salvation, and for the many fayours and honours be-
stowed on him; and in the church of God do the
saints praise him, as they will do in heaven to all eter-
nity; and where Christ, as man, is praising his divine
Father, Psal. xx. 22, 25.
Ver. 20. This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous

{b} \^lyx hve\^ agit strenue, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Coc-
ceius.
{c} Raya Mehimna in Zohar in Numb. fol. 64. 1.
{d} \^ynroy roy\^ corripiendo corripuit me, Pagninus, Montanus, Coc-
ceius; castigando castigavit me, Musculus, Vatablus, Michaelis.