Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/4_200.lzh/4_209.TXT

Text File | 1994-09-08 | 6KB | 115 lines

&c.] These are the words of David, asserting his
interest in God as his covenant-God; and which is the
great blessing of the covenant, and the greatest happi-
ness of men, and will always continue; and for wllich
there is abundant reason for praise: it is an instance
of distinguishing grace, all evidence or everlasting love,
and the foundation of all comfort and happiness here
and hereafter. Thou art my God, 1 will exalt thee; in
my heart, and with my lips; and call upon others to
join with me in it, as in the following verse. The Tar-
gum is, "thou art my God, and 1 w:.11 confess betbre
"thee; thon art my God, and [ will praise thee, said
"David: Samuel replied, and said, Praise, O ye con-
"gregation of Israel ;" who are addressed in the next
words.
Ver. 29. 0 give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good,
&c.] And thus the. psalm ends as it began; there
having been given many instances of the divine good-
ness, in hearing and delivering the psalmist when in
distress; saving him from his enemies, when corn-
passed about with them; sparing his life, when in great
danger; and especially in makingthestone rejected by the
builders the head of the corner. For his mercy end ureth
for ever; the above instances arc proofs of it; and still it
continues, and will for evermore. Here ends the great
Hallel, or hymn, sung at the passover and other festivals.
THIS psalm is generally thought to be written by
David, but when uncertain; very probably towa,'ds
the decline of life; and, as some think, for the sake or'
his son Solomon. It seems to be a collection of obser-
vations on the word of God and its precepts, the useful-
Hess and excellency of it, he had made in the course of
his life; interspersed with various petitions for the
grace of God, to enable him to observe it. The psalm
is a very extraordinary one; partly on account of
the unusual length of' it, it being more than double
the length of the longest psalm in the whole book;
and partly on account of its curious composit:,on. It
consists or' twenty-two parts, according to the number
of the letters in the Hebr.ew alphabet; the names oi
which letters stand between each part; and every
part consists of eight verses, all of which begin with
the same letter: thus, tbr instance, the first eight verses
begin with the letter \^a\^, aleph, and the second eight
verses begin with the letter \^b\^, beth, and so on through-
out; hence the Masorah calls this psalm the Great
Alphabet. This the psalmist did, perhaps to excite
attention to what he said, and also to help the memory.
And it is observable that there are very few verses
in the whole, not more than one or two, but what has
something in it concerning the word of God, and its
precepts and ordinances; there are nine or ten different
words used relative to it, which signify much one and
the same thing; as laws, statutes, judgments, testi-
monies, &c. Luther{m} observes, that neither Cicero,
nor Virgil, nor Demosthenes, are to be compared with
David for eloquence, as we see in the 119th Psalm,
where he divideth one sense and meaning into twenty-
two sorts. And it may also be remarked, that there
is nothing in it concerning the tabernacle-worship, or
the rites and ceremonies of the legal dispensation; so
that it seems to be calculated for, and is suited to,
the word of God, and the ordinances of it, as we now
have them in their full perfection: and the design of
the whole is to shew the fervent affection the psalmist
had for the word of God, and to stir up the same in
others.
     \^a\^, ALEPH.--.The First Part.
Ver. 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, &c.]
Who are in the right way to heaven and happiness,
which is Jesus Christ; the strait gate, and narrow
way to eternal life; the only tr, ue way of life and sal-
vation, in which way believers walk by faith. All
out of this way are altogether become filthy; but all
in this way are clean, even every whir: they are with-
out spot and blemish, blameless and unreprovable, and
without fault, before the throne of God and in his
sight; being washed from their sins in the blood of
the Lamb, and clothed with his righteousness; and
even per. fect and complete in him, as the Targum
renders the word. These are also found in the way of
their duty, and walk in all the commandments and or-
dinances of the Lord, blameless before men, and are
sincere and upright in the sight of God; and are upon
all accounts happy persons: who walk in the law of the
Lord: within the boundaries and limits of it, accord-.
ing to its direction, as it is a rule of walk and conver-
sation iu the hands of Christ the Lawgiver; and who
continue to walk in it, as in a pleasant path, with
great delight; and cheerfully obey its precepts, as in-
fluenced by the love of God, and assisted by the spirit
and grace of Christ. The word law, or doctrine, as
it signifies, may design every revelation of the divine
will; and even the doctrine of Christ, which believers
should abide in, and not transgress; and should walk
uprightly according to the truth of it, and as becomes
it, and as they are enabled to do.
Ver. c2. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, &c.]
The whole word of God, the Scriptures of truth, are
his testimonies: they testify of the mind of God, and
of his love and grace in the method of salvation by
Christ; they testify of Christ, his person, officeS, and
grace; of the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that
should folJow; and of all the happiness that comes
to the people of God thereby. The law is called a
testimony, which being put into the ark, that had the
name of the ark of the testimony. This is a testimony
of the perfections of God, his holiness, justice, and
goodness displayed in it; and of his good and perfect
will, what should or should not be done. The Gospel
is the testimony of Christ, of what he is, has done
and suffered for his people, and of the blessings of

{m} Mensal. Colloqu. c. 32. p. 365.