Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/4_200.lzh/4_264.TXT

Text File | 1994-09-08 | 6KB | 114 lines

SOME think this psalm was written by Solomon, since
· ver. 8, 10, are much the same with which he concluded
his prayer at the dedication of the temple, 2 Chron. vi.
41,42. on acconr, t of which it is supposed to be written;
though he might borrow these words from hence, as he
sometimes did recite the words of his father, Prov. iv.
4, 5. Others are of opinion that it was written by
David, either when he brought the ark from Basic or
Kirjath-jearim to the house of Obed-edom, and from
thence to Zion, 2 Sam. vi. or when h,e had that conver-
sation with Nathan the prophet, in which he expressed
such a strong desire to build a house for God, 2 Sam.
vii. or, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi think, after he had
numbered the people, which brought the pestilence on
them; and when he and the elders of Israel were in
distress on that account, and he was ordered to build
an altar in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite;
by which it appeared to him that this was the place for
the house of the Lord God he had been so desirous of
building, 1 Chron. xxii. 1. It seems by ver. 6, 7, that
more persons than one were concerned in this psalm, at
least the psalmist personates more; and Theodoret takes
it to be a prayer of the captives in Babylon, and a pro-
phecy of the Saylout of the world; and this is favoured
by the Syriac inscription, which is, "an anonymous
"psalm, when they would build the house of the Lord
"of hosts; and a prayer of David, and a revelation of
"Christ." And certain it is that Christ is spoken of
in it, if not principally designed.
Vet. 1. Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions.]
Which prayer might be put up by David on his own
account, as Nehemiah does, oh. xiii. 22. and be con-
sidered as a petition to the Lord that he would re-
member his mercy and loving-kindness to him, and him
with the favour he bears to his own people, as he else-
where prays; that he would remember his covenant
With him, and his promise to him, on which he had
caused him to hope; and sympathize with him, and
support him under all his trials and exercises, in his
kingdom and family. Or, if it is considered as Solomon's,
it may be a request that the Lord would remember the
promise he had made to David, that his son should
build a house for him, which he desired he might be
enabled to do; that he would remember the covenant
of royalty he had made with him, that he should not
want a son to sit upon his throne; and particularly
that he would remember the promise of the Messiah,
that should be of his seed. Also his afflictions, his toil
and labour of mind, his great anxiety about building a
house for God; the pains he took in finding out a place
for it, in drawing the pattern of it, in making prepara-
tions for it, and in the charges he gave his son con-
cerning it: the Septuagint and other versions render it
his humility {q}; which agrees with the subject of the
preceding psalm, and may particularly respect what
he expressed to Nathan when this affair of building
the temple was much upon his mind, 2 Sam. vii. 2, 18.
Moreover, respect in all this may be had by the authors
of this psalm, or those herein personsteal, to the Mes-
siah, who is the antitype of David; in his name, which
signities beloved; in his birth, parentage, and circum-
stances of it; in the comeliness of his person, and in
his characters and offices, and who is often called
David, Psal. lxxxix. 3, 20, 35. see Jer. xxx. 9. Ezek.
xxxvii. 23, 24. Hos. iii. 5. and so is a petition that God
would remember the covenant of grace made with
him; the promise of his coming into the world; his
offering and sacrifice, as typified by the legal ones;
and also remember them and their offerings for his
sake; see Psal. xx. 3. Likewise all his afflictions and
sufferings he was to endure from men and devils, and
from the Lord himself, both in soul and body; and so
as to accept of them i, the room and stead of his peo-
ple, ass satisfaction to his justice. Or, his humility ia
the assumption of human nature, in his carriage and
behaviour to all sorts of men, in his ministrations to his
disciples, in seeking not his own glory, but his father's,
and in his sufferings and death, which was foretold of
him, Zech. ix. 9.
Ver. 2. How he sware unto the Lord, and vowed unto
the mighty God of Jacob.] Whom Jacob called so
Gen. xlix. 24. and to whom he vowed a vow, and is
the first we read of that did make one, and it was con-
cerning the house of God, Gen. xxviii. 17, 2O, 21. and
who had an experience of the might and power of God
in protecting and defending him from his brother Esau:
of this oath and vow of David no mention is made else-
where, but no doubt they were made; see Psal. cxix.
106. of the Messiah's swearing, though upon another
account, to whom this tnay be applied, see Isa. xlv.
Rev. x. 1, 2, 5, 6.
Ver. 3. Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of
my house, &c.] The new house and palace David built
for himself after he came to the throne, made of cedar,
2 Sam. v. 11. and vii. 2. not that he should never enter
into it till he had found a dwelling for God, but that
he should not go into it with pleasure till that was
done; for this and what follows are hyperboles, as
Kimchi observes, and signify that he should have no
peace nor satisfaction of mind till this was accom-
plished. It may be applied to our Lord's ascension to
heaven, which was not till after he had purchased t_he
church with his blood, which is the temple and habita-
tion of God. Nor go up into my bed; or the bed that
made for me {r}; the royal bed, a bed of down, with soft
pillows, fit for a person of such. dignity to lie down on.
Ainsworth renders it the pallets of my bed; the phrase of
going up agree. s with the custom of the eastern coun-

{q} \^wtwne\^ \~praothtov autou\~, Sept. mansuetudinis ejus, V. L. so Syr.
Arab. Etbiop.
{r}  \^yewuy vre\^ lectum strati mei, vel stratorum meorum, Gejerus,
Michaelis.