Bible Commentaries

"To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil." We have heard with our ^a ears, O God, our fathers have told us, [what] work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

(a) This psalm seems to have been made by some excellent prophet for the use of the people when the Church was in extreme misery, either at their return from Babylon or under Antiochus or in similar afflictions.

[How] thou didst drive out the ^b heathen with thy hand, and plantedst ^c them; [how] thou didst afflict the ^d

people, and {(e)} cast them out.

(b) That is, the Canaanites.

(c) That is, our fathers.

(d) Of Canaan.

(e) That is, our fathers.

For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a ^f favour unto them.

(f) God's free mercy and love is the only fountain and beginning of the Church, (Deuteronomy 4:37).

Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for ^g Jacob.

(g) Because you are our king, therefore deliver your people from their misery.

^h Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.

(h) Because they and their forefathers made both one Church, they apply that to themselves which before they attributed to their fathers.

But thou hast cast off, and put us to ⁱ shame; and goest not forth with our armies.

(i) As they confessed before that their strength came from God, so now they acknowledge that this affliction came by his just judgment.

Thou hast given us ^k like sheep [appointed] for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.

(k) Knowing God to be author of this calamity, they murmur not, but seek remedy at his hands who wounded them.

Thou sellest thy people ^l for nought, and dost not increase [thy wealth] by their price.

(l) As slaves who are sold for a low price, you do not look for him who offers the most, but take the first offer.

My ^m confusion [is] continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

(m) I dare not lift up my head for shame.

For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and ⁿ avenger.

(n) Meaning, the proud and cruel tyrant.

All this is come upon us; yet have we not ^o forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.

(o) They boast not of their virtues, but declare that they rest on God in the midst of their affliction: who did not punished their sins now, but by hard afflictions called them to the consideration of the heavenly joys.

If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a ^p strange god;

(p) They show that they honoured God correctly, because they trusted in him alone.

Shall not God ^q search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

(q) They take God to witness that they were upright toward him.

Yea, for thy sake ^r are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

(r) The faithful take comfort in this, that the wicked punish them not for their sins, but for because of God, (Matthew 5:10) ; (1 Peter 4:14).

For our soul is ^s bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth.

(s) There is no hope of recovery, unless you raise us up with your hand.

Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy ^t mercies' sake.

(t) Which is the only sufficient ransom to deliver both body and souls from all kinds of slavery and misery.