INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 94 Some, as Jarchi and others, think this psalm was written by Moses; others, with greater probability, assign it to David; as do the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions; and which all but the Syriac version say it was composed to be sung on the fourth day... [ Continue Reading ]
O LORD GOD, TO WHOM VENGEANCE BELONGETH,.... As it does to God, and to him only; not to Heathen deities, one of which has the name of Vengeance given it, Acts 28:4, nor to Satan, the enemy and avenger, and his spiteful principalities and powers; nor to men, who are not to exercise private revenge on... [ Continue Reading ]
LIFT UP THYSELF, THOU, O JUDGE OF THE EARTH,.... A title very proper to Christ, and which is given him by Abraham, Genesis 18:25, who then appeared to him in an human form, and with whom he was conversing; he judges his own people on earth, all judgment being committed to him by the Father; he judge... [ Continue Reading ]
LORD, HOW LONG SHALL THE WICKED,.... The reign of antichrist is thought long by the saints, being the space of forty two months, or 1260 days or years and this tries the faith and patience of the church of Christ, Revelation 13:5 HOW LONG SHALL THE WICKED TRIUMPH? in their prosperity, and in the ru... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW LONG SHALL THEY UTTER AND SPEAK HARD THINGS?,.... Against Christ, his person and offices, his ministers, his people, his truths and ordinances; this is very applicable to antichrist, who has a mouth speaking blasphemies, and which he opens, and with it blasphemes God, his tabernacle, and them th... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY BREAK IN PIECES THY PEOPLE, O LORD,.... Not the Israelites, as Kimchi; but the church of Christ, by their anathemas, cruel edicts, and persecutions; by confiscating their goods, imprisoning their persons, putting them to cruel deaths; and by such means think to "wear out" the saints of the most... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SLAY THE WIDOW AND THE STRANGER,.... Who are so both in a literal and figurative sense, such who are weak and feeble, helpless and friendless; or who are deprived of their faithful pastors, who were as husbands and fathers to them, and who profess themselves pilgrims and strangers here; these t... [ Continue Reading ]
YET THEY SAY, THE LORD SHALL NOT SEE,.... The blood they shed, the murders they commit, the mischief they do, the wickedness they are guilty of, so flattering themselves with impunity; such atheism reigns at Rome, but God sees all their abominations, and he will let them know one day that he does be... [ Continue Reading ]
UNDERSTAND, YE BRUTISH AMONG THE PEOPLE,.... Or the most brutish and stupid of all people; especially that profess themselves to be the people of God, or Christians, as the Papists do; and who seem to be the persons here addressed: "brutish"; to murder the servants of the Lord, and drink their blood... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT PLANTED THE EAR,.... In the human body, with so much art and skill, in so convenient a place, so capacious of receiving sounds, and fitted it with organs suited for such a purpose: SHALL HE NOT HEAR? the atheism spoke in the heart, in the actions and by the mouths of such blasphemers of him... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT CHASTISETH THE HEATHEN,.... As he did the old world, by bringing a flood upon it, and sweeping away its inhabitants at once; and Sodom and Gomorrah, by raining fire and brimstone upon them, and consuming them from off the earth; and the old inhabitants of Canaan, by ejecting them out of thei... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD KNOWETH THE THOUGHTS OF MAN,.... He not only hears their words, and sees their actions; but he knows their thoughts, the secret thoughts of their hearts, though he is afar off from them, and, they from him; he is the searcher of the hearts and trier of the reins of the children of men; see... [ Continue Reading ]
BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOM THOU CHASTENEST, O LORD,.... Much more happy now, and hereafter, than the proud insulting persecutor of him; he is chastened of the Lord, that he might not be condemned with the world; he is chastened not in wrath, but in love; not with the chastisement of a cruel one, nor in... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THOU MAYEST GIVE HIM REST FROM THE DAYS OF ADVERSITY,.... Or "evil" c; or "in the evil days", as the Arabic version; for through teaching men under afflictions, they become tranquil and quiet in them; they yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them; such men patiently bear them; and qu... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE LORD WILL NOT CAST OFF HIS PEOPLE,.... The people whom he has foreknown, his chosen people, whether among Jews or Gentiles, Romans 11:1, his covenant people, whom he has given to Christ, and who are redeemed by his blood, and called by his Spirit and grace: these, though he may not arise imm... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT JUDGMENT SHALL RETURN UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS,.... Which may be understood either of the judgment and righteousness of God, which seemed to be parted, and stand at a distance from each other; his conduct and government of the world from his justice; the righteous being persecuted and afflicted, and w... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO WILL RISE UP FOR ME AGAINST THE EVILDOERS?.... These are the words of the psalmist, representing the church of God, under sore persecutions from the antichristian party; called "evildoers", because of their thefts, murders, idolatries, sorceries, and all manner of wickedness committed by them, R... [ Continue Reading ]
UNLESS THE LORD HAD BEEN MY HELP,.... Against her enemies, which were so many and mighty, and her friends so few and feeble, and having no heart to defend her cause; especially this will be the case at the time of the slaying of the witnesses; but the Lord will appear, and help her; the Spirit of li... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN I SAID, MY FOOT SLIPPETH,.... There is no ground for me to stand upon; all is over with me; there is no hope nor help for me; I am just falling into ruin and destruction: such will be the desperate case of the church, at the time before referred to: THY MERCY, O LORD, HELD ME UP; the extremity... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE MULTITUDE OF MY THOUGHTS WITHIN ME,.... The word for thoughts is used of branches of trees, thick and entwined, and so denotes perplexed and distressing thoughts; such as good men sometimes have concerning God; his awful and tremendous majesty; the perfections of his nature, particularly his... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL THE THRONE OF INIQUITY HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH THEE,.... Or "be joined with thee", be "partner with thee" f, as antichrist affects to be; who may well be called "the throne of iniquity", since the dragon, the old serpent, and Satan, gave him his power, seat, or throne, and great authority: his co... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY GATHER THEMSELVES TOGETHER,.... As "in troops" h, as the word signifies; in great armies; so the antichristian kings and states will, at the instigation of Popish emissaries; see Revelation 16:17, AGAINST THE SOUL OF THE RIGHTEOUS; or "the life" of them; in order to take away their lives; to... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE LORD IS MY DEFENCE,.... The defence of his church and people, of all the righteous, against those great armies of their enemies that gather together against them: the Targum, in the king's Bible is, "the Word of the Lord shall be my weapon:'' AND MY GOD IS THE ROCK OF MY REFUGE; to whom re... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL BRING UPON THEM THEIR OWN INIQUITY,.... The just punishment of it; or cause the mischief they designed to others to fall upon themselves; or make retaliation to them; that whereas they had drank the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus, blood should be given them to drink; or their... [ Continue Reading ]