성경 주석서

« Maschil of Asaph. » Give ear, O my people, [to] my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

Maschil of Asaph — Ode didasealiea Asaphi. The six first verses are proemial, wooing attention from the dignity, difficulty, antiquity, certainty, …, of the matter in this psalm discoursed on, containing an abstract of the whole Pentateuch, and acquainting us with the ancient way of preaching, which was a historical narration of the miraculous mercies that God had from time to time conferred upon his people, their hateful abuse of his benefits, and their punishments thereupon. This is to be seen in various psalms, in St Stephen’s sermon, Acts 7:1-60 , and St Paul’s, Acts 13:1-52 , et est sane valde venerandum istud sanctae antiquitatis monumentum, This is a very venerable monument of holy antiquity, and teacheth us the right use of history, quae dicta est παρα το ισταναι τον ρουν , saith Plato.

Give ear, O my people, to my law — i.e. To my doctrine, which hath its name in Hebrew from darting it into the soul; and these are the psalmist’s words in God’s name, calling for utmost attention.

Incline your ears, … — Lay them close to my lips, that no parcel of this sacred language fall to the ground by your default. Eνωτιζεσθε , Aurizate, auribus haurite, Receive it into your ears; yea, draw up the ears of your mind to the ears of your bodies, that one sound may pierce both, Acts 2:14 Isaiah 55:3 . "Hear, and give ear; be not proud; for the Lord hath spoken it," Jeremiah 13:15 .

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I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

I will open my mouth in a parable — I will speak freely and plainly (I will open my mouth, Matthew 5:2 Acts 10:34 ), and yet acutely and accurately. See Psalms 49:4 , See Trapp on " Psalms 49:4 "

I will utter dark sayings of old — Heb. I will well out (as from a spring or fountain) dark or sharp sayings, transacted and recorded of old, but of good use for ever. Difficulty doth not discourage, but rather whet on heroic spirits to a more diligent inquiry. Aben Ezra noteth here, that Psalms 78:9 , "The children of Ephraim," …, is a parable, and Psalms 78:25 , "Man did eat angels’ food," is a riddle, or dark saying.

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Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

Which we have heard and known — Hearing and seeing are the two learned senses, whereby knowledge, yea, life, entereth into the soul, Proverbs 2:2 ; Proverbs 2:10 Isaiah 55:3 .

And our fathers have told us — Have delivered down to us from hand to hand, whetting upon us the written word, Deuteronomy 6:7 , and adding thereunto, for explication, many other things fit to be known.

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We will not hide [them] from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

We will not hide them from their children — The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with, 1 Corinthians 12:7 , neither is any one born (much less born again) for himself; but must be as useful as may be in his generation,

Celata virtus - (Hor.).

The praises of the Lord — The praise worthy acts of God for his people, and against their enemies; for these two are not sundered, Philippians 1:28 .

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For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

For he established a testimony in Jacob, … — Lest any should attribute too much to ancient traditions, and to show that antiquity must have no more authority than what it can maintain; the psalmist here (as afterwards the prophet Isaiah) calleth them to the law and to the testimonies; for if any speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them, Isaiah 8:20 .

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That the generation to come might know [them, even] the children [which] should be born; [who] should arise and declare [them] to their children:

Who shall arise and declare them — i.e. Succeed their parents both in their place and office of teaching their posterity; not suffering the truth which is after godliness Titus 1:1 to fail and fall in the streets, Isaiah 59:14-15 , or if it do, raising it up again, and restoring it to their utmost.

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That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

That they might set their hope in God — Summa legis divinae et scopus, this is a brief of the Bible, viz. to believe in God and obey his law; both which men shall the better do, if they forget not his works.

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And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation [that] set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

And might not be as their fathers — Fathers are not always to be followed, Ezekiel 20:18-19 . He zealously affected his fathers, but not well, who said, I will follow them sicut bos armentum, etiamsi ruant, though I fall with them (Cicero Epist.).

A stubborn and rebellious generation — Aver satrix et irritatrix.

A generation that set not, … — Double-minded men, unstable in all their ways, James 1:8 , having religionem ephemeram, as Beza said of Baldwin, that Ecebolius II.

And whose spirit was not stedfast with God — As was that martyr’s who said, Though you may pluck the heart out of nay body, yet you shall never pluck the truth out of my heart. The heavens shall sooner fall, said another, than I will forsake the truth I have once received.

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