from spurgeon's (S) 'treasury of david'
title: 'shiggaion of david, which he sang unto the Lord, concerning the words (?) of cush the benjamite.
as far as we can gather from the observations of learned men
and from a comparison of this psalm with the only other shiggaion in the word of God (habbukuk 3,
this title seems to mean 'variable songs',
with which also the idea of solace and pleasure is associated.
truly our life psalm is composed of variable verses;
one stanza rolls along with the sublime metre of triumph,
but another limps with the broken rhythm of complaint.
there is much bass in the saint's music here below.
our experience is as variable as the weather in england.
from the title we learn the occasion of the composition of this song.
it appears probable that cush the benjamite had accused david to saul
of treasonable conspiracy against his royal authority.
this the king would be ready enough to credit,
both from his jealousy of david
and from the relation which most probably existed between cush and himself.
he who is near the throne can do more injury to a subject than an ordinary slanderer.
division:
v1,2 the danger is stated and prayer offered.
3-5 the psalmist most solemnly avows his innocence
6-7 the Lord is pleaded with to arise to judgment.
8-9 the Lord, sitting upon His throne, hears the renewed appeal of the slandered supplicant
10-13 the Lord clears His servant and threatens the wicked
14-6 the slanderer is seen in vision bringing a curse upon his own head
17 while david retires from trial singing a hymn of praise to his righteous God.
we have here a noble sermon upon that text:, 'no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper
and 'every tongue that riseth against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.
TITLE-SHIGGAION OF DAVID, WHICH HE SANG UNTO THE LORD,
CONCERNING THE WORDS OF CUSH THE BENJAMITE.
..'shiggaion', though some have attempted to fix on it a reference to the moral aspect of the world as depicted in this psalm,
is in all probability to be taken as expressing the nature of the composition.
it conveys the idea of something erratic (shaggah-to wander) in the style;
something not so calm as other psalms
and hence ewald suggests, that it might be rendered,
'a confused ode', a dithyramb.
this characteristic of excitement in the style and a kind of disorder in the sense,
suits habakkuk 3, the only other place where the word occurs..andrew a. bonar
v3 O LORD MY GOD, IF I HAVE DONE THIS; IF THERE BE INIQUITY IN MY HANDS
..i deny not but you may and ought to be sensible of the wrong done to your name,
for as 'a good name is a precious ointment' (song of songs 1.3),
so to have an evil name is a great judgment and therefore you ought not to be insensible
of the wrong done to your name by slanders and reproaches, saying,
'let men speak of me what they please, i care not,
so long as i know mine own innocency',
for though the testimony of your own innocency be a ground of comfort unto you,
yet your care must be not only to approve yourselves unto God, but also unto men,
to be as careful of your good names as possibly ye can;
but yet you are not to manifest any distemper or passion upon the reproachful speeches of others against you...thomas gouge, 1660
it is a sign that there is some good in thee if a wicked world abuse thee.
'quid mali feci?' said socrates, what evil have i done that this bad man commends me?
the applause of the wicked usually denotes some evil and their censure imports some good. thomas watson
a good conscience is a flowing spring of assurance.
'for our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity,
not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God,
we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you ward. II corinthians 1.12
'beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God.' I john 3.21
a good conscience has sure confidence.
he who has it sits in the midst of all combustions and distractions,
noah-like, all sincerity and sernity, uprightness and boldness.
v4 IF I HAVE REWARDED EVIL UNTO HIM THAT WAS AT PEACE WITH ME
(YEA, I HAVE DELIVERED HIM THAT WITHOUT CAUSE IS MINE ENEMY)
then is grace victorious, and then hath a man a noble and brave spirit,
not when he is overcome by evil (for that argueth weakness),
but when he can overcome evil.
and it is God's way to shame the party that did the wrong and to overcome him too;
it is the best way to get the victory over him...as david did saul..thomas manton
v6 ARISE, O LORD, IN THINE ANGER,
LIFT UP THYSELF BECAUSE OF THE RAGE OF MINE ENEMIES
AND AWAKE FOR ME (to) THE JUDGEMENT (that) THOU HAST COMMANDED.
in the end of the verse he shows that he asks nothing but what is according to the appointment of God.
and this is the rule which ought to be observed by us in our prayers;
we should in everything conform our requests to the divine will...
'and this is the confidence that we have in Him,
that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us. I john 5.14
and, indeed, we can never pray in faith unless we attend, in the first place, to what God commands,
that our minds may not rashly and at random start aside in desiring more than we are permitted
to desire and pray for.
david, therefore, in order to pray aright, reposes himself on the word and promise of God
and the import of his exercise is this,
Lord, i am not led by ambition, or foolish headstrong passion
or depraved desire, inconsiderately at ask from Thee whatever is pleasing to my flesh,
but it is the clear light of Thy word which directs me,
\and upon it i securely depend...john calvin
v9 OH LET THE WICKEDNESS OF THE WICKED COME TO AN END;
BUT ESTABLISH THE JUST;
FOR THE RIGHTEOUS GOD TRIETH THE HEARTS AND REINS.
as common experience shows that the workings of the mind,
particularly the passions of joy, grief and fear, have a very remarkable effect on the reins or kidneys.
('yea my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things. proverbs 23.16
'thus my heart was grieved and i was pricked in my reins. ps. 73.20)
so from their retired situation in the body and their being hid in fat,
they are often used to denote the most secret workings and affections of the soul.
and to 'see or examine the reins'
is to see or examine those most secret thoughts or desires of the soul...john parkhurst 1762
'I that alone am infinite, can try
how deep within itself thine heart doth lie.
thy seamen's plummet can but reach the ground,
i find that which thine heart itself ne'er found....francis quarles, 1592-1644
v11 GOD JUDGETH THE RIGHTEOUS AND GOD IS ANGRY (with the wicked) EVERY DAY.
...without the words written in italics, which are not in the original, it will read thus,
'God judgeth the righeous and God is angry every day.
..this follows the more recent translations.
there is another class, following the older, which follows,
'God is a righteous judge, although he is not angry every day'.
...speaking of another variant..'there is by this view of the original
no repetition of the divine name in the verse,
so that it will simply read, as thus restored,
'God is a righteous judge and is not angry every day'.
the text at large, as is intimated in the vulgate, septuagint and some other ancient versions,
conveys a strong intimation of the longsuffering of God, whose hatred of sin is unchangeable,
but whose anger against transgressors is marked by infinite patience
and does not burst forth in vengeance every day....
john morison in 'an exposition of the book of psalms'.
1829
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