Ps. 65 THE ARGUMENT The design of this Psalm seems to be to declare the great and glorious work of Divine Providence, both towards his church and the land of his people, and towards the rest of mankind. David praiseth God for spiritual blessings, as hearing prayer, and purging away sin, Ps.

Waiteth, Heb. is silent, or silence, i.e. quietly waits, as this phrase is used also Ps. 62:1. And praise may be here put for the person or persons who use to praise God upon all occasions, and who are now prepared and ready to do so; as deceit is put for a deceitful man, as Prov.

That hearest prayer; that usest and delightest to hear and answer the prayers of thy people in Zion; which he justly mentions as one of the chiefest of God’s favours and privileges vouchsafed to his church. All flesh, i.e.

Iniquities prevail against me; they are a burden too heavy for me, as he complains, Ps. 38:4. They are so many and great, that for them thou mightest justly reject my prayers, and destroy my person.

Thou choosest, out of the lump of mankind, to be one of thy peculiar people. Causest, i.e. permittest and commandest, and by the disposal of thy providence, and the influences of thy grace, procurest and orderest.

By terrible things; or, in a terrible manner, i.e. so as to strike thy people with a holy awe and reverence of thee and of thy judgments, and thine enemies with dread and horror. Or, in a wonderful manner, as this word is rendered in the Chaldee, Deut.

Settest fast the mountains; that they are not overthrown by floods, or winds, or earthquakes, or other natural or violent causes; which stability they have only from God’s providence, which sustains all persons and all things.

The noise of their waves, when the sea is tempestuous, and threatens to swallow up ships and men that are in it, or to overflow the earth. And the tumult of the people; and as he stills the natural, so also he quiets the metaphorical seas, tumultuous and unruly people; for multitudes of people are…

The uttermost parts, to wit, of the earth, which is added to this word, Ps. 65:5. Thy tokens, or signs; either, 1. At the sun, and moon, and stars, which are called signs, Gen. 1:14.

Visitest, to wit, in mercy, or with thy favour, as this word is oft used. The earth; the whole earth, which is full of thy bounty. So he continues to declare the general providence of God to all men and people. Or rather the land, or this land, for here is an emphatical article.

Thou settlest, to wit, in that condition which is fit for fruit. Or, thou bringest down; for the rain dissolves the high and hard clods of earth. When all is done, the fruitfulness of the earth must not be ascribed to the rain or sun, or any second causes, but to thy blessing alone.

Thou, by thy powerful goodness, dost enrich and adorn all the seasons of the year with their proper fruits and blessings. Thy paths; the clouds, upon which God is frequently said to walk or ride, as Job 36:28, Job 38:26–27, Ps. 104:3, Nah.

They, God’s paths, drop upon the pastures of the wilderness; which, though neglected by men, are furnished by God with food for wild beasts, which, being his creatures, he careth for by this means.

This is added as the effect of these comfortable rains, that they fill the pastures with grass for cattle, and the valleys (which he mentions as the most fruitful places, though he doth not exclude the rest) with corn for the use of man. They shout for joy, they also sing, i.e.