Commentary on Psalms - Volume 3 - Bible Study Guides

Comm on Psalms (V3)John Calvin9. Do to them as to the Midianites, 442 as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook Kishon. 443 10. Theyperished at Endor; they became manure for the earth. 11. Make them and their princes like Oreb,and like Zeeb; 444 and like Zebah, and like Zalmunna, 445 all their princes. 12. Who have said, Letus take in possession for ourselves the habitations of God.9. Do to them as to the Midianites. The faithful, having complained of the very grievousoppressions to which they were subjected, with the view of inducing God the more readily to succorthem, now call to their remembrance the many occasions on which he had afforded relief to hispeople, when brought into the most desperate circumstances. From this, it is an obvious inference,that God wisely delays his aid to his servants under oppression, that when they seem to be reducedto the last extremity, he may appear in a miraculous manner for their succor. The prophet, in thisverse, mingles together two histories. Strict accuracy would have required him to have said in oneconnected sentence, Do to them as to the Midianites at the brook Kishon. But he inserts in themiddle of this sentence, the slaughter of Jabin and Sisera. It was, however, of no great importanceto distinguish particularly between the two histories. He considered it enough for his purpose, tobring to the remembrance of himself and other pious Jews, the miracles which God in the days ofold had so often wrought in delivering his people. The great object aimed at is to show, that God,who had so often put his enemies to flight, and rescued his poor trembling sheep out of the jawsof wolves, was not now without the power of effecting the same deliverance. The wonderful mannerin which he succoured his people by the hand of Gideon is well known: Judges 6 and 7; It mighthave seemed altogether ridiculous for Gideon to venture to engage in battle against a very powerfularmy, with no greater a number of men of war than three hundred, and these, be it observed, suchas had been in a state of bondage during their whole lives, and whom the mere look of their lordsmight have thrown into consternation. And yet, it came to pass, that the Midianites perished byturning their swords against each other. The same goodness God displayed in the slaughter of Siseraand king Jabin, Judges 4:13. Barak, under the conduct of a woman, Deborah, discomfited themboth, when, with a small handful of soldiers, he intrepidly gave battle to their mighty host. AndSisera, the general of the army, did not die bravely on the field of battle, but was smitten by thehand of a woman after he had retired to some hiding-place. That the faithful may not be overwhelmedwith terror and fall into despair, they seasonably fortify themselves with these examples ofdeliverance, by which God had shown that in himself alone there resides a sufficiency of power todefend his people, whenever, destitute of the resources of human aid, they should betake themselvesto him. From that astonishing and unwonted mode of granting deliverance, they came to theconclusion, that he is a wonderful worker in preserving his Church; in order to encourage themselvesto entertain the fullest confidence, that in his breath alone they would have sufficient strength tooverthrow all their enemies. Nor is it only in this passage that the slaughter of the Midianites isrelated for this purpose. Isaiah also (Isaiah 9:4) introduces it for confirming the truth of the Church’s442 The Midianites derive their name from Midian, the son of Abraham, by Keturah, Genesis 25:2. The history here referredto is the complete defeat of that people by Gideon, Judges 7:21, 23.443 Kishon is a torrent which flows from mount Tabor into the sea.444 Oreb and Zeeb were two chiefs or generals of the Midianites, and were slain by the men of Ephraim in their pursuit of theMidianites, Judges 7:24, 25.445 Zebah and Zalmunna were kings of Midian, whom Gideon, after having defeated their army, took prisoners and put todeath, Judges 8:10-21.208