(15) The channels.--The description of the storm ends with the fury of the wind and the effects of the tempest on the earth's surface. Comp. Psalms 29, and Milton:--
"Either tropic now
'Gan thunder and both ends of heaven the clouds,
From many a horrid rift abortive pour'd
Fierce rain with lightning mix'd, water with fire,
In ruin reconciled; nor slept the winds
Within their stony caves, but rush'd abroad
From the four hinges of the world and fell
On the vex'd wilderness."
--Par. Reg. iv. 409416.
Here, to suit the poet's purpose (see next verse), the rage of the tempest is made to spend itself on the water-floods. The "channels" are either torrent beds (Isaiah 8:7; Psalm 42:1; Job 6:15), or as in Samuel (where for "waters" the text has "sea") the depths of ocean. (Comp. Jonah 2:5.)
Verse 15. - Then the channels of waterswere seen. By "the channels of waters" seem to be meant the torrent-courses, so common in Palestine, especially on either side of Jordan, which convey into it the winter rains. These "were seen," lit up by the "lightnings manifold," having previously been in darkness (see vers. 9-11). At the same time, the foundations of theworld were discovered. The earthquake (ver. 7) still continuing, the earth gaped in places, and the glare of the lightning enabled the eye to penetrate deep into the solid globe - so deep that it seemed to reach the "foundations." At thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils (comp. ver. 7, "because he was wroth").
18:1-19 The first words, I will love thee, O Lord, my strength, are the scope and contents of the psalm. Those that truly love God, may triumph in him as their Rock and Refuge, and may with confidence call upon him. It is good for us to observe all the circumstances of a mercy which magnify the power of God and his goodness to us in it. David was a praying man, and God was found a prayer-hearing God. If we pray as he did, we shall speed as he did. God's manifestation of his presence is very fully described, ver. 7-15. Little appeared of man, but much of God, in these deliverances. It is not possible to apply to the history of the son of Jesse those awful, majestic, and stupendous words which are used through this description of the Divine manifestation. Every part of so solemn a scene of terrors tells us, a greater than David is here. God will not only deliver his people out of their troubles in due time, but he will bear them up under their troubles in the mean time. Can we meditate on ver. 18, without directing one thought to Gethsemane and Calvary? Can we forget that it was in the hour of Christ's deepest calamity, when Judas betrayed, when his friends forsook, when the multitude derided him, and the smiles of his Father's love were withheld, that the powers of darkness prevented him? The sorrows of death surrounded him, in his distress he prayed, Heb 5:7. God made the earth to shake and tremble, and the rocks to cleave, and brought him out, in his resurrection, because he delighted in him and in his undertaking.
Then the channels of water were seen,.... Or, "of the sea"; as in 2 Samuel 22:16. There seems to be an allusion to the drying up of the sea when the Israelites passed through it. Aben Ezra interprets this of the discovery of the secrets of enemies, and of their deep schemes and counsels, which they seek to hide, but are made known by him who sees all things in the dark; and so the following clause;
and the foundations of the world were discovered; but it rather seems to intend the utter extirpation and ruin of the Jewish nation, both in their civil and ecclesiastic state, the foundation of which was rooted up and laid bare; unless with Jerom we understand this of the ministers of the word, in whom the doctrines of grace were channelled, and who were as fountains of water; and of the foundation of the apostles and prophets made known in the Gospel: but the former sense is best; since it follows,
at thy rebuke, O Lord; at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils; for the destruction of the Jews was the effect of divine wrath and vengeance: so ends the account of the wonderful appearance of God in favour of the person the subject of this psalm, and against his enemies; the deliverance wrought for him is next described.
"Either tropic now
'Gan thunder and both ends of heaven the clouds,
From many a horrid rift abortive pour'd
Fierce rain with lightning mix'd, water with fire,
In ruin reconciled; nor slept the winds
Within their stony caves, but rush'd abroad
From the four hinges of the world and fell
On the vex'd wilderness."
--Par. Reg. iv. 409416.
Here, to suit the poet's purpose (see next verse), the rage of the tempest is made to spend itself on the water-floods. The "channels" are either torrent beds (Isaiah 8:7; Psalm 42:1; Job 6:15), or as in Samuel (where for "waters" the text has "sea") the depths of ocean. (Comp. Jonah 2:5.)
and the foundations of the world were discovered; but it rather seems to intend the utter extirpation and ruin of the Jewish nation, both in their civil and ecclesiastic state, the foundation of which was rooted up and laid bare; unless with Jerom we understand this of the ministers of the word, in whom the doctrines of grace were channelled, and who were as fountains of water; and of the foundation of the apostles and prophets made known in the Gospel: but the former sense is best; since it follows,
at thy rebuke, O Lord; at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils; for the destruction of the Jews was the effect of divine wrath and vengeance: so ends the account of the wonderful appearance of God in favour of the person the subject of this psalm, and against his enemies; the deliverance wrought for him is next described.