Thirdly, It rather refers to Gods not assisting wicked men. So Mr Broughton renders it, He will not maintain the hand of the mischievous. To put forth or stretch out the hand, according to this Hebrew phrase,1 implies strong holding, or the taking of strong hold upon any thing, so as by taking hold of it to strengthen and confirm it, to give it help and assistance. A man that would give assistance to another in any business or work, puts forth his hand to him. When we want help, we usually bespeak a friend, Pray lend me your hand. Now here, The Lord will not put forth his hand to evil doers; that is, the Lord gives them no assistance or help in their wickedness. If wicked men say, Lord, lend us thy hand: no, saith he, I will not lend you my hand. We find this phrase frequent in Scripture. That (Gen. 19.16.) illustrates it fully; where Lot being warned to go out of Sodom (vers. 16.) while he lingered the men (that is, the Angels) laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful unto him, and they brought him forth, and set him without the City. They laid hold upon their hands: It is the word of the text. When the Lord sees wicked men, in any distress or danger (as Lot was in Sodom) or when they want help and assistance in any business, he will not be merciful to them in taking them by the hand, or in laying his hand strongly upon them, either to pull them out of the danger, or to give them help in difficulties. The sin of Jerusalem is charged upon her in this language by the Prophet, in a parity with that of filthy Sodom. (Ezek. 16.49.) Neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy: that is, she did not relieve, comfort or help them. The sin opposite to this is charged upon the false Prophets by Jeremiah (Chap. 23.14.) They strengthen the hands of evil doers, either by counsel or by countenance, by flatteries or connivance. We read (Nehem. 6.) how often the enemies sent false alarms to Nehemiah, and the people that were with him, to terrify and affright them: Nehemiah shows the enemies design in it, vers. 9. They all made us afraid, saying, their hands shall be weakened from the work that it be not done; therefore in the close Nehemiah prays, Lord, strengthen mine hands (it is this word) as if he had said, Lord, help me, put thine hands to mine. So (Isa. 35.3.)
Thirdly, It rather refers to Gods not assisting wicked men. So Mr Broughton renders it, He will not maintain the hand of the mischievous. To put forth or stretch out the hand, according to this Hebrew phrase,1 implies strong holding, or the taking of strong hold upon any thing, so as by taking hold of it to strengthen and confirm it, to give it help and assistance. A man that would give assistance to another in any businesse or work, puts forth his hand to him. When we want help, we usually bespeak a friend, Pray lend me your hand. Now here, The Lord will not put forth his hand to evil doers; that is, the Lord gives them no assistance or help in their wickednesse. If wicked men say, Lord, lend us thy hand: no, saith he, I will not lend you my hand. We finde this phrase frequent in Scripture. That (Gen. 19.16.) illustrates it fully; where Lot being warned to go out of Sodome (vers. 16.) while he lingred the men (that is, the Angels) laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters, the Lord being mercifull unto him, and they brought him forth, and set him without the City. They laid hold upon their hands: It is the word of the text. When the Lord sees wicked men, in any distresse or danger (as Lot was in Sodome) or when they want help and assistance in any businesse, he will not be mercifull to them in taking them by the hand, or in laying his hand strongly upon them, either to pull them out of the danger, or to give them help in difficulties. The sinne of Jerusalem is charged upon her in this language by the Prophet, in a parity with that of filthy Sodome. (Ezek. 16.49.) Neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy: that is, she did not relieve, comfort or help them. The sinne opposite to this is charged upon the false Prophets by Jeremy (Chap. 23.14.) They strengthen the hands of evil doers, either by counsell or by countenance, by flatteries or connivence. We read (Nehem. 6.) how often the enemies sent false alarms to Nehemiah, and the people that were with him, to terrifie and affright them: Nehemiah shews the enemies design in it, vers. 9. They all made us afraid, saying, their hands shall be weakned from the work that it be not done; therefore in the close Nehemiah praies, Lord, strengthen mine hands (it is this word) as if he had said, Lord, help me, put thine hands to mine. So (Isa. 35.3.)
- 1[Greek or Hebrew] Denotat fortiter apprehendere, aut potiùs apprehendendo consortare, & roborare hoc est praestare auxilium. Improbis non favet nec eos juvat. Merc.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Denotat fortiter apprehendere, aut potiùs apprehendendo consortare, & roborare hoc est praestare auxilium. Improbis non favet nec eos juvat. Merc.
