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tihvaxy  of  t:he  theological  ^emmarjp 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


PRESENTED  BY 

The  Estate  of  Professor 
V/alter  M.   Rankin 


Zljt  €m\MtjQt  Bible  for  ^t|)ooIs 
anti  Colleaes» 


THE   BOOK   OF 

PSALMS 

(I— XLI) 


rniNTED   BY    C.    J.    CLAY,    M.A.  &    SONS, 
AT    THE    UNIVERSITY    PRESS. 


PREFACE 
BY    THE    GENERAL  EDITOR. 

The  General  Editor  of  The  Cambridge  Bible  for 
Schools  thinks  it  right  to  say  that  he  does  not  hold 
himself  responsible  either  for  the  interpretation  of 
particular  passages  which  the  Editors  of  the  several 
Books  have  adopted,  or  for  any  opinion  on  points  of 
doctrine  that  they  may  have  expressed.  In  the  New 
Testament  more  especially  questions  arise  of  the 
deepest  theological  import,  on  which  the  ablest  and 
most  conscientious  interpreters  have  differed  and 
always  will  differ.  His  aim  has  been  in  all  such 
cases  to  leave  each  Contributor  to  the  unfettered 
exercise  of  his  own  judgment,  only  taking  care  that 
mere  controversy  should  as  far  as  possible  be  avoided. 
He  has  contented  himself  chietiy  with  a  careful 
revision  of  the  notes,  with  pointing  out  omissions,  with 


PREFACE. 


suggesting  occasionally  a  reconsideration  of  some 
question,  or  a  fuller  treatment  of  difficult  passages, 
and  the  like. 

Beyond  this  he  has  not  attempted  to  interfere, 
feeling  it  better  that  each  Commentary  should  have 
its  own  individual  character,  and  being  convinced 
that  freshness  and  variety  of  treatment  are  more 
than  a  compensation  for  any  lack  of  uniformity  in 
the  Series. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGES 

I.    Introduction. 

/.       The  Book  of  Psalms    ix— xii 

//.      The    Position,    Names,    Numbering,    and 

Divisions  of  the  Psalter  xii — xvii 

///.     The  Titles  of  the  Psalms xvii— xxxi 

IV.     The  Authorship  and  Age  of  the  Psalms    ...  xxxi— xxxviii 

V.     The  Collection  and  Growth  of  the  Psalter...  xxxix— xliv 

VI.     The  Form  of  Hebrew  Poetry xliv— xlviii 

VII.  The  Hebrew  Text,   the  Ancient  Versions, 

and  the  English  Versions  xlix— Ivii 

VIII.  The  Messianic  Hope Iviii— Ixvii 

IX.     On   some   points   in   the  Theology  of  the 

Psalms  Ixvii— Ixxix 

II.    Text  and  Notes i— 220 

III.    Appendices - 221—224 

Index  225 


The  Text  adopted  in  this  Edition  is  that  of  Dr  Scrivener's 
Cambridge  Paragraph  Bible.  A  few  variations  from  the  ordi- 
nary Text,  chiefly  in  the  spelling  of  certain  words,  and  in  the 
use  of  italics,  will  be  noticed.  For  the  principles  adopted  by 
Dr  Scrivener  as  regards  the  printing  of  the  Text  see  his  In- 
troduction to  the  Paragraph  Bible,  published  by  the  Cambridge 
University  Press. 


The  choice  and  floxver  of  all  things  profitable  in  other  books  the 
Psalms  do  both  more  briefly  contain^  and  more  jnovingly  also  express, 
by  j-eason  of  that  poetical  form  wherewith  they  are  written .  .  .  What 
is  there  necessary  for  man  to  know  which  the  Psalms  are  not  able  to 
teach  ?  They  are  to  beginners  an  easy  and  familiar  introdtiction,  a 
mighty  augmentation  of  all  virtue  and  knowledge  in  such  as  are 
entered  before,  a  strong  confirmation  to  the  jnost  perfect  among  others. 
Heroical  7nagnanimity,  exquisite  justice,  grave  moderation,  exact  wisdom, 
7-epentance  unfeigned,  unwearied  patience,  the  ?nysteries  of  God,  the 
sufferings  of  Christ,  the  terrors  of  wrath,  the  co^nforts  of  grace,  the  W07'ks 
of  Providence  over  this  world,  and  the  promised  joys  of  that  world 
ivhich  is  to  come,  all  good  necessarily  to  be  either  known  or  done  or 
had,  this  one  celestial  fountain  yieldeth.  Let  there  be  any  grief  or 
disease  incident  into  the  soul  of  man,  any  wound  or  sickness  natned, 
for  which  there  is  not  in  this  treasure-house  a  present  contfot-table 
remedy  at  all  times  ready  to  be  found. 

R.    HOOKER. 


INTRODUCTION. 

CHAPTER   I. 

THE  BOOK  OF  PSALMS. 

Lyric  poetry  is  the  most  ancient  kind  of  poetry,  and  Hebrew 
poetry  is  mainly  lyric.  Neither  epic  nor  dramatic  poetry 
flourished  in  ancient  Israel.  Some  indeed  of  the  historical 
Psalms  may  be  said  to  have  an  epic  colouring,  but  they  belong 
to  the  class  of  didactic  narrative  :  Job  and  the  Song  of  Songs 
may  be  called  in  a  sense  dramatic,  but  they  do  not  appear  to 
have  been  intended  for  performance  on  the  stage.  The  only 
independent  branch  of  poetry  in  Israel  was  Gnomic  or  Pro- 
verbial poetry,  which  in  the  hands  of  the  '  Wise  Men '  attained 
to  a  rich  development,  and  must  have  exercised  an  important 
influence  on  the  education  of  the  people. 

The  Old  Testament  is  the  religious  history  of  Israel,  and  the 
poetry  preserved  in  the  Book  of  Psalms  is,  as  might  be  expected, 
religious  poetry.  Secular  poetry  no  doubt  existed^  but  it  has 
not  come  down  to  us.  The  Psalter  then  is  a  collection  of 
religious  lyrics.  Lyric  poetry  is  defined  as  "  that  which  directly 
expresses  the  individual  emotions  of  the  poet;"  and  religious 
lyric  poetry  is  the  expression  of  those  emotions  and  feelings  as 
they  are  stirred  by  the  thought  of  God  and  directed  God-wards. 
This  is  the  common  characteristic  of  the  Psalms  in  all  their 

1  Such  as  the  drinking  songs  referred  to  in  Amos  vi.  5  (R.V.); 
Is.  V.  12:  harvest  and  vintage  songs  (Is.  xvi.  10,  11;  Jer.  xlviii.  33): 
parables  (Judg.  ix.  8  ff.).  Solomon's  'thousand  and  five  songs'  were 
probably  of  a  secular  character  (r  Kings  iv.  32).  Poems  like  Exod.  xv 
and  Judg.  v  are  essentially  religious. 


INTRODUCTION. 


manifold  variety.  Some  are  directly  addressed  to  God,  as 
petition  or  thanksgiving  or  praise :  some  are  the  communings 
of  the  soul  with  God,  expressing  its  faith,  its  hope,  its  love,  its 
needs,  its  fears,  its  aspirations,  its  joys,  its  triumphs  :  some 
celebrate  the  'marvellous  works'  of  God  in  nature  and  in 
history  :  some  reflect  upon  the  perplexing  problems  of  life  and 
their  relation  to  the  divine  government  of  the  world  :  but  God 
is  as  it  were  the  sun  around  which  all  revolves,  and  His  light 
and  heat  illuminate  and  animate  the  whole. 

The  Psalms  stand  in  an  intimate  relation  to  the  whole  of 
the  Old  Testament.  They  are  the  inspired  response  of  the 
human  heart  to  God's  revelation  of  Himself,  in  Law  and 
History  and  Prophecy  and  Philosophy. 

The  Psalmists  celebrate  the  moral  law  as  the  guide  of 
human  conduct ;  they  welcome  the  ordinances  of  worship  and 
rejoice  in  the  privilege  of  access  to  the  presence  of  God  in  the 
Temple,  as  the  crowning  joy  of  life. 

History  supplies  its  lessons  of  God's  goodness  and  man's 
ingratitude.  The  recollection  of  the  past  is  a  warning  for  the 
present,  the  support  of  faith  in  the  hour  of  trial,  the  ground 
of  comfort  in  times  of  calamity. 

The  Psalms  are  closely  connected  with  Prophecy.  The 
term  'prophesying'  is  applied  to  the  expression  of  religious 
fervour  in  chant  and  hymn  (i  Sam.  x.  lo  ff. ;  xix.  20  ff. :  i  Chr. 
XXV.  I — 3);  and  David's  chief  musicians,  Heman,  Asaph  and 
Jeduthun,  are  called  'seers'  (i  Chr.  xxv.  5;  2  Chr.  xxix.  30; 
xxxv.  15).  Sacred  poetry  often  rises  to  prophetic  foresight, 
while  prophecy  passes  into  lyric  poetry  ^  The  passion  for  truth 
and  righteousness,  and  the  unquenchable  belief  that  Jehovah's 
moral  government  of  the  world  is  working,  surely  if  slowly, 
towards  a  glorious  consummation  in  the  establishment  of  His 
universal  sovereignty,  animate  and  inspire  Psalmists  not  less 
than  Prophets. 

Several   Psalms   reflect  the  influence  of  the  *  Wisdom '   or 

religious  philosophy  of  Israel,  both  in  its  practical  and  in  its 

speculative    aspects.      The    moral    lessons  for  every-day  life 

collected  in  the  Book  of  Proverbs,  and  the  discussion  of  the 

^  E.g.  Is.  xii,  xxv,  xxvi;  Hab.  iii. 


INTRODUCTION. 


problems  of  the  world  in  Job  and  Ecclesiastes,  find  their  echo 
in  the  poetry  of  the  Psalter. 

The  importance  of  the  Psalter  for  a  just  appreciation  of  the 
history  of  Israel  is  obvious.  How  meagre  an  idea  of  the  higher 
religious  life  of  Israel  should  we  derive  from  the  Historical 
Books  apart  from  the  Prophets  :  how  imperfect  still  would  be 
the  picture  drawn  from  the  Historical  Books  and  the  Prophets 
without  the  warmth  of  colouring  added  to  it  by  the  Psalms. 
These  alone  give  us  a  glimpse  into  the  inner  religion  of  the  best 
spirits  in  the  nation,  and  bear  witness  to  the  faith,  the  love,  the 
devotion  of  pious  souls  even  under  the  limitations  of  the  Old 
Covenant. 

Hence  it  is  essential  to  study  the  Psalms  critically  and 
historically ;  to  endeavour  to  ascertain  their  original  meaning 
and  to  assign  them  to  their  proper  place  in  the  history  and 
development  of  revelation ;  not  only  in  order  to  give  life  and 
reality  to  the  Psalms  themselves,  and  to  understand  them 
better  ;  but  for  the  sake  of  the  light  which  they  throw  upon  the 
religious  history  of  Israel,  and  the  course  of  God's  dealings  with 
His  people. 

The  inquiry  is  however  one  of  extreme  difficulty.  The  widest 
diversity  of  opinion  prevails  as  to  the  date  and  authorship  of 
the  Psalms,  and  we  must  often  be  content  to  acknowledge  that 
a  Psalm  cannot  be  assigned  to  a  definite  period,  still  less  to  a 
particular  author,  with  any  degree  of  certainty. 

But  after  all,  the  critical  and  historical  study  of  the  Psalms 
is  but  a  preliminary  to  the  higher  study  of  their  spiritual 
meaning  and  their  devotional  use.  The  Psalter  has  been 
through  all  the  centuries  and  will  ever  continue  to  be  the  one 
unique  and  inexhaustible  treasury  of  devotion  for  the  individual 
and  for  the  Church.  Through  its  guidance  the  soul  learns  to 
commune  with  God  :  it  supplies  the  most  fitting  language  for 
common  worship. 

To  some  it  may  seem  almost  a  sacrilege  to  apply  the  methods 
of  criticism  to  such  a  book.  It  may  be  disappointing  to  find 
that  many  Psalms  once  supposed  to  be  David's  must  be  relegated 
to  a  far  later  age ;  perplexing  to  find  familiar  renderings  con- 
demned, and  long  current  interpretations  abandoned. 


INTRODUCTION. 


But  Holy  Scripture  conveys  divine  truth  through  the  medium 
of  human  language,  and  it  is  our  duty  to  investigate  to  the  full 
the  meaning  and  the  force  of  that  language.  Criticism  is  not 
the  enemy  but  the  handmaid  of  devotion.  As  we  learn  to 
understand  more  of  the  original  meaning  of  the  Psalms  for 
those  who  wrote  and  used  them,  we  shall  learn  more  of  their 
true  meaning  for  ourselves. 

But  that  meaning  is  not  limited  to  the  '  original '  sense,  if  by 
this  is  meant  only  that  which  the  writers  could  recognise  in 
their  own  words.  Every  true  poet's  words  contain  far  more 
than  he  himself  at  the  moment  intends.  And  the  words  of 
these  inspired  poets  were  so  shaped  and  moulded  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  that  they  might  grow  and  expand  with  the  growth  of 
revelation,  and  "gather  wealth  in  the  course  of  ages."  The 
Psalms  belong  indeed  to  the  Old  and  not  to  the  New  Testa- 
ment. They  are  the  product  of  the  Jewish  and  not  of  the 
Christian  Church.  But  "the  Psalter  in  its  spiritual  fulness 
belongs  to  no  special  time  ;"  and  the  old  words  are  'fulfilled'  in 
Christ.  The  Christian  Church  may,  nay  must,  use  them  as 
they  are  illuminated  by  the  light  of  the  Gospel.  And  if  the 
saying,  "pectus  est  quod  facit  theologumV^  is  true  of  the  study 
of  the  Bible  generally,  it  is  most  true  of  the  study  of  that  book 
which  has  well  been  called  "  the  Bible  within  the  Bible,'"'  the 
very  "  heart  of  the  Bible." 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE   POSITION,   NAMES,   NUMBERING,   AND  DIVISIONS 
OF   THE   PSALTER. 

I.  The  position  of  the  Psalter  iti  the  Old  Testament.  The 
Hebrew  title  of  the  Old  Testament  indicates  the  three  great 
divisions,  in  which,  from    very  early   times  ^,  the    Canonical 

^  "It  is  the  heart  which  makes  the  theologian." 

2  This  triple  division  is  recognised  in  the  Prologue  to  Ecclesiasticus, 
written  about  B.C.  132  by  the  author's  grandson,  who  translated  the 
book  from  Hebrew  into  Greek.  "Whereas  many  and  great  things 
have  been  delivered  unto  us  by  means  of  (5td)  the  law  and  the  pro- 
phets and  the  others  that  have  followed  after  them my  grand- 


INTRODUCTION. 


Books  were  arranged  by  the  Jewish  Church  : — Law^  Prophets, 
Writings.  The  Book  of  Psalms  belongs  to  the  third  of  these 
divisions,  the  Writings  or  Hagiographa.  But  its  position  in 
the  group  has  not  always  been  the  same.  In  the  MSS.  of  the 
German  type,  which  our  printed  editions  follow,  the  Psalms 
stand  first,  followed  by  Proverbs  and  Job.  That  this  was  the 
ancient  order  is  at  least  a  probable  inference  from  Luke  xxiv. 
44  where  "  the  Psalms  "  stands  by  the  side  of  "  the  Law "  and 
"the  Prophets"  as  the  title  of  the  Hagiographa  in  general i. 

The  order  of  the  books  of  the  O.  T.  in  our  English  Bibles 
is  that  which  had  come  to  be  adopted  in  the  Vulgate  by  the 
sixteenth  century.  It  corresponds  more  nearly  to  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  Lxx  found  in  the  Vatican  MS.  than  to  that  of  the 
Hebrew,  but  differs  from  it  in  placing  Job  before  the  Psalter 
instead  of  after  the  Song  of  Songs,  and  in  placing  the  Minor 
Prophets  after  instead  of  before  the  Major  Prophets,  and 
arranging  them  as  they  stand  in  the  Hebrew  text. 

2.  Names  of  the  Psalter.  The  Septuagint  translators  em- 
ployed the  word  '<^dk\i.6%'^, psalm,  to  render  the  Heb.  word  iniz- 
rnor,  which  was  the  technical  term  for  a  song  with  musical 
accompaniment  (p.  xvii).  The  collection  was  styled  simply 
Psalms,  as  in  the  Vatican  MS.  (yj/aXfiol,  cp.  Luke  xxiv.  44),  or 
the  Book  of  Psalms  (Luke  xx.  42),  or  in  later  times  the  Psalter, 

father  Jesus,  when  he  had  diligently  given  himself  to  the  reading  of  the 
law  and  the  prophets  and  the  other  books  of  our  fathers  {tQ)v  dWwu 
TrarptW  ^l^XLwv)  .  .  .  was  drawn  on  also  himself  to  write  something  per- 
taining to  instruction  and  wisdom."  And  again,  apologising  for  the 
imperfections  of  his  version,  he  says:  "For  words  spoken  in  Hebrew 
have  not  precisely  the  same  force,  when  they  are  translated  into  another 
tongue:  and  not  only  this  treatise,  but  even  the  law  and  the  prophe- 
cies and  the  rest  of  the  books  (rd  \onra  tQv  j3i^\lo}v)  differ  in  no  small 
degree  when  they  are  spoken  in  their  own  language."  The  clear  dis- 
tinction which  is  here  drawn  between  the  Canonical  books  and  Eccle- 
siasticus,  and  the  reference  to  the  Greek  Version  of  the  O.T.  as  already 
in  existence,  should  be  carefully  noticed. 

1  Comp.  too  Philo  (B.C.  20— a. D.  ^o)de  vita  cotitempl.  (ii.  475): 
vo/JLOVs  Kai  \6yia  Oea-mcrdevTa  dia  7rpo(p7]T0Ju  kuI  v/ulvovs  Kal  to,  dWa  oh 
eiriaTTjixTf  Kai  evcre^eia  (xwav^ovTai  Kal  reKeLovvrai..  "Laws  and  oracles 
delivered  by  prophets  and  hymns  and  the  other  writings  by  which 
knowledge  and  piety  are  increased  and  perfected." 

2  \pa\fi69  denotes  (i)  the  music  of  a  stringed  instrument;  (2)  a  song 
sung  to  the  accompaniment  of  such  music. 


INTRODUCTION. 


yj/aXriip  or  >//-aXr;)pioi/^  The  Greek  words  have  come  down  to 
us  through  the  Latin  psahmis^  psalteritim. 

The  title  of  the  collection  in  the  Hebrew  Bible  is  Book  of 
Praises  or  simply  Praises:  Sepher  Tehillim  abbreviated  into 
Tillim  or  Tillifi'^.  This  title  was  known  to  Hippolytus^  and 
Origen^  in  the  first  half  of  the  third  century  A.D.,  and  to  Jerome^ 
Only  one  Psalm  (cxlv)  bears  the  title  A  Praise,  and  the  name 
Book  of  Praises  probably  originated  in  the  use  of  the  collection 
as  the  hymn-book  of  the  Second  Temple^.  But  no  more  fitting 
name  could  be  found  for  a  book,  of  which  a  predominant 
characteristic  is  praise  and  thanksgiving,  and  which  ends  with 
a  diapason  of  Hallelujahs. 

Another  title,  possibly  that  of  the  earliest  collection  of  Davidic 
Psalms,  was  Tephilloth  or  Prayers  (Ixxii.  20).  Only  five 
Psalms,  xvii,  Ixxxvi,  xc,  cii,  cxlii,  are  so  entitled  ;  but  again, 
although  some  Psalms  (e.g.  i,  ii)  contain  no  direct  address  to 
God,  the  title  is  a  suitable  one.  Prayer  in  its  widest  sense 
includes  all  elevation  of  the  mind  to  God''.  Hannah's  thanks- 
giving and  Habakkuk's  ode  are  both  described  as  prayer  (i  Sam. 
ii.  I,  Hab.  iii.  i). 

3.  Numbering  of  the  Psalms.  The  Massoretic  Text  and 
the  LXX  both  reckon  a  total  of  150  Psalms.  The  151st  Psalm, 
which  is  added  in  the  LXX,  is  expressly  said  to  be  "outside 

^  y^a\Tt]piov  meant  originally  a  stringed  instriuiient,  a  psaltery  (fre- 
quently in  the  LXX),  and  was  afterwards  applied  to  a  collectioti  of 
psabns,  a  psalter.  In  this  sense  it  is  used  by  Hippolytus,  Athanasius, 
Epiphanius,  and  stands  as  the  title  of  the  Psalms  in  the  Alexandrine  MS. 

^  The  word  is  derived  from  the  same  root  as  Hallelujah,  and  the 
verb  is  frequently  used  in  connexion  with  the  Temple  Service  (i  Chron. 
xvi.  4  &c.). 

3  p.  188,  ed.  Lagarde.  'E/Spatoi  irepL€ypa\pav  ttjv  ^l^Xov  I,^(ppa  deXeifj.. 
The  genuineness  of  the  fragment  of  Hippolytus  which  treats  of  the 
inscriptions,  authorship,  divisions,  and  order  of  the  Psalms,  is  how- 
ever doubtful.  See  Dr  Salmon  in  the  Diet,  of  Christian  Biography, 
iii.  103. 

^  In  Euseb.  Hist.  Eccl.  vi.  25  (ed.  Burton)  llipapdeWdiJ.. 

^  In  the  Preface  to  his  Psalteritim  iuxta  Hebraeos  (p.  2,  ed.  La- 
garde):  "titulus  ipse  Hebraicus  sephar  tallim,  quod  interpretatur  volu- 
men  hymnornm." 

^  Cp.  Neh.  xii.  46. 

7  "Lege  totum  Psalterium... nihil  erit  nisi  ad  Deum  in  cunctis 
operibus  deprecatio."     S.  Jerome  contra  Pelag.  i.  5. 


INTRODUCTION. 


XV 


the  number  1."  But  this  reckoning  has  not  been  uniformly 
observed.  Some  ancient  Jewish  authorities  reckon  149,  others 
147  Psalms,  the  latter  number,  as  the  Jerusalem  Talmud  says, 
"according  to  the  years  of  our  father  Jacob."  These  totals  are 
obtained  by  uniting  one  or  all  of  the  pairs  i,  ii :  ix,  x  :  cxiv, 
cxv.  Although  the  Hebrew  and  the  LXX  agree  in  the  total, 
they  differ  in  the  details  of  the  numeration.  The  LXX  unites  ix 
and  X,  cxiv  and  cxv,  and  divides  cxvi  and  cxlvii.  It  may  be  use- 
ful to  subjoin  a  comparative  table,  for  while  our  modern  English 
versions  follow  the  Hebrew  reckoning,  the  Vulgate  and  the  older 
English  Versions  (e.g.  Wycliffe  and  Coverdale)  and  modern 
Roman  Catholic  versions  based  upon  it,  follow  that  of  the  LXX. 


Hebrew  (Later  English 
Versions). 

i — viii. 

ix,  X. 

xi — cxiii. 

cxiv,  cxv. 

cxvi. 

cxvii — cxlvi. 

cxlvii. 

cxlviii — cl. 


LXX  (Vulgate.     Older  English 
Versions.     Rom.  Cath.  Versions). 

1 — viii. 
ix. 

x — cxii. 
cxiii. 
cxiv,  cxv. 
cxvi — cxiv. 
cxlvi,  cxlvii. 
cxlviii — cl. 


1  This  Psalm  appears  to  have  been  translated  from  a  Hebrew 
original,  but  the  contrast  between  it  and  the  canonical  Psalms  is  so 
noteworthy  that  it  seems  worth  while  to  append  a  version  of  it. 

"This  Psalm  was  written  by  David  with  his  own  hand  (and  it  is 
outside  the  number)  when  he  fought  in  single  combat  with  Goliath. 

I  was  little  among  my  brethren, 

and  the  youngest  in  my  father's  house ; 

I  fed  my  father's  sheep. 

My  hands  made  a  harp, 

my  fingers  contrived  a  psaltery. 

And  who  will  declare  unto  my  Lord  ? 

He  is  the  Lord,  it  is  He  that  heareth. 

He  sent  His  angel, 

and  took  me  from  my  father's  sheep, 

and  anointed  me  with  the  oil  of  his  anointing. 

5.  My  brethren  were  comely  and  tall, 
and  in  them  the  Lord  had  no  pleasure. 

6.  I  went  forth  to  meet  the  Philistine, 
and  he  cursed  me  by  his  idols. 

But  I  drew  the  sword  from  his  side,  and   beheaded  him, 
and  took  away  the  reproach  from  the  children  of  Israel." 


xvi  INTRODUCTION. 


Thus  for  the  greater  part  of  the  Psalter  the  numeration  of  the 
LXX  is  one  behind  that  of  the  Hebrew. 

The  EngHsh  reader  should  also  remember  that  the  title  of 
a  Psalm,  when  it  consists  of  more  than  one  or  two  words,  is 
reckoned  as  a  verse,  and  sometimes  (e.g.  in  Ps.  li)  as  two  verses, 
in  the  Hebrew  text.  Attention  to  this  is  necessary  in  using  the 
references  of  commentaries,  which  like  that  of  Delitzsch,  follow 
the  numbering  of  the  verses  in  the  original. 

4.  Divisions  of  the  Psalter.  The  Psalter  has  from  ancient 
times  been  divided  into  five  books  : 

Book    i  =  Pss.  i — xli: 
„       ii  =  Pss.  xlii — Ixxii : 
„      iii  =  Pss.  Ixxiii — Ixxxix  : 
„      iv  =  Pss.  xc — cvi: 
„       v  =  Pss.  cvii — cl. 

These  divisions  are  indicated  not  merely  by  headings  in  the 
Massoretic  text,  which  have  been  introduced  into  the  Revised 
Version,  but  by  doxologies  at  the  close  of  the  first  four  books 
(xli.  13,  Ixxii.  18,  19,  Ixxxix.  52,  cvi.  48),  which  obviously  form 
no  part  of  the  Psalms  to  which  they  are  appended.  No  special 
doxology  is  added  to  Ps.  cl.  It  is  in  itself  an  appropriate  con- 
cluding doxology  for  the  whole  Psalter. 

This  five-fold  division  is  earlier  than  the  LXX,  which  con- 
tains the  doxologies.  It  is  often  referred  to  by  Jewish  and 
Christian  authorities,  and  compared  to  the  five  books  of  the 
Pentateuch. 

Thus  the  Midrask'^  on  Ps.  i.  i:  "Moses  gave  the  Israelites 
the  five  books  of  the  Law,  and  to  correspond  to  these  David 
gave  them  the  Book  of  Psalms  containing  five  books." 

Hippolytus  [?]  (ed.  Lagarde,  p.  193) :  "  Let  it  not  escape 
your  notice... that  the  Hebrews  divided  the  Psalter  also  into 
five  books,  that  it  might  be  a  second  Pentateuch." 

Jerome,  in  the  Prologus  Galeatiis:  "Tertius  ordo  Hagiogra- 
pha  possidet.  Et  primus  liber  incipit  a  Job.  Secundus  a 
David,  quem  quinque  incisionibus  {sectiofts)  et  uno  Psalmorum 

^  An  ancient  Jewish  commentary,  probably  however  in  its  present 
form  not  earlier  than  the  ioth  century  A.D. 


INTRODUCTION.  xvii 


volumine  comprehendunt."  No  doubt  he  chose  this  form  of 
expression  carefully,  for  in  his  preface  to  the  Psalter  he  some- 
what passionately  affirms  the  unity  of  the  Book. 

The  division  is  referred  to  by  most  of  the  Fathers,  some 
of  whom,  as  Ambrose,  explain  it  allegorically ;  others,  as 
Gregory  of  Nyssa,  find  in  the  several  books  so  many  steps 
rising  to  moral  perfection.  As  will  be  shewn  presently,  the 
division  of  the  books  in  part  corresponds  to  older  collections  out 
of  which  the  Psalter  was  formed,  in  part  is  purely  artificial. 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE   TITLES   OF   THE   PSALMS. 

To  nearly  all  the  Psalms  in  the  first  three  Books,  and  to 
some  of  those  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  Books,  are  prefixed  titles, 
designating  either  (i)  the  character  of  the  poem,  or  (2)  matters 
connected  with  its  musical  setting,  or  (3)  its  liturgical  use,  or 
(4)  the  author,  or  perhaps  more  strictly,  the  collection  from 
which  the  Psalm  was  taken,  or  (5)  the  historical  occasion  for 
which  it  was  written  or  which  it  illustrates. 

Such  titles  may  occur  separately  or  in  combination.  Many 
of  them  are  extremely  obscure,  and  their  meanings  can  only  be 
conjectured.  All  that  will  be  attempted  here  is  to  give  the  most 
probable  explanations.  An  elaborate  discussion  of  the  innumer- 
able interpretations  which  have  been  proposed  would  be  mere 
waste  of  time.  Some  special  titles  which  occur  but  once  will  be 
discussed  in  the  introduction  to  the  Psalms  to  which  they 
belong. 

I.     Titles  descriptive  of  the  character  of  the  poem. 

Psalm^  Miznior,  rendered  Psalm,  is  a  technical  term 
found  only  in  the  titles  of  the  Psalter.  It  is  prefixed  to 
57  Psalms,  and  with  few  exceptions,  preceded  or  followed 
by  the  name  of  the  author,  generally  that  of  David.  The 
verb  from  which  Mizmor  is  derived  occurs  frequently  in  the 
Psalter  (e.g.  vii.  17,  xlvii.  6,  7,  cxlix.  3)  but  rarely  elsewhere 
1  nirOTO:  LXX  )/'aX;tt3s:  Vulg.  Psalnms. 

PSALMS  b 


xviii  INTRODUCTION. 


(Judg.  V.  3;  [2  Sam.  xxii.  50;  i  Chr.  xvi.  9];  Is.  xii.  5).  It 
appears  originally  to  have  meant  to  make  music,  like  the  Lat. 
canere,  but  came  to  be  applied  specially  to  instrumental  music, 
as  distinguished  from  vocal  music.  Mizmor  then  means  apiece 
of  fuiisic,  a  song  with  instrumental  accompaniment. 

Song^  Shtr,  rendered  song,  is  the  general  term  for  a  song 
or  canticle.  It  occurs  30  times  in  the  titles,  generally  pre- 
ceded or  followed  by  Mizmor,  and  not  unfrequently  in  the  text 
of  the  Psalms  (e.g.  xxviii.  7,  xl.  3,  cxxxvii.  3,  4),  and  in  other 
books.  It  is  applied  to  secular  as  well  as  sacred  songs  (Gen. 
xxxi.  27;  Jud.  v.  12;  I  Kings  iv.  32;  Is.  xxx.  29;  Neh.  xii.  27, 
36,  46). 

Maschil-  is  found  as  the  title  of  thirteen ^  Psalms,  eleven  of 
which  are  in  Books  ii  and  iii.  The  meaning  is  obscure,  {a)  It 
has  been  explained  to  mean  a  didactic  psalm.  Comp.  the  use 
of  the  cognate  verb  in  xxxii.  8,  '  I  will  instruct  thee.'  But  of  the 
Psalms  which  bear  the  title  only  xxxii  and  Ixxviii  are  specifi- 
cally 'didactic'  {b)  Delitzsch  supposes  it  to  mean  a  meditation. 
{c)  Most  probable  however  is  Ewald's  explanation,  a  skilful 
psalm.  The  word  is  used  in  Ps.  xlvii.  7,  'sing  ye  praises  with 
imdei'staiiding^  (Heb.  maschil),  R.V.  marg.,  in  a  skilful  psalm. 
It  may  have  denoted  something  more  definite  than  the  ordinary 
Mizjnor,  a  psalm  with  musical  setting  of  a  specially  delicate 
and  artistic  character. 

Michtam  occurs  in  the  title  of  six  Psalms,  preceded  or  fol- 
lowed by  of  David  \  It  is  probably,  like  Maschil,  a  musical  term, 
the  meaning  of  which  cannot  now  be  determined.  A  few  of  the 
many  explanations  which  have  been  given  may  be  mentioned  : 
(i)  That  of  the  LXX  and  Theodotion,  aTrj\oypa<^ia  or  eis  (tttjXo- 
ypa(f)iav,  au  inscription  or  for  an  inscription.  Cp.  the  Targ.  a?i 
excellent  itiscription  or  writing.     Hence  Delitzsch  explains,  a 

1  1"'K^:  LXX  in  titles  usually  (^5?),  in  text  wSt;  or  acr/xa. 

2  /'''Sbp :  LXX  (Tuj/ccrews  or  eU  avveaiv  :  Vulg.  iiitellectus  or  ad  inlet- 
ledum:  Jer.  eruditio. 

3  xxxii.  xlii.  xliv.  xlv.  Iii.  liii.  liv.  Iv.  Ixxiv.  Ixxviii.  Ixxxviii.  Ixxxix. 
cxlii. 

*  xvi.  Ivi — Ix. 


INTRODUCTION.  xix 


poem  of  epigrammatic  character^  containing  pithy  or  expressive 
sayings.  (2)  In  defiance  of  all  grammar  and  analogy  Aquila 
Symmachus  and  Jerome  render  the  word  as  an  epithet  of  David, 
the  hianble  afid  sincere  or  blameless.  (3)  A  golden  Psalm  (A.V. 
marg.),  with  reference  to  the  preciousness  of  its  contents,  like 
the  golden  sayings  (xpt^o-«  f""?/)  of  Pythagoras.  (4)  An  unpub- 
lished poem.     (5)  A  Psalm  of  hidden,  mysterious  meaning. 

Shiggaion^  occurs  in  the  title  of  Ps.  vii,  and  the  Prayer  of 
Habakkuk  is  said  to  be  set  to  Shigionoth.  The  word  is  derived 
from  a  verb  which  means  to  wander,  and  it  probably  denotes 
a  particular  style  of  poetry  or  music,  or  it  may  include  both,  and 
mean  'a  dithyrambic  poem  in  wild  ecstatic  wandering  rhythms, 
with  corresponding  music' 

A  Prayer  stands  as  the  title  of  five  Psalms  (xvii.  Ixxxvi.  xc. 
cii.  cxlii).     Cp.  Ixxii.  20;  i  Sam.  ii.  i;  Hab.  iii.  i. 

A  Praise  is  the  title  of  one  Psalm  only  (cxlv). 

2.     Titles  comiected  with  the  musical  setting  or  po'formance. 

To  the  chief  Musician^:  R.V.  For  the  Chief  Musician:  is 
prefixed  to  fifty-five  Psalms,  of  which  only  two  (Ixvi,  Ixvii)  are 
anonymous,  and  most  bear  the  name  of  David.  Fifty-two  of 
these  are  in  Books  I — III,  and  three  in  Book  V.  It  is  found 
also  in  the  subscription  to  Habakkuk's  Prayer  (Hab.  iii.  19). 
The  verb,  of  which  the  word  is  a  participle,  is  used  in  Chro- 
nicles and  Ezra  in  the  sense  oi  superintending  (i  Chr.  xxiii.  4; 
2  Chr.  xxxiv.   12;  Ezra  iii.  8,  9),  and  in  i   Chr.  xv.  21  in  the 

1  IVr^  plur.  n'li^JK^ :  LXX  in  Ps.  vii  simply  i/'aA^uos,  in  Hab.  iura, 
(^dijs.  Jer.  ignoratio,  following  Symm.  dyvorffia.  Aq.  xp.  virep  dyvoias, 
supposing  it  to  refer  to  the  contents  of  the  Psalm. 

2  n-'if^P^  {/am'nafceacA).  The  Targum  renders  it  for  praise,  giving 
the  general  sense.  But  the  other  Ancient  Versions  were  completely  at 
a  loss.  The  LXX  renders  eis  to  riXos,  Vulg.  in  Jitiem^  'unto  the  end' 
or  'for  ever,'  confusing  the  word  with  HVp.p  {Idnefach).  The  other 
Greek  Versions  and  Jerome  connected  it  with  the  sense  of  victory^ 
which  is  one  of  the  meanings  of  the  root.  Thus  Aquila  r<p  vlkottol'S), 
'for  the  victor.'  Symmachus,  eirLuULos,  'a  song  of  victory:'  Thcodo- 
tion,  els  to  vIkos,  'for  the  victory:'  Jerome,  viciori.  So  too  the  LXX 
in  Hab.  iii.  19,  tov  viKyjaai.  These  renderings  gave  the  ingenuity  of  the 
Lathers  great  opportunities  for  allegorical  interpretations. 

^  2 


XX  INTRODUCTION. 


specific  sense  of  leading  (R.V.)  the  music.  There  can  be  little 
doubt  that  the  word  means  the  precentor,  or  conductor  of  the 
Temple  choir,  who  trained  the  choir  and  led  the  music,  and 
denotes  the  destination  of  the  Psalm  for  use  in  the  Temple 
Services.  Why  it  appears  so  rarely  in  the  later  books,  where 
the  Psalms  are  mainly  of  a  liturgical  character,  must  remain 
matter  of  conjecture.  The  explanation  commonly  given,  that  it 
was  unnecessary,  because  the  destination  of  these  Psalms  was 
obvious,  is  hardly  satisfactory.  Many  of  the  Psalms  in  Books 
I — III  which  have  it  prefixed  to  them,  are  clearly  intended 
for  public  use.  Possibly  it  was  a  term  belonging  to  the  older 
collections,  which  had  gone  out  of  use  in  later  times.  Certainly 
the  translators  of  the  LXX  had  lost  all  clue  to  its  meaning. 

Selah.  This  term,  though  not  belonging  to  the  titles,  may 
conveniently  be  discussed  here. 

The  word  is  found  71  times  in  the  Psalter,  3  times  in  Habak- 
kuk  iii,  and  nowhere  else.  In  16  Psalms  it  occurs  once;  in  15 
twice;  in  7  (and  in  Hab.  iii)  three  times:  in  one,  four  times. 
Of  these  Psalms  9  are  in  Book  I:  17  in  Book  II:  11  in 
Book  III;  none  in  Book  IV:  2  only  in  Book  V.  It  is  to  be 
further  noted  that  all  these  Psalms,  with  the  exception  of  the 
anonymous  Ixvi  and  Ixvii,  bear  the  name  of  David  or  of  the 
Levitical  singers  (the  sons  of  Korah,  Asaph,  Heman,  Ethan); 
and  all  bear  indications  of  being  intended  to  be  set  to  music. 
The  majority  of  them  (28  of  the  39 :  cp.  Hab.  iii.  19)  have,  '  For 
the  Chief  Musician'  in  the  title,  frequently  with  a  further  speci- 
fication of  the  instruments  or  melody  (iv.  ix.  xlvi.  liv.  Iv.  Ivii. 
lix.  Ix.  Ixi.  Ixii.  Ixvii.  Ixxv.  Ixxvi.  Ixxvii.  Ixxxi.  Ixxxiv.  Ixxxviii. 
Hab.  iii.  19).  Of  the  remaining  eleven,  eight  are  designated 
7nizinor,  'psalm',  two  inaschil,  and  one  shiggaion. 

It  may  fairly  be  inferred  from  these  facts  that  Selah  is  a 
technical  term  of  great  antiquity,  having  reference  to  musical 
accompaniment.  Its  precise  meaning,  however,  is  quite  uncer- 
tain.    There  are  two  main  lines  of  ancient  tradition : 

{a)  By  the  LXX  always,  and  by  Symmachus  and  Theodo- 
tion  generally,  it  is  rendered  hia^aK\w}  {diapsahnd)^  which  may 

^  The  word  is  also  found  twice  in  the  Psalms  of  Solomon  (xvii.  31 ; 
xviii.  10). 


INTRODUCTION.  xxi 


denote  either  louder  playing,  forte ;  or,  more  probably,  an 
insttuinental  interlude^^  while  the  singing  ceased.  The  Syriac 
(with  a  few  exceptions)  gives  an  abbreviation  of  the  Greek  word. 
The  Vulgate  omits  it  entirely. 

ib)  The  most  ancient  Jewish  traditions  interpret  the  word  to 
mean/c^r  ever.  So  the  Targum,  with  some  variety  of  rendering, 
Aquila,  the  'Fifth'  and  'Sixth'  Greek  versions,  Symmachus, 
Theodotion,  and  the  Syriac  occasionally;  and  Jerome,  who 
renders  semper''-. 

Of  these  ancient  renderings,  that  of  the  LXX  probably  pre- 
serves a  true  tradition  as  to  the  usage  of  Selah  :  but  the  mean- 
ing 'always'  is  based  on  no  known  etymology,  and  is  obviously 
unsuitable  in  the  majority  of  passages. 

Of  the  multitude  of  modern  explanations  only  the  most 
reasonable  and  most  generally  accepted  need  be  mentioned 
here.  According  to  this  explanation  Selah  is  derived  from  a 
root  meaning  to  raise,  and  signifies  'Up  !' 

It  is  then  a  direction  to  the  musicians  to  strike  up,  either 
with  a  louder  accompaniment,  or  with  an  interlude  while  the 
singing  ceased.  This  explanation  is  supported  by  the  conjunction 
oi Selah  in  Ps.  ix.  i6  with  Higgaioji^  a  term  used  of  instrumental 
music  (Ps.  xcii.  3,  'a  solemn  sound').  It  is  moreover  confirmed 
by  an  examination  of  the  passages  in  which  Selah  occurs.  In 
the  majority  of  cases  it  is  found  at  the  end  of  a  strophe,  or 
before  the  introduction  of  some  fresh  thought,  where  an  interlude 
would  be  most  natural  (Ps.  iii.  2,  4,  8;  xxiv.  6,  10;  xliv.  8;  xlvi. 
3,  7,  II;  Ixvi.  4,  7,  15);  or  before  some  appeal  or  utterance 
which  would  be  distinguished  from  what  preceded  and  em- 
phasised by  an  interlude  or  by  a  stronger  accompaniment 
(Ps.  vii.  5;   1.  6;    Ix.  4;  Ixxv.  3;    Ixxxi.  7;    Ixxxiii.  8).      There 

1  Cp.  hiavKiov,  an  interlude  on  the  flute. 

2  For  an  interesting  account  of  the  various  opinions  held  in  his  day 
consult  his  letter  to  Marcella  (0pp.  i.  col.  135,  ed.  Vallarsi).  He  de- 
cides in  favour  of  the  rendering  sempe7\  'always,'  because  it  is  that 
given  by  Aquila,  'the  most  careful  interpreter  of  the  meanings  of  He- 
brew words,'  and  says  that  it  is  designed  'to  connect  what  precedes 
with  what  follows,  or  to  shew  that  what  has  been  said  is  everlasting': 
and  compares  the  use  of  the  word  with  that  oi  Amen  or  Shalom  (peace), 
to  mark  the  end  of  a  passage,  and  confirm  its  contents. 


INTRODUCTION. 


are  no  doubt  many  instances  which  do  not  appear  to  come 
under  these  general  principles ;  but  the  Hebrew  idea  of  what 
was  fitting  by  way  of  accompaniment  may  have  differed  from 
ours ;  and  in  some  cases  the  accuracy  of  the  Massoretic  Text  is 
doubtful.  The  Septuagint  does  not  always  agree  with  it  in  the 
insertion  or  omission  of  Selah,  and  an  obscure  technical  term 
would  be  specially  liable  to  be  omitted  or  wrongly  inserted. 

Two  terms  refer  to  musical  instruments. 

On  Neginoth^:  R.  V.  on  stringed  instruments :  occurs  six  times 
in  the  Psalter ^ :  and  in  Hab.  iii.  19  we  find  071 7ny  stringed  iiistnt- 
ments.  Upon  Neginah :  R. V.  on  a  stringed  instrument  (Ixi) : 
may  be  a  variation  of  the  expression,  or  may  indicate  the  melody 
to  which  the  Psalm  was  to  be  sung^.  The  word  is  derived  from 
a  verb  meaning  to  play  on  stringed  i?istrunients  (i  Sam.  xvi. 
16 — 18,  23).  The  meaning  stringed  i7ist7'U7nents  is  peculiar  to 
these  titles :  elsewhere  it  denotes  so7ig  (Job  xxx.  9;  Ps.  Ixxvii.  6; 
Is.  xxxviii.  20).  The  title  no  doubt  indicates  that  the  Psalm  was 
to  be  accompanied  by  stringed  instruments,  perhaps  by  these 
only. 

Upon  Nehiloth^:  R.V.  with  the  Nehiloth,  or  (marg.)  'wi7id 
i7istruments :  in  Ps.  v  only.  Probably  flutes  of  some  kind  are 
meant.  For  the  use  of  these  in  sacred  music  see  Is.  xxx.  29  {a 
pipe) :  I  Sam.  x.  5  ;   i  Kings  i.  40. 

Two  terms  probably  indicate  the  cha7-acter  or  pitch  of  the 
music. 
Upon  Alamoth^ :  R.V.  set  to  A. :  is  found  in  the  title  of  Ps. 

^  n'li"*3^3:  LXX.  €v  \paX/xo'is  (iv):  iu  ijfivois  generally:  in  Hab.  iv 
TTj  (lb?]  avTov:  Vulg.  m  caniimilms :  Jer.  in  psalniis.     Symm.  hia.  x(/a\- 

-  Pss.  iv.  vi.  liv.  Iv.  Ixvii.  Ixxvi. 

^  The  Heb.  is  r)j''3i  bv  which  may  mean  set  to  neginath,  or,  the 
soitgof...:  some  word  of  definition  being  lost. 

^  riiynSn  7^?.  The  Greek  and  Latin  versions  are  quite  astray, 
referring  the  word  to  the  contents  of  the  Psalm.  The  LXX  and  Theo- 
dotion :  v-wkp  ttjs  K\r)povoixov<j7}^ :  Vulg.  pro  ea  quae  hereditatem  conse- 
tjuitur.  Aq.  d7r6(?)  Kk-qpohodiQiv:  Symm.  vivkp  Kkr^povxiQiv '.  Jer.  super 
hereditatibns. 

"  The  ancient  Versions  were  again  at  fault.    The  LXX  renders:  virkp 


INTRODUCTION. 


xlvi,  and  may  possibly  once  have  stood  in  the  title  of  Ps.  ix, 
and  as  a  subscription  to  Ps.  xlviii,  or  in  the  title  of  Ps.  xlix.  See 
the  notes  there.  The  term  appears  to  mean  hi  the  inanner  of 
vmidens,  or,  for  maidens^  voices:  soprano. 

Upon  Sheminith^-  R.V.  set  to  the  S.,  i.e.  as  marg.,  the  eighth 
(Pss.  vi  and  xii) :  probably  denotes  that  the  setting  was  to  be 
an  octave  lower,  or,  on  the  lower  octave ;  tenor  or  bass.  Both 
terms  occur  together  in  i  Chr.  xv.  19 — 21.  Heman,  Asaph,  and 
Jeduthun  were  appointed  "  with  cymbals  of  brass  to  sound 
aloud":  eight  other  Levites,  "with  psalteries  set  to  Alamoth"; 
and  six  "with  harps  set  to  the  Sheminith,  to  lead." 

Upon  Gittith^:  R.V.  set  to  the  Gittith:  occurs  in  the  titles 
of  Pss.  viii,  Ixxxi,  Ixxxiv.  In  form  Gittith  is  a  fem.  adj.  derived 
from  Gath^  and  may  mean  either  (i)  some  Gittite  instrument :  so 
the  Targ,  'the  harp  which  David  brought  from  Gath':  or  (2)  a 
Gittite  melody;  possibly,  as  has  been  conjectured,  the  march  of 
the  Gittite  guard  (2  Sam.  xv.  18). 

To  Jeduthun^ :  R.V.  after  the  manner  of  J.  (Ixii,  Ixxvii) : 
probably  means  that  the  Psalm  was  set  to  some  melody  com- 
posed by  or  called  after  David's  chief  musician  (i  Chr.  xvi.  41). 
In  the  title  of  Ps.  xxxix  Jeduthun  appears  to  be  named  as 
the  chief  musician  intended. 

A  series  of  obscure  titles  probably  indicate  the  melody  to 
which  the  Psalm  was  to  be  sung  by  a  reference  to  the  opening 
words  of  some  well-known  song.     Such  are  the  titles  of 

Ps.  ix :  set  to  Muth-labben  (R.V.). 

Ps.  xxii :  set  to  Ayy61etli  hash-Shahar,  i.e.  the  hind  of  the 


T(2v  Kpvcpiup :  Vulg.  pro  occultis :  Symm.  i^Trep  t(2v  aliaviwv:  Aq.  eirl 
veavLorrjTwv.  and  so  Jer./r<3  iuvaitulibits, 

1  n^rp^n  Sy.  The  LXX  Uterally  virkp  t^s  <575o77s:  Vulg.  pro 
octava.  Both  terms  are  allegorically  explained  by  the  Fathers,  of  the 
mysteries  of  the  faith,  the  octave  of  eternity,  &c.  &c. 

-  riTllin  by.  The  LXX  and  Symm.  have  v-Kep  tCov  \r,vQv  :  Vulg. 
and  Jer. /;-(?  torcularilms,  'for  the  wine-presses',  reading  ninji  for  TT'jRJI. 
Hence  some  have  explained  the  title,  'set  to  the  melody  of  a  vintage 
song.'  Aq.  and  Symm.  render  the  Massorctic  text:  virep  rrjs  yerdi- 
TtSos.  . 

3  j-in-n:  bv. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Pss.  xlv,  Ixix :  set  to  Shoshannim  (R.V.),  i.e.  Lilies.  Ps.  Ix : 
set  to  Shushan  Eduth  (R.V.),  i.e.  The  lily  of  testimony.  Ps. 
Ixxx  :  set  to  Shoshannim  Edutli  (R.V.),  i.e.  Lilies^  a  testiino7iy. 

Ps.  Ivi :  set  to  Yonath  elem  rechokim,  i.e.  The  silent  dove 
of  them  that  are  afar  off:  or,  as  read  with  different  vowels,  The 
dove  of  the  dista7it  terebinths. 

Four  Psalms  (Ivii— lix,  Ixxv)  are  entitled,  [set  to]  Al-tashcheth 
i.e.  Destroy  not. 

The  titles  of  Ps.  liii :  set  to  Mahalath :  and  Ixxxviii:  set 
to  Mahalath  Leannoth:  are  extremely  obscure,  but  probably 
belong  to  this  class. 

For  further  details  see  the  notes  in  each  case. 

3.  A  few  titles  refer  to  the  liturgical  use  of  the  Psalm.  In 
the  time  of  the  Second  Temple,  each  day  of  the  week  had  its 
special  Psalm,  which  was  sung  at  the  offering  of  the  morning 
sacrifice^.  Thus  Ps.  xcii  is  entitled  "A  Psalm,  a  Song  for 
the  Sabbath  day."  This  is  the  only  reference  to  the  daily 
psalms  in  the  Heb.  text:  but  in  the  LXX,  Ps.  xxiv  is  assigned 
to  the  first  day  of  the  week  (r^s  /xtas  o-ajS/Sarcoj/) ;  Ps.  xlviii  to 
the  second  day  (devrepa  a-a^^arov) ;  Ps.  xciv  to  the  fourth  day 
(rerpaSt  o-a^^draiv) ;  Ps.  xciii  to  the  sixth  day  of  the  week,  "when 
the  earth  had  been  filled  with  inhabitants"  (els  rrjv  i^fiepav  tov 
TrpoaajS^cLTov,  ore  KaraKco-Tai  rj  yrj).  The  Old  Latin  Version 
further  refers  Ps.  Ixxxi  to  the  fifth  day  {quiiita  sabbati).  These 
titles  agree  with  the  arrangement  given  in  the  Mishna  {Tamid, 
vii.  3),  according  to  which  the  Psalm  for  the  third  day  was 
Ps.  Ixxxii. 

The  title  of  Pss.  xxxviii  and  Ixx  to  bring  to  remembrance, 
or,  as  R.V.  marg.,  to  make  memorial,  may  indicate  that  they 
were  sung  at  the  offering  of  incense  :  and  that  of  Ps.  c,  A  Psalm 
of  thanksgiving  (R.V.),  marg.  for  the  thank-offerings  may  mark 
that  it  was  sung  when  thank-offerings  (Ivi.  12)  were  offered. 

The  title  of  Ps.  xxx,  A  Song  at  the  Dedication  of  the 
House,  may  refer  to  its  use  at  the  Festival  of  the  Dedication. 

To  teach  is  part  of  the  title  prefixed  to  Ps.  Ix.    A  comparison 
of  Deut.  xxxi.  19  and  2  Sam.  i.  18  makes  it  probable  that  it  was 
to  be  learnt  by  heart  and  recited  on  public  occasions. 
^  Cp,  Ecclus.  1.  I4flf.  for  a  description  of  the  service. 


INTRODUCTION. 


On  these  titles  see  further  in  the  notes  on  the  particular 
Psalms. 

A  song  of  Degrees,  rather,  A  Song  of  the  Ascents  (or, 
of  the  Going  up),  is  the  title  prefixed  to  15  Psalms  (cxx — 
cxxxiv),  which  appear  to  have  formed  a  separate  collection, 
bearing  the  title  So?igs  of  the  Goings  up  (or,  of  the  Going  up\ 
which  was  afterwards  transferred  to  each  separate  Psalm. 

Various  explanations  of  this  title  have  been  proposed. 

(1)  The  LXX  renders,  oJS;)  rOiv  am^adixcov:  Vulg.  and  Jer., 
cajiticum  graduum,  *a  song  of  steps.'  It  has  been  supposed 
that  they  were  so  called  because  they  were  sung  upon  the  flight 
of  15  steps  which  led  from  the  Court  of  the  Women  to  the 
Court  of  the  Men  in  the  Second  Temple.  But  Delitzsch  has 
shewn  that  the  passage  of  the  Talmud  quoted  in  support  of 
this  explanation  really  says  nothing  at  all  about  the  singing 
of  these  Psalms  upon  the  steps,  or  the  derivation  of  the  name 
from  them,  but  merely  compares  the  number  of  the  Psalms 
with  that  of  the  steps. 

(2)  An  explanation  which  has  found  considerable  favour  in 
modern  times  regards  the  term  as  denoting  a  particular  kind  of 
'ascending'  structure,  in  which  each  verse  takes  up  and  repeats 
a  word  or  clause  from  the  preceding  verse.  Ps.  cxxi  offers 
a  good  example  of  this  structure ;  but  apart  from  the  fact  that 
no  trace  can  be  found  of  this  technical  meaning  of  the  word 
^ascenV  elsewhere,  the  structure  is  neither  peculiar  to  these 
Psalms  nor  characteristic  of  all  of  them. 

(3)  As  'the  ascent'  or  'going up'  was  the  regular  term  for 
the  Return  from  Babylon  (Ezra  vii.  9),  some  have  supposed 
that  these  psalms  were  sung  by  the  returning  exiles  on  their 
march.  So  the  Syriac  Version,  and  probably  Aq.  Symm.  and 
Theod.,  who  render  aa^a  twv  dvafidaecov  or  els  rds  dvaiSdads. 
But  the  contents  of  many  of  the  Psalms  do  not  favour  this 
explanation. 

(4)  '  To  go  up '  was  the  regular  term  for  making  pilgrimage 
to  Jerusalem  at  the  great  festivals  (i  Sam.  i.  3;  Ps.  cxxii.  4). 
'  The  songs  of  the  goings  up '  may  have  been  the  name  for  those 
which  were  sung  on  these  occasions.  We  know  that  the  pilgrims 
went  up  with  singing  (Is.  xxx.  29;  Ps.  xlii.  4),  and  many  of  these 


INTRODUCTION. 


Psalms  are  well  suited  for  such  occasions  ^ ;  while  others,  though 
not  so  obviously  appropriate,  might  well  have  been  employed 
for  the  purpose.  This  is  on  the  whole  the  most  probable 
explanation,  although  the  substantive  'going  up'  is  not  used  else- 
where in  this  technical  sense. 

4.  Titles  relating  to  Authorship.  These  are  regularly  intro- 
duced by  a  preposition  denoting  ^or  belonging  to,  the  so-called 
V<2;;z(f<^  auctoris.' 

{a)    One  Psalm  (xc)  bears  the  name  of  Moses. 

{b)  yT,  Psalms  bear  the  name  of  David  :  viz.  all  those  in 
Book  I,  except  i  and  ii,  which  are  prefatory;  x,  which  is  part 
of  ix;  and  xxxiii,  which  appears  to  be  a  later  addition:  18  in 
Book  II.  (li — Ixv,  Ixviii — Ixx) ;  one  in  Book  III.  (Ixxxvi);  two 
in  Book  IV.  (ci,  ciii) ;  15  in  Book  V.  (cviii — ex,  cxxii,  cxxiv, 
cxxxi,  cxxxiii,  cxxxviii— cxlv). 

{c)    Two  (Ixxii,  cxxvii)  bear  the  name  of  Solomon. 

{a)  12  (1,  Ixxiii — Ixxxiii)  bear  the  name  of  Asaph,  one  of 
David's  principal  musicians  (i  Chr.  vi.  39,  xv.  17,  xvi.  5  fif. ; 
2  Chr.  v.  12). 

{e)  To  the  sons  of  Korah  are  attributed  10  or  11  :  xlii  [xliii], 
xliv — xlix.  Ixxxiv.  Ixxxv.  Ixxxvii.  Ixxxviii.  [?],  for  according  to 
analogy  the  title  is  to  be  rendered  as  in  R.V.,  of  the  sons  of 
K. ;  not,  as  in  AN.,  for  the  so7is  of  K. 

(/)  The  sages  Heman  the  Ezrachite  and  Ethan  the  Ezra- 
chite  (i  Kings  iv.  31)  have  each  a  psalm  attributed  to  them 
(Ixxxviii,  Ixxxix). 

5.  Titles  describing  the  occasion  of  the  Psalm  are  prefixed  to 
13  psalms,  all  of  which  bear  the  name  of  David.  Pss.  vii.  lix. 
Ivi.  xxxiv.  lii.  Ivii.  cxlii.  liv.  are  referred  to  the  period  of  his 
persecution  by  Saul :  xviii  to  the  climax  of  his  reign ;  Ps.  Ix 
to  the  Syro-Ammonite  war ;  Ps.  h  to  his  fall ;  Pss.  iii  and  Ixiii 
to  his  flight  from  Absalom. 

TJie  Value  of  the  Titles.  We  have  now  to  inquire  whether 
these  titles  give  any  authentic  information,  or  must  be  regarded 
as  late  additions,  largely,  if  not  wholly,  untrustworthy. 

(i)  With  regard  to  the  musical  titles  it  is  often  asserted  that 

^  E.g.  cxxi — cxxiii.  cxxv,  cxxvii.  cxxviii.  cxxxii — cxxxiv. 


INTRODUCTION, 


they  represent  the  usages  of  the  Second  Temple,  and  were 
added  by  some  post-exilic  editor.  This  may  be  true  of  some; 
but  as  a  general  statement  it  is  hardly  justified  by  the  evidence, 
(i)  Although,  as  might  be  expected,  light  is  thrown  upon 
them  by  the  description  of  David's  musical  services  in  i  Chron., 
it  is  by  no  means  the  case  that  they  are  merely  borrowed  from 
that  book.     Many  of  them  are  not  to  be  found  there. 

(2)  We  have  positive  evidence  for  the  use  of  titles  and  terms 
of  the  kind  in  pre-exilic  times  from  Hab.  iii.  i,  19. 

(3)  It  is  precisely  in  the  later  Psalms  which  bear  every 
appearance  of  being  intended  for  the  Temple  worship,  that  the 
musical  titles  and  terms  are  rare  or  entirely  wanting. 

(4)  The  Septuagint  translators  found  them  in  the  text,  but 
were  unable  to  understand  even  their  general  purport.  This 
may  possibly  have  been  due  to  ignorance  of  the  technical  terms 
of  Palestinian  music  in  Egypt,  and  in  any  case  only  indicates  a 
relatively  high  antiquity,  but  it  must  be  taken  into  account. 

The  most  natural  inference  from  these  considerations  appears 
to  be  that  while  the  liturgical  titles  belong  to  the  services 
of  the  Second  Temple,  and  may  in  some  cases  (e.g.  Ps.  xxx) 
have  been  added  at  a  very  late  date,  the  musical  titles  may  very 
probably  be  referred  to  the  period  before  the  exile.  After  the 
Return  they  ceased  to  be  used,  and  in  the  second  century  B.C. 
they  were  no  longer  intelligible. 

(ii)  We  may  now  proceed  to  consider  the  titles  relating 
to  ajithorship  a7id  occasion.  It  is  frequently  asserted  that  these 
must  be  neglected  as  wholly  untrustworthy  for  reasons  such 
as  the  following : 

(i)  The  variations  found  in  MSS.  and  Versions  shew  that 
they  were  not  regarded  as  an  integral  part  of  the  text,  but  were 
liable  to  alteration  by  the  transcribers,  like  the  titles  of  the 
books  of  the  N.T.,  or  the  subscriptions  to  the  Pauline  Epistles. 

(2)  The  fact  that  only  Moses,  David,  Solomon,  and  David's 
singers  are  mentioned  is  supposed  to  be  due  to  the  tendency 
of  tradition  to  connect  everything  with  famous  names. 

(3)  It  is  thought  strange  that  none  of  the  prophets,  in 
particular  Jeremiah,  whose  writings  so  remarkably  resemble 
many  of  the  Psalms,  are  mentioned. 


INTRODUCTION. 


(4)  The  historical  notices  are  almost  all  taken  from  the 
Books  of  Samuel,  and  are  in  most  cases  inappropriate. 

(5)  Many  of  the  titles  are  demonstrated  to  be  erroneous 
by  the  contents  and  language  of  the  Psalms  to  which  they  are 
prefixed.  Many  Psalms  ascribed  to  David  assume  situations 
and  circumstances  wholly  unlike  any  in  which  he  can  be  sup- 
posed to  have  been  placed:  some  (e.g.  Ixix.  ciii)  refer  to  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem :  the  language  of  others  (e.g.  cxxxix) 
is  unquestionably  late:  some  (e.g.  Ixxxvi)  are  mere  compi- 
lations. 

On  these  and  similar  grounds  modern  critics  are  disposed 
to  reject  the  titles  entirely.  But  while  it  is  clear  that  in  many 
cases  the  titles  cannot  be  right,  much  may  be  said  in  favour  of 
allowing  them  a  certain  significance  and  a  relative  authority. 

(i)  The  titles  are  not  to  be  peremptorily  condemned  as 
a  whole,  because  MSS.  and  Versions  do  not  unanimously  sup- 
port some  of  them^  The  text  itself  was  liable  to  alteration 
in  early  times,  but  it  is  not  therefore  to  be  suspected  where  the 
documentary  evidence  is  unanimous,  unless  the  strongest  in- 
ternal evidence  points  to  an  error  anterior  to  our  existing 
authorities. 

(2)  Titles  of  a  similar  kind  are  prefixed  to  poems  found  else- 
where in  the  O.  T.,  e.g.  Ex.  xv.  i :  i  Sam.  ii.  i ;  2  Sam.  i.  17,  18, 
xxii.  I,  xxiii.  i;  Is.  xxxviii.  9;  Hab.  iii.  i.  These  are  no  doubt 
due  in  many  cases  to  the  compilers  of  the  books  in  which  they 
are  found,  but  they  are  evidence  for  the  antiquity  of  the  custom 
of  prefixing  titles  to  poems. 

(3)  The  infrequency  of  titles  in  the  later  books  (iv,  v)  is  at 
least  an  indication  that  they  were  not  an  arbitrary  addition  of 


^  The  extent  of  the  variations  may  easily  be  exaggerated.  A  few 
Heb.  MSS.  assign  Ixvi.  Ixvii.  to  David.  In  the  LXX  David's  name  is 
prefixed  to  xxxiii.  xliii.  Ixvii.  Ixxi.  xci.  xciii — xcix.  civ.  cxxxvii.  His- 
torical notices  are  added  to  xxvii.  xciii.  xcvi.  xcvii.  cxliii.  cxliv.  Jere- 
miah's name  (as  well  as  David's)  is  prefixed  to  cxxxvii  in  some  MSS  (not 
AX),  and  the  names  of  Haggai  and  Zechariah  to  cxxxviii  (not  in  5<,  in  A 
Zechariah  only),  cxlvi — cxlviii.  In  cxxii.  cxxiv.  cod.  N,  and  in  cxxxi. 
cxxxiii.  codd.  A  and  X  agree  with  the  Heb.  text  in  retaining  David, 
though  it  is  omitted  by  the  ordinary  editions.  In  cxxvii  Solomon  is 
omitted  in  the  best  i\is.s. 


INTRODUCTION. 


the  latest  compilers  of  the  Psalter,  but  rested  on  some  authority, 
documentary  or  traditional. 

(4)  Some  at  any  rate  of  the  titles,  e.g.  those  of  vii  and  Ix,  are 
not  derived  from  the  historical  books  now  extant,  but  from  some 
independent  source. 

It  appears  then  that  while  on  the  one  hand  the  titles  cannot 
be  regarded  as  in  all  cases  giving  certain  and  trustworthy 
information  concerning  the  authorship  of  the  Psalms,  on  the 
other  hand  they  are  not  to  be  one  and  all  peremptorily  rejected 
as  purely  arbitrary  and  conjectural. 

What  then  is  their  value?  It  seems  probable  that  they  indi- 
cate the  source  from  which  the  Psalms  were  derived  rather  than 
the  opinion  of  the  collector  as  to  their  authorship. 

In  regard  to  the  Psalms  of  the  Sons  of  Korah  this  is  clearly 
the  case.  The  title  A  Psabn  of  the  Sons  of  Korah  cannot  mean 
that  the  Psalm  was  composed  by  a  plurality  of  authors.  It 
must  be  part  of  the  title  of  the  collection  from  which  these 
Psalms  were  derived.  Such  a  collection  may  have  been  called, 
"  The  Book  of  the  Songs  of  the  Sons  of  Korah^''  and  have 
contained  Psalms  written  by  members  of  the  guild  or  family 
of  Korah  and  preserved  in  a  collection,  made  probably  for 
liturgical  purposes,  which  bore  their  name. 

Similarly  the  title,  "A  Psalm  of  David,"  may  have  been 
derived  from  the  general  title  of  the  collection  from  which 
the  Psalms  in  question  were  taken  : — '■''The  Book  of  the  Prayers 
of  David.^^  The  collection  may  have  been  so  named  from  its 
most  eminent  poet,  although  the  works  of  other  poets  were 
subsequently  added  to  it.  Just  as  in  later  times  the  whole 
Psalter  came  to  be  spoken  of  as  the  Psalms  of  David,  from 
its  founder  and  principal  author,  so  in  earlier  times  the  smaller 
collection  of  which  only  the  origin  and  nucleus  was  due  to 
David,  came  to  bear  his  name,  and  when  that  collection  was 
incorporated  in  the  Psalter,  his  name  was  placed  at  the  head  of 
each  Psalm  taken  from  it^ 

The  compiler  of  the  Second  Book  may  also  have  taken  the 

Davidic  Psalms  which  it  contains  from  some  earlier  collection, 

^  We  commonly  speak  of  Newman's  Lyra  Apostolica,  though  five 
other  writers  contributed  to  it. 


INTRODUCTION. 


possibly  a  historical  work  in  which  many  of  them  were  con- 
nected with  particular  episodes  in  the  life  of  David.  The 
earlier  histories  were  often  illustrated  by  the  insertion  of  poems, 
e.g.  Judg.  V :  i  Sam.  ii :  2  Sam.  xxii. 

Even  the  compilers  of  Books  IV  and  V  may  have  found  the 
Psalms  which  are  there  attributed  to  David  in  some  earlier 
collection  bearing  his  name,  or  assigned  to  him  by  current 
tradition. 

Further  it  is  quite  possible  that  imitations  of  Davidic  Psalms, 
such  for  example  as  Ps.  Ixxxvi,  may  have  been  called  by  his 
name,  without  the  slightest  intention  of  fraud.  In  i  Chr.  xvi 
we  find  a  Psalm  compiled  from  other  Psalms  suggested  as  an 
appropriate  thanksgiving  for  the  occasion,  though  it  does  not 
appear  to  be  expressly  attributed  to  David^. 

Again,  it  is  possible  that  Psalms  were  written  by  different 
poets  to  illustrate  particular  episodes  in  the  life  of  David,  or  to 
express  the  thoughts  which  might  be  supposed  to  have  been  in 
his  mind  upon  certain  occasions.  These  might  easily  have  had 
his  name  affixed  to  them,  without  the  slightest  intention  of 
passing  them  off  as  his  for  the  sake  of  giving  them  currency 
and  authority.  Similarly  the  title  "A  Psalm  of  Asaph"  may 
indicate  that  the  Psalm  was  taken  from  a  collection  founded  by 
David's  famous  minstrel.  Such  a  collection  would  have  been 
preserved  and  used  by  the  guild  or  family  of  Asaph,  and  added 
to  from  time  to  time,  though  it  still  retained  the  name  of  its 
founder. 

While  then  the  titles  of  the  Psalms  cannot  be  supposed  to 
give  certain  information  as  to  their  authors,  and  many  of  the 
Psalms  bearing  the  name  of  David  or  Asaph  cannot  have  been 
written  by  them,  we  are  not  justified  in  rejecting  the  titles  as 
blind  and  worthless  conjectures.  A  sober  criticism  will  allow 
them  a  certain  weight,  as  giving,  in  general  at  least,  some  in- 
formation as  to  the  source  from  which  the  Psalms  were  derived, 
which  is  not  to  be  rejected  without  good  reason. 

In  criticising  the  title  of  a  Psalm  by  the  light  of  its  contents 
much  caution  is  necessary.  The  possibility  of  alterations  and 
additions  to  the  original  poem  must  be  taken  into  account, 
^  See  the  R.V.  of  i  Chr.  xvi.  7. 


INTRODUCTION. 


It  is  probable  that  many  of  the  Psalms  were  not  at  once  com- 
mitted to  writing,  but  like  other  oriental  poetry,  transmitted 
orally  1.  The  comparison  of  Ps.  xviii  with  2  Sam.  xxii  shews 
that  the  text  has  in  some  cases  suffered  from  accidental  errors 
of  transcription,  while  in  others  it  appears  to  bear  marks  of  in- 
tentional revision.  The  comparison  of  Ps.  liii  with  Ps.  xiv, 
and  of  Ps.  cviii  with  Pss.  Ivii  and  Ix,  shews  that  editors  did 
not  scruple  to  alter  earlier  Psalms,  or  to  combine  portions  of 
them,  for  their  own  special  purposes.  Additions  seem  to  have 
been  made  with  a  view  of  adapting  Psalms  for  liturgical  use. 
Such  processes,  which  can  be  definitely  traced  in  some  in- 
stances, have  no  doubt  been  in  operation  elsewhere. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

THE  AUTHORSHIP  AND   AGE  OF  THE  PSALMS. 

It  is  obvious  from  what  has  been  said  in  the  preceding 
chapter  that  great  uncertainty  must  necessarily  rest  upon  the 
authorship  of  the  Psalms.  When  once  it  is  admitted,  as  it 
must  be  admitted,  that  the  titles  cannot  be  absolutely  rehed  on, 
we  are  launched  upon  a  sea  of  uncertainty.  Internal  evidence, 
whether  of  thought,  or  style,  or  language,  is  a  precarious 
guide.  The  same  Psalm  has  been  confidently  assigned  by  one 
critic  to  David,  by  another  to  the  age  of  the  Maccabees 2. 

^  Arabic  poetry  was  preserved  by  the  raims,  or  reciters.  "The  cus- 
tom of  committing  verse  to  writing  did  not  begin  till  near  the  end  of 
the  first  century  after  the  Flight.  The  whole  of  the  old  poetry  was 
preserved  by  oral  tradition  only."     Lyall's  Ancient  Arabian   Poetry^ 

p.  XXXV. 

2  The  question  is  often  asked  by  the  English  reader  why  language 
does  not  determine  the  date  of  the  books  of  the  O.T.  within  at  any 
rate  comparatively  definite  limits.  But  (i)  the  remains  of  Hebrew 
literature  of  which  the  date  is  admitted  as  certain  are  too  scanty  to  give 
much  material  for  forming  a  judgment:  (2)  the  Massoretic  vocalisa- 
tion, while  here  and  there  preserving  ancient  forms,  has  obscured  dis- 
tinctions under  the  uniform  pronunciation  of  a  later  age:  (3)  the  pos- 
sibility of  imitation  of  ancient  models  in  a  later  age  must  be  taken  into 
account. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Important  as  it  is  for  the  full  interpretation  of  many  Psalms 
to  know  the  circumstances  under  which  they  were  written,  and 
for  the  elucidation  of  the  religious  history  of  Israel  to  determine 
the  age  to  which  they  belong,  the  Psalms  as  a  whole  suffer  less 
from  this  uncertainty  than  might  be  expected.  Their  interest  is 
human  and  universal.  They  appeal  to  the  experience  of  all 
ages.  Still  the  endeavour  must  be  made  to  ascertain  to  what 
period  of  the  history  a  Psalm  belongs. 

An  uncritical  age  attributed  the  whole  Psalter  to  David. 
Modern  criticism  has  gone  to  the  opposite  extreme,  and  is 
disposed  to  refer  the  whole  Psalter,  or  at  least  the  greater  part 
of  it,  to  the  period  after  the  return  from  Babylon i. 

It  would  be  strange  indeed  if  none  of  those  sacred  "songs  of 
Zion,"  the  fame  of  which  was  so  well  known  to  her  Babylonian 
captors  (Ps.  cxxxvii.  3,  4),  had  survived.  But  further,  it  is 
difficult  to  believe  that  the  tradition  of  the  Jewish  Church  was 
entirely  wrong  in  assigning  the  foundation  of  the  Psalter  to 
David  and  regarding  him  as  the  most  eminent  religious  poet  of 
the  nation. 

His  skill  as  poet  and  musician,  and  his  interest  in  the 
development  of  religious  music,  are  attested  by  the  earliest 
records 2.  Later  times  pointed  to  him  as  the  founder  of  the 
services  of  the  sanctuary  3.  The  leaders  of  the  return  from  the 
exile  beheved  themselves  to  be  restoring  his  institutions  \ 

But  in  particular,  the  incorporation  of  Ps.  xviii  in  the  Book 
of  Samuel  as  a  specimen  of  David's  poetry  illustrating  his 
chnracter  and  genius  is   the   strongest  evidence  in  favour  of 

^  So,  for  example,  Wellhausen  in  Bleek's  Introduction,  p.  507  (ed. 
1876):  "Since  the  Psalter  belongs  to  the  Hagiographa,  and  is  the 
hymn-book  of  the  congregation  of  the  Second  Temple. ..the  question  is 
not  whether  it  contains  any  post-exilic  Psalms,  but  whether  it  contains 
any  pre-exilic  Psalms."  Similarly  Reuss:  "Our  doubts  do  not  go  so 
far  as  to  deny  the  possibility  of  referring  a  single  one  of  the  poems  in 
the  present  collection  of  Synagogue  hymns  to  the  period  of  the  king- 
dom. But  we  have  no  decisive  proofs  for  such  antiquity."  Histo?y  of 
theO.T.%1^2. 

2  See  I  Sam.  xvi.  17  ff. ;  xviii.  10;  2  Sam.  i.  17  ff. ;  iii.  2,i  ff-j  vi.  5, 
15;  xxii.  i;  xxiii.  i  fF.;  Amos  vi.  5. 

2  2  Chr.  xxix.  30. 

*  Ezra  iii.  10;  Neh.  xii.  24,  36,  46. 


INTRODUCTION. 


regarding  David  as  the  founder  of  the  Psalter.  That  Psalm 
is  there  circumstantially  ascribed  to  David,  and  there  is  no 
sufficient  ground  for  placing  the  compilation  of  the  Book  of 
Samuel  at  so  late  a  date  that  its  evidence  on  this  point  can  be 
set  aside  as  a  mere  tradition  which  had  sprung  up  in  the  course 
of  centuries. 

But  if  Ps.  xviii  must  be  acknowledged  to  be  the  work  of 
David,  important  consequences  follow.  For  depth  of  devotion, 
simphcity  of  trust,  joyousness  of  gratitude,  and  confidence  of 
hope,  not  less  than  for  its  natural  force  and  poetic  beauty,  that 
Psalm  has  few  rivals.  It  has  all  the  freshness  of  creative 
genius.  It  can  hardly  have  been  the  solitary  production  of  its 
author.  If  such  a  Psalm  could  have  been  written  by  David,  so 
might  many  others ;  and  it  is  reasonable  to  inquire  with  regard 
to  those  which  bear  his  name  whether  they  may  not  actually 
have  been  composed  by  him. 

Both  poetry  and  music  existed  before  David's  time,  and 
poetry  had  been  carried  to  a  high  development  in  such  compo- 
sitions as  Ex.  XV  and  Judg.  v.  But  with  David  a  new  era  of 
religious  poetry  commenced.  The  personal  element  entered 
into  it.  It  became  the  instrument  of  the  soul's  communion  with 
God.  David's  natural  poetic  powers  were  awakened  by  his 
training  in  the  schools  of  the  prophets  under  Samuel^.  The 
manifold  vicissitudes  of  his  Hfe  gave  him  an  unparalleled  depth 
and  variety  of  experience.  Chosen  by  God  to  be  the  founder 
of  the  kingdom  of  promise,  he  must  still  pass  through  trials  and 
persecutions  and  dangers  to  the  throne.  When  he  had  reached 
the  zenith  of  his  fame,  he  fell  through  pride  and  self-reliance, 
and  by  sharp  chastisement  must  learn  the  grievousness  of  sin. 
But  genius  and  circumstances  alone  could  not  have  produced 
the  Psalms.     In  his  "last  words"  he  himself  declared, 

"The  spirit  of  the  Lord  spake  in  me. 
And  his  word  was  upon  my  tongue." 

Unique  natural  genius,  trained  and  called  into  action  by  the 
discipline  of  an  unique  life,  must  still  be  quickened  and  illumi- 
nated by  the  supernal  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  before  it 
^  Comp.  Delitzsch,  The  Psalms,  Introd.  §  iii. 
PSAT-MS  C 


xxxiv  INTRODUCTION. 


could  strike  out  the  strains,  which  were  to  be  the  pattern  and 
model  of  religious  poetry  for  all  the  ages. 

It  has  often  been  asserted  that  the  David  of  the  Psalms  is  an 
entirely  different  character  from  the  David  of  history.  The 
devout  singer  and  the  rough  warrior  cannot,  it  is  said  i,  be  the 
same  person.  But  a  great  nature  is  necessarily  many  sided ; 
and  in  early  ages  it  is  possible  for  traits  of  character  which  to 
us  seem  irreconcilable  to  coexist  in  the  same  individual.  And 
the  difference  is  often  exaggerated.  Not  a  few  of  the  Psalms 
illustrate  and  are  illustrated  by  the  history  of  David's  life;  and 
in  that  history,  fragmentary  and  incomplete  as  it  necessarily  is, 
are  to  be  found  abundant  traces  of  the  religious  side  of  his 
character;  of  the  confidence  which  in  the  midst  of  danger 
and  difficulty  threw  itself  unperplexed  upon  God ;  of  the 
patience  which  could  await  God's  time  instead  of  rushing  to 
revenge  ;  of  the  simple  faith  which  ascribed  all  success  and 
advancement  to  God;  of  the  hope  which  looked  trustingly 
forward  into  the  unknown  future,  in  calm  assurance  that  God 
would  fulfil  His  promises  ;  last  but  not  least,  of  the  penitence 
which  humbled  itself  in  unfeigned  sorrow  for  sin. 

It  may  have  been  the  case,  as  Delitzsch  supposes 2,  that  the 
reigns  of  Jehoshaphat  and  Hezekiah  were  marked  by  fresh  out- 
bursts of  Psalm  poetry.  Under  both  these  kings  great  national 
deliverances  called  for  fresh  expressions  of  praise  and  thanks- 
giving (2  Ch.  XX ;  2  Kings  xviii.  ff.):  Jehoshaphat  exerted  him- 
self for  the  religious  education  of  the  country  (2  Chr.  xvii.  7  ff.): 
the  collection  of  Proverbs,  made  under  the  direction  of  Heze- 
kiah, attests  his  interest  in  literature  (Prov.  xxv.  i). 

A  few  Psalms  date  from  the  time  of  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem and  the  earlier  years  of  the  exile.  Some  may  be  from 
the  pen  of  Jeremiah,  who  has  been  credited  by  some  critics  with 
the  authorship  of  a  considerable  number^. 

With  the  Return  from  the  Exile  Psalmody  revived.    The  harp 

1  e.g.  by  Reuss,  §  157.  -    Introd.  §  ill. 

3  This  appears  to  be  due  partly  to  the  fact  that  so  much  of  his  per- 
sonal and  inner  life  is  known  to  us  from  his  autobiography ;  partly  to 
his  familiarity  with  existing  literature  and  his  free  use  of  it,  which 
results  in  numerous  parallels  between  his  prophecies  and  the  Psalms. 


INTRODUCTION. 


which  had  been  hung  up  on  the  willows  of  Babylon  was  strung 
once  more.  Fresh  hymns  were  written  for  the  services  of  the 
restored  Templet  The  renewed  study  of  the  Law  under  Ezra 
and  Nehemiah  bore  fruit  in  such  meditations  as  Ps.  cxix. 

Did  the  Psalter  still  continue  to  receive  further  enrichment? 
The  question  has  been  warmly  debated  in  ancient  and  modern 
times,  whether  any  of  the  Psalms  belong  to  the  Maccabaean 
age.  Prophecy  was  silent  (i  Mace.  iv.  46,  &c.);  but  might  not 
the  great  revival  of  national  spirit  naturally  have  found  ex- 
pression in  poetry.?  and  do  not  some  of  the  Psalms  clearly  refer 
to  the  circumstances  of  that  period? 

Some  critics  would  refer  the  whole  of  the  last  three  books  as 
well  as  many  Psalms  in  the  earlier  books  to  that  period,  and 
bring  down  the  completion  of  the  collection  to  the  reign  of 
John   Hyrcanus  (B.C.    135—107)   or   Alexander  Jannaeus  (B.C. 

105—79)^- 

The  real  question  is,  however,  a  much  narrower  one.  The 
Psalms  which  have  been  most  confidently  and  generally  referred 
to  the  age  of  the  Maccabees  are  xliv.  Ixxiv.  Ixxix.  and  Ix. 
Ixxx.  Ixxxiii;  with  a  few  others.  These  are  thought  to  present 
features  which  belong  to  that  age,  and  to  no  other  ;  e.g.  in 
Ps.  xliv  the  description  of  the  nation  as  suffering,  though  it  has 
been  faithful  to  God ;  in  Ixxiv  the  destruction  of  the  synagogues, 
the  profanation  of  the  Temple,  and  the  cessation  of  prophecy : 
and  the  quotation  of  Ixxix.  2,  3  in  i  Mace.  vii.  16,  17  with 
reference  to  the  massacre  of  the  Assideans  by  the  usurping 
high-priest  Alcimus,  is  supposed  to  imply  that  it  was  written 
on  the  occasion. 

1  Yet  some  of  the  Temple  Psalms  in  the  later  books  of  the  Psalter 
may  have  been  revivals  or  adaptations  of  ancient  hymns.  An  inciden- 
tal reference  in  Jer.  xxxiii.  il  shews  that  the  doxology,  "Give  thanks 
to  the  Lord  of  hosts,  for  the  Lord  is  good,  for  his  mercy  endureth 
for  ever,"  was  the  characteristic  formula  of  thanksgiving  before  the 
Captivity.  Yet  it  is  found  only  in  the  later  books  (iv  and  v)  of  the 
Psaher  (Ps.  c.  4,  5;  cvi.  i ;  &c.),  in  Psalms  which  would  generally  be 
regarded  as  post-exilic. 

2  "The  Psalms  preserved  to  us,"  says  Reuss,  "are  for  the  most  part 
the  work  of  the  generation  which  suffered  under  Antiochus,  fought 
with  Judah  and  Jonathan,  and  then  under  Simon  enjoyed  victory  and 
rest,  praising  God  in  gratitude  and  humiUty."     Hist,  of  O.T.  §  474. 

C  2 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  question  is  one  of  exegesis,  and  a  detailed  examination  of 
the  characteristics  of  these  Psahns  must  be  deferred  to  the  com- 
mentary on  them.  It  will  then  be  seen  whether  they  cannot  be 
as  well  or  better  referred  to  the  Chaldean  or  Persian  period, 
or  even  a  much  earlier  time.  Moreover  it  has  well  been  pointed 
out  that  some  distinctive  features  of  the  Maccabaean  period  are 
conspicuously  absent  from  these  Psalms.  "They  do  not  contain 
the  slightest  trace  of  those  internal  divisions  of  the  people  which 
were  the  most  marked  features  of  the  Maccabaean  struggle.  The 
dangers  then  were  as  much  from  within  as  from  without ;  and 
party  jealousies  brought  the  divine  cause  to  the  greatest  peril. 
It  is  incredible  that  a  series  of  Maccabaean  Psalms  should 
contain  no  allusion  to  a  system  of  enforced  idolatry,  or  to  a 
temporising  priesthood,  or  to  a  faithless  multitude^" 

The  preliminary  question  may  however  be  discussed  here, 
whether  the  history  of  the  Psalter  and  the  Canon  does  not 
exclude  the  possibihty  of  such  late  additions. 

(i)  As  the  author  of  the  Book  of  Chronicles  (i  Chr.  xvi.  8ff.), 
in  combining  portions  of  Pss.  cv,  xcvi,  cvi,  includes  as  a  part  of 
cvi  the  doxology  which  marks  the  end  of  the  fourth  Book,  it  has 
been  argued  that  the  Psalter  must  have  been  already  known  to 
him  in  its  five-fold  division.  This  is  extremely  doubtful,  and 
even  if  it  is  admitted,  it  cannot  prove  that  the  Psalter  was  finally 
complete,  and  closed  against  the  admission  of  fresh  Psalms. 

(2)  More  important  is  the  fact  that  all  the  Psalms  which 
are  most  confidently  set  down  as  Maccabaean  belong  to  the 
'Elohistic'  collection,  which  was  anterior  to  the  collections 
contained  in  Books  IV  and  V^.  Moreover  some  of  them  have 
musical  titles,  in  contrast  to  the  practice  of  the  last  collection. 
Is  it  conceivable  that  the  LXX  translators  should  have  been  so 
entirely  at  fault  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  titles  of  Ix  and  Ixxx, 
if  they  were  almost  contemporary  compositions? 

(3)  The  Prologue  to  Ecclesiasticus  speaks  of  the  Canonical 
Books  as  already  distinguished  from  other  writings  in  the  time 
of  the  author's  grandfather,  and  of  the  Greek  translation  as 
already  existing;   and  though  again  this   statement    does  not 

1  Dr  (now  Bp)  Westcott  in  Smith's  Diet,  of  the  Bible,  ii.  168. 

2  See  below,  p.  xl  ff. 


INTRODUCTION. 


amount  to  proof  that  the  Canon  was  finally  closed,  it  raises 
a  strong  presumption  against  the  admission  of  fresh  writings  at 
so  late  a  date  as  B.C.  150  or  even  100.  The  Second  Book  of 
Maccabees  speaks  of  the  care  which  Judas  took  to  collect  the 
sacred  writings  which  had  been  dispersed  or  lost  in  the  war 
(2  Mace.  ii.  14),  but  no  hint  is  given  that  the  collection  included 
new  works. 

(4)  If  the  Psalms  of  Solomo?i^  could  be  referred  to  the 
Maccabaean  age,  they  would  afford  an  almost  conclusive  proof 
that  the  whole  of  the  Psalter  belongs  to  a  much  earlier  time. 
But  it  is  now  generally  agreed  that  this  work  belongs  to  the 
period  after  the  conquest  of  Jerusalem  by  Pompey  in  B.C.  63, 
and  was  completed  soon  after  his  death  in  B.C.  481  Even 
if  the  Psalms  of  Solomon  are  to  be  placed  at  this  later  date, 
the  argument  does  not  altogether  lose  its  force".  For  they 
were  written  only  a  century  after  the  standard  of  independence 
was  raised  by  Mattathias,  and  less  than  half  a  century  after  the 
time  at  which  the  Psalter  is  supposed  to  have  received  its  latest 
additions.  But  the  contrast  is  immense.  They  are  separated 
from  the  Psalter  by  an  impassable  gulf.  "The  spirit  which  the 
Psalms  breathe  is  entirely  that  of  Pharisaic  Judaism.  They  are 
pervaded  by  an  earnest  moral  tone  and  a  sincere  piety.  But 
the  righteousness  which  they  preach  and  the  dearth  of  which 
they  deplore  is,  all  through,  the  righteousness  which  consists  in 
complying  with  all  the  Pharisaic  prescriptions*."  Their  de- 
velopment of  the  doctrine  of  the  Resurrection  and  the  Messi- 
anic expectation  separates  them  widely  from  the  canonical 
Psalms.  Where  for  example  can  we  find  parallels  in  the  Psalter 
to  language  like  the  following  with  reference  to  the  Resurrection.? 

1  A  collection  of  18  Psalms,  written  in  Hebrew,  probably  in  Pales- 
tine, and  now  extant  in  a  Greek  version,  which  may  be  found  in 
Fritzsche's  Libri  Vet.  Test.  Pseudepigraphi  Selecti.  A  new  edition, 
with  translation  and  notes,  has  recently  been  published  by  Prof.  Kyle 
and  Mr  James. 

^  See  Schiirer's  Hist.  oftheJrd>ish  People  in  the  time  ofjestis  Christ, 
Div.  ii.  §  32  (Vol.  iii.  p.  17  ff.  E.T.). 

^  The  development  of  this  argument  by  Bp  Westcott  in  Smith's  Did. 
of  the  Bible,  ii.  168,  on  the  hypothesis  of  the  Maccabaean  date  of  these 
Psalms,  should  still  be  consulted. 

^  Schiirer,  p.  21. 


INTRODUCTION. 


*'The  destruction  of  the  sinner  shall  be  for  ever, 

and  he  shall  not  be  remembered,  when  He  visiteth  the  righteous. 

This  is  the  portion  of  sinners  for  ever. 

But  they  that  fear  the  Lord  shall  arise  unto  life  eternal, 

and  their  life  shall  be  in  the  light  of  the  Lord  and  shall  fail 

no  more"  (iii.  13 — 16). 
"For  the  Lord  will  spare  His  saints, 
and  their  transgressions  will  He  blot  out  by  correction: 
for  the  life  of  the  righteous  is  for  ever, 
but  sinners  shall  be  carried  away  to  destruction 
and  their  memorial  shall  no  more  be  found"  (xiii.  9,  10). 

Equally  remarkable  is  the  expression  of  the  Messianic  hope: 
"Behold,  O  Lord,  and  raise  up  unto  them  their  king, 
the  son  of  David,  at  the  time  which  thoy  knowest,  O  God, 
that  he  may  reign  over  Israel  thy  servant. 
And  gird  him  with   strength  to   break  in   pieces   unrighteous 

rulers"  (xvii,  23,  24). 

#  *  *  * 

"And  in  his  days  there  is  no  unrighteousness  in  the  midst  of 

them, 
for  all  are  holy,  and  their  king  is  the  anointed  lord^"  {v.  36). 
%  %  %  ^ 

"And  he  himself  is  pure  from  sin,  to  rule  over  a  great  people; 
to  rebuke  rulers  and  to  destroy  sinners  by  the  might  of  a  word. 
And  he  shall  not  be  feeble  in  his  days,  relying  upon  his  God, 
for  God  made  him  mighty  in  the  holy  spirit, 
and  wise  in  the  counsel  of  understanding  with  strength  and 
righteousness"  {w.  41,  42). 
These   considerations   are   sufficient,  taken  all  together,  to 
make  us  hesitate  to  assign  Psalms  to  the  Maccabaean  period, 
except  on  the  most  cogent  internal  evidence.    The  discussion  of 
such  evidence  must  necessarily  be  deferred  to  the  notes  on  each 
Psalm.     Few  commentators  however  deny  the  possibility,  and 
most  maintain  the  certainty,  of  the  existence  of  Maccabaean 
Psalms  in  the  Psalter. 

^  X/)t(TT6s  K^'pios:  cp.  Lam.  iv.  20  (LXX). 


INTRODUCTION. 


CHAPTER   V. 

THE  COLLECTION  AND   GROWTH   OF  THE   PSALTER. 

Internal  evidence  makes  it  certain  that  the  Psalter  grew  up 
gradually  from  the  union  of  earlier  collections  of  Psalms.  The 
various  strata  of  which  it  is  composed  can  to  some  extent  be 
distinguished.  Three  principal  divisions,  marked  by  well-de- 
fined characteristics,  may  be  observed.  They  appear  to  have 
arisen  in  successive  chronological  order,  but  such  a  supposition 
need  not  exclude  the  possibility  that  the  earlier  collection  re- 
ceived late  additions,  or  that  the  later  collection  may  contain 
early  Psalms. 

(i)  The  First  Division  is  coextensive  with  Book  I  (Pss.  i — 
xli).  All  the  Psalms  in  it  have  titles,  with  the  exception  of  i. 
ii.  x.  xxxiii,  and  are  described  as  Psalms  "of  David."  The 
exceptions  are  easily  accounted  for.  Pss.  i  and  ii  are  intro- 
ductory, and  probably  did  not  belong  to  the  original  collection. 
Ps.  X  was  part  of  Ps.  ix,  or  was  written  as  a  pendant  to  it. 
Ps.  xxxiii  appears  to  be  of  distinctly  later  date,  inserted  as  an 
illustration  of  the  last  verse  of  Ps.  xxxii. 

(ii)  The  Second  Division  corresponds  to  Books  II  and  III 
(Ps.  xlii — Ixxxix).  All  the  Psalms  in  it,  except  xliii  (which  is 
really  part  of  xlii)  and  Ixxi,  bear  titles.  It  consists  of  {a) 
seven  Psalms  (or  eight,  if  xlii  and  xliii  are  both  reckoned) 
"of  the  sons  of  Korah"  (xlii — xUx) :  {b)  a  Psalm  "of  Asaph" 
(1):  {c)  ten  Psalms,  all  except  Ixvi,  Ixvii,  "of  David"  (Ii— Ixx): 
{d)  an  anonymous  Psalm  (Ixxi),  and  a  Psalm  "of  Solomon" 
(Ixxii)^:  {e)  eleven  Psalms  "of  Asaph"  (Ixxiii — Ixxxiii) :    (/)  a 

^  It  has  been  conjectured  by  Ewald  that  Pss.  Ii — Ixxii  originally 
stood  after  xli,  so  that  the  arrangement  was  (i)  Davidic  Psalms,  i — xli; 
11 — Ixxii:  (2)  Levitical  Psalms:  {a)  Korahite,  xlii — xlix;  [b)  Asaphite, 
1,  Ixxiii — Ixxxiii ;  [c)  Korahite  supplement,  Ixxxiv — Ixxxix.  The  hy- 
pothesis is  ingenious.  It  brings  the  Davidic  Psalms  together,  and 
makes  the  note  to  Ixxii.  20  more  natural ;  and  it  connects  the  isolated 
Psalm  of  Asaph  (1)  with  the  rest  of  the  group. 

But  it  is  clear  that  Books  ii  and  iii  formed  a  collection  independent 
of  Book  i:  and  the  editor  may  have  wished  to  separate  the  mass  of 


xl  INTRODUCTION. 

supplement  containing  three  Psalms  "of  the  sons  of  Korah" 
(Ixxxiv.  Ixxxv.  Ixxxvii) ;  one  "of  David,"  which  is  manifestly 
a  cento  from  other  Psalms  (Ixxxvi) ;  one  "of  Heman  the 
Ezrahite"(lxxxviii);  and  one  "of  Ethan  the  Ezrahite"  (Ixxxix). 

(iii)  The  Third  Division  corresponds  to  Books  IV  and  V 
(Pss.  xc — cl).  In  this  division  many  Psalms  have  no  title  at 
all,  and  only  a  few  bear  the  name  of  an  author.  In  Book  IV, 
Ps.  xc  bears  the  name  of  Moses:  Pss.  ci  and  ciii  that  of 
David.  In  Book  V,  Pss.  cviii — ex,  cxxii.  cxxiv.  cxxxi.  cxxxiii. 
cxxxviii — cxlv,  bear  the  name  of  David :  cxxvii  that  of  Solo- 
mon. Of  the  rest  the  majority  have  no  title,  or  only  that  of  a 
subordinate  collection  (e.g.  *A  Song  of  Ascents  '). 

We  may  now  proceed  to  examine  the  characteristics  of  these 
divisions.  The  greater  part  of  the  Second  Division  is  remark- 
ably distinguished  from  the  First  and  Third  by  the  use  of  the 
Divine  Names.  Psalms  xlii — Ixxxiii  are 'Elohistic';  that  is  to 
say,  they  employ  the  appellative  Elohim^'- Godl  in  the  place 
and  almost  to  the  exclusion  of  the  proper  name  Jehovah, 
represented  in  the  A.  V.  by  Lord. 

In  Pss.  i — xli,  Elohim  occurs  absolutely^  only  15  times,  and 
in  some  of  these  cases  it  is  required  by  the  sense-.  Jehovah 
on  the  other  hand  occurs  272  times. 

In  Pss.  xlii — Ixxxiii,  the  proportion  is  reversed.  Elohim 
occurs  200  times,  Jehovah  only  43  times  (exclusive  of  the 
doxology,  Ixxii.  18);  while  in  Pss.  Ixxxiv- — Ixxxix  Elohim  occurs 
only  7  times,  Jehovah  31  times. 

the  Asaphite  Psalms  from  the  Korahite  Psalms  by  placing  the  Davidic 
Psalms  between  them,  while  he  put  1.  next  to  li.  on  account  of  the 
similarity  of  its  teaching  on  sacrifice.  The  note  to  Ixxii.  20  is  true 
for  his  collection  ;  and  it  does  not  necessarily  imply  that  none  but 
Davidic  Psalms  have  preceded.     Cp.  Job  xxxi.  40. 

^  By  'absolutely'  is  meant,  without  either  a  pronoun  attached  to  it 
('my  God'  and  the  like)  or  a  qualifying  word  grammatically  connected 
with  it  ('God  of  my  righteousness,'  'God  of  my  salvation,'  and  the 
like).  The  English  reader  must  remember  that  three  Hebrew  words, 
El,  Eloah,  and  Elohim,  are  represented  by  God  in  the  A.V.  El  occurs 
absolutely  11  times  in  division  i,  29  times  in  division  ii,  14  times  in 
division  iii.    Eloah  is  rare  in  the  Psalter. 

-  E.g.  ix.  17;  X.  4,  13;  xiv.  1,  2,  5;  xxxvi.  1,  7.  In  iii.  2  the  read- 
ing is  doubtful.     See  note  there. 


INTRODUCTION.  xli 


In  Pss.  xc — cl,  Jehovah  occurs  339  times,  while  Elohim  (of 
the  true  God)  is  to  be  found  only  in  Ps.  cviii,  which  is  taken 
direct  from  two  Psalms  in  the  Elohistic  group,  and  in  cxliv.  9, 
in  a  Psalm  which  is  evidently  compiled  from  various  sources. 

It  may  also  be  noted  that  Addnai=^Lord'  occurs  much  more 
frequently  in  the  Second  Division  (31  times),  than  in  the  First 
(10  times),  or  Third  (8  times). 

This  use  of  EWilm  cannot  be  explained  on  internal  grounds. 
It  stands  precisely  as  Jehovah  does  elsewhere,  and  not  unfre- 
quently  the  substitution  leads  to  awkwardness  of  expression. 
Thus,  for  example,  Ps.  1.  7  is  taken  from  Ex.  xx.  2;  Ixviii.  i,  2, 
7,  8  are  based  upon  Num.  x.  35  ;  Judg.  v.  4,  5,  31 ;  Ixxi.  19  is 
from  Ex.  xv.  11;  and  in  each  case  Elohim  takes  the  place  of 
Jehovah.  More  striking  still  is  the  fact  that  in  two  Psalms 
which  are  repeated  from  Book  I.  (hii  =  xiv;  lxx=xl.  14  ff.),  the 
alteration  is  made,  though  in  Ps.  h.x  Jehovah  still  occurs  twice. 

To  what  then  is  this  peculiarity  due.''  Is  it  characteristic  of 
a  particular  style  of  writing.?  or  is  it  the  work  of  an  editor  or 
compiler.'' 

It  seems  certain  (i)  from  the  alteration  in  Psalms  adopted 
from  Book  I,  (2)  from  the  variety  of  the  sources  from  which  the 
Psalms  in  this  group  are  derived,  that  the  change  is,  in  part  at 
least,  due  to  the  hand  of  an  editor.  It  may  no  doubt  have  been 
the  usage  of  certain  writers.  It  has  been  suggested  that  it  was 
a  custom  in  the  family  of  Asaph,  connected  possibly  with  the 
musical  or  liturgical  use  of  the  Psalms.  But  even  if  the  pecu- 
liarity is  due  in  some  instances  to  the  author,  there  can  be  little 
doubt  that  it  is  due,  in  the  group  as  a  whole,  to  the  collector  or 
editor. 

A  guess  might  be  hazarded  that  the  collection  was  thus 
adapted  for  the  use  of  the  exiles,  with  a  view  to  avoid  the  repe- 
tition of  the  Sacred  Name  in  a  heathen  land.  But  no  positive 
result  can  be  arrived  at.  The  relation  of  the  'Elohistic'  Psalms 
to  the  'Elohistic'  documents  in  the  Pentateuch  is  also  an 
obscure  question,  which  needs  further  investigation. 

It  seems  clear,  however,  that  the  substitution  of  Elohim  for 
Jehovah  was  not  due  to  the  superstitious  avoidance  of  the  use 
of  the    Sacred    Name    in   later   times.     Books  IV  and  V  are 


xlii  INTRODUCTION. 

composed  of  Psalms  the  majority  of  which  are  unquestionably 
of  later  date  than  those  in  the  Elohistic  group.  But  in  these 
books  the  TK-axxxt.  Jehovah  is  used  throughout,  with  the  exception 
noted  above.  The  compiler  of  Book  V  knew  the  Elohistic 
Psalms  in  their  present  form :  and  so  apparently  did  the  com- 
piler of  Ps.  Ixxxvi,  as  may  be  inferred  from  a  comparison  of 
V.  14  with  liv.  4  f. 

The  argument  for  the  original  independence  of  the  three 
divisions  which  is  derived  from  the  use  of  the  names  of  God  is 
corroborated  : 

{a)  By  the  repetition  in  the  Second  Division  of  Psalms  found 
in  the  First,  and  in  the  Third  of  Psalms  found  in  the  Second. 
Thus  liii  =  xiv:  lxx=xl.  15  ff. :  cviii  =  lvii.  7 — 11,  Ix.  5  —12. 

{b)  By  the  note  appended  to  Ps.  Ixxii.,  "the  prayers  of  David 
the  son  of  Jesse  are  ended ^"  This  note,  whether  taken  over 
from  an  earlier  collection  by  the  editor  of  Books  II  and  III, 
or  inserted  by  him,  appears  to  shew  that  he  knew  of  no  more 
Davidic  Psalms,  or  at  any  rate  that  his  collection  contained  no 
more.  Clearly  therefore  his  collection  must  have  been  indepen- 
dent of  Books  IV  and  V,  which  contain  several  more  Psalms 
ascribed  to  David. 

{c)  By  the  difference  already  noticed  in  regard  to  titles.  In 
this  respect  the  Third  Division  is  markedly  distinguished  from 
the  First  and  Second.  In  these  the  Psalms  with  but  few  easily 
explained  exceptions  have  titles,  giving  the  name  of  the  author 
or  the  collection  from  which  the  Psalm  was  taken,  in  many 
cases  the  occasion,  and  some  musical  or  liturgical  description  or 
direction.  But  in  the  Third  Division  the  majority  of  the 
Psalms  are  anonymous ;  musical  and  liturgical  directions  are 
rare;  and  titles  of  the  obscure  character  of  many  of  those  in 
Divisions  I  and  II  are  entirely  absent.  Moreover  the  musical 
term  Selah^  which  occurs  17  times  in  Division  I,  and  50  times 
in  Division  II,  is  found  but  four  times  in  Division  III,  and 
then  in  two  Psalms  ascribed  to  David  (cxl.  cxliii). 

{d)  By  the  character  of  the  contents  of  the  three  divisions. 
Speaking  broadly  and  generally,  the  Psalms  of  the  First  Division 
dixe.  personal,  those  of  the  Second,  national,  those  of  the  Third, 
^  Comp.  Job  xxxi.  40. 


INTRODUCTION.  xliii 


liturgical.  There  are  numerous  exceptions,  but  it  is  in  the 
First  Division  that  personal  prayers  and  thanksgivings  are 
chiefly  to  be  found :  in  the  Second,  prayers  in  special  times 
of  national  calamity  (xliv.  Ix.  Ixxiv.  Ixxix.  Ixxx.  Ixxxiii.  Ixxxix), 
and  thanksgivings  in  times  of  national  deliverance  (xlvi.  xlvii. 
xlviii.  Ixxv.  Ixxvi.  Ixv — Ixviii) :  in  the  Third,  Psalms  of  praise 
and  thanksgiving  for  general  use  in  the  Temple  services  (xcii. 
xcv — c.  cv — cvii.  cxi — cxviii.  cxx — cxxxvi.  cxlvi — cl). 

The  various  steps  in  the  fonnatioti  of  the  Psalter  may  have 
been  somewhat  as  follows  : 

(i)  An  original  collection,  which  bore  the  name  Psalvis  (or, 
'Prayers)  of  David,  from  its  first  and  greatest  poet,  though 
poems  by  other  writers  were  not  excluded  from  it.  It  has 
already  been  suggested  (p.  xxix)  that  the  general  title  of  the 
collection  was  subsequently  transferred  to  each  separate  Psalm 
in  the  First  Group  which  was  taken  from  it.  To  this  'Davidic' 
collection  Psalms  i  and  ii  were  prefixed  as  an  introduction. 

(2)  Next,  the  'Elohistic'  collection  was  formed  by  the  union 
of  two  selections  of  Levitical  Psalms  from  the  Korahite  and 
Asaphite  hymnaries  with  another  selection  of 'Davidic'  Psalms. 
To  this  collection  was  added  an  appendix  of  Korahite  and  other 
Psalms  (Ixxxiv — Ixxxix),  which  were  not  altered  by  the  Elohistic 
editor. 

(3)  Finally,  the  Temple  Psalms  of  the  Return  were  collected, 
with  a  gleaning  of  earlier  Psalms,  some  of  which  were  believed 
to  have  been  written  by  David,  or  were  taken  from  a  collection 
bearing  his  name. 

The  date  of  these  collections  cannot  be  determined  with  cer- 
tainty. The  nucleus  of  the  First  Collection  may  have  been 
formed  by  Solomon,  or  certainly  early  in  the  regal  period,  though 
it  appears  to  have  received  later  additions.  Nothing  in  the 
collection  (not  even  xiv.  7)  necessarily  refers  to  the  Exile  or 
the  Return. 

The  Second  Collection  contains  Psalms  of  the  middle  period 
of  the  Kingdom,  but  the  appendix  at  any  rate  cannot  have  been 
completed  till  the  Return  (Ixxxv). 

The  Third  Collection  may  be  placed  in  the  time  of  Ezra  and 


xliv  INTRODUCTION. 


Nehemiah^  The  Chronicler  was  famiHar  with  it,  and  possibly 
found  the  doxology  at  the  close  of  Ps.  cvi  already  in  its  place 
(see  p.  xxxvi). 

The  possibility  of  much  later  additions  has  already  been  dis- 
cussed (p.  XXXV  ff.). 

Other  collections  no  doubt  preceded  these.  Such  were  'The 
Book  of  Songs  of  the  Sons  of  Korah/  'The  Songs  of  Asaph,' 
*  The  Songs  of  Ascents.'  Pss.  xcii — c,  with  the  exception 
perhaps  of  Ps.  xciv,  are  marked  by  a  common  character, 
and  may  have  formed  a  separate  collection.  The  'Hallelujah 
Psalms,'  civ — cvi.  cxi — cxviii.  cxxxv.  cxlvi — cl,  may  have  been 
taken  from  some  '  Book  of  Praise.' 

The  arrangeine7it  of  the  Psabns  in  the  several  books  appears 
to  have  been  determined  partly  by  their  arrangement  in  the 
smaller  collections  from  which  they  were  taken,  where  their 
order  may  have  been  fixed  by  considerations  of  date  and  author- 
ship ;  partly  by  similarity  of  character  and  contents.  Thus  for 
example,  we  find  groups  of  Maschil  Psalms  (xlii — xlv.  Hi — Iv. 
Ixxxviii,  Ixxxix),  and  Michtam  Psalms  (Ivi^ — Ix).  Resemblance 
in  character  may  account  for  the  juxtaposition  of  1  and  li: 
xxxiii  takes  up  xxxii.  1 1 :  xxxiv  and  xxxv  both  speak  of  '  the 
angel  of  the  Lord,'  who  is  mentioned  nowhere  else  in  the 
Psalter.  The  title  of  xxxvi  links  it  to  xxxv.  27  ('servant  of 
the  Lord')  :  that  of  Ivi  may  connect  it  with  Iv.  6. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   FORM    OF   HEBREW   POETRY. 

Ancient  Hebrew  poetry  possesses  neither  metre  nor  rhyme^. 
Its  essential  characteristic  is  rhythm,  which  makes  itself  ap- 

1  Cp.  the  statement  in  2  Mace.  ii.  13.  "Neemias  founding  a  library 
gathered  togetlier...the  writings  of  David"  (rd  tov  Aai/t5). 

2  When  Philo,  Josephus,  Eusebius,  Jerome,  and  other  early  writers, 
compared  Hebrew  poetry  with  Greek  and  Latin  metres,  and  spoke  of 
hexameters  and  pentameters,  sapphics,  or  trimeter  and  tetrameter  iam- 
bics, they  were  using  familiar  language  loosely.  Various  attempts  have 
been  made  to  discover  a  metrical  system  in  the  Psalms,  on  the  basis  of 
quantity,  or  of  number  of  syllables  or  accents.     Most  of  them  involve 


INTRODUCTION.  xlv 


parent  both  in  the  rhythmical  cadence  of  each  separate  clause, 
and  in  the  rhythmical  balance  of  clauses  when  they  are  com- 
bined in  a  verse. 

The  Hebrew  language  is  characterised  by  a  vigorous  terse- 
ness and  power  of  condensation  which  cannot  be  preserved  in 
English.  Hence  the  clauses  of  Hebrew  poetry  are  as  a  rule 
short.  They  consist  sometimes  of  two  words  only,  most  fre- 
quently of  three  words,  but  not  seldom  of  more  than  three 
words. 

The  rhythm  of  the  clause  often  reflects  the  thought  which  it 
expresses.  Thus,  for  example,  the  lively  animated  rhythm  of  the 
opening  stanza  {vv.  i — 3)  of  Ps.  ii  vividly  suggests  the  tumul- 
tuous gathering  of  the  nations  ;  while  the  stately  measure  of 
V.  4  presents  the  contrast  of  the  calm  and  unmoved  majesty  of 
Jehovah  enthroned  in  heaven.  Or  again,  the  evening  hymn 
Ps.  iv  sinks  to  rest  in  its  concluding  verse  with  a  rhythm  as 
reposeful  as  the  assurance  which  it  expresses. 

The  rhythm  of  clauses  however,  together  with  many  other 
features  of  Hebrew  poetry,  such  as  assonance  and  alliteration, 
distinctive  use  of  words  and  constructions,  and  so  forth,  chiefly 
concerns  the  student  of  the  original.  But  the  rhythmical 
balance  of  clauses  combined  in  a  verse  admits  of  being  repro- 
duced in  translation,  and  can  to  a  large  extent  be  appreciated 
by  the  English  reader.  Owing  to  this  pecuhar  nature  of  its 
form,  Hebrew  poetry  loses  less  in  translation  than  poetry  which 
depends  for  much  of  its  charm  upon  rhymes  or  metres  which 
cannot  be  reproduced  in  another  language. 

This  balanced  symmetry  of  form  and  sense  is  known  as 
parallelis7n  of  claiues  {parallelis7mis  membf'orum)  or  simply, 
parallelism.  It  satisfies  the  love  of  regular  and  harmonious 
movement  which  is  natural  to  the  human  mind,  and  was 
specially  adapted  to  the  primitive  method  of  antiphonal  chant- 

the  abandonment  of  the  Massoretic  vocalisation,  and  invoke  the  aid  of 
'  a  whole  arsenal  of  licences. '  Happily  they  do  not  concern  the  English 
reader. 

Rhyme  is  found  occasionally  (e.g.  viii.  3  \Heb.  4] ;  cvi.  4 — 7),  but  it 
appears  to  be  accidental  rather  than  intentional,  and  is  never  system- 
atically employed.  Both  rhyme  and  metre  have  been  used  in  medieval 
and  modern  Jewish  poetry  from  the  7th  cent.  A.D.  onwards. 


xlvi  INTRODUCTION. 

ing  (Ex.  XV.  I,  20,  21;  I  Sam.  xviii.  7).  Such  poetry  is  not 
sharply  distinguished  from  elevated  prose.  Many  passages  in 
the  prophets  are  written  in  poetical  style,  and  exhibit  the 
features  of  parallelism  as  plainly  as  any  of  the  Psalms  K 

The  law  of  parallelism  in  Hebrew  poetry  has  an  exegetical 
value.  It  can  often  be  appealed  to  in  order  to  determine  the 
construction  or  connexion  of  words,  to  elucidate  the  sense,  or 
to  decide  a  doubtful  reading.  The  arrangement  of  the  text  in 
lines,  adopted  by  Dr  Scrivener  in  the  standard  edition  of  the 
A.  V.  from  which  the  text  in  this  edition  is  taken,  and  in  the 
Revised  Version,  makes  this  characteristic  of  Hebrew  poetry 
more  plainly  perceptible  to  the  English  reader. 

The  various  forms  of  parallelism  are  generally  classified 
under  three  principal  heads : 

(i)  Synony7no7is  parallclisin^  when  the  same  fundamental 
thought  is  repeated  in  different  words  in  the  second  line  of  a 
couplet.     Thus  in  Ps.  cxiv.  i  : 

"  When  Israel  went  forth  out  of  Egypt, 
The  house  of  Jacob  from  a  people  of  strange  language:" 
and  the  same  construction  is  maintained  throughout  the  Psalm. 
Every  page  of  the  Psalter  supplies  abundant  examples. 

(2)  Antithetic  or  contrasted  parallelism^  when  the  thought 
expressed  in  the  first  line  of  a  couplet  is  corroborated  or  eluci- 
dated by  the  affirmation  of  its  opposite  in  the  second  line. 
This  form  of  parallelism  is  specially  suited  to  Gnomic  Poetry, 
and  is  particularly  characteristic  of  the  oldest  collection  of 
proverbs  in  the  Book  of  Proverbs  (chaps,  x— xxii.  16).  Thus 
for  example : 

"  Every  wise  woman  buildeth  her  house  : 
But  folly  plucketh  it  down  with  her  own  hands"  (Prov.  xiv.  i). 

But  it  is  by  no  means  rare  in  the  Psalms,  e.g.  i.  6, 

"  For  the  Lord  knoweth  the  way  of  the  righteous  : 
But  the  way  of  the  wicked  shall  perish." 

(3)  Synthetic  or  constructive  parallelism.  Under  this  head 
are  classed  the  numerous  instances  in  which  the  two  lines  of 

^  E.g.  Is.  Ix.  I — 3;  Ixv.  13,  14;  Hos.  xi.  8,  9;  Nah.  i.  1. 


INTRODUCTION.  xlvii 


the  couplet  stand  in  the  relation  of  cause  and  consequence,  pro- 
tasis and  apodosis,  proposition  and  qualification  or  supplement, 
or  almost  any  logical  or  constructional  relation ;  or  in  which 
the  parallelism  is  one  of  form  only  without  any  logical  relation 
between  the  clauses. 

The  simplest  and  most  common  form  of  parallelism  is  the 
couplet  or  distich  :  but  this  may  be  expanded  into  a  tristich 
(triplet)  or  a  tetrastich  (quatrain)  or  even  longer  combinations, 
in  a  variety  of  ways.  Thus  the  three  lines  of  a  verse  may  be 
synonymous  : 

"  The  floods  have  lifted  up,  O  Lord, 
The  floods  have  lifted  up  their  voice ; 
The  floods  lift  up  their  waves"     (Ps.  xciii.  3). 

Or  two  only  of  the  lines  may  be  synonymous,  while  the  third 
is  introductory  (Ps.  iii.  7),  or  supplementary  (ii.  2),  or  antithetic 

(liv.  3). 

Similarly  in  tetrastichs  (usually  including  two  verses)  we  find 
four  synonymous  lines,  as  in  xci.  5,  6.     Or  the  first  line  may  be 
parallel  to  the  third,  the  second  to  the  fourth,  as  in  xxvii.  3: 
"  Though  an  host  should  encamp  against  me, 
My  heart  shall  not  fear : 
Though  war  should  rise  against  me, 
Even  then  will  I  be  confident." 
Or  two  synonymous  lines  may  be  contrasted  with  two  synony- 
mous Hnes,  as  in  xxxvii.  35,  36  : 
"I  have  seen  the  wicked  in  his  terribleness, 
And  spreading  himself  like  a  green  tree  in  its  native  soil : 
And  I  passed  by,  and  lo !  he  was  not, 
Yea,  I  sought  him,  but  he  could  not  be  found." 
Even  longer  combinations  than  tetrastichs  sometimes  occur; 
and  on  the  other  hand  single  lines  are  found,  for  the  most  part 
as  introductions  or  conclusions.     While  maintaining  its  funda- 
mental characteristic  of  rhythm,  Hebrew  poetry  admits  of  the 
greatest  freedom  and  variety  of  form. 

Strophical  arrange7ne?ii.  Series  of  verses  are,  as  might  be 
expected,  combined,  and  many  Psalms  consist  of  distinct 
groups   of  verses.     Such  groups   may  conveniently  be   called 


xlviii  INTRODUCTION. 


stanzas  or  strophes,  but  the  terms  must  not  be  supposed  to 
imply  that  the  same  metrical  or  rhythmical  structure  recurs  in 
each,  as  in  Greek  or  Latin  poetry.  The  strophes  in  a  Psalm  do 
not  even  necessarily  consist  of  the  same  number  of  lines  or 
verses. 

Such  divisions  are  sometimes  clearly  marked  by  a  refrain,  as 
in  Pss.  xlii — xliii.  xlvi.  Ivii :  or  by  alphabetical  arrangement, 
as  in  cxix :  or  by  Selah,  denoting  probably  a  musical  interlude, 
as  in  Pss.  iii  and  iv.  But  more  frequently  there  is  no  external 
mark  of  the  division,  though  it  is  clearly  indicated  by  the  struc- 
ture and  contents  of  the  Psalm,  as  in  Ps.  ii. 

Alphabetic  or  Acrostic  Psalms. 

Eight  or  nine  Psalms^  present  various  forms  of  alphabetic 
structure  (Pss.  ix.  x.  xxv.  xxxiv.  xxxvii.  cxi.  cxii.  cxix.  cxlv). 
In  cxi  and  cxii  each  letter  begins  a  line,  and  the  lines  are 
arranged  in  eight  distichs  and  two  tristichs. 

In  Pss.  xxv.  xxxiv.  cxlv.  Prov.  xxxi.  Lam.  iv.,  each  letter 
begins  a  distich,  in  Lam.  i.  ii.  a  tristich.  In  Pss.  xxxvii  each 
letter  begins  a  pair  of  verses,  commonly  containing  four,  some- 
times five,  lines.  In  Lam.  iii  each  verse  in  a  stanza  of  three 
verses,  and  in  Ps.  cxix  each  verse  in  a  stanza  of  eight  verses, 
begins  with  the  same  letter,  and  the  letters  are  taken  in  regular 
succession. 

Such  an  arrangement,  artificial  though  it  seems,  does  not 
necessarily  fetter  a  poet  more  than  an  elaborate  metre  or  rhyme. 
It  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  'a  compensation  for  the  vanished 
spirit  of  poetry.'  It  was  probably  intended  as  an  aid  to 
memory,  and  is  chiefly  employed  in  Psalms  of  a  proverbial 
character  to  connect  detached  thoughts,  or  when,  as  in  Ps.  cxix 
and  in  Lamentations,  the  poet  needs  some  artificial  bond  to 
link  together  a  number  of  variations  upon  one  theme. 

The  elaborate  development  of  the  system  in  Lamentations 
proves  that  alphabetic  structure  is  not  in  itself  a  proof  of  a  very 
late  date-. 

1  Also  Lam.  i — iv:  Prov.  xxxi.  lo — 31.  Bickell  has  pointed  out 
traces  of  alphabetic  structure  in  Nah.  i.  3 — 10 :  and  shewn  that  the 
original  of  Ecclesiasticus  Ii.  13 — 30  was  alphabetic. 

2  The  early  Roman  poet  Ennius  wrote  acrostics  (Cicero,  de  Divina- 


NTRODUCTION.  xHx 


CHAPTER   VII. 

THE   HEBREW    TEXT,   THE    ANCIENT  VERSIONS, 
AND   THE   ENGLISH   VERSIONS. 

i.  The  Hebrew  Text.  A  few  words  on  the  character  of  the 
Hebrew  Text  are  necessary  in  order  to  justify  the  occasional 
departures  from  it,  which  will  be  met  with  in  this  commentary. 

The  extant  Hebrew  MSS.  of  the  O.T.  are  all  comparatively 
recent.  The  oldest  of  which  the  age  is  known  with  certainty 
bears  date  a.d.  916;  the  majority  are  of  the  12th  to  the  i6th 
centuries.  They  all  present  substantially  the  same  text\  com- 
monly called  the  Massoretic  Text 2.  Thus  while  we  possess 
MSS.  of  the  N.T.  written  less  than  three  centuries  after  the  date 
of  the  earliest  of  the  books,  our  oldest  MS.  of  the  O.T.  is  more 
than  ten  centuries  posterior  to  the  date  of  the  latest  of  the 
books  which  it  contains;  and  while  our  MSS.  of  the  N.T.  present 
a  great  variety  of  readings,  those  of  the  O.T.  are  practically 
unanimous  in  supporting  the  same  text. 

This  unanimity  was  long  supposed  to  be  due  to  the  jealous 
care  with  which  the  Jewish  scribes  had  preserved  the  sacred 
text  from  the  earliest  times.  But  careful  examination  makes 
it  clear  that  this  is  not  the  case.  Since  the  rise  of  the  schools 
of  the  'Massoretes,'  in  the  seventh  and  eighth  centuries  A.D., 
the  text  has,  no  doubt,  been  preserved  with  scrupulous  exact- 
ness.   But  the  recension  which  they  adopted,  whether  originally 

tione^  ii.  54,  §  in);  and  they  are  said  to  have  been  invented  in  Greece 
by  the  comedian  Epicharmus  (B.C.  540 — 450).  We  may  compare  the 
alliteration,  which  is  a  common  feature  of  early  poetry. 

1  The  variations  between  them  are  (roughly  speaking)  not  greater 
than  the  variations  between  the  different  editions  of  the  A.V.  which 
have  appeared  since  161 1,  and  they  concern  for  the  most  part  unim- 
portant points  of  orthography. 

-  Massord  means  (i)  tradition  in  general:  (2)  specially,  tradition 
concerning  the  text  of  the  O.T.,  and  in  particular  the  elaborate  system 
of  rules  and  menioria  technica  by  which  the  later  scriltes  sought  to 
guard  the  text  from  corruption.  Those  who  devoted  themselves  to 
this  study  were  called  'masters  of  Massora',  or  'Massoretes';  and  the 
term  'Massoretic'  is  applied  to  the  text  which  their  labours  were  de- 
signed to  preserve. 

PSALMS  d 


1  INTRODUCTION. 

derived  from  a  single  MS.,  as  some  suppose,  or  from  a  com- 
parison of  MSS.  held  in  estimation  at  the  time,  unquestionably 
contains  not  a  few  errors,  which  had  crept  in  during  the  long 
course  of  its  previous  history^  The  proof  of  this  lies  in  the 
following  facts  : — 

(i)  There  are  many  passages  in  which  the  Massoretic  Text 
cannot  be  translated  without  doing  violence  to  the  laws  of 
grammar,  or  is  irreconcilable  with  the  context  or  with  other 
passages. 

(2)  Parallel  passages  (e.g.  Ps.  xviii  and  2  Sam.  xxii)  differ 
in  such  a  way  as  to  make  it  evident  that  the  variations  are 
due  partly  to  accidental  mistakes  in  transcription,  partly  to 
intentional  revision. 

(3)  The  Ancient  Versions  represent  various  readings, 
which  in  many  cases  bear  a  strong  stamp  of  probability  upon 
them,  and  often  lessen  or  remove  the  difficulties  of  the  Mas- 
soretic Text. 

The  Massoretic  Text  as  a  whole  is  undoubtedly  superior  to 
any  of  the  Ancient  Versions  :  but  we  are  amply  justified  in  calling 
in  the  aid  of  those  Versions,  and  in  particular  the  Septuagint, 
wherever  that  text  appears  to  be  defective:  and  even  where 
it  is  not  in  itself  suspicious,  but  some  of  the  Ancient  Versions 
offer  a  different  reading,  that  reading  may  deserve  to  be  taken 
into  account. 

In  some  few  cases,  where  there  is  reason  to  suspect  corruption 
anterior  to  all  extant  documentary  authorities,  it  may  even  be 
allowable  to  resort  to  conjectural  emendation,  and  such  emen- 
dations will  occasionally  be  mentioned. 


^  The  history  of  the  Hebrew  text  may  be  divided  into  four  periods. 
(1)  The  first  of  these  periods  was  marked  by  the  exclusive  use  of  the 
archaic  character:  (2)  the  second,  from  the  time  of  Ezra  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem,  saw  the  archaic  character  completely  superseded  by 
the  square  character,  as  the  Hebrew  language  was  superseded  by  Ara- 
maic :  {3)  in  the  third  period,  from  the  Fall  of  Jerusalem  to  the  end  of 
the  fifth  century,  the  consonantal  text  was  fixed:  (4)  in  the  fourth 
period,  the  exegetical  tradition  of  the  proper  method  of  reading  the 
text  was  stereotyped  by  the  addition  of  the  vowels,  and  an  elaborate 
system  of  rules  invented  to  secure  the  accurate  transmission  of  the  text 
even  in  the  minutest  particulars. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Two  further  points  must  be  mentioned  here  in  order  to  explain 
some  of  the  notes  : 

(i)  Hebrew,  hke  other  Semitic  languages,  was  originally 
written  without  any  vowels,  except  such  long  vowels  as  were 
represented  by  consonants.  In  the  earlier  stages  of  the  language 
even  these  were  sparingly  used.  The  present  elaborate  system 
of  vowel  marks  or  'points,'  commonly  called  the  'Massoretic 
punctuation'  or  'vocalisation,'  was  not  reduced  to  writing  until 
the  seventh  or  eighth  century  A.D.  It  stereotyped  the  pro- 
nunciation and  reading  of  the  O.  T.  then  current,  and  in  many 
respects  represents  a  far  older  tradition.  But  in  a  vowelless,  or 
as  it  is  called  'unpointed/  text,  many  words  may  be  read 
in  different  ways,  and  the  Massoretic  punctuation  does  not 
appear  in  all  cases  to  give  the  true  way  of  reading  the  con- 
sonants. 

(2)  In  some  passages  the  traditional  method  of  reading 
(O'rl)  did  not  agree  with  the  consonants  of  the  written  text 
(K'thibh).  In  such  cases  the  Massoretes  did  not  alter  the  text, 
but  appended  a  marginal  note,  giving  the  consonants  with 
which  the  vowels  shewn  in  the  text  were  to  be  read.  It  should 
be  clearly  understood  that  the  Qri  or  marginal  reading  is  the 
accepted  reading  of  the  Jewish  textual  tradition.  But  internal 
evidence,  and  the  evidence  of  the  Ancient  Versions,  lead  us  to 
prefer  sometimes  the  Qrt  and  sometimes  the  KHhibh.  See  for 
example  Ps.  xxiv.  4,  where  A.V.  and  R.V.  rightly  follow  the 
K'thibh,  and  desert  the  Jewish  tradition  :  or  Ps.  c.  3,  Avhere 
A.V.  unfortunately  followed  the  K'thibh,  and  R.V.  has  happily 
taken  the  Qri. 

ii.  The  Ancient  Versions  of  the  O.  T.  These  possess  a  fresh 
interest  for  the  English  reader,  since  the  R.V.  has  given  oc- 
casional references  to  them  in  its  margin. 

(i)  The  Septtiagint.  The  oldest  and  most  valuable  of  them 
is  the  Greek  Version,  commonly  called  the  Septuagint  (Sept. 
or  LXX),  or  Version  of  the  Seventy  Elders.  It  derives  its  name 
from  the  tradition  that  the  translation  of  the  Pentateuch  was  made 
by  seventy  or  seventy-two  elders,  despatched  from  Jerusalem  to 
Alexandria  at  the  request  of  Ptolemy  Philadelphus  (B.C.  283— 
247).     But  the  'Letter  of  Aristeas,'  on  which  this  story  rests,  is 

d2 


lii  INTRODUCTION. 


undoubtedly  a  forgery,  and  all  that  can  be  asserted  about  the 
origin  of  the  Septuagint  is  that  it  was  made  (i)  in  Egypt,  and 
probably  at  Alexandria,  (2)  at  different  times  and  by  different 
hands  during  the  third  and  second  centuries  B.C.,  (3)  before  the 
vowel-points  had  been  added  to  the  Hebrew  text,  or  that  text 
had  finally  taken  its  present  form. 

The  Pentateuch  was  probably  translated  first  under  the  earlier 
Ptolemies  :  and  the  grandson  of  Jesus  the  son  of  Sirach,  about 
132  B.C.,  knew  and  used  the  version  of  the  Hagiographa  as  well 
as  of  the  Law  and  the  Prophets ^  This,  it  may  be  assumed,  in- 
cluded the  Psalter. 

The  character  of  the  LXX  varies  greatly  in  different  parts  of 
the  O.T.  The  work  of  pioneers  in  the  task  of  translation,  with 
no  aids  of  grammar  and  lexicon  to  help  them,  naturally  presents 
many  imperfections.  Yet  not  seldom  it  gives  a  valuable  clue  to 
the  meaning  of  obscure  words,  or  suggests  certain  corrections  of 
the  Massoretic  Text.  The  version  of  the  Psalter  is  on  the 
whole  fairly  good,  though  it  is  often  altogether  at  fault  in 
difficult  passages.  It  has  a  special  interest  for  English  readers, 
because,  as  will  be  seen  presently,  it  has  indirectly  had  con- 
siderable influence  on  the  version  most  familiar  to  many  of 
them. 

Unfortunately  the  Septuagint  has  not  come  down  to  us  in  its 
original  form.  The  text  has  suffered  from  numerous  corruptions 
and  alterations,  partly  through  the  carelessness  of  transcribers, 
partly  through  the  introduction  of  fresh  renderings  intended  to 
harmonise  it  with  the  Massoretic  Text,  or  taken  from  other 
Greek  Versions. 

The  most  important  MSS.  of  the  LXX  for  the  Psalter,  to 
which  reference  will  occasionally  be  made,  are  the  following": 

The  Vatican  IMS.  (denoted  by  the  letter  B);  a  splendid  copy 
of  the  Greek  Bible,  written  in  the  fourth  century  A.D.,  and  now 
preserved  in  the  \^atican  Library  at  Rome.  Ten  leaves  of  the 
Psalter,  containing  Pss.  cv.  27 — cxxxvii.  6,  are  unfortunately  lost. 

^  See  above,  p.  xii  f 

^  For  fuller  information  see  Dr  Swete's  edition  of  the  LXX,  pub- 
lished by  the  Camb.  Univ.  Press.  The  Psalter  is  to  be  had  separately 
in  a  convenient  form. 


INTRODUCTION.  liii 


The  equally  splendid  Sinaitic  MS.  (denoted  by  the  letter  J^ 
Aleph),  also  written  in  the  fourth  century,  found  by  Tischendorf 
in  the  convent  of  St  Catharine  on  Mt  Sinai,  and  now  at  St 
Petersburg. 

The  Alexandrine  MS.  (denoted  by  the  letter  A),  written  in  the 
middle  of  the  fifth  century,  brought  from  Alexandria,  and  now 
the  great  treasure  of  the  British  Museum.  Nine  leaves  are 
wanting  in  the  Psalter  (Ps.  xlix.  19 — Ixxix.  10). 

The  Septuagint,  with  all  its  defects,  is  of  the  greatest  interest 
to  all  students  of  the  O.T. 

(i)  It  preserves  evidence  for  the  text  far  more  ancient  than 
the  oldest  Hebrew  MS.,  and  often  represents  a  text  differing 
from  the  Massoretic  recension. 

(2)  It  is  one  of  the  most  ancient  helps  for  ascertaining  the 
meaning  of  the  language  of  the  O.T.,  and  is  a  valuable  supple- 
ment to  Jewish  tradition. 

(3)  It  was  the  means  by  which  the  Greek  language  was 
wedded  to  Hebrew  thought,  and  the  way  prepared  for  the  use 
of  that  language  in  the  New  Testament. 

(4)  The  great  majority  of  the  quotations  made  from  the  O.T. 
by  the  writers  of  the  N.T.  are  taken  from  the  LXX. 

(5)  It  is  the  version  in  which  the  O.T.  was  studied  by  the 
Fathers  of  the  Eastern  Church,  and  indirectly,  in  the  old  Latin 
Versions  made  from  it,  by  those  of  the  Western,  until  Jerome's 
new  translation  from  the  Hebrew  came  into  use.  In  the  Psalter 
its  influence  was  permanent,  for  as  will  be  seen  below  (p.  Iv),  the 
new  version  never  superseded  the  old. 

(ii)  The  Targian.  After  the  return  from  the  Babylonian 
exile,  Aramaic,  sometimes  inaccurately  called  Chaldee,  began  to 
take  the  place  of  Hebrew  in  Palestine.  As  Hebrew  died  out, 
the  needs  of  the  people  were  met  by  oral  translations  or  para- 
phrases in  Aramaic.  Hence  arose  the  Aramaic  Versions  com- 
monly called  the  Targums^  The  Targum  of  the  Psalter  is  on  the 
whole  a  fairly  good  version,  though  it  often  assumes  the  character 
of  a  paraphrastic  interpretation.  In  its  present  form  it  appears 
to  contain  elements  as  late  as  the  ninth  century,  but  in  the  main 

^  Targum  means  interpretation  or  translation,  Cp.  dragoman,  lit, 
interpreter. 


liv  INTRODUCTION. 


it  belongs  to  a  much  earlier  date.  As  a  rule  it  represents  the 
Massoretic  recension,  and  is  not  of  much  value  for  textual 
criticism.  It  is  interesting  as  preserving  interpretations  current 
in  the  ancient  Jewish  Church,  in  particular,  for  the  reference  of 
several  passages  in  the  Psalter  to  the  Messiah ^ 

(iii)  The  Syfiac  Version,  known  as  the  Peschito  [siinple  or 
literal  vexsiovi),  probably  originated  at  Edessa,  about  the  second 
century  A.D.  It  was  made  from  the  Hebrew,  with  the  help  of 
Jewish  converts  or  actual  Jews.  But  the  present  text  in  some 
parts  of  the  O.T.  agrees  with  the  LXX  in  such  a  way  as  to 
make  it  evident  that  either  the  original  translators  consulted 
that  version,  or  subsequent  revisers  introduced  renderings 
from  it.     This  is  largely  the  case  in  the  Psalms. 

(iv)  The  later  Greek  Versions  require  only  a  brief  mention. 
That  of  Aquila  of  Pontus,  a  Jewish  proselyte  from  heathenism, 
was  made  in  the  beginning  of  the  second  century  A.D., 
when  the  breach  between  Church  and  Synagogue  was  com- 
plete, and  the  Jews  desired  an  accurate  version  for  purposes  of 
controversy  with  Christians.  It  is  characterised  by  a  slavish 
but  .ingenious  literalism. 

That  of  Theodotion,  made  towards  the  end  of  the  second 
century,  or  possibly  earlier^,  was  little  more  than  a  revision  of 
the  LXX. 

That  of  Symmachus,  made  probably  a  Httle  later  than  that 
of  Theodotion,  was  also  based  on  the  LXX.  It  aimed  at  com- 
bining accuracy  and  perspicuity,  and  was  by  far  the  best  of  the 
three. 

These  versions  were  collected  in  the  gigantic  work  of  Origen 
(a.D.  185 — 254)  called  the  Hexapla,  which  contained  in  six 
parallel  columns,  (i)  the  Hebrew  Text,  (2)  the  Hebrew  trans- 
literated into  Greek  letters,  (3)  Aquila,  (4)  Symmachus,  (5)  the 
LXX,  (6)  Theodotion.  In  the  Psalter  the  Hexapla  became  the 
Octapla  by  the  addition  of  two  columns  containing  two  more 
Greek  versions  known  as  the  'Fifth'  {Quinta)  and  *Sixth' 
{Sexta). 

^  See  e.g.  Ps.  xxi.  i,  7;  xlv.  2,  7;  Ixi.  6,  8;  Ixxii.  i ;  Ixxx.  15. 
-  See  Schiirer's  Hist,  of  the  y elvish  People  &'c.y  Div.  ii.  §  33  (Vol.  iii, 
p.  i73,E.T.). 


I 


INTRODUCTION.  Iv 


Unfortunately  only  fragments  of  these  versions  are  extant ^ 
Generally,  though  not  always,  they  agree  with  the  Massoretic 
Text. 

(v)  The  Latin  Versions.  The  earliest  Latin  Version  of  the 
O.T.,  the  Vetus  Latina  or  Old  Latin,  was  made  in  North 
Africa  from  the  LXX.  This  version,  of  which  various  recen- 
sions appear  to  have  been  current,  was  twice  revised  by  St 
Jerome  (Hieronymus).  The  first  revision,  made  about  a.d. 
383,  is  known  as  the  Roman  Psalter^  probably  because  it  was 
made  at  Rome  and  for  the  use  of  the  Roman  Church  at  the 
request  of  Pope  Damasus ;  the  second,  made  about  a.d.  387, 
is  called  the  Gallican  Psalter.,  because  the  Gallican  Churches 
were  the  first  to  adopt  it. 

Shortly  afterwards,  about  a.d.  389,  Jerome  commenced  his 
memorable  work  of  translating  the  O.T.  directly  from  the 
Hebrew,  which  occupied  him  for  fourteen  years.  After  bitter 
opposition  and  many  vicissitudes,  it  won  its  way  by  its  intrinsic 
excellence  to  be  the  Bible  of  the  Latin  Church,  and  came  to  be 
known  as  The  Vulgate. 

But  long  familiarity  with  the  Old  Latin  Version  of  the  Psalter 
made  it  impossible  to  displace  it,  and  the  Gallican  Psalter  is 
incorporated  in  the  Vulgate  in  place  of  Jerome's  new  translation. 
That  new  translation,  "iuxta  Hebraicam  veritatem,"  never  came 
into  general  use.  It  is  of  great  value  for  the  interpretation  of 
the  text,  and  shews  that  the  Hebrew  text  known  to  Jerome  was 
in  the  main  the  same  as  the  present  Massoretic  Text. 

Accordingly,  the  student  must  remember  that  in  the  Psalter 
the  Vulgate  is  an  echo  of  the  LXX,  and  not  an  independent 
witness  to  text  or  interpretation  :  while  Jerome's  translation 
(referred  to  as  Jer^  occupies  the  place  which  the  Vulgate  does 
in  the  other  books  of  the  O.T."^ 

iii.  The  English  Versions.  It  would  be  impossible  to  give 
here  even  a  sketch  of  the  history  of  the  EngHsh  Bible.  But  as 
the  Version  with  which  many  readers  are  most  familiar  is  not 

1  Collected  with  exhaustive  completeness  in  F.  field's  Origenis  Hcxa- 
plorum  qjiae  stipersunt.     1875. 

^  The  best  edition  of  Jerome's  Psalter  with  critical  apparatus  is  that 
by  P.  de  Lagarde,  Psaltcrhun  iuxta  Hebraeos  Hieronymi,  1874. 


Ivi  INTRODUCTION. 


that  in  the  Bible,  but  that  in  the  Prayer-Book,  it  seems  worth 
while  to  give  a  brief  account  of  its  origin  and  characteristics. 

As  the  Old  Latin  Version  held  its  ground  against  Jerome's 
more  accurate  translation,  because  constant  liturgical  use  had 
established  it  too  firmly  for  it  to  be  displaced,  so  the  older 
English  Version  of  the  Psalter  taken  from  the  Great  Bible  has 
kept  its  place  in  the  Prayer-Book,  and  has  never  been  super- 
seded for  devotional  use. 

The  'Great  Bible,'  sometimes  known  as  Cromwell's,  because 
the  first  edition  (1539)  appeared  under  his  auspices,  sometimes 
as  Cranmer's,  because  he  wrote  the  preface  to  the  second  edition 
(1540),  was  a  revision  of  Matthew's  Bible  (1537),  executed  by 
Coverdale  with  the  help  of  Sebastian  MUnster's  Latin  version, 
published  in  1534 — 5. 

Matthew's  Bible  was  a  composite  work.  The  Pentateuch  and 
N.T.  were  taken  from  Tyndale's  published  translation;  the 
books  from  Ezra  to  Malachi  and  the  Apocrypha  from  Cover- 
dale's  version ;  the  remaining  books  from  Joshua  to  2  Chron. 
from  a  translation  which  there  is  little  reason  to  douot  was 
made  by  Tyndale. 

The  Psalter  in  Matthew's  Bible  was  therefore  Coverdale's 
work:  and  Coverdale's  Version  (1535)  lays  no  claim  to  inde- 
pendence. He  tells  us  in  the  Epistle  unto  the  Kynges  hyghnesse 
prefixed  to  the  work,  that  he  had  "with  a  cleare  conscience 
purely  and  faythfuUy  translated  this  out  of  fyve  sundry  inter- 
preters," and  the  original  title-page  described  the  book  as 
"faithfully  and  truly  translated  out  of  Douche  and  Latyn  into 
Enghshe." 

The  'Douche'  was  doubtless  the  Swiss-German  version 
known  as  the  Zurich  Bible  :  the  '  Latyn '  was  of  course  the 
Vulgate  :  and  it  is  worth  while  thus  to  trace  the  pedigree  of  the 
Prayer-Book  Version,  for  in  spite  of  successive  revisions,  it 
retains  many  marks  of  its  origin.  Many  of  its  peculiar  render- 
ings, and  in  particular  the  additions  which  it  contains,  are 
derived  from  the  LXX  through  the  Vulgate. 

The  A.V.  of  161 1,  though  more  accurate,  is  less  melodious, 
and  when,  at  the  revision  of  the  Prayer-Book  in  1662,  the  ver- 
sion of  161 1  was  substituted  in  the  Epistles  and  Gospels,  the 


INTRODUCTION.  Ivii 


old  Psalter  was  left  untouched.  "The  choirs  and  congregations 
had  grown  familiar  with  it,  and  it  was  felt  to  be  smoother  and 
more  easy  to  sing."^ 

The  Revised  Version  of  1885  has  made  a  great  advance  upon 
the  A.V.  in  respect  of  accuracy  of  rendering.  The  changes  made 
by  the  Revisers  will,  as  a  rule,  be  quoted  in  this  commentary,  but 
the  translation  must  be  read  and  studied  as  a  whole  in  order 
properly  to  appreciate  their  force  and  value.  Even  with  the 
help  which  the  R.V.  now  supplies  to  the  English  reader,  it 
does  not  seem  superfluous  to  endeavour  by  more  exact  renderings 
to  bring  the  student  closer  to  the  sense  of  the  original. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  A.V.  frequently  creates  artificial 
distinctions  by  different  renderings  of  the  same  word,  and 
ignores  real  distinctions  by  giving  the  same  rendering  for 
different  words  :  and  this,  though  to  a  far  less  extent,  is  still 
the  case  in  the  R.V.^  Rigid  uniformity  of  rendering  may  be 
misleading,  but  it  is  well  that  attention  should  be  called  to 
distinctions  where  they  exist.  Again,  the  precise  force  of  a 
tense,  or  the  exact  emphasis  of  the  original,  cannot  always  be 
given  without  some  circumlocution  which  would  be  clumsy 
in  a  version  intended  for  general  use :  but  it  is  worth  while  to 
attempt  to  express  finer  shades  of  meaning  in  a  commentary. 

The  best  translation  cannot  always  adequately  represent  the 
original :  and  it  is  well  that  the  English  reader  should  be  re- 
minded that  the  sense  cannot  always  be  determined  with  pre- 
cision, and  may  often  best  be  realised  by  approaching  it  from 
different  sides. 

1  See  Bp  Westcott's  History  of  the  English  Bible,  chap.  iii. 

^  See,  for  example,  iii.  2,  7,  8,  where  the  connexion  is  obscured  by 
the  rendering  of  the  same  word  help  in  v.  1,  and  salvation  in  v.  8.  Two 
entirely  different  words  are  rendered  blessed  in  xli.  i,  13.  The  first 
expresses  congratulation,  {Happy:  cp.  be  made  happy  in  v.  2) :  the  second 
expresses  the  tribute  of  human  reverence  to  the  divine  majesty.  The 
word  rendered  trust  or  put  trust  in  in  vii.  i,  xi.  i  is  quite  distinct  from 
the  word  similarly  rendered  in  xiii.  5.  It  means  to  take  refuge  in,  and 
the  sense  gains  remarkably  by  the  correct  rendering.  The  exact  ren- 
dering of  a  tense  may  be  sufficient  to  draw  a  forcible  picture,  as  in 
vii.  15. 


Iviii  INTRODUCTION. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

THE   MESSIANIC  HOPE. 

Poetry  was  the  handmaid  of  Prophecy  in  preparing  the  way 
for  the  coming  of  Christ.  Prophetic  ideas  are  taken  up,  de- 
veloped, pressed  to  their  full  consequences,  with  the  boldness 
and  enthusiasm  of  inspired  imagination.  The  constant  use  of 
the  Psalms  for  devotion  and  worship  familiarised  the  people 
with  them.  Expectation  was  aroused  and  kept  alive.  Hope 
became  part  of  the  national  life.  Even  Psalms,  which  were 
not  felt  beforehand  to  speak  of  Him  Who  was  to  come,  con- 
tributed to  mould  the  temper  of  mind  which  was  prepared  to 
receive  Him  when  He  came  in  form  and  fashion  far  other  than 
that  which  popular  hopes  had  anticipated  ;  and  they  were 
recognised  in  the  event  as  pointing  forward  to  Him. 

This  work  of  preparation  went  forward  along  several  distinct 
lines,  some  of  which  are  seen  to  converge  or  meet  even  in  the 
O.T.,  while  others  were  only  harmonised  by  the  fulfilment. 
Thus  (i)  some  Psalms  pointed  forward  to  the  Messiah  as 
Son  of  God  and  King  and  Priest  :  others  (2)  prepared  the 
way  for  the  suffering  Redeemer :  others  (3)  only  find  their  full 
meaning  in  the  perfect  Son  of  Man:  others  (4)  foretell- the 
Advent  of  Jehovah  Himself  to  judge  and  redeem. 

All  these  different  lines  of  thought  combined  to  prepare  the 
way  for  Christ ;  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  preparation 
was  in  great  measure  silent  and  unconscious.  It  is  difficult  for 
us  who  read  the  O.T.  in  the  light  of  its  fulfilment  to  realise  how 
dim  and  vague  and  incomplete  the  Messianic  Hope  must  have 
been  until  the  Coming  of  Christ  revealed  the  divine  purpose, 
and  enabled  men  to  recognise  how  through  long  ages  God  had 
been  preparing  for  its  consummation. 

(i)  The  Royal  Messiah  (Psalms  ii.  xviii.  xx.  xxi.  xlv.  Ixi. 
Ixxii.  Ixxxix.  ex.  cxxxii). 

The  Kingdom  of  Israel  was  at  once  the  expression  of  God's 
purpose  to  establish  an  universal  kingdom  upon  earth,  and  the 
means  for  the  accomplishment  of  that  purpose.  The  people  of 
Israel  was  Jehovah's  son,  His  firstborn  (Ex.  iv.  22,  23  ;  Deut.  xxxii. 


INTRODUCTION.  lix 


6;  Hos.  xi.  i),  and  His  servant  (Is.  xli.  8) ;  and  the  Davidic  king 
as  the  representative  of  the  nation  was  Jehovah's  son,  His  first- 
born (2  Sam.  vii.  14;  Ps.  ii.  7;  Ixxxix.  26,  27),  and  His  servant 
(2  Sam.  vii.  5  ff.)-  He  was  no  absolute  despot,  reigning  in  His 
own  right,  but  the  'Anointed  of  Jehovah'  who  was  the  true  King 
of  Israel,  appointed  by  Him  as  His  viceroy  and  representative 
(Ps.  ii.  6).  He  was  said  to  "sit  upon  the  throne  of  the  kingdom 
of  the  Lord  over  Israel"  (i  Chr.  xxviii.  5),  or  even  "on  the 
throne  of  the  Lord"  (i  Chr.  xxix.  23). 

Thus  he  was  at  once  the  representative  of  the  people  before 
Jehovah,  and  the  representative  of  Jehovah  before  the  people, 
and  before  the  nations.  To  Him  as  Jehovah's  viceroy  was 
promised  the  sovereignty  over  the  nations.  Nathan's  message 
to  David  (2  Sam.  vii)  was  the  Davidic  king's  patent  of 
adoption  and  title  deed  of  inheritance.  It  was  the  procla- 
mation of  "the  everlasting  covenant"  which  God  made  with 
the  house  of  David  (2  Sam.  xxiii.  5).  Upon  the  divine  choice 
of  David  and  his  house,  and  in  particular  upon  this  great 
prophecy,  are  based  a  series  of  what  may  be  called  Royal 
Psalms.  Critical  events  in  the  life  of  David  or  later  kings, 
or  in  the  history  of  the  kingdom,  gave  occasion  to  David  him- 
self, or  other  poet-seers,  to  declare  the  full  significance  and 
extent  of  that  promise.  Successive  kings  might  fail  to  realise 
their  rightful  prerogatives,  but  the  divine  promise  remained 
unrevoked,  waiting  for  one  who  could  claim  its  fulfilment  in  all 
its  grandeur. 

Different  aspects  of  the  promise  are  presented  in  different 
Psalms.  They  can  only  be  briefly  summarised  here  :  for  fuller 
explanation  reference  must  be  made  to  the  introductions  and 
notes  to  each  Psalm. 

In  Ps.  ii  the  prominent  thought  is  the  divine  sonship  of  the 
anointed  king  and  its  significance.  The  nations  are  mustering 
with  intent  to  renounce  their  allegiance  to  the  king  recently 
enthroned  in  Zion.  But  their  purpose  is  vain,  for  the  king  is 
none  other  than  Jehovah's  Son  and  representative.  In  rebelling 
against  him  they  are  rebelling  against  Jehovah,  and  if  they 
persist,  will  do  it  to  their  own  destruction. 

In  David's  great  thanksgiving  (Ps.  xviii)  he  celebrates  Jehovah 


Ix  INTRODUCTION. 


as  the  giver  of  victory,  and  recognises  that  his  position  as  "the 
head  of  the  nations"  {v.  43)  has  been  given  him  in  order  that 
he  may  proclaim  Jehovah's  glory  among  them  (v.  49). 

The  relation  of  the  king  to  Jehovah  as  His  anointed  repre- 
sentative is  the  ground  of  intercession  and  confidence  in  Ps. 
XX.  6 ;  and  the  thanksgiving  for  victory  which  follows  in  Ps.  xxi 
naturally  dwells  upon  the  high  dignity  which  belongs  to  him  in 
virtue  of  that  relation,  and  anticipates  his  future  triumphs.  The 
same  thought  is  repeated  in  Ps.  Ixi.  6  f. 

Ps.  xlv  is  a  marriage  song  for  Solomon  or  some  later  king  of 
the  house  of  David.  In  lofty  language  the  poet  sets  before  him 
the  ideal  of  his  office  (cp.  2  Sam.  xxiii.  3  ff.),  and  claims  for  him 
the  fulness  of  the  promise  of  eternal  dominion.  The  union  with 
a  foreign  princess  suggests  the  hope  of  the  peaceful  union  of 
all  nations  in  harmonious  fellowship  with  Israel. 

Ps.  Ixxii  is  an  intercession  for  Solomon  or  some  other  king 
on  his  accession.  In  glowing  colours  it  depicts  the  ideal  of  his 
office,  and  prays  that  he  may  fulfil  it  as  the  righteous  sovereign 
who  redresses  wrong,  and  may  rule  over  a  world-wide  empire, 
receiving  the  willing  homage  of  the  nations  to  his  virtue,  and 
proving  himself  the  heir  of  the  patriarchal  promise. 

In  some  crisis  of  national  disaster  the  author  of  Ps.  Ixxxix 
recites  the  promise  to  David,  and  contrasting  its  brilliant  hopes 
with  the  disappointment  which  it  was  his  trial  to  witness,  pleads 
for  the  renewal  of  God's  favour. 

Ps.  ex  is  a  kind  of  solemn  oracle.  It  describes  David  as 
king,  priest,  and  conqueror.  Jehovah  adopts  him  as  His  as- 
sessor, placing  him  in  the  seat  of  honour  at  His  side.  Though 
not  of  Aaron's  line  he  is  invested  with  a  priestly  dignity.  The 
new  king  of  Zion  must  inherit  all  the  privileges  of  the  ancient 
king  of  Salem,  and  enter  upon  the  religious  as  well  as  the  civil 
memories  of  his  capital. 

Once  more,  in  Ps.  cxxxii,  possibly  in  days  when  the  kingdom 
had  ceased  to  exist,  and  the  representative  of  the  house  of  David 
was  only  a  governor  appointed  by  a  foreign  conqueror,  the 
ancient  promise  is  pleaded  in  confidence  that  it  must  still  find 
fulfilment. 

These   Psalms   refer  primarily  to  the  circumstances  of  the 


INTRODUCTION.  ki 


time.  The  revolt  of  the  nations,  the  royal  marriage,  the  ac- 
cession of  a  prince  of  unique  promise,  the  installation  of  the 
king,  gave  the  inspired  poets  opportunity  for  dwelling  on  the 
promises  and  hopes  connected  with  the  Davidic  kingdom. 
But  successive  princes  of  David's  line  failed  to  fulfil  their  high 
destiny,  to  subdue  the  nations,  to  rule  the  world  in  righteous- 
ness, to  establish  a  permanent  dynasty.  The  kingdom  ceased 
to  exist ;  yet  it  was  felt  that  the  divine  promise  could  not  fail ; 
and  hope  was  directed  to  the  future.  Men  were  led  to  see  that 
the  divine  promise  had  not  been  frustrated  but  postponed,  and 
to  look  for  the  coming  of  One  who  should  'fulfil'  the  utmost 
that  had  been  spoken  of  Israel's  king^. 

(2)  The  suffering  Messiah  (Pss.  xxii.  Ixix.  cix.  xxxv.  xli.  Iv.). 
Men's  minds  had  to  be  prepared  not  only  for  a  triumphant 
King,  but  for  a  suffering  Saviour.  The  great  prophecy  of  Is. 
lii,  liii  finds  preludes  and  echoes  in  the  Psalter  in  what  may  be 
called  the  Passion  Psalms.  The  sufferings  of  David  and  other 
saints  of  the  old  dispensation  were  typical  :  they  helped  to 
familiarise  men  with  the  thought  of  the  righteous  suffering  for 
God's  sake,  of  suffering  as  the  path  to  victory,  of  glory  to  be 
won  for  God  and  deliverance  for  man  through  suffering.  They 
were  the  anticipation,  as  the  sufferings  of  the  members  of  the 
Christian  Church  are  the  supplement  (Col.  i.  24),  of  the  afflictions 
of  Christ. 

But  not  only  were  these  sufferings  in  themselves  typical,  but 
the  records  of  them  were  so  moulded  by  the  Spirit  of  God  as  to 
prefigure  the  sufferings  of  Christ  even  in  circumstantial  details. 
These  details  are  not  the  most  important  part  of  the  type  or 
prophecy ;  but  they  serve  to  arrest  attention,  and  direct  it  to  the 
essential  idea. 

These  Psalms  do  not  appear  to  have  been  applied  to  the 
Messiah  in  the  Jewish  Church  as  the  Royal  Psalms  were.  It 
was  Christ  Himself  who  first  shewed  His  disciples  that  He 
must  gather  up  into  Himself  and  fulfil  the  manifold  experiences 
of  the  people  of  God,  in  suffering  as  well  as  in  triumph,  and 
taught  them  to  recognise  that  those  sufferings  had  been  foreor- 

^  For  references  to  the  Messianic  interpretations  of  the  Targums  see 
note  on  p.  liv. 


Ixii  INTRODUCTION. 

dained  in  the  divine  purpose,  and  how  they  had  been  fore- 
shadowed throughout  the  Old  Testament. 

Ps.  xxii  stands  by  itself  among  these  Psalms.  In  its  descrip- 
tion of  the  Psalmist's  sufferings,  and  in  its  joyous  anticipation 
of  the  coming  extension  of  Jehovah's  kingdom,  it  foreshadows 
the  Passion  of  Christ  and  its  glorious  fruits :  and  our  Lord's  use 
of  the  opening  words  (and  probably  of  the  whole  Psalm)  upon 
the  Cross,  stamps  it  as  applicable  to  and  fulfilled  in  Him. 

Ps.  Ixix  records  the  sufferings  of  one  who  was  persecuted  for 
Gods  sake  {vr.  7  ft").  In  his  consuming  zeal  for  God's  house,  in 
his  suffering  as  the  victim  of  causeless  hatred  (cp.  xxxv.  19; 
cix.  3  ft),  in  his  endurance  of  reproach  for  his  faithfulness  to 
God,  he  was  the  prototype  of  Christ.  The  contemptuous 
mocker)-  {vv.  12,  20)  and  maltreatment  (t-^'.  21,  26)  to  which  he 
was  exposed,  prefigured  the  actual  sufterings  of  Christ.  The 
curse  which  falls  upon  his  persecutors  {v.  25 ;  cp.  cix.  8)  be- 
comes the  doom  of  the  arch-traitor  (Acts  i.  20) ;  and  the  judg- 
ment invoked  upon  his  enemies  {in'.  22 — 24)  finds  its  fulfilment 
in  the  rejection  of  apostate  Israel  (Rom.  xi.  9,  10). 

The  treacher}'  of  the  faithless  friend  described  in  xli.-  9  (cp. 
Iv.  12  ff.)  anticipates  the  treachery  of  the  false  disciple. 

(3)  The  Son  of  Man  (Pss.  viii.  xvi.  xlj.  Psalms  which 
describe  the  true  destiny  of  man,  the  issue  of  perfect  fellowship 
with  God,  the  ideal  of  complete  obedience,  unmistakably  point 
fon\ard  to  Him  who  as  the  representative  of  man  triumphed 
where  man  had  failed. 

Ps.  viii  looks  away  from  the  Fall  and  its  fatal  consequences 
to  man's  nature,  position,  and  destiny  in  the  purpose  of  God. 
Christ's  perfect  humanity  answered  to  that  ideal,  and  is  seen  to 
be  the  pledge  of  the  fulfilment  of  the  divine  purpose  for  the 
whole  race  of  mankind  (Heb.  ii.  6  ff.). 

In  Ps.  xvi  faith  and  hope  triumph  over  the  fear  of  death  in 
the  consciousness  of  fellowship  with  God.  Yet  the  Psalmist  did 
not  escape  death :  his  words  looked  forward,  and  first  found 
their  adequate  realisation  in  the  Resurrection  of  Christ  (Acts  ii. 
25  ff. ;  xiii.  35). 

In  Ps.  xl  the  Psalmist  professes  his  desire  to  prove  his  grati- 
tude to  God  bv  offering  the  sacrifice  of  obedience.     But  that 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixiii 


obedience  was  at  best  imperfect.  His  words  must  wait  to  receive 
their  full  accomplishment  in  the  perfect  obedience  of  Christ 
(Heb.  X.  5  ff.). 

Christ  as  the  perfect  Teacher  adopted  and  'fulfilled'  the 
methods  of  the  teachers  of  the  old  dispensation  (Ps.  Ixxviii.  i). 

(4)  The  coviing  of  God.  Another  series  of  Psalms  describes 
or  anticipates  the  Advent  of  Jehovah  Himself  to  judge  and  to 
redeem.  Such  are  xviii.  7  ff.  1.  Ixviii.  xcvi — xcviii.  They 
correspond  to  the  prophetic  idea  of  'the  day  of  Jehovah,'  which 
culminates  in  Mai.  iii.  i  ff.  They  do  not  indeed  predict  the 
Incarnation,  but  they  served  to  prepare  men's  minds  for  the 
direct  personal  intervention  of  God  which  was  to  be  realised  in 
the  Incarnation.  We  find  passages  originally  spoken  of  Jehovah 
applied  in  the  N.T.  to  Christ  1.  The  words  of  Ps.  Ixviii.  18, 
which  describe  the  triumphant  ascent  of  Jehovah  to  His  throne 
after  the  subjugation  of  the  world,  are  adapted  and  applied  to 
the  triumphant  return  of  Christ  to  heaven  and  His  distribution 
of  the  gifts  of  grace  (Eph.  iv.  8). 

The  words  of  cii.  25,  26,  contrasting  the  immutability  of  the 
Creator  with  the  mutability  of  created  things,  originally  ad- 
dressed to  Jehovah  by  the  exile  who  appealed  to  Him  to  inter- 
vene on  behalf  of  Sion,  are  applied  to  the  Son  through  whom 
the  worlds  were  made  (Hebr.  i.  10), 

Thus  the  inspired  poetry  of  the  Psalter,  viewing  the  Davidic 
kingdom  in  the  light  of  the  prophetic  promises  attached  to  it, 
played  its  part  in  preparing  men's  minds  for  a  King  who 
should  be  God's  Son  and  representative,  as  it  came  to  be  inter- 
preted in  the  course  of  history  through  failure  and  disappoint- 
ment. The  record  of  the  Psalmists'  own  sufferings  helped  to 
give  some  insight  into  the  part  which  suffering  must  perform  in 
the  redemption  of  the  world.  Their  ideals  of  man's  destiny 
and  duty  implied  the  hope  of  the  coming  of  One  who  should 
perfectly  fulfil  them.  The  expectation  of  Jehovah's  advent  to 
judge  and  redeem  anticipated  a  direct  divine  interposition  for 
the  establishment  of  the  divine  kingdom  in  the  world. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  relation  of  these  various 
elements  of  the  preparation  could  be  recognised,  or  that  they 
1  See  Bp  Westcott's  Hebrews,  p.  89. 


Ixiv  INTRODUCTION. 


could  be  harmonised  into  one  consistent  picture  beforehand- 
It  was  reserved  for  the  event  to  shew  that  the  various  lines  of 
hope  and  teaching  were  not  parallel  but  convergent,  meeting  in 
the  Person  and  Work  of  Him  Who  is  at  once  God  and  Man,  [ 
Son  and  Servant,  Priest  and  King,  Sufferer  and  Victor.  j  | 


It  has  been  assumed  thus  far  that  these  Psalms  refer  primarily 
to  the  circumstances  under  which  they  were  written.  Many 
commentators  however  regard  some  of  the  *  Royal  Psalms,' 
in  particular  Pss.  ii.  xlv.  Ixxii.  ex.  as  direct  prophecies  of  the 
Messianic  King :  some  because  they  are  unable  to  discover 
the  precise  historical  occasion  in  existing  records:  others, 
because  the  language  seems  to  reach  beyond  what  could  be 
predicated  of  any  earthly  king,  and  the  N.  T.  application  of 
these  Psalms  to  Christ  appears  to  them  to  require  that  theyt 
should  be  referred  to  Him  alone. 

The  particular  historical  reference  of  each  of  these  Psalms 
will  be  discussed  in  the  introduction  to  it:  here  it  must  suffice f 
to  observe  that  such  Psalms  as  ii  and  xlv  produce  the  decided] 
impression  that  they  were  written   in  view  of  contemporary' 
events.     Lofty  as  is  the  language  used,  it  is  no  more  than  is 
warranted  by  the  grandeur  of  the  divine  promises  to  the  house 
of  David;  and  if  the  words  are  applied  to  Christ  with  a  fulness 
and  directness  which  seems  to  exclude  any  lower  meaning,  it 
must  be  remembered  that  it  was  through  the  institution  of  the* 
kingdom  that  men  were  taught  to  look  for  Him,  and   theirj " 
fulfilment  in  Him  presumes  rather  than  excludes  the  view  that  I 
they  had  a  true,  if  partial,  meaning  for  the  time  at  which  they 
were  written. 

Similarly  in  the  case  of  the  '  Passion  Psalms '  it  has  been 
thought  that,  at  least  in  Ps.  xxii,  the  Psalmist  is  speaking  in 
the  person  of  Christ.  Yet  even  this  Psalm  plainly  springs  out 
of  personal  suffering;  though  it  is  equally  plain  that  the 
character  of  that  suffering  was  providentially  moulded  to  be  a! 
type,  and  the  record  of  it  inspired  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  be  a 
prophecy,  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ.  That  Ps.  Ixix  cannot  as 
a  whole  be  placed  in  the  mouth  of  Christ  is  evident,  if  for  no 
other  reason,  from  the  confession  of  sin  in  v.  5. 

Have  then  these  Psalms,  has  prophecy  in  general,  a  'double 


INTRODUCTION.  1: 


sense?'  a  primary  historical  sense  in  relation  to  the  circum- 
stances under  which  they  were  written,  and  a  secondary 
typical  or  prophetical  sense,  in  which  they  came  to  be  under- 
stood by  the  Jewish  and  afterwards  by  the  Christian  Church  ? 
We  may  no  doubt  legitimately  talk  of  a  '  double  sense,'  if  what 
we  mean  is  that  Psalmist  and  Prophet  did  not  realise  the  full 
meaning  of  their  words,  and  that  that  meaning  only  came  to  be 
understood  as  it  was  unfolded  by  the  course  of  history.  But  is 
it  not  a  truer  view  to  regard  both  senses  as  essentially  one? 
The  institutions  of  Israel  and  the  discipline  of  the  saints  of  old 
were  designed  to  express  the  divine  purpose  as  the  age  and  the 
people  were  able  to  receive  it.  The  divine  purpose  is  eternally 
one  and  the  same,  though  it  must  be  gradually  revealed  to 
man,  and  man's  apprehension  of  it  changes.  And  it  is  involved 
in  any  worthy  conception  of  inspiration  that  inspired  words 
should  express  divine  ideas  with  a  fulness  which  cannot  at  once 
be  intelligible,  but  only  comes  to  be  understood  as  it  is  in- 
terpreted by  the  course  of  history  or  illuminated  by  the  light  of 
fuller  revelation. 

Inspired  words  are  "springing  and  germinant"  in  their  very 
nature :  they  grow  with  the  growing  mind  of  man.  They  are 
'fulfilled,'  not  in  the  sense  that  their  meaning  is  exhausted  and 
their  function  accomplished,  but  in  the  sense  that  they  are 
enlarged,  expanded,  ennobled.  What  is  temporary  and  acci- 
dental falls  away,  and  the  eternal  truth  shines  forth  in  its  in- 
exhaustible freshness  and  grandeur. 

For  us  the  Psalms  which  were  designed  to  prepare  the  way 
for  the  coming  of  Christ  bear  witness  to  the  unity  of  the  divine 
plan  which  is  being  wrought  out  through  successive  ages  of  the 
world. 

(5)  The  nations.  Under  the  head  of  Messianic  Hope  in  the 
Psalter  must  be  included  the  view  which  is  presented  of  the 
relation  of  the  nations  to  Jehovah  and  to  Israel.  Few  features 
are  more  striking  than  the  constant  anticipation  of  the  inclusion 
of  all  nations  in  Jehovah's  kingdom. 

On  the  one  hand  indeed  the  nations  appear  as  the  deadly 
enemies  of  Jehovah's  people,  leagued  together  for  its  destruction 
(ii.  Ixxxiii),  but  doomed   themselves   to  be   destroyed  if  they 


Ixvi  INTRODUCTION. 

persist  in  their  unhallowed  purpose  (ii.  9;  ix.  17  ff. ;  xxxiii.  10; 
xlvi.  6ff. ;  lix.  5,  8). 

But  concurrently  with  this  view  of  the  relation  of  the  nations 
to  Jehovah  and  Israel,  another  and  more  hopeful  view  is  con- 
stantly presented.  The  nations  as  well  as  Israel  belong  to 
Jehov-ah,  and  are  the  objects  of  His  care;  they  will  eventually 
render  Him  homage;  and  Israel  is  to  be  the  instrument  for 
accomplishing  this  purpose  and  establishing  the  universal  divine 
kingdom. 

{a)  The  earth  and  all  its  inhabitants  belong  to  Jehovah  as 
their  Creator  (xxiv.  i ;  cp.  viii.  i);  they  are  under  His  observa- 
tion (Ixvi.  7),  and  subservient  to  His  purposes  (xxxiii.  14);  He 
disciphnes  and  teaches  them  (xciv.  10) ;  they  are  addressed  as 
being  capable  of  moral  instruction  (xlix.  i). 

He  is  the  supreme  and  universal  King  and  Judge  (xxii.  28; 
xlvi.  10;  xlvii.  2,  8,  9;  xcvi.  13  ;  xcviii.  9;  xcix.  2;  cxiii.  4);  the 
nations  are  constantly  exhorted  to  render  Him  homage  (ii.  8  ff.), 
to  fear  Him  (xxxiii.  8),  to  praise  Him  (Ixvi.  i  f. ;  cxvii.  i ;  cxlv. 
21),  and  even  to  worship  Him  in  His  temple  (xcvi.  7  ff.;  c.  i,  2). 

{b)  The  time  will  come  when  all  nations  will  acknowledge 
His  sovereignty  (xxii.  27;  Ixvi.  4;  Ixviii.  29  ff. ;  Ixxxvi.  9;  cii. 
22).  The  kings  of  the  earth  will  render  homage  to  their 
sovereign  (cii.  15  ;  cxxxviii.  4).  To  Him  as  the  hearer  of  prayer 
shall  "all  flesh"  come  (Ixv.  2);  He  is  the  confidence  of  all  the 
ends  of  the  earth  (Ixv.  5) ;  and  the  Psalter  ends  with  the  chorus 
of  universal  praise  from  every  living  thing  (cl.  6). 

(c)  Israel  is  Jehovah's  instrument  for  accomplishing  the 
world-wide  extension  of  His  kingdom. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  kingdom  it  may  have  seemed  that 
Israel's  destiny  was  to  subjugate  the  nations  and  include  them 
in  the  kingdom  of  Jehovah  by  conquest  (ii;  xviii.  43;  xlvii);  yet 
the  thought  is  never  far  distant  that  the  object  of  Israel's 
victories  is  to  make  Jehovah  known  (xviii.  49 ;  Ivii.  9),  and  to 
lead  to  the  harmonious  union  of  the  nations  with  His  people 
(xlvii.  9).  Ps.  xlv  suggests  the  hope  of  peaceful  alliance,  Ps. 
Ixxii  of  conquest  by  moral  supremacy  {vv.  8  ff.).  If  to  the  last 
the  thought  of  actual  conquests  survived  (cxlix.  6  ff.),  a  more 
spiritual  conception  of  Israel's  relation  to  the  nations  grew  up 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixvii 


side  by  side  with  it.  The  Psalmist's  gratitude  for  personal 
deliverance  widens  out  into  the  prospect  of  the  universal 
worship  of  Jehovah  (xxii).  Ps.  Ixvii  expresses  Israel's  con- 
sciousness of  its  calling  to  be  a  blessing  to  the  world,  and  the 
final  purpose  of  its  prosperity  is  the  conversion  of  the  nations. 
Zion  becomes  the  spiritual  metropohs  in  which  nations  once 
hostile  are  enrolled  as  citizens  (Ixxxvii) ;  and  Israel's  deliverance 
from  captivity  is  seen  to  lead  to  the  universal  worship  of  her 
Deliverer,  and  the  gathering  of  the  nations  to  Zion  to  serve  Him 
(cii.  15,  21  ff. ;  cp.  xcvi— xcviii). 

Thus,  even  under  the  Hmitations  of  the  old  Covenant,  were 
formed  the  hopes  which  are  in  part  fulfilled,  and  in  part  still 
await  fulfilment,  in  the  Christian  Church. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

ON   SOME   POINTS   IN   THE  THEOLOGY  OF  THE   PSALMS. 

A  thorough  examination  of  the  Theology  of  the  Psalms  would 
exceed  the  limits  of  the  present  work.  It  would  include  an 
investigation  whether  any  progress  and  development  of  doctrine 
can  be  traced  in  the  Psalms  of  different  periods.  All  that  can 
be  attempted  here  is  a  few  brief  notes  on  some  points  which  re- 
quire the  student's  attention  or  present  special  difficulties. 

(i)  The  relation  of  the  Psahns  to  the  Ordinances  of  Worship. 
The  Psalms  represent  the  inward  and  spiritual  side  of  the 
religion  of  Israel.  They  are  the  manifold  expression  of  the 
intense  devotion  of  pious  souls  to  God,  of  the  feelings  of  trust 
and  hope  and  love  which  reach  a  climax  in  such  Psalms  as  xxiii. 
xlii — xiiii.  Ixiii.  Ixxxiv.  They  are  the  many-toned  voice  of  prayer 
in  the  widest  sense,  as  the  soul's  address  to  God  in  confession, 
petition,  intercession,  meditation,  thanksgiving,  praise,  both  in 
public  and  private.  They  offer  the  most  complete  proof,  if  proof 
were  needed,  how  utterly  false  is  the  notion  that  the  religion  of 
Israel  was  a  formal  system  of  external  rites  and  ceremonies.  In 
such  a  book  frequent  reference  to  the  external  ordinances  of 
worship  is  scarcely  to  be  expected :  but  they  are  presumed, 


Ixviii  INTRODUCTION. 

and  the  experience  of  God's  favour  is  constantly  connected 
with  the  Sanctuary  and  its  acts  of  worship  i. 

There  are  frequent  references  to  the  Te?nple  as  the  central 
place  of  worship,  where  men  appear  before  God,  and  where  He 
specially  reveals  His  power  glory  and  goodness,  and  interprets 
the  ways  of  His  Providence  (xlii.  2  ;  xlviii.  9  ;  Ixiii.  2  ;  Ixv.  4  ; 
Ixviii.  29;  Ixxiii.  17  ;  xcvi.  6  ff . ;  &c.). 

The  impressive  splendour  of  the  priestly  array  is  alluded  to 
(xxix.  2,  note ;  xcvi.  9 ;  ex.  3). 

The  delight  of  the  festal  pilgrimages  to  Zion  is  vividly  de- 
scribed (xlii.  xliii.  Ixxxiv.  cp.  Iv.  14).  Consuming  zeal  for 
God's  house  in  a  corrupt  age  characterised  the  saint  and  ex- 
posed him  to  persecution  (Ixix.  9). 

The  joyous  character  of  the  O.  T.  worship  is  so  striking 
a  feature  of  the  Psalter  as  scarcely  to  need  special  notice.  The 
Psalter  as  the  hymn-book  of  the  Second  Temple  was  entitled 
'The  Book  of  Praises.'  We  hear  the  jubilant  songs  of  the 
troops  of  pilgrims  (xlii.  4;  cp.  Is.  xxx.  29):  we  see  the  pro- 
cessions to  the  Temple  with  minstrels  and  singers  (Ixviii.  24, 
25) :  we  hear  its  courts  resound  with  shouts  of  praise  (xcv.  i  ff. ; 
c.  I,  4),  and  music  of  harp  and  psaltery,  timbrel  and  trumpet, 
cymbals  and  pipe. 

Sacrifice  is  referred  to  as  the  sanction  of  the  covenant 
between  God  and  His  people  (1.  5;  cp.  Ex.  xxiv.  5ff.);  as  the 
regular  accompaniment  of  approach  to  God  (xx.  3;  1.  8ff.; 
Ixvi.  13,  15;  xcvi.  8);  as  the  natural  expression  of  worship  and 
thanksgiving  (xliii.  4;  li.  19;  liv.  6;  cvii.  22;  cxviii.  27),  es- 
pecially in  connexion  with  vows  (Ivi.  12  ;  Ixvi.  13  ff.),  which  are 
frequently  mentioned  (xxii.  25  ;  Ixi.  5,  8  ;  Ixv.  i  ;  Ixxvi.  11 ;  cxvi. 
14,  18).  The  Levitical  ceremonies  of  purification  are  alluded  to 
as  symbols  of  the  inward  cleansing  which  must  be  effected  by 
God  Himself  (li.  7). 

But  the  great  prophetic  doctrine^  of  the  intrinsic  worthless- 
ness  of  sacrifice  apart  from  the  disposition  of  the  worshipper  is 
emphatically  laid  down.     It  is  not  sacrifice  but  obedience  that 

1  Cp.  Oehler,  0.  T.  Theology,  §  201. 

2  From  I  Sam.  xv.  22  onwards.  See  Amos  v.  21  ff. ;  Hos.  vi.  6: 
Is,  i.  II  ff. ;  Mic.  vi.  6  ff. ;  Jer.  vi.  20;  vii.  21  ff.;  xiv.  12. 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixix 


(jod  desires  (xl.  6ff.)5  it  is  not  thank-offering,  but  a  thankful 
heart  which  finds  acceptance  with  Him  (1.  14,  23;  cp.  Ixix.  30? 
31);  it  is  not  sacrifice,  but  contrition  which  is  the  condition  of 
forgiveness  (li.  16  ff.).  Penitence  and  prayer  are  true  sacrifices 
(H.  17  ;  cxH,  2) :  and  the  moral  conditions  which  can  alone  make 
sacrifice  acceptable  and  are  requisite  for  approach  to  God  are 
constantly  insisted  upon  (iv.  5  ;  xv.  iff.;  xxiv.  3  ff. ;  xxvi.  6 ;  Ixvi. 
18).  _ 

It  is  God  Himself  who  'purges  away'  iniquity  (Ixv.  3  ;  Ixxviii. 
38  ;  Ixxix.  9  ;  Ixxxv.  2). 

(ii)  The  self-righteoiisjiess  of  the  Psalmists.  Readers  of  the 
Psalms  are  sometimes  startled  by  assertions  of  integrity  and 
innocence  which  appear  to  indicate  a  spirit  of  self-righteous- 
ness and  self-satisfaction  approximating  to  that  of  the  Pharisee 
(Luke  xviii.  9).  Thus  David  appeals  to  be  judged  according  to 
his  righteousness  and  his  integrity  (vii.  8 ;  cp.  xxvi.  i  ff.),  and 
regards  his  deliverance  from  his  enemies  as  the  reward  of  his 
righteousness  and  innocence  (xviii.  20 ff.);  sincerity  and  inno- 
cence are  urged  as  grounds  of  answer  to  prayer  (xvii.  i  ff.),  and 
God's  most  searching  scrutiny  is  invited  (xxvi.  2  ff.). 

Some  of  these  utterances  are  no  more  than  asseverations  that 
the  speaker  is  innocent  of  particular  crimes  laid  to  his  charge  by 
his  enemies  (vii.  3  ff.);  others  are  general  professions  of  purity  of 
purpose  and  single-hearted  devotion  to  God  (xvii.  i  ff.).  They  are 
not  to  be  compared  with  the  self-complacency  of  the  Pharisee, 
who  prides  himself  on  his  superiority  to  the  rest  of  the  world,  but 
to  St  Paul's  assertions  of  conscious  rectitude  (Acts  xx.  26  ff.;  xxiii. 
i).  They  breathe  the  spirit  of  simple  faith  and  childlike  trust, 
which  throws  itself  unreservedly  on  God.  Those  who  make  them 
do  not  profess  to  be  absolutely  sinless,  but  they  do  claim  to  belong 
to  the  class  of  the  righteous  who  may  expect  God's  favour,  and 
they  do  disclaim  all  fellowship  with  the  wicked,  from  whom 
they  expect  to  be  distinguished  in  the  course  of  His  Providence. 

And  if  God's  present  favour  is  expected  as  the  reward  of  right 
conduct,  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  Israelite  looked  for 
the  visible  manifestation  of  the  divine  government  of  the  world 
in  the  reward  of  the  godly  and  the  punishment  of  the  evildoer 
in  this  present  life  (i  Kings  viii.  32,  39).     He  felt  that  he  had  a 


Ixx  INTRODUCTION. 


right  to  be  treated  according  to  the  rectitude  of  which  he  was 
conscious. 

Further,  it  was  commonly  supposed  that  there  was  a  pro- 
portion between  sin  and  suffering;  that  exceptional  suffering  was 
an  evidence  of  exceptional  guilt.  This  idea  throws  light  upon  the 
assertions  of  national  innocence  in  xliv.  lyff,  and  of  personal 
innocence  in  lix.  3.  They  are  clearly  relative,  as  much  as  to 
say,  'We  know  of  no  national  apostasy  which  can  account  for 
this  defeat  as  a  well-merited  judgment :'  'I  am  not  conscious  of 
any  personal  transgression  for  which  this  persecution  is  a  fitting 
chastisement.'  So  Job  repeatedly  acknowledges  the  sinfulness 
of  man,  but  denies  that  he  has  been  guilty  of  any  special  sin  to 
account  for  his  extraordinary  afflictions. 

Some  however  of  these  utterances  undoubtedly  belong  to  the 
O.  T.  and  not  to  the  N.T.  They  are  the  partial  expression  of  an 
eternal  truth  (Matt.  xvi.  27),  in  a  form  which  belongs  to  the  age 
in  which  they  were  spoken.  The  N.  T.  has  brought  a  new  reve- 
lation of  the  nature  of  sin,  and  a  more  thorough  self-knowledge: 
it  teaches  the  inadmissibility  of  any  plea  of  merit  on  man's  part 
(Luke  xvii.  10).  But  the  docile  spirit  which  fearlessly  submits 
itself  to  the  divine  scrutiny  and  desires  to  be  instructed  (cxxxix. 
23,  24)  has  nothing  in  common  with  the  Pharisaism  which  is  by 
its  very  nature  incapable  of  improvement. 

And  side  by  side  with  these  assertions  of  integrity  we  find  in 
the  Psalms  the  fullest  recognition  of  personal  sinfulness  (li. 
5;  Ixix.  5),  of  man's  inabihty  to  justify  himself  before  God 
(cxxx.  3  ff.,  cxHii.  2),  of  his  need  of  pardon  cleansing  and 
renewal  (xxxii.  li.  Ixv.  3),  of  his  dependence  on  God  for  preser- 
vation from  sin  (xix.  12  ff.),  of  the  barrier  which  sin  erects  be- 
tween him  and  God  (Ixvi.  18,  1.  16  ff.);  as  well  as  the  strongest 
expressions  of  absolute  self-surrender  and  dependence  on  God 
and  entire  trust  in  His  mercy  (xxv.  4ff.,  Ixxiii.  25  ff). 

(iii)  The  so-called  Imprecatory  Psalms  have  long  been  felt 
to  constitute  one  of  the  'moral  difficulties'  of  the  O.T.  We  are 
startled  to  find  the  most  lofty  and  spiritual  meditations  inter- 
rupted by  passionate  prayers  for  vengeance  upon  enemies,  or 
ending  in  triumphant  exultation  at  their  destruction.  How,  we 
ask,  can  such  utterances  be  part  of  a  divine  revelation?     How 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixxi 

can  the  men  who  penned  them  have  been  in  any  sense  inspired 
by  the  Holy  Spirit? 

These  imprecations  cannot  be  explained  away,  as  some 
have  thought,  by  rendering  the  verbs  as  futures,  and  regarding 
them  as  authoritative  declarations  of  the  certain  fate  of  the 
wicked.  Of  these  there  are  many,  but  in  not  a  few  cases  the 
form  of  the  verb  is  that  which  specifically  expresses  a  wish  or 
prayer,  and  it  cannot  be  rendered  as  a  simple  future. 

Nor  again  can  the  difficulty  be  removed  by  regarding  the 
imprecations  of  Pss.  Ixix  and  cix  as  the  curses  not  of  the 
Psalmist  himself  but  of  his  enemies.  Even  if  this  view  were 
exegetically  tenable  for  these  two  Psalms,  which  is  doubtful, 
expressions  of  the  same  kind  are  scattered  throughout  the 
Psalter.  Moreover  the  Book  of  Jeremiah  contains  prayers  for 
vengeance  on  the  prophet's  enemies,  which  are  at  least  as 
terrible  as  those  of  Pss.  Ixix  and  cix. 

In  what  light  then  are  these  utterances  to  be  regarded.?  They 
must  be  viewed  as  belonging  to  the  dispensation  of  the  Old 
Testament;  they  must  be  estimated  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
Law,  which  was  based  upon  the  rule  of  retaliation,  and  not  of 
the  Gospel,  which  is  animated  by  the  principle  of  love ;  they 
belong  to  the  spirit  of  Elijah,  not  of  Christ;  they  use  the 
language  of  the  age  which  was  taught  to  love  its  neighbour 
and  hate  its  enemy  (Matt.  v.  43)^. 

Our  Lord  explicitly  declared  that  the  old  dispensation,  though 
not  contrary  to  the  new,  was  inferior  to  it  ;  that  modes  of 
thought  and  actions  were  permitted  or  even  enjoined  which 
would  not  be  allowable  for  His  followers;  that  He  had  come  to 
'fulfil'  the  Law  and  the  Prophets  by  raising  all  to  a  higher 
moral  and  spiritual  level,  expanding  and  completing  what  was 
rudimentary  and  imperfect  (Matt.  v.  43;  xix.  8;  Luke  ix.  55). 

It  is  essential  then  to  endeavour  to  understand  the  ruling 

^  It  is  well  to  remember,  on  the  other  hand,  that  the  Law  inculcates 
service  to  an  enemy  (Ex.  xxiii.  4,  5),  and  forbids  hatred,  vengeance 
and  bearing  of  grudges  (Lev.  xix.  17,  18):  and  the  Book  of  Proverbs 
bids  men  leave  vengeance  to  God  (xx.  22),  and  control  their  exultation 
at  an  enemy's  misfortune  (xxiv.  17;  cp.  Job  xxxi.  29);  and  teaches 
that  kindness  is  the  best  revenge  (xxv.  21,  22).  We  have  here  the  germ 
of  Christian  ethics. 


Ixxii  INTRODUCTION. 


ideas  and  the  circumstances  of  the  age  in  which  these  Psalms 
were  composed,  in  order  to  realise  how,  from  the  point  of  view 
of  that  age,  such  prayers  for  vengeance  and  expressions  of 
triumph  as  they  contain  could  be  regarded  as  justifiable. 

In  the  first  place  it  is  important  to  observe  that  they  are  not 
dictated  merely  by  private  vindictiveness  and  personal  thirst  for 
revenge.  While  it  would  perhaps  be  too  much  to  say  that  they 
contain  no  tinge  of  human  passion  (for  the  Psalmists  were  men 
of  infirmity,  and  inspiration  does  not  obliterate  personal  charac- 
ter), they  rise  to  a  far  higher  level.  They  spring  ultimately 
from  zeal  for  God's  cause,  and  they  express  a  willingness  to 
leave  vengeance  in  the  hands  of  Him  to  whom  it  belongs. 
Retribution  is  desired  and  welcomed  as  part  of  the  divine  order 
(Iviii.  II  ;  civ.  35). 

This  was  a  great  advance  upon  the  ruder  stage  of  society,  in 
which  each  man  clafmed  to  be  his  own  avenger.  David's  first 
impulse  when  he  was  insulted  by  Nabal  was  to  wreak  a  terrible 
vengeance  upon  him  and  all  that  belonged  to  him.  It  was  the 
natural  instinct  of  the  time.  But  his  final  resolve  to  leave  ven- 
geance to  God  indicated  the  better  feeling  that  was  being  learnt 
(i  Sam.  XXV.  21  ff.,  39). 

Though  their  form  belongs  to  the  circumstances  and  limita- 
tions of  the  age,  these  invocations  of  vengeance  are  the  feeling 
after  a  truth  of  the  divine  government  of  the  world.  For  it  is 
the  teaching  of  the  N.T.  not  less  than  of  the  O.T.  that  the 
kingdom  of  God  must  come  in  judgment  as  well  as  in  grace. 
Love  no  less  than  justice  demands  that  there  should  be  an 
ultimate  distinction  between  the  good  and  the  evil,  that  those 
who  will  not  submit  to  the  laws  of  the  kingdom  should  be 
banished  from  it  (Matt.  xiii.  49,  50;  xvi.  27  ;  John  v.  29). 

But  while  the  Gospel  proclaims  the  law  of  universal  love,  and 
bids  men  pray  without  ceasing  for  the  establishment  of  the 
kingdom  of  God  by  the  repentance  and  reformation  even  of  the 
most  hardened  offenders,  and  leave  the  issue  to  the  future 
judgment  of  God,  the  Law  with  its  stern  principle  of  retribution 
and  its  limitation  of  view  to  the  present  life,  allowed  men  to 
pray  for  the  establishment  of  the  kingdom  of  God  through  the 
destruction  of  the  wicked. 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixxiii 


The  Prophets  and  Psahiiists  of  the  O.T.  had  a  keen  sense 
of  the  great  conflict  constantly  going  on  between  good  and  evil, 
between  God  and  His  enemies^  That  conflict  was  being  waged 
in  the  world  at  large  between  Israel  as  the  people  of  God  and 
the  nations  which  threatened  to  destroy  Israel.  The  enemies 
of  Israel  were  the  enemies  of  Israel's  God;  Israel's  defeat  was 
a  reproach  to  His  Name;  the  cause  at  stake  was  not  merely  the 
existence  of  the  nation,  but  the  cause  of  divine  truth  and 
righteousness.  This  aspect  of  the  conflict  is  most  completely 
expressed  in  Ps.  Ixxxiii,  and  prayers  for  vengeance  such  as 
those  of  Ixxix.  lo,  12  and  cxxxvii.  8  express  the  national  desire 
for  the  vindication  of  a  just  cause,  and  the  punishment  of  cruel 
insults. 

Within  the  nation  of  Israel  this  same  conflict  was  being  waged 
on  a  smaller  scale  between  the  godly  and  the  ungodly.  When 
the  righteous  were  oppressed  and  the  wicked  triumphant,  it 
seemed  as  though  God's  rule  were  being  set  at  nought,  as  though 
God's  cause  were  losing.  It  was  not  only  allowable  but  a  duty 
to  pray  for  its  triumph,  and  that  involved  the  destruction  of  the 
wicked  who  persisted  in  their  wickedness.  There  must  be  no 
half-heartedness  or  compromise.  In  hatred  as  well  as  in  love 
the  man  who  fears  God  must  be  wholly  on  His  side  (cxxxix. 
19 — 22).  The  perfect  ruler  resolves  not  only  to  choose  the 
faithful  in  the  land  for  his  servants,  but  "morning  by  morn- 
ing "  to  "  destroy  all  the  wicked  of  the  land ;  to  cut  off  all 
the  workers  of  iniquity  from  the  city  of  the  Lord"  (ci.  6 — 8); 
and  it  seemed  only  right  and  natural  to  pray  that  the  Divine 
Ruler  would  do  the  same. 

Further  light  is  thrown  on  the  Imprecatory  Psalms  by  the 
consideration  that  there  was  as  yet  no  revelation  of  a  final  judg- 
ment in  which  evil  will  receive  its  entire  condemnation,  or  of  a 
future  state  of  rewards  and  punishments  (see  p.  Ixxv  fif.).  Men 
expected  and  desired  to  see  a  present  and  visible  distinction 
between  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  according  to  the  law  of 
the  divine  government  (cxxv.  4, 5  ;  cxlv.  20).  It  was  part  of  God's 
lovingkindness  not  less  than  of  His  omnipotence  to   "reward 

^  See  Rainy's  Development  of  Christian  Doctrine,  p.  346,  where 
there  is  a  helpflil  treatment  of  the  whole  question. 


Ixxiv  INTRODUCTION. 


every  man  according  to  his  work"  (Ixii.  12).  The  sufferings  of 
the  godly  and  the  prosperity  of  the  ungodly  formed  one  of  the 
severest  trials  of  faith  and  patience  to  those  whose  view  was 
limited  to  the  present  life  (Ps.  xxxvii.  Ixxiii).  Although  God's 
sentence  upon  evil  is  constantly  being  executed  in  this  world,  it 
is  often  deferred  and  not  immediately  visible;  and  those  who 
longed  for  the  vindication  of  righteousness  desired  to  have  it 
executed  promptly  before  their  eyes.  Hence  the  righteous  could 
rejoice  when  he  saw  the  wicked  destroyed,  for  it  was  a  manifest 
proof  of  the  righteous  government  of  Jehovah  (lii.  5  ff. ;  liv.  7  ; 
Iviii.  10,  II  ;  xcii.  11). 

Again,  it  must  be  remembered  that  we  have  been  taught 
to  distinguish  between  the  evil  man  and  evil :  to  love  the 
sinner  while  we  hate  his  sin.  But  Hebrew  modes  of  thought 
were  concrete.  The  man  was  identified  with  his  wickedness; 
the  one  was  a  part  of  the  other ;  they  were  inseparable.  Clearly 
it  was  desirable  that  wickedness  should  be  extirpated.  How 
could  this  be  done  except  by  the  destruction  of  the  wicked 
man  ?  What  right  had  he  to  exist,  if  he  persisted  obstinately  in 
his  wickedness  and  refused  to  reform  (1.  16  ff.)? 

The  imprecations  which  appear  most  terrible  to  us  are  those 
which  include  a  man's  kith  and  kin  in  his  doom  (Ixix.  25  ;  cix. 
9ff.).  In  order  to  estimate  them  rightly  it  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  a  man's  family  was  regarded  as  part  of  him.  He 
Uved  on  in  his  posterity :  the  sin  of  the  parent  was  entailed  upon 
the  children :  if  the  offence  had  been  monstrous  and  abnormal, 
so  ought  the  punishment  to  be.  The  defective  conception  of 
the  rights  of  the  individual,  so  justly  insisted  upon  by  Professor 
Mozley  as  one  of  the  chief  'ruling  ideas  in  early  ages,'  helps  us 
to  understand  how  not  only  the  guilty  man,  but  all  his  family, 
could  be  devoted  to  destruction^. 

Let  it  be  noted  too  that  what  seems  the  most  awful  of  all 
anathemas  (Ixix.  28)  would  not  have  been  understood  in  the 
extreme  sense  which  we  attach  to  it  :  and  some  of  the  ex- 
pressions which  shock  us  most  by  their  ferocity  are  metaphors 
derived  from  times  of  wild  and  savage  warfare  (Iviii.  10;  Ixviii. 
21  ff.).  The  noblest  thoughts  may  coexist  side  by  side  with 
1  See  Mozley 's  Lectures  on  the  Old  Testament,  pp.  87  ff.,  198  ff. 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixxv 

much  that  to  a  later  age  seems  wholly  barbarous  and  revolt- 
ing. 

These  utterances  then  belong  to  the  spirit  of  the  O.T.  and 
not  of  the  N.T.,  and  by  it  they  must  be  judged.  They  belong 
to  the  age  in  which  the  martyr's  dying  prayer  was  not,  "Lord, 
lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge"  (Acts  vii,  60),  but,  "The  Lord 
look  upon  it,  and  require  it"  (2  Chron.  xxiv.  22).  It  is  im- 
possible that  such  language  should  be  repeated  in  its  old  and 
literal  sense  by  any  follower  of  Him  Who  has  bidden  us  to 
love  our  enemies  and  pray  for  them  that  persecute  us. 

Yet  these  utterances  still  have  their  lesson.  On  the  one  hand 
they  may  make  us  thankful  that  we  live  in  the  light  of  the  Gospel 
and  under  the  law  of  Love:  on  the  other  hand  they  testify  to 
the  punishment  which  the  impenitent  sinner  deserves  and  must 
finally  receive  (Rom.  vi.  23).  They  set  an  example  of  moral 
earnestness,  of  righteous  indignation,  of  burning  zeal  for  the 
cause  of  God.  Men  have  need  to  beware  lest  in  pity  for  the 
sinner  they  condone  the  sin,  or  relax  the  struggle  against  evil. 
The  underlying  truth  is  still  true,  that  "the  cause  of  sin  shall 
go  down,  in  the  persons  of  those  who  maintain  it,  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  throw  back  on  them  all  the  evil  they  have  sought 
to  do.... This  was  waited  for  with  inexpressible  longing.  It  was 
fit  it  should  be.... This  is  not  the  only  truth  bearing  on  the 
point;  but  it  is  truth,  and  it  was  then  the  present  truths".  It 
is  in  virtue  of  the  truth  which  they  contain  that  these  Psalms 
can  be  regarded  as  'inspired/  and  their  position  in  the  records 
of  divine  revelation  justified.  Their  fundamental  motive  and 
idea  is  the  religious  passion  for  justice ;  and  it  was  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  that  their  writers  were  taught  to  discern  and  grasp 
this  essential  truth;  but  the  form  in  which  they  clothed  their 
desire  for  its  realisation  belonged  to  the  limitations  and  modes 
of  thought  of  their  particular  age. 

(iv)  The  Future  Life.  Death  is  never  regarded  in  the  O.  T. 
as  annihilation  or  the  end  of  personal  existence.  But  it  is  for 
the  most  part  contemplated  as  the  end  of  all  that  deserves  to  be 
called  life.  Existence  continues,  but  all  the  joy  and  vigour  of 
vitahty  are  gone  for  ever  (Is.  xiv.  10;  Ps.  cxliii.  3  =  Lam.  iii.  6). 
^  Rainy,  p.  348. 


Ixxvi  INTRODUCTION. 

Communion  with  God  is  at  an  end :  the  dead  can  no  longer 
"see"  Him:  they  cannot  serve  or  praise  Him  in  the  silence  of 
Sheol :  His  lovingkindness,  faithfulness,  and  righteousness  can 
no  longer  be  experienced  there.  See  Ps.  vi.  5  ;  xxx.  9 ;  Ixxxviii. 
4,  5,  10 — 12;  cxv.  17;  Is.  xxxviii.  11,  18:  and  numerous  pas- 
sages in  Job,  e.g.  vii.  9;  x.  21  ff.;  xiv. 

Death  is  the  common  lot  of  all,  which  none  can  escape 
(xlix.  7  ff. ;  Ixxxix.  48),  but  the  righteous  and  the  wicked  are  dis- 
tinguished by  the  manner  of  their  death  (Ixxiii.  19).  When  death 
comes  to  a  man  in  a  good  old  age,  and  he  leaves  his  children 
behind  him  to  keep  his  name  in  remembrance,  it  may  be  borne 
with  equanimity ;  but  premature  death  is  usually  regarded  as 
the  sign  of  God's  displeasure  and  the  penal  doom  of  the  wicked 
(xxvi.  9),  and  childlessness  is  little  better  than  annihilation. 

To  the  oppressed  and  persecuted  indeed  Sheol  is  a  welcome 
rest  (Job  iii.  17  ff.),  and  death  may  even  be  a  gracious  removal 
from  coming  evil  (Is.  Ivii.  i,  2) ;  but  as  a  rule  death  is  dreaded 
as  the  passage  into  the  monotonous  and  hopeless  gloom  of  the 
under- world. 

The  continuance  of  existence  after  death  has  no  moral  or 
religious  element  in  it.  It  is  practically  non-existence.  The 
dead  man  'is  not'  (xxxix.  13).  It  offers  neither  encouragement 
nor  warning.  It  brings  no  solution  of  the  enigmas  of  the  present 
life.  There  is  no  hope  of  happiness  or  fear  of  punishment  in  the 
world  beyond. 

This  world  was  regarded  as  the  scene  of  recompence  and 
retribution.  If  reward  and  punishment  did  not  come  to  the 
individual,  they  might  be  expected  to  come  to  his  posterity. 
For  the  man  lived  on  in  his  children:  this  was  his  real  con- 
tinuance in  life,  not  the  shadowy  existence  of  Sheol :  hence  the 
bitterness  of  childlessness. 

Nowhere  in  the  Psalter  do  we  find  the  hope  of  a  Resurrection 
from  the  dead.  The  prophets  speak  of  a  national,  and  finally  of 
a  personal  resurrection  (Hos.  vi.  i  ff. ;  Is.  xxvi.  19;  Ezek.  xxxvii. 
I  ff. ;  Dan.  xii.  2),  and  predict  the  final  destruction  of  death  (Is. 
XXV.  8).  But  just  where  we  should  have  expected  to  find  such 
a  hope  as  the  ground  of  consolation,  it  is  conspicuously  absent^ 

1  Ivi.  13;  Ixviii.  20;  xc.  3;  cxh.  7,  which  are  sometimes  referred  to, 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixxvii 

Indeed  it  is  set  on  one  side  as  incredible  (Ixxxviii.  lo).  It  is 
evident  that  there  was  as  yet  no  revelation  of  a  resurrection 
upon  which  men  could  rest ;  it  was  no  article  of  the  common 
religious  belief  to  which  the  faithful  naturally  turned  for  comfort^ 

But  do  we  not  find  that  strong  souls,  at  least  in  rare  moments  of 
exultant  faith  and  hope,  broke  through  the  veil,  and  anticipated, 
not  indeed  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  but  translation  through 
death  into  a  true  life  of  unending  fellowship  with  God,  Hke 
Enoch  or  Elijah? 

Do  not  Pss.  xvi,  xvii,  xlix,  Ixxiii,  plainly  speak  of  the  hope 
of  the  righteous  in  his  death? 

The  answer  to  this  question  is  one  of  the  most  difficult 
problems  of  the  theology  of  the  Psalter.  It  can  only  be  satis- 
factorily treated  in  the  detailed  exposition  of  the  passages  as 
they  stand  in  their  context.  Some  of  the  expressions  which 
appear  at  first  sight  to  imply  a  sure  hope  of  deliverance  from 
Sheol  and  of  reception  into  the  more  immediate  presence  of 
God  (e.g.  xlix.  15,  Ixxiii.  24)  are  used  elsewhere  of  temporal 
deliverance  from  death  or  protection  from  danger,  and  may 
mean  no  more  than  this  (ix.  13,  xviii.  16,  xxx.  3,  Ixxxvi.  13,  ciii. 
4,  cxxxviii.  7).  Reading  these  passages  in  the  light  of  fuller 
revelation  we  may  easily  assign  to  them  a  deeper  and  more 
precise  meaning  than  their  original  authors  and  hearers  under- 
stood. They  adapt  themselves  so  readily  to  Christian  hope  that 
we  are  easily  led  to  believe  that  it  was  there  from  the  first. 

Unquestionably  these  Psalms  (xvi,  xvii,  xlix,  Ixxiii)  do 
contain  the  germ  and  principle  of  the  doctrine  of  eternal  life. 
It  was  present  to  the  mind  of  the  Spirit  Who  inspired  their 
authors.  The  intimate  fellowship  with  God  of  which  they 
speak  as  man's  highest  good  and  truest  happiness  could  not, 
in  view  of  the  nature  and  destiny  of  man  and  his  relation  to 
God,  continue  to  be  regarded  as  limited  to  this  life  and  liable  to 
sudden  and  final  interruption.     (See  Matt.  xxii.  31  ff.).     It  re- 

cannot  be  interpreted  of  a  resurrection.  The  text  of  xlviii.  14  is  very 
uncertain;  Ixxxvi.  13  is  a  thanksgiving  for  deliverance  from  death; 
cxviii.  1 7  expresses  the  hope  of  such  a  deliverance. 

1  Contrast  the  precise  statements  in  the  Psalms  of  Solomon,  quoted 
on  p.  xxxviii,  where  however  it  is  only  a  resurrection  of  the  righteous 
which  is  anticipated. 


Ixxviii  INTRODUCTION. 


quired  but  a  step  forward  to  realise  the  truth  of  its  permanence, 
but  whether  the  Psahnists  took  this  step  is  doubtful. 

But  even  if  they  did,  there  was  still  no  clear  and  explicit 
revelation  on  which  the  doctrine  of  a  future  life  or  of  a  resur- 
rection could  be  based.  It  was  but  a  'postulate  of  faith,'  a 
splendid  hope,  a  personal  and  individual  conclusion. 

What  was  the  meaning  and  purpose  of  this  reserve  in  the 
teaching  of  the  O.  T..-*  Mankind  had  to  be  trained  through 
long  ages  by  this  stern  discipline  to  knov/  the  bitterness  of 
death  as  the  punishment  of  sin,  and  to  trust  God  utterly  in 
spite  of  all  appearances.  They  had  to  be  profoundly  impressed 
with  a  sense  of  need  and  of  the  incompleteness  of  life  here,  in 
order  that  they  might  long  for  deliverance  from  this  bondage 
and  welcome  it  when  it  came  (Heb.  ii.  15).  Nor  could  the 
revelation  of  the  Resurrection  and  eternal  life  be  made  in 
fulness  and  certainty  (so  far  as  we  can  see)  otherwise  than 
through  the  victory  of  the  second  Adam  who  through  death 
overcame  death  and  opened  unto  us  the  gate  of  everlasting 
life  (i  Cor.  xv.  21  ff.). 

Yet,  as  Delitzsch  observes,  there  is  nothing  which  comes  to 
light  in  the  New  Testament  which  does  not  already  exist  in 
germ  in  the  Psalms,  The  ideas  of  death  and  life  are  regarded 
by  the  Psalmists  in  their  fundamental  relation  to  the  wrath  and 
the  love  of  God,  in  such  a  way  that  it  is  easy  for  Christian  faith 
to  appropriate  and  deepen,  in  the  light  of  fuller  revelation,  all 
that  is  said  of  them  in  the  Psalms.  There  is  no  contradiction 
of  the  Psalmist's  thought,  when  the  Christian  as  he  prays 
substitutes  hell  for  Hades  in  such  a  passage  as  vi.  5,  for  the 
Psalmist  dreaded  Hades  only  as  the  realm  of  wrath  and 
separation  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  the  true  life  of  man. 
Nor  is  there  anything  contrary  to  the  mind  of  the  authors  in 
the  application  of  xvii.  15  to  the  future  vision  of  the  face  of 
God  in  all  its  glory,  or  of  xlix.  14  to  the  Resurrection  morning; 
for  the  hopes  there  expressed  in  moments  of  spiritual  elevation 
can  only  find  their  full  satisfaction  in  the  world  to  come.  The 
faint  glimmerings  of  twilight  in  the  eschatological  darkness  of 
the  Old  Testament  are  the  first  rays  of  the  coming  sunrise. 
And  the  Christian   cannot   refrain  from  passing  beyond  the 


INTRODUCTION.  Ixxix 


limits  of  the  Psalmists,  and  understanding  the  Psalms  according 
to  the  mind  of  the  Spirit,  whose  purpose  in  the  gradual  revela- 
tion of  salvation  was  ever  directed  towards  the  final  consum- 
mation. Thus  understood,  the  Psalms  belong  to  the  Israel  of 
the  New  Testament  not  less  than  of  the  Old  Testament. 

The  Church,  in  using  the  Psalms  for  its  prayers,  recognises 
the  unity  of  the  two  Testaments :  and  scholarship,  in  expound- 
ing the  Psalms,  gives  full  weight  to  the  difference  between 
them.  Both  are  right ;  the  former  in  regarding  the  Psalms  in 
the  light  of  the  one  unchanging  salvation,  the  latter  in  dis- 
tinguishing the  different  periods  and  steps  in  which  that  salva- 
tion was  historically  revealed  i. 

The  sacred  poetry  of  heathen  religions,  in  spite  of  all  that 
it  contains  of  noble  aspiration  and  pathetic  "feeling  after 
God,"  has  ceased  to  be  a  living  power.  But  "the  Psalms  of 
those  far  distant  days,  the  early  utterances  of  their  faith  and 
love,  still  form  the  staple  of  the  worship  and  devotion  of  the 
Christian  Church"...  "The  Vedic  hymns  are  dead  remains, 
known  in  their  real  spirit  and  meaning  to  a  few  students.  The 
Psalms  are  as  living  as  when  they  were  written.... They  were 
composed  in  an  age  at  least  as  immature  as  that  of  the  singers 
of  the  Veda ;  but  they  are  now  what  they  have  been  for  thirty 
centuries,  the  very  life  of  spiritual  religion — they  suit  the  needs, 
they  express,  as  nothing  else  can  express,  the  deepest  religious 
ideas  of  the  foremost  in  the  tiles  of  time.'-" 

1  Delitzsch,  The  Psalms,  p.  63. 

2  Dean  Church,  The  Sacred  Poetry  oj  Early  Religions,  pp.  12,  38. 


Ill  the  Psalms  the  soul  ttirns  hi7vard  on  itself^  and  their  great  feature 
is  that  they  are  the  expression  of  a  large  spiritual  experience.  They  come 
straight  from  *'  the  heart  tvithin  the  heaj-t,^^  and  the  secret  depths  of  the 
spirit.  Where,  in  those  rough  cruel  days,  did  they  come  from,  those 
piercing,  lightning-like  gleafns  of  strange  spiritual  truth,  those  magni- 
ficent outlooks  over  the  kingdom  of  God,  those  raptiires  at  His  preseiice 
and  His  gloiy,  those  ivonderftil  disclosures  of  self  knowledge,  those  pure 
outpourings  of  the  love  of  God?  Surely  here  is  something  7nore  than  the 
mere  working  of  the  mind  of  man.  Surely  they  tell  of  higher  guiding, 
prepared  for  all  ti?ne  ;  surely,  as  we  believe,  they  hear  ' '  the  word  behind 
them  saying.  This  is  the  way,  walk  ye  in  it,''  they  repeat  the  whispers  of 
the  Spirit  of  God,  they  refect  the  very  light  of  the  Eternal  Wisdom.  In 
that  wild  time  there  must  have  been  men  sheltered  and  hidden  amid  the 
tumult  round  them,  humble  and  faithful  and  true,  to  whom  the  Holy 
Ghost  could  open  by  degrees  the  "  wondrous  things  of  His  law,""  %uhom 
He  taught,  and  whose  mouths  He  opened,  to  teach  their  brethren  by  their 
ozvn  experience,  and  to  do  each  their  part  in  the  great  preparation. 

Dean  Church. 


THE   BOOK   OF   PSALMS. 


PSALM   I. 

This  Psalm  is  the  development  in  poetical  language  and  imagery 
of  the  thought  repeated  in  so  many  forms  in  the  Book  of  Proverbs 
(e.g.  ii.  2  1,  22),  that  it  is  well  with  the  righteous  and  ill  with  the 
wicked.  The  belief  in  Jehovah's  righteous  government  of  the  world 
was  a  fundamental  principle  of  Old  Testament  religion,  and  it  is  here 
asserted  without  any  of  those  doubts  and  questionings  which  disturbed 
the  minds  of  many  Psalmists  and  Prophets,  especially  in  the  later 
stages  of  Old  Testament  revelation. 

The  Psalm  forms  an  appropriate  prologue  to  the  Psalter,  which 
records  the  manifold  experiences  of  the  godly.  For  it  affirms  the  truth 
to  which  they  clung,  in  spite  of  all  appearances  to  the  contrary,  in 
spite  of  the  sufferings  of  the  righteous  and  the  triumphs  of  the  wicked, 
that  the  only  sure  and  lasting  happiness  for  man  is  to  be  found  in  fellow- 
ship with  God. 

The  Psalm  expresses  a  general  truth,  and  does  not  appear  to 
refer  to  any  particular  person  or  occasion.  Hence  date  and  authorship 
must  remain  uncertain.  Some  (without  good  reason)  have  assigned  it 
to  David,  during  his  persecution  by  Saul,  or  during  Absalom's  rebellion: 
Dean  (now  Bp.)  Perowne  conjectures  that  it  may  have  been  written  by 
Solomon  as  an  introduction  to  a  collection  of  David's  poems  :  Prof. 
Cheyne  thinks  that  it  was  a  product  of  the  fresh  enthusiasm  for  the 
study  of  the  Law  in  the  time  of  Ezra. 

Two  considerations  however  limit  the  period  to  which  it  may  be 
assigned. 

(i)  It  is  earlier  than  Jeremiah,  who  paraphrases  and  expands  part 
of  it  in  ch.  xvii.  5 — 8  with  reference  to  Jehoiakim  or  Jehoiachin. 

(2)  The  most  striking  parallels  in  thought  and  language  are  to 
be  found  in  the  middle  section  of  the  Book  of  Proverbs  (x — xxiv), 
which  dates  from  a  comparatively  early  period  in  the  history  of  Judah, 
if  not  from  the  reign  of  Solomon  himself.  The  '  scorner '  is  a 
character  hardly  mentioned  outside  of  the  Book  of  Proverbs :  the 
contrast  of  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  and  the  belief  that  prospe- 
rity is  the  reward  of  piety,  and  adversity  of  ungodliness,  are  especially 
conspicuous  in  the  middle  section  of  that  book :  and  further  striking 
coincidences  in  detail  of  thought  and  language  will  easily  be  found. 


PSALM  I.  I. 


The  absence  of  a  title  distinguishes  it  from  the  mass  of  Psahns  in 
Book  L,  and  points  to  its  having  been  derived  from  a  different  source. 
It  may  have  been  composed  or  selected  as  a  preface  to  the  original 
'Davidic'  collection  {Introd.  p.  xliii),  or,  though  this  is  less  probable, 
placed  here  by  the  final  editor  of  the  Psalter. 

The  Psalm  consists  of  two  equal  divisions  : 

i.      The  enduring  prosperity  of  the  righteous  (i — 3), 

ii.     contrasted  with  the  speedy  ruin  of  the  wicked  (4 — 6). 

Observe  the  affmity  of  this  Psalm  to  xxvi ;  and  still  more  to  cxii, 
which  celebrates  the  blessedness  of  the  righteous,  and  begins  and 
ends  with  the  same  words  {Blessed... perish)  :  and  contrast  with  its 
simple  confidence  the  questionings  of  xxxvii  and  Ixxiii,  in  which  the 
prolDlem  of  the  prosperity  of  the  wicked  is  treated  as  a  trial  of  faith. 

1  T)  LESSED  is  the  man 

JD  That  walketh  not  in  the  counsel  of  the  ungodly, 
Nor  standeth  in  the  way  of  sinners, 
Nor  sitteth  in  the  seat  of  the  scornful. 

1 — 3.     The  happiness  of  the  righteous. 

1.     More  exactly : 

Happy  the  man  who  hath  not  walked  in  the  counsel  of 

■wicked  men, 
Nor  stood  in  the  way  of  sinners, 
Nor  sat  in  the  session  of  scorners. 

Bhssed\  Or,  happy :  LXX  fxaKapios.  Cp.  Matt.  v.  3  ff.  The 
righteous  man  is  first  described  negatively  and  retrospectively.  All  his 
life  he  has  observed  the  precept,  'depart  from  evil'  (xxxiv.  14). 

the  ungodly']  Rather,  wicked  men:  and  so  in  ttv.  4,  5,  6.  It  is 
the  most  general  term  in  the  O.  T.  for  the  ungodly  in  contrast  to 
the  righteous.  If  the  primary  notion  of  the  Hebrew  word  rdshd  is 
unrest  (cp.  Job  iii.  17;  Is.  Ivii.  20,  ii),  the  word  well  expresses  the 
disharmony  which  sin  has  brought  into  human  nature,  affecting  man's 
relation  to  God,  to  man,  to  self. 

sinners']  Those  who  miss  the  mark,  or  go  astray  from  the  path 
of  right.  The  intensive  form  of  the  word  shews  that  habitual  offenders 
are  meant.     Cp.  Prov.  i.  10  ff. 

the  scornful]  Better,  as  the  word  is  rendered  in  Proverbs,  scorners : 
those  who  make  what  is  good  and  holy  the  object  of  their  ridicule. 
With  the  exception  of  the  present  passage  and  Is.  xxix.  20  (cp. 
however  Is.  xxviii.  14,  22,  R.V. ;  Hos.  vii.  5)  the  term  is  peculiar 
to  the  Book  of  Proverbs.  There  'the  scorners'  appear  as  a  class 
of  defiant  and  cynical  freethinkers,  in  contrast  and  antagonism  to 
*  the  wise.'  The  root-principle  of  their  character  is  a  spirit  of  proud 
self-sufficiency,  a  contemptuous  disregard  for  God  and  man  (Prov. 
xxi.  24).  It  is  impossible  to  reform  them,  for  they  hate  reproof,  and 
will  not  seek  instruction  (xiii.  i;  xv.  12).  If  they  seek  for  wisdom 
they  will  not  find  it  (xiv.  6).     It  is  folly  to  argue  with  them  (ix.  7,  8). 


PSALM  I.  2. 


But  his  delight  is  in  the  law  of  the  Lord  ; 
And  in  his  law  doth  he  meditate  day  and  night. 

They  are  generally  detested  (xxiv.  9),  and  in  the  interests  of  peace 
must  be  banished  from  society  (xxii.  10).  Divine  judgments  are  in 
store  for  them,  and  their  fate  is  a  warning  to  the  simple  (iii.  34 ;  xix.  25, 
29;  xxi.  11). 

The  three  clauses  of  the  verse  with  their  threefold  parallelism  (walk, 
stand,  sit:  counsel,  way,  session:  wicked,  sinners,  scorners)  emphasise 
the  godly  man's  entire  avoidance  of  association  with  evil  and  evil-doers 
in  every  form  and  degree.  They  denote  successive  steps  in  a  career 
of  evil,  and  form  a  climax  : — (i)  adoption  of  the  principles  of  the  wicked 
as  a  rule  of  life :  (2)  persistence  in  the  practices  of  notorious  offenders  : 
(3)  deliberate  association  with  those  who  openly  mock  at  religion. 
With  the  first  clause  and  for  the  phrase  counsel  of  the  tvicked  cp.  Mic. 
vi.  16;  Jer.  vii.  24;  Job  x.  3;  xxi.  i6;  xxii.  18:  for  stood  Si.c.,  cp. 
Ps.  xxxvi.  4.  For  both  clauses  cp.  the  concrete  example  in  2  Chron. 
xxii.  3 — 5.     With  the  third  clause  cp.  Ps.  xxvi.  4,  5. 

2.  The  positive  principle  and  source  of  the  righteous  man's  life.  The 
law  of  the  Lord  is  his  rule  of  conduct.  It  is  no  irksome  restriction  of 
his  liberty  but  the  object  of  his  love  and  constant  study  (Deut.  vi. 
6 — 9).  True  happiness  is  to  be  found  not  in  ways  of  man's  own 
devising,  but  in  the  revealed  will  of  God.  "The  purpose  of  the 
Law  was  to  make  men  happy."     Kay.     Cp.  Deut.  xxxiii.  29. 

his  delight^  The  religion  of  Israel  was  not  an  external  formalism,  but 
an  obedience  of  the  heart.     Cp.  xxxvii,  31;  xl.  8;  cxii.  i ;  cxix.  35,  97. 

the  law  of  the  Lord]  The  Hebrew  word  tordh  has  a  much  wider 
range  of  meaning  than  law,  by  which  it  is  always  rendered  in  the  A.V. 
It  denotes  (i)  teaching,  instruction,  whether  human  (Prov.  i.  8),  or  divine; 
(2)  a  preceptor  law;  {3)  a  body  of  latus,  and  in  particular  the  Mosaic 
law,  and  so  finally  the  Pentateuch.  The  parallel  to  the  second  clause  of 
the  verse  in  Josh.  i.  8  suggests  a  particular  reference  to  Deuteronomy ; 
but  the  meaning  here  must  not  be  limited  to  the  Pentateuch  or  any  part 
of  it.  Rather  as  in  passages  where  it  is  parallel  to  and  synonymous 
with  the  word  of  the  Lord  (Is.  i.  10;  ii.  3)  it  should  be  taken  to  include 
all  Divine  revelation  as  the  guide  of  life. 

meditate]  The  Psalmists  meditate  on  God  Himself  (Ixiii.  6) ;  on  His 
works  in  nature  and  in  history  (Ixxvii.  12;  cxliii.  5). 

3.  The  consequent  prosperity  of  the  godly  man  is  emblematically 
described.  As  a  tree  is  nourished  by  constant  supplies  of  water,  with- 
out which  under  the  burning  Eastern  sun  it  would  wither  and  die,  so 
the  life  of  the  godly  man  is  maintained  by  the  supplies  of  grace  drawn 
from  constant  communion  with  God  through  His  revelation.  Cp.  Hi.  8  ; 
xcii.  12;  cxxviii.  3  ;  Num.  xxiv.  6.  If  a  special  tree  is  meant,  it  is  pro- 
bably not  the  oleander  (Stanley,  Si^iai  and  Palestine,  p.  146),  which  bears 
no  fruit ;  nor  the  vine  (Ezek.  xix.  10) ;  nor  the  pomegranate;  but  the  palm. 
Its  love  of  water,  its  stately  gx'owth,  its  evergreen  foliage,  its  valuable 
fruit,  combine  to  suggest  that  it  is  here  referred  to.  Cp.  Ecclus.  xxiv. 
14;  and  see  Thomson's  Land  and  the  Book,  p.  48  f. 

I 2 


PSALM  I.  3—5. 


3  And  he  shall  be  like  a  tree  planted  by  the  rivers  of  water, 
That  bringeth  forth  his  fruit  in  his  season ; 

His  leaf  also  shall  not  wither ; 

And  whatsoever  he  doeth  shall  prosper. 

4  The  ungodly  are  not  so  : 

But  are  like  the  chaff  which  the  wind  driveth  away. 

5  Therefore  the  ungodly  shall  not  stand  in  the  judgment, 
Nor  sinners  in  the  congregation  of  the  righteous. 

the  rivers  of  wafer]  Better,  streams  of  water :  either  natural 
watercourses  (Is.  xliv.  4):  or  more  probably  artificial  channels  for 
irrigating  the  land.     Cp.  Prov.  xxi.  i ;  Eccl.  ii.  5,  6. 

and  whatsoever  &c.]  Or,  as  R.V.  marg.,  in  whatsoever  he  doeth  he 
shall  prosper.  The  figure  of  the  tree  is  dropped,  and  the  words 
refer  directly  to  the  godly  man.  The  literal  meaning  of  the  word 
rendered  prosper  is  to  carry  through  to  a  successful  result.  Cp.  Josh.  i.  8; 
and  for  illustration,  Gen.  xxxix.  3,  23. 

4 — 6.     The  character  and  destiny  of  the  wicked. 

4.  In  sharp  contrast  to  the  firmly-rooted,  flourishing,  fruitful  tree  is 
the  chaff  on  the  threshing-floor,  worthless  in  itself,  and  liable  to  be 
swept  away  by  every  passing  breeze. 

The  scattering  of  chaff"  by  the  wind  is  a  common  figure  in  the  O.T. 
for  the  sudden  destruction  of  the  wicked.  Cp.  xxxv.  5;  Job  xxi.  18  ; 
Is.  xxix.  5 ;  Hos.  xiii.  3.  Here  it  describes  their  character  as  well 
as  their  fate.  It  would  be  vividly  suggestive  to  those  who  were 
familiar  with  the  sight  of  the  threshing-floors,  usually  placed  on  high 
ground  to  take  advantage  of  every  breeze,  on  which  the  corn  was 
threshed  out  and  winnowed  by  throwing  it  up  against  the  wind  with 
shovels,  the  grain  falling  on  the  floor  to  be  carefully  gathered  up,  the 
chaff  left  to  be  carried  away  by  the  wind  and  vanish. 

The  P.B.V.  following  the  LXX  and  Vulg.  adds  from  the  face  of  the 
earth.    Cp.  Am.  ix.  8;  Zeph.  i.  2,  3. 

5.  Therefore]  The  real  character  of  the  wicked  will  be  manifested 
in  the  judgment.  Since  they  are  thus  worthless  and  unstable,  destitute 
of  root  and  fruit,  the  wicked  will  not  hold  their  ground  in  the  judgment, 
in  which  Jehovah  separates  the  chaft'from  the  wheat  (Matt.  iii.  12). 

stand]  So  Lat.  causa  stare,  and  the  opposite  causa  cadere.  Cp. 
v.  5;  cxxx.  3;  Nah.  i.  6;  Mai.  iii.  2;  Wisd.  v.  i. 

in  the  judgment]  Not,  before  a  human  tribunal  :  nor  merely  in 
the  last  judgment,  (as  the  Targum  and  many  interpreters  understand  it) : 
but  in  every  act  of  judgment  by  which  Jehovah  separates  between  the 
righteous  and  the  wicked,  and  vindicates  His  righteous  government  of 
the  world.  Cp.  as  an  illustration  Num.  xvi.  Each  such  'day  of  the 
Lord  '  is  a  type  and  pledge  of  the  great  day  of  judgment.  Cp.  Is.  i. 
24  ff.,  ii.  12  ff.;  Mai.  iii.  5;  Eccl.  xii.  14. 

in  the  congregation  of  the  righteous]  The  '  congregation  of  Israel, ' 
which  is  the  '  congregation  of  Jehovah,'  is  in  its  true  idea  and  ultimate 


PSALM  I.  6.     II. 


For  the  Lord  knoweth  the  way  of  the  righteous : 
But  the  way  of  the  ungodly  shall  perish. 

destination,  the  '  congregation  of  the  righteous  '  (cxi.  t).  It  is  the  aim 
of  each  successive  judgment  to  purify  it,  until  at  last  the  complete  and 
final  separation  shall  be  effected  (Matt.  xiii.  41 — 43). 

6.  The  teaching  of  the  Psalm  is  grounded  on  the  doctrine  of  divine 
Providence.  Each  clause  of  the  verse  implies  the  supplement  of  its  anti- 
thesis to  the  other  clause.  *  The  Lord  knows  the  way  of  the  righteous,' 
and  under  His  care  it  is  a  '  way  of  life'  (xvi.  11 ;  Prov.  xii.  28) ;  'a  way 
of  peace'  (Is.  lix.  8);  'a  way  eternal'  (cxxxix.  24).  Equally  He  knows 
the  way  of  the  wicked,  and  by  the  unalterable  laws  of  His  government 
it  can  lead  only  to  destruction;  it  is  a  way  of  death  (Prov.  xiv.  12). 

knowethl  Divine  knowledge  cannot  be  abstract  or  ineffectual.  It 
involves  approval,  care,  guidance ;  or  abandonment,  judgment.  The 
righteous  man's  course  of  life  leads  to  God  Himself;  and  He  takes  care 
that  it  does  not  fail  of  its  end  (Nah.  i.  7;  2  Tim.  ii.  19). 

PSALM   II. 

The  circumstances  which  called  forth  this  Psalm  stand  out  clearly. 
A  king  of  Israel,  recently  placed  upon  the  throne,  and  consecrated 
by  the  solemn  rite  of  anointing  to  be  Jehovah's  representative  in 
the  government  of  His  people,  is  menaced  by  a  confederacy  of 
subject  nations,  threatening  to  revolt  and  cast  off  their  allegiance. 
The  moment  is  critical :  but  his  cause  is  Jehovah's ;  their  endeavour  is, 
futile.  He  asserts  his  high  claims ;  and  the  nations  are  exhorted  to 
yield  a  willing  submission,  and  avoid  the  destruction  which  awaits  rebels 
against  the  authority  of  Jehovah. 

Who  then  was  the  king?  and  what  was  the  occasion  referred  to?  The 
king's  consciousness  of  his  high  calling,  and  the  confidence  with  which 
he  appeals  to  the  divine  promise,  point  to  a  time  when  that  promise  was 
still  recent,  and  the  lofty  ideal  of  the  theocratic  kingdom  had  not  been 
blurred  and  defaced  by  failure  and  defeat.  For  such  a  time  we  must  go 
back  to  the  reigns  of  David  and  Solomon. 

(i)  The  language  of  Acts  iv.  25  does  not  decide  the  question,  for 
'David'  in  the  N.T.  may  mean  no  more  than  'the  Psalter'  (Heb.  iv.  7) 
or  'a  Psalmist.'  The  older  commentators  however  attribute  the  Psalm 
to  David,  and  suppose  the  occasion  to  have  been  the  attack  of  the 
Philistines  shortly  after  he  was  anointed  king  over  all  Israel  (2  Sam.  v. 
17  ff.),  or  of  the  confederacy  of  Ammonites  and  Syrians  described  in 
2  Sam.  X.  But  the  Psalm  speaks  plainly  {v.  3)  of  subject  nations,  while 
the  Philistines  certainly  were  not  David's  subjects  at  the  time,  and  it  is 
doubtful  if  the  Syrians  were.     See  note  on  2  Sam.  x. 

(2)  On  the  other  hand  there  is  good  reason  for  supposing  that  Solo- 
mon was  the  king  referred  to.  He  was  anointed  at  Gihon,  and  solemnly 
enthroned  on  Zion  (i  Kings  i.  45).  Zion  was  already  'Jehovah's  holy 
mountain '  in  virtue  of  the  presence  of  the  Ark  there.  So  strongly  was 
the  theocratic  character  of  the  kingdom  then  realised  that  he  is  said  to 
have  sat  'on  the  throne  of  Jehovah'  (i  Chr.  xxix.  23;  cp.  xxviii.  5). 


PSALM  II. 


The  Psalm  is  based  upon  the  great  promise  in  2  Sam,  vii.  13  fif.,  which, 
although  not  limited  to  Solomon,  would  naturally  be  claimed  by  him 
with  special  confidence.  Solomon  succeeded  to  the  great  kingdom 
which  his  father  had  built  up.  But  he  was  young.  The  succession  was 
disputed.  What  more  likely  than  that  some  of  the  subject  nations 
should  threaten  to  revolt  upon  his  accession  ?  Hadad's  request  ( i  Kings 
xi.  21)  shews  that  his  enemies  thought  that  their  opportunity  was  come. 
It  is  true  that  we  have  no  account  of  any  such  revolt  in  the  Historical 
Books.  But  their  i-ecords  are  incomplete  and  fragmentary;  and  the 
language  of  the  Psalm  implies  that  the  revolt  was  only  threatened,  and 
had  not  as  yet  broken  out  into  open  war.  Thei-e  was  still  hope  that 
wiser  counsels  might  prevail  {w.  loff.);  and  if  they  did,  we  should 
hardly  expect  to  find  any  reference  in  Kings  and  Chron.  to  a  mere  threat 
of  rebellion.  Moreover,  though  Solomon's  reign  was  on  the  whole 
peaceful,  there  are  incidental  notices  which  make  it  plain  that  it  was 
not  uniformly  and  universally  so.  He  made  great  military  preparations 
(i  Kings  iv.  26;  ix.  15  ff.  ;  xi.  27  :  2  Chron.  viii.  5  ff.),  and  engaged  in 
wars  (2  Chron.  viii.  3);  and  Hadad  and  Rezon  succeeded  in  'doing  him 
mischief  (i  Kings  xi.  21 — 25). 

(3)  The  conjectures  which  refer  the  Psalm  to  a  later  occasion  have  but 
little  probability.  The  confederacy  of  Pekah  and  Rezin  against  Ahaz 
(Is.  vii.);  and  the  invasion  of  Judah  by  the  Moabites  and  their  allies 
(2  Chr.  XX.)  have  been  suggested:  but  neither  of  these  was  a  revo/i  of 
subject  nations. 

The  question  still  remains  whether  Solomon  was  himself  the  writer. 
The  king  and  the  poet  appear  to  be  identified  in  ziv.  7  ff. ;  but  in  such  a 
highly  dramatic  Psalm,  it  is  at  least  possible  that  the  poet  might  intro- 
duce the  king  as  a  speaker,  as  he  introduces  the  nations  {v.  3),  and 
Jehovah  {v.  6). 

The  particular  historical  reference  is  however  of  relatively  small 
moment  compared  with  the  typical  application  of  the  Psalm  to  the 
Kingdom  of  Christ.  To  understand  this,  it  is  necessary  to  realise  the 
peculiar  position  of  the  Israelite  king.  Israel  was  Jehovah's  son.  His 
firstborn  (Ex.  iv.  22;  Deut.  xxxii.  6);  and  Israel's  king,  as  the  ruler 
and  representative  of  the  people,  was  adopted  by  Jehovah  as  His  son, 
His  firstborn  (2  Sam.  vii.  13  fF.;  Ps.  Ixxxix.  26,  27).  It  was  a  moral 
relationship,  sharply  distinguished  from  the  supposed  descent  of  kings 
and  heroes  from  gods  in  the  heathen  world  in  virtue  of  which  they 
styled  themselves  Zeus-born,  sons  of  Zens,  and  the  like.  It  involved  on 
the  one  side  fatherly  love  and  protection,  on  the  other  filial  obedience 
and  devotion. 

The  kmg  moreover  was  not  an  absolute  monarch  in  his  own  right.  He 
was  the  Anointed  of  Jehovah,  His  viceroy  and  earthly  representative. 
To  him  therefore  was  given  not  only  the  sovereignty  over  Israel,  but 
the  sovereignty  over  the  nations.  Rebellion  against  him  was  rebellion 
against  Jehovah. 

Thus,  as  the  adopted  son  of  Jehovah  and  His  Anointed  King,  he  was 
the  type  of  the  eternal  Son  of  God,  the  'Lord's  Christ.'  Then,  as 
successive  kings  of  David's  line  failed  to  realise  their  high  destiny,  men 
were  taught  to  look  for  the  coming  of  One  who  should  fulfil  the  Divine 


PSALM  II, 


words  of  promise,  giving  them  a  meaning  and  a  reality  beyond  hope 
and  imagination.     See  Introd.  p,  hiii  flf. 

Thb  Psalm  then  is  tj^pical  and  prophetic  of  the  rebellion  of  the 
kingdoms  of  the  world  against  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  and  of  the  final 
triumph  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  To  Him  all  nations  are  given  for  an 
inheritance ;  if  they  will  not  submit  He  must  judge  them.  This  typical 
meaning  does  not  however  exclude  (as  some  commentators  think),  but 
rather  requires,  a  historic  foundation  for  the  Psalm. 

In  connexion  with  this  Psalm  should  be  studied  2  Sam.  ^'ii.;  Ps. 
Ixxxix.;  and  Pss.  xxi.,  xlv.,  Ixxii.  and  ex. 

The  references  to  this  Psalm  in  the  X.T.  should  be  carefully  examined. 

(i)  In  Acts  iv.  25 — 28,  z'v.  i,  2  are  applied  to  the  confederate 
hostility  of  Jews  and  Gentiles  against  Christ. 

(2)  V.  7  was  quoted  by  St  Paul  at  Antioch  (Acts  xiii.  33)  as  fulfilled 
in  the  Resurrection  of  Christ  (cp.  Rom.  L  4) :  and  in  the  EpLstle  to  the 
Hebrews  the  words  are  cited  (the  Messianic  reference  of  the  Psalm 
being  evidently  generally  admitted)  to  describe  the  superiority  of  the 
Son  to  angels  (i.  5):  and  as  a  declaration  of  the  Divine  sonship  of 
Christ,  in  connexion  with  the  proof  of  the  Divine  origin  of  His  high- 
priesthood  (v.  5).  1 

(3)  It  contains  the  title  'my  Son'  (Matt.  iii.  17);  and  'the  Lord's 
Chnst'  (Luke  ii.  ■26)  which  describe  the  nature  and  office  of  the 
Messiah.     Comp.  Matt.  xW.  16:  John  xx.  31. 

(4)  Its  language  is  repeatedly  borrowed  in  the  Revelation,  the  great 
epic  of  the  conflict  and  triumph  of  Christ's  kingdom.  He  '  rules  the 
nations  vi-ith  a  rod  of  iron'  (Rev.  xii.  5,  xLx.  i=j ;  and  delegates  the 
same  power  to  His  ser\-ants  (ii.  26,  27).  'Kings  of  the  earth'  occurs 
no  less  than  nine  times  in  this  book  (i.  5,  inc.).  'He  that  sitteth  in  the 
heavens'  is  the  central  figure  there  (iv.  2  and  frequently). 

These  quotations  sufficiently  explain  the  choice  of  the  Psalm  as  one 
of  the  Proper  Psalms  for  Easter  Day. 

In  a  few  Heb.  MSS.  the  Second  Psalm  is  reckoned  as  the  First,  the 
First  being  treated  as  an  independent  prologue  to  the  whole  book ;  in 
a  few  other  MSS.  the  two  are  united.  Origen  says  that  this  was  the 
case  in  one  of  two  copies  he  had  seen  (Op.  ii.  537):  and  there  was  an 
ancient  Jewish  sa>-ing.  "The  first  Psalm  begins  with  blessing  (i.  i),  and 
ends  with  blessing"  (ii.  12).  Some  recensions  of  the  LXX  appear  to 
have  followed  this  arrangement,  though  Origen  speaks  as  if  all  the 
Greek  copies  with  which  he  was  acquainted  di\'ided  the  two  Psalms. 
Justin  Mart)-r  in  his  Apology  (i.  40J  cites  Pss.  i  and  ii  as  a  continuous 
prophec)',  and  in  Acts  xiii.  33  D  and  cognate  authorities  representing 
the  'Western'  text,  read,  'in  theyfrj-/  Psalm.' 

But  though  there  are  points  of  contact  in  phraseolc^  (blessed^ 
L  I,  ii.  12;  imditaie,  i.  2,  ii.  i;  f-erish  connected  with  u>ay,  i.  6; 
ii.  12);  they  are  clearly  distinct  in  stjle  and  character.  Ps.  i  is  the 
calm  expression  of  a  general  truth;  Ps.  ii  springs  out  of  a  special 
occasion ;  it  is  full  of  movement,  and  has  a  correspondingly  vigorous 

1  In  D  and  cognate  authorities  the  words,  "Thou  art  my  son,  this  day  have  I 
begotten  thee"  are  subsdrnted  for  "Thou  art  my  beloved  son,  in  thee  I  am  well 
pleased,"  in  Lake  iiL  22.     This  was  also  the  reading  of  the  Ebiooite  GospeL 


8 

rhythm.  Probably  the  absence  of  a  title  to  Ps.  ii  (contrary  to  the  usual 
practice  of  Book  1.)  accounts  for  its  having  been  joined  to  Ps.  i. 

The  Psalm  is  dramatic  in  form.  The  scene  changes.  Different  persons 
are  introduced  as  speakers.  Its  structure  is  definite  and  artistic.  It 
consists  of  four  stanzas,  each  (except  the  second)  of  seven  lines. 

i.  The  poet  contemplates  with  astonishment  the  tumult  of  the 
nations,  mustering  with  the  vain  idea  of  revolt  from  their  allegiance 

(i— 3)- 

ii.  But  looking  from  earth  to  heaven  he  beholds  Jehovah  enthroned 
in  majesty.  He  mocks  their  puny  efforts.  He  has  but  to  speak,  and 
they  are  paralysed  (4 — 6). 

iii.  The  king  speaks,  and  recites  the  solemn  decree  by  which 
Jehovah  has  adopted  him  for  His  son,  and  given  him  the  nations  for 
his  inheritance,  with  authority  to  subdue  all  opposition  (7 — 9). 

iv.  The  poet  concludes  with  an  exhortation  to  the  nations  to  yield 
willing  submission,  instead  of  resisting  to  their  own  destruction  (10 — 
12). 

2  Why  do  the  heathen  rage, 
And  the  people  imagine  a  vain  thing? 

2  The  kings  of  the  earth  set  themselves, 
And  the  rulers  take  counsel  together, 

1—3.     The  muster  of  the  nations  and  its  design. 

1.  Why']  The  Psalmist  gazes  on  the  great  tumult  of  the  nations 
mustering  for  war,  till  the  sight  forces  from  him  this  question  of  mingled 
astonishment  and  indignation.  Their  insurrection  is  at  once  causeless 
and  hopeless. 

the  heathen]  Better,  as  R.V.,  the  nations.  Goyim,  variously  rendered 
in  A.V.  nations,  heathen,  Gentiles,  denotes  the  non-Israelite  nations  as 
distinguished  from  and  often  in  antagonism  to  the  people  of  Jehovah. 
Sometimes  the  word  has  a  moral  significance  and  may  rightly  be 
rendered  heathen. 

rage]  Rather,  as  in  marg.,  tu?miltnously  assemble;  or,' throng  together. 
Cp.  the  cognate  subst.  in  Ps.  Ixiv.  1,  insurrection,  R.V.  tutmilt,  marg. 
throng. 

the  people]     R.V.  rightly,  peoples.     Comp.  xliv,  1,  14. 

imagine]  Or,  meditate:  the  same  word  as  in  i.  2;  but  in  a  bad  sense, 
as  in  xxxviii.  12, 

2.  The  kings  of  the  earth]  In  contrast  to  '  my  king,'  v.  6.  Cp.  the  use 
of  the  phrase  in  striking  contexts,  Ixxvi.  12;  Ixxxix.  27;  cii.  15;  cxxxviii. 
4;  cxlviii.  11;  Is.  xxiv.  21. 

set  themselves]  The  tenses  of  the  original  vaw.  \,  t  give  a  vividness 
and  variety  to  the  picture  which  can  hardly  be  reproduced  in  translation. 
Rage  and  take  counsel  are  perfects,  representing  the  throng  as  already 
gathered,  and  the  chiefs  seated  in  divan  together:  imagine  and  set 
^themselves  are  imperfects  (the  graphic,  pictorial  tense  of  Hebrew 
poetry),  representing  their  plot  in  process  of  development.     The  rapid 


PSALM  II.  3—6. 


Against  the  Lord,  and  against  his  anointed,  sayings 

Let  us  break  their  bands  asunder,  3 

And  cast  away  their  cords  from  us. 

He  that  sitteth  in  the  heavens  shall  laugh  :  4 

The  Lord  shall  have  them  in  derision. 

Then  shall  he  speak  unto  them  in  his  wrath,  5 

And  vex  them  in  his  sore  displeasure. 

Yet  have  I  set  my  king  6 

lively  rhythm  moreover  well  suggests  the  stir  and  tumult  of  the 
gathering  host. 

against  the  Lord]  They  would  not  deny  that  in  making  war  upon 
Israel  they  were  making  war  upon  Israel's  God  (2  Kings  xviii.  32  ft'.); 
but  they  little  knew  Whom  they  were  defying  (2  Kings  xix.  22  ff.). 

3.  The  words  of  the  kings  and  rulers  exhorting  one  another  to  cast 
o^  the  yoke  of  subjection.  Bands  are  the  fastenings  by  which  the  yoke 
was  secured  upon  the  neck  (Jer.  xxvii.  2;  xxx.  8;  Nah.  i.  13;  &c.) : 
cords  are  perhaps  merely  synonymous  with  bands:  but  as  the  language 
of  the  previous  clause  is  derived  from  the  figure  of  an  ox  yoked  for 
ploughing,  cords  may  naturally  be  understood  to  mean  the  reins  by 
which  the  animal  was  guided  and  kept  under  control.  Cp.  Job  xxxix. 
10;  Hos.  xi.  4. 


The  poet-seer  draws  aside  the  veil,  and  bids  us  look  from 
earth  to  heaven.  There  the  supreme  Ruler  of  the  world  sits  en- 
throned in  majesty.  With  sovereign  contempt  He  surveys  these  petty 
plottings,  and  when  the  moment  comes  confounds  them  with  a  word. 

4.  He  that  sitteth  iti  the  heavens']  Enthroned  in  majesty  (cxxiii.  i), 
but  withal  watching  and  controlling  the  course  of  events  upon  the 
earth  (xi.  4;  ciii.  19;  cxiii.  4  ff . ;  Rev.  v.  13;  vi.  16). 

shall  laugh... shall  have  them  in  derisiofi]  Or,  laugheth...mocketh  at 
them.  Cp.  xxxvii.  13;  lix.  8;  Prov.  i.  26.  The  O.T.  uses  human 
language  of  God  without  fear  of  lowering  Him  to  a  human  level. 

the  Lord]  This  is  the  reading  of  161 1,  restored  by  Dr  Scrivener. 
Most  editions,  and  R.V.,  have  the  Lord,  in  accordance  with  the 
Massoretic  Text,  which  reads  A  don  at,  not  Jehovah.  The  variation 
is  perhaps  significant.  God  is  spoken  of  as  the  sovereign  ruler  of  the 
world,  rather  than  as  the  covenant  God  of  Israel. 

5.  Then]  There  is  a  limit  to  the  divine  patience.  He  will  not  always 
look  on  in  silence.  If  they  persist  in  their  folly  He  must  speak,  and 
His  word  (like  that  of  His  representative,  Is.  xi.  4)  is  power. 

vex]  Trouble,  confound,  dismay,  with  panic  terror,  paralysing  their 
efforts.     Cp.  xlviii.  5;  Ixxxiii.  15,  17. 

in  his  sore  displeasure]  Lit.  fiery  lorath  (Ex.  xv.  7),  a  word  used 
almost  exclusively  of  divine  anger. 

6.  Yet  have  L  set]  R.V.,  Yet  I  have  set.  The  first  stanza  ended 
with  the  defiant  words  of  the  rebels :  the  second  stanza  ends  with  the 
answer  of  Jehovah.     The  sentence  is  elliptical,  and  the  pronoun  is 


lo  PSALM  II.  7,  8. 


Upon  my  holy  hill  of  Zion. 

I  will  declare  the  decree  : 

The  Lord  hath  said  unto  me,  Thou  art  my  Son; 

This  day  have  I  begotten  thee. 

Ask  of  me, 

And  I  shall  give  thee  the  heathen  ^r  thine  inheritance, 

And  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth /^r  thy  possession. 


emphatic:  *Why  this  uproar,  when  it  is  /Who  have  set  up  My  king' 
&c.  The  meaning  of  the  word  rendered  set  has  been  much  disputed, 
but  it  certainly  means  set  up,  or  appointed,  not,  as  A.V.  xn^xg. ,  anointed. 
Cp.  Prov.  viii.  23. 

my  king\  A  king  appointed  by  Me,  to  rule  over  My  people,  as  My 
representative.     Cp.  i  Sam.  xvi.  i. 

7ny  holy  hill  of  Zion]  Zion,  the  name  of  the  ancient  strong-hold 
which  became  the  city  of  David  (2  Sam.  v.  7),  consecrated  by  the 
presence  of  the  Ark  until  the  Temple  was  built,  is  the  poetical  and  pro- 
phetical name  for  Jerusalem  in  its  character  as  the  holy  city,  the  earthly 
dwelling-place  of  Jehovah,  and  the  seat  of  the  kingdom  which  He  had 
established.  For  a  discussion  of  the  topographical  difficulties  con- 
nected with  the  site  of  Zion  see  Comm.  on  2  Samuel,  p.  239. 

7 — 9.  Jehovah  has  acknowledged  the  king  as  His  own:  and  now 
the  king  takes  up  Jehovah's  declaration,  and  appeals  to  the  Divine  decree 
of  sonsliip,  and  the  promise  of  world-wide  dominion. 

7.  the  decree]  The  solemn  and  authoritative  edict,  promulgated  in 
the  promise  made  to  David  and  his  house  through  Nathan  (2  Sam.  vii. 
12  ff.). 

hath  said  imto  me]    Better,  said  unto  me  (R. V.),  or,  said  of  me. 

this  day]  The  day  when  he  was  anointed  king.  If  Nathan  was  (as 
is  commonly  supposed)  Solomon's  tutor,  he  had  no  doubt  trained  him 
to  a  consciousness  of  his  high  calling ;  and  when  in  concert  with  Zadok 
he  anointed  him  (1  Kings  i.  34),  he  would  not  fail  to  impress  upon  him 
the  significance  of  the  rite.  Comp.  David's  charge  to  him  in  i  Chr.  xxii. 
6ff. 

have  I  begotten  thee]  /is  the  emphatic  word  in  the  clause,  contrasting 
the  new  sonship  by  adoption  with  the  existing  sonship  by  natural  relation. 
The  recognition  of  Christ's  eternal  sonship  in  the  Resurrection  corre- 
sponds to  the  recognition  of  the  king's  adoptive  sonship  in  the  rite  of 
anointing  (Acts  xiii.  33 ;  Rom.  i.  4). 

8.  Ask  of  me]  Inheritance  is  the  natural  right  of  sonship.  Yet 
even  the  son  must  plead  the  promise  and  claim  its  fulfilment.  Dominion 
over  the  nations  is  not  expressly  mentioned  in  2  Sam.  vii.;  but  cp.  Ps. 
Ixxxix.  27. 

itiheritance  . . .  possession]  Words  frequently  applied  to  the  gift  of 
Canaan  to  Israel  (Gen.  xvii.  8;  Deut.  iv.  21,  xxxii.  49).  Now  the 
world  shall  be  his  with  equal  right.     Jehovah  is  king  of  the  world,  and 


PSALM  II.  9—12.  II 


Thou  shalt  break  them  with  a  rod  of  iron ;  c 

Thou  shalt  dash  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel. 

Be  wise  now  therefore,  O  ye  kings  :  : 

Be  instructed,  ye  judges  of  the  earth. 

Serve  the  Lord  with  fear,  = 

And  rejoice  with  trembling. 

Kiss  the  Son,  lest  he  be  angry,  i 

He  oflfers   His   representative  a  world-wide  dominion.     Cp.  Ixxii.  8 ; 
Zech.  ix.  9,  10. 

9.  Thoii  shalt  break  them  with  a  rod  of  iron]  A  figure  for  the 
severity  of  the  chastisement  that  awaits  rebels.  Or  perhaps,  'an  iron 
sceptre'  (xlv.  6),  symbol  of  a  stern  and  irresistible  rule.  But  the  word 
rendered  break  them,  if  read  with  different  vowels,  may  mean  rule  (lit. 
shepherd)  them :  so  the  LXX  {and  after  it  Rev.  ii.  27;  xii.  5),  Syriac, 
and  Jerome.  In  this  case  rod  will  mean  a  shepherd's  staff  (Mic.  vii. 
14),  and  the  phrase  will  be  an  oxymoron. 

a  potter's  vessel]  An  emblem  of  easy,  complete,  irreparable  destruc- 
tion. The  confederacy  is  shattered  into  fragments  which  cannot  be 
reunited.     Cp.  Jer.  xix.  11;  Is.  xxx.  11;  Prov.  vi.  15. 

10—12.  The  poet  speaks,  drawing  the  lesson  from  the  great  truths 
which  have  been  set  forth.  There  is  a  better  way.  Submission  may 
avert  destruction.  The  leaders  of  the  nations  are  exhorted  to  be  wise 
in  time,  and  accept  the  suzerainty  of  Jehovah  instead  of  resisting  until 
His  wrath  is  kindled. 

10.  Be  wise  now  therefore]  Norv  therefore  should  stand  first,  as 
in  R.  v.,  emphatically  introducing  the  conclusion  to  be  drawn  from  the 
statements  of  the  preceding  verses. 

kings ..  .judges  of  the  earth]  Not  the  rebel  leaders  of  v.  i  exclusively, 
though  the  warning  has  a  special  significance  for  them,  but  all  world- 
rulers.  yudges  =  x\x\Qxs  generally,  administration  of  justice  being  one  of 
the  most  important  functions  of  the  king  in  early  times.  Cp.  cxlviii.  1 1 ; 
Prov.  viii.  16. 

11.  Serve]  The  context  indicates  that  political  submission  to  Jehovah 
in  the  person  of  His  representative  is  primarily  intended.  Cp.  xviii. 
43 ;  Ixxii.  II.    But  the  wider  meaning  must  not  be  excluded.   Serve  and 

fear  are  words  constantly  used  with  a  religious  meaning ;  and  political 
submission  to  Israel  is  only  the  prelude  to  that  spiritual  submission  of 
the  nations  to  Jehovah,  which  is  a  constant  element  in  the  Messianic 
expectation  of  the  O.T.  Cp.  xxii.  27,  28;  Ixvii.  7  ;  c.  1  ff.;  cii.  15;  &c. 
rejoice  with  trembling]  There  is  no  need  to  alter  the  reading  to 
tremble  (xcvi,  9)  or  to  look  for  this  meaning  in  the  word  rendered  rejoice. 
Joyfulness  tempered  with  reverent  awe  befits  those  who  approach  One 
so  gracious  yet  so  terrible.  Cp.  xcvii.  i ;  c.  2  ;  Hos.  iii.  5;  xi.  10,  11; 
Heb.  xii.  28.    P.B.V.  adds  unto  him  with  LXX  and  Vulg. 

12.  Kiss  the  Son]  According  to  this  rendering  the  exhortation  to 
serve  Jehovah  is  followed  by  an  exhortation  to  pay  homage  to  His 


12  PSALM   II.  12. 


And  ye  ptrish  from  the  way, 

representative.  For  the  /:/ss  of  homage  cp.  i  Sam.  x.  i ;  i  Kings  xix. 
i8;  Job  xxxi.  27;  Hos.  xiii.  2.  But  this  rendering  must  certainly  be 
abandoned,  (i)  Not  to  mention  some  minor  difficulties,  it  assumes  that 
the  Psalmist  has  used  the  Aramaic  word  dar  for  son  (cp.  Bar-Jona,  Bar- 
Jesus)  instead  of  the  usual  Hebrew  word  ben.  The  only  example  of  its 
use  in  the  Hebrew  of  the  O.T.  (it  is  of  course  found  in  the  Aratnaic  of 
Ezra  and  Daniel)  is  in  Prov.  xxxi.  2,  a  passage  which  contains  other 
marked  Aramaisms.  No  satisfactory  reason  has  been  suggested  for  its 
introduction  here.  We  should  not  expect  a  poet  to  borrow  a  foreign 
word  for  son  either  for  'emphasis'  or  for  'euphony.' 

(2)  None  of  the  ancient  Versions,  with  the  exception  of  the  Syriac, 
give  this  sense  to  the  words.  They  represent  two  views  as  to  the 
meaning,  {a)  The  LXX,  and  of  course  the  Versions  dependent  on  it, 
render,  Lay  hold  of  instruction :  and  similarly  the  Targum,  Receive  in- 
struction, (b)  Symmachus  and  Jerome  render,  Worship  purely ;  oxidi  io 
the  same  effect,  but  with  his  usual  bald  literalism,  Aquila  gives,  Kiss 
choicely. 

The  Syriac  gives  the  meaning  Kiss  the  son:  but  its  rendering  is 
merely  a  transcription  of  the  Hebrew  words.  The  reading  of  the 
Ambrosian  MS.,  which  agrees  with  the  rendering  of  the  LXX,  is  a 
correction  by  a  later  hand  to  the  reading  of  the  Hexaplar  Syriac. 

Jerome  was  acquainted  with  the  translation  Worship  the  son,  but 
rejected  it  as  doubtful.  The  passage  in  his  treatise  against  Ruffinus 
(i.  19)  deserves  quotation.  He  had  been  charged  with  inconsistency 
for  translating  Worship  ptirely  (adorate  pure)  in  his  Psalter,  though  he 
had  given  Worship  the  son  (adorate  filium)  in  his  Commentary.  After 
discussing  the  possible  meanings  of  the  words  he  concludes  thus :  "Why 
am  I  to  blame,  if  I  have  given  different  translations  of  an  ambiguous 
word?  and  while  in  my  short  commentary  where  there  is  opportunity 
for  discussion  I  had  said  Woj'ship  the  Son,  in  the  text  itself,  to  avoid  all 
appearance  of  forced  interpretation,  and  to  leave  no  opening  for  Jewish 
cavils,  I  have  said,  Worship  purely^  or  choicely ;  as  Aquila  also  and 
Symmachus  have  translated  it." 

It  is  however  easier  to  shew  that  the  rendering  Kiss  the  Son  is 
untenable,  than  to  decide  what  rendering  should  be  adopted.  Bar 
(beside  other  senses  inapplicable  here)  may  mean  choice,  or,  pure. 
Hence  some  commentators  have  adopted  the  renderings  Worship  the 
chosen  one;  or,  Worship  in  purity  (cp.  xviii.  20,  24;  xxiv.  3 — 5).  But 
the  substantial  agreement  of  the  LXX  and  Targum  points  to  the 
existence  of  a  widely-spread  early  tradition  as  to  the  sense,  and  on  the 
whole  it  seems  best  to  follow  their  general  direction  and  render, 
Embrace  instruction,  or  perhaps,  obedience.  No  rendering  is  free 
from  difficulty,  and  it  may  be  doubted  whether  the  text  is  sound. 
But  an  exaggerated  importance  has  frequently  been  attached  to  the 
words.  The  uncertainty  as  to  their  meaning  does  not  affect  the  general 
drift  of  the  Psalm,  or  its  Messianic  interpretation. 

lest  he  be  angry]  The  subject  of  the  verb  is  Jehovah  Himself.  The 
verb  is  applied  to  God  in  all  the  thirteen  passages  where  it  occurs. 


PSALM  II.   12.     III.  13 


When  his  wrath  is  kindled  but  a  little : 
Blessed  are  all  they  that  put  their  trust  in  him. 

perish  from  the  -way]  Rather,  as  R.V.,  perish  in  the  way:  find 
that  your  expedition  leads  only  to  ruin.  Cp.  i.  6.  P.B.V.  adds  ri^hi 
from  the  LXX  (e^  odoO  SiKalas). 

when  his  wrath  is  kindled  but  a  little]  Better,  For  quickly  (or  easily) 
may  his  anger  blaze  forth.  Kindled  fails  to  give  the  idea  of  the  Divine 
wrath  blazing  up  to  consume  all  adversaries.  Cp.  Ixxxiii.  14  f.;  Is. 
XXX.  27. 

Blessed  are  all  they  that  put  their  trust  in  him]  Rather,  Happy  are 
all  they  that  take  refuge  in  him:  lit.  seek  asylum  or  shelter:  cp.  Jud. 
ix.  15;  Ruth  ii.  12  (R.V.);  Ps.  vii.  i;  Ivii.  i.  Here  primarily,  those 
are  congratulated  who  place  themselves  under  His  protectorate  by 
accepting  the  suzerainty  of  His  king;  but  as  in  the  preceding  verse, 
the  deeper  spiritual  sense  must  not  be  excluded.  Cp.  xxxiv.  8.  Nah. 
i.  7  combines  the  thought  with  that  of  i.  6  a. 

PSALM  in. 

The  third  and  fourth  Psalms  are  closely  connected  and  should  be 
studied  together.  The  one  is  a  morning  hymn,  after  a  night  spent 
safely  in  the  midst  of  danger  (iii.  5);  the  other  an  evening  hymn,  when 
the  danger,  though  less  imminent,  has  not  passed  away  (iv.  S).  The 
spirit  and  the  circumstances  are  the  same  :  there  are  resemblances  of 
language  and  of  structure.  Compare  iii.  i  ("  they  that  distress  me")  with 
iv.  I  ("in  distress");  iii.  2  with  iv.  6  ("there  be  many  that  say"  is  an 
expression  peculiar  to  these  two  Psalms);  iii.  3  with  iv.  2  ;  iii.  5  with 
iv.  8 ;  and  on  the  structure  of  Ps.  iv  see  below.  They  are  clearly 
the  work  of  the  same  author,  in  the  same  crisis  of  his  life.  That  author 
is  in  high  position  (iii.  6)  and  speaks  with  a  tone  of  authority  (iv.  2  ff.); 
he  is  attacked  by  enemies,  not  apparently  foreigners  (iii.  i,  6),  whose 
project  is  profane  and  unprincipled  (iv.  2,  4,  5)  :  his  cause  is  pro- 
nounced desperate  (iii.  2),  but  with  unshaken  faith  he  appeals  to  the 
experience  of  past  deliverances,  and  with  absolute  confidence  casts 
himself  upon  Jehovah  for  protection  and  deliverance. 

We  can  hardly  be  wrong  in  accepting  the  title  which  states  that 
the  third  Psalm  was  written  by  David  when  he  fled  from  Absalom 
his  son,  and  the  third  Psalm  carries  the  fourth  with  it.  Of  that  flight 
a  singularly  graphic  account  is  preserved  in  2  Sam.  xv — xviii.  Read 
in  the  light  of  it,  these  Psalms  gain  in  point  and  force  and  vividness. 
The  peril  of  his  position  and  the  ingratitude  of  the  people  must  be 
realised  in  order  to  estimate  duly  the  strength  of  the  faith  and  the 
generosity  of  feeling,  to  which  these  Psalms  give  expression.  The 
absence  of  any  reference  to  Absalom  himself  is  thoroughly  natural. 
Comp.  2  Sam.  xviii.  33. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  the  precise  occasion  of  Ps.  iii  was  the 
morning  after  the  first  night  following  upon  David's  flight  from  Jeru- 
salem. That  night  however  was  spent  in  the  passage  of  the  Jordan, 
in  consequence  of   Hushai's  urgent  message  {2   Sam.   xvii.    15 — 23), 


14  PSALM  III.  I, 


and  we  must  rather  think  of  the  morning  after  some  night  later  on, 
perhaps  the  next,  which  had  been  marked  by  unexpected  rest,  in 
contrast  to  the  sudden  alarms  of  the  previous  night. 

The  fourth  Psalm  was  written  somewhat  later,  when  David  had  had 
time  to  reflect  on  the  true  character  of  the  rebellion ;  perhaps  at 
Mahanaim,  which  was  his  head-quarters  for  some  time. 

The  second  Psalm  describes  the  Kingdom  of  the  Lord's  Anointed 
threatened  by  enemies  from  without :  the  third  and  fourth  tell  of  a 
time  when  it  was  in  danger  from  intestine  foes.  All  three  alike  are 
inspired  by  the  conviction  that  human  schemes  are  impotent  to  frustrate 
the  Divine  purpose. 

The  Psalm  is  divided  into  four  stanzas,  each,  with  the  exception  of 
the  third,  closed  by  a  Selah. 

i.       The  present  distress,  vv.  1,2. 

ii.      God  the  source  of  help  and  protection,  vv.  3,  4. 

iii.     Confidence  in  the  midst  of  danger,  %n>.  5,  6. 

iv.     Prayer  for  deliverance,  and  blessing  on  the  people,  vv.  7,  8. 


A  Psalm  of  David,  when  he  fled  from  Absalom  his  son. 

3  Lord,  how  are  they  increased  that  trouble  me  ! 

Many  are  they  that  rise  up  against  me. 
2  Many  there  be  which  say  of  my  soul. 

There  is  no  help  for  him  in  God.     Selah. 

1,  2.  David  lays  his  need  before  Jehovah.  He  is  threatened  by  a 
rebellion  which  hourly  gathers  fresh  adherents.  His  cause  is  pro- 
nounced utterly  desperate. 

1.  they... that  trouble  me]  R.V.  mine  adversaries:  lit.  they  that 
distress  vie.     Cp.  iv.  i. 

increased .. .many]  "The  conspiracy  was  strong;  for  the  people 
increased  continually  with  Absalom.  And  there  came  a  messenger 
to  David,  saying.  The  hearts  of  the  men  of  Israel  are  after  Absalom  " 
(2  Sam.  XV.  12,  13;  cp.  xvi.  15). 

many  are  they  that  rise  up  against  me]  lit.  many  are  rising  up  against 
me.  The  rebellion  is  in  full  progress  and  gathering  strength.  The  phrase 
is  used  of  enemies  in  general,  but  is  specially  appropriate  to  insurgents 
against  the  established  government.     Cp.  2  Sam.  xviii.  31,  32. 

2.  Faint-hearted  friends  may  be  meant,  as  well  as  insolent  enemies 
like  Shimei,  who  professed  to  regard  the  king's  calamities  as  the  divine 
punishment  for  his  past  crimes  (2  Sam.  xvi.  8  ff.). 

of  my  soul]  The  '  soul '  in  O.  T.  language  is  a  man's  '  self ;'  it 
represents  him  as  a  living,  thinking,  conscious  individual. 

help]  Or,  salvation,  as  in  v.  8;  where  see  note.  Cp.  'save  me'  in 
V.  7.  But  the  words  'soul'  and  'salvation'  are  not  primarily  to  be 
understood  in  a  spiritual  sense. 

in  God]  As  distinguished  from  men.  All  help,  divine  as  well  as 
human,  fails  him  in  his  need.     Hence  the  general  term  God  is  used. 


PSALM  III.  3—6.  15 


But  thou,  O  Lord,  art  a  shield  for  me ; 

My  glory,  and  the  lifter  up  of  mine  head. 

I  cried  unto  the  Lord  ivith  my  voice, 

And  he  heard  me  out  of  his  holy  hill.     Selah. 

I  laid  me  down  and  slept ; 

I  awaked ;  for  the  Lord  sustained  me. 

I  will  not  be  afraid  of  ten  thousands  of  people. 

But  where  David  expresses  his  own  confident  assurance  {v.  8)  or  pleads 
for  help  (z'.  4),  he  uses  the  covenant  name  Jehovah.  The  LXX  how- 
ever, which  P.B.V.  follows,  reads,  in  his  God. 

3,  4.  Men  may  say  that  God  has  forsaken  him,  but  he  knows  that  it 
is  not  so. 

3.  a  shield  for  me]  More  significantly  the  original,  a  shield  about 
me.  A  natural  metaphor  for  a  warrior-poet.  Cp.  God's  promise  to 
Abraham,  Gen.  xv.  i ;  Deut.  xxxiii.  29;  Ps.  xviii.  2,  &c. 

wj  g/ory]  The  honour  of  the  Israelite  king  was  derived  from  Jeho- 
vah, whose  representative  he  was.  Cp.  xxi.  5 ;  Ixii.  7 ;  and  see  note 
on  iv.  2.     Jl/y  worship  (P.B.V.)  =  ;;/y  honour  ox  glory. 

the  lifter  up  of  mine  head]  A  general  truth.  David  is  still  confident 
that  as  Jehovah  raised  him  from  low  estate  to  royal  dignity,  and  brought 
him  up  from  depths  of  trouble  in  times  past.  He  can  even  now  save 
him  and  restore  him  to  the  throne.     Cp.  2  Sam.  xv.  25. 

4.  An  appeal  to  past  experiences  of  answered  prayer.  *As  often  as 
I  called,' — the  imperfect  tense  in  the  Heb.  denotes  repeated  action  or 
habit — 'he  answered  me.'     Cp.  iv.  i ;  xci.  15. 

out  of  his  holy  hill]  Cp.  ii.  6.  Zion,  the  seat  of  the  Ark  of  the 
covenant,  which  was  the  symbol  and  pledge  of  Jehovah's  presence,  is  as 
it  were  the  centre  from  which  He  exercises  His  earthly  sovereignty. 
Cp.  xiv.  7;  XX.  2;  Am.  i.  2.  There  is  possibly  a  tacit  reference  to  the 
sending  back  of  the  Ark  (2  Sam,  xv.  25),  which  may  have  discouraged 
some  of  his  followers.  He  would  assure  them  that  its  absence  does  not 
diminish  Jehovah's  power  to  help. 

5.  6.     Not  only  past  but  present  experience  justifies  this  confidence. 

6.  The  pronoun  is  emphatic : — /,  pursued  by  enemies,  despaired  of 
by  friends : — and  the  words  refer  to  the  actual  experience  of  the  past 
night.  The  calmness  which  could  thus  repose  in  the  face  of  danger  was 
a  practical  proof  of  faith. 

sustained]  R.V.  sustaineth.  The  tense  suggests  the  unceasing,  ever 
active  care  by  which  he  is  upheld.  The  same  word  is  used  in  xxxvii. 
17,  24;  Ixxi.  6;  cxlv.  14.     Contrast  xxvii.  2. 

6.  Cp.  xxvii.  3.  Numbers  were  on  the  side  of  Absalom,  and  but  for 
the  divinely  sent  infatuation  which  made  him  reject  Ahithophel's  clever 
advice,  in  all  probability  David's  handful  of  followers  would  have  been 
overwhelmed  without  effort  (2  Sam.  xvii.  i  ff.). 


i6  PSALM  III.  7,  8. 


That  have  set  themselves  against  me  round  about. 

7  Arise,  O  Lord  ;  save  me,  O  my  God : 

For  thou  hast  smitten  all  mine  enemies  upon  the  cheek  bone; 
Thou  hast  broken  the  teeth  of  the  ungodly. 

8  Salvation  belojigeth  unto  the  Lord  : 

Thy  blessing  is  upon  thy  people.     Selah. 


set  themselves  against  me]  A  private  individual  could  hardly  speak 
thus;  and  we  are  reminded  of  Ahithophel's  counsel  to  strike  one  blow 
at  the  king,  and  save  a  civil  war. 

7,  8.  The  Psalm  concludes  with  a  prayer  for  deliverance  as  in  times 
past,  and  for  a  blessing  on  the  people. 

7.  Arise,  0  Lord]  The  opening  words  of  the  ancient  marching- 
shout  of  Israel,  rich  in  memories  of  deliverance  and  victory.  See  Num. 
X.  35.     Cp.  Ixviii.  I. 

for  thou  hast  smitten]  Again,  as  in  v.  4,  appeal  is  made  to  the  ex- 
perience of  the  past  as  the  ground  of  prayer.  Hitherto  Jehovah  has  put 
His  enemies  to  shame,  and  destroyed  their  power  for  mischief.  The 
buffet  on  the  cheek  was  a  climax  of  insult  which  shewed  that  all  spirit 
and  power  of  resistance  were  gone.  Cp.  i  Kings  xxii.  24;  Job  xvi.  10; 
Lam.  iii.  30;  Mic.  v.  i.  Then,  by  a  natural  figure  (how  appropriate  in 
David's  mouth !  cp.  i  Sam.  xvii.  34),  the  wicked  are  pictured  as 
ferocious  wild  beasts,  rushing  upon  their  prey,  but  suddenly  deprived  of 
their  power  to  hurt.     Cp.  Iviii.  6. 

8.  Salvation]  R.  V.  marg.  victory  unduly  limits  the  thought,  though 
no  doubt  it  is  the  particular  form  in  which  David  desires  to  see  Jehovah's 
saving  power  manifested.  'Save'  is  the  constant  prayer,  'salvation' 
the  constant  desire,  of  the  Psalmists.  The  Hebrew  words  thus  rendered 
denote  primarily  enlargement,  liberation  from  a  state  of  confinement  and 
distress,  power  to  move  freely  and  at  will,  and  so  deliverance  generally. 
Such  deliverance  comes  from  Jehovah  alone :  it  is  eagerly  sought  as  the 
proof  of  His  favour.  It  is,  mainly  at  least,  temporal  and  material,  and 
is  looked  for  in  this  life ;  for  in  the  O.  T.  this  life  is  the  sphere  of  God's 
dealings  with  His  people.  But  the  word  grows  with  the  growth  of  reve- 
lation, till  it  gains  an  inexhaustible  fulness  of  spiritual  meaning  in  the 
N.T. 

thy  blessing  is  upon  thy  people]  Rather  as  R.V.,  thy  blessing  be 
upon  thy  people.  This  prayer  reveals  the  noble  heart  of  the  true 
king,  to  whom  the  welfare  of  his  people  is  more  than  his  own  personal 
safety.  Like  Him  of  whom  he  was  the  type,  he  intercedes  on  behalf  of 
the  rebels,  for  'thy  people'  cannot  be  limited  to  the  loyal  few.  The 
whole  nation  is  still  Jehovah's  people,  though  they  have  been  misled 
into  revolt  against  His  king.  As  the  sequel  shewed,  the  revolt  was  the 
work  of  a  party,  not  of  the  nation  (2  Sam.  xix.  9). 


PSALM    IV.    I.  17 


PSALM  IV. 

The  occasion  of  this  Psahn  has  aheady  been  discussed  in  the  intro- 
duction to  Ps.  iii.  Some  days  at  least  have  elapsed.  The  immediate 
personal  peril  is  past.  Reflection  has  deepened  David's  consciousness  of 
his  own  integrity,  and  his  sense  of  the  rebels'  guilt.  The  Psalm  breathes 
a  spirit  of  righteous  indignation,  which  rises  completely  above  mere 
personal  vindictiveness. 

Its  structure,  if  the  indications  afforded  by  the  Selah  at  the  end 
of  V.  1  and  v.  4  are  to  be  followed,  is  similar  to  that  of  its  companion 
Psalm. 

i.     Appeal  to  God,  and  remonstrance  with  the  rebels,  vv,  i,  2. 

ii.    The  true  character  of  the  rebellion  exposed,  vv.  3,  4. 

iii.  The  better  way  indicated,  w.  5,  6. 

iv.  The  supreme  joy  of  perfect  trust,  w.  7,  8. 

Most  commentators  however  divide  the  Psalm  thus:  i.  Appeal  to 
God,  V.  I ;  ii.  Remonstrance  with  enemies,  vv.  2 — 5;  iii.  The  superiority 
of  God-given  joy  to  all  earthly  grounds  of  rejoicing,  vv.  6 — 8.  This 
division  however  neglects  the  Selah,  which  serves  to  emphasise  the  im- 
portant thought  of  z'.  3,  and  after  v,  4  prepares  the  way  for  repentance 
following  on  reflection  :  it  ignores  the  parallelism  of  structure  with 
Ps.  iii,  and  though  at  first  sight  attractive,  fails  to  bring  out  the  true 
connexion  and  sequence  of  the  thoughts. 

To  the  chief  Musician  on  Neginoth,  A  Psalm  of  David. 

Hear  me  when  I  call,  O  God  of  my  righteousness : 
Thou  hast  enlarged  me  when  I  was  in  distress ; 

The  title  should  be  rendered  as  in  R.V.,  For  the  Chief  Musician ; 
on  stringed  instruments.     See  Introd.  pp.  xix  f.,  xxii. 

1,  2.    An  appeal  to  God,  and  an  expostulation  with  men. 

1.  Hear  w^&c]  When  I  call,  answer  me.  Cp,  v.  3  and  iii.  4.  The 
LXX  and  Vulg.  represent  a  diff"erent  vocalisation  and  render,  "when 
I  called,  the  God  of  my  righteousness  answered  me."  This  reading 
agrees  well  with  the  second  clause  of  the  verse,  but  on  the  whole  the 
rhythm  of  the  sentence  is  in  favour  of  the  Massoretic  text. 

0  God  of  my  righteousness\  David  is  confident  of  the  integrity  of 
his  heart  and  the  justice  of  his  cause.  To  God  alone  he  looks  to  help 
him  to  his  right,  and  vindicate  his  righteousness  openly  in  the  sight 
of  men  by  making  that  cause  triumphant.  Cp.  vii.  8  ff . ;  i  Kings 
viii.  32. 

thou  hast  enlarged  me]  R.V.,  Thou  hast  set  me  at  large.  But  the 
words  are  perhaps  best  taken  as  a  relative  clause,  thou  who  hast  set  me  at 
large  ;  giving  a  second  reason  for  his  appeal  to  God  in  the  experience  of 
past  deliverances,  possibly  with  particular  reference  to  the  events  of  the 
last  few  days.  This  natural  figure  for  liberation  from  distress  may  be 
derived  from   the   idea   of  an  army  which  has  been  hemmed  in  by 

PSALMS  2 


t8  psalm    IV.   2,3. 


Have  mercy  upon  me,  and  hear  my  prayer.  ■ 

2  O  ye  sons  of  men,  how  long  will  ye  turn  my  glory  into  shame? 
Hoiv  long  will  ye  love  vanity,  and  seek  after  leasing  ?    Selah. 

3  But  know  that  the  Lord  hath  set  apart  hitn  that  is  godly 

for  himself : 


enemies  in  some  narrow  pass  escaping  into  the  open  plain.    Cp.  i  Sam. 
xxiii.  26  for  an  illustration. 

Have  mercy  tipon  ;;/<?]  Rather,  as  marg.,  be  gracious  unto  me.  The 
word  suggests  the  free  bestowal  of  favour  rather  than  the  exercise  of 
forgiving  clemency.  It  is  connected  with  the  word  rendered  '  gracious ' 
in  the  fundamental  passage  Ex.  xxxiv.  6.     Cp.  Ps.  Ixxxvi.  15. 

2.  O  ye  sons  of  nien'\  From  appealing  to  God  he  turns  to  remonstrate 
with  the  rebels,  and  singles  out  the  leaders  from  the  general  mass.  The 
phrase  used  is  bneish,  which  in  xlix.  1  is  rendered  'high,'  and  in  Ixii. 
Q,  'men  of  high  degree,'  in  opposition  to  bne  addm,  rendered  'low'  and 
'  men  of  low  degree.'  At  the  same  time  by  calling  them  'sons  of  men' 
he  contrasts  them  with  God,  the  defender  of  his  cause. 

my  glory\  There  is  no  need  to  inquire  whether  David's  personal 
honour  or  his  royal  dignity  is  meant.  Both  are  included,  for  both  were 
defamed  and  insulted.  But  it  was  an  aggravation  of  the  rebels'  offence 
that  the  king  had  a  special  *glory'  as  the  representative  of  Jehovah. 
Cp.  iii.  3,  note. 

vatiity... leasing]  The  rebellion  is  a  vain  thing,  destined  to  end  in 
failure,  like  the  threatened  uprising  of  the  nations  (ii.  i):  it  is  a  lie,  for 
it  is  based  on  the  false  principle  of  personal  ambition  setting  itself  up 
against  the  divinely  appointed  king.  Cp.  Is.  xxviii.  15,  17.  Another 
possible  interpretation  would  refer  the  words  to  the  false  imputations 
and  underhand  intrigues  by  which  Absalom  and  his  confederates  sought 
to  tarnish  David's  reputation  and  undermine  his  authority.  Cp. 
2  Sam.  XV.  2  ff.  But  the  verbs  used  {love... seek)  point  rather  to  the 
end  desired  than  to  the  means  employed. 

leasing]     R.V.    falsehood.     Leasing   (v.    6)    is    an   obsolete   word 
for  a  lie:    from  A.S.   leas,   empty,   and   so   false:   used  by  Chaucer, 
Spenser,  and  Shakespeare.     Cp.  Faerie  Qiteene,  ii.  ir.  10; 
*'  Slaunderous  reproches,  and  fowle  infamies, 
Leasinges,  back  by  tinges." 

3,  4.  The  reason  why  the  attempt  is  doomed  to  failure.  Warning  to 
reflect  before  it  is  too  late. 

3.  hath  set  apart]  Hath  distinguished.  The  verb  combines  the  idea 
of  marvellous  dealing  with  that  of  choice  and  separation.  Cp.  xvii.  7 ; 
cxxxix.  14;  Is.  xxix.  14. 

him  that  is  godly]  The  word  chdstd  which  is  thus  rendered  is  one  of 
the  characteristic  words  of  the  Psalter.  It  is  derived  from  chesed,  *  mercy ' 
or  'lovingkindness,'  and  denotes  either  (i)  one  who  is  characterised  by 
dutiful  love  to  God  and  to  his  fellow-men;  the  'godly,'  or  'merciful' 
man,  xviii.  25;  or  (2)  'one  who  is  the  object  of  Jehovah's  lovingkind- 


PSALM    IV.   4—6.  19 


The  Lord  will  hear  when  I  call  unto  him. 

Stand  in  awe,  and  sin  not: 

Commune  with  your  own  heart  upon  your  bed,  and  be  still. 

Selah. 
Offer  the  sacrifices  of  righteousness, 
And  put  your  trust  in  the  Lord. 
There  be  many  that  say,  Who  will  shew  us  any  good  ? 
Lord,  lift  thou  up  the  light  of  thy  countenance  upon  us. 


ness,' as  R.V.  margin  'one  that  He  favoureth':  cp.  A.V.  marg.,  Ixxxvi.  1. 
See  Additional  Note  i.,  p.  221,  for  a  further  discussion  of  its  meaning. 

4.  Let  wholesome  fear,  continues  David,  deter  you  from  persisting 
in  this  course  of  action,  which  is  nothing  less  than  sinful.  R.V.  marg. 
gives  the  rendering  of  the  LXX,  "  Be  ye  angry,"  i.e.  If  you  must  needs 
be  angry  and  discontented  with  my  government,  do  not  be  carried  away 
by  passion  into  open  rebellion.  The  rendering  is  possible,  for  the  word 
is  used  of  the  perturbation  of  wrath  as  well  as  of  fear.  But  it  gives  a 
less  obvious  and  suitable  sense.  The  words  are  adopted  (but  not  as  an 
express  quotation)  by  St  Paul  in  his  warning  against  resentment,  Eph. 
iv.  26. 

commune  &c.]  Lit.  speak  in  your  heart.  The  voice  of  conscience, 
unheeded  in  the  turmoil  and  excitement  of  the  day,  or  silenced  by  fear 
of  men  and  evil  example,  may  make  itself  heard  in  the  calm  solitude  of 
the  night,  and  convince  you  of  the  truth.  Comp.,  though  the  turn  of 
thought  is  different,  Ixiii.  6;  cxlix.  5. 

be  still]     Desist  from  your  mad  endeavour. 

5,  6.  After  an  interval  for  reflection  indicated  by  the  interlude  (Selah) 
David  points  the  malcontents  among  the  people  to  the  true  source  of 
prosperity. 

5.  sacrifices  of  1  ighteousness']  Sacrifices  offered  in  a  right  spirit,  cp. 
Deut.  xxxiii.  19;  Ps.  li.  19.  The  rebels  are  still  addressed.  The  sacri- 
fices with  which  they  pretended  to  hallow  their  cause  (2  Sam.  xv.  12) 
were  a  wretched  hypocrisy,  inasmuch  as  they  were  acting  in  opposition 
to  the  will  of  God.  Let  them  approach  Him  in  a  right  spirit,  and 
instead  of  impatiently  trying  to  remedy  evils  by  revolution,  rely  entirely 
upon  His  guidance. 

6.  David  knows  well  that  there  are  plenty  of  discontented  grumblers 
among  his  subjects,  ready  to  follow  anyone  who  makes  them  fair 
promises.  His  answer  to  them  is  a  prayer  for  a  blessing  upon  himself 
and  his  people  {its),  which  recalls  the  great  Aaronic  benediction  of  Num. 
vi.  24 — 26,  fusing  into  one  the  two  petitions,  "The  Lord  make  His  face 
to  shine  upon  thee,"  "the  Lord  lift  up  His  countenance  upon  thee." 
Cp.  Ps.  xxxi.  16;  Ixxx.  3,  7,  19. 

The  'many',  as  in  iii.  2,  are  chiefly  the  wavering  mass  of  the  people, 
who  had  not  yet  taken  a  side ;  but  some  at  least  of  Absalom's  partisans, 
and  some  of  David's  half-hearted  followers  are  included. 


20  PSALM    IV.  7,  8. 


7  Thou  hast  put  gladness  in  my  heart, 

More  than  in  the  time  that  their  corn  and  their  wine  in- 
creased. 

8  I  will  both  lay  me  down  in  peace,  and  sleep  : 
For  thou,  Lord,  only  makest  me  dwell  in  safety. 

7,  8.  A  joy  and  peace  which  are  independent  of  outward  circum- 
stances. 

7.  more  than  (S:c.]  Lit.  more  than  (the  joy  of)  the  time  of  their  corn 
and  -wine  when  they  were  increased:  i.e.  more  than  their  rejoicings  for 
harvest  and  vintage  even  when  they  were  most  abundant :  well  expressed 
in  R.V.,  more  than  they  have  when  their  com  and  their  wine  are 
increased.  The  persons  referred  to  may  be  either  the  malcontents,  or 
men  in  general.  The  boisterous  mirth  of  harvest  and  vintage  rejoicings 
(Is.  ix.  3;  Jer.  xlviii.  33)  is  the  highest  form  of  joy  which  they  know 
whose  desires  are  limited  to  earthly  things;  but  deeper  far  is  that  inward 
joy  which  is  the  gift  of  God,  for  it  is  one  of  the  fmits  of  the  Spirit, 
Gal.  v.  12 ;  cp.  Rom.  xiv.  17. 

The  words  gain  fresh  point  when  it  is  remembered  that  David  was 
reduced  to  straits  for  the  bare  necessaries  of  life  till  he  reached  his 
hospitable  friends  at  Mahanaim  (2  Sam.  xvii.  27 — 29). 

8.  In  peace  will  I  lay  me  down  and  sleep  at  once:  no  fears  or 
anxieties  delaying  slumber.  In  iii.  5  he  recorded  his  experience  :  here 
he  gives  expression  to  the  tmst  which  sprang  from  it. 

for  thou  Lord,  on/y]  For  it  is  thou,  Lord,  alone,  who  &c.  This 
exquisite  expression  of  absolute  confidence,  the  rhythm  of  which  in  the 
original  is  as  reposeful  as  the  thought,  gives  an  excellent  sense  in 
connexion  with  the  context.  'Many'  had  declared  that  he  was 
abandoned  by  God  as  well  as  man  (iii.  2),  but  in  unshaken  faith  he 
claims  Jehovah  as  his  sole  protector,  beside  whom  he  needs  no  other. 

But  the  word  rendered  'alone'  elsewhere  means  apart,  when  joined 
with  verbs  denoting  dwelling.  Thus  it  is  used  of  Israel,  isolated  and 
separate  from  the  nations,  in  Num.  xxiii.  9 ;  and  in  Deut.  xxxiii.  28;  Jer. 
xlix.  31,  it  is  combined  with  the  word  here  rendered  'in  safety'.  So 
probably  the  meaning  is,  'It  is  Thou,  Lord,  who  makest  me  dwell 
apart  in  safety:'  isolated  from  my  foes  in  Thy  safe  keeping.  Hence 
R.V.  marg.  gives,  iti  solitude. 

PSALM  V. 

Another  morning  prayer,  uttered  by  one  who  is  exposed  to  danger 
from  the  machinations  of  unscrupulous  and  hypocritical  enemies.  The 
title  assigns  it  to  David,  and  he  might  have  written  thus  when  he 
was  in  the  court  of  Saul,  or  shortly  before  the  outbreak  of  Absalom's 
rebellion. 

It  has  been  urged  that  7j.  7  assumes  the  existence  of  the  Temple, 
and  is  therefore  decisive  against  the  Davidic  authorship.  This  however 
is  not  certain.    The  term  "house  of  the  Lord  "  presents  no  difficulty. 


PSALM   V.  1—3.  21 


It  is  used  of  the  Tabernacle  (Ex.  xxiii.  19,  xxxiv.  76;  Deut.  xxiii.  18; 
Josh.  vi.  24;  I  Sam.  i.  24,  iii.  15),  and  also  of  the  tent  which  David 
pitched  for  the  ark  on  Mount  Zion  (2  Sam.  xii.  20).  But  could  this 
ark-tent  be  called  a  templel  The  Heb.  word  heycdl  denotes  a  spacious 
building,  whether  temple  or  palace  (Ps.  xlv.  8,  15),  and  would  not 
be  a  strictly  appropriate  designation  for  it.  It  is  however  applied  to 
the  sanctuary  at  Shiloh  (i  Sam.  i.  9,  iii.  3),  and  may  have  remained  in 
use,  and  been  applied  to  the  ark-tent  in  David's  time.  It  should 
at  any  rate  be  noticed  that  in  xxvii.  4,  6,  'house  of  the  Lord,' 
'  temple,'  and  'tent'  (A.V.  tabernacle)  are  all  used  in  close  juxtaposition. 

It  is  moreover  at  least  possible  that  here,  as  in  xi.  4,  xviii.  6,  xxix. 
9(?),  the  temple  is  heaven,  the  dwelling-place  of  God,  of  which  the 
earthly  temple  is  but  the  symbol. 

The  Psalm  opens  with  an  urgent  cry  for  a  favourable  hearing  (i — 3). 
Jehovah  will  not  tolerate  the  wicked  (4 — 6);  but  the  Psalmist,  through 
His  lovingkindness,  is  admitted  to  His  presence.  He  prays  that  he 
may  be  preserved  from  falling  into  the  snares  of  his  insidious  foes  (7 — 
9) ;  and  that  their  just  condemnation  and  punishment  may  exhibit  a 
proof  of  God's  righteous  government  which  will  cheer  the  hearts  of  His 
servants  (10 — 12). 


To  the  chief  Musician  upon  Nehiloth,  A  Psalm  of  David. 

Give  ear  to  my  words,  O  Lord,  5 

Consider  my  meditation. 

Hearken  unto  the  voice  of  my  cry,  my  King,  and  my  God :    2 

For  unto  thee  will  I  pray. 

My  voice  shalt  thou  hear  m  the  morning,  O  Lord  ;  3 

The  tide  may  be  rendered  with  R.V.,  For  the  Chief  Musician; 
with  the  Nehiloth,  or,  (marg.)  wind  instruments.  See  Introd.  pp.  xix, 
xxii. 

1 — 3.     Introductory  petitions  for  a  favourable  hearing. 

1.  my  meditationl  The  Heb.  word,  which  occurs  again  only  in 
xxxix.  3,  may  denote  either  the  unspoken  prayer  of  the  heart  (cp.  the 
cognate  verb  in  i.  2) ;  or  the  low,  murmuring  utterance  of  brooding 
sorrow.     Cp.  Is.  xxxviii.  14.     So  Jerome,  tjiurmur  meum. 

2.  my  cry]  A  word  specially  used  of  an  imploring  cry  to  God  for 
help  (xxii.  24;  xxviii.  2  ;  &c.). 

my  King,  and  jny  God]  Cp.  Ixxxiv.  3.  The  language  is  all  the 
more  significant,  if  the  petitioner  was  David.  He  appeals  to  Him, 
Whose  chosen  representative  he  was. 

3.  0  LORD,  in  the  morning  shalt  thou  hear  my  voice ; 

In  the  morning  will  I  order  ?ny  prayer  unto  thee,  and  will  keep 
watch.     (R.V.). 
'In  the  morning'  is  repeated  with  emphasis.     The  first  thought  of 
the  day  is  prayer.     Cp.  Iv.  17,  Ixxxviii.  13;  lix.  16,  xcii.  2,  Ivii.  8. 


PSALM   V.  4,  5- 


In  the  morning  will  I  direct  viy  prayer  unto  thee,  and  will 
look  up. 

4  For  thou  art  not  a  God  that  hath  pleasure  in  wickedness : 
Neither  shall  evil  dwell  with  thee. 

5  The  foolish  shall  not  stand  in  thy  sight : 

will  I  direct]  Better,  as  R.V.,  will  I  order.  The  word  means  to 
arrange,  and  is  used  of  setting  in  order  the  pieces  of  wood  (Gen.  xxii. 
9;  Lev.  i.  7),  or  the  parts  of  the  sacrifice  (Lev.  i.  8),  upon  the  altar. 
One  of  the  first  duties  of  the  priests  in  the  morning  was  to  prepare 
the  wood  for  the  morning  sacrifice,  which  was  offered  at  sunrise  (Lev. 
vi.  12  ;  Num.  xxviii.  4).  Hence  some  commentators  think  that  the 
Psalmist  intends  to  compare  his  daily  morning  prayer  to  the  daily 
morning  sacrifice.  Cp.  cxli.  2.  But  the  word  'order'  has  no  ex- 
clusive or  even  predominant  sacrificial  reference;  and  we  should 
probably  rather  compare  the  expressions  '  to  order  one's  words '  or 
'one's  cause'  in  Job  xxxii.  14,  xxiii.  4,  and  the  more  closely  parallel 
use  of  the  word  without  an  object  in  Job  xxxiii.  5,  xxxvii.  19. 

and  will  look  iip\  Rather,  as  R.V.,  •will  keep  watch,  for  an  answer, 
like  a  sentinel  on  the  look  out  (2  Sam.  xviii.  24).  Cp.  Micah  vii.  7  ; 
Hab.ii.  I. 

4 — 6.  The  ground  of  the  Psalmist's  confident  expectation  of  an 
answer  is  the  holiness  of  God,  who  will  tolerate  no  evil.  Comp.  the 
ideal  of  an  earthly  king's  court  in  Ps.  ci. 

4.  a  God]  El,  not  Eloliim.  If  the  fundamental  idea  of  this  name 
for  God  is  that  oi  fo^wer'^,  its  use  here  is  significant.  Power  without 
goodness  is  the  fetishistic  conception  of  deity,  to  which  human  nature  is 
prone  (1.  21). 

neither  shall  evil  dwell  with  thee]  Rather,  as  R.V.  marg.,  with  the 
LXX,  Vulg.  and  Jerome,  The  evil  man  shall  not  sojourn  with  thee. 
He  cannot  be  (so  to  speak)  God's  guest,  and  enjoy  the  hospitality  and 
protection  which  Oriental  custom  prescribes.  See  on  xv.  i,  and  cp. 
Ixi.  4.  To  sinners  the  divine  holiness  is  a  consuming  fire  which 
they  cannot  endure  (Is.  xxxiii.  14). 

6,  6.  Various  classes  of  evil  doers.  The  foolish,  or  rather  the 
arrogant,  a  word  denoting  boastful  blustering  presumption  rather  than 
folly  ;  cp.  Ixxiii.  3,  Ixxv.  4  :  workers  of  iniquity,  the  standing  expression 
in  the  Psalms  for  those  who  make  a  practice  of  what  is  morally  worth- 
less (cp.  John  iii.  20,  v.  29) ;  those  'that  speak  lies  '  (for  leasing  see  on 
iv.  2);  cp.  Iviii,  3,  vii.  14:  men  of  bloodshed  and  deceit,  who  do  not 
shrink  from  murder  and  that  by  treachery,  in  fact  the  Shimeis  and 
Doegs  and  Ahithophels  and  Joabs  of  David's  time. 

shall  not  stand  in  thy  sight]  This  may  simply  mean  that  they 
cannot  impose  upon  God.  He  passes  judgment  on  their  hollow  pre- 
tensions (cp.  i.  5),  and  they  shrink  away  condemned.     But  the  idea  is 

1  Attractive  but  questionable  is  Lagarde's  explanation  of  the  name  El  as  '  the 
Being  to  Whom  man  turns,'  the  aim  and  end  of  all  human  longing  and  effort. 


PSALM  V.  6-8. 


Thou  hatest  all  workers  of  iniquity. 

Thou  shalt  destroy  them  that  speak  leasing :  6 

The  Lord  will  abhor  the  bloody  and  deceitful  man. 

But  as  for  me,  I  will  come  into  thy  house  in  the  multitude  7 

of  thy  mercy : 
And  in  thy  fear  will  I  worship  toward  thy  holy  temple. 
Lead  me,  O  Lord,  in  thy  righteousness  because  of  mine  s 

enemies ; 

probably  rather  of  courtiers  standing  in  the  presence  of  a  monarch.  Cp. 
Prov.  xxii.  29;  Ps.  ci.  7;  and  the  picture  of  the  heavenly  council  in 
Job  i.  6,  ii.  I. 

will  abhor]  Abhorreth;  a  strong  word:  abominates,  as  something 
wholly  unnatural  and  detestable. 

7 — 9.  In  sharp  contrast  to  the  banishment  of  the  wicked  from  God's 
presence  is  the  Psalmist's  freedom  of  access.  He  prays  for  the  special 
guidance  needed  by  one  who  is  surrounded  by  insidious  enemies. 

7.  /  luill  come  &c.]  Better,  as  R.V.,  following  the  order  of  the 
original :  in  the  multitude  [or,  abnndance\  of  thy  lovingkindness  will 
I  come  Into  thy  house.  Cp.  Ixix.  13,  16,  cvi.  7,  45.  The  wicked 
are  excluded  from  Jehovah's  presence  by  their  own  act ;  the  godly  man 
is  admitted  to  it  by  Jehovah's  grace.  Note  the  contrast  between  "the 
multitude  of  thy  lovingkindness,"  and  "the  multitude  of  their  trans- 
gressions," V.  10. 

and  iti  thy  fear]  Omit  and.  Fear,  reverent  awe,  is  the  right  spirit 
for  approach  to  a  holy  God.     Cp.  ii.  11 ;  Ileb.  xii.  28,  -29. 

7vill  I  worship]  The  Heb.  word  means  io  prostrate  one''s  self,  the 
Oriental  attitude  of  reverence  to  a  superior  or  supplication  (Gen.  xviii. 
2) ;  hence  in  general,  of  the  corresponding  disposition  of  mind,  to  worship. 
The  Psalmist  worships  facing  the  sanctuai-y  which  was  the  outward  sign 
of  Jehovah's  presence  among  His  people.  Or  is  the  heavenly  temple 
meant?  (i  Kings  viii.  22). 

8.  The  prayer  for  guidance  which  is  the  main  object  and  central 
thought  of  the  Psalm. 

Lead  me.. .in  thy  righteousness]  i.e.  because  Thou  art  righteous. 
A  comparison  of  xxiii.  3;  Prov.  viii.  20;  xii.  28;  might  incline  us  to 
understand  the  meaning  to  be,  'Lead  me  in  the  path  of  right  conduct 
which  Thou  hast  marked  out  for  me:'  but  the  true  parallels  are 
xxxi.  I,  Ixxi.  2,  cxix.  40,  cxliii.  i,  11;  which  shew  clearly  that  God's 
own  righteousness  is  meant.  One  element  of  that  righteousness  is 
faithfulness  to  His  saints  in  the  fulfilment  of  covenant  promises,  and 
to  this  the  Psalmist  appeals. 

because  of  mine  enemies]  A  peculiar  word  found  only  in  xxvii.  11, 
liv.  5,  Ivi.  2,  lix.  10.  Render,  as  in  R.V.  margin,  them  that  lie  in  wait 
for  me,  like  fowlers  (Jer,  v.  26,  R.V.),  or  a  leopard  for  its  prey  (Hos. 
xiii.  7).  He  prays  that  he  may  be  preserved  from  falling  into  their 
snares. 


24  PSALM  V.  9— II. 


Make  thy  way  straight  before  my  face. 

9  For  thei'e  is  no  faithfulness  in  their  mouth ; 
Their  inward /^tr/  is  very  wickedness; 
Their  throat  is  an  open  sepulchre; 
They  flatter  with  their  tongue. 

10  Destroy  thou  them,  O  God ; 

Let  them  fall  by  their  own  counsels ; 

Cast  them  out  in  the  multitude  of  their  transgressions ; 

For  they  have  rebelled  against  thee. 

11  But  let  all  those  that  put  their  trust  in  thee  rejoice  : 

make  thy  xvay  slraighf]  Or,  as  P.B.V.  and  R.V.,  plain.  The  word 
means  both  Ircel  and  straight.  The  godly  man's  life  is  a  path  marked 
out  for  him  by  God  (xvii.  5,  Ixxiii.  24,  Ixxxvi.  11).  He  prays  that  it 
may  be  such  that  he  may  be  in  no  danger  of  stumbling  or  losing  his 
way.     'Bring  us  not  into  temptation.' 

9.  The  reason  for  the  Psalmist's  special  need  of  guidance  is  the 
treacherous  character  of  his  enemies.  There  is  no  stedfastness,  nothing 
upon  which  he  can  depend,  in  their  talk :  their  inmost  heart  is  bent 
on  destruction  (lit.  is  destnictions,  or  perhaps,  as  R.V.  marg.,  a  yawning 
gulf):  their  throat,  the  instrument  of  speech  (cxv.  7,  cxlix.  6),  threatens 
death  like  an  open  grave,  though  their  words  are  so  smooth  and 
specious. 

10 — 12.  As  he  calls  to  mind  their  malice  he  can  no  longer  refrain, 
but  breaks  out  into  urgent  prayer  that  sentence  may  be  passed  upon 
them  as  guilty  of  high  treason  against  God ;  that  so,  in  the  triumph  of 
the  right,  the  godly  may  rejoice  in  God's  favour  and  protection.  On 
such  prayers  see  Introduction,  p.  Ixx  ff. 

10.  Destroy  thou  them,  O  God]  R.V.,  Hold  them  g^uilty;  punish 
them ;  for  it  is  by  visible  failure  and  disaster  that  their  condemnation  is 
to  be  made  known. 

/et  them  fall  by  tJuir  own  counsels]  Let  their  own  machinations 
recoil  on  their  heads  and  bring  them  to  ruin.  Cp.  1  Sam.  xv.  31. 
Better  so  than  as  m2irg\n,  fall  from,  \.q.  fail  in,  their  counsels.  Cp. 
Ixiv.  8. 

cast  them  out]  As  no  longer  worthy  to  dwell  in  the  land  :  or,  thrust 
them  down  from  the  position  which  they  occupy.  Cp.  Ixii.  4 ; 
xxxvi.  \2. 

for  they  have  rebelled  against  thee]  Rebellion  against  the  king 
was  in  a  special  way  rebellion  against  Jehovah,  whose  representative 
he  was.  But  it  may  refer  quite  generally  to  their  defiance  of  divine 
authority,  and  their  persecution  of  God's  servant. 

11.  We  may  render  more  exactly  : 

So  shall  all  those  that  take  refuge  in  thee  rejoice. 

They  shall  ever  shout  for  joy  while  thou  protectest  them, 

And  they  that  love  thy  name  shall  exult  in  thee. 


PSALM   V.  12. 


25 


Let  them  ever  shout  for  joy,  because  thou  defendest  them  : 

Let  them  also  that  love  thy  name  be  joyful  in  thee. 

For  thou,  Lord,  wilt  bless  the  righteous ; 

With  favour  wilt  thou  compass  him  as  7uith  a  shield. 

The  punishment  of  the  wicked  according  to  their  deeds  is  an  occasion 
for  the  universal  rejoicing  of  the  godly.  Not  only  do  they  sympathise 
with  their  fellow-saint  in  his  deliverance,  but  they  see  in  it  a  vindication 
of  Jehovah's  righteous  government,  and  an  assurance  that  those  who 
have  put  themselves  under  His  protection  will  not  find  their  confidence 
misplaced. 

that  love  thy  name]  Cp.  Ixix.  36,  cxix.  132.  'The  Name  of 
Jehovah'  is  the  compendious  expression  for  His  character  and  attri- 
butes as  He  has  revealed  them  to  men.  See  Oehler's  O.T^  Theology, 
§  56.  Needs  must  those  who  love  Him  as  He  has  revealed  Himself 
rejoice  when  He  proves  Himself  true  to  His  promises. 

defendest  them]  Protectest,  or  shelterest  them;  in  Thy  secret 
pavilion  (xxvii.  5,  xxxi.  20);  or,  under  Thy  outspread  wings  (xci.  4). 

12.  The  R.V.  follows  the  Massoretic  punctuation  in  transferring 
Lord  to  the  second  half  of  the  verse : 

0  LORD,  thou  wilt  compass  him  with  favour  as  with  a  shield. 

a  shield]  A  buckler,  or  large  shield  to  protect  the  whole  body. 
Cp.  xxxv.  2,  xci.  4;  I  Sam.  xvii.  7,  From  i  Kings  x.  16,  17  it  would 
seem  that  the  'buckler'  (A.V.  'target')  was  about  double  the  size 
of  the  •  shield.' 

PSALM  VI. 

The  Psalmist  has  been  suffering  from  severe  and  long-continued 
sickness,  which  has  brought  him  to  the  brink  of  the  grave.  The  most 
bitter  part  of  his  trial  is  that  he  feels  it  to  be  a  token  of  God's  dis- 
pleasure ;  and  malicious  enemies  aggravate  his  suffering  by  taunting  him 
with  being  forsaken  by  God. 

This  is  the  natural  view  of  the  Psalmist's  situation.  Many  however 
think  that  the  attacks  of  enemies  are  his  chief  and  primary  ground  of 
complaint,  though  these  have  wrought  upon  him  until  mental  anxiety 
has  produced  actual  sickness.  But  it  is  plain  from  w.  i — 3  that  he  is 
suffering  from  a  direct  divine  visitation,  and  that  the  persecution  of 
which  he  complains  {v.  7)  is  a  consequence  and  aggravation  of  it. 
Suffering  and  misfortune  were  popularly  regarded  (as  we  learn  from  the 
Book  of  Job)  as  evidences  of  commensurate  guilt  on  the  part  of  the 
sufferer.  Hence  when  the  godly  suffered,  he  became  a  butt  for  the 
scornful  taunts  of  the  godless.     Cp.  Ps.  xli. 

The  title  assigns  the  Psalm  to  David.  Some,  wrongly  supposing 
that  the  hostility  of  enemies  is  the  chief  ground  of  complaint,  would 
refer  it  to  the  time  when  he  was  persecuted  by  Saul :  others  think  that 
this  and  some  other  Psalms  were  the  outcome  of  a  dangerous  illness 
from  which  he  suffered  in  the  interval  between  his  sin  with  Bathsheba 
and  Absalom's  rebellion.  The  fact  is  that  here,  as  in  many  other 
Psalms,  there  is  little  or  nothing  to  fix  the  author  or  even  the  period  to 


26  PSALM   VI.  I,  2. 


which  the  Psalm  belongs.  This  however  is  clear,  that  the  Psalm  is  the 
record  of  a  personal  experience,  not  the  utterance  of  the  nation  in  a 
time  of  calamity,  personified  as  a  sick  and  persecuted  sufferer.  Comp. 
Ps.  XXX,  which  is  a  corresponding  thanksgiving. 

This  Psalm  is  the  first  of  the  seven  known  from  ancient  times  in  the 
Christian  Church  as  'the  Penitential  Psalms'  (vi,  xxxii,  xxxviii,  li,  cii, 
cxxx,  cxliii).  They  are  all  prescribed  for  use  on  Ash  Wednesday,  the 
51st  in  the  Commination  Service,  and  the  remaining  six  as  Proper 
Psalms. 

The  Psalm  falls  into  three  divisions : 

i.      The  cry  of  anguish  for  relief  in  suffering,  i — 3. 

ii.     Earnest  yet  calmer  pleading  for  deliverance,  4 — 7. 

iii.    Triumphant  assurance  of  answered  prayer  and  restoration  to 
God's  favour,  8 — 10. 

To  the  chief  Musician  on  Neginoth  upon  Sheminith,  A  Psalm  of  David. 

6  O  Lord,  rebuke  me  not  in  thine  anger, 

Neither  chasten  me  in  thy  hot  displeasure. 
2  Have  mercy  upon  me,  O  Lord  ;  for  I  am  weak : 

O  Lord,  heal  me ;  for  my  bones  are  vexed. 

The  title  should  be  rendered  as  in  R.V.,  For  the  Chief  Musician;  on 
stringed  instruments,  set  to  the  Sheminith  (or,  the  eighth).  See 
Introd.  pp.  xix,  xxii  f. 

1 — 3.  The  Psalmist  pleads  for  mercy,  deprecating  the  severity  of 
God's  visitation. 

1.  The  emphasis  in  the  original  lies  on  the  -word?,  not  in  Thine  anger, 
neither  in  Thy  hot  displeasure.  The  Psalmist  pleads  that  his  present 
suffering  exceeds  the  measure  of  loving  correction  (Job  v.  17 ;  Prov.  iii. 
II,  12;  Jer,  x.  24;  Rev.  iii.  19).  He  can  only  interpret  it  as  a  sign  that 
the  wrath  of  God  is  resting  upon  him.  Perhaps,  like  Job,  he  can  detect 
no  special  sin  to  account  for  it.  At  least  it  is  noteworthy  that  the  Psalm 
contains  no  explicit  confession  of  sin,  and  in  this  respect  it  is  a  remark- 
able contrast  to  the  kindred  Ps.  xxxviii,  which  opens  with  the  same  words. 

2.  Have  mercy  upon  me']    Be  gracious  unto  me.     See  note  on  iv.  i. 
/am  weak]   R.V.,  I  am  withered  away,  retaining  the  primary  mean- 
ing of  the  word.     Cp.  Nah.  i.  4,  where  it  is  rendered  languisheth. 

heal  me]  So  Jeremiah  prays  (xvii.  14),  combining  this  petition  with 
that  of  z^.  4.     Cp.  Job  v.  18;  Ps.  xxx.  2;  xli.  4;  cxlvii.  3. 

for  my  bones  are  vexed]  Even  the  solid  framework  of  the  body,  the 
seat  of  its  strength  and  solidity,  is  racked  and  shaken  well  nigh  to  dis- 
solution. Cp.  xxii.  14.  'The  bones,'  in  the  language  of  Hebrew 
poetry,  denote  the  whole  physical  organism  of  the  living  man,  as  being 
the  fundamental  part  of  it.  Hence  they  are  the  seat  of  health  (Prov. 
xvi.  24),  or  of  pain,  as  here.  In  some  passages,  'the  bones'  come  to  be 
identified  whh  the  man  himself,  as  a  living  agent.  Cp.  xxxv.  10.  On 
the  word  'vexed,' see  note  on  ii.  5. 


PSALM  VI.  3—5.  27 


My  soul  is  also  sore  vexed  : 

But  thou,  O  Lord,  how  long? 

Return,  O  Lord,  deliver  my  soul : 

O  save  me  for  thy  mercy's  sake. 

For  in  death  there  is  no  remembrance  of  thee  : 

In  the  grave  who  shall  give  thee  thanks  ? 

3.  Mind  as  well  as  body,  the  inner  self  as  well  as  its  outer  organism, 
is  dismayed.  Our  Lord  appropriates  these  words,  in  view  of  His 
approaching  Passion  (John  xii.  27),  using  the  Greek  word  (Tapao-o-etv) 
employed  by  the  LXX. 

hoiv  long?^  Cp.  xc.  13.  How  pregnant  is  the  aposiopesis!  How 
long  wilt  Thou  be  angry?  How  long  wilt  Thou  hide  Thy  face  and 
refuse  to  hear  me?     Cp.  xiii.  i. 

It  is  recorded  of  Calvin  in  his  last  painful  illness  that  he  uttered  no 
word  of  complaint  unworthy  of  a  Christian  man;  only  raising  his  eyes 
to  heaven  he  would  say  Usqtuqtio  Dottiine  (Lord,  how  long?)  for  even 
when  he  was  in  health,  this  was  a  kind  of  watchword  with  him,  in  refer- 
ence to  the  troubles  of  the  brethren  {^Vita:  0pp.  Tom.  i). 

4 — 7.  He  renews  his  prayer,  and  in  a  calmer  tone,  reasons  with 
God. 

4.  Rettini]     For  Jehovah  seems  to  have  abandoned  him.     Cp.  xc. 

13- 

O  save  me  for  thy  mercy's  sake\  R.V.,  save  me  for  thy  loving;- 
kindness'  sake.  Jehovah  declares  Himself  to  be  "a  God... plenteous  in 
loz'ingkindness  and  truth,  who  keeps  lovingkindness  for  thousands" 
(Ex.  xxxiv.  7,  8),  and  the  Psalmist  intreats  Him  to  be  true  to  this 
central  attribute  in  His  own  revelation  of  His  character. 

6.  A  further  plea.  There  can  be  no  gain  in  his  death.  Nay,  Jeho- 
vah will  be  the  loser  by  it.  For  man  is  created  to  praise  God,  and  God 
delights  in  his  praise.  But  in  the  state  to  which  man  passes  at  death, 
he  can  no  longer  gratefully  call  to  mind  His  goodness  (cxlv.  7),  or 
celebrate  His  praise. 

Here,  as  in  xxx.  9,  Ixxxviii.  to — 12,  cxv.  17  (cp.  Is.  xxxviii.  18  ff. ; 
the  Book  of  Job;  Eccles.  ix.  5,  vi.  10);  we  meet  with  that  dreary 
despairing  view  of  the  state  after  death,  which  the  Hebrews  shared  with 
the  rest  of  the  ancient  world.  They  did  not  look  forward  to  annihilation, 
but  to  a  dreamy,  shadowy,  existence  which  did  not  deserve  the  name  of 
life.  The  dead,  they  thought,  were  cut  off  from  all  activity  and  enjoy- 
ment, and  worst  of  all,  from  the  consciousness  of  God's  presence,  and 
from  that  communion  with  Him,  which  is  the  essence  of  'life'  (xxx.  5). 
It  is  hardly  possible  for  us  who  live  in  the  light  of  Christ's  Resurrection 
(2  Tim.  i.  10),  to  realise  what  the  lifelong  slavery  to  the  fear  of  death 
(Heb.  ii.  15)  meant  to  the  faithful  Israelite,  and  the  bold  struggles  of 
his  faith  to  break  the  fetters.     See  Introd.  p.  Ixxv  ff. 

in  the  grave]  It  is  far  better,  with  the  R.V.,  to  retain  the  Hebrew 
word  ShSol  to  denote  the  abode  of  the  departed.  It  is  the  O.T.  equi- 
valent of  Hades,  by  which  it  is  rendered  in  the  LXX.     It  was  thought 


28  PSALM   VI.  6— lo. 


6  I  am  weary  with  my  groaning ; 

All  the  night  make  I  my  bed  to  swim ; 
I  water  my  couch  with  my  tears. 

7  Mine  eye  is  consumed  because  of  grief ; 

It  waxeth  old  because  of  all  mine  enemies. 

8  Depart  from  me,  all  ye  workers  of  iniquity ; 

For  the  Lord  hath  heard  the  voice  of  my  weeping. 

9  The  Lord  hath  heard  my  supplication ; 
The  Lord  will  receive  my  prayer. 

10  Let  all  mine  enemies  be  ashamed  and  sore  vexed : 
Let  them  return  and  be  ashamed  suddenly. 


of  as  a  vast  subterranean  abyss,  where  all  alike  were  gathered ;  a  place 
of  gloom  and  silence,  but  withal  of  rest,  however  joyless,  for  its  shadowy 
denizens  have  no  more  power  to  do  harm  than  good.  "  There  the  wicked 
cease  from  troubling;  and  there  the  weary  be  at  rest."  Cp.  Job  iii. 
13—19;  Is.  xiv.  9  flf.     See  Oehler's  O.T.  Theology,  §  78. 

6.  J  afti  weary  ivith  my  groaning]  So  Baruch  complained,  Jer.  xlv. 
3,  R.  V.     Cp.  Ps.  Ixix.  3. 

all  the  night]  Rather,  every  night.  His  sorrow  is  of  long  con- 
tinuance, and  knows  no  respite. 

7.  Mine  eye  is  wasted  away  because  of  provocation ; 
It  is  waxed  old  because  of  all  mine  adversaries. 

With  the  first  clause  comp.  xxxi.  9.  The  look  of  the  eye  is  a  sure  indi- 
cation of  the  state  of  health,  mental  and  bodily.  The  word  rendered 
adversaries  means  literally  them  that  distress  me.  Cp.  vii.  4,  6 ;  and  the 
cognate  words  in  iii.  i,  iv.  i. 

8 — 10.  The  cloud  breaks.  Heaviness  is  turned  to  joy.  With  a 
sudden  inspiration  of  faith  the  Psalmist  realises  that  his  prayer  is 
heard,  and  predicts  the  speedy  confusion  of  his  enemies. 

8.  Depart  from  me,  all  ye  workers  of  iniquity]  Words  used  by  our 
Lord,  Matt.  vii.  23. 

9.  Twice  he  repeats  the  confident  assertion  of  faith,  that  Jehovah 
has  heard  his  prayer,  and  with  equal  confidence  adds  the  assurance  that 
He  will  accept  it  favourably,  and  not  reject  it.   Cp.  i  John  v.  14,  15. 

10.  It  is  better  to  render  the  verbs  as  future : 

All  mine  enemies  shall  be  ashamed  and  sore  vexed  ; 

They  shall  turn  back,  they  shall  be  ashamed  in  a  moment. 
The  'dismay',  which  he  had  felt  to  be  a  token  of  divine  displeasure 
{vv.  2,  3),  is  now  retorted  upon  those  who  took  a  malicious  delight  in  his 
misfortunes.  When  God  returns  to  His  servant,  his  assailants  are 
repulsed  in  sudden  and  ignominious  defeat.  Cp.  xxxv.  4,  26,  Ivi.  9, 
Ixxxiii.  17. 


PSALM   VII.  29 


PSALM  VII. 

The  Psalmist  is  assailed  by  ruthless  enemies  who  are  bent  upon 
taking  his  life,  charging  him  with  heinous  crimes.  He  solemnly 
protests  entire  innocence,  and  appeals  to  God  as  the  supreme  Judge 
to  vindicate  his  cause. 

The  title  gives  a  clue  to  the  circumstances  under  which  the 
Psalm  was  written.  It  is  called  '''■  Shiggaion  of  David,  ivhich  he 
sang  tmto  the  LORD,  concerning  the  words  of  Cush  a  Benjamite.*^ 
Shiggaion  (see  Introd.  p.  xix)  probably  denotes  a  poem  of  passionate 
ecstatic  character,  written  under  the  influence  of  strong  emotion,  and 
reflecting  its  origin  in  its  fonn. 

Cush  is  not  mentioned  elsewhere.  It  is  plain  however  that  he  was 
one  of  those  fellow  tribesmen  and  close  adherents  of  Saul,  who  in- 
sinuated that  David  was  intriguing  against  the  king's  life  (i  Sam. 
xxii.  8)  and  by  their  baseless  calumnies  further  inflamed  his  already 
irritated  mind.  Of  such  slanderers  David  complains  in  i  Sam. 
xxiv.  9,  xxvi.  19.  Cush  is  simply  a  proper  name  not  otherwise 
known  to  us.  There  is  no  reason  for  taking  it  to  mean  a  Ciishite  or 
Ethiopian  {super  verba  Aeihiopis,  Jerome) ;  or  as  a  by-naine  for  Saul 
himself  as  a  black-hearted  man  (though  the  identification  of  Cush  with 
Saul  is  as  old  as  the  Targum);  still  less  for  identifying  Cush  with 
Shimei. 

The  fact  that  Cush  is  not  elsewhere  mentioned  shews  that  the  title  is 
of  great  antiquity.  It  comes,  if  not  from  David  himself,  at  least  from 
an  editor  who  possessed  fuller  information  about  David's  history,  either 
in  still  living  tiadition,  or  in  writings  such  as  those  mentioned  in  i  Chr. 
xxix.  29. 

The  Psalm  belongs  then  to  that  period  of  David's  life,  when  he  was 
hunted  from  place  to  place  by  Saul ;  and  it  strikingly  reflects  the  cha- 
racteristic feelings  of  that  time  as  they  are  portrayed  in  the  Book  of 
Samuel,  i  Sam.  xxi — xxvi,  especially  xxiv  and  xxvi,  should  be  read  in 
illustration  of  it.  Compare  particularly  the  reference  to  slanders  in  the 
title  with  I  Sam.  xxiv.  9,  xxvi.  19  :  the  virulence  of  persecution  described 
mvv.  I,  2  with  I  Sam.  xx.  r,  31,  xxiii.  15,  &c.:  the  protestations  of 
innocence  in  w.  3,  4  with  i  Sam.  xx.  i,  xxiv.  to,  ii,  17,  xxvi.  18, 
23,  24:  the  appeal  to  God  as  Judge  in  vv.  6,  8  with  i  Sam.  xxiv. 
12,  15. 

The  energy  and  vigour  of  the  Psalm  correspond  to  the  circumstances. 
Pressing  danger,  the  rankling  sense  of  injustice,  a  strong  faith  in  the 
judicial  righteousness  of  God,  are  its  inspiring  motives. 

Ancient  Jewish  tradition  prescribes  it  for  use  on  the  feast  of  Purim. 

The  Psalm  falls  into  two  principal  divisions,  the  first  mainly  personal, 
the  second  general: 

i.     David's  prayer  for  God's  intervention  on  his  behalf,  w.  i — jo. 

After  an  appeal  setting  forth  the  urgency  of  his  need  (i,  2)  and 
a  solemn  protestation  of  his  innocence  of  the  crimes  laid  to  his  charge 
(3 — 5),  David  prays  God  to  appear  as  Judge,  and  publicly  do  him 
justice  (6—8).     A  prayer  for  the  triumph  of  righteousness,  and  a  con- 


30  PSALM   VII.  1—4. 

fident  expression  of  trust  in  God,  (9,  10)  close  the  first  part,  and  form 
the  transition  to  the  second  part. 

ii.     The  judicial  activity  of  God,  vv.  11 — 17. 

God  unceasingly  executes  vengeance  on  the  wicked  (11 — 13);  and 
wickedness  works  its  own  punishment  (14—16).  Concluding  ascription 
of  praise  to  Jehovah  for  this  manifestation  of  His  righteousness  (17). 

Shiggaion  of  David,  which  he  sang  unto  the  Lord,  concerning  the  words  of  Cush 
the  Benjamite. 

7  O  Lord  my  God,  in  thee  do  I  put  my  trust : 
Save  me  from  all  them  that  persecute  me,  and  deliver  me : 

2  Lest  he  tear  my  soul  Uke  a  lion, 

Rending  //  in  pieces,  while  the7-e  is  none  to  deliver. 

3  O  Lord  my  God,  if  I  have  done  this ; 
If  there  be  iniquity  in  my  hands ; 

4  If  I  have  rewarded  evil  luito  him  that  was  at  peace  with  me; 

1,  2.  The  Psalmist's  cry  for  help,  based  on  Jehovah's  relation 
to  him. 

1.  in  thee  do  I  put  7ny  triist\  In  thee  have  I  taken  refuge.  See 
note  on  ii.  12,  and  comp.  the  opening  words  of  Pss.  xi,  xvi,  xxxi,  Ivii, 
Ixxi;  and  cxli.  8.  David  has  put  himself  under  Jehovah's  protection, 
and  appeals  to  Him  on  the  ground  of  this  covenant  relationship  between 
them.     In  thee  is  emphatic. 

all  them  that  persecute  me'\  R.V.,  all  them  that  pursue  me.  Saul 
and  his  followers.     Cp.  i  Sam.  xxiii.  28,  xxiv.  14,  xxv.  29,  xxvi.  18. 

2.  His  enemies  are  many,  but  one  is  conspicuous  above  all  for 
merciless  ferocity.  Cush,  or  perhaps  Saul  himself,  is  meant  (i  Sam. 
XX.  i).     For  the  simile  cp.  x.  9,  xvii.  12,  xxii.  13,  21. 

my  soul]     My  life  :  me,  regarded  as  a  living  individual. 

3—6.  The  appeal  for  help  is  supported  by  a  solemn  protestation  of 
innocence.  If  he  is  guilty  of  the  crimes  laid  to  his  charge,  may  he  be 
surrendered  to  the  utmost  fury  of  his  enemies. 

3.  //■  /  have  done  this]  'This '  refers  to  the  crimes  of  which  he  was 
falsely  accused  by  Cush,  and  is  further  explained  in  the  two  following 
lines. 

if  there  be  iniquity  in  my  hands']  Wrong  as  the  opposite  of  right : 
what  is  crooked  and  distorted  :  a  different  word  from  that  used  mv.  14 
and  in  v.  5.  Compare  the  closely  similar  language  of  David's  protest  in 
I  Sam.  xxiv.  11,  "Know  thou  and  see  that  there  is  neither  evil  nor 
transgression  in  mine  hand:"  and  i  Sam.  xxvi.  18,  "What  have  I 
2rone?  or  what  evil  is  in  mine  hand?" 

^k.  1/  I  have  rewarded  evil  &c.]  If  I  have  been  guilty  of  un- 
provoked outrage,  such,  it  is  perhaps  implied,  as  that  of  which  Saul  is 
guilty  toward  me  (i  Sam.  xxiv.  17).  This  is  probably  right;  but 
another  possible  rendering  deserves  mention :   If  I  have  requited  him 


PSALM   VII.  5,  6.  31 


(Yea,  I  have  delivered  him  that  without  cause  is  mine  enemy :) 

Let  the  enemy  persecute  my  soul,  and  take  //;  5 

Yea,  let  him  tread  down  my  life  upon  the  earth, 

And  lay  mine  honour  in  the  dust.     Selah. 

Arise,  O  Lord,  in  thine  anger,  6 

that  rewarded  tne  evil ;   i.e.  taken  revenge  into  my  own  hands.     Cp. 
David's  solemn  disclaimer  of  such  conduct  in  i  Sam.  xxiv.  12. 

Yea,  I  have  delivered  him  that  without  cause  is  7nine  enemy]  R.V., 
him  that  "without  cause  was  mine  adversary,  as  in  f.  6.  See  on  vi. 
7.  The  clause  is  a  parenthesis,  asserting  that  his  conduct  had  been 
the  very  opposite  of  that  which  was  attributed  to  him.  Far  from 
committing  unprovoked  outrages,  he  had  saved  the  life  of  his 
enemy,  and  that  though  the  enemy's  hostility  to  him  was  causeless. 
The  words  refer  to  the  occasions  in  the  cave  and  in  the  camp,  when 
David  prevented  his  followers  from  taking  Saul's  life  (i  Sam.  xxiv. 
4  ff. ;  xxvi.  8  ff.).  The  construction  is  bold,  but  it  is  thoroughly  in 
keeping  with  the  style  of  the  Psalm,  with  its  passionate  protestations  of 
innocence ;  and  there  is  no  need  to  adopt  an  unsupported  meaning  of 
the  word  for  'deliver,'  and  render,  not  as  a  parenthesis  but  in  direct 
continuation  of  the  preceding  clause,  and  have  spoiled  him  that  with- 
out cause  was  mine  adversary,  with  a  supposed  reference  to  i  Sam. 
xxiv.  4,  5,  or  xxvi.  11 :  or  to  alter  the  text  by  transposing  two  letters,  so 
as  to  mean  :  and  oppressed  mine  adversary  without  cause. 
6.     Render : 

Let  an  enemy  pursue  my  soul  and  overtake  it ; 

Yea,  trample  my  life  to  the  ground. 

And  make  my  glory  to  dwell  in  the  dust. 
With  the  first  line  comp.  Ex.  xv.  9,  echoed  again  in  Ps.  xviii.  37. 
The  last  line  might  mean  only, '  degrade  my  dignity,  treat  me  with  insult 
and  ignominy;'  but  the  parallelism  of  'my  soul,'  'my  life,'  'my  glory,' 
is  decisive  in  favour  of  interpreting  'my  glory'  to  mean  'my  soul,'  as 
in  xvi.  9;  XXX.  12;  Ivii.  8.  The  'soul'  is  so  designated  either  as  the 
noblest  part  of  man,  or  as  the  image  of  the  divine  glory.  '  The  dust ' 
will  then  be  'the  dust  of  death.'  Cp.  xxii.  15;  and  the  exact  parallel 
•dwellers  in  the  dust,'  Is.  xxvi.  19.  David  then  invokes  death  by  an 
enemy's  hand  if  he  is  guilty,  and  death,  as  the  language  implies,  with 
every  circumstance  of  violence  and  disgrace. 

6—8.  Conscious  of  his  integrity,  David  appeals  to  Jehovah,  as  the 
Judge  of  the  world,  to  hold  an  assize,  and  vindicate  his  innocence. 

6.  Arise.,  dift  up  thyself  ...awake]  Cp.  iii.  7,_ix.  19,  x.  12,  xliv.  23, 
xciv.  2,  and  many  similar  invocations;  couched  in  human  language,  as 
though  God  could  be  an  otiose  spectator,  or  even  like  a  sentinel  negli- 
gently slumbering  on  his  watch,  though  the  Psalmists  well  knew  that 
Israel's  watchman  neither  slumbered  nor  slept  (cxxi.  3,  4). 

in  thine  anger]  Cp.  vi.  r.  Holiness  and  Justice  can  only  be  mani- 
fested as  anger  in  their  judicial  relation  to  sin  and  wrong. 


32  PSALM   VII.  7,  8. 


Lift  up  thyself  because  of  the  rage  of  mine  enemies  : 
And  awake  for  me  to  the  judgment  that  thou  hast  com- 
manded. 

7  So  shall  the  congregation  of  the  people  compass  thee  about: 
For  their  sakes  therefore  return  thou  on  high. 

8  The  Lord  shall  judge  the  people  : 

Judge  me,  O  Lord,  according  to  my  righteousness, 

because  of  the  rage  of  mine  enemies]  Or,  against  the  ragings  of  mine 
adversaries. 

and  awake  for  me  to  the  judgment  that  thou  hast  commanded]  The 
R.V.,  and  awake  for  me;  thou  hast  commanded  judgement,  represents 
the  abruptness  of  the  original.  The  exact  turn  of  the  thought  is  obscure. 
Perhaps,  with  a  sudden  intuition  of  faith,  David  realises  that  his  prayer 
for  God's  interposition  is  answered,  and,  so  to  speak,  the  commission 
issued  for  holding  the  assize  which  he  proceeds  to  describe  in  w.  7,  8. 
Or  the  words  may  give  the  ground  of  his  prayer:  'arise,  inasmuch  as 
judgment  is  Thy  ordinance  and  function'  (Gen.  xviii,  25). 

7.  Render : 

And  let  the  assembly  of  peoples  come  round  ahout  thee : 
And  over  it  return  thou  on  high. 

The  judgment  scene.  The  Psalmist  prays  that  *the  peoples'  may  be 
summoned  to  stand  round  the  tribunal.  It  is  a  general  summons.  No 
distinction  is  made  between  Israel  and  other  nations.  Jehovah  is  exer- 
cising His  judicial  functions  in  their  fullest  extent  as  the  Judge  of  all  the 
earth. 

The  second  line  is  difficult.  There  is  much  authority  in  favour  of  the 
interpretation,  'Return  to  heaven,  when  the  judgment  is  finished, 
soaring  away  above  the  vast  throng  and  vanishing  to  Thy  abode  on  high, 
thus  proving  that  Thou  art  the  supreme  Judge  of  all.' 

This  explanation  no  doubt  presents  a  grand  poetic  picture;  but  it  is 
clearly  untenable,  for  no  mention  has  yet  been  made  of  the  judgment, 
and  V.  8  goes  on  to  speak  of  it  as  in  progress.  It  is  best  (if  the  Masso- 
retic  text  is  retained)  to  explain:  'once  more  occupy  the  throne  of  judg- 
ment above  the  assembly,  resume  the  judicial  functions  which  seem 
for  a  time  to  have  been  abandoned.'  But  it  is  doubtful  if  the  word 
'return'  fairly  yields  this  sense,  and  it  is  probable  that  we  should 
change  the  vowel  points,  and  read  sit  instead  of  return.  'Over  it  take 
Thy  seat  on  high'  upon  the  throne  of  judgment,  gives  precisely  the 
sense  needed  by  the  context.  Comp.  the  parallels  in  the  closely  related 
Ps.  ix.,  w.  4,  7. 

8.  Render  as  R. v.: 

The  LoitD  ministereth  judgment  to  the  peoples. 

Jehovah  has  taken  His  seat  and  opened  the  assize  (cp.  the  exactly 
similar  sequence  of  ideas  in  ix.  7,  8:  and  see  Is.  iii.  13,  14,  R.V.):  and 
the  Psalmist  comes  forward  with  a  plea  to  have  justice  done  him. 

judge  me]  Here  as  elsewhere,  of  a  judgment  favourable  to  the  peti- 
tioner (xxvi.  I,  XXXV.  24,  xliii.  I,  Ixxxii.  3):  'do  me  justice.'     David 


PSALM   VII.  9— II.  33 

And  according  to  mine  integrity  that  is  in  me. 

0  let  the  wickedness  of  the  wicked  come  to  an  end;  but 
establish  the  just : 

For  the  righteous  God  trieth  the  hearts  and  reins. 

My  defence  is  of  God, 

Which  saveth  the  upright  in  heart. 

God  judgeth  the  righteous, 

challenges  a  decision  according  to  his  righteousness  and  his  integrity; 
not  that  he  would  claim  to  be  perfect  and  sinless,  but  he  has  "a  con- 
science void  of  offence  toward  God  and  toward  men,"  and  protests  his 
innocence  of  the  charges  of  treachery  which  have  been  brought  against 
him.     See  Introduction,  p.  Ixix  ff.     Comp.  i  Sam.  xxvi.  23  (R.V.). 

that  is  in  me]  The  marg.  alternative  of  R.V.,  de  it  7into  f/ie,  is 
suggested  to  meet  a  difficulty  in  the  usage  of  the  preposition,  which 
commonly  means  tipon.  But  the  rendering  of  the  text  can  be  defended 
as  a  well,  established  idiom,  of  which  examples  will  be  found  in  xlii.  6, 
1 1 ;  or  we  may  render  tipou  me,  and  regard  righteousness  and  integrity 
as  a  cloak  which  envelopes  the  Psalmist.     Cp.  Job  xxix.  14. 

9,  10.  His  own  personal  need  is  but  one  small  part  of  the  great 
cause,  and  he  passes  on  to  pray  for  the  larger  hope  of  the  universal 
destruction  of  evil  and  triumph  of  the  righteous. 

9.  More  exactly : 

0  that  the  evil  of  wicked  men  might  come  to  an  end,  and  that 
thou  wouldest  establish  the  righteous ; 

For  a  trier  of  hearts  and  reins  is  God  the  righteous. 
The  last  clause  adds  the  ground  upon  which  the  hope  and  prayer  of  the 
first  clause  is  based.     God  is  righteous,  and  He  is  a  discerner  of  hearts; 
there  can  therefore  be  no  doubt  of  His  will  and  His  ability  to  distinguish 
between  the  righteous  and  the  wicked  by  an  impartial  judgment.     Cp. 

1  Sam.  xvi.  7;  Is.  xi.  3,  4.  According  to  the  ancient  exegetical  tra- 
dition represented  by  the  Hebrew  accents  (Wickes'  Treatise  on  the 
Accentuation  Sec,  p.  43),  the  first  clause  should  be  rendered,  O  let  evil 
make  an  end  of  the  wicked,  and  it  is  certainly  a  striking  truth  that  the 
punishment  of  the  wicked  springs  out  of  their  own  misdeeds :  comp.  vv. 
14 ff.,  and  perhaps  xxxiv.  21 :  but  the  sense  given  by  the  LXX,  Jerome, 
and  the  English  Versions  is  probably  right. 

trieth  the  hearts  and  reins]  A  favourite  thought  with  Jeremiah  :  see 
ch.  xi.  20,  xvii.  10,  xx.  12;  cp.  Rev.  ii.  23.  The  heart  is  regarded  in 
the  O.T.  as  the  organ  of  thought  and  will,  which  determines  the  man's 
moral  and  religious  character,  the  reins  (kidneys)  as  the  seat  of  the 
emotions:  see  Delitzsch,  Biblical  Psychology,  §  xiii.;  and  Oehler,  Old 
Testament  Theology,  §  71. 

10.  My  defence  is  of  God]  R.V.,  my  shield  is  with  God.  Lit.  my 
shield  is  upon  God;  it  rests  with  God  to  defend  me.     Cp.  Ixii.  7. 

11 — 13.  The  theme  of  the  judicial  righteousness  of  God,  in  all  its 
certainty  and  terribleness,  is  further  developed. 

PSALMS  X 


34  PSALM   VII.  12—14. 

And  God  is  angry  with  the  wicked  every  day. 

12  If  he  turn  not,  he  will  whet  his  sword  j 
He  hath  bent  his  bow,  and  made  it  ready. 

13  He  hath  also  prepared  for  him  the  instruments  of  death ; 
He  ordaineth  his  arrows  against  the  persecutors. 

14  Behold,  he  travaileth  with  iniquity, 
And  hath  conceived  mischief, 
And  brought  forth  falsehood. 

11.  Render  with  R.  V. ; 

God  {Elohi/n)  is  a  righteous  judge, 

Yea,  a  God  {El)  that  hath  indignation  every  day. 

Whatever  men  may  think  (x.  4,  ir,  13),  God's  judicial  wrath  against 
evil  never  rests.  The  addition  strong  and  patient  in  P.B.V.  is  derived 
from  the  LXX  through  the  Vulgate,  strong  being  a  rendering  of  El., 
and  patient  a  gloss. 

12.  If  a  man  turn  not  from  his  evil  way  and  repent,  God  'will 
whet  his  sword  : '  nay,  He  has  already  strung  His  bow  and  made  it  ready 
to  discharge  the  arrow  of  punishment.  God  is  described  under  the 
figure  of  a  warrior,  armed  with  sword  and  bow  to  execute  vengeance 
on  the  wicked.  Cp.  Deut.  xxxii.  41,  42.  The  tenses  of  the  first  clause 
represent  the  judgment  as  in  process  of  preparation  from  time  to  time; 
those  of  the  second  clause  as  ready  to  be  launched  against  the  offender 
at  any  moment.  The  wicked  aim  their  arrows  at  the  upright  in  heart 
(xi.  1),  but  'the  saviour  of  the  upright  in  heart'  aims  His  arrows  at 
them  and  frustrates  their  plots. 

R.V.  marg.  Surely  he  tvill  again  whet  his  stvord  is  a  possible  but  less 
satisfactory  rendering,  w.  12,13  may  then  be  referred  either  to  God, 
or  to  the  enemy  intending  to  renew  his  attack. 

13.  Render: 

Yea  at  him  hath  he  aimed  deadly  missiles ; 
Making  his  arrows  fiery. 
Or,   Yea,  for  him  hath  he  prepared  ^o.. 

The  description  of  the  warrior-judge  is  continued.  God's  arrows 
are  His  lightnings  (xviii,  14;  Zech.  ix.  14),  which  He  aims  at  the 
impenitent  sinner.  There  may  be  a  reference  to  the  fire-darts  of 
ancient  warfare  (Lat.  malleoli)^  arrows  with  tow,  pitch,  and  other 
inflammable  materials  attached  to  them,  lighted  and  discharged  into 
a  besieged  town  with  the  object  of  setting  it  on  fire.  Cp.  'the  fire- 
charged  darts  of  the  evil  one,'  Eph.  vi.  16. 

14—16.  The  punishment  of  the  wicked  described  from  another 
point  of  view  as  the  natural  result  of  his  own  actions.  He  falls  into 
the  snare  which  he  laid  for  others. 

14.  Render  the  second  line. 

Yea  he  eonceiveth  mischief  and  bringeth  forth  falsehood. 

Words  of  studied  ambiguity  are  chosen,  ironically  describing  the 
action  of  the  wicked  man  in  its  intention  and  its  result.     The  'iniquity' 


PSALM   VII.   15—17.  35 

He  made  a  pit,  and  digged  it, 

And  is  fallen  into  the  ditch  which  he  made. 

His  mischief  shall  return  upon  his  own  head, 

And  his  violent  dealing  shall  come  down  upon  his  own  pate. 

I  will  praise  the  Lord  according  to  his  righteousness  : 

And  will  smg  praise  to  the  name  of  the  Lord  most  High. 

(lit.  worthlessness :  see  on  v.  5)  which  he  laboriously  plans  is  destined 
to  prove  vanity  and  failure:  the  'mischief  which  he  conceives  for 
others  issues  in  calamity  for  himself:  the  resultant  'falsehood'  de- 
ceives not  others  but  himself.  Cp.  for  the  figure,  Job  xv.  35 ;  Is.  xxxiii. 
II,  lix.  4. 

15.  More  exactly : 

He  hath  dug  a  pit  and  delved  it  deep, 
And  is  fallen  into  the  ditch  he  was  making-. 
Another  picture  of  the  destruction  of  the  wicked.  He  'is  snared  in 
the  work  of  his  own  hands'  (ix.  16).  The  figure  is  taken  from  the 
pitfalls  used  by  hunters.  See  Ezek.  xix.  4;  and  cp.  Ivii.  6;  Eccl.  x.  8. 
Observe  the  graphic  force  of  the  tense  in  the  last  line.  His  schemes 
for  the  destruction  of  others  prove  his  own  ruin  even  before  he  has  com- 
pleted them. 

16.  The  certain  recoil  of  evil  upon  the  evil-doer.  Cp.  i  Sam.  xxv. 
39:  and  the  figures  in  Prov.  xxvi.  27,  and  Ecclus.  xxvii.  25,  "Whoso 
casteth  a  stone  on  high  casteth  it  on  his  own  head." 

17.  A  closing  doxology. 

I  will  praise  the  LoRD\  R.V.,  I  will  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord. 
The  idea  conveyed  by  this  word,  so  characteristic  of  the  Psalter,  is  that 
of  the  acknoivledgement  due  from  man  to  God  for  His  goodness.  Hence 
the  rendering  of  the  LXX,  ki^oixoKo^iiao^ai^  and  of  the  Vulg.,  confitebor. 

according  to  his  righteoiisness'\  Manifested  and  vindicated  in  the 
judgment  of  the  wicked. 

the  name  of  the  Lord  Most  High]  Since  He  has  thus  revealed 
Himself  in  His  character  of  Supreme  Governor  of  the  world.  On 
the  title  Most  High  see  Additional  Note  ii,  p.  222. 


PSALM   VHL 

It  is  the  marvel  of  God's  choice  of  man  to  be  the  chief  revelation  of 
Himself  and  His  representative  on  earth  that  is  the  theme  of  this  Psalm. 
Although  God's  glory  is  so  conspicuously  stamped  upon  the  heavens, 
He  makes  infants  the  defenders  of  His  cause  (i,  2).  The  infinite 
vastness  of  the  heavens  would  seem  to  make  a  puny  creature  like  man 
beneath  God's  notice  (3,  4).  Not  so,  for  He  has  made  him  in  His 
own  image,  and  appointed  him  His  viceroy  over  creation  (5,  6),  in  all  its 
varied  forms  of  life  (7,  8). 


36  PSALM   VIII. 


Man  then,  not  Nature,  is  the  central  thought  in  the  poet's  mind. 
It  is  indeed  the  contemplation  of  the  heavens  with  all  their  wealth  of 
mystery  and  magnificence  which  by  the  law  of  contrast  has  turned  his 
gaze  to  man.  Nature  is  wonderful  as  the  reflection  of  God's  glory, 
but  man  is  more  wonderful  still.  Mere  atom  as  he  seems  to  be  com- 
pared with  those  starry  depths  (and  what  force  modern  astronomical 
discovery  adds  to  the  contrast),  he  is  in  truth  more  mysterious  and 
wonderful  than  they,  for  he  is  by  nature  scarce  less  than  God,  and 
appointed  to  be  His  viceroy  in  the  world.  Man's  dignity  is  the  true 
marvel  of  the  universe. 

The  Psalmist  looks  away  from  the  Fall  with  its  heritage  of  woe, 
from  the  sin  and  failure  and  rebellion  of  mankind,  to  man's  nature  and 
position  and  destiny  in  the  original  purpose  of  God.  And  was  he  not 
justified  in  doing  so?  The  image  of  God  in  man  is  defaced  but  not 
destroyed  (i  Cor.  xi.  7;  St  James  iii.  9);  the  grant  of  dominion  is  not 
abrogated  (Gen.  ix.  2  ff.),  though  its  conditions  are  modified.  Prophets 
and  Apostles  look  steadily  forward  to  the  restoration  of  man's  destined 
relation  to  God  and  to  creation  (Is.  xi.  i — 9;  Rom.  viii.  18 — 23). 
God's  purposes  are  not  frustrated  by  man's  sin,  and  the  Psalm  is 
virtually  a  prophecy.     It  finds  'fulfilment'  in  the  Incarnation. 

The  writer  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  (ii.  6  ff.)  quotes  vv.  4 — 6, 
and  contrasts  man's  failure  with  this  his  lofty  destiny.  "We  see  not 
yet  all  things  subjected  to  him."  "But,"  as  he  goes  on  to  say,  apply- 
ing the  Psalmist's  words  to  the  condescension  of  the  Incarnation,  "we 
behold  him  who  hath  been  made  a  little  lower  than  the  angels,  even 
Jesus,  because  of  the  suffering  of  death  crowned  with  glory  and  honour." 
The  Son  of  Man,  the  representative  of  the  race,  receives  as  the  reward 
of  His  obedience  unto  death  the  honour  designed  for  man,  and  in  His 
exaltation  we  see  "the  pledge  that  the  Divine  counsel  of  love  will  not 
fail  of  fulfilment"  (Bp.  Westcott,  Christus  Consumviator,  p.  2r). 

St  Paul  too  quotes  the  last  half  of  v.  6  as  an  assurance  of  the  final 
triumph  of  Christ  (i  Cor.  xv.  27;  cp.  Eph.  i.  22).  If  all  things  were 
subjected  to  the  first  Adam  who  failed  through  sin,  not  less  must  they 
be  subjected  to  the  second  Adam  who  triumphs  through  obedience,  and 
fulfils  the  destiny  of  the  race. 

The  title  attributes  the  Psalm  to  David,  and  it  may  well  be  his. 
The  fact  that  the  author  of  the  Book  of  Job  was  familiar  with  the  Psalm 
(cp.  Job  vii.  17  fif.  with  v.  4)  would  be  a  strong  confirmation  of  the 
accuracy  of  the  title,  if  that  book  could  be  assigned  with  certainty  to 
the  time  of  Solomon;  but  the  uncertainty  as  to  its  date  prevents  any 
argument  being  drawn  from  the  allusion.  It  has  been  suggested  that 
David  composed  the  Psalm  as  a  shepherd  on  the  plains  of  Bethlehem. 
With  all  its  marvellous  depth  of  meaning,  it  certainly  possesses  a 
striking  freshness  and  simplicity;  but  would  it  not  be  more  natural 
to  regard  it  as  the  later  fruit  of  seeds  of  thought  sown  then  and 
gradually  brought  to  maturity? 

The  appropriateness  of  this  Psalm  as  one  of  the  Proper  Psalms  for 
Ascension  Day  is  obvious.  It  is  in  the  Ascension  of  Christ  that  we  see 
man,  in  the  person  of  his  perfect  representative,  "  crowned  with  glory 


and  honour.' 


PSALM   VIII.  I.  37 


To  the  chief  Musician  upon  Gittith,  A  Psalm  of  David. 

O  Lord  our  Lord,  i 

How  excellent  is  thy  name  in  all  the  earth  ! 
Who  hast  set  thy  glory  above  the  heavens. 

On  the  title,  For  the  Chief  Musician ;  set  to  the  Gittith  (R.V.),  see 
Introd.  p.  xxiii. 

1,  2.  The  fundamental  thought  and  motive  of  the  Psalm : — the 
revelation  of  Jehovah's  majesty  on  earth, 

1.  0  Lord,  our  Lord^  Jehovah,  our  Lord.  Coverdale  rightly  felt 
the  need  of  some  audible  distinction  between  Lord  (=  Jehovah)  and 
Lord  (  =  Adonai),  when  he  rendered  O  Lorde  otire  Governoure.  Cp. 
Jerome's  Domine  dominator  noster.  How  fitting  is  this  acknowledgment 
of  Jehovah's  sovereignty  for  the  opening  of  a  Psalm  in  which  man's  dele- 
gated dominion  over  the  world  is  brought  into  such  prominence.  Here, 
for  the  first  time  in  the  Psalter,  the  Psalmist  associates  others  with  himself 
in  addressing  Jehovah  {^'■ottr  Lord").  He  speaks  on  behalf  of  the  cove- 
nant people,  hardly  as  yet  (at  any  rate  consciously)  on  behalf  of  all  man- 
kind.    Cp.  Neh.  X.  29;  viii.  10;  Ps.  cxxxv.  5;  cxlvii.  5;  Is.  xxvi.  13. 

hoiu  excellent]  Or,  majestic.  The  word  is  related  to  that  rendered 
honour  \xv  v.  5,  and  majesty  in  civ.  i.  It  suggests  the  ideas  of  ampli- 
tude, splendour,  magnificence.     Cp.  Ixxvi.  4;  xciii.  4  (A.V.  mighty). 

thy  name]  That  expression  of  Thyself  in  the  works  of  Creation  and 
Providence  by  which  Thy  character  may  be  recognised.     Cp.  v.  11. 

Who  hast  set]  "The  Hebrew,"  as  the  margin  of  the  R.  V.  candidly 
notes,  "is  obscure."  The  word,  as  vocalised  in  the  Massoretic  Text, 
is  imperative,  'set  thou':  but  the  construction  would  be  unparalleled, 
and  a  prayer  for  the  manifestation  of  God's  glory  in  the  heavens 
would  be  out  of  place,  for  it  is  already  manifested  there.  No  satis- 
factory explanation  can  be  offered  without  some  alteration  of  the  text. 
Changing  the  vowels  we  may  render,  'Thou  whose  glor}'  is  spread  over 
the  heavens,'  (cp.  Hab.  iii.  3):  or,  'Thou  whose  glory  is  celebrated 
above  the  heavens.'  Cp.  the  LXX,  'Thy  magnificence  is  exalted 
above  the  heavens'  {iTTjpdrj  i]  /xeyaXoirpeiria  crov  virepavco  tQv  ovpavuv). 
But  it  seems  best  to  make  the  slight  change  of  consonants  required  for 
the  rendering  of  the  A.V.,  which  gives  an  excellent  sense,  and  is 
supported  by  the  Targum,  Syriac,  Symmachus,  and  Jerome,  among 
the  ancient  versions.  Jehovah  has  set  His  glory  upon  the  heavens  (so 
R.V.  rightly,  though  retaining  adove  in  the  marg.),  clothed  them  with 
a  glory  which  is  the  reflection  and  manifestation  of  His  own  (civ.  i). 
Cp.  the  uses  of  the  phrase  in  Num.  xxvii,  20;  i  Chr.  xxix.  25;  Dan. 
xi.  21 ;  and  a  similar  phrase  in  Ps.  xxi.  5. 

The  connexion  of  the  clause  has  still  to  be  considered.     It  may  be 

joined  with  the  preceding  invocation,  and  a  full  stop  placed  at  the  end 

of  the  verse  as  in  A.V. :  or  it  may  be  taken  in  close  connexion  with  v.  2  : 

Thou  who  hast  set  thy  glory  upon  the  heavens. 

Out   of  the   mouth   of  children  and  sucklings  hast  thou  founded 

strength. 


38  PSALM   VIII.  2. 


2  Out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings  hast  thou 
ordained  strength 
Because  of  thine  enemies, 
That  thou  mightest  still  the  enemy  and  the  avenger. 

This  construction  seems  preferable ;  for  it  leaves  the  opening  invocation 
to  stand  by  itself  as  it  does  at  the  close  of  the  Psalm  {v.  9) :  it  em- 
phasises the  contrast  between  Jehovah's  revelation  of  Himself  in  the 
splendour  of  the  heavens,  and  His  revelation  of  Himself  in  the  weakest 
specimens  of  humanity,  which,  paradox  as  it  may  seem,  is  not  less 
but  more  significant  and  convincing;  and  thus  it  brings  out  the 
parallelism  between  the  last  clause  of  v.  i  and  v.  3,  and  between 
V.  1  and  V.  4  ff.  But  however  we  punctuate,  v.  2  must  not  be  dis- 
connected from  v.  I . 
2.     Render : 

Out  of  the  mouth  of  children  and  sucklings  hast  thou  founded 
strength, 

Because  of  thine  adversaries, 

To  quell  the  enemy  and  the  avenger. 
Instead  of  founded  strength,  we  might  render,  founded  a  stro7tghold, 
established  a  defence:  but  the  more  general  sense  is  preferable.     The 
LXX  gives  a  free  version,   'Thou  hast  perfected  praise,'  and  in  this 
form  the  words  are  quoted  in  Matt.  xxi.  16. 

The  general  sense  is  plain.  Jehovah  has  ordained  that  even  the 
feeblest  representatives  of  humanity  should  be  His  champions  to  con- 
found and  silence  those  who  oppose  His  kingdom  and  deny  His  good- 
ness and  providential  government.  The  mystery  of  man,  of  a  being 
made  in  the  image  of  God  to  know  God,  is  greater  than  the  mystery  of 
the  heavens,  with  all  their  immensity  and  majesty,  as  truly  as  the  spiri- 
tual and  eternal  is  greater  than  the  material  and  temporal.  Man  there- 
fore, even  in  the  weakness  of  childhood,  is  a  witness  of  the  existence 
and  character  of  God.  But  Iiow  is  the  testimony  uttered?  The  words 
must  not  be  prosaically  defined  and  limited.  The  inarticulate,  unspoken 
testimony  to  its  Creator  borne  by  the  mere  existence  of  the  infant  with 
its  wonderful  instincts  and  capacities  for  development;  the  powers  of 
reason  and  thought  and  speech;  the  exercise  of  these  powers  in  the 
praise  of  God  with  the  simple  faith  of  childhood;  all  are  included.  Nor 
is  it  mere  poetic  fancy  to  say  that 

*'  Trailing  clouds  of  glory  do  we  come, 
From  God,  who  is  our  home," 
and  that 

"Heaven  lies  about  us  in  our  infancy." 

This  truth  was  illustrated  in  the  Hosannas  of  the  children  who  wel- 
comed the  Lord  on  His  triumphal  entry  into  Jerusalem,  while  the 
chief  priests  and  scribes  hardened  their  hearts  in  contemptuous  hostility, 
(Matt.  xxi.  15  ff.) ;  but  it  has  a  wider  scope  than  that  particular 
instance. 

The  interpretation  of 'children  and  sucklings'  as  'weak  and  humble 


PSALM   VIII.  3,  4.  39 


When  I  consider  thy  heavens,  the  work  of  thy  fingers, 
The  moon  and  the  stars,  which  thou  hast  ordained ; 
What  is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him? 
And  the  son  of  man,  that  thou  visitest  him? 

believers'  (Matt.  xi.  25),  does  not  take  account  of  the  context.  It 
may  be  a  justifiable  application  of  the  words,  but  there  is  no  hint  that 
they  are  used  figuratively,  and  it  is  of  man  as  man  that  the  Psalmist 
speaks  here  not  less  than  in  vv.  4  ff.  Nor  again  must  the  words  be 
understood  in  a  general  sense  as  the  equivalent  of  i  Cor,  i.  26  ff.,  though 
a  part  of  the  truth  they  contain  illustrates  the  principle  of  divine 
economy  there  asserted. 

'Thine  adversaries'... 'the  enemy  and  avenger'  must  not  be  limited 
to  the  enemies  of  the  nation  by  a  reference  to  xliv.  5,  16.  These  no 
doubt  are  among  the  enemies  of  Jehovah;  but  all  within  the  nation  who 
oppose  God's  purposes  or  question  His  Providence,  the  'wicked,'  the 
'scorners,'  (i.  i)  the  'fools'  (xiv.  i)  are  equally  included.  The  'avenger' 
in  particular  is  one  who  usurps,  in  his  own  selfish  interests,  a  judicial 
function  which  belongs  to  God  alone  (Deut.  xxxii.  35 ;  Nah.  i.  2). 

3,  4.  The  contemplation  of  the  heavens  in  all  their  splendour  forces 
the  Psalmist  to  wonder  that  God  should  choose  so  insignificant  a  thing 
as  man  for  the  object  of  His  special  regard. 

3.  thy  heavejis]  The  heavens  as  created  by  God  and  manifesting 
His  glory.     Cp.  Ixxxix.  1 1 ;  Job  xxxvi.  29 ;  xxxviii.  33 ;  Is.  xl.  26. 

It  is  of  the  sky  at  night  that  the  Psalmist  is  thinking,  for  he  does  not 
mention  the  sun ;  and  unquestionably  the  star-lit  sky,  especially  in  the 
transparent  clearness  of  an  Eastern  atmosphere,  is  more  suggestive  of 
the  vastness  and  variety  and  mystery  of  the  universe.  See  the  eloquent 
passage  from  VVhewell's  Astronomy,  Book  iii.  ch.  3,  quoted  by  Bp. 
Perowne. 

the  work  of  thy  Jingers\  The  deft  workmanship  of  a  skilful  artificer 
supplies  a  figure  for  the  creative  operations  of  God.    Cp.  xix.  i ;  cii.  25. 

4.  Then  (so  the  ellipse  may  be  filled  up),  the  thought  is  forced 
upon  me 

What  is  frail  man  that  thou  shouldest  be  mindful  of  him  ? 
And  the  son  of  man,  that  thou  shouldest  visit  him  ? 

The  words  for  ijian  are  chosen  to  emphasise  his  weakness  in  contrast 
to  the  vast  and  (apparently)  unchanging  structure  of  the  heavens. 
Enosh  denotes  man  in  his  frailty,  impotence,  mortality  (ciii.  15);  hence 
it  is  used  with  special  frequency  in  Job,  where  man  is  contrasted  with 
God  (e.g.  Job  iv.  17,  where  A.V.  renders  mortal  77ian).  Ben-ddam  (son 
of  man)  denotes  man  according  to  his  earthly  origin.  Cp.  Job's  'man 
that  is  born  of  a  woman'  (xiv.  i). 

God's  'visitation'  of  man  is  His  constant,  loving,  providential,  regard 
(Job  X.  12).  It  is  to  God's  present  and  continuous  care  that  the  verse 
refers.  It  is  not  until  v.  5  that  the  Psalmist  looks  back  to  man's 
original  creation. 

There  is  an  echo  of  these  words  in  cxliv.  3,  and  Jer.  xv.  15 ;  and  Job 


40  PSALM   VIII.  5—8. 


5  For  thou   hast  made  him  a  little   lower   than   the 

angels, 
And  hast  crowned  him  with  glory  and  honour. 

6  Thou  madest  him  to  have  dominion  over  the  works 

of  thy  hands; 
Thou  hast  put  all  things  under  his  feet: 

7  All  sheep  and  oxen, 

Yea,  and  the  beasts  of  the  field  ; 

8  The  fowl  of  the  air,  and  the  fish  of  the  sea, 

And  ivhatsoever  passeth  through  the  paths  of  the  seas. 

parodies  them,  when  he  asks  m  the  bitterness  of  his  soul  how  man 
can  be  of  such  importance  to  God  that  He  should  think  it  worth  while  to 
persecute  him  (vii.  17  ff). 

On  the  quotation  of  vv.  4—6  in  Hebr.  ii.  6  ff.,  see  above. 

5,  6.  The  Psalmist  looks  back  to  man's  creation.  God's  regard  was 
exhibited  in  the  nature  with  which  man  was  endowed,  and  the  position 
of  sovereignty  in  which  he  was  placed. 

5.  Render  as  R.V. : 

For  thou  hast  made  liim  but  little  lower  than  God, 
And  crownest  him  with  glory  and  honour. 

In  rendering  than  the  angels  the  A.V.  follows  the  LXX,  Vulg.,  Targ. 
and  Syriac.  The  later  Greek  versions  (Aquila,  Symmachus  and  Theo- 
dotion)  and  Jerome,  rightly  render  than  God.  For  though  in  some  cases 
Elohim  (God  or  gods)  is  applied  to  supernatural  beings  generally  ( i  Sam. 
xxviii.  13),  angels  are  rather  called  'sons  of  God;'  and  moreover  there 
is  a  clear  reference  to  the  creation  of  man  in  the  image  of  God,  after 
His  likeness  (Gen.  i.  26,  27). 

'Glory'  and  'honour'  (or,  majesty:  worship  in  P.B.V.  is  an  archaism 
for  honour)  are  the  attributes  of  royalty:  of  God  Himself  (cxlv.  5,  12), 
and  of  kings  who  are  His  representatives  (xxi.  5;  xlv.  3).  Man  is 
crowned  king  of  creation. 

6.  Again  a  reference  to  Gen.  i.  26,  28.  'Thou  hast  put  all  things 
under  his  feet'  reads  like  a  paraphrase  of  the  word  there  rendered  'let 
them  have  dominion,'  which  means  primarily  '  to  tread  under  foot, '  and 
thence  'to  rule.'  On  St  Paul's  application  of  the  words  in  i  Cor.  xv. 
27  see  above. 

7.  8.  Man's  subjects  are  as  it  were  mustered  and  passed  in  review  : 
domestic  animals,  and  even  the  wild  creatures  that  roam  at  large  over 
the  open  country;  the  birds  of  the  air  (lit.  heaven,  as  civ.  12),  and  the 
fish  of  the  sea,  and  all  the  manifold  inhabitants  of  the  mysterious  depths 
of  ocean.  See  Gen.  i.  21;  ix.  2.  Cp.  Homer's  U7pd  KiXevda  (//.  i. 
312);  "the  wet  sea-paths,"  as  Milton  calls  them  in  his  version  of  the 
Psalm. 

The  living  creatures  here  enumerated  are  only  mentioned  by  way  of 
example  and  illustration  of  "all  things."     In  the  Psalmist's  day  the 


PSALM   VIII.  9.  41 


O  Lord  our  Lord,  how  excellent  is  thy  name  in  all  the  9 
earth  ! 

dominion  of  man  over  nature  was  most  strikingly  exercised  in  his 
mastery  over  the  animal  creation,  which  he  tamed  or  caught  and 
turned  to  his  own  use.  "Man  has  become,"  says  Darwin,  "even  in 
his  rudest  state,  the  most  dominant  animal  that  has  ever  appeared  on 
this  earth."  In  our  own  day  it  is  by  the  investigation  of  the  great  laws 
of  nature,  and  by  the  utilisation  of  the  great  forces  of  nature,  that 
man  asserts  and  extends  his  sovereignty. 

9.  How  can  the  Psalmist  better  close  than  with  the  same  exclama- 
tion of  reverent  wonder  with  which  he  began;  repeated  now  with  fuller 
significance,  after  meditation  on  the  way  in  which  the  truth  it  asserts  is 
most  signally  declared ! 

PSALM   IX. 

There  is  evidently  a  close  relationship  between  the  Ninth  and  Tenth 
Psalms.  In  the  LXX,  Vulg.,  and  Jerome's  Latin  Version  they  are 
reckoned  as  a  single  Psalm :  and  the  absence  of  a  title  to  Ps.  x, 
contrary  to  the  general  rule  in  Book  I  (Introd.  p.  xxxix),  may  nidicate 
that  in  the  Hebrew  text  also  it  was  originally  united  to  Psalm  ix.^ 

They  are  connected  by  resemblances  {a)  oiforjn^  and  {b)  of  langnas;c. 
{a)  The  same  'alphabetic'  or  'acrostic'  structure  appears  in  both.  In  Ps. 
ix.  the  pairs  of  verses  begin  with  successive  letters  of  the  alphabet,  with 
the  exceptions  that  the  fourth  letter  {Daleth)  is  missing ;  the  fifth  letter 
i^He)  is  obscured  by  a  corruption  of  the  text  in  z^.  7 ;  and  the  eleventh 
letter  {A'aph)  is  represented  by  Qoph^  in  v.  19.  Ps.  x  begins  with  the 
twelfth  letter  [Lafncd) ;  but  the  alphabetical  arrangement  is  then  dropped, 
and  six  letters  are  passed  over.  At  v.  12  however  the  structure  of 
Ps.  ix  reappears,  and  w.  12,  14,  15,  17  begin  with  the  last  four  letters 
of  the  alphabet  in  order,  {b)  Langtiage.  'In  times  of  trouble'  (ix.  9, 
X.  i)  is  a  peculiar  phrase  found  nowhere  else:  the  word  for  'oppressed' 
or  'downtrodden'  (ix.  9;  x.  18)  occurs  elsewhere  only  in  Ps.  Ixxiv.  21 ; 
Prov.  xxvi.  28  (?) :  'mortal  man'  is  mentioned  at  the  close  of  both 
Psalms  in  the  same  connexion  (ix.  19,  20;  x.  18).  Comp.  further 
ix.  12  a  with  x.  4,  13:  ix.  12  b  with  x.  12,  and  ix.  18  with  x.  11 :  'for 
ever  and  ever,'  ix.  5,  x.  16:  the  appeal  to  'arise'  ix.  19,  x.  12:  and 
other  points  of  thought  and  expression. 

But  while  the  resemblance  in  form  and  language  is  so  marked,  the 
difference  in  tone  and  subject  is  not  less  striking.  The  individuality  of 
the  writer,  which  is  so  prominent  in  Ps.  ix.  {vv.  i — 4;  13,  14),  dis- 
appears in  Ps.  x.  Ps.  ix  is  a  triumphant  thanksgiving,  rarely  passing 
into  prayer  {vv,  13,  19):  its  theme  is  the  manifestation  of  God's 
sovereign  righteousness  in  the  defeat  and  destruction  of  foreign  efiemies 
of  the  nation.     Ps.  x  is  a  plaintive  expostulation  and  prayer,  describing 

'  Comp.  the  analogous  case  of  Pss.  xlii,  xliii. 

*  I.e.  the  hard  guttural  Semitic  k,  the  19th  letter  of  the  alphabet,  takes  the  place 
of  the  soft  k. 


42  PSALM    IX. 


the  tyrannous  conduct  of  godless  men  within  the  nation^,  and  pleading 
that  God  will  no  longer  delay  to  vindicate  His  righteousness,  and  prove 
Himself  the  Defender  of  the  helpless. 

The  two  Psalms  present  an  unsolved  literary  problem.  The  descrip- 
tion of  the  wicked  man  (x.  3 — 11)  may  have  been  taken  from  another 
poem,  for  it  is  distinguished  by  other  peculiarities,  besides  the  absence 
of  the  alphabetic  structure.  We  cannot  tell  whether  verses  beginning 
with  the  missing  letters  of  the  alphabet  were  displaced  to  make  room 
for  it,  or  whether  it  stood  here  from  the  first.  The  latter  alternative  seems 
most  probable,  for  the  concluding  verses  of  the  Psalm  have  links  of  con- 
nexion with  w.  3 — II.  Comp.  'helpless"  in  v.  14  with  vv.  8,  10; 
z/.  13  with  V.  ^\  V.  14  with  z^.  11. 

Ps.  ix  however  appears  to  be  complete  in  itself,  and  it  seems  preferable 
to  regard  Ps.  x  as  a  companion  piece  rather  than  as  part  of  a  continuous 
whole. 

The  connexion  of  thought  is  clear.  The  Psalmist  has  watched  the 
great  conflict  between  good  and  evil  being  waged  in  two  fields: 
in  the  world,  between  Israel  and  the  heathen  nations;  in  the  nation 
of  Israel,  between  godless  oppressors  of  the  weak  and  their  innocent 
victims.  He  has  seen  the  sovereignty  of  God  decisively  vindicated 
in  the  world  by  the  defeat  of  Israel's  enemies  :  but  when  he  surveys 
the  conflict  within  the  nation,  wrong  seems  to  be  triumphant.  So 
he  prays  for  an  equally  significant  demonstration  of  God's  sovereignty 
within  the  nation  by  a  signal  punishment  of  the  wicked  who  deny  His 
power  or  will  to  interpose. 

These  Psalms  have  been  assigned  to  widely  differing  dates.  But 
the  tradition  of  their  Davidic  origin  may  be  right.  The  author  of 
Ps.  ix  speaks  as  the  representative  of  the  nation,  in  language  more 
natural  to  a  king  than  to  anyone  else.  The  enemies  of  the  nation  are 
his  enemies  {v.  3) ;  the  national  cause  is  his  cause  [v.  4). 

This  Psalm  then  may  celebrate  David's  victories  in  general  (2  Sam. 
viii);  and  x.  16  may  refer  in  particular  to  the  expulsion  of  the  Philistines 
who  occupied  the  north  of  Palestine  for  some  time  after  the  disaster  of 
Gilboa  (i  Sam.  xxxi.  7),  and  to  the  subjugation  of  the  Jebusites. 

Nor  is  it  difficult  to  understand  how  David  might  have  to  deplore 
the  existence  of  domestic  evils  such  as  those  described  in  Ps.  x,  without 
being  able  to  remedy  them  2.  The  misgovernment  of  Saul's  later  years, 
and  the  contest  between  Ish-bosheth  and  David  must  have  left  a  serious 
legacy  of  civil  disorder  (i  Sam.  xxii.  i,  2;  2  Sam.  iii.  i,  22,  iv.  2); 
and  we  have  indications  that  David  was  not  in  a  position  to  control  his 
powerful  nobles  and  enforce  the  administration  of  justice  (2  Sam.  iii. 
39;  XV.  2  ff.). 

The  Davidic  origin  of  Ps.  ix  is  supported  by  its  connexion  with 
Ps.  vii.  The  closing  words  of  Ps.  vii  (cp.  xviii.  49)  are  taken  up  and 
expanded  in  Ps.  ix.  i,  2:  both  Psalms  are  inspired  by  a  vivid  sense  of 
the  judicial  righteousness  of  Jehovah  (vii.  6  flf.,  11 ;  ix.  4,  7,  8,  16,  19) :  in 
both  we  have  the  thought  of  evil  recoiling  upon  its  authors  (vii.  14  ff.; 

'  The  only  reference  to  '  the  nations'  (in  v.  16)  is  by  way  of  illustration. 
*  Compare  the  account  of  Charlemain's  reign  in  Dean  Church's  Beginning  0/  the 
Middle  Ages,  p.  125. 


PSALM    IX. 


43 


ix.  15  ff.).     The  connexion  of  v.  11,  vii.  17,  viii.  i,  9,  ix.  i,  10;  should 
also  be  noted. 

It  may  further  be  remarked  that  in  Ps.  x  triumphant  injustice  is 
regarded  in  the  simplest  light  as  a  wrong  that  calls  for  redress;  not  as 
in  Ps.  xxxvii,  as  a  ground  of  discontent,  or  as  in  Ps.  Ixxiii,  as  a  trial  of 
faith. 

The  train  of  thought  is  as  follows. 

Ps.  ix.  The  Psalmist  resolves  to  celebrate  Jehovah's  praise  for  victory 
won  by  His  help  (i — 4).  He  contrasts  the  transitoriness  of  the  nations 
in  their  wickedness  with  the  eternal  sovereignty  of  the  righteous  Judge 
{5 — 8),  Who  never  fails  to  defend  the  godly  (9,  10).  A  renewed  in- 
vitation to  praise  (11,  12)  is  succeeded  by  a  prayer  for  help  in  the  hour 
of  need  (13,  14);  and  the  revelation  of  Jehovah's  judicial  righteousness 
in  the  discomfiture  of  the  heathen  is  once  more  proclaimed  (15,  16). 
After  an  interlude  of  music  the  Psalm  concludes  with  a  confident 
anticipation  of  the  certainty  of  judgment  and  deliverance  (17,  18),  and 
a  prayer  that  the  nations  may  be  taught  to  know  their  human  im- 
potence (19,  20). 

Ps.  X.  From  the  conflict  between  Israel  and  the  nations  in  which 
God's  sovereignty  has  been  victoriously  manifested,  the  Psalmist  turns  to 
the  triumph  of  might  over  right  in  Israel  itself.  He  remonstrates  with 
Jehovah  for  His  apparent  indifference  (i,  2),  and  draws  a  graphic 
picture  of  the  atheistic  self-complacency  and  pitiless  tyranny  of  'the 
wicked  man'  (3 — 11).  An  urgent  appeal  to  Jehovah  to  intervene  and 
right  these  crying  wrongs  is  followed  by  a  confident  expression  of 
assurance  that  they  are  not  unobserved  or  disregarded  (12 — 14).  The 
prayer  for  the  extirpation  of  evil  finds  a  pledge  for  its  fulfilment  in  the 
eternal  sovereignty  of  Jehovah  and  the  extermination  of  the  heathen 
from  His  land  (15,  16).  The  prayer  of  faith  cannot  remain  unanswered, 
and  heaven-protected  right  will  finally  be  triumphant  over  earthly 
might  (17,  18). 

The  title  should  be  rendered  as  in  R.V.,  For  the  Chief  Musician;  set 
to  Muth-labben.  Probably  (if  the  Massoretic  text  is  sound)  Muth-labben 
are  the  opening  words  of  some  well-known  melody  to  which  the  Psalm 
was  to  be  sung.  Comp.  the  title  of  xxii :  'set  to  Ayyeleth  hash-Shahar,' 
i.e.  '  the  hind  of  the  morning ' ;  and  of  Ivi  and  Ivii.  The  words  are 
obscure,  but  may  mean  'Die  for  the  son,'  or,  'Death  to  the  son.' 

The  analogy  of  other  titles  is  decisive  against  all  the  interpretations 
which  explain  these  words  to  refer  to  the  contents  or  occasion  of  the 
Psalm;  'upon  the  death  of  Ben,'  or,  'Labben,'  or  'the  son;'  by 
whom  some  unknown  but  formidable  enemy  of  the  nation,  or  Goliath, 
or  even  (as  though  David  could  possibly  have  written  in  this  tone  then) 
Absalom,  is  supposed  to  be  intended.  The  tradition  that  it  refers  to 
Goliath  is  as  old  as  the  Targum,  which  paraphrases,  "  Concerning  the 
death  of  the  man  who  went  forth  between  the  camps,"  an  allusion  to 
I  Sam.  xvii.  4,  where  the  Heb.  word  for  'champion'  is  'man  of  the 
space  between  the  camps.' 

It  is  however  possible  that  the  present  text  is  a  corruption  of  the 
words  'upon  Alamoth'  which  occur  in  the  title  of  xlvi  (cp.  i  Chr. 
XV.  20).  So  the  LXX,  Aquila,  and  Theodotion  appear  to  have  read, 
though  they  give  wrong  renderings.     See  Introd.  p.  xxii. 


44  PSALM    IX.  1—4. 

To  the  chief  Musician  upon  Muth-labben,  A  Psalm  of  David. 

9  (t^)  I  will  praise  ^/lee,  O  Lord,  with  my  whole  heart ; 

I  will  shew  forth  all  thy  marvellous  works, 
fi  I  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  thee : 

I  will  sing  praise  to  thy  name,  O  thou  most  Hi^h. 

3  (2)  When  mine  enemies  are  turned  back, 
They  shall  fall  and  perish  at  thy  presence. 

4  For  thou  hast  maintained  my  right  and  my  cause ; 
Thou  satest  in  the  throne  judging  right. 

1—4.  The  Psalmist's  purpose  to  praise  Jehovah  for  the  recent 
manifestation  of  His  righteous  judgment  in  the  defeat  of  His  enemies. 
Each  of  the  four  Unes  in  vv.  i,  2  begins  with  Aleph,  the  first  letter  of 
the  alphabet. 

1.  /  luill  praise  thee,  0  Lord]  R. V.,  I  will  give  thanks  unto  the 
Lord,  as  in  vii.  17. 

7uith  my  whole  heart]  With  the  heart,  not  with  the  lips  only 
(Is.  xxix.  13) :  with  the  7uhole  heart,  acknowledging  that  all  the  honour 
is  due  to  Jehovah.  Cp.  Deut.  vi.  5.  These  conditions  of  true  worship 
correspond  to  the  divine  attributes  of  omniscience  (vii.  9),  and  'jealousy' 
(Ex.  xxxiv.  14). 

thy  juaj-vellous  tuorks]  A  special  term  for  the  singular  and  con- 
spicuous works  of  God,  both  in  nature  (Job  v.  9),  and  in  His  dealings 
with  His  people  (Ex.  iii.  20),  particularly  in  the  great  crises  of  their 
history  (Ixxviii.  4,  11,  32),  which  declare  His  power  and  love,  and 
arouse  the  admiration  of  all  who  behold  them.  The  word  includes 
'miracles'  commonly  so  called,  as  one  limited  class  of  'the  wonderful 
works  of  God,'  but  is  of  much  wider  application.  To  recount  and 
celebrate  His  marvellous  works  is  the  duty  and  delight  of  God's  saints. 

2.  rejoice]  R.V.,  exult;  the  same  word  as  in  v.  11  c.  The  closing 
words  of  Ps.  vii  are  taken  up  and  expanded  in  these  two  verses. 

3.  4.  Stanza  of  Beth.  It  is  best  to  place  a  semicolon  only  at  the 
end  Q)iv.  2,  and  render  v.  3  in  close  connexion  with  it : 

Because  mine  enemies  turn  back, 

Stumble  and  perish  at  Thy  presence. 
The  'presence'  or  'face'  of  God  is  to  His  enemies  necessarily  a  mani- 
festation of  victorious  wrath.  Comp.  xxi,  9  (R.V.  marg. );  xxxiv.  16; 
Ex.  xiv.  24.  The  verse  is  a  vivid  picture  of  a  panic  rout :  the  foe 
turning  to  flee,  stumbling  in  their  precipitate  haste,  overtaken  and 
annihilated.     Cp.  xxxv.  5,  6. 

4.  In  the  defeat  of  his  enemies  he  sees  God's  judicial  intervention  on 
his  behalf.  God  has  pronounced  and  executed  sentence  in  his  favour. 
Cp.  vii.  8,  9. 

than  satest  &c.]  Better,  thou  didst  take  thy  seat  on  the  throne, 
judging  righteously.  The  throne  is  that  of  judgment  (z^.  7 ;  Prov. 
XX.  8).  God  has  assumed  this  judicial  character,  in  answer  to  the 
Psalmist's  prayer  in  vii.  7. 


PSALM  IX.  5,  6.  45 


(})  Thou  hast  rebuked  the  heathen,  thou  hast  destroyed  the  s 

wicked, 
Thou  hast  put  out  their  name  for  ever  and  ever. 
(n)  O  thou  enemy,  destructions  are  come  to  a  perpetual  6 

end : 
And  thou  hast  destroyed  cities ; 
Their  memorial  is  perished  7in//i  them. 

5,  6.  Stanza  of  Gimd.  The  utter  destruction  of  the  nations  in  their 
wickedness. 

5.  Thou  hast  rebuked  the  heatheti]  Or,  as  R.V.  text,  the  nations, 
though  here,  where  the  word  is  parallel  to  the  wicked,  and  denotes  the 
nations  in  obstinate  and  ginful  opposition  to  God's  people,  heathen 
(R.V.  marg.)  might  stand.  God's  'rebuke'  is  the  effectual  sentence 
of  His  wrath  which  carries  its  own  execution  with  it  (Ixxvi.  6). 

thou  hast  put  out  their  name'\  R.V.,  Thou  hast  blotted  out  their 
name.     Cp.  Deut.  ix.  14. 

6.  The  enemy  are  consumed,  left  desolate  for  ever ; 

And  (their)  cities  thou  didst  uproot ;  the  very  remembrance  of 
them  is  perished. 
An  address  to  the  enemy  (P.B.V.  and  A.V.)  would  be  out  of  place 
here;  and  the  word  rendered  destj-uctions  does  not  bear  an  active  sense, 
but  means  rui7is  or  desolations.  It  is  best  to  regard  the  words  as  still 
addressed  to  Jehovah,  continuing  the  description  of  His  judgment  on 
the  enemies  of  Israel.  The  language  of  this  and  the  preceding  verse 
recalls  that  of  the  curse  on  Amalek :  "I  will  utterly  blot  out  the  reniem- 
brance  of  Amalek  from  under  heaven"  (Ex.  xvii.  14 ;  cp.  Deut.  xxv.  19). 
'Their  memorial'  or  'remembrance'  refers  grammatically  to  the  enemy, 
not  to  the  cities,  and  the  pronoun  is  repeated  in  the  original  to  emphasise 
the  contrast  between  those  who  are  thus  destroyed  and  forgotten,  and 
Jehovah  who  sits  enthroned  on  high  for  ever. 

Critical  reasons  however  suggest  a  slight  alteration  of  the  text.  If 
the  emphatic  pronoun  is  transferred  from  the  end  of  v.  6  to  the  begin- 
ning of  V.  7,  and  a  verb  supplied,  we  may  render, 
They  are  perished,  but  the  Lord  sitteth  &c. 
This  emendation  (approved  by  Delitzsch)  marks  the  contrast  still 
more  strongly  (cp.  cii.  26),  and  moreover  makes  the  pair  of  verses  7 
and  8  begin,  as  they  should,  with  the  letter  He.  There  is  also  much  to 
be  said  in  favour  of  transposing  the  clauses  of  v.  6  thus,  as  proposed  by 
Nowack : 

The  enemy  are  consumed,  the  remembrance  of  them  is  perished : 
And  the  cities  thou  didst  uproot  are  desolate  for  ever. 

7 — 10.  A  stanza  of  four  verses,  each  (as  the  text  stands)  beginning 
with  the  letter  Vdv.  But  v.  7  may  originally  have  begun  with  He. 
[In  Dr  Scrivener's  text  He  is  prefixed  to  v.  6 ;  but  this  verse  should 
belong  to  the  stanza  of  Gimel). '  The  eternity  of  Jehovah's  sovereignty 
is  contrasted  with  the  annihilation  of  His  enemies :  the  righteousness  of 
His  rule  with  the  injustice  of  the  wicked. 


46  PSALM   IX.  7— lo. 


7  0)  But  the  Lord  shall  endure  for  ever  : 
He  hath  prepared  his  throne  for  judgment. 

8  And  he  shall  judge  the  world  in  righteousness, 

He  shall  minister  judgment  to  the  people  in  uprightness. 

9  The  Lord  also  will  be  a  refuge  for  the  oppressed, 
A  refuge  in  times  of  trouble. 

lo  And  they  that  know  thy  name  will  put  their  trust  in  thee : 
For  thou,  Lord,  hast  not  forsaken  them  that  seek  thee. 

7.  But  the  Lord,  in  contrast  to  the  enemies  of  His  people,  shall  sit 
enthroned  for  ever,  as  King  and  Judge.  For  this  pregnant  sense  of  si^, 
cp.  xxix.  10 ;  Exod.  xviii.  14. 

8.  And  he  shall  Judge]  He  is  emphatic.  His  administration,  in 
contrast  to  that  of  so  many  human  rulers,  will  be  one  of  perfect  justice 
and  equity.  And  it  will  be  universal.  The  vindication  of  his  right 
which  the  Psalmist  has  just  experienced  is  the  earnest  of  a  judgment 
which  will  embrace  the  whole  world  and  all  peoples.  For  people  read 
peoples,  and  for  nprightness,  equity,  as  in  xcviii.  9.  Cp.  vii.  8 ;  xcvi. 
10,  13;  Acts  xvii.  31. 

The  Heb.  word  tebhel  rendered  luorld  denotes  the  finiitful,  habitable 
part  of  the  earth  (cp.  o'lKovfi^vr]),  here  of  course  including  its  inhabitants. 
Cp,  Prov.  viii.  31. 

9.  10.     So  may  Jehovah  be  a  high  tower  for  the  down-trodden, 

A  high  tower  in  times  of  extremity ; 
And  let  them  that  know  Thy  name  trust  in  Thee, 
Because  Thou  hast  not  forsaken  them  that  seek  Thee,  0 
Jehovah. 
These  verses  express  the  result  of  Jehovah's  judgment  in  the  deliver- 
ance of  those  who  are  crushed  and  down-trodden  (x.  18;  Job  v.  4)  by 
the  world's  magnates,  and  the  consequent  encouragement  of  the  faithful. 
a  refuge]     A  high  tower  or  fort;  in  the  Psalter  always  metaphori- 
cally of  God.     Cp.  xviii.  2,  &c.,  and  the  use  of  the  cognate  verb  in  xx. 
I  and  elsewhere.     The  figure  may  well  be  derived  from  the  experience 
of  David  in  his  outlaw  life.     The  down-trodden  victim  is  lifted  up  far 
out  of  the  reach  of  his  tormentors.     Cp.  Prov.  xviii.  10. 

trouble]  A  word  occurring  elsewhere  only  in  x.  i.  It  seems  to  mean 
the  extre7nity  of  trouble  in  which  all  hope  of  deliverance  is  cut  off.  The 
idea  may  be  that  the  precipice  which  apparently  barred  the  fugitive's 
escape  proves  to  be  his  retreat  from  his  pursuers. 

10.  they  that  kno^v  thy  name]  Who  recognise  the  character  of  God 
thus  revealed  in  His  Providence.  Cp.  "they  that  love  thy  name," v.  11; 
and  viii.  i  ;  xci.  14. 

thotc,  LoRDy  hast  not  forsaken]  Cp.  the  noble  words  of  Ecclesiasticus 
ii.  10;  "Look  at  the  generations  of  old  and  see;  did  ever  any  trust  in 
the  Lord,  and  was  confounded?  or  did  any  abide  in  his  fear,  and  was 
forsaken?  or  whom  did  he  ever  despise,  that  called  upon  him?" — the 
"sentence"  which  "fell  with  weight"  upon  John  Bunyan's  spirit  in  the 
agony  of  his  spiritual  despair.     *'It  was  with  such  strength  and  comfort 


PSALM    IX.  II,  12.  47 


(T)  Sing  praises  to  the  Lord,  which  dwelleth  in  Zion  : 

Declare  among  the  people  his  doings. 

When  he  maketh  inquisition  for  blood,  he  remembereth 

them  : 
He  forgetteth  not  the  cry  of  the  humble. 

on  my  spirit,  that  I  was  as  if  it  talked  with  me."     Grace  Abouiicling, 

§62ff. 

thet?i  that  seek  thee]     See  note  on  xxiv.  6. 

11,12.     Stanza  of  Z^7j'/«.     A  call  to  praise. 

11.  which  dwelleth  in  Zion]  Or,  (cp.  v.  7)  sitteth  enthroned.  Zion 
became  the  special  abode  of  Jehovah  from  the  time  when  the  Ark,  the 
symbol  of  His  Presence,  was  placed  there  (Ixxvi.  2;  cxxxii.  13  f).  The 
cherubim  which  overshadowed  the  ark  were  the  throne  of  His  glory 
(Ixxx.  i;  xcix.  i).  It  was  the  earthly  counterpart  of  heaven  (ii.  4): 
from  thence  He  manifested  Himself  for  the  help  of  His  people  (iii.  4  ; 
XX.  2). 

the  people]  Rather,  the  peoples,  as  R.V.  marg.  Not  Israel,  but  the 
nations  around,  are  meant.  Jehovah's  doings  (Ixxvii.  12;  Ixxviii.  11; 
ciii.  7),  i.e.  His  mighty  works  on  behalf  of  His  people,  are  to  be  pro- 
claimed among  them.  The  first  step  towards  their  conversion  is  that 
they  should  know  the  evidences  of  His  power  and  love.  Cp.  xviii.  49; 
Ivii.  9;  xcvi.  3;  cv.  I ;  Is.  xii.  4. 

12.  For  he  that  maketh  requisition  for  bloodshed  hath  remem- 

bered them : 
He  hath  not  forgotten  the  cry  of  the  humble. 

The  call  to  praise  is  based  on  a  definite  experience  [hath  7'emenibered, 
hath  not  forgotten)^  rather  than  on  a  general  truth  {remembereth,  for- 
getteth  not).  Jehovah  is  the  Goel,  the  Avenger  of  blood,  who  investi- 
gates all  offences  against  His  sacred  gift  of  human  life,  and  demands 
satisfaction  for  them  (Gen.  ix.  sf.).  Such  offences  'cry'  to  God  for 
vengeance  (Gen.  iv.  10).  '  Bloodshed  '  may  include  crimes  of  violence 
which  fall  short  of  actual  murder,  but  rob  men  of  the  rightful  use  and 
enjoyment  of  their  lives.     Cf.  Job  xxiv.  2  ff. 

them]  The  oppressed  seekers  of  Jehovah  mentioned  in  vv.  9, 10;  the 
'poor'  of  the  next  line. 

the  cry]  For  illustration  comp.  Ex.  iii.  7,  9;  i  Sam.  ix.  16;  Job 
xxxiv.  28. 

the  humble]  R.V.  the  poor,  marg.  meek.  The  traditional  reading 
{QrT)  is  'andvim,  though  the  text  [Kthibh]  has  ^aniyylm.  Both  words 
are  derived  from  the  same  root,  meaning  to  bend  or  bon'  do7an.  The 
first  is  intransitive  in  form,  and  denotes  the  character  of  one  who  bows 
himself  down:  loivly,  humble,  meek  (LXX  irpam).  The  second  is 
passive  in  form,  and  denotes  primarily  the  condition  of  one  who  is 
bowed  down  by  external  circumstances  of  poverty,  trouble,  or  oppres- 
sion :  poor,  afflicted  (comp.  the  cognate  substantive  in  v.  13,  my  trouble, 
R.V.  affliction).  But  inasmuch  as  humility  is  learnt  in  the  school  of 
affliction  and  poverty  (cp.  Matt.  v.  3  with  Luke  vi.  20),  it  often  has 


48  PSALM    IX.  13,  14. 


13  (n)  Have  mercy  upon  me,  O  Lord  ; 

Consider  my  trouble  which  I  sniffer  of  them  that  hate  rae, 
Thou  that  hftest  me  up  from  the  gates  of  death  : 

14  That  I  may  shew  forth  all  thy  praise 
In  the  gates  of  the  daughter  of  Zion  : 

the  secondary  sense  of  meek,  hiimble  (LXX  generally  ■wrijixo'it  Teprjs, 
sometimes  raweivos  or  Trpavs),  and  the  distinction  between  the  two  words 
is  lost.  The  second  of  the  two  words  (but  not  the  first)  is  often 
coupled  or  in  parallelism  with  ebhyon  'needy,'  v.  18),  or  dal  'weak,' 
'feeble'  (Ixxxii.  3,  4);  and  these  words  also,  though  primarily  denoting 
condition,  tend  to  acquire  a  moral  significance. 

The  'afflicted,'  'poor,'  'meek,'  'humble,'  are  a  class  that  meet  us 
frequently  in  the  Psalms  and  Prophets.  They  are  those  whose  condition 
specially  calls  for  the  special  protection  of  Jehovah,  and  of  righteous  rulers 
who  are  His  true  representatives  (Ps.  Ixxii.  2,  4,  12);  and  whose  cha- 
racter for  the  most  part  fits  them  to  be  objects  of  the  divine  favour. 
They  are  contrasted  with  the  proud,  the  scorners,  the  oppressors,  whose 
contemptuous  independence  and  high-handed  violence  will  meet  with 
due  punishment  (Prov.  iii.  34). 

13,14.  Stanza  of  C//t'///.  The  connexion  is  difficult.  The  preceding 
and  succeeding  verses  speak  of  deliverance  granted,  of  victory  won. 
Why  then  this  abruptly  introduced  prayer  for  relief?  To  regard  it  as 
the  '  cry  of  the  afflicted '  in  their  past  distress  seems  inconsistent  with 
the  vigorous  directness  of  the  Psalm  ;  and  it  is  best  to  suppose  that  the 
recollection  of  dangers  which  still  threaten  prompts  a  prayer  even  in  the 
moment  of  triumph.  But  it  is  possible  that  by  a  simple  change  in  the 
vocalisation  (Introd.  p.  li)  the  verbs  should  be  read  as  perfects  instead 
of  imperatives: — 'Jehovah  hath  been  gracious  unto  me;  he  hath  seen 
my  affliction... lifting  me  up  &c.'  So  the  Greek  version  of  Aquila;  and 
so  Jerome,  according  to  the  best  reading  {miserius  est  mei...vidit 
afflictio7tet7i  vieam). 

13.  Have  mercy  npon  w^]  Rather,  Be  gracious  imto  me.  See  note 
on  iv.  I. 

consider  tiiy  trouble  &c.]  See  the  aflliction  whicli  I  suffer  from  them 
that  hate  me.     Cp.  x.  14;  xxxi.  7;  Exod.  iii.  7.  9;  iv.  31. 

thou  that  Hftest  me  up  from  the  gates  of  death]  He  had  been  brought 
down  as  it  were  to  the  very  entrance  of  that  mysterious  place  from  which 
he  knew  of  no  possibility  of  return;  to  the  gates  which  opened  for 
entrance  but  not  for  exit.  Cp.  cvii.  18;  Job  xxxviii.  17  ;  Is.  xxxviii.  10, 
Matt.  xvi.  18;  and  the  Homeric  'At5ao  7rii\at  (//.  v.  646,  &c.).  How 
different  the  Christian  view  of  "the  grave  and  gate  of  death"  as  the 
passage  to  "  a  joyful  resurrection ! " 

14.  in  the  gates']  i.e.  with  the  utmost  publicity  (cxvi.  14);  for 
the  city  gates  were  the  common  place  of  concourse  and  business,  cor- 
responding to  the  agora  or  forum  of  Greece  and  Rome.  Cp.  Job  xxix.  7; 
Prov.  viii.  3;  Jer.  xvii.  19,  20.     The  implied  contrast  between  "the 


PSALM    IX.  15-17.  49 

I  will  rejoice  in  thy  salvation. 

(tD)  The  heathen  are  sunk  down  in  the  pit  f/ia^  they  made : 

In  the  net  which  they  hid  is  their  own  foot  taken. 

The  Lord  is  known  l>y  the  judgment  zv/iic/i  he  executeth : 

The  wicked  is  snared  in  the  work  of  his  own  hands. 

Higgaion.     Selah. 

(•>)  The  wicked  shall  be  turned  into  hell, 

cheerful  ways  of  men"  and  the  gloomy  entrance  to  the  nether  world  is 
obvious. 

Fo7'^s  (P.B.V.)  is  an  obsolete  word  iov  gates,  from  Lat.  porta. 

the  daughter  of  Zion]  A  poetical  personification  of  the  citizens 
or  the  city  as  an  individual.  Originally  Zion  was  thought  of  as  the 
mother,  the  citizens  collectively  as  her  daughter ;  but  as  terms  for  land 
and  people  are  easily  interchanged,  the  expression  came  to  be  applied 
to  the  city  itself  (Is.  i.  8;  Lam.  ii.  15).  'Daughter  of  Zion'  occurs 
nowhere  else  in  the  Psalter  (see  however  'daughter  of  Tyre,'  xlv.  12; 
'daughter  of  Babylon,'  cxxxvii.  8),  but  together  with  the  cognate 
phrases  'daughter  of  Jerusalem,'  'daughter  of  my  people'  &c,  frequently 
in  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  Micah,  Zephaniah,  Zechariah,  and  is  specially 
characteristic  of  the  Lamentations. 

salvatioii]     KN .  masg.,  saving  help.     See  note  on  iii.  8. 

15,  16.  Stanza  of  Teth,  resuming  the  description  of  the  judgment. 
Wickedness  has  been  made  to  minister  to  its  own  discomfiture.  Cp. 
vii.  15  f. 

15.  The  heathen]  The  nations,  as  in  z/.  5.  The  figures  are  taken 
from  the  pitfalls  and  nets  used  in  hunting.  Cp.  vii.  15,  xxxv.  7,  8, 
Ivii.  6. 

16.  Jehovah    hath   made    himself  known,    he    hath    executed 

judgment, 
Snaring  the  wicked  in  the  work  of  his  own  hands. 
For  God's  revelation  of  Himself  in  judgment  comp.  xlviii.  3  (R.V.): 
Ex.  vii.  5  ;  xiv.  4,  18;  Ezek.  xxxviii.  23. 

Higgaionl  A  musical  term,  rendered  a  solemn  sound  m  xcii.  3,  and 
here  in  conjunction  with  Selah  directing  the  introduction  of  a  jubilant 
interlude,  to  celebrate  the  triumph  of  the  divine  righteousness. 

17.  18.  Stanza  of  Yod.  Confident  anticipation  for  the  future, 
arising  naturally  out  of  the  contemplation  of  Jehovah's  recent  judgment. 

17.     R.V.  rightly: 

The  wicked  shall  return  to  Sheol, 
Even  all  the  nations  that  forget  God. 
Sheol  is  not  hell  as  the  place  of  torment.  What  is  meant  is  that  the 
career  of  the  wicked  in  this  world  will  be  cut  short  by  the  judgment  of 
God.  Cp.  Iv.  J 5,  Ixiii.  9.  But  why  'return?'  Man  must  'return' 
unto  the  ground  from  which  he  was  taken,  to  the  dust  of  which  he  was 
made,  to  his  elementary  atoms  (Gen.  iii.  19;  Ps.  civ.  29,  xc.  3). 
A  still  closer  parallel  is  to  be  found  in  the  words  of  Job  (xxx.  23)  'unto 

PSALMS  4 


50  PSALM   IX.    18—20. 


And  all  the  nations  that  forget  God. 

18  (^)  For  the  needy  shall  not  alway  be  forgotten : 
The  expectation  of  the  poor  shall  not  perish  for  ever. 

19  Arise,  O  Lord  ;  let  not  man  prevail : 
Let  the  heathen  be  judged  in  thy  sight. 

20  Put  them  in  fear,  O  Lord  : 

That  the   nations   may  know  themselves   to  be  but  men. 
Selah. 

death  wilt  thou  make  me  return.'  Cp.  too  Job  i.  ii.  The  shadowy 
existence  in  Sheol  to  which  man  passes  at  death  is  comparable  to  the 
state  of  non-existence  out  of  which  he  was  called  at  birth.  "  From  the 
great  deep  to  the  great  deep  he  goes."  There  Job  will  have  no  more 
enjoyment  of  life,  there  'the  wicked'  will  have  no  more  power  for  evil. 
that  forget  God'\  Cp.  Ps.  1.  22;  Job  viii.  13,  for  the  phrase,  and 
Ps.  X.  4  for  the  thought.  Observe  that  it  is  God,  not  Jehovah ;  the 
nations  could  not  know  Him  in  His  character  of  the  God  of  revelation, 
but  even  to  them  "he  left  not  himself  without  witness"  (Acts  xiv.  17), 
but  manifested  to  them  what  they  could  know  concerning  Himself  (Rom. 
i.  18 — 23).  Deliberate  wickedness,  especially  as  shewn  in  antagonism 
to  God's  chosen  people,  implied  a  culpable  forgetfulness  of  God. 

18.  For  the  needy  shall  not  perpetually  be  forgotten; 
Nor  the  hope  of  the  afllicted  he  disappointed  for  ever. 

Man  forgets  God  ;  but  God  does  not  forget  man. 

expectation}  The  patient  hope  which  waits  upon  God  in  faith  (LXX 
viro/Movri :  Vulg.  patientia).  Comp.  the  frequent  use  of  the  cognate 
verb  generally  rendered  zaait:  xxv.  3,  5,  21,  xxvii.  14,  xxxvii.  9,  34, 
xl.  r,  cxxx.  5;  Is.  xxv.  9,  xxvi.  8:  and  elsewhere. 

the  poor]  Here  the  traditional  reading  is  ^aniyywi, '  afflicted,'  though 
the  text  has  '■andvim,  'meek.'     See  note  ox\.v.  12. 

19.  20.  This  stanza  should  begin  with  Kaph,  but  (if  the  text  is  sound) 
the  similar  letter  Qoph  is  substituted  for  it.  [Kaph  is  prefixed  to  v.  18 
in  Dr  Scrivener's  text;  but  this  verse  belongs  to  the  stanza  of  Yod.] 
It  is  a  prayer  for  further  and  still  more  complete  judgment  upon  the 
nations,  that  they  may  be  taught  to  know  their  human  weakness. 

Arise,  0  Jehovah ;   let  not  mortal  man  wax  strong  : 

Let  the  nations  be  judged  in  thy  presence. 

Ordain  terror  for  them,  0  Jehovah, 

Let  the  nations  know  they  are  but  mortal. 

The  word  for  'man'  [enosh)  denotes  man  in  his  weakness  as  con- 
trasted with  God  (2  Chr.  xiv,  11 ;  Job  iv.  17;  Is.  li.  7,  12).  'Strength' 
is  the  prerogative  of  God  (Ixii.  11);  though  men  and  nations  are  apt  to 
think  that  it  is  inherent  in  themselves  (lii.  7) ;  and  therefore  the  Psalmist 
prays  that  the  proud  antagonism  of  the  nations  may  receive  a  salutary 
lesson.  They  are  to  be  summoned  to  Jehovah's  presence  and  there 
judged. 

20.  Put  them  in  fear]  Lit.  set  terror  for  them:  some  awe-inspiring 
exhibition  of  power,  such  as  were  the  wonders  of  the  Exodus.     (Deut. 


PSALM   X.  1—3.  51 

(7)  Why  standest  thou  afar  off,  O  Lord  ?  10 

IV/iy  hidest  thou  thyself m.  times  of  trouble? 
The  wicked  in  his  pride  doth  persecute  the  poor  :  2 

Let  them  be  taken  in  the  devices  that  they  have  imagined. 
For  the  wicked  boasteth  of  his  heart's  desire,  3 

And  blesseth  the  covetous,  who?n  the  Lord  abhorreth. 

iv.  34,  xxvi.  8,  xxxiv.  ii\  Jer.  xxxii.  21.)  The  rendering  of  LXX, 
Vulg.,  Syr.,  appoint  a  laivgiver  over  them,  (reading  moreh  for  morah) 
is  certainly  wrong,  though  it  is  adopted  by  Luther  and  by  some  modern 
critics. 

PSALM   X. 

1,  2.  Stanza  of  Lamed.  Expostulation  with  Jehovah  for  neglect  of 
His  persecuted  people,  and  statement  of  the  wrongs  which  call  for 
redress. 

1.  Why  standest  thou  afar  off'\  As  an  indifferent  or  indolent 
spectator.  Cp.  xxxviii.  11  (of  fair-weather  friends);  xxii.  i  (of  God); 
Is.  lix.  14;  and  the  corresponding  prayer  in  xxii.  11,  19,  xxxv.  22, 
xxxviii,  2i,lxxi.  12.  Conversely,  God  is  said  to  be  'near'  when  His 
power  is  manifested  (Ixxv.  i ,  xxxiv.  1 8). 

why  hidest  thou  thyself]  Lit.  why  nmfflest  thou? — Thine  eyes  so  that 
Thou  dost  not  see  (Is,  i.  15) ;  Thine  ears  so  that  Thou  dost  not  hear 
(Lam.  iii.  56).     Cp.  Ps.  Iv.  i. 

in  times  of  trouble']     Or,  of  extremity.     See  note  on  ix.  9. 

2.  The  general  sense  of  the  first  clause  is  that  given  by  R. V. : 
In  the  pride  of  tlie  wicked  the  poor  is  hotly  pursued; 

or  possibly,  is  consutned,  by  fear,  anxiety,  and  distress. 

In  the  second  clause  there  is  a  double  ambiguity.     The  verb  taken 
may  be  rendered  as  a  wish  or  as  a  statement  of  fact;  and  its  subject 
may  be  the  'wicked'  or  the  'poor.'     Hence  either,  as  A.V., 
let  them  (the  wicked)  be  taken  in  the  devices  that  they  have  imagined: 
or,  as  LXX,  Vulg.,  R.V.  marg, : 

they  (the  poor)  are  taken  in  the  devices  that  they  (the  wicked)  have 
imagined. 

With  the  first  rendering  comp.  vii.  15,  16,  ix.  16:  but  the  second 
is  on  the  whole  preferable.  It  gives  a  good  parallelism  to  the  first  line 
of  the  verse ;  and  a  further  description  of  the  wrongs  of  the  poor  suits 
the  context  better  than  a  parenthetical  cry  for  retribution, 

3 — 11.  The  Psalmist  justifies  his  complaint  by  a  description  of  the 
reckless  character  (3 — 6)  and  the  ruthless  conduct  (7 — 11)  of  the 
wicked  man,  and  he  traces  them  to  their  source  in  his  virtual  atheism. 
The  alphabetic  structure  disappears  in  this  section. 

3.  A  difficult  verse.  Boasteth  of  his  heart's  desire  may  mean  either, 
makes  shameless  boast  of  his  selfish  greed  without  any  pretence  at  con- 
cealment :  or,  boasts  that  he  obtains  all  that  he  desires,  and  that,  as  the 

4—2 


52  PSALM   X.  4,  5. 


4  The  wicked,  through  the  pride  of  his  countenance,  will  not 

seek  after  God: 
God  is  not  in  all  his  thoughts. 

5  His  ways  are  always  grievous ; 

Thy  judgments  are  far  above  out  of  his  sight : 
As  for  all  his  enemies,  he  puffeth  at  them. 

next  clause  shews,  without  troubling  himself  about  God.  This  clause 
may  be  rendered ; 

and  in  his  rapacity  renounceth,  yea  contenmeth  Jehovah. 

The  verb  rendered  bless  in  A.V.  means  also  to  bid  farezvell  to,  to 
renounce  Qob  i.  5,  ii.  9,  &c. ;  R.V.).  Covetous  is  an  inadequate  render- 
ing for  a  word  which  means  to  appropriate  by  violence  or  injustice.  The 
wicked  man's  lawless  plundering  of  the  poor  is  a  virtual  renunciation  of 
Jehovah;  nay  more,  it  indicates  positive  contempt  for  Him  {v.  13; 
Is.  i.  4,  V.  24). 

Another  rendering  however  deserves  consideration  : 
For  the  wicked  singeth  praise  over  his  own  soul's  lust : 
And  in  his  rapacity  blesseth,  (but)  contemneth  Jehovah. 

He  gives  thanks  for  his  prosperity,  and  like  the  shepherds  of  Zech. 
xi.  5,  blesses  God,  though  his  conduct  is  really  the  grossest  contempt 
for  Him. 

Grammatically  possible,  but  far  less  forcible,  is  the  rendering 
of  R.V.  marg.,  blesseth  the  covetous,  but  contemneth  &c. :  and  v.  13, 
which  combines  3  b  and  4  a,  is  decisive  against  the  rendering  of  A.V., 
whom  the  LORD  abhorreth. 

4.  The  A.V.  follows  the  Ancient  Versions  in  rendering,  '■the 
wicked... will  not  seek  after  God:'  but  a  comparison  of  v.  13,  which 
clearly  recapitulates  w.  3,  4,  is  decisive  in  favour  of  rendering  as  follows : 

As  for  the  wicked,  according  to  the  loftiness  of  his  looks,  he  saith. 
He  will  not  make  requisition : 

There  is  no  God,  is  the  sum  of  his  devices. 

The  constmction  is  abrupt  and  forcible.  The  wicked  man's  scornful 
countenance  is  the  index  of  his  character  (ci.  5) ;  all  his  devices  (as  v.  2) 
are  planned  on  the  assumption  that  God  does  not  regard  and  punish  (ix. 
12);  upon  a  virtual  atheism,  for  such  an  epicurean  deity,  "careless  of 
mankind,"  would  be  no  'living  and  true  God.'     Cp.  xiv.  i. 

5,  6.     The  security  of  the  wicked.     He  fears  neither  God  nor  man. 
5.    His  -ways  &c.]    Rather,  as  R.V.,  Eis  ways  are  firm  at  all  times. 

His  plans  succeed :  he  is  never  harassed  by  vicissitudes  of  fortune.  Cp. 
Iv.  19,  Ixxiii.  3 — 5;  Jer.  xii.  i,  2. 

thy  judgments  &c.]  God,  he  thinks,  is  too  far  away  in  heaven  to 
interfere.  The  possibility  of  retribution  does  not  enter  into  his  calcu- 
lations or  disturb  his  equanimity.  Cp.  Job  xxii.  12  ff.;  and  contrast 
the  spirit  of  Ps.  xviii.  22. 

enemies']     R.V.  adversaries.     Cp.  vi.  7,  vii.  4,  6,  viii.  2. 

puffeth  at  them]  Openly  by  his  gestures  expressing  his  scorn  and 
contempt  for  them.     Cp.  'snuff,'  Mai.  i.  13. 


PSALM   X.  6,  7.  53 


He  hath  said  in  his  heart,  I  shall  not  be  moved :  < 

For  I  shall  never  be  in  adversity. 

His  mouth  is  full  of  cursing  and  deceit  and  fraud  : 
Under  his  tongue  is  mischief  and  vanity. 

6.  He  hath  said]  R.V.  lie  saith,  and  so  in  vz:  11,  13.  He 
presumes  in  his  carnal  self-confidence  to  use  language  which  the 
righteous  man  employs  in  faithful  dependence  upon  God  (xvi.  8,  &c.). 

for  I  shall  7ievi'r  &c.]  R.V.,  To  all  generations  I  shall  not  be  in 
adversity.  Hardly  in  the  sense  that  "pride  stifles  reason,"  and  "he 
expects  to  live  for  ever"  (Cheyne);  but  rather  that  he  identifies  his 
descendants  with  himself,  and  looks  foi-ward  to  the  uninterrupted 
continuance  of  their  prosperity.  Cp.  xlix.  1 1 ;  and  the  promise  to 
the  righteous  man  in  xxxvii.  27 — 29. 

7.  His  sins  of  tongue;  cursing, — which  may  include  both  malicious 
imprecation  (Job  xxxi.  30,  R.V.)  and  perjury  (lix.  12:  Hos.  iv.  2): 
deceits,  the  plural,  as  in  xxxviii.  12,  expressing  their  abundance  and 
variety:  oppression  (Iv.  11,  Ixxii.  14),  which  he  advocates,  or  abets 
by  false  witness  (xxvii.  12,  xxxv.  11 ;  Ex.  xxiii.  i). 

Under  his  tongue,  ready  for  immediate  use,  is  a  store  of  mischief 
and  iniquity  (vii.  14).  This  is  the  usual  interpretation;  but  it  seems 
strange  to  regard  'under  the  tongue'  as  synonymous  with  'upon  the 
tongue,'  and  the  use  of  the  phrase  in  Job  xx.  12  suggests  another 
explanation.  Wickedness  is  there  spoken  of  as  a  delicious  morsel 
which  is  kept  in  the  mouth  to  be  enjoyed.  (See  Prof  Davidson's  note.) 
And  similarly  here  the  mention  of  the  mouth  as  the  organ  of  speech 
leads  up  to  the  thought  of  the  tongue  as  the  organ  of  taste.  Mischief 
and  iniquity  are  thoroughly  to  the  wicked  man's  taste.  Cp.  Prov.  xix. 
28,  which  speaks  of  iniquity  as  the  wicked  man's  favourite  food:  and 
Job  XV.  16. 

The  first  half  of  the  verse  (according  to  the  LXX)  is  woven  by 
St  Paul  into  his  description  of  human  corruption  in  Rom.  iii.  14. 

8 — 11.  The  wicked  man's  crimes.  He  is  described  as  a  brigand, 
lying  in  wait  to  rob ;  as  a  lion  lurking  for  its  prey ;  as  a  hunter  snaring 
his  game.     His  victims  are  the  innocent  and  defenceless  poor. 

The  reference  is  probably  to  the  bands  of  freebooters  which,  in  the 
absence  of  a  system  of  police,  have  always  been  common  in  the  East. 
At  no  time  was  the  country  entirely  free  from  them,  and  in  periods  of 
anarchy  they  would  multiply  rapidly.  See  Jud.  xi.  3;  i  Sam.  xxii.  2  ; 
2  Sam.  iv.  2;  Hos.  vi.  9;  St  Luke  x.  30.  The  emphatic  warning  of 
the  wise  man  to  his  disciple  in  Prov.  i.  10 — 18  (a  passage  which  should 
be  studied  in  illustration  of  this  Psalm)  shews  that  such  a  life  was  com- 
mon, and  had  strong  attractions  for  young  men. 

But  in  all  probability  the  Psalmist  has  also  in  view  the  powerful 
nobles  who  plundered  their  poorer  neighbours,  and  made  their  lives 
intolerable  by  oppressive  exactions.  They  were  no  better  than  the 
professed  brigands,  and  no  doubt  did  not  shrink  from  actual  murder. 


54  PSALM  X.  8—] 


8  He  sitteth  in  the  lurking  places  of  the  villages  : 
In  the  secret  places  doth  he  murder  the  innocent : 
His  eyes  are  privily  set  against  the  poor. 

9  He  lieth  in  wait  secretly  as  a  lion  in  his  den : 
He  lieth  in  wait  to  catch  the  poor : 

He  doth  catch  the  poor,  when  he  draweth  him  into  his  net. 
'o  He  croucheth,  and  humbleth  himself, 

That  the  poor  may  fall  by  his  strong  ones. 
II  He  hath  said  in  his  heart,  God  hath  forgotten  : 

He  hideth  his  face ;  he  will  never  see  //. 


See  the  prophets  generally,  and  in  particular  Micah's  bitter  invective, 
ii.  I — II ;  iii.  i — 3.     Cp.  Ecclus.  xiii.  18,  19. 

8.  He  couchetli  in  ambusli  in  the  villages  : 

In  the  secret  places  doth  he  murder  the  innocent, 
His  eyes  watch  privily  for  the  helpless. 
The  unwalled  villages  would  be  most  exposed  to  the  raids  of  marau- 
ders; and  the  country-folk,  as  Micah  shews,  suffered  most  from  the 
oppression  of  the  nobles. 

Helpless  (R.V.)  or  hapless  (R.V.  marg.)  are  good  renderings  of  an 
obscure  word  peculiar  to  this  psalm  {vv.  10,  14). 

9.  Render: 

He  lieth  in  ambush  in  the  secret  place  as  a  lion  in  his  lair : 
He  lieth  in  ambush  to  catch  the  poor : 
He  catcheth  the  poor,  dragging  him  off  with  his  net. 
The  wicked  man  is  now  described  as  a  lion,  lurking  in  his  lair  in  the 
forest  till  his  prey  comes  near.    In  the  third  clause  the  figure  is  changed 
for  that  of  a  hunter:  probably  the  victim  is  dragged  off  to  be  sold  for  a 
slave. 

10.  We  may  render  with  R.V. 

He  croucheth,  he  boweth  down. 

And  the  helpless  fall  by  his  strong  ones. 
An  obscure  verse.  According  to  the  rendering  of  the  R.V.,  which 
follows  the  traditional  reading  {Qri),  the  figure  of  the  lion  is  resumed. 
The  word  rendered  boweth  dozon  is  used  of  a  lion  couching  in  Job 
xxxviii.  40,  the  whole  of  which  verse  should  be  compared  with  vv.  9, 
10.     His  strong  ones  is  explained  to  mean  his  claws. 

But  it  seems  preferable  to  regard  the  poor  as  the  subject,  and,  neg- 
lecting the  Massoretic  accents,  to  render  :  He  is  crushed,  he  boweth 
down  and  falleth ;  (yea)  the  helpless  (fall)  by  his  strong  ones  :  i.e. 
the  ruffians  of  the  wicked  man's  retinue.  The  R.V.  marg.,  Ajid  being 
crushed,  follows  the  reading  of  the  text  [Kthlbh),  and  gives  the  same 
sense. 

11.  He  saith  in  his  heart,  God  {El)  hath  forgotten : 

He  hath  hidden  his  face ;  he  hath  not  seen  nor  ever  will. 
Experience,  he  thinks,  confirms  the  assumption  from  which  he  started 
{v.  4),  that  God  will  not  trouble  Himself  to  interfere  :  the  exact  opposite 


PSALM    X.  12—14,  55 

(p)  Arise,  O  Lord  ;  O  God,  lift  up  thine  hand  :  , 

Forget  not  the  humble. 

Wherefore  doth  the  wicked  contemn  God  ?  , 

He  hath  said  in  his  heart,  Thou  wilt  not  require  it. 

fn)  Thou  hast  seen  it ;  for  thou  beholdest  mischief  and  spite,  ; 

To  requite  //  with  thy  hand : 

The  poor  committeth  himself  unto  thee ; 

of  the  faith  of  the  saints  (ix.  12,  t8).     The  last  clause  means  literally, 
He  hath  not  seen  for  ever :  i.e.  hath  not  seen  hitherto  nor  will  hereafter. 

12 — 18.  An  urgent  plea  that  Jehovah  will  vindicate  His  own  character 
by  action,  grounded  upon  a  confident  assurance  of  the  present  reality  of 
His  government.     The  alphabetical  arrangement  is  here  resumed. 

12,  13.     Stanza  of  QoJ>h. 

12.  Arise]  The  usual  summons  to  action.  Cp.  iii.  7,  vii.  6  (notes); 
ix.  19. 

0  God]    El,  as  in  2/,  11. 

lift  tip  thine  hand]  The  attitude  of  action.  Cp.  similar  phrases  in 
cxxxviii.  7 ;  Ex.  vii.  5  ;  Mic.  v.  9 ;  and  contrast  Ps.  Ixxiv.  11. 

forget  not  the  humble]  Disprove  the  calumny  of  the  wicked  {v.  ii). 
The  Qri  'anavTm,  'humble'  or  'meek,'  is  preferable  to  the  Kthibh 
'■aniyyim,  'afflicted'  or  'poor.'  The  spirit  in  which  sufferings  have  been 
borne  is  urged  as  a  plea.     Cp.  z^.  17. 

13.  Why,  urges  the  Psalmist  in  support  of  his  appeal,  has  God  so 
long  tolerated  the  blasphemies  of  the  wicked  man  (vv.  3,  4),  and  by 
inaction  let  Himself  be  misunderstood?  The  verbs  are  in  the  perfect 
tense,  expressing  what  long  has  been  and  still  is  the  case. 

he  hath  said]     R.  V.  and  say. 

14.  Stanza  of  Resh,  consisting  of  one  long  verse.  Originally  in  all 
probability  there  were  two  verses,  as  in  the  other  alphabetic  stanzas. 

Thou  hast  seen  it]  Whatever  the  wicked  may  imagine  to  the  con- 
trary, arguing  from  his  own  limited  experience  {v.  11).  Faith  triumphs 
over  appearances,  for  it  rests  on  the  unchanging  character  of  God,  Who 
never  ceases  to  'behold,'  to  observe  all  that  goes  on  upon  the  earth. 
Cp.  xxxiii.  13;  xxxv.  22;  xciv.  9. 

mischief  and  spite]  The  words  may  be  understood  thus,  of  the  wrong 
done;  or,  as  in  R.V.  marg.,  of  the  suffering  endured,  travail  and  grief . 
The  first  word  inclines  rather  to  the  objective,  the  second  to  the  sub- 
jective sense.     Perhaps  we  might  render  :  mischief  and  vexation. 

to  requite  it  with  thy  hand]  More  exactly  as  R.V.,  to  take  it  into 
thy  hand.  God's  observation  cannot  fail  to  lead  to  action.  In  His 
own  time  He  will  take  the  matter  in  hand.  Cp.  P.B.V.,  which  how- 
ever, in  opposition  to  the  Hebrew  accents,  connects  the  words  with  the 
following  clause,  'That  thou  mayest  take  the  matter  into  thine  hand: 
the  poor  &c.' 

the  poor]    The  helpless  {vv.  8,  10)  abandons  (such  is  the  literal  sense 


S6  PSALM   X.  15,  16 

Thou  art  the  helper  of  the  fatherless. 

15  (^)  Break  thou  the  arm  of  the  wicked  and  the  evil  man ; 
Seek  out  his  wickedness  ////  thou  find  none. 

16  The  Lord  zs  King  for  ever  and  ever : 
The  heathen  are  perished  out  of  his  land. 

of  the  word)  himself  and  his  cause  to  God,  Who  will  never  abandon 
him  (ix.  ro). 

//lou  art']  Rather  as  R.V.,  thou  hast  been.  It  is  an  appeal  to 
experience.  The  'fatherless'  (or  'orphan')  is  mentioned  as  a  typical 
example  of  the  friendless  and  unprotected,  who  are  under  God's  special 
guardianship.  Cp.  the  primitive  law  of  Ex.  xxii.  22  ff.,  reechoed  in  the 
latest  utterance  of  prophecy,  Mai.  iii.  5. 

15,  16.  Stanza  of  Shhi.  Prayer  for  the  extermination  of  evil,  based 
on  the  facts  of  faith  and  history. 

15.  Break  ^LC.]  Paralyse  his  power  to  do  mischief.  Cp.  xxxvii.  17; 
Job  xxxviii.  15. 

of  the  wicked  and  the  evil  man]  So  the  ancient  versions,  taking  the 
most  obvious  division  of  the  words.  R.V.  follows  the  accentuation  of 
the  Hebrew  text  in  rendering,  and  as  for  the  evil  man,  seek  out  &c. 

seek  out  iS:c.]  Lit.  when  thou  rcquirest  his  wickedness,  thou  shalt  not 
find.  The  word  is  the  same  as  that  used  in  ix.  12  and  in  vv,  4,  13. 
The  Psalmist  looks  forward  to  a  time  when  the  wicked  will  be  power- 
less to  do  harm.  When  God  '  makes  inquisition'  and  holds  His  assize, 
He  will  find  no  crime  to  punish,  cp.  xvii.  3.  There  may  be  an  allusion 
to  the  proverbial  phrase  'to  seek  and  not  find,'  used  in  reference  to 
what  has  utterly  disappeared  (xxxvii.  36),  but  a  special  word  for  'seek' 
is  chosen  for  the  sake  of  the  allusion  indicated. 

16.  The  second  clause  has  been  variously  explained  to  refer  (i)  to 
the  past,  or  (2)  to  the  future  (prophetic  perfect).  If  (i)  it  refers  to  the 
past,  the  Psalmist  finds  the  guarantee  for  the  fulfilment  of  his  prayers 
and  hopes  in  the  extermination  of  the  Canaanites,  or,  it  may  be,  in  the 
repulse  of  'the  nations'  referred  to  in  ix.  5,  6,  15  ff.  As  the  nations 
have  been  driven  out  before  God's  people,  so  the  wicked  must  ultimately 
give  place  to  the  godly,  and  Jehovah's  land  will  become  in  fact  what  it 
is  in  name,  the  Holy  Land.  Cp.  the  frequent  warnings  to  Israel  that 
the  fate  of  the  Canaanites  might  be  theirs  (Deut.  viii.  19,  20,  &c.).  If 
(2)  the  clause  refers  to  the  future,  it  is  a  confident  anticipation  (expressed 
as  though  it  were  already  realised)  of  the  ultimate  destruction  of  the 
foreign  oppressors  of  Israel,  including,  it  may  be  supposed,  all  the  god- 
less of  whom  they  are  typical. 

The  first  explanation  suits  the  context  best.  The  complaint  and 
prayer  of  the  psalm  are  directed  against  wicked  oppressors  within  the 
nation  of  Israel,  not  against  foreign  enemies.  An  anticipation  of  the 
destruction  of  such  external  enemies  is  foreign  to  the  line  of  thought. 
But  an  appeal  to  history  as  the  ground  of  hope  for  the  future  is  quite  in 
place. 

his  land]     Cp.  Lev.  xxv.  23;  Joel  ii.  18. 


PSALM   X.  17,  18.  57 


(n)  Lord,  thou  hast  heard  the  desire  of  the  humble :  17 

Thou  wilt  prepare  their  heart,  thou  wilt  cause  thine  ear  to 

hear : 
To  judge  the  fatherless  and  the  oppressed,  18 

That  the  man  of  the  earth  may  no  more  oppress. 

17,  18.  Stanza  of  Tav.  God  has  'seen'  {v.  14);  He  hasalso  'heard'; 
the  prayer  of  faith  cannot  remain  unanswered. 

17.  *  The  desire  of  the  meek '  is  contrasted  with  '  the  desire  of  the 
wicked'  (z/.  3),  which  in  spite  of  his  boasting  is  doomed  to  end  in  dis- 
appointment (cxii.  10). 

The  second  half  of  the  verse  may  be  taken  as  an  explanatory  paren- 
thesis :  thou  didst  prepare  (or  direct)  their  heart  to  pray  (i  Sam.  vii.  3), 
thou  didst  cause  thine  ear  to  attend:  or  as  expressing  the  further  antici- 
pation, thou  wilt  establish  [encoui'age,  comfort)  their  heart:  thou 
ivilt  &c. 

18.  So  justice  will  be  done  to  the  orphan  ^.  14)  and  the  down- 
trodden (ix.  9) ;  that  mortal  man  wMch  is  of  the  earth  may  be  ter- 
rible no  more :  may  no  more  insolently  defy  God,  and  do  violence  to 
men.     Cp.  ix.  19,  20;  xxxvii.  35,  note. 


PSALM  XL 

The  Psalmist's  situation  is  desperate.  His  life  is  in  peril.  Faint- 
hearted friends  counsel  flight.  Wickedness  is  in  the  ascendant  and 
irresistible.  Indignantly  he  repudiates  their  suggestion.  Jehovah  is 
his  protector.  It  would  be  the  act  of  unbelief  as  well  as  cowardice  to 
seek  any  other  refuge.  Triumphantly  he  proclaims  his  faith  that  Jeho- 
vah is  the  righteous  Governor  of  the  world,  Who  will  destroy  the  wicked 
and  welcome  the  righteous  into  His  Presence. 

The  points  of  connexion  between  this  Psalm  and  Pss.  v,  vii,  x,  xvii, 
should  be  studied.  If  they  are  David's,  so  may  this  be.  It  is  strikingly 
appropriate  to  the  circumstances  of  his  life  at  the  court  of  Saul,  and 
to  this  period  it  should  be  referred,  rather  than  to  the  time  when  Absa- 
lom's conspiracy  was  hatching.  David  was  in  a  position  of  responsi- 
bility (i  Sam.  xviii.  13,  16,  30)  which  he  could  not  abandon  without 
clear  indication  that  it  was  his  duty  to  do  so;  the  jealousy  of  the  mad 
king  grew  daily,  until  at  last  he  plainly  expressed  his  wish  to  be  rid  of 
David  (r  Sam.  xix.  i).  Doubtless  many  of  his  rivals  at  the  court  were 
ready  enough  to  take  his  life;  but  so  popular  a  leader  could  not  be 
openly  murdered.  They  must  wait  for  an  opportunity  of  despatching 
him  secretly.  Meanwhile  his  friends  advised  him  to  secure  his  safety 
by  flight,  and  argued  that  it  was  hopeless  to  continue  an  unequal 
struggle,  when  right  was  subverted  by  the  action  of  the  central  autho- 
rity of  the  state.  But  the  time  for  flight  had  not  come,  and  conscious 
of  his  rectitude,  David  resolves  to  face  the  danger  in  confident  assurance 
that  Jehovah  will  protect  him. 


58  PSALM  XL  1—3. 


The  Psalm  consists  of  two  equal  stanzas  of  three  verses  each,  with  a 
concluding  verse. 

i.      The  suggestions  of  faint-hearted  friends  (i — 3). 
ii.     The  true  ground  of  confidence  (4 — 6). 
iii.    The  outlook  of  faith  (7). 

To  the  chief  Musician,  A  Psalm  of  David. 

11  In  the  Lord  put  I  my  trust : 
How  say  ye  to  my  soul, 
Flee  as  a  bird  to  your  mountain  ? 

2  For  lo,  the  wicked  bend  their  bow, 

They  make  ready  their  arrow  upon  the  string, 
That  they  may  privily  shoot  at  the  upright  in  heart. 

3  If  the  foundations  be  destroyed, 
What  can  the  righteous  do  ? 

I — 3.  Faith's  indignant  repudiation  of  faint-hearted  counsel  in  the 
hour  of  danger. 

1.  put  I  my  triisi]  Rather,  have  I  taken  refuge  (cp.  vii.  1) :  and 
therefore  it  would  be  an  act  of  unbelief  as  well  as  cowardice  to  seek 
another  asylum  in  the  mountain. 

to  my  soul]  To  me,  as  one  whose  very  life  is  in  danger.  Cp.  iii.  2, 
note. 

Flee  as  a  dird]  Or,  as  R.V.  marg.,  Jlee  ye  birds.  David  and  his 
companions  are  addressed,  and  exhorted  to  flee  to  their  obvious  or  ac- 
customed place  of  refuge  in  the  mountain.  But  the  pronoun  j<?z^r  should 
probably  be  omitted.  See  Note  iii,  p.  222.  Timorous  and  defenceless 
birds  supply  a  graphic  figure  for  the  victims  of  persecution  who  have 
no  resource  but  flight.  Cp.  i  Sam.  xxvi.  20 ;  Lam.  iii.  52.  The  'moun- 
tain' or  'hill-country'  with  its  caves  and  strongholds  was  the  natural 
place  of  retreat  for  fugitives.  See  i  Sam.  xiv.  22;  xxiii.  14;  xxvi.  i; 
I  Mace.  ii.  28.  Possibly  'to  flee  to  the  mountain'  may  have  been  a 
proverbial  phrase,  taken  from  the  narrative  of  Gen.  xix.  17  ff.,  for  the 
last  resource  in  extremity  of  peril. 

2.  The  words  of  the  faint-hearted  friends  continued.  They  justify 
their  advice  by  pointing  to  the  treacherous  intentions  of  remorseless 
enemies.  Similar  language  is  used  figuratively  of  slander  in  Ixiv.  3,  4 ; 
Jer.  ix.  3 ;  but  here  it  may  be  taken  literally  of  intent  to  murder.  Cp. 
I  Sam.  xix.  i  ff".     For  the  language  cp.  vii.  12,  10. 

privily']     Lit.  as  R.V.,  in  darkness.     LXX,  in  a  moonless  night. 

3.  The  state,  or  society,  is  compared  to  a  building.  The  founda- 
tions upon  which  it  rests  (or  the  pillars  which  support  it)  are  the  fun- 
damental principles  of  law  and  order  and  justice.  The  figure  sometimes 
denotes  nobles,  or  chief  men,  as  in  Is.  xix.  10  (R.V.),  but  the  more 
general  explanation  is  preferable  here.  Cp.  Ixxv.  3 ;  Ixxxii.  5 ;  Ezek. 
XXX.  4.  When  these  principles  are  being  subverted,  'what,'  asks  the 
voice  of  despair,  'can  the  righteous  do?'  and  the  form  of  the  question 


PSALM   XL  4,  5.  59 


The  Lord  is  in  his  holy  temple, 

The  Lord's  throne  is  in  heaven  : 

His  eyes  behold, 

His  eyelids  try,  the  children  of  men. 

The  Lord  trieth  the  righteous  : 

But  the  wicked  and  him  that  loveth  violence  his  soul  hateth. 


in  the  original  seems  to  be  intended  to  exclude  the  possibility  of  an  en- 
couraging answer. 

But  the  verse  should  probably  be  rendered  (cp.  R.V.  marg.),  For  the 
foundations  are  being  overthrown ;  what  hath  the  righteous  wrought? 
The  efforts  of  the  righteous  have  availed  nothing  to  avert  the  general 
anarchy.  What  then,  it  is  implied,  can  he  hope  to  effect  by  remaining 
in  the  midst  of  it  at  the  peril  of  his  life  ? 

4 — 6.  David's  answer,  justifying  his  rejection  of  his  friends'  advice. 
They  look  to  earth  alone ;  he  looks  up  to  heaven.  They  judge  by  the 
appearance  of  the  moment;  his  faith  beholds  the  righteous  Governor  of 
the  world  exercising  His  sovereignty.  On  earth  justice  may  be  sus- 
pended or  subverted;  but  the  Eternal  Judge  has  not  quitted  His  throne 
in  heaven. 

4.  More  exactly: 

Jehovah  in  his  holy  temple,  Jehovah,  whose  throne  is  in  heaven, 
His  eyes  behold  &c. 

The  last  clause  is  the  predicate  on  which  the  emphasis  falls.  The 
temple  is  here  heaven,  as  in  xviii.  6;  xxix.  9;  Mic.  i.  2;  Hab.  ii.  20. 
There  Jehovah  sits  enthroned  in  Majesty  as  King  and  Judge  (ix.  4,  7), 
surveying  the  course  of  human  affairs.  Cp.  x.  14;  xiv.  2;  cii.  19  ff. 
The  epithet  'holy'  emphasises  the  contrast  with  earth.  The  confusions 
and  mistakes  and  prejudices  of  earth  cannot  enter  there. 

behold^  The  Heb.  word  suggests  the  idea  of  a  disceming,  penetrating 
gaze.  The  P.B.V. ,  His  eyes  consider  the  poor,  is  derived  through  the 
Vulg.  from  the  LXX^. 

his  eyelids  try]  The  eyelids  are  contracted  when  we  wish  to  examine 
an  object  closely.  'Try'  is  a  metaphor  from  refining.  He  distin- 
guishes at  a  glance  betw^een  dross  and  gold.     Cp.  vii.  9. 

5.  Each  half  of  the  verse  is  to  be  completed  from  the  other.  God 
proves  and  approves  the  righteous:  He  proves  and  rejects  the  wicked. 

trieth]  Alloweth  in  P.B.V.  means  'approveth  after  trial.'  Cp.  Rom. 
xiv.  22  ;   I  Thess.  ii.  4. 

his  soul  hateth]  Cp.  Is.  i.  14.  God's  soul  is  a  bold  expression  for 
His  innermost,  essential  nature,  which  cannot  do  otherwise  than  hate 
evil,  and  of  necessity  also  the  evil  man,  in  so  far  as  he  surrenders  him- 
self to  'love  violence,'  deliberately  choosing  evil  for  his  good.  Cp. 
Mic.  iii.  2  J  Rom.  i,  32. 

*  The  consonants  of  the  word  iox  poor  ('•jy)  resemble  those  of  the  word  for  his  eyes 
(1^D''V).  and  this  word  appears  to  have  been  doubly  read  and  translated  by  the  LXX. 


6o  PSALM   XL  6,  7. 


6  Upon  the  wicked  he  shall  rain  snares,  fire  and  brimstone, 
And  a  horrible  tempest :  this  shall  be  the  portion  of  their  cup. 

7  For  the  righteous  Lord  loveth  righteousness ; 
His  countenance  doth  behold  the  upright. 

6.  Literally : 

Let  him  rain  snares  upon  the  wicked ! 

Fire  and  brimstone  and  scorching  blast  be  the  portion  of  their 
cup ! 

A  wish  takes  the  place  of  the  simple  statement  (Jic  shall  rain)  which 
might  have  been  expected.  Cp.  xii.  3.  May  the  wicked  meet  the  fate 
of  Sodom,  so  often  alluded  to  as  the  typical  example  of  signal  judgment 
upon  gross  and  defiant  sin.  The  language  is  borrowed  from  Gen.  xix. 
24.  Cp.  Deut.  xxix.  23  ;  Ezek.  xxxviii.  22.  The  'snares'  are  to  entangle 
them  so  that  they  cannot  escape  from  the  fire  which  consumes,  and 
the  fatal  simoom  which  suffocates.  But  possibly  we  should  follow 
the  version  of  Symmachus  in  reading  coals  of  fire  for  snares.  So 
Cheyne  and  others.  Cp.  xviii.  12;  and  cxl.  10  (a  psalm  containing 
other  allusions  to  this  psalm). 

7.  For  Jehovah  is  righteous;  he  loveth  righteous  deeds; 
The  upright  shall  behold  his  face. 

The  character  of  Jehovah  is  the  ground  of  the  judgment  which  has 
been  described;  and  the  reward  of  the  upright  is  contrasted  with  the 
punishment  of  the  wicked. 

Righteous  deeds  may  denote  the  manifestations  of  Jehovah's  righteous- 
ness ( Jud.  v.  1 1 ;  I  Sam.  xii.  7),  as  well  as  the  righteous  acts  of  men 
(Is.  xxxiii.  15) ;  but  the  context  points  to  the  latter  meaning  here. 

The  A.V.  rendering  of  the  second  line  gives  a  good  sense: — He 
beholds  the  upright  with  favour.  The  P.B.V.  follows  the  ancient  ver- 
sions in  its  rendering,  'will  behold  the  thing  that  is  just:  But  usage 
and  parallel  passages  are  decisive  in  favour  of  the  rendering  of  R.V. 
given  above.  The  wicked  are  banished  and  destroyed  ;  but  the  upright 
are  admitted  to  the  presence  of  Jehovah,  as  trusted  courtiers  to  the 
presence  of  their  sovereign  (cp.  v.  4,  5;  xv.  i ;  xvii.  15  ;  cxl.  13) ;  they 
gaze  upon  that  Face  which  is  the  source  of  light  and  joy  and  salvation 
(iv.  6;  xvi.  n;  xliv.  3).  It  is  one  of  the  'golden  sayings'  of  the 
Psalter,  'fulfilled'  in  the  revelation  of  the  Gospel.  See  Matt.  v.  8; 
I  John  iii.  2 ;  Rev.  xxii.  4. 

PSALM  XII. 

A  prayer  for  help  in  an  age  of  apparently  universal  hypocrisy, 
dissimulation,  and  untrustworthiness.  The  title  assigns  it  to  David, 
who  might  have  written  it  while  he  was  at  the  court  of  Saul,  or  during 
his  outlaw  life.  Men  like  Doeg  were  in  positions  of  authority.  Un- 
scrupulous enemies  were  poisoning  Saul's  mind  against  him  (i  Sam. 
xxvi.  19).  The  ungrateful  citizens  of  Keilah  were  ready  to  betray 
their  deliverer  (r  Sam.  xxiii.  11).  The  Ziphites  deliberately  meditated 
treachery  (i  Sam.  xxiii.  19  ff.). 


PSALM   XII.  I,  2.  6i 


The  situation  of  the  writer  resembles  that  described  in  Ps.  v.  {vv. 
5,  6,  9,  lo);  V.  5  should  be  compared  with  ix.  i8  and  x.  5;  'I  will 
arise'  {v.  5)  is  the  answer  to  the  prayer  of  iii.  7,  vii.  6,  ix.  19,  x.  12. 

But  the  language  is  general,  and  the  Psalm  might  belong  to  almost 
any  age.  Similar  complaints  are  found  in  Hosea,  Isaiah,  Micah, 
Jeremiah.  In  every  period  of  the  Church's  history  there  have  been 
godly  men  who,  separated  from  friends  and  persecuted  by  enemies, 
have  been  tempted  to  say  with  Elijah,  "I,  even  I  only,  am  left;  and 
they  seek  my  life  to  take  it  away." 

In  this  psalm  prophecy  and  psalmody  meet.  The  Psalmist  speaks 
to  God,  and  God  answers  through  the  Psalmist  [v.  5).  It  is  no  doubt 
possible  that  he  is  quoting  some  prophetic  utterance  (cp.  Ixxxix.  19  ff.), 
but  there  is  no  need  of  the  supposition.  He  can  himself  hear  God 
speak,  and  deliver  His  word  as  an  authoritative  message.  Cp.  ii.  6, 
7  ff.,  1.  I  ff.,  Ix.  6  ff.,  Ixxxi.  6  ff.,  Ixxxii.  2  ff.,  xci.  14  ff. 

The  Psalm  falls  into  two  equal  divisions,  each  consisting  of  two 
equal  stanzas. 

i.  Prayer  for  help  amid  prevailing  faithlessness  (i,  2).  O  that 
insolent  braggarts  might  be  exterminated  !  (3,  4). 

ii.  Jehovah's  promise  of  help;  its  purity  and  preciousness  (5,  6). 
The  Psalmist's  confidence  in  the  divine  guardianship  in  the  midst  of 
unrestrained  wickedness  (7,  8). 

To  the  chief  Musician  upon  Sheminith,  A  Psalm  of  David. 

Help,  Lord  ;  for  the  godly  i?ian  ceaseth  ;  12 

For  the  faithful  fail  from  among  the  children  of  men. 
They  speak  vanity  every  one  with  his  neighbour :  2 

With  flattering  lips  and  with  a  double  heart  do  they  speak. 

On  the  title,  For  the  Chief  Musician,  set  to  the  Sheminith  (R.V.), 
see  Introd.  pp.  xix,  xxiii. 

1,  2.     A  cry  for  help  in  the  midst  of  prevailing  faithlessness. 

1.  Help]  Render  save,  as  in  iii.  7,  vi.  4,  vii.  i,  and  elsewhere; 
and  note  the  connexion  with  in  safety,  v.  5. 

for  the  godly  man  ceaseth  &c.]  Godly,  or  kindly,  men  are  no  more  : 
the  faithful  fail  (or  as  R.V.  mdiXg.,  faithfulness  faileth)  from  among  the 
sons  of  men.  Mercy  and  truth,  lovingkindness  and  trustworthiness, 
seem  to  have  become  extinct.  Similar  complaints  are  common  in  the 
prophets.  See  Hos.  iv.  i;  Mic.  vii.  2;  Is.  Ivii.  i,  lix.  14  ff. ;  Jer. 
V.  I  ff.,  vii.  28,  ix.  2  ff.  For  the  meaning  oi godly  see  note  on  iv.  3  and 
Additional  Note  i,  p.  221.  Here  it  means  'one  who  practises  loving- 
kindness  towards  his  fellow-men  as  a  religious  duty.' 

2.  Hypocrisy  and  duplicity  are  universal.  Men's  words  are  vanity, 
or  falsehood,  hollow  and  unreal.  Their  flatteries  come  from  '  a  double 
heart,'  lit.  a  heart  and  a  heart,  which  thinks  one  thing  and  utters 
another,  and  has  no  constancy  or  consistency,  but  thinks  one  thing  to- 
day and  another  thing  to-morrow.  Cp.  Prov.  xxvi.  24  ff.  For  the 
opposite  see  i  Ghr.  xii.  33,  38. 


62  PSALM   XII.  3—6. 

3  The  Lord  shall  cut  off  all  flattering  lips, 
Afid  the  tongue  that  speaketh  proud  things  : 

4  Who  have  said,  With  our  tongue  will  we  prevail ; 
Our  lips  are  our  own  :  who  is  lord  over  us  ? 

5  For  the  oppression  of  the  poor,  for  the  sighing  of  the  needy, 
Now  will  I  arise,  saith  the  Lord  ; 

I  will  set  him  in  safety /r^w  him  that  puffeth  at  him. 

6  The  words  of  the  Lord  are  pure  words  ; 

As  silver  tried  in  a  furnace  of  earth,  purified  seven  times. 

3,  4.  The  prayer  for  help  passes  into  a  prayer  for  the  excision 
of  these  false-hearted  braggarts.    Cp.  v.  lo. 

3.  Render:  May  Jehovah  cut  off  &c.     Cp.  xxxi.  17,  18. 

proud  things']     Lit.  as  R.  V.,  great  things;  further  defined  in  z'.  4. 

4.  IVho]  Namely,  the  owners  of  the  flattering  lips  and  boastful 
tongues.  'Our  tongue,'  they  say,  'tcv  ivill  make  viighty:  our  lips 
are  with  us,''  under  our  own  control,  at  command  as  faithful  allies; 
who  is  lord  over  tis?  No  one  can  call  us  to  account  for  our  use 
of  them  (x.  4).  Unscrupulous  courtiers  appear  to  be  meant,  who  de- 
liberately propose  to  obtain  their  own  ends  by  reckless  disregard  of 
truth,  e.g.  by  flatteiy,  slander,  false  witness,  and  the  like. 

6,  6.  The  Psalmist  hears  God's  answer,  and  affirms  its  trustworthi- 
ness. 

5.  Render :  Because  of  the  spoiling  of  the  poor,  because  of  the 
groaning  of  the  needy.     Cp.  Ex.  ii.  24. 

Nozo  will  I  arise  &c.]  Cp.  Is.  xxxiii.  10.  The  moment  for  action 
has  at  length  come. 

/  7vill  set  him  &c.]  An  obscure  clause.  Either  (i)  as  R.V.,  I  will 
set  him  in  safety  at  whom  they  puff.  Cp.  x.  5.  The  despised  victim 
will  be  put  beyond  the  reach  of  his  tormentors.  Or  (2)  as  R.V.  marg., 
I  will  set  him  in  the  safety  he  panteth  for.  Or  perhaps  (3)  /  will  set 
him  in  safety  when  they patit for  him ;  i.e.  pursue  him  like  wild  beasts 
with  gaping  jaws  ready  to  devour  him.     Cp.  Ivi.  1,2;  Am.  viii.  4. 

6.  A  general  truth  with  direct  application  to  the  promise  of  the 
preceding  verse.  In  Jehovah's  words  there  is  no  dross  of  flatter}' 
or  insincerity  or  falsehood.  Unlike  the  words  of  men,  they  are  wholly 
to  be  relied  on. 

as  silver  tried]  Omit  as.  Silver  is  a  natural  emblem  of  purity  and 
preciousness.  The  metaphor  underlies  the  language  of  xviii.  30,  cxix. 
140,  Pro  v.  xxx.  5. 

in  a  furnace  of  earth]  The  precise  meaning  is  doubtful.  Either 
(i)  in  a  furnace  on  the  earth  (R.V.),  i.e.  a  furnace  built  on  the 
ground,  the  point  of  which  is  not  obvious:  or  {2)  silver  refined  in  a 
furnace  {flowing  down)  to  the  earth  may  be  meant  to  picture  the 
bright  stream  of  pure  metal  flowing  from  the  furnace,  shewing  that  the 
process  of  refining  has  done  its  work. 


PSALM    XII.  7,  8.  63 


Thou  shalt  keep  them,  O  Lord, 

Thou  shalt  preserve  them  from  this  generation  for  ever. 

The  wicked  walk  on  every  side, 

When  the  vilest  men  are  exalted. 

purified  sez'en  times]  Again  and  again  till  no  trace  of  dross  is  left. 
Seven  is  the  number  of  completeness  and  perfection.  Cp.  Ixxix.  12; 
Prov.  vi.  31;  Is.  XXX.  26. 

7,  8.  Concluding  expression  of  confidence  in  Jehovah's  protection, 
which  is  sorely  needed  when  wickedness  prevails  unchecked. 

7.  More  exactly : 

Thou,  0  Jehovah,  wilt  preserve  them  (as  xvi.  i) ; 
Thou  wilt  guard  him  &c. 

The  first  Thou  is  emphatic :  them  refers  to  the  poor  and  needy  of 
V.  5 :  him  in  the  second  line  singles  out  each  one  of  the  victims  of 
persecution  as  the  object  of  divine  care.  Comp.  the  similar  change 
from  plur.  {poo?-  and  needy)  to  sing,  in  v.  5.  But  possibly  we  should 
follow  the  LXX  and  read  us,  instead  of  them  and  hi?n,  or  at  any  rate 
in  place  of  him. 

this  generatioti\  As  the  men  of  one  age  are  commonly  distinguished 
by  special  characteristics,  generation  acquires  an  ethical  significance, 
and  denotes  ki^id,  class,  in  good  or  bad  sense.  Comp.  xiv.  5 ;  Prov. 
xxx.  II — 14;  Matt.  xvii.  17. 

8.  Jehovah  will  preserve  the  righteous  ;  although  when  vileness  is 
exalted  among  the  sons  of  men,  when  worthless  or  profligate  men  are 
raised  to  positions  of  authority,  the  wicked  stalk  insolently  everywhere, 
unabashed  and  unrestrained.  Cp.  xi.  i — 3.  The  Psalmist  returns  to 
the  thought  of  the  prevailing  corruption,  from  which  he  started. 


PSALM   XIII. 

From  the  darkness  of  despair  {vv.  1,  2)  the  Psalmist  wins  his  way 
through  prayer  (3,  4)  to  a  joyous  hope  of  ultimate  deliverance  (5,  6). 

His  power  of  endurance  is  well-nigh  spent.  Jehovah  seems  to  have 
forgotten  or  forsaken  him.  His  own  resources  are  exhausted.  If 
Jehovah  does  not  come  to  his  help,  he  must  succumb,  and  his  enemies 
will  triumph.  But  past  reliance  on  Jehovah  has  not  been  vain ;  and 
he  ends  with  a  full  assurance  that  he  will  live  to  praise  Him  for 
renewed  deliverance. 

Such  may  have  been  David's  feelings  when  he  had  been  for  .some 
time  a  hunted  fugitive  (i  Sam.  xxvii.  i).  The  language  is  general, 
but  one  foe  in  particular  stands  out  {vv.  2,  4)  above  the  rest  of  his 
'adversaries'  as  specially  powerful  and  relentless  (i  Sam.  xviii.  29, 
xxiv.  4,  xxvi.  8).  If  the  Psalm  is  David's,  it  belongs  to  a  somewhat 
later  time  than  Ps.  vii. 


64  PSALM   XIII.  1—4. 

To  the  chief  Musician,  A  Psalm  of  David. 

13  How  long  wilt  thou  forget  me>  O  Lord  ?  for  ever  ? 
How  long  wilt  thou  hide  thy  face  from  me  ? 

2  How  long  shall  I  take  counsel  in  my  soul, 
Having  sorrow  in  my  heart  daily  ? 

How  long  shall  mine  enemy  be  exalted  over  me  ? 

3  Consider  aiid  hear  me,  O  Lord  my  God  : 
Lighten  mine  eyes,  lest  I  sleep  the  sleep  ^  death ; 

4  Lest  mine  enemy  say,  I  have  prevailed  against  him ; 
A7id  those  that  trouble  me  rejoice  when  I  am  moved. 

1,  2.     A  reproachful  expostulation  in  the  hour  of  despair. 

1.  How  long-,  0  Lord,  wilt  thou  forget  me  for  ever?  (R.V.) 

Feeling,  not  logic,  shapes  the  sentence,  combining  two  questions  into 
a  self-contradictory  expression.  He  is  tempted  to  deny  faith's  con- 
fession (ix.  18),  and  assent  to  the  sneer  of  the  godless  (x.  11).  He  is 
ready  to  ask,  'Wilt  thou  forget  me  for  ever?'  but  he  thrusts  the  thought 
away  with  'How  long?'  which  implies  a  termination.  In  the  words  of 
Luther,  'hope  despairs  and  yet  despair  hopes.'  Cp.  Ixxix.  5,  Ixxxix.  46. 
wilt  thou  hide  thy  face]  In  anger  or  indifference.  Cp.  x.  i,  1 1  j  and 
contrast  iv.  6,  xi,  7, 

2.  Lit.  How  long  shall  I  set  counsels  in  my  soul?  devising  one 
plan  after  another  in  vain. 

daily]  The  Heb.  word  means  by  day  in  contrast  to  by  night  (xxii,  2). 
We  must  either  supply  by  night  in  the  preceding  line  (it  is  added 
in  some  MSS.  of  the  LXX):  at  night  he  revolves  his  plans,  in  the  day 
his  sorrow  returns  with  crushing  force  as  he  realises  their  futility: — or 
with  R.V.  render  all  the  day,  which  however  is  hardly  justified  by 
usage.  But  an  easy  emendation  gives  the  sense  daily,  which  seems  to 
be  required  by  the  context. 

be  exalted]     Be  in  authority  and  have  the  upper  hand.     Cp.  xii.  8. 

3.  4.     A  prayer,  in  calmer  tone. 

3.  Behold  (x.  14),  instead  of  hiding  Thy  face,  answer  me  (iii.  4) 
instead  of  forgetting  my  need. 

Lighten  mine  eyes]  Revive  and  quicken  me.  The  eyes  are  the 
index  of  vital  energy.  They  'waste  away,'  they  lose  their  light,  they 
'are  darkened,'  by  sickness  or  sorrow  (vi.  7,  xxxviii.  10;  Lam.  v.  17). 
They  are  'enlightened'  when  strength  and  spirits  are  restored  (i  Sam. 
xiv.  27,  29;  Ezr.  ix.  8).  It  is  the  light  of  God's  face,  the  illumination 
of  His  love  and  favour,  which  is  the  source  of  life  (iv.  6;  xxxi.  16; 
xxxvi.  9). 

4.  and  those  &c.]  R.V.,  Lest  mine  adversaries  rejoice  when  I  am 
moved.  Cp.  xxxviii.  16.  And  by  their  triumph,  as  the  emphatic 
contrast  of  the  following  verse  implies,  the  honour  of  God  Whom  he 
trusts  will  suffer. 


PSALM    XIIL  5,  6.     XIV.  65 

But  I  have  trusted  in  thy  mercy ;  5 

My  heart  shall  rejoice  in  thy  salvation. 

I  will  sing  unto  the  Lord,  because  he  hath  dealt  bountifully  6 
with  me. 

6,  6.     The  joy  of  deliverance. 

6.     More  exactly: 

But  as  for  me,  in  thy  lovingMndness  do  I  trust.     Cp.  v.  7. 

My  heart  shall  rejoice. ..Iwill sing\  Better :  let  my  heart  rejoice. .  .let 
me  sing.  Faith  has  triumphed.  He  can  look  forward  with  confidence. 
But  humility  transforms  his  resolution  to  give  thanks  into  a  prayer. 

Because  he  hath  dealt  bountifully  zvith  ?ue]  He  looks  back  from  the 
stand-point  of  deliverance  granted.  P.B.  V.  follows  the  LXX  in  adding 
from  vii.  17,  Vea,  I  will  praise  the  Name  of  the  Lord  most  Highest. 

PSALM  XIV. 

The  deep  and  universal  corruption  of  mankind  is  traced  to  its  source 
in  their  failure  to  seek  after  God  (i — 3).  This  corruption  is  illustrated 
by  the  cruel  treatment  to  which  *the  people  of  Jehovah'  have  been 
subjected  (4).  But  He  proves  Himself  their  defender  (5,  6) ;  and  the 
Psalm  concludes  with  a  prayer  that  He  will  gladden  Israel  with  a  full 
deliverance  (7). 

It  is  commonly  supposed  that  the  Psalmist  is  describing  the  depravity 
of  his  own  age  and  his  own  country.  But  at  least  in  vv.  i — 3  it  is  of 
mankind  at  large  {the  sons  of  men,  v.  2)  that  he  is  speaking.  Plis  words 
recall  the  great  examples  of  corruption  in  the  primeval  world;  in  the 
days  before  the  Flood,  at  Babel,  in  Sodom. 

The  reference  of  w.  4 — 6  is  less  clear.  It  depends  on  the  meaning 
assigned  to  'my  people'  in  v.  4.  (i)  'My  people'  may  mean  the  faith- 
ful few  in  Israel,  the  godly  poor,  who  were  devoured  by  heartless  oppres- 
sors. In  this  case  w.  5,  6  must  refer  to  the  future,  prophetically  anti- 
cipating the  judgment  which  will  overtake  these  godless  tyrants.  (2)  If 
however  *my  people'  means  the  nation  of  Israel,  vv.  4 — 6  must  refer 
either  to  some  present  oppression  by  foreign  enemies  and  their  antici- 
pated discomfiture;  or  to  a  typical  example  of  oppression  and  deliver- 
ance in  the  past,  such  as  that  of  Israel  in  Egypt.  If  we  are  right  in 
supposing  that  w.  i — 3  refer  to  the  primitive  history  of  mankind,  the 
latter  interpretation  seems  preferable.  The  Psalmist  naturally  passes  on 
to  the  oppression  of  Israel  in  Egypt  as  the  next  great  instance  of  defiant 
antagonism  to  Jehovah.  Vv.  5,  6  are  then  to  be  explained  as  a 
historical  allusion  to  the  destruction  of  the  Egyptians  at  the  Red  Sea: 
and  the  memory  of  that  great  national  deliverance  leads  up  to  the 
concluding  prayer  oiv.  7. 

The  Psalm  recurs  in  Book  ii  as  Ps.  liii,  with  some  variations.  Elo- 
him  (God)  is  substituted  for  Jehovah  (Lord)  in  accordance  with  the 
general  practice  of  the  editor  of  that  book  (see  Introd.  p.  xlf.):  and  v.  5 
difiers  widely  from  xiv.  5,  6.  Is  this  difference  due  to  corruption  of 
text  or  intentional  change?    The  curious  similarity  of  the  letters  is  in 

PSALMS  C 


66  PSALM   XIV.  I. 


favour  of  the  view  that  the  text  of  liii.  5  is  a  restoration  of  characters 
which  had  become  partially  obliterated :  but  it  is  equally  possible  that 
the  editor  of  the  collection  intentionally  altered  the  text  in  order  to 
introduce  a  fresh  historical  reference,  probably  to  the  overthrow  of  Sen- 
nacherib. 

The  structure  of  the  Psalm  resembles  that  of  Ps.  xi:  two  equal  stanzas 
of  three  verses  each,  with  a  concluding  verse. 

The  title  of  Ps.  liii  runs  "For  the  Chief  Musician;  set  to  Mahalath. 
Maschil  of  David."  Mahalath  (cp.  title  of  Ps.  Ixxxviii)  may  mean 
sickness,  and  is  best  explained  as  the  initial  word  of  some  well-known 
song,  to  the  melody  of  which  the  Psalm  was  set;  rather  than  as  de- 
noting a  mournful  style  of  music,  or  some  kind  of  instrument.  On 
Maschil  see  Introd.  p.  xviii. 


To  the  chief  Musician,  A  Psalm  of  David. 

14  The  fool  hath  said  in  his  heart,  T/iere  is  no  God. 
They  are  corrupt,  they  have  done  abominable  works, 
There  is  none  that  doeth  good. 

1 — 3.     The  universal  depravity  of  mankind,  and  its  cause. 

1.  The  fool]  A  class  of  men,  not  a  particular  individual.  The  word 
ndbdl  here  used  {or  fool  denotes  moral  perversity,  not  mere  ignorance  or 
weakness  of  reason.  'Folly'  is  the  opposite  of  'wisdom'  in  its  highest 
sense.  It  may  be  predicated  of  forgetfulness  of  God  or  impious  opposition 
to  His  will  (Deut.  xxxii.  6,  21 ;  Job  ii.  10;  xlii.  8;  Ps.  Ixxiv.  18,  22):  of 
gross  offences  against  morality  (2  Sam.  xiii.  12,  13):  of  sacrilege  (Josh, 
vii.  15):  of  ungenerous  churlishness  (i  Sam.  xxv.  25).  For  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  'fool'  in  his  'folly'  see  Is.  xxxii.  5,  6  (A.V.  vile  person, 
villainy). 

hath  said  in  his  hearl\  It  is  his  deliberate  conclusion,  upon  which  he 
acts.     Cp.  X.  6,  ir,  13. 

There  is  no  God]  Cp.  x.  4.  This  is  hardly  to  be  understood  of  a 
speculative  denial  of  the  existence  of  God;  but  rather  of  a  practical 
disbelief  in  His  moral  government.  Cp.  Ixxiii.  11 ;  Jer.  v.  12;  Zeph.  i. 
12;  Rom.  i.  28  ff. 

They  are  corrupt  &c.]  More  emphatically  the  original:  They  cor- 
rupted their  doings,  they  made  them  abominable,  there  was  none 
doing  good.  Mankind  in  general  are  the  subject  of  the  sentence. 
Abandoning  belief  in  God,  they  depraved  their  nature,  and  gave  them- 
selves up  to  practices  which  God  'abhors'  (v.  6).  'Corrupted '  describes 
the  self-degradation  of  their  better  nature;  'made  abominable'  the 
character  of  their  conduct  in  the  sight  of  God.  Such  was  the  condition 
of  the  world  before  the  Flood.  See  Gen.  vi.  11,  12;  and  with  the  last 
line  of  this  verse,  cp.  Gen.  vi.  5.  P.B.V.  follows  LXX  and  Vulg.  in 
adding  no  not  one  as  in  v.  5.  For  doitigs  Ps.  liii  has  iniquity: — 'they 
did  abominable  iniquity.' 

2.  For  a  while  Jehovah  as  it  were  overlooked  the  growing  corruption. 
At  length  He  'looked  down'  (xxxiii.  13,   14).     So  in  the  yet  simpler 


PSALM    XIV.  2—4.  67 


The  Lord  looked  down  from  heaven  upon  the  children  of  2 

men, 
To  see  if  there  were  any  that    did   understand,   and 

seek  God. 
They  are  all  gone  aside,  they  are  all  together  be-  3 

come  filthy : 
There  is  none  that  doeth  good,  no,  not  one. 
Have  all  the  workers  of  iniquity  no  knowledge?  4 

language  of  the  Pentateuch  He  is  said  to  have  'come  down  to  see'  the 
wickedness  of  Babel  and  Sodom  (Gen,  xi.  5 ;  xviii.  21 ;  and  note  the  use 
of  'look  down'  in  the  latter  narrative  though  in  a  different  connexion, 
xviii.  16).  Are  not  these  typical  examples  of  human  corruption  in  the 
Psalmist's  mind?  'Jehovah  looked  down... to  see  if  there  were  any  that 
did  understand  (or  deal  wisely^  R.V.  marg.,  for  the  verb  often  denotes 
right  action  as  well  as  right  purpose),  that  did  seek  God.'  Cp.  ix.  10. 
The  use  of  God,  not  Jehovah,  is  significant.  It  is  of  mankind  in  general, 
not  of  Israel,  that  the  Psalmist  is  speaking.  God  made  Himself  known 
through  the  voice  of  conscience,  and  in  the  works  of  creation,  but  men 
would  not  follow  the  light  of  conscience,  or  read  the  book  of  nature. 
See  Acts  xiv.  17;  xvii.  27;  Rom.  i.  igff. 

3.  The  result  of  the  investigation.  All  were  turned  aside  from  the 
path  of  right  (Ex.  xxxii.  8;  Judg,  ii.  17):  together  had  they  become 
tainted,  a  word  which  in  Arabic  means  to  go  bad  or  turn  sour,  but  in 
Hebr.  is  used  only  in  a  moral  sense,  here  and  in  Job  xv.  16. 

Three  verses  follow  here  in  the  P.B.V.  which  are  not  in  the 
Hebrew  text,  and  are  rightly  omitted  in  the  A.V.  The  first  three 
verses  of  the  Psalm  are  quoted  by  St  Paul  in  Rom.  iii.  10 — 12,  in 
proof  of  the  universal  depravity  of  mankind.  He  supplements  them 
by  further  quotations  from  Ps.  v.  g;  cxl.  3;  x.  7;  Is.  lix.  7,  8;  Ps. 
xxxvi.  I  :  and  this  cento  of  passages  was  at  an  early  date  interpolated 
in  the  LXX,  from  which  it  passed  to  the  Vulgate,  and  thence  to  the 
P.B.V.  The  addition  is  found  in  the  Vatican  and  Sinaitic  MSS.  (B  and 
X),  and  other  MSS.  which  represent  the  older  unrevised  text;  but  was 
rightly  obelized  by  Origen,  and  has  disappeared  from  the  Alexandrian 
MS.  (A)  and  the  mass  of  later  MSS. 

4 — 6.  The  corruption  of  men  exemplified  in  their  oppression  of 
Jehovah's  people.     Its  condign  punishment. 

4.  Jehovah  Himself  speaks.  The  first  clause  may  be  taken  as  in 
A.V.,  'Have  all  the  workers  of  iniquity  no  knowledge?'  Are  they  so 
ignorant  that  they  cannot  distinguish  between  right  and  wrong?  Cp. 
V.  1  and  Ixxxii.  5.  But  a  much  better  connexion  with  v.  5  is  gained  by 
rendering,  Were  not  all  the  workers  of  iniquity  made  to  kmnv?  (or,  fol- 
lowing the  ancient  versions  in  a  change  of  the  vocalisation,  shall  not... be 
made  to  knoio?)  i.e.  taught  by  sharp  experience  to  know  their  error. 
Then  v.  5  follows  as  the  answer  to  the  question.     'Yes,  indeed!  there 


6S  PSALM   XIV. 


Who  eat  up  my  people  as  they  eat  bread, 
And  call  not  upon  the  Lord. 

5  There  were  they  in  great  fear : 

For  God  is  in  the  generation  of  the  righteous. 

6  You  have  shamed  the  counsel  of  the  poor, 
Because  the  Lord  is  his  refuge. 

&c.'  For  this  pregnant  sense  of  knozv,  cp.  Hos.  ix.  7;  Judg.  viii.  16 
{taught,  lit.  made  to  kiicnv). 

•who  eat  up  tScc]  Lit.  eating  my  people  they  eat  bread.  The  A.V. 
follows  the  ancient  versions  in  understanding  this  to  mean,  '  they  devour 
my  people  as  naturally  as  they  take  their  daily  food.'  But  the  words 
seem  rather  to  mean,  'they  live  by  devouring  my  people.'  Cp.  Mic.  iii. 
I — 3;  Is.  iii.  14  f.     And  this  they  do  without  regard  to  Jehovah. 

But  who  are  meant  by  my  people  and  the  ivorkeis  of  iniqiiity'i  Pos- 
sibly the  godly  few  who  alone  deserve  the  name  of  Jehovah's  people 
(Micah  ii.  9;  iii.  3,  5  ;  and  often  in  the  prophets),  and  the  nobles  who 
oppress  them.  But  it  is  more  natural  to  explain  'my  people'  of  the 
nation  of  Israel;  and  in  this  case  'the  workers  of  iniquity'  must  be 
foreign  oppressors,  or,  if  we  assume  a  reference  to  past  history  as  in  vo. 
I — 3,  the  Egyptians.  In  favour  of  this  view  it  should  be  noted  that 
Israel  is  constantly  called  'my  people'  in  Ex.  iii — x;  and  the  last  clause 
of  the  verse  is  illustrated  by  Ex.  v.  2.     Cp.  also  Jer.  ii.  3. 

5.  This  verse  is  commonly  explained  to  refer  to  the  future,  the  per- 
fect tense  expi-essing  the  certain  assurance  of  the  Psalmist  that  judgment 
will  be  executed.  Cp.  xxxvi.  12.  But  it  is  more  natural  to  refer  it  to 
the  past.  'There'  points  emphatically  to  some  signal  instance  in  which 
panic  terror  and  overwhelming  calamity  overtook  'the  workers  of  ini- 
quity.' If  V.  4  may  be  understood  of  the  oppression  of  Israel  in  Egypt, 
V.  5  will  refer  to  the  overthrow  of  the  Egyptians  in  the  Red  Sea  (Ex.  xiv. 
24,  25).     Ps.  liii.  5  adds  7vhei-e  no  fear  was,  no  natural  cause  for  alarm. 

for  God  &c.]  Present  among  them  to  defend  them.  'The  genera- 
tion' (see  on  xii.  7)  'of  the  righteous'  is  synonymous  with  'my  people;' 
either  the  nation,  which  might  be  so  described  in  respect  of  its  calling, 
and  in  contrast  to  its  oppressors :  or  the  godly  part  of  it. 

6.  Yon  have  shamed}  R.V.,  Ye  put  to  shame.  You  deride  the  re- 
sort of  the  afflicted  to  Jehovah  as  mere  folly.  But  the  word  usually 
means  io  frustrate  or  confoimd:  and  the  line  maybe  explained,  'Would 
ye  frustrate  the  counsel  of  the  poor !  Nay !  for  Jehovah  '  &c.  Cp.  R.V. 
marg.,  which  gives  But  for  Because. 

the  poor']     Or,  afflicted.     Cp.  ix.  12  :  and  Ex.  iii.  7,  if;  iv.  31. 

In  Ps.  liii  the  equivalent  oivv.  5,  6  reads  thus: 
♦'  For  God  hath  scattered  the  bones  of  him  that  encampeth  against  thee; 

Thou  hast  put  them  to  shame,  because  God  hath  rejected  them." 

The  bones  of  Israel's  enemies  lie  bleaching  upon  the  field  of  battle, 
where  their  bodies  were  left  unburied  (Ezek.  vi.  5).  This  can  hardly 
be  an  anticipation  of  some  future  defeat.  It  must  rather  be  an  allusion 
to  some  historic  event ;  and  it  at  once  suggests  the  miraculous  annihila- 


PSALM    XIV.  7.     XV.  69 

O  that  the  salvation  of  Israel  7vere  come  out  of  Zion  ! 
When  the  Lord  bringeth  back  the  captivity  of  his  people, 
Jacob  shall  rejoice,  and  Israel  shall  be  glad. 

tiun  of  Sennacherib's  great  army.  The  text  appears  to  have  been 
altered  by  the  editor  of  Book  ii  to  introduce  a  reference  to  the  most 
famous  example  in  later  times  of  the  discomfiture  of  worldly  arrogance 
venturing  to  measure  its  strength  with  Jehovah.  With  this  reading  it  is 
clear  that  v.  4  must  refer  to  the  nation  and  its  enemies,  not  to  oppres- 
sors and  their  victims  within  the  nation. 

7.     Concluding  prayer  for  the  deliverance  of  Israel. 

out  of  Zmi\     The  dwelling-place  of  Jehovah.     See  note  on  iii.  4. 

When  the  Lord  bringeth  back  &c.]  Or,  as  R.V.  marg.,  when  the 
Lord  retm-neth  to  the  captivity  of  his  people.  At  first  sight  these  Avords 
appear  to  fix  the  date  of  the  Psalm  in  the  period  of  the  Exile  (cxxvi.  1). 
Nor  does  the  first  line  of  the  verse  exclude  such  a  view.  For  the 
exiled  turned  to  Zion  even  in  her  desolation  (Dan,  vi.  10;  i  Kings 
viii.  44),  and  from  thence  Jehovah  might  be  expected  to  restore 
His  people.  But  (i)  it  is  very  probable  that  the  phrase  rendered 
bring  back  the  captivity  means  rather  restore  the  fortunes.  This  mean- 
ing suits  all  the  passages  in  which  it  occurs,  while  turn  the  captivity 
does  not,  except  in  the  figurative  sense  of  restoring  prosperity.  See 
e.g.  Job  xlii.  10;  Ezek.  xvi.  53;  Zeph.  ii.  7.  And  (2)  even  if  turn 
the  captivity  is  the  true  meaning,  the  phrase  is  used  by  Amos  (ix.  14) 
and  Hosea  (vi.  11)  long  before  the  Babylonish  Captivity. 

V.  7  is  frequently  regarded  as  a  later  liturgical  addition ;  and  certainly 
it  does  not  cohere  very  closely  with  the  rest  of  the  Psalm.  But  some 
conclusion  is  needed.  The  Psalm  can  hardly  have  ended  abruptly 
with  V.  ^. 

Jacob  shall  rejoice,  &c.]  Properly  a  wish  or  prayer  (cp.  xiii.  5,  6): 
let  Jacob  rejoice,  and  Israel  be  glad. 


PSALM  XV. 

Who  is  worthy  to  be  a  citizen  of  Zion,  to  dwell  in  the  immediate 
presence  of  Jehovah,  to  enjoy  His  protection  and  blessing  {v.  i)?  The 
question  is  first  answered  in  general  terms  (;v.  1).  None  but  the  man 
of  integrity,  justice,  and  truthfulness.  Then,  in  vv.  3 — 5,  special 
instances  are  given,  illustrating  the  way  in  which  his  conduct  has  been 
governed  by  these  principles.  The  Psalm  concludes  with  a  promise  of 
blessing. 

The  fulfilment  of  man's  duty  to  his  neighbour  is  a  primary  condition 
of  fellowship  with  God.  It  is  in  this  that  his  'integrity'  (see  on  v.  2)  is 
tested  and  finds  expression.  Cp.  Matt.  xix.  i6fif. ;  Rom.  xiii.  8 — 10; 
I  John  iv.  20,  21 ;  and  the  Epistle  of  St  James  generally. 

The  Psalm  is  closely  related  to  Ps.  xxiv,  which  is  generally  thought 
to  have  been  written  for  the  translation  of  the  Ark  to  the  tent  which 
David  had  prepared  for  it  in  Zion  (2  Sam.  vi.  17),  and  it  may  belong  to 
the  same  period.     The  title  holy  mountain  is  no  objection  to  this  view. 


70  PSALM   XV.  I,  2. 


It  does  not  necessarily  imply  that  the  Ark  had  already  long  been  there. 
Zion  would  at  once  be  consecrated  by  Jehovah's  Presence.  And  such 
a  solemn  occasion  would  be  a  most  fitting  opportunity  for  inquiring 
what  kind  of  conduct  was  required  of  those  into  whose  midst  a  Holy 
God  had  come  or  was  about  to  come  (Lev.  xi.  44,  45). 

Compare  generally  xxiv.  3 — 5  ;  v.  4 — 7  ;  ci ;  Is.  xxxiii.  13 — 16. 

This  Psaim  is  fitly  appointed  as  one  of  the  Proper  Psalms  for 
Ascension  Day.  Christ  entered  into  the  Presence  of  God,  after  ful- 
filling all  its  requirements  in  a  perfect  human  life. 

A  Psalm  of  David. 

15  Lord,  who  shall  abide  in  thy  tabernacle  ? 
Who  shall  dwell  in  thy  holy  hill? 
2  He  that  walketh  uprightly,  and  worketh  righteousness, 

1.  More  exactly  : 

Jehovah,  who  shall  sojourn  in  thy  tent? 
Who  shall  dwell  in  thy  holy  mountain  ? 

Who  is  worthy  to  be  received  as  Jehovah's  guest,  to  enjoy  His 
protection  and  hospitality,  to  dwell  in  the  place  which  He  has 
consecrated  by  His  Presence?  Cp.  v.  4.  It  is  not  as  a  mere  form 
of  speech  that  the  Psalmist  addresses  Jehovah.  By  this  appeal  he 
at  once  places  himself  and  his  readers  in  immediate  relation  to  Jehovah. 
The  question  is  asked  of  Him,  and  the  answer  is  given  as  in  His 
Presence. 

In  thy  tent  might  be  wholly  metaphorical  and  mean  no  more  than 
///  thy  abode,  but  here  where  it  stands  in  parallelism  to  thy  holy  moun- 
tain, it  is  natural  to  see  a  reference  to  'the  tent '  which  David  pitched 
for  the  Ark  on  Mount  Zion.  Cp.  xxvii.  5,  6.  '  Sojourn  '  commonly 
denotes  a  temporary  stay,  but  not  necessarily  so  (Ixi.  4) ;  the  special 
point  here  lies  in  the  protection  which  the  guest  in  Oriental  countries 
claims  from  his  host.  "The  Arabs  give  the  title  of  ycir  alldh  to  one 
who  resides  in  Mecca  beside  the  Caaba."  Robertson  Smith's  Religion 
of  the  Semites,  p.  77. 

Not  merely  ministers  at  the  sanctuary  or  even  worshippers  are  meant, 
but  all  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  who  were  often  too  prone  to 
assume  that  God's  presence  among  them  was  a  guarantee  of  security, 
instead  of  recognising  that  it  demanded  holiness  on  their  part  (Mic,  iii. 
11).  Spiritually,  the  question  concerns  all  who  would  draw  near  to 
God. 

2.  The  conditions  of  access  stated  positively.  The  man  must  be 
'  integer  vitae  scelerisque  purus.' 

He  that  ivalketh  iiprightly'\  Or,  perfectly.  Integrity  is  the  rule  of  his 
life  in  relation  to  (iod  as  well  as  man.  The  word  tdmJni  means 
(1)  complete,  (2)  without  blemish,  of  sacrificial  victims,  (3)  in  a  moral 
?,ex\?,Q,  perfect,  sincere,  blameless.  It  includes  whole-hearted  devotion  to 
God,  and  complete  integrity  in  dealing  with  men.  Cp.  Gen.  xvii.  i ; 
Deut.  xviii.   13;  Ps.   xviii.   23,  ci.   2,  6,  cxix.    i;  vii.   8,  xxvi.   i,  11; 


PSALM    XV.  3,  4.  71 

And  speaketh  the  truth  in  his  heart. 

He  that  backbiteth  not  with  his  tongue, 

Nor  doeth  evil  to  his  neighbour, 

Nor  taketh  up  a  reproach  against  his  neighbour 

In  whose  eyes  a  \\\^  person  is  contemned ; 

But  he  honoureth  them  that  fear  the  Lord. 

He  that  sweareth  to  his  own  hurt,  and  changeth  not. 

Matt.  V.  48.  The  Sept  rendering  is  afxco/xos,  for  which  comp.  Eph.  i.  4; 
Col.  i.  -22,  &c. 

and  li^orketh  righteousness]     Cp.  Acts  x.  35  ;   i  John  iii.  7. 

and  speaketh  the  truth  in  his  heart]  Truth  is  the  substance  of  his 
thoughts.  But  it  is  preferable  to  render  speaketh  truth  with  his 
heart.  He  speaks  truth,  and  his  whole  heart  goes  along  with  it, 
unlike  the  double-hearted  flatterers  of  xii.  2. 

3.  In  the  preceding  verse  the  present  participle  is  used  ;  but  here 
the  perfect  tense,  describing  how  his  actual  behaviour  has  been  governed 
by  the  principles  of  truth  and  justice. 

He  that  hath  had  no  slander  on  his  tongnie, 

Nor  done  evil  to  his  fellow, 

Nor  taken  up  reproach  against  his  neighbour. 
Neighbour  in  A.V.  represents  two  different  words.  Friend  (R.V.) 
however  is  somewhat  too  strong  for  the  first,  which  denotes  anyone  with 
whom  he  is  associated  in  the  intercourse  of  life.  The  general  sense  of  the 
last  line  is  clear.  He  has  not  made  his  neighbour's  faults  or  misfortunes 
the  object  of  his  ridicule  or  sarcasm  (Ixix.  20).  The  precise  meaning 
is  however  not  quite  certain.  Either  (i)  /f^/^;W  reproach,  or  (2)  taken 
up,  and  given  currency  to,  what  might  otherwise  have  lain  unheeded  ; 
or  (3),  as  is  most  probable,  toadedhxs  neighbour  with  reproach,  adding 
to  the  burden  of  his  trouble  (Ixix.  7). 

4.  Render  with  R.V., 

In  whose  eyes  a  reprobate  is  despised. 

The  truthfulness  of  his  character  is  shewn  in  his  estimate  of  men.  The 
world's  false  estimates  are  one  of  the  evils  which  will  disappear  in  the 
Messianic  age  (Is.  xxxii.  5  ff.).  A  reprobate,  one  who  is  not  good  metal 
but  worthless  dross  (Jer.  vi.  30),  he  treats  with  well-merited  contempt, 
while  'he  honoureth  those  that  fear  Jehovah.' 

By  the  Targum  and  some  commentators,  ancient  and  modern, 
the  clause  is  rendered,  despised  is  he  in  his  oivn  eyes,  rejected,  which  is 
well  paraphrased  in  P.B.V.  "He  that  setteth  not  by  himself,  but  is 
lowly  in  his  own  eyes;"  cp.  2  Sam.  vi.  22.  But  (i)  the  words 
'  despicable  reprobate '  are  such  as  David  could  hardly  use  to  express 
humility  and  self-abasement;  and  (2)  the  contrast  required  by  the 
parallelism  is  not  'he  despises  himself  and  honours  others,'  but  'he 
abhors  the  base  and  honours  the  godly,'  i.e.  shews  right  discernment  in 
his  regard  for  men.     Cp.  xvi.  3;   i  Sam.  ii.  30. 

He  that  szueareth  &c.]  Though  he  hath  sworn  to  his  own  hurt,  he 
changeth  not.     He  performs  his  oaths  and  vows  without  modification 


72  PSALM   XV.  5. 


5  He  that  putteth  not  out  his  money  to  usury, 
Nor  taketh  reward  against  the  innocent. 
He  that  doeth  these  things  shall  never  be  moved. 

or  rebatement,  even  though  they  may  have  been  rashly  made  and  prove 
to  be  to  his  own  disadvantage.  Comp.  the  phrase  in  the  Law  for  the 
expiation  of  rash  oaths  (Lev.  v.  4),  "if  any  one  swear  rashly  with  his 
lips  to  do  evil  or  to  do  good."  Any  '  changing  '  of  animals  devoted  by 
vows  (which  were  of  the  nature  of  oaths)  was  expressly  forbidden  (Lev. 
xxvii.  10).     Here  the  reference  is  quite  general. 

The  LXX,  Vulg.,  and  Syr.  render,  by  a  slight  change  of  vocalisation, 
to  his  fdhnv  (cp.  v.  3):  and  P.B.V.  (as  in  Ixxxiv.  7)  combines  both 
renderings  in  its  paraphrase,  'He  that  sweareth  tinto  his  neighbour 
and  disajjpointeth  him  not,  though  it  tuere  to  his  07vn  hindrauce.' 

5.  He  that  hatli  not  put  out  his  money  for  usury, 

Nor  taken  bribes  against  the  innocent. 

Two  of  the  most  common  and  flagrant  offences  against  justice.  Cp. 
Is.  xxxiii.  15;  Ezek.  xxii.  12.  Taking  interest  was  forbidden  by 
the  Law  in  dealing  with  a  fellow-countryman  as  an  unbrotherly  act 
(Lev.  xxv.  36,  37;  cp.  Ex.  xxii.  25;  Ezek.  xviii.  17),  but  allowed 
in  dealing  with  foreigners  (Deut.  xxiii.  19,  20).  Cp.  xxxvii.  26,  cxii. 
5.  For  a  survey  of  opinion  on  the  subject  in  the  Christian  Church 
see  Diet,  of  Christian  Antiquities,  Art.  Usury,  or  Cunningham's 
Christian  Opinion  on  Usury.  The  positive  rule  of  the  O.T.  has  become 
obsolete  under  the  circumstances  of  modern  society,  but  the  principle 
which  underlies  it  is  still  of  obligation. 

Bribery  has  always  been  the  curse  of  Oriental  countries.  For  the 
laws  against  it  see  Ueut.  xxvii.  25  ;  Ex.  xxiii.  7,  8;  Deut.  xvi.  19;  and 
comp.  numerous  passages  in  the  prophets. 

shall  never  be  moved'\  The  Psalmist's  conclusion  goes  a  step  further 
than  his  opening  question.  Such  a  man  as  he  has  described  will  not 
only  be  admitted  to  fellowship  with  Jehovah,  but  under  His  protection 
will  enjoy  unshaken  prosperity.     Cp.  xvi.  8. 

PSALM  XVI. 

This  Psalm  is  a  joyous  profession  of  faith  and  hope,  springing  from 
the  sense  of  a  living  fellowship  with  Jehovah.  The  danger,  if  special 
danger  there  was,  which  prompted  the  prayer  o{  v.  i,  lies  entirely  in 
the  background.  The  Psalmist's  whole  soul  is  possessed  and  kindled 
by  the  thought  that  Jehovah  is  his  highest  good. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  the  Psalm  was  written  by  David  during 
his  outlaw  life.  He  had  been  banished  from  his  share  in  the  inherit- 
ance of  Jehovah,  and  exposed  to  the  danger  of  apostasy  (i  Sam.  xxvi. 
19,  R.V.  marg.).  In  this  hour  of  trial  he  triumphs  in  the  thought  that 
Jehovah  Himself  is  the  portion  of  his  inheritance,  a  fairer  portion  than 
the  goodliest  fields  and  vineyards  which  could  have  fallen  to  his  lot 
{vv.  5,  6)  ;  and  he  energetically  repudiates  the  idea  of  yielding  to  the 
temptation  to  serve  another  god  {v.  4). 


1 


PSALM   XVI.  I,  2.  73 


There  are  many  links  of  connexion  (see  Introd.  to  Ps.  xvii)  between 
this  Psahn  and  Ps.  xvii,  and  they  may  with  good  reason  be  assigned  to 
the  same  author.  As  Ps.  xvii  may  with  much  probability  be  referred 
to  the  time  of  David's  persecution  by  Saul,  the  presumption  in  favour 
of  the  Davidic  authorship  of  Ps.  xvi  is  strengthened. 

Many  critics  however  refer  both  Psalms  to  a  much  later  period. 
Ewald  groups  together  xvii,  xvi,  xlix  (in  this  order),  and  on  the  ground 
of  language  and  contents  places  them  in  the  Exile. 

If,  as  is  often  assumed  to  be  the  case,  xvi.  9 — 11  and  xvii.  15  ex- 
plicitly declare  the  Psalmist's  belief  in  a  resurrection  and  a  future  life  of 
blessedness,  in  sharp  contrast  to  such  passages  as  vi.  5,  xxx.  9,  Ixxxviii. 
10  —  12,  these  Psalms  could  hardly  be  placed  earlier  than  the  Exile. 
Delitzsch  indeed,  while  admitting  that  the  doctrine  of  a  Resurrection 
does  not  appear  in  pre-exilic  times  as  a  truth  of  revelation,  asks  why  it 
should  not  appear  in  Davidic  Psalms  as  'a  bold  postulate  of  faith.' 
But  if  the  line  of  interpretation  adopted  below  is  correct,  the  Psalmist's 
thoughts  are  to  be  viewed  from  a  different  stand-point  altogether.  "  His 
antithesis  is  not  this  world  and  the  next,  but  life  with  God  and  life 
without  God."     (Cheyne.) 

The  Psalm  falls  into  three  divisions. 

i.  The  Psalmist  grounds  his  prayer  for  protection  on  hh  relation 
to  Jehovah,  Who  alone  is  the  source  of  happiness.  His  delight  is 
in  the  society  of  the  faithful ;  with  apostates  he  will  have  no  fellowship 

(1—4)- 

ii.  The  thought  that  Jehovah  is  his  sole  good,  the  source  of  all 
his  weal,  is  taken  up  and  developed  (5 — 8). 

iii.  Secure  in  this  faith  he  anticipates  a  life  of  true  felicity  in  un- 
broken fellowship  with  Jehovah  (9 — ir). 

For  a  valuable  exposition  of  this  Psalm  by  Prof.  W.  Robertson  Smith 
see  The  Expositor^  1876,  Vol.  iv.  pp.  341  ff. 

Michtam  of  David. 

Preserve  me,  O  God :  for  in  thee  do  I  put  my  trust.  16 

O  my  soul,  thou  hast  said  unto  the  Lord,  Thou  art  my  Lord :  2 

On  the  title  Michtam  see  Introd.  p.  xviii. 

1,  2.     The  Psalmist's  prayer  and  profession  of  faith. 

1.  Preserve  me"]  Not  that  he  is  at  the  moment  in  special  danger; 
but  only  in  God's  keeping  (xii.  7;  xvii.  8)  can  soul  and  body  be  safe. 

God'\     El,  as  in  V.  4  ;  xvii.  6. 

for  in  thee  &c.]  For  in  thee  have  I  taken  refuge.  God  is  respon- 
sible for  protecting  His  liegeman.     See  note  on  vii.  i,  and  cp.  xvii.  7. 

2.  The  Massoretic  Text  reads  thoti  (fem.)  hast  said,  assuming  that 
the  poet  holds  colloquy  with  himself,  and  addresses  his  soul,  as  in 
xlii.  5 ;  Lam.  iii.  24  (a  passage  evidently  based  on  this  psalm).  So  the 
Targum.  But  an  ellipse  of  O  my  soul cznnot  be  grammatically  justified; 
and  R.V.  is  certainly  right  in  reading  I  have  said,  with  LXX,  Vulg., 
Syr.,  Jer.     Cp.  xxxi.  14;  xci.  2;  cxl.  6. 

jny  Lord]    The  confession  of  Jehovah's  servant  (cp.  xxxv.  23),  in 


74  PSALM   XVI.  3. 


My  goodness  extendeth  not  to  thee  ; 
3  But  to  the  saints  that  are  in  the  earth, 
And  to  the  excellent,  in  whom  is  all  my  delight. 

contrast  to  the  self-asserting  independence  of  xii.  4.     R.V.  marg.  the 
Lord  is  possible,  but  less  satisfactory. 

my  goodness  extendeth  not  to  thee']  Render  with  R.  V.,  I  have  no  good 
beyond  thee.  "Not  merely  is  God  the  source  of  all  his  weal,  but  every- 
thing which  he  recognises  as  a  true  good,  God  actually  contains  within 
Himself"  (Robertson  Smith).  Cp.  Ixxiii.  ■25.  The  P.B.V.  j?iy  goods 
are  nothing  unto  thee  (cp.  1.  9  ff.)  follows  LXX  and  Vulg.,  tO^v  ayaddov 
fiov  ov  xpe^ct"  ^X^'s :  bonorum  nieorum  non  eges. 

3,  4.     The  Psalmist's  society. 

3.     A  difficult  verse,  the  text  of  which  appears  to  be  corrupt. 

(i)  The  best  rendering  is  that  of  R.V.  It  is  true  that  it  can  only 
be  wrung  from  the  Massoretic  text  by  some  violence,  but  an  easy 
emendation  removes  the  grammatical  difficulty. 

As  for  the  saints  [lit.  holy  ones']  that  are  in  the  earth  [or,  lancf] 

They  are  the  excellent  {nobles]  in  whom  is  all  my  delight. 

From  God  in  heaven  the  Psalmist  turns  to  men  on  earth.  The  true 
'nobles'  (Judg.  v.  13)  in  whose  society  he  delights,  are  not  the  wealthy 
or  powerful  in  the  world's  estimation,  but  'the  holy';  those  in  whom 
Israel's  calling  to  be  *a  holy  nation'  (Ex.  xix.  6)  has  been  actually 
realised.  Cp.  xv.  4.  These  he  proceeds  to  contrast  with  apostates 
{v.  4).  For  them  nothing  but  calamity  is  in  store:  with  them  and  their 
worship  he  will  have  nothing  to  do. 

(2)  We  may  however  (with  R.V.  marg.)  connect  v.  3  with  v.  2, 
thus :  (I  have  said)  unto  [or,  of]  the  saints  &c.,  they  are  the  excellent 
&c.     The  general  sense  will  remain  the  same  as  in  (i). 

(3)  Combining  the  two  alternatives  in  R.V.  marg.,  we  may  connect 
V.  3  both  with  V.  1  and  with  v.  4  thus :  (I  have  said)  unto  the  saints 
&c.,  and  the  excellent  in  whom  is  all  my  delight :  their  sorrows  &c. 
Secure  in  his  own  choice  of  Jehovah  he  warns  others  against  the  fatal 
consequences  of  apostasy,  and  repudiates  the  idea  of  it  for  himself.  In 
this  case  it  is  possible  that  saints  may  mean  holy  by  calling,  though 
not  necessarily  in  character;  and  excellent  may  mean  nobles  in  rank 
only. 

(4)  Taking  the  second  alternative  of  R.V.  marg.  only,  we  may 
render:  As  for  the  saints... and  the  excellent  in  whom  is  all  my 
delight:  their  sorrows  &c.  So  Ewald,  who  explains,  ''This  seems 
most  profoundly  to  distress  him,  that  the  very  Israelites,  who  ought  to 
be  the  saints  and  pass  for  such... the  noble,  princely  men,  whom  he 
especially  so  intensely  loves,  even  these  begin  to  betake  themselves  in- 
creasingly to  heathenism."  But  it  is  difficult  to  suppose  that  he  would 
speak  of  men  who  were  falling  into  idolatry  in  language  such  as  this. 
(4)  may  safely  be  rejected;  and  (i)  is  simpler  than  (2)  and  (3),  and 
deserves  the  preference. 

(5)  Of  the  host  of  conjectural  emendations  it  will  suffice  to  mention 


PSALM    XVI.  4,  5.  75 


Their  sorrows  shall  be  multiplied  that  hasten  after  another  4 

god: 
Their  drink  offerings  of  blood  will  I  not  offer, 
Nor  take  up  their  names  into  my  lips. 

The  Lord  is  the  portion  of  mine  inheritance  and  of  my  cup :  5 
Thou  maintainest  my  lot. 

that  of  Baethgen,  which  is  based  on  the  LXX :  *Unio  the  saints  ivhicli 
arc  in  his  land  doth  ychovah  sheiv  honour:  all  his  delight  is  in  themJ' 
It  gives  a  good  contrast  \.o  v.  4,  but  is  not  convincing. 

4.  Their  sorro7Vs]  This,  and  not  their  idols  (Targ.  Symm.  Jer.),  is 
the  right  rendering.     Cp.  xxxii.  10;   i  Tim.  vi.  10. 

that  hasten  after  another  god]  The  Heb.  cannot  be  so  rendered. 
Rightly  R.V.,  that  exchange  the  Lord  for  another  ^;^^r/.  Cp.  cvi.  20; 
and  the  exact  parallel  in  Jer.  ii.  11.  Less  probable  is  R.V.  marg.,  give 
gifts  for;  for  though  the  verb  is  used  of  giving  a  dowry  for  a  wife  (Ex. 
xxii.  16),  and  marriage  is  a  common  figure  for  the  relationship  between 
Ciod  and  His  people,  the  wife  in  this  figure  always  represents  the 
people. 

Their  drink  offerings  of  blood'\  Variously  explained  of  libations  ac- 
companying human  sacrifices,  or  libations  of  blood  offered  in  idolatrous 
rituals  instead  of  oil  and  wine,  or  libations  offered  with  blood-stained 
hands  and  therefore  abominable  (Is.  i.  15  ;  lix.  3) ;  but  probably  meaning 
that  their  libations  are  as  detestable  as  though  they  were  composed  of 
blood.     Cp.  Is.  Ixvi.  3. 

nor  take  up  &c.]  R.V.,  nor  take  their  names  upon  my  lips.  Not 
the  idolaters'  names,  but  the  names  of  their  gods,  which  are  the 
expression  of  their  religion.  "In  Semitic  antiquity  the  very  name  of  a 
god  included  a  predication  of  his  power,  dignity,  or  virtues;  so  that  even 
to  utter  such  names  as  Baal  and  Molech,  that  is  Lord  and  King,  was  an 
act  of  homage."  (Robertson  Smith.)  Cp.  Ex.  xxiii.  13;  Hos.  ii.  17; 
Zech.  xiii.  2. 

5,  6.    Jehovah  is  the  Psalmist's  portion. 

5.  the  portion  &c.]  Lit.  the  portion  of  jny  share  and  my  cup:  i.e. 
my  allotted  portion  and  cup.  The  word  rendered  share  denotes  a 
portion  assigned,  whether  of  land  or  property  or  food.  The  A.V. ,  portion 
of  mine  inheritance,  implies  that  Jehovah  is  compared  to  the  share  allotted 
him  in  the  distribution  of  the  land,  a  view  supported  by  5  /',  6 ;  but  my 
cup  suggests  rather  the  idea  of  a  portion  of  food  :  Jehovah  is  all  that  he 
needs  to  satisfy  hunger  and  thirst.  Comp.  xlii.  2;  John  vi.  35;  and 
contrast  xi.  6. 

Thoti  maintainest  my  lot]  Lit.  thou  holdest  fast  my  lot.  My  welfare 
is  in  Thy  hand ;  no  man  can  rob  me  of  it.  But  the  form  of  the  word 
rendered  maintainest  is  anomalous;  and  context  and  parallelism  seem 
to  require  a  further  statement  of  what  God  is  for  the  Psalmist  rather 
than  what  He  does  for  him.  Hence  some  critics  render,  Thou  art  the 
possession  of  my  lot. 


76  PSALM   XVI.   6- 


6  The  lines  are  fallen  unto  me  in  p\ea.s3ir\t  p/aas ; 
Yea,  I  have  a  goodly  heritage. 

7  I  will  bless  the  Lord,  who  hath  given  me  counsel : 
My  reins  also  instruct  me  in  the  night  seasons. 

8  I  have  set  the  Lord  always  before  me: 
Because  /le  is  at  my  right  hand,  I  shall  not  be  moved. 

9  Therefore  my  heart  is  glad,  and  my  glory  rejoiceth  : 
My  flesh  also  shall  rest  in  hope. 

The  language  used  here  reminds  us  of  the  Levites,  who  had  no  portion 
or  inheritance,  but  Jehovah  was  their  portion  (Num.  xviii.  20;  Deut.  x. 
g;  xviii.  i).  Israel  was  a  nation  of  priests  (Ex.  xix.  6) ;  and  spiritually, 
Jehovah  was  the  portion  of  Israel  (Jer.  x.  16),  and  of  individual  Israelites 
(Ixxiii.  26;  cxix.  57;  cxlii.  5;  Lam.  iii.  ■24). 

6.  T/u  lines  &c.]  Portions  of  land  measured  by  line  and  distributed 
by  lot.  The  language  is  still  figurative.  Jehovah  is  to  him  as  the 
choicest  of  possessions  in  the  goodly  land.  {v.  11;  xxvii.  4;  xc.  17; 
Prov.  iii.  17;  Jer.  iii.  19.) 

Yea  &c.]  The  peculiar  phrase  in  the  original  expresses  his  conscious 
sense  of  the  beauty  of  his  heritage. 

7,  8.     The  mutual  relation  of  the  Psalmist  and  Jehovah. 

7.  given  me  coiinsel\  Taught  me  to  choose  Him  and  to  follow  Him. 
Cp.  xxxii.  8  (R.V.);  Ixxiii.  24. 

viy  reins  also  &c.]  This  clause  may  be  taken  as  still  depending  on  / 
will  bless  the  Lord,  and  rendered,  yea,  that  in  the  night  seasons  my 
reins  have  instructed  me.  In  the  quiet  hours  of  the  night  God  ad- 
monishes and  instructs  him  through  the  voice  of  conscience.  Cp.  iv. 
4;  xvii.  3.  The  reins  stand  for  the  organs  of  emotion,  the  feelings 
and  conscience.  'Heart  and  reins'  denote  the  whole  innermost  self, 
thought  and  will  (vii.  9). 

8.  The  true  'practice  of  the  Presence  of  God'  (cxix.  30;  xviii.  22). 
The  LXX  has,  /  beheld  the  Lord  always  before  my  face. 

at  my  right  hand]  As  advocate  (cix.  31),  or  champion  (ex.  5;  cxxi. 
5).  A  warrior  defending  another  person  would  naturally  stand  on  his 
right. 

9 — 11.  The  blessed  outcome  of  this  fellowship  is  joy,  confidence, 
progress. 

9.  my  glory]  i.e.  my  soul.  See  note  on  vii.  5.  The  LXX  renders 
freely  viy  tojigue. 

my  flesh  also  shall  rest  in  hope]  So  the  Vulg. ,  insiiper  et  caro  mea 
requiescet  in  spe.  Beautiful  and  suggestive  as  this  rendering  is,  it  is 
inaccurate  and  misleading,  and  must  be  replaced  by  that  of  R.V. 

My  flesh  also  shall  dwell  in  safety  (marg.  seciirely). 
Cp.  Jer.,  et  caro  mca  habitavit  [v.l.  habitabit]  confidenter. 

Dwell  in  safety  is  a  phrase  repeatedly  used  of  a  life  of  undisturbed 
security  in  the  promised  land.     See  Deut.  xxxiii.  12,  28;  Prov.  i.  33; 


PSALM  XVI.  lo,  II.  ^^ 


For  thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soul  in  hell; 
Neither  wilt  thou  suffer  thine  Holy  One  to  see  cor- 
ruption. 
Thou  wilt  shew  me  the  path  of  life: 
In  thy  presence  is  fulness  of  joy; 
At  thy  right  hand  there  are  pleasures  for  evermore. 

Jer.  xxiii.  6;  xxxiii.  i6.  Fellowship  with  Jehovah  guarantees  outward 
security  as  well  as  inward  joy.  The  words  do  not  refer,  primarily  at 
least,  to  the  rest  of  the  body  in  the  grave  in  the  hope  of  a  joyful  resur- 
rection. Flesh  does  not  denote  the  dead  corpse,  but  the  living  organism 
in  and  through  which  the  soul  works :  together  with  heart  and  soul  it 
makes  up  the  whole  man  (Ixiii.  i ;  Ixxiii.  26 ;  Ixxxiv.  2 ;  cp.  i  Thess. 
v.  23). 

10.  Once  more  the  translation  must  be  revised ; 
For  thou  wilt  not  abandon  my  soul  to  Sheol; 
Neither  wilt  thou  suffer  thy  beloved  one  to  see  the  pit. 

Jehovah  will  not  surrender  him  to  the  unseen  world,  which  is  like 
some  monster  gaping  for  its  prey.  He  can  plead,  as  one  of  Jehovah's 
beloved  ones  [chasld  see  on  iv.  3,  and  Addit.  Note,  p.  221)  for  the 
exercise  of  His  lovingkindness  (xvii.  7).  The  text  {Ktlilbh)  has  thy 
loved  ones  (plur.),  but  the  traditional  reading  {Qrl)  thy  loved  one  (sing.) 
is  supported  by  all  the  versions  and  required  by  the  context. 

The  word  shachath,  rendered  corruption  by  LXX,  Vulg.,  and  Jerome, 
probably  means  the  pit  (R.V.  marg.)  i.e.  the  grave.  'Pit'  7nust  be  its 
meaning  in  many  passages  (e.g.  vii.  15;  xxx.  9;  Prov.  xxvi.  27),  and 
may  be  its  meaning  always.  Shachath  might  be  derived  from  a  root 
meaning  to  destroy  (not  properly  to  decay),  but  it  is  unnecessary  to  assume 
that  the  same  form  has  two  derivations  and  senses.  'To  see  the  pit' 
(xlix.  9)= 'to  see  (i.e.  experience)  death,'  Ixxxix.  48. 

11.  Thou  zvilt  sheiv  ?ne  &c.]  Lit.  Thou  wilt  cause  me  to  know  (cxliii. 
8)  the  path  of  life :  not  only  preserve  me  from  death,  but  lead  me  onward 
in  that  fellowship  with  Thee  which  alone  is  worthy  to  be  called  life. 
See  Prov.  x.  17;  xv.  24;  Matt.  vii.  14;  John  xvii.  3.  'The  path  of  life' 
is  not  merely  a  path  which  leads  to  life,  but  one  in  which  life  is  to  be 
found.  It  is  'the  path  of  righteousness'  (Prov.  xii.  28).  'The  way  of 
life'  is  frequently  contrasted  in  the  Book  of  Proverbs  with  ways  that  lead 
to  Sheol  and  death.  Cp.  too  Deut.  xxx.  15.  It  leads  onward  in  the 
light  of  God's  Presence ;  and  in  that  Presence  is  satisfying  fulness  of  joys. 
Cp.  xvii.  15;  xxi.  6;  iv.  6,  7;  Prov.  xix.  23. 

at  thy  right  hand]  R.V.  rightly,  in  thy  right  hand,  as  the  sole 
Dispenser  of  all  lasting  good.  Cp.  Prov.  iii.  16.  The  world's  joys 
fade;  God's  joys  alone  are  eternal. 

Comp.  Hooker's  noble  words  {Eccl.  Pol.  i.  11.  2):  "Then  are  we 
happy  when  fully  we  enjoy  God,  as  an  object  wherein  the  powers  of  our 
souls  are  satisfied  even  with  everlasting  delight;  so  that  although  Ave  be 
men,  yet  by  being  unto  God  united  we  live  as  it  were  the  life  of  God." 

Vv.  8 — II  were  quoted  by  St  Peter  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  (Acts  ii. 
25—28),  and  V.  10  b  by  St  Paul  at  Antioch  in  Pisidia  (Acts  xiii.  35),  as 


78  PSALM   XVII. 


a  prophecy  of  Christ's  resurrection.  The  quotation  is  made  from  the 
LXX.,  which  is  a  free  rendering  of  the  Hebrew.  St  Peter  shews  that 
David's  glowing  words  of  faith  and  hope  (the  argument  will  be  the  same 
if  the  psalm  was  the  work  of  some  other  writer)  were  not  fully  realised 
in  himself.  He  did  not  finally  escape  from  death.  Were  his  words 
then  a  mere  idle  dream?  No!  Guided  by  the  Holy  Ghost  he  'looked 
forward'  to  Christ.  Over  Him  Whose  fellowship  with  God  was  perfect 
and  unbroken  by  sin,  death  could  have  no  dominion  (Acts  ii.  24).  In 
His  Resurrection  the  words  first  found  their  adequate  realisation, 
their  fulfilment.  But  their  prophetic  character  does  not  exclude  their 
primary  reference  to  the  Psalmist's  own  faith  and  hope. 

But  the  question  must  be  asked,  What  was  the  meaning  which  the 
Psalmist's  words  had  for  himself?  Does  he  speak  of  fellowship  with 
God  in  this  life  only,  or  does  he  pierce  the  veil,  and  realise  not  only  the 
possibility  but  the  certainty  of  a  continued  life  of  conscious  fellowship 
with  God  hereafter,  and  even  of  the  resurrection  of  the  body  ? 

It  is  difficult  to  divest  the  words  of  the  associations  which  have 
gathered  round  them,  and  impartially  to  weigh  their  original  meaning. 
On  the  one  hand,  however,  it  is  unquestionable  that  similar  language  is 
used  elsewhere  of  deliverance  from  temporal  death,  and  enjoyment  of 
fellowship  with  God  in  this  life ;  while  in  other  psalms  we  find  the 
gloomiest  anticipations  of  death,  and  the  dreariest  pictures  of  the  state 
of  the  departed.  On  the  other  hand  it  is  clear  that  the  words  admit  of 
reference  to  an  unending  life  of  fellowship  with  God. 

The  truth  may  be  (as  will  be  seen  more  clearly  in  Ps.  xvii)  that  the 
antithesis  is  not  between  life  here  and  life  hereafter,  but  between  life 
with  and  life  without  God  ;  and  for  the  moment,  in  the  overpowering 
sense  of  the  blessedness  of  fellowship  with  God,  death  fades  entirely 
from  the  Psalmist's  view. 

The  doctrine  of  a  future  life  is  however  involved  in  the  Psalmist's 
faith.  He  grounds  his  hope  of  deliverance  on  his  relation  to  Jehovah  ; 
and  such  a  relation  could  not  be  interrupted  by  death  (Matt.  xxii. 
32).  But  this  truth  could  only  be  apprehended  gradually  and  through 
long  struggles,  and  only  fully  realised  when  Christ  "annulled  death, 
and  brought  life  and  incorruption  to  light  through  the  Gospel."  (2 
Tim.  i.  10.) 

For  ourselves  the  words  must  bear  the  fuller  meaning  with  which 
Christ's  resurrection  has  illuminated  them.  To  us  they  must  speak  of 
that  '  eternal  life '  which  is  begun  heie,  and  is  to  be  consummated 
hereafter  (John  vi.  47,  54;  xiv.  19). 

PSALM  XVII. 

The  Psalmist  and  his  companions  {v.  11)  are  beset  by  proud  and 
pitiless  enemies,  bent  upon  their  destruction.  One  among  them  is  con- 
spicuous for  the  virulence  of  his  hostility  {v.  12).  Such  an  occasion  in 
David's  life  is  described  in  i  Sam.  xxiii.  25  ff.,  when  "  Saul  pursued  after 
David  in  the  wilderness  of  Maon...and  David  made  haste  to  get  away 
for  fear  of  Saul ;  for  Saul  and  his  men  compassed  David  and  his  men 
round  about  to  take  them."     The  thoughts  and  language  of  the  Psalm 


PSALM   XVII.  I,  2.  79 

find  parallels  in  Davidic  Psalms,  especially  vii  and  xi.  Many  critics 
however  refer  this  Psalm  as  well  as  xvi  to  a  much  later  period.  P^wald 
places  them  in  the  Exile. 

The  links  of  connexion  between  this  Psalm  and  Ps.  xvi  should  be 
studied.  Compare  xvii.  3  with  xvi.  7;  xvii.  5  with  xvi.  11,  8;  xvii.  6 
with  xvi.  I  (God^El);  xvii.  7  with  xvi.  i,  10  (one  who  has  taken 
refuge  in  Jehovah  naturally  appeals  to  the  Saviour  of  those  that  take 
refuge  in  Him  ;  Jehovah's  beloved  one  {chdsid)  naturally  pleads  for  the 
manifestation  of  His  chescd  or  lovingkindness) ;  xvii.  14  with  xvi.  5  (the 
contrast  between  the  portion  of  the  worldly  and  that  of  the  Psalmist). 
The  ground  of  appeal  in  xvii  is  that  integrity  of  devotion  which  in- 
spires xvi;  in  both  Psalms  communion  with  Jehovah  is  set  forth  as  the 
highest  joy;  xvii.  15  re-echoes  xvi.  9— 11.  Cp.  'I  shall  be  satisfied' 
(xvii.  15)  with  'satisfying  fulness'  (xvi.  ii).  But  the  tone  of  the  two 
Psalms  presents  a  striking  contrast,  and  points  to  the  difference  in  the 
Psalmist's  circumstances.  In  xvi  danger  is  in  the  background:  the 
Psalm  breathes  a  spirit  of  calm  repose  and  joyous  serenity.  In  xvii 
danger  is  pressing,  and  help  is  urgently  needed.  The  faith  of  calmer 
days  is  being  put  to  the  proof. 

The  Psalm  may  be  divided  thus: 

i.  Appeal  to  Jehovah  for  justice  on  the  ground  of  the  petitioner's 
integrity  (1—5). 

ii.  Prayer  for  protection  on  the  ground  of  Jehovah's  relation  to  him, 
enforced  by  a  description  of  the  virulence  of  his  enemies  (6  —  12). 

iii.  Reiterated  prayer  for  Jehovah's  help,  and  contrast  between  the 
contentment  of  these  men  with  their  material  blessings  and  his  own 
longing  for  the  closest  communion  with  God  (13 — 15). 

A  prayer  of  David  is  a  fitting  title  for  this  Psalm.  Cp.  v.  r,  and 
Introd.  p.  xiv. 

A  Prayer  of  David. 

Hear  the  right,  O  Lord,  attend  unto  my  cry,  17 

Give  ear  unto  niy  prayer,  that  goeth  not  out  of  feigned  lips. 
Let  my  sentence  come  forth  from  thy  presence ;  2 

1,  2.     An  appeal  for  justice. 

1.  the  right\  Lit.  righteousness  or  justice.  With  a  righteous  cause 
and  a  just  appeal  (vii.  8)  the  Psalmist  appears  before  the  righteous  Judge 
(vii.  17;  ix.  4,  8),  confident  in  the  integrity  of  his  motives  towards  God 
and  man.  A  good  conscience  is  the  indispensable  condition  of  earnest 
prayer. 

niy  ay]  The  word  denotes  a  shrill  piercing  cry,  frequently  of  joy, 
sometimes  as  here  of  entreaty,  *'  expressive  of  emotional  excitement  such 
as  an  Eastern  scruples  not  to  use  in  prayer"  (Cheyne).  Cp.  Ixi.  i; 
Jer.  vii.  16. 

that  goeth  not  out  of  feigned  lips']  Uttered  by  no  deceitful  lips.  Cp. 
v.  6;  X.  7.     There  is  no  hypocrisy  in  this  prayer. 

2.  The  petition.     Let  my  judgment  come  forth  from  thy  presence. 


8o  PSALM   XVII.  3—5. 


Let  thine  eyes  behold  the  things  that  are  equal. 

3  Thou  hast  proved  mine  heart ;  thou  hast  visited  me  in  the 

night ; 
Thou  hast  tried  me,  and  shalt  find  nothing ; 
I  am  purposed  that  my  mouth  shall  not  transgress. 

4  Concerning  the  worls:s  of  men,  by  the  word  of  thy  lips 
I  have  kept  me  from  the  paths  of  the  destroyer. 

5  Hold  up  my  goings  in  thy  paths, 
That  my  footsteps  slip  not. 

Cp.  xxxvii.  6;  Is.  xlii.  i,  3,  4;  Hab.  i.  4.     Pronounce  sentence  for  me; 
publish  it;  give  effect  to  it,  and  vindicate  the  justice  of  my  cause. 

Let  thine  eyes  &c.]  Better,  Thine  eyes  behold  equity,  or,  with 
equity.  The  prayer  is  based  on  the  known  character  of  Jehovah.  His 
discernment  is  complete  and  impartial.     Cp.  xi.  4 ;  ix.  8. 

3 — 5.  The  bold  language  of  a  good  conscience.  See  Introd.  p.  Ixix. 
Cp.  Acts  xxiii.  i;  xxiv.  16. 

3.  Thou  hast  tried  mine  heart  (vii.  9;  xi.  4,  5);  thou  hast  visited 
me  in  the  night,  when  men's  thoughts  range  unrestrainedly,  and  they 
appear  in  tlieir  true  colours  (xxxvi.  4);  thou  hast  proved  or  refined 
me  (Ixvi.  10),  and  findest  nothing,  no  dross  of  evil  purpose.  But  see 
next  note. 

/  am  purposed  &c.]  A  difficult  and  much  disputed  clause.  The 
A.V.,  retained  in  R.V.  text,  follows  the  Massoretic  accents.  It  is  how- 
ever better  to  connect  this  and  the  preceding  clause  thus: 

Thou  hast  proved  me,  and  findest  no  evil  purpose  in  me; 

My  mouth  doth  not  transgress. 

In  thought,  word,  and  deed  (t7.  4),  he  has  nothing  to  fear  from  the 
Divine  scrutiny. 

4.  As  for  the  works  of  men,  by  the  word  of  thy  lips 
I  have  shunned  the  paths  of  the  violent. 

In  regard  to  his  behaviour  as  a  man  among  men,  he  has  obeyed  the 
Divine  precepts,  and  marked  and  shunned  the  ways  of  violent  men, 
avoiding  their  example  and  society.  God's  commandments  have  been 
his  preservation,  supplying  the  rule  and  the  strength  for  his  conduct. 
*  The  paths  of  the  violent '  are  the  opposite  of  the  '  path  of  life,'  xvi.  1 1. 
(Prov.  i.  19;  ii.  ii — 19,  &c.).  Robbery  with  violence  is  mentioned  as 
the  commonest  form  of  wrong-doing  to  neighbours  (Jer.  vii.  1 1 ;  Ezek. 
xviii.  10).  For  illustration  of  the  verse  from  David's  life  see  i  Sam. 
xxv.  32  ff. ;  xxiv.  10  ff.;  cp.  Ps.  vii.  3  ff. 

The  P.B.V.,  Because  of  7nen^s  works,  that  are  done  against  the  words 
of  thy  lips,  is  untenable. 

5.  My  steps  have  held  fast  to  thy  tracks, 
My  feet  have  not  slipped. 

The  A.V.  is  grammatically  untenable.  He  describes  his  conduct 
positively.     Paths,   a  different  word  from   that  in  v.  4,   denotes  the 


PSALM   XVI I.  6—9.  81 

I  have  called  upon  thee,  for  thou  wilt  hear  me,  O  God :  6 

Incline  thine  ear  unto  me,  and  hear  my  speech. 

Shew  thy  marvellous  lovingkindness,  O  thou  that  savest  by  7 

thy  right  hand  them  which  put  their  trust  in  tlice 
From  those  that  rise  up  against  tJieni. 

Keep  me  as  the  apple  of  the  eye,  8 

Hide  me  under  the  shadow  of  thy  wings, 
From  the  wicked  that  oppress  me,  9 

From  my  deadly  enemies,  ivho  compass  me  about. 

beaten  tracks  made  by  wheeled  vehicles.     Slipped  (the  same  word  as 
moved  in  xv.  5,  xvi.  8),  of  moral  '  slips  '  and  '  falls.' 

6 — 9.     After  protesting  his  integrity  he  resumes  his  prayer. 

6.  /  have  called  upon  thee']  I  is  emphatic.  Being  such  an  one  as  I 
am,  I  have  called  upon  Thee,  in  full  confidence  that  Thou  wilt  answer 
me. 

O  God]     El,  as  in  xvi.  i.     See  note  on  v.  4. 
hear]     Wrongly  printed  in  italics  in  many  editions. 

7.  She"i.(}  thy  f/iarvclloics  lovingkindness]  Lit.,  Make  marvellous  thy 
lovingkitidnesses :  Vulg.  niiriftca  misericordias  tuas.  Cp.  xxxi.  21,  and 
note  on  ix.  i.  The  word  implies  a  signal  intervention  on  his  behalf. 
The  need  is  great,  but  God's  power  is  greater. 

Parallel  passages  decide  in  favour  of  connecting  0  thou  that  savest  by 
thy  right  hand  (Ix.  5;  xx.  6).  R.V.  follows  the  original  in  trans- 
ferring liy  thy  right  hand  to  the  end  of  the  verse  for  empliasis.  But  the 
balanced  brevity  of  the  Hebrew  (the  whole  verse  contains  but  six  words) 
defies  translation.  For  put  their  trust,  cp.  xvi.  i ;  for  those  that  rise  up 
against  thee,  cp.  lix.  i,  xviii.  48.  Grammatically  possible,  but  unsup- 
ported by  analogy,  is  the  rendering  of  R.V.  mz.xg.,  from  those  that  rise 
tip  against  thy  right  hand;  cp.  V.V>N .,  from  such  as  resist  thy  right 
hand,  which  follows  the  LXX,  Vulg.,  and  Jer.  [a  rcsistentibus  dexierae 
tuae). 

8.  Keep  me  &c,]  Or,  Preserve  me  (the  same  word  as  in  xvi.  1)  as 
the  apple  or  pitpil  of  the  eye,  an  emblem  of  that  which  is  tenderest  and 
dearest,  and  therefore  guarded  with  the  most  jealous  care.  Cp.  Deut. 
xxxii,  10;  Prov.  vii.  2;  Zech.  ii.  8. 

Hide  me  &.C.]  A  favourite  figure,  taken  from  the  care  of  the  mothei'- 
bird  for  her  young,  not  however  specially  from  the  hen  (Matt,  xxiii.  37), 
for  there  is  no  trace  in  the  O.  T.  of  the  practice  of  keeping  domestic 
fowls.  Cp.  xxxvi.  7;  Ivii.  i;  Ixi.  4;  Ixiii.  7;  xci.  4.  As  the  first  half 
of  the  verse  may  refer  to  Deut.  xxxii.  10,  the  figure  may  have  been 
suggested  by  the  reference  to  the  eagle  \nv.  11;  but  the  figure  there  is 
quite  different.  God's  leading  of  His  people  is  compared  with  the 
eagle  teaching  its  young  to  fly. 

9.  that  oppress  me]     R.V.,  that  spoil  me.     Cp.  xii.  5.  (R.V.). 

i?iy  deadly  enemies]  Nothing  but  his  life  will  satisfy  them.  Cp. 
1  Sam.  xxiv.  11.    This  is  the  sense,  whether  the  exact  meaning  is  enemies 

PSALMS  6 


82  PSALM    XVII.  10—14. 

to  They  are  inclosed  in  their  own  fat : 

With  their  mouth  they  speak  proudly. 
[I  They  have  now  compassed  us  /;/  our  steps : 

They  have  set  their  eyes  bowing  down  to  the  earth ; 
[2  Like  as  a  lion  that  is  greedy  of  his  prey, 

And  as  it  were  a  young  lion  lurking  in  secret  places. 
t3  Arise,  O  Lord,  disappoint  him,  cast  him  down  : 

Deliver  my  soul  from  the  wicked,  ivhich  is  thy  sword  : 
[4  From  men  which  are  thy  hand,  O  Lord, 

From  men  of  the  world,  zvhicJi  have  their  portion  in  this  life, 

in  soul,  i.e.  with  murderous  intent  (xxvii.  12;  xli.  2),  or  eneviies  against 
(my)  soul. 

10 — 12.     The  character  of  his  enemies. 

10.  Prosperity  has  resulted  in  obtuse  self-complacency  and  con- 
temptuous arrogance.  Cp.  Ixxiii.  7,  8;  Job  xv.  27.  The  right  render- 
ing of  \oa  is  however  probably  (cp.  R.V.  marg.)  Their  heart  (lit. 
midriff)  have  they  shut  up.  They  have  closed  it  against  every 
influence  for  good  and  all  sympathy.  Cp.  r  John  iii.  17.  See  for 
this  explanation  Prof.  Robertson  Smith's  Religion  of  the  Semites, 
p.  360. 

they  speak  proiidly\     Cp.  xii.  3ff. ;  x.  2  ;  xxxi.  18;  Ixxiii.  6. 

11.  It  has  come  to  this  that  they  beset  the  Psalmist  and  his  ad- 
herents at  every  step.     See  i  Sam.  xxiii.  26. 

They  have  set  &c.]  R.V.,  They  set  their  eyes  to  cast  us  down  to 
the  eatth.  They  watch  intently  for  an  opportunity  of  overthrowing 
us.     Cp.  xxxvii.  32,  14;  X.  8. 

12.  Like  as  a  lion  &c.]  Lit.,  He  is  like  a  lion  that  is  greedy  to 
raven,  (xxii.  13).  One  of  the  pursuers  (Saul,  if  the  singer  is  David) 
is  conspicuous  for  ferocity  and  craftiness.     Cp.  vii.  2  ;  x.  8,  9. 

13.  Arise,  0  Lord  (iii.  7),  confront  him,  meet  him  face  to  face  as 
he  prepares  to  spring  (or,  as  R.V.  m?ixg.,  forestall  him),  make  him  bow 
down,  crouching  in  abject  submission  (xviii.  39).  The  same  word  is 
used  of  the  lion  in  repose,  Gen.  xlix.  9;  Num.  xxiv.  9. 

13,  14.  from  the  ivicked,  which  is  thy  sword:  frojn  men  which  are 
thy  hand\  This  rendering,  which  is  in  part  that  of  Jerome,  is  retained 
in  R.V.  marg.  For  the  thought  that  God  uses  even  the  wicked  as  His 
instruments  see  Is.  x.  5,  where  the  Assyrian  is  called  the  rod  of 
Jehovah's  anger.  But  R.V.  text  is  preferable :  from  the  wicked  by 
thy  sword ;  from  men,  by  thy  hand.     Cp.  vii.  12. 

14.  fro»i  men  of  the  world\  Men  whose  aims  and  pleasures  belong 
to  the  'world  that  passeth  away':  those  who  in  N.T.  language  are  'of 
the  world'  (John  xv.  19),  'sons  of  this  age'  (Luke  xvi.  8;  xx.  34,  35), 
'who  mind  earthly  things'  (Phil.  iii.  19).  They  are  further  described 
as  those  whose  portion  is  in  [this]  life.  Jehovah  Himself  is  the  portion 
of  the  godly  (xvi.  5);  these  men  are  content  with  a  portion  of  material 
and  transitory  things.     See  xlix.    6  ff. ;    Ixxiii.   3  ff. ;   Wisdom  ii.   6  ff. 


t>SALM   XVII.  15.  83 


And  whose  belly  thou  fillest  with  thy  hid  treasure: 
They  are  full  ^children, 

And  leave  the  rest  of  their  substance  to  their  babes. 
As  for  me,  I  will  behold  thy  face  in  righteousness  : 
I  shall  be  satisfied,  when  /awake,  with  thy  likeness. 

The  sense  is  still  better  given  by  the  rendering  of  R.V.  marg., 
From  men  whose  portion  in  life  is  of  the  world.  God  deals  with 
them  according  to  their  own  base  desires.  They  care  only  for  the 
satisfaction  of  their  lower  appetites  (Phil.  iii.  ig),  and  so  He  "who 
maketh  His  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and  the  good"  fills  their  belly  with 
His  store  of  blessings,  gratifies  the  animal  part  of  their  nature  (Job 
xxii.  18;  Luke  xvi.  25). 

They  are  full  of  childreu'\  Better,  They  are  satisfied  with  sons,  the 
universal  desire  of  men  in  Oriental  countries  being  to  see  a  family 
perpetuating  their  name  (Job  xxi.  8,  11);  and  leave  their  super- 
abundance to  their  children;  their  prosperity  continues  through  life, 
they  have  enough  for  themselves  and  to  spare  for  their  families. 

15.     As  for  me,  in  righteousness  let  me  behold  thy  face  : 
Let  me  be  satisfied,  when  I  awake,  with  thy  likeness. 

With  the  low  desires  of  worldly  men  the  Psahnist  contrasts  his  own 
spiritual  aspirations.  He  does  not  complain  of  their  prosperity;  it 
does  not  present  itself  to  him  as  a  trial  of  patience  and  a  moral  enigma, 
as  it  does  to  the  authors  of  Pss.  xxxvii.  and  Ixxiii.  Their  blessings  are 
not  for  an  instant  to  be  compared  with  his.  'To  behold  Jehovah's 
face'  is  to  enjoy  communion  with  Him  and  all  the  blessings  that  flow 
from  it ;  it  is  the  inward  reality  which  corresponds  to  '  appearing  befoi-e 
Him'  in  the  sanctuary.  Cp.  xvi.  11.  'Righteousness'  is  the  condition 
of  that  'beholding';  for  it  is  sin  that  separates  from  God.  Cp.  xi. 
7  note;  xv.  i  ff. ;  Matt.  v.  8;  Heb.  xii.  14. 

He  concludes  with  a  yet  bolder  prayer,  that  he  may  be  admitted  to 
that  highest  degree  of  privilege  which  Moses  enjoyed,  and  be  satisfcd 
with  the  likeness  ox  form  of  Jehovah.  See  Num.  xii.  6 — 8.  Worldly 
men  are  satisfied  if  they  see  themselves  reflected  in  their  sons :  nothing 
less  than  the  sight  of  the  form  of  God  will  satisfy  the  Psalmist.  Cp. 
xvi.  II. 

But  what  is  meant  by  when  I  atvakel  Not  'when  the  night  of 
calamity  is  at  an  end ' ;  a  sense  which  the  word  will  not  bear.  What 
he  desires  is  (i)  the  daily  renewal  of  this  communion  (cp.  cxxxix.  18; 
Prov.  vi.  22);  and  (2)  as  the  passage  in  Numbers  suggests,  a  ivaking 
sight  of  God,  as  distinguished  from  a  dream  or  vision. 

The  words  are  commonly  explained  of  awaking  from  the  sleep  of 
death  to  behold  the  face  of  God  in  the  world  beyond,  and  to  be  trans- 
figured into  His  likeness.  Death  is  no  doubt  spoken  of  as  sleep  (xiii. 
3),  and  resurrection  as  awakening  (Is.  xxvi.  19;  Dan.  xii.  2).  But 
elsewhere  the  context  makes  the  meaning  unambiguous.  Here,  how- 
ever, this  reference  is  excluded  by  the  context.  The  Psalmist  does  not 
anticipate  death,  but  prays  to  be  delivered  from  it  {vv.  8  ff.).  The  con- 
trast present  to  his  mind  is  not  between  'this  world'  and  'another 

6—2 


84  PSALM   XVIII. 


world,'  the  'present  life'  and  the  'future  life,'  but  between  the  false 
life  and  the  true  life  in  this  present  world,  between  '  the  flesh'  and  'the 
spirit,'  between  the  'natural  man'  with  his  sensuous  desires,  and  the 
'spiritual  man'  with  his  Godward  desires.  Here,  as  in  xvi.  9 — 11, 
death  fades  from  the  Psalmist's  view.  He  is  absorbed  with  the  thought 
of  the  blessedness  of  fellowship  with  God^. 

But  the  doctrine  of  life  eternal  is  implicitly  contained  in  the  words. 
For  it  is  inconceivable  that  communion  with  God  thus  begun  and  daily 
renewed  should  be  abruptly  terminated  by  death.  It  is  possible  that 
the  Psalmist  and  those  for  whom  he  sung  may  have  had  some  glimmer- 
ing of  this  larger  hope,  though  how  or  when  it  was  to  be  realised  was 
not  yet  revealed.  But  whether  they  drew  the  inference  must  remain 
doubtful.  In  the  economy  of  revelation  "heaven  is  first  a  temper  and 
then  a  place." 

It  is  indeed  impossible  for  us  to  read  the  words  now  without  thinking 
of  their  'fulfilment'  in  the  light  of  the  Gospel:  of  the  more  profound 
revelation  of  righteousness  (Rom.  i.  17);  of  the  sight  of  the  Father  in 
the  Incarnate  Son  (John  xiv.  9) ;  of  the  hope  of  transfiguration  into  His 
likeness  here  and  hereafter,  and  of  the  Beatific  Vision  (2  Cor.  iii.  18; 
Phil.  iii.  21;  I  John  iii.  2;  Rev.  xxii.  4). 

It  may  be  remarked  that  none  of  the  ancient  versions  render  as 
though  they  definitely  referred  the  passage  to  the  Resurrection.  Targ., 
Aq.,  Symm.,  Jer. ,  all  give  a  literal  version.  The  LXX,  /  shall  be 
satisfied  %vhen  Thy  glo)y  appears :  Syx.,  when  Thy  faithfulness  appears: 
Theod.,  zvhen  Thy  right  hand  appears:  seem  to  have  had  a  different 
text.     Thy  glory  is  substituted  for  thy  form  in  LXX  as  in  Num.  xii.  18. 

PSALM   XVIII. 

At  length  the  warrior-king  was  at  peace.  The  hairbreadth  escapes 
of  his  flight  from  Saul,  when  his  life  M'as  in  hourly  peril  and  he  knew 
not  whither  to  turn  for  safety ;  the  miseries  and  bitterness  of  civil  strife, 
through  which  though  chosen  by  Jehovah  to  rule  His  people  he  had  to 
fight  his  way  to  the  throne;  the  wars  with  surrounding  nations,  which, 
jealous  of  Israel's  rising  power,  had  leagued  together  to  crush  the 
scarcely  consolidated  kingdom; — all  were  past  and  over.  David  had 
been  preserved  through  every  danger;  victory  had  accompanied  his 
arms;  he  was  the  accepted  king  of  an  united  people;  the  nations 
around  acknowledged  his  supremacy.  To  crown  all,  Jehovah's  message 
communicated  by  Nathan  had  opened  out  the  prospect  of  a  splendid 
future  for  his  posterity. 

In  this  hour  of  his  highest  prosperity  and  happiness  David  composed 
this  magnificent  hymn  of  thanksgiving.     He  surveys  the  course  of  an 

1  Comp.  Delitzsch :  "The  contrast  is  not  so  much  here  and  hereafter,  as 
world  (life)  and  God.  We  see  here  into  the  inmost  nature  of  the  O.T.  belief. 
All  the  blessedness  and  glory  of  the  future  life  which  the  N.T.  unfolds  is  for 
the  O.T.  faith  contained  in  Jehovah.  Jehovah  is  its  highest  good;  in  the  posses- 
sion of  Him  it  is  raised  above  heaven  and  earth,  life  and  death;  to  surrender  itself 
blindly  to  Him,  without  any  explicit  knowledge  of  a  future  life  of  blessedness,  to  be 
satisfied  with  Him,  to  rest  in  Him,  to  take  refuge  in  Him  in  view  of  death,  is 
characteristic  of  the  O.T.  faith."     The  Psalms,  p.  181. 


PSALM   XVIII.  85 


eventful  life;  he  traces  the  hand  of  Jehovah  in  every  step;  and  his 
heart  overflows  with  joyous  gratitude.  The  inspiring  thought  of  the 
whole  Psalm  is  that  Jehovah  has  made  him  what  he  is.  To  His  loving 
care  and  unfailing  faithfulness  he  owes  it  that  he  has  been  preserved 
and  guided  and  raised  to  his  present  height  of  power. 

By  expressive  metaphors  he  describes  what  Jehovah  had  proved  Him- 
self to  be  to  him  (i — 3) ;  and  then  depicting  in  forcible  figures  the  ex- 
tremity of  peril  to  which  he  had  been  brought  (4 — 6),  he  tells  how  in 
answer  to  his  prayer  Jehovah  manifested  His  power  (7 — 15),  and  de- 
livered him  from  the  enemies  who  were  too  strong  for  him  (16 — 19). 
In  strong  and  simple  consciousness  of  his  own  integrity  (20 — 23),  he 
delights  to  trace  in  this  deliverance  a  proof  of  Jehovah's  faithfulness  to 
those  who  are  faithful  to  Him,  in  accordance  with  the  general  law  of 
His  dealings  (24 — 27).  To  Him  alone  he  owes  all  that  he  is  (28—30); 
He,  the  unique  and  incomparable  God,  has  given  him  strength  and 
skill  for  war  (31 — ^34);  He  it  is  who  has  made  him  victorious  over  his 
enemies  (35 — 42);  He  it  is  who  has  made  him  king  over  his  people 
and  supreme  among  surrounding  nations  (43 — 45).  It  is  Jehovah 
alone;  and  His  praise  shall  be  celebrated  throughout  the  w^orld.  Nor 
is  His  lovingkindness  limited  to  David  only ;  the  promise  reaches  for- 
ward, and  embraces  his  posterity  for  evermore  {46 — 50). 

That  David  was  the  author  of  this  Psalm  is  generally  admitted, 
except  by  critics  who  question  the  existence  of  Davidic  Psalms  at  all. 
Not  only  does  it  stand  in  the  Psalter  as  David's,  but  the  compiler  of 
2  Samuel  embodied  it  in  his  work  as  at  once  the  best  illustration  of 
David's  life  and  character,  and  the  noblest  specimen  of  his  poetry. 

The  internal  evidence  of  its  contents  corroborates  the  external  tradi- 
tion. The  Psalmist  is  a  distinguished  and  successful  warrior,  general, 
and  king  {vv.  29,  33,  34,  37  ff.,  43) :  he  has  had  to  contend  with  domestic 
as  well  as  foreign  enemies  (43  ti'.),  and  has  received  the  submission  of 
surrounding  nations  (44).  He  looks  back  upon  a  life  of  extraordinary 
trials  and  dangers  to  which  he  has  been  exposed  from  enemies  among 
whom  one  was  conspicuous  for  his  ferocity  (4ff.,  17,  48).  He  appeals 
to  his  own  integrity  of  purpose,  and  sees  in  his  deliverance  Gods  recog- 
nition of  that  integrity  (20  ff.);  yet  throughout  he  shews  a  singular 
humility  and  the  clearest  sense  that  he  owes  to  Jehovah's  grace  what- 
ever  he  has  or  is.  These  characteristics,  taken  together,  point  to 
David,  and  to  no  one  else  of  whom  we  have  any  knowledge :  and  the 
intense  personality  and  directness  of  the  Psalm  are  a  strong  argument 
against  the  hypothesis  that  it  is  a  composition  put  into  his  mouth  by 
some  later  poet. 

At  what  period  of  David's  life  the  Psalm  was  written  has  been  much 
debated.  But  title  and  contents  both  point  unmistakably  to  the 
middle  period  of  his  reign,  when  he  was  in  the  zenith  of  his  prosperity 
and  power,  rather  than  to  the  close  of  his  life.  His  triumphs  over  his 
enemies  at  home  and  abroad  are  still  recent;  the  perils  of  his  flight 
from  Saul  are  still  fresh  in  his  memory.  On  the  other  hand  there  is 
not  a  trace  of  the  sins  and  sorrows  which  clouded  the  later  years  of  his 
reign.  The  free  and  joyous  tone  of  the  Psalm,  and  its  bold  assertions 
of  integrity,   point   to   a   time   before   his  sin   with   Bath-sheba,   and 


86  PSALM   XVIII. 


Absalom's  rebellion.  The  composition  of  the  Psalm  may  therefore 
most  naturally  and  fitly  be  assigned  to  the  interval  of  peace  mentioned 
in  2  Sam.  vii.  i,  which  may  (see  notes  there)  have  been  subsequent  to 
some  at  least  of  the  wars  described  in  ch.  viii,  for  the  arrangement  of 
the  book  does  not  appear  to  be  strictly  chronological.  But  it  must  be 
placed  after  the  visit  of  Nathan  recorded  in  2  Sam.  vii,  as  v.  50  clearly 
refers  to  the  promise  then  given :  unless  indeed  v.  50  is  to  be  regarded 
as  a  later  addition  to  the  Psalm.  In  that  time  of  tranquillity  David 
reviewed  the  mercies  of  Jehovah  in  this  sublime  ode  of  thanksgiving, 
and  planned  to  raise  a  monument  of  his  gratitude  in  the  scheme  for 
building  the  Temple,  which  he  was  not  allowed  to  carry  out. 

The  title  of  the  Psalm  is  composite.  The  first  part  of  it,  For  the 
Chief  Musician.  A  Psalm  of  David  the  servant  of  the  Lord,  is 
analogous  to  the  titles  of  other  psalms  in  this  collection :  the  second 
part  is  taken  from  2  Sam.  xxii.  i,  or  from  the  older  history  which 
the  compiler  of  Samuel  made  use  of. 

Comp.  the  similar  titles  in  Ex.  xv.  i ;  Deut.  xxxi.  30. 

Here,  as  in  the  title  of  Ps.  xxxvi,  David  is  styled  Jehovah^s  servant. 
Cp.  2  Sam.  iii,  18;  vii.  5,  8;  i  Kings  viii.  24;  Ps.  Ixxviii.  70;  Ixxxix. 
3,  20;  cxxxii.  ro.  Any  Israelite  might  profess  himself  Jehovah's  servant 
in  addressing  Him,  but  only  a  few  who  were  raised  up  to  do  special 
service  or  who  stood  in  a  special  relation  to  Jehovah,  such  as  Abraham, 
Moses,  Joshua,  David,  Job,  are  honoured  with  this  distinctive  title. 

Saul  is  mentioned  by  name  as  the  most  bitter  and  implacable  of 
David's  enemies.  (For  the  form  of  expression  cp.  Ex.  xviii.  10.) 
David's  preservation  in  that  fierce  persecution  which  was  aimed  at  his 
very  life  was  the  most  signal  instance  of  the  providence  which  had 
watched  over  him.  Much  of  the  language  of  this  Psalm  reflects  the 
experience  of  that  time  of  anxiety  and  peril. 

The  Two  Recensions  of  Psalm  xviii. 

The  existence  of  this  Psalm  in  two  forms  or  recensions,  in  the  Psalter 
and  in  2  Sam.,  is  a  fact  of  the  highest  interest  and  importance  in  its 
bearing  on  the  history  and  character  of  the  Massoretic  text  of  the  O.  T. 
Two  questions  obviously  arise:  (i)  how  are  the  variations  to  be  account- 
ed for?  and  (2)  which  text  is  to  be  preferred  as  on  the  whole  nearest  to 
the  original? 

Defenders  of  the  integrity  of  the  Massoretic  text  have  maintained 
that  both  recensions  proceeded  from  the  poet  himself,  and  are  both 
equally  authentic.  That  in  Samuel  is  supposed  to  be  the  original  form  ; 
that  in  the  Psalter  is  supposed  to  be  a  revision  prepared  by  David  him- 
self, probably  towards  the  close  of  his  life,  for  public  use.  This  hypothe- 
sis can  neither  be  proved  nor  disproved,  but  few  will  now  maintain  it. 
It  is  certain  that  many  of  the  variations  are  due  to  errors  of  tran- 
scription (see  on  vv.  4,  10,  41,  42,  50);  and  the  great  probability  is  that 
those  which  appear  to  be  due  to  intentional  alteration  were  the  work  of 
a  later  reviser  (see  on  vv.  11,  32,  45). 

Critics  differ  widely  as  to  the  relative  value  of  the  two  texts.  Both 
texts  have  unquestionably  been  affected  by  errors  of  transcription,  and 
the  text  in  2  Sam.  has  suffered  most  from  this  cause,  less  care  having 


PSALM   XVIII.  I,  2.  87 

been  bestowed  on  the  preservation  of  the  historical  books.  On  the 
other  hand  the  text  in  the  Psalter  appears  to  the  present  editor  to  have 
been  subjected  to  a  hterary  revision  at  a  later  date,  in  which  peculiar 
forms,  which  were  possibly  "licences  of  popular  usage"  have  been  re- 
placed by  the  forms  in  ordinary  use;  unusual  constructions  simplified; 
archaisms  and  obscure  expressions  explained.  If  this  view  is  correct, 
the  text  in  Samuel  best  preserves  the  original  features  of  the  poem, 
while  at  the  same  time  it  frequently  needs  correction  from  the  text  in  the 
Psalter. 


To  the  chief  Musician,  A  Psalm  of  David  the  servant  of  the  Lord,  who  spake  unto 
the  Lord  the  words  of  this  song  in  the  day  t/zai  the  Lord  delivered  him  from  the 
hand  of  all  his  enemies,  and  from  the  hand  of  Saul :  And  he  said, 

I  will  love  thee,  O  Lord,  my  strength.  18 

The  Lord  is  my  rock,  and  my  fortress,  and  my  deliverer;      2 
My  God,  my  strength,  in  whom   I  will  trust; 
My  buckler,  and  the  horn  of  my  salvation,  a/id  my  high 
tower. 

1 — 3.  Introductory  prelude,  in  which  one  title  is  heaped  upon 
another  to  express  all  that  experience  had  proved  Jehovah  to  be  to 
David. 

1.  /  wi//  love  theel  Fervently  do  I  love  thee,  a  word  occurring 
nowhere  else  in  this  form,  and  denoting  tender  and  intimate  aftection. 
This  verse  is  omitted  in  2  Sam. 

2.  The  imagery  which  David  uses  is  derived  from  the  features  of 
a  country  abounding  in  cliffs  and  caves  and  natural  strongholds,  with 
which  he  had  become  familiar  in  his  flight  from  Saul.  The  rock,  or 
cliflf  [sela)  where  he  had  been  so  unexpectedly  delivered  from  Saul 
(i  Sam.  xxiii.  25 — 28):  the  fortress  or  stronghold  in  the  wilderness 
of  Judah  or  the  fastnesses  of  En-gedi  (i  Sam.  xxii.  4,  xxiii.  14,  19,  29, 
xxiv.  22);  "the  rocks  of  the  wild  goats"  (i  Sam.  xxiv.  2;  i  Chr.  xi. 
1 5) ;  were  all  emblems  of  Him  who  had  been  throughout  his  true 
Refuge  and  Deliverer. 

??iy  God]     El,  and  so  in  vv.  30,  32,  47.     See  note  on  v.  4. 

my  strength  &c.]  Lit.,  my  rock  in  whom  I  take  refuge.  Here  first 
in  the  Psalter  occurs  the  title  Rock,  so  frequently  used  to  describe  the 
strength,  faithfulness,  and  unchangeableness  of  Jehovah.  See  vv.  31, 
46;  Deut.  xxxii.  4,  15,  18,  30,  31;  i  Sam.  ii.  2;  Ps.  xix.  14;  xxviii. 
I ;  &c.  Here,  as  the  relative  clause  shews,  the  special  idea  is  that  of  an 
asylum  in  danger.     Cp.  xciv.  22;  Deut.  xxxii.  37. 

my  bwkltr  &c.]  As  my  shield  He  defends  me :  as  the  horn  of  my 
salvation  He  drives  my  enemies  before  Him  and  gives  me  the  victory. 
The  horn  is  a  common  symbol  of  irresistible  strength,  derived  from 
horned  animals,  especially  wild  oxen.  See  Deut.  xxxiii.  17  ;  and  note 
the  use  of  the  phrase  in  Lk.  i.  69.     Cp.  Ps.  xxviii.  7,  8. 

my  high  toiuer]  See  note  on  ix.  9.  2  Sam.  adds,  "and  my  retreat, 
my  saviour,  who  savest  me  from  violence," 


88  PSALM   XVIII.  3—5. 

3 1  will  call  upon  the  Lord,  who  is  worthy  to  be  praised : 
So  shall  I  be  saved  from  mine  enemies. 

4  The  sorrows  of  death  compassed  me, 

And  the  floods  of  ungodly  men  made  me  afraid. 

5  The  sorrows  of  hell  compassed  me  about : 
The  snares  of  death  prevented  me. 

3.  Not  merely  a  resolution  or  expression  of  confidence  for  the  future 
(/  will  call... so  shall  I  be  saved);  but  the  expression  of  a  general 
conviction  of  God's  faithfuhiess  to  answer  prayer;  whensoever  I  call... 
then  am  I  saved  &c.  Cp.  Ivi.  9.  This  conviction  is  based  on 
experience,  and  illustrated  by  what  follows  [v.  6). 

worthy  to  be  praised^    Cp.  xlviii.  i,  xcvi.  4,  cxiii.  3,  cxlv.  3.    Jehovah 

is  the  one  object  of  Israel's  praise  (Deut.  x.  21),  and  on  Israel's  praises 

■      He  sits  enthroned  (Ps.  xxii.  3).     The  keynote  of  worship  is  Hallehijah, 

'praise  ye  Jah,'  and   the   Hebrew   title    of  the   Psalter   is    Tehillim, 

i.  e.  Praises. 

4 — 6.  In  forcible  figures  David  pictures  the  extremity  of  need  in 
which  he  cried  for  help,  and  not  in  vain.  Again  and  again  there  had 
been  'but  a  step  between  him  and  death.'  (i  Sam.  xx.  3.)  The 
perils  to  which  he  had  been  exposed  are  described  as  waves  and 
torrents  which  threatened  to  engulf  him  or  sweep  him  away  :  Sheol  and 
Death  are  represented  as  hunters  laying  wait  for  his  life  v.'ith  nets  and 
snares. 

4.  The  sorroivs  of  dcath'\  Rather,  as  R.V.,  The  cords  of  death. 
But  the  word  has  been  wrongly  introduced  here  from  v.  5,  and  the 
true  reading  should  be  restored  from  2  Sam. :  the  waves  (lit.  breakers) 
of  death.  This  gives  a  proper  parallelism  to  floods  in  the  next  line. 
But  the  reading  cords  must  be  very  ancient,  for  Ps.  cxvi.  3  appears  to 
recognise  it. 

floods  of  jingodly  vien]  More  graphically  the  original,  torrents  of 
destruction,  or,  ungodliness.  Destruction  threatened  him  like  a  torrent 
swollen  by  a  sudden  storm,  and  SM'eeping  all  before  it  (Jud.  v.  21).  The 
Heb.  word  belial,  lit.  7c>orthless;iess,  may  mean  destruction,  physical 
mischief,  as  well  as  zaiched?icss,  moral  mischief:  and  the  context  points 
rather  to  the  former  sense  here.  Death,  Destruction,  and  Sheol,  are 
indeed  almost  personified,  as  conspiring  for  his  ruin. 

5.  Render  with  R.V., 

The  cords  of  Sheol  were  round  about  me : 
The  snares  of  death  came  upon  me. 
The  Heb.  word  rendered  sorroivs  in  the  A.V.  may  no  doubt  have 
the  meaning  pangs,  and  is  so  rendered  by  the  LXX  (cJSr/'es  davarov... 
lb.  aSov,  cp.  Acts  ii.  24).     But  the  parallelism  decides  in  favour  of  the 
renhei'mg  cords.     Death  and  Sheol,  the  mysterious  unseen  world  (see  on 
vi.  e,),  are  like  hunters  lying  in  wait  for  their  prey  with  nooses  and  nets. 
prevented]    i.e.  came  before,  confronted  me  (xvii.   13)  with  hostile 
intention.     See  note  on  t'.  18. 


PSALM   XVIII.  6,  7.  89 

In  my  distress  I  called  upon  the  Lord,  t 

And  cried  unto  my  God : 

He  heard  my  voice  out  of  his  temple, 

And  my  cry  came  before  him,  eve/i  into  his  ears. 

Then  the  earth  shook  and  trembled  ;  : 

The  foundations  also  of  the  hills  moved 

6.  called... cried]  The  tense  in  the  original  denotes  frei^uenf  and 
repeated  prayer.  The  text  of  1  Sam.  has  called  twice,  no  doubt  by  an 
error  of  transcription. 

out  of  his  temple]  The  palace-temple  of  heaven,  where  He  sits 
enthroned.     See  on  xi.  4.     Cp.  v.  16. 

and  my  cry  &c.]  R.V.,  and  my  cry  before  Mm  came  into  his  ears. 
But  the  terse  vigour  of  the  text  in  2  Sam.  is  preferable:  "and  my  cry 
was  in  his  ears."  An  alternative  reading  or  an  explanatory  gloss  has 
crept  into  the  text  here,  to  the  detriment  of  the  rhythm. 

7 — 15.  Forthwith  David's  prayer  is  answered  by  the  Advent  of 
Jehovah  for  the  discomfiture  of  his  enemies.  He  manifests  Himself 
in  earthquake  and  storm.  The  majestic  though  terrible  phenomena  of 
nature  are  the  expression  of  His  presence.  Nature  in  its  stern  and 
awful  aspect  is  a  revelation  of  His  judicial  wrath.  We  may  call  this 
an  'ideal'  description  of  a  Theophany  ;  for  though  it  is  possible  that 
David  refers  to  some  occasion  when  his  enemies  were  scattered  by  the 
breaking  of  a  terrible  storm  (cp.  Josh,  x,  11;  Jud.  v.  20  f.;  i  Sam.  vii. 
10),  we  have  no  record  of  such  an  event  having  actually  happened  in  his 
life;  and  in  any  case  the  picture  is  intended  to  serve  as  a  description 
of  God's  providential  interposition  for  his  deliverance  in  general,  and 
not  upon  any  single  occasion.  His  power  was  exerted  as  really  and 
truly  as  if  all  these  extraordinary  natural  phenomena  had  visibly  attested 
His  Advent.  Compare  the  accounts  of  the  Exodus  and  the  Giving  of 
the  Law.  See  Ex.  xix.  16—18;  Jud.  v.  4,  5;  Ps.  Ixviii.  7,  8,  Ixxvii. 
16—18:  and  cp.  1.  2  ff.,  xcvii.  2  ff.,  cxiv;  Is.  xxix.  6,  xxx.  27  ff.,  Ixiv. 
I  ff;  Hab.  iii.  3  ff. 

Ps.  xxix  should  be  compared  as  illustrating  David's  sense  of  the 
grandeur  and  significance  of  natural  phenomena. 

The  earthquake  {v.  7);  the  distant  lightnings  {v.  8);  the  gathering 
darkness  of  the  storm  {vv.  9—11);  the  final  outburst  of  its  full  fury 
i^ov.  12 — 15);  are  pictured  in  regular  succession. 

7.  The  paronomasia  of  the  original  in  the  first  line  might  be 
preserved  by  rendering,  Then  the  earth  did  shake  and  quake. 

the  foundations  &c.]  Render :  And  the  foundations  of  the  moun- 
tains trembled.  The  strong  mountains  were  shaken  to  their  very  bases. 
Cp.  Is.  xxiv.  18;  Hab.  iii.  6.  The  text  in  2  Sam.  has  "the  founda- 
tions of  heaven;"  heaven  as  well  as  earth  trembled.  Its  'foundations' 
may  be  the  mountains  on  which  the  vault  of  heaven  seems  to  rest :  cp. 
"the  pillars  of  heaven"  (Job  xxvi.  11):  or  more  probably  the  universe 
is  spoken  of  as  a  vast  building,  without  any  idea  of  applying  the  details 
of  the  metaphor  precisely. 


90  PSALM   XVIII.  8- 


And  were  shaken,  because  he  was  wroth. 

8  There  went  up  a  smoke  out  of  his  nostrils, 
And  fire  out  of  his  mouth  devoured  : 
Coals  were  kindled  by  it. 

9  He  bowed  the  heavens  also,  and  came  down : 
And  darkness  7vas  under  his  feet. 

10  And  he  rode  upon  a  cherub,  and  did  fly : 

because  he  was  ■wrolh']  The  coming  of  Jehovah  for  the  deliverance  of 
His  servant  is  necessarily  a  coming  for  the  judgment  of  His  enemies ; 
and  *  wrath '  is  that  attribute  of  God's  character  which  moves  Him  to 
judgment.     Cp.  Rev.  vi.  i6,  17. 

8.  The  startling  boldness  of  the  language  will  be  intelligible  if  the 
distinctive  character  of  Hebrew  symbolism  is  borne  in  mind.  It  is  no 
"gross  anthropomorphism,"  for  the  poet  did  not  intend  that  the  mind's 
eye  should  shape  his  figures  into  a  concrete  form.  His  aim  is  vividly 
to  express  the  awfulness  of  this  manifestation  of  God's  wrath,  and  he 
does  it  by  using  figures  which  are  intended  to  remain  as  purely  mental 
conceptions,  not  to  be  realised  as  though  God  appeared  in  any  visible 
shape.  See  some  excellent  remarks  in  Archbishop  Trench's  Comm. 
on  the  Epistles  to  the  Seven  Churches,  p.  43. 

a  smoke\  The  outward  sign  of  the  pent-up  fires  of  wrath.  So  anger 
is  said  to  smoke  (Ps.  Ixxiv.  i;  Ixxx.  4  mafg.).  This  bold  figure  is 
suggested  by  the  panting  and  snorting  of  an  infuriated  animal.  See 
the  description  of  the  crocodile  in  Job  xli.  19 — 21. 

out  of  his  nostrils']  Cp.  v.  15.  In  his  wrath  (R.V.  marg.)  is 
a  possible  rendering,  but  the  context  and  parallelism  are  against  it. 

Jiie]  The  constant  emblem  of  the  consuming  wrath  of  God.  See 
Ex.  XV.  7;  Deut.  xxxii.  22;  Ps.  xcvii.  3;  Heb.  xii.  29. 

coals  &c.]  Or,  hot  burning  coals  came  out  of  it:  the  fiery  messengers 
of  vengeance  (cxl.  10). 

9.  The  dark  canopy  of  storm  clouds,  which  is  the  pavement  under 
His  feet  (Nah.  i.  3),  lowers  as  He  descends  to  judgment.  God  is  said 
to  come  down  when  He  manifests  His  power  in  the  world  (Gen.  xi.  7, 
xviii.  21 ;  Is.  Ixiv.  i).  The  darkness,  or  better  as  R.V.,  thick  darkness, 
in  which  He  conceals  Himself  from  human  view,  symbolises  the  mystery 
and  awfulness  of  His  Advent  (Ex.  xix.  16;  xx.  21:  i  Kings  viii.  12; 
Ps.  xcvii.  2). 

10.  As  the  Shechinah,  or  mystic  Presence  of  Jehovah  in  the  cloud 
of  glory,  rested  over  the  cherubim  which  were  upon  the  "  Mercy-seat " 
or  covering  of  the  ark  (2  Sam.  vi.  2;  Ps.  Ixxx.  1  ;  Heb.  ix.  5),  so  here 
Je'.iovah  is  represented  "riding  upon  a  cherub,"  as  the  living  throne 
on  which  He  traverses  space. 

The  Cherubim  appear  in  Scripture  (a)  as  the  guardians  of  Paradise 
(Gen.  iii.  24) :  {b)  as  sculptured  or  wrought  figures  in  the  Tabernacle 
and  Temple  (Ex.  xxv.  17 — 22,  xxvi.  1;  1  Kings  vi.  23  ff. ;  vii.  29,  36) : 
(c)  in  prophetic  visions  as  the  attendants  of  God  (Ezek.  x.  iff.;  cp. 
Ezek.  i;  Is.  vi;  Rev.  iv).    The  Cherubim  of  the  Tabernacle  and  Temple 


PSALM   XVIII.  II— 14.  91 

Yea,  he  did  fly  upon  the  wings  of  the  wind. 
He  made  darkness  his  secret  place ;  n 

His  pavilion  round  about  him 
JFere  dark  waters  a//d  thick  clouds  of  the  skies. 
At  the  brightness  f/ia/  was  before  him  his  thick  clouds  passed,  12 
W^W-stones  and  coals  of  fire. 

The  Lord  also  thundered  in  the  heavens,  13 

And  the  Highest  gave  his  voice ; 
Yi^W-stones  and  coals  of  fire. 
Yea,  he  sent  out  his  arrows,  and  scattered  them ;  i^ 

seem  to  have  been  winged  human  figures,  representing  the  angelic 
attendants  who  minister  in  God's  Presence:  those  of  Ezekiel's  vision 
appear  as  composite  figures  (Ez.  x.  20,  21),  symbolical  perhaps  of  all 
the  powers  of  nature,  which  wait  upon  God  and  fulfil  His  Will. 

yea,  he  did  fly\  R.V.  yea,  lie  flew  swiftly.  The  Heb.  word  is  a 
peculiar  one,  used  of  the  sivooping  of  birds  of  prey  (Deut.  xxviii.  49; 
Jer.  xlviii.  40,  xlix.  22).  The  reading  "yea,  he  was  seen"  in  2  Sam.  is 
an  obvious  corruption.  The  consonants  of  the  two  words  are  so  nearly 
alike  (&<T^1 — N"!"*!),  that  the  rarer  word  would  easily  be  altered  into  the 
more  common  one.     For  "the  wings  of  the  wind"  cp.  civ.  3. 

11.  R.V.  He  made  darkness  his  hiding-place,  his  pavilion  round 

about  him ; 
Darkness  of  waters,  thick  clouds  of  the  skies. 
The  darkness  of  the  rain-charged  storm-cloud  is  the  tent  in  which 
Jehovah  shrouds  His  Majesty.  Cp.  Job  xxxvi.  29;  Ps.  xcvii.  2.  The 
rhythm  gains  by  the  omission  of  his  hiding-place,  as  in  2  Sam. ;  and  the 
text  there  may  be  right  in  reading  gathering  of  waters  for  darkness  of 
waters. 

12.  The  best  rendering  of  this  obscure  verse  seems  to  be  : 

From  the  brightness  before  him  there  passed  through  his  thick 
clouds  hailstones  and  coals  of  fire. 

The  flashes  of  lightning,  accompanied  by  hail  (Ex.  ix.  23,  24),  are  as 
it  were  rays  of  the  "unapproachable  light  "in  which  He  dwells,  piercing 
through  the  dense  clouds  which  conceal  Him.  The  text  in  2  Sam. 
which  has  only,  "at  the  brightness  before  him  coals  of  fire  were  kindled," 
is  evidently  mutilated. 

13.  and  the  Highest  &c.]  R.V.,  and  the  Most  High  uttered  his 
voice.  The  Most  High  is  the  title  of  God  as  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the 
Universe.  See  vii.  17;  and  Additional  Note  H,  p.  222.  Thunder  is 
the  voice  of  God.  See  xxix.  3;  Job  xxxvii.  2 — 5.  The  words  hail- 
stones and  coals  of  fire  have  no  proper  grammatical  construction,  and 
are  wanting  in  the  LXX  and  in  2  Sam.  They  seem  to  have  been 
added  here  from  v.  12  by  an  error  of  transcription. 

14.  And  he  sent  out  &c.  (R.V.)  gives  the  connexion  better  than 
Yea.     Liglitnings  are  Jehovah's  arrows.     Cp.  Ixxvii.  17  ;  Hab.  iii.  11. 

Scattered  them  clearly  refers  to  the  enemies  whose  destruction  was  the 
object  of  this  Divine  interposition  {v.  3). 


92  PSALM   XVIII.  15—18. 

And  he  shot  out  lightnings,  and  discomfited  them. 

15  Then  the  channels  of  waters  were  seen, 

And  the  foundations  of  the  world  were  discovered 

At  thy  rebuke,  O  Lord, 

At  the  blast  of  the  breath  of  thy  nostrils. 

16  He  sent  from  above,  he  took  me. 
He  drew  me  out  of  many  waters. 

17  He  delivered  me  from  my  strong  enemy, 

And  from  them  which  hated  me :  for  they  were  too  strong 
for  me. 

18  They  prevented  me  in  the  day  of  my  calamity  : 

and  he  shot  out  lightnings']  Better,  yea,  lightnings  in  abundance ; 
or,  as  R.V.,  lightnings  manifold. 

discomfited]  A  word  denoting  the  confusion  of  a  sudden  panic,  and 
used  especially  of  supernatural  defeat.  Cp.  Ex.  xiv.  24  (R.V.);  Josh. 
X.  10;  Jud.  iv.  15;  I  Sam.  vii.  10.  Ps.  cxliv.  6,  7  is  based  on  vv. 
14,  16. 

15.  The  waters  of  the  sea  retreat,  its  bed  is  seen,  and  the  hidden 
bases  of  the  world  are  laid  bare,  owning  their  Lord  and  Master,  as  of 
old  at  the  Exodus  when  "He  rebuked  the  Red  Sea,  and  it  was  dried 
up."  See  Ex.  xv.  8;  Ps.  cvi.  9;  Nah.  i.  4.  Cp.  too  Matt.  viii.  26. 
Channels  of\X\&  sea  {2  Sam.)  is  the  preferable  reading. 

ivere  discovered]  i.e.  as  R.  V.,  were  laid  bare,  the  original  meaning  of 
the  word  discover,  which  it  generally  retains  in  the  A.V.     Cp.  xxix.  9. 
at  the  blast  &c.]     Cp.  v.  8. 

16 — 19.  The  deliverance  which  was  the  object  of  Jehovah's  mani- 
festation of  His  power. 

16.  He  sent  from  above]  R.V.,  He  sent  from  on  high  :  but  it  seems 
better  to  render.  He  reached  forth  from  on  high,  as  the  writer  of 
Ps.  cxliv.  7  understood  the  words.  He  stretched  out  His  hand  and 
caught  hold  of  the  sinking  man,  and  drew  him  out  of  the  floods  of 
calamity  which  were  overwhelming  him  {v.  4). 

dreiu  me]  The  word  is  found  elsewhere  only  in  Ex.  ii.  10,  to  which 
thei-e  may  be  an  allusion.  'He  drew  me  out  of  the  great  waters  of 
distress,  as  He  drew  Moses  out  of  the  waters  of  the  Nile,  to  be  the 
deliverer  of  His  people.'  For  many  or  great  waters  as  an  emblem  of 
danger,  cp.  xxxii.  6,  Ixvi.  12,  Ixix.  2,  3. 

17.  Figures  are  dropped,  and  David  refers  explicitly  to  his  deliver- 
ance from  his  'strong'  or  'fierce'  enemy  Saul,  and  Saul's  partisans  who 
hated  him,  from  whom  but  for  this  Divine  intervention  he  could  not 
have  escaped,  for  they  were  too  mighty  for  him. 

18.  They  prevented  me]  They  came  upon  me  (R.V.),  or,  encountered 
me.  Prroent  is  used  in  a  sense  which  illustrates  the  transition  from  its 
original  meaning  to  go  before  to  its  modern  meaning  to  hinder.  Cp. 
Milton's  Paradise  Lost,  VI.  129: 


PSALM   XVIII.  19—22.  93 

But  the  Lord  was  my  stay. 

He  brought  me  forth  also  into  a  large  place ;  19 

He  delivered  me,  because  he  delighted  in  me. 
The  Lord  rewarded  me  according  to  my  righteousness ;         20 
According  to  the  cleanness  of  my  hands  hath  he  recom- 
pensed me. 
For  I  have  kept  the  ways  of  the  Lord,  21 

And  have  not  wickedly  departed  from  my  God. 
For  all  his  judgments  loere  before  me,  22 

And  I  did  not  put  away  his  statutes  from  me. 

Half  Avay  he  met 
His  daring  foe,  at  this  prevention  more 
Incens'd. 
See  Mr  Aldis  Wright's  BiMe  IVord-Book. 

my  slay]     My  staff  (xxiii.  4)  and  support.     Cp.  Is.  x.  20. 

19.  From  the  straits  of  peril  he  is  brought  forth  into  the  freedom  of 
safety.     Cp.  iv.  i,  xxxi.  8. 

because  he  delighted  in  ;//<?]  This  was  the  ground  of  God's  deliverance, 
and  it  now  becomes  the  leading  thought  of  the  Psalm.  Cp.  xxii.  8, 
xli.  11;  2  Sam.  xv.  26;  and  also  Matt.  iii.  17.  The  latter  reference 
gains  fresh  significance  if  it  is  remembered  that  the  theocratic  king 
was  called  Jehovah's  son  (ii.  7;  2  Sam.  vii.  14). 

20 — 23.  The  language  is  inspired  by  the  courage  of  a  childlike 
simplicity.  It  is  no  vainglorious  boasting  of  his  own  merits,  but  a 
testimony  to  the  faithfulness  of  Jehovah  to  guard  and  reward  His  faithful 
servants..  David  does  not  lay  claim  to  a  sinless  righteousness,  but  to 
single-hearted  sincerity  in  his  devotion  to  God,  Compare  his  own 
testimony  (i  Sam.  xxvi.  23),  God's  testimony  (i  Kings  xiv.  8),  and  the 
testimony  of  history  (i  Kings  xi.  4,  xv.  5),  to  his  essential  integrity. 
Cp.  vii.  8,  xvii.  3,  4;  and  see  Introd.  p.  Ixix  f. 

Is  not  this  conscious  rectitude,  this  "princely  heart  of  innocence,"  a 
clear  indication  that  the  Psalm  was  written  before  his  great  fall  ? 

20.  retvarded  me]  Or,  dealt  with  me,  for  the  primary  idea  of  the 
word  is  not  that  of  recompence,  although  this  lies  in  the  context.  Cp. 
xiii.  6. 

the  cleanness  of  my  hands]  =  the  innocence  of  my  conduct.  Cp.  xxiv.  4, 
xxvi.  6. 

21.  He  goes  on  to  substantiate  the  assertion  of  the  preceding  verse. 
Cp.  the  prayer  of  v.  8.  Sin  is  in  its  nature  a  separation  from  God.  Cp. 
Heb.  iii.  12. 

22.  God's  commandments  were  continually  present  to  his  mind  as 
the  rule  of  his  life.  Cp.  Deut.  vi.  6 — 9;  Ps.  cxix.  30,  102;  and  con- 
trast the  spirit  of  the  ungodly  man  in  Ps.  x.  5. 

and  I  did  not  put  aivay  &c.]  In  order  to  sin  without  compunction. 
This  reading  suits  the  parallelism  best,  and  is  preferable  to  that  in 
1  Sam.,  "and  as  for  his  statutes,  I  did  not  depart  from  them." 


94  PSALM   XVIII.  23—26. 

23  I  was  also  upright  before  him, 

And  I  kept  myself  from  mine  iniquity. 

24  Therefore  hath  the  Lord  recompensed  me  according  to  my 

righteousness, 
According  to  the  cleanness  of  my  hands  in  his  eyesight. 

25  With  the  merciful  thou  wilt  shew  thyself  merciful ; 
With  an  upright  man  thou  wilt  shew  thyself  upright ; 

26  With  the  pure  thou  wilt  shew  thyself  pure ; 

And  with  the  froward  thou  wilt  shew  thyself  froward. 


23.  upright  before  hi/ii']  R.V.,  perfect  with  Mm,  living  in  the  fellow- 
ship of  a  sincere  devotion.     See  note  on  xv.  3. 

I  kept  myself  from  mine  iniquity]  I  have  watched  over  myself  that 
I  might  not  transgress,  lest  I  should  cherish  any  sin  till  it  became  a  part 
of  me.  There  is  no  reference  to  indwelling  corruption  or  a  besetting 
sin. 

24—27.  The  law  of  God's  dealings  with  men.  The  assertion  of 
V.  20  is  repeated  as  the  conclusion  to  be  drawn  from  the  review  of  David's 
conduct  in  vv.  21 — 23,  and  is  confirmed  in  vv.  25 — 27  by  a  statement  of 
the  general  laws  of  God's  moral  government.  His  attitude  towards 
men  is  and  must  be  conditioned  by  their  attitude  towards  Him.  Cp. 
I  Sam.  ii.  30 ;  xv.  23.  There  must  be  some  moral  correspondence  in 
a  man's  character  to  enable  God  to  reveal  Himself  to  Him  as  '  merciful,' 
'  perfect,'  'pure.' 

25.  IVith  the  merciful  &c.]  The  man  whose  conduct  in  life  is 
governed  by  the  spirit  of  lovingkindness  will  himself  experience  the 
lovingkindness  of  Jehovah.  Cp.  Matt.  v.  7;  vi.  12,  14,  15;  and  for  the 
meaning  of  vurciful  see  notes  on  iv.  3,  xii.  i,  and  Additional  Note  I, 

p.  221. 

with  an  upright  man  &c.]  Rather  as  R.V.,  with  the  perfect  man 
thou  wilt  shew  thyself  perfect.  Singlehearted  devotion  will  find  a 
response  of  unswerving  faithfulness. 

The  text  in  2  Sam.  has  "the  perfect  hero,"  the  man  who  is  valiant  in 
maintaining  his  own  integrity.     But  the  reading  is  questionable. 

26.  With  the  pure  &c.]  Lit.  one  ivho  purifies  himself,  cp.  i  John 
iii.  3.  Cp.  xxiv.  4,  Ixxiii.  i.  Matt.  v.  8  is  the  N.T.  commentary  on 
the  words. 

and  with  the  froward  &c.]  Belter,  as  R.V.,  and  with  the  perverse 
thou  wilt  shew  thyself  froward.  The  'perverse'  man,  whose  character 
is  morally  distorted,  is  given  over  by  God  to  follow  his  own  crooked 
ways,  till  they  bring  him  to  destruction.  God  must  needs  be  at  cross 
purposes  with  the  wicked,  frustrating  their  plans,  and  punishing  their 
wickedness.  See  Lev.  xxvi.  23,  24;  Job  v.  12,  13;  Is.  xxix.  9  ff.; 
Prov.  iii.  34 ;  Rom.  i.  28 ;  Rev.  xxii.  1 1 ;  and  for  an  illustration  conip. 
the  history  of  Balaam  (Num.  xxii.  20). 


PSALM   XVIII.  27—30.  95 

For  thou  wilt  save  the  afflicted  people;  27 

But  wilt  bring  down  high  looks. 

For  thou  wilt  light  my  candle  :  28 

'J'he  Lord  my  God  will  enlighten  my  darkness. 

For  by  thee  I  have  run  through  a  troop  ;  29 

And  by  my  God  have  I  leaped  over  a  walL 

As  for  God,  his  way  is  perfect :  30 

The  word  of  the  Lord  is  tried  : 

He  is  a  buckler  to  all  those  that  trust  in  him. 

27.  For  thou  zuilt  save  &c.]  2  Sam.  has  the  better  reading,  "and  the 
afflicted  people  thou  wilt  save." 

the  afflicted  people}  Or,  lowly :  those  who  have  learnt  humility  in 
the  school  of  suffering.     See  note  on  ix.  12,  and  cp.  Zeph.  iii.  12. 

bui  cuilt  bring  down  &c.]  But  haughty  eyes  wilt  thou  bring  low. 
"Haughty  eyes"  are  one  of  the  seven  things  which  are  an  abomination 
to  Jehovah  (Prov.  vi.  17).     Cp.  Is.  ii.  11,  12,  17. 

The  parallel  text  in  2  Sam.  has,  "Thine  eyes  are  upon  the  haughty, 
whom  thou  wilt  bring  low." 

28 — 30.  These  general  principles  of  God's  dealing  with  men  are  con- 
firmed by  David's  own  experience. 

28.  For  thou  dost  light  my  lamp, 

Jehovah  my  God  maketh  my  darkness  bright. 

The  burning  lamp  is  a  natural  metaphor  for  the  continuance  of  life 
and  prosperity,  derived,  it  is  said,  from  the  Oriental  practice  of  keeping 
a  light  constantly  burning  in  the  tent  or  house,  which  symbolised  the 
maintenance  of  the  life  and  prosperity  of  the  family.  Cp.  Job  xviii.  6; 
Prov.  xiii.  9.  The  second  line  of  the  verse  indicates  that  the  figure 
here  refers  to  the  preservation  of  David's  oMn  life,  rather  than  to  the 
permanence  of  his  dynasty,  as  in  cxxxii.  17;   i  Kings  xi.  36,  xv.  4. 

The  text  of  2  Sam,  has  "  For  thou  art  my  lamp,  O  Lord."  Cp.  Ps. 
xxvii.  I. 

29.  For  by  thee  I  run  after  a  troop, 
And  by  my  God  I  leap  over  a  wall. 

The  language  is  general,  but  it  seems  to  contain  a  reminiscence  of  two 
memorable  events  in  David's  life:  the  successful  pursuit  of  the  pre- 
datory 'troop'  of  Amalekites  which  had  sacked  Ziklag  (i  Sam.  xxx; 
in  w.  8,  15,  23  the  same  word  troop  is  used  of  the  Amalekites) :  and  the 
capture  of  Zion,  effected  with  such  unexpected  ease  that  he  seemed  to 
have  leapt  over  the  walls  which  its  defenders  boasted  were  impregnable 
(2  Sam.  V.  6—8). 

The  rendering  run  after  is  preferable  to  break  (A.V.  marg.).  The 
point  is  the  speed  of  the  pursuit,  not  the  completeness  of  the  defeat. 

30.  As  for  God  (El),  his  way  is  perfect^  flawless  and  witliout 
blemish,  like  His  work  (Deut.  xxxii.  4),  and  His  law  (Ps.  xix.  7):  the 
word,  or  promise,  of  the  LORD  is  tried,  refined  like  pure  gold,  with- 
out dross  of  uncertainty  or  insincerity  (Ps.  xii.  6,  cxix.  140):  he  is  a 


96  PSALM   XVIII.  31—34. 

31  For  who  is  God  save  the  Lord  ? 
Or  who  is  a  rock  save  our  God  ? 

32  //  is  God  that  girdeth  me  7uith  strength, 
And  maketh  my  way  perfect. 

33  He  maketh  my  feet  like  \\mds'  fecf, 
And  setteth  me  upon  my  high  places. 

34  He  teacheth  my  hands  to  war, 

shield  to  all  them  that  take  refuge  in  him  {v.  2).  The  last  two  lines 
are  quoted  in  Prov.  xxx.  5. 

31 — 34.  The  unique  character  of  Jehovah,  to  whom  alone  David 
owes  all  that  he  is.  Observe  how  he  recognises  that  the  advantages  of 
physical  strength  and  energy,  important  qualifications  in  times  when 
the  king  was  himself  the  leader  of  the  people  in  battle,  were  gifts  of 
God ;  yet  that  it  was  not  these  which  saved  him  and  made  him  victo- 
rious, but  Jehovah's  care  and  help  {vv,  35  ff.)'  Cp.  i  Sam.  xvii. 
34—36. 

31.  For  who  is  a  God  save  Jehovah? 
And  who  is  a  Rock  beside  our  God? 

Jehovah  alone  is  EWah,  a  God  to  be  feared  and  reverenced.  The 
singular  Eloah  is  found  instead  of  the  usual  plural  Elohim  elsewhere  in 
the  Psalter  only  in  1.  22;  cxiv.  7;  cxxxix.  19.  It  is  used  frequently 
in  Job;  in  Deut.  xxxii.  15,  17;  Is.  xliv.  8;  Hab.  i.  11,  iii.  3;  and  in 
a  few  other  passages. 

For  Rock  see  note  on  v.  2 ;  and  for  similar  declarations  of  the  unique 
character  of  Jehovah  cp.  Deut.  xxxii.  31;   i  Sam.  ii.  2;  2  Sam.  vii.  22. 

32.  It  is  God'\  R.V.,  The  God  [^/]  that  girdeth  me  with  strength. 
Cp.  V.  39:  xciii.  1 ;  i  Sam.  ii.  4. 

makdh  my  way  perfect]  Removing  the  obstacles  which  might  have 
hindered  me  from  the  complete  accomplishment  of  the  career  He  has 
marked  out  for  me.  Observe  the  analogy  between  the  perfection  of 
God's  way  [v.  30)  and  His  servant's.  Cp.  Matt.  v.  48  for  a  higher 
development  of  the  same  thought. 

The  traditional  reading  {^;7")in  2  Sam.  is,  "God  is  my  strong  for- 
tress, and  guideth  my  way  in  perfectness";  Avhile  the  written  text  {Kthibh) 
has,  "he  guideth  the  perfect  in  his  way":  but  the  exact  meaning  is 
obscure.  A  simpler  word  has  apparently  been  substituted  in  the  text 
of  the  Psalm. 

33.  like  hinds'  feet]  The  hind,  like  the  gazelle,  was  a  type  of  the 
agility,  swiftness,  and  sure-footedness  which  were  indispensable  quali- 
fications in  ancient  warfare.     Cp.  2  Sam.  ii.  18;   i  Chron.  xii.  8. 

setteth  me  upon  my  high  places']  The  metaphor  of  the  hind,  bounding 
freely  over  the  hills,  is  continued.  David's  high  places  are  the  moun- 
tain strongholds,  the  occupation  of  which  secured  him  in  the  possession 
of  the  country.  Cp.  Deut.  xxxii.  13;  and  Hab.  iii.  19,  Avhich  is  a  re- 
miniscence of  this  passage  and  Deut.  xxxiii.  29. 
.    34.     The  first  line  is  Ijorrowed  in  cxliv.  i. 


PSALM    XVIII.  35—39.  97 

So  that  a  bow  of  steel  is  broken  by  mine  arms. 

Thou  hast  also  given  me  the  shield  of  thy  salvation  :  35 

And  thy  right  hand  hath  holden  me  up, 

And  thy  gentleness  hath  made  me  great. 

Thou  hast  enlarged  my  steps  under  me,  36 

That  my  feet  did  not  slip. 

I  have  pursued  mine  enemies,  and  overtaken  them  :  37 

Neither  did  I  turn  again  till  they  were  consumed. 

I  have  wounded  them  that  they  were  not  able  to  rise  :  3s 

They  are  fallen  under  my  feet. 

For  thou  hast  girded  me  with  strength  unto  the  battle  :  39 

Thou  hast  subdued  under  me  those  that  rose  up  against  me. 

so  that  a  bow  of  steel  &c.]  R.V.,  so  that  mine  arms  do  bend  a  bow 
of  brass.  The  ability  to  bend  a  metal  bow  (cp.  Job  xx.  24)  was  a  sign 
of  supereminent  strength.  Readers  of  the  Odyssey  will  recall  Ulysses' 
bow,  which  no  one  but  himself  could  bend  (Horn.  Od.  xxi.  409). 

35—38.  But  it  is  not  to  his  own  valour  that  his  successes  are  to  be 
ascribed. 

35.  Jehovah's  saving  help  has  been  his  defence — cp.  w.  2,  3,  46, 
and  Eph.  vi.  17: — Jehovah's  right  hand  supports  him  that  his  foot 
should  not  slip  (xx.  2;  xciv.  18):  Jehovah's  condescension — lit.  mee^- 
ness  or  knvliness — makes  him  great.  The  ^^  ord  is  a  bold  one  to  apply 
to  God,  but  its  meaning  is  explained  by  cxiii.  5,  6;  Is.  Ivii.  15;  and  the 
choice  of  the  humble  shepheid  boy  to  be  the  king  of  Israel  was  a 
signal  example  of  this  characteristic  of  the  Divine  action. 

Loving  correction  (P.B.V.)  is  a  conflate  rendering  combining  iracdeia 
[discipline)  from  the  LXX,  and  mansuetudo  {gentleness)  from  Jerome. 
The  second  line  of  the  verse  is  omitted  in  2  Sam.;  and  thine  anszvering 
(i.e.  of  prayer)  is  read  in  place  oi  thy  condescension. 

36.  enlarged  my  steps  &c.]  Given  me  free  space  for  unobstructed 
movement  (cp.  v.  19;  Pro  v.  iv.  12),  and  the  power  to  advance  with 
firm,  unwavering  steps. 

37.  Cp.  Ex.  XV.  9.     2  Sam.  reads  destroyed  for  overtaken. 

38.  /  have  wounded  theni]  Rather,  I  have  smitten  them  through 
(Deut.  xxxiii.  11;  Job  xxvi.  12).  2  Sam.  has  "Yea  I  consumed  them, 
and  smote  them  through,"  the  first  verb  being  probably  a  gloss. 

The  R.V.  renders  the  verbs  in  vv.  37,  38  as  futures  (/  luill  pursue^ 
&c.),  but  it  is  best  to  regard  these  verses,  like  those  which  precede  and 
those  which  follow,  as  a  retrospect.     See  Additional  Note  IV,  p.  223. 

39 — 42.     Thus  God  gave  him  victory  over  all  his  enemies. 

39.  Cp.  V.  IT.  a. 

those  that  rose  up  against  me]  Enemies  in  general  (Ex.  xv.  7 ; 
Deut.  xxxiii.  11),  not  necessarily  rebellious  subjects,  though  the  word 
is  specially  applicable  to  them  (iii.  i). 

PSALMS  7 


98  PSALM   XVIII.  40—43. 

40  Thou  hast  also  given  me  the  necks  of  mine  enemies; 

That  I  might  destroy  them  that  hate  me. 
4J  They  cried,  but  there  was  none  to  save  them  : 

Even  unto  the  Lord,  but  he  answered  them  not. 

42  Then  did  I  beat  them  small  as  the  dust  before  the  wind : 
I  did  cast  them  out  as  the  dirt  in  the  streets. 

43  Thou  hast  delivered  me  from  the  strivings  of  the  people ; 
A?id  thou  hast  made  me  the  head  of  the  heathen  : 

A  people  whom  I  have  not  known  shall  serve  me. 

40.  Yea  mine  enemies  hast  thou  made  to  turn  their  backs  unto 

me, 
And  as  for  them  that  hated  me,  I  cut  them  off. 

The  first  line  means  that  his  enemies  were  put  to  flight  before  him 
(Ex.  xxiii.  27),  not  (as  the  A.V.  seems  to  imply)  that  he  planted  his 
foot  on  their  necks  in  token  of  trimiiph  (Josh.  x.  24). 

41.  They  a'ied'\  Cp.  v.  6.  The  Heb.  text  in  2  Sam.  has  they 
looked  ioY  help  (Is.  xvii.  7,  8),  but  the  LXX  supports  the  reading  cried, 
which  is  certainly  right.  There  is  only  the  difference  of  one  letter  in 
the  consonants  of  the  two  words  ("lytJ^"'— lyitJ^''). 

Even  unto  the  Lord\  At  first  sight  this  might  seem  to  indicate  that 
the  foes  referred  to  were  Israelites.  But  it  is  better  to  understand  it 
of  the  heathen.  After  vainly  seeking  help  from  their  own  gods,  in  the 
extremity  of  their  despair  they  cry  to  Jehovah.  Cp.  i  Sam.  v.  12; 
Jonah  iii.  7  ff. 

42.  Two  figures  are  combined  to  express  the  annihilation  of  David's 
enemies.  They  were,  as  it  were,  pounded  to  dust  (2  Kings  xiii.  7), 
and  then  scattered  like  that  dust  driven  before  the  wind.  Cp.  Is.  xxix. 
5;  xli.  2.     2  Sam.  reads  only  "as  the  dust  of  the  earth." 

I  did  cast  thevi  out  «S:c.]  Flung  them  away  as  worthless  refuse  (Zeph. 
i.  17).  But  the  mire  of  the  streets  is  usually  spoken  of  as  trampled 
under  foot  (Is.  x.  6;  Mic.  vii.  10  ;  Zech.  x.  5),  and  it  suits  the  parallel- 
ism better  to  read  with  the  LXX  and  2  Sam.,  /  did  stamp  them  (Mic. 
iv.  13).  The  variation  is  again  due  to  the  confusion  of  similar  letters 
(DpIN— Dp"lS).  The  addition  at  the  end  of  the  verse  in  2  Sam.,  "and 
did  spread  them  abroad,"  is  probably  a  gloss. 

43 — 45.   The  establishment  of  David's  dominion  at  home  and  abroad. 

43.  from  the  strivings  of  the  people']  2  Sam.  has  "  from  the  strivings 
of  my  people,"  and  the  reference  seems  to  be  to  the  civil  war  and 
internal  dissension  which  disturbed  the  early  years  of  David's  reign, 
while  Saul's  house  still  endeavoured  to  maintain  its  position.  See  2 
Sam.  iii.  i.  Through  all  these  conflicts  he  had  been  safely  brought, 
and  made  the  head  of  the  nations,  supreme  among  surrounding  peoples, 
See  2  Sam.  viii.  i — 14;  Ps.  ii,  8. 

thoti  hast  made  me]  In  2  Sam.  "  thou  hast  preserved  me  to  be  the 
head  of  the  nations." 

a  people  whom  /  have  not  known  shall  serve  me]     Rather,  a  people 


PSALM   XVIII.  44-47.  99 

As  soon  as  they  hear  of  me^  they  shall  obey  me  :  44 

The  strangers  shall  submit  themselves  unto  me. 

The  strangers  shall  fade  away,  45 

And  be  afraid  out  of  their  close  places. 

The  Lord  liveth ;  and  blessed  be  my  rock  ;  46 

And  let  the  God  of  my  salvation  be  exalted. 

//  is  God  that  avengeth  me,  47 

whom  I  knew  not  did  serve  me.  There  is  no  reason  for  the  sudden 
transition  of  the  A.V.  to  the  future  here  and  in  the  two  following  verses. 
David  is  still  thankfully  recounting  how  God  had  raised  him  to  his  pre- 
sent eminence.  There  may  be  a  special  reference  to  the  subjugation  of 
the  Syrians  and  their  allies,  whom  he  might  well  describe  as  "a  people 
whom  "he  had  not  known."     See  2  Sam.  viii.  6;  x.  19. 

44.  As  soon  as  they  heard  of  me  they  offered  me  ohedience, 
Strangers  came  cringing-  unto  me. 

At  the  mere  report  of  David's  victories  foreign  nations  offered  their 
allegiance,  as  for  example  Toi  of  Hamath.  See  2  Sam.  viii.  9  ff.  The 
word  rendered  siihtnit  themselves,  marg.  yield  feigned  obedience,  denotes 
originally  the  unwilling  homage  paid  by  the  vanquished  to  their  con- 
queror.    Cp.  Deut.  xxxiii.  29;  Ps.  Ixvi.  3;  Ixxxi.  15. 

In  2  Sam.  the  order  of  the  clauses  is  inverted. 

45.  The  strangers  faded  away, 

And  came  trembling  out  of  their  fastnesses. 
Their  strength  and  courage  failed  like  a  withering  leaf  or  a  fading 
flower  (Is.  xxviii.  i,  4),  and  they  surrendered  at  discretion  to  the  trium- 
phant invader.  Cp.  Mic.  vii.  17;  i  Sam.  xiv.  11.  The  obscure  read- 
ing in  2  Sam.  may  mean  "came  limping  out  of  their  fastnesses";  a 
picture  of  the  exhausted  defenders  of  the  fortress  dragging  themselves 
along  wath  difficulty  and  reluctant  to  lay  down  their  arms  before  the 
conqueror.     The  LXX  gives  this  rendering  (exwAaj/ai/)  in  the  Psalm. 

46 — 50.     Concluding  thanksgiving  and  doxology. 

46.  The  Lord  liveth']  Life  is  the  essential  attribute  of  Jehovah. 
He  is  the  Living  God  in  contrast  to  the  dead  idols  of  the  heathen. 
The  experience  of  David's  life  is  summed  up  in  these  words.  It  had 
been  to  him  a  certain  proof  that  God  is  the  living,  active  Ruler  of  the 
world.     Cp.  Josh.  iii.  10. 

and  let  &c.]  R.V.,  and  exalted  be  the  God  of  my  salvation.  Cp. 
xxiv.  5.     2  Sam.  reads,  "  the  God  of  the  rock  of  my  salvation." 

47.  Render : 

Even  the  God  that  executed  vengeance  for  me, 

And  subdued  peoples  under  me. 
Vengeance  is  the  prerogative  of  God  (xciv.  i);  it  is  His  vindication 
of  the  righteousness  and  integrity  of  His  servants.  Such  a  thanks- 
giving as  this  does  not  shew  a  spirit  of  vindictiveness  in  David,  but  is 
a  recognition  that  God  had  'pleaded  his  cause,'  and  maintained  the 
right.     God  had  avenged  him  for  the  cruel  injustice  of  Saul  (i  Sam. 

7—2 


loo  PSALM   XVIII.  48—50. 

And  subdueth  the  people  under  me. 

48  He  delivereth  me  from  mine  enemies  : 

Yea,  thou  hftest  me  up  above  those  that  rise  up  against  me: 
Thou  hast  delivered  me  from  the  violent  man. 

49  Therefore  will  I  give  thanks  unto  thee,  O   Lord, 

among  the  heathen, 
And  sing  praises  unto  thy  name. 

50  Great  deliverance  giveth  he  to  his  king ; 


xxiv.  12);  for  the  contemptuous  insults  of  Nabal  (i  Sam.  xxv.  39);  for 
the  factious  opposition  of  those  who  refused  to  acknowledge  him  as 
king  in  spite  of  his  Divine  call  (2  Sam.  iv.  8). 

The  second  line  of  the  verse  refers,  like  v.  43,  to  success  in  over- 
coming internal  as  well  as  external  opposition  to  his  rule.  Cp.  cxliv.  2. 
It  is  not,  however,  the  boast  of  a  triumphant  despot,  but  the  thanks- 
giving of  a  ruler  who  recognised  the  vital  importance  of  union  for  the 
prosperity  of  Israel,  and  knew  that  the  task  of  reconciling  the  discor- 
dant elements  in  the  nation  Mas  beyond  his  own  unaided  powers. 

For  subihieth  2  Sam.  has  '  bringeth  down.' 

48.  My  deliverer  from  mine  enemies ; 

Yea,  thou  didst  set  me  on  high  from  them  that  rose  up 

against  me, 
From  the  man  of  violence  didst  thou  rescue  me. 
My  deliverer,   as  in  v.  2.     2   Sam.  has   "that  bringeth  me  forth." 
The  man  of  violence  might  mean  men  of  violence  in  general,  but  it  is 
more  natural  to  regard  it  as  a  reference  to  Saul.     Cp.  cxl.  1,4,  11. 

49.  The  celebration  of  Jehovah's  faithfulness  to  His  servant  is  not 
to  be  confined  within  the  narrow  limits  of  Israel.  His  praise  is  to  be 
proclaimed  among  the  nations,  which,  as  they  are  brought  under  the 
dominion  of  His  people,  may  eventually  be  brought  to  the  knowledge  of 
Jehovah.  Cp.  xcvi.  3,  10.  This  verse  is  quoted  by  St.  Paul  in  Rom. 
XV.  9  (together  with  Deut,  xxxii.  43;  Ps.  cxvii.  i;  Is.  xi.  10),  in  proof 
that  the  Old  Testament  anticipated  the  admission  of  the  Gentiles  to  the 
blessings  of  salvation. 

50.  These  closing  words  may  be  due  to  a  later  poet,  who  thus  sums 
up  the  lessons  of  the  Psalm.  But  they  may  well  be  David's  own.  He 
drops  the  first  person,  and  surveys  his  own  life  from  without,  in  the 
light  of  the  great  promise  of  2  Sam.  vii.  12 — 16.  These  are  the  deli- 
verances Jehovah  has  wrought  for  the  king  of  His  choice ;  this  is  a 
sample  of  the  lovingkindness  which  He  has  shewn  to  His  Anointed, 
and  will  shew  to  his  seed  for  evermore.  The  words  reach  forward  to 
the  perfect  life,  and  the  world-wide  victories,  of  the  Christ,  the  Son  of 
David. 

Great  deliverance  «S:c.]  Lit.  He  magnifieth  the  salvations  of  his 
king.  Cp.  XX.  6.  The  KthTbh  and  the  Versions  in  2  Sam.  have  the 
same  reading:  but  the  Qri,  which  the  A.V.  follows,  has  "He  is  a 
tower  of  deliverance  for  his  king."     Cp.  Ps.  Ixi.  3;    Prov.  xviii.   10. 


PSALM   XIX.  loi 


And  sheweth  mercy  to  his  anointed, 
To  David,  and  to  his  seed  for  evermore. 

The  consonants  of  the  two  words,  as  originally  written  defectively  and 
without  vowels,  are  identical. 

fiiercy]    lovingkindiiess.     Cp.  xvii.  7;  2  Sam.  vii.  15. 


PSALM  XIX. 

This  Psalm  consists  of  two  distinct  parts.  The  first  part  celebrates 
the  revelation  of  the  Power  and  Majesty  of  God  in  Nature,  the  universal 
and  unceasing  testimony  of  the  heavens  to  their  Creator  {z<v.  i — 6).  The 
second  part  celebrates  the  moral  beauty  and  beneficent  power  of  Jeho- 
vah's 'Law'  in  its  manifold  elements  and  aspects  {vv.  7 — 11);  and  the 
Psalmist,  viewing  his  own  life  in  the  sight  of  this  holy  Law,  concludes 
with  a  prayer  for  pardon,  preservation,  and  acceptance  {w.  12 — 14). 

The  identity  of  the  Lawgiver  of  Israel  with  the  Creator  of  the  Uni- 
verse was  a  fundamental  principle  of  Old  Testament  religion  (Amos  iv. 
13;  V.  7,  8):  and  the  Psalm  is  certainly  intended  to  suggest  a  com- 
parison between  the  universal  revelation  of  God's  majesty  in  creation, 
manifest  to  all  mankind  (Rom.  i.  19,  20),  and  the  special  revelation  of 
His  moral  character  and  of  man's  duty  in  His  'Law,'  given  to  Israel 
only.  The  use  of  the  Divine  names  is  significant.  In  the  first  part  God 
is  styled  El,  as  the  God  of  power,  the  Creator:  in  the  second  part  He 
is  styled  Jehovah  (seven  times  repeated),  the  Name  by  which  He  made 
Himself  known  as  the  covenant  God  of  Israel,  the  God  of  grace  and 
redemption. 

Were  the  two  parts  the  work  of  one  poet?  Form,  style,  and  tone 
point  to  a  negative  answer.  No  doubt  the  same  poet  might  have  adopt- 
ed a  fresh  rhythm  to  correspond  to  the  change  of  subject ;  and  the  ab- 
ruptness of  the  transition  from  one  part  to  the  other  cannot  be  pressed 
as  an  argument  against  unity  of  authorship,  for  it  is  quite  in  accordance 
with  the  spirit  of  Hebrew  poetry  to  place  two  thoughts  side  by  side, 
and  leave  the  reader  to  draw  the  intended  inference.  But  the  closest 
parallel  to  the  first  part  is  Ps.  viii :  to  the  second,  Ps.  cxix. 

We  know  from  the  example  of  Ps.  cviii  that  no  scruples  were  felt  in 
combining  parts  of  different  poems  into  a  new  whole ;  and  it  seems  most 
probable  that*  the  second  part  of  the  Psalm  was  written  as  a  supplement 
to  part  of  an  already  existing  poem,  or  that  portions  of  two  poems  were 
combined,  with  a  view  of  suggesting  the  comparison  between  God's  two 
great  volumes  of  Nature  and  the  Scriptures. 

Each  of  these  volumes  has  its  special  lessons.  Rightly  interpreted, 
they  can  never  be  in  conflict.  "It  is  written,"  says  Lord  Bacon,  "  Coeli 
enarrant  gloriam  Dei;  but  it  is  not  written  coeli  enarrant  vohmtatem 
Dei:  but  of  that  it  is  said,  ad  legem  et  testimonium:  si  non  fecerint 
secundum  verbum  istud  (£v."     {Advancement  of  Learning,  ii.  25,  3). 

"  The  starry  sky  above  me,"  said  Kant,  "and  the  moral  law  in  me,... 
are  two  things  which  fill  the  soul  with  ever  new  and  increasing  admira- 
tion and  reverence."     Wallace's  Kant,  p.  53. 


I02  PSALM   XIX. 


What  does  the  Psalmist  mean  by  "the  law  of  Jehovah,"  which  he 

describes  in  different  aspects  as  testimony,  precepts,  commandment, 
fear,  judgments?  It  is  the  moral  law  embodied  in  the  Pentateuch,  but  not 
this  exclusively,  but  all  the  priestly  and  prophetic  teaching  by  which 
Jehovah's  will  was  made  known.  The  "Law"  is  to  the  writer  no  burden- 
some and  vexatious  restriction  of  liberty,  but  a  gracious  reflection  of 
the  holiness  of  God,  designed  to  lead  man  in  the  way  of  life  and  peace. 
Yet  already  in  the  closing  verse  we  have  a  hint  of  the  sterner  function 
of  the  Law  as  an  instrument  for  teaching  man  to  know  his  own  sinfulness 
(Rom.  iii.  20),  and  to  feel  the  need  of  an  effectual  atonement  (Rom. 
viii.  3). 

Ps.  xix  is  one  of  the  Proper  Psalms  for  Christmas  Day.  The  Reve- 
lation of  God  in  Nature,  and  the  Revelation  of  God  in  His  Word,  pre- 
pared the  way  for  the  crowning  Revelation  of  God  in  the  Incarnation 
(Bp.  Perowne). 


To  the  chief  Musician,  A  Psalm  of  David. 

19  The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God; 
And  the  firmament  sheweth  his  handywork. 
2  Day  unto  day  uttereth  speech, 
And  night  unto  night  sheweth  knowledge. 

1 — 6.     The  universal  revelation  of  God  in  Nature. 

1.  "The  glory  of  the  Lord"  denotes  (i)  that  visible  manifestation 
of  His  Presence  by  which  He  was  wont  to  reveal  Himself  to  Israel, 
the  Sl}echinah  as  it  was  called  in  later  times  (Ex.  xvi.  7,  10;  xxxiii. 
11 ;  Rom.  ix.  4) :  and  (2)  in  a  wider  sense,  as  here,  the  glory 
of  God  is  the  unique  majesty  of  His  Being  as  it  is  revealed  to  man, 
that  manifestation  of  His  Deity  which  the  creature  should  recognise 
with  reverent  adoration.  All  creation  is  a  revelation  of  God,  but 
the  heavens  in  their  vastness,  splendour,  order,  and  mystery  are  the 
most  impressive  reflection  of  His  greatness  and  majesty.  The  simplest 
observer  can  read  the  message;  but  how  much  more  emphatic  and 
significant  has  it  become  through  the  discoveries  of  modern  astronomy ! 

the  firma7ncnt\  Lit.  the  expanse:  the  vault  of  heaven,  spread  out 
over  the  earth  (Gen.  i.  6  fl".  ;  Job  xxxvii.  18),  proclaims  what  He  has 
done  and  can  do. 

2.  This  proclamation  is  continuous  and  unceasing.  "Dies  diem 
docet."  Each  day,  each  night,  hands  on  the  message  to  its  successor  in 
an  unbroken  tradition.  Day  and  night  are  mentioned  separately,  for 
each  has  a  special  message  entrusted  to  it :  the  day  tells  of  splendour, 
power,  beneficence;  the  night  tells  of  vastness,  order,  mystery,  beauty, 
repose.  They  are  "like  the  two  parts  of  a  choir,  chanting  forth  alter- 
nately the  praises  of  God."     (Bp.  Home.) 

uttereth^     Lit.  poii7-s  out,  in  copious  abundance. 

sheweth^  Or,  proclaimetli,  a  different  word  from  that  of  z'.  t.  Kncno- 
ledge  is  "that  which  may  be  known  of  God"  (Rom.  i.  19).      "Aristotle 


PSALM   XIX.  3,  4.  103 


There  is  no  speech  nor  language, 

Where  their  voice  is  not  heard. 

Their  line  is  gone  out  through  all  the  earth, 

says\  that  should  a  man  live  under  ground,  and  there  converse  with 
works  of  art  and  mechanism,  and  should  afterwards  be  brought  up  into 
the  open  day,  and  see  the  several  glories  of  the  heaven  and  earth,  he 
would  immediately  pronounce  them  the  works  of  such  a  being  as  we 
define  God  to  be."     Addison  in  The  Spectator,  No.  465. 

3.  {a)  The  rendering  of  A.V.  means  that  the  message  of  the  heavens 
reaches  all  nations  of  every  language  alike,  and  is  intelligible  to  them. 
But  the  Keb.  words  rendered  speech  and  language  will  not  bear  this 
explanation. 

(3)  The  rendering 

//  is  not  a  speech  or  words 
Whose  voice  is  iini^itelligible, 
is  that  of  most  of  the  ancient  versions  (LXX,    Aq. ,  Symni.,   Theod., 
Vulg.,  Jer. ).     But  it  does  not  satisfy  the  parallelism,  and  it  is  unnatural 
to  refer  their  voice  to  'speech  and  words'  rather  than  to  'the  heavens.' 
{c)  It  is  best  to  render  (cp.  R.V.) 

There  is  neither  speech  nor  words, 
Unheard  is  their  voice. 
Their  message  though  real  is  inarticulate.     Thus  understood,  the  verse 
qualifies  v.  2,  and  is  in  close  connexion  with  v.  4.   Theirs  is  a  silent 
eloquence,   yet   it   reaches   from  one  end  of  the  world  to  the  other. 
Comp.  Addison's  paraphrase: 

"  What  though  in  solemn  silence  all 
Move  round  the  dark  terrestrial  ball? 
What  though  nor  real  voice  nor  sound 
Amid  their  radiant  oi'bs  be  found? 
In  reason's  ear  they  all  i-ejoice. 
And  utter  forth  a  glorious  voice, 
For  ever  singing,  as  they  shine, 
'The  hand  that  made  us  is  divine'.'' 

4.  This  proclamation  is  universal.  The  phrase  Their  line  is  gone 
out  &c.,  is  to  be  explained  by  Jer.  xxxi.  39;  Zech.  i.  16.  The  measur- 
ing line  marks  the  limits  of  possession.  The  whole  earth  is  the  sphere 
throughout  which  the  heavens  have  to  proclaim  their  message.  The 
rendering  of  P.B.V.  their  sotind  ioWow?,  LXX,  Vulg.,  Symm.,  Jer.,  Syr., 
but  it  is  not  justifiable  as  a  rendering  of  the  present  text,  though  it  may 
be  got  by  an  easy  emendation. 

A  wider  application  is  given  to  these  words  by  St  Paul  in  Rom,  x.  18. 
But  his  use  of  them  is  not  merely  the  adoption  of  a  convenient  phrase. 
It  implies  a  comparison  of  the  universality  of  the  proclamation  of  the 
Gospel  with  the  universality  of  the  proclamation  of  God's  glory  in 
Nature. 

1  The  passage  is  a  fragment  of  Aristotle's  Dialogue  on  Philosophy  quoted  by 
Cicero  De  Natura  Deorum,  ii.  37.  95,  and  is  well  worth  referring  to. 


io4  PSALM   XIX.  5—7. 

And  their  words  to  the  end  of  the  world. 
In  them  hath  he  set  a  tabernacle  for  the  sun, 

5  Which  is  as  a  bridegroom  coming  out  of  his  chamber, 
A?id  rejoiceth  as  a  strong  man  to  run  a  race. 

6  His  going  forth  is  from  the  end  of  the  heaven, 
And  his  circuit  unto  the  ends  of  it : 

And  there  is  nothing  hid  from  the  heat  thereof. 

7  The  law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  converting  the  soul : 

The  testimony  of  the  Lord  is  sure,  making  wise  the  simple. 

1)1  them  &c.]  How  naturally  the  poet  singles  out  the  Sun  as  the 
chief  witness  to  God's  glory,  and  personifies  it  as  though  it  were  a  king 
or  hero,  for  whose  abode  the  Creator  has  fixed  a  tent  in  the  heavens. 

6.  Thence  he  comes  forth  morning  by  morning  like  the  bridegroom 
in  all  the  splendour  of  his  bridal  attire,  in  all  the  freshness  of  youthful 
vigour  and  buoyant  happiness  (Is.  Ixi.  10 ;  Ixii.  5) :  like  the  hero  exult- 
ing in  the  consciousness  of  strength,  and  eager  to  put  it  to  the  proof. 
Cp.  Jud.  V.  31. 

6.  The  beneficent  influences  of  his  light  and  heat  are  universally 
felt. 

7 — 11.  Yet  more  wonderful  than  this  declaration  of  God's  glory, 
more  beneficent  than  the  sun's  life-giving  light  and  heat,  is  Jehovah's 
revelation  of  His  will,  which  quickens  and  educates  man's  moral  nature. 
Its  essential  characteristics  and  its  beneficent  influences  are  described 
with  an  enthusiastic  and  loving  admiration. 

Note  the  peculiar  rhythm  of  w.  7 — 9,  in  which  each  line  is  divided 
by  a  well-marked  caesura.     Cp.  Lam.  i.  i  ff". 

7.  The  larv  of  the  Lord]  Instruction,  teaching,  doctrine,  are  the 
ideas  connected  with  the  word  torah,  rendered  law.  See  on  i.  2.  Like 
Jehovah's  work  (Deut.  xxxii.  4),  and  His  way  (Ps.  xviii.  30),  it  ispcj-fect, 
complete,  flawless;  without  defect  or  error;  a  guide  which  can  neither 
mislead  nor  fail.  Observe  that  the  name  Jehovah  now  takes  the 
place  of  God  {v.  i);  for  we  have  entered  the  sphere  of  the  special  reve- 
lation to  Israel. 

converting  the  soul]  Rather,  as  R.V.,  restoring  the  soul;  refreshing 
and  invigorating  man's  true  self  (cp.  xxiii.  3) ;  like  food  to  the  hungry 
(Lam.  i.  11,  19);  like  comfort  to  the  sorrowful  and  afflicted  (Lam.  i.  16; 
Ruth  iv.  15). 

the  testimony]  The  'law,'  regarded  as  bearing  witness  to  Jehovah's 
will,  and  man's  duty  (Ex.  xxv.  16,  21).  It  is  sure,  not  variable  or  un- 
certain.    Cp.  xciii.  5,  cxi.  7. 

the  simple]  A  character  often  mentioned  in  Proverbs  (i.  4,  &c.) :  the 
man  whose  mind  is  open  to  the  entrance  of  good  or  evil.  He  has  not 
closed  his  heart  against  instruction,  but  he  has  no  fixed  principle  to 
repel  temptation.  He  needs  to  be  made  wise.  Cp.  cxix.  130;  2  Tim. 
iii.  15. 


I 


PSALM    XIX.  8—13.  105 

The  statutes  of  the  Lord  are  right,  rejoicing  the  heart :  s 

The  commandment  of  the  Lord  is  pure,  enhghtening  the 

eyes. 
The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  clean,  enduring  for  ever  :  9 

The  judgments  of  the  Lord  are  true  and  righteous  altogether. 
More  to  be  desired  are  they  than  gold,  yea,  than  much  fine  1° 

gold: 
Sweeter  also  than  honey  and  the  honeycomb. 
Moreover  by  them  is  thy  servant  warned  :  " 

And  in  keeping  of  them  there  is  great  reward. 
Who  can  understand ///i- errors  ?  12 

Cleanse  thou  me  from  ?>ecxtt  faults. 
Keep  back  thy  servant  also  from  presumptuous  sifis  ;  13 

8.  The  statutes]  Rather,  as  R.V.,  the  precepts,  the  various  special 
injunctions  in  which  man's  obligations  are  set  forth.  These  make  glad 
the  heart  with  the  joy  of  moral  satisfaction. 

pure\  An  epithet  applied  to  the  sun,  Cant.  vi.  10.  "The  law  is 
light"  (Prov.  vi.  23),  and  light-giving.     Cp.  cxix.  105,  130;  Eph.  i.  18. 

9.  The  fear  of  the  Lord]  Another  synonym  for  the  'law,'  inas- 
much as  its  aim  and  object  is  to  implant  the  fear  of  God  in  men's  hearts. 
(Deut.  iv.  10).  It  is  clean  or  pure  (xii.  6),  in  contrast  to  the  immo- 
ralities of  heathenism.  It  is  like  Jehovah  Himself  (Hab.  i.  13),  and  like 
Him,  '\\.  stajtds  fast  for  ever  (cii.  26);  for  "righteousness  is  immortal" 
(Wisd.i.  15). 

The  judgments]  Decisions,  ordinances.  These  are  truth  (John  xvii. 
1 7) ;  one  and  all  they  are  in  accordance  with  the  standard  of  absolute 
justice  (Deut.  iv.  8). 

10.  Such  is  the  law  in  all  its  parts ;  a  treasure  to  be  coveted ;  the 
sweetest  of  enjoyments  when  received  into  the  heart.  Cp.  cxix.  72,  103, 
127. 

the  honeycomb]  Lit.  the  droppings  of  the  honeycomb,  the  purest  honey 
which  drops  naturally  from  the  comb. 

11.  The  Psalmist,  as  Jehovah's  servant,  lets  himself  be  ivarned  by 
the  law.     Cp.  Ezek.  xxxiii.  4  ff. 

great  reward]     Cp.  Prov.  xxii.  4;   1  Tim.  iv.  8,  vi.  6. 

12 — 14.  The  contemplation  of  this  holy  law  leads  the  Psalmist  to 
express  his  personal  need  of  preservation  and  guidance. 

12.  More  exactly : 

Errors  who  can  discern? 

From  hidden  (faults)  clear  thou  me. 

Who  can  be  aware  of  the  manifold  lapses  of  ignorance  or  inadvertence? 
Acquit  me,  do  not  hold  me  guilty  in  respect  ot  them. 

13.  For  sins  committed  'in  error,'  (A.V.  through  ignoratice)  and  for 
'hidden'  offences,  the  ceremonial  law  provided  an  atonement  (Lev.  iv. 
I  ff.,  13  ff.,  V.  2  ft.;  Num.  xv.  22  ff.);  but  for  sins  committed  'with  a 


[o6  PSALM   XIX.  14. 


Let  them  not  have  dominion  over  me : 
Then  shall  I  be  upright, 

And  I  shall  be  innocent  from  the  great  transgression. 
14  Let  the  words  of  my  mouth, 

And  the  meditation  of  my  heart,  be  acceptable  in  thy  sight, 
O  Lord,  my  strength,  and  my  redeemer. 

high  hand,'  in  a  spirit  of  proud  defiance,  there  was  no  atonement 
(Num.  XV.  30,  31).  From  such  presumptuous  sins  he  prays  to  be 
restrained,  as  David  was  once  restrained  from  a  desperate  act  of  revenge 
(i  Sam.  XXV.  39).  Such  sins  soon  become  a  man's  masters,  and  he 
Ijecomes  their  slave  (John  viii.  34).  They  rule  over  him,  instead  of  his 
ruling  over  them  (Gen,  iv.  7).  For  presu?nptuous,  lit.  proud,  cp.  pre- 
stimptuously ,  lit.  in  pride,  Ex.  xxi.  14;  Deut.  xvii.  12,  13. 

Then  (he  continues)  if  Thou  dost  grant  me  this  grace,  shall  I  be  per- 
fect, heart-whole  with  Thee  (xviii.  23),  and  I  shall  be  clear  from  great 
transgression,  innocent  of  the  deadly  sin  of  rebellion  (Is.  i.  2)  and 
apostasy  from  Jehovah. 

But  the  word  rendered  '■presumptuous  sins'  everywhere  else  means 
'■proud  men,'  and  this  may  be  its  meaning  here.  The  Psalmist  prays  to 
be  saved  from  the  oppression  of  the  proud  and  godless,  lest  he  should  be 
tempted  even  to  deny  God.  Cp.  Ps.  cxix.  121,  122;  and  note  how 
often  "the  proud"  are  mentioned  in  that  Psalm,  and  how  the  thought 
of  faithfulness  to  the  Law  in  the  teeth  of  mockery  and  persecution  is 
emphasised  {;vv.  51,  69,  78,  85 — 87). 

14.  be  acceptable^  An  expression  borrowed  from  the  laws  of  sacri- 
fice. See  Lev.  i.  3,  4  (R.V.);  cp.  Ex.  xxviii.  38.  Prayer,  "uttered  or 
unexpressed,"  is  a  spiritual  sacrifice.     Cp.  cxli.  2;  Hos.  xiv.  2. 

The  P.B.V.,  be  always  acceptable,  is  from  the  LXX.  The  Heb.  for 
ahvays  would  be  tdtnid.  If  this  word  may  be  restored  to  the  text  on 
the  authority  of  the  LXX,  it  would  suggest  a  reference  to  the  daily 
sacrifice  which  was  to  be  offered  continually  (Ex.  xxix.  38  ff.),  and  in 
later  times  was  called  the  Tdviid. 

my  strength  &c.]  My  rock  (see  on  xviii.  2),  and  my  redeemer ^ 
delivering  me  from  the  tyranny  of  enemies  and  the  bondage  of  sin,  as 
He  delivered  Israel  from  the  bondage  of  Egypt.  Cp.  Ex.  xv.  13; 
Is.  Ixiii.  9. 

PSALM  XX. 

The  20th  and  21st  Psalms  are  closely  related  in  structure  and  con- 
tents. Both  are  liturgical  Psalms :  the  first  is  an  intercession,  the 
second  a  thanksgiving.  In  both  the  king,  the  representative  of  Je- 
hovah and  the  representative  of  the  people,  is  the  prominent  figure ; 
and  the  salvation  or  victory  which  Jehovah  bestows  upon  him  is  the 
leading  thought. 

In  Ps.  XX  the  king  is  preparing  to  go  out  to  battle  against  formidable 
enemies.  Before  starting  he  offers  solemn  sacrifices,  and  commits  his 
cause  to  Jehovah,  the  sole  Giver  of  victory.     The  Psalm  was  apparently 


PSALM   XX.  I,  2.  107 


intended  to  be  sung  while  the  sacrifice  was  being  offered.  It  breathes  a 
spirit  of  simple  faith  in  Jehovah's  aid.  Israel's  enemies  rely  upon 
their  material  forces :  Israel  trusts  in  Jehovah  alone. 

In  Psalm  xxi  the  campaign  is  over.  The  victory  is  won.  The 
people  witli  their  king  are  again  assembled  to  give  thanks  for  the 
salvation  which  Jehovah  has  wrought  for  them  ;  and  in  the  flush  of 
victory  they  anticipate  with  confidence  the  future  triumphs  of  their 
king. 

There  is  little  to  determine  the  particular  occasion  of  these  Psalms. 
The  title  of  Ps.  xx  in  the  Syriac  Version  refers  it  to  David's  war  with 
the  Ammonites  :  and  some  commentators  see  in  xx.  7  an  allusion  to  the 
chariots  and  horses  of  the  Syrians  who  were  in  alliance  with  the 
Ammonites  (2  Sam.  viii.  4,  x.  18);  and  in  xxi.  3,  9  allusions  to  the 
circumstances  of  the  capture  of  Rabbah  (2  Sam.  xii.  30,  31).  Others 
think  that  the  king  may  have  been  Asa  (2  Chr.  xiv.  9),  or  Uzziah  (2 
Chr.  xxvi).  The  personal  importance  of  the  king  as  the  leader  of  the 
army,  and  the  spirit  of  simple  trust  in  Jehovah,  not  in  material  forces, 
point  to  an  early  rather  than  a  late  date.  If  the  Psalms  refer  to  David, 
it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  they  were  written  by  some  poet  other  than 
the  king  himself. 

Ps.  xx  consists  of  two  stanzas  with  a  concluding  verse. 

i.  The  people's  intercession  for  the  king,  sung  by  the  congrega- 
tion, or  by  the  Levites  on  their  behalf,  while  the  sacrifice  was  being 
offered  (i — 5). 

ii.     A  priest  or  prophet  (or  possibly  the  king  himself)  declares  the 
acceptance  of  the  sacrifice,  and  confidently  anticipates  victory  (6 — 8). 
iii.     Concluding  prayer  of  the  whole  congregation  (9). 

To  the  chief  Musician,  A  Psalm  of  David. 

The  Lord  hear  thee  in  the  day  of  trouble ; 

The  name  of  the  God  of  Jacob  defend  thee ; 

Send  thee  help  from  the  sanctuary,  ' 

1 — 5.     The  people's  prayer  for  their  king's  success. 

1.  hear  thee\     R.V.,  answer  thee,  and  so  in  vv.  6,  g. 

the  day  of  iivtible']  Or  distress,  when  adversaries  (a  cognate  word) 
press  him  hard.  The  impending  campaign  is  specially,  though  not 
exclusively,  meant.     Cp.  xlvi,  i ;  Num.  x.  9. 

The  name  &c.]  May  the  God  of  Jacob  prove  Himself  to  be  all  that 
His  Name  implies  (see  on  v.  11)  :  may  He  Who  is  a  tower  of  refuge 
(ix.  9,  xviii.  2)  set  thee  up  on  Mgli  in  safety  from  thy  enemies.  Cp. 
Prov.  xviii.  10.  God  of  Jacob  is  often  synonymous  with  God  of  Israel 
(xlvi.  7,  11);  yet  the  choice  of  this  name  cannot  but  suggest  the  thought 
of  Jehovah's  providential  care  for  the  great  ancestor  of  the  nation. 
Cp.  the  exactly  similar  language  of  Gen.  xxxv.  3  :  "God,  who  answered 
me  in  the  day  of  my  distress  f  and  the  references  to  Jacob's  history  in 
Hos.  xii.  4,  5. 

2.  the  sanctuary']  Here,  as  the  parallel  oztt  of  Zion  shews,  the 
earthly  sanctuary  is  meant.     See  notes  on  iii.  4,  xiv.  7;  and  cp.  v.  6. 


20 


io8  PSALM   XX.  3—6. 

And  strengthen  thee  out  of  Zion  ; 

Remember  all  thy  offerings, 

And  accept  thy  burnt  sacrifice.     Selab. 

Grant  thee  according  to  thine  own  heart, 

And  fulfil  all  thy  counsel. 

We  will  rejoice  in  thy  salvation, 

And  in  the  name  of  our  God  we  will  set  up  our  banners  : 

The  Lord  fulfil  all  thy  petitions. 

Now  know  I  that  the  Lord  saveth  his  anointed ; 

strengtheni  Lit.  support ;  the  same  word  as  hath  hohien  me  up  in 
xviii.  35. 

3.  May  He  remember  all  the  offerings  by  which  in  past  time  the 
king  has  expressed  his  self-devotion  and  his  dependence  on  Jehovah,  and 
accept  those  by  which  he  is  now  consecrating  the  present  expedition. 
For  sacrifice  before  a  war  see  i  Sam.  vii.  9,  10,  xiii.  9 — 12;  and  cp. 
the  phrase  to  sanctify  a  war  (Jer.  vi.  4,  R.V.  marg.).  Offering 
properly  denotes  the  so-called  meal-offerings  which  accompanied  the 
burnt -offering. 

Remember'\  Possibly  an  allusion  to  the  memorial,  or  part  of  the  meal- 
offering  which  was  burnt  by  the  priest  on  the  altar,  as  it  were  bringing 
the  worshippers  for  whom  it  was  offered  to  God's  remembrance  (Lev. 
ii.  2,  9,  16  ;  Acts  x.  4). 

accepf]  Lit.,  regard  as  fat.  The  fat,  as  the  choicest  part,  was  Je- 
hovah's portion,  and  was  always  to  be  burnt  (Lev.  iii.  3  ff.  16).  Less 
probable  is  the  alternative  in  A.V.  marg.,  turn  to  ashes,  by  fire  from 
heaven  (Lev.  ix.  24). 

4.  according  to  thine  oivn  hearty  The  literal  rendering  of  the  Heb. 
The  R.V.  restores  the  more  graceful  rendering  of  P.B.V.,  thy  hcarCs 
desire;  but  the  expression  is  a  different  one  from  that  in  xxi.  2. 

counser\     In  the  war.     Cp.  2  Sam.  xvi.  20 ;  2  Kings  xviii.  20. 

5.  The  prayer  is  still  continued.  Let  us  (or,  That  we  mayi)  shout  for 
joy  at  thy  salvation;  Jehovah  Himself  was   Israel's   Saviour  (xxi.   i  ; 

I  Sam.  X.  19),  and  the  king  was  His  chosen  instrument  for  saving  His 
people  (2  Sam.  iii.  18). 

set  up  our  banners'\  Rather,  wave  them  in  token  of  triumph,  than 
set  them  up  as  a  memorial  of  the  victory.  The  cognate  substantive  is 
specially  used  of  the  standards  of  the  tribes  (Num.  i.  52,  ii  2  ff.).  Cp. 
Cant.  vi.  4,  10. 

The  LXX  however  has,  %ve  shall  be  magnified. 

petitions^     Cp.  xxi.  2. 

6 — 8.  The  sacrifice  has  been  offered.  Faith  regards  it  as  accepted, 
and  in  its  acceptance  sees  the  pledge  of  victory.  The  voice  of  a  priest, 
or  prophet,  or  possibly  of  the  king  himself,  is  now  heard  proclaiming 
this  confidence  {v.  6),  and  professing  for  himself  and  the  people  their 
trust  in  Jehovah  alone  {vv.  7,  8). 

6.  Now  know  /]    Cp.  Ivi.  9,  cxxxv.  5- 


PSALM   XX.  7—9.  109 


He  will  hear  him  from  his  holy  heaven 

With  the  saving  strength  of  his  right  hand. 

Some  trust  in  chariots,  and  some  in  horses  : 

But  we  will  remember  the  name  of  the  Lord  our  God. 

They  are  brought  down  and  fallen  : 

But  we  are  risen,  and  stand  upright. 

Save,  Lord  :  i 

Let  the  king  hear  us  when  we  call. 

saveth^  Lit.,  hath  saved:  i.e.  will  surely  save.  To  faith  the  victory 
is  already  won.  Cp.  the  tenses  in  v.  8,  and  see  Additional  Note  IV, 
p.  223. 

his  anointed\  The  title  which  expresses  the  king's  consecration  to 
Jehovah  is  the  pledge  of  his  right  to  expect  Jehovah's  help  (Hab.  iii. 

13)- 

he  luill  hear  hi7)i\  R.V,,  he  will  answer  him  (as  in  vv.  i,  9)  from 
Ms  holy  heaven,  of  which  the  holy  place  in  Zion  (z'.  2)  is  but  the 
earthly  type. 

with  the  saving  strength  d^c]  Lit.,  w///^  fuighty  acts  of  salvation  of 
his  right  hand :  the  mighty  acts  of  deliverance  (cvi.  2,  cl.  2)  wrought 
by  the  right  hand  of  the  Most  High  (xvii.  7,  Ix.  5).     Cp.  xxi.  13. 

7.  So7ne\  The  heathen  enemy,  like  Pharaoh  (Ex.  xiv),  and  Sen- 
nacherib (2  Kings  xix.  23) ;  not  here  heathenish  Israelites,  as  in  Is. 
xxxi.  I — 3. 

But  we  will  remember  the  name]  R.V.,  But  we  will  make  mention 
of  the  name  &c.  This  shall  be  our  watchword  and  our  strength.  Cp. 
Jud.  vii.  18;  I  Sam.  xvii.  45;  2  Chr.  xvi.  8,  9;  Ps.  xxxiii.  16  f.;  Is. 
xxvi.  13;  Hos.  i.  7. 

8.  They  are  brought  down']  R.V.,  They  are  howed  down;  the  same 
word  as  in  xviii.  39.  It  is  still  the  language  of  faith,  anticipating  the 
entire  subjugation  of  the  enemy,  and  the  triumph  of  Israel. 

9.  Concluding  prayer  of  the  people. 

The  rendering  of  A.V.  and  R.V.  follows  the  punctuation  of  the 
Massoretic  text.  The  prayer  for  the  earthly  king  is  addressed  to  the 
heavenly  King  whose  representative  he  is.  But  Jehovah  is  not  else- 
where styled  absolutely  the  King  (cxlv.  i  and  Is.  vi.  5  are  not  complete 
parallels) ;  and  the  verse  appears  to  correspond  to  v.  6.  It  seems  best 
to  follow  the  LXX  and  Vulg.  in  reading  0  Lord,  save  the  king;  and 
anszuer  us  &c.  The  rendering  of  the  Vulg.  Domine  salvumfac  regem  is 
the  origin  of  the  familiar  God  save  the  king.  See  note  on  i  Sam.  x.  24. 
The  P.B.V.,  Save  Lord,  and  hear  zis,  0  King  of  heaven,  when  we  call 
jipon  thee,  is  a  free  combination  of  the  Heb.  and  Vulg.  (LXXj. 

PSALM  XXI. 

Thanksgiving  for  victory  is  the  leading  motive  of  this  Psalm,  which  is, 
as  has  already  been  remarked,  a  companion  to  Ps.  xx.  Its  occasion 
need  not  be  looked  for  in  a  coronation  festival  (v.  3),  or  a  royal  birth- 


no  PSALM   XXI.  1—3. 

day  {v.  4).  It  is  quite  natural  that  thanksgiving  for  victory  should  lead 
the  poet  to  speak  of  the  high  dignity  of  the  king,  and  to  anticipate  his 
future  victories  {z>v.  8 — 12), 

The  exalted  language  of  vv.  4 — 6  has  led  some  interpreters  to  deny 
the  historical  refeience  of  the  Psalm,  and  to  regard  it  as  a  prophecy  of 
the  Messianic  King.  The  Targ.  paraphrases  kiuor  in  z-t'.  i  and  7  by 
kin^  Messiah.  Such  an  interpretation  is  excluded  by  the  general  sense 
of  the  Psalm.  The  language  applied  to  the  king  is  not  without  parallel 
in  the  O.  T. ;  and  it  is  illustrated  by  expressions  in  the  Assyrian  royal 
Psalms  :  e.  g.  "  Distant  days,  everlasting  years,  a  strong  weapon,  a  long 
life,  many  days  of  honour,  supremacy  among  the  kings,  grant  to  the  king, 
the  lord,  who  made  this  offering  to  his  gods  "  (quoted  by  Prof.  Cheyne). 
Israel  was  not  uninfluenced  by  the  thoughts  and  language  common  to 
Oriental  nations :  and  if  other  nations  believed  that  their  kings  were 
reflections  of  the  divinity,  Israel  believed  that  its  king  was  the  repre- 
sentative of  Jehovah.  Language  which  startles  us  by  its  boldness  was 
used  of  him:  language  which  was  adopted  and  adapted  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  wth  a  prophetic  purpose,  and  only  receives  its  'fulfilment'  in 
Christ.  The  Psalm  then  has  a  prophetic  aspect,  and  looks  forward 
through  the  earthly  king  of  whom  it  spoke  in  the  first  instance,  to 
Him  who  "must  reign,  till  he  liath  put  all  his  enemies  under  his  feet" 
(i  Cor.  XV.  25). 

Hence  its  selection  as  one  of  the  Proper  Psalms  for  Ascension  Day. 

The  structure  of  the  Psalm  is  similar  to  that  of  Ps.  xx. 

i.  A  thanksgiving  on  behalf  of  the  king  for  the  victory  granted  to 
him:  addressed  to  Jehovah  and  probably  sung  by  the  congregation  or 
the  Levites  (i — 7). 

ii.  Anticipation  of  future  triumphs,  addressed  to  the  king,  and  per- 
haps sung  by  a  priest  (8 — 12). 

iii.     Concluding  prayer  of  the  congregation  (13). 

To  the  chief  Musician,  A  Psahn  of  David. 

21  The  king  shall  joy  in  thy  strength,  O  Lord  ; 
And  in  thy  salvation  how  greatly  shall  he  rejoice ! 

2  Thou  hast  given  him  his  heart's  desire, 

And  hast  not  withholden  the  request  of  his  lips.     Selah. 

3  For  thou  preventest  him  ii.nth  the  blessings  of  goodness  : 

1 — 7.     The  people's  thanksgiving  for  Jehovah's  favour  to  their  king. 

1.  The  prayers  of  Ps.  xx  have  been  answered.  The  victory  is  won, 
and  the  king  rejoices.  He  has  trusted  in  Jehovah,  and  now  the  ground 
of  his  rejoicing  is  the  strength  which  Jehovah  has  put  forth  on  his 
behalf,  the  deliverance  which  Jehovah  has  wrought  for  him.  Cp.  ix. 
14;  Ex.  XV.  2. 

2.  This  verse  refers  chiefly,  but  not  exclusively,  to  the  prayers  for  the 
success  of  the  expedition  referred  to  in  xx.  3 — 5. 

3.  thoti  preventest  Jmn  &c.]  For  prevent,  see  note  on  xviii.  18. 
Jehovah,  as  it  were,  goes  to  meet  the  king  and  bless  him  with  success 


PSALM    XXI.  4—9.  Ill 

Thou  settest  a  crown  of  pure  gold  on  his  head. 

He  asked  life  of  thee,  ajid  thou  gavest  it  him,  4 

Even  length  of  days  for  ever  and  ever. 

His  glory  is  great  in  thy  salvation :  5 

Honour  and  majesty  hast  thou  laid  upon  him. 

For  thou  hast  made  him  most  blessed  for  ever :  6 

Thou  hast  made  him  exceeding  glad  with  thy  countenance. 

For  the  king  trusteth  in  the  Lord,  ^ 

And  through  the  mercy  of  the  most  High  he  shall  not  be 

moved. 
Thine  hand  shall  find  out  all  thine  enemies  :  8 

Thy  right  hand  shall  find  out  those  that  hate  thee. 
Thou  shalt  make  them  as  a  fiery  oven  in  the  time  of  thine  9 

anger : 

{goodness  ^goo^  things,  Prov.  xxiv.  25) :  and  once  more  crowns  him 
king.  The  victory  is  a  Divine  confirmation  of  his  sovereignty  (i  Sam. 
xi.  13  ff.).  There  may  possibly  be  an  allusion  to  the  crown  of  the 
Ammonite  king  (2  Sam.  xii.  30). 

4.  He  asked... thou  gavest]  Cp.  ii.  8.  Long  life  was  one  of  Jeho- 
vah's special  blessings  under  the  old  covenant.  It  was  a  natural  object 
of  desire  when  the  hope  of  a  future  life  was  all  but  a  blank.  See  Ex. 
xxiii.  26;  I  Kings  iii.  11 ;  Prov.  iii.  2.  But  how  can  length  of  days  for 
ever  and  ever  be  said  of  a  mortal  king  ?  Partly  in  the  same  way  as  the 
salutation  "Let  the  king  live  for  ever"  was  used  (i  Kings  i.  31;  Neh. 
ii.  3) ;  partly  because  he  was  regarded  as  living  on  in  his  posterity 
(2  Sam.  vii.  29).     Cp.  xlv.  2,  6;  Ixi.  6;  Ixxii.  5,  17. 

5.  Glory,  honour,  majesty,  are  Divine  attributes  (viii.  i,  5;  civ.  i) ; 
and  the  victorious  king  shines  with  a  reflection  of  them. 

hast  thou  laid]  Rather  as  R.V.,  dost  thou  lay.  Cp.  Ixxxix.  19  for 
the  same  word  used  of  Divine  endowment. 

6.  R.V.    For  thou  makest  him  most  blessed  for  ever: 

Thou  makest  him  glad  with  joy  in  thy  presence. 
Lit.  thou  makest  him  blessings,  the  possessor  and  the  medium  of  bless- 
ing.    Cp.  Gen.  xii.  2.     The  victory  is  a  pledge  of  Divine  favour  and 
fellowship,  an  evidence  that  the  king  walks  in  the  light  of  Jehovah's 
countenance.     Cp.  iv.  6;  xvi.  11;  Ixxxix.  15;  cxl.  13. 

7.  The  grounds  of  this  blessing :  on  the  king's  side,  trust ;  on  God's 
side,  lovingkindness  (xviii.  50).  This  verse  forms  the  transition  to  the 
second  division  of  the  Psalm. 

8 — 12.  The  king,  who  must  be  supposed  to  be  present,  is  now  ad- 
dressed. This  victory  is  an  earnest  of  future  victories.  The  total  de- 
struction of  all  his  enemies  is  confidently  anticipated. 

8.  shall  find  out]  Reach  them  and  get  them  into  thy  power  (i  Sam. 
xxiii.  17). 

9.  Thou  shalt  make  them  as  a  fiery  oven]    R.V.,  as  a  fiery  furnace. 


112  PSALM   XXI.  10—13.     XXII. 


The  Lord  shall  swallow  them  up  in  his  wrath,  and  the  fire 
shall  devour  them. 

10  Their  fruit  shalt  thou  destroy  from  the  earth, 
And  their  seed  from  among  the  children  of  men. 

11  For  they  intended  evil  against  thee : 

They  imagined  a  mischievous  device,  which  they  are  not 
able  to  perform. 

12  Therefore  shalt  thou  make  them  turn  their  back, 

When  thou  shalt  make  ready  thine  arrows  upon  thy  strings 
against  the  face  of  them. 

13  Be  thou  exalted,  Lord,  in  thine  own  strength : 
^6*  will  we  sing  and  praise  thy  power. 

The  comparison  is  condensed,  and  inexact  in  form;  but  the  sense  is 
clear:  thou  wilt  consume  them  as  fuel  in  a  furnace.  The  phrase  is 
figurative  (Mai.  iv.  i):  yet  there  may  be  an  allusion  to  the  terrible 
vengeance  inflicted  on  the  Ammonites  (2  Sam.  xii.  31). 

in  the  time  of  thine  anger]  Lit.  in  the  time  of  thy  countenance,  or 
presence:  when  Thou  appearest  in  person.  Cp.  2  Sam.  xvii.  11.  'The 
face  of  Jehovah '  is  the  manifestation  of  His  Presence  in  ^vrath  as  well 
as  in  mercy  (xxxiv.  16);  and  the  king  is  His  representative. 

10.  Even  their  posterity  shall  be  utterly  destroyed.  Cp.  ix.  5  ; 
xxxvii.  28.     i^r«//=  children,  'the  fruit  of  the  womb  '  (Lam.  ii.  20). 

11,  12.     Though  they  threaten  thee  with  evil, 

Though  they  devise  a  mischievous  plan,  they  shall  avail 

naught, 
For  thou  Shalt  make  them  turn  their  backs, 
Aiming  with  thy  bowstrings  against  their  faces. 
13.     The  congregation's  concluding  prayer  (as  in  xx.  9),  returning  to 
the  thought  oiv.  i .   Jehovah  is  exalted  when  He  manifests  His  strength 
(vii.  6;  xlvi.  10  j  Ivii.  5,  11).     R.V.,  in  thy  strength,  for  in  thine  otvn 
strength. 

thy  power]  Thy  might,  made  known  in  mighty  acts  of  salvation 
(xx.  6). 

PSALM  XXII. 

The  first  and  greatest  of  the  '  Passion  Psalms,'  consecrated  for  us  by 
our  Lord's  appropriation  of  it  to  Himself.  His  utterance  of  the  open- 
ing words  of  it  upon  the  Cross  has  been  thought  with  much  probability 
to  indicate  that  the  whole  Psalm  was  the  subject  of  His  meditations 
during  those  hours  of  agony.  But  this  application  and  fulfilment  does 
not  exclude  a  primary  and  historical  reference. 

A.  i.  The  Psalm  opens  with  the  agonised  cry  of  a  persecuted  saint, 
who  feels  himself  deserted  by  God  [vv.  i,  2).  He  appeals  to  the  cha- 
racter of  God  {v.  3)  and  to  the  experience  of  His  mercy  in  past  ages 
{tjv.  4,  5),  whereas  he  is  the  butt  and  victim  of  scornful  persecutors 


PSALM   XXII.  113 


(vv.  6 — 8),  though  from  his  birth  he  has  been  dependent  upon  God  {vv. 
9,  10). 

ii.  He  urges  his  plea  for  help  (v.  11),  describing  alternately  the 
virulence  of  his  foes  {vz>.  12,  13,  16,  18),  and  the  pitiable  plight  to 
which  he  is  reduced  {vv.  14,  15,  17).  Still  more  earnestly  he  repeats 
his  prayer  {vv.  19 — 21),  till  in  an  instant  the  certainty  of  deliverance 
flashes  upon  him  (21  d). 

B.  i.  The  darkness  of  despair  is  past.  He  can  look  forward  with 
confidence  to  the  future.  He  avows  his  purpose  to  proclaim  God's 
goodness  in  a  public  act  of  thanksgiving  {v.  22),  calling  upon  all 
that  fear  Jehovah  to  join  him  in  adoration  {vv.  23,  24),  and  to  share 
the  blessings  of  the  eucharistic- feast  {vv.  25,  26). 

ii.  And  now  a  yet  sublimer  prospect  opens  to  his  view.  Jehovah's 
sovereignty  will  one  day  be  universally  recognised  {z'v.  27 — 29);  and 
His  gracious  Providence  will  be  celebrated  by  all  succeeding  genera- 
tions {vv.  30,  31). 

The  Psalm  thus  falls  into  two  divisions,  each  of  which  is  subdivided 
into  two  nearly  equal  parts. 

A.  Present  needs,  i.  Plaintive  expostulation  (i — 10).  ii.  Prayer 
for  deliverance  (11 — 21). 

B.  Future  hopes,  i.  Thanksgiving  for  answered  prayer  (22 — 26). 
ii.  The  extension  of  Jehovah's  kingdom  {27 — 31). 

Commentators  differ  widely  in  their  views  of  the  scope,  occasion, 
and  date  of  the  Psalm.  The  chief  lines  of  interpretation  may  be 
termed  the  personal,  the  ideal,  the  national,  and  the  predictive. 

(i)  The  first  impression  produced  by  the  Psalm  is  that  it  is  a  record 
of  personal  experience.  The  title  ascribes  it  to  David,  and  it  has  been 
variously  supposed  to  reflect  the  circumstances  of  Saul's  persecution,  or 
Absalom's  rebellion,  or  perhaps  to  gather  into  one  focus  all  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  a  life  of  much  trial,  or  possibly  to  describe  the  fate  he  feared  at 
some  crisis  rather  than  actual  experiences.  Delitzsch,  who  maintains 
the  Davidic  authorship,  supposes  it  to  have  been  written  with  reference 
to  David's  narrow  escape  from  Saul  in  the  wilderness  of  Maon  (i  Sam. 
xxiii.  25  f.).  But  he  admits  that  the  history  g^ves  us  no  ground  for  sup- 
posing that  David  actually  underwent  such  sufferings  as  are  here  de- 
scribed. There  is,  he  thinks,  an  element  of  poetic  hyperbole  in  the 
picture,  which  has  been  used  by  the  Spirit  of  God  with  a  prophetic 
purpose.  The  Psalm  has  its  roots  in  David's  own  experience,  but  its 
language  reaches  far  beyond  it  to  the  sufferings  of  Christ. 

Others  have  thought  of  Hezekiah,  whose  deliverance  and  recovery 
made  an  impression  upon  foreign  nations  (2  Chr.  xxxii.  23) ;  others,  with 
more  probability,  of  Jeremiah,  with  special  reference  perhaps  to  the 
situation  described  in  ch.  xxxvii.  1 1  ff. ;  others  of  some  unknown  poet  of 
the  Exile. 

(2)  But  many  features  in  the  Psalm  appear  to  transcend  the  limits 
of  an  individual  experience.  Hence  some  have  seen  in  the  speaker  the 
ideal  person  of  the  righteous  sufferer.  The  Psalm  describes  how  the 
righteous  must  suffer  in  the  world  ;  how  Jehovah  delivers  him  in  his 
extremity;  how  that  deliverance  redounds  to  His  glory  and  the  exten- 
sion of  His  kingdom. 

PSALMS  S 


14  PSALM   XXII. 


(3)  From  a  somewhat  similar  point  of  view  others  have  regarded 
the  speaker  as  a  personification  of  the  Jewish  nation  in  exile,  persecuted 
by  the  heathen,  apparently  forsaken  by  Jehovah. 

(4)  Others  again,  concentrating  their  attention  upon  the  striking 
agreement  of  the  Psalm,  even  in  minute  details,  with  the  facts  of  Christ's 
Passion,  have  regarded  it  as  wholly  predictive. 

Each  of  these  lines  of  interpretation  contains  some  truth ;  none  is 
complete  by  itself.  The  intensely  personal  character  of  the  Psalm  bears 
witness  that  it  springs  from  the  experience  of  an  individual  life ;  yet  it 
goes  beyond  an  individual  experience  ;  the  Psalmist  is  a  representative 
character;  he  has  absorbed  into  himself  a  real  sense  of  the  sufferings  of 
others  like  himself,  perhaps  even  of  Israel  as  a  nation ;  he  interprets 
their  thoughts;  to  some  extent,  secondarily  at  any  rate,  he  is  the  mouth- 
piece of  the  nation.  But  the  Psalm  goes  further.  It  is  prophetic. 
These  sufferings  were  so  ordered  by  the  Providence  of  God,  as  to  be 
typical  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ ;  the  record  of  them  was  so  shaped  by 
the  Spirit  of  God,  as  to  foreshadow,  even  in  detail,  many  of  the  circum- 
stances of  the  Crucifixion ;  while  the  glorious  hopes  for  the  future  antici- 
pate most  marvellously  the  blessed  consequences  of  the  Passion ;  tit  non 
tani  prophetia  qna?n  histoiia  videatur  (Cassiodorus).  But  the  fulfilment 
far  transcends  the  prophetic  outline,  and  reveals  (what  in  the  Psalm  is 
but  hinted  at,  if  so  much  as  hinted  at)  the  connexion  of  redemption  with 
suffering. 

It  is  impossible  to  speak  definitely  about  the  date  and  authorship  of 
the  Psalm.  It  is  certainly  difficult  to  connect  it  with  what  we  know  of 
David's  life;  and  we  seem  rather  to  be  within  the  circle  of  prophetic 
thought  out  of  which  sprang  the  portrait  of  the  suffering  servant  of  Je- 
hovah in  the  second  book  of  Isaiah.  The  parallels  with  that  book 
should  be  carefully  studied.  Yet  the  portrait  there  is  more  fully  deve- 
loped. The  redemptive  purpose  of  suffering  is  more  explicitly  realised. 
Here,  though  a  glorious  future  succeeds  the  night  of  suffering,  there  is 
no  organic  connexion  shewn  between  them. 

The  Psalm  should  be  studied  in  the  light  of  its  fulfilment  in  regard 
both  to  its  general  drift  and  to  particular  allusions.  The  opening  words 
were  uttered  by  Christ  upon  the  Cross  (Matt,  xxvii.  46;  Mark  xv.  34). 
St  John  (xix.  24)  expressly  speaks  of  the  partition  of  Christ's  garments 
by  the  soldiers  as  a  fulfilment  of  z;.  18  (cp.  Matt,  xxvii.  35,  where  how- 
ever the  quotation  is  interpolated),  vv.  14  ff.  are  a  startlingly  graphic 
anticipation  of  the  agonies  of  crucifixion,  even  to  the  piercing  of  the 
hands  and  feet.  The  mockery  of  the  bystanders  is  described  in  the 
language  of  the  Psalm,  and  the  chief  priests  borrow  it  for  their  scoffing 
{vv.  7  ff.,  cp.  Matt,  xxvii.  39 — 44;  Mark  xv.  29 ff.;  Luke  xxiii.  35  ff.). 
The  words  of  thanksgiving  {v.  22)  are  applied  to  Christ  by  the  author  of 
the  Epistle  to  the  Hebiews  (ii.  12).  The  application  of  the  concluding 
verses  is  obvious,  though  no  actual  reference  is  made  to  them  in  the  N.T. 

Yet  it  should  be  observed  in  how  many  points  the  type  falls  short  of 
the  fulfilment.  It  could  not  be  otherwise.  It  is  but  one  of  many 
fragments  of  truth  revealed  beforehand  which  were  to  be  summed  up 
and  receive  their  explanation  in  Christ. 

Two  points  deserve  special  notice  in  connexion  with  the  Messianic 


PSALM    XXII.  I.  115 


application  of  the  Psalm.  It  contains  no  confession  of  sin  ;  and  it  has 
none  of  the  terrible  imprecations  which  startle  us  in  the  kindred  Psalms 
Ixix  and  cix. 

The  choice  of  the  Psalm  as  a  Proper  Psalm  for  Good  Friday  needs 
no  comment. 

To  the  chief  Musician  upon  Aijeleth  Shahar,  A  Psalm  of  David. 

My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?  22 

JV/ijy  art  thou  so  far  from  helping  me,  and  from  the  words  of 
my  roaring  ? 

upon  Aijeleth  Shahar\  Rather,  set  to  A3ry6leth  hash-Shahar,  i.e.  the 
hind  of  the  morning,  the  title  of  some  song  to  the  melody  of  which 
the  Psalm  was  to  be  sung,  so  called  either  from  its  opening  words  or 
from  its  subject.  Cp.  the  title  of  Ps.  ix.  It  is  useless  to  speculate 
whether  'the  hind  of  the  morning'  in  this  song  meant  literally  the  hind 
bestirring  itself,  or  hunted,  in  the  early  morning,  or  figuratively,  the 
morning  dawn.  The  phrase  is  used  in  the  Talmud  for  the  first  rays  of 
the  dawn,  "like  two  horns  of  light  ascending  from  the  east,"  but  this 
later  use  can  hardly  determine  its  meaning  here. 

Explanations  which  regard  the  phrase  as  descriptive  of  the  contents 
of  the  Psalm : — e.g.  the  hind  as  an  emblem  of  persecuted  innocence,  the 
dawn  as  an  emblem  of  deliverance: — must  be  rejected  as  contrary  to 
the  analogy  of  other  titles. 

The  LXX  renders,  concernijig  the  help  that  couieth  in  the  morning, 
explaining  ayyeleth  by  the  similar  word  eydluth  {strength  or  succour)  in 
V.  19.  The  Targum  connects  it  with  the  morning  sacrifice,  and  para- 
phrases concerning  the  virtue  of  the  continual  morning  sacrifice. 

1—10.  The  pleading  cry  of  the  forsaken  and  persecuted  servant 
of  God. 

1.  The  expostulation  of  astonishment  and  perplexity,  not  a  demand 
for  explanation.  Faith  and  despair  are  wrestling  in  the  Psalmist's 
mind.  Faith  can  still  claim  God  as  'my  God,'  and  does  not  cease  its 
prayers ;  despair  thinks  itself  forsaken.  So  Zion  in  her  exile  said, 
"Jehovah  hath  forsaken  me,  and  the  Lord  hath  forgotten  me"  (Is. 
xlix.  14).  Cp.  xiii.  i,  Ixxxviii.  14.  God  is  El,  and  so  in  v.  10. 
Cp.  Ixiii.  I,  and  note  on  v.  4. 

Christ  upon  the  Cross  used  the  Aramaic  version  of  these  words,  for 
Aramaic  was  His  mother  tongue.  Eli  (Matt,  xxvii.  46)  is  the  Hebrew 
word,  retained  in  the  present  text  of  the  Targum  :  Eloi  (Mark  xv.  34) 
the  Aramaic.     The  best  MSS.  have  Eloi  in  Matt.  also. 

Why  art  thou  so  far  &c.  ]  The  alternative  rendering  in  R.  V.  marg.  ,far 
from  my  help  are  the  words  of  my  roaring,  follows  the  construction  adopted 
by  the  LXX,  Vulg.,  and  Jer.  But  it  is  harsh,  even  if  7ny  help  (or  Jtiy 
salvation)  is  taken  to  mean  God  Himself  (xxxv.  3) ;  and  the  rendering 
in  the  text  appears  to  give  the  sense  correctly.  Cp.  x.  i ;  and  w. 
II,  19. 

my  roaring^  The  groaning  of  the  sufferer  in  his  distress  is  compared 
to  the  lion's  roar.     Cp.  xxxii.  3 ;  xxxviii.  8. 

8—2 


ii6  PSALM  XXII.  2—6. 

2  O  my  God,  I  cry  in  the  daytime,  but  thou  hearesL  not; 
And  in  the  night  season,  and  am  not  silent. 

3  But  thou  art  holy,  O  thou  that  inhabitest  the  praises  of 

Israel. 

4  Our  fathers  trusted  in  thee  : 

They  trusted,  and  thou  didst  deliver  them. 

5  They  cried  unto  thee,  and  were  delivered  : 
They  trusted  in  thee,  and  were  not  confounded. 

6  But  I  am  a  worm,  and  no  man ; 

2.  thou  hearest  not\     R.V.,  thou  answerest  not. 

and  am  not  silenf]  Better  as  R.V.  marg.,  but  find  no  rest:  no 
answer  comes  to  bring  me  respite. 

3.  An  appeal  to  God's  moral  character,  as  the  Holy  One  of  Israel. 
The  Heb.  word  for  holy  is  derived  from  a  root  signifying  separation. 
It  characterises  God  negatively,  as  separate  from  the  limitations  and 
imperfections  of  the  world  and  man ;  and  positively,  it  comes  to  ex- 
press the  essential  nature  of  God  in  its  moral  aspect,  as  pure,  righteous, 
faithful,  supremely  exalted.  In  virtue  of  His  holiness  he  cannot  be 
false  to  His  covenant.  Cp.  Habakkuk's  plea  (i.  12);  and  for  another 
side  of  the  truth,  Is.  v.  16. 

O  thou  that  inhabitest  the  praises  of  Israel]  Rather  as  R.V.  marg., 
0  thou  that  art  enthroned  upon  the  praises  of  Israel :  a  bold  adaptation 
of  the  phrase  that  sittest  enthroned  upon  the  cherubijji  (2  Sam.  vi.  2  ; 
2  Kings  xix.  15  ;  Ps.  Ixxx.  i ;  xcix.  i).  The  praises  of  Israel,  ascending 
like  clouds  of  incense,  form  as  it  were  the  throne  upon  which  Jehovah  sits. 
They  are  a  perpetual  memorial  of  His  mighty  acts  in  times  past  (Ex.  xv. 
11;  Ps.  Ixxviii.  4;  Is.  Ixiii.  7);  and  surely  He  cannot  have  ceased  to 
give  occasion  for  those  praises  [v.  25)!  The  P.B.V.  is  based  on  an 
untenable  construction  of  the  words,  in  its  rendering,  And  thon  con- 
tiniiest  holy,  O  thou  worship  of  Israel,  and  it  takes  praises  of  Israel  to 
mean  God  Himself  as  the  object  of  Israel's  praises. 

4.  5.  The  thought  of  the  preceding  line  is  developed  in  an  appeal  to 
the  past  history  of  the  nation.  Cp.  xliv.  i,  Ixxviii.  3,  ix.  10.  'Thou 
didst  deliver  them :  why  then  am  1  deserted  ? '  The  emphasis  is  through- 
out on  thee. 

In  thee  did  our  fathers  trust : 

They  trusted,  and  thou  didst  deliver  them. 

Unto  thee  did  they  cry,  and  escaped  : 

In  thee  did  they  trust,  and  were  not  put  to  shame. 

6,  7.     The  contrast  of  his  own  lot. 

6.  a  7aorm]  Trampled  under  foot,  despised,  defenceless.  Almost 
every  word  of  this  verse  finds  a  parallel  in  the  second  part  of  Isaiah. 
Jehovah's  servant  Israel  is  there  called  a  worm  (xli.  14);  and  the  ideal 
representative  of  Israel  is  one  -whom  men  despise  (xlix.  7,  liii.  3) ;  from 
whom  they  shrink  with  horror  as  scarcely  human  (lii.  14,  liii.  2,  3). 
Comp.  too  li.  7. 


PSALM   XXII.  7— lo.  117 

A  reproach  of  men,  and  despised  of  the  people. 

All  they  that  see  me  laugh  me  to  scorn  :  7 

They  shoot  out  the  lip,  they  shake  the  head,  saying, 

He  trusted  on  the  Lord  ///d;/ he  would  deliver  him  :       8 

Let  him  deliver  him,   seeing  he  delighted  in  him. 

But  thou  a?'t  he  that  took  me  out  of  the  womb  :  9 

Thou  didst  make  me  hope  icheft  I  zvas  upon  my  mother's 

breasts. 
I  was  cast  upon  thee  from  the  womb :  la 

Thou  art  my  God  from  my  mother's  belly. 

the  people]  Or,  people,  generally ;  those  with  whom  he  is  brought 
in  contact. 

7.  laugh  me  to  scorn\  LXX.  i^efivKri^piaav,  the  word  used  by  St  Luke 
(xxiii.  35)  of  the  rulers  scofifing  at  Christ.  They  gape  "With  their  lips 
(Job  xvi.  10;  Ps.  XXXV.  21);  they  shake  the  head  (cix.  25;  Lam.  ii. 
15 ;  Job  xvi.  4),  gestures  partly  of  contempt,  partly  of  feigned  ab- 
horrence.    Comp.  Matt,  xxvii.  39. 

8.  'Roll  it  upon  Jehovah !  let  him  deliver  him : 

Let  him  rescue  him,  for  he  delighteth  in  him.' 
Ironically  they  bid  the  sufferer  '  roll '  i.e.  commit  his  cause  to  Jehovah. 
The  verb  is  certainly  imperative,  as  in  xxxvii.  5  ;  Prov.  xvi.  3  ;  though 
the  Versions  all  give  the  perfect  tense,  and  the  words  are  quoted  in 
that  form  in  Matt,  xxvii.  43.  Usage  makes  it  certain  that  the  subject 
in  the  last  clause  is  Jehovah,  as  in  xviii.  19. 

There  is  a  remarkable  parallel  to  this  passage  in  Wisdom  ii.  i6  ff. 
The  ungodly  say  of  the  righteous  man :  "  He  maketh  his  boast  that  God 
is  his  Father.  Let  us  see  if  his  words  be  true,  and  let  us  prove  what 
shall  happen  in  the  end  of  him.  For  if  the  just  man  be  the  son  of  God, 
he  will  help  him,  and  deliver  him  from  the  hand  of  his  enemies."  The 
whole  passage  is  worth  comparing. 

9.  But  thou  art  he]  Rather,  Yea,  thou  art  he.  The  mocking 
words  of  his  enemies  are  true,  and  he  turns  them  into  a  plea.  All  his 
past  life  has  proved  Jehovah's  love.     Cp.  Ixxi.  5,  6. 

thou  didst  make  me  hope]  Rather,  that  didst  make  me  trust,  (cp. 
vv.  4,  5).  The  marg,,  keptest  me  in  safety,  lit.  didst  make  me  lie  securely 
upon  my  mothe>-'s  breasts,  is  a  less  probable  rendering.  The  P.B.V. 
my  hope  follows  LXX,  Vulg.,  Jer.,  which  represent  a  slightly  different 
reading. 

10.  Upon  thee  have  I  been  cast  &c.  Upon  thee  stands  first 
emphatically.  Cp.  vv.  4,  5.  To  THY  care  have  I  been  entrusted 
from  my  birth,  Cp.  Iv.  22;  Ixxi.  6.  There  does  not  seem  to  be 
any  reference  to  the  practice  of  placing  a  new-born  infant  upon  its 
father's  knees,  as  much  as  to  say.  Thou  didst  adopt  me. 

11—21.  The  Psalmist  pleads  for  help  with  intenser  earnestness. 
The  virulence  of  his  foes  increases.  Strength  and  endurance  are  ex- 
hausted. 


ii8  PSALM   XXII.  II— 16. 

11  Be  not  far  from  me;  for  trouble  is  near; 
For  there  is  none  to  help. 

12  Many  bulls  have  compassed  me  : 

Strong  bulls  of  Bashan  have  beset  me  round. 

13  They  gaped  upon  me  7vith  their  mouths, 
As  a  ravening  and  a  roaring  lion. 

14  I  am  poured  out  Hke  water, 

And  all  my  bones  are  out  of  joint : 

My  heart  is  like  wax ; 

It  is  melted  in  the  midst  of  my  bowels. 

15  My  strength  is  dried  up  like  a  potsherd ; 
And  my  tongue  cleaveth  to  my  jaws  ; 

And  thou  hast  brought  me  into  the  dust  of  death. 

16  For  dogs  have  compassed  me  : 

The  assembly  of  the  wicked  have  inclosed  me  : 

11.  Be  not  far  fro77i  me\  The  expostulation  of  v.  i  is  turned  into 
a  prayer,  again  repeated  in  v.  19.  He  urges  his  plea  on  the  double 
ground  that  while  Jehovah  still  stands  afar  off  in  seeming  indifference, 
distress  is  close  at  hand,  and  there  is  no  other  helper  to  whom  he  can 
look. 

12.  He  compares  his  insolent  enemies  to  wanton  bulls,  which  "are 
in  the  habit  of  gathering  in  a  circle  round  any  novel  or  unaccustomed 
object,  and  may  easily  be  irritated  into  charging  with  their  horns " 
(Tristram,  Nat.  Hist,  of  the  Bible,  p.  71).  Bas/ian  is  here  used  in 
a  wide  sense  for  the  district  from  the  Jabbok  to  the  spurs  of  Hemion, 
including  part  of  Gilead.  It  was  famous  for  its  rich  pastures  (Num. 
xxxii.  1  ff. ;  Deut,  xxxii.  14;  Amos  iv.  i). 

13.  They  gaped  &c.]  R.V.,  they  gape  upon  me  witli  their  mouths 
(Lam.  ii.  16,  iii.  46);  like  a  lion  roaring  as  it  prepares  to  spring  upon 
its  prey  (vii.  2). 

14 — 17.  The  effects  of  anxiety  and  persecution.  Vital  strength 
and  courage  fail;  his  frame  is  racked  and  tortured;  he  is  reduced  to 
a  skeleton. 

14.  Cp.  Josh.  vii.  5 ;  Ps.  vi.  2  ff.  It  is  the  experience  of  the  dying 
man.     Cp.  Newman's  Dream  of  Gerontius, 

"This  emptying  out  of  each  constituent 
And  natural  force,  whereby  I  come  to  be." 

15.  The  vital  sap  and  moisture  of  the  body  are  dried  up.  Cp.  xxxii. 
4.     Possibly  for  ??iy  strength  we  should  read  my  palate.     Cp.  Ixix.  3. 

thoti  hast  brought  ine\  Thou  art  laying  me.  Even  in  this  perse- 
cution he  can  recognise  the  hand  of  God.  His  tormentors  are  Jehovah's 
instruments.     Cp.  Acts  ii.  23. 

16.  A  fresh  description  of  his  foes.  An  unclean,  cowardly,  worry- 
ing rabble,  like  the  troops  of  hungry  and  half-savage  dogs  \vith  whicl) 


PSALM   XXII.  17—19.  119 

They  pierced  my  hands  and  my  feet. 

I  may  tell  all  my  bones  : 

They  look  and  stare  upon  me. 

They  part  my  garments  among  them, 

And  cast  lots  upon  my  vesture. 

But  be  not  thou  idiX  front-  f/ie,  O  Lord  : 

O  my  strength,  haste  thee  to  help  me. 

every  oriental  city  and  village  still  abounds  (Tristram,  Nat.  Hist.  p.  79), 
come  thronging  round  him :  a  gang  of  miscreants  have  hemmed  him  in. 

They  pierced  my  hatids  and  ?fiy  feet'\  The  figure  of  the  savage  dogs 
is  still  continued.     They  fly  at  his  feet  and  hands,  and  maim  them. 

The  A.V.  here  rightly  deserts  the  Massoretic  text  in  favour  of  the 
reading  represented  by  the  LXX,  Vulg.,  and  Syr.,  which  have,  they 
diig^  or,  pierced.  Another  group  of  ancient  Versions  (Aq.  Symm.  Jer.) 
gives  they  bound.  {Fixeriint  in  some  editions  of  Jerome  is  a  corruption 
for  the  true  reading  vinxenmt.)  The  Massoretic  text  has,  like  a  lion 
my  hands  and  my  feet.  A  verb  did  they  mangle  must  be  supplied, 
but  the  construction  is  harsh  and  the  sense  unsatisfactory.  It  seems 
certain  that  a  somewhat  rare  verb  form  11ND  {kd'arii),  '  they  pierced,' 
has  been  corrupted  into  the  similar  word  HX!)  {ka'dri),  'like  a  lion.' 
The  Targum  perhaps  preserves  a  trace  of  the  transition  in  its  conflate 
rendering,  biting  like  a  lion. 

The  literal  fulfilment  in  the  Crucifixion  is  obvious.  But  it  is  no- 
where referred  to  in  the  N.T. 

17.  I mayteU'\  i.e.  I  can  count.  He  is  reduced  to  a  living  skeleton. 
Cp.  Job  xxxiii.  21. 

they  look  &c.]  While  they — they  gaze  &c.  The  original  expresses 
the  malicious  delight  with  which  these  monsters  of  cruelty  feast  their 
eyes  upon  the  sorry  spectacle. 

18.  His  brutal  enemies  are  only  waiting  for  his  death  that  they  may 
strip  his  body,  and  divide  his  clothes  between  them.  Already  they  are 
settling  their  respective  shares.  This  is  a  simpler  explanation  than  to 
suppose  that  the  Psalmist  represents  himself  as  a  prisoner  stripped 
and  led  out  to  execution,  or  as  waylaid  and  plundered  by  robbers  (Job 
xxiv.  7 — 10;  Mic.  ii.  8).  It  need  not  be  supposed  that  this  actually 
happened  to  the  Psalmist.  The  language  is  perhaps  proverbial.  But 
it  was  literally  fulfilled  in  the  circumstances  of  the  Crucifixion  (John 
xix.  23,  24;  cp.  Matt,  xxvii.  35,  where,  however,  the  reference  to  the 
prophecy  in  the  Received  Text  is  an  interpolation). 

and  cast  lots  &c.]  R.V,,  and  upon  my  vesture  do  they  cast  lots. 
The  inner  garment,  the  "seamless  tunic,"  which  would  be  spoilt  by 
rending. 

19.  The  prayer  for  help  is  repeated  after  this  description  of  the 
urgency  of  his  need.  But  thou,  0  LORD  (in  emphatic  contrast  to  they 
in  V.  17),  keep  not  thou  far  off.  The  sufferer  looks  away  from  his 
numerous  tormentors  and  fixes  his  gaze  upon  Jehovah, 

0  my  strengthi    R.  V.,  0  thou  my  succour. 


I20  PSALM   XXII.  20—22. 

20  Deliver  my  soul  from  the  sword  ; 

My  darling  from  the  power  of  the  dog. 

21  Save  me  from  the  lion's  mouth  : 

For  thou  hast  heard  me  from  the  horns  of  the  unicorns. 

22  I  will  declare  thy  name  unto  my  brethren: 

In  the  midst  of  the  congregation  will  I  praise  thee. 

20.  from  theswofd]     From  a  violent  death. 

my  da7-Iing\  Lit. ,  my  only  one.  The  clue  to  the  meaning  is  given 
by  the  use  of  the  word  of  a;/  only  child  (Gen.  xxii.  1 ;  Jud.  xi.  34). 
The  word  denotes  the  one  precious  life  which  can  never  be  replaced. 
Cp.  XXXV.  17. 

the  dog\     See  on  v.  16. 

21.  for  thou  hast  heard  me  &c.]  Render,  yea  from  the  horns  of 
the  "Wild  oxen — thou  hast  answered  me.  A  singularly  bold  and 
forcible  construction.  We  expect  a  second  imperative,  repeating  the 
prayer  for  deliverance  {rescue  thou  me:  cp.  Jer.  exatidi).  But  the  con- 
viction that  his  prayer  is  heard,  nay,  answered,  flashes  upon  the 
Psalmist's  soul;  prayer  is  changed  into  assurance,  joyous  confidence 
takes  the  place  of  petition.  Less  forcible  is  the  explanation  which 
assumes  a  pregnant  rather  than  a  broken  construction  : — From  the  horns 
of  the  wild  oxen  thou  hast  answered  and  delivered  me. 

imicorfis]  The  rendering  of  LXX,  Vulg.,  Jer.  But  the  re'em  was 
certainly  a  two-horned  animal  (Deut.  xxxiii.  17,  R.V.).  The  Auerochs 
or  wild  ox  {Bos  ^rimigenius),  now  everywhere  extinct,  is  almost 
certainly  the  animal  meant.  Its  strength  and  untamableness  are 
described  in  Job  xxxix.  9  fif.     See  Tristram's  Nat.  Hist.  p.  146  fif. 

22 — 31.  Convinced  that  his  prayer  is  heard,  the  Psalmist  breaks 
forth  with  resolutions  of  pubHc  thanksgiving  (22 — 26) ;  and  the  glorious 
prospect  of  Jehovah's  universal  kingdom  opens  up  before  him  (27 — .^i). 
^^Thou  ansiverest  nof''  {v.  2)  is  the  key-note  of  vv.  i — 21 ;  "  Thou  hast 
answered  me  of  vv.  22 — 31 ".     (Cheyne). 

22.  thy  name']  All  that  Thou  hast  proved  thyself  to  be.  See  note  on 
v.  II. 

my  brethrcn\  By  the  ties  of  national  and  religious  sympathy.  The 
author  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  (ii.  12)  puts  these  words 
directly  into  the  mouth  of  Christ,  "He  is  not  ashamed  to  call  them 
brethren." 

in  the  jnidst  of  the  congregation]  Gratitude  demands  the  most 
public  proclamation  of  Jehovah's  lovingkindness.  It  concerns  all  the 
faithful  to  know  what  He  has  wrought,  and  all  the  faithful  must  join  in 
thanksgiving  for  the  deliverance  vouchsafed  to  their  fellow  and  repre- 
sentative.    Cp.  xl.  9,  10;  XXXV.  18. 

will  I  praise  thee]  Now  he  can  contribute  his  share  to  the  praises 
which  form  Jehovah's  throne  (z'.  3).  Praise  is  four  times  repeated  in 
in).  11 — 26. 


PSALM    XXII.  23—26.  121 

Ye  that  fear  the  Lord,  praise  him  ;  23 

All  ye  the  seed  of  Jacob,  glorify  him ; 

And  fear  him,  all  ye  seed  of  Israel. 

For  he  hath  not  despised  nor  abhorred  the  affliction  of  the  24 

afflicted ; 
Neither  hath  he  hid  his  face  from  him ; 
But  when  he  cried  unto  him,  he  heard. 

My  praise  shall  be  of  thee  in  the  great  congregation :  25 

I  will  pay  my  vows  before  them  that  fear  him. 
The  meek  shall  eat  and  be  satisfied  :  26 

23,  24.  Already  he  can  imagine  himself  standing  'in  the  great  con- 
gregation.' These  are  the  words  in  which  he  summons  them  to 
praise. 

23.  ye  that  fear  the  Lord\  Possibly  coextensive  with  the  seed  of 
Jacob,  but  pointing  rather  to  the  inner  circle  of  true  believers  who 
are  in  fullest  sympathy  with  the  Psalmist. 

seed  of  Jacob... seed  of  Israel^     Cp.  Is.  xlv.  19,  25. 
fear  hif?i'\     R.V.,  stand  in  awe  of  Him  (xxxiii.  8). 

24.  For  he  hath  not  despised  as  men  do  (z'.  6)  nor  abhorred  as  some- 
thing loathsome  and  abominable  (Is.  xlix.  7,  though  the  word  here 
is  even  stronger)  the  affliction  of  the  afflicted.  Cp.  Ixix.  33.  The  '  ser- 
vant of  Jehovah'  (Is.  liii.  4,  7)  and  Zion's  future  king  (Zech.  ix.  9)  are 
both  described  as  '  afflicted.'     See  note  on  ix.  12. 

hid  his  face']  In  anger  (x.  11,  xiii.  i);  or  abhorrence  (Is.  liii.  3, 
R.V.). 

25.  My  praise  shall  be  of  thee]  Rather  as  R.  V.,  Of  thee  cometh  my 
praise.  From  his  fellow-worshippers  the  Psalmist  turns  to  Jehovah, 
who  is  not  only  the  object  but  the  source  of  his  praise.  "It  is  the 
Lord's  doing." 

I  zfi/l pay  my  vozos]  Thank-offerings  vowed  in  the  time  of  trouble. 
Cp.  Ixvi.  13,  cxvi.  14,  18. 

26.  The  meek  shall  eat  and  be  satisfied]  The  flesh  of  a  sacrifice 
offered  in  performance  of  a  vow  was  to  be  eaten  on  the  same  day  on 
which  it  was  offered,  or  on  the  morrow  (Lev.  vii.  16;  Num.  xv.  3). 
The  Psalmist  will  invite  the  meek  to  join  him  in  this  eucharistic 
meal.  Such  an  invitation  is  not  indeed  prescribed  in  the  Law,  but 
it  is  in  full  accordance  with  the  command  to  invite  the  poor  and  needy 
to  share  in  the  tithes  (Deut.  xiv.  29,  xxvi.  12;  where  the  phrase  'eat 
and  be  satisfied'  occurs),  and  in  the  hai-vest  festivals  (Deut.  xvi.  11,  14). 
There  seems  to  be  no  good  reason  for  supposing  that  the  words  are 
to  be  understood  wholly  in  a  figurative  and  spiritual  sense,  though  on 
the  other  hand  their  meaning  is  not  to  be  limited  to  the  external  per- 
formance of  a  ritual  ceremony.  At  any  rate  the  language  of  this  and 
the  preceding  verse  is  based  upon  the  idea  of  a  sacrifice  of  thanks- 
giving of  wliich  the  worshippers  partook  (xxiii.  5).  'Eat  and  be 
satisfied '  is  not  merely  a  current  formula  for  the  refreshment  which 


122  PSALM   XXII.  27,  28. 

They  shall  praise  the  Lord  that  seek  him  : 
Your  heart  shall  Uve  for  ever. 

27  All  the  ends  of  the  world  shall  remember  and  turn  unto  the 

Lord  : 
And  all  the  kindreds  of  the  nations  shall  worship  before 
thee. 

28  For  the  kingdom  is  the  Lord's  : 

And  he  is  the  governor  among  the  nations. 

flows  from  Divine  blessing,  the  Psalmist  anticipating  that  his  own  de- 
liverance will  lead  to  the  prosperity  of  all  the  godly. 

that  seek  hi?n]  R.V.,  that  seek  after  him.  All  Jehovah's  devoted 
followers  (see  on  xxiv.  6)  will  swell  the  anthem. 

yoiir  heart  shall  live  &c.]  R.V.,  let  your  heart  live  for  ever.  The 
entertainer  invokes  a  blessing  on  his  guests.  May  those  who  were 
ready  to  perish  be  revived  and  quickened  with  an  undying  energy  ! 
With  the  whole  verse  cp.  Ixix,  32. 

If  the  primary  and  immediate  reference  is  to  a  sacrificial  feast,  it 
is  clear  that  the  words  reach  far  beyond  the  outward  rite  to  the  spiritual 
communion  of  which  it  was  the  symbol ;  while  the  Christian  reader 
cannot  but  see  the  counterpart  and  fulfilment  of  the  words  in  the  Holy 
Eucharist. 

27 — 31.  The  Psalmist's  hopes  take  a  wider  range,  extending  to  all 
mankind  and  to  future  ages.  He  anticipates  the  time  when  not  he  alone, 
not  the  seed  of  Israel  only,  but  all  nations  to  earth's  remotest  bound, 
will  pay  homage  to  Jehovah.  From  personal  hopes  he  passes  to 
national  hopes,  from  national  hopes  to  universal  hopes,  reaching  for- 
ward into  the  future  from  generation  to  generation.  But  this  estab- 
lishment of  Jehovah's  kingdom  is  not  explicitly  regarded  as  the  fruit  of 
the  Psalmist's  sufferings.  We  are  not  yet  upon  the  level  of  Isaiah  liii. 
Perhaps  the  nations  are  represented  as  being  attracted  by  Jehovah's 
deliverance  of  His  servant,  though  even  this  is  not  clear. 

27.  All  the  ends  of  the  worhl]  R.  V.,  of  the  earth.  The  remotest 
countries.     Cp.  Ixvii.  7;  xcviii.  3. 

shall  remember  &c.]  There  was  a  knowledge  of  God,  to  which 
the  nations  might  attain  through  the  witness  of  His  works  without  and 
the  witness  of  conscience  within.  But  they  'forgot  Him'  (ix.  17) 
and  turned  away  from  Him  to  idols  of  their  own  imagination  (Rom. 
i.  21,  28).  But  one  day  they  will  'remember'  and  'return.'  Cp.  Jer. 
xvi.  19  fi". 

all  the  kindreds  of  the  nations']  All  the  families  of  the  nations; 
realising  the  patriarchal  promise  (Gen.  xii.  3;  xxviii.  14). 

28.  The  reason  for  this  homage.  It  is  but  the  recognition  of  the 
present  fact  of  Jehovah's  universal  sovereignty.  Cp.  Obad.  21;  Ps. 
xciii.  i;  xcvi.  10;  xcvii.  i;  Zech.  xiv.  16,  17. 

and  he  is  the  governor  &c.]  R.V.,  and  he  is  the  riUer  over  the 
nations.     Cp.  Ixvi.  7 ;  ciii.  19. 


PSALM   XXII.  29,  30.  123 

All  they  that  be  fat  upon  earth  shall  eat  and  worship  :  29 

All  they  that  go  down  to  the  dust  shall  bow  before  him  : 
And  none  can  keep  alive  his  own  soul. 

A  seed  shall  serve  him  ;  30 

It  shall  be  accounted  to  the  Lord  for  a  generation. 

29.  A  most  obscure  verse.  The  first  line  (according  to  the  present 
text)  may  be  rendered  literally, 

All  earth's  fat  ones  have  eaten  and  worshipped. 

The  tense  is  a  'prophetic  perfect';  with  the  eye  of  faith  the  Psalmist 
sees  homage  already  paid  to  Jehovah  even  by  the  haughty  nobles  of  the 
earth.  Tliey  abandon  their  proud  self-sufficiency,  and  join  in  the 
eucharistic  meal  with  the  meek  (z/.  26),  whom  once  they  despised  and 
persecuted.     Then  he  continues 

Before  him  bow  all  that  were  going  down  to  the  dust, 
Yea  he  who  could  not  keep  his  soul  alive. 

Those  who  were  on  the  edge  of  the  grave,  ready  to  die  from  want 
and  misery  and  trouble,  come  as  guests  and  gain  new  life.  Rich  and 
poor,  strong  and  weak,  alike  partake  of  the  feast:  for  it  the  rich  desert 
their  wealth;  in  it  the  poor  receive  the  compensation  of  their  priva- 
tions; and  those  who  were  ready  to  die  find  life.     Cp.  Is.  xxv.  6 — 8, 

This  seems  to  be  the  best  explanation  of  the  text  as  it  stands ;  but  it 
is  open  to  serious  objections.  The  reference  to  the  sacrificial  meal  is 
very  abrupt;  the  sense  given  to  'those  that  go  down  to  the  dust'  is 
questionable  ;  and  the  last  line  drags  heavily  at  the  end  of  the  verse. 

Others  suppose  that  the  contrast  intended  is  not  between  rich  and 
poor,  but  between  the  living  and  the  dead.  'Earth's  fat  ones'  are 
those  in  the  full  vigour  of  life:  eat  means  simply  'enjoy  life':  all  they 
that  have  gone  down  into  the  dust  are  the  dead.  Quick  and  dead  bow 
in  homage  before  the  universal  sovereign.  Cp.  Phil.  ii.  10.  Attractive 
as  this  explanation  is,  the  idea  is  foreign  to  the  O.T.  See  ex  v.  17; 
Is.  xxxviii.  18;  and  Introd.  p.  Ixxv,  ff. 

But  the  text  is  not  improbably  corrupt.  An  easy  emendation, 
adopted  by  several  critics,  simplifies  the  first  line  thus : 

Stirely  him  shall  all  earth^s  fat  ones  worship, 
and  the  second  line  repeats  the  thought. 

Before  him  shall  bow  all  they  that  nnist  go  down  to  the  dust. 

Earth's  mightiest  ai-e  but  mortals  and  must  yield  their  homage  to 
the  King  of  kings.  Then  the  last  line  should  be  joined  to  the  next 
verse  thus : 

A7id  as  for  him  that  could  not  keep  his  soul  alive. 
His  seed  shall  serve  Him. 

The  Psalmist  and  those  who  like  him  were  at  the  point  of  death  will 
leave  a  posterity  behind  them  to  serve  Jehovah.  The  reading  indicated 
by  the  LXX,  But  my  soul  liveth  unto  him,  my  seed  shall  serve  him, 
suits  the  context  less  well. 

30.  It  shall  be  accounted  SlcI  i.e.  as  R.V.  marg.,  //  shall  be  counted 
unto  the  Lord  for  his  generation.     Better,  however,  as  R.V.  text,  It 


124  PSALM   XXII.  31.    XXIII. 

31  They  shall  come,  and  shall  declare  his  righteousness 
Unto  a  people  that  shall  be  born,  that  he  hath  done  this. 

shall  be  told  of  the  Lord  unto  the  7iext  generation.  But  here  again 
it  seems  best  slightly  to  alter  the  text,  and  following  the  LXX  to  con- 
nect the  first  word  oiv.  31  with  v.  30  :  //  shall  be  told  of  the  Lord  unto 
the  generation  that  shall  cojju:  for  (i)  the  generation  needs  the  qualifica- 
tion which  R.V.  supplies  by  inserting  next:  and  (2)  they  shall  come 
absolutely  in  the  sense  of  they  shall  come  i^ito  beifig  is  doubtful. 

31.  and  shall  &c.]  And  they  shall  declare  his  righteousness  unto 
a  people  that  shall  be  born ;  i.e.  to  the  next  generation.  From  one 
generation  to  another  the  tradition  of  Jehovah's  righteousness,  of  His 
faithfulness  to  His  covenant,  will  be  handed  down. 

that  he  hath  done  this]  Or  as  R.V.,  that  he  hath  done  it.  The 
object  is  not  expressed.  Cp.  xxxvii.  5  (which  combines  vv.  8  and  31); 
Hi.  9;  cxix.  126;  Is.  xliv.  23;  Num.  xxiii.  19,  23.  *'Gen.  xxviii. 
15  unites  the  first  and  last  lines  of  the  Psalm."  Kay.  He  has 
wrought  out  His  purpose  of  salvation,  interposed  on  His  servant's 
behalf,  proved  Himself  the  living  righteous  and  true  God. 

The  song  of  praise,  begun  by  the  Psalmist  {v.  22),  is  taken  up  by 
Israel;  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  swell  the  chorus;  and  the  strain 
echoes  on  through  all  the  ages.  So  gloriously  ends  the  Psalm  which 
began  in  the  darkest  sorrow.  Per  crucem  ad  liicevi.  It  is  a  parable 
of  the  history  of  the  individual,  of  Israel,  of  the  Church,  of  the  world. 


PSALM   XXIIL 

The  grateful  praise  of  Jehovah  (i)  as  the  Good  Shepherd  who  tends 
{vv.  I,  2),  and  guides  {;pv.  3,  4)  the  Psalmist,  providing  for  every  want, 
and  protecting  him  in  every  danger:  (ii)  as  the  bountiful  host  {vv.  5,  6), 
who  entertains  the  Psalmist  as  his  guest  with  gracious  liberality. 

The  Psalm  is  unrivalled  for  calm  serenity  and  perfect  faith.  Under 
Jehovah's  loving  care  the  Psalmist  knows  neither  want  nor  fear. 
His  words  admit  of  the  most  universal  application  to  all  needs, 
temporal  and  spiritual,  in  every  age.  Their  meaning  grows  in  depth  as 
the  love  of  God  is  more  fully  revealed  through  the  teaching  of  the 
Spirit  in  the  experience  of  life  (Eph.  iii.  17 — 19;  Rom.  viii.  35  fif.). 

The  Targum  explains  the  Psalm  of  God's  care  for  the  nation  of 
Israel.  This  however,  though  justifiable  as  a  secondary  application, 
can  hardly  be  the  original  meaning.  Its  tone  is  strongly  personal. 
It  is  an  individual  realisation  and  appropriation  of  the  blessings  involved 
in  the  covenant-relation  of  Jehovah  to  His  people.  Each  sheep  can 
claim  the  care  which  is  promised  to  the  whole  flock  (Luke  xv.  4  ff.). 

Was  David  the  author?  Many  have  thought  that  vv.  i — 4  are  based 
on  the  recollections  of  his  early  shepherd  life ;  and  that  v.  5  reflects  his 
entertainment  by  Barzillai  (2  Sam.  xvii.  27 — 29).  Nor  is  v.  6  decisive 
against  the  Davidic  authorship.  The  language  is  figvn-ative,  and  the 
phrase  'house  of  the  Lord'  does  not  necessarily  imply  the  existence  of 


PSALM    XXIII.  1—3.  125 

the  temple  (Ex.  xxiii.  19;  Jud.  xviii.  31 ;  i   Sam.  i.  7),  though  it  must 
be  admitted  that  it  seems  to  point  to  it. 

The  kindred  Ps.  xxvii  should  be  carefully  compared. 

A  Psalm  of  David. 

The  Lord  is  my  shepherd ;  I  shall  not  want.  23 

He  maketh  me  to  lie  down  in  green  pastures ;  2 

He  leadeth  me  beside  the  still  waters. 

He  restoreth  my  soul :  ^  3 

He  leadeth  me  in  the  paths  of  righteousness  for  his  name's 
sake. 

1.  T/ie  Lord  is  my  shepherd^  How  natural  a  figure  in  a  pastoral 
country,  and  for  the  shepherd-king,  if  the  Psalm  is  his!  Jehovah  is 
often  spoken  of  as  the  Shepherd  of  Israel,  and  Israel  as  His  flock, 
especially  in  the  Psalms  of  Asaph.  See  Ixxiv.  i,  Ixxvii.  20,  Ixxviii.  52, 
70  ft'.;  Ixxix.  13;  Ixxx.  I,  and  cp.  xcv.  7,  c.  3;  Mic.  vii.  14;  and  the  ex- 
quisite description  of  Jehovah's  care  for  the  returning  exiles  in  Is.  xl.  11. 
Jacob  speaks  of  "the  God  who  shepherded  me"  (Gen.  xlviii.  15,  cp. 
xlix.  24).  The  title  of  shepherd  is  also  applied  to  rulers;  and  in  par- 
ticular to  David  (2  Sam.  v.  2,  vii.  7) ;  and  to  the  future  king  of  M'hom 
David  was  a  type  (Mic.  v.  4;  Ez.  xxxiv.  23);  and  so  Christ  appropri- 
ates it  to  Himself  (John  x.  i ;  cp.  Heb.  xiii.  20;  i  Pet.  ii.  25). 

/  sliall  not  wan/]  The  language,  partly  of  experience  in  the  present, 
partly  of  confidence  for  the  future.  So  of  Israel,  looking  back  on  the 
wandering  in  the  wilderness,  "thou  hast  lacked  nothing"  (Deut.  ii.  7); 
and  looking  forward  to  the  Land  of  Promise,  "thou  shalt  not  lack 
anything  in  it"  (Deut.  viii.  9).     Cp.  Ps.  xxxiv.  10,  Ixxxiv.  11. 

2.  The  figure  of  the  shepherd  is  expanded.  He  makes  his  flock  lie 
down  in  the  noontide  heat  (Cant.  i.  7)  in  pastures  of  tender  grass.  For 
this  picture  of  the  shepherd's  care  cp.  Jer.  xxxiii.  12. 

He  leadeth  me]  The  word  suggests  the  idea  of  gentle  guidance 
(Is.  xl.  II);  sometimes  of  sustaining  and  providing  (Gen.  xlvii.  17 
R.V.  marg.)  So  here  Vulg.  educavit.  It  is  specially  applied  to  God's 
guidance  of  His  people  (Ex.  xv.  13;  Ps.  xxxi.  3;  Is.  xlix.  10). 

the  still  waters]  Lit.  waters  of  rest:  not  gently-flowing  streams,  but 
streams  where  they  may  find  rest  and  refreshment  (Is.  xxxii.  18). 
So  Jerome  :  snper  aquas  refectionis.  The  Promised  Land  was  to  be 
Israel's  rest  (Deut.  xii.  9;  Ps.  xcv.  11).  It  will  be  remembered  that 
"the  eastern  shepherd  never  drives,  but  always  leads  his  sheep,"  and 
that  "in  the  East  the  sheep  requires  water  daily,  owing  to  the  heat 
and  dryness  of  the  climate."  Tristram's  Nat.  Hist,  of  the  Bible,  pp. 
140,  141. 

With  vv.  I,  2  comp.  Rev.  vii.  17. 

3.  4.     The  shepherd's  care  as  guide  and  guardian. 

3.     He  restoreth  my  soul]     Renews  and  sustains  my  life.     Cp.  xix.  7, 

note.    Not  as  P.B.V.  (after  the  LXX  and  Vulg.)  he  shall  convert  my  soul. 

he  leadeth  me]     R.V. ,  lie  guidetli  me :  a  word  often  used  of  God's 


26  PSALM   XXIII.  4,  5. 


4  Yea,  though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of 

death, 
I  will  fear  no  evil :  for  thou  art  with  me ; 
Thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they  comfort  me. 

5  Thou  preparest  a  table  before  me  in  the  presence  of  mine 

enemies : 

guidance  of  His  people  collectively  (Ex.  xv.  13;  Deut.  xxxii.  12),  and 
individually  (Ps.  v.  8,  xxvii.  it,  (Stc). 

in  the  paths  of  righteousness]  Usage  is  decisive  in  favour  of  rendering 
thus,  and  not,  in  straight  paths.  The  word  for  righteousness  nowhere 
retains  its  primary  physical  meaning  of  straightness.  For  paths  cp. 
xvii.  5 ;  and  for  the  whole  phrase,  Prov.  iv.  11,  viii.  20,  xii.  28. 

for  his  name's  sake\  In  order  to  prove  Himself  such  as  He  has 
declared  Himself  to  be  (Ex.  xxxiv.  5  ff.). 

4.  The  figure  of  the  shepherd  is  still  continued.  "The  sheep 
districts  [in  Palestine]  consist  of  wide  open  wolds  or  downs,  reft  here 
and  there  by  deep  ravines,  in  whose  sides  lurks  many  a  wild  beast,  the 
enemy  of  the  flocks"  (Tristram,  Nat.  Hist.  p.  138).  Even  in  such 
a  dismal  glen,  where  unknown  perils  are  thickest,  where  deathly  gloom 
and  horror  are  on  every  side,  he  knows  no  fear.  Cp.  Jeremiah's 
description  of  Jehovah's  care  for  Israel  in  the  wilderness  (ii.  6). 
Bunyan's  development  of  the  idea  in  the  Pilgrim's  Pjvgress  is  familiar 
to  everyone. 

the  shadow  of  death]  The  word  tsalmdveth  is  thus  rendered  in  the 
Ancient  Versions,  and  the  present  vocalisation  assumes  that  this  is  its 
meaning.  But  compounds  are  rare  in  Hebrew  except  in  proper  names, 
and  there  are  good  grounds  for  supposing  that  the  word  is  derived  from 
a  different  root  and  should  be  read  tsalnmth  and  explained  simply 
deep  gloom  (cp.  R.V.  marg.).  It  is  not  improbable  that  the  pronunci- 
ation of  the  word  was  altered  at  an  early  date  in  accordance  with  a 
popular  etymology  (like  our  caicse^vay,  originally  causey,  from  Fr. 
chaussee).  ^ 

for  thou  art  with  me]  God's  presence  is  His  people's  strength  and 
comfort.     Cp.  Gen.  xxviii.  15;  Josh.  i.  5  ff. ;  &c.  &c. 

Thy  rod  and  thy  staff]  The  shepherd's  crook  is  poetically  described 
by  two  names,  as  the  rod  or  club  with  Avhich  he  defends  his  sheep  from 
attack  (Mic.  vii.  14;  2  Sam.  xxiii.  21;  Ps.  ii.  9);  and  the  staff  on 
which  he  leans.  The  shepherd  walks  before  his  flock,  ready  to  protect 
them  from  assault ;  they  follow  gladly  and  fearlessly  wherever  he  leads. 

5.  6.  The  figure  is  changed.  Jehovah  is  now  described  as  the  host 
who  bountifully  entertains  the  Psalmist  at  his  table,  and  provides  him 
with  a  lodging  in  his  own  house,  as  Oriental  monarchs  entertained 
those  to  whom  they  wished  to  shew  special  favour.  See  Gen.  xliii.  16; 
2  Sam.  ix.  7  ff.,  xix.  33;   i  Kings  iv.  27. 

6.  in  the  presence  of  mine  enemies]  Or,  adversaries,  as  in  vi.  7. 
The  mark  of  favour  is  public  and  unmistakable. 


PSALM   XXIII.  6.     XXIV.  127 

Thou  anointest  my  head  with  oil ;  my  cup  runneth  over. 
Surely  goodness  and  mercy  shall  follow  me  all  the  days  of  6 

my  life ; 
And  I  will  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  for  ever. 

thou  anointest]  R.V.,  thou  hast  anointed.  The  reference  is  to  the 
unguents  and  perfumes  which  were  the  regular  accompaniment  of  an 
Oriental  banquet  (Amos  vi.  6;  Ps.  xlv.  7,  xcii.  10),  not  to  the  regal 
anointing,  for  which  a  different  word  is  used. 

my  cup  &c.]     See  note  on  xvi.  5  :  and  cp.  xxxvi.  8,  Ixvi.  12,  note. 

Jehovah  is  no  niggard  host,  like  the  Pharisee  (Luke  vii.  46) ;  He 
provides  for  the  joys  as  well  as  the  necessities  of  life  (John  ii.  i — 1 1) ; 
His  guests  shall  be  of  a  cheerful  countenance  and  a  gladsome  heart 
(civ.  15). 

6.  Sttrely]  Or,  as  R.V.  marg.,  only.  Nothing  but  goodness  and 
mercy  shall  pursue  me.  What  a  contrast  to  the  lot  of  the  wicked  man, 
pursued  by  the  angel  of  judgment  (xxxv.  6),  hunted  by  calamity  (cxl.  11). 

And  I  will  divell]  The  text  as  it  stands  would  mean,  and  I  will 
reticrn  [to  dwell]  in  the  house  of  the  Lord.  But  a  comparison  of 
xxvii.  4  leaves  no  doubt  that  we  should  read  shibhtl  or  regard  shabhti 
as  an  exceptional  form  for  it,  and  explain,  and  my  dwelling  shall  be 
&c.  Clearly  the  words  are  to  be  understood  figuratively,  and  not  of 
actual  residence  within  the  precincts  of  the  temple.     Cp.  xxxvi.  8. 

for  ever]  Lit.  for  length  of  days.  The  blessing  of  long  life  (xxi.  4) 
is  crowned  by  the  still  greater  blessing  of  the  most  intimate  fellowship 
with  God. 

PSALM    XXIV. 

The  impregnable  stronghold  of  Zion  had  fallen.  David  was  master 
of  his  future  capital.  But  it  was  not  in  his  own  strength,  not  for  his 
own  glory,  that  the  victory  had  been  won.  The  city  of  David  was  to 
be  "the  city  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts."  Its  true  owner  and  King  must 
now  enter  and  take  possession.  The  Ark,  which  was  the  symbol  of  His 
Presence,  must  be  solemnly  brought  up  and  installed  in  the  tent  which 
David  had  prepared  for  it.  For  that  unique  occasion,  the  greatest 
day  in  David's  life  (see  Stanley's  Jewish  Churchy  Lect.  xxiii.),  this  Psalm 
appears  to  have  been  written.  Jehovah  comes  as  a  victorious  warrior, 
fresh  from  the  conquest  of  the  impregnable  fortress  i(vv.  7 — 10).  The 
opening  assertion  of  His  universal  sovereignty  as  the  Creator  of  the 
world  offers  a  fitting  caution  not  to  suppose  that  because  He  has  chosen 
one  city  for  His  special  dwelling-place,  His  Presence  and  activity  are 
limited  to  it  [vv.  i,  2);  the  inquiry  what  must  be  the  character  of  His 
worshippers  {;vv.  3 — 6),  appropriate  in  any  case,  gains  fresh  point  in 
view  of  the  disaster  which  had  for  a  while  deferred  the  ceremony  (2  Sam. 
vi.  9).  The  "ancient  doors"  are  the  gates  of  the  venerable  fortress, 
now  opening  to  receive  their  true  Lord. 

No  other  occasion,  such  as  the  Dedication  of  the  Temple,  or  the 
return  of  the  Ark  from  some  victory,  explains  the  whole  Psalm 
equally  well. 


128  PSALM   XXIV.  I,  2. 

Some  commentators  have  questioned  the  original  unity  of  the  poem. 
On  the  ground  of  difference  in  tone  and  style,  and  supposed  want 
of  coherence,  they  have  maintained  that  w.  i — 6  are  taken  from  a 
poem  of  a  didactic  character,  w.  7 — 10,  from  a  triumphal  ode.  The 
variety  of  style  is  not  however  greater  than  might  be  expected  from 
the  change  of  subject,  and  a  clear  sequence  of  thought  can  be  traced  in 
the  three  stanzas  of  the  Psalm. 

i.  The  introductory  verses  declare  the  Majesty  of  Him  Who 
comes  to  take  possession  (z'z-.  i,  2). 

ii.     The  conditions  of  access  to  His  sanctuary  are  determined  {vv. 

3-6)-  .  ... 

iii.  The  ancient  fortress  is  summoned  to  admit  its  true  kmg, 
and  the  character  of  His  sovereignty  is  proclaimed  {vv.  7 — 10). 

The  musical  performance  of  the  Psahn  probably  corresponded  to 
its  dramatic  character,  though  the  precise  arrangement  can  only  be 
conjectured. 

w.  I — 6  were  perhaps  intended  to  be  sung  as  the  procession  mounted 
the  hill ;  vv.  r,  i  by  the  full  choir,  the  question  of  z'.  3  as  a  solo,  the 
answer  of  vv.  4,  5  as  another  solo,  the  response  of  v.  6  in  chorus. 
vv.  7 — 10  may  have  been  sung  as  the  procession  halted  before  the 
venerable  gates  of  the  citadel ;  the  summons  of  v.  7  and  v.  9  by  a 
single  voice  (or  possibly  by  the  choir),  the  challenge  of  v.  '^a  and 
V.  loa  by  a  voice  as  from  the  gates,  the  triumphant  response  of  v.  %b 
and  V.  \ob  by  the  full  choir. 

According  to  the  title  in  the  LXX,  which  agrees  with  the  liturgical 
use  of  the  Jewish  Church  as  prescribed  in  the  Talmud,  this  was  the 
Psalm  for  the  first  day  of  the  week.     See  Introd.  p.  xxiv. 

It  is  fitly  used  as  a  Proper  Psalm  for  Ascension  Day. 

Psalms  XV  and  Ixviii  should  be  compared. 

A  Psalm  of  David. 

24  The  earth  is  the  Lord's,  and   the  fulness  thereof; 
The  world,  and  they  that  dwell  therein. 

1,  2.  The  unique  Majesty  of  Him  Who  comes  to  take  possession  of 
His  chosen  dwelling-place.  His  sovereignty  is  not  limited  to  a  single 
nation  or  a  single  country.  He  is  the  Lord  of  all  the  world,  for  He  is 
its  Creator. 

1.  The  earth  is  the  Lord's]  Better,  Unto  Jehovah  toelongeth  the 
eaxth.  The  natural  order  of  the  Heb.  fixes  the  reader's  mind  first 
on  Him,  Whose  approach  is  the  theme  of  the  Psalm.  For  the  same 
thought  see  Ex.  xix.  5;  Deut.  x.  14  (R.V.);  Ps.  1.  12,  Ixxxix.  11.  The 
words  are  quoted  (from  the  LXX)  in  i  Cor.  x.  26,  to  confirm  the 
intrinsic  lawfulness  of  eating  whatever  is  sold  in  the  market. 

the  wo7'ld'\  Properly,  the  habitable  part  of  the  earth  (ix.  8) ;  hence 
naturally  supplemented  by  the  mention  of  its  inhabitants.  The  P.B.V., 
the  compass  of  the  ■wo?-/d,  was  probably  suggested  by  the  Vulg.,  orbis 
t err  arum. 


PSALM   XXIV.  2—4.  129 

For  he  hath  founded  it  upon  the  seas, 

And  established  it  upon  the  floods. 

Who  shall  ascend  into  the  hill  of  the  Lord?  ; 

And  who  shall  stand  in  his  holy  place  ? 

He  that  hath  clean  hands,  and  a  pure  heart ; 

Who  hath  not  lift  up  his  soul  unto  vanity, 

Nor  sworn  deceitfully. 

2.  For  he  &c.]  HE  is  emphatic.  It  is  HE  and  no  other  who  laid 
the  foundation  of  the  world  (civ.  5 ;  Job  xxxviii.  4).  The  land  rising 
out  of  the  water  is  supposed  to  rest  upon  it.  Cp.  cxxxvi.  6;  and  the 
idea  of  the  subterranean  abyss  of  waters  in  Gen.  vii.  1 1 ;  and  "  the 
water  under  the  earth"  in  Ex.  xx.  4.  It  is  a  popular  or  poetic  con- 
ception derived  from  phenomena ;  yet  possibly  the  idea  that  the  earth 
was  firmly  fixed  upon  such  a  foundation  suggested  the  Creator's  power 
much  in  the  same  way  as  the  suspension  and  motion  of  the  earth  in 
space  may  do  to  us. 

3 — 6.  The  moral  conditions  required  for  access  to  the  presence  of 
so  great  a  God.  His  Holiness  corresponds  to  His  Majesty.  Ps.  xv. 
I  ff.  and  Is.  xxxiii.  14  if.  are  parallel  in  substance  as  well  as  form. 

3.  Who  shall  ascend'\  Often  of  going  up  to  worship  at  the  sanctuary. 
See  I  Sam.  i.  3,  22;  Is.  ii.  3,  xxxvii.  14,  xxxviii.  22. 

stami^  Not  merely  appear  or  remain,  but  as  in  i.  5,  stand  his 
ground.     Cp.  i  Sam.  vi.  20. 

in  his  holy  place\  Synonymous  with  ^the  hill  (or,  mountain)  of  the 
Lord''  \x\.  the  preceding  line.  Cp.  ii.  6,  iii.  4,  xv.  i,  xliii.  3;  Is.  ii. 
2,  3,  &c. 

4.  He  that  hath  clean  hands,  and  a  pure  heart"]  He  who  is  innocent 
of  violence  and  wrong-doing  (xviii.  20,  24);  nay,  innocent  even  in 
thought  and  purpose  as  well  as  in  deed.     Cp.  Ixxiii.  i;  Matt.  v.  8. 

Who  hath  not  lift  up  his  soul  unto  vattity]  i.e.  who  is  true  and 
faithful  to  Jehovah.  *To  lift  up  the  soul'  means  to  direct  the  mind 
towards  (xxv.  i),  to  set  the  heart  upon  (Deut.  xxiv.  15),  to  desire  (Hos. 
iv.  8).  'Vanity'  denotes  what  is  transitory  (Job  xv.  31),  false  and 
unreal  (Ps.  xii.  2),  or  sinful  (Is.  v.  18),  and  may  even  designate  false 
gods  (Ps.  xxxi.  6).  It  includes  all  that  is  unlike  or  opposed  to  the 
nature  of  God.  The  traditional  reading  [Qri)  however  is,  my  soul 
(so  too  Cod.  Alex,  of  the  LXX.).  This  reading  must  be  rendered. 
Who  hath  not  taken  me  in  vain.  God  speaks;  and  the  words  are 
an  echo  of  Ex.  xx.  7,  with  my  soul  (  =  my  being)  substituted  for  my 
name.  But  this  explanation  is  forced,  and  cannot  be  defended  even  by 
Am.  vi.  8,  and  Jer.  Ii.  14,  where  God  is  said  to  swear  'by  His  sour  = 
by  Himself. 

nor  sworn  deceitfully']  R. V. ,  and  hath  not  sworn  deceitfully.  The 
paraphrase  of  P.B.V.,  *nor  sworn  to  deceive  his  neighbour,'  which 
follows  the  LXX  and  Vulg.,  gives  the  sense  rightly.  He  has  been  true 
to  his  neighbour,  as  well  as  to  God.     Cp.  xv.  4. 

PSALMS  Q 


I30  PSALM   XXIV.  5—8. 

5  He  shall  receive  the  blessing  from  the  Lord, 
And  righteousness  from  the  God  of  his  salvation. 

0  This  is  the  generation  of  them  that  seek  him, 
That  seek  thy  face,  O  Jacob.     Selah. 

7  Lift  up  your  heads,  O  ye  gates ; 

And  be  ye  lift  up,  ye  everlasting  doors ; 
And  the  King  of  glory  shall  come  in. 

8  Who  is  this  King  of  glory  ? 

5.  the  blessingi    R.V.  rightly,  a  blessing. 

righteousness]  '  Righteousness '  is  blessing  in  another  aspect.  Jeho- 
vah manifests  Himself  to  the  godly  man,  as  'the  God  of  his  salvation' 
(xxv.  5;  xxvii.  9);  and  this  'salvation'  is  the  witness  to  and  reward 
for  his  upright  conduct.  See  1  Sam.  xxvi.  23;  Ps.  xviii.  20,  24;  Iviii. 
II.  In  the  light  of  N.T.  revelation  the  words  receive  a  deeper  meaning. 
See  Matt.  v.  6. 

6.  generatiojt]  i.e.  class,  as  in  xii.  7;  xiv.  5;  Ixxiii.  15. 

that  seek  him]  R.V.,  that  seek  after  him.  Two  words  for  seek  are 
used  in  this  verse.  Both  may  be  used  of  the  outward  act  of  visiting  the 
sanctuary ;  but  both  come  to  express  the  inward  purpose  of  the  heart  as 
well.  So  far  as  the  two  words  can  be  distinguished  the  first  denotes  the 
attitude  of  loving  devotion,  the  second  that  of  inquiry  or  supplication. 

O  Jacob]  The  A.V.  marg.  and  R.V.  rightly  follow  the  LXX,  Vulg., 
and  Syr.  in  reading  0  God  of  Jacob.  If  the  Massoretic  text  is  retained, 
it  must  be  rendered  with  R.V.  marg. ,  That  seek  thy  face,  even  Jacob. 
These  are  the  ideal  Jacob,  the  true  people  of  God.  But  the  construction 
is  harsh;  a  vocative  is  needed  after  thy  face;  and  Jacob  does  not  by 
itself  convey  this  sense. 

7—10.  The  procession  has  reached  the  ancient  gates  of  Zion.  They 
are  summoned  to  open  high  and  wide  to  admit  their  tnie  King. 

7.  Lift  up  your  heads]  As  though  they  were  too  low  and  mean  for 
the  entrance  of  "the  high  and  lofty  one"  who  comes,  and  in  token  that 
all  resistance  is  at  an  end. 

ye  everlasting  doors]  Or,  ye  ancient  doors^  venerable  with  unknown 
antiquity. 

and  the  King  &c.]  Or,  that  the  King  of  glory  may  come  in.  The 
Ark,  "which  is  called  by  the  Name,  even  the  name  of  the  Lord  of  hosts 
that  sitteth  upon  the  cherubim"  (2  Sam.  vi.  2)  was  the  symbol  of  Jeho- 
vah's majesty  and  the  pledge  of  His  Presence  among  His  people  (Num. 
X.  35,  36).  When  the  ark  was  lost,  "the  glory  departed  from  Israel" 
(i  Sam.  iv.  21).     Cp.  xix.  i,  note. 

8.  Who  is  the  King  of  glory?  may  be  merely  a  rhetorical  question; 
but  it  is  far  more  poetical  to  suppose  that  the  gates,  or  the  warders,  are 
represented  as  challenging  the  comer's  right  to  enter.  The  choir's  re- 
sponse recalls  the  opening  words  of  the  Song  of  Moses  (Ex.  xv.  2,  3), 
"Jah  is  my  strength  and  song... Jehovah  is  a  man  of  war:"  while  the 
title  King  reflects  its  closing  words  (Ex.  xv.  18);  "Jehovah  shall  be 


PSALM   XXIV.  9,  lo.     XXV.  131 

The  Lord  strong  and  mighty, 

The  Lord  mighty  in  battle. 

Lift  up  your  heads,  O  ye  gates ;  < 

Even  hft  them  up,  ye  everlasting  doors ; 

And  the  King  of  glory  shall  come  in. 

Who  is  this  King  of  glory  ? 

The  Lord  of  hosts,  he  is  the  King  of  glory.     Selah. 

King  for  ever  and  ever."     He  is  now  proclaimed  as  the  Victor,  who 
comes  as  He  had  purposed,  to  take  His  kingdom. 

9,  10.  Challenge  and  response  are  repeated,  with  some  slight  varia- 
tions, and  one  important  change. 

9.  ez'en  lift  &c.]  Yea,  lift  them  up... that  the  King  of  glory  may 
come  in. 

10.  The  Lord  of  hosts]  The  climax  is  reached.  He  claims  to  enter, 
not  merely  as  a  victorious  warrior,  but  as  the  Sovereign  of  the  Universe. 
The  great  title  Jehovah  Tsebdoth  or  LORD  of  hosts,  which  was  character- 
istic of  the  regal  and  prophetic  period,  meets  us  here  for  the  first  time  in 
the  Psalter.  Originally  perhaps  it  designated  Jehovah  as  "the  God  of 
the  armies  of  Israel"  (i  Sam.  xvii.  45),  who  went  forth  with  His 
people's  hosts  to  battle  (xliv.  9;  Ix.  10),  and  whose  Presence  was  the 
source  of  victory  (xlvi.  7,  11).  But  as  the  phrase  "host  of  heaven"  was 
used  for  the  celestial  bodies  (Gen.  ii.  i),  and  celestial  beings  (i  Kings 
xxii.  19),  the  meaning  of  the  title  was  enlarged  to  designate  Jehovah  as 
the  ruler  of  the  heavenly  powers,  the  supreme  Sovereign  of  the  universe. 
Hence  one  of  the  renderings  in  the  LXX  is  /cuptos  TravTOKpaxup,  Lord 
Almighty,  or  rather.  All-sovereign.  See  Additional  Note  on  r  Samuel 
in  this  series,  p.  235. 


PSALM  XXV. 

An  alphabet  of  prayer  and  meditation,  the  utterance  of  a  humble,  yet 
confident  faith.     It  falls  into  three  equal  divisions. 

i.     Prayer  for  protection,  guidance,  and  pardon  {vv.  i — 7). 

ii.  Reflections  on  the  character  of  God  {^v.  8 — 10)  and  on  His 
dealings  with  those  who  fear  Him  (12 — 14),  separated  by  a  prayer  for 
pardon,  which  springs  naturally  out  oiv.  10. 

iii.  Renewed  prayer  for  deliverance  in  distress  (z/z/.  15 — 21).  v.  22  is 
a  supernumerary  verse,  probably  a  later  addition. 

Thus  the  Psalmist  begins  and  ends  with  prayer,  and  sustains  and 
kindles  faith  and  devotion  by  meditating  on  the  truths  of  revelation. 

The  speaker  is  hardly  "pious  Israel  personified."  He  is  an  indivi- 
dual, and  speaks  for  and  of  individuals.  Yet  it  may  well  be  the  case 
that  he  feels  the  sins  and  sufferings  of  his  nation  in  some  measure  as 
though  they  were  his  own  (e.g.  w.  11,  19),  and  that  his  prayer  for 
pardon  and  deliverance  reaches  beyond  his  own  personal  needs. 

Thought  and  language  shew  the  influence  of  the  '  Wisdom,'  or  religious 


132  PSALM    XXV.  1—3. 


philosophy  of  Israel,  embodied  in  the  Book  of  Proverbs.  But  the  Psalm 
has  no  distinct  historical  background,  and  might  belong  to  almost  any 
age. 

It  is  one  of  the  nine  alphabetic  Psalms  (see  Introd.  p.  xlviii).  Each 
verse,  usually  consisting  of  two  lines,  begins  with  a  letter  of  the  alphabet. 
But  as  the  text  stands  at  present,  a  word  {O  my  God)  precedes  the  Beth 
with  which  the  second  line  should  begin ;  Vav  is  omitted,  or  only  re- 
presented by  the  second  line  of  v.  5,  instead  of  having  a  separate  verse 
to  itself;  Qdph  is  wanting,  and  instead  two  verses  (18,  19)  begin  with 
Resh  ;  and  a  supernumerary  verse  beginning  with  Pe  is  added  at  the 
end.  Some  of  these  irregularities  may  be  due  to  corruption  of  the 
text ;  but  it  is  a  curious  fact  that  two  of  them,  the  absence  of  a  separate 
verse  for  Vav,  and  the  supernumerary  Fe  verse,  are  found  again  in  Ps. 
xxxiv.  The  two  Psalms  are  clearly  related ;  the  one  is  a  prayer,  the 
other  a  thanksgiving ;  and  they  are  probably  by  the  same  author. 


A  Psalm  of  David. 

25  (X)  Unto  thee,  O  Lord,  do  I  lift  up  my  soul. 

2  O  my  God,  {'2)  I  trust  in  thee  :  let  me  not  be  ashamed, 
Let  not  mine  enemies  triumph  over  me. 

3  (^)  Yea,  let  none  that  wait  on  thee  be  ashamed  : 

1 — 7.     Petition  for  protection,  guidance,  and  pardon. 

1.  He  who  may  approach  Jehovah's  sanctuary  must  be  one  'who 
hath  not  lifted  up  his  soul  unto  vanity'  (xxiv.  4).  Jehovah,  and  Jeho- 
vah alone,  is  the  subject  of  his  desires,  his  aspirations,  his  prayers.  Cp. 
Ixxxvi.  3;  cxliii.  8;  Lam.  iii.  41. 

As  the  verses  are  usually  distichs,  it  has  been  conjectured  with  much 
probability  that  the  line  "on  thee  do  I  wait  all  the  day,"  which  over- 
weights V.  5,  originally  belonged  to  v.  1.  z'.  3«  gains  point  by  this 
transposition. 

2.  This  verse  should  begin  with  the  letter  Beth  in  the  word  for  in 
thee.  It  has  been  suggested  that  the  first  word  O  my  God  was  disre- 
garded in  the  alphabetic  arrangement ;  but  it  is  more  probable  that  it 
originally  belonged  to  the  second  line  of  the  preceding  verse  (so  codd. 
NBA  of  the  LXX),  which  has  now  been  lost  or  misplaced.  Otherwise 
it  must  be  omitted.     Verse  2  then  forms  a  proper  distich : 

In  thee  have  I  trusted,  let  me  not  be  ashamed: 
Let  not  mine  enemies  triumph  over  me. 
Cp.  z'.  20;  xxii.  5;  xxxi.  i,  17. 

3.  Render  with  R.V. 

Yea,  none  that  wait  on  thee  shall  be  ashamed : 
They  shall  be  ashamed  that  deal  treacherously  without  cause. 
The  words  are  not  a  prayer,  but  the  expression  of  a  conviction  corre- 
sponding to  and  justifying  the  prayer  of  t^.  2.     Cp.  Rom.  v.  3 — 5.     It 
certainly  gains  in  point  if  the  last  clause  of  v.  5  is  joined  to  v.  i,  and  the 


PSALM  XXV.  4—8.  133 

Let  them  be  ashamed  which  transgress  without  cause. 

(*])  Shew  me  thy  ways,  O  Lord  ;  4 

Teach  me  thy  paths. 

(n)  Lead  me  in  thy  truth,  and  teach  me :  5 

For  thou  art  the  God  of  my  salvation ; 

On  thee  do  I  wait  all  the  day. 

(I)  Remember,  O  Lord,  thy  tender  mercies  and  thy  loving-  6 

kindnesses ; 
For  they  have  been  ever  of  old. 
(n)  Remember  not  the  sins  of  my  youth,  nor  my  trans-  7 

gressions : 
According  to  thy  mercy  remember  thou  me 
For  thy  goodness'  sake,  O  Lord. 
(to)  Good  and  upright  is  the  Lord  :  8 

Psalmist  has  already  spoken  of  himself  as  one  of  "those  who  wait  on 
Jehovah." 

which  transgi-ess]  Rather  as  R.V.,  that  deal  treacherously:  a  word 
used  of  faithless,  treacherous  conduct  towards  men  (Jud.  ix.  23),  or  God 
(Jer.  iii.  20) :  here  of  the  faithless  desertion  of  God  which  is  the  oppo- 
site of  patiently  waiting  upon  Him.     Cp.  cxix.  158. 

without  cause]     Or,  to  no  purpose,  without  result. 

4.  Sheiv  me  thy  7vays'\  Lit.  make  7ne  to  know  thy  ways  :  the  prayer 
of  Moses  in  a  moment  of  perplexity  (Ex.  xxxiii.  13).  Cp.  Ps.  xxvii.  11. 
God's  'ways'  and  'paths'  are  the  purposes  and  methods  of  His  Provi- 
dence; or  more  specifically,  the  course  of  life  and  conduct  which  He 
prescribes  for  men.     Cp.  xxvii.  ir;  cxliii.  8. 

6.  Lead  me  &c.]  R.V.,  Guide  me  in  thy  truth  :  not,  as  at  first  sight 
would  seem  to  be  the  meaning,  into  a  fuller  knowledge  of  revealed  truth. 
Jehovah's  truth,  so  often  coupled  with  His  lovingkindness,  means  His 
faithfulness;  and  the  sense  is  either  'guide  me  in  virtue  of  thy  faithful- 
ness'; or  '  let  me  live  in  the  experience  of  thy  faithfulness  '  (xxvi.  3). 

6.  An  appeal  to  Jehovah's  unchangeableness  (Mai.  iii.  6).  The 
love  of  ancient  days  cannot  be  exhausted  (Jer.  ii.  2;  xxxi.  3). 

For  they  have  been  ever  of  o/d}  Lit.,  /or  they  have  heen  from  ever- 
lasting.     Cp.  ciii.  17;  xciii.  2. 

7.  The  word  translated  sins  is  derived  from  a  root  meaning  to  miss 
the  mark  or  lose  the  7vay.  It  denotes  primarily  the  failures,  errors, 
lapses,  of  frailty;  and  so  is  naturally  applied  to  the  thoughtless  offences 
of  youth.  The  word  for  transgressions  means  literally  rebellions,  and 
denotes  the  deliberate  offences  of  riper  years. 

according  to  thy  juercy]    According  to  thy  lovingkindness,  as  in 

W.  6,    TO. 

for  thy  goodness'  sake]  When  Moses  desired  a  revelation  of  God's 
glory,  he  was  granted  a  revelation  of  His  goodness  (Ex.  xxxiii.  19). 
Cp.  xxvii.  13;  Rom.  ii.  4;  xi.  22. 


134  PSALM   XXV.  9—13. 

Therefore  will  he  teach  sinners  in  the  way. 
9  (^)  The  meek  will  he  guide  in  judgment : 
And  the  meek  will  he  teach  his  way. 

10  {^)  All  the  paths  of  the  Lord  aj-e  mercy  and  truth 
Unto  such  as  keep  his  covenant  and  his  testimonies. 

11  (7)  For  thy  name's  sake,  O  Lord, 
Pardon  mine  iniquity ;  for  it  is  great. 

12  (D)  What  man  is  he  that  feareth  the  Lord  ? 

Him  shall  he  teach  in  the  way  that  he  shall  choose. 

13  (J)  His  soul  shall  dwell  at  ease ; 

8 — 14.  The  Psalmist's  petitions  are  grounded  upon  the  revealed 
character  of  Jehovah. 

8.  Therefore]  He  who  is  at  once  perfectly  loving  and  perfectly 
upright  must  needs  guide  the  erring. 

teach']  R.V.  instruct :  the  word  from  which  torah  ('  law,'  primarily 
'instruction')  is  derived.     See  on  i.  2. 

9.  The  meek]  The  humble-minded.  See  note  on  ix.  12.  Humility 
is  indispensable  for  God's  scholars.     Cp.  i  Pet.  v.  5. 

in  Judgment]  The  practice  of  right ;  often  coupled  with  righteous- 
ness and  equity  ;  e.g.  Prov.  i.  3. 

10.  In  all  His  dealings  Jehovah  proves  His  loving  purpose  and  His 
faithfulness  to  His  promises  to  those  who  on  their  part  are  faithful  to 
Him,  keeping  the  covenant  inaugurated  by  circumcision  (Gen.  xvii.  2  ff.), 
and  ratified  at  Sinai  (Ex.  xix.  5;  xxiv.  7,  8);  of  which  the  Ark  of  the 
Covenant  (Num.  x.  33)  was  the  outward  sign,  and  the  Ten  Words 
written  on  the  Tables  of  the  Covenant  were  the  fundamental  charter 
(Deut.  ix.  9).  Jehovah's  testimonies  are  His  commandments,  as  wit- 
nessing to  His  will.     See  note  on  xix.  7. 

mercy  and  truth]  R.V.  lovingkindness  and  truth.  So  He  pro- 
claimed Himself  to  Moses,  as  a  God  'plenteous  in  lovingkindness  and 
truth'  (Ex.  xxxiv.  6). 

11.  The  thought  of  God's  requirements  [v.  10)  makes  him  feel  his 
own  shortcomings,  and  prompts  this  prayer  for  pardon.  He  appeals  to 
Jehovah's  revelation  of  Himself  as  the  God  of  mercy.  The  verse  com- 
bines vv.  5  and  9  of  Ex.  xxxiv.  Cp.  xxiii.  3,  note;  Is.  xliii.  25;  Jer. 
xiv.  7. 

12.  What  man  &c.]  A  rhetorical  question,  equivalent  to  luhoso- 
ever.     Cp.  xxxiv.  12. 

hiyn  shall  he  teach]     R.V.,  him  shall  he  instruct,  as  in  v.  8. 

in  the  7vay  that  he  shall  choose]  In  the  course  of  life  which  His  Pro- 
vidence chooses  for  him:  or,  in  the  icay  that  he  should  choose  ;  what 
course  to  take  in  circumstances  of  doubt  or  difficulty;  or,  in  the  7uay 
that  he  chooseth;  he  chooses  '  the  fear  of  the  Lord'  which  is  '  the  way 
of  truth,'  and  Jehovah  instructs  him  in  it.  This  is  most  in  accordance 
with  cxix.  30,  173;  Prov.  i.  29;  iii.  31. 

13.  Temporal  blessings  are  in  store  for  him.     He  himself  shall  con- 


PSALM  XXV.  14—18.  135 

And  his  seed  shall  inherit  the  earth. 

(D)  The  secret  of  the  Lord  is  with  them  that  fear  him ; 

And  he  will  shew  them  his  covenant. 

(y)  Mine  eyes  are  ever  towards  the  Lord  ;  3 

For  he  shall  pluck  my  feet  out  of  the  net. 

(£))  Turn  thee  unto  me,  and  have  mercy  upon  me ; 

For  I  am  desolate  and  afflicted. 

(5^)  The  troubles  of  my  heart  are  enlarged  : 

O  bring  thou  me  out  of  my  distresses. 

(^)  Look  upon  mine  affliction  and  my  pain ; 

And  forgive  all  my  sins. 

tinue  in  prosperity;  and  his  posterity  after  him  shall  inherit  the  land 
(R.V.),  in  accordance  with  the  promise  to  Abraham  (Gen.  xv.  7,  8), 
and  Israel  (Ex.  xx.  12;  Lev.  xxvi.  3  ff. ;  Deut.  iv.  i,  40;  &c.).  Cp.  Ps. 
xxxvii.  11;  Prov.  ii.  i\,  22;  and  the  N.  T.  counterpart,  Matt.  v.  5. 

14.  Mysterious  spiritual  blessings  await  him  too.  To  those  who 
fear  Him  Jehovah  reveals  His  secret  counsel.  Cp.  Prov.  iii.  32 ;  Ps. 
cxi.  10;  Prov.  i.  7;  Matt.  xi.  25.  For  secret  R.V.  marg.  gives  alter- 
natives counsel  or  friendship,  ideas  included  in  the  word,  which  denotes 
the  confidential  intercourse  of  intimate  fellowship.  For  examples  see 
Gen.  xviii.  17;  Am.  iii.  7. 

and  he  will  sheiu  theni]  Lit.  jnake  them  to  know  (as  in  v.  4),  to 
experience,  in  ever  fuller  and  deeper  measure,  the  meaning  and  blessed- 
ness of  His  covenant.  We  may  also  render,  and  his  covenant  is  to  give 
them  knowledge. 

15 — 21.     Renewed  prayer,  for  deliverance  and  presei-vation. 

15.  Mine  eyes  &c.]  The  attitude  of  expectant  prayer.  Cp.  cxH.  8; 
cxxiii.  I  ff. ;  I  Thess.  v.  17.  Prof.  Cheyne  compares  the  proper  name 
Elyoenai  or  Elyehoenai,  '  Unto  Yahve  are  mine  eyes,'  i  Chr.  iii.  23, 
Ezra  viii.  4. 

for  he  shall  pluck  &c.]  Release  me  from  the  entanglements  and 
perplexities  of  life,  whether  due  to  my  own  faults  or  to  the  hostility  of 
enemies.     Cp.  ix.  15;  xxxi.  4. 

16.  Ttirn  thee\  Or,  look :  the  opposite  of  'hiding  the  face '  (xxii.  24). 
Cp.  Ixxxvi.  16;  cxix.  132. 

have  mercy  upon  nie'\    Be  gracious  unto  me.     See  iv.  i,  note. 
desolate']     Solitary;  without  other  friend  or  helper. 

17.  The  verb  rendered  a>-e  enlarged  cannot  mean  '  augmented.'  It 
is  all  but  certain  that  the  consonants  should  be  divided  and  vocalised 
differently,  giving  the  appropriate  sense,  The  straitnesses  of  my 
heart  enlarge  thou,  and  bring  me  &c. :  i.e.  relieve  my  distress. 
Cp.  xviii.  36 ;  cxix.  32. 

18.  Look  upon  &c.]  Behold  my  affiction  and  my  travail.   Cp.  ix.  1 3. 
and  forgive]     Lit.  take  azuay,  sin  being  regarded  as  a  burden.     Cp. 

xxxii.  I.     This  verse  ought  to  begin  with  the  letter  Qdph,  and  various 


136  PSALM   XXV.  19—22.     XXVI. 

19  (n)  Consider  mine  enemies ;  for  they  are  many ; 
And  they  hate  me  with  cruel  hatred. 

20  (^)  O  keep  my  soul,  and  deliver  me : 

Let  me  not  be  ashamed ;  for  I  put  my  trust  in  thee. 

21  (n)  Let  integrity  and  uprightness  preserve  me; 
For  I  wait  on  thee. 

22  (^)  Redeem  Israel,  O  God,  out  of  all  his  troubles. 

emendations  have  been  proposed  with  the  object  of  restoring  it.     The 
simplest  change  is  to  add  arise  (iii.  7)  at  the  beginning  of  the  verse. 

19.  Consider']    Behold,  the  same  word  as  in  v.  j8. 

%v\\\v  cruel  hatred]  Lit.  a  hatred  of  violence,  hatred  inspired  by  and 
leading  to  cruelty.     Cp.  xi.  5;  xxvii.  12. 

20.  0  keep  &c.]     Preserve  my  soul.     Cp.  xvi.  i ;  Ixxxvi.  1. 

for  I  put  viy  trust  in  thee]  For  I  have  taken  refuge  in  thee.  Cp. 
vii.  i;  ii.  12,  note. 

21.  Let  integrity  and  uprightness  guard  me.  May  single-hearted 
devotion  to  God  and  honourable  behaviour  to  men  be  as  it  were  guardian 
angels  at  my  side  (Ixi.  7).  He  prays  thus,  not  on  the  ground  of  his 
own  merits,  but  in  virtue  of  his  patient  dependence  on  God.  Cp.  xl. 
II.  'Integrity'  is  the  virtue  of  the  'perfect'  man.  See  xv.  2;  xviii. 
23;  cp.  vii.  8.     Job  was  "perfect  and  upright"  (ii.  3).     Cp.  xxxvii.  37. 

22.  A  concluding  prayer  for  the  nation.  The  alphabet  has  been 
completed,  and  this  is  a  supplementary  distich  beginning  with  Pe,  which 
has  already  been  represented  in  v.  16.  Ps.  xxxiv  has  the  same  pecu- 
liarity. Lagarde  has  ingeniously  conjectured  that  these  verses  contain 
a  reference  to  the  names  of  the  authors,  Pedael  and  Pedaiah.  But  this  is 
very  doubtful ;  and  this  verse  at  any  rate  is  probably  a  liturgical  addition 
to  the  original  Psalm.  The  absolute  use  of  God  instead  of  Jehovah  is 
contrary  to  the  usage  of  the  Psalm,  and  rare  in  the  First  Book  of  Psalms 
generally.     See  Introd.  p.  xl. 

PSALM  XXVI. 

This  Psalm  is  the  appeal  of  conscious  integrity  for  recognition  and 
vindication.  The  Psalmist  calls  upon  Jehovah  to  do  him  justice, 
pleading  the  integrity  of  his  life,  and  offering  himself  to  the  searching 
scrutiny  of  the  All-knowing,  upon  whose  lovingkindness  and  faithful- 
ness he  grounds  his  confidence  {^ov.  i — 3).  He  has  shunned  and  will 
shun  the  society  of  the  godless,  and  strives  to  prepare  himself  duly  for 
the  worship  of  the  sanctuary  which  is  his  delight  {vv.  4 — 7).  And 
therefore  he  prays  that  he  may  not  share  the  premature  fate  of  the 
wicked,  and  declaring  his  purpose  to  live  hereafter  as  heretofore  in 
his  integrity,  concludes  with  a  trustful  assurance  that  his  prayer  is 
answered,  and  a  resolution  of  public  thanksgiving  {vv,  8 — 12). 

This  Psalm  is  linked  to  Ps.  xxv,  by  several  resemblances  of  thought 
and  expression.  Compare  the  professions  of  integrity  in  vv.  i,  11  with 
xxv.  21,  and  of  trust  in  v.  i  with  xxv.  2;  the  prayer  for  deliverance 


PSALM   XXVI.  1—3.  137 

and  grace  in  v.  ir  with  xxv.  16,  21,  22;  the  sense  of  God's  loving- 
kindness  and  faithfuhiess  in  v.  3  with  xxv.  5,  6,  7,  ro.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  confessions  of  sin  and  prayers  for  pardon  which  are  a  marked 
feature  of  Ps.  xxv  are  absent.  The  Psalmist  is  contrasting  his  own 
sincerity  and  innocence  with  the  hypocrisy  and  violence  of  those  whose 
fate  he  deprecates,  rather  than  measuring  his  own  defects  by  the 
standard  of  God's  holiness. 

There  are  no  sufficient  grounds  for  assigning  the  Psalm  to  a  parti- 
cular period  of  David's  life,  such  as  Saul's  persecution  or  Absalom's 
rebellion.  More  suggestive  is  Ewald's  acute  conjecture  that  it  and 
Ps.  xxviii  were  written  in  a  time  of  national  calamity,  probably  a 
pestilence  (cp.  xxviii.  i),  which  seemed  likely  to  sweep  away  righteous 
and  wicked  in  a  common  judgment,  though  his  supposition  that  Josiah 
was  the  author  is  a  mere  speculation.  The  Psalmist  prays  that  Jehovah 
would  distinguish  between  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  and  save  him 
from  sharing  the  fate  of  the  wicked  by  a  premature  death.  Yet  in  the 
face  of  the  danger  his  confidence  in  God  is  unshaken. 

A  Psalm  of  David. 

Judge  me,  O  Lord  ;  for  I  have  walked  in  mine  integrity  :       26 
I  have  trusted  also  in  the  Lord  ;  theirfore  I  shall  not  slide. 
Examine  me,  O  Lord,  and  prove  me;  2 

Try  my  reins  and  my  heart. 
For  thy  lovingkindness  is  before  mine  eyes  :  3 

1 — 3.     The  Psalmist's  plea  for  the  recognition  of  his  integrity. 

1.  Judge  me]  Do  me  justice;  shew  me  to  be  in  the  right;  vindi- 
cate my  integrity  by  discriminating  between  me  and  wicked  men.  Cp. 
vii.  8;  XXXV.  24;  xliii.  i. 

for  I  have  walked  in  mine  integrity]  Sincerity  of  purpose  and 
single-heartedness  of  devotion  have  been  the  rule  of  his  life.  Cp.  vii. 
8;  XV.  2;  xviii.  23;  and  Introd.  p.  Ixix. 

therefore  /  shall  not  slide]  A  possible  rendering:  but  better,  as 
R.V.,  without  wavering.  The  context  here  requires  a  description  of 
the  character  of  his  trust,  rather  than  of  its  issue. 

2.  God  knows  him  already  (xvii.  3);  and  fearlessly  he  offers  him- 
self for  a  fresh  scrutiny.  This  prayer  attests  at  once  the  clearness  of 
his  conscience,  and  his  desire  that  if  aught  of  evil  remains,  it  may  be 
purged  away.  Cp.  cxxxix.  23,  24.  Three  words  are  used  to  express 
the  thoroughness  of  the  scrutiny.  Exajiiine  me,  as  the  refiner  assays 
his  metal  to  test  its  fineness ;  prove  me,  by  bringing  me  into  circum- 
stances in  which  the  reality  of  my  faith  may  be  demonstrated;  try 
me,  as  the  refiner  smelts  gold  to  get  rid  of  any  remaining  dross.  So 
God  'proved'  Abraham  (Gen.  xxii.  i);  and  Israel  (Deut.  viii.  2,  16). 
The  purpose  of  such  heart-searching  is  'to  give  every  man  according 
to  his  ways'  (Jer.  xvii.  to). 

7ny  reins  and  my  heart]  The  reins  are  the  seat  of  the  affections,  the 
heart  of  thought  and  will.     Cp.  vii.  9;  xi.  4. 

3.  The  ground  of  the   prayers  in  vv.   i,  2.     He  can  pray  for  a 


138  PSALM   XXVI.  4- 


And  I  have  walked  in  thy  truth. 
4  I  have  not  sat  with  vain  persons, 

Neither  will  I  go  in  with  dissemblers. 
5 1  have  hated  the  congregation  of  evildoers ; 

And  will  not  sit  with  the  wicked. 

6  I  will  wash  mine  hands  in  innocency : 
So  will  I  compass  thine  altar,  O  Lord  : 

7  That  /  may  publish  with  the  voice  of  thanksgiving, 
And  tell  of  all  thy  wondrous  works. 

8  Lord,  I  have  loved  the  habitation  of  thy  house, 

favourable  judgment,  and  submit  himself  to  this  scrutiny,  because  he 
knows  God's  lovingkindness  and  faithfulness.  They  are  the  object  of 
his  constant  meditation,  the  daily  experience  of  his  life.  Cp.  xvi.  8 ; 
XXV.  10,  note. 

4 — 7.  The  proof  of  his  integrity  in  his  conduct  in  the  past,  and  his 
purpose  for  the  future. 

4.  I  have  not  sat\  Of  deliberate  and  prolonged  intercourse,  imply- 
ing community  of  tastes  and  interests.     Cp.  i.  i ;  Jer.  xv.  17. 

vain  pcrsons\  Lit.  i)ien  of  vanity ;  hollowness,  falsehood,  unreality: 
the  opposite  of  truth  and  righteousness.     See  xii.  2  ;  xxiv.  4. 

neither  luiLl  I  go  in]  To  their  houses :  or  an  abbreviation  for  go  in 
and  out,  associate  with. 

disseniblcrs\  Lit.  those  who  hide  themselves ;  hypocrites  who  dis- 
guise their  real  thoughts  and  purposes  (xxviii.  3). 

6.  T  have  hated]     R.V.,  I  hate. 

the  congregatioji  of  evil  doers]  Cp.  xxii.  16.  Is  there  not  a  tacit 
contrast  between  the  congregation  which  meets  for  its  own  evil  pur- 
poses, and  that  which  assembles  for  the  worship  of  Jehovah  {v.  12)? 

I zuill wash  mine  hands  in  ijinoeency]  "As  the  priests,  before  they 
came  near  to  the  altar  to  minister  (Ex,  xxx.  17 — 21).  What  the  priest 
did  in  symbolical  rite,  that  the  priestly  people  were  to  do  in  spiritual 
reality."  Kay.  Cp.  Ixxiii.  13:  and  for  the  ceremony  as  symbolising 
innocence  see  Deut.  xxi.  6 ;  Matt,  xxvii.  24. 

compass  thine  altar]  Take  my  place  in  the  ring  of  worshippers 
around  it.  A  reference  to  solemn  processions  round  the  altar  is  ques- 
tionable. 

7.  That  I  may  publish  with  the  voice  of  thanksgiving]  Better,  as 
R.V.,  that  I  may  make  the  voice  of  thanksgiving  to  be  heard. 

thy  wondrous  works]     Or,  marvellous  works.     See  note  on  ix.  i. 

8 — 12.  His  love  for  God's  house  is  a  further  reason  why  he  should 
not  be  involved  in  the  fate  of  sinners. 

8.  Taking  up  the  thought  oivv.  7,  8,  he  makes  it  the  ground  of  his 
plea  in  vv.  9,  10. 

I  have  loved]     R.V.,  I  love.     It  is  the  correlative  oil  hate  in  v.  5. 


PSALM   XXVI.  9—12.     XXVII.  139 

And  the  place  where  thine  honour  dwelleth. 

Gather  not  my  soul  with  sinners,  ( 

Nor  my  life  with  bloody  men  : 

In  whose  hands  is  mischief, 

And  their  right  hand  is  full  <?/"  bribes. 

But  as  for  me,  I  will  walk  in  mine  integrity : 

Redeem  me,  and  be  merciful  unto  me. 

My  foot  standeth  in  an  even  place : 

In  the  congregations  will  I  bless  the  Lord. 

the  place  whej-e  thine  honour  dwelleth']  Better,  with  R.V.,  the  place 
where  thy  glory  dwelleth  :  lit.  the  place  of  the  tabernacle  of  thy  glory ; 
for  the  word  mishkan,  rendered  tabernacle,  means  properly  dwelling, 
the  sanctuary  where  Jehovah  dwelt  among  His  people  (Ex.  xxv.  8,  9). 
Jehovah's  glo?y  is  His  manifested  Presence,  of  which  the  ark  was  the 
outward  symbol.  Cp.  Ex.  xvi.  7;  xxxiii.  18,  22;  i  Sam.  iv.  21,22; 
Ps.  Ixxviii.  61. 

9.  Gather  not]  i.e.  take  not  azvay.  Let  me  not  share  the  fate  of 
those  whose  society  and  practices  I  have  ever  shunned.  How  natural 
a  prayer  if  a  pestilence  was  raging  which  seemed  to  strike  righteous 
and  wicked  indiscriminately  !  The  wicked  are  described  as  men  of 
blood  (v.  6),  who  do  not  shrink  from  violence  and  murder:  in  whose 
hands  is  mischief  (vii.  3),  they  deliberately  plan  and  execute  crime ; 
and  their  right  hand  is  full  of  bribes,  which  they  take  to  pervert  jus- 
tice (xv.  5).  Nobles  and  men  in  authority  are  referred  to.  Comp. 
Mic,  vii.  2,  3. 

11.  With  such  evil-doers  the  Psalmist  contrasts  himself.  His  pur- 
pose, if  his  life  is  spared,  is  to  shape  his  conduct  as  hitherto;  and  there- 
fore he  prays  redeem  me  (xxv.  22),  deliver  me  from  the  fate  of  the 
wicked,  and  be  gracious  tmto  Jiie  (iv.  i,  note). 

12.  Faith  realises  the  answer  to  its  prayer  as  already  granted,  and 
security  assured.  He  has  traversed  the  rough  winding  path  through 
the  gloomy  defile,  and  stands  in  the  open  plain,  where  there  is  no  more 
fear  of  stumbling  or  sudden  assault.  Life  thus  prolonged  is  the  reason 
and  the  opportunity  for  public  thanksgiving.     Cp.  xxii.  25. 

PSALM   XXVII. 

Enthusiastic  confidence  is  the  keynote  of  the  first  six  verses  of  the 
Psalm.  Under  Jehovah's  guardianship  the  Psalmist  knows  no  fear  in 
the  midst  of  dangers  {vv.  i — 3).  His  highest  desire  is  to  enjoy  Jeho- 
vah's fellowship  and  protection  as  a  guest  in  His  house.  He  antici- 
pates a  speedy  triumph  over  his  foes,  and  promises  grateful  thanksgiving 
{vv.  4 — 6).  The  swing  of  the  rhythm  corresponds  to  the  energy  of  the 
thought. 

Suddenly  all  is  changed  :  the  jubilant  rhythm  is  abandoned ;  anxious 
supplication  takes  the  place  of  joyous  faith.  Earnestly  the  Psalmist 
pleads  that  Jehovah  will  not  forsake  His  servant,  and  appeals  to  His 


I40  PSALM   XXVII.  I,  2. 

promises  and  His  past  mercies  {vv.  7 — 12).  Yet  in  this  crisis  Jehovah 
is  his  only  stay,  and  he  concludes  by  encouraging  himself  to  faith  and 
patience  (w.  13,  14). 

Thus  the  Psalm  falls  into  two  equal  divisions,  with  a  conclusion. 
If  the  two  parts  are  by  the  same  poet,  he  must  clearly  have  written 
them  at  different  times,  and  under  the  influence  of  different  circum- 
stances. When  he  added  the  prayer  of  vv.  7 — 14  to  his  former  song 
he  reaffirmed  the  faith  of  happier  days,  though  it  had  ceased  to  give 
joy  and  comfort  in  his  present  distress.  But  the  marked  difference  in 
tone,  contents,  and  rhythm,  makes  it  not  improbable  that  two  inde- 
pendent Psalms  are  here  combined,  or  that  a  later  poet  appended 
w.  7 — 14  to  vv.  I — 6.  It  is  as  though  he  would  say:  'I  would  fain 
appropriate  this  bold  utterance  of  faith ;  but  all  is  dark  around  me, 
and  I  can  only  pray  in  faltering  tones,  and  strive  to  wait  in  patience.' 

The  Psalm  (or  at  any  rate  the  first  part)  has  strong  claims  to  be 
regarded  as  Davidic,  and  may  best  be  assigned  to  the  time  of  Absa- 
lom's rebellion,  shortly  before  the  final  battle.  The  language  of  w.  2, 
3  is  that  of  a  warrior ;  v.  3  breathes  the  same  spirit  as  iii.  6 ;  and  with 
vv.  4  ff.  comp.  2  Sam.  xv.  25.  Jehovah's  abode  is  still  a  tent  {v.  6), 
though  it  can  be  called  a  temple  or  palace  {v.  4)  as  the  abode  of  a 
king.  Comp.  2  Sam.  vi.  17.  The  Sept.  addition  to  the  title,  de/ore  he 
was  anointed,  would  refer  it  to  Saul's  persecution,  or  to  the  wars  of  the 
first  seven  years  of  his  reign. 

Comp.  Pss.  iii,  xxiii,  xci. 

A  Psalm  of  David. 

27  The  Lord  is  my  light  and  my  salvation ;  whom  shall  I  fear? 
The  Lord  is  the  strength  of  my  life ;  of  whom  shall  I  be 
afraid  ? 
2  When  the  wicked,  evoi  mine  enemies  and  my  foes,  came 
upon  me  to  eat  up  my  flesh, 

1 — 3.  With  Jehovah  on  his  side,  he  knows  no  fear.  This  faith, 
the  constant  theme  of  prophet  and  psalmist,  finds  its  N.T.  extension 
in  Rom.  viii.  31. 

1.  my  light\  Illuminating  the  darkness  of  trouble,  anxiety,  and 
danger;  giving  life  and  joy.  Cp.  iv.  6;  xviii.  28  ;  xxxvi.  9  ;  xliii.  3  ; 
Ixxxiv.  11;  Is.  X.  17;  Mic.  vii.  8.  Again  the  N.T.  interprets  the 
words  for  us  in  a  larger  spiritual  sense.     John  i.  4,  9  ;  viii.  12  ;  i  John 

7ny  salvation\     Cp.  v.  9;  Ex.  xv.  2. 

strength\  Or,  stronghold,  a  defence  against  all  assaults.  Cp.  xviii. 
2  ;  xxxi,  2,  3. 

2.  When  evil-doers  came  near  against  me  to  eat  my  flesh, 
Even  mine  adversaries  and  my  foes,  they  stumbled  and  fell. 

This  may  refer  to  past  experience,  or  it  may  be  a  confident  antici- 
•    pation  of  the  discomfiture  of  his  foes.     According  to  a  common  He- 
brew idiom  the  perfect  tense  may  realise  their  defeat  as  an  accom- 


PSALM    XXVII.  3—5.  141 

They  stumbled  and  fell. 

Though  a  host  should  encamp  against  me,  my  heart  shall  3 
not  fear  : 

Though  war  should  rise  against  me,  in  this  7vill  I  be  con- 
fident. 

One  thing  have  I  desired  of  the  Lord,  that  will  I  seek  after;  4 

That  I  may  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  all  the  days  of 
my  life, 

To  behold  the  beauty  of  the  Lord,  and  to  inquire  in  his 
temple. 

For  in  the  time  of  trouble  he  shall  hide  me  in  his  pavilion  :    5 

In  the  secret  of  his  tabernacle  shall  he  hide  me ; 

He  shall  set  me  up  upon  a  rock. 

plished  fact.  See  Note  IV,  p.  223.  He  compares  his  assailants  to 
wild  beasts,  eager  to  devour  him.     Cp.  iii.  7. 

stumbled  and  fell\     Cp.  Is.  viii.  15  ;  Jer.  xlvi.  6. 

3.  The  language  may  be  figurative,  but  is  more  natural,  if  the 
writer  was,  like  David,  actually  exposed  to  war's  alarms.     Cp.  iii.  6. 

hi  this]  In  the  truth  oi  v.  i.  But  it  is  better  to  render  with  R.V., 
even  then,  in  spite  of  opposing  armies. 


To  be  Jehovah's  guest  and  live  secure  under  His  protection 
is  the  Psalmist's  chief  desire ;  and  even  now  he  confidently  anticipates 
deliverance  from  his  foes.  v.  4  can  hardly  be  understood  literally  of  a 
lifelong  residence  in  the  Temple.  Rather,  as  in  xxiii.  4,  5;  xv.  1, 
Jehovah  is  thought  of  as  the  royal  host,  whose  guests  are  secure  under 
His  protection,  and  enjoy  familiar  intercourse  with  Him.  But  the  lan- 
guage is  suggested  by  the  possibility  of  approach  to  God  in  His  earthly 
house,  and  perhaps  by  the  suppliant's  right  of  asylum  there. 

4.  One  i\i\ng  have  I desired'\  R.V.,  One  thing  have  I  asked;  above 
all  others  as  the  climax  of  my  petitions. 

to  behold]     The  word  implies  a  wondering  and  delighted  gazing. 

the  beauty]  Or,  pleasantness ;  not  merely  the  outward  beauty  of  the 
sanctuary  and  its  worship,  but  the  gracious  kindliness  of  Jehovah  to 
His  guests.     Cp.  xvi.  ir;  xc.  17;  Prov.  iii.  17. 

to  inquire  in  his  temple]  Investigating  His  character  and  dealings 
with  men.  For  knowledge  gained  and  doubts  solved  by  meditation  in 
the  Temple  see  Ixxiii.  1 7.  We  may  also  render,  to  consider  his  temple 
(R.V.  marg.);  to  contemplate  it,  for  the  sanctuary  and  its  ordinances 
were  to  the  devout  worshipper  symbols  of  heavenly  realities.  Cp. 
Is.  vi. 

6.     For  he  shall  conceal  me  in  his  pavilion  in  the  day  of  trouble, 
He  shall  hide  me  in  the  hiding-place  of  Ms  tent ; 
Upon  a  rock  shall  he  lift  me  up. 

He  will  be  secured  from  danger  as  one  who  is  sheltered  from  heat 
and  storm,  or  safe  from  assault  in  some   inaccessible   rock   fortress. 


142  PSALM   XXVII.  6- 


6  And  now  shall  mine  head  be  lifted  up  above  mine  enemies 

round  about  me : 
Therefore  will  I  offer  in  his  tabernacle  sacrifices  of  joy ; 
I  will  sing,  yea,  I  will  sing  praises  unto  the  Lord. 

7  Hear,  O  Lord,  when  I  cry  njith  my  voice : 
Have  mercy  also  upon  me,  and  answer  me. 

8  When  thou  saidsf,  Seek  ye  my  face ;  my  heart  said  unto  thee. 
Thy  face,  Lord,  will  I  seek. 

9  Hide  not  thy  face/^r  from  me ; 
Put  not  thy  servant  away  in  anger : 

Cp.  xxxi.  2o;  Is.  iv.  6;  and  the  expression  his  hidden  or  secret  ones  in 
Ps.  Ixxxiii.  3. 

6.  And  now  &c.]  In  the  immediate  future  he  anticipates  not  pro- 
tection only  but  triumphant  victory.     Cp.  iii.  3;  ex.  7. 

in  his  tabernacle'\  Lit.  in  his  tent,  as  in  the  preceding  verse.  There 
it  may  simply  mean  dwellings  in  a  general  figurative  sense ;  but  here 
in  connexion  with  the  offering  of  sacrifice,  it  would  seem  that  the  tent 
which  David  pitched  for  the  Ark  on  Mount  Zion  {2  Sam.  vi.  17)  must 
be  meant. 

sacrifices  of  joy]  A  bold  expression  for  sacrifices  of  thanksgiving. 
Joy  may  mean  the  jubilant  shouting  with  which  religious  festivities 
were  celebrated  (2  Sam.  vi.  15;  Ps.  xxxiii.  3;  xlvii.  5);  or  trumpet- 
sound,  such  as  accompanied  certain  sacrifices  (Num.  x.  10) ;  here  pro- 
bably the  former. 

7 — 14.  The  tone  of  the  Psalm  changes  abruptly  to  plaintive  and 
anxious  supplication.  God  seems  to  be  on  the  point  of  hiding  His 
face. 

7.  Have  mercy]    Be  gracious. 

8.  The  A.V.  gives  the  general  sense  fairly.  But  the  text  as  it 
stands  must  be  rendered  : 

Unto  thee  my  heart  hath  said  : 
'  Seek  ye  my  face';  'Thy  face,  Jehovah,  will  I  seek.' 
In  prayer  from  his  innermost  heart  the  Psalmist  pleads  the  invita- 
tion which  Jehovah  addresses  to  His  people,  Seek  ye  my  face ;  and 
responds  to  it  on  his  own  behalf,  Thy  face,  Jehovah,  luill  I  seek.  The 
construction  is  bold,  but  finds  a  parallel  in  Job  xlii.  3 — 5,  where  in 
vv.  3  d!,  4  Job  quotes  the  Lord's  words,  and  in  w.  3  <^,  5  answers  them. 
We  need  not  assume  a  reference  to  any  particular  passage  (e.g.  Deut. 
iv.  29).  The  invitation  is  the  sum  of  all  revelation.  Cp.  Matt. 
vii.  7  ff. 

9.  Hide  not  thy  face  from  me  (R.V.).  A  prayer  grounded  on  the 
divine  promise  which  he  has  obeyed.     Cp,  xxii.  24. 

put  not  &c.]  Or,  tiirn  not,  like  the  unjust  jud^e  who  turns  the 
needy  from  his  right  (Job  xxiv.  4 ;  Is.  x.  2 ;  Luke  xvih.  i  ff.). 


PSALM   XXVII.  10—13.  143 


Thou  hast  been  my  help ;  leave  me  not, 

Neither  forsake  me,  O  God  of  my  salvation. 

When  my  father  and  my  mother  forsake  me, 

Then  the  Lord  will  take  me  up. 

Teach  me  thy  way,  O  Lord, 

And  lead  me  in  a  plain  path,  because  of  mine  enemies. 

Deliver  me  not  over  unto  the  will  of  mine  enemies : 

For  false  witnesses  are  risen  up  against  me,  and  such  as 

breathe  out  cruelty. 
J  had  fainted,  unless  I  had  beHeved 
To  see  the  goodness  of  the  Lord  in  the  land  of  the  living. 

in  ange)-]     See  note  on  vi.  i. 

thoti  hast  been  7ny  help]     An  appeal  to  past  experience.     Surely  God 
cannot  have  changed. 
leave  me  not]    R.V.,  cast  me  not  off  (xciv.  14;  i  Kings  viii.  57). 

10.  When  my  father  iS-Z.]     Or,  as  R.V., 

For  my  father  and  my  mother  have  forsaken  me,  but  &c. 
A  proverbial  expression.     (Comp.  *  bereavement  to  my  soul,'  xxxv.  12). 
Though  he  is  friendless  and  forsaken  as  a  deserted  child,  Jehovah  will 
adopt  him  and  care  for  him.     His  love  is  stronger  than  that  of  the 
closest  human  relations.     Cp.  Is.  xlix.  15;  Ps.  ciii.  13. 

11.  Cp.  V.  8  ;  XXV.  12.  In  the  course  of  life  designed  for  him  by  God 
he  will  be  safe.  He  prays  that  it  may  be  like  a  path  along  a  level  open 
plain,  free  from  pitfalls  and  places  where  enemies  may  lurk  in  ambush. 
Plain  is  the  same  word  as  roen  in  xxvi.  12;  and  mine  enemies  means 
literally,  those  that  lie  in  wait  for  me,  as  in  v.  8.  Cp.  Mk.  xii.  13  for 
illustration. 

12.  enemies']    R.V.,  adversaries,  as  in  v.  2. 

false  witnesses]  Slanderous  calumniators  are  meant,  rather  than 
actual  witnesses  in  court.     Cp.  xxxv.  11 ;  Prov.  vi.  19. 

sueh  as  breathe  out  cruelty]  Bent  on  injuring  him  by  their  talk. 
For  the  phrase  cp.  Acts  ix.  i. 

13.  The  word  for  unless  is  marked  with  dots  in  the  Massoretic  text 
as  probably  spurious,  and  is  not  rendered  by  LXX,  Vulg.,  or  Jerome. 
Omitting  it,  we  must  render ; 

I  believe  that  I  shall  see  &c. 
If  it  is  retained,  the  construction  is  an  aposiopesis: 

0  !  had  I  not  believed  &c. ; 
or  an  apodosis  may  be  supplied,  as  in  A.V. 

to  see]  The  construction  of  the  Heb.  verb  implies  the  sense,  to  see 
and  enjoy. 

in  the  land  of  the  living]  Here,  as  in  Hi.  5 ;  cxvi.  9 ;  cxlii.  5 ;  Is. 
xxxviii.  11;  liii.  8 ;  &c.,  this  life  on  earth  in  contrast  to  Sheol,  the 
land  of  death:  not,  as  in  the  natural  Christian  application  of  the 
words  and  as  the  Targum  already  paraphrases,  'the  land  of  everlasting 
lile'. 


144  PSALM   XXVII.  14.     XXVIII.  i. 

14  Wait  on  the  ^  ord  : 

Be  of  gcf'd  a»urage,  and  he  shall  strengthen  thine  heart : 
Wait,  I  say,  on  the  Lord. 

14.  The  Ps:  list  addresses  himself,  and  encourages  himself  to 
patience.     His  1.   'h  rebukes  his  faintness. 

Be  of  good  coti)  e\  R.  V.,  Be  strong,  and  let  thine  heart  take  cour- 
age.    Cp.  xxxi.  a.  :  Deut.  xxxi.  7;  Josh.  i.  6,  7,  9,  18. 

Wait^  I say\   R.  v'.,  Yea,  wait  thou.    Cp.  xxv.  3;  xxxvii.  9,  34;  Prov. 

XX.  22. 

PSALM   XXVIII. 

An  urgent  cry  for  audience  (vv.  i,  2)  is  followed  by  a  prayer  that 
the  Psalmist  may  be  dehvered  from  sharing  the  fate  of  evil-doers  and 
hypocrites,  and  that  they  may  receive  the  retribution  which  is  the  fit- 
ting punishment  of  their  blind  disbelief  {vv.  3 — 5).  Suddenly  the 
Psalmist  breaks  into  joyous  thanksgiving.  His  prayer  is  answered,  or 
faith  guarantees  that  it  will  be  answered  {w.  6,  7);  and  the  Psalm 
concludes  with  an  intercession  for  the  people  {;vv.  8,  9). 

The  Psalm  is  a  companion  to  Ps.  xxvi.  The  circumstances  are 
similar,  but  here  the  danger  is  yet  more  pressing.  Cp.  v.  3  with  xxvi. 
9,  10.  The  Psalmist  is  in  imminent  peril  of  death.  He  fears  that  he 
may  share  the  fate  of  the  godless.  Was  there  a  pestilence  raging, 
which  threatened  to  sweep  away  righteous  and  wicked  without  dis- 
tinction? There  he  pleads  his  own  integrity,  here  the  iniquity  and  the 
godlessness  of  the  wicked,  as  the  reason  for  discriminating.  Jehovah 
will  manifest  His  justice  alike  in  sparing  the  righteous  and  punishing 
the  wicked. 

The  Psalm  is  however  commonly  thought  to  have  been  written  by 
David  during  his  flight  from  Absalom,  v.  3  then  alludes  to  the  cha- 
racter of  the  treacherous  conspirators,  and  v.  5  refers  to  their  obstinate 
refusal  to  recognise  the  hand  of  Jehovah  in  David's  choice  and  eleva- 
tion to  the  throne ;  while  the  concluding  prayer  is  such  as  the  king 
might  well  offer  for  a  people  torn  by  intestine  quarrels. 

A  Psalm  of  David. 

28  Unto  thee  will  I  cry,  O  Lord,  my  rock ;  be  not  silent  to  me : 

1,  2.  Introductory  appeal  for  a  hearing,  emphasising  the  urgency  of 
the  need. 

1.     Render  with  R.V., 

Unto  thee,  0  Lord,  will  I  call ; 
My  rock,  he  not  thou  deaf  unto  me. 
He  appeals  to  Jehovah  as  his  rock^   the  ground   of  his  confidence. 
See  xviii.  2  (note),  31. 

be  not  silent  unto  me]     Lit.  from  me;  and  similarly  in  the  next  line. 

The  rendering  be  not  silent  may  stand,  as  in  xxxv.  22 ;  xxxix.  12  ;  or  we 

'  may  render  with  R.V.,  he  not  thou  deaf.     The  sense  is,  'Turn  not 


PSALM   XXVIIL.2— 4.  145 


Lest,  if  thou  be  silent  to  me,  I  become  like  them  that  go 
down  into  the  pit.  ' 

Hear  the  voice  of  my  supplications,  when  I  cry  unto  thee,     2 

When  I  lift  up  my  hands  toward  thy  holy  or*    'e. 

Draw  me  not  away  with  the  wicked,  and  w'^  1  the  workers  3 
of  iniquity,  , !' 

Which  speak  peace  to  their  neighbours,  b\;.  mischief  is  in 
their  hearts. 

Give  them  according  to  their  deeds,  4 

And  according  to  the  wickedness  of  their  endeavours  : 

away  from  me  as  though  thou  didst  not  hear,  lest  if  thou  turn  away  in 
unregarding  silence,  I  become '  &c. 

like  them  that  go  doxvn  to  the  pit]  i.e.  the  dying  or  the  dead.  The 
pit  is  the  grave  or  Sheol.  Cp.  xxii.  29;  Ixxxviii.  4;  Prov.  i.  12. 
How  natural  a  prayer  if  people  were  dying  of  pestilence  all  round  him ! 
The  last  line  recurs  in  cxliii.  7. 

2.  The  first  line  recurs  in  xxxi.  22. 

tvhen  I  cry]  A  stronger  word  than  that  in  z/.  i,  meaning  to  cry  for 
help. 

tvhen  I  lift  up  my  hands\  The  attitude  of  prayer  (Ixiii.  4;  i  Tim. 
ii.  8),  the  outward  symbol  of  an  uplifted  heart  (xxv.  i). 

toward  thy  holy  oracle]  Lit.,  as  R.V.  marg.,  toward  the  innermost 
place  of  thy  sanctuaiy,  i.e.  the  most  holy  place,  where  the  Ark,  the 
symbol  of  God's  Presence  among  His  people,  was.  See  i  Kings  vi. 
16  ff.  ;  viii.  6.  The  rendering  oracle^  following  Jerome's  oractilum.,  rests 
upon  a.  wrong  derivation.  The  word  does  not  in  itself  denote  the 
place  where  God  answers.  It  is  used  elsewhere  only  in  the  accounts 
of  the  building  of  the  Temple  (i  Kings  vi — viii;  2  Chr.  iii — v).  The 
worshipper  naturally  turns  as  he  prays  towards  Jehovah's  dwelling- 
place  in  heaven  (i  Ivings  viii.  22),  or  its  earthly  countei-part  (i  Kings 
viii.  30  ff.).     Cp.  Ps.  V.  7. 

3 — 5.  The  Psalmist's  prayer  that  he  may  be  distinguished  from  the 
wicked,  and  that  they  may  be  judged  as  they  deserve. 

3.  Draw  me  not  azaay]  Cp.  xxvi.  9.  But  the  word  here  is  stronger, 
suggesting  the  idea  of  criminals  being  dragged  off  to  execution.  He 
prays  that  he  may  not  share  the  fate  of  the  wicked  in  the  judgment 
now  being  executed. 

which  speak  peace  to  &c.]  Rather,  as  R.V.,  with.  Double-hearted 
hypocrites;  cp.  xii.  2;  Jer.  ix.  8  ;  and  contrast  xv.  2. 

4.  Give  them  according  to  their  work, 

And  according  to  the  evil  of  their  doings  : 
Give  them  according  to  the  operation  of  their  hands. 
This  is  not  a  vindictive  craving  for  personal  revenge,  but  a  solemn 
prayer  that  Jehovah  will  openly  convict  false  and  wicked  nien  by  mani- 
festing His  righteous  judgments  upon  them,  and  punishing  them  as 
they  deserve.     See  Introd.  p.  Ixxii. 

PSALMS  10 


146  PSALM    XXVIII.  5—9. 

Give  them  after  the  work  of  their  hands ; 
Render  to  them  their  desert. 

5  Because  they  regard  not  the  works  of  the  Lord, 
Nor  the  operation  of  his  hands, 

He  shall  destroy  them,  and  not  build  them  up. 

6  Blessed  be  the  Lord,  because  he  hath  heard  the  voice  of  my 

supplications. 

7  The  Lord  is  my  strength  and  my  shield ; 
My  heart  trusted  in  him,  and  I  am  helped : 
Therefore  my  heart  greatly  rejoiceth; 
And  with  my  song  will  I  praise  him. 

8  The  Lord  is  their  strength, 

And  he  is  the  saving  strength  of  his  anointed. 

9  Save  thy  people, 

Give\     Of  a  judicial  sentence.     Cp.  Hos.  ix.  14;  Jer.  xxxii.  19. 
their  desei-t]     The  word  denotes  an  action  either  good  or  bad,  and  its 
fitting  reward. 

5.  Atheists  in  practice  if  not  in  profession,  they  deny  that  Jehovah 
governs  the  world,  and  refuse  to  discern  His  working  in  creation,  in 
providence,  and  in  judgment.  Unbelief  lies  at  the  root  of  all  their 
sin.  The  works  of  the  Lord  and  the  operation  of  his  hands  stand  in 
strong  contrast  to  their  zvork  and  the  operation  of  their  hands  in  v.  4. 
Compare, the  parallels  to  this  and  v.  4  in  Is.i.  16;  iii.  8 — 11 ;  v.  12,  19; 
xxii.  II. 

he  shall  destroy  them']  Better  with  P.B.V.  and  R.V.,  he  shall  break 
them  down.     Cp.  Jer.  xxiv.  6. 

6,  7.  Thanksgiving  succeeds  to  prayer.  Are  we  to  suppose  that 
faith  realises  the  answer  to  its  prayer  as  already  granted,  and  can  give 
thanks  accordingly?  or  that  this  conclusion  was  added  by  the  Psalmist 
subsequently  as  a  grateful  memorial  of  his  deliverance  ?  Either  alter- 
native is  possible;  but  here  and  in  xxxi.  21 — 24  we  seem  to  have  a 
record  of  actual  deliverance,     vi.  8  ff.  is  somewhat  different. 

7.  my  strength]     Cp.  Ex.  xv.  2.     7ny  shield]     See  note  on  iii.  3. 
irnsted]     Better  as  R.V.,  hath  trusted. 

greatly  rejoiceth]    Exulteth.     Cp.  v.  11;  i  Sam.  ii.  i. 

8,  9.     Concluding  intercession  for  the  people.     Cf.  iii.  8. 

8.  their  strength]  Their  must  refer  to  the  people.  But  there  is  no 
antecedent  for  the  pronoun,  and  it  is  best  to  follow  a  few  Heb.  MSS., 
the  LXX,  Vulg.,  and  Syr.,  in  reading,  a  strength  unto  his  people. 
Cp.  xxix.  II. 

and  he  is  &c.]  R.V.,  and  he  is  a  strong  hold  of  salvation  to  his 
anointed.  Cp.  xxvii.  i.  Salvation  is  lit.  salvations^  great  and  mani- 
fold deliverance.     Cp.  xviii.  50;  xx.  6. 


PSALM   XXIX.  147 


And  bless  thine  inheritance  : 

Feed  them  also,  and  lift  them  up  for  ever. 

9.     thine  inheritance]     Israel.     Cp,  Deut.  iv.  20. 

feed  them]  Lit.  shepherd  them.  Cp.  xxiii.  i ;  2  Sam.  vii.  7.  Go- 
vern them  in  the  adaptation  of  this  verse  in  the  Te  Deum  is  from  the 
Vulg.  rege. 

lift  them  up]  Exalt  them;  as  the  word  is  used  in  2  Sam.  v.  12.  I?ut 
we  should  probably  render  as  in  R.  V.,  bear  them  up  ;  either  as  a  shep- 
herd carries  his  sheep  (Is.  xl.  11),  continuing  the  idea  of  the  preceding 
word;  or  as  a  father  carries  his  child,  a  figure  often  applied  to  Jeho- 
vah's care  for  Israel.  See  Deut.  i.  31;  Is.  xlvi.  3,  4;  Ixiii.  9.  Cp.  too 
Ex.  xix.  4;  Deut.  xxxii.  11. 


PSALM   XXIX. 

The  devout  Israelite's  view  of  Nature  was  profoundly  religious.  He 
did  not  contemplate  its  wonder  and  beauty  and  variety  simply  for  their 
own  sake.  All  spoke  to  him  of  God's  power  and  glory  and  beneficence, 
or  supplied  him  with  emblems  and  figures  for  the  delineation  of  God's 
attributes  and  working.  Thus  the  thunder  was  to  him  the  Voice  of  God, 
and  all  the  terrible  phenomena  of  the  storm  were  an  expression  of  the 
majesty  of  the  Eternal  Sovereign  of  the  Universe.  See  Ex.  xix.  16; 
XX.  18;  Ps.  xviii.  7  fif.  (and  notes  there);  Is.  xxx.  27  ff.;  Hab.  iii: 
&c. :  and  for  Nature  as  the  revelation  of  God  see  especially  Pss.  viii, 
xix,  civ.  * 

It  must  be  remembered  that  storms  in  Palestine  are  often  far  more 
violent  and  impressive  than  storms  in  this  country.  See  the  descrip- 
tion of  a  storm  at  Sinai  quoted  in  Stanley's  Jewish  Church,  Lect.  vii. 
Vol.  I.  p.  128. 

The  Psalm  falls  into  three  divisions:  vv.  3—9  form  the  main  part, 
with  a  prelude,  vv.  i,  2,  and  conclusion,  vv.  10,  ir. 

i.  The  angels  are  summoned  to  render  their  tribute  of  praise  to 
Jehovah  {-w.  1,2). 

ii.  The  special  occasion  of  this  summons  is  the  revelation  of  His 
majesty  on  earth,  where  the  thunder  of  His  Voice  convulsing  all  nature 
proclaims  His  power  and  glory  {vv.  3—9). 

iii.  But  terrible  as  is  this  manifestation.  His  people  need  not  fear. 
Towards  them  the  might  of  the  Eternal  King  displays  itself  in  blessing 
{vv.  10,  11). 

From  the  title  in  the  LXX  {i^oUov  aKTjvTjs,  Vulg.  in  consumtnatione 
tabernaculi)  it  appears  that  in  the  time  of  the  Second  Temple  this 
Psalm  was  sung  on  the  8th  or  concluding  day  of  the  Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles (Lev.  xxiii.  36;  where  for  'solemn  assembly'  the  LXX  has 
i^65iov=  'closing  festival,'  as  R.V.  marg.).  According  to  the  Talmudic 
treatise  Sopherim  it  is  the  Psalm  for  Pentecost,  and  it  is  now  used  in 
the  Synagogue  on  the  first  day  of  that  festival. 


148  PSALM   XXIX.  i,  2. 

A  Psalm  of  David. 

29  Give  unto  the  Lord,  O  ye  mighty, 
Give  unto  the  Lord  glory  and  strength. 
2  Give  unto  the  Lord  the  glory  due  unto  his  name ; 
Worship  the  Lord  in  the  beauty  of  holiness. 

1,  2.  Prehide,  calling  upon  the  angels  to  celebrate  Jehovah's  glory. 
Cp.  xcvi.  7 — 9,  where  however  the  words  are  differently  applied. 
1.  O  j'e  mighty^  The  phrase  bne  elhn  admits  of  three  renderings, 
(i)  O  ye  sons  of  the  viighty  (R.V.),  which  may  mean  either  power- 
ful nobles,  or  mighty  celestial  beings.  (2)  0  ye  sons  of  the  gods 
(R.V.  marg.),  meaning  either  beings  "belonging  to  the  class  of  super- 
human, heavenly  powers"  (Cheyne)  ;  or  the  nations  who  "  had  forgotten 
their  true  parentage,  and  ranged  themselves  under  the  protection  of 
deified  heroes  or  invented  gods,  and  are  now  invited  to  remember  them- 
selves and  return  to  the  Lord."  (Kay).  Cp.  xcvi.  7  ;  Jer.  ii.  27. 
(3)  O  ye  sons  of  God  (R.V.  marg.,  taking  bnc  elini  as  a  doubly  formed 
plural  o{  hen  cl);  i.e.  angels,  who  are  called  bne  elohini,  'sons  of  God,' 
in  Job  i.  6;  ii.  i ;  xxxviii.  7.  The  last  rendering  is  the  best;  but 
whichever  rendering  is  adopted,  the  use  of  the  phrase  in  Ps.  Ixxxix.  6 
(comp.  z'v.  5  and  7)  is  decisive  for  the  meaning  angels.  The  spiritual 
beings  Avhich  surround  God's  throne  in  heaven  are  called  upon  to 
render  Llim  their  tribute  of  adoration.  Cp.  ciii.  20  f. ;  cxlviii.  i  f. ; 
Job  xxxviii.  7.  The  special  occasion  of  the  summons  is  the  manifesta- 
tion of  His  glory  upon  earth  which  the  Psalmist  describes  in  vv.  3 — 9. 
So  the  Seraphic  chorus  in  Is.  vi.  3  yecognise  the  earth  as  "full  of 
Jehovah's  glory." 

Give'\  i.e.  ascribe,  attribute.  Recognise  by  your  confession  and 
proclamation  those  attributes  of  glory  and  strength  which  ai'e  su- 
premely His.  Cp.  Deut.  xxxii.  3;  Ps.  Ixviii.  34;  Lk.  xvii.  18;  Rom. 
iv.  20  ;  Apoc.  xiv.  7. 

The  P.B.V.,  Bring  unto  the  Lord,  0  ye  mighty,  bring  young  rams 
unto  the  Lord,  comes  from  the  LXX  through  the  Vulg.  In  the  pre- 
sent text  of  the  LXX,  the  first  line  of  the  verse  is  douljly  represented. 
ElTm  may  mean  rams,  and  an  alternative  rendering  of  bne  elim  as 
young  rams,  originally  placed  in  the  margin,  has  found  its  way  into  the 
text. 

2.  the  glory  due  unto  his  name]  Lit.  the  glory  of  his  name,  parti- 
cularising the  general  idea  of  glory  in  z'.  i.  7'he  glory  of  his  name  is 
His  glory  as  He  reveals  Himself  in  the  world  (v.  11  note);  here,  as 
the  context  shews,  especially  in  Nature. 

in  the  beauty  of  holiness}  Suggestive  as  this  rendering  is,  it  can 
hardly  be  right;  and  the  true  sense  is  that  given  in  R.V.  marg.,  in 
holy  array.  Cp.  Ps.  xcvi.  9  (=1  Chr.  xvi.  29);  2  Chr.  xx.  21  (R.V. 
marg.) ;  Ps.  ex.  3.  The  ideas  of  earth  are  transferred  to  heaven.  As 
the  priests  in  the  earthly  temple  were  clothed  in  "  holy  garments  for 
glory  and  for  beauty"  (Ex.  xxviii.  2),  so  even  the  ministrants  in  the 
heavenly  temple  must  be  arrayed  befittingly. 


rSALM    XXIX.  3—7.  149 

The  voice  of  the  Lord  is  upon  the  waters  : 

The  God  of  glory  thundereth  : 

The  Lord  is  upon  many  waters. 

The  voice  of  the  Lord  is  powerful ; 

I'he  voice  of  the  Lord  is  full  of  majesty. 

The  voice  of  the  Lord  breaketh  the  cedars  ; 

Yea,  the  Lord  breaketh  the  cedars  of  Lebanon. 

He  maketh  them  also  to  skip  like  a  calf; 

Lebanon  and  Sirion  like  a  young  unicorn. 

The  voice  of  the  Lord  divideth  the  flames  of  fire. 


3 — 9.  The  exhibition  of  Jehovah's  power  which  is  the  ground  of  the 
opening  call  to  praise.  His  voice  is  heard  in  the  pealing  of  the 
thunder  above  the  storm-clouds  {vv.  3,  4);  the  storm  bursts,  it  shatters 
the  cedars  and  shakes  the  mountains  in  the  far  north  {vv.  5,  6);  the 
lightnings  flash  {v.  7);  the  deserts  to  the  far  south  with  their  affrighted 
denizens  tremble  {vv.  8,  9);  and  over  all  resounds  the  chorus,  Glory 
{v.  9  b).  The  seven  times  repeated  voice  of  the  Lord  is  like  succes- 
sive peals  of  thunder. 

3.  The  voice  of  the  Lord]  So  thunder  is  called  in  Ex.  ix.  23  ff.; 
Ps.  xviii.  13  ;  &c.     Cp.  Rev.  x.  3  f. 

upon  the  waters]  Hardly  the  sea,  as  though  the  storm  were 
represented  as  coming  in  from  the  Mediterranean;  but  rather  the 
waters  collected  in  the  dense  masses  of  storm-cloud  upon  which  Jeho- 
vah rides  (xviii.  9  ff . ;  civ.  3;  Jer.  x.  13). 

the  God  of  glo/y]     Cp.  "the  King  of  glory"  (xxiv.  7  ff.). 

the  Lord  is  upon  7nany  xvaiers]  The  idea  of  the  first  line  is  repeated 
and  emphasised.  Not  Jehovah's  voice  alone,  but  Jehovah  Himself  is 
there,  and  the  waters  are  many  (or,  great).  The  R.V.  Even  the  Lord 
upon  many  waters  is  hardly  an  improvement.  The  P.B.V.  of  vv.  3,  4 
is  a  free  paraphrase  of  the  supposed  sense. 

4.  is  powerfuL..\%  full  of  majesty]  Lit.  is  with  power... is  with  ma- 
jesty, 

5.  cedars]  The  noblest  and  strongest  of  the  trees  of  the  forest; 
emblematical  of  worldly  magnificence  (Is.  ii.  13). 

yea,  the  Lord  breaketh]  R.V.  yea,  tlie  Lord  breaketh  in  pieces. 
The  idea  of  the  first  line  is  emphasised  and  particularised  in  the 
second.     Cp.  v.  8. 

6.  them']  Not  the  cedars,  but  the  mountains  generally,  to  be  un- 
derstood from  Lebanon  and  Sirion  in  the  next  line.  Cp.  cxiv.  4,  6; 
xviii.  7  ff. 

Sirioti]  The  old  Sidonian  name  for  Hermon  (Deut.  iii.  9),  derived 
probably  from  the  glistening  of  the  snow  on  its  summit.  Lebanon  and 
Sirion  are  specified  as  the  noblest  mountains  of  Palestine,  and  also  as 
forming  the  northern  boundary  of  the  land. 

tmicorn]     R.V.  wild  ox.     See  note  on  xxii.  21. 

7.  divideth  the  flames  of  fire]    Better,  as  in  R.  V.,  cleavetli  the  flames 


ISO  PSALM   XXIX.  8—11 

8  The  voice  of  the  Lord  shaketh  the  wilderness ; 
The  Lord  shaketh  the  wilderness  of  Kadesh. 

9  The  voice  of  the  Lord  maketh  the  hinds  to  calve, 
And  discovereth  the  forests  : 

And  in  his  temple  doth  every  one  speak  of  his  glory. 
•o  The  Lord  sitteth  upon  the  flood; 

Yea,  the  Lord  sitteth  King  for  ever. 
"  The  Lord  will  give  strength  unto  his  people; 

The  Lord  will  bless  his  people  with  peace. 

of  fire;  or,  as  in   R.V.  marg.,   heioeth  out  flames  of  fire ;  a  poetical 
description  of  the  forked  lightnings  darting  from  the  cloud. 

8.  shaketh  the  wilderness^  Or,  maketh  the  wilderness  tremble. 
Cp.  xcvi.  9;  xcvii.  4;  cxiv.  7. 

the  Lord... the  ivildenuss  of  Kadesh'\  Again  with  poetical  effect 
emphasising  and  specialising  the  idea  of  the  previous  line.  The  storm 
sweeps  down  to  the  desert  in  the  far  south.  Kadesh,  famous  in  the 
history  of  Israel's  wanderings,  was  the  eastern  part  of  the  desert 
toward  the  border  of  Edom  (Num.  xx.  16),  though  its  exact  position  is 
disputed. 

9.  jnaketh  the  hinds  to  calve']  Prematurely,  in  fear;  an  observed 
fact.  There  is  no  need  to  emend  (though  the  change  required  would 
be  very  slight),  shaketh  (or,  pierceth)  the  oaks. 

discovereth]  i.e.  as  R.V.,  strippeth  the  forests  bare,  of  branches, 
leaves,  bark.     Discover  is  an  archaism  for  nncover  (xviii.  15,  note). 

and  in  his  temple  &c.]  R.V.,  And  in  his  temple  everything  saith, 
Glory.  It  is  tempting  to  understand  his  temple  of  heaven  and  earth, 
and  to  regard  the  line  as  a  summary  of  the  message  of  the  storm ;  but 
temple  (or,  palace)  must  mean  heaven ;  and  the  meaning  is  better  given 
by  rendering 

While  in  his  temple  all  are  saying,  Glory. 
This  is  the  chant  of  the  angelic  worshippers  {vv.  1,2)  as  they  watch 
the  manifestation  of  Jehovah's  majesty. 

10.  11.  Conclusion.  The  storm  passes,  but  HE  whose  glory  it 
declares  is  the  Eternal  King,  the  Judge  of  the  world,  the  Guardian 
of  His  people.  Awful  as  is  His  power,  they  need  not  fear.  To  them 
it  speaks  of  peace. 

10.  The  Lord  sat  as  king  at  the  Flood ; 

Yea,  the  Lord  sitteth  as  king  for  ever  (R.V.). 

According  to  the  A.V.  M^  y?<V(/ appears  to  mean  the  deluge  of  rain 
which  falls  in  the  storm.  But  the  word  mabhill  is  found  nowhere  else 
but  in  Gen.  vi — xi,  and  is  best  explained  by  its  use  there.  The  storm 
reminds  the  poet  of  the  great  typical  example  of  judgment  and  mercy, 
in  which  Jehovah's  judicial  sovereignty  was  exhibited. 

Literally  we  may  render,  sat  for  the  Flood ;  took  His  seat  on  His 
throne  in  order  to  execute  tlaat  memorable  judgment  (Ps.  ix.  7). 

11.  Comp.  xxviii.  8,  9;  xlvi.  i — 3;  and  the  blessing  in  Num.  vi. 


PSALM   XXX. 


151 


24 — 26.  For  His  own  people  He  is  not  the  God  of  terror;  for  them 
all  ends  in  peace.  "This  closing  word  with  peace  is  like  a  rainbow 
arch  over  the  Psalm.  The  beginning  of  the  Psalm  shews  us  heaven 
open,  and  the  throne  of  God  in  the  midst  of  the  angelic  songs  of  praise  ; 
while  its  close  shews  us  His  victorious  people  upon  earth,  blessed  with 
peace  in  the  midst  of  the  terrible  utterance  of  His  wrath.  Gloria  in 
excelsis  is  the  beginning,  and  pax  in  tcrris  the  end."     Delitzsch. 

PSALM   XXX. 

A  thanksgiving  for  recovery  from  an  almost  fatal  sickness,  and  a 
reflection  on  the  lessons  which  it  was  sent  to  teach.  Cp.  cxix.  67. 
The  Psalmist  praises  Jehovah  for  preserving  his  life  in  answer  to 
his  prayer  (i — 3),  and  calls  upon  the  godly  to  join  him  in  thanks- 
giving {4,  5).  Pie  goes  on  to  relate  his  own  experience  of  God's 
mercy.  In  prosperity  he  had  grown  presumptuous,  till  God  withdrew 
His  favour,  and  trouble  came  (6,  7).  Then  he  pleaded  that  his  life 
might  be  spared  (8 — 10):  his  prayer  was  answered;  his  life  was  pro- 
longed that  he  might  praise  Jehovah,  and  in  thanksgiving  will  he  em- 
ploy the  remainder  of  his  days  (11,  12). 

The  Psalm  is  entitled,  A  Psalm;  a  Song  at  the  Dedication  of  the 
House;  a  Psahn  of  David  (R.V.):  and  this  title  has  generally  been 
supposed  to  refer  to  the  occasion  for  which  the  Psalm  was  written. 
But  commentators  are  not  agreed  whether  the  House  means  the  Temple 
or  David's  Palace.  The  term  dedication  is  used  of  a  house  (Deut.  xx. 
5),  or  city  walls  (Neh.  xii.  27),  as  well  as  of  sacred  things  and 
places  (Num.  vii.  10  flf. ;  i  Kings  viii.  63;  Ezra  vi.  16,  17).  Some 
refer  it  to  David's  palace  in  Zion  (2  Sam.  v.  11),  and  suppose 
that  he  had  recently  recovered  from  a  severe  illness:  others  to  the 
dedication  of  the  site  of  the  Temple  (i  Chr.  xxi.  26;  xxii.  i)  after  the 
great  Plague,  regarding  the  allusions  to  sickness  in  the  Psalm  as  not 
literal  but  figurative  of  the  anguish  which  the  king  felt  for  the  suffer- 
ings of  his  people. 

But  it  is  most  probable  that  the  title  does  not  refer  to  the  occasion 
of  the  Psalm  at  all,  but  to  its  liturgical  use  at  the  Dedication  of  the 
Second  Temple  (Ezra  vi.  16),  or  in  later  times  at  the  Feast  of  the 
Dedication,  to  which  it  is  assigned  in  the  Talmudic  treatise  Sopherim. 
Comp.  the  title  of  Ps.  xcii,  and  of  xxix  in  the  LXX.  The  title 
appears  to  be  a  composite  one.  The  words  A  Song  at  the  Dedication 
of  the  Honse  zxQ.  inserted  awkwardly  between  A  Psalm  and  of  David. 
The  Feast  of  the  Dedication  (John  x.  22)  was  instituted  by  Judas  Mac- 
cabaeus  in  B.C.  165,  to  commemorate  the  purification  of  the  Temple 
after  its  desecration  by  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  and  the  erection  of  the 
new  altar  of  burnt-offering  (i  Mace.  iv.  52  ff.;  2  Mace.  x.  i  ff.). 

But  it  does  not  follow  that  the  Psalm  was  written  for  either  of  these 
occasions.  More  probably  it  was  already  familiar,  and  was  selected  as 
appropriate  to  the  circumstances.  The  very  existence  of  the  nation 
had  been  at  stake;  it  had  been  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  freed  from 
a  crushing  tyranny  and  as  it  were  restored  to  life;  and  this  Psalm 
supplied   it  with   fitting   language   in   which   to   give   thanks   for   its 


,    152  PSALM  XXX.  T— 4. 

deliverance.     The  experience  of  the  individual  had  been  repeated  in 
that  of  the  nation. 

This  thanksgiving  corresponds  to  the  prayer  of  Ps.  vi.  Comp. 
V.  %  b  with  vi.  ^b\  v.  c^a  with  vi.  \  a\  v.  "]  b  with  vi.  2,  3,  10;  z*.  9 
with  vi.  5.  Hezekiah's  prayer  (Is.  xxxviii.  10 — 20)  seems  to  contain 
reminiscences  of  it;  comp.  especially  vv.  iS — 20  with  w.  9  ff. 

A  Psalm  and  Song  at  the  dedication  of  the  house  of  David. 

30  I  will  extol  thee,  O  Lord  ;  for  thou  hast  lifted  me  up, 
And  hast  not  made  my  foes  to  rejoice  over  me. 

2  O  Lord  my  God,  I  cried  untg  thee,  and  thou  hast  healed  me. 

3  O  Lord,  thou  hast  brought  up  my  soul  from  the  grave  : 
Thou  hast  kept  me  alive,  that  I  should  not  go  down  to  the  pit. 

4  Sing  unto  the  Lord,  O  ye  saints  of  his, 

1 — 3.    Thanksgiving  for  deliverance  from  death  in  answer  to  prayer. 

1.  /  7uill  extol  thee\  Or,  exalt,  as  the  word  is  rendered  in  Ex.  xv.  2  ; 
Ps.  xxxiv.  3;  Is.  XXV.  i;  &c.  The  same  word  is  used  of  God's  ex- 
alting men  to  high  estate  (i  Sam.  ii.  7),  or  lifting  them  up  out  of 
danger  into  safety  (ix.  13;  xxvii.  5);  and  man's  return  is  to  exalt  God 
by  proclaiming  His  supreme  exaltedness. 

thou  hast  lifted  me  tip\  R.V.,  thou  hast  raised  me  up,  a  peculiar 
A\ord,  meaning  literally,  thoti  hast  draion  nie  2ip,  from  the  depths  of 
trouble,  or  the  pit  of  Sheol. 

and  hast  not  inade  t?iy  foes  to  rejoiee  over  me\  His  death  would  have 
been  the  occasion  for  the  triumph  of  his  enemies.  For  the  malignant 
delight  of  enemies  enhancing  the  bitterness  of  misfortune  see  xxxv.  19, 
24  ff. ;  xxxviii.  16;  Lam.  ii.  17. 

2.  healed  me]    Best  taken  literally  of  restoration  from  sickness. 

3.  So  desperate  was  his  sickness  that  his  recoveiy  was  as  life  from 
the  dead,  a  veritable  resurrection  from  the  grave. 

from  the  grave]  R.V.  from  Sheol.  See  note  on  vi.  5.  Cp.  i  Sam.. 
ii.  6. 

thou  hast  kept  ?fie  alive  that  I  should  not  go  down  to  the  fit]  Better, 
thou  hast  restored  me  to  life  from  among  them  that  go  down  to  the 
pit.  He  was  already  as  good  as  dead,  when  Jehovah  raised  him  up 
again.  Cp.  ix.  13;  Ixxxviii.  4  ff.  This  is  the  reading  of  the  Kthibh, 
which  is  supported  by  the  LXX  and  Syr.,  and  by  xxviii.  i.  The  A.V. 
that  I  should  not  go  down  follows  the  QrT,  which  is  supported  by  the 
Targ.  and  Jer.,  but  involves  an  anomalous  grammatical  form,  and 
gives  a  less  vigorous  sense. 

4.  6.  An  invitation  to  the  godly  to  join  in  thanksgiving,  in  view  of 
those  attributes  of  Jehovah  of  which  the  Psalmist  has  just  had  experience. 
Cp.  ix.  II ;  xxii.  23. 

4.     Sing]    Sing  praise  (R.  v.);  or,  j/«_o-/'j'r?/;;/j-. 
saints]     See  note  on  iv.  3. 


PSALM   XXX.  5,  6.  153 

And  give  thanks  at  the  remembrance  of  his  holiness. 

For  his  anger  endureth  bid  a  moment ;  in  his  favour  is  Hfe  :     5 

Weeping  may  endure  for  a  night,  but  joy  comdh  in   the 

morning. 
And  in  my  prosperity  I  said,  6 

at  the  7-emcmbrance  of  his  holiness]  Lit.  to  the  memorial  of  his  holi- 
ness, and  so  virtually,  as  R.V.,  to  his  holy  name.  For  His  name  is 
that  which  brings  to  remembrance  all  that  lie  is  and  does.  See  Ex.  iii. 
15;  and  cp.  Ps.  xcvii.  12;  cxxii.  4.  It  is  here  called  the  memorial  of 
his  holiness^  because  the  mercy  and  faithfulness  which  the  Psalmist  is 
celebrating  are  rays  out  of  the  light  of  holiness.     Cp.  xxxiii.  21. 

5.  Literally,  For  a  moment  in  his  anger; 

life  in  his  favour: 
which  is  generally  explained  to  mean,  as  in  R.V.  marg., 
For  his  ajiger  is  but  for  a  moment; 
His  favour  is  for  a  life-time: 
on  the  ground  that  the  parallelism  requires  the  contrast  between  a  life- 
time and  a  mot7ient.     But  this  is  a  maimed  and  inadequate  explanation. 
The  parallelism  is  (as  is  often  the  case)  incomplete  ;  life  is  not  the  anti- 
thesis to  a  moment  but  to  the  adversity  which  comes  in  Jehovah's  anger. 
If  the  thought  of  the  lines  were  expanded  it  would  be  : 

For  in  his  anger  is  adversity  for  a  moment ; 
In  his  favour  is  life  for  length  of  days. 
The  A.V.  may  therefore  be  retained  as  a  tolerable  paraphrase.     Life 
carries  with  it  the  ideas  of  light  and  joy  and  prosperity.     Cp.  xvi.  1 1 ; 
xxi.  4;  xxxvi.  9. 

weeping  &c.]     Literally ; 

Weeping-  may  come  in  to  lodge  at  even, 
But  in  the  morning  there  is  singing. 
Sorrow  is  but  the  passing  wayfarer,  who  only  tarries  for  the  night ;  with 
dawn  it  is  transfigured  into  joy,  or  joy  comes  to  takes  its  place.  Note 
the  natural  and  suggestive  contrast  between  the  dark  night  of  trouble 
and  the  bright  morn  of  rejoicing.  Cp.  xlix.  14;  xc.  14;  cxliii.  8; 
and  for  the  truth  expressed  by  the  whole  verse,  which  is  a  commentary 
on  Ex.  xxxiv.  6,  7,  see  ciii.  8  fif. ;  Is.  liv.  7,  8;  Mic.  vii.  18;  John  xvi. 
20;  and  indeed  the  whole  of  the  O.  T.  and  N.  T. 

6,  7.  The  Psalmist  relates  his  own  experience  of  the  truth  stated  in 
the  preceding  verse.  His  presumption  had  required  the  correction  of 
chastisement. 

6.     Render  with  R.V. 

As  for  me,  I  said  in  my  prosperity. 

The  word  translated  prosperity  includes  the  idea  of  careless  security, 
resulting  from  uninterrupted  good  fortune.  Comp.  Prov.  i.  32  ;  and  for 
the  carnal  pride  that  is  apt  to  spring  from  prosperity,  see  Deut.  viii. 
loff. ;  xxxii.  15;  Dan.  iv.  27  ff. 


154  PSALM   XXX.  7—10. 

I  shall  never  be  moved. 

Lord,  by  thy  favour  thou  hast  made  my  mountain  to  stand 


Thou  didst  hide  thy  face,  atid  I  was  troubled. 

8  I  cried  to  thee,  O  Lord  ; 

And  unto  the  Lord  I  made  supplication. 

9  What  profit  is  there  in  my  blood,  when  I  go  down  to  the  pit? 
Shall  the  dust  praise  thee  }  shall  it  declare  thy  truth  ? 

10  Hear,  O  Lord,  and  have  mercy  upon  me : 
Lord,  be  thou  my  helper. 

I  shall  nn'cr  be  moz'ecf]  Forgetting  his  dependence  upon  God,  and 
approaching  perilously  near  the  godless  man's  self-confident  boast  (x.  6). 

7.  R.V.,  Thou,  Lord,  of  thy  favour  hadst  made  my  mountain  to 
stand  strong;  lit. /ladsl  established  st?-etigth  for  my  iiiountain.  Zion, 
strong  by  position  and  art,  may  be  thought  of,  partly  in  itself,  partly  as 
an  emblem  of  the  Davidic  kingdom.  Fortress  and  kingdom  alike 
deiived  their  real  strength  from  Jehovah.  Cp.  i  Kings  xv.  4 ;  1  Chron. 
ix.  8.  But  the  reading  is  doubtful.  The  LXX,  Vulg.,  and  Syr.  repre- 
sent, hadst  established  strength  for  my  majesty.  The  Targum,  which 
rarely  departs  from  the  Massoretic  Text,  gives  hadst  made  me  stand 
upon  strong  mountains;  a  figure  for  security.     Cp.  xviii.  33 ;  xxvii.  5. 

thou  didst  hide  thy  face\  Withdrawing  the  light  of  thy  favour.  Then 
/  was  troubled  (omit  and  which  A.V.  inserts):  a  strong  word,  ex- 
pressing the  confusion  and  helplessness  of  terror,  as  in  vi.  2,  3,  10 
(A.V.  vexed)',  civ.  29. 

8 — 10.  By  trouble  he  learnt  whence  his  strength  came,  and  betook 
himself  to  prayer,     vv.  9,  10  are  the  words  of  his  prayer. 

8.  The  tense  in  the  original  is  inadequately  represented  by  a  simple 
perfect,  though  its  precise  force  is  not  easy  to  define.  It  may  express 
the  frequent  repetition  of  the  prayer,  or,  like  a  historic  present,  it  may 
set  the  action  vividly  before  us  as  in  actual  progress  (Note  IV,  p.  223); 
or  possibly  throwing  himself  back  into  the  past,  the  Psalmist  gives  the 
words  of  his  resolution:  [I  said,]  Unto  thee,  0  Jehovah^  ivill  I  call 
(  =  xxviii.  i) ;  yea,  unto  the  Lord  (the  best  attested  reading  is  Adonai)  will 
I  make  supplication  (cxlii.  i). 

9.  What  advantage  would  it  be  to  Thee  to  slay  me?  Nay,  Thou 
wouldest  lose  Thy  servant's  praises.  For  the  form  of  the  question  cp. 
Job  xxii,  3.  The  same  motive  is  appealed  to  in  Hezekiah's  prayer,  Is. 
xxxviii.  18,  19.  Cp.  Ps.  vi.  5;  Ixxxviii.  10  ff.;  cxv.  17.  On  this  gloomy 
view  of  death  as  the  interruption  of  communion  with  God,  see  Introd. 
p.  Ixxv  ff. 

the  dtist]  Not  the  dust  into  which  the  body  is  dissolved,  but  the 
grave,  as  in  xxii.  15,  29. 

thy  truth]  God's  faithfulness  (xxv.  5),  which  is  the  object  of  the 
praises  of  the  faithful. 


PSALM    XXX.  II,  12.     XXXI.  155 

Thou  hast  turned  for  me  my  mourning  into  dancing : 
Thou  hast  put  off  my  sackcloth,  and  girded  me  with  gladness; 
To  the  end  that  7Jiy  glory  may  sing  praise  to  thee,  and  not 

be  silent. 
O  Lord  my  God,  I  will  give  thanks  unto  thee  for  ever. 

11,  12.     Prayer  answered :  life  prolonged,  and  its  purpose. 

11.  Better,  Thou  didst  turn... didst  loose... and  gird.  He  looks 
back  to  the  moment  when  his  prayer  was  answered. 

mourning... liancing]  The  gestures  of  sorrow  and  joy  are  contrasted, 
for  mourning  means  literally  the  beating  of  the  breast  {plancius).  Cp. 
Lam.  V.  15.  In  place  of  the  sackcloth  which  was  the  mourner's  garb, 
gladness  clothes  him  like  a  festal  garment.     Cp.  Is.  Ixi.  3. 

12.  my^A^r^]     My  soul,  as  in  vii.  5  (note);  Ivii.  8. 

for  ever]  All  the  days  of  my  life.  See  i  Sam.  i.  12  compared  with 
V.  28.  But  the  Psalmist's  words  had  a  larger  meaning  than  he  could  as 
yet  know  (Rev.  xxii.  3  ff.). 

PSALM   XXXI. 

Worn  out  in  mind  and  body,  despised,  defamed,  and  persecuted, 
the  Psalmist  casts  himself  upon  God.  Faith  upholds  him  as  he  recalls 
past  mercies ;  despondency  overwhelms  him  as  he  thinks  of  his  present 
distress;  till  the  clouds  clear,  and  the  sunlight  of  God's  goodness  floods 
his  soul. 

The  Psalm  falls  into  three  divisions. 

i.  Professions  of  trust  and  prayers  for  deliverance  grounded  upon 
the  experience  of  past  mercies  (i — 8). 

ii.  Urgent  pleading,  with  a  pathetic  description  of  the  extremity  of 
his  need  (9 — 18). 

iii.  Grateful  celebration  of  God's  goodness,  once  more  demon- 
strated in  the  deliverance  of  the  Psalmist,  who  looks  back  in  surprise 
upon  his  own  faint-heartedness,  and  concludes  by  exhorting  all  the 
godly  to  take  courage  (19 — 24). 

Most  of  the  earlier  commentators  suppose  that  the  Psalm  was  written 
by  David  in  the  wilderness  of  Maon,  and  point  to  the  coincidence 
between  m  my  haste  (v.  22),  and  "David  made  haste  to  flee"  (i  Sam. 
xxiii.  26).  The  Sept.  translators  appear  to  have  seen  in  that  verse  a 
reference  to  the  occasion  of  the  Psalm,  for  they  add  eVtrTcto-ews  {/or 
desperatioii)  to  the  title,  and  h  ry  €KaTd<X€t,  fJLOv  {in  mjy  desperation)  is 
their  rendering  in  v.  22. 

But  the  situation  of  the  Psalmist  and  the  tone  of  the  Psalm  would 
rather  suggest  that  Jeremiah,  or  some  prophet  in  similar  circumstances 
of  persecution,  was  its  author.  Comp.  v.  10  with  Jer.  xx.  18;  'the 
broken  vessel'  {v.  12)  with  Jer.  xxii.  28;  xlviii.  38;  v.  13  with  Jer.  xx. 
10;  V.  17  with  Jer.  xvii.  18;  v.  22  with  Lam.  iii.  54.  Still  it  is  quite 
possible  that  Jeremiah  may  be  using  the  words  of  the  Psalm  which 
was  familiar  to  him. 


156  PSALM   XXXI.  1—4. 

The  striking  diflference  in  the  tone  of  w.  9 — 18  from  that  of  i — 8 
and  19 — 24  suggests  the  possibility  that  these  verses  may  be  a  later 
addition:  and  it  is  noteworthy  that  the  parallels  with  the  Book  of 
Jeremiah  occur  almost  exclusively  in  vv.  9 — 18,  while  the  first  and 
third  divisions  resemble  Psalms  which  have  good  claims  to  be  regarded 
as  Davidic.  But  the  change  of  tone  may  only  correspond  to  a  change 
of  situation. 

The  latter  part  of  the  Psalm  has  several  parallels  with  Ps.  xxviii. 
With  V.  i\  a  comp.  xxviii.  6a;  with  v.  11  b  cp.  xxviii.  2,  6;  with  v.  23 
cp.  xxviii.  \.  Comp.  too  v.  22  {as  for  me)  with  xxx.  6;  and  the 
invitation  in  z'.  23  with  xxx.  4. 

To  the  chief  Musician,  A  Psalm  of  David. 

31  In  thee,  O  Lord,  do  I  put  my  trust ; 
Let  me  never  be  ashamed  : 
Deliver  me  in  thy  righteousness. 

2  Bow  down  thine  ear  to  me ;  deliver  me  speedily : 
Be  thou  my  strong  rock, 

For  a  house  of  defence  to  save  me. 

3  For  thou  art  my  rock  and  my  fortress ; 

Therefore  for  thy  name's  sake  lead  me,  and  guide  me. 

4  Pull  me  out  of  the  net  that  they  have  laid  privily  for  me : 
For  thou  art  my  strength. 

1 — 8.  The  prayer  of  faith,  vv.  i — 3  are  repeated  in  that  beautiful 
mosaic,  Ps.  Ixxi;  and  v.  i  a  forms  the  close  of  the  Te  Deuni. 

1.  do  I  put  my  trusf^  Have  I  taken  refuge.  Cp.  vii.  i  (note) ;  xi. 
I ;  xvi.  I ;  xxv.  20. 

let  me  never  be  ashamed'^  Disappointed  and  confounded  by  finding 
that  my  trust  was  vain.     Cp.  v.  17;  xxv.  2,  20;  xxii.  5. 

in  thy  righteousness]  To  desert  His  servant  {v.  16)  would  be  incon- 
sistent with  Jehovah's  righteousness. 

2.  Bozu  do7vn]     Or,  incline,  as  in  xvii.  6;  &c. 

2,  3.  Be  thoic  &c.]  Lit.  Become  (LXX  '^evov)  to  me  a  stronghold-rock, 
a  fortress-house  to  save  7ne:  for  (he  goes  on  to  give  the  ground  of  his 
prayer)  thou  art  my  cliff  and  my  fortress  :  i.e.  prove  Thyself  to  be  what 
I  know  Thou  art.  **It  is  the  logic  of  every  believing  prayer."  JJe- 
litzsch.     For  the  figures  see  note  on  xviii.  2. 

thei-eforc  &c.]  And  for  tliy  name's  sake  thou  wilt  lead  me  and 
guide  me.  A  further  expression  of  trust  rather  than  a  petition.  By 
gentle  and  unerring  guidance  God  will  shew  Himself  all  that  He  has 
declared  Himself  to  be.  Cp.  the  same  words  in  xxiii.  2,  3,  and  see 
notes  there. 

4.  Thou  wilt  bring  me  out  of  the  net... for  thou  art  my  strong 
hold.  He  compares  his  insidious  enemies  to  hunters  or  fowlers,  as  in 
ix.  15;  xxv.  15.  V 


PSALM   XXXI.  5—8.  157 

Into  thine  hand  I  commit  my  spirit:  i 

Thou  hast  redeemed  me,  O  Lord  God  of  truth. 

I  have  hated  them  that  regard  lying  vanities :  < 

But  I  trust  in  the  Lord. 

I  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  thy  mercy  :  ; 

For  thou  hast  considered  my  trouble ; 

Thou  hast  known  my  soul  in  adversities ; 

And  hast  not  shut  me  up  into  the  hand  of  the  enemy :  '< 

5.  /  commit  &c.]  Or,  as  P.I3.V.  and  R.V.,  I  commend  my  spirit. 
To  God's  care  he  entnists  as  a  precious  deposit  the  life  inbreathed  by 
God  Himself  (Job  x.  12  ;  xvii.  i).  The  context  makes  it  plain  that  it 
is  for  the  preservation  of  his  life  that  he  thus  entrusts  himself  to  God; 
but  the  further  application  of  the  words  to  the  departing  spirit  is 
obvious  and  natural,  and  it  is  sanctioned  and  consecrated  by  our  Lord's 
use  of  them  on  the  Cross  (Luke  xxiii.  46).  Cp.  the  noble  words  of 
Wisdom  iii.  i;  "The  souls  of  the  righteoiis  are  in  the  hand  of  God:" 
and  John  x.  28  f. ;  2  Tim.  i.  12;  i  Peter  iv.  19  (noting  how  a  faithful 
Creator  corresponds  to  tJwu  God  of  truth  here).  "The  many  instances 
on  recoi'd,  including  St  Polycarp,  St  Basil,  Epiphanius  of  Pavia,  St 
Bernard,  St  Louis,  Huss,  Columbus,  Luther,  and  Melanctbon— of 
Christians  using  these  words  at  the  approach  of  death,  represent  how 
many  millions  of  unrecorded  cases  !"     Kay. 

The  words,  Tliou  hast  redeemed  me,  0  Lord,  thou  God  of  truth, 
give  the  double  ground  of  this  confidence,  in  his  own  past  experience, 
and  the  known  character  of  Jehovah  as  the  God  of  faithfulness.^  AV- 
^A'^wt'r/ primarily  means  delivered  from  temporal  distress  (2  Sam.  iv.  9); 
but  for  the  Christian  the  word  must  bear  a  deeper  significance. 

6.  I  have  hated\  Better,  as  R.V.,  I  hate.  He  disclaims  all  sym- 
pathy and  fellowship  with  the  worshippers  of  false  gods.  But  the 
LXX,  Vulg.,  Syr.,  Jer.  read,  thou  hatest  (cp.  v.  5).  This  reading 
gives  the  contrast  required  by  the  next  line,  which  must  be  rendered, 
but  as  for  me,  I  trust  in  Jehovah. 

that  regard  lying  vanities']  Cp.  Jonah  ii.  8.  False  gods  are  vanities 
of  nothingness,  having  no  real  existence,  and  deluding  their  worship- 
pers; the  exact  opposite  of  the  God  of  truth.  Who  IS,  and  constantly 
proves  His  faithfulness  (Deut.  xxxii.  4,  21).  Vanity  is  a  common  ex- 
pression for  false  gods  in  Jeremiah  (viii.  19;  &c.).  For  regard ^^-^cj 
respect  to,  worship,  see  lix.  9  (A.V.  %uait  npon)\  Hos.  iv.  10  (A.V. 
take  heed  to). 

7.  Let  me  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  thy  lovingkindness  : 
For  thou  hast  seen  my  affliction  ; 

Thou  hast  taken  knowledge  of  the  distresses  of  my  soul. 
An  entreaty,  based  upon  past  experience.     Here,  and  in  v.  8,  as  well 
as  in  5  b,  it  is  more  natural  to  understand  the  perfect  tenses  to  refer  to 
past  mercies,  rather  than  as  a  confident  anticipation  of  future  deliver- 
ance.    With  the  second  line  cp.  ix.  13. 

8.  hast  not  shut  me  tip  into  the  hand  of  the  enemy]     Hast  not 


PSALM   XXXI.  9—12. 


Thou  hast  set  my  feet  in  a  large  room. 
9  Have  mercy  upon  me,  O  Lord,  for  I  am  in  trouble : 

Mine  eye  is  consumed  with  grief,  yea,  my  soul  and  my  belly. 
13  For  my  life  is  spent  with  grief,  and  my  years  with  sighing : 

My  strength  faileth  because  of  mine  iniquity,  and  my  bones 
are  consumed. 

11  I  was  a  reproach  among  all  mine  enemies. 

But  especially  among  my  neighbours,  and  a  fear  to  mine 

acquaintance  : 
They  that  did  see  me  without  fled  from  me. 

12  I  am  forgotten  as  a  dead  man  out  of  mind : 
I  am  like  a  broken  vessel. 


svurendeied  me  into  his  power.     Cp.  Deut.  xxxii.  30;  i  Sam.  xxiii.  11, 
12  (A.V.  deliver  tip). 

thou  hast  set  &c.]  Lit.  thou  hast  made  my  feet  to  stand  in  a  large 
(or,  wide)  place;  enabled  me  to  move  and  act  with  freedom.  Cp.  iv.  i ; 
xviii.  19;  xxvi.  12.     Room  in  A.V.  =  space,  place. 

9 — 18.  The  tone  of  the  Psalm  changes.  The  recollection  of  past 
mercies  brin?^s  present  suffering  into  sharper  relief.  "A  sorrow's  crown 
of  sorrow  is  remembering  happier  things."  This  part  of  the  Psalm 
reminds  us  of  Ps.  vi,  and  of  Jeremiah's  complaints. 

9.  Be  gracious  unto  me,  0  Jehovali,  for  I  am  in  distress : 

Mine  eye  is  wasted  away  because  of  provocation,  yea,  my  soul 
and  my  body. 

Cp.  vi.  7  a  J  amplified  here  by  the  addition  of  my  soul  and  viy  body 
(xliv.  25). 

10.  grief'\     R.V.  sorrow,  as  in  xiii.  i;  Jer.  viii.  18. 
sighing']     Or,  p-oaning,  as  in  vi.  6. 

my  strength  &c.]  My  strength  totters  because  of  mine  iniquity, 
and  my  bones  are  wasted  away.  There  was  then  some  sin  which 
called  for  chastisement,  or  required  the  discipline  of  suffering.  But  the 
LXX,  Syr.,  and  Symmachus  read  affliction  instead  of  iniquity.  With 
the  last  clause  cp.  vi.  2  {note)\  xxxii.  3. 

11.  Because  of  all  mine  adversaries  I  am  become  a  reproach, 
Yea,  unto  my  neighbours  exceedingly.     (R-V.) 

The  original  is  as  awkward  as  the  translation,  and  we  should  probably 
connect  because  of  all  mine  adversaries  with  the  previous  verse,  and  read, 
/  am  become  a  reproach  unto  my  jieighbours  exceedingly :  or  else,  with 
Lagarde,  Cheyne,  and  others,  read  a  shaking  of  h^ad  (xliv.  14,  cp.  13), 
in  place  of  exceedingly.     Cp.  xxii.  6,  7 ;  Jer.  xx.  7,  8. 

they  that  did  see  fne  &c.]  Those  who  met  him  in  public  avoided 
him,  afraid  of  incurring  persecution  themselves  by  any  sign  of  sympathy. 

12.  As  a  dead  man  passes  out  of  men's  minds,  so  he  is  forgotten. 


PSALM    XXXI.  13—18.  159 

For  I  have  heard  the  slander  of  many  :  13 

Fear  was  on  every  side  : 

While  they  took  counsel  together  against  me, 

They  devised  to  take  away  my  life. 

But  I  trusted  in  thee,  O  Lord  :  m 

I  said,  Thou  art  my  God. 

My  times  are  in  thy  hand :  15 

Deliver  me  from  the  hand  of  mine  enemies,  and  from  them 

that  persecute  me. 
Make  thy  face  to  shine  upon  thy  servant :  16 

Save  me  for  thy  mercy's  sake. 
Let  me  not  be  ashamed,  O  Lord;  for  I  have  called  upon  •? 

thee  : 
Let  the  wicked  be  ashamed,  and  let  them  be  silent  in  the 

grave. 
Let  the  lying  lips  be  put  to  silence;  18 

Which  speak  grievous  things  proudly  and  contemptuously 

against  the  righteous. 


Cp.  Job  xix.  14.  He  is  like  a  broken  (lit.  perishing)  vessel,  flung  aside 
contemptuously  and  no  more  remembered.  Cp.  (though  the  phrase 
there  is  different)  Jer.  xxii.  28  (R.V.). 

13.  For  I  have  heard  the  defaming  of  many, 
Terror  on  every  side  (R.V.). 

Jeremiah  uses  these  very  words  to  describe  his  plight  (xx.  10).  Terror 
on  every  side  is  a  favourite  phrase  with  him  (vi.  25;  xx.  3,  4;  xlvi.  5; 
xlix,  29;  Lam.  ii.  22). 

they  devised  &.c.'\    Jer.  xi.  19  ff. ;  xviii.  2off.,  supply  an  illustration. 

14.  Render : 

But  as  for  me,  on  thee  do  I  trust  0  Lord  : 
I  have  said,  &c. 
Men  turn  from  him,  but  he  turns  to  God.     Cp.  v.  6 ;  xvi.  2 ;  cxl.  6. 

15.  My  times  &c.]  Cp.  i  Chr.  xxix.  30.  The  vicissitudes  of  my 
life  are  all  under  Thy  control. 

16.  Comp.  the  paraphrase  in  P.B.V.,  ShriU  thy  servant  the  light 
of  thy  countenance :  and  see  note  on  iv.  6. 

for  thy  mercy's  sake]  R.V.  in  thy  lovlngkindness,  as  in  vv.  7, 
21. 

17.  The  prayer  of  z'.  i  is  repeated.  While  my  prayers  are  answered, 
let  my  enemies  be  silenced  and  consigned  to  Sheol.  A  similar  prayer 
in  XXV.  2,  3;  Jer.  xvii.  18. 

18.  Let  the  lying  lips  be  dumb ; 

Which  speak  against  the  righteous  arrogantly, 
In  pride  and  contempt. 
Cp.  xii.  3;  xciv.  4. 


i6o  PSALM    XXXI.   19—22. 

19  O  how  great  is  thy  goodness,  which  thou  hast  laid  up  for 

them  that  fear  thee  ; 
Which  thou  hast  wrought  for  them  that  trust  in  thee 
Before  the  sons  of  men  ! 

20  Thou  shalt  hide  them  in  the  secret  of  thy  presence  from  the 

pride  of  man  : 
Thou  shalt  keep  them  secretly  in  a  pavilion  from  the  strife 
of  tongues. 

21  Blessed  be  the  Lord  :  for  he  hath  shewed  me  his  marvellous 

kindness  in  a  strong  city. 

22  For  I  said  in  my  haste,  I  am  cut  off  from  before  thine  eyes  : 
Nevertheless  thou  heardest  the  voice  of  my  supplications 

when  I  cried  unto  thee. 

19 — 24.  Can  the  author  of  this  serenely  joyous  thanksgiving  be  the 
dcopised  and  downcast  sufterer  of  vv.  9 — 18?  If  so,  it  was  surely  not 
at  the  same  moment.  An  interval  has  elapsed;  his  prayer  has  been 
answered;  the  danger  is  past. 

19,  20.  God's  goodness  to  those  who  fear  Him  is  like  an  inex- 
haustible treasure  stored  up,  and  at  the  proper  time  brought  out  and 
used  for  than  that  take  refuge  (as  v.  i)  in  Him;  and  this  publicly  in  the 
sight  of  man.  Cf.  xxiii.  5.  With  R.V.  place  a  comina  after  trust  in 
thee,  and  connect  befoj-e  the  sons  pf  men  with  wrought. 

20,  Thou  Shalt  hide  them  in  the  hiding-place  of  thy  presence 

from  the  plottings  of  man : 
Thou  Shalt  conceal  them  in  a  pavilion  from  the  strife  of 
tongues. 
With  the  whole  verse  cp.  xxvii.  5 ;  but  the  hiding  place  of  thy  tent  is  here 
spiritualised  into  the  hiding  place  of  thy  pj-escnce  (lit.  face  as  in  v.  16). 
No  darkness  of  evil  can  penetrate  into  the  light  of  God's  countenance. 

21,  22.  Thanksgiving :  but  is  it  for  deliverance  anticipated  by  faith  or 
for  deliverance  already  experienced?     Surely  the  latter. 

21.  Blessed  be  the  Lord]     Cp.  xxviii.  6. 

he  hath  shewed  me  his  niai-vcllous  kindness]  Lit.  he  hath  made  mar- 
vellous his  lovingkindness  to  ?ne,  as  in  xvii.  7. 

in  a  strong  city]  Either,  as  in  a  strong  city,  putting  me  out  of  the 
reach  of  my  enemies  as  it  were  in  a  fortified  city;  or,  as  a  strong  city, 
proving  Himself  my  fortress  {vv.  2,  3).  The  words  may  also  mean 
in  a  besieged  city,  which  might  be  taken  as  a  metaphor  for  trouble  gener- 
ally. Some  commentators  understand  the  words  literally  of  David's 
escape  from  Keilah,  or  of  his  establishment  in  Ziklag;  or  of  Jeremiah 
in  Jerusalem  during  the  siege. 

22.  For  I  said  &c.]  But  as  for  me,  I  said  in  my  haste  (or,  alarm). 
Humbly  he  confesses  his  want  of  faith  in  the  hour  of  trial,  when  he 
thought  himself  out  of  God's  sight,  and  contrasts  it  with  God's  goodness. 
Cp.  XXX.  6;  cxvi.  11.     With  22a  cp.  Jon.  ii.  4:  with  22^  cp.  xxviii.  2. 


PSALM   XXXI.  23,  24.     XXXII.  161 

0  love  the  Lord,  all  ye  his  saints  :  23 
For  the  Lord  preserveth  the  faithful, 

And  plentifully  rewardeth  the  proud  doer. 

Be  of  good  courage,  and  he  shall  strengthen  your  heart,         24 

All  ye  that  hope  in  the  Lord. 

23,  24.  Concluding  exhortation  to  the  faithful.  Cp.  xxx.  4;  xxvii. 
14;  xxxii.  II. 

preserveth  the  faithfull  Or,  keepeth  faithfulness.  Cf.  Ex.  xxxiv. 
7,  note. 

plentifully  rewardeth  the  proud  doer]  The  judgment  of  the  wicked  is, 
in  the  view  of  the  O.  T.,  the  necessary  complement  of  the  triumph  of 
the  saints.     See  Introd.  p.  Ixxiii. 

24.  Be  strong,  and  let  your  heart  take  courage  (R.V.),  as  in  xxvii. 

all  ye  that  hope  in  the  Lord]  Or,  wait  for.  The  phrase  links  this 
Psalm  to  Ps.  xxxiii.     See  vv.  18,  22.     Comp.  too  xxxiii.  18  with  v.  22. 

PSALM  XXXIL 

With  a  fervour  which  is  unmistakably  the  fruit  of  experience  the 
Psalmist  describes  the  blessedness  of  forgiveness,  and  teaches  that  peni- 
tence is  the  indispensable  condition  for  receiving  it  (i,  2).  He  had 
sinned  grievously,  and  so  long  as  he  refused  to  acknowledge  his  sin  he 
suffered  inward  torture  (3,  4).  But  confession  brought  instant  pardon 
(5).  Arguing  then  from  his  own  experience  he  exhorts  the  godly  to 
timely  prayer  (6).  Professing  his  trust  in  Jehovah,  he  receives  from 
Him  a  gracious  promise  of  guidance  (7,  8).  Then  addressing  himself  to 
men  in  general,  he  warns  them  against  the  folly  of  resisting  God's  will 
(9),  and  contrasts  the  lot  of  the  godly  and  the  wicked  (10).  The  Psalm 
concludes  with  an  exhortation  to  the  righteous  to  rejoice  (11). 

This  Psalm  is  generally  thought  to  have  been  composed  by  David 
after  his  adultery  with  Bathsheba  and  the  murder  of  Uriah.  For  almost 
a  year  he  stubbornly  refused  to  acknowledge  his  sin,  in  spite  of  the 
accusing  voice  of  conscience,  and,  it  may  be,  the  admonitions  of  sickness 
(;vv.  3,  4) ;  until  the  prophet's  message  struck  home  to  his  heart,  and 
opened  the  fountain  of  penitential  tears.  Ps.  li  may  be  the  first  heart- 
felt prayer  for  pardon ;  while  this  Psalm,  written  somewhat  later,  when 
he  had  had  time  calmly  to  survey  the  past,  records  his  experience  for 
the  warning  and  instruction  of  others,  in  fulfilment  of  the  promise  in  li. 

The  lessons  of  the  Psalm  are  summed  up  in  Prov.  xxvui.  13;  or 

1  John  i.  8,  9. 

It  is  the  second  of  the  seven  'Penitential  Psalms'  (see  Introd.  to  Ps. 
vi),  and  is  appointed  for  use  on  Ash-Wednesday.  It  was  a  favourite  with 
St  Augustine,  who  "often  read  this  Psalm  with  weeping  heart  and  eyes, 
and  before  his  death  had  it  written  upon  the  wall  which  was  over 
against  his  sick-bed,  that  he  might  be  exercised  and  comforted  by  it  in 

PSALMS  -  1 1 


l62  PSALM   XXXII. 


his  sickness."  His  words  "intelligentia  prima  est  ut  te  noris  pecca- 
torem" — the  beginning  of  knowledge  is  to  know  thyself  to  be  a  sinner — 
might  be  prefixed  to  it  as  a  motto. 

A  Psnlm  of  David,  Maschil. 

32  Blessed    is    he    whose    transgression    is    forgiven, 
whose  sin  is  covered. 

2  Blessed  is  the  man  unto  whom  the  Lord  imputeth 

not  iniquity, 
And  in  whose  spirit  there  is  no  guile. 

3  When  I  kept  silence,  my  bones  waxed  old 
Through  my  roaring  all  the  day  long. 

4  For  day  and  night  thy  hand  was  heavy  upon  me  : 

My  moisture  is  turned  into  the  drought  of  summer.     Selah. 

On  the  title  Maschil  see  Introd.  p.  xviii. 

1,  2.  The  blessedness  of  forgiveness.  See  Rom.  iv.  6ff.  for  St 
Paul's  use  of  these  verses. 

Blessed]  Or,  Happy.  Cp.  i.  i.  The  first  beatitude  of  the  Psalter  is 
pronounced  on  an  upright  life;  but  since  "there  is  no  man  that  sinneth 
not"  (i  Kings  viii.  46),  there  is  another  beatitude  reserved  for  true 
penitence. 

transgression — sin— iniquity]  The  words  thus  rendered  describe  sin 
in  different  aspects  (i)  as  rebellion,  or  breaking  away  from  God:_  (2)  as 
wandering  from  the  way,  or  missing  the  mark:  {3)  as  depravity,  or 
moral  distortion.  Cp.  v.  5;  li.  i — 3;  Ex.  xxxiv,  7.  Forgiveness  is 
also  triply  described  (i)  as  the  taking  away  of  a  burden;  cp.  John 
i.  29,  and  the  expression  'to  bear  iniquity' :  (2)  as  covering,  so  that  the 
foulness  of  sin  no  longer  meets  the  eye  of  the  judge  and  calls  for  punish- 
ment; (3)  as  the  canceUing  of  a  debt,  which  is  no  longer  reckoned 
against  the  offender:  cp.  2  Sam.  xix.  19. 

and  in  whose  spirit  there  is  no  gtiile]  No  deceitfulness.  The  con- 
dition of  forgiveness  on  man's  part  is  absolute  sincerity.  There  must  be 
no  attempt  to  deceive  self  or  God.     Cp.  i  John  i.  8. 

3,  4.  The  illustration  of  this  truth  from  the  Psalmist's  own  experi- 
ence. He  kept  silence,  refusing  to  acknowledge  his  sin  to  himself  and 
to  God;  but  meanwhile  God  did  not  leave  him  to  himself  (Job  xxxiii. 
i6ff.)>  His  chastening  hand  was  heavy  upon  him  (xxxviii.  2;  xxxix. 
10),  making  itself  felt  partly  by  the  remorse  of  conscience,  partly  perhaps 
by  actual  sickness.  He  suffered  and  complained  (xxii.  1;  xxxviii.  8); 
but  such  complaint  was  no  prayer  (Hos.  vii.  14),  and  brought  no  relief, 
while  he  would  not  confess  his  sin. 
my  bones]     See  note  on  vi.  2. 

my  7?ioisture  &c.]     R.V.  my  moisture  was  changed  as  with  (marg., 

into)  the  drought  of  summer:  the  vital  sap  and  juices  of  his  body  were 

dried  up  by  the  burning  fever  within  him.    Cp.  xxii.  15;  Prov.  xvii.  22. 

Selah]     The  musical  interlude  here  may  have  expressed  the  Psalmist's 

distress  of  mind,  and  prepared  the  way  for  the  change  in  the  next  verse. 


PSALM   XXXII.  5—7.  163 


I  acknowledged  my  sin  unto  thee,  5 

And  mine  iniquity  have  I  not  hid. 

I  said,  I  will  confess  my  transgressions  unto  the  Lord  ; 

And  thou  forgavest  the  iniquity  of  my  sin.     Selah. 

For  this  shall  every  one  that  is  godly  pray  unto  thee  in  a  6 

time  when  thou  mayest  be  found : 
Surely  in  the  floods  of  great  waters  they  shall  not  come 

nigh  unto  him. 
Thou  art  my  hiding  place;   thou  shalt  preserve  me  from  7 

trouble ; 
Thou  shalt  compass  me  about  ivith  songs  of  deliverance. 

Selah. 

5.  The  way  of  restoration.  Lit.  /  began  to  make  known  to  thee  my 
sin,  and  mine  iniquity  did  I  not  cover.  The  tense  of  the  first  verb  gra- 
phically represents  the  confession  being  made  (xxv.  8,  note) :  the  second 
verb  is  the  same  as  that  in  v.  i.  Not  until  man  ceases  to  hide  his  sin 
will  it  be  hidden  from  God.  "Quantum  tibi  non  peperceris,"  saysTer- 
tullian,  quoted  by  Abp.  Leighton,  "tantum  tibi  parcct  Deus."  "The 
less  you  spare  yourself,  the  more  will  God  spare  you." 

and  thou  forgavest'l  Thou  is  emphatic,  and  the  form  of  the  sen- 
tence expresses  the  immediateness  of  the  pardon.  "Vox  nondum  est 
in  ore  et  vulnus  sanatur."     St  Angustine. 

The  musical  interlude  may  have  expressed  the  joy  of  forgiveness, 
and  served  to  separate  this  record  of  experience  from  the  application 
which  follows. 

6.  An  exhortation  based  upon  experience. 

For  this  &c.]     Rather,  Therefore  let  every  one  &c. 

in  a  time  when  thou  mayest  he  founds  This  is  the  most  probable 
explanation  of  the  Heb.,  which  means  literally  in  a  time  of  finding,  and 
is  obscure  from  its  brevity.  So  "in  a  time  of  acceptance"  (Ixix.  13). 
Comp.  Deut.  iv.  29  with  Jer.  xxix,  13;  and  see  Is.  Iv.  6.  Let  no 
one  delay,  for  there  is  also  a  time  of  not  finding  (Prov.  i.  28).  The 
words  may  also  be  explained  as  in  R.V.  marg.,  in  the  time  of  finding 
out  sin,  when  God  makes  inquisition;  cp.  xvii.  3;  or,  in  the  ti?ne 
when  sin  finds  them  out;  cp.  Num.  xxxii.  23:  but  these  explanations 
are  less  obvious. 

surely  &c.]  R.V.,  surely  when  the  great  waters  overflow  they 
shall  not  reach  unto  him.  In  a  time  of  calamity  and  judgment  he 
will  not  be  overwhelmed,  but  will  be  safe  like  one  who  stands  secure 
upon  a  rock  out  of  reach  of  the  raging  flood.  For  the  figure  cp.  xviii. 
16;  Is.  xxviii.  2,  17;  xxx.  28;  Nah.  i.  8. 

7.  The  Psalmist  addresses  Jehovah,  appropriating  to  himself  the 
promise  of  the  preceding  verse. 

my  hiding J)tace]     The  same  word  as  in  xxvii.  5;  xxxi.  20;  xci.  i.- 
thou  shalt  preserve  me  &c.]     Thou  wilt  guard  me  (xii.  7 ;  xxv.  2 1 ; 
xxxi.  23)  from  distress  (xxxi.  9);  thou  wilt  compass  me  ahout  with 

II — 2 


i64  PSALM  XXXII.  8—10 


8 1  will  instruct  thee  and  teach  thee  in  the  way  which  thou 
shalt  go : 

I  will  guide  thee  with  mine  eye. 
9  Be  ye  not  as  the  horse, 

Or  as  the  mule,  tvhich  have  no  understanding  : 

Whose  mouth  must  be  held  in  with  bit  and  bridle. 

Lest  they  come  near  unto  thee. 
10  Many  sorrows  shall  be  to  the  wicked  : 


shouts  {v.  11)  of  deliverance.  Occasions  for  rejoicing  arise  wherever 
he  turns:  or  possibly  the  glad  shouts  of  the  godly  rejoicing  at  his  deli- 
verance are  meant. 

8.  Who  is  the  speaker?  The  Psalmist  or  God?  Most  commen- 
tators suppose  that  it  is  the  Psalmist,  who  now  assumes  the  part  of 
teacher,  as  in  xxxiv.  11,  and  fulfils  the  promise  of  li.  13.  But  surely 
it  must  be  God  who  speaks  in  answer  to  the  Psalmist's  profession  of 
trust. 

Would  any  human  teacher  venture  to  say,  I  will  counsel  thee  with 
mine  eye  upon  thee,  as  the  last  line  must  be  rendered  with  R.V.? 
For  the  ever-wakeful  *eye'  of  God's  loving  Providence  see  xxxiii.  18; 
xxxiv.  15;  Jer.  xxiv.  6.  The  view  that  God  is  the  speaker  is  con- 
firmed by  the  parallels  in  xxv.  8,  12;  xvi.  7;  Ixxiii.  24;  and  it  avoids 
the  abruptness  of  the  transition  from  v.  7  to  v.  8,  and  the  awkward- 
ness of  the  change  to  the  plural  in  v.  9,  which  the  other  explanation 
involves. 

9.  10.  A  warning  addressed  to  all  not  to  resist  God's  will,  and 
neglect  instruction. 

Be  not  like  horse  like  mule  with  no  understanding-. 
With  trappings  of  hit  and  bridle  must  they  he  curbed  : 
Else  will  they  not  come  near  unto  thee. 
The  Heb.  is  obscure  and  possibly  corrupt  in  some  points ;  but  the 
general  sense  is  clear.     Brute  animals   without  reason  must  be  con- 
trolled and  compelled  by  force  to  learn  to  submit  to  man's  will.     If 
man  will  not  draw  near  to  God  and  obey  Him  of  his  own  free  will,  he 
lowers  himself  to  the  level  of  a  brute,  and  must  expect  to  be  treated 
accordingly  and  disciplined  by  judgment  (Is.  xxvi.  9 — 11). 

For  the  thought  that  man  who  will  not  listen  to  God's  teaching 
'becomes  brutish'  see  Jer.  x.  14,  21;  Ps.  xlix.  10,  12,  20;  Ixxiii.  22. 
The  word  rendered  7no2ith  in  A.V.,  trappings  in  R.V.,  is  of  doubtful 
meaning.  Some  explain,  whose  wild  spirit  7mist  be  curbed  &c. ;  but 
this  is  less  probable.  The  A.V.  of  the  last  line,  lest  they  come  near 
unto  thee,  to  hurt  thee,  gives  no  suitable  point  of  comparison,  and  must 
certainly  be  rejected. 

10.  The  warning  given  in  the  preceding  verse  is  confirmed  by  the 
contrast  between  the  lot  of  the  ungodly  and  the  faithful. 

fnany  sorrows']  Calamities  and  chastisements.  The  LXX  has 
fidariyes,  scourges.     Cp.  Job  xxxiii.  19. 


PSALM   XXXII.  II.     XXXIII.  I.  165 

But  he  that  trusteth  in  the  Lord,  mercy  shall  compass  him 
about. 

Be  glad  in  the  Lord,  and  rejoice,  ye  righteous  :  n 

And  shout  for  joy,  all  j^  that  are  upright  in  heart. 

inercy\  LovingMndness  (xxxi.  7,  16,  21;  xxxiii.  5,  18,  22).  The 
clause  may  also  be  rendered,  with  lovingkindness  will  he  compass  hitn 
about.     Cp.  V.  7. 

11.  Cp.  V.  11;  xxxiii.  i;  Neh.  viii.  to;  Phil.  iii.  i,  iv.  4;  i  Thess. 
V.  16.  All  kindred  spirits  must  share  the  joy  of  a  pardoned  soul,  and 
rejoice  in  the  contemplation  of  God's  gracious  dealings  with  His 
people. 

PSALM   XXXIII. 

The  Psalm  begins  by  repeating  the  call  to  praise  with  which  the 
preceding  Psalm  closed,  and  recites  the  grounds  on  which  Jehovah  is 
worthy  to  be  praised.  It  stands  here  as  an  answer  to  the  invitation  of 
xxxii.  II,  an  example  of  the  "songs  of  deliverance"  spoken  of  in  xxxii. 
7.  Yet  it  differs  widely  in  character  from  Ps.  xxxii.  That  Psalm  is 
an  instruction  based  upon  a  particular  personal  experience ;  this  is  a 
congregational  hymn  of  praise,  arising  (if  indeed  any  special  event 
inspired  it)  out  of  some  national  deliverance. 

Contrary  to  the  general  rule  in  Book  i  (Introd.  p.  xxxix),  it  has  no 
title  in  the  Hebrew,  though  the  LXX  ascribes  it  to  David. 

It  may  commemorate  some  national  deliverance  from  heathen  ene- 
mies {vv.  10,  II,  16  ff.)j  but  it  is  impossible  to  fix  its  date  or  occasion. 
It  does  not,  like  cxlvii,  which  has  many  points  of  resemblance  to  it, 
contain  clear  references  to  the  Restoration.  There  are  echoes  of  it 
in  Ps.  cxliv,  partly  in  later  language. 

The  structure  is  symmetrical.  To  the  introductory  call  to  praise 
(i — 3)  corresponds  the  concluding  profession  of  trust  in  Jehovah 
(20 — 22).  Between  these  comes  the  main  body  of  the  Psalm,  reciting 
the  grounds  upon  which  Jehovah  is  worthy  of  praise  and  trust.  This 
falls  into  two  equal  parts,  i.  Generally,  He  is  to  be  praised  for  His 
moral  attributes  (4,  5),  for  His  creative  Omnipotence  (6 — 9),  for  His 
sovereign  rule  (10,  11).  ii.  Specially,  He  is  to  be  praised  for  His 
choice  and  care  of  His  people  in  the  midst  of  the  nations  (12 — 15); 
material  force  is  a  delusion  (16,  17),  but  He  is  the  sure  Protector  of 
His  people  (18,  19).  Verses  4 — 19  are  arranged  in  couplets  or  in 
quatrains. 

Rejoice  in  the  Lord,  O  ye  righteous  :  33 

1 — 3.     Introductory  call  to  praise. 

1.  Rejoice]  Shout  for  joy:  the  same  verb  as  in  xxxii.  11  ^,  though 
in  a  different  form.  As  in  that  verse,  the  righteous  and  the  upright,  the 
true  Israelites,  are  addressed.  Praise  is  their  duty  and  their  honour :  in 
their  mouths  alone  is  it  seemly. 


l66  PSALM   XXXIII.  2—6. 

Fo7-  praise  is  comely  for  the  upright. 

2  Praise  the  Lord  with  harp : 

Sing  unto  him  with  the  psaltery  and  an  instrument  of  ten 
strings. 

3  Sing  unto  him  a  new  song ; 
Play  skilfully  with  a  loud  noise. 

4  For  the  word  of  the  Lord  is  right ; 
And  all  his  works  are  dofie  in  truth. 

5  He  loveth  righteousness  and  judgment : 
The  earth  is  full  ^the  goodness  of  the  Lord. 

6  By  the  word  of  the  Lord  were  the  heavens  made ; 
And  all  the  host  of  them  by  the  breath  of  his  mouth. 

iox praise  ^s'c.'X     OvcvX/or.     Cp.  cxlvii.  i  b. 

2.  Give  thanks  unto  tlie  Lord  witli  harp : 

Sing  praises  unto  him  with  the  psaltery  of  ten  strings  (R.V.). 
The  harp  and  psaltery  were  both  stringed  instruments,  differing  some- 
what in  form. 

3.  a  new  song\  Fresh  mercies  demand  a  fresh  expression  of  grati- 
tude. See  xl.  3;  and  cp.  xcvi.  i;  xcviii.  i ;  cxlix.  i;  Is.  xUi.  10; 
Judith  xvi.  13;  Rev.  v.  9.     Ps.  cxliv.  9  reproduces  2  b^  and  3  a. 

with  a  loud  noise]  Referring  either  to  the  music  itself,  or  to  the 
accompanying  shouts  of  joy.  See  note  on  xxvii.  6,  where  the  same 
word  is  rendered  y^v)'  in  A.V. 

4 — 11.     The  grounds  of  praise. 

4.  5.  The  moral  attributes  of  Jehovah.  Jehovah's  word  is  upright: 
the  same  word  as  in  v.  i;  cp.  xix.  8;  xxv.  8;  xcii.  15;  Hos.  xiv,  9: 
and  all  his  work  is  in  faithfulness:  cp.  Deut.  xxxii.  4;  Ps.  xxxvi.  5; 
xcii.  2.  PVoni  a.nd  work  need  not  be  limited;  they  include  all  the  ex- 
pressions of  the  Will  of  Him  Who  is  always  consistent  with  Himself 
(James  i.  17). 

5.  Righteousness  is  the  principle  of  justice;  judgment  the  application 
of  it  in  act.     Cp.  xxxvi.  6;  ciii.  6;  and  for  loveth  cp.  xi.  7. 

goodness]  Better,  as  R.V.,  lovlngMndness.  This  line  recurs  in 
cxix.  64. 

6 — 9.  Jehovah's  creative  omnipotence.  Word  is  the  expression  of 
thought;  command  of  will:  He  had  but  to  think  and  will,  and  the  Uni- 
verse came  into  being. 

6.  The  breath  of  his  mouth  is  synonymous  with  the  woi'd  of  the  LORD: 
together  they  represent  and  God  said  in  Gen.  i.  3  ff.  The  parallelism 
and  the  addition  of  his  7nouth  seem  to  exclude  a  reference  to  the  spirit 
of  God  in  Gen.  i,  2,  though  the  word  in  the  original  is  the  same.  The 
germ  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Word  in  John  i.  i,  3  may  be  found  here, 
though  of  course  the  Psalmist  had  no  idea  of  a  personal  Word.  Cp. 
cvii.  20;  and  Ecclus.  xliii.  26,  ''  Ry  his  word  all  things  consist."     The 


PSALM   XXXIII.  7-  II.  167 

He  gathereth  the  waters  of  the  sea  together  as  a  heap : 

He  layeth  up  the  depth  in  storehouses. 

Let  all  the  earth  fear  the  Lord  : 

Let  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  stand  in  awe  of  him. 

For  he  spake,  and  it  was  done; 

He  commanded,  and  it  stood  fast. 

The  Lord  bringeth  the  counsel  of  the  heathen  to  nought : 

He  maketh  the  devices  of  the  people  of  none  effect. 

The  counsel  of  the  Lord  standeth  for  ever, 

The  thoughts  of  his  heart  to  all  generations. 

host  of  heaven  (Gen.  ii.  i)  are  the  sun  moon  and  stars,  marching  forth 
like  an  army  in  ordered  array  at  God's  command  (Is.  xl.  26). 

7.  The  separation  of  land  and  water  (Gen.  i.  9,  10).  The  present 
tense  {gathereth .. .layeth  tip)  expresses  the  continued  action  of  main- 
tenance as  well  as  the  original  creation.  The  comparison  as  an  heap 
probably  refers  to  the  appearance  of  the  sea  from  the  shore,  and  may 
have  been  derived  from  Ex.  xv.  8;  cp.  Josh.  iii.  13,  16;  Ps.  Ixxviii.  13. 

But  all  the  Ancient  Versions  render  as  in  a  bottle,  reading  nod  for  ncd. 
To  the  infinite  power  of  the  Creator  the  bed  of  the  sea  is  but  as  the 
water-skin  which  a  man  carries  with  him  for  a  journey.  See  Is.  xl.  12, 
15.     Cp.  "the  pitchers  of  heaven"  (Job  xxxviii.  37). 

the  depth'X  Better  as  R.V.,  the  deeps:  the  vast  masses  of  water 
stored  away  in  subterranean  abysses  (Gen.  vii.  11;  Ps.  Ixxviii.  15). 
So  we  read  of  the  storehouses  of  the  wind  (cxxxv.  7=Jer.  x.  13),  of  the 
snow  and  hail  (Job  xxxviii.  22). 

8.  9.  With  what  awe  should  Ihan  regard  such  an  Almighty  Creator ! 
Cp.  the  argument  of  Amos,  iv.  13  ;  v.  8;  ix.  6.  Emphasis  is  laid  on  the 
wonder  of  the  method  of  creation,  by  the  simple  divine 7?^/. 

9.  For  HE  (emphatic)  spake,  and  it  was  (cp.  Gen.  i.  3,  7,  &c.); 
HE  commanded  and  it  stood;  came  into  existence  and  stood  there 
before  Him  ready  to  obey  His  commands;  or  simply,  stood  firm.  Cp. 
cxlviii.  5;  cxix.  90,  91;  Is.  xlviii.  13. 

10, 11.    Jehovah's  sovereignty  in  the  world. 

10.  bringeth... makethl  Or,  hath  brought... hath  made,  with  particu- 
lar reference  to  some  recent  event.  But  it  agrees  better  with  the  argu- 
ment oi  w.  4 — II  to  regard  the  words  as  expressing  a  general  truth, 
though  quite  possibly  it  had  been  verified  by  recent  experience. 

11.  The  A.V.  obscures  the  parallelism  between  w.  10  and  11.  The 
counsel  of  the  nations  and  the  thoughts  of  the  peoples  are  contrasted 
with  the  counsel  of  Jehovah  and  the  thoughts  of  his  heart.  His 
counsel  stands  fast  like  His  work  in  creation  {v.  9).  Cp.  Jer.  xxxiii. 
20,  21.  With  V.  10,  cp.  Is.  viii.  10;  Neh.  iv.  15;  with  v.  11,  cp.  Is. 
V.  19;  xix.  17;  xlvi.  10,  11;  Mic.  iv.  12;  Is.lv.  8,  9;  Jer.  xxix.  ir;  and 
generally,  Prov.  xix.  21;  xxi.  30.  To  us  the  words  may  suggest  that 
"through  the  ages  one  increasing  purpose  runs,"  and  point  forward  to 


168  PSALM   XXXIII.  12—16. 

12  Blessed  is  the  nation  whose  God  is  the  Lord  ; 

And  the  people  whom  he  hath  chosen  for  his  own  inheritance. 

13  The  Lord  looketh  from  heaven ; 
He  beholdeth  all  the  sons  of  men. 

M  From  the  place  of  his  habitation  he  looketh 
Upon  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth. 

15  He  fashioneth  their  hearts  alike ; 
He  considereth  all  their  works. 

16  There  is  no  king  saved  by  the  multitude  of  a  host : 
A  mighty  7nan  is  not  delivered  by  much  strength. 

"The  one  far-off  divine  event 
To  which  the  whole  creation  moves." 
The  addition  in  P.B.V.,  and  casteth  out  the  counsels  of  princes^  is 
derived  through  the  Vulg.  from  the  LXX. 

12 — 19.  From  the  nations  the  Psalmist  turns  to  the  chosen  people. 
Jehovah's  care  for  Israel  constitutes  His  special  claim  on  their  praise. 
Happy  the  nation  which  is  the  particular  object  of  the  choice  and  care 
of  the  omniscient  observer  of  men. 

12.  Blcssed\  Or,  happy;  see  note  on  i.  i.  This  'beatitude'  is 
based  on  Deut.  xxxiii.  29;  cp.  Deut.  iv.  6 — 8.  The  first  line  of  the 
verse  recurs  (with  some  variations)  in  cxliv.  15;  with  the  second  cp. 
xxviii.  9. 

13.  14.  The  Psalmist  dwells  upon  Jehovah's  all-seeing  omniscience 
in  order  to  emphasise  the  peculiar  privilege  of  His  people.  Throned 
in  heaven  (i  Kings  viii.  39  ff.)  He  surveys  all  mankind.  Cp.  xi.  4; 
xiv.  2;  cii.  19,  20. 

14.  looket/i]  R.V.  looketh  forth ;  a  rare  word,  different  from  that  in 
V.  13. 

15.  Even  he  who  formeth  the  hearts  of  them  all, 
Who  considereth  all  their  works. 

He  Who  created  man  must  know  man's  heart  (xciv.  9).  As  God 
'formed'  man  originally  (Gen.  ii.  7,  8),  so  He  continues  to  'form  the 
hearts '  of  individuals  and  of  races  (Zech.  xii.  i).  All  are  in  some  sense 
subservient  to  His  plan  and  purpose. 

16—19.  The  delusiveness  of  material  resources  is  contrasted  with 
Jehovah's  care  for  His  people.  The  discomfiture  of  Pharaoh  with  his 
host  and  horses  and  chariots  (Ex.  xiv.  17;  xv.  4)  may  have  been  in  the 
poet's  mind ;  and  '  saved '  again  recalls  Deut.  xxxiii.  29. 

16.  A  king  is  not  saved  by  a  numerous  host ;  or,  by  greatness  of 
power,  including  other  forces  beside  forces  of  soldiers.  Seexx.  7;  xliv. 
3  ff. ;  Ix.  1 1  f . ;  and  comp.  the  noble  expression  of  this  truth  in  i  Mace, 
iii.  19;  "The  victory  of  battle  standeth  not  in  the  multitude  of  an  host; 
but  strength  cometh  from  heaven." 


PSALM   XXXIII.  17-22.     XXXIV.  169 

A  horse  is  a  vain  thing  for  safety  :  i 

Neither  shall  he  deliver  any  by  his  great  strength. 

Behold,  the  eye  of  the  Lord  is  upon  them  that  fear  him,        1 

Upon  them  that  hope  in  his  mercy ; 

To  deliver  their  soul  from  death,  1 

And  to  keep  them  alive  in  famine. 

Our  soul  waiteth  for  the  Lord  :  ■ 

He  is  our  help  and  our  shield. 

For  our  heart  shall  rejoice  in  him,  ; 

Because  we  have  trusted  in  his  holy  name. 

Let  thy  mercy,  O  Lord,  be  upon  us, 

According  as  we  hope  in  thee. 

17.  A  horse — to  the  Israelites  cavalry  seemed  the  most  fonnidable 
part  of  an  army — is  but  a  vain  thing — lit.  a  lie,  a  delusion— yi?;-  safety — 
for  victory  (xxi.  i ) :  neither  can  it  give  escape  by  the  greatness  of  its 
power:  it  cannot  even  secure  its  rider's  escape  in  case  of  defeat.  Cp. 
Prov.  xxi.  31. 

18.  the  eye  of  the  Lord]  Cp.  xxxii.  8,  note;  xxxiv.  15;  Ezra  v.  5; 
Job  xxxvi.  7;   I  Pet.  iii.  12. 

that  hope  in  his  mercy]  Or,  that  wait  for  his  lovingkindness  (xxxi. 
24). 

19.  death]  Violent  death  by  war  or  pestilence  is  meant,  as  the 
parallel  line  shews.  Famine  was  a  common  scourge  in  Palestine 
(xxxvii.  19). 

20 — 22.  The  people's  concluding  profession  of  patient  trust  and  hope, 
corresponding  to  the  introductory  invitation  of  w.  i — 3,  and  springing 
naturally  out  of  the  consideration  of  Jehovah's  character  in  vv.  12 — 19. 

20.  waiteth]  R.V.  hath  waited;  a  different  word  from  that  in  vv. 
18,  22 ;  found  in  the  Psalter  again  only  in  cvi.  13;  but  used  in  Is.  viii. 
17;  XXX.  18;  Ixiv.  4;  &c. 

our  help  and  our  shield]  Cp.  again  Deut.  xxxiii.  29,  "  the  shield  of 
thy  help";  Ps.  iii.  3;  xxviii.  7;  and  cxv.  9,  10,  11. 

21.  his  holy  name]     See  note  on  xxx.  4. 

22.  Let  thy  lovingkindness  {vv.  5,  18),  0  Lord,  be  upon  us, 
According  as  we  have  hoped  in  thee  (or,  waited  for  thee). 

Comp.  xxxi.  I,  24;  Rom.  v.  4,  5. 


PSALM   XXXIV. 

Another  song  of  praise  (cp.  v.  i  with  xxxiii.  i).  The  Psalmist  grate- 
fully celebrates,  and  invites  others  to  join  him  in  celebrating,  Jehovah's 
care  for  those  who  fear  Him,  manifested  towards  himself  and  many 
another  afflicted  saint  (i— 10).     Then,  assuming  the  tone  of  a  teacher, 


I70  PSALM   XXXIV. 


he  sets  forth  the  essential  characteristics  of  the  fear  of  Jehovah,  and 
commends  it  by  a  consideration  of  the  blessings  which  He  bestows  on 
those  who  fear  Him  (ii — 21). 

The  verses  for  the  most  part  run  in  pairs. 

The  Psalm  is  closely  related  to  Ps.  xxv.  Both  are  alphabetic  Psalms, 
with  the  peculiarity  that  the  verse  beginning  with  Vav  is  omitted^, 
and  a  supplementary  verse  beginning  with  Fe  added  at  the  end  to 
make  up  the  number  of  letters  in  the  alphabet  (22).  For  the  ingenious 
though  improbable  conjecture  that  these  verses  record  the  names  of  the 
authors,  see  note  on  xxv.  22.  Both  Psalms  moreover  shew  a  striking 
affinity  in  thought  and  language  to  the  Book  of  Proverbs;  and  this 
Psalm  corresponds  to  Ps.  xxv  as  thanksgiving  to  prayer. 

The  title  assigns  the  Psalm  to  David,  when  he  feigned  niadness  (lit. 
changed  his  reason)  before  Abi7nelech  ;  and  he  drove  him  azvay^  and  he 
departed.  The  incident  referred  to  is  related  in  i  Sam.  xxi.  11  ff.,  where 
however  the  Philistine  king  is  called  Achish.  After  Saul's  massacre 
of  the  priests  at  Nob,  David  fled  to  Gath,  It  was  a  desperate 
expedient:  he  was  discovered,  and  only  escaped  with  his  life  by 
feigning  madness.  Ps.  Ivi  is  connected  by  its  title  with  the  same 
occasion. 

Most  modern  commentators  peremptorily  reject  the  title  as  of  no 
value.  The  Psalm,  they  think,  does  not  suit  the  supposed  occasion ; 
it  manifestly  bears  the  stamp  of  a  later  age ;  and  the  scribe  or  com- 
piler who  prefixed  the  title  took  it  from  i  Samuel,  substituting  Abime- 
lech  for  Achish  by  a  slip  of  memory. 

It  is  however  hard  to  suppose  such  ignorance  or  carelessness  on  the 
part  of  a  compiler;  and  the  facts  that  the  title  does  not  agree  with 
1  Sam.,  and  that  there  is  nothing  in  the  Psalm  to  suggest  that  par- 
ticular occasion,  are  really  in  favour  of  regarding  the  title  as  resting 
upon  some  independent  authority,  and  not  upon  mere  conjecture. 
Can  it  have  been  derived,  as  Delitzsch  thinks,  from  the  Annals  of 
Davids  one  of  the  older  works  from  which  the  Book  of  Samuel  was 
compiled  ?  The  difference  in  the  names  might  easily  be  accounted 
for  if  Abimelech  was  a  dynastic  name  or  royal  title,  like  Agag  among 
the  Amalekites,  or  Pharaoh  in  Egypt.     Cp.  Gen.  xx ;  xxi ;  xxvi. 

But  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  thought  and  style  are  those  of 
the  Book  of  Proverbs,  and  apparently  of  a  later  age.  Was  the  Psalm 
written  by  some  poet-sage,  who  thought  of  that  perilous  episode  in 
David's  life  as  one  of  the  most  striking  illustrations  of  the  truth  which 
he  wished  to  enforce? 

It  was  one  of  the  Eucharistic  Psalms  of  the  early  Church;  a  use  no 
doubt  suggested  by  v.  8.     See  Bingham's  Antiq.  v.  460. 

Vv.  I  and  15  connect  the  Psalm  with  xxxiii.  i  and  18;  z'.  7  links  it 
to  XXXV.  5,  6. 


1  In  Dr.  Scrivener's  edition,  from  which  the  text  of  the  present  edition  is  taken, 
the  letter  Vav  is  prefixed  to  the  second  line  oiv.  5.  But  throughout  the  Psalm  each 
letter  has  a  complete  distich,  and  it  is  preferable  to  suppose  that  Vav  is  omitted  as  in 
Ps,  xxv.  rather  than  that  He  and  Vav  have  only  a  single  line  each. 


PSALM   XXXIV.  1—5.  171 

A  Psalm  of  David,  when  he  changed  his  behaviour  before  Abimelech;  who  drove 
him  away,  and  he  departed. 

(X)  I  will  bless  the  Lord  at  all  times  :  34 

His  praise  shall  continually  be  in  my  mouth. 

(23)  My  soul  shall  make  her  boast  in  the  Lord  :  2 

The  humble  shall  hear  thereof,  and  be  glad. 

(3)  O  magnify  the  Lord  with  me,  3 

And  let  us  exalt  his  name  together. 

(n)  I  sought  the  Lord,  and  he  heard  me,  4 

And  delivered  me  from  all  my  fears. 

(n)  They  looked  unto  him,  and  were  lightened ;  5 

(*))  And  their  faces  were  not  ashamed. 

1,  2.     Resolution  of  praise. 

1.  His  praise]     Cp.  xxxiii.  i. 

2.  In  the  Lord  stands  emphatically  at  the  beginning  of  the  sen- 
tence in  the  original ;  in  Him,  and  not  in  any  of  the  worldling's 
objects  of  self-congratulation  (xlix.  6;  Jer.  ix.  23,  24),  shall  be  my 
boast. 

the  humble  &c.]  Probably,  let  the  humble  (or,  meek)  hear  and  be 
glad.  Cp.  V.  II.  He  claims  the  sympathy  of  those  who  have  learned 
humility  in  the  school  of  suffering.     See  note  on  ix.  12. 

3.  4,  Addressing  the  humble,  he  invites  them  to  join  in  thanks- 
giving for  his  deliverance. 

3.  magnify]  Man  makes  God  great  by  acknowledging  and  celebrating 
His  greatness  (Deut.  xxxii.  3),  and  exalts  His  Name  by  confessing  that 
He  is  supreme  above  all.     See  note  on  xxx.  i. 

4.  When  I  sought  Jehovah  (with  earnest  devotion,  see  note  on 
xxiv.  6),  he  answered  me^  and  rescued  vie  from  all  my  terrors  (xxxi.  13). 

6,  6.  Such  experience  of  Jehovah's  help  is  not  limited  to  the 
Psalmist. 

6.  They  looked  &c.]  The  subject  is  to  be  supplied  from  the  verb. 
They  that  looked  unto  him  looked,  and  were  brightened.  The  earnest 
gaze  of  faith  and  confidence  was  not  in  vain.  For  the  phrase  cp.  Is. 
xxxi.  i;  and  for  illustration  see  Num.  xxi.  9;  Zech.  xii.  10.  The 
Heb.  word  for  brightened  is  a  rare  word,  found  in  Is.  Ix.  5  (R.V.);  but 
this,  not  foT-ued  unto  him  (A.V.  niarg.)  is  the  right  sense.  In  most 
editions  They  flowed  is  wrongly  marked  as  the  alternative  to  They 
looked.     For  the  thought  cp.  xxxvi.  9. 

were  not  ashamed]  R.V.  shall  never  be  confounded,  lit.  put  to  the 
blush  with  disappointment :  a  word  which  has  not  met  us  before  in  the 
Psalter,  but  recurs  twice  in  Ps.  xxxv.  {vv.  4,  26),  and  elsewhere. 

The  reading  of  the  Massoretic  text  gives  a  fair  sense,  but  the  ancient 
Versions  (except  the  Targum)  read  an  imperative  in  the  first  clause, 
3.x\dL  yoicr  faces  in  the  second.     We  should  then  render,  Look  unto  him 


172  PSALM   XXXIV.  6-IO. 

(T)  This  poor  7nan  cried,  and  the  Lord  heard  him^ 

And  saved  him  out  of  all  his  troubles. 

(n)  The  angel  of  the  Lord  encampeth 

Round  about  them  that  fear  him,  and  delivereth  them. 

(to)  O  taste  and  see  that  the  Lord  is  good  : 

Blessed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in  him. 

C)  O  fear  the  Lord,  ye  his  saints : 

For  there  is  no  want  to  them  that  fear  him. 

O)  The  young  lions  do  lack,  and  suffer  hunger : 

and  be  brightened,  that  your  faces  may  not  be  cotifounded.  This  reading 
is  in  itself  probable,  and  is  supported  by  grammatical  considerations. 
The  connexion  of  thought  in  vv.  5,  6  will  then  be  exactly  the  same  as 
in  vv.  3,  4 ;  an  invitation,  followed  by  the  statement  of  a  fact  which 
supports  it. 

6.  Tliis  aflaicted  man  (see  note  on  ix.  12)  called,  and  Jehovah 
heard,  and  saved  him  out  of  all  his  distresses.  Cp.  ^'.  17 ;  xxxi.  7. 
Does  the  poet  point  to  himself,  or  to  one  here  and  another  there  who 
had  been  instances  of  God's  protecting  care  ? 

7.  The  angel  of  the  Lord\  That  mysterious  Being  who  appears  as 
Jeliovah's  representative  in  His  intercourse  with  man,  called  also  the 
angel  of  His  presence  (Is.  Ixiii.  9).  See  especially  Ex.  xxiii.  20  ff. 
Only  here  and  in  xxxv.  5,  6  is  he  mentioned  in  the  Psalter.  He  pro- 
tects those  who  fear  Jehovah  like  an  army  encamping  round  a  city  to 
defend  it  (Zech.  ix.  8) ;  or  perhaps,  since  he  is  '  the  captain  of  Jeho- 
vah's host'  (Josh.  V.  14),  he  is  to  be  thought  of  as  surrounding  them 
with  the  angelic  legions  at  his  command.  See  for  illustration  Gen. 
xxxii.  2  (God's  camp) ;  2  Kings  vi.  16  f.  For  an  examination  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  angel  of  the  Lord  see  Oehler's  0.  T.  Theology,  §§  59,  60. 

8.  0  taste  &c.]  Make  but  trial,  and  you  will  perceive  what  His 
goodness  is  toward  them  who  fear  Him.  Cp.  xxvii.  13.  The  adap- 
tation of  the  words  in  i  Pet.  ii.  3  follows  the  rendering  of  the  LXX, 
on  xpT](nh%  6  Ki^ptoy.  It  is  significant  that  the  words  are  there  applied 
to  Christ.     See  Bp.  Westcott's  Hebrecvs,  pp.  89  ff. 

blessed  &c.]  Or,  happy  is  the  jnan  that  taketh  refuge  in  him.  Cp. 
ii.  12;  and  i.  i;  xxxii.  2;  but  the  word  for  jnan  here  is  a  different 
one.  It  means  properly  a  strong  man,  and  suggests  the  thought  that 
be  he  never  so  strong  in  himself,  man's  only  true  happiness  is  in 
dependence  on  Jehovah. 

9.  10.     His  saints  want  for  nothing. 

9.  saints]  Not  the  word  commonly  so  rendered,  e.g.  in  xxx.  4 ; 
xxxi.  23;  but  as  in  xvi.  3,  holy  ones:  those  whose  character  corre- 
sponds to  their  calling  as  members  of  the  holy  nation  (Ex.  xix.  6  ; 
Lev.  xi.  44,  45). 

7ijant]  A  word  found  here  only  in  the  Psalter,  but  eight  times  in 
Proverbs. 

10.  The  young  lions']     Best  understood  literally,  not  as  a  metaphor 


PSALM    XXXIV.  11—14.  173 

But  they  that  seek  the  Lord  shall  not  want  any  good  thing, 

(7)  Come,  ye  children,  hearken  unto  me  : 

I  will  teach  you  the  fear  of  the  Lord. 

(D)  What  man  is  he  that  desireth  life. 

And  loveth  many  days,  that  he  may  see  good? 

Q)  Keep  thy  tongue  from  evil. 

And  thy  lips  from  speaking  guile. 

(D)  Depart  from  evil,  and  do  good; 

for  the  rich  (LXX  TrXoucrtot,  though  possibly  from  a  different  reading),  or 
powerful  oppressors  (xxxv.  17).  The  sense  is  that  the  strongest  beasts 
of  prey,  most  capable  of  providing  for  themselves,  may  suffer  want 
(Job  iv.  11);  not  so  God's  people.     Cp.  xxiii.  i. 

For  the  touching  connexion  of  these  words  with  St  Columba's  last 
hours  see  Ker's  Psalms  in  History  and  Biography,  p.  62.  He  was 
transcribing  the  Psalter,  and  at  this  verse  he  laid  down  his  pen. 
"Here  at  the  end  of  the  page  I  must  stop;  what  follows  let  Baithen 
write."  "The  last  verse  he  had  written,"  says  his  biographer  Adam- 
nan,  "  was  very  applicable  to  the  saint  who  was  about  to  depart,  and 
to  whom  eternal  good  shall  never  be  wanting;  while  the  one  that 
followeth  is  equally  applicable  to  the  father  who  succeeded  him,  the 
instructor  of  his  spiritual  children." 

11  ff.  If  such  are  the  blessings  promised  to  those  who  fear  the 
Lord,  how  essential  to  know  what  the  fear  of  the  Lord  is  !  Accord- 
ingly the  poet  adopts  the  language  of  a  teacher  and  addresses  his  sons. 
So  the  teacher  in  Prov.  i — viii  constantly  addresses  his  disciples  as 
sons  (iv.  i),  or  my  son. 

11.  the  fear  of  the  Lord]  Including  both  the  devout  reverence  which 
is  essential  to  a  right  relation  of  man  to  God,  and  the  conduct  \Ahich  it 
demands.  The  phrase  is  characteristic  of  Proverbs,  occurring  in  that 
book  almost  as  often  as  in  all  the  rest  of  the  O.  T.  See  especially  viii. 
13;  ix.  10;  and  cp.  Is.  xi.  2,  3;  i  Pet.  i.  17. 

12.  The  challenge  with  its  answer  in  vv.  13,  14  is  a  vivid  and  forcible 
equivalent  for  Whosoever  desires... let  him  ^c.     Cp.  xxv.  12. 

life]  Not  mere  existence,  but  life  worthy  of  the  name  (xvi.  1 1 ;  xxx. 
5) ;  again  a  word  characteristic  of  Proverbs,  and  connected  there  too 
with  the  fear  of  the  Lord  (xiv.  27;  xix.  23;  xxii.  4). 

and  loveth]  Lit.,  loving  days  for  seeing  good ^  explaining  and  empha- 
sising the  preceding  line.  Cp.  v.  10;  iv.  6.  Z>^^j- =  length  of  days 
(Prov.  iii.  2;  x.  27). 

13.  Keep]  Guard.  Cp.  Prov.  xiii.  3  (R.  V.);  xxi.  23;  Ps.  xxxix. 
i;  James  iii.  2  ff. 

guile]     Deceit.     Cp.  xxxv.  20;  xxxvi.  3. 

14.  The  first  line  recurs  in  xxxvii.  27.  Comp.  the  character  of  Job, 
the  ideal  righteous  man  (i.  i,  8;  ii.  3);  and  Job  xxviii.  28;  Prov.  xvi. 
17. 


174  PSALM   XXXIV.  15—18. 

Seek  peace,  and  pursue  it. 

15  (y)  The  eyes  of  the  Lord  are  upon  the  righteous, 
And  his  ears  are  ope7i  unto  their  cry. 

16  (^)  The  face  of  the  Lord  is  against  them  that  do 

evil. 
To  cut  off  the  remembrance  of  them  from  the  earth. 

17  (^)  The  righteous  cry,  and  the  Lord  heareth, 
And  delivereth  them  out  of  all  their  troubles. 

18  (p)  The  Lord  is  nigh  unto  them  that  are  of  a  broken  heart; 

And  saveth  such  as  be  of  a  contrite  spirit. 

piirstie  it]  Do  not  be  discouraged  if  it  should  need  prolonged  effort 
to  overtake  it.  Cp.  the  pursuit  of  righteousness  (Prov.  xxi.  21  ;  Is.  li. 
i);  and  see  Rom.  xiv.  19;  Heb.  xii.  14.  In  P.B.V.  escheiv  and  ensue 
are  archaisms  for  avoid  and.  follow  after. 

15  fiF.  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  commended  by  the  consideration  of 
His  favour  toward  the  righteous,  which  is  contrasted  with  His  dis- 
pleasure against  the  Mdcked. 

15.  With  the  first  line  cp.  xxxiii.  18.  More  literally,  toward  the 
righteous,  as  R.  V.  renders  here  but  not  there,  though  the  prepositions 
are  the  same. 

his  ears  &c.]  Lit.,  his  ears  are  toward  their  cry  for  help:  cp.  my 
cry  for  help  was  in  his  ears  (xviii.  6). 

16.  The  face  of  the  Lord  means  the  manifestation  of  His  Presence, 
either  as  here  in  wrath  (cp.  ix.  3),  or  as  in  Num.  vi.  25,  in  blessing. 
See  Oehler's  0.  T.  Theology,  §  57.  Comp.  "The  Lord  looked  forth 
upon  the  host  of  the  Egyptians... and  discomfited  them"  (Ex.  xiv.  24). 

the  remembrance  of  them]  Or,  their  ?nemorial ;  even  the  name  by 
which  they  might  be  remembered.  Cp.  ix.  5,  6 ;  Job  xviii.  17.  Contrast 
cxii.  6. 

17.  They  cried,  and  Jehovah  heard ; 

And  rescued  them  out  of  all  their  distresses. 

We  may  understand  a  subject  from  the  verb,  they  zvho  cried  cried ^ 
as  in  V.  5,  i.e.,  when  any  cried:  or  with  LXX  and  Vulg.  supply  the 
righteous.  (Had  the  LXX  this  reading,  or  did  they  merely  insert  the 
word  from  v.  15?)  It  has  been  conjectured  that  vv.  15  and  16  should 
be  transposed,  so  that  the  righteous  '\nv.  15  would  be  the  natural  subject 
to  V.  17.  This  transposition  deserts  the  present  order  of  the  letters  of 
the  alphabet,  but  is  justified  by  Lam.  ii,  iii,  iv,  and  Prov.  xxxi  according 
to  the  LXX,  where  Pe  precedes  Ayin.  But  it  may  be  doubted  if  the 
rearrangement  is  a  gain. 

18.  nigh  &c.]  Cp.  cxix.  151;  Is.  1.  8;  and  the  contrast,  Ps.  x.  i. 
The  broken  in  heart  and  crushed  in  spirit  are  those  who  have  been 
broken  down  and  crushed  by  sorrow  and  suffering  (cxlvii.  3 ;  Is.  Ixi.  i ; 
Jer.  xxiii.  9) ;  in  whom,  it  is  implied,  affliction  has  borne  fruit,  and  all 


PSALM   XXXIV.  19—22.    XXXV.  175 

O)  Many  are  the  afflictions  of  the  righteous ; 

But  the  Lord  delivereth  him  out  of  them  all. 

(^)  He  keepeth  all  his  bones  : 

Not  one  of  them  is  broken. 

(ri)  Evil  shall  slay  the  wicked  : 

And  they  that  hate  the  righteous  shall  be  desolate. 

(fi)  The  Lord  redeemeth  the  soul  of  his  servants  : 

And  none  of  them  that  trust  in  him  shall  be  desolate. 

self-asserting  pride  has  been  subdued  and  replaced  by  true  contrition 
and  humility. 

19.  No  exemption  from  evils  is  promised  to  the  righteous  man,  but 
out  of  them  all  the  Lord  rescues  him  {vv.  4,  17). 

20.  As  breaking  the  bones  is  a  forcible  metaphor  for  the  torture  of 
pain  that  racks  the  bodily  framework  (li.  8;  Is.  xxxviii.  13),  or  for  cruel 
oppression  (Mic.  iii.  3),  so  keeping  them  denotes  the  safe  preservation  of 
the  man's  whole  being.  See  note  on  vi,  2.  This  passage  as  well  as 
Ex.  xii.  46  may  have  been  present  to  the  Evangelist's  mind  as  fulfilled 
in  Christ  (John  xix.  36).  The  promise  to  the  righteous  man  found  an 
imexpectedly  literal  realisation  in  the  passion  of  the  perfectly  Righteous 
One. 

21.  While  the  righteous  is  rescued  out  of  all  evils  {v.  19),  evil  brings 
the  wicked  to  his  death.  His  evil  ways  work  out  their  own  punishment, 
and  divine  retribution  overtakes  him.     (Rom.  vi.  21,  23.) 

21,  22.  shall  be  desolate']  R.V.  shall  be  condemned;  or,  marg., 
held  guilty,     Cp.  v.  10. 

22.  A  second  verse  beginning  with  Pe^  like  xxv.  22,  where  see  note. 


PSALM   XXXV. 

Relentless  enemies  are  seeking  the  Psalmist's  life.  Their  hostility  is 
groundless,  and  its  maliciousness  is  aggravated  by  their  ingratitude.  He 
appeals  to  Jehovah  to  do  him  justice  and  deliver  him. 

Each  of  these  points  is  strikingly  illustrated  by  the  narrative  of  David's 
persecution  by  Saul. 

(i)  Saul  was  seeking  David's  life.  With  vv,  4,  7,  cp.  i  Sam.  xx.  i ; 
xxiii.  15;  xxiv.  11;  xxv.  29. 

(2)  Saul's  enmity  had  been  fomented  by  the  malicious  slanders  of 
courtiers  who  were  jealous  of  David;  men  with  whom  no  doubt  he 
had  been  on  friendly  terms  at  the  court.  Again  and  again  he  protests 
his  innocence  of  the  charges  of  disloyalty  brought  against  him.  With 
w.  7,  II  ff.,  19,  cp.  I  Sam.  xix.  5;  xx.  i;  xxiv.  9,  11;  xxvi.  18,  19; 
and  Saul's  confession  of  ingratitude,  xxiv.  1 7  ff. 

(3)  With  the  appeal  to  God  as  the  judge,  vv.  i,  23,  24,  cp.  i  Sam. 
xxiv.  12,  15. 

But  it  is  not  against  Saul  himself  that  the  Psalm  (if  it  is  David's)  is 
directed,  but  against  the  men  who  fomented   Saul's  insane  jealousy. 


176  PSALM   XXXV.  i,  2. 

Envious  of  David's  sudden  rise,  they  left  no  means  untried  to  bring 
about  his  fall.     Comp.  Introd.  to  Ps.  vii. 

Attention  has  however  been  called  to  the  points  of  contact  with 
Jeremiah,  and  the  Psalm  has  been  attributed  to  him  by  some  commen- 
tators. Thus  V.  6  finds  a  parallel  in  Jer.  xxiii.  12;  v.  12  in  Jer.  xviii. 
20,  1^\vv.  21  b,  25  in  Lam.  ii.  16;  &c.  But  it  may  well  be  questioned 
whether  Jeremiah  is  not  merely  borrowing  the  language  of  the  Psalm ; 
and  it  should  be  noted  that  the  military  figures  of  vv.  i — 3,  which 
would  not  be  natural  for  him,  find  no  parallel  in  his  book. 

The  Psalm  falls  into  three  divisions,  each  ending  with  a  vow  of 
thanksgiving. 

i.  vv.  1 — 10.  Appeal  to  Jehovah  to  arm  himself  as  the  Psalmist's 
champion  (i — 3) :  prayer  for  the  repulse  and  rout  of  his  enemies  (4 — 6), 
and  for  the  recoil  of  their  groundless  hostihty  upon  themselves  (7,  8) ; 
with  a  concluding  vow  of  thanksgiving  (9,  10). 

ii.  vv.  11 — 18.  The  base  ingratitude  of  his  persecutors.  They 
accuse  him  falsely,  and  return  evil  for  good  (11,  12);  for  while  in  their 
trouble  he  shewed  the  most  friendly  sympathy  (13,  14),  they  requite 
him  with  slander  and  hatred  {15,  16).  Prayer  for  deliverance  and  vow 
of  thanksgiving  (17,  18). 

iii.  vv.  19 — 28.  Renewed  prayer  that  Jehovah  will  not  allow  such 
malignant  and  spiteful  foes  to  triumph  but  will  do  him  justice;  that  he 
and  all  who  hold  with  him  may  rejoice  in  the  manifestation  of  Jehovah's 
favour. 

The  points  of  contact  with  Pss.  vii;  xxii;  xxxviii — xl;  Ixix;  should 
be  noticed. 

On  prayer  for  the  destruction  of  enemies,  see  Introd.  p.  Ixx  ff. 

A  Psabn  of  David. 

35  Plead  7?iy  cause,  O  Lord,  with  them  that  strive  with  me : 
Fight  against  them  that  fight  against  me. 
2  Take  hold  of  shield  and  buckler, 

1 — 3.     Appeal  to  Jehovah  to  arm  himself  as  the  Psalmist's  champion. 

1.  Plead  my  cause]  There  is  as  it  were  a  suit  between  him  and  his 
enemies.  He  appeals  to  Jehovah  the  Judge  to  do  him  justice  (cp.  vv. 
23,  24).  But  the  court  in  which  the  cause  is  to  be  tried  is  the  field  of 
battle ;  and  therefore  (dropping  the  figure  of  a  suit)  he  calls  on  Jehovah 
to  arm  on  his  behalf.  So  in  ix.  4  victory  is  regarded  as  a  judicial 
decision.  Cp.  i  Sam.  xxiv.  15;  xxv.  39.  The  renderings  strive  with 
them  that  strive  with  me  (R.  V.) ;  or,  (as  Is.  xlix.  25),  contend  with 
them  that  contend  with  me,  obscure  this  point,  and  miss  the  connexion 
with  V.  23.  Plead  my  cause  with  them  that  implead  me  (Cheyne) 
represents  the  original  better. 

2,  3.  'Anthropomorphic'  language  of  remarkable  boldness,  expand- 
ing the  idea  of  Jehovah  as  "a  man  of  war"  (Exod.  xv.  3:  cp.  Deut. 
xxxii.  41  f.). 

shield  and  buckler]  See  note  on  v.  1 2.  The  mention  of  both  together 
is  part  of  the  poetical  picture. 


PSALM   XXXV.  3-6.  177 


And  stand  up  for  mine  help. 

Draw  out  also  the  spear,  and  stop  the  way  against  them  that  3 

persecute  me : 
Say  unto  my  soul,  I  am  thy  salvation. 
Let  them  be  confounded  and  put  to  shame  that  seek  after  4 

my  soul : 
Let  them  be  turned  back  and  brought  to  confusion  that 

devise  my  hurt. 
Let  them  be  as  chaff  before  the  wind  :  5 

And  let  the  angel  of  the  Lord  chase  them. 
Let  their  way  be  dark  and  slippery :  .6 

And  let  the  angel  of  the  Lord  persecute  them. 

stand  up  for  mine  help\  Rather,  Arise  as  my  help.  Arise  (see  notes 
on  iii.  7 ;  vii.  6)  in  the  character  and  capacity  of  my  helper  (xxvii.  9). 

Draw  out]  From  the  armoury,  or  more  probably  from  the  spear- 
holder  in  which  it  was  kept  when  not  in  use  (Gr.  dovpoSoKr),  Hom.  Od. 
i.  128).     The  word  is  used  of  drawing  a  sword  from  its  sheath  (Ex.  xv.  9). 

stoJ>  the  way]  All  the  ancient  versions  render  the  word  s'^or  as  an 
imperative ;  and  this  gives  a  good  sense.  First  the  enemy  are  checked 
in  their  pursuit ;  then  (vv.  4  ff.)  put  to  flight.  But  an  ellipse  of  t/ie  way 
is  harsh;  the  verb  s/mt  is  not  so  used  elsewhere;  and  the  preposition 
against  seems  to  imply  attack.  Hence  many  modern  commentators 
regard  the  woi*d  as  the  name  of  a  weapon  not  mentioned  elsewhere  in 
the  O.  T.,  battle-axe  (R.  V.  marg.)  or,  dirk  (Cheyne);  the  equiva- 
lent of  the  sagaris  mentioned  by  Greek  historians  as  the  characteristic 
weapon  of  Persians,  Scythians,  and  other  Asiatics. 

that  persecute  me]  Rather,  that  pursue  me  (R.  V.).  Cp.  i  Sam. 
xxiv.  14;  &c. 

say  unto  my  soul  &c.]  Give  me  the  comforting  assurance  of  thy 
interposition  for  my  deliverance.  Cp.  iii.  2,  8  and  notes  there.  The 
primary  meaning  of  the  words  is  of  course  temporal  not  spiritual. 

4 — 6.     Prayer  for  the  repulse  and  rout  of  his  enemies.     No  doubt 
the  language  might  be  entirely  figurative,    but  it  is   more  naturally 
explained  if  a  literal  fulfilment  was  at  least  a  possibility. 
4.    Ashamed  and  dishonoured  he  they  that  seek  my  life ; 

Turned  hack  and  confounded  he  they  that  devise  my  hurt. 
For  that  seek  my  life  (or,  soul)  cp.  i  Sam.  xx.  i ;  &c.     Let  them  be 
disappointed  in   their   aim,   repulsed  with  ignominy  in  their  attack. 
Cp.  V.  26;  xl.  14;  vi.  10. 
6,  6.        Let  them  he  as  chaff  hefore  the  wind. 

The  angel  of  Jehovah  thrusting  them  down. 
Let  their  way  he  all  dark  and  slippery, 
The  angel  of  Jehovah  pursuing  them. 
A  terrible  picture  of  a  pell-mell  rout.     Does  it  not  read  like  a  recol- 
lection of  some  incident  in  a  warrior's  life,  perhaps  some  defeat  of  the 

PSALMS  12 


178  PSALM   XXXV.  7—10. 

7  For  without  cause  have  they  hid  for  me  tlieir  net  in  a  pit, 

WJiich  without  cause  they  have  digged  for  my  soul. 

8  Let  destruction  come  upon  him  at  unawares ; 
And  let  his  net  that  he  hath  hid  catch  himself: 
Into  that  very  destruction  let  him  fall. 

9  And  my  soul  shall  be  joyful  in  the  Lord  : 
It  shall  rejoice  in  his  salvation. 

10  All  my  bones  shall  say, 
Lord,  who  is  like  unto  thee, 


Philistines?  Helpless  as  chaff  before  the  wind  (i.  4:  Ixxxiii.  13)  they 
are  driven  headlong  down  a  dark  and  slippery  track,  where  they  can 
neither  see  nor  keep  their  footing,  with  the  dread  Angel  smiting  them 
down  as  they  vainly  strive  to  escape.  "The  tracks  down  the  lime- 
stone hills  of  Palestine  ai'e  often  worn  as  smooth  as  marble"  {Kay). 

Most  probably  the  participles  should  be  transposed.  Pursumg  suits 
the  image  of  the  storm-driven  chaff  (Is.  xvii.  13);  thrusting  down 
(xxxvi.  12;  cxviii.  13;  cxl.  4)  agrees  better  with  the  picture  of  the 
stumbling  fugitives.  For  the  angel  of  yehovah  see  note  on  xxxiv.  7. 
Cp.  the  reminiscence  of  this  passage  in  Jeremiah  xxiii.  12. 

7,  8.  The  causelessness  of  their  insidious  enmity  is  the  ground  for 
such  a  prayer.     May  their  schemes  recoil  on  their  own  heads. 

7.  The  word  for  pit  must  be  transposed  from  the  first  line,  where  it 
is  superfluous  and  awkward,  to  the  second  line,  where  it  is  required. 
Render 

For  without  cause  have  they  hid  a  net  for  me : 
Without  cause  have  they  dug  a  pit  for  my  soul  {life). 
The  metaphors  from  the  hunter's  nets  and  pitfalls  express  the  insidi- 
ous character  of  their  secret  plots.     Cp.  again  Jer.  xviii.  20,  22. 

8.  Let  his  mischief  recoil  upon  his  own  head.  Cp.  vii.  15  ;  ix.  15; 
Ivii.  6;  and  with  the  first  line  cp.  Is.  xlvii.  11.  Does  the  singular 
individualise  each  one  of  the  enemies,  or  particularise  one  above  all 
the  rest,  or  speak  of  them  collectively  in  the  mass?  It  is  less  easy  to 
decide  here  than  in  vii.  2. 

into  that  very  destruction  let  him  fair\  R.V.  renders.  With  destruc- 
tion let  him  fall  therein,  retaining  A.V.  in  the  marg.  But  neither 
rendering  is  satisfactory;  and  it  is  possible  (especially  in  view  of  the 
almost  certain  textual  errors  in  vv.  5,  6,  7)  that  the  original  reading 
was,  and  his  pit  that  he  hath  dug,  let  him  fall  therein. 

9.  10.     Rejoicing  for  deliverance. 

10.  All  my  l>ones]  The  bodily  frame  feels  the  thrill  of  joy  as  it 
feels  the  pain  of  sorrow.     Cp.  li.  8;  and  see  note  on  vi.  2. 

who  is  like  unto  thee]  Incomparable  for  power  and  goodness.  Cp. 
Ex.  XV.  ir;  Mic.  vii.  18. 


PSALM   XXXV.  II— 13.  179 

Which  deliverest  the  poor  from  him  that  is  too  strong  for 

him, 
Yea,  the  poor  and  the  needy  from  him  that  spoileth  him  ? 
False  witnesses  did  rise  up  ;  n 

They  laid  to  my  charge  things  that  I  knew  not. 
They  rewarded  me  evil  for  good  12 

To  the  spoiling  of  my  soul. 
But  as  for  me,  when  they  were  sick,  my  clothing  was  sack-  13 

cloth  : 
I  humbled  my  soul  with  fasting ; 
And  my  prayer  returned  into  mine  own  bosom. 

the  poor"]  The  afflicted,  often  coupled  with  the  needy  (xxxvii.  14; 
xl.  17;  Ixxxvi.  I ;  &c.) 

11 — 18.  The  causelessness  of  the  Psalmist's  persecution  and  the 
ingratitude  of  his  persecutors  are  urged  as  reasons  for  God's  inter- 
ference on  his  behalf. 

11.  False  zvitnesses']  Rather,  unrighteous,  or,  malicious,  witnesses 
rise  up ;  lit.,  witnesses  of  violence,  as  in  Ex.  xxiii.  i ;  Deut.  xix.  16. 
Cp.  Ps.  xxvii.  12  (A.V.  ci'uelty). 

they  laid  to  my  charge  &c.]  R.V.  they  ask  of  me  things  that  I 
know  not :  calling  me  to  account  for  crimes,  of  which  I  have  not 
even  any  knowledge.  Cp.  Ixix.  4.  The  phraseology  is  that  of  a  court ; 
not  that  the  Psalmist  is  to  be  thought  of  as  actually  put  upon  his 
trial.  David  was  falsely  and  maliciously  accused  of  treason  and  con- 
spiracy against  the  king's  life  (i  Sam.  xxiv.  9).     Cp.  Mt.  xxvi.  59  ff. 

12.  They  rewarded  &c.]  Better,  as  R.V.,  they  reward.  As  in 
the  preceding  verse  he  speaks  of  what  is  still  going  on.  His  enemies 
are  guilty  of  the  basest  ingratitude.  Cp.  xxxviii.  20;  cix.  5;  Prov. 
xvii.  13.  Saul  confessed  that  he  had  treated  David  thus  (i  Sam. 
xxiv.  17  ff.). 

to  the  spoiling  of  my  souI\  Render  as  R.V.,  to  the  bereaving  of 
my  soul :  or  perhaps,  it  is  bereavement  to  my  soul.  Such  conduct  makes 
him  feel  as  desolate  as  the  childless  mother. 

13.  The  'good'  he  had  done  to  them.  His  sympathy  when  they 
were  in  trouble  was  no  mere  formality.  He  prayed  for  their  recovery, 
humbling  himself  before  God  with  mourning  and  fasting  (Ixix.  10, 
11;  2  Sam.  xii.  16;  Joel  ii.  12),  that  their  sin  might  be  forgiven  and 
their  sickness  removed. 

humbled']  R.V.,  afflicted.  It  is  the  technical  term  for  fasting  in 
the  Law.     See  Lev.  xvi.  29,  31;  xxiii.  27,  32;  Num.  xxix.  7;  Is.  Iviii. 

3.  5- 

and  my  prayer  returned  into  tmne  own  bosom]  An  obscure  phrase; 
not  to  be  explained  of  the  attitude  of  earnest  prayer  with  head  bent 
down  on  the  bosom  so  that  the  prayer  which  came  from  his  heart 
seemed  to  return  thither  again  (i  Kings  xviii.  42  does  not  justify  this- 

12 2 


i8o  PSALM   XXXV.  14—16. 

14  I  behaved  myself  as  though  he  had  been  my  friend  or  brother: 
I  bowed  down  heavily,  as  one  that  mourneth  for  his  mother. 

15  But  in  mine  adversity  they  rejoiced,  and  gathered  them- 

selves together : 
Yea^  the  abjects  gathered  themselves  together  against  me, 

and  I  knew  it  not ; 
They  did  tear  vie^  and  ceased  not : 

16  With  hypocritical  mockers  in  feasts, 
They  gnashed  upon  me  with  their  teeth. 

explanation) :  nor  again,  that  his  prayer  returned  to  him  without  effect- 
ing its  object  (Matt.  x.  13),  for  there  would  be  no  point  in  his  prayer 
being  unanswered  :  but  rather,  my  prayer  shall  return  into  mine  own 
"bosom.  They  have  recompensed  him  evil  for  good ;  but  his  prayer  will 
not  be  unrewarded.  As  the  causeless  curse  returns  with  interest  into 
the  bosom  whence  it  issues  (Ixxix.  12),  so  the  prayer  at  least  brings 
back  a  blessing  to  its  offerer  (Jer.  xviii.  20). 

14.  Better  with  R.V., 

I  behaved  myself  as  though  it  had  been  my  friend  or  my  brother : 
I  bowed  down  mourning,  as  one  that  bewaileth  his  mother. 
Had  they  been  his  nearest  and  dearest,  he  could  not  have  displayed 
deeper  grief. 

The  verse  would  be  improved  by  a  slight  transposition  (which  is 
supported  by  xxxviii.  6),  thus ;  /  boivcd  dozvn  (descriptive  of  the 
mourner's  gait  with  the  head  bowed  down  by  the  load  of  sorrow).../ 
7vent  mourning  (like  Lat.  sqiialidus,  of  all  the  outward  signs  of  grief, 
dark  clothes,  tear-stained  unwashed  face,  untrimmed  hair  and  beard — ■ 
see  2  Sam.  xix.  24). 

15.  But  at  my  halting  they  rejoice,  and  gather  themselves  toge- 
ther. Limping,  like  stumbling,  is  a  figure  for  misfortune.  Cp. 
xxxviii.  17;  Jer.  xx.  10. 

Yea,  the  abjects]  The  word  rendered  abjects  is  of  doubtful  meaning 
and  possibly  corrupt.  (i)  According  to  the  rendering  of  A.  V., 
retained  by  R.V.,  the  sense  is,  that  with  his  other  enemies  were  asso- 
ciated the  lowest  outcasts,  a  rabble  of  men  whom  he  knew  not  (Job 
XXX.  8  ff. ) ;  for  the  last  words  of  the  line  must  be  rendered  with  R. V. 
marg.,  and  ihose  whom  I  kneto  not.  (2)  But  the  form  of  the  sentence 
rather  points  to  a  description  of  the  conduct  of  the  men  who  have  been 
mentioned  already :  so  (retaining  or  slightly  altering  the  present  text), 
they  gather  themselves  together  smiting  vie  2inazvares,  or,  for  things  that 
I  kftow  not.  The  wounds  of  slander  are  meant  (Jer.  xviii.  18).  So 
the  Targum  :  ivicked  men  ivho  smite  me  luith  their  zvords.  (3)  Various 
emendations  have  been  proposed.  One  that  has  found  some  favour, 
strangers,  is  foreign  to  the  rest  of  the  Psalm. 

they  did  tear  me  &c.]  They  rend  me,  and  cease  not.  Like  beasts 
of  prey  (Hos.  xiii.  8) ;  or  as  we  talk  of  tearing  a  man's  reputation  to 
shreds, 

16.  lake  (less  probably,  among)  the  profanest  of  mocking  para- 


PSALM   XXXV.  17—21.  181 


Lord,  how  long  wilt  thou  look  on  ?  17 

Rescue  my  soul  from  their  destructions, 

My  darling  from  the  lions. 

I  will  give  thee  thanks  in  the  great  congregation  :  is 

I  will  praise  thee  among  much  people. 

Let   not   them   that   are  mine  enemies  wrongfully  rejoice  19 

over  me : 
Neither  let  them  wink  with  the  eye  that  hate  me  without 

a  cause. 
For  they  speak  not  peace  :  ao 

But  they  devise  deceitful  matters  against  them  that  are  quiet 

in  the  land. 
Yea,  they  opened  their  mouth  wide  against  me,  21 

And  said,  Aha,  aha,  our  eye  hath  seen  it. 

sites,  they  gnash  &c. ;  a  gesture  of  rage,  as  though  they  would  devour 
their  victim  {v.  25).  The  obscure  phrase  in  the  fii'st  line  is  generally 
explained  to  mean  mockejs  for  a  cake,  buffoons  who  purchase  enter- 
tainment for  themselves  by  scurrilous  jests  (Gr.  KPicaoKoXaKes,  ^w/to- 
KoXaKes,  Lat.  bticccUarii).  Another  explanation  is,  like  (or,  among)  the 
profanest  of  perverse  mockers. 

17,  18.     A  cry  for  help,  and  a  vow  of  thanksgiving. 

17.  wilt  thou  look  oji]  Lit.  taiU  thou  see,  as  in  v.  11,  and  not 
interfere.     A.V.  gives  the  sense  rightly. 

rescue  juy  soul]   Restore,  lit.,  btHtig  back,  my  life,  for  it  is  all  but  lost. 
viy  darling]     Lit.  7?iy  only  one,  i.e.  my  precious  life.     See  on  xxii.  20. 
The  lions  are  his  savage  persecutors  (Ivii.  4). 

18.  Another  parallel  to  Ps.  xxii,  w.  22,  25.     Cp.  xl.  9,  ro. 

much  people]  Or,  a  mighty  people  (R.  V.  marg.).  The  publicity  of 
the  thanksgiving  is  the  point. 

19 — 28.     Renewed  prayer  in  a  somewhat  calmer  tone. 

19.  wrongfully]  lAi.,  falsely  (xxxviii.  19;  Ixix.  4);  the  grounds  they 
allege  for  their  enmity  being  untrue, 

neither  let  them  wink]  The  insertion  of  the  negative  is  grammatically 
justifiable,  and  probably  right ;  though  the  clause  may  also  be  rendered, 
they  wink  &c.,  describing  the  confederates'  malicious  signals  of  satis- 
faction at  his  misfortune  (Prov.  vi.  13;  x.  10). 

that  hate  me  without  a  cause]  Cp.  Ixix.  4.  Our  Lord  refers  to  these 
words  as  'fulfilled'  in  Himself  (John  xv.  25). 

20.  Their  conduct  is  just  the  opposite  of  '  the  fear  of  the  Lord  ' 
(xxxiv.  13,  14).  For  it  is  ttot  peace  that  they  speak,  but  against  them  that 
are  quiet  in  the  land  they  imagine  words  of  guile,  accusing  them  of 
being  '  troublers  of  Israel '  and  disturbers  of  the  peace. 

21.  And  they  open... a  gesture  of  contempt  (Is.  Ivii.  4),  rather  than 


i82  PSALM   XXXV.  22-28. 

22  This  thou  hast  seen,  O  Lord  :  keep  not  silence : 
O  Lord,  be  not  far  from  me. 

23  Stir  up  thyself,  and  awake  to  my  judgment, 
Even  unto  my  cause,  my  God  and  my  Lord. 

24  Judge  me,  O  Lord  my  God,  according  to  thy  righteousness; 
And  let  them  not  rejoice  over  me. 

25  Let  them  not  say  in  their  hearts,  Ah,  so  would  we  have  it : 
Let  them  not  say,  We  have  swallowed  him  up. 

26  Let  them  be  ashamed  and  brought  to  confusion  together 

that  rejoice  at  mine  hurt : 
Let  them  be  clothed  with  shame  and  dishonour  that  magnify 
themselves  against  me. 

27  Let  them  shout  for  joy,  and  be  glad,  that  favour  my  righteous 

cause : 
Yea,  let  them  say  continually.  Let  the  Lord  be  magnified, 
Which  hath  pleasure  in  the  prosperity  of  his  servant. 

28  And  my  tongue  shall  speak  of  thy  righteousness 


of  murderous  intent  {v.  25):  they  say,  Aha,  aha,  our  eye  hath  seen: 
seen  its  desire,  seen  the  fall  of  the  man  whose  rise  excited  our  envy. 

22.  He  turns  their  taunt  into  a  plea:  Thou  hast  seen,  0  Jehovah. 
Cp.  V.  17,  note. 

keep  not  silence"]  The  same  word  as  in  xxviii.  i,  where  R.  V.  renders, 
be  not  thou  deaf  ttnto  7ne.     With  be  not  far  from  me,  cp.  xxii.  11;  &c. 

23.  Arouse  and  awake  for  my  judgment, 
0  my  God  and  my  Lord,  for  my  cause. 

Interpose  to  do  me  justice,  and  defend  my  cause.  Cp.  v.  i,  and  see 
note  on  vii.  6. 

24.  jfttdge  me]  Do  me  justice.  Cp.  vii.  8 ;  and  for  the  plea,  ac- 
cording to  thy  righteousness,  see  vii.  17  ;  xxxi.  i. 

25.  Ah,  so  wotild  we  have  it]     Lit.  Aha,  our  desire! 

We  have  swallozved  him  up]  Destroying  every  trace  of  his  existence. 
Cp.  cxxiv.  3;  Prov.  i.  12;  Lam.  ii.  16. 

26.  A  repetition  of  v.  4,  with  some  variations,  occurring  again  in  xL 
14. 

27.  Cp.  xl.  16. 

that  favour  my  righteous  cause]  Lit.  that  delight  in  my  righteousness ; 
that  welcome  the  vindication  of  my  innocence. 

%vhich  hath  pleasure  in  the  prospa'ity  of  his  servant]  More  exactly, 
which  delighteth  (2  Sam.  xv.  26;  Ps.  xviii.  19,  xxii.  8)  in  the 
welfare  (lit.  peace)  of  his  servant. 

28.  shall  speak]  '  Shall  speak  musingly,  in  the  low  murmur  of  one 
entranced  by  a  sweet  thought.'     Cheyne. 

of  thy  righteousness]  For  Jehovah's  righteousness  (p.  24)  will  have 
been  manifested  in  delivering  His  servant. 


PSALM   XXXVI.  I.  183 


Ajid  of  thy  praise  all  the  day  long. 

all  the  day  long]  *Tota  die  Deum  laudare  quis  durat?  Suggero 
remedium,  unde  tota  die  laudes  Deum,  si  vis.  Quidquid  egeris  bene 
age,  et  laudasti  Deum.... In  innocentia  operum  tuorum  praepara  te  ad 
laudandum  Deum  tota  die.'     St  Aligns  tine. 

PSALM  XXXVL 

This  Psalm  presents  two  contrasted  pictures:  one  of  the  godless 
principles  and  conduct  of  the  man  who  has  made  deliberate  choice  of 
evil ;  the  other  of  the  universal  and  inexhaustible  lovingkindness  of  God. 
From  the  prevailing  wickedness  around  him  (to  which  he  is  in  danger  of 
falling  a  victim,  v.  11),  the  Psalmist  turns  for  relief  and  comfort  to  con- 
template the  goodness  of  God.  The  wicked  man  may  deny  God's  Pro- 
vidence and  defy  His  judgments,  but  to  the  eye  of  faith  His  goodness 
is  supreme,  and  His  judicial  righteousness  will  ultimately  be  triumphant. 
The  contemplation  of  that  goodness  brings  the  folly  of  deserting  God 
into  strong  relief,  and  suggests  the  greatness  of  the  loss  which  man 
incurs  by  his  apostasy. 

The  abruptness  of  the  transition  from  vv.  i — 4  to  vv.  5  ff.  has  sug- 
gested the  hypothesis  that  we  have  here  parts  of  two  Psalms,  which 
have  been  combined  by  an  editor.  But  the  hypothesis  is  unnecessary. 
The  two  parts  are  related  like  the  two  members  of  an  antithetic  proverb 
(e.g.  Prov.  xiv.  22);  and  the  reader  is  left  to  interpret  the  connexion  for 
himself.  Moreover  the  connexion  of  thought  and  language  in  vv.  ii, 
12  with  vv.  I — 4  is  decidedly  in  favour  of  the  unity  of  the  Psalm. 

The  structure  of  the  Psalm  is  clear  and  simple. 

i.  The  principle  of  godlessness  (i,  2),  and  the  practical  results  to 
which  it  leads  (3,  4). 

ii.  The  gloriousness  of  God's  attributes  (5,  6),  and  His  beneficence 
to  man  (7 — 9). 

iii.  Prayer  for  blessing  (10),  and  protection  (11);  and  confident 
anticipation  of  the  overthrow  of  the  wicked  (12). 

For  the  title  servant  of  the  Lord  in  the  inscription  comp.  the  inscrip- 
tion of  Ps.  xviii;  and  xxxv.  27. 

To  the  chief  Musician,  A  Psalm  of  David  the  servant  of  the  Lord. 

The  transgression  of  the  wicked  saith  within  my  heart,  36 

That  there  is  no  fear  of  God  before  his  eyes. 

1,  2.     The  ground  of  the  godless  man's  security  in  his  sin. 

1.  As  the  Psalmist  reflects  on  the  conduct  of  the  wicked  man,  it 
becomes  clear  to  him  that  practical  atheism  is  the  guiding  principle  of 
his  life.  So  the  reading  of  the  Massoretic  Text,  followed  in  the  A.  V., 
may  be  explained.  But  it  is  unnatural  to  regard  transgression  as  uttering 
its  oracle  in  the  Psalmist's  heart;  and  the  reading  of  the  LXX,  Vulg., 
Syr.,  and  Jerome,  -witMn  Ms  heaxt,  is  certainly  preferable.     The  verse 


i84  PSALM   XXXVI.  2,  3. 

a  For  he  flattereth  himself  in  his  own  eyes, 

Until  his  iniquity  be  found  to  be  hateful. 
3  The  words  of  his  mouth  are  iniquity  and  deceit : 

He  hath  left  off  to  be  wise,  a7id  to  do  good. 

may  then  be  rendered  either  (i),  Saith  Transgression  to  the  wicked 
within  his  heart,  (that)  there  is  &c. ;  the  second  line  giving  the  words 
of  Transgression's  oracle:  or  (2)  Transgression  uttereth  its  oracle  to 
the  wicked  within  his  heart ;  There  is  &c. ;  the  second  line  being  the 
statement  of  the  Psalmist,  and  hinting  at  the  substance  of  the  oracle. 

The  word  rendered  saith,  or,  nttcreth  its  oracle,  is  regularly  used  of 
solemn  divine  utterances  in  the  phrase  saith  the  Lord  (Gen.  xxii.  16 ;  and 
frequently  in  the  prophets).  Occasionally  though  rarely,  it  has  a  human 
speaker  for  its  subject  (Num.  xxiv.  3ff. ;  2  Sam.  xxiii.  i ;  Prov.  xxx.  i). 
Transgression^'more  precisely,  rebellion  or  apostasy, — is  here  personified 
(cp.  Gen.  iv.  7,  R.V. ;  Zech.  v.  8;  Rom.  vi.  12,  13,  R.V.).  The  wicked 
man  has  made  it  his  God,  and  it  has  become  a  lying  spirit  within  him 
(i  Kings  xxii.  21  ff.;  2  Thess.  ii.  11,  12). 

no  fear  of  God]  Rather,  no  terror  of  God.  The  word  paehad  denotes 
terror  inspired  by  God,  not  reverence  for  God  (Is.  ii.  10,  19,  21,  R.V.). 
Transgression  persuades  the  wicked  man  that  there  is  no  need  for  him 
to  dread  God's  judgments.  Cp.  x.  4,  5,  6,  11,  13  :  xiv.  i  ;  and  contrast 
Ps.  xviii.  22;  cxix.  120:  Job  xiii.  11;  xxxi.  23.  With  these  words 
St  Paul  sums  up  his  description  of  the  character  and  condition  of  fallen 
man  in  Rom.  iii.  18. 

2.  A  much  disputed  verse.  Three  renderings  of  the  first  line  de- 
serve consideration,  (i)  Taking  the  wicked  man  as  the  subject,  we  may 
render  as  the  A.  V.  (2)  Taking  Transgression  as  the  subject,  we  may 
render,  For  It  flattereth  him  in  his  eyes.  (3)  Taking  God  as  the 
subject,  we  may  render,  For  He  flattereth  him  in  his  eyes. 

The  third  rendering,  whether  it  is  explained  to  mean,  *  God  treats 
him  gently,  so  he  imagines,'  (Cheyne)  or,  'God's  threatenings  seem 
to  him  mere  idle  words,'  can  hardly  be  supported  by  the  usage  of 
the  word.  The  first  agrees  best  with  the  reading  my  heart  vcv  v.  i, 
giving  the  ground  of  the  Psalmist's  conviction  expressed  there.  But  if 
the  better  reading,  his  heart,  is  adopted,  the  second  rendering  gives  the 
best  connexion.  It  explains  how  Transgression  goes  to  work.  It 
*  speaks  smooth  things  and  prophesies  deceits '  to  him,  concerning  the 
finding  out  of  his  iniquity  and  hating  it,  i.e.  as  R.  V., 

That  his  iniquity  shall  not  he  found  out  and  be  hated : 
dragged  to  light  in  order  to  be  punished,  and  exposed  in  its  true  hate- 
fulness.     The  word  find  out  is  frequently  used  of  detection  with  a  view 
to  punishment.     See  xvii.  3  :  i  Kings  i.  52. 

3,  4.     The  fruits  of  this  reckless  atheism  described. 
3.     iniquity  and  deceit]     Cp.  v.  5,6;  x.  7. 

he  hath  left  off  &c.]  Or,  he  hath  ceased  to  be  wise  to  do  good.  Cf. 
Jer.  iv.  22.  He  inverts  the  prophetic  exhortation.  Is.  i.  16,  17.  The 
TVord  here  rendered  to  be  wise  is  specially  used  of  the  intelligence  which 


PSALM   XXXVI.  4—7-  185 

He  deviseth  mischief  upon  his  bed  ; 

He  setteth  himself  in  a  way  that  is  not  good ; 

He  abhorreth  not  evil. 

Thy  mercy,  O  Lord,  is  in  the  heavens ; 

And  thy  faithfulness  reacheth  unto  the  clouds. 

Thy  righteousness  is  like  the  great  mountains ; 

Thy  judgments  are  a  great  deep  : 

O  Lord,  thou  preservest  man  and  beast. 

How  excellent  is  thy  lovingkindness,  O  God  1 

leads  to  right  and  successful  conduct.     Cp.  xiv.  2  {tmdcrstand)\  ci.  2 
{behave  myself  luisely). 

4.  mischief\     Iniquity,  as  in  vv.  3,  \i. 

upon  his  bed]  In  the  stillness  of  the  night,  the  time  for  repentance 
(iv.  4),  and  recollection  of  God  (Ixiii.  6),  he  is  restlessly  planning  his 
crimes.     For  illustration  see  Mic.  ii.  i  ff. 

he  setteth  hi»iself  Sic.']  Evil  courses  are  his  deliberate  choice;  con- 
science is  blunted,  and  wrong  excites  no  abhorrence.  Cp.  i.  i;  Prov. 
xvi.  29;  Is.  Ixv.  2. 

5 — 9.  From  the  grievous  spectacle  of  human  perversity  the  Psalmist 
takes  refuge  in  adoring  contemplation  of  the  character  of  God,  the  only 
source  of  life  and  light,  who  deals  blessing  liberally  to  all  His  creatures. 

5.  0  Lord,  thy  lovingkindness  j-eacheth  to  the  heavens ; 
Thy  faithfulness  even  unto  the  sMes, 

God's  lovingkindness  {vv.  7,  10)  and  faithfulness  cannot  be  measured. 
For  the  comparison  see  Job  xi.  8;  xxii.  12;  xxxv.  5:  and  cp.  Ivii.  10; 
ciii.  II :  Eph.  iii.  j8. 

6.  Jehovah's  righteousness — His  faithfulness  to  His  character  and 
covenant  (v.  8),  manifested  alike  in  mercy  and  in  judgment — is  like  the 
mountains  of  God  {El),  immovably  firm  (cxi.  3),  eternally  unchanged, 
majestically  conspicuous.  God's  works  proclaim  their  Author,  and 
reflect  His  attributes.  Cp.  civ.  16;  Ixv.  9;  Ixxx.  10.  The  great 
vwuntaijts  is  a  paraphrase  which  obscures  the  meaning. 

a  great  deep]  Mysterious,  unfathomable,  inexhaustible,  as  the  vast 
subterranean  abyss  of  waters  (xxxiii.  7;  Gen.  vii.  11;  Job  xxviii.  14; 
xxxviii.  16).     Cp.  Rom.  xi.  33. 

preservest]  Or,  savest.  The  lower  animals  are  the  objects  of  God's 
care  as  well  as  man.  See  civ.  14,  27,  28;  cxlvii.  9;  Jon.  iv.  11; 
Matt.  vi.  26  ff.;  x.  29  ff. 

7.  Hcnv  excellent]  Rovr  precious  (R.V.).  It  is  the  Psalmist's 
treasure.     Cp.  cxxxix.  17. 

O  God]  The  substitution  of  God  for  Jehovah  is  significant.  The 
Psalmist  is  speaking  of  a  love  which  extends  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
chosen  people,  and  embraces  all  mankind.  The  children  of  men — lit. 
sons  of  7nan  (xiv.  2)  are  men  regarded  as  earthborn  and  mortal  in  con- 
trast to  God. 


i86  PSALM   XXXVI.  8— ii. 

Therefore  the  children  of  men  put  their  trust  under  the 
shadow  of  thy  wings. 

8  They  shall  be  abundantly  satisfied  with  the  fatness  of  thy 

house ; 
And  thou  shalt  make  them  drink  of  the  river  of  thy  pleasures. 

9  For  with  thee  is  the  fountain  of  life  : 
In  thy  light  shall  we  see  light. 

10  O  continue  thy  lovingkindness  unto  them  that  know  thee ; 
And  thy  righteousness  to  the  upright  in  heart. 

11  Let  not  the  foot  of  pride  come  against  me, 
And  let  not  the  hand  of  the  wicked  remove  me. 

therefore  &c.]  And  the  cMldren  of  men  take  refuge  &c.  (R.  V.). 
Cp.  xvii.  7,  8,  note;  Ruth  ii.  12. 

8.  God  is  more  than  a  protector.  He  is  a  bountiful  host,  who  pro- 
vides royal  entertainment  for  His  guests.  Cp.  xxiii.  5,6;  xxvii.  4 ;  Ixv.  4. 
The  metaphor  is  derived  from  the  sacrificial  meal,  in  which  God  re- 
ceives the  worshipper  at  His  table^  (Lev.  vii.  15;  Jer.  xxxi.  14).  That 
welcome  is  the  sacramental  expression  of  His  relation  to  man. 

the  river  of  thy  pleasiires\  Or,  the  stream  (Am.  v.  24)  of  thy  delights: 
a  different  word  from  that  in  xvi.  11,  and  derived  from  the  same  root  as 
Eden. 

9.  The  expectation  of  v.  8  is  no  idle  dream,  for  God  is  the  source 
of  life  and  light.  From  Him  springs  all  that  constitutes  life  (xxxiv. 
12),  physical  and  spiritual  (cp.  Jer.  ii.  13;  xvii.  13):  from  Him  proceeds 
all  that  makes  up  true  happiness  (cp.  iv.  6).  Golden  sayings  like 
this  anticipate  the  revelation  of  the  Gospel.  It  is  only  in  the  light  of 
the  Incarnation  that  their  depth  of  meaning  begins  to  be  understood. 
Cp.  John  i.  4,  9. 

10 — 12.     Concluding  prayer  for  the  continuance  of  God's  lovingkind 
ness  and  for  protection  from  the  wicked,  with  a  confident  anticipation  of 
the  final  downfall  of  evil-doers,     v.  10  springs  naturally  out  oivv.  5 — 9, 
and  w.  II,  12  clearly  revert  to  vv.  i — 4. 

10.  A  prayer  for  the  continued  exercise  of  the  attributes  which  have 
been  celebrated  in  w.  5 — 9.  All  God's  bounty  to  man  flows  from  His 
lovingkindness,  yet  His  righteousness  also  is  concerned  in  the  fulfilment 
of  His  covenant  and  promise. 

them  that  know  thee']  With  an  effectual  knowledge  which  must  issue 
in  loving  obedience  (ix.  10;  xci.  14);  and  entitles  its  possessors  to  be 
called  upright  in  heart  (vii.  10;  xi.  2;  xxxii.  11). 

11.  Let  me  not  be  trampled  under  foot  by  proud  oppressors,  or 
driven  from  my  home  by  wicked  violence.  This  verse  clearly  refers  to 
7JV.  I — 4.  The  Psalmist  is  himself  in  danger  of  falling  a  victim  to  the 
ruthless  oppressors  there  described. 

remove  me]     R.  V.  drive  me  away,  from  hearth  and  home  to  become 

1  See  Bp.  Westcott's  Hebrews,  p.  292. 


PSALM   XXXVI.  12.     XXXVII.  187 

There  are  the  workers  of  iniquity  fallen  : 

They  are  cast  down,  and  shall  not  be  able  to  rise. 

a  wanderer  and  a  vagabond.  The  word  may  be  used  of  exile  (2  Kings 
xxi.  8;  Jer.  iv.  i);  but  there  is  not  the  slightest  hint  here  of  an  impend- 
ing invasion.  What  the  Psahnist  fears  is  treatment  like  that  described 
in  Mic.  ii.  9,  leaving  him  a  homeless  beggar  (Job  xv.  23 ;  Ps.  cix.  10). 

12.  With  the  eye  of  faith  he  beholds  the  certain  and  irreparable  ruin 
of  the  "workers  of  iniquity"  {w.  3,  4:  cp.  v.  5;  vi.  8;  xiv.  4). 
T/iere  points  to  the  scene  of  their  discomfiture.     Cp.  xiv.  5  ;  Ixiv.  8. 

^Aejy  are  cast  dowft]  R.  V.  they  axe  thrust  down  (v.  10;  xxxv.  5), 
and  overthrown  for  ever.  Cp.  Is.  xxvi.  14.  Such  judgments  are  an 
earnest  of  the  final  triumph  (Rom.  xvi.  20). 

PSALM  XXXVII. 

In  the  preceding  Psalm  the  Psalmist  found  relief  and  hope  in  the 
presence  of  high-handed  iniquity  by  the  contemplation  of  the  inexhausti- 
ble lovingkindness  of  God.  Here  he  assumes  the  character  of  a  teacher, 
and  bids  the  godly  man  not  be  disquieted  by  the  sight  of  the  prosperity 
of  the  wicked,  for  they  are  doomed  to  speedy  destruction,  while  enduring 
happiness  is  in  store  for  the  righteous.  "Hence  Tertullian  calls  the 
Psalm,  providentiae  speculum  (A  mirror  of  providence),  Isidore,  potio 
contra  murmur  (An  antidote  to  murmuring),  Luther,  vestis pioru/n,  cui 
adscriptum  :  Hie  sanctorum  patientia  est  (A  garment  for  the  godly,  with 
the  inscription,  '  Here  is  the  patience  of  the  saints  ')."     Delitzsch. 

The  prosperity  of  the  wicked  was  one  of  the  enigmas  of  life  which 
most  sorely  tried  the  faith  of  the  godly  Israelite^.  No  light  had  as  yet 
been  cast  upon  the  problem  by  the  revelation  of  a  future  state  of  rewards 
and  punishments.  Sometimes,  as  we  see  in  Ps.  Ixxiii,  he  was  in  danger 
of  losing  all  belief  in  the  providential  government  of  the  world :  at  all 
times  he  was  liable  to  be  tempted  to  murmuring  and  envy. 

It  is  with  the  more  obvious  and  common  danger  that  the  Psalmist 
here  deals.  The  consolation  which  he  has  to  offer  is  of  a  simple  and 
elementary  kind.  He  affirms  the  popular  doctrine  of  recompence  and 
retribution  which  Job  found  so  unsatisfactoiy.  Trust  in  the  Lord: 
wait  His  time :  all  will  be  well  in  the  end :  the  wicked  will  be  de- 
stroyed and  the  righteous  rewarded.  There  is  an  element  of  ti-uth  in 
this  doctrine,  for  God's  judgments  are  constantly  distinguishing  between 
the  righteous  and  the  wicked  (Mark  x.  30 ;  i  Tim.  iv.  8).  The  verdict 
of  history  and  experience  is,  in  the  long  run,  in  favour  of  righteousness. 
But  the  doctrine  is  inadequate,  as  Job  felt,  for  retribution  does  not 
invariably  and  immediately  overtake  the  wrong-doer  iu  this  world,  nor  is 
the  righteous  man  always  visibly  rewarded. 

In  order,  however,  fairly  to  estimate  the  Psalmist's  teaching  and  its 
value  for  those  whom  he  addressed,  we  must  bear  in  mind  that  personal 
individuality  was  comparatively  unrecognised  in  early  ages,  while  the 
solidarity  of  the  family  was  realised  to  an  extent  which  we  find  it  hard 

*  See  Oehler's  Old  Testavieni  Theoto^y,  §  246. 


i88  PSALM   XXXVII.  i. 


to  understand.  A  man  lived  on  in  his  posterity:  his  posterity  repre- 
sented him :  and  the  instincts  of  justice  were  satisfied  if  the  law  of  retri- 
bution and  recompence  could  be  traced  in  the  destinies  of  the  family  if 
not  of  the  individual. 

The  consolation  here  offered  was  no  doubt  real  to  the  mass  of  the 
Psalmist's  contemporaries,  in  virtue  of  the  element  of  truth  which  it 
contains.  But  it  was  only  a  partial  and  provisional  solution  of  the  pro- 
blem. Through  trials  of  faith  and  imperfect  answers  to  their  question- 
ings God  was  on  the  one  hand  leading  men  to  a  truer  ideal  of  happiness, 
on  the  other  hand  preparing  them  to  receive  the  revelation  of  a  future 
state  of  rewards  and  punishments.  The  author  of  Ps.  Ixxiii  makes  a 
distinct  step  forward.  Though  he  still  looks  for  the  visible  punishment 
of  evil-doers,  he  is  taught  to  find  his  own  highest  joy  and  comfort  in 
fellowship  with  God,  independently  of  the  prospect  of  temporal  felicity. 
The  author  of  the  Book  of  Job  is  carried  still  further,  and  forced  to  the 
conclusion  that  this  world  must  be  but  one  act  in  the  drama  of  life. 

The  Psalm  should  be  studied  in  connexion  with  Ps.  Ixxiii  (cp.  also 
Ps.  xlix)  and  the  Book  of  Job.  The  unquestioning  confidence  of  the 
teacher  who  speaks  here  presents  a  striking  contrast  to  the  touching 
record  in  Ps.  Ixxiii  of  faith  sorely  tried  but  finally  victorious. 

The  close  relation  of  the  Psalm  to  the  Book  of  Proverbs  must  also  be 
noticed.  It  forms  a  connecting  link  between  lyric  poetry  and  the  pro- 
verbial philosophy  of  the  'Wise  Men'  whose  teaching  was  such  an 
important  influence  in  Israel.  See  especially  Prov.  x.  27 — 32;  xxiv. 
15  ff.  The  promises  of  the  Psalm  should  also  be  compared  with  the 
prophetic  expectation  of  the  Messianic  age  of  peace  and  righteousness. 

The  Psalm  is  alphabetic  in  structure.  The  stanzas  commence  with 
the  letters  of  the  alphabet  in  regular  succession,  and  usually  consist  of 
two  distichs  connected  in  sense.  In  three  instances  the  stanza  consists 
of  a  tristich  instead  of  two  distichs  {vv.  7,  20,  34);  and  in  three  instances 
it  consists  of  five  lines  {vv.  14,  15;  25,  26;  39,  40). 

The  same  fundamental  ideas  recur  throughout ;  but  four  symmetrical 
divisions  of  1 1,  9,  11,9  verses  respectively,  in  each  of  which  a  pai-ticular 
thought  is  prominent,  may  be  observed. 

i.     Counsel  to  avoid  murmuring,  and  trust  in  Jehovah  (i — 11): 

|ii.     For  the  triumph  of  the  wicked  is  shortlived  (12 — 20): 

iii.    And  the  reward  of  the  righteous  sure  and  abiding  (21 — 31). 

iv.     The  final  contrast  of  retribution  and  recompence  (32 — 40). 

A  Psalm  of  David. 

37  (X)  Fret  not  thyself  because  of  evildoers, 

Neither  be  thou  envious  against  the  workers  of  iniquity. 

1 — 11.     Warnings  and  counsels  for  times  of  temptation. 

1,  2.  Stanza  of  Aleph,  stating  the  theme  of  the  Psalm ; — an  ex- 
hortation against  discontent  and  envy  at  the  prosperity  of  the  wicked, 
on  the  ground  that  it  is  only  transitory. 

1.  Fret  not  thyself '[  Lit.,  hicense  not  thyself:  be  not  angry  or  in- 
dignant or  discontented. 

neither  be  thou  envious  &c.]    Neither  be  envious  of  them  that  do 


PSALM   XXXVII.  2—4.  189 

For  they  shall  soon  be  cut  down  like  the  grass, 
And  wither  as  the  green  herb. 

(^)  Trust  in  the  Lord,  and  do  good ; 

So  shalt  thou  dwell  in  the  land,  and  verily  thou  shalt  be  fed. 

Delight  thyself  also  in  the  Lord  ; 

And  he  shall  give  thee  the  desires  of  thine  heart. 


unrighteousness,  and  for  the  time  prosper  {v.  7).  The  severity  of  the 
temptation  is  attested  by  Ixxiii.  3.  The  warning,  repeated  in  vv.  7,  8, 
is  found  again  in  Prov.  xxiv.  19.  Cp.  Prov.  iii.  31 ;  xxiii.  17;  xxiv.  i. 
The  phrase  rendered  in  A.  V.  ivorkcrs  of  iniqtiity  is  a  different  one  from 
that  in  xxxvi.  la.  It  is  the  opposite  of  doing  good  (vv.  3,  27).  The 
LXX  rendering  is  toi)s  TroiowTas  riiv  dvo/ui.iap,  words  which  occur  in 
Matt.  xiii.  41  in  a  context  which  should  be  compared  with  this  Psalm. 
Cp.  I  John  iii.  4. 

2.  T/ie  grass  and  i/ie  green  herb  are  a  common  image  for  what  is 
transient  and  perishable.  See  note  on  v.  20;  and  cp.  xc.  5f. ;  ciii.  15  f.; 
Is.  xl.  6ff. 

be  cut  dozvnl     Or,  fade.     Cp.  Job  xiv.  2;  xviii.  i6  (R.  V.  marg.). 

3,  4.  Stanza  of  Beth.  The  antidote  to  envious  discontent  is  patient 
trust  in  Jehovah,  and  perseverance  in  the  path  of  duty.     Render 

Trust  in  Jehovah,  and  do  good ; 
Dwell  in  the  land,  and  follow  after  faithfulness: 
So  Shalt  thou  delight  thyself  in  Jehovah, 
And  he  shall  grant  thee  thy  heart's  petitions. 

Remain  in  the  land  of  promise  where  God  has  placed  thee:  "  the  land 
of  Jehovah's  presence,  which  has  not  only  a  glorious  past,  but  a  future 
rich  in  promise,  and  will  finally  become  the  inheritance  of  the  true 
Israel  in  a  more  complete  manner  than  under  Joshua "  {Delitzsc/i) : 
there,  and  there  alone,  shalt  thou  find  thy  true  satisfaction  in  Him.  It 
would  seem  that  the  poorer  Israelites,  oppressed  or  driven  from  their 
homes  by  powerful  neighbours  (xxxvi.  11),  were  tempted  to  seek  their 
fortunes  in  foreign  lands,  and  forfeit  their  national  and  religious  privi- 
leges.    Cp.  I  Sam.  xxvi.  19. 

Here,  as  in  vz'.  9,  11,  22,  29,  34,  the  land  is  Canaan,  the  land  of 
promise.  The  rendering  of  A.  V.  in  vv.  9,  11,  22,  the  earth,  is  mis- 
leading so  far  as  the  primary  meaning  of  the  Psalm  is  concerned. 

It  is  best  to  take  v.  3  as  virtually  a  series  of  conditions  in  the  form  of 
exhortations,  and  v.  4  as  the  promise  depending  on  the  fulfilment  of  the 
conditions.  The  A.  V.  so  shalt  thou  dwell,  &c.,  is  inadmissible  on 
grammatical  grounds:  and  though  it  is  possible  to  xQwder  Delight  thyself 
also  Sec,  in  v.  4,  the  balance  of  the  clauses,  and  the  parallels  in  Job 
xxii.  26,  Is.  Iviii.  14  are  decisive  in  favour  of  the  rendering,  so  shalt 
thou  delight  thyself  &.c.  The  renderings  of  the  last  clause  oiv.  3,  ve^-ily 
thou  shalt  be  fed,  ox,  feed  securely  (R.  V,  marg.)  are  in  themselves  ques- 
tionable, and  fall  to  the  ground  when  the  true  construction  of  the  verses 
is  adopted.    \l\\hfolloiv  after  faithfulness  (R.  V.)  cp.  cxix.  30  (R.  V.). 


190  PSALM   XXXVII.  5—9. 

5  (^)  Commit  thy  way  unto  the  Lord  ; 

Trust  also  in  him ;  and  he  shall  bring  //  to  pass. 

6  And  he  shall  bring  forth  thy  righteousness  as  the  light, 
And  thy  judgment  as  the  noonday. 

7  (*7)  Rest  in  the  Lord,  and  wait  patiently  for  him : 

Fret  not  thyself  because  of  him  who  prospereth  m  his  way. 
Because  of  the  man  who  bringeth  wicked  devices  to  pass. 

8  (n)  Cease  from  anger,  and  forsake  wrath : 
Fret  not  thyself  in  any  wise  to  do  evil. 

9  For  evildoers  shall  be  cut  ofif : 

But  those  that  wait  upon  the  Lord,  they  shall  inherit  the 
earth. 


6,  6.     Stanza  of  Gimel.     The  reward  of  faith. 

5.  Commit  &c.]  Lit.  Roll  thy  way  upon  yehovah  :  shake  off  and 
devolve  upon  Him  all  the  burden  of  anxiety  for  life's  course,  Cp. 
Prov.  xvi.  3 ;  i  Pet.  v.  7. 

aftd  he  shall  bring  it  to  pass\  With  forcible  brevity  in  the  Heb. 
simply,  and  HE  (emphatic)  will  do  {ipse  faciei,  Vulg.)  all  that  is  need- 
ful. Cp.  lii.  9;  cxix.  126;  I  Thess.  v.  24.  This  verse  combines  vv.  3 
and  31  of  Ps.  xxii. 

6.  And  lie  shall  make  thy  righteousness  g-o  forth  as  the  light, 
And  thy  judgment  as  the  brightness  of  the  noonday. 

The  result  of  that  divine  working.  The  justice  of  thy  cause  has 
been  hidden,  but  it  shall  shine  forth  like  the  sun  rising  out  of  the 
darkness  of  night;  thy  right  has  been  obscured,  but  it  shall  be  clear  as 
the  full  light  of  the  noonday.  Cp.  Job  xi,  17;  Prov,  iv.  18;  Is,  Iviii. 
10;  Matt.  xiii.  43, 

7.  Stanza  of  Z>a/^M.     The  remedy  for  impatience. 

Rest  in  the  Lord]  Or,  Be  still  before  (Heb.  be  silent  to)  the  Lord 
(R.V.  marg,),  in  the  calmness  of  faith.  Cp.  Ixii.  i,  5  ;  and  for  illus- 
tration see  Is.  vii.  4;  xxx.  15. 

7vho  bringeth  ivicked  devices  to  pass]  Lit.  %vho  doeth  (cp.  v.  i  b,  and 
contrast  w.  3,  5  b)  crafty  deznces. 

8.  9.  Stanza  of  He.  The  warning  of  vv.  i,  2  repeated  and  em- 
phasised. 

8.  Render  with  R.V.,  Fret  not  thyself,  it  tendeth  only  to  evil- 
doing.  Discontent  is  not  only  foolish  and  useless,  but  dangerous.  It 
may  lead  the  man  who  yields  to  it  to  deny  God's  providence,  and  cast 
in  his  lot  with  the  evil-doers.     See  Ps.  Ixxiii.  2  ff.,  13  ff. 

9.  the  earth]  Rather,  as  in  v.  3,  the  land;  and  so  in  vv.  11,  22, 
29,  34.  As  the  nations  were  "cut  off"  before  Israel  (Deut.  xii.  29; 
xix.  i),  that  Israel  might  possess  the  Promised  Land,  so  will  the 
wicked  be  destroyed,  that  the  true  Israel  may  have  undisturbed  enjoy- 
ment of  their  inheritance.     Cp.  XXV.  13. 


PSALM   XXXVII.  10—14.  191 


0)  For  yet  a  little  while,  and  the  wicked  shall  not  be:  10 

Yea,  thou  shalt  diligently  consider  his  place,  and  it  shall 

not  be. 
But  the  meek  shall  inherit  the  earth;  n 

And  shall  delight  themselves  in  the  abundance  of  peace. 

(I)  The  wicked  plotteth  against  the  just,  n 

And  gnasheth  upon  him  with  his  teeth. 

The  Lord  shall  laugh  at  him  :  13 

For  he  seeth  that  his  day  is  coming. 

(n)  The  wicked  have  drawn  out  the  sword,  and  have  bent  14 

their  bow, 
To  cast  down  the  poor  and  needy. 
And  to  slay  such  as  be  of  upright  conversation. 

10,  11.     Stanza  of  Vdv ;  expanding  the  preceding  verse. 

10.  Cp.  V.  36:  Is.  xxix.  20. 

his  place]     His  abode.     Cp.  Job  vii.  10;  viii.  18;  xx.  9. 
aitil  it  shall  not  be]     Better,  as  R.V.,  and  lie  shall  not  be. 

11.  The  promise  is  reaffirmed  in  a  larger  sense  in  the  beatitude  of 
Matt.  V.  5,  the  language  of  which  reproduces  the  rendering  of  the 
LXX  here :  01  5e  irpaeh  KXrjpovo/mrjcrovcnv  yrjv. 

in  the  abundance  of  peace\     Cp.  Ixxii.  7;  cxix.  165;  Is.  xxxii.  17. 

12—20.  Disappointment  and  destruction  are  the  destiny  of  the 
wicked. 

12,13.     Stanza  of  Z«;j/«.     The  impotent  rage  of  the  wicked. 

12.  The  wicked  deviseth  mischief  against  the  righteous.  Cp. 
vv.  7,  32. 

gnasheth    &c.]      Like  a  furious  wild  beast,  eager  to  seize  its  prey. 

Cf.  XXXV.    16. 

13.  Doth  laugh  (ii.  4  note)... for  he  hath  seen.  The  punishment  of 
the  wicked  has  been  foreseen  and  foreordained  from  the  first. 

his  day\  The  appointed  day  of  retribution  and  ruin.  Cp.  cxxxvii. 
7;  Obal.  1 2;  I  Sam.  xxvi.  10;  Job  xviii.  20. 

14.  15.  Stanza  of  Cheth.  The  machinations  of  the  wicked  recoil 
upon  themselves.     Cp.  vii.  15  ff.;  ix.  15  ff. 

14.  Sword  and  boiv  are  not  merely  figurative  expressions  for  any 
means  of  inflicting  injury.  The  Psalm  deals  with  a  state  of  society  in 
which  the  poor  and  defenceless  were  in  constant  danger  of  actual  vio- 
lence {v.  32).     Cp.  Prov.  i.  10  ff. 

the  poor  and  needyl  Or,  the  afflicted  and  needy.  See  notes  on  ix. 
12,  18:  and  cp.  Am.  viii.  4;  Is.  xxxii.  7;  Jer.  xxii.  16. 

such  as  be  of  upright  conversation]  Lit.  the  upright  of  way:  those 
whose  life  and  conduct  are  upright.  Cp.  cxix.  i.  The  LXX  how- 
ever reads  upright  in  heart  (xxxvi.  10,  and  often). 


192  PSALM   XXXVII.  15—20. 

15  Their  sword  shall  enter  mto  their  own  heart, 
And  their  bows  shall  be  broken. 

16  (^)  A  little  that  a  righteous  man  hath 

Is  better  than  the  riches  of  many  wicked. 

17  For  the  arms  of  the  wicked  shall  be  broken  ; 
But  the  Lord  upholdeth  the  righteous. 

18  (^)  The  Lord  knoweth  the  days  of  the  upright : 
And  their  inheritance  shall  be  for  ever. 

19  They  shall  not  be  ashamed  in  the  evil  time  : 
And  in  the  days  of  famine  they  shall  be  satisfied. 

20  (D)  But  the  wicked  shall  perish, 

And  the  enemies  of  the  Lord  shall  be  as  the  fat  of  lambs  : 

conversation^  as  in  1.  23,  has  the  obsolete  sense  of  manner  of  life, 
behaviour. 

16,  17.     Stanza  of  Teth.     The  nature  of  true  wealth. 

16.  Better  is  a  little  that  the  righteous  hath 
Than  the  abundance  of  many  wicked.     (R.V.) 

Abundance,  lit.  tiDimlt  (a  different  word  from  that  in  v.  11),  suggests 
the  idea  of  noisy,  ostentatious  opulence.  Cp.  Prov.  xv.  16;  xvi.  8; 
and  Tobit  xii.  8;  "a  little  with  righteousness  is  better  than  much  with 
unrighteousness."  The  P.B.V.  great  riches  of  the  ungodly  follows  the 
LXX,  Vulg.  and  Jer. :  but  the  present  Heb.  text  cannot  be  so  ren- 
dered. 

17.  For  the  arms  &c.]  All  the  power  which  they  have  misused  for 
evil  will  be  rendered  impotent.     Cp.  x.  15;  Job  xxxviii.  15. 

upholdeth^  When  the  wicked  strives  to  make  him  fall  {vv.  14),  and 
at  all  times.     See  vv.  24,  31,     Cp.  iii.  5;  liv.  4;  Ixxi.  6. 

18.  19.     Stanza  of  Yod.     Jehovah's  care  for  the  godly. 

18.  Jehovah  knoweth,  and  the  Omniscient  is  also  the  All-Sovei"eign 
(see  on  i.  6),  the  days  of  the  perfect:  each  fraction  of  the  lives  of 
those  who  are  devoted  to  Him  (see  on  xv.  2),  with  all  that  it  brings. 
Cp.  my  times  (xxxi.  15);  Matt.  vi.  8. 

and  their  inheritance  shall  be  for  ever]  The  righteous  man  lives  in 
his  posterity,  who  continue  in  possession  of  the  ancestral  inheritance, 
while  the  posterity  of  the  wicked  perish  {vv.  28,  38;  xxxiv.  16).  The 
Psalmist's  view  is  still  limited  to  earth  (cp.  v.  19).  The  eternal  inhe- 
ritance reserved  in  heaven  is  beyond  his  horizon. 

19.  Cp.  Job  V.  19,  20. 

in  the  evil  time']     R.V.  in  the  time  of  evil,  i.e.  calamity. 

20.  Stanza  of  Kaph.     The  end  of  the  wicked. 

the  enemies  of  the  LORD]  For  His  people's  enemies  are  His  ene- 
mies.    Cp.  xcii.  9. 

as  the  fat  of  la?fibs]  A  rendering  derived  from  the  Targum.  But  the 
consumption  of  the  fat  of  the  sacrifice  upon   the  altar  would  be  a 


PSALM   XXXVII.  21—23.  193 

They  shall  consume ;  into  smoke  shall  they  consume  away. 

(7)  The  wicked  borroweth,  and  payeth  not  again : 
But  the  righteous  sheweth  mercy,  and  giveth. 
For  such  as  be  blessed  of  him  shall  inherit  the  earth ; 
And  they  that  be  cursed  of  him  shall  be  cut  off. 

(^)  The  steps  of  a  good  man  are  ordered  by  the  Lord  : 
And  he  delighteth  in  his  way. 

strange  simile  for  the  evanescence  of  the  wicked :  and  we  must  render 
as  the  excellency  of  the  pastures,  or,  (R.V.)  as  the  splendour  of  the 
meadows.  The  gay  show  of  flowers,  so  quickly  vanishing,  is  an  apt 
emblem  for  the  short-lived  pomp  of  the  wicked. 

The  force  of  the  comparison  is  hardly  realised  in  our  moist  northern 
climate,  where  verdure  is  perpetual.  "But  let  a  traveller  ride  over 
the  downs  of  Bethlehem  in  February,  one  spangled  carpet  of  brilliant 
flowers,  and  again  in  May,  when  all  traces  of  verdure  are  gone ;  or  let 
him  push  his  horse  through  the  deep  solid  growth  of  clovers  and 
grasses  in  the  valley  of  the  Jordan  in  the  early  spring,  and  then  return 
and  gallop  across  a  brown,  hard-baked,  gaping  plain  in  June, ...and  the 
Scriptural  imagery  will  come  home  to  him  with  tenfold  power."  Tris- 
tram's Natural  History  of  the  Bible,  p.  455.  Cp.  v.  2;  Matt.  vi.  29, 
30;  James  i.  10,  11. 

they  shall  consume  &c.  Lit.  they  are  consumed;  in  smoke  (or, 
like  smoke)  are  they  consumed  away.  Smoke  is  in  itself  a  natural 
figure  of  speedy  and  complete  disappearance  (Hos.  xiii.  3) :  possibly, 
however,  the  idea  of  the  preceding  line  is  continued,  and  we  are  to 
think  of  *'the  grass  of  the  field,  which  to-day  is,  and  to-morrow  is  cast 
into  the  oven"  (Matt.  vi.  30).  The  perfect  tense,  as  in  xxxvi.  12, 
forcibly  expresses  the  realising  certainty  of  faith. 

21 — 31.     God's  care  for  the  righteous. 

21,  22.  Stanza  of  Lamed.  The  wicked  are  impoverished,  while 
the  righteous  are  enriched.     Cp.  Prov.  iii.  33. 

21.  At  first  sight  it  may  seem  that  the  Psalmist  intends  to  contrast 
the  dishonesty  of  the  wicked  with  the  liberality  of  the  righteous.  But 
z/.  22  makes  it  clear  that  this  is  not  the  meaning.  Looking  forward, 
he  foresees  the  future  which  awaits  them.  He  sees  the  wicked  man 
falling  into  debt  and  forced  to  contract  loans  which  he  cannot  repay, 
while  the  righteous  man  has  enough  and  to  spare,  and  makes  a  boun- 
tiful use  of  his  wealth.  The  promise  to  Israel  as  a  nation  finds  its 
analogy  within  the  nation  (Deut.  xv.  6;  xxviii.  12,  44). 

sheweth  mercy]     Better  as  R.V.,  dealeth  graciously.     Cp.  v.  26. 

22.  For  &c.]  The  wicked  man's  ruin  and  the  righteous  man's 
ability  to  do  good  proceed  respectively  from  the  curse  and  the  blessing 
of  God. 

23.  24.     Stanza  of  Mem.     God's  directing  and  upholding  care. 

23.  It  seems  best  to  take  v.  23  in  close  connexion  with  v.  24,  as 
(virtually)  the  condition  of  the  promise  : 

PSALMS  13 


:94  PSALM  XXXVII.  24—28 


24  Though  he  fall,  he  shall  not  be  utterly  cast  down : 
.  For  the  Lord  upholdeth  hhn  with  his  hand. 

25  Q)  I  have  been  young,  and  nozv  am  old ; 
Yet  have  I  not  seen  the  righteous  forsaken, 
Nor  his  seed  begging  bread. 

26  He  is  ever  merciful,  and  lendeth ; 
And  his  seed  is  blessed. 

27  (D)  Depart  from  evil,  and  do  good ; 
And  dwell  for  evermore. 

28  For  the  Lord  loveth  judgment, 
And  forsaketh  not  his  saints ; 

When  a  man's  goings  are  established  of  Jehovah, 
And  he  delighteth  in  his  way ; 
Though  he  fall  &c. 

The  second  line  may  be  understood  of  Jehovah's  satisfaction  in  the 
good  man's  life  {He  delighteth  in  his  %vay:  cp.  xviii.  19;  xxii.  8);  or  of 
the  good  man's  willing  acceptance  of  Jehovah's  guidance  (he  delighteth 
in  His  luay).  The  latter  explanation  is  supported  by  Prov.  x.  29, 
which  occurs  in  a  context  parallel  to  this  Psalm.     Cp.  v.  34;  cxix.  35. 

24.  shall  not  be  utterly  cast  down']  Or,  shall  not  lie  prostrate. 
Cp.  Prov.  xxiv.  16. 

upholdeth  him  with  his  hand]  Better,  as  R.  V.  marg.,  upholdeth 
his  hand.     Cp.  z/.  17;  Is.  xli.  13;  li.  18. 

25,  26.  Stanza  of  Nmt.  An  appeal  to  the  experience  of  a  long  life 
in  confirmation  of  the  preceding  stanzas.  He  has  never  seen  the  right- 
eous permanently  deserted  by  God,  or  his  children  reduced  to  homeless 
beggary  (cix.  10).  Cp.  vv.  28,  33;  ix.  10;  Gen.  xxviii.  15.  Tempo- 
rary impoverishment  and  apparent  abandonment  for  a  time  need  not  be 
supposed  to  be  excluded. 

26.  All  the  day  long  he  dealeth  graciously  and  lendeth  (R.  V.). 
Cp.  V.  11 ;  cxii.  5.  The  righteous  not  only  have  abundance,  but  know 
how  to  use  it  (Is.  xxxii.  5 — ^8). 

27,  28  a,  b.     Stanza  oi  Samech. 

27.  Once  more  the  teacher  addresses  his  disciple,  as  in  v.  3  fif.  The 
first  line  is  identical  with  xxxiv.  14  a  (see  note) :  the  second  line  is  vir- 
tually a  promise,  and  might  be  rendered  so  shall  thou  dwell  &c.  But  as 
Delitzsch  observes,  the  imperative  retains  its  force  in  constructions  of 
this  type,  as  an  exhortation  to  participate  in  the  blessing  by  the  fulfil- 
ment of  the  duty.  Peaceable  occupation  of  the  land  by  successive 
generations  is  meant  (cp.  v.  29).  The  individual  lives  on  in  his 
descendants. 

28  a.     Cp.  xxxiii.  5.     For  saints  see  note  on  iv.  3. 

28  c,  d,  29.  Stanza  of  Ayin.  The  verses  are  wrongly  divided.  It 
is  evident  from  the  regular  structure  of  the  Psalm  that  the  last  two  lines 
of  V.  28  together  with  v.  29  should  form  a  stanza  commencing  with  the 


PSALM   XXXVIl.  29,  30.  195 

(y /)  They  are  preserved  for  ever  : 

But  the  seed  of  the  wicked  shall  be  cut  off. 

The  righteous  shall  inherit  the  land,  29 

And  dwell  therein  for  ever. 

(fi)  The  mouth  of  the  righteous  speaketh  wisdom,  30 

And  his  tongue  talketh  of  judgment. 

letter  Ayin.  If  the  Massoretic  text  is  sound,  the  Ayin  is  represented 
by  the  second  letter  of  the  word  l^oldm,  '  for  ever ', — the  prefixed  prepo- 
sition /being  disregarded,  as  is  the  prefixed  and  in  v.  39.  But  a  com- 
parison of  the  LXX  makes  it  all  but  certain  that  the  first  word  of  the 
verse  has  been  lost,  and  a  further  corruption  taken  place  in  consequence^; 
and  that  the  original  reading  was : 

The  unrighteous  are  destroyed  for  ever, 
And  the  seed  of  the  wicked  is  cut  off. 

With  this  reading  a  full  stop  must  of  course  be  placed  after  saints^ 
and  the  couplet  forms  the  antithesis  to  z'.  29.  The  perfect  tenses,  as  in 
v.  10  c,  express  the  Psalmist's  conviction  of  the  certainty  of  the  event. 
Cp.  V.  38. 

30,  31.     Stanza  of  Pe.     The  secret  of  security. 

30.     The  mouth  of  the  righteous  meditateth  wisdom, 
And  his  tongue  speaketh  judgment. 
Cp.  Prov.  X.  31,  32.     The  word  rendered  meditateth  combines  the  ideas 
of  meditation  and  meditative  discourse.     Vulg.  7neditabitur  sapientiatJi. 
Cp.  i.  2;  XXXV.  28;  Josh.  i.  8. 


^  The  LXX  reads  thus ;  et?  tov  alcova  c^uA.ax^croi'Tat  •  avo/aoi  fie  exSicox^crof rai 
(J^B  a/aoD/xot  e/ffiKCTj^rjcrorTai),  /cat  a-n-epfxa  ao-e/SoJi/  e^oKoOpevOrjcreTai,  '  They  shall  be 
preserved  for  ever ;  but  the  lawless  shall  be  driven  out  (t^B,  the  perfect  shall  be 
avenged),  and  the  seed  of  the  ungodly  shall  be  destroyed.'  The  reading  of  the 
Sinaitic  and  Vatican  MSS.  appears  to  be  a  correction  or  corruption,  and  must  be 
abandoned  in  favour  of  that  found  in  (apparently)  all  other  MSS.,  and  supported  by 
the  Vulg.,  i7iuisti  pji7iietitur.  We  have  then  the  words  avoixoi  6e  e/cScajx^covrai, 
iui  the  lawless  shall  be  driven  out,  in  addition  to  a  rendering  of  the  Massoretic  text. 

These  words  might  represent  an  original  .liptJ^J  D'^SlW-     If  ^^^  original  reading 

(written  defectively)  was  1102^*^  D/V^  D?iy>  the  unrighteous  are  destroyed  for  ever, 

the  process  of  corruption  is  easily  intelligible.    Q /ly  was  omitted,  either  accidentally 

from  its  resemblance  to  u7y7i  or  because  the  transcriber  did  not  recognise  a  some- 
what rare  word,  and  supposed  it  to  be  an  erroneous  repetition.  When  once  it  had 
disappeared,  the  change  of  nJDtJ^J  {destroyed)  into  l^pji^j  {preser-oed)  followed  as 
a  matter  of  course,  '  his  saints '  in  the  preceding  line  being  the  only  possible  subject. 
The  word  Qv-ll^  does  not  occur  elsewhere  in  the  Psalter,  but  is  found  four  times  in 
the  Book  of  Job,  with  which  this  Psalm  is  so  closely  connected.  Cp.  too  the  substantive 
i"]piy  in  V.  I.    A  case  like  this,  in  which  the  acrostic  structure  of  the  Psalm  demands 

a  correction  for  which  the  LXX  supplies  clear  evidence,  is  a  convincing  argument 
for  the  temperate  employment  of  the  LXX  for  the  correction  of  the  Massoretic  Text. 
This  or  some  similar  correction  is  adopted  by  most  editors. 

13—2 


196  PSALM   XXXVII.    31—36. 

31  The  law  of  his  God  is  in  his  heart ; 
None  of  his  steps  shall  slide. 

32  (^f)  The  wicked  watcheth  the  righteous, 
And  seeketh  to  slay  him. 

33  The  Lord  will  not  leave  him  in  his  hand, 
Nor  condemn  him  when  he  is  judged. 

34  (p)  Wait  on  the  Lord,  and  keep  his  way, 

And  he  shall  exalt  thee  to  inherit  the  land : 
When  the  wicked  are  cut  off,  thou  shalt  see  //. 

35  (*^)  I  have  seen  the  wicked  in  great  power. 
And  spreading  himself  like  a  green  bay  tree. 

36  Yet  he  passed  away,  and  lo,  he  was  not : 
Yea,  I  sought  him,  but  he  could  not  be  found. 

31.  Cp.  cxix.  II.  God's  law,  treasured  in  his  heart,  regulates  all 
his  conduct.  Without  wavering  or  variation  he  pursues  the  path  of 
right.     Cp.  xxvi.  i;  Ixxiii.  2. 

32 — 40.     The  final  contrast. 

32,  33.     Stanza  of  Tsadi.     Malice  defeated. 

32.  Cp.  X.  8  ff. :  Prov.  i.  11  ff.  The  next  verse  shews  that  wrong  by 
judicial  corruption  (Is.  v.  -23)  as  well  as  actual  violence  is  meant. 

33.  will  not  leave  hint]  Lit.  will  not  forsake  hijn,  as  in  v.  28,  and 
leave  him  in  the  hatid,  i.e.  power,  of  the  wicked. 

nor  condemn  him  &c.]  Will  not  suffer  him  to  be  unjustly  con- 
demned. The  explanation,  that  though  men  may  condemn  him  unjustly, 
God  the  supreme  judge  will  acquit  him,  does  not  satisfy  the  context. 
The  Psalmist  looks  for  a  temporal  deliverance. 

34.  Stanza  of  Qoph.  The  Psalmist  again  addresses  his  disciple. 
For  a  while  he  may  be  crushed  and  down-trodden,  but  ultimately  he 
will  be  exalted  and  the  wicked  cut  off. 

keep  his  way]     Cp.  v.  23,  note;  xviii,  21. 

thou  shalt  see  it]  With  satisfaction  at  the  vindication  of  God's  right- 
eous government.     Cp.  lii.  6;  Iviii.  10,  ii.     See  Introd.  p.  Ixxiii. 

35.  36.  Stanza  of  Resh.  The  transitoriness  of  the  wicked.  Cp. 
V.  10;  lii.  5fif. ;  Job  viii.  16  ff. 

35.  I  have  seen]  Comp.  the  similar  appeal  to  experience  in  v.  25; 
and  the  close  parallel  in  Job  v.  3. 

in  great  power]  Or,  in  Ms  terribleness,  inspiring  terror  by  tyranni- 
cal oppression.     Cp.  the  cognate  verb  in  x.  18  (R.V.). 

like  a  green  bay  tree]  R.V.  like  a  green  tree  in  its  native  soil, 
some  deeply-rooted  giant  of  the  primeval  forest,  apparently  secure  from 
all  danger  of  sudden  disturbance. 

36.  Yet  he  passed  away]  R.  V.  But  one  passed  by.  Better,  with 
LXX,  Vulg.,  Syr.,  Jer.;  And  I  passed  by. 


PSALM   XXXVII.  37—40.     XXXVIIl.  197 

(^)  Mark  the  perfect  man,  and  behold  the  upright :  37 

For  the  end  of  ///^/  man  zs  peace. 

But  the  transgressors  shall  be  destroyed  together  :  38 

The  end  of  the  wicked  shall  be  cut  off. 

(HI)  But  the  salvation  of  the  righteous  zs  of  the  Lord  :  39 

He  IS  their  strength  in  the  time  of  trouble. 

And  the  Lord  shall  help  them,  and  deliver  them  :  40 

He  shall  deliver  them  from  the  wicked, 

And  save  them,  because  they  trust  in  him. 

37,  38.     Stanza  of  Skin.     The  future  of  the  wicked  and  the  righteous. 
Mark]     I.e.   observe.     The   P.B.V.,  A'eep   innocency,  a?id  take  heed 

unto  the  thing  that  is  right,  follows  the  LXX,  Vulg.,  Symm.,  Jer.,  Syr,, 
Targ.,  in  a  doubtful  rendering. 

for  the  end  &c.]  R.V.  for  the  latter  end  &c.  But  the  marginal 
alternatives  certainly  give  the  right  construction  of  the  sentence :  there  is 
a  reward  (or,  future,  or,  posterity)  for  the  man  of  peace.  Achnrith  means 
'an  after',  'a  sequel'  (Prov.  xxiii.  18;  xxiv.  20):  hence  'reward'  or 
♦posterity';  and  v.  38  points  to  the  latter  sense  here.  'The  man  of 
peace '  lives  on  in  his  posterity :  the  wicked  man's  family  become  extinct. 
P.B.  v.,  for  that  shall  briftg  a  man  peace  at  the  last,  appears  to  be  a 
paraphrase  of  Jerome's  quia  erit  in  extremnm  viro  pax. 

38,  But  transgressors  are  destroyed  together: 
The  posterity  of  the  wicked  is  cut  oflF. 

Cp.  V.  28;  cix.  13;  Job  xviii.  13 — 21.  To  the  Israelite,  with  his 
strong  sense  of  the  continuity  of  life  in  the  family,  childlessness  or  the 
loss  of  posterity  was  a  virtual  annihilation.  In  the  light  of  N.  T.  reve- 
lation the  contrast  between  the  '  after '  of  the  righteous  and  the  wicked 
is  still  more  solemn  and  significant. 

39,  40.     Stanza  of  Tav.     Jehovah's  faithfulness  to  His  own. 

39.  their  strength]  R.  V.  their  strong-hold  (xxvii.  i);  or  perhaps 
their  asyhim. 

40.  And  the  LORD  helpeth  them,  and  rescueth  them: 

He  rescueth  them  from  the  wicked,  and  saveth  them, 
Because  they  have  taken  refuge  in  him  (R.V.). 

PSALM  XXXVIIL 

Tortured  by  pain  of  body  and  anguish  of  mind,  deserted  by  his  friends, 
mocked  and  menaced  by  his  enemies,  the  Psalmist  lays  his  cause  before 
God.  In  his  sufferings  he  recognises  the  merited  punishment  of  his 
sins  :  he  submits  to  the  insults  of  his  enemies  with  a  meek  resignation 
which  is  a  distinguishing  feature  of  the  Psalm.  For  the  most  part  he 
simply  pleads  the  extremity  of  his  plight  as  an  argument  to  move  God's 
compassion:  only  at  the  opening  and  close  does  he  directly  ask  for 
relief  (z'Z'.  i,  21,  22),  and  at  the  beginning  of  each  division  (vv.  9,  15), 
addresses  God  with  words  of  faith  and  hope. 


198  PSALM   XXXVIII. 


The  Psalm  is  closely  related  to  Ps.  vi  and  Ps.  xxxix.  Delitzsch 
regards  Pss.  vi,  xxxviii,  li,  xxxii,  as  a  chronological  series,  the  occasion 
of  which  was  David's  adultery  with  Bathsheba.  Others  suppose  that  it 
was  written  by  Jeremiah,  at  the  time  when  he  was  scourged  and  put  in 
the  stocks  by  Pashur  (Jer.  xx).  Others  find  in  it  the  utterance,  not  of 
an  individual,  but  of  the  nation.  It  is  suffering  Israel  which  confesses 
its  sin,  acknowledges  the  justice  of  its  punishment,  and  appeals  to  the 
mercy  of  Jehovah. 

The  remarks  already  made  on  Ps.  vi  apply  here.  The  allusions  are 
not  sufficiently  definite  to  enable  us  to  refer  the  Psalm  to  any  particular 
author  or  occasion.  The  application  of  it,  in  liturgical  use,  to  the  nation, 
was  easy  and  natural,  but  there  is  no  hint  that  the  speaker  is  other  than 
an  individual,  who  relates  his  own  experience.  The  best  illustration  of 
the  Psalm  is  to  be  found  in  Job's  description  of  his  sufferings^,  though 
the  Psalmist's  temper  of  mind  differs  absolutely  from  his :  and  the  por- 
traiture of  Job,  even  if  ideal,  must  have  been  intended  to  be,  in  the  main, 
true  to  life.  The  striking  parallels,  and  not  less  striking  points  of 
difference,  between  the  Psalm  and  the  portrait  of  the  suffering  servant 
of  the  Lord  in  Is.  liii  should  also  be  studied. 

This  is  the  third  of  the  '  Penitential  Psalms,'  in  use  on  Ash-Wednes- 
day. 

The  Psalm  falls  into  three  divisions,  each  beginning  with  an  address 
to  God  ;  and  the  verses  are  generally  arranged  in  pairs.  The  use  of  the 
divine  names  should  be  noted  :  ^x'sX  Jehovah  {v.  i);  then  Adotiai  [v.  9); 
then  both  combined  with  the  addition  of  my  God  {v.  15),  and  the  three 
repeated  {vv.  21,  22). 

i.     The  Psalmist's  bodily  and  mental  sufferings  described  (i — 8). 

ii.     The  desertion  of  friends,  and  the  threats  of  enemies  (9 — 14). 

iii.     Pleadings  for  deliverance  (15 — 22). 

The  title  to  bring  to  remembrance,  prefixed  also  to  Ps.  Ixx,  has  com- 
monly been  explained  to  refer  to  the  contents  of  the  Psalm,  as  a  record 
of  suffering,  or  as  a  prayer  intended  to  bring  the  suppliant  to  God's  re- 
membrance. But  more  probably  it  should  be  rendered,  to  make  memoi'ial 
(R.  V.  marg.),  ox,  for  making  the  memorial^  and  explained  as  a  note  of 
the  liturgical  use  of  the  Psalm  either  in  connexion  with  the  oftering  of 
incense,  or  at  the  offering  of  the  Azkara.  Comp.  the  phrase  to  make  a 
memorial  of  incense  (Is.  Ixvi.  3,  marg.),  and  for  the  connexion  of  prayer 
and  offering  of  incense  see  Num.  xvi.  46  ff.  :  Luke  i.  9,  10.  The  Azkara 
or  Memoj'ial  was  a  technical  term  in  the  Levitical  ritual  (i)  for  the 
portion  of  the  *  meal-offering '  mixed  with  oil  and  burnt  with  incense  on 
the  altar  (Lev.  ii.  2);  (2)  for  the  incense  placed  on  the  shewbread  and 
afterwards  burnt  (Lev.  xxiv.  7).  Though  probably  the  term  originally 
meant  only  'a  fragrant  offering'  (see  Dillmann  on  Lev.  ii.  2)  it  was 
interpreted  to  mean  'a  memorial'  (LXX.  fivrjixoavvov,  Vulg.  memoriale) 

1  See  e.g.  Job's  description  of  his  sickness,  ch.  vii.  5,  ix.  17;  God  has  attacked 
him,  xvi.  12  fF. ;  and  esp.  cp.  vi.  4,  vii.  20,  xvi.  12,  13,  with  v.  2  of  the  Ps. ;  he  is  de- 
serted by  friends,  xvi.  20,  xix.  13  ff. ;  insulted  and  even  assaulted  by  enemies,  xvi.  10  f., 
xvii.  2,  6,  XXX.  9  ff.,  12  ff. ;  he  connects  his  sufferings  with  sin,  though  he  knows  of  no 
special  sin  which  can  account  for  the  severity  of  the  punishment,  vii.  21,  x.  6,  14,  xiii. 
23,  26,  xiv.  16,  17. 


PSALM   XXXVIII.  1—5.  199 

as  bringing  the  offerer  to  God's  remembrance.  There  may  be  an  allu- 
sion to  the  use  of  Psalms  in  connexion  M'ith  the  Azkara  in  i  Chr.  xvi. 
4,  where  to  celebrate  (R.  V.)  is  the  same  word  as  that  used  here. 

The  LXX  has  "For  a  memorial  for  the  Sabbath,"  an  addition 
which  confirms  the  liturgical  explanation.  The  liturgical  use  must  have 
arisen  in  days  of  national  distress  and  persecution,  such  as  the  time  of 
Antiochus  Epiphanes  (i  Mace,  i):  and  implies  the  application  of  the 
Psalm  to  the  nation. 


A  Psalm  of  David,  to  bring  to  remembrance. 

O  Lord,  rebuke  me  not  in  thy  wrath  :  38 

Neither  chasten  me  in  thy  hot  displeasure. 

For  thine  arrows  stick  fast  in  me,  2 

And  thy  hand  presseth  me  sore. 

There  is  no  soundness  in  my  flesh  because  of  thine  anger ;     3 

Neither  is  there  any  rest  in  my  bones  because  of  my  sin. 

For  mine  iniquities  are  gone  over  mine  head  :  4 

As  a  heavy  burden  they  are  too  heavy  for  me. 

My  wounds  stink  atid  are  corrupt  5 

Because  of  my  fooHshness. 

1 — 8.     The  chastisement  of  sin. 

1.  In  words  almost  identical  with  vi.  i  the  Psalmist  deprecates  the 
severity  of  a  chastisement  which  seems  to  proceed  from  an  angry  Judge 
rather  than  from  a  loving  Father.  The  emphasis  is  on  in  thy  wrath... 
in  thy  hot  displeasure.  Cp.  Jer.  x.  24.  For  similar  expressions  of  a 
sense  of  guilt  under  suffering,  see  xxv.  18;  xxxi.  10;  xxxix.  10  ff.;  xl.  12. 

2.  God's  'arrows'  are  His  judgments  in  general  (vii.  12:  Deut. 
xxxii.  23);  here  in  particular  pain  and  sickness  (Job  vi.  4;  xvi.  12,  13; 
Lam.  iii.  12,  13).  Blow  after  blow  from  God's  'hand'  (xxxii.  4;  xxxix. 
10)  has  lighted  upon  him.  Stick  fast  and  presseth  sore  are  renderings  of 
different  voices  of  the  same  verb,  meaning  literally  to  come  down,  to 
light  upon. 

3.  His  own  sin  is  the  cause  of  the  divine  indignation  which  inflicts 
the  chastisement;  and  while  God's  wrath  assaults  him  from  without, 
the  fever  of  sin  consumes  him  from  within.  With  this  verse  and  v.  5, 
comp.  Isaiah's  description  of  the  deep-seated  disease  of  Israel's  body 
corporate  (Is.  i.  5,  6). 

angcr\     Better  as  R.  V.  indignation,  as  in  vii.  11 ;  cii.  10. 
rest\     R.  V.  health ;  lit.,  wholeness  or  peace.     For  in  my  bones  see 
vi.  2,  note. 

4.  His  sins  are  like  a  flood  which  overwhelms  (cxxiv.  4,  5) ;  like  a 
burden  which  crushes  (Gen.  iv.  13;  Is.  liii.  4;  Job  vii.  20). 

5.  My  wounds']  Or  stripes  {^bruises.  Is.  i.  6,  A.  V.) :  for  he  has 
been  as  it  were  scourged  by  God. 

viy  foolishness]     Sin  is  essentially  foolishness.     Cp.  cvii.  17.     The 


200  PSALM  XXXVIII.  6— II. 

6  I  am  troubled ;  I  am  bowed  down  greatly; 
I  go  mourning  all  the  day  long. 

7  For  my  loins  are  filled  with  a  loathsome  disease: 
And  there  is  no  soundness  in  my  flesh. 

8  I  am  feeble  and  sore  broken : 

I  have  roared  by  reason  of  the  disquietness  of  my  heart. 

9  Lord,  all  my  desire  is  before  thee ; 
And  my  groaning  is  not  hid  from  thee. 

10  My  heart  panteth,  my  strength  faileth  me : 

As  for  the  light  of  mine  eyes,  it  also  is  gone  from  me. 

11  My  lovers  and  my  friends  stand  aloof  from  my  sore; 
And  my  kinsmen  stand  afar  off. 

word  occurs  only  once  again  in  the  Psalter  (Ixix.  5),  and  elsewhere  only 
in  Proverbs,  where  it  is  common  (e.g.  v.  23;  xix.  3). 

6.  I  am  bent,  I  am  bowed  do-wn  exceedingly,  as  one  whose  frame  is 
contracted  and  drawn  together  by  pain,  or  whose  gestures  indicate 
mental  anguish.  Cp.  xxxv.  14;  Is.  xxi.  3.  Notice  the  vigorous  archa- 
ism ivried  in  A.  V.  margin,  i.e.  twisted. 

viourning\     In  the  guise  of  a  mourner.     See  note  on  xxxv.  14. 

In  later  times  at  any  rate  it  was  customary  for  the  accused  to  appear 
before  the  court  in  mourning.  *'  Whosoever  conies  before  this  court  of 
the  Sanhedrin  to  take  his  trial,  presents  himself  in  the  guise  of  humility 
and  fear,  appeaUng  to  your  compassion,  with  hair  neglected,  and  clad 
in  black  garments."  (Josephus,  Antiq.  xiv.  9.3).  If  the  custom  pre- 
vailed in  earlier  times,  in  7notirning garb  may  suggest  that  he  feels  him- 
self, like  Job,  under  the  divine  accusation.     Cp.  Zech.  iii.  i  ff. 

7.  M'ith  a  loathsome  disease]  R.  V.  with  burning;  fever  and  in- 
flammation.     Cp.  Job  xxx,  27,  30. 

8.  I  am  faint  and  sore  bruised  (R.  V.).     Cp.  li.  8;  Is.  liii.  5,  10. 

/  have  roared  &c.]  Lit.  /  have  roared  (xxii.  i ;  xxxii.  3 ;  Job  iii.  24) 
fro?n  the  moaning  of  my  heart.  The  inward  moaning  of  his  heart  must 
needs  find  utterance  in  loud  cries  of  distress. 

9 — 14.  The  neglect  of  friends  and  the  scorn  of  enemies  augment  his 
sufferings. 

9.  God  knows  what  he  needs  (x.  17;  Matt.  vi.  8). 

10.  panteth']     R.  V.  excellently,  tlirobbeth. 

as  for  the  light  of  mine  eyes  &c.]  His  eyes  are  dim  and  dull  with 
weakness  and  weeping.  Cp.  vi.  7;  xiii.  3,  note;  xxxi.  9;  Job  xvii.  7; 
Lam.  ii.  11. 

11.  from  my  sore]  R.  V.  from  my  plague.  The  word  is  specially 
used  of  the  plague  of  leprosy  (Lev.  xiii.  3,  &c.).  His  friends  treat  him 
as  a  leper,  standing  over  against  him,  within  sight  but  at  a  distance. 
Even  his  near  kinsmen  falsify  their  name  by  standing  afar  off.  (LXX. 
Oi  lyyiaToi  p,ov  fxaKpodev  ^arrjcrav.) 

Comp.  xxxi.  II — 13;  Ixix.  8;  Ixxxviii.  18;  Job  xix.  i3fF. ;  Is.  liii.  4. 

12.  Pitiless  enemies  beset  him.     Comp.  xxxv.  4,  26. 


PSALM   XXXVIII.  12—17.  201 

They  also  that  seek  after  my  life  lay  snares /^r  me:  12 

And  they  that  seek  my  hurt  speak  mischievous  things, 

And  imagine  deceits  all  the  day  long. 

But  I,  as  a  deaf  man,  heard  not ;  13 

And  I  was  as  a  dumb  rtian  that  openeth  not  his  mouth. 

Thus  I  was  as  a  man  that  heareth  not,  14 

And  in  whose  mouth  are  no  reproofs. 

For  in  thee,  O  Lord,  do  I  hope :  15 

Thou  wilt  hear,  O  Lord  my  God. 

For   I   said,  Hear  me,  lest  otherwise  they  should   rejoice  16 

over  me : 
When  my  foot  slippeth,  they  magnify  themselves  against  me. 
For  I  atn  ready  to  halt^  17 

And  my  sorrow  is  continually  before  me. 

mischievous  things']     Lit.  destructions.     See  note  on  v.  9. 
imagine]     Lit.  meditate.     Contrast  xxxvii.  26,  30. 

13.  14.  Conscious  of  guilt  he  must  keep  silence  and  commit  his 
cause  to  God,  resigned  and  patient  as  though  he  did  not  hear  the  insults, 
or  had  no  power  to  answer  them.     Cp.  xxxix.  9 ;  Is.  liii.  7 ;   t  Pet.  ii.  23. 

But  I  Sic]  R.  V.  But  I,  as  a  deaf  man,  hear  not ;  and  I  am  as  a 
dnml)  man,  &c.     He  is  describing  his  present  situation. 

14.  Yea,  I  am  become  like  a  man  that  hath  no  hearing ; 
And  in  whose  mouth  are  no  arguments. 

No  arguments  for  his  own  defence.  Cp.  Job  xxiii.  4,  where  Job 
desires  to  argue  with  God. 

15 — 22.     Fresh  pleadings  with  God. 

15.  The  motive  of  silence  and  resignation. 

itz  thee... do  I  hope]  Or,  for  thee  do  I  wait.  Patience  and  hope  are 
inseparable.     Cp.  xxxix.  7  ;  Mic.  vii.  7. 

thou  wilt  hear]  Thou,  thou  wilt  answer.  The  pronoun  is  emphati- 
cally expressed.  It  is  possible  to  complete  the  sense  by  supplying  me, 
with  reference  to  the  prayer  of  which  v.  16  speaks  :  or  for  me  (P.B.  V.) 
with  reference  to  v.  14.  But  the  one  involves  the  other.  An  answer 
to  his  prayer  must  be  a  refutation  of  the  taunts  of  his  enemies. 

16.  For  I  said,  Lest  they  rejoice  over  me  (R.  V.).  This  was  the 
plea  which  he  urged  in  his  prayer  (xxv.  2;  xxxv.  19).  The  enemies  of 
the  godly  man  rejoice  at  his  calamities,  for  they  see  in  them  a  proof  of 
God's  disfavour  (xli.  11). 

when  my  foot  slippeth]  Lit.  is  moved,  a  metaphor  for  misfortune  of 
any  kind(xiii.  4). 

magnify  themselves]     Cp.  xxxv.  26. 

17.  For  &c.]  A  further  argument  for  a  speedy  hearing.  For  the 
metaphor  cp.  xxxv.  15. 

my  sorrow  &c.]  I.e.  my  suffering  is  unceasingly  present  with  me. 
Cp.  li.  3. 


202  PSALM   XXXVIII.  18—22.    XXXIX. 

18  For  I  will  declare  mine  iniquity ; 
I  will  be  sorry  for  my  sin. 

19  But  mine  enemies  are  lively,  and  they  are  strong : 
And  they  that  hate  me  wrongfully  are  multiplied. 

20  They  also  that  render  evil  for  good  are  mine  adversaries ; 
Because  I  follow  the  thing  that  good  is. 

21  Forsake  me  not,  O  Lord  : 

O  my  God,  be  not  far  from  me. 

22  Make  haste  to  help  me, 
O  Lord  my  salvation. 

18.  For  &c.]     Sin,  he  confesses,  is  the  cause  of  that  suffering. 

/  will  be  sorry]  Or,  /  will  be  troubled.  Jer.  solliciius  era :  v.  I.  con- 
tristabor. 

19.  7nine  e7iemies  are  lively']  He  contrasts  their  vigour  with  his  o\\ti 
weakness.  But  the  expression  is  somewhat  strange;  and  a  comparison 
of  XXXV.  19  suggests  that  we  should  read  withoiit  cause,  corresponding 
to  wrongfully  in  the  next  line,  in  place  of  are  lively.  The  Hebrew 
words  are  very  similar  (DJn — D*'''!!). 

wrongfully]  Lit.  falsely.  Their  hatred  is  based  on  misconception 
and  misrepresentation. 

20.  Yea,  and  rewarding  evil  for  good 

They  are  adversaries  unto  me,  for  my  following  of  good. 
Not,  in  return  for  my  pursuit  of  good  in  general,  but,  in  return  for 
the  good  I  have  striven  to  do  for  them.     The  point  is  their  base  ingrati- 
tude.    Cp.  XXXV.  12,  13,  note. 

21.  22.     Concluding  prayer. 

21.  Cp.  xxii.  I ;  x.  i. 

"The  light  has  not  yet  dawned  upon  the  darkness  of  God's  wrath. 
Fides  supplex  is  not  yet  transformed  into  fides  iriu77iphans.  But  the 
difference  between  Cain's  repentance  and  David's  repentance  is  shewn 
in  the  concluding  words.  True  repentance  includes  faith :  it  despairs 
of  itself,  but  not  of  God."     Delitzsch. 

22.  Make  haste  k.z,]     Cp.  xxii.  19;  xl.  13. 
O  Loi'd  my  salvation']     Cp.  Ixii.  1;  li.  14. 


PSALM  XXXIX. 

This  Psalm,  which  is  pronounced  by  Ewald  to  be  "indisputably  the 
most  beautiful  of  all  the  elegies  in  the  Psalter,"  is  a  sequel  to  the  pre- 
ceding one.  The  situation  of  the  Psalmist  is  in  the  main  the  same. 
Prolonged  sickness  has  brought  him  to  the  very  edge  of  the  grave. 
But  the  crisis  of  suffering  is  over,  and  the  taunts  of  his  enemies  have 
ceased  for  the  time. 

The  Psalm  consists  of  four  stanzas,  the  first  three  containing  three 
verses  each,  and  the  fourth  four  verses,  which  fall  into  two  pairs. 


PSALM  XXXIX.  I.  203 


The  outline  of  the  contents  is  as  follows : 

i.  As  he  compares  his  lot  of  suffering  with  the  prosperity  of  the 
wicked,  the  Psalmist  is  tempted  to  murmur,  and  resolves  to  meet  the 
temptation  by  silence.  But  the  fire  of  emotion  refuses  to  be  suppressed 
(1-3). 

ii.  He  is  forced  to  seek  relief  in  prayer  that  he  may  be  taught  to 
understand  the  transitoriness  of  human  life  and  the  vanity  of  worldly 
aims  (4 — 6). 

iii.  Thus  he  is  brought  to  feel  that  his  only  hope  is  in  Jehovah,  to 
Whom  he  turns  in  silent  resignation  {7 — 9). 

iv.  Then,  pleading  the  frailty  and  the  shortness  of  human  life,  he 
prays  for  relief  and  respite  (10 — 13). 

In  order  rightly  to  understand  this  Psalm,  as  well  as  Ps.  xxxviii,  it 
must  be  remembered  (i)  that  sickness  was  popularly  regarded  as  a  proof 
of  God's  displeasure:  (2)  that  to  ancient  Israel  it  seemed  that  death 
must  be  an  interruption  of  fellowship  with  God  (Introd.  p.  Ixxxvff.). 

This  Psalm,  like  Pss.  xxxviii  and  xl,  has  been  regarded  by  some 
critics  as  the  utterance  of  the  nation  rather  than  of  an  individual.  But 
however  well  it  may  admit  of  such  an  application,  this  can  hardly  have 
been  the  original  meaning. 

The  Psalm  is  closely  connected  in  thought  and  language  with  Ps. 
xxxviii.  Cp.  vv.  2,  9  with  xxxviii.  13,  14;  v.  7  with  xxxviii.  15;  v.  8 
with  xxxviii.  16;  vv.  lo,  11  with  xxxviii.  i — 3,  11.  It  is  also  related  to 
Ps.  Ixii.  Both  Psalms  are  marked  by  the  same  hope  in  God,  and  the 
same  view  of  the  vanity  of  life:  and  in  both  the  word  a^,  'only'  or 
'surely,'  is  characteristic.  The  parallels  with  the  Book  of  Job  should 
also  be  noticed.     See  note  on  v.  13. 

The  title  should  be  rendered,  J*br  the  Chief  Musician  JediUhun. 
Jeduthun,  whose  name  appears  again  in  the  titles  of  Pss.  Ixii  and  Ixxvii, 
is  mentioned  in  i  Chr.  xvi.  41  f. ;  xxv.  i  ff. ;  2  Chr.  v.  12;  xxxv.  15, 
along  with  Heman  and  Asaph,  as  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Temple 
music.     He  appears  to  have  been  also  called  Ethan  (i  Chr.  xv.  17  ff.). 

To  the  chief  Musician,  evefi  to  Jeduthun,  A  Psalm  of  David. 

I  said,  I  wall  take  heed  to  my  ways,  39 

That  /  sin  not  with  my  tongue  : 

1 — 3.     The  resolution  of  silence  in  the  presence  of  temptation. 

1.  I said'\  To  myself:  I  resolved,  as  the  result  of  self-communing. 
Cp.  XXX.  6;  xxxi,  14. 

I  will  take  heed  to  my  ways]  Lit.  /  will  keep  my  ways:  keep  watch 
and  ward  over  thought  word  and  action.  Cp.  Prov.  xvi.  1 7 ;  and  the 
often  repeated  exhortation  in  Deuteronomy  to  'take  heed'  (iv.  9; 
&c.).  He  fears  that  he  may  sin  with  his  tongue  (Job  xxxi.  30)  by  mur- 
muring against  God  as  he  contrasts  the  prosperity  of  the  ^^dcked  with 
his  oA\Ti  lot  of  trial.  Cp.  Job  i.  22;  ii.  10;  and  generally  Pss.  xxxvii 
and  Ixxiii. 


204  PSALM   XXXIX.  2—5. 


I  will  keep  my  mouth  with  a  bridle, 
While  the  wicked  is  before  me. 
2 1  was  dumb  ivtth  silence,  I  held  my  peace,  even  from  good ; 
And  my  sorrow  was  stirred. 

3  My  heart  was  hot  within  me, 
While  I  was  musing  the  fire  burned : 
T/ien  spake  I  with  my  tongue, 

4  Lord,  make  me  to  know  mine  end, 
And  the  measure  of  my  days,  what  it  is  ; 
That  I  may  know  how  frail  I  am. 

5  Behold,  thou  hast  made  my  days  as  a  handbreadth ; 


I  will  keep  &c.]  Lit.  I  ivill  keep  a  muzzle  for  my  mouth.  Cp.  cxH.  3. 
Perhaps  with  the  LXX,  we  should  read  I  will  put... on. 

while  the  wicked  is  before  me]  For  the  sight  of  their  prosperity  is  a 
teraptation.  Cp.  Hab.  i.  3.  This  seems  to  be  the  sense,  rather  than 
that  he  was  afraid  of  giving  way  to  complaints  in  the  hearing  of  the 
wicked,  which  might  give  occasion  for  ridicule  or  blasphemy. 

2.  szlejzce]  The  word  carries  with  it  the  idea  of  mute  submission. 
Cp.  Ixii.  I ;  xxxvii.  7 ;  Lam.  iii.  26. 

even  from  good]  I  kept  absolute  silence,  speaking  neither  good  nor 
bad  (Gen.  xxxi.  24).  Less  probably  as  R.  V.  marg.,  and  had  no 
comfort. 

my  sorrow  was  stirred]  The  effort  to  suppress  his  feelings  only  aggra- 
vated the  pain.  Cp.  xxxii.  3.  So  Ovid,  Trist.  v.  i.  63,  '  Strangulat 
inclusus  dolor  atque  exaestuat  intus.' 

3.  burned]  Better,  as  R.V.  from  Coverdale  and  P.B.V.,  kindled. 
The  smouldering  fire  of  passion  within  could  no  longer  be  restrained 
from  bursting  into  a  flame  of  words.  Comp.  (though  the  cause  was 
different)  Jer.  xx.  9. 

4 — 6.  Silence  has  proved  impossible.  He  must  give  vent  to  his 
emotions,  and  he  breaks  out  into  a  prayer  that  he  may  be  taught  so  to 
understand  the  frailty  of  his  life  and  the  vanity  of  human  aims,  that  he 
may  be  led  back  from  selfish,  envious,  murmuring  thoughts,  to  rest  in 
submission  to  God's  will.     Cp.  xc.  12. 

4.  His  prayer  is  not  that  he  may  know  how  much  of  life  is  left  him ; 
as  the  P.B.V.  that  Ijnay  be  certified  how  long  I  have  to  live,  paraphrasing 
the  LXX.  'iva  yvd  tL  mrepQ)  iydb:  ut  scza?n  quid  desit  mihi,  Vulg. : 
but  that  he  may  realise  how  surely  life  must  end,  and  how  brief  it  must 
be  at  best.     What  it  2!y  =  how  short  it  is. 

that  /  may  know]  Better,  as  R.  V.,  let  me  know.  Frail,  lit.  ceasing, 
transitory. 

5.  as  a  handbreadth]  Better,  a  few  handbreadths  long.  The  short- 
est measure  is  enough  to  reckon  life  by.  The  '  handbreadth '  =  four 
'fingers'  (Jer.  Hi.  21  compared  with  i  Kings  vii.  26)  or  less  than  half  a 
'  span.' 


PSALM    XXXIX.  6—8.  205 

And  mine  age  is  as  nothing  before  thee : 

Verily  every  man  at  his  best  state  is  altogether  vanity.  Selah. 

Surely  every  man  walketh  in  a  vain  shew  :  6 

Surely  they  are  disquieted  in  vain  : 

He  heapeth  up  riches^  and  knoweth  not  who  shall  gather 

them. 
And  now,  Lord,  what  wait  I  for?  7 

My  hope  is  in  thee. 
Deliver  me  from  all  my  transgressions  :  8 

mine  age  &c.]  The  same  word  as  that  rendered  '  world  '  in  xvii.  14, 
denoting  life  in  its  fleeting,  transient  aspect.  In  the  sight  of  the  Eternal 
man's  existence  shrinks  into  nothing.     Cp.  Is.  xl.  17. 

verily  &c.]  The  particle  ak,  which  is  characteristic  of  this  Ps.  and 
of  Ps.  Ixii,  may  be  used  affirmatively  to  introduce  the  whole  clause  {verily, 
or  surely,  as  in  vv.  6,  11),  or  restrictively,  to  emphasise  the  words  which 
immediately  follow  it  [only).  The  order  of  the  words  points  to  the 
latter  sense  here.  'Only  altogether  a  breath',  i.e.  nought  but  mere 
vanity  are  all  7?ien  at  their  best  estate:  lit.  when  standing  firm  :  however 
securely  they  may  seem  to  be  established.     Cp.  cxliv.  4;  James  iv.  14. 

6.  Only  as  a  phantom  doth  each  walk  to  and  fro: 
Only  for  vanity  do  they  turmoil: 

One  heapeth  up,  and  he  will  not  know  who  doth  gather  the 
hoard. 

Man  is  an  unsubstantial  phantom  (or  shadow,  lit.  image),  Ixxiii.  20: 
(T/cms  ovap,  'a.  dream  of  shadow'  as  Pindar  calls  him  (Pyth.  viii.  95). 
With  unreal  aim  and  unenduring  result  do  men  disturb  themselves. 
The  word  expresses  the  idea  of  restless  noisy  bustle  and  uproar.  Cp. 
*a  tumultuous  city'  Is.  xxii.  2,  and  see  note  on  '  abundance ',  xxxvii.  16. 
Shezu  (A.  V.)  must  be  taken  to  mean  'appearance,*  not  'display'  or 
'  pomp. ' 

One  heapeth  up  riches,  treasures,  possessions  of  all  kinds  (Job  xxvii. 
16),  and  he  will  not  know  after  his  death  who  gathers  these  hoards  as 
his  harvest,  or  rather,  who  carries  them  off  as  his  spoil  (Is.  xxxiii.  4). 
Cp.  Luke  xii.  20. 

7 — 9.  Man's  life  being  thus  transient,  and  earthly  treasures  thus 
deceitful,  the  Psalmist  turns  to  God,  as  the  one  sure  stay  in  life. 

7.  And  now]  Or,  Now  therefore  (ii.  10),  introduces  a  conclusion 
from  a  preceding  statement. 

what  wait  I  for]  "What  have  I  waited  and  still  am  waiting  for  ?  or, 
What  (else)  could  I  have  waited  for  ?  the  form  of  the  question  implying 
that  nothing  else  was  possible. 

wait .. .hope]  The  words  form  a  link  between  the  preceding  (v.  15) 
and  the  following  {v.  i)  Psalms. 

8.  The  Psalmist  prays  to  be  delivered  not  merely  from  his  present 
afflictions  but  from  the  power  of  the  sins  which  he  recognises  as  the 


2o6  PSALM   XXXIX.  9—12. 

Make  me  not  the  reproach  of  the  fooUsh. 

I  was  dumb,  I  opened  not  my  mouth ; 

Because  thou  didst  //. 

Remove  thy  stroke  away  from  me  : 

I  am  consumed  by  the  blow  of  thine  hand. 

When  thou  with  rebukes  dost  correct  man  for  iniquity, 

Thou  makest  his  beauty  to  consume  away  Hke  a  moth : 

Surely  every  man  is  vanity.     Selah. 

Hear  my  prayer,  O  Lord, 
And  give  ear  unto  my  cry ; 
Hold  not  thy  peace  at  my  tears : 

cause  of  them.     Sin  gets  hold  of  its  victim  and  brings  him  into  punish- 
ment.    Cp.  xl.  12;  Job  viii.  4. 

the  reproach  of  the  foolish']  The  fool  (xiv.  i  note)  regards  the  suffer- 
ings of  the  godly  as  a  mark  of  God's  wrath,  and  taunts  him  accordingly 
(xxxviii.  16;  xxii.  8;  xxxi.  11).  Cp.  the  plea  of  the  nation,  xliv.  138".; 
Ixxiv.  18,  22. 

9.  This  verse  may  refer  to  the  silence  with  which  he  bore  the  taunts 
of  his  enemies  [v.  2;  xxxviii.  13,  14):  or  it  may  be  the  expression  of 
perfect  resignation  to  the  will  of  God :  I  am  dumb,  I  will  not  open  my 
mouth,  for  Thou  hast  done  it.  Cp.  Lam.  i.  21.  "He  has  risen  out 
of  the  moody  silence  of  impatience  to  the  contrite  silence  of  evangelical 
faith,  recognising  at  once  his  sin  and  God's  holy  love."     J^ay. 

10—13.     Petition  for  relief  (10,  11)  and  respite  (12,  13). 

10.  strohe]  The  same  word  as  that  rendered  plague  in  xxxviii.  1 1 . 
Cp.  Job  ix.  34. 

/  am  consumed  &c.]  By  the  conflict  of  thy  hand  am  I  consumed. 
•1'  stands  in  emphatic  contrast  with  'thy  hand'.  When  the  power  ot 
the  Almighty  contends  with  me,  I,  frail  mortal  that  I  am,  must  needs 
perish.     Cp.  Job  x.  2  ff. 

11.  When  thou  with  rebukes  dost  chasten  a  man  for  iniquity, 
Thou  wastest  like  a  moth  his  desirableness : 

Nought  but  vanity  are  all  men. 
The  A.  V.  obscures  the  correspondence  of  the  first  line  with  xxxviii. 
I ;  vi.  I.  As  easily  as  the  moth-grub,  working  unseen,  destroys 
'goodly  raiment'  (Gen.  xxvii.  15),  so  easily  does  God's  chastisement 
destroy  a  man's  'goodliness,'  the  bodily  strength  and  beauty  which 
make  him  attractive  (Is.  liii.  2).  It  is  God's  consuming  'hand'  which 
is  compared  to  the  'moth'  (Hos.  v.  12);  not,  as  the  A.  V.  might  seem 
to  imply,  the  ephemeral  duration  of  man's  goodliness.  Cp.  Job  xiii. 
28;  Is.  1.  9;  li.  8. 

12.  hold  not  thy  peace]  Restoration  to  health  will  be  an  answer. 
But  the  word  may  be  rendered,  as  in  R.  V.  of  xxviii.  i,  be  not  deaf  So 
Jerome,  ne  obsurdescas. 

It  is  a  Rabbinic  saying  that  there  are  three  kinds  of  supplication, 


PSALM   XXXIX.  13.     XL.  207 

For  1  am  a.  stranger  with  thee, 
And  a  sojourner,  as  all  my  fathers  were. 
O  spare  me,  that  I  may  recover  strength. 
Before  I  go  hence,  and  be  no  more. 

each  superior  to  the  other ;  prayer,  crying,  and  tears.  Prayer  is  made 
in  silence,  crying  with  a  loud  voice,  but  tears  surpass  all.  "There  is 
no  door,  through  which  tears  do  not  pass,"  and,  *'  The  gates  of  tears  are 
never  locked."     Cp.  Heb.  v.  7. 

a  stranger  with  thee,  and  a  sojourner']  Omit  a7ici.  '  Stranger '  and 
'sojourner'  were  the  technical  terms  for  aliens  residing  in  a  country  to 
which  they  did  not  belong,  and  where  they  had  no  natural  rights  of 
citizenship  (Gen.  xxiii.  4).  The  words  suggest  the  idea  of  a  temporary 
residence,  dependent  on  the  good-will  of  the  actual  owners.  The 
Israelites  were  taught  to  regard  themselves  as  'strangers  and  sojourners' 
in  the  land  of  Canaan,  which  belonged  to  Jehovah  (Lev.  xxv.  23):  and 
here  the  idea  is  extended  to  man  in  general.  The  earth  is  God's,  and 
man  is  His  tenant  upon  it  (cxix.  19).  This  being  so,  the  Psalmist  appeals 
for  a  hearing  on  the  ground  that  he  is  but  a  temporary  resident  on  the 
earth  (Gen.  xlvii.  9),  God's  guest  for  a  while  only  in  the  upper  world, 
where  alone  His  Presence  can  be  enjoyed.  And  further,  as  the  strangers 
and  sojourners  among  them  were  specially  commended  to  the  care  of 
Israel  (Ex.  xxii.  21 ;  &c.),  he  would  plead  to  be  treated  by  God  with  a 
corresponding  clemency. 

The  words  are  placed  in  David's  mouth  by  the  Chronicler  (i  Chr. 
xxix.  15),  and  applied  by  St  Peter  (i  Pet.  ii.  11)  to  the  Christian's  posi- 
tion in  the  world,  irapaKaXQ  oJs  irapoiKOVS  /cat  irapeirid'qfi.ovs,  the  words 
used  in  the  LXX  here.     Cp.  Heb.  xi.  13. 

as  all  my  fathers]     Cp.  Elijah's  words,  i  Kings  xix.  4. 

13.  O  spare  me]  So  Jerome,  parce  mihi.  But  more  exactly.  Look 
away  from  me.     Cheyne  renders,  'avert  thy  frown.' 

that  I  may  recover  strength]  Lit.  brighten  up,  as  the  sky  when  the 
clouds  clear. 

Parallels  for  every  phrase  in  the  verse  are  to  be  found  in  Job.  See 
Job  vii.  19;  xiv.  6;  x.  20,  21;  vii.  8  (R.  V.). 

It  is,  as  DeHtzsch  remarks,  the  heroic  character  of  Old  Testament 
faith,  that  in  the  midst  of  the  enigmas  of  life,  and  in  full  view  of  the 
deep  gloom  enshrouding  the  future,  it  throws  itself  unconditionally  into 
the  arms  of  God. 

PSALM  XL. 

This  Psalm  consists  of  two  parts,  differing  widely  in  tone  and  charac- 
ter. In  the  first  part  {w.  i — 11)  thanksgiving  for  deliverance  and  its 
true  expression  in  the  devotion  of  obedience  to  God's  will  are  the  pro- 
minent ideas:  in  the  second  part  {vv.  12 — 17)  the  Psalmist  is  still  the 
victim  of  a  cruel  persecution,  from  which  he  prays  for  deliverance. 

The  first  part  is  marked  by  singular  vigour  and  spirituality;  the 
second  part  consists  mainly  of  phrases  found  elsewhere,  and  vv.  13 — 17 
recur  separately  in  Book  ii  as  Ps.  Ixx. 


2o8  PSALM   XL. 


It  seems  most  probable  tTiat  two  Psalms  or  parts  of  Psalms  have  been 
combined  by  a  compiler,  with  reference  to  his  own  needs  or  for  liturgi- 
cal purposes,  at  a  time  when  he  himself  or  the  nation  looked  back  upon 
past  deliverance  from  the  midst  of  present  trials.  Still  it  is  possible  that 
the  author  of  vv.  i — ii  himself  added  vv.  12 — 17  at  a  later  time  under 
changed  circumstances,  making  use  of  language  which  he  had  employed 
before  in  time  of  distress.  There  are  links  of  connexion  between  the 
two  parts.  Be  pleased  {v.  13)  takes  up  thy  good  pleasure  {v.  8);  taketh 
thought  for  me  (z/.  17)  glances  back  to  thy  thoughts  to  us-ward  {v.  5); 
they  are  more  {v.  12)  is  found  in  z^.  5:  and  such  repetition  of  a  word 
already  used  in  a  different  connexion  is  characteristic  of  the  author  of 
the  first  part:  e.g.  restrain  not  thotc  {v.  11)  corresponds  to  I  will  not 
restrain  {v.  9);  thy  lovingkindness  and  thy  truth  {v.  11)  to  the  same 
words  in  v.  10. 

If  the  Psalm  is  David's,  it  would  seem  to  belong  to  the  later  years  of 
his  outlaw  life,  shortly  before  he  became  king,  rather  than  to  the  time 
of  Absalom's  rebellion.  It  has  been  well  pointed  out  that  the  words  of 
w.  6  ff.  gain  fresh  force  if  they  are  taken  in  connexion  with  i  Sam.  xv. 
22.  The  self-devotion  of  the  king  after  God's  own  heart  is  the  exact 
opposite  of  the  self-will  which  was  the  ground  of  Saul's  rejection. 

The  ascription  of  the  Psalm  to  Jeremiah  rests  mainly  on  the  supposed 
reference  of  v.  2  to  Jeremiah's  imprisonment  (Jer.  xxxviii.  6),  but  the 
language  is  certainly  figurative  and  not  literal. 

Some  regard  the  speaker  in  this,  as  in  the  two  preceding  Psalms,  as 
"either  pious  Israel  personified,  or  (virtually  the  same  thing)  a  represen- 
tative pious  Israelite"  (Cheyne),  who  speaks  in  the  name  of  the  nation. 
But  though  Israel  in  later  times  may  well  have  appropriated  to  itself 
the  words  of  the  Psalm,  the  personal  origin  of  it  appears  to  be  unmis- 
takable. There  is  not  the  slightest  hint  that  the  enemies  referred  to  are 
heathen,  or  that  those  who  are  won  by  the  sight  of  God's  mere"  '■^'.  3) 
are  distant  nations. 

The  first  part  falls  into  four  approximately  equal  stanzas.  The  fol- 
lowing is  an  outline  of  the  contents.  ^j 

A.  i.  After  long  and  patient  waiting  prayer  has  been  answerec  ^^ 
occasion  given  for  fresh  thanksgiving  (i — 3).  ; 

ii.  Once  more  it  has  been  proved  that  trust  in  God  is  th 
source  of  true  happiness.  The  goodness  of  God  to  His  people  is 
and  incomparable  (4,  5). 

iii.  What  shall  be  man's  response  to  that  love?  Not  •  ?  ^viii. 
sacrifice,  but  the  service  of  glad  obedience  (6 — 8).  "troys 

iv.  The  Psalmist  has  not  failed  publicly  to  confess  what  ^  ^^^^ 
proved  Himself  to  be,  and  confidently  anticipates  the  contin  'i^j^i^ 
Hisfavour  (9— 11).  i^y'l^ij,j^ 

B.  Suddenly  the  scene  changes.  The  Psalmist  represents  h.  ^eem 
overwhelmed  by  afflictions,  and  pleads  for  speedy  help,  and  the  r  ^»a- 
fiture  of  his  malicious  enemies.  Yet  even  in  the  midst  of  distress  his 
trust  remains  unshaken  (12 — 17). 

This  Psalm  is  one  of  the  Proper  Psalms  for  Good  Friday.  Its  appro- 
priateness is  obvious,  as  describing  in  vv.  6  ff.  the  fundamental  nature  of 
the  sacrifice  which  was  consummated  upon  the  Cross. 


PSALM    XL.  1-4.  209 


To  the  chief  Musician,  A  Psalm  of  David. 

I  waited  patiently  for  the  Lord  ;  40 

And  he  inclined  unto  me,  and  heard  my  cry. 

He  brought  me  up  also  out  of  a  horrible  pit,  out  of  the  miry  2 

clay. 
And  set  my  feet  upon  a  rock,  and  established  my  goings. 
And  he  hath  put  a  new  song  in  my  mouth,  even  praise  unto  3 

our  God : 
Many  shall  see  //,  and  fear,  and  shall  trust  in  the  Lord. 
Blessed  is  that  man  that  maketh  the  Lord  his  trust,  4 

And  respecteth  not  the  proud,  nor  such  as  turn  aside  to  lies. 

1 — 3.     The  reward  of  patient  waiting  upon  God. 

1.  I  waited  patiently']  Such,  renderings  as  I  waited,  yea  I  waited,  or, 
I  waited  waitivgly  ( Vulg.  cxpectans  expectavi)  are  closer  to  the  original. 
Cp.  xxxviii.  15  ;  xxxix.  7 :  and  the  confession  of  the  Church  in  the  day 
of  Redemption,  Is.  xxv.  9. 

he  inclined  unto  nie\     As  it  were,  'bent  down  towards  me.'     To 
'incline'  or  'bow  down  the  ear''  is  the  usual  phrase  (xxxi.  2;  cxvi.  2). 
my  cry'\     Cp.  xxxix.  12;  xviii.  6. 

2.  And  brought  me  up  out  of  a  pit  of  destruction,  out  of  the  miry 

slough : 
And  set  my  feet  upon  a  rock,  made  firm  my  steps. 
A  literal  reference  to  Jeremiah's  imprisonment  in  the  dungeon  can 
hardly  be  intended.     The  second  line,  set... rock,  makes  it  plain  that 
the  "'>^ole  verse  is  to  be  understood  figuratively.     He  compares  his 
pi:         tO  that  of  a  prisoner  in  a  dungeon  (Lam.  iii.  53,  55),  or  even  a 
dead  man  in  the  grave  (xxviii.  i ;  Ixxxviii.  4,  6);  to  that  of  a  traveller 
ering  in  a  morass,  or  quicksand.     Quagmires,  'treacherous  to  the 
Cj      degree,' are  common  in  Palestine.     T]ion\s,oxi^s  Lattd  and  the  Book, 
^   '        Now  he  has  been  given  firm  footing  (xxvii.  5),  and  the  possi- 
Job      :)f  secure  advance  (xvii.  5;  xxxvii.  31). 

Ii  ^uch  deliverance  is  a  fresh  theme  of  praise.  Cp.  xxxiii.  3.  The 
faith,  pronoun,  '  ojcr  God,'  implies  that  others  were  interested  in  the 
deep  ■    t  and  his  fortunes. 

the  a        shall  see  \i\     Omit  zV,  which  only  weakens  the  expression.     The 

-^^lation  of  God's  mercy  in  the  deliverance  of  His  servant,  and 

AVer  in  the  discomfiture  of  his  enemies  which  that  deliverance 

'Pfi.      will  inspire  a  reverent  awe,  and  lead  to  trust.     Cp.  Iii.  6;  and 

'j.„.       :Iy,  xxii.  22  ff. 

4,  i».    The  blessedness  of  such  a  trust. 

4.    Happy  is  the  man  that  hath  made  Jehovah  his  trust, 

And  hath  not  turned  unto  the  arrogant,  and  false  apostates. 
The  word  for  man  is  that  used  in  xxxiv.  8,  where  see  note.     For  the 
opposite  to  '  making  Jehovah  the  object  of  trust'  see  Ps.  Iii.  7. 

respecteth  Jioi]    Rather,  as  above,  hath  not  turned  unto:  non  est 

PSALMS  14 


2IO  PSALM   XL.  5. 


Many,  O  Lord  my  God,  a7'c  thy  wonderful  works  which 

thou  hast  done, 
And  thy  thoughts  which  are  to  us-ward  : 
They  cannot  be  reckoned  up  in  order  unto  thee : 
If  I  would  declare  and  speak  of  them, 
They  are  moe  than  can  be  numbered. 

aversus  ad... ]eromt.  The  word  is  specially  used  of  turning  away  from 
God  to  idols  or  false  objects  of  confidence  (Deut.  xxix.  18;  Hos.  iii.  i; 
Ezek.  xxix.  16). 

the  proud  &c.]  The  word  for  'proud'  suggests  the  idea  of  over- 
bearing arrogance  and  ostentatious  self-assertion:  'such  as  turn  aside  to 
lies',  or  as  R.  V.  marg. ,/<?//  aivay  treacherously,  are  those  who  desert 
God  and  the  right  cause  for  false  objects  of  reliance  and  false  aims. 
Idolatry  does  not  appear  to  be  meant,  at  any  rate  exclusively.  Happy 
the  man  who  is  not  misled  by  appearances  to  despise  God's  help,  and 
seek  the  patronage  of  worldly  men  who  boast  of  their  own  power. 

5.  Abundantly  hast  Thou  wrouglit,  even  Thou,  0  Jehovah  my  God, 
Thy  marvellous  works  and  Thy  thoughts  to  us-ward : 

There  is  none  to  he  compared  unto  Thee. 

Miilta  fecisti  tu  Domine  Dens  jfieiis  Diirabilia  tua  et  cogitatioties  tuas 
pro  nobis.  Jerome.  Thou  is  emphatic.  Jehovah  is  contrasted  with 
all  such  objects  of  reliance  as  those  mentioned  in  the  preceding  verse. 
His  'marvellous  works'  (ix.  i  note)  are  the  embodiment  of  His 
'thoughts'  or  purposes  of  love  toward  His  people.  Cp.  xcii.  5;  Is.  Iv. 
8,  9;  Jer.  xxix.  11.  The  rendering  of  R.  V.  marg.,  there  is  none  to 
be  compared  unto  thee,  an  exclamation  of  reverent  wonder  (cp.  Ixxxix. 
6;  Ixxi.  19),  is  decidedly  preferable  to  that  of  the  A.  V.,  and  that  of  R.  V. 
text,  they  cannot  be  set  hi  07-der  tinto  thee.  The  P.B.V.  and  yet  there 
is  no  man  that  ordercth  them  unto  thee  (cp.  Is.  xl.  I4)  is  improbable. 

they  are  moe  than  can  be  mnnbered'\  Or,  tha^i  I  can  tell  of  (xxvi.  7). 
Moe  as  the  comparative  of  many  is  an  archaism  which  has  disappeared 
from  modern  editions  of  the  Bible.  The  word  for  they  are  more  may 
mean  they  are  mightier.  Their  number  and  their  greatness  alike  baffle 
human  powers  to  celebrate.     Cp.  John  xxi.  25. 

6 — 8.  True  service  consists  not  in  material  sacrifices  but  in  obedience 
to  the  will  of  God,  The  stanza  is  an  answer  to  the  implied  question, 
How  should  man  express  his  gratitude?  It  affirms  the  common  pro- 
phetic doctrine  that  sacrifice  was  in  itself  of  no  value  apart  from  the 
dispositions  of  heart  which  it  was  intended  to  represent.  The  new 
commandment  of  the  Exodus  was  not  sacrifice  but  obedience  (Ex.  xv. 
26).  See  Ps.  1.  7ff.;  li.  i6ff.;  i  Sam.  xv.  22;  Hos.  vi.  6;  Micahvi.  8; 
Jer.  vii.  2 1  ff. 

6.  The  various  kinds  of  offerings  are  described  according  to  their 
material,  as  sacrifice  of  slain  animals,  and  offeri^ig  ('meal-offering')  of 
the  fruits  of  the  earth  (Lev.  ii.  iff".);  and  according  to  their  purpose, 
as  btirnt-offering,  symbolising  the  dedication  of  the  worshipper  to  God, 


PSALM   XL.  6—8. 


Sacrifice  and  offering  thou  didst  not  desire; 
Mine  ears  hast  thou  opened  : 

Burnt  offering  and  sin  offering   hast   thou  not  re- 
quired. 
Then  said  I,  Lo,  I  come: 

In  the  volume  of  the  book  it  is  written  of  me, 
I  dehght  to  do  thy  will,  O  my  God: 

and  sill-offering,  for  the  reconciliation  of  the  offender  and  the  restoration 
of  interrupted  communion. 

thoti  didst  not  desire]  R.  V.  thou  hast  no  delight  in.  It  is  the  same 
word  as  in  v.  8,  and  in  the  parallel  passages  Hos.  vi.  6;  Is.  i.  ii; 
cp.  I  Sam.  XV.  22. 

7nine  ears  hast  thou  opened]  Lit.  ears  hast  thou  dug  [ox,  pierced)  for 
me.  This  unique  phrase  can  hardly  be  an  equivalent  for  the  common 
expression  to  'uncover'  or  'open  the  ear,'  to  be  explained  as  a  paren- 
thetical exclamation  that  this  truth  has  been  impressed  upon  the  Psal- 
mist by  a  special  revelation.  It  is  best  to  regard  it  as  a  statement 
preparing  the  way  for  v.  7,  and  placed  between  the  two  parallel  clauses 
of  V.  6  for  poetic  effect.  God  has  endowed  man  with  the  faculty  of 
hearing,  and  the  endowment  implies  a  corresponding  duty  of  obedience. 
'  Ears  '  need  not  be  limited  to  the  physical  organ,  but  may  include  '  the 
ears  of  the  heart.'  The  same  Hebr.  word  means  to  hear  and  to  obey. 
Cp.  the  repeated  appeals  to  Israel  to  hear;  Deut.  iv.  i;  vi.  4;  &c. 

The  language  does  not  suggest  any  reference  to  the  custom  of  boring 
the  slave's  ear  (Ex.  xxi.  6;  I)eut.  xv.  17)  in  the  sense,  'Thou  hast  bound 
me  to  Thyself  for  perpetual  service.' 

hast  thou  not  required]     Lit.  asked.     Cp.  Deut.  x.  12;  Mic.  vi.  8. 

7.  Then  said  I]  This  was  his  answer  when  he  became  aware  of 
God's  requirements. 

Lo,  I  come]  Rather  as  R.  V.,  Lo,  I  am  come:  (LXX.  l5oi)  tjku})  the 
servant's  response  to  his  master's  summons  (Num.  xxii.  38;  2  Sam.  xix. 
20):  like  'Behold  me,'  or,  'Here  I  am'  (Is.  vi.  9).  The  object  of  the 
coming  is  not  expressed,  but  is  clear  from  the  context. 

i7t  the  volume  of  the  book  it  is  written  of  me]  Better,  in  a  roll  Of  a 
book  is  it  prescribed  to  me:  though  the  rendering  of  A.  V.,  which 
is  that  of  the  LXX,  is  possible.  The  exact  phrase  'roll  of  a  book' 
occurs  only  in  Jer.  xxxvi.  2,  4;  Ezek.  ii.  9;  'roll'  only  in  Jer.  xxxvi; 
Ezek.  iii.  i — 3;  Zech.  v.  i,  2;  Ezra  vi.  2^.  Cp.  however  Is.  xxxiv.  4. 
The  context  points  to  Deuteronomy,  or  at  any  rate  the  nucleus  of  the 
teaching  contained  in  it,  as  the  book  referred  to.  The  absence  of  the 
article  seems  to  emphasise  the  fact  that  a  written  document  is  referred 
to  {in  a  book,  cp.  Hos.  viii.  12),  rather  than  to  single  out  a  particular 
document  as  '  the  book '  par  excellence,  as  the  A.  V.  seems  to  imply. 

8.  I  delight]  Cp.  z'.  6.  What  is  God's  delight  is  his  delight.  Con- 
trast the  delight  of  the  wicked  in  evil,  v.  14. 

1  'Roll'  in  Is.  viii.  1  (A.V.)  should  be  tablet. 

14—2 


212  PSALM   XL.   9. 


Yea,  thy  law  is  within  my  heart. 
9  I  have  preached  righteousness  in  the  great  congregation : 

thy  wiir\  Thy  good  pleasure :  what  Thou  approvest  (Prov.  xv.  8 ; 
Ps.  xix.  14). 

thy  law  is  within  fny  heart']  Lit.  in  the  midst  of  my  body,  as  though 
God's  law  were  itself  the  heart  which  gives  life  to  his  whole  being  (xxii. 
14).  Such  was  God's  demand  of  Israel  (Deut.  vi.  6);  such  is  the 
characteristic  of  the  righteous  (Ps.  xxxvii.  31 ;  Is.  H.  7) :  such  is  to  be  the 
universal  condition  in  the  Messianic  age  (Jer.  xxxi.  33).  The  law  will 
be  graven  not  on  tablets  of  stone  (Ex.  xxxii.  i5f.),  but  on  the  tablet  of 
the  heart  (Prov.  iii.  3 ;  vii.  3). 

Vv.  6 — 8  a  are  quoted  in  Heb.  x.  5 — 7  according  to  the  LXX^  with 
some  slight  variations.  The  writer  is  contrasting  Christ's  perfect  obedi- 
ence with  the  inefficacy  of  the  sacrifices  of  the  Law,  and  he  puts  these 
words  into  His  mouth  as  the  most  fitting  expression  of  the  purpose  of 
His  life.  The  willing  obedience  which  the  Psalmist  of  old  was  taught 
to  recognise  as  the  divine  requirement  for  himself  and  Israel  was  carried 
to  its  completion,  was  '  fulfilled,'  in  Christ.  The  variation  of  the  LXX 
from  the  Hebrew  may  seem  to  present  a  serious  difficulty.  But  the 
appropriateness  of  the  quotation  does  not  depend  on  this  particular  clause, 
and  the  rendering  of  the  LXX,  whatever  its  origin,  has  in  effect  a 
sense  analogous  to  the  sense  of  the  original.  As  the  ear  is  the  in- 
strument for  receiving  the  divine  command,  so  the  body  is  the  instru- 
ment for  fulfilling  it.  The  possession  of  a  body  implies  the  duty  of 
service,  in  the  same  way  that  the  possession  of  hearing  implies  the  duty 
of  obedience.     See  Bp.  Westcott's  note. 

9 — 11.  Beside  the  sacrifice  of  himself,  he  has  not  failed  to  render 
the  sacrifice  of  praise  and  thanksgiving,  by  the  fullest  public  proclama- 
tion of  Jehovah's  goodness,  which  he  trusts  he  will  still  continue  to  ex- 
perience. 

9.  I  have  preached  rightcoitsnessi  R.  V.  I  have  published:  better, 
as  R.  V.  marg.,  I  have  proclaimed  glad  tidings  of,  ev-qyy ekLcdix-qv  81- 
Kaioavv-qv  (LXX).  His  theme  was  'righteousness;'  all  the  facts  which 
are  the  concrete  manifestation  and  evidence  of  God's  righteousness 
(v.  10).  The  good  news  which  he  can  proclaim  is  the  certainty  of  the 
just  moral  government  of  the  world,  and  Jehovah's  faithfulness  to  His 
people.  And  this  he  has  done  in  the  great  congregation,  with  the 
utmost  publicity  (xxii.  25;  xxxv.  18),  perhaps,  as  the  prophets  often 
delivered  their  messages,  on  some  festival  (Jer.  xxvi.  2). 

1  The  reading  of  the  LXX  is  aoiy-o.  Se  KartipTia-o)  /xoi,  a  body  didst  thou  prepare  for 
7ne.  This  reading  is  attested  by  the  Vulgate.  Aures  in  the  GalHcan  Psalter  is  a  cor- 
rection. KaTapri^ea-OaL  occurs  in  the  LXX  as  the  rendering  of  several  Hebrew  words, 
and  might  easily  have  been  chosen  to  represent  the  obscure  t/ioit  hast  dug.  'Body' 
for  'ears'  may  then  have  been  a  free  paraphrase.  But  the  reading  may  have  originated 
in  an  ancient  corruption  of  the  Greek  text.  Through  a  repetition  of  the  final  C  of 
the  preceding  word  and  the  change  of  COT  I  di  into  WMA,  H6eAHCACC0TIA  might 
easily  have  become  HeeAHCACCCOMA. 


PSALM   XL.  IO-I2.  213 

Lo,  I  have  not  refrained  my  lips, 

0  Lord,  thou  knowest. 

1  have  not  hid  thy  righteousness  within  my  heart ;  i. 
I  have  declared  thy  faithfulness  and  thy  salvation  : 

I  have  not  concealed  thy  lovingkindness  and  thy  truth  from 

the  great  congregation. 
Withhold  not  thou  thy  tender  mercies  from  me,  O  Lord  :      i 
Let  thy  lovingkindness  and  thy  truth  continually  preserve  me. 
For  innumerable  evils  have  compassed  me  about :  i 

Mine   iniquities  have   taken  hold  upon  me,  so  that  I  am 

not  able  to  look  up  ; 

I  have  not  refrained}  R.  V.  restores  Coverdale's  I  will  not  refrain  : 
but  the  words  refer  rather  to  what  he  did  in  the  past  than  to  what  he 
resolves  to  do  in  the  future.  By  rendering  I  did  not  restrain,  the 
connexion  with  z'.  1 1  may  be  brought  out. 

thoic  knowest'}  For  the  appeal  to  God's  omniscience,  cp.  Ixix.  5;  Jer. 
XV.  15. 

10.  Neither  indolence  nor  ingratitude  nor  fear  of  man  has  deterred 
him  from  openly  celebrating  those  fundamental  attributes  of  the  divine 
character  which  have  been  once  more  manifested  in  his  deliverance. 
For  thy  righteotisness,  see  v.  8,  note;  for  lovingkindness,  faithfulness, 
righteousness,  cp.  xxxvi.  5,  6,  7,  10;  for  t^-uth  and  salvation,  xxv.  5; 
lovingkindness  and  truth,  xxv.  10. 

H.    Thou,  0  Jehovah,  wilt  not  restrain  Thy  tender  mercies  from 
me, 
Thy  lovingkindness  and  thy  truth  shall  continually  guard  me. 

The  words  are  not  a  prayer  but  an  expression  of  confidence  in  the 
certainty  of  God's  response  (Matt.  x.  32).  Thou  is  emphatic.  God  on 
His  part  will  not  fail.  The  double  correspondence  with  vv.  9, 10  should 
be  noted.  As  he  has  not  restrained  his  lips,  so,  he  trusts,  God  will  not 
restrain  His  tender  mercies:  as  he  has  not  ceased  to  acknowledge 
God's  lovingkindness  and  truth,  so  that  lovingkindness  and  truth  will 
not  cease  to  protect  him.     Cp.  xxv.  21 ;  Ixi.  7  ;  Is.  Ixiii.  15. 

12 — 17.  The  scene  is  changed.  The  sky  is  overclouded.  Supplica- 
tion for  speedy  help  in  time  of  danger  takes  the  place  of  joyous  thanks- 
giving. 

12.  This  verse  is  somewhat  loosely  attached  \.o  v.  11  hy  for.  The 
rendering  oi  v.  11  as  a  prayer  makes  the  connexion  appear  closer  and 
more  natural  than  it  is. 

evils']  Afflictions  (xxxiv.  19),  which  are  trials  of  faith  or  chastise- 
ments for  sin. 

have  compassed  me  about]  The  use  of  the  word  in  2  Sam.  xxii.  5 
suggests  that  the  true  meaning  is  'have  overwhelmed  me  like  a  flood.' 
Cp.  Jonah  ii.  5. 

have  taken  hold  upon  me]    R.  V.  have  overtaken  me.     Sin  pursues 


214  PSALM   XL.  13—16. 

They  are  moe  than  the  hairs  of  mine  head,  therefore  my 
heart  faileth  me. 
t3  Be  pleased,  O  Lord,  to  dehver  me : 

O  Lord,  make  haste  to  help  me. 
t4  Let  them  be  ashamed  and  confounded  together  that  seek 
after  my  soul  to  destroy  it ; 
Let  them  be  driven  backward  and  put  to  shame  that  wish 
me  evil. 
t5  Let  them  be  desolate  for  a  reward  of  their  shame 

That  say  unto  me,  Aha,  aha ! 
16  Let  all  those  that  seek  thee  rejoice  and  be  glad  in  thee : 


the  sinner  like  an  avenging  Nemesis,  till  it  gets  him  into  its  power  and 
punishes  him.  Cp.  xxxviii.  4;  Deut.  xxviii.  15;  Job  viii.  4  (R.  V.); 
Prov.  V.  22. 

so  that  1  am  not  able  to  look  up]  The  only  rendering  justified  by 
usage  is,  and  I  cannot  see.  In  the  extremity  of  terror  and  faintness 
sight  fails  him.  Cp.  xxxviii.  lo  ;  Ixix.  3,  and  note  that  the  next  line 
contains  parallels  to  both  passages. 

than  the  hairs  of  my  head\  As  in  Ixix.  4.  (A  different  word  is  used 
there  for  they  are  more:  here  it  is  the  same  as  in  t^.  5.) 

therefore  &c.]  Lit.  and  my  heart  hath  forsaken  me.  Courage 
utterly  fails.     Cp.  xxxviii.  10. 

13.  Vv.  13 — 17  recur  as  Ps.  Ixx,  with  some  verbal  variations. 

Be  pleased]  An  echo  of  '  thy  good  pleasure '  ('  thy  will ')  in  z*.  8.  The 
word  is  omitted  in  Ps.  Ixx,  and  in  the  first  line,  though  not  in  the 
second,  God  is  substituted  for  LORD,  according  to  the  usual  rule  in 
Book  IL     See  Introd.,  p.  xl  f. 

make  haste  to  help  ?ue]     Cp.  xxxviii.  22;  xxii.  19. 

14.  The  whole  verse  is  a  repetition,  with  variations,  of  xxxv.  4,  26 
(cp.  xxxviii.  12);  and  vv.  15 — 17  recall  vv.  21,  25,  27,  10  of  the  same 
Psalm.     Together  and  to  destroy  it  are  omitted  in  Ixx.  2. 

let  them  be  driven  backward  &c.]     Render,  as  in  Ps.  xxxviii; 

Let  them  he  turned  back  and  brought  to  dishonour 

That  delight  in  my  hurt. 
Contrast  xxxv.  27  with  the  last  line. 

15.  R.  v..  Let  them  be  desolate  (Lam.  i.  16)  by  reason  of  their 
shame,  the  defeat  of  their  malicious  plans :  or,  less  probably,  let  them 
be  astonished  (Lev.  xxvi.  32)  for  a  rrward  of  their  shame,  at  the  shame 
which  is  their  recompence.  Ps.  Ixx.  4  reads  let  them  turn  back,  as  in 
vi.  10.  The  difference  of  reading  probably  arose  out  of  the  confusion  of 
sound  or  form  between  M  and  B  {^1^^  -IDt^'"'). 

Aha,  aha]  The  exclamation  of  malicious  pleasure  at  another's  mis- 
fortune.    Cp.  xxxv.  21,  25. 

16.  Cp.  xxxv.  27.  The  discomfiture  of  the  wicked  gives  occasion 
for  the  righteous  to  rejoice  in  God,  not  merely  because  they  are  set  free 


PSALM   XL.  17.     XLL  215 

Let  such  as  love  thy  salvation  say  continually,  The  Lord 

be  magnified. 
But  I  am  poor  and  needy ;  yet  the  Lord  thinketh  upon  me  : 
Thou  art  my  help  and  my  deliverer ; 
Make  no  tarrying,  O  my  God. 

from  persecution,  but  because  they  see  in  it  the  proof  of  God's  righteous 
sovereignty  and  the  unfolding  of  His  purposes  of  salvation. 

such  as  love  thy  salvatio)i\  Cp.  v.  10:  and  the  corresponding  N.  T. 
thought  in  2  Tim.  iv.  8. 

17.  The  Psalmist  reverts  to  his  own  need,  but  in  calm  assurance 
that  he  is  not  forgotten. 

But  I,  who  am  afllicted  and  needy : — 

Tlie  Lord  will  take  thought  for  me. 

For  afflicted  and  needy,  see  ix.  i8;  xxxv.  10;  xxxvii.  14;  Ixxxvi.  i ; 
cix.  22.  With  will  take  thought  for  me,  cp.  v.  5  {thoughts):  Jonah  i.  6. 
Ps.  Ixx.  5  reads  O  God,  niake  haste  nnto  me,  probably  an  alteration 
suggested  by  the  parallelism,  j}iake  no  tarrying.  My  help,  as  in  xxvii.  9: 
my  deliverer,  as  in  xviii.  2,  48  (a  different  word  from  deliver  in  v.  13). 

make  no  tarrying']  Cp.  Daniel's  prayer,  ix.  19  (A.V.  defer  not); 
and  the  promise,  Is.  xlvi.  13. 

PSALM  XLL 

The  Psalmist  is  suffering  from  an  illness  which  threatens  to  be  fatal. 
Treacherous  enemies,  and  among  them  one  who  had  been  a  trusted 
friend,  eagerly  anticipate  his  death.  But  his  confidence  in  Jehovah 
remains  unshaken. 

It  is  much  disputed  whether  the  Psalmist  is  to  be  thought  of  as  still 
lying  on  his  sick-bed,  or  as  restored  to  health  and  recording  his  past 
experience.  In  the  latter  case  'I  said'  in  v.  4  must  be  supposed  to 
govern  vv.  4 — 12,  or  at  least  vv.  4 — 10.  But  the  former  alternative 
appears  preferable,  for  it  is  unnatural  to  regard  the  prayer  of  v.  10  as 
part  of  a  narrative,  and  the  verb  in  v.  4  can  be  rendered  'I  have  said', 
or  'I  say'. 

The  Psalm  consists  of  four  stanzas,  of  which  the  second  and  third 
cohere  closely. 

i.  The  first  stanza  is  an  expansion  of  the  beatitude,  'Blessed  are  the 
merciful,  for  they  shall  obtain  mercy.'  The  language  is  general,  but 
the  Psalmist  is  thinking  of  himself.  Conscious,  like  Job  (xxx.  25),  of 
having  shewn  compassion  towards  others,  he  trusts  that  he  may  receive 
the  blessings  promised  to  the  compassionate.  And  further,  the  picture 
of  the  spirit  which  w- ins  divine  approval  emphasises  the  wickedness  of 
the  treatment  which  he  is  himself  experiencing  (i — 3). 

ii.  iii.  A  prayer  for  restoration  introduces  the  description  of  his 
present  situation.  The  malice  and  hypocrisy  of  his  enemies  are  vividly 
delineated.     The  climax  of  all  is  the  perfidy  of  a  trusted  friend  (4 — 9). 

iv.     From  his  enemies  he  turns  to  God  with  renewed  prayer  for 


2l6 

restoration,  and  expression  of  confidence  in  the  continuance  of  His 
favour  (lo — 12). 

If  David  was  the  author  of  the  Psalm,  the  false  friend  can  hardly  be 
other  than  Ahithophel,  and  the  Psalm  must  have  been  written  shortly 
before  the  outbreak  of  Absalom's  rebellion.  Ahithophel's  sneer  at 
Hushai  (2  Sam.  xvi.  17)  well  illustrates  the  confidential  relation  of  a 
trusted  counsellor  to  the  king,  and  the  depth  of  his  own  perfidy. 

It  is  true  that  the  narrative  in  2  Sam.  makes  no  reference  to  an  illness 
such  as  is  here  described  ;  but  that  narrative  necessarily  passes  over 
many  details.  Such  an  illness  would  account  for  the  remissness  in 
attending  to  his  official  duties,  which  Absalom's  words  to  the  suitors 
for  justice  seem  to  imply  (2  Sam.  xv.  3).  It  would  account  also  for  the 
strange  failure  of  David's  natural  courage  which  his  flight  from  Jerusa- 
lem at  the  first  outbreak  of  the  rebellion  appears  to  indicate. 

Unner\'ed  by  sickness,  in  which  he  recognised  a  just  punishment  for 
his  sins,  David  watched  the  growing  disloyalty  of  his  courtiers,  and  in 
particular  of  Ahithophel,  without  feeling  able  to  strike  and  crush  the 
conspiracy  before  it  came  to  a  head.     Comp.  generally,  Ps.  Iv. 

To  the  chief  Musician,  A  Psalm  of  David. 

41  Blessed  is  he  that  considereth  the  poor  : 
The  Lord  will  deliver  him  in  time  of  trouble. 
2  The  Lord  will  preserve  him,  and  keep  him  alive; 
And  he  shall  be  blessed  upon  the  earth : 
And  thou  wilt  not  deliver  him  unto  the  will  of  his  enemies. 

1 — 3.     The  blessings  in  store  for  the  compassionate  man. 

1.  Blessed']  Or,  happy,  as  in  v.  2,  and  in  i.  i.  The  word  is  to  be 
distinguished  from  blessed  m  the  doxology  of  z/.  13,  the  tribute  of  human 
reverence  to  divine  majesty.  The  last  Psalm  in  Book  I  begins  like  the 
first  with  a  beatitude. 

that  considcrehh  the  poor]  Behaves  considerately  and  intelligently 
towards  those  in  affliction,  shewing  kindness  and  sympathy,  and  not 
judging  them  harshly.  Cp.  for  illustration  xxxv.  13,  14;  James  i.  27. 
The  word  rendered /^<7r  is  different  from  that  in  xl.  17.  It  means  weak, 
and  includes  the  sick  as  well  as  the  poor.  The  sequel  shews  that  it  is 
the  sick  that  the  Psalmist  has  chiefly  in  mind.  The  P.B.V.  the  poor 
and  needy  follows  the  LXX,  which  may  have  been  influenced  by  xl.  17. 

in  time  of  trouble]  R.V.  in  the  day  of  evil,  though  in  the  day  of 
trouble  is  given  in  xxvii.  5  for  the  same  phrase. 

2,  3.  It  is  possible  to  render  as  in  P.B.V.  and  R.  V.  marg..  The 
Lord  preserve  hi77i... the  Lord  support  him:  but  it  is  more  natural  to 
regard  these  clauses  as  descriptive  of  the  blessings  which  await  the 
compassionate  man,  rather  than  as  a  prayer  on  his  behalf. 

he  shall  be  blessed  upon  the  earth]  He  shall  be  made  prosperous,  or 
more  probably,  counted  happy  (Job  xxix.  11 ;  Ps.  Ixxii.  17),  in  the  land. 
Cp.  xxxvii.  3  fif. 

and  thou  wilt  not  deliver  him]     Rather,  as  R.  V.,  and  deliver  not 


PSALM   XLI.  3—6.  217 

The  Lord  will  strengthen  him  upon  the  bed  of  languishing:  3 

Thou  wilt  make  all  his  bed  in  his  sickness. 

I  said,  Lord,  be  merciful  unto  me  :  4 

Heal  my  soul ;  for  I  have  sinned  against  thee. 

Mine  enemies  speak  evil  of  me,  5 

When  shall  he  die,  and  his  name  perish  ? 

And  if  he  come  to  see  ;;/<?,  he  speaketh  vanity;  6 

thou  him.     Cp.  xxvii.  12.     The  language  of  promise  passes  into  that  of 
prayer,  doubtless  with  a  tacit  reference  to  the  Psahnist's  own  need. 

3.  The  Lord  will  support  him  upon  the  couch  of  languishing 
(R.  v.),  uphold  him  (xviii.  35)  and  preserve  him  from  sinking  into  the 
grave. 

thoti  wilt  make  all  his  5ed]  Lit.  thou  hast  turned  (or,  changed)  his 
lying  down:  changed  his  sickness  into  health.  Cp.  xxx.  11.  Instead 
of  a  general  truth  a  particular  example  is  appealed  to :  or  perhaps  faith 
pictures  the  result  as  already  attained.  'The  Lord  will  support... nay, 
thou  hast  already  raised  him  up.' 

The  verse  is  commonly  explained  as  a  metaphor  from  the  nurse  sup- 
porting the  patient's  head  and  shifting  the  bed  and  pillows  to  give  ease 
and  relief,  but  usage  does  not  seem  to  warrant  this  interpretation. 

4 — 6.  The  foregoing  sketch  of  the  blessedness  of  the  compassionate 
man  serves  to  introduce  the  Psalmist's  description  of  his  own  case, 
partly  as  a  foil  and  contrast  to  the  heartless  treatment  he  is  experiencing, 
partly  because  he  feels  that  he  can  himself  plead  for  a  share  in  the 
mercy  promised  to  the  merciful. 

4.  /  said]  Or,  I,  even  I,  have  said.  This  has  been  and  is  my 
prayer,  v.  10  seems  to  imply  that  the  sickness  is  not  yet  a  thing  of  the 
past. 

de  merciful]    Be  gracious  (iv.  i ;  &c.). 

heal 7ny  soul]  The  soul  is  the  man's  whole  'self;'  the  living  perso- 
nality which  results  from  the  union  of  spirit  and  flesh.  See  Oehler's 
Old  Test.  Theology,  §  70.  The  bodily  sickness  is  the  sign  and  symptom 
of  spiritual  disease :  he  would  fain  be  healed  of  both.  Cp.  vi.  2,  3;  Jer. 
xvii.  14. 

for  I  have  sinned  against  thee]  Cp.  li.  4;  xxxi.  to.  He  has  offended 
against  God;  the  chastisement  comes  from  Him;  and  He  alone  can 
heal.     Cp.  Hos.  vi.  i. 

5.  speak  roil  of  me]  R.  V.  against  me.  v.  5  takes  up  v.  2,  as  v.  4 
answers  to  7^.  3. 

When  &c.]  The  words  of  the  enemies,  expressing  their  impatient 
eagerness  for  his  death,  and  even  for  the  extinction  of  his  posterity. 
Cp.  cix.  13;  2  Sam.  xviii.  18;  Ps.  ix.  6. 

6.  And  if  one  of  them  comes  to  see  me,  he  speaketh  falsehood.  If 
one  of  these  enemies  comes  to  visit  him,  as  was  usual  in  sickness  (2 
Kings  viii.  29),  he  speaks  vanity  or  falsehood  (xii.  2),  makes  hypocritical 
professions  of  sympathy;  though  all  the  time  his  heart  is  gathering 


2i8  PSALM   XLI.  7—9. 


His  heart  gathereth  iniquity  to  itself; 
W/ieti  he  goeth  abroad,  he  telleth  it. 

7  All  that  hate  me  whisper  together  against  me : 
Against  me  do  they  devise  my  hurt. 

8  An  evil  disease,  say  tkey,  cleaveth  fast  unto  him  : 
And  Jioia  that  he  lieth  he  shall  rise  up  no  more. 

9  Yea,  mine  own  familiar  friend,  in  whom  I  trusted, 
Which  did  eat  of  my  bread. 

Hath  lift  up  his  heel  against  me. 

iniquity  or  mischief ;  he  is  collecting  materials  for  fresh  slander,  or  feed- 
ing his  malice  on  the  sight  of  the  sick  man ;  and  then  he  goeth  abroad^ 
he  telleth  what  he  has  seen. 

7.  The  scene  outside  the  house  is  graphically  depicted.  We  see 
the  associates  waiting,  eager  for  news.  With  a  transparent  pretence  of 
secrecy  they  whisper  together,  and  divert  themselves  with  anticipating 
the  worst. 

do  they  devise  my  hiirt'\  Or,  iviagiiie  evil  for  me,  indulging  in  un- 
charitable speculations  as  to  the  cause  of  his  illness  (cp.  Job  xxii.  5  ff.), 
and  hoping  for  a  fatal  issue  of  it.  The  next  vei'se  is  a  summary  of  their 
malevolent  conversation. 

8.  Render :  A  deadly  mischief  is  poured  out  upon  Mm. 

The  phrase  a  thing  of  belial  is  variously  explained  to  mean  an  incur- 
able disease  or  a  jnatfer  of  wickedness  (cp.  note  on  xviii.  4).  The  use  of 
it  in  ci.  3  {base  thitig),  and  Deut.  xv.  9  {base  thought)  points  to  the  latter 
as  the  primary  sense.  But  probably  the  speakers  do  not  distinguish 
between  the  moral  cause — some  monstrous  crime — and  the  physical 
effect — a  fatal  illness — ;  but  include  the  latter  in  the  former.  Cp. 
Shimei's  taunt,  2  Sam.  xvi.  7. 

cleaveth  fast  unto  hiffi]  R.  V.  marg, ,  is  poured  out  upon  hivi;  per- 
haps, is  molten,  or,  welded  fast  upojt  him.  He  will  never  be  free  from 
his  guilt  and  its  punishment. 

The  rendering  in  P.B.V.,  Let  the  sentence  of  guiltiness  proceed  against 
him,  is  quite  impossible. 

now  that  he  lieth  &c.]  Now  that  he  has  taken  to  his  bed  he  will 
never  leave  it  again. 

9.  mine  own  familiar  friend'\  lAt.  the  man  of  my  peace.  Cp.  vii.  4; 
Jer.  XX.  10;  xxxviii.  22;  Obad.  7;  and  the  similar  complaints  of  ingra- 
titude in  XXXV.  i2fif.,  Iv.  12  ff.  (where  the  Heb.  ior  faviiliar  frie/td  is 
quite  different). 

which  did  eat  of  f7iy  bread']  Bound  to  me  by  the  tie  of  hospitality ; 
and,  if  the  speaker  is  David,  by  the  honour  of  entertainment  at  the 
royal  table.     Cp.  2  Sam.  ix.  loff. ;  i  Kings  xviii.  19;  2  Kings  xxv.  29. 

hath  lift  up  his  heel  against  me]  Lit.  made  g}'eat  the  heel:  spurned 
me  with  brutal  violence,  exerted  himself  to  trip  me  up  and  throw  me 
down.     Cp.  Iv.  12;  Jer.  ix.  4. 

The  words  '  he  that  eateth  my  bread  lifted  up  his  heel  against  me '  are 
quoted  by  Christ  in  John  xiii.  18  as  fulfilled  by  the  treachery  of  Judas. 


PSALM   XLI.  lo— 12.  219 

But  thou,  O  Lord,  be  merciful  unto  me, 
And  raise  me  up,  that  I  may  requite  them. 
By  this  I  know  that  thou  favourest  me. 
Because  mine  enemy  doth  not  triumph  over  me. 
And  as  for  me,  thou  upholdest  me  in  mine  integrity, 
And  settest  me  before  thy  face  for  ever. 


The  words  of  the  Psalm  are  not  a  direct  prediction,  but  the  treachery 
and  the  fate  of  Ahithophel  foreshadowed  the  treachery  and  the  fate  of 
Judas.  What  sauits  of  old  time  had  sulTered  by  the  desertion  of  friends 
must  be  suffered  with  an  aggravated  bitterness  by  the  Son  of  Man. 
Their  experience  must  be  fulfilled  in  His.  Cp.  John  xvii.  12  j  Acts  i. 
16. 

10 — 12,  After  describing  his  urgent  need,  the  Psalmist  resumes  his 
prayer  from  v.  4,  and  affirms  his  confident  assurance  of  God's  favour. 

10.  But  thou.,  0  Jehovah,  in  contrast  to  their  malignity,  be  thou 
gracious  unto  me:  though  they  say  'he  shall  rise  up  no  more,'  raise  me 
tip. 

that  1 7?iay  requite  them"]  The  words  have  a  vindictive  ring,  which 
is  startling,  and  seems  inconsistent  with  vii.  4;  Prov.  xx.  22.  Yet  if 
the  speaker  was  David,  conscious  of  his  divine  appointment  to  be  king, 
he  might  well  pray  that  he  might  be  restored  to  punish  traitors  as  they 
deserved.  For  the  most  part  he  would  leave  vengeance  to  Jehovah  (i 
Sam.  XXV.  33;  2  Sam.  iii.  39),  yet  in  this  instance  he  might  feel  that  he 
would  be  acting  as  Jehovah's  instrument,  in  punishing  those  who  were 
conspiring  to  resist  His  purposes.     See  Introd.  p.  Ixxii  f. 

11.  By  this  I  know  that  thou  delightest  in  me. 

In  the  confidence  of  faith  he  can  use  the  present:  /  know.  Cp. 
xx.  6.  Yox  delightest  in  me,  cp.  xviii.  19;  xxii.  8;  xxxv.  27;  2  Sam. 
XV.  26. 

doth  not  triu7nph'\  Lit.  raise  a  shout  of  victory.  Cp.  xxv.  2  (a  differ- 
ent Heb.  word);  xxx.  i;  xxxv.  19;  xxxviii.  16. 

12.  Cp.  xxvi.  1 1 ;  Ixiii.  8.  Thou  upholdest  (lit.  hast  upheld)  is 
either  a  reference  to  past  mercies,  or  more  probably  a  retrospect  from 
the  standpoint  of  deliverance  granted.  In  mine  integrity  is  no  contra- 
diction to  V.  4.  Integrity  (vii.  8 ;  xv.  2)  is  not  synonymous  with  sinless- 
ness. 

and  settest  me  before  thy  face  for  ever]  His  enemies  hope  that  his 
name  will  perish.  He  knows  that  he  will  be  admitted  to  stand  in  the 
presence  of  the  King  of  Kings.  Cp.  xi.  7  (note);  xvi.  11;  xvii.  15; 
Ixi.  7 ;  and  the  fundamental  promise  in  2  Sam.  vii.  i6  (read  before  me 
with  LXX). 

Thus  the  first  book  of  the  Psalter  ends  with  a  hope,  destined  to  be 
illuminated  with  a  new  light  by  the  revelation  of  the  Gospel.  See  Rev. 
xxii.  4. 


220  PSALM   XLI.  13. 


[3  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  Israel  from  everlasting,  and  to 
everlasting.     Amen,  and  Amen. 

13.  This  doxology  is  of  course  no  part  of  the  Psalm,  but  stands  here 
to  mark  the  close  of  Book  i.     Cp.  Ixxii.  18,  19;  Ixxxix.  52;  cvi.  48. 

Blessed  he  the  Lord  God  of  Israel]  Better  as  R.  V.,  Blessed  be  the 
Lord,  the  God  of  Israel.  Lord  answers  to  the  Name  Jehovah,  and  is 
not  an  attribute  to  God  0/ Israel.  Cp.  David's  doxology,  i  Kings  i.  48; 
1  Chr.  xxix.  10;  and  Solomon's,  i  Kings  viii.  15;  also  Ezra  vii.  27;  Neh. 
ix.  5  ;  Luke  i.  68. 

fro?n  everlasting,  and  to  everlasting]  From  all  eternity  in  the  past  to 
all  eternity  in  the  future :  in  the  eternal  present  of  the  divine  existence. 
Cp.  xc.  2;  xciii.  2;  ciii.  17. 

Amen,  and  Amen]  So  it  is :  the  response  of  the  congregation,  affirm- 
ing the  ascription  of  praise  on  their  own  behalf  (cvi.  48). 


APPENDIX. 


Note  I. 

On  the  word  Chasid. 

The  word  chdsTd  is  characteristic  of  the  Psalter,  in  which  it  is  found 
25  times.  Elsewhere  it  occurs  only  in  Deut.  xxxiii.  8;  i  Sam.  ii,  9; 
Prov.  ii.  8;  Jer.  iii.  12;  Mic.  vii.  2.  (2  Sam.  xxii.  26,  and  2  Chr.  vi.  41 
are  of  course  not  independent  passages.)  It  is  variously  rendered  in 
A.V.,  'godly,'  'merciful,'  or,  after  the  Sept.  oVios,  Vulg.  sanctus, 
'holy,'  'saints.'  Its  exact  meaning,  however,  is  disputed.  Is  it  (r) 
active,  denoting  the  character  of  the  man  who  practises  dutiful  love 
{chesed)  to  God  and  to  his  fellow-men  (A.V.  and  R.V.  'godly'  or 
'merciful'):  or  (2)  passive,  denoting  the  state  of  one  who  is  the  object 
of  God's  lovingkindness  (R.V.  marg.,  'one  that  He  favoureth:'  cp. 
A.V.  marg.  to  Ixxxvi.  2)?  The  form  of  the  word  is  not  decisive  between 
the  two  senses,  and  appeal  must  be  made  to  the  usage  of  the  word. 
In  favour  of  (i)  it  is  urged  that  the  word  certainly  has  an  active  sense 
in  cxlv.  17  and  Jer.  iii.  12,  where  it  is  applied  to  God:  and  also  in 
Ps.  xii.  I ;  xviii.  25 ;  xliii.  i ;  Mic.  vii.  2  ;  where  it  is  used  of  the  quality 
of  lovingkindness  between  man  and  man. 

On  the  other  hand  in  favour  of  (2)  it  may  be  urged  that  the  substan- 
tive chesed  from  which  the  adjective  chdsTd  is  derived  denotes  in  the 
Psalter  almost  without  exception  God's  lovingkindness  to  man.  It 
occurs  there  127  times,  and  in  three  cases  only  is  it  used  of  man's  love  to 
man  (cix.  12,  16;  cxli.  5),  though  this  sense  is  common  elsewhere.  It  is 
never  used  in  the  Psalter  of  man's  love  to  God,  and  indeed  it  is  doubtful 
whether  it  is  really  so  used  at  all.  The  passages  generally  quoted  (Hos. 
vi.  4,  6;  Jer.  ii.  2)  are  not  decisive. 

If  the  primary  meaning  of  chdsid  is  to  be  governed  (as  seems  reason- 
able) by  that  of  chesed  in  the  Psalms,  it  must  certainly  mean  '  one  who 
is  the  object  of  Jehovah's  lovingkindness.'  And  this  sense  suits  the 
predominant  usage  of  the  word  best.  It  is  used  15  times  with  a  pronoun 
to  express  the  relation  of  the  covenant  people,  or  individuals  in  it,  to 
Jehovah  (My,  Thy,  His  chasidwi),  in  connexions  where  the  position 
into  which  they  have  been  brought  by  Jehovah's  grace  is  a  more  appro- 
priate thought  than  that  of  their  response  to  that  grace  either  by  love  to 
God  or  love  to  their  fellow-men.  It  is  not  man's  love  to  God  or  to  his 
fellow-man  which  is  pleaded  as  the  ground  of  acceptance  or  urged  as  the 
motive  for  duty,  but  the  fact  that  Jehovah  by  His  free  lovingkindness 
has  brought  the  nation  and  its  members  into  covenant  with  Himself.  In 
its  primary  sense  then  the  word  implies  no  moral  praise  or  merit ;  but  it 


222  APPENDIX. 


came,  not  unnaturally,  to  be  connected  with  the  idea  oi  chesed  as  'loving- 
kindness'  between  man  and  man,  and  to  be  used  of  the  character  which 
reflected  that  love  of  which  it  was  itself  the  object ;  and  finally  was 
applied  even  to  God  Himself. 


Note  II. 
On  the  Title  'Most  High.' 

The  usage  of  the  title  'Most  High'  {Elyon)  should  be  carefully 
examined. 

(i)  As  used  by  non-Israelites,  it  appears  as  the  designation  of  the 
Supreme  God  in  the  mouth  of  the  Canaanite  priest-king  Melchisedek 
(Gen.  xiv.  i8 — 22);  it  is  employed  by  Balaam  (Num.  xxiv.  16);  it  is 
put  into  the  mouth  of  the  presumptuous  king  of  Babylon  (Is.  xiv.  14). 

(2)  Its  application  to  Jehovah  from  the  Israelite  standpoint  is  limited 
to  poetry.  It  occurs  in  Deut.  xxxii.  8  (note  the  connexion  with  the  par- 
tition of  the  earth  among  the  natiojis);  Lam.  iii.  35,  38;  and  21  times 
in  the  Psalter  [and  in  2  Sam.  xxii.  i4  =  Ps.  xviii.  13],  always,  with 
one  exception  (cvii.  11),  in  the  first  four  books.  It  is  nowhere  found 
in  the  Prophets. 

(3)  In  the  Aramaic  of  the  Book  of  Daniel  it  occurs,  in  one 
peculiar  passage  (vii.  18 — 27)  in  the  plural  of  majesty;  and  a  synonymous 
word  is  used  frequently,  but,  with  one  exception,  (vii.  25),  in  the 
mouth  of  Nebuchadnezzar  or  Belshazzar,  or  in  words  addressed  to 
them.  It  comes  to  be  a  favourite  word  with  the  author  of  Ecclesiasticus 
(il^KTTOs,  without  the  article),  and  occurs  also  in  2  Mace.  iii.  31. 

Note  III. 

On  XI.  I. 

There  are  two  readings  here:  the  C^xl,Jlee  thou  (fern.):  the  Kthibh, 
Jlee ye.  \iflee  thou  is  addressed,  as  it  is  natural  to  suppose,  to  David's 
soul,  it  must  be  explained  as  a  bold  combination  of  direct  and  indirect 
speech,  equivalent  to  '  that  she  should  flee  as  a  bird  to  your  mountain,' 
i.e.  join  you  in  your  mountain  retreat.  Or  David  and  his  adherents 
may  be  addressed.  'Flee,  O  birds  (fem.  collective),  to  your  mountain! ' 
The  second  reading,  'flee  ye,  like  birds  (or,  ye  birds),  to  your  moun- 
tain,' is  simpler.  David  and  his  companions  are  exhorted  to  seek  the 
mountain  which  is  their  natural  or  accustomed  place  of  refuge.  But  it 
must  be  admitted  that  the  plural  'flee  ye'  is  harsh,  and  that  we  should 
expect  the  poet's  soul  to  be  addressed ;  while  at  the  same  time  if  the 
singular  'flee  thou'  is  read,  the  plural  'your  mountain'  can  only  be 
explained  by  the  assumption  of  a  bold  construction,  or  an  abrupt  transi- 
tion from  sing,  to  plur.  And  when  we  find  that  all  the  ancient  versions 
give  the  verb  in  the  singular,  and  none  of  them  express  yoiir^  it  becomes 
almost  certain  that  by  a  very  slight  change  01  text  we  should  read  '  Flee 
(thou)  as  a  bird  to  the  mountain.'     ("IIQV  1DD  "IH  Hi:). 


APPENDIX.  223 


Note  IV. 
On  the  Hebrew  Tenses. 

The  English  reader  may  be  at  a  loss  to  understand  how  it  can  so 
often  be  doubtful  whether  a  verb  should  be  rendered  by  the  past  or 
the  future  tense.  The  uncertainty  arises  from  the  peculiar  character  of 
the  Hebrew  Tenses,  which  denote  mode  of  action  rather  than  time  of 
action.  The  fundamental  idea  of  the  '  perfect '  (sometimes  called  the 
'past')  is  completed  action:  the  fundamental  idea  of  the  'imperfect' 
(sometimes  called  the  '  future  ')  is  incomplete  action. 

In  simple  narrative  prose  the  'perfect'  usually  refers  to  the  past, 
and  the  'imperfect'  to  the  future.  But  in  the  higher  styles  of  poetry 
and  prophecy  both  tenses  are  used  with  much  greater  freedom. 

(i)  A  future  event  may  be  regarded  as  having  already  taken 
place,  either  in  order  that  it  may  be  more  forcibly  presented  to  the 
mind,  or  because  it  is  contemplated  as  being  absolutely  certain  to 
happen ;  and  in  such  cases  the  perfect  tense,  sometimes  called  the 
'  perfect  of  certainty,'  or  '  prophetic  perfect,'  is  used.  See  Ps.  xxii.  29  ; 
xxxvii.  20. 

(2)  A  past  event  may  be  regarded,  for  the  sake  of  vivid  descrip- 
tion, as  being  still  in  progress,  and  the  '  imperfect '  tense  may  be 
employed  with  reference  to  it.  Thus  in  Ps.  vii.  15,  'the  ditch  he  xvas 
making^  (imperf.)  represents  the  wicked  man  as  still  engaged  upon  his 
plot  when  it  proves  his  own  ruin.  This  usage  corresponds  to  the 
'  historic  present,'  and  is  very  common  in  poetry. 

The  '  imperfect '  is  also  used  as  a  frequentative,  of  repeated  action, 
and  to  express  general  truths. 

Hence  it  is  often  doubtful,  as  in  numerous  instances  in  Ps.  xviii, 
whether  a  Hebrew  imperfect  refers  to  the  past  or  the  future,  and  should 
be  rendered  by  past,  present,  or  future.  The  decision  must  be  regulated 
by  the  context  and  the  general  view  taken  of  the  sense  of  the  passage. 
Not  seldom  the  peculiar  force  of  the  Hebrew  tenses  cannot  be  expressed 
in  an  English  translation  without  awkward  circumlocutions. 


NEW    TESTAMENT    QUOTATIONS    FROM 
THE   FIRST   BOOK   OF   THE   PSALMS. 


ii.  1,2             quoted 

Acts  iv.  25,  26. 

ii.  7                     »» 

Acts  xiii.  33 ;  Heb.  i.  5,  v.  5. 

ii.  8,  9                 „ 

Rev.  ii.  26,  27;  xii.  5;  xix.  15 

iv.  4 

Eph.  iv.  26. 

V.  9                     „ 

Rom.  iii.  13. 

viii.  2                  „ 

Matt.  xxi.  16. 

viii.  4—6             „ 

Heb.  ii.  6—8. 

viii.  6                  ,, 

I  Cor.  XV.  27. 

X.  7                    „ 

Rom.  iii.  14. 

xiv.  ir,  2  3,  3     ,, 

Rom.  iii.  10 — 12. 

xvi.  8 — II           ,, 

Acts  ii.  25 — 28. 

xvi.  lob              ,, 

Acts  xiii.  35. 

xviii.  2  b              ,, 

Heb.  ii.  13. 

xviii.  49               ,, 

Rom.  XV.  9. 

xix.  4                    ,, 

Rom.  X.  18. 

xxii.  I                   ,, 

Matt,  xxvii.  46;  Mk.  xv.  34. 

xxii.  8                  ,, 

Matt,  xxvii.  43. 

xxii.  1 8                ,, 

John  xix.  24  [Matt,  xxvii.  35]. 

xxii.  22                  ,, 

Heb.  ii.  12. 

xxiv.  I                 ,, 

I  Cor.  X.  26  [28]. 

xxxi.  5  a 

Lk.  xxiii.  46. 

xxxii.  1,2           ,, 

Rom.  iv.  7,  8. 

xxxiv.  12 — 1 6     ,, 

I  Pet.  iii.  10 — 12. 

xxxv.  igb           ,, 

John  XV.  25. 

xxxvi.  lb            ,, 

Rom.  iii.  18. 

xxxvii.  11  a        ,, 

Matt.  V.  5. 

xl.  6—8 

Heb.  X.  5-7. 

xli.  9                   ,, 

John  xiii.  18. 

This  list  includes  a  few  passages  which  are  not  formally  introduced  as 
quotations,  though  they  are  taken  directly  from  the  Psalms :  but  it  does 
not  attempt  to  collect  the  numerous  indirect  allusions  and  references  to 
the  thought  and  language  of  the  Psalms  which  are  to  be  found  in 
the  New  Testament. 


INDEX. 


Absalom's  rebellion,  i3ff.,  140,  144,  216 

acrostic  Psalms,  xlviii 

afflicted,  47 

Ahithophel,  216 

Ald)ndth,  xxii 

alloweth,  59 

alphabetic  Psalms,  xlviii 

angel  of  the  Lord,  172,  177 

angels,  148 

anthropomorphism,  90 

Aquila,  liv 

Arabic  poetry,  xxxi 

Aramaic  language,  liii 

Ark,  sj'mbol  of  Jehovah's  presence,  47, 

T30;  translation  of  to  Zion,  69,  127 
Augustine,  St,  161 
Authorised  Version,  Ivi 
Azkara,  198 

bones,  meaning  of,  26,  175,  178 

bribes,  72 

bring  back  the  captivity,  meaning  of,  6g 

Calvin,  27 
cJiaszd,  18,  6i,  221 
Cherubim,  90 
Chief  Musician,  xix 
Columba,  St,  173 
covenant  of  the  Lord,  134 
Coverdale's  Bible,  Ivi 
Cush,  29 

daughter  of  Zion,  49 

David,  Psalms  of,  meaning  of  the  title, 
xxix 

David  the  founder  of  the  Psalter,  xxxiifif.; 
Psalms  illustrating  his  Tife,  20,  25, 36, 42, 
113,  124,  151,  155,  170,  208;  at  Saul's 
court,  57,  60;  during  Saul's  persecu- 
tion, 29,  60,  63,  72,  78,  170,  175  ;  re- 
ferring to  events  of  his  reign,  42,  69, 
84,  106,  127 ;  to  his  fall,  161,  198 ;  to 
Absalom's  rebellion,  13,  20,  25,  36, 140, 
144,  216 

death,  view  of,  27,  48,  154,  207 

Dedication,  Feast  of  the,  151 

Degrees,  Songs  of,  xxv 

PSALMS 


Ecclesiasticus,  prologue  to,  xii 
iE'/,  22 
Eloah,  96 
Elohistic  Psalms,  xl 

face  of  the  Lord,  44,  60,  83,  174 

faith  of  Psalmists,  55,  207 

family,  solidarity  of  the,  187 

fear  of  the  Lord,  105 

figurative  language;  derived  from  ex- 
periences of  David's  outlaw  life,  87  ; 
from  warfare,  176  ;  from  hunting,  35 

fool,  meaning  of  term,  66 

freebooters,  53 

future  life,  view  of,  IxxvflF.,  27,  78,  154 

generation,  63 

Gittith,  xxiii 

glory  =  soul,  31 

glory  of  God,  102 

God,  Hebrew  words  for;  El,  22,  101; 
Eloah,  96;  Elohim,  xl:  the  Name 
of>  25,  37,  46,  75,  107,  148 :  Jehovah 
(=Lord),  ioi  ;  Lord  of  Hosts,  13T  ; 
Most  High,  35,  91,  222;  the  living 
God,  99;  Rock,  87;  Creator,  loiff., 
129,  166;  Lawgiver,  loiflf. ;  King,  59; 
Judge,  32,  44,  46,  49,  59,  79.  176; 
Goel,  47 ;  His  moral  attributes,  166, 
185,  212;  righteousness,  23;  truth,  133; 
holiness,  116,  153:  His  knowledge,  5; 
Providence,  5;  anger,  31,  112,  199; 
vengeance,  99  ;  glory,  102,  139,  148 ; 
sovereignty  in  the  world,  128,  167 ; 
care  for  Israel,  168;  care  for  mankind, 
185;  the  good  Shepherd,  125;  the 
bountiful  host,  126,  141,  186;  descrip- 
tion of  His  Advent,  89;  revealed  in 
Nature,  35  ff.,  loi,  147;  law  of  His 
dealings  with  men,  94;  His  covenant, 
134 ;  may  be  known  by  the  nations, 
50;  and  is  to  be  celebrated  among 
them,  100 

godly,  meaning  of  word,  18,  61,  221 

Great  Bible,  Ivi 

heart,  33,  137 
heathen,  8 

15 


226 


INDEX. 


Hebrew  language,  mode  of  writing,  ii 

Hebrew  tenses,  223 

Hebrew  poetry,  various  kinds  of,  ix ; 
form  of,  xliv  ff. ;  strophical  arrange- 
ment, xlvii ;  alphabetic  or  acrostic 
Psalms,  xlviii 

Hebrew  Text  of  O.  T.,  xlix  ff.;  date  ot 
MSS. ,  xlix ;  history  of,  1 ;  imperfec- 
tions of,  1 ;  two  recensions  of  Ps.  xviii, 
86.  See  12,  32,  37,  48,  73,  88,  91,  98, 
100,  109,  119,  123,  130,  171,  183,  195, 
202,  222,  &c. 

Hexapla,  Origen's,  liv 

Hezekiah,  xxxiv 

historical  allusions ;  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah, 60;  Exodus,  68  ;  Sennacherib,  69  ; 
the  Flood,  150;  Exile,  69 

house  of  the  Lord,  20 

humble,  47 

interpretation  of  Messianic  Psalms,  Ixiv 

Jeduthun,  xxiii 

Jehoshaphat,  xxxiv 

Jeremiah,  Psalms  of,  xxxiv,  113,  155,  176, 

198,  208 
Jerome,  Iv 
Job,  Book  of.  Psalms  related  to,  x,  188, 

198,  203 

Kadesh,  150 

king,  position  and  typical  significance 

of  the    Israelite,   6 ;    lofty    language 

applied  to,  no 
Korah,  Psalms  of  the  sons  of,  xxix 
Krt.     See  Qrl 
K'thibh,  li,  47,  55,  77,  96,  100,  129,  152, 

222 

lamp,  metaphor  of,  95 

land  of  Canaan,  135,  1896". 

Latin  Versions,  Iv 

Law,  meaning  of  word,  3;  references  to 

the,  3,  loif.,  104,  212 
leasing,  18 

life,  77;  desire  for  long,  in,  143 
Lord  of  hosts,  131 

Maccabaean  Psalms,  xxxvfif. 

man  :  Hebrew  words  for,  39 ;  the  wonder 
of  creation,  35  ;  his  true  destiny,  36 ; 
corruption  of,  65  f. 

marvellous  works,  44 

Masckil,  xviii 

Massora,  xlix 

Massoretic  Text,  xlix 

Matthew's  Bible,  Ivi 

meek,  47 

memorial,  198 

Messianic  hope,  Iviii  ff, ;  the  royal 
Messiah,  Iviii,  6,  no;  the  suffering 
Messiah,  Ixi,  112  ff.,  219;  the  Son  of 
God,  6;  the  Son  of  Man,  Ixii,  36, 
212;  the  Advent  of  God,  Ixiii ;  the 
destiny  of  the  nations,  Ixv,  7,  100,  122 


Messianic  references  in  the  Targum,  liv 

Michtam,  xviii 

inizmor,  xiii,  xvii 

moe,  210 

moth,  206 

Musician,  the  chief,  xix 

nations,  destiny  of,  Ixv  ff.  ;  relation  of 
Israel  to,  Ixvi;  capable  of  knowing 
God,  50,  67,  122;  Jehovah's  praise  to 
be  celebrated  among,  47,  100 

Nature  the  revelation  of  God,  35,  loi  ; 

0.  T.  view  of,  147 
Neginoth,  xxii 
Nehlloth,  xxii 

nobles,  oppression  of,  53,  80 

Old  _  Testament,  position  of  Psalter  in, 
xii ;  triple  division,  xii ;  order  of 
Books,  xiii ;  text  of,  xlix  ff. ;  Ver- 
sions of,  liff. ;  limitations  of  view  in, 
Ixxii ;  some  ruling  ideas  in,  Ixxiiif.; 
relation  to  N.T.,  Ixixff.,  Ixxv 

oracle,  145 

oral  tradition,  xxxi 

Origen,  liv 

parallelism,  xlvff. 

penitential  Psalms,  26 

perfect,  meaning  of  word,  70 

Peschito,  liv 

poor,  47 

posterity,  desire  for,  83,  197 

Praises,  as  a  name  for  the  Psalms,  xiv 

Prayer-Book  Version,  Ivi 

Prayers,  as  a  name  for  the  Psalms,  xiv 

prevent,  92 

prophecy,  connexion  of  the  Psalms  with, 
x;  'double  sense'  of,  Ixiv  f.  See 
Messianic  Hope. 

prosperity  of  the  wicked  a  cause  of  dis- 
content, 187,  204 

Proverbs,  Book  of.  Psalms  related  to,  x, 

1,  132,  170,  188 
psalm,  xiii 

Psalms,  Book  of,  general  characteristics, 
ix;  relation  to  other  books  of  O.  T., 
X ;  historical  importance,  xi ;  critical 
study,  xi ;  devotional  use,  xi ;  posi- 
tion in  O.  T.,  xii;  names,  xiii;  num- 
bering, xiv ;  division  into  books,  xvi ; 
collection  and  growth,  xxxix  ;  steps  in 
formation,  xliii;  date  of  collection, 
xliii;;  previous  collections,  xliv;  Mes- 
sianic Hope  in,  Iviii  ff;  theology  of, 
Ixvii  ff. 

Psalms,  titles  of,  xviiff.;  oral  transmis- 
sion of,  xxxi ;  adapted  and  altered, 
xxxi;  authorship  and  age  of,  xxxiff.; 
arrangement,  xliv  ;  alphabetic  or  acros- 
tic, xlviii ;  Maccabaean,  x.xxv  ;  Eloh- 
istic,  x! ;  poetical  form  of,  xliv ;  stro- 
phical arrangement,  xlvii;  imprecatory, 
Ixxff.;  related  to  Proverbs,  x,  i,  132, 
170,188;  related  to  the  Book  of  Job, 


INDEX. 


zrj 


X,  i88, 198,  203 ;  supposed  to  be  written 
in  the  name  of  the  nation,  26,  114,  124, 
T31,  198,  203,  208 
Psalms  of  Solomon,  xxxvii 
psalter,  xiv.     See  Psalms,  Book  of 

Qrl,  li,  47,  55,  77,  96,  100,  129,  152,  222 
Quotations  from  the  Psalms  in  the  N,T., 
7,  19,  36,  38,  67,  77,  103,  114,  115,  117, 
120,  128,  157,  162,  172,  173,  181,  191, 
207,  212,  218 

reins,  33,  76,  137 

Resurrection,  hope  of  in  O.T.,  Ixxvif., 

73,  78,  83  f. 
retribution,  desire  for  in  the  O.T.,  Ixxiiiff. 
Revised  Version,  Ivii 
righteousness,  126;  of  God,  23,  60,  124, 

130;  of  man,  17,  19,  83 

sacrifice,  Ixviii;   various  kinds  of,   210; 

true  sacrifice,  210  ;  before  a  war,  108 
sacrificial  feast,  121 
salvation,  meaning  of  word,  16 
scorner,  2 
Selah,  XX 
Septuagint,  lifif.;  its  history,  li ;  mss.  Hi; 

value,  liii ;   influence  on  P.  B.V.,  Ivi. 

See  67,  106,  119,  129,  130,  148,  183, 

195,  196,  &c. 
servant  of  the  Lord,  86 
Shemlnith,  xxiii 
Sheol,  27,  49,  88 
shield,  25 
Shiggaion,  xix 
Shir,  xviii 

sickness,  regarded  as  a  sign  of  God's  dis- 
pleasure, 25 
simple,  104 
sin,   105 ;  different  words  for,  133,  162 ; 

confessed  and  repented  of,  161  ff. 
sin  and  suffering,  popular  view  of  the 

relation  of,  Ixx,  25,  158,  201,  206,  218 


Siriou,  149 

Solomon,  references  to,  5  f. 

Solomon,  Psalms  of,  xxxvii 

song,  xviii 

Songs  of  Degrees,  xxv 

soul,  14,  59,  129,  217 

symbolism,  character  of  Hebrew,  90 

Symmachus,  liv 

Syriac  Version,  liv 

Targum,  liii;  Messianic  references  in,  liv 

Temple,  reference  to,  Ixviii,  141 ;  meaning 
of  word,  21 

Theodotion,  liv 

Theology  of  the  Psalms,  Ixvii  ff.;  relation 
to  ordinances  of  worship,  Ixvii ;  al- 
leged self-righteousness  of  the  Psalm- 
ists, Ixix  f.,  33,  93  ;  imprecatory  Psalms, 
Ixx  ff. ;  future  life,  Ixxv  ff,,  27,  78, 
154;  view  of  death,  48,  154,  207;  de- 
struction of  the  wicked  why  desired, 
Ixxiii,  25,  42,  161,  187 

Titles  of  Psalms,  xvii  ff.;  referring  to 
character  of  poem,  xvii ;  musical  set- 
ting or  performance,  xix  ;  instruments, 
xxii ;  pitch  of  music,  xxii ;  melody, 
xxiii;  liturgical  use,  xxiv;  author- 
ship, xxvi ;  occasion,  xxvi ;  value  of 
the  titles,  xxvi  ff. 

idrdh  =  \diw,  3 

unicorn,  120 
usury,  72 

Versions,  Ancient,  li  ff. 
,,        English,  Iv  ff. 
Vulgate,  Iv 

week,  Psalms  for  days  of,  xxiv 
'Wisdom'  of  Israel,  x 
worship,  meaning  of  word,  15 

Zion,  10,  IS,  47 


Cambridge:  printed  by  c.  j.  clay,  m.a.  and  sons,  at  the  university  press. 


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BS1430.K59V.1 

The  book  of  Psalms  :  with  introduction 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00048  5666 


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