The Psalms translated and explained

.^^^W^PRl'^Cf^

BS

1430
cc>py I

THE

PSALMS

TRANSLATED AND EXPLAINED

BY

J. A. Alexander

PROFESSOR IN THE THEOLOGICAL iJEMINARY AT PRIMCETON

VOLUME II

NEW YORK
BAKER AND SCRIBNER 145 NASSAU STREET

1850

P^ntered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1850, b)'

JOSEPH ADDISON ALEXANDER,

In the Clerk's Office of the United States District Court for the District of

New Jersey.

C . W . BENEDICT,

Stereotyper^

•iOI William st.

THE PSALMS.

PSALM LI.

1, 2. To the Chief Musician. A Psalm. By David.
When Nathan the Pro'phet came unto him^ as he (i. e, David)
had come ujito Bathsheba. The first inscription was particularly
necessary here, to show that the psalm was designed for perma-
nent and public use, since it might otherwise have been regarded
as expressive of mere personal emotions. It has reference to the
one great crime of David's life, noted as such in the inspired his-
tory itself (1 Kings xv. 5), and involving the guilt of both
adultery and murder. See 2 Sam. xi and xii. The significant
repetition of the phrase came unto in v. 2 is lost in the English
and most other versions. As is not a mere particle of time,
sunply equivalent to when, but suggests the ideas of analogy, pro-
portion, and retaliation. The psalm consists of two parts, a
prayer and a vow. In the first, he prays to be forgiven and re-
stored to the divine favour, vs. 3 — 14 (1 — 12.) In the second, he
shows how he means to testify his gratitude, vs. 15 — 21 (13 — 19.)

3(1.) Be gracious to me, (oh) God, according to thy mercy ;
according to the abundance of thy compassions, blot out my trans-
gressions. In this verse and the next", he presents the petition
which constitutes the theme or burden of the psalm. The appeal

VOL. II. 1

2 PSALM LI.

to the divine grace, mercy, and compassion, involves a confession
of his own guilt and the justice of his condemnation. According
to, literally, like thy mercy, i. e. in accordance with it, in propor-
tion to it. Here again there is a tacit admission of the greatness
of his guilt, as requiring infinite mercy to forgive it. Abundance,
increase, multitude. See above, on Ps. v. 8 (7.) Compassions,
tender mercies, a term expressive of the warmest and tenderest
affections. See above, onPs. xviii. 2 (1.) Blot out, erase, from
thy remembrance. The allusion is probably to a record or regis-
ter of crimes, or to the cancellino- of accounts, although the
former seems to agree better with ancient and oriental usage.
Compare Num. v. 23. Transgressions, or with closer adherence
to the primary etymological import of the term, revolts, apostasies.
See above, on Ps. xix. 14 (13.) xxxii. 1.

4 (2.) Thoroughly wash me from my iniquity, and from my
sin cleanse me. The first word in Hebrew is the infinitive or im-
perative of a verb meaning to increase or multiply, but often used
adverbially in the sense of plentifully, abundantly. The verb in
the first clause properly denotes the act of washing the garments,
as distinguished from that of bathing the body. See Num.
xix. 19. The image here presented therefore is the same as in
Jude V. 23, sin being represented as a stain, and the grace of
God as purifying water.

5 (3.) For my transgressions I know, and my sin (is) before
me always. His consciousness of guilt is urged, not only as a
reason why he should ask forgiveness, but as a reason why God
should grant it. As no one is forgiven unless convinced of sin, so
this conviction constitutes a kind of claim to pardon, not as being
meritorious or intrinsically efficacious, but as an indication of God's
merciful intentions, since conviction and forgiveness are alike his
gift. The same mutual connection of the two things is uniformly
recognized in Scripture. See above, on Ps. xxxii. 5, and com-

PSALM LI. 3

pare 2 Sam. xii. 13. Prov. xxviii. 13. 1 John i. 9. The future
in the first clause is significant. I know it and shall know it ; I
can never henceforth lose the sense or knowledge of it.

6 (4.) To thee^ thee only, have I sinned, and done the evil in
thine eyes, to the intent that thou mayest he just in thy speaking,
and he clear in thy judging. The particle at the beginning
denotes general relation, as to, or respecting. The precise rela-
tion meant must be determined by the context. See above, on
Ps. XXXV. 19, 24. xxxviii. 17 (16.) It does not therefore di-
rectly and explicitly substitute God for man as the injured party,
which is the only sense that can be put upon the English phrase
against thee. This idea, however, is undoubtedly implied, as
well as perfectly consistent with the usage of the Scriptures in
describing all sin as committed against God. Even murder, the
highest crime that can be committed against man, is condemned
and punished as the violation of God's image (Gen. ix. 6.) It
is also possible to understand thee, thee only, as opposed not to
other objects, but to the sinner himself, as one of two contend-
ing parties. As if he had said, thou hast not sinned against me,
but I have sinned against thee, thee only. The evil, not this evil,
which restricts the acknowledgment too much, but that which is
evil, meaning sin in general. To the intent that may have refer-
ence to the divine purpose in permitting David's sin to take this
aggravated form, so that there could be neither doubt nor trans-
fer nor participation of his guilt, and so that when God spoke in
condemnation of it, he might not only be, but appear to be, en-
tirely just. There is no need therefore of adopting the weaker
meaning, so that, denoting a mere consequence but not a pur-
pose, or of supposing the intention indicated to be merely that
of the confession, ' I acknowledge this, that thou mayest be just,'
etc. Speaking, i. e. speaking as a judge, deciding, or more
definitely still, condemning. It is therefore substantially equiva-
lent to the parallel term judging.

4 PSALM LI.

7 (5.) io, in iniquity I was born, and in sin did my mother
conceive me. The meaning of the first verb is determined by its
use in Job xv. 7. Prov. viii. 24, 25, and that of the correspond-
ing active form in Job xxxix. 1. The iniquity and sin meant
are not those of his mother, but his own. Having just before
confessed his actual transgressions, he now acknowledges the cor-
ruption of his nature. This has always been regarded as the
locus classicus of the Old Testament, in reference to the doctrine
of original sin.

8 (6.) Loj truth thou hast desired in the inward (or secret)
parts y and in the hidden [part) wisdom thou wilt make me know.
The repetition of behold or Zo, at the beginning of the sentence,
seems to indicate a close connection with the preceding verse.
That connection is most probably as follows : ' Since I am cor-
rupted in my very nature, and thou canst be satisfied with
nothing short of inward sincerity, thou must bestow what thou
requirest, by imparting to me heavenly wisdom.' Triith^ sin-
cerity, reality, as opposed to hypocritical profession or pretence.
The first verb means not merely to desire^ but to will^ as in Job
xxxiii. 32. The past tense implies that it has always been so,
that the requisition is no sudden or capricious one, but an eternal
law founded in God's very nature. The inward and hidden parts
are mentioned as opposed to the mere outside. Wisdom, divine
illumination, without which no correct view either of sin or holi-
ness is possible. Thou wilt make me know, involves a prayer,
although in form it is an expression of strong confidence.

9 (7.) Thou wilt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
thou wilt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. What he
asked in v. 4 (2) he here anticipates with confidence. The verb
translated purge is very expressive, being a derivative of that
which means to sin in v. 6 (4) above. It denotes specifically,
therefore, purification from the stain of sin, either by actual pay-

PSALM LI. 5

ment of the penalty (Gen. xxxi. 39), or by vicarious satis-
faction (Num. xix. 19.) Hyssop is mentioned as a plant much
used in the Levitical purgations, either as a convenient instru-
ment of sprinkling (Ex. xii. 22), or as an emblem of the divine
condescension, viewed in contrast with the divine majesty (Isai.
Ixvi. 1, 2), as represented by the cedar, with which the hyssop is
perpetually joined. See Num. xix. 18, and compare 1 Kings v. 13.
iv. 33. In either case to purge with hyssop necessarily suggests
the idea of a purification founded on atonement, as the hyssop was
employed to sprinkle purifying substances, and sometimes mingled
with them fEx. xii. 22. Num. xix. 6, 18.) The second future in
each clause expresses both consent and expectation. Whiter than
snow is a natural hyperbole denoting perfect purity. See the
same images applied to the same subject in Isai. i. 18. The last
verb answers to the English whiten, being properly a causative,
but sometimes used intransitively, just as we may say, that
blushing reddens the face, or that the face reddens in the act of
blushing. ' Wash me and I shall whiten (become white) from
(away from, as distinguished from, and by implication more than)
snow.'

10 (8.) Thou wilt make me to hear joy and gladness ; (then)
shall rejoice the hones (which) thou hast broken {bruised, or
crushed.) What is formally expressed is still a confident expec-
tation or assured hope, under which, however, an intense desire
is implicitly contained. The joy here anticipated is that of par-
doned sin. See above, on Ps. xxxii. 1. He expects to hear it,
as communicated or announced by God. The word then is in-
troduced in the translation for the sake of retaining the original
arrangement of the sentence, closing, as it does in Hebrew, with
the emphatic figure, crushed or broken, which expresses, in a
very lively manner, the disorder and distress produced by con-
sciousness of aggravated and unexpiated guilt. The change
from this condition to a sense of safety and reconciliation with

6 PSALM LI.

God, is not too strongly represented by the bold but most ex-
pressive figure of broken bones rejoicing. The ellipsis of the
relative in this clause is common to both idioms.

11 (9.) Hide thy face from my sins, and all my iniquities blot
out. The desire implied in the anticipations of the two preced-
ing verses now breaks out into its proper form, that of direct
petition. Hide thy face from them, so as not to see them, look
no longer at them. The same figure is applied, in an unfavour-
able sense, to God's apparent neglect of his suffering servants,
his refusal to behold them or to notice their condition. See
above, on Ps. xiii. 2(1.) xliv. 25 (24.) Blot out, expunge,
from thy account, or from the book of thy remembrance, as in
V. 3 (1) above. What he asks as to his sins is that God will
cancel and forget them.

12 (10.) A pure heart create for me, {oh) God, and a fixed
(or settled) spirit renew within me. The petition in the first
clause involves a confession of impurity, and of dependence on
almighty power and sovereign grace for its removal. A pure
heart is a familiar Scriptural figure for affections free from the
taint of sin. See above, on Ps. xxiv. 4, and below, on Ps. Ixxiii.
1, and compare Matth. v. 8. Acts xv. 9. While the use of the
word create implies the necessity of an almighty intervgition,
the additional phrase to {or for) me suggests the idea of a gift,
which is often expressed elsewhere in the same connection. See
Jer. xxiv. 7. Ez. xi. 19. xxxvi. 26, and compare 1 Sam. x. 9.
The gift demanded in the last clause is that of a firm, unwaver-
ing spirit, as opposed both to fickleness and cowardice. Compare
the use of the same adjective or participle in Ps. Ivii. 8 (7.)
Ixxviii. 37. cxii. 7. The word renew implies a previous posses-y
sion of it, derived not from nature but from grace, and inter-
rupted by his yielding to temptation. Though his faith and love
could not utterly fail, his fixedness of purpose was destroyed for

PSALM LI. 7

the time, and could only be recovered by a new conversion, as
in the case of Peter (Luke xxii. 32.) Within me, in the midst
(or in the inside) of me. The same Hebrew noun is repeatedly
used elsewhere, to denote the inward dispositions and affections,
as distinguished from a mere profession or appearance. See
above, on Ps. v. 10 (9.) xlix. 12 (11.)

13 (11.) Cast me not away from thy presence, and thy Holy
Spirit take not from me. As indispensable prerequisites and
means to the possession of such a heart and spirit as he had just
prayed for, he recognizes intimate communion with God, and the
active influences of his Spirit. This prayer, unless we arbitra-
rily supply again or for ever , seems to imply that David was in ac-
tual possession of these blessings and afraid of losing them. There
may be an intentional allusion to his own reception of the Spirit
and to Saul's privation of it, as recorded in 1 Sam. xvi. 1, 7,
13. Compare 1 Sam. x. 6, 10. Isai. xi. 2.

14 (12.) Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and (with) a
ivilling spirit uphold me. The first verb is a causative in He-
brew, meaning 7)iake to return, implying previous possession.
The next phrase may be explained, according to a very common
Hebrew idiom, thy joy of salvation, thy saving joy. See above,
on Ps. ii. 6. But the obvious construction seems to yield the
best sense, namely, that of joy occasioned by salvation, or relat-
ing to it as its subject. This joy was of course incompatible
with any interruption of God's presence and the assurance of
his favour. The word translated willing means spontaneous,
prompt, forward to act without coercion ; then liberal, gene-
rous, noble. See above, on Ps. xlvii. 10 (9.) It may be taken
as an epithet of the Holy Spirit ; but the omission of the pronoun
(thy) which determines it in the foregoing verse, and the repeated
use of spi?-it in the context to denote his own heart, makes it
more probable that this is the sense here likewise. By such a

8 PSALM LI.

spirit of spontaneous conformity to God's will he desires and
hopes to be held wp^ i. e. preserved from falling as he fell before.

15 (13.) (Then) tvill I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners
unto thee shall return. Here begins the expression of his thankful-
ness, or rather a description of the way in which he is determined
to express it. The word supplied at the beginning points out the
connection of the verses. ' Then, when these petitions have
been answered, I will teach, etc' The form of the Hebrew
verb denotes a strong desire and a settled purpose, as if he had
said, * I am resolved to teach.' Transgressors, rebels, traitors,
apostates. See above, on v. 5 (3.) Thy umys, as well the ways
in which thou walkest as the ways in which thou requirest us to
walk, the course of providence and the course of duty. See
above, on Ps. xviii. 22, 31 (21, 30.) In both these senses, he
might naturally wish to " vindicate the ways of God to man."
Of this resolution a partial fulfilment is recorded in Ps. xxxii.
8, 9. The effect of such instructions is recorded in the last
clause of the verse before us. The Hebrew verb there used is
not a passive (shall be converted) but an active form, shall turn or
return to the Lord, perhaps with an allusion to the great original
apostasy, in which the whole race is involved. See above, on
Ps. xxii. 28 (27.) To this verse there seems to be particular
allusion in our Saviour's words to Peter, Luke xxii. 32.

16 (14.) Free me from Mood, (oh) God, God of my salvation,
{and) my tongue shall celebrate thy righteousness. The first
clause contains the condition of the second, and the whole is
equivalent to saying, 'if thou wilt save me, I will praise thee.'
Blood, literally bloods, the plural being idiomatically used when
there is reference to murder. See above, on Ps. v. 7 (6.) There
may be an allusion to the frequent personification of the victim's
blood, as crying out for vengeance on the murderer or pursuing
him (Gen. iv. 10. ix. 5, 6.) The verb translated /rec is applied

PSALM LI. 9

to deliverance from enemies in Ps. vii. 2 (1), and from sins (aS
here) in Ps. xxxix. 9 (8.) The strength of the desire here ex-
pressed may derive some illustration from the threatening in
2 Sam. xii. 9, 10. Celebrate^ applaud by shout or song. See
above, on Ps. v. 12 (11.) xx. 6 (5.) xxxii. 11. xxxiii. 1.

17 (15.) Lord^ my lips thou wilt open, and my mouth shall
declare thy praise. The relation of the clauses to each other is
the same as in the foregoing verse. ' If thou wilt open my lips,
my mouth etc' The first clause, therefore, really includes a
petition that his lips may be opened ; but it also includes more,
to wit, a confident anticipation that his prayer will be granted.
The sense is therefore only partially expressed by rendering the
future as an imperative (open thou my lips.) The exact form
as well as the sense of the original is given in the Prayer Book
Version (thou shalt open my lips^ oh Lord.) Open my lips., i. e.
enable me to praise thee by affording an occasion, and empower
me to praise thee, by removing this oppressive sense of guilt,
which condemns me to perpetual silence. Compare Isai. vi. 5 — 7.
Declare., tell, utter, or proclaim. See above, Ps. xix. 2(1.)

18 (16.) For thou desirest net sacrifice, else would I give (it) ;
{in) burnt offering thou delightest not. He now assigns the reason
why he is determined to requite God's favour by becoming praise.
The literal translation of the first clause is, thoio wilt not desire
sacrifice., and I will give {it)., i. e. but if thou dost desire it, I will
give it. By sacrifice we must here understand the mere material
oblation, apart from the penitent and thankful spirit, of which it
was the required expression. See above, on Ps. xl. 7 (6.)
The parallel terms, sacrifice and burnt-offering., are commonly
regarded as generic and specific expressions of the same idea.
But some interpreters deny that they are ever confounded or
promiscuously used, and give the first the sense of thank-offerings.,

1*

10 PSALM LI.

which are then joined with expiatory offerings, as a general de-
scription of all animal oblations.

19 (17.) The sacrifices of God {are) a broken spirit ; a heart
broken and crushed^ {oh) God^ thou loilt not despise. These are
natural and perfectly intelligible figures for profound and sub-
missive sorrow on account of sin. There is great significance and
beauty in what seems at first to be a solecism in the language of
the first clause. The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit might
seem to be a more correct expression ; but it would have failed to
suggest the striking and important thought, that one such heart
or spirit is equivalent to all the various and complicated sacrifices
of the ritual. The sacrifices of God are those which he requires
and is willing to accept. The use of the word contrite in the
English versions mars the beauty of the metaphor, because that
term is confined to the dialect of theology, whereas the Latin
contritumj from which it was borrowed, as well as the original
expression, exactly corresponds to broken, both in its literal and
figurative usage. Thou wilt not despise, when it is offered, and
especially when I present it, as the solemn expression of my
thanks for this deliverance. The substitution of the present for
the future would both weaken and obscure the sentence, and the
same consideration might be urged in favor of a strict translation

/ in the verse preceding. So far is a habitual sorrow for sin from
' being inconsistent with the joy of God's salvation, that David
here engages to present it as a perpetual thank-offering. Com-
pare the language of Hezekiah, Isai. xxxviii. 15.

20 (18.) Do goody in thy favour y to Zion ; thou wilt build the
walls of Jerusalem.. From his own personal necessities his mind
now passes to those of the whole church, of which he was the
visible head and representative, thereby implying that his sense of
guilt and danger had been aggravated by the thought of his official
relation to God's people, who must have shared in his disgrace

PSALM LI.

11

and punishment. See above, on Ps. iii. 4 (3.) iv. 3 (2.) The
change of construction from the imperative to the future marks a
natural transition from importunate desire to confident anticipa-
tion. See above, on vs. 9 — 11 (7 — 9.) This delicate transition
there is surely no need of obliterating by a gratuitous assimilation
of the moods and tenses. The building of the walls is a poetical
parallel to doing good or showing favour, and the opposite of
dismantling in Ps. Ixxxix : 41 (40.)

21 (19.) Then shalt thou he 'pleased with sacrifices of right-
eousness^ burnt-offering and holocaust ; then shall they offer on
thine altar bullocks. Then, i. e. when thou hast done good to
Zion and fortified Jerusalem. Sacrifices of righteousness, right-
eous or right sacrifices. See above, on Ps. iv : 6 (5.) Some
have inferred from this verso, that the psalm was written in the
Babylonish exile, when the temple was in ruins and the ceremo-
nial law suspended, and that the Psalmist here anticipates the
time when both should be restored. But this is forbidden by his
saying, in v. 18 (16), that if God desired burnt ofierings he would
give them, plainly implying the continued observance of the
sacrificial system. There is no ground, therefore, for disputing
either the correctness of the title, which ascribes the psalm
to David, or the genuineness of the last two verses, which some
have rejected as an addition by a later hand. These verses are
not only appropriate but necessary as a conclusion to the psalm,
and every difiiculty is removed by giving them their natural but
fiorurative meaning, as an expression of desire and hope that God
would favour his own people and graciously accept their service.
Holocaust is here used to translate a single Hebrew word, mean-
ing a sacrifice entirely consumed upon the altar. It docs not
describe something wholly distinct from the burnt ofiering, but
the burnt offering itself considered as a complete and unreserved
oblation. See 1 Sam. vii. 9. Bullocks are mentioned as the
choicest victims in point of species, size, and age. By a slight

12 PSALM LII.

change of construction we obtain the bold and striking declaration
that the bullocks shall themselves ascend the altar, i. e. as a
living and spontaneous sacrifice. Compare Isai. Ix. 7.

PSALM LII.

This psalm, besides the title, vs. 1, 2, contains three stanzas
of three verses each. In the first, the Psalmist expostulates
with an arrogant, cruel, and deceitful enemy, vs. 3 — 5 (1 — 3.)
In the second, he foretells the destruction of this enemy by the
divine judgments, and the contempt to be excited by his folly,
YS. Q — 8 (4 — 6.) In the third, he contrasts this fatal fruit of
unbelief with the happy efi'ects of his own trust in God, vs. 9 — 11
(7 — 9.) The two Selahs in vs. 5, 7 (3, 5), have reference not
so much to the form of the psalm as to the feelings of the
Psalmist, and are therefore placed irregularly. See above, on
Ps. iii. 3 (2.) The variation of the English and the Hebrew
Bible, in numbering the verses of this psalm, is the same, and
arises from the same cause, as in the fifty-first.

1. To the Chief Musician. Alaschil. By David. The
psalm is expressly designated as a Maschil or didactic psalm,
because its adaptation to this purpose might very easily be over-
looked, in consequence of its avowed relation to a particular
event in David's history. See above, on Ps. xxxii. 1. xlii. 1.
xlv. 1. Though occasioned by this incident, however, it was
written for the permanent and public use of the ancient church,
and is therefore inscribed to (or for) the Chief Musician. See
above, on Ps. iv. 1. li. 1.

PSALM Lll. 13

2. When Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul^ and said
unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech. This is
merely the beginning of the story, which is supposed to be
familiar to the reader of the psalm, and which is given at length
in 1 Sam. xxii. Doeg is mentioned only as the witness or in-
former, by whose means the matter came to Saul's knowledge.
When he came, literally, in his coming j the same form of expres-
sion as in Ps. li. 2.

3(1.) T\niy wilt thou boast thyself in evil, mighty (man ) ?
The mercy of the Almighty {is) all the day. The future form of
the verb suggests the idea of obstinate persistency. Boast thy-
self in evil, exult or triumph in the injury of others. The
mighty man is not Doeg but Saul, who, of all the characters in
sacred history, approaches nearest to the classical idea of a hero.
There is something therefore of respect and admiration implied
in the address, as if he had said, ' How can one who might have
been so eminent in well-doing, glory in his shame or boast himself
in evil P In the last clause there is an obvious antithesis be-
tween the malice of this mighty man and the unfailing goodness
of the mighty God. The particular divine name here used
therefore is peculiarly significant. See above, on Ps. v. 5 (4.)
1. 1, As if he had said, ' Mighty and malicious as thou art, the
might and mercy of Jehovah are still greater.' All the day, i. e.
perpetual, unceasing. See above, on Ps. xlii. 11 (10.)

4 (2.) Mischiefs will thy tongue devise, like a razor lohetted^
working deceitfully. The first word means calamitous events,
brought on one man by the malice of another. See above, on
Ps. V. 10 (9.) xxxviii. 13 (12), and below, on Ps. Ivii. 2 (1.) The
distinctive meaning of the future is the same as in v. 3 (1.)
The tongue is here said to meditate or devise mischief, because
it is personified, or poetically substituted for the speaker. The
allusion is to SauPs cutting words when he accused Ahimelech

14 PSALM LII.

and David of conspiracy against him (1 Sam. xxii. 13.) This
false charge, or the tongue which uttered it, is likened to a
razor, not merely sharp but sharpened, whetted, for the purpose
or occasion. See above, on Ps. xlv. 6 (5.) Similar comparisons
occur in Ps. Iv. 22 (21.) ,lvii. 5 (4.) lix. 8 (7.) Ixiv. 4(3.) Jer.
ix. 2, 7 (3, 8.) Working deceitfully^ literally, deceit or fraud.
These words may be grammatically referred to the speaker or his
tongue as practising deceit ; but it yields a more striking sense to
understand them of the razor, as working deceitfully, i. e. mov-
ing silently and smoothly, when it cuts most keenly.

6. Thou hast loved evil {inore) than good^ falsehood [more) than
speaking righteousness. The past tense, like the futures in the
foregoing verses, includes the idea of the present ; but unlike
them, it represents the love of sin as already long-continued and
habitual. Compare the form of expression with that in Ps. xlv.
8 (7.) Righteousness includes truth or veracity, as the genus
comprehends the species. The particular unrighteousness here
meant is falsehood, as appears from the antithesis. The selah
tacitly suggests the writer's abhorrence of that which he de-
scribes.

6 (4.) Thou hast loved all devouring ivordsy tongue of fraud.
This is not so much a continuation of the foregoing discourse,
as a resumption or recapitulation for the purpose of drawing a
conclusion from it. In periodic style, the connection of the ideas
might be thus exhibited: ^ Since then thou lovest, etc., therefore
God will, etc' Devouring words^ liter ally, words of sic allowing
or deglutition. The second noun occurs only here ; but the
verb to swallow up is continually used in Hebrew to express the
idea of complete destruction. See above, on Ps. xxi. 10(9.)
XXXV. 25. Tongue of deceit or deceitful tongue. This phrase
may be governed by the verb, thou hast loved all devouring
words {and or even) a deceitful tongue. But it adds to the

PSALM LII. 15

strength of the expression, and agrees better with the form of
the context, to make it an apostrophe or direct address to the
deceitful tongue itself.

7(5.) [So) likewise shall God destroy thee forever ; he shall
take thee away^ and jiluck thee out of (thy) tent^ and root thee
out of the land of life. Selah. The particle at the beginning,
«7so, likewise^ shows the dependence of this verse upon the one
before it, which is really conditional, though not in form. ' As
thou, on thy part, lovest all devouring words, so likewise God,
on his part, will destroy thee.' No exact translation can convey
the full force of the verbs in this verse, which suggest a variety
of striking figures for destruction or extermination. The first
denotes properly the act of pulling down or demolishing a house
(Lev. xiv. 45), and this would also seem to be the primary mean-
ing of the third (Prov. xv. 25), although some suppose it to
denote the act of pulling up, and to be the opposite of jilant^ as
the first verb is of huild. The second verb, in every other place
where it occurs, has reference to the handling and carrying of
fire or coals. See Prov. vi. 27. xxv. 22. Isai. xxx. 14. To a
Hebrew reader, therefore, it would almost necessarily suggest
not the general idea of removal merely, but the specific one of
removing or taking away like fire, i. e. as coals are swept out
from a hearth, or otherwise extinguished. The remaining verb
adds to these figures that of violent eradication, and is well re-
presented by its English equivalent. The land of life^ or, as it
is commonly translated, land of the living, is a poetical descrip-
tion of life itself, or the present state of existence, under the
figure of a country. See above, on Ps. xxvii. 13. The quick
recurrence of the pause implies excited feeling and invites atten-
tion to the threatening which immediately precedes.

8 (6.) And the righteous shall see, and they shall fear^ and
at him, they shall laugh. The fear meant is that religious awe
produced by any clear manifestation of God's presence and his

16 PSALM LII.

power. In Ps. Ixiv. 9, 10 (8, 9), it is assumed to be compatible
with joy, and here with laughter at the wicked, not a selfish
exultation in his sufferings, which is explicitly condemned in the
Old Testament (Prov. xxiv. 17. Job xxxi. 29), but that sense of
the absurdity of sin, which must be strongest in the purest
minds, and cannot therefore be incompatible with pity, the
rather as it is ascribed to God himself (Ps. ii. 4.) The parono-
masia of the verbs translated see &nd fear is the same as in Ps.
xl. 4 (3.) Shall seCy i. e. the destruction threatened in v. 7 (6.)
At him, the person thus destroyed, the same who is addressed
directly in the foregoing context. The enallage personae may be
avoided by exchanging at him for at it, i. e. the destruction it-
self; but this is not so agreeable to Hebrew usage, which always
prefers personal to abstract forms of speech.

9 (7.) Behold the man (who) will not make God his strength,
hut will trust in the increase of his wealth, (and) will be
strong in his wickedness. This may be regarded as the lan-
guage of the laughers mentioned in v. 8 (6.) Behold the man,
see to what he is reduced. The effect of the behold is similar to
that of the interrogation in Isai. xiv. 16. The word translated
man is not one of the usual terms, but one implying strength
or power, so that its use here gives a kind of sarcastic import to
the passage. See the analogous use of an opposite expression in
Ps. viii. 5 (4.) X. 18. The future expresses fixed determination
and anticipated perseverance in refusing. Make, literally, place
or set. See above, on Ps. xl. 5 (4.) His strength, or more ex-
actly, his stronghold or fortress. See above, on Ps. xxvii. 1.
xxxvii. 39. xliii. 2. Increase, or simply, abundance, greatness.
See above, on Ps. v. 8 (7.) li. 3 (1.) The word translated
wickedness is the singular of that translated mischiefs in v. 4 (2)
above. It seems to signify particularly an inclination to mali-
cious mischief.

PSALM Lir. 17

10 (8.) And I {am) like a green olive-tree m the house of God ;
I have trusted in the mercy of God {to) eternity and perpetuity.
He expects not only the destruction of the wicked but his own
salvation. To express the connection of the verses clearly, our
idiom would require an adversative particle at the beginning, but
I. See above, on Ps. ii. 6. A verdant fruitful tree is a favour-
ite emblem of prosperity. See above, on Ps. i. 3. The olive is
here specified, as palms and cedars are in Ps. xcii. 13, 14
(12, 13.) The imagery of the verse before us is copied in Jer.
xi. 16. The house of God, the tabernacle, considered as his
earthly residence, in which he entertains his friends and provides
for his own household. See above, on Ps. xv. 1. xxiii. 6. xxvii.
4, 5. xxxvi. 9 (8.) The mixed metaphors only show that the
whole description is a figurative one and should be so interpreted.
I have (already) trusted, which includes his present trust, but
also includes more, to wit, that it is not a new or sudden impulse,
but a settled habit of his soul. The two nouns, eternity and per-
petuity, are combined in the adverbial sense of forever and ever.
See above,on Ps. x. 16. xxi. 5 (4.) xlv. 7 (6.) xlviii. 15 (14.) This
qualifying phrase relates, not to the act, but to the object, of his
trust. His meaning is not, * I will trust forever in God's mercy,'
which would have required a future verb ; but, ^ I have already
trusted, and do still trust, in his mercy, as a mercy that will last
forever.'

11 (9.) / will thank thee to eternity hecause thou hast done {it),
and- will hope {in) thy name — hecause it is good — before thy saints.
The common version of the first verb {praise) is not sufficiently
specific, as it properly denotes a particular kind of praise,
namely, that for benefits received. See above, on Ps. vi. 6 (5.)
vii. 18 (17.) xlix. 19 (18.) The object of the verb hast done,
is to be supplied from the context. See above, on Ps. xxii.
32 (31.) xxxvii. 5. xxxix. 10 (9.) Thy name, the manifesta-
tion of thy nature. See above, on Ps. v. 12 (11.) xx. 2 (1.)

18 PSALM LIIl.

xxiii. 3. xldii. 11 (10.) To expect God's name, or wait for it,
is to trust in the future exercise and exhibition of the same
divine perfections which have been exhibited already. The com-
mon version, / icill icait on thy oiame^ is not so happy as the one
in the Prayer Book, / tcill hope in thy name. Here again, as in
V. 10 (8), the epexegetical clause, /or it is goody relates not to
the act of expectation but its object. He does not mean, ' be-
cause it is good to hope in thy name,' but ' because thy name is
good, and is therefore to be hoped in.' This is clear from the
analogy of Ps. liv. 8 (6.) Ixix. 17 (16.) cix. 21, which also
shows that the concluding words, before thy saints , are to be con-
strued neither with what follows, it is good before thy saints i. e.
in their estimation, nor with the remoter antecedent / ^vill
thank thee, but with the nearer antecedent, / will wait for thy
na7ne before thy saints, i. e. I will profess my trust in thy mercy,
not in private merely, but in the presence of thy people, of the
church. Compare Ps. xxii. 23 (22.) For it is good must then
be read as a parenthesis. Thy saints, the merciful objects of
thy mercy. See above, on Ps. iv. 4 (3.) 1. 5. It is here used
simply as a general designation or description of God's people.

PSALM LIII.

A SECOND edition of the fourteenth psalm, with variations,
more or less important, in each verse. That either of these
compositions is an incorrect copy of the other, is highly improba-
ble, because two such copies of the same psalm would not have
been retained in the collection, and because the variations are too
uniform, consistent, and significant, to be the work of chance or

PSALM Llll. 19

mere traditional corruption. That the changes were deliberately
made by a later writer is improbable, because Such a liberty
would hardly have been taken with a psalm of David, and because
the later form, in that case, would either have been excluded
from the Psalter, or substituted for the first form, or immediately
connected with it. The only satisfactory hypothesis is, that the
original author afterwards rewrote it, with such modifications as
were necessary to bring out certain points distinctly, but without
any intention to supersede the use of the original composition,
which therefore still retains its place in the collection. This
supposition is confirmed by the titles, which ascribe both psalms
to David. Of this kind of retradatio^ which is not unknown to
the practice of uninspired hymnologists, we have already met
with a remarkable example in the case of David. See above, the
concluding note on Ps. xviii, vol. 1. p. 153. As a general fact,
it may be stated, that the variations in the psalm before us are
such as render the expression stronger, bolder, and in one or two
cases more obscure and difficult. To these variations the remarks
which follow will be restricted. For the exposition of the parts
which are common to both psalms, the reader is referred to that
of Ps. xiv.

1. To the Chief Musician — upon Mahalath — Maschil — hy
David. Between the inscription to the Chief Musician and the
name of David, which are also found at the beginning of Ps. xiv,
we have here two additional expressions. The first of these is by
some regarded as the name or description of an instrument ; but
as it is so used nowhere else, and as forms almost identical occur
more than once in the sense of sickness or disease, (Ex. xv. 26.
Prov. xviii. 14. 2 Chr. xxi. 15), it seems most natural to take
the phrase as an enigmatical enunciation of the subject of the
psalm, which is in strict accordance both with general usage and
with that of David in particular. See above, on Ps. v. 1. xxii.
1. xiv. 1. By disease we may then understand the spiritual

20 PSALM LIJI.

malady with whicli mankind are all infected, and which is really
the theme or subject of the composition. In the only other title
where it reappears (Ps. Ixxxviii. 1), it denotes corporeal disease.
The other addition {maschil) describes the psalm as a didactic
one. See above, on Ps. lii. 1

2 (1.) The fool hath said in his hearty There is no God.
They have done corruptly, they have done abominable wickedness ;
there is none doing good. See above, on Ps. xiv. 1. The only
variation in this verse is the substitution of (bl3>) iniquity for
(nb'^bs^) deed or act. Instead of saying, they have made (their)
conduct abominable, the Psalmist uses the stronger expression,
they have made iniquity abominable, or done abominably (in their)
wickedness.

3 (2.) God from heaven has looked down on the sons of man,
to see if there is (any) acting wisely, seeking God. See above,
on Ps. xiv. 2. The only diflference in the Hebrew of these
verses is that the name Elohim is here substituted for Jehovah.
The same change occurs below, in vs. 5, 6, 7 (4, 5, 6.) The
name Jehovah is not used at all in the psalm before us, but occurs
four times in Ps. xiv, and Elohim thrice. This difference seems
to mark Ps. liii as the later composition, in which the writer
aimed at an external uniformity, which did not occur to him at
first. This is a much more natural supposition than that he
afterwards varied what was uniform at first. The attempts which
have been made to account, still more particularly, for the use of
the divine names in these two psalms, have entirely failed.

4 (3.) All of it has apostatized ; together they have putrefied ;
there is none doing good ; there is not even one. See above, on
Ps. xiv. 3. For all of it we there have the whole, i. e. the whole
human race. The same thing seems to be intended by the more
obscure phrase, all of it, in which the pronoun may refer to

PSALM LIIl. 21

man^ in tlie collective sense of mankind or the human race. The
idea of departure from God, apostasy, is expressed in the parallel
places by two verbs almost identical in form (^D and no), the one
of which means properly to turn aside and the other to turn
back.

5 (4.) Do they not know — (these) workers of iniquity —
eating my people (as) t/iey eat bread — (and on) God call not ?
See above, on Ps. xiv. 4. The only variation here, besides the
change of the divine name which has been already mentioned, is
the omission of the all before wo?-kers of iniquity. This has been
noted by some critics as the only case in which the language of
the fourteenth psalm is stronger than the parallel expression of
the fifty- third.

6 (5.) There have they feared a fear^ because God hath
scattered the bones of thy besieger ; thou hast put {them) to shame^
because God hath rejected them. See above, on Ps. xiv. 5, 6.
The design to strengthen the expression is particularly clear in
this case, where two verses are compressed into one, and the other
changes all enhance the emphasis. Thus instead of a general
assurance of divine protection, God is in the righteous generation^
we have here a description of their enemies' destruction, in the
most poetical and striking terms, God hath scattered the bon^s of
thy besieger^ literally, thy encamper, him that encampeth against
thee. So too instead of the complaint, that the wicked treat the
faith of pious sufferers with contempt — the counsel of the sufferer
ye will shame because Jehovah is his refuge — we have here the
tables turned upon the scoffers by the scorn both of God and
man — thou hast put to shame (the individuals included in the
collective phrase thy besieger), because God has rejected them., an
act implying both abhorrence and contempt. In this, which is
by far the most considerable variation of the two editions, the
existence of design is so apparent, that th« supposition of an in-

22 PSALM LIV.

advertent or fortuitous corruption seems preposterous. So far
are the two psalms from being contradictory or even inconsistent,
that they might be sung together, by alternate or responsive
choirs, with the happiest effect. Nothing can be more natural,
therefore, than the supposition that David gave the psalm this
new shape, to express the same essential feelings in a higher degree
and a more emphatic form.

7 (6.) TT7w will give out of Zion salvations (to) Israel — in
God'^s returning {to) the captivity of his people — let Jacob exult,
let Israel joy ! See above, on Ps. xiv. 7. The only variations
are the change of Jehovah to Elohim, and of the singular
salvation to its plural, denoting variety and fulness. See above,
on Ps. xviii. 51 (50.) The exact translation is, salvations of
Israel, and the meaning of the next clause, ' when God revisits,
(or in God's revisiting) his captive people.'

PSALM L I Y .

1. To the Chief Musician. . With (or on) stringed instruments.
A didactic psalm. By David. This is the title of Ps. iv, but
with a change of the generic term mizmor to the specific one
maschil. See above, on Ps. liii. 1. According to t^ome modern in-
terpreters, the plural neginoth does not denote a plurality of stringed
instruments, but simply that kind of music, with its complex
variety of tones. The psalm consists of a prayer for deliverance
from wicked enemies^ vs. 3 — 5 (1 — 3), with a confident antici-

PSALM LIV. 23

pation of success and a promise of thanksgiving, vs. 6 — 9 (4 — 7.)
As to the numbering of the verses, see above, on Ps. li. 1 . lii 1.

2. Ill the coming of the ZiphiteSj and they said to Saul^ {Is)
not David hiding himself with us ? The verse gives the histori-
cal occasion of the composition, in the same form as in the titles
of Ps. li and lii. Such an occurrence is twice recorded in the
history, 1 Sam. xxiii. 39. xxvi. 1. The verbal coincidence is
greater in the first case. The words of the Ziphites seem to
have been remembered on account of some peculiarity in the
expression, perhaps the use of the reflexive participle (^Pi?iD!0)
which remains unchanged in all three places, the earliest of
which is probably the one before us. The interrogation im-
plies surprise that Saul should be ignorant of what was so noto-
rious. Hiding himself^ now engaged in doing so, not merely
wont to do so, or already hidden. With us, among us, or in our
land, i. e. the wilderness or pasture-ground of Ziph, (1 Sam.
xxiii. 14, 15,) in or near which was a town of the same name
(Josh. XV. 55, 2 Chron. xi. 8,) the ruins of which are thought
to be still visible, not far from what the natives call Tell Ziph or
the Hill of Ziph. (Robinson's Palestine, II. 191.)

3 (1.) Oh God, by thy name save me, and by thy might thou
wilt judge me. The insensible transition from the imperative to
the future shows the confidence with which the prayer is offered.
By thy name, i. e. the exercise of those perfections which have
been already manifested. See above, on Ps. lii. 11 (9.) That
it is not a mere periphrasis for God himself, is clear from the
parallel expression, might or power. Judge me, do me justice,
vindicate my innocence, by saving me from spiteful enemies and
false accusers. See above, on Ps. vii. 9 (8.) xxvi. 1.

4 (2.) Oh God, hear my prayer, give ear to the sayings of
my mouth. See above, on Ps. iv. 2 (1.) v. 2 (1.)

24 PSALM LIV.

5 (3.) For strangers are risen wp against me ^ a'nd oppressors
seek my soul (or life) ; they have not set God lefore them. Selah.
To the earnest petitions in the two preceding verses, he now adds
a particular description of his danger. Strangers., not foreigners,
but aliens in spirit, both to him and to Jehovah, with special re-
ference to Saul. See below, on Ps. cxx. 5. Oppressors., perse-
cutors, tyrants. The original expression implies the possession of
power and its lawless exercise. See above, on Ps. xxxvii. 35.
Not to set God before them is to act as if they did not remem-
ber or believe in his existence and his presence. The Selah indi-
cates a pause of indignation and abhorrence. See above, on Ps.
Hi. 5 (3.)

6 (4 ) Behold, God (is) a helper for me ; the Lord is among
the upholders of my soul. From the party of his enemies he
looks to that of his defenders, and joyfully recognizes God, not
merely with, but i^i (the midst of) them, among them. The be-
hold is expressive of surprise, and at the same time of a perspi-
cacious faith. With the form of expression in the first clause,
compare Ps. xxx. 11 (10) ; with the second Ps. cxviii. 7. Judg.
xi. 35. The upholders of his soul are the defenders of his life
against those who seek it. See above, v. 5 (3.) Adhonai., the
divine name properly translated ior^, because expressive of Grod's
sovereignty. It is peculiarly appropriate here, where he is claim-
ing God as his protector.

7 (5.) The evil shall returii to my enemies; in thy truth de-
stroy them. The future here runs into the imperative, as the
imperative does into the future, in v. 3 (1) above. The impera-
tive in this case is only a stronger form of prediction. The evil.,
which they mean to do me. Return to or upon them, i. e. shall
befall themselves. See above, on Ps. vii. 17 (16.) This is the
sense required by the reading in the text (m'lTi'i), which the mo-
dern critics commonly regard as the most ancient. The mar-

PSALM LIV, 25

ginal or masoretic reading {^^'^-^) must be rendered, he ivill cause
to return^ repay, requite. T/iy trulk, the truth of thy promises
and threateniiigs, thy veracity. See above, on Ps. xxx. 10 (9.)
The certain foresight of the doom of the wicked, which is ex-
pressed in the first clause, makes the prayer (if such it be con-
sidered) in the first clause, a mere iteration of the previous
threatening. A prayer that God will do what we are certain that
he will do can be little more than an exjDression of that certainty.
See above, on Ps. v. 11 (10.)

8 ( 6 ) Wiih a free-will-ojferi7ig will I sacrifice unto tkee ; I
will 'praise, thy name^ Jehovah^ for it is good. In the confident
assurance of a favourable answer to his prayer, he promises a suit-
able acknowledgment. See above, on Ps. v. 8 (7.) K free-will
or voluntary offering ^ as opposed to one prescribed by law, not to
one rendered obligatory by a vow, for then a voluntary oiFering
would in this case be impossible. The Hebrew word is the tech-
nical term applied to such an offering in the Law. See Lev. vii.
16. xxii. 23, and compare Ex. xxv. 2. xxxv. 29, Num. xv. 3.
With the last clause compare Ps. lii. 11 (9.)

9 (7.) For out of all distress he hath delivered me^ and on my
enemies my eye has looked. In his confident assurance of a favour-
able issue, he speaks of it, though future, as already past. The
sudden change of person may be avoided by translating the first
verb, it (i, e. thy name) has delivered me^ according to the prayer
in V. 3 ( 1 . ) My eye has looked or gazed^ with an implication of
delight, or at least of acquiescence, which is commonly conveyed
by this construction. See above, on Ps. 1. 23. This kind of sat-
isfaction in the execution of God's threatenings is sinful only
when combined with selfish malignity. Apart from this corrupt
admixture, it is inseparable from conformity of will and coin-
cidence of judgment with God. The same kind and degree of
acquiescence which is felt by holy angels in heaven may surely be

2

26 PSALM LV.

expressed by saints on earth, especially in their collective capa-
city as a church, in whose name the psalmist is here speaking,
and not merely in his own or that of any other individual.

PSALM L Y.

1. To the Chief Musician. With (or on) stringed instruvients,
A Didactic Psalm. By David. The psalm is designated as a
Maschil^ because it might at first sight seem to have relation
merely to a case of personal maltreatment and distress, whereas
it is a general description of the sufferings of God's people, or
the righteous as a class, at the hands of false friends and malig-
nant enemies. Although there seem to be allusions to the
writer's own experience, in the times both of Saul and Absalom,
the whole description can be applied exclusively to neither. The
only natural division of the psalm is the one suggested by the
fact, that in the first part the sufferer complains of his enemies
in general, vs. 2 — 12 (1 — 11) ; in the second, he singles out the
case of one who had seemed to be his friend, but treacherously
turned against him, vs. 13 — 16 (12 — 15) ; in the third, he con-
fidently anticipates his own deliverance and the destruction of his
enemies, vs. 17 — 26 (16 — ^25.)

2(1.) Give ear, oh God, to my prayer, and hide not thyself
from my supplication. This is the general introductory petition,
which is afterwards amplified and rendered more specific. The
last word strictly means a cry or prayer for mercy. See above, on
Ps. vi. 10 {9.) To hide one's self is an expression used in the Law

PSALM LV. 27

to describe the act of wilfully withholding aid from one who
needs it. See Deut. xxii. 1 — 4, and compare Isai. Iviii. 7.

3 (2.) Hearken to me and answer me; I will give loose to my
thought^ and I will make a noise. The first verb means to attend^
especially to one speaking, to listen, to hearken. See above, on
Ps, V. 3 (2.) X. 17. xvii. 1. Answer or hear^ in the sense of
receiving a prayer favourably. See above, on Ps. iii. 5 (4.)
xxxviii. 16 (15.) The literal translation of the next words is, I
will suffer to wander in iny thinkings i. e. I will let my mind wan-
der, or my thoughts rove as they will. He is resolved not only
to think freely but to express his thoughts aloud. The same use
of the Hebrew verb occurs in Micah ii. 12. The thinking or
meditation here meant is reflection on his sufferings, to which the
Hebrew verb is specially applied. With the whole verse, and
with this clause in particular, compare Job vii. 11.

4 (3.) From the voice of the enemy ^ from before the persecution
of the wicked ; for they will shake over me i7iiquity^ and in wrath
ivill oppose me. He now declares from what his distress arises.
The preposition, in Hebrew as in English, has a causal meaning,
or at least suggests a relation of cause and eflfect. From the
voice, i. e. because of it. From before or from the face conveys
the same idea still more strongly, by a kind of personification of
the evil dreaded. Persecution of the wicked : compare the oppres-
sion of the enemy, in Ps. xlii. 10 (9.) Shake over me, or cause
to slide upon me, a striking figure for the wilful infliction of evil
on another. Iniquity may here be put, as it sometimes is, for
active wickedness towards others, the cause of sufiering rather
than sufiering itself. With this clause compare Ps. xli. 9 (8.)
Oppose me, be my adversaries, whether in the way of resistance
or assault. The Hebrew verb is a cognate form to that from
which comes Satan or the Adversary.

28 PSALM LV.

5 (4.) My heart writhes in the midst of me, mid terrors of death
have fallen upon me. The future form of the first verb hnplies
an apprehension that the pain will continue and be permanent.
In the midst of me., inside of me, within me. He is not merely
involved in outward troubles, but pained at heart. Terrors of
death might be strictly understood as meaning fear or dread of
death ; but it agrees better with the strong figurative language of
the first clause, to take it in the sense of deadly, mortal terrors.
An analogous expression is death-shade or shadow of death. See
above, on Ps. xxiii. 4. xliv. 20 (19.) The figure of falling neces-
sarily suggests the idea of infliction by a superior power.

6 (5.) Fear ami trembling enter into me, and horror hath cov-
ered me. The future in the first clause represents the action as
not yet completed, and might be rendered, they are entering or
about to enter. The Hebrew verb with this preposition denotes
more than come upon ; it describes the terror as not only on hira
but within him. The word translated horror is a stronger
synonyme of tremhling^ and might be translated shuddering or a
shudder. Covered me, i. e. overspread or overwhelmed me.

7 (6.) And I said, icho will give me a pinion like the dove ? /
will fly away and he at rest. This is equivalent to saying, if I
had the pinions of a dove, I would fly away, etc. Who will
give is an idiomatic optative expression, tantamount to saying,
oh that I had, etc. See above, on Ps. xiv. 7. The word trans-
lated pillion properly denotes the penna major or flag-feather of a
bird's wing, and is here put poetically for the wings themselves.
The two last verbs are in the paragogic or augmented form, ex-
pressing strong desire or settled purpose. See above, on Ps. ii. 3.
The last verb usually means to divcll, but has either the primary
or secondary sense of reposing, resting. See above, on Ps. xxxvii.
3. The first verb is immediately dependent on the last of the pre-
ce ling verse, a grammatical relation which may be expressed

PSALM LV. 29

thus in our idiom : ' horror hath covered me so that I say,
etc'

8 (7.) Loj I will wander far^ I will lodge in the wilderness.
Selah. The lo or behold is tantamount to pointing with the finger,
or to saying there ! see there ! The next phrase is highly idiomatic
and literally means, ' I will make remote to wander.' To lodge
is here to take up one's abode, to dwell, as in Ps. xxv. 13. The
wilderness^ not necessarily a barren desert, but an uninhabited
region, the essential idea here being that of separation from
human society, a strong though indirect mode of affirming its
extreme corruption. The strength of the feeling which 23rompted
this desire is indicated by a solemn pause.

9 (8.) / li'ill hasten my escape from rushing wind^ from
tejiijpest. Another construction of the first clause makes the verb
intransitive and the noun a local one, as indicated by its form, I
icill hasten [to) my refuge. It is better, however, to give the
hiphil verb its proper meaning, and nouns of the form here used
denote not only the place of action but the act itself. My escape^
literally, an escape for me or for myself. The preposition in the
last clause, though it properly means /ro»«, is constantly employed
in Hebrew to denote or indicate comparison. If thus explained
in this case, it would make the clause descriptive of the speed
with which he wishes to escape, more than the rushing wind and
tempest. This sense is preferred by some interpreters ; but the
other is more obvious and simple, and is also recommended by
the frequent representation of calamity under the figure of a
storm or tempest, which would hardly have been joined with that
of wind, if the only idea meant to be conveyed had been that of
great velocity.

10 (9.) Destroy., oh Lord^ divide thdr tongue; for I havi
seen violence and strife in tJie city. The first word properly means

30 PSALM LV.

swallow uf. See above, on Ps. xxi. 10 (9.) The object to be
supplied is not their tongue but themselves. Divide their tongue^
i. e. confound their speech or make it unintelligible, and as a
necessary consequence confound their counsels. There is obvious
reference to the confusion of tongues at Babel (Gen. xi. 7 — 9),
as a great historical example of the way in which God is accus-
tomed and determined to defeat the purposes of wicked men and
execute his own. The word translated cruelty denotes violent
injustice, or injustice accompanied by violence. See above, on
Ps. vii. 17 (16.) In the city is supposed by some to mean
nothing more than among men, in human society ; but the words
could hardly fail to suggest to any Hebrew reader the idea of the
holy city, as the place directly meant, although the words them-
selves may be applied to any other place where the same state of
things exists.

11 (10.) Day and night they will surround her on her walls ;
and iniquity and troiible {will be) in the midst of her. The
Violence and Strife of the preceding verse are here personified as
a besieging enemy. At the same time the interior is occupied by
Iniquity and Trouble, no less formidable enemies. Her walls., those
of the city mentioned in the foregoing verse. Iniquity and trouble
are here, and often elsewhere, put together as cause and efi'ect, the
last denoting the distress or trouble, which the wickedness of one
man brings upon another. See above, on Ps. vii. 15 (14.)

12 (11.) Mischiefs {are) in the midst of her, and from her
street will not depart oppression and deceit. The first word in
Hebrew necessarily suggests the two ideas of calamities and
crimes., i. e. calamities occasioned by the crimes of others. See
above, on Ps. v. 10 (9.) xxxviii. 13 (12.) Hi. 4,9 (2, 7.) The
word translated street denotes a wide place and is specially applied
to the square or open space surrounding the gates of oriental
cities, and used both for markets and for courts of justice. See

PSALM LV.

31

Neb. viii. 1, 3, 16. The word therefore very nearly corresponds
to the Greek agora and the Latin forum^ and may be here used
to suggest the idea both of legal and commercial malfeasance.
Neither their markets nor their courts are ever free from these
two forms of gross injustice, namely, fraud and violence.

13 (12.) For (it is) not an enemy (that) will revile me ^ ^he
would I hear it ; {it is) not one hating me (that) has magnified
(himself) against 7?ie, else would I hide myself from him. The
Hebrew word answering to else^ is, in both these cases, the usual
copulative particle, and the original construction seems to be,
and (if it is) I will hear ity and (if it is) I will hide myself. See
above, on Ps. li. IS (16.) The act of reviling here includes both
calumny and insult. The future in the first clause suggests the
idea of an indignity or injury about to be endured. As if he had
said, ' when I go forth among my neighbours, it is not my open
enemy that will malign me.' But that such treatment had
already been experienced, is intimated by the preterite of the last
clause. The verb to magnify is here used reflexively or absolutely,
as in Ps. xxxv. 26. xxxviii. 15 (16.) There is no need there-
fore of supposing an ellipsis or identifying this form of expression
with the one in Ps. xli. 10 (9.) Hide myself^ literally he hidden;
but the passive forms in Hebrew not unfrequently imply a reflex
act, like the middle voice in Greek. The negation in this verse
is of course not absolute but relative, and must be qualified by
due regard to the circumstances of the case. That he was re-
proached and threatened by avowed enemies, is not only a
frequent subject of complaint elsewhere, but sufficiently implied
in V- 4 (3) above. The true solution of this seeming contradic-
tion is, that he here passes from a general description of the
prevalent iniquity to a particular case, in which his feelings were
personally interested. In this particular case, it was not an open
enemy that slandered or insulted him. It is therefore as if he
had said, ' but it is not of this open and unblushing wickedness

32 PSALM LV.

that I especially complain, but rather of the perfidy of false
friends.' Thus understood, the verse, instead of contradicting v.
4 (3), presupposes what is there affirmed.

14 (13.) But thou., a man mine equal j my associate^ 7ny ac-
quaintance. It is a striking illustration of the difference between
the Hebrew and Eno^lish idiom, that the former uses and at the
beginning of this sentence, where in English hut is absolutely
indispensable. The word for man is that denoting frailty and
mortality. See above, on Ps. viii. 5 (4.) ix. 20, 21 (i9, 20.)
X. 18. But it seems to be used here without any emphasis, in
simple apposition with what follows, or as a vocative, thou., oh
maUy mine equal. This last expression is in Hebrew, according
to my valuation^ the noun being a technical term of the Mosaic
Law, denoting the official estimation of the priest, in certain
cases of redemption or pecuniary penalty. See Lev. v. 15, 18.
xxvii. 12. The whole phrase here employed is understood by
some to mean one whom I value., i. e. highly, or more specifically,
one whom I value as myself. More probably, however, it means
one who is (or may be) estimated at the same rate with myself,
which is precisely the idea conveyed by the common version, my
equal, one of my own rank and circle, my associate. This
last is the sense put by the modern interpreters on the next
word in Hebrew. The old translation (guide) rests on a doubt-
ful etymology, and the authority of the ancient versions. (LXX.
r)y£f^(hv. Vulg. dux.) Acquaintance seems to be a weaker ex-
pression than the others ; but the Hebrew word always implies
very intimate association. See above, Ps. xxxi. 12 (11), and
below, Ps. Ixxxviii. 9, 19 (8, 18.)

15 (14.) ( With) whom we take sweet counsel ; in the house of
God we march ivith noise. The future forms can only be ac-
counted for by supposing that he here anticipates a violation
of the laws of friendship which had not yet visibly occurred. The

PSALM LV. 33

false friend, of whom he is complaining, seems to be one with
whom he was still intimate, but whose defection he clearly fore-
saw. As if he had said, * with this man I must still continue to
be associated, although he is eventually to betray me.' In this
particular, the case described resembles that of our Lord and
Judas Iscariot, which may indeed be considered as included in
the general description. The form of the first clause is idio-
matic and peculiar : who (or as to whom) together we loill sweeten
counsel^ or rather confidential intercourse. See above, on Ps.
XXV. 14. The other clause may possibly mean, we march to the
house of God. But the strict sense of the particle may be
retained and the whole referred to solemn processions within the
sacred enclosure or court of the tabernacle. With noise, i. e.
with festive tumult. See above, on Ps. xlii. 5 (4.)

16 (15.) Desolations (are) upon them ! They shall go doion
to Sheol alive ! For evils are in their dwellings^ in their heart.
The optative form given to this sentence in most versions is en-
tirely gratuitous. All that the Hebrew words express is a con-
fident anticipation. The common version of the first words {let
death seize upon them) is founded on the masoretic reading (J^'^'^']
t\^l2) • but the best critics now prefer the older reading in the
text (ni^'^ffi'^.), which, instead of a verb and a singular noun, ex-
hibits one noun in the plural number, meaning desolations, and
agreeing with the substantive verb understood. Upon them,
hovering or impending over them. Sheol, the grave, the state
of the dead, the wide old English sense of hell. See above, on
Ps. vi. 6 (5.) There is an obvious allusion to another great
historical type of God's retributory judgments, the destruction
of Korah and his company, who tcent doivn alive into the pit.
Num. xvi. 33. The word quick, in the common English version
of this sentence, is an adjective synonymous with living or alive,
and not an adverb meaning soon or siciftly. Evils, i. e. evil
deeds and evil thoughts. In their heart, or inside, inner part, as

34 PSALM LV.

in Ps. V. 10 (9.) xlix. 12 (11.) This is a much better sense
than m the midst of themy among them.

17 (16.) / to God toill call^ and Jehovah will save me. The
pronoun is emphatic, I on my part. While they are brought to
desolation and to death, I, on the contrary, will call to God. If
the use of two divine names has any significance beyond the re-
quisitions of the parallelism, the meaning may be, ^ I will call to
God, and as the covenant God of Israel he will save me.' Com-
pare Ps. xviii. 4 (3.)

18 (17.) Evening and morning and noon I will muse and
murmur — and he has heard my voice. The first clause is sup-
posed by some to prove that the observance of three stated hours
of prayer was as old as David ; others suppose the observance to
have been suggested by the clause itself. But the natural and ob-
vious division of the day here mentioned may have given occasion
both to the clause and the observance. Muse and murmur is a
combination descriptive of prayer, both as mentally conceived
and audibly expressed. Murinur is perhaps not strong enough
to convey the full sense of the Hebrew verb, which elsewhere
means to make a loud noise. See above, on Ps. xlii. 6, 12
(5, 11) xlvi. 4, 7 (3, 6.) The assimilation or confusion of the
tenses in this verse by some translators is not only arbitrary but
injurious to the sense. What is mentioned in the first clause as
still future is recorded in the last clause as already past. As if
he had said, ' thus did I resolve to pray, and now my prayer has
been already made and answered.' Such transitions are among
the characteristic beauties of the Psalter, and ought not to be
gratuitously sacrificed, still less at the expense of violating
usage and the rules of grammar.

19 (18.) He redeemed in peace my soul from the war against
me.ffor many were with me. In peace or with peace ^ as the result

PSALM LV. 3^

of this redemption. Against me, literally, to me^ the war that
was to me, that I had. The last clause, to an English ear, con-
veys the idea that his friends or champions were many ; but the
meaning of the Hebrew is directly opposite, loith me being used
in such connections to denote a relation of hostility, as we
speak of j&ghting, quarrelling, contending with one. In either
case, the particle expresses really no more than joint or simul-
taneous action, the idea of enmity or opposition being gathered
from the context. The literal translation of the last clause is,
in many icere (those) with me^ i. e. consisting in many. The ad-
verse party was composed of many individuals. This usage of
the in is strictly appropriate only to numerals. See Deut. x. 22.
xxviii. 62.

20 fl9.) God icill hear and answer them, and (He) inhabiting
antiquity (will hear and answer those) to whom there are no
changes, and (who) fear not God. As he has heard me in
mercy, so will he hear them in wrath. As he has answered my
prayer in the way described above, v. 19 (18), so will he answer
them in the way described below, v. 24 (23.) In this case,
what is heard and answered is not prayer, but the voice of the
en£my, v. 4 (3), and his malignant slanders, v. 13 (12.) In-
habiting antiquity, or as the English Bible phrases it, he that
abideth of old. The first Hebrew verb however could not fail to
suggest its primary meaning, which is to sit, and more especially
to sit enthroned, as a sovereign and a judge. See above, on Ps.
ix. 5, 12 (4, 11.) The phrase may therefore be said to repre-
sent God as having been a king and a judge from the remotest
antiquity. The last clause is by some supposed to mean, that the
persons here referred to undergo no moral change, but still per-
sist in their refusal to fear God ; by others, that they undergo no
outward changes, no vicissitudes of fortune, and for that reason
will not fear him. But as the word translated changes is repeat-
edly employed by Job in a military sense, to signify either an

3(5 PSALM LV.

alternate service, as for instance in relieving guard, or a succes-
sion in the service, as when one corps is disbanded and another
takes its place, some of the best interpreters suppose this clause
to mean that those enlisted in this evil warfare have no such
reliefs or discharges to expect, but must continue in the unremit-
ted service of sin, and as a necessary consequence cannot fear
God. The grammatical structure of the whole verse is peculiar
and can be made intelligible only by supplying the ellipses.

21 (20.) He has stretched out his hands against his allies ; he
has profaned his covenant. This might seem at first sight to refer
to God ; but such a reference, if not forbidden by the nature of
the acts alleged, would be at variance with the subsequent con-
text, where the subject is undoubtedly the wicked enemy. The
sudden change of number is in strict accordance with the usage
of the Psalmists in speaking of their enemies, or in this case may
arise from the same cause as in v. 13 (12) above. See above,
on Ps. X. 10. The word translated allies is the plural of one
meaning peace, but seems to be poetically used here to denote
those at peace with him, his friends or allies. Compare the
analogous expressions in Ps. vii. 5 (4.) xli. 10 (9.) To profane
a covenant is to treat it as no longer sacred, and by implication to
break it. Compare Isai. xxxiii. 8. This is a varied repetition,
under military figures, of the description in v. 13-15 (12-14.)

22 (21.) Smooth are the hutterings of his mouth, and (yet)
war (is in) his heart ; soft are his words, more than oil, and (yet
even) they are draicn (swords.) To the charge of violence he
adds that of treacherous hypocrisy, thus amplifying the laconic
phrase, oppression and deceit, in v. 12 (11) above. The En-
glish Bible, following some older versions, assimilates the clauses
by making both comparative, smoother than butter, softer than oil.
But in order to sustain this construction of the first clause, it is
necessary to change the pointing of one Hebrew word, and to

PSALM LV. 37

supply another as the nominative of the plural verb, which can-
not without violence agree with moiotk. The letter prefixed to
the first noun is a part of it, and not a particle meaning than or
7>iore than, and the whole word denotes preparations of butter,
cream, or rather curdled milk, which is the meaning of the
primitive noun. As to the adversative use of and in both these
clauses, see above, on v. 14 (13.) War (is in) Ms heart, or
still more simply, because not requiring the insertion of the par-
ticle, war (is) his heart, i. e. his cherished wish and purpose.
The word translated war is a poetical term, the same that is em-
ployed above in v. 19 (18.) In the last clause, even is supplied
as well as yet, in order to convey, as far as possible, the emphasis
of the Hebrew pronoun. And they themselves, i. e. the very oily
words just mentioned, are drawn swords. This last expression is
in Hebrew properly an adjective or participial form, but is speci-
fically used in application to the sword, as brandished is in Eng-
lish, and so comes to be employed absolutely or as a substantive,
expressing the entire complex idea of drawn stvords, as weapons
of attack, ready for use or on the point of being used forthwith.

23 (22.) Cast iijpon Jehovah {what) he gives thee, and he will
sustain thee; he will never suffer the righteous to he moved.
What he gives thee to endure, what he lays upon thee, cast thou
upon him, by trusting in him. The phrase he gives thee (or has
given thee) may also be explained as a noun with a possessive pro-
noun, thy gift, not in the active sense of what thou givest, but in
the passive sense of what is given to thee. Sustain does not here
mean to hold up or support under the burden, but to nourish or
sustain life by administering food and other necessaries, to provide
for. Compare the primitive use of the Hebrew verb in Gen.
xlv. 11. xlvii. 12. 1. 21. The common version of the last clause
above given is a correct paraphrase of the original, the form of
which is highly idiomatic. A literal translation would be, he ivill
not give forever moving (or movement)to the righteous. The verb

38 PSALM LVI.

^0 give is often used in Hebrew in the sense of allowing or
permitting. The word translated moving is the one so often
used to signify the violent disturbance of a person in the midst
of his prosperity. See above, on Ps. x. 6. xvi. 8, etc.

24 (23. ) And thou^ God^ wilt bring them down to the 'pit of cor-
ruption ; men of Hood and fraud shall not live out half their days.
The first verb is a causative and as such may be rendered, thou
wilt caiise them to descend. The word translated pit is the com-
mon term in Hebrew for a wcH^ but is here used in a wide sense
including all such excavations. The next word is (rnd) a deri-
vative of the verb (t^ri'ilf) to corrupt or destroy. The sense
of pit^ as if derived from the verb (nTiiJ) to sink., would convert
the phrase into a weak tautology. See above, on Ps. xvi, 10.
Men of bloods and deceit^ i. e. bloody (or murderous) and de-
ceitful men, as in Ps. v. 7 (6) above. The literal translation of
the last words is, they shall not halve their days, a form of ex-
pression copied in the margin of the English Bible, as well as in
the Septuagint (f^fiioEvaiDai) and Vulgate (dimidiabunt.) The
meaning of course is, that they shall not live half so long as they
might have lived, but for their bloody and deceitful acts. This is
not asserted as a general fact, but uttered as a threatening to the
murderers and traitors whom the Psalmist had directly in his eye.

PSALM LVI.

After the title, v. 1, comes a general petition for deliverance
from persecution and oppression, vs. 2, 3 (1, 2), followed by a
strong expression of trust in God, vs. 4, 5 (3, 4), a description

PSALM LVI. 39

of the malice of the enemy, vs. 6, 7 (5, 6), and a confident an-
ticipation of his punishment, vs. 8 — 10 (7 — 9), founded on
faith in the divine promise, vs. 11, 12 (10, 11), and a vow or
resolution to make due acknowledgment of the mercy experi-
enced, vs. 12, 13 (11, 12.)

1. To the Chief Musician. Upon Jonath-elem-rehokim. By
David. Michtam. When the Philistines took him in Gath. The
last clause of this inscription seems to refer to the incident re-
corded in 1 Sam. ch. xxi. See above, on Ps. xxxiv. 1. Anenig-
matical allusion to the same event seems to be latent in the
obscure phrase, Jonath-elem-rehokim^ in which the first word
means a dove., a favourite emblem of sufiering innocence ; the
second means silence^ dumbness, sometimes put for uncomplaining
submission ; and the third means distant or remote., agreeing with
places or persons, probably the latter, in which sense it is applic-
able to the Philistines, as aliens in blood and religion. Compare
Ps. xxxviii. 14 (13.) Ivi. 2 (1.) Ixv. 6 (5.) Ixxiv. 19. Thus
understood, the whole is an enigmatical description of David as
an innocent and uncomplaining sufferer among strangers. For
the most probable etymology and sense of Michtam.^ see above,
on P&. xvi. 1.

2 (1.) Be merciful unto me., oh God., for man pants for me (or
is gaping after me) ; all the day., he devouring (or the devourer)
is pressing on me. The word for man is that denoting human
frailty and implying the unreasonableness of such rage in one so
impotent. See above, on Ps. ix. 20, 21 (19,20.) x. 18. The
image here presented is that of a devouring monster or voracious
beast. Instead of pants or gapes, some suppose the second verb
to mean snorts or snaps, as an animal expression of rage. For
the meaning of the word translated devouring, see above, on Ps.
XXXV. 1. Pressing on me, or pressing me. See Num. xxii. 25.

4a PSALM LVI.

3 (2.) My enemies have gaped upon me all the day ; for (there
are) many devourers to me^ oh Most High. The word translated
enemies is that supposed bj some to mean spies or watchers. See
above, on Ps. xxvii. 11. liv. 7(5.) Having first spoken of his
enemy in the singular number, he now substitutes the plural, to
explain which seems to be the object of the last clause. ' I say
enemies, because my devourers are many.' The last word in the
verse strictly means a high place, and particularly heaven, but is
sometimes applied to God himself. See below, on Ps. xcii. 9 (8.)
Some interpreters, however, understand it as an abstract noun
meaning loftiness or pride, and then used as an adverb in the
sense of arrogantly, proudly. Compare Ps. Ixxiii. 8.

4 (3.) The day I am afraid., unto thee will I confide. The
complaint is followed, as in many other cases, by an expression
of his confidence in God. The day I am afraid is an unusual
expression, meaning simply when I am afraid., and probably be-
longing to the dialect of poetry. Unto thee suggests the act of
turning and looking towards the quarter from which help is ex-
pected. The same form of expression occurs above, Ps. iv.
6 (3.) xxxi. 7 (6.)

5 (4.) In God I will praise his word., in God I have trusted ,
/ will not fear ; what can flesh do unto me 1 The meaning of the
first clause seems to be, that in the general praise of God he
will include a particular acknowledgment of his gracious word or
promise upon this occasion. The construction of the last clause
in the English Bible, I will not fear W'hat flesh can do unto me.^
gives substantially the same sense, but does not agree so well
with the masoretic interpunction of the sentence. Flesh, hu-
manity, as opposed to deity. See below, on Ps. Ixv. 3 (2), and
compare Isai. xxxi. 3. xl. 6.

6 (5.) All the day my words they wrest ; agai7ist me {are) all

PSALM LVl. 41

their thoughts for evil. The word translated lorest means strictly
vex or pain^ but is here used in the sense of twisting or distorting
language by putting false constructions on it. Thoughts^ pur-
poses, designs. For evil, tending to my injury.

7 (6.) They will gather, they will hide — they, my swpplcmters,
will watch, as they have (already) waited for my soul. They will
gather or combine against me. They will hide (themselves or
their devices) they will plot, or lie in wait, for my destruction.
The common explanation of the next phrase, they mark my steps
or my heels, does not account for the emphatic pronoun they. The
Hebrew word has probably the same sense as in Ps. xlix. 6 (5)
above. Waited for my soul or life, i. e. waited to destroy it.

8 (7.) By iniquity (there is) escape to them ; in anger hring
doicn nations, oh God ! ThcL^, first clause is obscure, but may
mean either that they have hitherto escaped by their iniquity, or
that they now depend, rely upon it for deliverance. The inter-
rogative construction commonly adopted ought not to be assum-
ed, in the absence of an interrogative particle, without a decided
exegetical necessity. The Hebrew particle at the beginning
sometimes indicates the means or instrument, with the additional
idea of dependence or reliance, as in the English phrase to live
on bread and water. See Gen. xxvii. 40.

9 (8.) My loanderings thou hast told ; put thou my tears into
thy bottle ; are they not in thy book ? The Hebrew words for
wanderings and tears are both in the singular number. See above,
on Ps. vi. 7 (6) xxxix. 13 (12.) The first of these words sug-
gests the ideas of flight and exile, and may contain an allusion to
the wanderings of Cain in a country designated by this very
word, the Land of Nod, Gen. iv. 16, although this phrase may
really mean nothing more than the laiul of (his) banishment or
exile. The English word told is here retained because the He-

42 PSALM LVI.

brew one is equally ambiguous. In this case the primary idea is
to count or number. See above, Ps. xxii. 17 (16.) xl. 5 (4),
xlviii. 13 (12.) The act of counting implies particular atten-
tion. The idea of recollection is expressed by the strong figure
which follows, 'piit my tears into thy hottlc^ i. e. preserve them in
thy memory. This singular metaphor is thought by some to have
been suggested by the word for wandering (id or Ti3,) which is
almost identical with that for hottle (15^3) The latter strictly
means a skin or leathern bottle, such as is still used in the East.
See below, on Ps. cxix. 83. The interrogation in the last clause
has the force of a direct assertion. Thy hook^ the book of thy
remembrance, another figurative expression for the memory itself.
Compare Mai. iii. 16.

10 (9.) Thtn shall my enemies turn hack, in the day I
call; this I knoic, that God is ^r me. The particle of time
at the beginning of the verse has reference to what fol-
lows, in the day I call, but as this was to be connected closely
with the last clause, the natural order of the sentence was in-
verted. Turn hack, be repulsed, defeated, disappointed. See
above, on Ps. vii. 12 (11.) ix. 4 (3.) In the day {that) I shall
call : the ellipsis of the relative is equally common in Hebrew
and in English. CaZZmay mean simply call for heljp or 'pray ; but
some connect it with the last clause thus : in the day that I shall
call (or cry as follows) " ^Ais I know, ^'' etc. There is also an am-
biguity in the phrase this I know, which may either mean, '1
know that my enemies shall thus turn back, because God is for
me,' or, * my enemies shall turn back when they hear me cry.
This much I know, to wit, that God is for me.' The last phrase
may be also rendered to me, he belongs to me, he is my God,
which of course includes the idea of his favour or his being on
the speaker's side,

11 (10.) In God I tvill praise (this) word ; in Jehovah I will

PSALM LVI. 43

praise (this) word. This unusual form of speech must have the
same sense as in v. 5 (4) above. Some understand it to mean by
GodPs help.) others, in union loith God^ I will praise (his) word.
But on the whole, the most natural explanation still seems to be,
' what I shall particularly praise in God, both as God, and as the
tutelary God of Israel and my own, is the word of promise,
which he has uttered and fulfilled in this case.'

12 (11.) In God have I tr tested ; I will not fear ; what can
man do unto me } As the foregoing verse is a resumption and
emphatic iteration of the first clause of v. 5 (4), so this seems to
bear the same relation to the last clause of that same verse. The
only variation in the form of expression is the substitution
of the literal term man (or mankind) for the more obscure
term flesh. See above, on v. 5 (4.) Here again it is a possi-
ble construction, although not so agreeable to the masoretic
accents, to make the interrogation an oblique one. * I will not
fear what man can do unto me,'

13 (12.) Upon me, oh God, (are) thy vows ; I will pay
thanksgiving unto thee. The first clause represents his vows or
voluntary obligations as incumbent on himself and due to God,
and he resolves to discharge them by thanksgivings, not merely
verbal acknowledgments, but sacrificial tokens of his gratitude,
such as were familiar to the ancient saints and recognised in the
Law of Moses.

14 (13.) For thou hast delivered my soul from death; (wilt
thou) not {deliver) my feet from falling^ to ivalk before God
in the light of life ? The ellipsis in the second clause may also
be supplied as follows, hast thou not delivered., as the only terms
expressed are those of interrogation and negation. The word
translated falling is a very strong one and means thrusting, cast-
ing down. The verbal root occurs above, in Ps. xxxv. 5. xxxvi.

44 PSALM LVII.

13 (12.) To walk before God is to live in the enjoyment of his
favour and protection. The light of life is opposed to the dark-
ness of death. It may also be and usually is translated, in thii
light of the living^ i, e. the light which living men enjoy. See
above, on Ps. xxvii. 13.

PSALM L YII.

In the first part of this psalm a sufferer describes his own
afflictions, occasioned by the malice of his enemies, and earnestly
prays to be delivered from them, vs. 2 — 5 (1 — 4.) In the
second, he anticipates a favourable answer to his prayer, and
praises God for it, vs. 6 — 12 (5 — 11.)

1. To the Chief Musician. Destroy not. By David. A
Secret. When he fled from before Saul in the cave. The enig-
matical inscription, Al-tashhethy destroy not, reappears in the titles
of the next two psalms and of the seventy-fifth. As in other
cases of the same kind, some interpreters regard it as a musical
expression, others as the first words of a well-known poem, to
the air of which this was to be sung. The best explanation is
the one suggested by the Chaldee Paraphrase, to wit, that the
Psalms which bear this title belong to that period of David's
history, when he was under the perpetual necessity of saying De-
stroy not^ and are therefore suited to all similar emergencies of other
saints. It is not at all impossible, that this was a favourite saying
of David in real life, the rather as it is borrowed from the prayer
of Moses in Deut. ix. 26, of which it may be said to be an abbre-
eviated citation, not unlike the Latin designations, De Prnfu?idlsj
Miserere^ Venile .ExsidtemuSy Non Nobis Doviiue, Te Deiim., etc.

PSALM LVII. 45

The explanation above given is corroborated by the obvious allusion
in these three psalms (Ivii — lix) to the Sauline persecution. The
very expression may be traced in 1 Sam. xxvi. 9, where David utters,
as a command to his followers, what he so often had occasion to ut-
ter as a prayer in his own behalf. The psalm is described as a mich-
#^m, mystery, or secret, on account of the extraordinary consolation
and support which he experienced, enabling him to triumph even in
the midst of enemies and dangers. See above, on Ps. 16:1. In the
cave of Adullam (1 Sam. xxii. 1), or of Engedi (1 Sam. xvi. 1 — 3),
or more indefinitely in the cave^ equivalent to saying in caves, as a
generic description of the mode of life which he then led (Heb. xi.
38), not without some reference to the subterraneous cavern, as an
emblem of solitude and darkness. Hence the absence of any more
specific allusion to particular incidents which occurred in caves,
such as that recorded in 1 Sam. xxiv, and the obvious reference to
the whole period of the Sauline persecution, as a time of wander-
ing, danger, and distress. Hence, too, the striking similarity, in
sentiment and form, between this psalm and the one before it.

2(1.) Be merciful unto me, oh God, he merciful unto me, for
in thee has my soul sought refuge, and in the shadow of thy wings
will I seek refuge, until (these) calamities be overpast. The
repetition of the prayer for mercy shows the intensity of his de-
sire. Sought refuge from the persecutions mentioned in Ps.
Ivi, 2 (l.J The soul is mentioned as the object of pursuit. See
above, on Ps. liv. 5 (4.) Ivi. 7 (6), and compare 1 Sam. xxiv.
12. (11.) . The shadow of thy wings : the same beautiful figure for
protection is presented in Ps. xvii. 8. xxxvi. 8 (7.) Calamities,
occasioned by the crimes of others. See above, on Ps. lii.
4,9 (2,7.)

3 (2.) / will cry imto God Most High, unto the Almighty,

finishing for me, i. e. perfecting what he has begun. Compare

Phil. i. 6. This verse assigns two reasons for his crying unto

46 PSALM LYIl.

God. The first is the supremacy and omnipotence of God him-
self, the second is the previous experience of his faithfulness in
fully performing whatever he has promised. See below, on Ps.
cxxxviii. 8.

4(3.) He will send from heaven and save me — (when or whom)
the devour er reviles^ Selah! — God will send his mercy and his
truth. The first verb may govern handy as in Ps. cxliv. 7, or
hel/py as in Ps. xx. 3 (2), or be used absolutely, as in Ps. xviii.
17 (16.) The devour er^ literally the one gaping after me, snort-
ing with rage against me, or panting for my destruction. See
above, on Ps. Ivi. 2, 3 (1, 2.) Without supplying anything,
this clause may be taken as a short independent proposition —
the devourer has reviled — interposed between the two principal
members of the sentence. See above, on Ps. xxvii. 8. xlv. 6 (5.)
In the last clause, Mercy and Truth seem to be personified, like
Integrity and Uprightness in Ps. xxv. 21, Violence and Strife in
Ps. Iv. 10 (9.) With this clause compare Ps. xliii. 3.

5 (4.) My soul [is) in the midst of lions; I icill lie down
(among) hwrning ones^ sons of man^ (ivhose) teeth (are) spears
aiid arrows^ ami their tongue a sharp sivord. By his soul he
means himself, or rather his endangered life. Lions, as often
elsewhere, means ferocious enemies. See above, on Ps. vii.
3 (2.; xxii. 13, 14 (12, 13.j The form of the verb which fol-
lows is the one denotino- fixed determination. ' Though surround-
ed by lions I will fearlessly lie down, etc' Among or uj[)on them.
Burning may possibly refer to lions and mean raging ; but the
indefinite application is more natural. Sons of man is added to show
that what precedes is to be figuratively understood ; but in the very
next clause, the writer rehipses into language still more highly
metaphorical. In likening their teeth to swords he presents the
double image of a wild beast and a warrior. The mention of the
tongue has reference, no doubt, to the slander and abuse, which

PSALM LVII. 4,7

entered so largely into the Sauline persecutions. These had
already been referred to in the middle clause of v. 4 (3), of which
this may bo regarded as an amplification.

6 (5.) Be high ahove the heaveiis^ oh God^ above all the earth
thy glory ! Some, in the last clause, read on all the earth and
then explain on the heavens to mean nothing more than in heaven.
The whole verse then is the expression of a wish that Grod may
be exalted both in heaven and earth. But this is far less natural
than the usual construction, which supposes a comparison, and
makes the verse exalt God above all his works. Compare Ps.
viii. 2 (1.)

7 (6.) A net they prepared for my steps ; he pressed down my
soul; they digged before me a pit; they fell into the midst of it.
Selah. This verse assigns the reason or occasion of the praise
ascribed to God in that before it. The image here presented is
the same as in Ps. vii. 16 (15.) ix. 16 (15.) The sudden change
of number is particularly common in the psalms when speaking
of an ideal person, representing many real individuals. See
above, on Ps. Ivi. 3 (2.) The phrase pressed down is borrowed
from the Prayer Book version, and is well suited to convey the
idea of an animal caught and held down by a trap or snare.
That version is also more correct than the English Bible in giv-
ing to the verb an active meaning ; of the neuter or passive there
is no example elsewhere. Before me, in my path, where I am
walking. The Selah at the close is almost equivalent to an
Amen, as expressing acquiescence in God's righteous retributions.

8 (7.) Fixed (is) my heart, oh God,fi.xed (is) my heart; I icill
sing and play. The repetition adds solenmity and force to the
declaration. Fixed, i. e. firmly resolved and proof against all
fear. Sec above, on Ps. li. 12 ( 10. ) and below on Ps. cxii. 7. The
two verbs in the last clause are properly descriptive of the

48 PSALM LVIT.

two kinds of music, vocal and instrumental ; but in the usage of
the psalms they always have reference to the praise of God.

9 (8.) AwaM my glory ! aioake lute and harjp! I will awaken
morning. The same idea is now expressed in the form of a poet-
ical apostrophe By glory most interpreters understand the soul^
as the glory of the whole man, but some the tongue^ as the glory
of the body. See above, on Ps. vii. 6. (5.) xvi. 9. xxx. 13, and
below, on Ps. cviii. 2 (1.) It is possible however that it here
means that in which he gloried, his inspiration as a sacred poet,
and which he personifies, as the heathen poets invoked the muse.
Lute and har'p is the translation in the Prayer Book. Any other
combination, denoting two familiar instruments, such as har'p and
lyre., would be here appropriate. The verb in the last clause is
a causative of that in the first, and is related to it as the Eno-lish
verb aioaken to awake. Strictly translated, this clause contains
a bold but beautiful poetical conception, that of awakening the
dawn instead of being awakened by it, in other words, preventing
or anticipating it by early praises. In like manner, Ovid says
the crowing of the cock cvocat auroram. We thus obtain the
same sense, in a far more striking form, than is expressed by the
inexact and prosaic version, I will awake early. The intransi-
tive sense given to the verb, and the adverbial sense given to the
noun, are both without sufiicient authority in usage. From this
verse some have inferred, that the psalm was expressly designed to
be an even-song ; but he does not say, 1 will do thus to-moi1-ow.
The meaning rather is that he will do it daily. See above, on Ps.
xvii. 15. The summons to the harp and lyre may be understood
as implying, that they have long slept without occasion for such
praise as they are now to utter.

10 (9.) I icill thank thee among the nations., Lord ; I will
praise thee among the peoples. The divine interposition to be

PSALM LVIII.

49

celebrated is so great and glorious as to be entitled to the praises
of the whole world. See above, on Ps. xviii. 50 (49.)

11 (10.) For great unto the heavens (is) thy mercy, and unto the
clouds thy truth. By a natural and favourite hyperbole, God's
goodness is described as reaching from earth to heaven. See
above, on Ps. xxxvi. 6 (5), and compare Jer. li. 9.

12 (11.) Be thou high above the heavens^ oh God^ above all the
earth thy glory ! The strophe ends as it began in v. 6 (5)
above. In the last clause the verb of the first may be repeated,
be thy glory high ; or the substantive verb alone may be supplied,
Let thy glory be above all the earth !

PSALM LVIII.

1. To the Chief Musician. Al-tashhdh. By David. Mich-
tarn. See above, on Ps. Ivii. 1. The Psalmist complains of un-
just, spiteful, hardened enemies, vs. 2 — 6 (1 — 5), and prays that
their power may be broken, vs. 7 — 12 (6 — 11.) The contents
of the- psalm agree with its title in showing that it belongs to the
period of Saul's persecutions, when David had to contend with
unjust rulers, who were at the same time his personal enemies.
But although suggested by his own experience, the psalm was
designed for permanent and public use, and is therefore inscribed
to the Chief Musician.

2 (1.) Are ye indeed dumb (when) ye (should) speak right-
eousness (and) pidge equitably , sons of man ? The first words

VOL. II. 3

50 PSALM LVIII.

are exceedingly obscure. One of them (tibi^:)^ not expressed in
the English and the ancient versions, means dumhiiess^ as in Ps.
lyi. 1, and seems to be here used as a strong expression for en-
tirely speechless. In what respect they were thus dumb, is indi-
cated by the verb which follows, but the connection can be made
clear in English only by a circumlocution. The interrogation,
are ye indeed^ expresses wonder, as at something scarcely credi-
ble. Can it be so .' is it possible } are you really silent, you
whose very office is to speak for God and against the sins of
men } See Deut. i. 16, 17, That the speaking here meant is
judicial speaking, appears from the more specific parallel expres-
sion. The word translated equitably is a plural noun meaning
equities or rectitudes. See above, on Ps. xvii. 2. Strictly un-
derstood, it is not a qualifying term, but the object of the verb
judge^ as in the other clause righteousness is governed directly
by the verb speak. The address to them as sons of man reminds
them of their own dependence and responsibility.

3 (2.) iVrtT/) ^^^ hearty iniquities ye practise ; in the land.^ the
violence of your hands ye weigh. The particle at the beginning
is as usual emphatic, meaning, not only this but something more.
See above, Ps. xviii. 49.(48.) xliv. 10 (9.) Not contented with
neglecting their official functions, they were guilty of positive
injustice. The Hebrew for iniquities is the plural of a word
used in Ps. xxxvii. 1. xliii. 1, and denotes various acts of injus-
tice. The future forms (ye icill do., ye will weigh) implies an
obstinate persistency in evil. To do or practise wickedness in
heart may mean to plan or contrive it, as in Mic. ii. 1, leaving
the execution to be inferred as a matter of course. Or the
phrase may be translated with the heart., i. e. cordially, ex ani??Wj
con amore^ or to use an idiomatic English expression, ivith a U'ill.
The first words of the last clause, in the land., may seem, from
their position, to be in contrast with the phrase in heart; but
the antithesis, if any, is between the heart and haiuh., and in the

PSALM LVIll. 51

land suggests the aggravating circumstance, that all this was
practised by persons in authority under the theocracy, among the
chosen people. Violence^ violent injustice. See above, on Ps.
Iv. 10 (9.) The last verb in this sentence means to level or
make eveUy and in that sense is repeatedly applied to paths. See
Isai. xxvi. 7. Prov. iv. 26. v. 6, 21. But as the derivative noun
(obB) means a balance (Prov. xvi. 11. Isai. xl. 12), the verb
may here denote the act of weighmg^ levelling the balance, ren-
dering it even, which some without necessity ascribe to it in
several of the places above cited, where its constant combination
with a way or path seems to exclude the idea of weighing as in-
congruous, and to require that of smoothing or levelling as pe-
culiarly appropriate. This last might be retained even here,
and the metaphor be understood to mean that they facilitated or
promoted violence (q. d. levelled or prepared its way) ; but the
sense of weighing is equally appropriate and agrees well with the
favourite idea of the scales of justice, which is found not only in
the classics but in Scripture. See Job xxxi. 6. The meaning then
is, that these wicked rulers, instead of weighing out justice to
their subjects, weighed out, administered, dispensed, the most
violent injustice, and that too devised and practised by them-
selves.

4(3.) Estranged are the loicked from the ivomh ; they go
astray from (their) birth^ speaking lies. The first verb in
Hebrew is not a passive but a neuter form, denoting the con-
dition of estrangement, alienation, from God and from all good-
ness. The wicked thus described are the whole class, of which
his persecutors formed a part. The preterite tense is used in the
orio-inal (were estranged^ went astray) on account of the retro-
spective reference to the beginning of life. The verb translated
go astray is one frequently applied to moral aberrations. From
their birth^ literally, /ro?« the belly. See above, Ps. xxii. 11 (10.)
Speaking lies, or with closer adherence to the form of the

52 PSALM LVIII.

original, speaJiXrs of falsekoodj i. e. hahiiuul liars. The other
version seems to mean that they begin to lie as soon as they are
born, a hyperbolical expression, of which some interpreters re-
lieve the sentence by making this the subject of the proposition
and parallel to wicked in the other clause. Speakers of false-
hood go astray fr 07)1 (their) birth. In this description of the
wicked there is nothino; inconsistent with the doctrine of univer-
sal depravity, as recognised in Ps. xiv. 1. li. 7 (5) above, and in
Gen, viii. 21. Job xiv. 4, because the holiness of some men is a
mere exception to the general rule, produced by the distinguish-
ing grace of God, which frees them from the paramount influ-
ence of that corruption to which others still continue subject.

5, 6 (4, 5.) There is poison to them like the poison of a serpent^
as a deaf adder stops its ear, tvhich will not hearken to the voice
of enchanters^ of (one) charming charms^ (of one) most wise. The
first words are equivalent to the English construction, they have
poiso7i. The Hebrew noun originally signifies heat^ and especially
the heat of anger, in which sense it repeatedly occurs above, Ps.
vi. 2 (1.) xxxvii. 8. xxxviii. 2 (1.) The same sense is retained
here by the ancient versions (dujudg, fur or) ^ and agrees well
with the popular idea of vindictive spite, as a natural instinct of
this class of animals. But most interpreters explain the word,
here and in Deut. xxxii. 24, as meaning venom, animal poison,
so called from its inflammatory efibcts upon the person bitten.
The Hebrew phrase translated like means strictly after (or ac-
cording to) the likeness of. Compare its use in Gen. i. 26. It
may be here employed, instead of the simple particle of com-
parison, for the sake of emphasis, as we say like^ but more empha-
tically just like. As to the species of serpent mentioned in the
second clause of v. 5 (4), all that is necessary to a correct inter-
pretation of the verse is to understand it as denoting a variety
regarded as peculiarly malignant, and therefore resisting the in-
cantations by which other species were subdued, especially in

PSALM LVllI. 53

Egypt. See the allusions to this practice in Eccl. x. 11. Jer.
viii. 17. This clause admits of a different construction, like the
deaf adder he stops his ear, which some interpreters prefer be-
cause an adder cannot stop its ears, and need not stop them if
naturally deaf, whereas it is by stopping his that the wicked man
becomes like a deaf adder. The word translated enchanters pro-
perly means whisperers or mutterers, in allusion to familiar prac-
tices of the ancient wizards. Charming charnn, laying spells,
or as the Hebrew words are commonly supposed to signify
originally, tying knots with a magical design. The last word in
V. 6 (5) is a passive participle, analogous to our word learned, and
here meaning skilful. The English versions and the Vulgate
make it an adverb (sapienter, never so wisely ;) but the Septua-
gint and Jerome give it its proper meaning as an adjective, in
which case it is probably in apposition with the nouns preceding,
and connected in like manner with the voice of the first clause.
The general idea of the verse, however construed, is that the
malice of his enemies is stubborn and inexorable.

7 (6.) Ok God, crush their teeth in their mouth ; the grinders
of the young lions shatter, oh Jehovah ! The complaint is
now followed by a prayer, that these ferocious enemies may be
disarmed and disabled. This idea is expressed by the use of the
same figure as in Ps. iii. 8 (7), that of wild beasts rendered
harmless by the breaking of their teeth. Compare Job xxix. 17.
Hence in the last clause they are expressly called lions. See
above, Ps. Ivii. 5 (4.) Young lions, not mere whelps, from which
they are distinguished in Ezek. xix. 2, 3, but full-grown lions, in
the first maturity of their strength, and therefore more to be
dreaded than when older or younger. See above, Ps. xvii. 12.
xxxiv. 11 (10.) XXXV. 17. The Hebrew verbs in this verse are
peculiarly expressive, and, though wholly unconnected with each
other, are both used elsewhere to express the ideas of violently
breaking, breaking down, breaking out, breaking off, and break-

54 PSALM LVIIL

ing through. See Ex. xv. 7. xix. 21. Lev. xiv. 45. Judg. vi. 30.
1 Kinojs xviii. 30.

8 (7.) Let them melt away as waters^ let them go their way ;
let him lend his arrows^ as if they were cut off. The optative
meaning of these futures seems to be determined by the imper-
atives in V. 7 (6.) There is nothing ungrammatical, however,
in retaining the strict future sense, and regarding the verse as an
expression of strong confidence as to the event. The first verb
elsewhere has the sense of being rejected with contempt, and is
so used in Ps. xv. 9 ; but as two of its radical letters coincide
with those of a verb meaning to be melted, most interpreters
prefer this sense. The other might however be retained, and
the phrase explained to mean that they should be cast aside as
water, and especially as filthy water, is rejected. Go their way,
literally, go to them or to themselves. Some understand it to
mean /or themselves, i. e. for their own benefit, their destruction
being represented, by a sort of irony, as all that they have
gained by their hostility. Compare the use of the same phrase
in Ps. Ixiv. 6 (5.) Ixvi. 7 (6.) In the next clause, most inter-
preters assume a sudden change of number, such as frequently
occurs in speaking of an ideal person representing a plurality of
real individuals. See above, on Ps. Ivii. 4, 7 (3, 6.) He (i. e.
the enemy) shall bend his arrows, literally, tread them, i. e. bend
by treading on them. This expression is applicable strictly to
the bow, and it is so applied repeatedly above. See Ps. vii.
13 (12.) xi. 2. xxxvii. 14. Having thus acquired the secondary
sense of fitting, making ready, it is transferred from the bow to
the arrows, not only here but in Ps. Ixiv. 4 (3) below. If the
last verb be construed with the arrows as its subject, they would
seem to be described as blunted or deprived of their points, and
the meaning of the clause is, that the weapons of the enemy
take no efi"ect. The whole clause, however, will admit of a dif-
ferent construction, which refers the singular verb and pronoun

PSALM LVIII. 55

to God himself, and the plural verb to these rebellious sinners.
Let him bend his arrows, as if they were cut off, i. e. so that
they may be cut off. Notwithstanding the obscurity of this
clause, the connection is preserved unbroken by the obvious
meaning of the other.

9 (8.) As a snail melts ^ let him go; (like) the untimely birth
of a woman^ they have not beheld the sun. The idea of speedy
and entire disappearance is still more strongly expressed here.
The meaning of the word translated snail rests upon rabbinical
tradition and a doubtful etymology. The point of comparison
may relate to some popular belief or to some apparent idiosyn-
crasy in this class of animals, perhaps to the idea of its losing a
portion of its body by locomotion. The next noun primarily
signifies what falls from the tree, unripe fruit, and is then trans-
ferred to animal abortions. The past tense in the last clause
seems to mark it as a kind of reflection introduced into the
midst of the prayer. ' So far from living too long, as I feared,
they seem scarcely to have lived at all.'

10 (9.) Before your pots can feci the thorn, whether raw or
done, he will blow him atvay. This is one of the obscurest and
most difficult verses in the book, and yet the general idea is suffi.-
ciently clear. The he in the last clause relates to God, the him to
his wicked enemy. The verb translated blow away means pro-
perly to storm aioay, or carry away with (or like) a tempest.
The rapidity of this movement is expressed by a familiar com-
parison. Your pots, your vessels used in cooking. The address
seems to be to the sinners, afterwards referred to as a single per-
son. Feel, perceive the heat. Compare Job vi. 30. The thorn, used
a£ fuel, kindles quickly and immediately burns out, so that this
comparison suggests the idea of a very sudden change. The
singular expression which follows literally means as (well) living
as heat ; but as the adjective is elsewhere used to signify r(zw,

56 PSALM LVIIl.

not cooked (1 Sam. ii. 15), the noun joined with it may be taken
in the opposite sense of cooked or done. This may be a prover-
bial expression, borrowed from the dialect of common life, to
convey the idea of a sudden change, which waits for nothing,
but carries men away in the midst of their employments. This,
though still an unusual form of speech, will seem less unnatural
if we suppose the process of cooking to be here used as a figure
for the plots and devices of the enemy, a metaphor by no means
far-fetched or unknown to other writers. The idea then is that
while these devices, so to speak, are cooking, the cooks are
snatched away by a superior power, without caring whether the
operation is complete or not. ' Before the seething pot of your
contrivances begins to feel the quickly kindled heat which you
apply to it, the tempest of divine wrath carries you away, whe-
ther your mess be cooked or raw.'

11 (10.) Rejoice shall the righteous because he has seen ven-
geance ; his steps he shall hathe in the blood of the wicked. The
vengeance in which he shall rejoice is not his own but God's, in
the vindication of whose righteousness and honour all holy be-
ings must rejoice forever, although not in the suffering of those
who perish. The same idea is expressed more strongly in the
last clause by a martial figure. To bathe his feet (or rather his
steps) in the blood of others is to walk where their blood is flow-
ing, to tread the battle-field where they have fallen, to gain a
sanguinary triumph over them, or rather it is to partake in the
triumph of another. Thus one of the old commentators says,
that David washed his feet in Saul's blood, Elijah in Ahab's,
Hezekiah in Sennacherib's, without any agency or share in their
destruction, and without any selfish or malignant exultation in
their ruin. Let it also be observed that in this, as in many like
cases, the act is ascribed to an ideal person, and is therefore no
example for our imitation.

PSALM LIX.

57

12 (11.) Arid man sfuill say, yes, there is fruit to the righteous /
yes, there is a God judging in the earth. This shall be said
not by a man, nor by any particular man, but by men in general,
by man as opposed to God. The particle translated 7jes really
means only, and denotes that this and nothing else is true. See
above, on Ps. xxxix. 12 (11.) There is fruit to the righteous, or
in our idiom, he has fruit, i. e. he reaps what he has sown. Com-
pare Isai. iii. 10, 11. The very power that destroys his enemies
is his protector. The idea of existence is expressed in the last
clause contrary to usage, and is therefore emphatic. There is,
notwithstanding all denials, doubts, and false appearances, there
IS a God, judging in the earth. Another unusual circumstance
in this clause is that not only the divine name, but the participle
agreeing with it, is in the plural number. The same thing
occurs in Josh. xxiv. 19. 1 Sam. xvii. 26. In this case it may
possibly be intended to suggest the idea, that although these
earthly representatives of God are so unfaithful, there are never-
theless gods judging in the earth, i. e. one God who possesses in
himself the source of all the justice exercised by other beings.
See above, on Ps. xi. 7.

PSALM LIX.

This psalm consists of two parallel parts, in both which the
succession of ideas is substantially the same. A sufferer complains
of treacherous and cruel enemies, vs. 2 — 5 (1 — 4), prays to be
delivered from them, v. 6 (5), and confidently anticipates their
ruin, vs. 7 — 12 (6 — 11.) In the second part, we have again, in
4*

58 PSALM LIX.

the same order, the complaint, v. 13 (12) the prayer, v. 14 (13),
and the anticipation, vs. 15 — 18 (14 — 17.)

1. To the Chief Musician. Al-tashheth. By David. Mich-
tam. When Saul sentj and they icatched the house to kill him.
This remarkable incident in David's life, which was the beginning
of his long and painful wanderings, is recorded, almost in the
same words, 1 Sam. xix. 11. The title or inscription is the same
as in the two preceding psalms.

2 (1.) Fo'ee 7ne from my enemies., my God., from those o'ising
up (against) me thou ivilt raise me., i. e. place me beyond their
reach. Here, as often elsewhere, the tone of supplication is
insensibly exchanged for that of confident anticipation. But the
change is momentary, and the form of supplication is immediately
resumed. My insurgents or assailants : see above, on Ps. xvii.
7. The idea and expression at the close are the same as in
Ps. XX. 2 (1.) Compare Ps. xviii. 49 (48.)

3 (2.) Free me from icorkcrs of iniquity., and from men of
Hood save me. The same words and phrases have occurred re-
peatedly before. See above, Ps. v. 6 (5.) vi. 9 (8.) xiv. 4.
xxvi. 9. xxviii. 3. This verse and the one before it consti-
tute the general introductory petition, the ground and reason of
which are afterwards assigned.

4 (3.) (This I ask) because (such enemies as I have just
described) have laid loait for my soul (or life) ; there assemble
against me strong ones., not (for) my transgression and not (for)
my sin., Jehovah! Or, (it is) not 7ny fault nor my sin., Jehovah.

5 (4.) Without iniquity (on my part, to excuse or even to
provoke them) they run and set themselves (against me.) Both
these are military terms and seem to denote strictly the scaling

PSALM LIX. 59

of a wall. See above, on Ps. xviii. 30 (29.) Awake (arouse
thyself from this apparent inactivity) to meet me (to respond to
my petition), and see {mj danger and the malice of my enemies.)

6 (5.) And thouy Jehovah, God^ (Lord of) HostSj God of
Israel J awake to visit all the nations ; spare not all traitors of
iniquity. Selah. The accumulation of divine names is not
unmeaning, but suggestive of reasons why the prayer should be
answered, to wit, because He to whom it was addressed was not
only the Eternal, Self-existent God, the Sovereign of the Universe,
but the God of Israel, and therefore bound by covenant to save
his people. All the nations^ i. e. such as are the enemies of God
and of his people ; and if whole nations are thus dealt with, how
much more may Jehovah be expected to destroy his individual
enemies. Traitors of iniquity^ wicked traitors. The depth of
the feeling here expressed is further indicated by the Selah.

7 (6.) Let them return at evening ^ let them howl like the dog,
and go around the city. The verbs may also be rendered as
simple futures, expressive of a confident anticipation : they shall
return., etc. In either case, the verse contains a metaphorical
description of the disappointment of the enemy, who are here
compared to the gregarious untamed dogs, by which the oriental
cities are infested. As these dogs prowl about the streets in
search of food and howl for want of it, so let (or so shall) my
wicked enemies. Others, with equal probability, explain this verse
as a description of their present fierceness and avidity.

8 (7.) Loj they pour out with their mouths ; sivords (are) in
their lips ; for who (is) hearing ? He here reverts to his
description and complaint of his enemies. The first verb is ex-
pressive of a constant flow or gush. See above, on Ps. xix. 3 (2.)
What it is that they thus pour out, although not expressed, may
be readily gathered from the context, namely, slanders and re-

60 PSALM LIX.

proaches. The sztwrds iii their lips are significant of sharp and
cutting speeches. See above, on Ps. Iv. 22 (21), and compare
Ps. Hi. 4 (3.) The English version, by supplying " say they,^^
makes the last clause the language of these wicked foes, who are
then to be understood as denying God's omniscience or his justice.
See above, on Ps. x. 11, 13, and compare Ps. xiv. 1. xlii. 11 flO.)
But a still more striking sense may be obtained by making this
clause the complaint of the Psalmist himself, as if he had said :
no wonder that they thus pour out their bitter words ; for who is
there to observe and punish them ? The question implies that
God himself had ceased to notice then- offences, and the parti-
cipial form, that this neglect had now become habitual.

9 (8.) And thou J Jehovah, loilt laugh at them; thou unit mock
at all nations. The resistance of whole nations, or of all collec-
tively, is but an object of contempt to thee ; how much more
that of even the most potent individuals. See above, on Ps.
ii. 4. xxxvii. 13. The connection between this verse and the
one before it depends upon the meaning of the question with
which V. 8 (7) closes. If that be regarded as the language of
the enemy, the thought to be supplied is, ' but although they thus
imagine that thou dost not hear, thou wilt soon undeceive them
by deriding them.' On the other supposition it is this : ^ al-
though I am continually tempted to say, who doth hear } I am
nevertheless persuaded that thou dost hear and despise their im-
potent malignity '

10 (9.) His strength unto thee will I keep , for God is my high
place. The first clause is so obscure that some interpreters have
thought it necessary to change the text {^\^ for i":^) and read my
strength, \. e. thou who art my strength, ybr thee will I watch
or wait. Some who retain the common text suppose a sudden
change of person, (as for) his strength, i. e. God's, / will watch
for thee, oh God ! But this is much less natural than the common

PSALM LIX. 61

version, (because of) his strength^ i. e. the enemy's, will I wait upon
thee. According to the first translation above given, the meaning of
the clause is, I will reserve the strength and violence of the
enemy, to be dealt with and disposed of by Jehovah. My high
place, beyond the reach of enemies and dangers. See above, on
Ps. ix. 10 (9.) xviii. 3 (2.) xlvi. 8, 12 (7, 11.)

11 (10.) My God (with) his mercy will meet me; God will
make me to gaze upon my enemies. This translation of the first
clause follows the reading in the text of the Hebrew Bible. The
common version exhibits the marginal or masoretic emendation,
the God of my mercy., i. e. my merciful God, or the God who
shows me mercy, shall prevent me, in the primary and proper
sense of coming before me. The idea here is that of coming to
meet one in a friendly manner. See above, on Ps. xxi. 4 (3),
and compare the unfavourable meaning of the same verb in Ps.
xvii. 13. xviii. 6 (5), 19 (18.) To gaze,i. e. with joy and triumph.
See above, on Ps. liv. 9 (7.) This is equivalent to saying, he
will give me the victory. The word for enemies is the same as in
Ps. V. 9 (8.)

12 (11.) Slay them not, lest my people forget ; make thein wan-
der hy thy power and hring them down, our shield, oh Lord ! The
meaning of the first clause, as appears from the context, is, de-
stroy them not utterly, or once for all. My people, i. e. Israel,
the chosen race. Make them wander, like Cain and like Israel
in the wilderness, to both which cases the same verb is applied,
Gen. iv. 12. Num. xxxii. 13. These are tacitly referred to, as
familiar examples of this kind of punishment, inflicted both on
individuals and nations. Bring them down, cause them to de-
scend, from their present high position, humble them, and make
their humiliation an example and a warning to all others. This
was signally fulfilled in the case of Saul and his household, as

■•;V'

62 PSALM LIX.

well as in that of the nations which resisted the divine will and
oppressed the chosen people, to both which cases the expressions
of this psalm are designedly appropriate. Our shield^ our pro-
tector ; not only mine but ours ; not only David's but all
.Israel's. The figure of a shield is a favourite one with David.
See above, on Ps. iii. 4 (3.) xviii. 3 (2.) xxviii. 7. It is not
only striking and expressive, but historically associated with
the origin of the nation in the calling of Abraham and the patri-
archal promises. See Gen. xv. 1.

13 (12.) The sin of their mouth — the word of their lips — and
they shall he taken in their pride — and from cursing and falsehood
they will tell. This is a close translation of this very obscure
verse, that is to say, obscure in its particular expressions, though
its general sense is obvious enough. The construction given in
the English versions, (for) the sin of their mouth (and) the word
of their lips, they shall be taken, either overlooks the copulative
particle before the verb or makes it unmeaning, they shall even be
taken. The latest interpreters prefer to render it, the sin of their
mouth (is) the word of their lips, i. e. the word of their lips is
the sin of their mouth ; whatever they speak is spoken sinfully ;
they cannot speak without committing sin. They shall be takeriy
caught, surprised, as they have sought to surprise others. See
above, Ps. ix. 16 (15.) xxxv. 8. It may also be read as an
expression of desire, may they be taken ! In their pride, not
merely on account of it, although this is included, but in the midst
of it, in the act of indulging it. From cursing represents their
capture as arising (or proceeding^ from their cursing, and may
therefore be translated /o?*, as in the English Bible. Cursing,
or rather swearing in attestation of a falsehood. See above, on
Ps. X. 7. The phrase to tell a falsehood is common to both
idioms. Most interpreters supply a relative, {which) they tell, or
will tell. Otherwise, from must be understood as meaning of,
concerning.

PSALM LIX. 63

14 (13.) Consume in wrath^ consume (them) ^ and let them he no
morej and let them know that God {is) ruling in Jacoh^ unto the
ends of the earth. The first verb strictly means to cause to
cease, to finish, to destroy so that nothing is left. Let them he
no more, let them cease to be. By itself, the Hebrew phrase
would seem to mean, and they are not^ but the tense, which is
not expressed in the original, must be determined by the prayer
preceding. The last clause might at first sight seem to mean,
let my enemies know that God rules not only in Israel but through-
out the earth. But this is forbidden by the prayer that they may
cease to be, and would require a connective particle of some sort
after Jacoh. The true construction, indicated by the accents, is,
and let them (i. e. men in general) know., to the ends of the earthy
that God (is) ruling (i. e. habitually rules) in Jacoh. This de-
scription of the whole world as witnessing and interested in God's
dealings with his chosen people, is in strict accordance with the
very end for which he chose them, and is particularly character-
istic of David. See above, on Ps. xviii. 50 (49.) Ivii. 6, 10, 12
(5, 9, 11), and compare his language to Goliath, 1 Sam. xvii.
46 : " this day will Jehovah deliver thee into my hand, and I will

smite thee that all the earth may know, that there is

a God in Israel."

15 (14.) The7i let them return at evening., hold like the dog., and
go around the city. The first word in Hebrew is a simple copu-
lative, meaning and ; but the connection seems to be, since God
is my protector and these enemies are doomed to destruction,
let them threaten as they will, I shall not fear them. It is
equally grammatical, though not so natural, to understand the
verse as a prediction or confident anticipation of the miserable
state to which these enemies should be reduced, like a herd of
oriental dogs without a master or a home, prowling about in
search of food, and howling with hunger, but remaining still un-
satisfied. See above, on v. 7 (6.)

64 PSALM LIX.

16 (15.) They shall wander (in quest of something) to eat,
(and) if they are not satisfied^ remain all night. This sentence
is obscure, whether it be understood as a defiance or a threaten-
ing, though the latter construction is recommended by the em-
phatic pronoun at the beginning. They themselves^ the very
persons who now threaten me, shall roam about in search of food,
etc. The most probable meaning of the last clause is : and not be-
ing satisfied, not finding what they seek, they must continue seek-
ing it by night as well as by day. The conversive particle before
the last word seems to be here equivalent to then or still after a
conditional clause — ' if they are not satisfied, then they shall re-
main all night' — or ' though they be not satisfied, yet must they
remain all night.'

17 (16.) And I will sing thy strength j and celeirate in the
morning thy mercy ; for thou hast been a high jplace to me^ a re-
fuge in my distress. The pronoun at the beginning is emphatic,
I, on my part, as contrasted with these wretches. Thy strength
or power J thus exerted in my behalf. In the morning, or at break
of day, which is the primary meaning of the term. The phrase
is in obvious antithesis to at evening in v. 15 (14.) There may
also be allusion to the frequent use of night and morning, as
emblems of sufiering and relief. Compare the words of David
in 2 Sam. xxiii. 4. A height, high place, or place of safety, as
in V. 10 (9) above. In my distress, or retaining the original con-
struction, in distress to me. The form of expression is the same
as in Ps. xviii. 7 (6.)

18 (17.) My strength, unto thee will I sing ; for God is my
high place, the God of my mercy. The most natural construc-
tion of the first phrase is that which makes it a direct address to
God, as the author of his strength. But as the structure of the
clause is precisely similar to that at the beginning of v. 10 (9),
some adopt a similar construction, my strength will I sing unto

PSALM LX. 65

thee. I will praise my strength to thee, because I shall thereby
praise thyself. This is equivalent to saying, I will celebrate
thee as my strength. High jplace., place of safety, refuge, or
asylum, as in vs. 10, 17 (9, 16.) God of my mercy , my merci-
ful God, or the God who shows me mercy. See above, on v.
11 (10.)

PSALM L X.

1. To the Chief Musician. On the Lily of Testimony. A
Mystery. By David. To he Learnt. The lily is probably, in
this case as in Ps. xlv. 1, an emblem of beauty or loveliness.
The testimony is a name given to the Law, as God's testimony
against sin. See above, on Ps. xix 8 (7), and compare 2 Kings
xi. 12, where the term is applied absolutely to the Law, con-
sidered as a book or writing. This enigmatical inscription,
therefore, may be understood as representing the theme or sub-
ject of the psalm to be the beauty of the law, or something
lovely in it, with reference most probably to the gracious promise
cited from it. At the same time, there seems to be an allusion
to the precept in Deut. xxxi. 19, " Now therefore write ye this
song for you, and teach it the children of Israel ; put it in
their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against
the children of Israel." To this verse there seems to be a
double allusion in the one before us ; first in the word testimony ,
which is a cognate form to that translated witness., and then in
the concluding words, to teach^ where the verb is the same with
that in Deuteronomy. The title before us, therefore, seems to
say, this song is like the song of Moses, which was to be taught

66 PSALM LX.

to the people, as a witness or testimony against them, in case of
unbelief or disobedience. To teach then means to he taught or
to he learned by heart, committed to memory. Compare 2 Sam.
i. 18, where the English version incorrectly supplies (use of) the
hotc^ instead of [song of) the how^ meaning the elegy on Saul and
Jonathan which immediately follows, so called, according to an
ancient custom, from the mention of Jonathan's favourite weapon
in V. 22. See above, on Ps. ix. 1. From this enigmatical allu-
sion, and the disguised form under which the truth is here re-
vealed, the psalm is justly represented as a Michtam^ mystery, or
secret. See above, on the titles of the four preceding psalms.
The body of the psalm, apart from the additional title or his-
torical inscription in v. 2, may be divided into three equal stanzas
or strophes, each consisting of four verses. In the first, the
Psalmist takes occasion from God's seeming desertion of his peo-
ple, to recall his former interventions in their favour, vs. 3 — 6
(1 — 4.) In the second, he pleads an express promise, as a
ground of present hope, vs. 7 — 10 (5 — 8.) In the third, he ex-
presses his confidence of safety and success, in the proposed
expedition against Edom, vs. 11 — 14 (9 — 12.) Throughout
the psalm the ideal speaker is Israel, considered as the chosen
people.

2. TlTien he conquered Aram Naharaim and Aram Zohah^ and
Joah returned and smote Edom in the Valley of Salt^ twelve
thousand men. The common version of the first verb {strove
with) seems too weak, as a victory is clearly presupposed, and the
idea of contention is conveyed by a cognate form of the same
verb. The name Aram corresponds to Syria in its widest and
vaguest sense, and is joined with other names to designate partic-
ular parts of that large country. It even includes Mesopotamia,
which is a term of physical rather than political geography, and
denotes the space between the Tigris and Euphrates, correspond-
ing to Aram- Naharaim^ or Syria of the Tioo Rivers^ in the

PSALM LX. 67

verse before us. The king of this country was tributary to the
king of Aram Zobah, as appears from the account of David's
second Aramean war (2 Sam. x. 16, 19.) It was after the
return of the victorious army from this war, that Joab marched
against Edom and achieved the victory here ascribed to him, as
the leader of the army, but in 1 Chron. xviii. 12, to his brother
Abishai, who probably commanded under him, as he did in a
subsequent campaign (2 Sam. x. 10), and in 2 Sam. viii. 13 to
David himself as the sovereign whom they both represented.
The Valley of Salt has been identified by modern travellers
with a valley south of the Dead Sea, on the ancient confines of
Israel and Edom. See Robinson's Palestine, vol. ii. p. 483.
The number killed on this occasion is stated in 2 Sam. viii. 13
and 1 Chron. xviii. 12 at eighteen thousand. But this diversity
might easily arise from different modes of computation, and seems
at least to show that the writer of the verse before us did not
blindly copy the historical books, while the smaller number which
he gives evinces his exemption from all disposition to embellish
or exaggerate.

3 (1.) Oh God^thou hast cast us off; thou hast broken us ;
thou hast been angry ; thou icilt restore to us (thy favour or our
previous prosperity.) Clear as the marks of thy displeasure have
been, we still confidently look for thy returning favour. This
may refer to disasters experienced in the former part of the
campaign. Cast us off^ with abhorrence and contempt, as in
Ps. xliii. 2. xliv. 10, 24 (9, 23.) Broken us^ or made a breach
in us, which appears to be a military figure, and a favourite with
David in real life. See 2 Sam. v. 20. vi. 8, and compare Judg.
xxi. 15. Job xvi. 14. xxx. 14. The last verb means to restore,
as in Ps. xix. 8. (7.) xxiii. 3, but in application to a different
object. Compare Isai. Iviii. 12.

4 (2.) Thou hast made the earth qitake^ thou hast riven it ;

68 PSALM LX.

heal its breacheSj for it moves. The idea of social disaster and
calamity is here expressed by the figure of an earthquake and its
natural effects, to which God is besought to put an end by the
removal of the cause.

5 (3.) Thou hast made thy people sec (what is) hard; thou
hast made us drink wine of staggering (or reeling.) The
meaning of the first clause is, that God had made them experience
hardship. See a similar expression in Ps. Ixxi. 20. Wine of
staggering^ wine that causes men to reel or stagger, here used as
a figure for confusion, weakness, and distress. The same image
reappears in Ps. Ixxv. 9 (8.) Isai. li. 17, 22. Jer. xxv. 15. xlix. 12.
See above, on Ps. xi. 6.

6 (4.) Thou hast given to those fearing thee a banner to he
lifted because of (thy) truth. Selah. In the sight of thy dis-
comfited and downcast people, thou hast set up a signal, as a
rallying point, and an assurance of the truth of thy engagements.
The word (Dp) translated banner means anything elevated as a
signal, being derived from the following verb, which, in the form
here used, means properly to raise itself ^ as in 'Zq.q)i. ix. 16. The
word for truth is not the one commonly so rendered, but has the
same meaning in Prov. xxii. 21, and in the Aramaic dialects.
See Dan. ii. 47. iv. 34. Because of^ literally, /rowi before or from
the face of., an expression indicating, as the cause of the effect de-
scribed, the truth or veracity of God himself. The translation of
the last clause in the ancient versions and some modern ones, to
flee from before the bow, gives an unauthorized meaning both to
the verb and noun.

7 (5.) I7i order that thy beloved ones may be deliver ed, save
(with) thy right hand and hear (or answer) tts. This is a prayer
naturally prompted by the previous experience of God's favour,
as recorded in the foregoing verse Thy beloved, an epithet

PSALM LX. e9

applied to Benjamin in Deut. xxxiii. 12, and forming a part of
Solomon's additional name Jedidiah^ 2 Sam. xii. 25. See also
Ps. xlv. 1. The common version of the last words (hear me)
rests upon the marginal reading or Keri.

8 (6.) God hath spoken in his holiness ; I will triumph ; I will
divide Shechem^ and the Valley of Succoth I will measure. As a
further ground for his petition, the Psalmist, speaking in the
name of Israel, appeals to the promise of Jehovah, that his people
should possess the entire land of Canaan. The reference is not
to any insulated promise, but to that pervading the whole Law.
There God had spoken^ uttered his promise, in his holiness^ i. e.
as a Holy God, and as such incapable of failing to perform it.
See the similar expressions in Ps. Ixxxix. 36 (35.) Am. iv. 2.
Some understand what follows as the words which God had
spoken; but as v. 11 (9) is confessedly the language of the
people or their representative, and as no intermediate point of
transition can be well assumed, it seems better to explain these
also as the words of David or of Israel. ' God hath spoken in his
holiness (and therefore) I will triumph.' Because he has prom-
ised me victorious possession of the land, I exult in confident
anticipation of it. This idea of triumphant occupation is ex-
pressed in terms appropriate to the times of the original conquest,
when the land was measured and distributed among the tribes.
See Josh. xiii. 7. xviii. 5. The two great divisions of the country,
east and west of Jordan, are denoted by Shechem and Succoth,
the places where Jacob pitched his tent on his return from exile,
as if to claim the Land of Promise as his heritage. See Gen.
xxxiii. 17, 19.

9 (7.) To me (belongs) Gilead aiid to me Manasseh, and
Ephraim the strength of my head^ Judah my lawgiver. The
idea still is that the whole of Canaan rightfully belongs to Israel.
The form of expression is analogous to that in the preceding

70 PSALM LX.

verse, but witli a beautiful variation. As the two great divisions
of tbe country, east and west of Jordan, are there represented by-
detached points, Shechem and Succoth, so here by the names of
extensive districts, Judah and Ephraim, the two largest territories
on the west, Bashan and Gilead on the east, the latter called by
its own name, the former by that of the tribe which occupied the
greater part of it. See Deut. iii. 12, 13. The last clause does
due honour to the military strength of Ephraim (Gen. xlviii. 19.
Deut. xxxiii. 17), but asserts the civil supremacy of Judah (Gen.
xlix. 10.) The phrase translated strength of my head might
seem to mean 7mj chief strength ; but that would require the terms
to be inverted, head of my strength. Compare Gen. xlix. 3.
It rather means the protection of my head, as strength of my life
in Ps. xxvii. 1 means that which protects my life, the head being
mentioned as the vital part peculiarly exposed. Compare Ps.
Ixviii. 22 (21.) ex. 6. Some suppose the figure to be that of a
helmet, which is too specific. In the last clause there is obvious
allusion to the prophecy in Gen. xlix. 10. Lawgiver has its
proper sense of ruler, sovereign. That of rod or sceptre, which
some give it, rests upon a doubtful explanation of Numb. xxi. 18.

10 (8.) Moah (is) my wash-jpot ; at Edom tcill I throw my
shoe ; at we, Philistia, shout aloud ! The three hostile powers,
with which Israel was most frequently at war, are here put to-
gether, as the objects of a contemptuous address. Moab is
likened to the humblest household utensil, the vessel in which
slaves were wont to wash their master's feet. Edom is likened to
the slave himself, to whom or at whom the master throws his
shoe when about to bathe his feet. Compare Matth. iii. 11. Acts
xiii. 25. This is much better suited to the context than the
allusion, which some assume, to the practice mentioned in Ruth
iv. 7, where the removal of the shoe is a symbol of renunciation,
and could not be here used to express the opposite idea of seizure
or triumphant occupation. Shout aloud., or mahe a noise., is by

PSALM LX. 71

some explained as an expression of triumph, and the whole clause
treated as ironical. Others understand it of the acclamation or
shout of welcome and applause by which subjects recognise and
hail their sovereign. See above, on Ps. ii. 11, where the exhort-
ation to rejoice with tremUing is, by the same interpreters,
explained in the same manner. In either case, the clause implies
superiority in him who speaks, and willing or compulsory subjec-
tion on the part of those whom he addresses.

11 (9.) Who will bring me (to) the fenced city 1 JVho has
led me up to Edam 1 In reliance on God's promise, and in the
possession of the hope and courage just expressed, his people
are ready to go forward, and only waiting, as it were, for some
one to conduct them into the enemy's country, nay, into his very
citadel. The fenced city^ literally, city of defence or fortification^
a phrase already used in Ps. xxxi. 22 (21,) is Petra, the famous
capital of Idumea, hewn in the rock, and almost perfectly impreg-
nable. See Robinson's Palestine, vol. II. pp. 573 — 580. The
past tense in the last clause represents the question as already
answered. Up to^ even to, as far as, implying not mere motion
or direction, but actual arrival.

12 (10.) (Is ft) not thou^ oh God^ (who) hast cast us off and
wilt not go forth with our hosts ? A simpler construction of the
first clause would be, hast thou not cast us off '^ But it seems
better to explain the verse as an indirect answer to the question
in the one preceding. Who has brought us into Edom, if not He
who had rejected us .-' The terms are borrowed from Ps. xliv.
10 (9), which seems to have been written in the midst of the
distress here spoken of as past. ' Wilt not thou, of whom we
lately were compelled to say, thou hast forsaken us and wilt not
go forth with our hosts .^' Compare 2 Sam. v. 24.

13 (11.) Give us help from trouble i^rfrom the enemiy) ; and

72 PSALM LX.

(the rather because) vain (is) the salvation of man^ i. e. the
deliverance which man affords. The causal particle, for, hc-
causCy which seems necessary to connect the clauses, is implied
but not expressed in Hebrew. The second noun (nir) may either
mean distress^ as in Ps. iv. 2(1.) xviii. 7 (6), or one who gives
distress, a persecuting or oppressing enemy, as in Ps. iii. 2(1.)
xiii. 5 (4.) xxvii. 2, 12. xliv. 6, 8, 11 (5, 7, 10.) Either sense
would be appropriate, but the latter is strongly recommended
by its occurrence in the next verse.

14 (12.) In God we will make (i. e. gain or gather) strength^
and he will tread down (or trample on) our adversaries (perse-
cutors or oppressors.) The prayer is followed by the confident
anticipation of the answer. In God^ i. e. in union with him, in
possession of him. See above, on Ps. xviii. 30 (29.) The com-
mon version of the next phrase ( shall do valiantly) is vague and
dubious, beinor inadmissible in several of the cases where the
phrase occurs, whereas they all admit of the translation make or
gather strength^ in reference to the acquisition or recovery of
force by those who had before been in a state of weakness. See
below, on Ps. cviii. 14 (13.) cxviii. 15, 16, and compare Ezek.
xxviii. 4. Ruth iv. 11. Deut. viii. 17, 18. Num. xxiv. 18., to the
last of which places there is obvious allusion here, as relating to
the very same enemies. Treading or trampling^ as an emblem
of violent subjection, occurs above in a contemporaneous pas-
sage, Ps. xliv. 6 (5.) The last eight verses reappear as a part
of Ps. cviii, in the exposition of which the points of difference
and the general relation of the passages will be considered.

PSALM LXl

73

PSALM LXI.

1. To the Chief Musician — on a stringed instrument (or witli
an instrumental accompaniment) — of David. The peculiar form
of the original construction (ni.-b t'TV) cannot be reproduced in
English, but seems to connect the name of David both with the
Hebrew word preceding, as the owner or conductor of the
music, and with the psalm itself as the author. That is to say,
the words are so combined as to convey both these ideas — a
stringed instrument of David — and a jisalm of David. The
musical term (neginath) is the same as in the titles of Ps. iv, vi,
liv, Iv, but in the singular number and the construct form. The
psalm itself consists of a prayer with an expression of strong
confidence, vs. 2 — 5 (1 — 4), and an appeal to the divine pro-
mise, as the ground and object of that confidence, vs. 6 — 9 (5 — 8.)

2 (1.) Hear., ok God, my cry ; attend unto my prayer ! The
psalm opens with an introductory petition to be heard. See
above, on Ps. v. 2, 3 (I, 2.) xvii. 1. Iv. 2 (1), and compare Ps.
xxxix. 12 (13.) The word translated cry, which sometimes means a
joyful shout or thankful song — Ps. xxx. 6 (5.) xlii. 5 (4.) xlvii.
2 (1) — is here determined by the parallelism and the context to
denote a cry for help or mercy.

3 (2.) From the end of the earth unto thee will I call, in the
covering of my heart (when it is covered, i. e. overwhelmed, or

VOL. II. 4

74 PSALM LXf.

covered with darkness.) To a rock (that) is high from me^ (i. e.
higher than I, or too high for me) thou icilt lead me. To the
saints of the Old Testament exclusion or involuntary distance
from the sanctuary seemed equivalent to exile in the remotest
countries, sometimes called the end of the earth (Deut. xxviii.
64), sometimes the end of heaven (Deut. iv. 32), although this
last phrase may be understood to mean the sensible horizon or
boundary of vision (Isai. xiii. 5.) A rock., often mentioned as a
place of refuge. See above, on Ps. xviii. 3 (2.) xl. 3 (2.) Too
high for me to reach without assistance. Jn the last clause au
earnest prayer is latent under the form of a confident antici-
pation. The feelings here expressed, and the terms used to ex-
press them, are peculiarly appropriate to David's situation dur-
ing Absalom's rebellion. See above, on Ps. iii. 1. xlii. 1.

4 (3.) For thou hast been a refuge to me, a tower of strength
(or strong tower) from before (from the face or presence of) the
enemy. He appeals to former mercies as a ground for his present
expectation. The verb of existence is here emphatic and cannot,
without a violation of usage, be translated as a present, which is
almost invariably suppressed in Hebrew. The enemy is a collec-
tive term, or one denoting an ideal person, including many real
individuals.

5 (4.) I ivill sojourn (or abide) in thy tent (or tabernacle) ages
(or eternities^ i. e. forever) ; / will trust (take refuge or find
shelter) in the shadow) of thy wings. The first verb is in the
paragogic form, expressing strong desire or fixed determination.
See above, on Ps. ii. 3. To dwell in God's tent or house is to
be a member of his family, to enjoy his bounty and protection,
and to live in intimate communion with him. See above, on Ps.
XV. 1. xxiii. 6. xxvii. 4, 5. David here tacitly appeals to the
promise recorded in 2 Sam. ch. vii. See above, on Ps. xxi. 5 (4.)

PSALM LXl. 75

The beautiful figure for protection in the last clause is the same
as in Ps. xvii. 8. xxxvi. 8 (7.)

6 (5.) For thou^ oh God^ hast heard (or hearkened to) my vows
(and the prayers which they accompanied) ; thou, hast given me
the heritage of those fearing (or the fearers of) thy oiame^ i. e.
the reverential worshippers of thy revealed perfections. See
above, on Ps. liv. 3 (1.) The heritage here mentioned is par-
ticipation in the honours and privileges of the chosen people,
with particular though tacit reference to the vicarious royalty
conferred on David, and ensured to his posterity in answer to his
prayers. See above, on Ps. xxi. 3 — 5 (2 — 4), and compare 2 Sam.
vii. 16.

7 (6.) Days to the days of the king thou wilt add ; his years
(shall be, or, thou wilt multiply) like generation and generation.
The preposition in the first clause strictly means u^on^ and sug-
gests the idea not of mere addition but accumulation, which
woitld also be conveyed in English by the literal translation, days
upon days. His use of the third person shows that he does not
mean himself alone, but the king of Israel as an ideal or collec-
tive person, comprehending his posterity. The life of this ideal
person would of course not be restricted to a single generation
but continued through many, which is the meaning of the idio-
matic expression in the last clause.

8 (7.) He shall sit (enthroned) to eternity lefore God; mercy
and truth do thou p-ovide ; let them ^preserve him (or they shall
preserve him.) The first verb suggests the two ideas of continu-
ance or permanence and regal exaltation. See above, on Ps. Iv.
20 (19), and compare 2 Sam. vii. 29. Before God^ in his pre-
sence and under his protection. See above, on Ps. Ivi. 14 (13.)
Provide^ prepare, afibrd, or have in readiness. Mercy and Truth
are personified, as in Ps. xl. 12 (11.) Ivii. 4 (3.) Compare Ps.

76 PSALM LXII.

xliii. 3. They seem to be here represented as God's messengers
or agents in preserving his Anointed.

9 (8.) So will I celebrate thy name forever ^ that I may pay my
vows day {by) day. The so at the beginning may mean, on this
condition, when this prayer is granted ; or more probably, in this
assurance, in the confident expectation of this issue. Celebrate
musically, both with instrument and voice. See above, on Ps.
Ivii. 8 (7), and compare Ps. lix. IS (17.) That I may pay,
literally, to (or for) my paying^ or, as some explain it, by my pay -
ingy which however is a rare and dubious use of the infinitive.
Day (by) day or day (and) day, i. e. one day with or after ano-
ther, implying not only frequency but regularity. The Vulgate
version of this idiomatic phrase is de die in diem.

PSALM LXII.

1. To the Chief Musician over Jeduthim. A psalm by David.
Jeduthun seems here to mean the family or choir so called from
the Chief Musician of that name. See above, on Ps. xxxix. 1.
The psalm consists of three equal stanzas or strophes, each be-
ginning with the particle (tji^) only., and the first and second end-
ing with selah. In all these parts, the theme or burden is the
same, to wit, a contrast between God and man, as objects of
confidence.

2 (1.) Only to God (is) my soul silent ; from him (is) my sal-
vation. The frequent repetition of the first word {ycaC) is cha-
racteristic of the psalm before us. In all these cases it is to be

PSALM LXII. 7.7

taken in its strict exclusive sense of only. See above, on Ps.
Iviii. 12 (11.) Only in looking towards God as my Saviour, is
my soul silent^ literally, silence. See above, on Ps. xxii. 3 (2.)
xxxix. 3 (2.) This trust, and this alone, can set his mind at
rest, and free him from the natural disquietude of man when
alienated from his God.

3 (2.) Only He (is) my rock and my salvation, my height
fhigh place, refuge, or asylum) ; I shall not be shaken (moved
from my firm position) much (or greatly.) The adverbial use
of much is the same in Hebrew and in English. This qualified
expression seems to be intended to suggest, that he does not
hope to escape all disaster and calamity, but only such as would
be ruinous. See above, on Ps. xxxvii. 24. As to the fio-ures in
the first clause, see above, on Ps. ix. 10 (9.) xviii. 3 (2.) He
only.) God and no one else, can be such a protector.

4 (3.) Until when (how long) will ye break loose upon (or against)
a man., icill ye murder (i. e. seek to murder him) all of you (com-
bined against a single person, who is consequently) like a wall in-
clined (or bent by violence), a fence (or hedge) crushed (broken
down }) That the last clause relates to himself and not his
enemies, is clear from the continuation of the same description
in the next verse.

5 (4.) Oidy from his elevation they consult to thrust (him , and as
a means to this end) they delight in falsehood ; with his mouth,
(i, e. with their mouths) they will bless, and in their inside (in-
wardly, or with their heart) they icill curse. Sdah. The sud-
den change of number in the middle of the verse, and indeed the
whole description, are like those in Ps. v. 10 (9.)

6 (5.) Only to God be still my soul, for from him (is) my hope.
The view just taken of his fellow men drives him back to God,

73 PSALM LXIl.

and he exhorts himself to cherish the same confidence which he
had before expressed. Be stilly silent, trusting, and submissive.
See above, on v. 2 (1), and compare Ps. xxxvii. 7. The mean-
ing of the last clause is, from him proceeds whatever I desire or
hope for.

7 (6.) *Only He is my rock (the foundation of my hope) and my
salvation (i. e. its source and author) — my high j)lace (refuge or
asylum) — I shall not he moved (or shaken.) This more absolute
expression, as compared with v. 3 (2), seems to indicate a
stronger faith, derived from the previous comparison of God and
man as objects of trust and affection.

8 (7.) TJfon God (i. e. dependent, founded on him) is my sal-
vation, and my honour (both official and personal) ; the rock of
my strength (my strong rock, or the basis upon which my own
strength rests) ; my hiding place (my refuge) is in God. It is in
his presence, favour and protection, that I hide myself from all
my enemies and all my dangers. See above, on Ps. vii. 11 (10.)
Ixi. 4 (3.)

9 (8.) Trust in him at every time, oh people, pour out before
him your heart ; God (is) a refuge for us. Selah. The faith
which he cherishes himself he recommends to others also. At
every time, not merely in prosperity, but even in the sorest trials
and the worst extremities. People, not merely men or persons,
but people of God, his chosen people. To pour out the heart is
a natural and lively figure for a full disclosure of the thoughts
and feelings. See above, on Ps. xlii. 5 (4), and below, on Ps.
cxlii. 3 (2), and compare 1 Sam. i. 15. Lam. ii. 19. The last
clause gives the reason of the exhortation, and indicates its ear-
nestness by a solemn pause.

10 (9.) Only vanity (are) sons of Adam, a falsehood sons of

PSALM LXII. 79

Man ; in the scales (they are sure) to go up ; they are of vanity
(or less than vanity) together. As to the supposed antithesis
between men of high and low degree in the first clause, see above,
on Ps. iv. 3 (2.) xlix. 3 (2.) Only vanity^ see above, on Ps.
xxxix. 6 (5.) A falsehood., something that deceives expectation,
a false confidence. See above, on Ps. iv. 3 (2.) Of vanity,
composed of it, containing nothing else ; or giving the particle
its frequent comparative sense, (less) than vanity., or (vainer)
than vanity {itself. ) The same doubt exists as to the meaning of
the similar expressions in Isai. xl. 17. xli. 24.

11 (10.) Truest not in oppression , and in r cilery lecome not
vain; (on) icealth., when it grows., set not (your) heart. The
first two nouns are used together in Lev. v. 23 (vi. 4) to signify that
which is acquired by violence. They are not therefore to be
taken as distinct grounds of confidence, but as different parts or
different descriptions of the same. Become not vain., by being
assimilated to the vain, unsatisfying objects of your love and
hope. See 2 Kings xvii. 15, and compare Jer. ii. 5. Job xxvii.
12. The word translated wealth means strictly strength or power .^
but is applied to pecuniary as well as military force. See above,
on Ps. xlix. 7 (6.) Grows, literally sprouts, or springs up of its
own accord, perhaps with an antithetical allusion to wealth gained
by violence. Even when lawfully or accidentally acquired, set
not )^our heart upon it. This phrase in Plebrew sometimes means
nothing more than to apply the mind or give attention, and so
some understand it here, ' when wealth increases, take no notice,
think not of it' ; but the stronger sense of fixing the affections on
it, loving it, and trusting it, is better in itself and better suited to
the context.

12, 13 (11, 12.) One (thing) hath God spoken, these two
(things) have I heard, that strength (belongeth) u7ito God, and
(that) unto thee, oh Lord, (belongeth) mercy, (^but) that thou wUt

80 PSALM LXII.

render to a man according to his deed (or doing.) There are
reallj three attributes of God here mentioned, his power, his
mercy, and his justice ; but as the last is only introduced to
qualify the second, by a kind of afterthought, they may still be
reckoned as but two. The construction given in the English and
many other versions separates the sentences, and makes the first
refer to a repeated utterance or revelation of the one truth there
propounded, namely, that poicer helongeth unto God. Instead of
one things two things., we must then read once and twice. But
this, though favoured by the imitation of the verse before us in
Job xxxiii. 14. xl. 5, is not the most obvious construction here
It is evident that one and two., when absolutely or elliptically
used, may sometimes mean on^ time., (i. e. once) and tnw tinieSj
(i. e. twice) ; but it does not follow that the same words, in a
different connection, may not mean one word or thing., two words
or things. It is also a familiar practice of the sacred writers to
borrow one another's words, or to repeat their own, with some
slight change of sense or application. The pronoun (-t) in v. 12

(11) may be either a demonstrative or relative, and on the latter
supposition we may read, (there are) two (things) which I
have heard; but the other is a simpler and more obvious con-
struction. The apostrophe or sudden change of person in v. 13

(12) is a figure of speech common in the psalms of David, and
indicates a growing warmth of feeling, so that He who had just
been calmly spoken of as absent, is abruptly addressed as if seen
to be personally present.

PSALM LXIll 81

PSALM L X I I I .

1. A Psalm by David, in his hevng (when he was) in the wilder-
ness of Judah. This is the wilderness along the eastern frontier
of the tribe of Judah. It is frequently mentioned in the history
of Absalom's rebellion and of David's flight before him. See
2 Sam. XV. 23, 28. xvi. 2, 14. xvii. 16. In that history we also
meet with several of the very same expressions that are here
used, which, together with the strong internal similarity of this
psalm to some others having reference to Absalom's rebellion,
such as Ps. iii, iv, xlii, Ixi, suffice to show that it belongs to the
same period, and not to that of Saul's persecution, which is in-
deed forbidden by the mention of the king in v. 12 (11.) The
psalm consists of two parts, each exhibiting essentially the same
succession of ideas, but with the variation usual in all such cases.
Both begin with the expression of intense desire for God's pre-
sence and communion with him, and end with a confident antici-
pation of his mercy ; but in the first, vs. 2 — 9 (1 — 8), this is
supposed to be displayed in the deliverance of the Psalmist from
his sufferings ; in the second, vs. 7—12 (6—11), it is viewed as
securmg the destruction of his enemies.

2 (1.) O God ^ my God {art) thou; I will seek thee early ; for

thee thirsts my soul; for thee longs my flesh, in a dry land^ioeary,

without water. The second divine name is the one denoting

power, and might be translated here, my Mighty {One). The

4*

82 PSALM LXIIl.

very use of it involves a direct appeal to God's omnipotence.
The verb in the first clause is connected in its etymology with a
noun meaning the dawn of day, which occurs above, Ps. Ivii. 9 (8.)
The modern lexicographers exclude the sense of early^ and sup-
pose the verb to mean nothing more than seek in English, or at
most to seek with easxerness. But that the notion of time is
really included, seems to follow from the antithesis in Isai.
xxvi. 9. The act of seeking a thing early implies impatience or
importunate desire. The soul and the flesh together mean the
whole man. See above, on Ps. xvi. 9. There is evident allu-
sion to the actual privations experienced by David in the wilder-
ness of Judah. See the places cited in the note upon v. 1, to
which add 2 Sam. xvii. 2. The Hebrew word for loeary is there
applied to David himself, which requires or allows the same ap-
plication in the case before us, especially as the form of the
adjective is masculine, and land is feminine. The strict gram-
matical concord is perhaps with Jlesh, which is a masculine in
Hebrew.

3 (2.) To see thy poioer and thy glory ^ so (as) I have beheld
thee in the sanctuary. The first clause states the object of the
strong desire expressed in the preceding verse. To make this
connection clear, the clauses are transposed in the common ver-
sion, which is here retained, as being, on the whole, the best
among the many which have been proposed. One of the latest
makes the verse an acknowledgment, that he had actually found
a sanctuary in the desert, because it is always to be found where
God is pleased to manifest his presence. But however sound
and scriptural this sentiment may be, it can hardly be extracted
from the verse before us without violence.

4 (3.) Because thy favour is better than life, my lips shall
praise thee. A simpler construction, and perhaps more agreeable
to Hebrew usage, is that which makes the first clause ffive a

PSALM LXIIf. 33

reason for the strong desire expressed in the foregoing verses,
for thy favour is better than life, and the last clause merely add
a pledge of thankful acknowledgment, my lips shall praise thee.
Better than life, not merely than the life I now live, which was
scarcely entitled to be so considered, but better than any life I
could live, destitute of God's favour, which is therefore more
than a sufficient substitute or compensation.

5 (4.) So will I bless thee in my life, in thy name icill I raise
my haiuls. So, that is, according to the gift bestowed. Bless,
i. e. praise and thank thee. See above, on Ps xvi. 7. xxxiv.
2(1.) In my life may either mean as long as I live, which is
the obvious and usual interpretation, or when restored to life, from
this state of living death, which is the sense preferred by some
of the best interpreters, on account of the supposed allusion to
letter than life in the preceding verse ; but it is far from being the
most natural construction. In thy name, invoking thee as the object
of my worship, and particularly of my thankful praise. Lift up
my hands in prayer, and more specifically here, in thanksgiving.
See above, on Ps. xxviii. 3 (2.)

6 (5.) As (with) marrow and fatness shall my soul be satisfied^
and (with) lips of rejoicing shall my mouth praise (thee.) He
continues the expression of his joyful confidence and hope. Mar-
row and fatness are used to represent two Hebrew words both
meaning animal fat, here put for rich food, and that for abund-
ant supplies of every kind. Lips of rejoicings may denote either
joyful lips, or lips by which rejoicings are uttered. The uncon-
ditional engagement to praise God implies, as usual, a firm belief
that he will have occasion so to do. See above, on Ps. v. 8 (7.)

7 (6.) When I remember thee upon my bed, in the watches 1
will meditate upon thee. The first word in Hebrew is the one

84 PSALM LXIIT.

commonly translated if ; but the condition indicated by it is
sometimes specifically that of time. There seems to be refer-
ence in this verse to the old division of the night, for municipal
and military purposes, into three watches, the first (Lam. ii. 19),
the middle (Judg. vii. 19), and the morning watch (Ex. xiv.
24. 1 Sam. xi. 11.) See below, on Ps. xc. 4. / will meditate
of thee^ or more literally, in thce^ implying an entire absorption
of his powers and affections in the object. See above, on Ps.
i. 2.

8 (7.) For thou hast been a help to me, and in the shadoiv of
thy wings will I rejoice. The protection which he has experi-
enced already he is sure of still enjoying in the time to come.
The translation of the first verb as a present {thou art my help)
not only weakens the antithesis but violates a constant usage.
See above, on Ps. lix. 17 (16.) Ixi. 4 (3.) The image pre-
sented in the last clause is the same as that in Ps. xvii. 8. xxxvi.
8 (7.) Ivii. 2(1.) Ixi. 5 (4.)

9 (8.) 31y soul cleaves after thee^ thy right hand holds me. This
is a strong metaphorical description of the mutual relation be-
tween God and the believer ; a relation of trustful dependence
on the one hand, and of constant favour and protection on tho
other. Cleaves after is a frequent phrase for follows cleaving to
thee. The right hand is the constant symbol of strength. See
above, on Ps. xviii. 36 (35.) xliv. 4 (3.) Ix. 6 (5.)

10 (9.) And they to (their) ruin are seeking my soul ; they
shall go into the depths of the earth. The phrase to ruin has
precisely the same sense as in Ps. xxxv. 8, namely, to their own
destruction. Are seeking., will seek ; the idea suggested by the
future is, that if they still persist in seeking it, they will do so
to their own destruction. Some obtain the same sense by a
different construction, they (shall comej to ruin (who) are seek-

PSALM LXIII. g5

ing my soul ; but this supposes two ellipses, which are not to be
assumed without necessity. Still less satisfactory is the con-
struction which regards the whole verse as a single proposition :
they (who) seek my soul to ruin (or destroy it) shall go^ etc. To
seek the soul implies a purpose of destruction, without any quali-
fying adjunct, even in prose. See 2 Sam. xvi. 11. The depths
of the earthy literally, its lower or lowest parts, which may simply
mean the grave (as we SB,ju7ider ground)^ or contain an allusion to
the fate of Korah and his company (Num. xvi. 31 — 34.) See
above, on Ps. Iv. 16 (^15.)

11 (10.) They shall be abandoned to the poicer of the suwrd ;
the prey of jackals shall they be. The literal translation of the
first clause is, they shall pour him out upon the hands of the
sword., where the use of the plural verb in an indefinite or pas-
sive sense, and the sudden alternation of the singular and plural
form in speaking of the enemy, together with the bold and
idiomatic figures of a sword with hands and men poured on
them, present such a concurrence of apparent solecisms as can
be made intelligible only by a paraphrase. The word translated
prey means properly a share or portion; it occurs above, Ps.
xi. 6. xvi. 5. The other noun in this clause is the common
Hebrew word for foxes., but is used with so much latitude as to
include the jackal, which sense must be here preferred, as the
fox does not prey upon dead men, unless the clause be under-
stood to mean nothing more than that they shall be left lying in
the desert, where these creatures have their home, which is a
good sense, but much weaker than the one just put upon the
words.

12 (11.) And the king shall rejoice in God ; fin him) shall
every one boast (ov glory) that swears by him., because the mouth
of those speaking falsehood shall be shut (or stopped.) Instead
of the personal pronoun he inserts his oflScial title, the king., i. e.

86 PSALM LXIV.

I as king. Rejoice in God^ i. e. in union with him and in the
experience of /his favour. Boast or praise himself ^ i. e. felicitate
himself on the possession of these glorious distinctions and ad-
vantages. Swearing by him^ i. e. as some suppose, by the king
here mentioned, according to the old Egyptian custom (Gen.
xlii. 15, 16), of which we find some traces even in Israel (1 Sam.
xvii. 55. XXV. 26. 2 Sam. xi. 11.) If this were the true gram-
matical construction we might perhaps explaui the phrase to
mean swearing to him^ i. e. swearing fealty or allegiance, doing
homao-e to him as a rio-htful soverei2;n. But there is in fact no
sufficient reason for departing from the obvious construction
which refers the pronoun to the nearest antecedent, God. The
last clause assigns the immediate occasion of the joy and triumph
here predicted, namely the defeat of false and treacherous insur-
gents. See above, on Ps. Ixii. 5 (4), and compare 2 Sam. xviii.
7,8.

PSALM LXIV.

1. To the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The
correctness of this title is abundantly established by the marked
internal similarity between this and other psalms of David. Its
very structure is Davidic, exhibiting the two familiar elements of
a prayer for deliverance from wicked enemies, vs. 2 — 6 (1 — 5),
and a confident anticipation of a favourable answer, vs. 7 — 11
(6-10.)

2(1) Hear., oh God^ my voice in my complaint ; from fear of
the enemy thou wilt preserve my life. Here, as in Ps. liv, 3(1),

PSA.LM LXIV. 87

the expression of confidence insinuates itself into the prayer itself.
Co?)iplaintj literally, musing, meditation, but with special refer-
ence to sufiering and danger. See above, on Ps. Iv. 3 (2.)
Fear of the enemy ^ that which I have reason to fear from him.

3 (2.) Thou wilt hide me from the secret of evil doers^from
the iiimidt of the workers of iniquity. By secret we are here to
understand their confidential consultations and the devices there
matured. See above, on Ps. xxv. 14. The participle doing
evil, used as a noun (evil doers) to describe the whole class of
wicked men, is a favourite expression of David's. See above,
Ps. xxii. 17 (16.) xxvi. 5. xxvii. 2. xxxvii. 1, 9. As secrcci/ be-
longs to the formation of the plot, so does noise or tumult to its
execution. The same figures are combined, but in a very difi'erent
application, Ps. Iv. 15 (14.)

4 (3.) Who have sharpened, like the sivord, their tongiie, have
strung their arroiv, bitter speech. The figure in the first clause is
a favourite with David. See above, on Ps. lii. 4 (2.) Ivii. 5 (4.)
lix. 8 (7.) Strung their arroio, literally trod (i, e. lent) it,
which must either be explained as an ellipsis — bent their (bow to
shoot their) arrow — or as a poetical transfer to the arrow of what
is strictly applicable only to the bow. See above, on Ps. Iviii.
8 (7.) The figure of an arrow is peculiarly appropriate to the
poignant pain produced by insult and calumny, which is also well
expressed by the epithet hitter. Compare Deut. xxxii. 24. 1
Sam. XV. 32.

5 (4.) To shoot in secret places (at) the perfect ; suddenly they
will shoot him, and will not fear. With the first clause compare
Ps. X. 8. xi. 2. The perfect, the sincere and upright servant of
God, who is free from all fatal and essential defect of character.
See above, on Ps. xv. 2. xviii. 24. (23.) vii. 9 (8.) xxv. 21. xxvi.
i, 13. xxxvii. 37, in the last of which places the Hebrew adjec-

88 PSALM LXIV.

tive has the same form as in the case before us. And will not
fear J i. e. without being deterred by the fear of God or man.
See above, on Ps. Iv. 20 (19.)

6 (5.) They will strengthen for themselves an evil word ; they
will tell about hiding snares ; they have said, who tcill see to them ?
To strengthen is to make strong, to construct so as to be strong.
An evil word is an idiomatic phrase for a malignant plot, so
called because it is the fruit of mutual discourse and consultation.
See above, on Ps. xli. 9 (8.) Tell about, count and recount
their various devices, past and present. See above, on Ps. lix.
13 (12.) The interrogation in the last clause is an indirect one ;
the equivalent direct form would be, icho will see to us, i. e.
regard us .^ Compare Ps. x. 11. lix. 8 (7.)

7 (6.) They search out iniquities ; (they say) TVe are ready —
a consummate plan ! and the inward thought and heart of (^every)
man (is) deep. They rack their invention and ransack their
memory for modes of doing mischief. We are ready, literally
finished, just as we might say in English, we are done. The next
phrase consists of a passive participle, derived from the verb at
the beginning of the sentence, and a cognate noun. The parti-
ciple here corresponds to exquisite, recherche, something not to be
had without laborious search, and the noun describes the product
of the search itself. The last clause is added to enhance the
danger, by representing the device as springing not from shallow,
superficial, but profound contrivance. Inward thought, literally
inside, an equivalent to heart often used by David. See above,
on Ps. V. 10 (9.) xlix. 12 (11.) Iv. 16 (15.) Ixii. 5 (4.)

8 (7.) But God has shot them — with an arrow — suddenly —
the wounds are theirs. By an abrupt but beautiful transition he
describes the tables as completely turned upon the enemy.
The antithesis is rendered very striking by the repetition of

PSALM LXIV. 89

the verb, noun, and adverb used in vs. 4, 5 (3, 4.) Just as they
are about to shoot an arrow suddenly at the righteous, God
shoots an arrow suddenly at them. The wounds which they
intended to inflict on others have become (^^^) their own.
When they thought to strike others, they were struck themselves.
The general idea is the same as in Ps. vii. 12 — 17 (11 — 16.)
liii. 6 (5.) Ivii. 7 (6.) The adversative particle at the beginning
is substituted for the simple copulative of the Hebrew, to make
the transition or antithesis more obvious in English. See above,
onPs. Hi. 10 (8.) Iv. 14 (13.)

9 (8.) And he has cast them down; upon them {comes) their
own tongue ; all shall flee , gazing at them. Cast doion.^ literally,
made to fall or stumble. See the use of the same verb in histor-
ical prose, 2 Chron. 25. 8, and compare the original of 2 Chron.
xxviii. 23. The construction is indefinite, as in Ps. Ixiii. 11 (10),
they have cast him down., i. e. he is cast down, meaning the enemy
as an ideal person, who, according to the usage of these psalms,
is immediately afterwards referred to in the plural number.
Their tongue., i. e. the consequences of their false, malignant
speeches and their mischievous deliberations. The verb in the
last clause is an intensive form of the one used in Ps. xxxi.
12 (11.) Iv. 8 (7.) Gazing at them., not simply seeing them,
but seeing with emotion, whether that of wonder, joy, or terror.
See above, on Ps. liv. 9 (7.) lix. 11 (10.) The clause seems to
contain an allusion to the flight of the people, when the earth
opened to devour Korah and his company. Num. xvi. 34.

10 (9.) And all men fear^ and pronounce {it) Godh doings
and his work they understand. The conversive futures show the
dependence of the sentence upon that which goes before it and
describe the action not as actually past, but as directly conse-
quent upon the great catastrophe described in the preceding

90 PSALM LXV.

context. And declared the work of God^ i. e. pronouuced it to
be such. Compare Ex. viii. 19. His work they wilder stand ^ i. e.
no longer foolishly ascribe it to mere chance or human agency.

11 (10.) Glad shall the righteous he in Jehovah^ and shall trust
in him ; and (in him) shall hoast (or glory) all the ujpright in
heart. Having described the effect of the divine interposition on
the wicked and on men in general, he now shows how it will affect
the righteous. In Jehovah means, as usual, in union with him
and possession of him. The word translated trust is that which
seems originally to denote the act of seeking shelter under an
overshadowing object. See above, on Ps. Ixiii. 8 (7.) With
the last clause compare Ps. Iviii. 11 (10.) Ixiii. 12 (H.j

PSALM LXV.

1. To the Chief Musician. A Psalm. By David. A Song,
i. e. a song of praise. See above, on Ps. xlviii. 1. xlii. 9 (8.)
God is first praised in general, as a God of mercy and benevo-
lence to all men, vs. 2 — 9 (1 — 8), and then in particular, as the
giver of fruitful seasons and abundance, vs. 10 — 14 (9 — 13.)

2(1.) To thee fbelongeth) silence, praise, oh God, in Zion,
and to thee shall be paid the vow The two words silence-praise
form a kind of compound term, like humility-righteousness in
Ps. xlv. 5 (4,) meaning, as some suppose, silent praise, but this is
hardly consistent with the fact that the praise here offered is
vocal. More probably it means such praise as is accompanied
by a cessation of all tumultuous and passionate excitement. See

PSALM LXV. 91.

above, on Ps. Ixli. 2, 6 (1, 5.) In Zion^ as the appointed place
of prayer and praise under the old economy. The last clause
implies that fresh occasion was continually given for thankful
vows and their fulfilment, by the constant repetition of God's
providential favours.

3 (2.) Hearer of prayer ^ uf to thee shall all Jlesh come. The
first word in Hebrew is a participle, hearing^ thou who habitually
hearest prayer. This is mentioned as one of the divine cha-
racters or attributes. Up to thee^ even to thee, implying actual
arrival, and therefore a stronger expression than unto thee. All
Jlesh sometimes means all animals, all living creatures (Gen. vi.

17, 19), but is here used in its narrower sense of all mankind
(Gen. vi. 3, 12.) To thee they shall come, i. e, must come, for
the supply of their necessities, the forgiveness of their sins, and
in short for every good and perfect gift (James i. 17), both of a
temporal and spiritual nature.

4 (3.) Words of iniquities are too strong for me ; (as forj our
transgressions^ thou wilt expiate them., or forgive them for the sake
of an atonement. Words of iniquities is by some regarded as
a pleonastic paraphrase for iniquities themselves. More pro-
bably, however, the phrase means the charge or accusation of
iniquity. See above, on Ps. vii. 1. xli. 9, (S), and below, on
Ps. cv. 27. Too strong for me., more than I am able to account
for or endure. vSee above, on Ps. xl. 13 (12), and below, on Ps.
C2CXX. 3. The last clause contains the encouragement suited
to the alarming situation mentioned in the first.

5 (4.) Happy (he whomj thou wilt choose and bring (him)
near., i. e. admit him to thy presence and to intimate communion
with thee, (so that) he shall inhabit thy courts ; ice shall be sated.,
satisfied or filled, luith the good., i. e. the pleasure, the enjoyment,
of thy house, the holy (place) thy temple, or thy holy temple, thy

92 PSALM LXV.

sanctuary, au expression used both of the tabernacle and the
temple properly so called. See above, on Ps. v. 8 (7.) The ,
privilege described is not merely that of public worship at the
place of God's appointment, but of residence in his family and
participation in the privileges of his household. See above, on
Ps. XV. 1. xxiii. 6. The change from the third person singular
to the first plural shows that the former was only an individuali-
zation of the church or chosen people.

6 (5.) Fearful things in righteousness thou tollt answer us, ok
God of our salvation^ the confidence of all the ends of the land
and sea — (even) the furthest . Thou wilt give us fearful answers
to our prayers, i. e. such as are suited to excite religious rever-
ence and awe. The confidence^ the object of their trust. Earth
(or land) and sea are put together to describe the whole world,
and the ends of both for the remotest countries, which idea is
then expressed directly, by the word at the end of the sentence.
The superlative cannot be expressed in Hebrew, but is here
suggested by the context. The sense is not that all men actually
feel this trust in God, but that whether they feel it or not, they
are really dependent upon him alone. Compare Isai. xlii. 4.

7 (6.) Fixing the mountains hy his strength^ girded with
power. This verse accounts for the dependence of all creatures
upon God by a reference to his almighty power, which is not
described in general terms, but by one of its effects or acts, the
settling of the mountains, as the most solid and immovable
portions of the earth. He is then metaphorically represented as
girded or invested with power. See below, on v. 13 (12.)

8 (7.) Stilling the roar of seas, the roar of their waves, the
tumult of nations. The sentence is continued from the foregoino;
verse. God not only formed the material universe at first, but
still controls it. There is here a beautiful transition from the
literal to the figurative use of the same language. It is true, in

PSALM LXV

93

the strict sense, that God stills the raging of the seas ; but it is
also true that he subdues the commotion of human societies and
states, of which the sea is a natural and common emblem. See
above, on Ps. xlvi. 3, 4 (2, 3.) Hence he adds in express terms,
the tumult of nation?,.

9 (8.) Then were afraid those inhabiting the ends (or most
distant parts) of thy signs ; the outgoings of morning and evening
thou wilt make to shout (or sing.) Then is not expressed in
Hebrew, but employed in the translation to show the dependence
of the verb on that of the preceding sentence. The sense is that
whenever God thus stills the tumult of the nations, even the
remotest are affected by his signs, i. e. the sensible indications of
his presence and immediate agency. Outgoings is a local noun
in Hebrew, and denotes the places where the evening and the
morning come forth or begin, i. e. the points at which the sun sets
and rises, the east and west, here put for eastern and western
lands, and these for their inhabitants. That the fear mentioned
in the first clause is not mere slavish dread, but an affection per-
fectly compatible with joy, is clear from the remainder of the
sentence.

10 (9.) Thou hast visited the earth and drenched it; thou wilt
much enrich it; the river of God is full of icater ; thou wilt
-prepare their corn, for thus thou dost prepare it, i. e. the earth,
for this very purpose. God is said to visit his creatures when he
manifests his presence with them, whether in the way of judgment
or of mercy. See above, on Ps. viii. 5 (4.) Drenched, soaked,
or made to overflow. The word translated much is the same as in
Ps. Ixii, 3 (2.) The river of God, as opposed to earthly streams.
However these may fail, the divine resources are exhaustless.
Their corn, that required for men's subsistence. See above, on
Ps. iv. 8 (7.) The meaning of the last clause seems to be that

94 PSALM LXV.

he who provides rain to fertilize the earth, may be expected to
provide the fruit itself.

11 (10.) Its furroics drench,, its ridges heat down; with
showers thou wilt soften it ; its vegetation thou wilt bless. The
first verb means to water abundantly, the second to lower or beat
down, implying a great violence of rain. The word translated
showers,, according to its etymology and usage, denotes frequent
and abundant rains. Soften,, dissolve, or loosen it. The Hebrew
verb is a derivative of that in Ps. xlvi. 7 (6.) Vegetation,,
germination, that which sprouts or springs up from the seed when
sown. Some make the verbs in the first clause infinitives,
determined by the finite tenses which precede and follow. But
their form permits them to be taken as imperatives, from which
the transition to the future is entirely natural and in accordance
with the usage of David's psalms, whenever an expression of
confident anticipation is to be immediately subjoined to one of
strong desire. See above, on Ps. liv. 3 (1.)

12 (11.) Thou hast crowned the year of thy goodness,, and thy
'paths drop fatness. The first clause may either mean, thou hast
crowned the year with thy goodness, or, as some prefer to construe
it, thou hast crowned the year of thy goodness, the year distin-
guished by thy goodness, with particular instances and proofs of
that goodness. The obvious meaning of the strong but beautiful
figure in the last clause is, that wherever he appears his move-
ments are attended by a rich and fertilizing influence. Fatness
is as usual a figure for rich food, and that for general abundance.

13 (12 ) They drop — the pastures of the ivilderness, and (with)
joy the hills are girt. The word translated pastures properly
means dwellings,, but is specially applied to folds and pastures, as
the places to w^hich flocks resort. See above, on Ps. xxiii. 1.
The word translated wilderness,, according to its most probable

PSALM LXVI. 95

etymology, originally signifies, not a barren desert, but a tract of
country neither tilled nor thickly peopled, though perhaps luxur-
iant and abundant as a pasture ground. The general metaphor
of clothing which occurs in the next verse, is here anticipated by
the specific one of a girdle, as that which surrounds the body and
confines the dress. See above, on Ps. xviii. 33 (32.)

14 (13.) The pastures are clothed with flocks^ and the vales
shall be rohed in grain ; they shall shout (for joy), yca^ they shall
sing. Some translate the first clause, the Jlocks are clothed with
lambs, denying that the first noun in Hebrew ever means pastures.
But see above, on Ps. xxxvii. 20. The image presented in the
first translation is certainly more natural and beautiful. It also
makes the parallelism more complete, the fields being covered by
the waving crops in the same sense that the meadows are covered
by the grazing flocks. In the last clause the pastures and
valleys, by a beautiful personification, are described as breaking
forth into shouts of joy and songs of praise. See above, on Ps.
Ix. 10 (8.)

PSALM LXVI.

1. To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm. Shouv
unto God, all the earth ! The second clause of the inscription
represents it as a psalm of praise. See above, on Ps. Ixv. 1.
This is confirmed by the contents and structure of the psalm
itself, in which we have, first, a general celebration of God's
wonderful dealings with his people in all ages, vs. 1 — 7 ; then a
siirailar acknowledgment of what he had done in a particular case,

96 PSALM LXVI.

vs. 8 — 12 ; and lastly a pledge or promise of thanksgiving, vs.
13 — 20. The resemblance to the forty-sixth psalm has led some
to suppose, that this psahii was occasioned by the same event, or
composed in imitation of the other, for the use of the church in
similar emergencies. The verb shout is plural in its form, which
shows that earth has a collective sense.

2. Sing the honour of his nar/ie ; give (him) honour^ (give)
him 'praise. The honour or glory of his name is that due to his
manifested excellence. See above, on Ps. xxix. 2. Give^ literally
jplace or jput^ the verbs expressing these ideas being often inter-
changed in Hebrew. The same phrase that is here used occurs
also in Josh. vii. 19. Jsai. xlii. 12, and is clearly equivalent to
give honour in Ps. xxix. 1, 2. Ixviii. 35 (34.) Jer. xiii. 16. The
form of the last clause is peculiar, give honour (as or to) his
praise.

3. How fearful are thy doings ! In the greatness of thy
strength shall thine enemies lie to thee. Here begin, as some in-
terpreters suppose, the words in which the required praise is to
be rendered to Jehovah ; an admissible, though not by any
means a necessary supposition. The first clause may likewise be
translated, how fearful (art thou in) thy doings., after the analogy
of V. 5 below, the ellipsis of the pronoun being similar to that in
Ps. Ixviii. 36 (35.) In the greatness of thy strength., i. e. because
of it, or rather in the knowledge and belief of it. See above, on
Ps. V. 8 (7.) Lie to thee., make false professions of allegiance,
yield a feigned obedience, through the influence of fear. See
above, on Ps. xviii. 45 (44.)

4. All the earth shall worship thee and sing to thee ; they shall
sing thy name. Selah. Here again the verbs are plural, showing
that all the earth is to be taken in a collective sense, as meanino*
all lands, or all the dwellers upon earth. See above, on v. 1.

PSALM LXVT. 97

Worship thee, bow or prostrate themselves before thee, as an act
both of civil and religious homage. See above, on Ps. v. 8 (7.)
They shall not only sing to thee but sing thy name, i. e. not only
celebrate thy being but thy manifested nature, the attributes re-
vealed by thy previous works. This anticipation of universal
homage to Jehovah is in strict accordance with the whole spirit
and design of the Mosaic dispensation.

5. Goy see the works of God , fearful {in) action on the sons of
man. The verb go is often used in Hebrew, as a formula of
invitation or of challenge, where in English we say co7}ie. See
below, V. 16, and compare Isai. 2. 3, 5. In this case, however, go
may be intended to express something more than would have been
expressed by co77ie. The meaning may be, if you do not believe
these general declarations of God's power and dominion, go and
see for yourselves the proofs already given in the history of man-
kind, and more especially in that of Israel : go to Egypt, to the
Red Sea, to the Wilderness, to Jordan, and in the wonders there
performed and still repeated in the experience of the church, see
the evidence that God is indeed possessed of a tremendous power
to control and influence mankind. With the first clause compare
Ps. xlvi. 9 (8), the only other place where the word mb2?S>a
occurs.

6. He turned the sea into the dry (land) ; through the river they
shall pass on foot ; there will we rejoice in him. There is an
obvious allusion to the crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan,
not as mere historical events, but as types or samples of God's
extraordinary interpositions on behalf of Israel, such as might be
realized again in their experience. Hence the promiscuous use of
preterite and future forms, as if to say, the God of Israel will
again turn the Red Sea into dry land for the passage of his peo-
ple ; if need be, they shall again cross the Jordan dry shod ; there,
on the scene of these miraculous events, shall we again rejoice in

VOL. II. 5

98 PSALM LXVr.

him. The combmation of sea and river seems to show that by
the latter we must understand Jordan, and not as some interpreters
suppose, the Euphrates, which is commonly so called. But see
Isai. xi. 15, 16. Zech. x. 11.

7. Ruling by his might forever ; his eyes over (or among) the
nations watch ; let not the rebels exalt themselves. Selah. The
participle in the first clause is expressive of habitual action,
* he constantly, habitually rules.' See above, Ps. xxii. 29 (28.)
JBy his mighty with which he was before described as girded. See
above, Ps. Ixv. 7 (6.) The noun eternity is used adverbially to
"meduia. forever. The divine inspection here described implies that
man can no more evade God's power than resist it. The last
clause may be either a prayer to God or an admonition to his
enemies. Exalt themselves : the Keri or marginal reading is be
high for them (or for themselves) ; the Kethib or textual reading,
lift (ox raise) for themselves., in which case horn may be supplied
from Ps. Ixxv. 5, 6 (4, 5), or head from Ps. ex. 7. The rebels,
i. e. against God, his stubborn and incorrigible enemies.

8. Bless J oh ye nations^ our God, cause to be heard the voice of
his praise ! To the general description of God's gracious dispen-
sations towards his people there seems now to be added the
commemoration of a particular event of this kind ; not one of
merely local interest, however, but of such importance, that the
nations are invited to unite in praising God for it. See above, on
Ps. xviii. 50 (49.) xxii. 28 (27.)

9. The (one) pittting, who puts, our soul in life, atid has not
given (up) to removal our foot., has not allowed it to move or
slip. The unusual expression in the first clause seems to mean
restoration to life, a figure for relief from great distress, which is
not unfrequently described as death. See above, on Ps. xxx.
4 (3.) xlix. 16 (15.) To set in life is not unlike the phrase to

PSALM LXVI. 99

set in safety^ Ps. xii. 6 (5.) The form of expression in the last
clause is analogous to that in Ps. Iv. 23 (22) above, and identical
with that in Ps. cxxi. 3 below. Given up to removal^ suffered to
be moved from its firm position or its place of safety.

10. For thou hast tried us^ oh God, thou hast purged (or
assayed) us like the purging of silver^ as silver is purged, with
particular reference, as some suppose, to the long continued and
repeated process of refinement necessary in the case of silver.
See above, on Ps. xii. 7 (6.) xxvi. 2, and compare Isai. i. 25.
xlviii. 10. Zech. xiii. 9. 1 Pet. i. 7. The general idea here is
that of affliction, as a means both of trial and purgation, and is
carried out in the following verses.

11. Thou hast caused us to come into the net ; thou hast put
pressure in our loins. The first clause is descriptive of complica-
ted difficulties and embarrassments, the second of suffering and
weakness. The word translated net occurs above in the very
different sense of a tower or fortress, Ps. xviii. 3 (2.) But even
when so used, it strictly means a hunting tower^ i. e. a post of
observation and of safety used by hunters, and from the same
root (-qir to hunt) may be deduced the sense of net or snare^ as
a customary implement of hunting, in which sense it is certainly
employed by Ezekiel (xii. 13.) The word translated pressure
occurs only here, but its essential meaning is clear from its ety-
mological affinities. Compare the cognate form in Ps. Iv. 4 (3.)
Some suppose the idea to be that of a superincumbent pressure,
load or burden, corresponding to the verb as used in Amos ii. 13.
Others make pressure mean contraction, stricture, and by neces-
sary implication, pain or anguish. The loins are mentioned as the
seat of strength (Deut. xxxiii. (11), an injury to which implies
both pain and weakness. See below, on Ps. Ixix. 24 (23.)

12. Thou hast caused (or suffered men to ride at our head ;

100 PSALM LXVI.

we came into the fire and into the waters^ and (now) thou hast
caused us to come forth to abundance, overflow, i. e. of enjoyment.
3Ia7ij frail or mortal man, whose tyranny is therefore the more
insupportable. See above, on Ps. viii. 5 (4.) This first clause
is ambiguous, in Hebrew as in English. To ride at our head^
though an exact translation, suggests only the idea of command
or guidance, whereas some kind of suffering is required by the
context. The common version, to ride over our heads, presents
the image of horsemen trampling on their conquered enemies.
Some suppose the idea to be that of riding on us, as a man con-
trolls and guides the horse that carries him. The head must then
be mentioned only as the noblest part, without implying that the
rider actually sits upon it. But this very circumstance makes the
interpretation an unnatural and forced one. Fire and water,
as the two great destroying elements, are common figures for dis-
tress and danger. Compare Isaiah xliii. 2. The last Hebrew
word in the verse occurs only here and in Ps. xxiii. 5.

13. I loill come (to) thy house with burnt-offerings ; I will pay
to thee my vows, i. e. the offerings thus promised. His acknow-
ledgments shall not be merely verbal or mental, but ceremonial, i. e.
expressed in the symbolical form required" by the dispensation
under which he lived. The reference is neither to internal feel-
ings nor to outward rites exclusively, but to both together. See
above, on Ps. xl. 7 (6.) 1. 8. li. 18 (16.) With the last clause,
compare Ps. Ixv. 2 (l.J The sudden change of number, from
the plural to the singular, shows that what follows is the words of
an ideal speaker, representing the same persons who had spoken
in the foregoing context, if not identical with them.

14. WTiich my lips uttered and my mouth spake in my distress.
The first verb is a very strong and expressive one, in this con-
nection not unlike our familiar phrases, bolted, blurted out, imply-
ing that he spoke from some irresistible impulse, and thus sug-

PSALM LXVI. 101

gesting what is afterwards explicitly affirmed, that the vows in
question were occasioned by extreme distress. The Hebrew verb
originally means to open or distend the lips, whether as a gesture
of mockery (Lam. ii. 16) or menace (Ps. xxii. 14), or for the pur-
pose of articulate speech (Job xxxv. 16.) That its absolute use,
in special reference to vows spontaneously and hastily uttered,
was familiar to the ancients, may be seen from Judg. xi. 35, 36.
In my distress : the original expression is, in the distress to me.
See above, on Ps. xviii. 7 (6.)

15. Burnt-offerings of fatlings will loffer to thee^with incense
of rams ; I will make (an oblation of) cattle with he- goats. Selah.
The word translated fatlings is especially applied to lambs, Isai.
V. 17. The verb is the first clause in the one from which the
noun rendered burnt-offering is derived, and strictly means I
will cause to ascend, i. e. upon the altar, or in vapour from it.
Incense may here be taken in its etymological sense of something
burnt sacrificially, although in usage limited to aromatic fumiga-
tions, which is also the case with the Hebrew word in every place
but this, where it seems to mean the sacrificial fat that was
burned upon the altar. The verb to make is absolutely used, as
a technical term of the Mosaic Law, to denote the act of sacri-
fice. See Ex. xxix. 36. Lev. ix. 7, and compare Judg. vi. 19.
1 Kings xviii. 23, 26. The different species of victims are enu-
merated here, to convey the idea of a regular and perfect sacri-
fice, implying more than ordinary thankfulness.

16. Go (or in our idiom, come), hear, all ye fearers of (ye that
fear) God, and I will tell you what he hath done to (or for) my
soul. The fearers of Jehovah is a common description of be-
lievers or the people of God. See Ps. Ix. 6 (4.) Ixi. 6 (5.; The
invitation is like that in Ps. xxii. 24 (23.) Tell, in the primary
sense of counting or numbering, and the secondary one of re-
countincr or relating. To my soul, i. e. to me, whose life or

102 PSALM LXVf.

soul was threatened. To me as the object of the act alluded to,
or for me, as the person to be benefited. This address prepares
the way for the ensuing declaration, founded on his own experi-
ence, that it is only by sincere submission and devotion to God
that his protection is to be secured.

17. To him (with) my mouth I called^ and high praise (exalta-
tion) was under my tongue. By a slight change in the pointing,
or by supposing an irregularity of punctuation, the last clause
may be rendered, he was extolled under my tongue.^ i. e.. by means
.of it as an instrument of praise. But as a corresponding plural
form occurs below, Ps. cxlix. 6, the Hebrew word (D!>3"i"i) is pro-
bably a noun, meaning lofty praise, or exaltation by means of
praise. Under my tongue may be simply equivalent to on or
with my tongue^ or it may be intended to suggest the additional
idea of a store or deposit of such praises still in reserve, to be
employed hereafter, which some suppose to be the meaning of the
phrase in Ps. x. 7.

18. Iniquity if I have seen in my hearty the Lord will not hear.
If I had any wicked end in view, Grod would not hear my prayer.
The same idea is expressed in Prov. xv. 29. Isai. i. 15. lix. 2
John ix. 31. 1 John iii. 22. It is here stated as the ground
on which he means to argue his own innocence of any such cor-
rupt design, and actually does so in the next verse.

19. (But) verily God hath heard ; he hath attended to the voice
of my prayer. The Hebrew particle at the beginning is strictly
not adversative but affirmative. See above, on Ps. xxxi. 23 (22.)
It is equivalent in force to our expressions, whereas, really , in
fact, etc. The doubt subjected in the foregoing verse had been
removed in his case by the application of the test there mentioned.
God had already heard his prayer and thereby borne witness that
he was not guilty of the duplicity in question.

PSALM LXVIl. 103

(20.) Blessed {he) God who hath not -put away my grayer
(from him) and his mercy from me. Here as elsewhere, when
applied to God, blessed can only mean praised or entitled to be
praised. The double application of the verb in the last clause
cannot well be imitated in translation. The same word in
Hebrew may be used to express the act of rejecting a petition,
and that of withdrawing or withholding favour.

PSALM LXVII.

1 . To the Chief Musician. With (or on) stringed instruments.
A Psalm, a Song, i. e. a psalm of praise. See above, on Ps.
Ixvi. 1. For the meaning of the second clause of this inscription,
see above, on Ps. Iv. 1, and compare Ps. Ixi. 1. The psalm
before us, like the sixty-fifth, seems to have special reference to
the manifestation of God's goodness in the gift of fruitful seasons
and abundant harvests. See below, on v. 7 (6), and above, on
Ps. Ixv. 1. But from this the Psalmist, or the Church, of which
he is the spokesman, takes occasion to anticipate the extension of
God's covenanted gifts, both temporal and spiritual, to all the
nations of the earth. This expectation is indeed the burden of
the psalm, its immediate occasion being only mentioned inciden-
tally near the close, yet not so obscurely as to make it doubtful.
Any formal division of this short and simple composition can
only tend to mar its beauty

2 (1.) God be merciful unto us and bless us, and cause his fa^ce
to shine upon us ! The form of expression is evidently borrowed

104 PSALM LXVII.

from the sacerdotal benediction, Num. vi. 24, 25, but with a
substitution of the first person plural for the second singular, so
as to convert the authoritative blessing upon others into an
expression of desire for themselves. The optative meaning of
the sentence is determined by the form of the second verb in
Hebrew. Uj^on us, literally with us, a form of speech probably
intended to suggest the idea of the divine presence and commu-
nion. As to the figure in the last clause, see above, on Ps. iv.
7 (6.) xxxi. 17 (16.)

3 (2.) That thy way may he known in the earth, in all nations
thy salvation. The original construction of the first clause is, to
know in the earth thy loay ; but the sense can only be made clear
in English by a passive form. Thy way, i. e. thy mode of deal-
ing with thy people, referring more particularly here to providen-
tial favours, the knowledge of which he hopes to see extended to
all nations, as a means to the promotion of still higher ends.
The pleonastic phrase, saving health, retained in the authorized
version from an older one, has nothing corresponding to it in
the Hebrew but the single word which always means salvation
and is commonly so rendered.

4 (3.) The nations shall acknowledge thee, oh God, the nations
shall acknowledge thee — all of them. The common version of the
verb here twice used {praise) is too wide. As it is commonly
applied to the acknowledgment of benefits, a nearer equivalent is
thank. See above, on Ps. Ivii. 10 (9.)

5 (4.) Nations shall joy and triumjph, because thou, sJmlt judge
peoples (in) rectitude, and nations in the earth — thou shalt guide
them. The divine guidance implies protection and control.
Compare Isai. Iviii. 11. The anticipation of universal happiness,
as springing from the judicial acts of the Messiah, is not unusual

PSALM LXVII. 105

in prophecy. See below, on Ps. Ixii. 12 — 14, and compare Isai.
ii. 3. The word translated rectitude occurs above, Ps. xlv. 7 (6.)

6 (5.) The nations shall acknowledge thee^ oh God^ the nations
shall acknowledge thee — all of them. This repetition shows the
anticipation here expressed to be the principal though not the
primary subject of the psalm. The position of the universal
terms, at the close of this verse and v. 4 (3), is highly emphatic,
and precludes, in the most explicit manner, all restriction.

7 (6.) The earth (or land) has yielded her produce; God will
Mess uSj (even) our God. The translation of the first verb as a
future is entirely gratuitous, and therefore ungrammatical.
Correctly rendered, it afibrds a hint of the immediate occasion of
the psalm itself. The mutual relation of the clauses is that of a
thankful acknowledgment for gifts received already to a joyful
and believing expectation of the same hereafter. God has
blessed us, and since he is our own God, he will bless us still.

8 (7.) God will bless us., and all the ends of the earth shall fear
him. The God who has bestowed this harvest on us will continue
to afford us tokens of his covenant love and faithfulness ; and the
day is coming when the intimate relation which we now sustain to
him will be extended to all nations. Ends of the earth., even the
remotest countries, but of course without excluding those at
hand. It is really tantamount to saying all lands or the. whole
earth. See above, on Ps. ii. 8.

106 PSALM LXVIII.

PSALM LXYIII.

1. To the Chief Musician. By David. A Psalm of Praise.
Literally, a psalm^ a song., but see above, on Ps. Ixv. 1. Ixvi. 1.
Ixvii. 1. This psalm, like the eighteenth, which it very much
resembles, is a triumphal song, occasioned by some signal victory
or success in war, perhaps that recorded in 2 Samuel xii. 26 — 31,
which closed the last important war of David's reign. The
psalm opens with a general praise of God as the deliverer of the
righteous and destroyer of the wicked, vs. 2 — 7 (1 — 6.) This is
then illustrated and confirmed by a reference to certain periods
in the history of Israel, and first to the march through the wilder-
ness, vs. 8 — 11 (7 — 10.) Then comes the period of the judges,
vs. 12 — 15 (11 — 14.) Then the erection of the monarchy on
Zion, and its confirmation by the victory just achieved, vs. 16 —
20 (15 — 19.) This is then represented as a part of the general
plan of Jehovah's dealings with his people, vs. 21 — 24 (20 — 23.)
The triumphal procession is described, vs. 25 — 28 (24 — 27.)
All this, however, is but a specimen or foretaste of a universal
conquest yet to come, vs. 29 — 32 (28 — 31.) In anticipation of
this revolution, the nations are summoned to unite in the praises
of Jehovah, vs. 33 — 36 (32 — 35.) The resemblance of this last
part to the corresponding parts of the two preceding psalms may
account for the position of the one before us.

2 (1.) God shall arise ; his ene?)iies shall scatter; those hating
him shall flee before him. This verse propounds, as the theme of

PSALM LXVIII. 107

the whole psalm, a fact continually verified in history. There is also
an obvious allusion to the form of speech uttered by Moses at the
removal of the ark, the symbol of God's presence. See Num. x.
35. The wish there expressed is here said to be realized.
Hence the change of the imperative {^n'n^p) into a future (d^p'j.),
showing that this verse has not an optative meaning {let God
arise) J but is declaratory of what certainly will be hereafter, as it
has been already, in the case which gave occasion to the psalm.
The present time is not excluded, but involved in the general
proposition, that it must and will be so. Shall scatter is a more
exact translation of the Hebrew verb than he scattered^ although
the idea is undoubtedly that of involuntary violent dispersion.
Before him^ from his face, or from his presence. See above, on
Ps. ix. 4(3.) Ixi. 4 (3.)

3 (2.) As smoke is driven^ thou wilt drive (them) ; as wax is
melted before fire, the wicked shall perish before God. The form
of expression is the same as in the preceding verse, from the
face of fir e^ from the face (or presence) of God. The verb in the
first clause is the same with that in Ps. i. 4, where the wind, im-
plied here, is expressly mentioned, as the driving or propelling
agent. The comparison with wax is a common one in Scripture,
and occurs above, in Ps. xxii. 15 (14.) With the last clause
compare the conclusion of the Song of Deborah ( Judg v. 31), of
which there are various imitations, or at least reminiscences, iu
this psalm.

4 (3.) ATid the righteous shall he glad ; they shall triumph 6e-
fore God., and shall joy with gladness. This is true not only of
righteous individuals but of righteous nations, and especially of
Israel, as such considered, although many of its members were
unrighteous. But these are not considered as really belonging to
the church or chosen people, but are classed among the wicked

108 PSALM LXVni.

enemies of God. Before God shall the righteous rejoice, as the
wicked flee hefore him.

5 (4.) Sing unto God^ celebrate his name^ cast up (a highway)
for the (one) riding through the deserts., by his name Jah, and ex-
ult before him. The second clause alludes to the opening of roads
for kings and armies. See above, on Ps. 1. 23, and compare
Isai. xl. 3. Mai. iii. 1. The common version of the verb (extol)
conveys an idea wholly foreign from the usage of the Hebrew
word. Riding, i. e. journeying, or giving it a military applica-
tion, marching. The common version of the next noun (heavens)
is entirely unauthorized by usage. The Hebrew word is one still
applied by the Arabs to the region over which the Israelites
wandered forty years. The idea here suggested is more fully
carried out in vs. 8 — 10 (7 — 9.) By his name Jah , i. e. in the
character denoted by this name, which is an abbreviation of
Jehovah, peculiar to the song of Moses (Ex. xv. 2) and the later
imitations of it. See my notes on Isai. xii. 2. xxxviii. 11. The
people are summoned to prepare for the reception of this glorious
visitor.

6 (5.) Father of orphans and judge of widoics (is) God in
his abode of holiness. One of the most glorious divine characters
is that of a protector of the innocent and helpless. Judge, vin-
dicator, patron, one who does them justice. His abode of holiness
cannot in this connection denote heaven, but must be referred to
his peculiar residence among his chosen people. It was there
that, both by the provisions of this law and the dispensations of
his providence, he asserted his right to the exalted character here
claimed for him.

7 (6.) God makes the lonely dwell in houses, makes the captives
come forth into enjoyments ; only rebels (still) inhabit a dry -land
(or desert). This, though a general proposition, seems to have a

PSALM LXVIII.

109

special reference to the change in the condition of the Israelites,
when brought out of the wilderness into possession of the promised
land. The participles in the original {settling^ bringing out)
express habi:ual or customary acts. In houses^ literally, in a
house^ or still more closely, to a house^ the idea of removal being
really implied. The word might also be translated homewards or
at home. The last word in this clause occurs nowhere else, and
has been variously explained to mean in chains^ by force^ and
into pleasures or enjoyments, which last is now preferred by most
interpreters.

8 (7.) Oh Gody in thy going out before thy people^ in thy
marching through the wilderness ^ Selah. The sentence is com-
pleted in the next verse, being here divided by a pause of solemn
and admiring recollection. The general description of the fore-
going verses is now confirmed and illustrated by a reference to
the exodus from Egypt and the journey through the wilder-
ness. Before thy people, in the pillar of cloud, as their guide and
their commander. Thy marching, literally, thy stepping, treading,
or more exactly still, thy step or tread. To make the allusion
still more pointed, the word for wilderness is not the one com-
monly so rendered, but one borrowed from Deut. xxxii. 10.

9 (8.) The earth shook, nay, the heavens dropped, this Sinai,
at the presence of God, the God of Israel. Dropped, discharged
drops, rained. This is mentioned as a natural and usual accom-
paniment of a thunder-storm. This Sinai probably means, this
{was at) Sinai, and should be read as a parenthesis. The usual
construction not only requires a verb to be repeated or supplied,
but yields an obscure and doubtful sense, as no reason can be
given why Sinai should be called this Sinai, and the version
Sinai itself is unauthorized by usage. The first clause is descrip-
tive of the grand and terrible phenomena attending the theophany
at Sinai. See Ex. xix. 16 — 18.

110 PSALM LXVIfl.

10. (9.) A rain of free gifts thou pour est down, oh God ; thine,
inheritance^ and (that) exhausted^ thou dost confirm (or strengthen)
it. The first clause probably refers to the abundant and refresh-
ing gifts (of which rain is a natural and common emblem) be-
stowed upon the people in the wilderness, including manna, quails,
and water. The future tense is like those in Ps. xviii. 7 (6.)
Pour down^ literally, shake or shake out. Thine inheritance, thy
people. The construction is that of an absolute nominative, {as
to) thine inheritance. The next clause heightens the description
by suggesting that the gift came precisely when it was most
needed.

11 (10.) Thy flock hath dwelt therein; thou wilt ^provide, in
thy goodness, for the ivr etched. The first noun strictly means an
animal, and more especially a beast, but was probably employed
as a collective to denote a herd or flock, in which sense it was
figuratively applied in David's time to a company or troop of men,
(2 Sam. xxiii. 11, 13.) Therein, i. e. in the land of promise,
which was present to the writer's mind, though not expressly
mentioned in the context. See below, vs. 15 (14) and compare
Isai. viii. 21. Thou wilt provide, indefinitely, whatsoever maybe
needed ; or more specifically, wilt prepare, i. e. prepare a home,
a resting place. The future tense describes it as a customary
method of proceeding upon God's part, but specially exemplified
in the case of Israel, who, until his settlement in Canaan, might
well be called a sufferer, a wretched or afflicted one.

12 (11.) The Lord will give the loord ; the [women] publishing
(it) are a great host. As to the future, see above, on vs, 10, 11.
(9, 10.) Word here means tidings, news, and, as the whole
connection shows, good news, which is also suggested by the word
translated publishing, but in usage constantly applied to joyful
tidings. See above, on Ps. xl. 10 (9.) There is obvious allusion
to the ancient oriental custom of women celebrating victories

PSALM LXVIll 111

with song and dance. See Ex. xv. 20. 1 Sam, xviii. 6, 7. Tlie
reference is not to any one occasion, but to an ideal choir chant-
ing all the victories of some great period, perhaps that of the
Judges.

13 (12.) Kings of armies shall flee, shall flee, and she that tar-
rieth at home shall divide the spoil. The flight described is not
that of kings alone, but of kings at the head of armies. The
repetition of the verb denotes the certainty and completeness of
the rout. The dweller in the house is by some literally understood
to mean the woman who takes no part in the battle. But others
regard it as a figure for the chosen people, dwelling quietly at
home, after the disappearance of their enemies, when " the land
had rest," Judg. v. 31. viii. 28.

14 (13.) When ye lie down between the borders, (ye shall be
like) the wings of a dove covered with silver and her pinions with
yellow gold. The general idea seems to be that when " the land
had rest," her condition was one of peaceful prosperity. The
common version of the first clause {though ye have lien among the
pots) is justified neither by rabbinical tradition nor the ancient
versions. The Hebrew noun occurs only here and in Ezek. xl.
43, where it is equally obscure, and the cognate forms in Gen.
xlix. 14. Judg. V. 16 are scarcely less so. The only meaning,
besides those already mentioned, which has any probability, is
that oi folds or sheep-cotes, lying among which might be viewed as
a poetical figure for rural or pastoral repose, thus amounting to
the same thing with the first translation, which describes the
people as residing quietly between the borders, i. e. within the
boundaries or frontiers of their territory, now once more forsaken
by the enemy. The beautiful allusion in the last clause to the
changeable colours of a dove's plumage, seems intended to
suggest the idea of a peaceful but splendid prosperity.

112 PSALM LXVIir.

15 (14.) When the Almightly scatters kings therein^ it snows in
Zalmon. The change from war to peace is likened to the daz-
zling whiteness of snow in the midst of blackness or darkness.
This last idea is conveyed by Zalmon, an unimportant eminence
near Shechem, partly perhaps in reference to the dark forests
which covered it (Judg. ix. 48), but chiefly to the meaning of the
name itself, to wit, shade or shadow. The parallel term, snow,
suggests the idea of the brightest light. See Ps. li. 9 (7.) Isai.
i. 18. Mark ix. 3. Matth. xxviii. 3. Rev. i. 14, and compare
Matth. xvii. 2. Some, with far less probability, explain the verse
as meaning that the land was whitened with the slain, as Zalmon
was with snow ; but this ascribes too great an altitude to Zalmon.
The Hebrew construction in the first clause is, in the Ahnighty^s
scattering kings, i. e. at the time of his so doing. The divine
name here used is not the one so frequently translated Mighty
in the Psalms, but the patriarchal title mentioned in Ex. vi. 3.
Compare Gen. xvii. 1. xxviii. 3. It is here introduced because
the events in question were remarkable exertions and displays of
God's omnipotence. Scattered here means routed, put to flight.
See above, vs. 13 (12), and compare the use of the same Hebrew
verb in Zech. ii. 10 (6.)

16 (15.) A mount of God (is) Mount Bashan, a mount of
feaks (or ridges) is Mount Bashan. The first phrase means a
mountain showing forth the creative power of God by its vastness.
See above, on Ps. xxxvi. 7 (6.) Mount Bashan, not a single
eminence, but the lofty range of Antilibanus, also called Herman,
and by other races, Sion and Sirion. See Deut. iii, 9. iv. 48.
Ps. xlii. 7 (6.) Ps. Ixxxix. 13 (12.) The last two names would
be apt to suggest, by a fortuitous resemblance, that of the holy
hill of Zion. A mount of peaks or ridges, i. e. not a detached
mountain, but a chain with many lofty summits, forming the
northern boundary of Bashan. At the same time, the expres-
eions of this verse would necessarily suggest the idea of great

PSALM LXVIII. 113

states or kingdoms, of which mountains are the standing symbols.
See above, on Ps. xlvi. 3 (2.) Ixv. 7 (6.)

17 (16.) Wh.y will ye watch, (ye) hills, (ye) ridges, the hill
God hath desired for his dwelling ? Yea, Jehovah toill inhabit
(it) forever. The interrogative form implies disapprobation and
contempt. See above, on Ps. ii. 1. The verb occurs nowhere
else in the Old Testament, but its meaning has been preserved in
Arabic, namely, to watch as an enemy, to lie in wait, or, as some
allege, to view with envy. Common to both is the idea of hostility
or ill-will. The translation of this verb in the Eno-lish Bible
(leap) and in the Prayer Book Version (hop) seems to rest on
mere conjecture. The two nouns, hills and ridges, are by some
supposed to form a sort of compound, ridge-hills, i. e. high or
rugged hills. Compare the phrase wine-reeling, Ps. Ix. 5 (3.)
The plural form may denote the several peaks, or the whole class
which this range of mountains merely represented. Zion is here
described as an object of hostility or envy to the mountains of
the heathen world, on account of the honour put upon it by
its being chosen as the earthly residence of God. Having first
poetically said that he desired it, i. e. preferred and chose it, to
preclude all doubt as to the event, the psalmist adds, not only so,
but he does and will dwell there for ever. The verbs of the
second and third clause, although synonymous, are not identical
in Hebrew. There is evident significance in the choice of the
divine names here employed. Not only did he choose it, as
Elohim, for his dwelling, but he actually dwells there as Jehovah,
as the God of revelation and the covenanted God of Israel.

18 (17.) The chariots of God (are) two myriads, multiplied
thousands ; the Lord is among them, Sinai in the sanctuary. As
David's most formidable foes were particularly strong in chariots
of war (2 Sam. viii. 4. x. 18), so here God's power of protection
is expressed by an innumerable multitude of chariots. The same

114 PSALM LXVIII.

mode of representation occurs in the history of Elisha, 2 Kings
Ti. 17. Two myriads is a closer version than twenty thousand^
because the Hebrew word is the dual of one used both in the
vague sense of a multitude, and in the precise sense of a myriad.
See above, on Ps. iii. 7 (6), where the plural of the same word
occurs. The next phrase strictly means thousaTids of repetition
or reduplicatio7ij i. e. thousands upon thousands. Compare Dan.
vii. 10. There is no mention of angels in the text, although in-
terpreters in every age have supposed their presence to be neces-
sarily implied, as the conductors of God's chariots, if not as
the chariots themselves, which is the sense put upon the Hebrew
phrase by both the English versions (even thousands of angels.)
There is also an obvious allusion to the giving of the law at Sinai,
as described in Deut. xxxiii. 2, 3, the presence of angels at
which appears to be assumed in the New Testament, Gal. iii. 19.
Heb. ii. 2. It is not however the mere number, even of these
•heavenly hosts, that constitutes the safety of the holy place, but
the personal presence of the Lord (Adhonai) among them,
which is therefore asserted in the next clause. The last words of
the verse are obscure, but seem most probably to mean, that
the same glorious theophany which once took place on Sinai
is now renewed on Zion, with particular reference as some
imagine, to the presence of the ark and the tables of stone
in the one case, as a perpetual memorial, and even a perpetual
renewal, of the legislation in the other. This fine poetical iden-
tification of the two mountains hallowed by God's presence
may have been in the mind of the apostle when he drew
that sublime contrast or parallel between them, Heb. xii. 18 — 24.
Under the law, Sinai was renewed in Zion. Under the gospel,
Zion superseded Sinai.

19 (18.) Tkou hast gone up to the high-place ; thou hast cap-
tured a captivity ; thou hast taken gifts among mankind^ and
(even among) rebels^ (so as) to dwell (here), Lord^ God ! In

PSALM LXVIII. 115

order to carry out his choice and resolution, as recorded in v
17 (16J above, i. e. in order to establish Zion as his earthly
dwelling place, God has encountered all opposing powers,
vanquished them, and forced them to pay tribute, even the
stoutest and most stubborn. The sign of the conquest being
finished is the conqueror's return to his throne, whether upon
earth or in heaven. See above, on Ps. vii. 8 (7), and compare
Ps. xviii. 17 (16), xciii. 4. cii. 20 (19.) Captured a captivitj/j
i. e. taken captive a multitude of enemies. The gifts meant are
the forced gifts of the conquered. Among men^ i. e. while present
among them as their conqueror, and by implication /7'c>7?i them.
Even rehelsj even the most rebellious, are compelled to submit.
In other words, the conquest is complete. According to the
military figures here used, it would seem to be implied that
the gifts thus extorted by the conqueror are distributed
among his followers. To receive gifts on the one hand and be-
stow gifts on the other are correlative ideas and expressions, so
that Paul, in applying this description of a theocratic triumph to
the conquests of our Saviour, substitutes one of these expressions
for the other (Eph. iv. 9.) He also, in his comment on the
passage, justly represents the ascension there described as neces-
sarily implying a previous descent. In other words, victory pre-
supposes conflict. The last clause obviously refers back to the
corresponding clause of v. 17 (16.) Lord Godj literally Jakj
God ! See above, on v. 5 (4.)

20 (19.) Blessed he the Lord^ day (by) day ; (whoever) lays a
load upon us^ the Mighty (God is) our salvation. Selah. The
second clause, which is obscure from brevity, also admits of this
translation : (man) may lay a load upon us, (but) God is our
salvation. Lay a load upon us, literally, load to us, or as to us.
According to both these constructions, loading means oppression.
It is possible, however, to attach to it the sense of benefits or
favours, put upon it in the English versions, but with a very dif-

116 PSALM LXVIIl.

ferent construction of the whole clause. The, Mighty [God) will
heap upon us our salvation^ or, will load us with salvation. The
depth of feeling and the strength of faith, on which this anticipa-
tion rests, are indicated or betrayed by the meditative pause
which follows.

21 (20.) God is for us a God of salvation, and to Jehovah the
Lord (belong) issues from death. A more exact translation of
the verse, retaining the peculiar idioms, would be this : the Al-
mighty (is) for us an Almighty for salvation, and to Jehovah the
Lord (belong), as to death, outgoings or escapes. This is only
an amplification of the last clause of the verse preceding, God is
our salvation, or according to the other construction, God loads
us with salvation.

22 (21.) Surely God will crush the head of his enemies, the
hairy scalp goi7ig on in his trespasses. The first word properly
means only and is here used to denote that this and not the con-
trary is true, a purpose which in our idiom may be answered by
a particle of strong asseveration, such as certainly or surely. See
above, v. 7 (6), and compare Ps. xxxix. 12 (11). Iviii. 12 (H.)
Crush the head, a strong figure for violent and complete destruc-
tion. See below, on v. 24 (23), and compare Gen. iii. 15. Ps.
ex. 6. Num. xxiv. 8, 17. The hairy scalp, or crown of hair, is
merely a poetical equivalent or parallel to head. The words that
follow seem to be applied to it by a kind of personification.
Compare Prov. xvi. 31. But this figure, if too bold, may be
avoided by supplying of one or of the man before going. This
last word does not necessarily mean going on, but according to
its usage elsewhere may be rendered going about, i. e. habitually
acting, in a sinful manner. See above, on Ps. xii. 9 (8.) xx. 7
(6.) xxvi. 3. XXXV. 14. xxxix. 7 (6.) xliii. 2 (1.)

23 (22.) The Lord hath said, From Bashan I will bring (them)

PSALM LXVIIl. 117

hack^ I will hring (them) hack from the dejpths of the sea. Some
suppose the object of the verbs in this verse to be Israel or my
people, as in Isai. xlix. 12 (compare Gen. xiv. 14.) But as the
enemy is still the subject of the following verses, it is better to
understand the one before us as threatening to bring them back
for punishment and destruction, even when they seemed to have
withdrawn in triumph. Here, as in verse 15 (14), Bashan is
mentioned as a frontier province of the Holy Land. In the last
clause there is an obvious climax. I will bring them back, not
from Bashan merely, but, if need be, from the bottom of the
ocean. Compare Ps. cxxxix. 9, and especially Am. ix. 2, 3.

24 (23.) In order that thou mayest crush (them) — thy foot in
Hood — (and) the tongue of thy dogs (in hlood) from the enemies,
(even) from him. The general import of this verse is clear, but
its construction doubtful and obscure. The first verb cannot
mean to dip or wash without an arbitrary change of text by read-
ing f n^in as in Ps. Iviii. 11 (10.) The original verb (fn)2tn) must
have the same sense as in v. 22 (21), and may have the same
object, namely, the enemies of God and of his people. The next
words may then be taken as a parenthetical and qualifying clause,
like sword in hand and other such forms in English. Thy foot
in blood, i. e. with thy foot in their blood, or so that thy foot shall
tread in their blood. The last word in Hebrew (nns>2) is by some
understood as a noun with a sufiix meaning its portion i. e. the
share of the tongue ; but for this there is no authority in usage.
Others translate the phrase, of it, i. e. of the blood, and the
whole clause, the tongue of thy dogs {shall receive) of it from the
enemies. According to the first version given above, the last
phrase is a mere specification of the one before it ; frovi the
enemies, (even) from him, referring to some real or ideal repre-
sentative of the entire class.

25 (24.) They saw thy goings, oh God, the goings of my God^

118 PSALM LXVIII.

my king^ in the holy place. The subject of the first verb may be
either men in general, or the spectators, those who took no part
in the triumphal pageant here described. Thekcly place, cot in
the restricted sense, but in that of the Greek iegdv, meaning the
whole of the sacred enclosure, as distinguished from vaogy the
sacred edifice. Into this enclosure the procession seems to be
described as entering, for the purpose of bringing back the ark.

26 (25.) Before went singers, behind players, in the midst of
damsels drumming, playing upon timbrels, which is still an oriental
custom. Some suppose the order mentioned in the first clause
to denote the precedence or priority of vocal above instrumental
music, as a rational or reasonable service. The English version
of the last clause, among (them were) the damsels, inverts the
true sense by needlessly supplying two words, a construction for-
bidden by the masoretic pointing. The true sense is, that the
singers and performers were themselves surrounded by these
players upon timbrels.

27 (26.) In assemblies bless ye God, the Lord, from the foun-
tain of Israel. Not only individually, or in triumphal marches,
but in the stated convocations of the people at the sanctuary.
See above, on Ps. xxvi. 12, the only other place where the He-
brew word occurs, except as a proper name (Num. xxxiii. 25),
and where it evidently has the same sense. The only satisfactory
explanation of the last words, fro?n the fountain of Israel, is that
afforded by supplying ye who are before it, and applying the
whole clause as a description of the chosen people, under the
figure of a stream derived or flowing from its fountain. Compare
the similar ideas and expressions in Isai. xlviii. 1. li. 1.

28 (27. J There is little Benjamin ^subduing them; the chiefs of
Judah, stoning them ; the chiefs of Zebulon ; the chiefs of Naphtah.
These are named as representatives of all the tribes supposed to

PSALM LXVIII. 119

be therCy i. e. in the triumphal march. They seem to be selected,
partly with reference to their local habitation, as the northern
and southern extremities of Israel ; partly because the most re-
markable exploits, from the time of Moses to the time of David,
were performed by these tribes. See Judg. v. 18. 1 Sam. xviii.
7. Little Benjamin^ so called in allusion to Jacob's partial
fondness for his youngest son. See G-en. xliii. 33, and compare
1 Sam. ix. 21. Their conqueror^ or subduing them^ as Saul did
the surrounding nations. See 1 Sam. xiv. 47, 48. Stoning
them^ literally, their stoning , from a verb which invariably means
to stone. The allusion may be to their skill as slingers, or more
specifically to the means by which David killed Goliath (1 Sam.
xvii. 49, 50.) The suflBix refers to the enemy, as in the clause
preceding. Some interpreters have noted, as an observable
coincidence, that our Lord and several of his apostles were of
Judah, Paul was of Benjamin (Phil. iii. 5), and the remaining
apostles of G-alilee, in which lay the domain of Zebulon and
Naphtali (Matt. iv. 13.)

29 (28.) Thy God (oh Israel) hath ordained thy strength ; he
thou strong J oh God^ who hast wrought (it) for us. Ordained,
provided and secured by his omnipotence. Be strong.^ i. e. show
thy strength by exerting it in our behalf, hereafter as thou hast
done heretofore. Wrought for us, indefinitely and in general,
or wrought (it) for us, i. e. this deliverance which we have been
celebrating. See above, on Ps. xxii. 32 (31), and compare Isai.
xxvi. 12.

30 (29 .) Because of thy temple above Jerusalem, to thee shall kings
bring tribute. The first word properly means from ; but as the
local sense would here be inadmissible, from may be understood as
in the phrase arising fro?n, proceeding from, in which the idea is
that of an effect or consequence. As the word translated temple
originally means a palace, it is applicable both to the Mosaic sane-

120 PSALM LXVIII.

tuary and to Solomon's temple which succeeded it. See above,
on Ps. V. 8 (7.) xlviii. 10 (9.) Ixv. 5 (4.) Above Jerusalem^
both in a physical and moral sense, as Zion and Moriah over-
hung the city, and as the presence of the sanctuary was at
once its protection and its crowning glory. The last word in
Hebrew occurs only here and in passages founded upon this. See
below, Ps. Ixxvi. 12 (11), and compare Isai. xviii. 7.

31 (30.) Rehukethou the beasts of the reeds ^ the croivd of strong
(bulls) with the calves of the nations^ crouching with 'pieces of silver;
he has scattered nations (that) in wars delight. What he confi-
dently anticipates is prayed for in the first clause, and in the last
described as already realized, both common modes of indirect pre-
diction. The word for beasts is that translated j^ocZ; in vs. 11 (10)
above ; but here both senses seem to be suggested, as they may
be by the use of the plural in English. The beast of the reeds
has been variously explained to be the lion (Jer. xlix. 19.1. 44,
Zech. xi. 3), the crocodile (Ez. xxix. 3. xxxii. 2), and the hip-
popotamus, the Hebrew name of which is plural in its form
(^Behemoth) and therefore analogous to the collective term here
used. This animal is also represented elsewhere as lying in the
covert of the reed (Job xl. 21.) Either the crocodile or hippopo-
tamus would necessarily suggest the idea of Egypt, here referred
to as the most powerful of heathen states, and therefore a fit em-
blem of the heathen world. The adjective strong is a poetical
description of wild bulls, as in Ps. xxii. 13 (12.) These may
represent the leaders of the nations, and the calves their subjects.
The participle crouching is a singular in Hebrew, prostrating
himself., the many being suddenly transformed into an ideal
individual. See above, on Ps. x. 10. With pieces of silver.,
silver coins, offered as tribute to their conquerors. See above,
on V. 19 (18), and compare Isai. Ix. 9. In the close of the
verse he sees the warlike enemies of Israel already scattered by
the hand of God.

PSALM LXVlfl. 121

31 (30.) Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall
soon stretch out /ler hands unto God. Egypt is again named
as the representative of the Gentile world, but in conjunction
with the neighboring state of Cush or Ethiopia, often referred
to by the prophets as a powerful and splendid empire. See
Isai. xviii. 7. xlv. 14. Zeph. iii. 10. The word translated _prmcg.s
means originally /a^ otjcs, elsewhere put for prosperous and potent
men. See above, on Ps. xxii. 30 (29.) From this word is sup-
posed to be derived the name Hasmoneaniohich was, given to the
Maccabees or Jewish princes in the interval between the Old
and New Testaments. Soon stretch out is not a version but a
paraphrase of the original expression, which means strictly, make
its hands to run, and may perhaps denote the eagerness with
which the action is performed.

33 (32.) Kingdoms of the earth, sing unto God; praise {or
celebrate) the Lord ! Selah. In view of the conquests here
foreseen, the whole world is summoned to acknowledge the God
of Israel as the universal sovereign. Compare Rev. xi. 15.

34 (33.) (Sing) to the (one) riding in the heavens of heavens
of old; lo, he utters his voice, a voice of strength. This verse is
designed to magnify the object of the praise enjoined. Riding,
as a conqueror in triumph. See above, on v. 5 (4.) The heavens
of heavens are the highest heavens, the heaven of that which is
heaven to us. See 1 Kings viii. 27, and compare Deut. x. 14.
xxxiii. 26. Of old does not qualify ridkig, as it may seem to do
in English, but the nouns immediately preceding, the heavens of
antiquity or ancient heavens. See above on Ps. Iv. 20 (19.) In
the last clause, he seems to hear an audible response from heaven
itself. The lo, as usual, implies that something suddenly assails
the senses. Utters his voice, literally, gives (forth a sound) with
his voice, as in Ps. Ixvi. 7 (6.)

VOL. II. 6

122 PSALM LXIX.

35 (34.) G-ive strength to God ! Over Israel (is) his majesty^
arid his strength in the clouds. To give^ in such connections, is of
of course to ascribe. See above, on Ps. xxix. 1, 2. The remainder
of the verse contains the ground of this injunction. God is en-
titled to the praise of power, because his greatness is displayed in
the protection which he extends over Israel. As the sanctuary
was above Jerusalem, so God was above the chosen people, their
chief and their protector. See above, on v. 30 (29.) At the
same time his power is displayed throughout the universe, espe-
cially those extraordinary dispensations, in which he appears to
speak from heaven or the clouds. See above, on Ps. xxvi. 6 (5.)

36 (35.) Terrible {art thou)^ oh God^ out of thy holy -places ;
the Mighty ( God) of Israel — he is (a God) giving strength and
forces to the people. Blessed (be) God ! The winding up is like
that of the twenty-ninth psalm. Out of thy sanctuaries, as dis-
played thence, in blessings bestowed upon thy people. He is not
only mighty in himself but the giver of might to others. Com-
pare Isai. xl. 29, 31.

PSALM LXIX.

A SUFFERER dcscribcs his own condition, vs. 2 — 5 (1 — 4.)
He represents himself as suffering for God's sake, vs. 6 — 13 (5 —
12.) He therefore prays to be delivered, vs. 14 — 19 (13 — 18. J
He again describes his suffering, but with more explicit reference
to its cause, the malice of his enemies, vs. 20 — 22 (19 — 21.) He
therefore prays that they may be destroyed, vs. 23 — 29 (22 — 28.)
He anticipates a favourable answer to his prayers and the hap-

PSALM LXIX. 123

piest effect upon his brethren, vs. 30 — 34 (29 — 33.) Nay, he
expects to see the same mercy exercised towards the church or
chosen people, vs. 35 — 37 (34 — 36.)

1. To the Chief Musician. Upon lilies. By David. The
lilies probably refers to the delightful consolations and deliverances
experienced or hoped for. See above, on Ps. xlv. 1. Ix. 1. The
subject of the psalm is an ideal person, representing the whole
class of righteous sufferers. The only individual in whom the various
traits meet is Christ. That he is not however the exclusive or
even the immediate subject, is clear from the confession in v. 6 (5.)
There is no psalm, except the twenty-second, more distinctly
applied to him in the New Testament, i*""'^^'

2(1.) Save me, oh God., for the waters are come in, even to
my soul., i. e. so as to endanger my life. See Jer. iv. 10. Jon. ii.
6. The figure for extreme distress is the same as in Ps. xl. 3 (2.)

3 (2.) / have sunk in the mire of the dejpth (or dee'p place)
(where J there is no standing ; I have come into depths of %vater^
and the flood has overwhelmed me. The image is that of one sunk
in the bottom of a sea or river. ISlire of depth is not merely
deep mire, but the mire found in a deep place.

4 (3.) I am weary of my crying ; parched is my throat ; my
eyes fail J waiting for my God. The literal meaning of the first
clause is, la^n weary in my crying , i, e. have grown weary in the
act of calling upon God for help. See above, on Ps. vi. 7 (6.)
Parched J dried, by excessive exertion of the voice, or giving the
Hebrew verb the stronger sense which properly belongs to it, in-
flamed. His eyes are represented as exhausted, worn out, by

continued looking for God. See below, Ps. cxix. 82, and com-
pare Lam. iv. 17. The participle tvaiting does not agree with
eyes^ as it might seem to do in English, but with the person to

124 PSALM LXIX.

whom they belong, and may be construed absolutely, I waiting
(me expectante)y i. e. while I wait.

5 (4.) 3Iore than, the hairs of my head (are) those hating me
without cause ; strong are my destroyers^ my false enemies ; what
I did not roh^ then must I restore. With the first clause compare
Ps. xl. 13 (12) ; with the second, Ps. xxxv. 9. xxxviii. 20 (19) ;
with the third, Ps. xxxv. 11.2 Sam. xvi. 8. False enemies., liter-
ally, enemies of falsehood., which may either mean in general per-
fidious, treacherous, or more specifically, using calumny and
falsehood as a means for the attainment of their wicked ends.
Then or afterwards, in reference to the previous innocence which
he asserts. Though he took nothing at first, yet afterwards he
must restore.

6 (5.) Oh God., thou knowest of (or as to) my foolishness , and
my trespasses from thee have not been hid. He does not deny his
own demerit in the sight of God, but nevertheless prays to be
delivered from destruction. See above, on Ps. vi. 2 (1.) xxxviii.
4—6 (3—5.) xl. 13 (12.) xli. 15 (14.) As if he had said,
* true, I am a sinner ; it is vain to deny it ; thou God, knowest
it ; but nevertheless' &c.

7 (6.) Let not them he ashamed in me that wait for thee., Lord.,
Jehovah., of Hosts ; let not them he disgraced in me that seek thee.,
God of Israel ! He prays that the principle laid down in Ps. xxv.
3 may not be falsified. In me., not merely hy me or hecause of
me, but in me, as the representative of the whole class. Ashamed,
disappointed and defeated in their hopes. Wait for thee, for
thine appearance and the fulfilment of thy promises. Seek thee^
i. e. seek to know thee and enjoy thy favour.

8 (7. j Because for thee (ox thy sake) I have home reproach,
disgrace hath covered my face. In his disgrace all God's servants

PSALM LXIX

125

must participate, because he is one of them and as such suffers.
With the first clause compare Ps. xliv. 23 (22.) Jer. xv. 15, with
the last, Ps. xliv. 16 (15.)

9 (8.) / am become a stranger unto my brethren and an alien
unto the sons of my mother. The literal meaning of the first
clause is, I have been estranged to (or as to) my brothers. There
may be an allusion to the envious treatment of David by the other
sons of Jesse. See 1 Sam. xvii. 28. The loss or alienation of
the nearest friends is spoken of as one of the severest trials in
Ps. xxvii. 10.

10 (9.) For the zeal of thine house., jealous regard for the
honour of the sanctuary, as the visible centre of the true religion,
has consumed me., implying an extreme intensity of feeling ; and
in consequence of this zeal, the revilings of thy revilers have fallen
upon me. That such revilers did exist in David's time, we learn
from 2 Sam. xii. 14. The first clause of the verse before us is
applied to Christ in John ii. 17, and the second in Rom. xv. 3.

11 (10.) ATid I wept (away) my soul or wept myself away,
in fasting J and (even that) was for revilings to me, even that
became a subject of malignant mockery against me. That weep-
ing and fasting, as natural concomitants, were not unknown to
David's experience in real life, appears from 2 Sam. xii. 16, 21,
22. The first clause likewise admits of this construction : and
I wept J my soul (was) in fa stingy i. e. fasted. But this though it
agrees well with the Hebrew usage which represents fasting as a
mortification of the soul (see above, on Ps. xxxv. 13), is neither
so natural nor so striking as the first construction above given,
which is found in an anonymous translation of the Psalms, pub-
lished by Bagster, London, 1830.

12 (11.) A7id I gave J put on (as) my clothing, sackcloth, and

126 PSALM LXIX.

was to them J in consequence, for a comparison, a proverb, by-
word, or became a by-word to them. See above, on Ps. xxxv. 13
and xliv. 15 (14.) The context makes it probable that the
mourning described in this and the preceding verse was not in
reference to his own sufferings merely, but to the sins of the
whole people

13 (12.) They think of me, imagine things against me, they
who sit in the gate ; (they imagine) songs, lampoons or satires,
they who drink strong drink. The gate meant is that of the city,
where the oriental courts and markets were held. Hence some
suppose the sense to be, that even in the place of serious business,
they indulge their spiteful mirth at my expense. But it seems
more natural to make the sitters in the gate mean simply those
frequenting public places. See above on Ps. Iv. 12 (11) and
compare Josh. xx. 4. Ruth iv. 1,2. Lam. v. 14.

14 (13.) And /, but as for me, in contradistinction from these
mockers, my jpraytr (is) to thee, I pray to thee in spite of their
derision, oh Jehovah ; (let there come or let there be) «- tivie of
acceptance, in the abundance of thy mercy ; answer me, grant my
petition, in the truth of thy salvation, or thy truth of salvation, in
the exercise of that fidelity which secures the salvation of all who
trust it. Compare Isai. xlix. 8. Ixi. 2.

15 (14.) Deliver me from the mire and let me not sink; let me
be delivered from my haters, from the depths of water. He here
returns to the figures in v. 2 ( 1 ) , where profound suffering is
described as submersion under water and in mire. The meanins;
of the figure is explained in the last clause of the verse before
us by the addition of a literal expression.

16 (15.) Let not the flood overwhelm me, and let not the deep
swallow me, and let not the tvell (or pit) shut its mouth upon

PSALM LXIX. 127

me. In the earnestness of his entreaty, he passes from the figure
of a sea or stream to that of a well or cistern, the idea common to
both being that of deep water.

17 (16.) Ansiver me^ grant my prayer, Jehovah ; for good (or
as we should say, ^reat) is thy mercy ; according to the multitude
of thy compassions, turn to me, or towards me, implying that his
looks were before averted. See above, on Ps. iv. 7 (6.) xiii.
2(1.)

IS (17.) And hide not thy face from thy servant^ for (there
is) distress to me, I am distressed, make haste^ answer me, i. e.
grant me what I ask without delay.

19 (18.) Draio nigh unto my soul, to me whose soul or life is
threatened, ransom it, rescue it from ruin; because (ov for the
sake) of my enemies, redeem me, so that they may not triumph in
my fall. See above, on Ps. xiii. 5 (4), and with the first clause
compare Ps. xxii. 2 (1.)

20 (19.) Thou kndwest, literally hast known, as a thing of
long standing, my reproach, the contempt of which I am the ob-
ject, a7id my shame and my disgrace ; before thee, in thy sight
and known to thee, {are) all my adversaries, persecutors or op-
pressors, not their persons merely, or their conduct in general,
but their treatment of me. The conviction that God knows all
involves a persuasion that he will do justice to both parties. See
above, on Ps. i. 6.

21 (20.) Reproach, including calumny and insult, hath broken
my heart, a common figure for extreme distress, and I am sick,
sick at heart or sick in spirit, but without excluding the idea of
corporeal sujffering, as the eflfect, or as a part, of his distress ;
and I have waited for pity, literally mourning, i. e. sympathy.

H

128 PSALM LXIX.

condolence, on the part of my cruel enemies, and it is not, or
there is none, and for comforters, (those) comforting, and have not
found (them.) With the phrase, / am sick, compare Ps. vi. 3 (2.)

22 (21.) And, so far from pitying me they have aggravated my
distress, for tkey have given in my food, or as my food, gall, here
put for the extreme of bitterness, and for my thirst, i. e. to slake
it, or at (the time of) my thirst, in my thirst, when I thirst, they
give me vinegar to drink. Gall and vinegar are here put together
to denote the most unpalatable forms of food and drink. The
passion of our Lord was providentially so ordered as to fur-
nish a remarkable coincidence with this verse. The Romans
were accustomed to give sour wine with an infusion of myrrh to
convicts on the cross, for the purp se of deadening the pain. This
practice was adhered to in our Saviour's case (Mark xv. 23.)
Though ia itself not cruel but the contrary, it formed part of the
great process of murderous persecution. On the part of the
Roman soldiery it may have been an act of kindness ; but consi-
dered as an act of the unbelieving Jews, it was giving gall and
vinegar to one already overwhelmed with anguish. And so Mat-
thew, in accordance with his general method, represents it as
a verification of this passage (Matth. xxvii. 34.) He does not
contradict Mark's account before referred to, but merely intimates,
that the wine and myrrh thus offered were to be regarded as
identical with the gall and vinegar of this prediction. And in
order to prevent the coincidence from being overlooked, our Lord,
before he died, complained of thirst and vinegar was administered.
(Matth. xxvii. 48. John xix. 28.) The word translated food in the
first clause occurs only here, and its verbal root only in the his-
tory of David (2 Sam. xii. 17. xiii. 6, 10 )

23 (22.) Let their table before them, at which they eat and
where they are accustomed to enjoy themselves, be for (or be-
come) a snare, an occasion of unexpected danger, and to those

PSALM LXIX. 129

secure, thinking themselves safe, (let it be for or become) a trap.
The first word in the last clause is the plural of one meaning
peace, but seems to be here used, as in Ps. Iv. 21 (20), for those
who are at peace, at ease, tranquil and secure. Compare 1
Thess. V. 3. The ancient versions give it the equally appropriate
sense oi for requitals, i. e. in recompense of their transgressions.
But although this sense may be deduced from the verbal root
(tabu:) and belongs to several collateral derivatives (Cibipj t^ilp,
labffi), it has no existence in the usage of the one before us
(D'^/pibd.) The circuitous construction in the English version is
not only forced, but wholly unnecessary. The imprecations in
this verse and those following it are revolting only when considered
as the expression of malignant selfishness. If uttered by God,
they shock no reader's sensibiliti'*^, nor should they, when consi-
dered as the language of an ideal person, representing the whole
class of righteous suficrers, and particularly Him, who, though
he prayed for his murderers while dying (Luke xxiii. 34) , had before
applied the words of this very passage to the unbelieving Jews ( Matt,
xxiii. 38), as Paul did afterwards (Rom. xi. 9, 10.) The general
doctrine of providential retribution, far from being confined to the
Old Testament, is distinctly taught in many of our Saviour's
parables. See Matth. xxi. 41. xxii. 7. xxiv. 51.

24 (23.) Let their eyes darken, i. e. be or grow dark, from
seeing, so as not to see, and their loins do thou cause to bend, give
way, or swerve, i. e. paralyse their strength. See above, on Ps.
Ixvi. 10 (9.) The first clause probably does not refer to blind-
ness, but either to the dimness of the eyes in death, or to darkness
as a figure for calamity in general.

25 (24.) Pour upon them thine anger, and let the heat of thy
wrath, thy hot wrath, overtake them, reach them after they have
long seemed to escape it and expected to escape it still.

6*

130 PSALM LXIX.

26 (25.) Let their home he desolated ; in their tents may there
he no one dwelling^ or let no one dwell. The word translated home
seems properly to mean an enclosure^ with special reference per-
haps to an encampment or collection of tents (Gen. xxv. 16.
Num. xxi. 10.) The translation castle in the English version of
the places just referred to, and that of 'palace in the margin of
the one before us, seem entirely conjectural. The Septuagint
here has a Greek word (InoLvltg) meaning a place to pass the
night in, especially for flocks and herds, and thence transferred to
farm or country houses. This expression is retained in Acts i. 20,
where the verse before us is quoted, in connection with Ps. cix. 8,
and applied to Judas Iscariot, not as an individual merely, but as
a type and representative of the Jewish people, in their malignant
and perfidious enmity to Christ. This does not prove our Lord
to be the exclusive subject of the whole psalm, a conclusion for-
bidden by the confession of sin in v. 6 (5) above ; but it does
show that He is not only one, but the chief member, nay the
great type and representative, of the whole class of innocent suf-
ferers at the hands of wicked enemies. See also Matt, xxiii. 38.

27 (26.) For {those) whom thoiihast smitten they persecute.^ have
persecuted heretofore and do so still ; and as to the grief of thy
wounded they tell or talk. The pronoun in the first clause is em-
phatic, ^ thou and not man, or man only as thy blind unconscious
instrument.' Compare 2 Sam. xvi. 11, 12. Job xix. 21, 22. The
same persons are described as thy uwundcdj the original expres-
sion having commonly the sense of mortally wounded, and being
therefore often rendered slain. See Isai, Ixvi. 16. Jcr. xxv. 33.
The preposition before grief denotes the tlicme or subject, as it
does with the same verb in Ps. ii. 7. To tell about it or talk of
it is to make it the subject of unfeeling or derisive comment. See
above on Ps. xli. 9 (8.)

28 (27.) Give {ox place) iniquity ujion iniquity^ and let them

PSALM LXIX. 131

not come into thy righteousness. Luther and others understand
the first clause as a prayer that sin may be made the punishment
of sin (Rom. i. 28). But there seems to be rather an allusion to
the double sense of the equivocal term ('^i^) which properly de-
notes sin as such or in itself considered, but sometimes seems to
mean sin considered in its consequences or effects. Thus un-
derstood it is a prayer that sin may be followed by the natural
effects of sin. The righteousness of God is that which he bestows
by the judicial act of justification, including pardon. To come
into it is to come into possession or enjoyment of it, to become a
sharer in it.

29 (28.) Let them be blotted from the book of life (or of the
living)^ and with the righteous let them not be written., registered,
enrolled. The book is not here a figure for the memory, as in
Ps. Ivi. 9 (8), but for the divine decree. The primary idea is
that of a register containing the names of those who are to live or
be preserved alive. The figure is Mosaic, being evidently bor-
rowed from Ex xxxii. 32. The translation living., which is given
in the ancient versions, is favoured by the parallel expression
righteous (inen)., if not by the analogy of Ps. xxvii. 13. lii. 7 (5.)
But the abstract version life is equally appropriate, and is recom-
mended by the use of the phrase book of life in the New Testa-
ment with reference to the future state. See Phil. iv. 3. Rev.
XX. 15.

30 (29.) And I {am) afflicted and suffering ; let thy salvation^
.flh God., set me on high., beyond the reach of danger, which is tan-
j-H^amount to saying, in a place of safety. See above, on Ps. xx. 2

(1.) lix. 2 (1.) The verb might also be translated as a future
proper, expressive of a confident anticipation, thy salvation will
secure me. But it seems more natural to understand it as a
prayer for himself, subjoined to the foregoing series of prayers for
the destruction of his enemies. As if he had said, ' Remember

132 PSALM LXIX.

Lord that I am suffering, and interpose for my deliverance, as
well as for their punishment.'

31 (30.) I will 'praise the name of God with song, or in a
sono-j and will magnify him with thanksgiving. Here, as in
many other cases, the certainty of the event is indicated by
an expressed determination to thank God for it. See above, on
Ps. V. 8 (7.)

32 (31.) And it shall he better to Jehovah, this shall please
him more, than ox (or) bullock horned (and) hoofed. The con-
trast is not between material and spiritual offerings, but between
a legitimate offering of both kinds and the mere oblation of a
beast, as an opus operatum of intrinsic virtue, or as if God could
take delight in hoofs and horns, which are therefore contemp-
tuously specified. See above, on Ps. xl. 7 (6.) 1. 8. li. 18 (16.)
The last words are highly idiomatic, and scarcely susceptible
of close translation, the original forms being those of active
participles, horning, hoofing, i. e. having or producing horns and
hoofs.

33 (32.) The humble see and rejoice, literally, have seen and will
rejoice, in my deliverance, (even ye) that seek God, seekers of God,
and may your heart live ! May you be revived and cheered by
witnessing this exhibition of God's power and goodness ! The
wish that it may be so includes a promise that it shall be, as in
Ps. xxii. 27 (26), where the form of expression is the same.

34 (33.) For hearkening, habitually listening, {is) Jehovah to
the poor, i. e. the poor among his people, the righteous, pious, or
believing poor ; and his prisoners, those imprisoned in aflSiction
by himself, or by human oppressors for his sake, he hath not
despised, and therefore never will. The general inference here

PSALM LXIX. 133

drawn from the speaker's own experience is the same as in Ps.
xxii. 25 (24) above,

35 (34.) Let heaven and earth praise him^ seas and every thing
creeping in them^ i. e. moving with an animal or vital motion. In
the particular mercj experienced by himself he sees a pledge of
gifts deserving and demanding universal praise.

36 (35.) For God will save Zion^ and will build the cities
of Judahj and they shall dwell in them, and possess them. He
who is thus faithful to the individual believer must be faithful to
the whole church. It is characteristic of the ancient saints to re-
gard every personal mercy as a pledge of greater favours to
the body of God's people. This is peculiarly appropriate in such
a case as this, where the words are those of an ideal person re-
presenting a whole class, and that a class including, as its most
conspicuous member, the Messiah himself. There is no need of
supposing an allusion, either prophetical or historical, to the
restoration of the Jews from Babylon, the rather as the temple is
referred to in v. 10 (9) as still standing. They in the last clause
are the poor of v. 34 (33), i. e. the righteous or God's people.

37 (36.) A'iid the seed of his servants shall inherit itj i. e.
Judah or the land of promise, aTid the lovers of his name, of his
revealed perfections, shall c^t^e/Z (quietly and safely) 2?iz7. The
foregoing promises are not restricted to a single generation, but
extend to the remotest posterity. Inherit it, possess it by heredi-
tary right from generation to generation. As temporal and
spiritual blessings were inseparably blended in the old dispensa-
tion, the promise of perpetual possession and abode in Palestine
is merely the costume in which that of everlasting favour to the
church is clothed in the Old Testament.

134 PSALM LXX.

PSALM LXX.

The Fortieth Psalm, as we have seen (vol. 1. p. 333), consists
of a thanksgiving for deliverances experienced already, vs. 2 — 14
(1 — 13), and of a prayer for fresh occasion of thanksgiving, vs.
15 — 18 (14 — 17.) The latter portion is here repeated by itself,
as a kind of appendix to the Sixty-ninth and preface to the
Seventy-first, with both which it has several points of contact and
resemblance. The mutual relation of the two editions is the
same as that between the Fourteenth and the Fifty-third. The
supposition of an erroneous copy or an accidental repetition is
forbidden by the fact that both are left on record, and by the
appearance of an uniform design in the variations. In this case,
as in that of the Fifty-third Psalm, no comments will be made
upon those expressions which are common to both forms and
have therefore been explained already.

1. To the Chief Musician. By David. To remind^ i. e. to
remind God of the Psalmist's necessities. The same inscription
is prefixed to Ps. xxxviii. The phrase hy David represents him
as the author, not of the Fortieth Psalm merely, but of this
abridgment. See above, on Ps. liii. 1, and compare vol 1. p. 153.

2 (1.) Oh God to deliver me, oh Lord to help me^hasten ! The
first word of Ps. xl. 14 (13), he pleased., is here omitted, for the
purpose, as some suppose, of making the commencement more

PSALM LXX. 135

abrupt, and thereby marking the whole composition as a fragment.
Another variation, which interpreters have laboured to account
far as significant, is the substitution of Elohim in the first clause
for Jehovah^ the only Divine name which appears in the fortieth
psalm at all. It is quite as probable, to say the least, that the
names were interchanged as God and Lord are often by ourselves,
without special reason or design.

3 (2.) Ashamed and confounded shall he (those) seeking my soul ;
turned back and disgraced shall be (those) desiring (or delighting
in) my hurt. See above, on Ps. xl. 15 (14.) The only varia-
tion consists in the omission of the words together and to destroy
itj in accordance with the obvious design of condensation and
abridgement.

4 (3.) They shall turn back on account of their shame., i. e.
retreat from their assault on me confounded and ashamed — those
saying., Aha^ aha ! See above, on Ps. xl. 16 (15.) For the
strong expression, they shall be desolate., we have a milder one
borrowed from Ps. vi. 11 (10.) The only other variation con-
sists in the omission of the unimportant phrase to me.

5 (4.) They shall rejoice and be glad in thee — all (those)
seeking thee; and they shall say always., great be Jehovah —
(those) loving thy salvation. See above, on Ps. xl. 17 (16.)
The only variation here is the insertion of the copulative aiid at
the beginning of the second clause.

' 6 (5.) And I am afflicted and 'poor — oh God., hasten unto
me ! My help and my deliverer (art) thou — oh Jehovah., linger
not., do not delay ! See above, on Ps. xl. 18 (17.) Instead of
Gody the parallel passage has Jehovah., and instead of Jehovah., in
the second clause, my God. Another variation is that the signi-
cant expression, he will think of me (or for ine)., is exchanged for

136 PSALM LXXI.

the petition hasten to mey thus bringing back the prayer to the
point from which it started.

PSALM LXXI.

A SUFFERER from the spite of wicked enemies prays for deliver-
ance, vs. 1 — 3. He acknowledges God's goodness to him in
early life, vs. 4 — 8, and prays that it may be continued in old
age, vs. 9 — 13. He confidently anticipates an answer to his
prayers, vs. 14 — 21, and promises a suitable return of praise,
vs. 22—24.

The psalm bears a strong resemblance to the others in which
the sufferings of the righteous are the great theme, such as the
twenty-second, thirty-fifth, thirty-eighth, and fortieth, a portion
of which last seems to have been prefixed to it, as a kind of text
or theme, or for the purpose of connecting it with the whole class
of compositions just referred to. This explains the absence of
a title or inscription in the psalm before us, as in the case of the
second, tenth, forty-third, and others.

1. In thee J oh Jehovah, have I trusted , taken refuge; let me
not be shamed, disappointed and confounded, to eternity, forever.
This verse and the next two are borrowed, with slight variations,
from the beginning of Ps. xxxi.

2. In thy righteousness _ thou wilt deliver me and cause me to
escape ; incline to me thine ear and save me. See above, on Ps. xxxi
2, 3 (1,2), where the imperative form of the preceding clause is

PSALM LXXI. 137

still retained, instead of being changed, as here, into the future.
The verb deliver me there occurs in what is here the second clause •,
and the qualifying term, haste or quickly^ is omitted in the case
before us. The division of the sentences is also different, so that
the verses do not exactly correspond.

3. Be thou to me for a rock of habitation^ a rock where I may
safely dwell and make my home, (whither I may be able) to come
always^ i. e. whenever it is necessary ; thou hast commanded to
save mCj my deliverance is decreed already ; for my rock^ my
hiding place, and my fortress art thou. The images presented
and the terms used are similar to those in Ps. xviii, 3 (2.) Com-
manded to save me : see above, on Ps. xliv. 5 (4.) Ixviii. 29 (28.)
The imitation of Ps. xxx. here insensibly merges into a new and
independent composition.

4. My God, free me, cause me to escape, from the hand of the
wicked, from the palm, a poetical equivalent to hand, of the per-
verse and corrupt doer. The last word in Hebrew occurs only
here, but from its form appears to be the participle of a verb that
means to be (or become) sour, to ferment, to putrefy. The
infinitive of the same verb is applied to moral evil in Isai.
i. 17.

5. For thou (art) my hope, oh Lord, Jehovah, my confidence,
the object of my trust, from my youth. Compare the combina-
tion Lord Jehovah with those in Ps. Ixviii. 21 (20.j Ixix. 7 {6),
and the phrase my confidence with Ps. xl. 5 (4.)

6. Upon thee Ileaned, or by thee was held up, sustained, /row
the womb ; from the bowels of my mother, a synonymous expres-
sion, thou {art) my bringing out, the one that brought me out, a
different expression of the same idea as in Ps. xxii. 11 (10.)
The meaning of the verb here used, both in its transitive and in-

138 PSALM LXXl.

transitive forms, may be gathered from Ps. xc. 10. Num. xi. 31.
In thee is my praise always ; it originates, revolves, and ends in
thee. Compare the analogous expression in Ps. xxii. 26 (25.)

7. As a prodigy, or wonder, an object of contemptuous aston-
ishment, was J, or have I been to many, on account of my extra-
ordinary sufferings ; hut thou art my refuge of strength, my strong
refuge, at once my protector and my hiding place. With the
first clause compare Deut. xxviii. 46. Isai. lii. 14. 1 Cor. iv. 9.

8. Filled shall my mouth he (with) thy praise, and all the day
{with) thy heauty, or glory, as the subject of that praise. The
sight of thine excellency now excites, and will excite forever, my
admiration and my praise.

9. Cast me not off, at the time of old age ; as m.y strength fails,
literally, according to the failure of my strength, leave me not, do
not thou abandon or forsake me. He here prays that the grace
which he experienced in youth, and which he has already ac-
knowledged in the foregoing context, may be continued and ex-
tended to his old age. Compare Isai. xlvi. 3, 4.

10. For my enemies have said (so) to me, i. e. have told me that
God would forsake or had forsaken me, and as a proof that they
believe it, the watchers of my soul, those who watch and lie in wait
for its destruction, have consulted together, i. e. against me, which
they would not have done if they had really believed me to be under
the Divine protection. Instead of to me in the first clause, we
may read of (i. e. concerning) me, without any violation of usage
or material change of meaning. See above, on Ps. iii. 3 (2. J

11. Saying, God hath forsaken him, pursue and seize him, for
there is no deliverer, literally, none delivering. This verse is an
amplification of the phrase they say {so) in the verse preceding.

PSALM LXXl. 139

It gives the very words in which they say so. With the first
clause compare Ps. iii. 3 (2.) xli. 6 (5), and the words of Ahihto-
phel in 2 Sam. xvii. 1, 2, to which there may be a direct allusion,
as an actual instance of the thing ideally described in David's
own experience. With the last clause compare Ps. vii. 3 (2.)

12. Oh God^ he, not far from me; oh my God^ to (or for) my
help hasten. Compare the similar expressions of Ps. xxii. 20 (19.)
XXXV. 22. xxxviii. 22, 23, (21, 22.) xl. 14 (13.) Ixx. 2 (1.) The
stronger expression my God, in the second clause, urges his
covenant relation to God, as a reason for expecting to be heard.

13. They shall he shamed, they shall cease (or he consumed) —
the adversaries of my soul ; they shall put on (or he clothed with)
reproach and disgrace — the seekers of my hurt. The verbs may
also be translated as optatives, let them he shamed^ etc. But thia
is really included in the strict sense of the future. Compare
the parallel passages, Ps. xxxv. 4, 26. xl. 15 (14.) Ixx. 3 (2.)

14. And I will always hope, and add to (Yiiex3iW.j add upon, ac-
cumulate, increase) all thy praise. To all thy praise which 1
have uttered hitherto, I will continue still to add.

15. My mouth shall recount thy righteousness, all the day {long)
thy salvation^ for I know not numhers (to express them), I can-
not number them, they are innumerable. The righteousness or
rectitude of God, including his veracity or faithfulness, is here
referred to as the cause of his salvation, the salvation of which
he is the source and author.

16. I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord Jehovah ; I
will mention (or commemorate) thy righteousness, thine only. The
first phrase may also be translated, I will enter into the mighty
deeds, etc. as we speak of entering into the particulars of a sub-

140 PSALM LXXl.

the particulars of a subject. But this is rather an English than
a Hebrew idiom. The common version, / will go in the strength
of the Lord God, is at variance with the usage both of the verb
and noun, as the former does not mean to go absolutely, but
either to enter or to come to a particular place, expressed or un-
derstood. The ellipsis here may be supplied from Ps. v. 8 (7)
and Ixvi. 13, in both which places the same verb denotes
the act of coming to God's house for the purpose of solemn praise,
and in the second passage cited is followed by the same prepo-
sition, I will come into thy house with burnt-offerings y i. e. I will
bring them thither. This sense agrees well with the vow to praise
God in the two preceding verses, and with the promise of com-
memoration in the other clause of this verse. See above, on Ps.
XX. 8 (7.) It also enables us to give the noun (nl^i:ia) its usual
sense of God's exploits or mighty deeds. See below, Ps. cvi. 2,
and compare Deut. iii. 24. Thine only, not my own or that of
any creature. See above, on Ps. xliv. 4, 7 (3, 6.)

17. Oh God, thou hast taught me (to praise thee) from my
youth, by thy providential dealings with me, i. e. given me occa-
sion to celebrate thy praise, and until now I will declare, i. e. I
am still declaring, still have reason to declare, thy wondrous
works. See above, on Ps. ix. 2 (1.) xxvi. 7. xl. 6 (5.)

18. And also (or even) unto old-age and hoary-hairs, oh God,
forsake me not, till I declare thine arm, i. e. the exertion of thy
power, to the (next)- generation, (and) to every one that is to come
thy power. The last clause determines the sense of the indefinite
expression, a generation. See above, on Ps. xxii. 31 (30.) With
the phrase thy arm, compare Ps. xliv. 4 (3.)

19. And thy righteousness, oh God, (reaches) even to the height
{or high place) , i. e. heaven, (thou) who hast done great things,
oh God, who is like thee ? With the first clause compare Ps.

PSALM LXXI. 141

xxxvi. 6 (5.) Ivii. 11 (10) ; with the last, Ex. xv. 11. Deut. iii.
24. 2 Sam. vii. 22.

20. (Thou) who hast showed us, made us see, i. e. caused us to
experience, distresses many and severe (or many distresses and evils)
wilt return (and) make us live^ revive or quicken us, and from
the depths of the earth wilt return (and) bring us up, make or
cause us to ascend. The sudden change from the singular to the
plural form, in reference to the same subject, led the authors of
the masoretic punctuation to restore the singular in this verse
also ; but the reading in the text is no doubt the original and true
one. As the word translated depths is elsewhere invariably ap-
plied to water, some suppose an allusion to the deluge, as in Ps.
xxix. 10. xxxii. 6. xxxvi. 7 (6.) Compare Isai. viii. 7, 8. The
verb return, twice used here, may, agreeably to Hebrew usage,
merely qualify the verbs to which it is prefixed, thou wilt quicken
us again, thou wilt bring us again. But the similar expression
in the next verse makes it probable, that the verb was meant to
have an independent meaning, and to point out the dependence of
the quickening and the restoration here expected on Jehovah's
return to his forsaken people. See above, on Ps. xiv. 7.

21. Thou wilt increase my greatness, and wilt turn (and) com-
fort me. As the word translated greatness is elsewhere applied
to the great things done by God for the protection and deliver-
ance of his people (Ps. cxlv. 3. 2 Sam vii. 23), my greatness -may
have here the objective sense of great things done to or for me.
See above, on v. 19, and compare Ps. xl. 6 (5.)

22. Also I will thank thee with a harp-instrument, i. e. with a
harp or lyre as the instrument of praise, (for) thy truth, or as to
thy truth, veracity and faithfulness ; / ivill play to thee, make
music to thee, praise or celebrate thee, with a lyre, (thou) Holy
(One) of Israel, i. e. his peculiar God, possessed of all divine

142 PSALM LXXI.

perfections. See above, on Ps. xxii. 4 (3.) From this place
the title has been borrowed by the prophets, and by none so fre-
quently as by Isaiah.

23. My lips shall sing lohen I play to thee, and my soul which
thou hast redeemed. The first clause, as above translated, seems
to promise the combination of vocal and instrumental praise.
But as the first verb usually means to shout or sing for joy, and
sometimes simply to rejoice, and the second commonly conveys
the idea not of music merely but of praise, the clause may be
explained, my lips shall rejoice^ for I will sing to thee (or praise
thee), and my soul fshall also rejoice. J With the last clause
compare Ps. xxxiv. 23 (22.)

24. Also my tongue all the day shall muse of thy righteousness^
because they are ashamed, they blush — the seekers of my hurt. The
verb in the first clause means to think aloud, to talk to one's
self, and therefore suggests the idea both of thought and sound.
It is here applied to the tongue, as the instrument by which one's
thoughts are thus expressed, not to others but himself. See
above, on Ps. i. 2. ii. 1. xxxv. 28. xxxvii. 30. xxxviii. 13 (12.)
Ixiii. 7 (6), and below, on Ps. xc. 9. The position of the subject
at the end of the last clause is emphatic, as in v. 13 above. The
preterite form of the verbs represents the eflfect as one already
past, though really still future.

PSALM LXXIl. 143

PSALM LXXII.

A GLOWING description of the reign of the Messiah, as right-
eous, vs. 1 — 7, universal, vs. 8 — 11, beneficent, vs. 12 — 14, per-
petual, vs. 15 — 17, to which are added a doxology, vs. 18, 19,
and a postscript, v. 20.

1. By Solomon. Oh God., thy judgments to the king give, and
thy righteousness to the king'^s son. The form of expression in the
first clause or title is precisely the same as in the phrase so often
rendered, hy David. That it designates the author, may be
argued, not only from this usage, but from the fact, that the
imagery of the psalm is as evidently borrowed from the peaceful
and brilliant reign of Solomon, as that of the second from the
martial and triumphant reign of David. The prayer in this
verse is virtually a prediction, as the psalmist only asks what he
knows that God will give. The judicial power, under the the-
ocracy, was exercised in God's name and by his representatives.
See Deut. i. 17. Ex. xxi. 6. xxii. 7, 8. Prov. viii. 15. 2 Chr.
xix. 6. The Messiah was therefore expected to exhibit this pe-
culiar character in its perfection. See Isai. xi. 2, 3. By the
king and the king''s son we are not to understand the descendants
and successors of David indefinitely, but the last and greatest of
them in particular.

2. He shall judge thy people with righteousness, ami thy ajfflicted

144 PSALM LXXII.

{ofies) with judgment. This is stated as the necessary conse-
quence of the granting of the prayer in the preceding verse.
* Give him thy righteousness, and then he shall judge, etc'
There is no need therefore of putting an optative sense upon the
future, ' let him judge, etc.,' especially as it would then be neces-
sary to extend the same construction to the verses following, and
so long a series of optative expressions is without example. •'^

3. (Then) shall the mountains bear peace for the people^ and the
hills, by righteousness. The effect of the divine gift asked at the
beginning of the psalm is still described in this verse, under the
figure of a general growth or harvest of peace, to spring up in the
whole land. Bear, in the sense of bringing forth, producing.
Mountains and hills are mentioned as the salient points or pro-
minent features of the country. This was the more natural as
the hills of Palestine were carefully tilled in ancient times, as
appears from the terraces still visible. See above, Ps. Ixv. 13
(12), and below, Ps. cxlvii. 8, and compare Deut. xxxiii. 15.
Peace, as opposed to war and its accompanying evils. This is often
mentioned as a characteristic trait of the Messiah's reign. See
Isai. ii. 4. ix. 6, 7 (5, 6.) xi. 9. Ixv. 25. Mic. iv. 3. Zech. ix. 10.
It was typified by the peaceful reign of Solomon (1 Kings v. 4),
whose very name suggests it. The hills, i. e. the hills shall bear
peace or produce it. The words by righteousness belong to both
clauses and denote that the peace here promised was to be the
fruit of righteous government.

4. He shall judge the ajfflicted of the people; he shall save (or
bring salvation) to the sons of the needy, and shall crush (or break
in pieces) the oppressor. To judge them is To db them justice, to
redress their wrongs and vindicate their rights. The afflicted of
the people, those who suffer among the chosen people. The needy
or the poor man is an ideal person, representing the whole class,
whose individual members are described as his sons or children.

/)

PSALM LXXIl. 145

5. They shall fear thee with the sun, and before the moon, gene-
ration of generations. The first verb may be construed with the
sons of the needy, or taken u^efinitely, rnen shall fear thee, which
is nearly equivalent to sa;^g, thou shalt be feared. The verb
itself denotes religious reverence or awe, and is here put for wor-
ship. The object of address, here and throughout the psalm, is
God, whose worship is described as one fruit of the righteous reign
predicted. J\^th the sun, as long as they have the sun with them,
i. e. possess or enjoy him. Before the moon, in her presence, as
long as she continues to be visible, or to afford them light. This
is one of the scriptural expressions for perpetual duration, an
idea which is also expressed by the idiomatic phrase, generation
of generations, i. e. through all generations, or from one genera-
tion to another.

6. He shall come doxcnlike rain upon mown (grass), like showcrSy
the watering of the earth (or land.) This beautiful comparison
suggests the idea of a gentle yet refreshing and fertilizing influence,
to be exerted by the king, whose reign is here foretold. The
word translated showers, by its etymological affinities, suggests the
idea of abundance or copiousness. The noun which follows occurs
only here, but may be traced to verbal roots which mean to drop
or to flow.

7. In his days shall the righteous sprout, spring up, or shoot
forth, and abundance of peace, till the failure (or cessation) of the
moon. The idea is the same as in vs. 3, 5, with a slight change
in the form of the expression. By a lively figure, the righteous
man is substituted for righteousness in the abstract, as the fruit
of the earth and the productive cause of peace. The idea of
perpetuity is again conveyed by repeating one of the comparisons
in V. 5.

8. And he shall rule from sea to sea^ and from the river to the

VOL. II. 7

146 PSALM LXXII.

ends of the earth. There is here an obvious allusion to the limits
of the land of promise, as defined in Ex. xxiii. 31 ; but that these
are not directly intended in the ca^JDefore us, is clear from the
mention of foreio-n kino-s and nation^m the followino; verses. The
meaning rather is, that as the realm of the theocratic kings was
bounded by the Mediterranean and the Euphrates, that of the
Messiah, whom they represented, should extend from sea to sea,
i, e. from any sea to any other, even the most distant, or from
any sea around to the same point again, and from the river
(Euphrates), or from any other river, as a te?-minus a quo^ to the
ends of the earth. In other words, it should be universal. The
same mode of describing the extent of Christ's dominion is adopted
by the prophets. See Zech. ix. 10, and compare Am. viii. 12.
Mic. vii. 12.

9. Before him shall crouch icild (men J and his enemies the dust
shall lick. The first noun denotes dwellers in the wilderness, and
is applied both to brutes (Isai. xiii. 21. xxxiv. 14. Jer. 1. 39J
and men (Ps. Ixxiv. 14.) The common version of the first verb
[bow) is too weak in itself and in comparison with the parallel
expression, lick the dustj implying the most unconditional and
abject submission.

10. The kings of Tarshish and the Islands an oblation shall
setid back ; the kings of Sheba and Seba a reivard shall bring
near. The last noun in the first clause, and the verb in the
second, are technical terms of the Mosaic law, the first denoting
specially a vegetable ofifering, and the other the solemn act of
presentation in God's presence. The use of these expressions
implies that what is here described is not the mere payment of
tribute or the presentation of friendly gifts, but a religious offer-
ing. It is also worthy of remark, that the verb in the first
clause, and the last noun in the second, both sufrsrest the idea, not

' ' ^_ CIO 7

of a simple gift, but of a recompence o^ requital, perhaps in

PSALM LXXU. 147

allusion to the benefits which Christ was to bestow upon the
nations, and of which these gifts would be a thankful acknow-
ledgment. The verb re/?<-^, however, is. used elsewhere to denote
the simple act of paying tribute. See 2 Kings iii. 4. xvii. 3.
The proper names in this verse are mere specimens or samples
of the nations generally. Tarshish is mentioned, both as a well
known mart or source of wealth, and as a representative of the
extreme west. The Islands^ agreeably to Hebrew usage, in-
clude all distant sea-coasts, but particularly those of the Medi-
terranean. The distant south is represented, in like manner, by
Skeba^ a province of Arabia Felix, and Seba^ now commonly
supposed to be Meroe, a part of ancient Ethiopia, both famous
for their wealth and commerce. The obvious allusion to the
Queen of Sheba's visit to Jerusalem (1 Kings x. 1 — 10) is an-
other stroke in this prophetic picture evidently borrowed from
the times of Solomon.

11. And to him shall all kings bow [or prostrate themselves) ;
all nations shall serve him. That the preceding verse contains
only a sample of the nations over whom the Messiah was to
reign, is distinctly intimated by the universal and unqualified ex-
pressions of the verse before us. The act described in the first
clause is one expressive both of civil homage and religious wor-
ship. The same thing is true of the verb in the last clause, which
may be applied either to the civil service of a sovereign by his
subjects, or to the religious service of a deity by his worship-
pers. In this case, as in v. 10, both were meant to be in-
cluded.

12. For he ivill deliver the needy crying (to him for help), and
the sufferer^ and him that hath no helper. The literal translation
of the last clause is, and there is no one helping him^ or, and there
is no helper to him. By referring the pronoun to the siifferer
mentioned just before, we may take this, not as the description of

148 PSALM LXXIl.

a third class, but as a further description of the second, the
suffer e?- to ichom there is no hel'ptr . The whole verse represents
the king in question as the protector ,^ot the oppressor, of his
subjects, and assigns a reason for their tribute being repre-
sented as a requital of benefits received. See above, on v. 10.

13. He will have pity on (or spare) the poor and needy ^ and
the souls (or lives) of the needy he will save. In the first clause
the adjectives are of the singular number and prpperly denote the
poor (man) and the needy (man.) The change to the plural in
the second clause, needy (ones) or needy (people)^ shows that the
singular was not meant to denote a real individual, but rather an
ideal person, representing a whole class, which is then directly
designated by the plural.

14. From oppression and from violence he will redeem their
soulj and precious shall their blood be in his eyes (or sight.) This
last is an idiomatic expression of the idea, that a person sets such
a value on the life of another, that he will not sufier it to be des-
troyed. See below, on Ps. cxvi. 15, and compare 1 Sam. xxvi.
21. 2 Kinoes i. 14.

15. A7id he, the poor man thus delivered, shall live, shall be
preserved alive, and, in token of his gratitude and willing subjec-
tion to such a sovereign, he shall give to him, as tribute, of the
gold of Sheba, one of the regions mentioned in v. 10 and famous
for its gold ; and he, meaning still the grateful tributary, shall
pray for him contimtally, i. e. for the progress and extension of
Messiah's kingdom ; all the day (long) shall he bless him, i. e. praise
him, as well for what he is in himself, as for the gifts which he
bestows. By some interpreters the meaning is reversed and the
sentence made to signify, that the Messiah shall live again, or live
forever, and give precious gifts to the believer, and by his constant
intercession secure to him the blessing of Jehovah. This is a good

PSALM LXXll. 149

sense in itself and appropriate to the context ; but the dubious
question of construction seems to be determined by the mention
of the gold of Sheba, which, in this connection, far more probably
denotes the tribute of the*ubject than the favour of the sovereign.
See above, on v. 10.

16. Let there he (but) a handful of corn in the land, in the top
of the mountains ; its fruit shall wave (or shake) like Lebanon, and
they shall flourish from the city like grass of the earth. The first
noun in Hebrew occurs only here, and has been taken in senses
directly opposite. The rabbinical tradition makes it mean a
handful, the modern lexicographers a plenty, each relying on a
doubtful etymology. According to the second explanation, the
clause is a direct prediction of abundance and should be transla-
ted, there shall he plenty of corn in the land. According to the
other and more ancient view, the verse contains a beautiful anti-
thesis between the small beginnings and the vast results of the
Messiah's kingdom, not unlike that suggested by our Saviour's
parable of the grain of mustard seed. This exegetical analogy,
together with the striking character imparted to the verse by this
interpretation, are sufficient to entitle it to the preference, even
without regard to its antiquity and traditional authority. The
apocopated future {^fi^) may then be taken in its proper sense,
as a concession or a wish, equivalent to saying, though there he
but a handful of corn in the land, and that in the least favourable
situation, on the top of a mountain, which though cultivated (see
above, on v. 3,) must of course be colder and less fertile than the
plains below. Neither wave nor shake conveys the full force of
the Hebrew verb, which suggests the additional idea of a rushing
noise, like that of the wind among the cedars of Lebanon. This
comparison is certainly more natural and obvious than that
which some interpreters assume with the grain-crops or harvest-
fields of Lebanon itself. This woidd be merely likening one har-
vest to another, nor is any such allusion ever made elsewhere to

150 PSALM LXXII.

the mountain, though its circumjacent plains and valleys were
productive. See Hos. xiv. 5 — 7. The word trB:Jis\a.ted flourish
means originally to shine or glitter (Ps. cxxxii. 18), but is spe-
cially applied to the brilliancy of vegetation, and might therefore
be translated bloo7}i or blossom. See Num. xvii. 23 (8), and
compare Ps. xc. 6, xcii. 8 (7.) ciii. 15. From the city seems to
mean from Jerusalem or Zion, as the centre of Messiah's king-
dom and his royal residence, out of which this productive influ-
ence was to go forth. Compare the form of expression in this
clause with Num. xxiv. 19. Job v. 25.

17. iTis name shall be forever ; in the 'presence of the sun^ i. e.
as long as the sun shines, his name shall propagate (itself) ; and
by him shall they (i. e. men in general) bless themselves ; all na-
tions shall felicitate him (or pronounce him happy.) The form
of expression in the second clause is borrowed from the patri-
archal promises (Gen. xii. 3. xviii. 18. xxviii. 14), and is intended
to suggest the idea there expressed, that the Messiah should be
not only blessed himself, but a source of blessing to all nations.
As the happiness of the parent is bound up in that of the children,
and the prosperity of the sovereign inseparable from that of the
subjects, the one part of this prediction necessarily implies the
other. If the head is blessed, so must be the members, the whole
body. If all nations are to call Messiah blessed, it must be be-
cause he is the author and the giver of their own prosperity, nay
more, of their salvation.

18, 19. Blessed (he) Jehovah^ God., the God of Israel., doing
wonders alone., and blessed {be) his glorious name to eternity., and
filled with his glory be the whole earth. Amen and Amen. This
is commonly explained as a doxology belonging, not to this
psalm, but to the second book, of which it marks the close.
See above, on Ps. xli. 14 (13.) But as the psalm would end
somewhat abruptly with the foregoing verse, and as this addi-

PSALM LXXIT. 151

tioQ carries out the idea there expressed, by giving, as it were,
the very words in which the nations shall pronounce him blessed,
we have reason to believe that the doxology was added by the
author, and that this conclusion of the psalm was not the effect
but the occasion of its being placed at the close of one of the tra-
ditional divisions of the psalter. The wish in the second clause
of v. 19 is borrowed from the promise in Num. xiv. 21, of which
this whole psalm is in fact a prolonged echo.

20. Ended are the prayers of David ^ Son of Jesse. The posi-
tion of this sentence after the doxology, and its prosaic form, show
that it forms no part of the psalm, but relates to the whole series
preceding. It does not therefore prove, as some suppose, that
Solomon was not the author of the seventy-second psalm, since
this exception and a very few others could not prevent the collec-
tion being called the prayers of David. A jpotiorijit denominatio.
In like manner, the whole Psalter is still called the Psalm of
David by many who believe it to contain some psalms by other
writers. That this is the conclusion of an original and separate
collection, is by no means probable, as there is no historical proof
that such collections ever existed, and it would not be easy to
account for the omission of so many psalms undoubtedly composed
by David. On the whole, it is most probable, that these words were
added to the first great subdivision of the whole collection, as en-
tirely composed of psalms by David and his contemporaries, with
a few added to them on account of some marked similarity in
form or substance. The only remaining supposition is that these
words are part of the original composition, and were added by
Solomon to show that what he here predicts would be the fulfilment
of his father's wishes and the answer to his prayers. The objec-
tion to this, besides the form and position of the verse itself, is,
that the verb is never used to denote fulfilment or accomplish-
ment, except in the Hebrew of the later books. See Ezra i. 1.
Dan. xii. 7.

152 PSALM LXXIIl,

PSALM LXXIIl.

1. A Psalm. By Asaph. Only good to Israel (is) God, to
the pure of heart. This last expression is added to limit or ex-
plain the application of the national name Israel, as here denoting
not the race or nation, simply as such considered, but the true
Israel, the sincere and spiritual members of the ancient church.
To these God is good, and only good, i. e. never otherwise, never
unmerciful, or even indifferent. This is the theme of the whole
psalm, and the peculiar form in which it is propounded has refer-
ence to the previous conflicts and misgivings of the Psalmist,
through which he had passed in reaching the conviction here ex-
pressed. As if he had said, ' I once thought otherwise, but now
I know that God is only good, and always good, to the true Israel,
his real people.' He then goes on to describe the conflicts thus
tacitly referred to, first, by a statement of the facts out of which
they sprang, vs. 2 — 11, then of the effect which these produced
upon his mind, vs. 12 — 16, and then of the means by which he
had been disabused, vs. 17 — ^20, and under the influence of which he
now condemns his own irrationality vs. 21 — 22, adores the grace
by which he had been rescued from the consequences of his error,
yg, 23 — 24, and concludes with an expression of his hearty reli-
ance upon that grace for his safety and happiness hereafter, vs.
25 — ^28. There is not the slightest ground for doubting the cor-
rectness of the title, which ascribes the psalm to Asaph, the con-
temporary of David and his chief musician, and himself moreover

PSALM LXXIII. 153

an inspired Psalmist. This last fact, which is matter of recorded
history (see above, on Ps. 1. 1), together with the fact that where
only one name is mentioned in the title of a psalm it is uniformly
that of the writer, may suffice to set aside the supposition, that
Asaph is only named as the performer.

2. And I (or as for we), my feet were almost gone, my steps had
well nigh slipped. The pronoun in the first clause is emphatic.
I, who so confidently make this profession of my faith in God's
unchanging goodness, am one whose feet were almost gone, liter-
ally, inclined or hent.^ either from the straight course or from an
erect position. See above, on Ps. Ixii. 3 (2), where the same
verb is applied to a wall inclined or bent by violence. The
phrases rendered almost and icell nigh strictly mean like little and
like nothings and imply that it wanted little or nothing of a fear-
ful fall on his part, in other words, that he had narrowly escaped
it. Slipped.^ literally, poured out^ which seems to be a figure both
for weakness and divergence. Instead of pursuing a direct course,
or remaining in a firm position, his steps were scattered and
without effect, like water poured upon the ground. See above,
on Ps. xxii. 15 (14.)

3. For I was envious at the proud ; the peace of wicked (men)
I see (and must see.) He now proceeds to state more distinctly
the nature of the fall from which he had so narrowly escaped. It
was the sin and folly of denying the justice and fidelity of God
because of providential inequalities and mysteries. The proud or
insolent, a general description of the wicked, as in Ps. v. 5 (4.)
The common version in both places (foolish) is less probable, but
does not materially change the sense. In the last clause, he re-
verts to his experience at an earlier date, and expresses himself
as he might have done at that time. This relation of the clauses
may be rendered clearer by supplying a word or phrase between
them. ^ I was envious at the proud fand said), the peace,' etc.

7*=

154 PSALM LXXllI.

Peace y as the negation and the opposite of all disturbing caiises,
really suggests the idea of prosperity in general. The future
form of the verb has respect, not to the date of composition, but
to that of the events recorded, when the Psalmist not only saw,
but expected long to see, the undisturbed prosperity of sinners.

4. For there are no hands at their death ; and fat ^ i. e. healthy
or robust, (is) their strength. Some understand the first clause
to mean that they are not bound or forced to die like other men.
The more obvious sense is, that when they do die, they are not
in bonds or chains like other men, but free, common figures for
distress or sufiering and its opposite.

5. In the labour of man they are not^ they are not partakers in
the common troubles of humanity, and with manldnd they are not
smitten (or afliicted.) The use of the future is precisely the same
as in V. 3. They are not, and to all appearance never will be,
sharers in the common calamities of life.

6. Therefore pride has enchained them., the garb of violence (in-
justice or cruelty) covers them. The first verb strictly means to
encircle or adorn the neck, perhaps with allusion to the carriage
of that member as indicative of pride. See Isai. iii. 16. Job xv.
26.

7. Their eyes stand out with fatness; the imaginations of the
heart pass (out, come forth, or are disclosed.) The common
version of the last clause, they have more than heart could wish,
assumes as the literal meaning of the words, they surpass the de-
sires of their heart. According to the other construction above
given, the meaning is that as their eyes stand out with fatness, so
their hearts overflow with evil thoughts. Compare Matt. xii. 35.
XV. 19. Mark vii. 21. Luke ii. 35. vi. 45.

PSALM LXXIII. 156

8. They mock and speak in wickedness (or malice) ; oppression
from on high they speak. To speak oppression is to speak words
tending to the injury of others. From on high., proudly, with
arrogant contempt of others. They speak as if from a superior
position.

9. They set their mouth in heaven, and their tongue goes on
earth. The idea in the first clause is the same as in the last
clause of the foregoing verse. They speak as if they thought
themselves superior beings, their mouth in heaven and their
tongue on earth. Goes, runs, is actively employed.

10. Therefore he brings back his people hither, and waters of
fulness are wrung out to them (or drained by them.) This ob-
scure verse admits of several interpretations, the most natural of
which understands the sense to be, that God still suffers or re-
quires his people to survey the painful spectacle and drain the
bitter draught presented by the undisturbed prosperity of wicked
men. According to the masoretic reading in the margin of the
Hebrew Bible, the first verb is intransitive, his people shall (or
must) return hither. See above, on Ps. xiv. 7. liii. 7 (6.)

11. And they say, how should God know, and (howj can there
be knowledge in the Highest ? Some interpreters regard these as
the words of the prosperous sinners whom he has been describ-
ing. But according to the sense just put upon the tenth verse,
the eleventh must express the misgivings of God's people, with
respect to the providential inequalities in question. When still
brought back to the sight of these, they are constrained to ask
how they can possibly be reconciled with the hypothesis of God's
omniscience. This is much more natural than to suppose that
the sinners themselves admit the being of a God, and yet gra-
tuitously question his omniscience. In the latter case the how
would be unmeaning ; in the former, it is the most natural ex-

156 PSALM LXXIII.

pression of the doubt supposed. An atheist, whether theoretical
or practical, would hardly ask, how can God know ? Even a
wicked theist would be rather apt to say, he does not know.
But nothing can be more appropriate in the mouth of a perplexed
and tempted believer than the question, how can God know this
and yet suffer it ?

12. Xo, these art wicked (men), and (yet they are) secure for
erer, they increase strength (or suhstance.) These are still the
words of the perplexed believer, expressing his surprise at the
prosperity of sinners. See, these are wicked men, and yet in-
stead of being wretched, or prospering only for a little while,
they are jprosjperers of eternity^ perpetually prospered and at
ease, secure from change. See above, on Ps. xxx. 7. Instead
of losing what they have, they still gain more, and go on adding
to their wealth and to the power which it gives them. See above,
on Ps. Ix. 14 (12.)

13. Only (in) vain have I cleansed my hearty and in innocence
have washed my hands. These may be taken either indefinitely
as the words of any person in the painful situation just described,
or more specifically as the words of the psalmist, by whom the
whole class was in fact represented. They contain the inference
which would be naturally drawn in such a situation, even by a
true believer, but one tempted to repine and doubt by the sight
of providential enigmas. ' Since thei^ it is the wicked who en-
joy God's favour, all my efforts to avoid sin and to do his will have
been gratuitous and fruitless.' With the first words of the verse
compare Ps. xxxix. 6, 12 (5, 11.)

14. And Ihave been smitten all the day, and my chastisement
(lias been inflicted) every morning^ literally, at (or in) the morn-
ings. A similar form of expression occurs twice in Job vii. 18.
Smitten^ literally touched^ i. e. by the hand of God, a common

PSALM LXXIII. 157

expression for affliction, and especially for bodily diseas3 con-
sidered as a divine judgment. The same idea was meant to be
conveyed by the common version (plagued.) The psalmist here
contrasts his own afflictions with the undisturbed enjoyments of
his wicked neighbours. ' While they, though wicked, still in-
crease in wealth and seem secure for ever, I, who have faithfully
endeavoured to avoid sin and to do the will of God, am subjected,
every day and all day, to privation and distress.'

15. If I have said^ I will declare thus^ hehold^ the generation
of thy sons I have perfidiously treated. This is equivalent to say-
ing, if I did say so, I should be acting falsely towards thy chil-
dren. It is indeed the only Hebrew form in which such a hypo-
thetical proposition could well be clothed. Said, i. e. to myself, pro-
posed it, formed the purpose. Thus declare, i. e. publicly express
my doubts and skeptical misgivings. This, as it has been well
observed, the true believer never does, until he is able to announce
his conflict and his victory together. Behold or lo is here equi-
valent to our idiomatic why then, meaning in that case or on that
supposition, and expressing at the same time some surprise at his
own suggestion as a strange one. The generation of thy sons, the
contemporary race of true believers, called the sons of God, not
only as the objects of his love, but as partakers of his nature (2
Pet. i. 4.) Treated perfidiously, proved false to them, by weak-
ening the foundation of their hope, instead of strengthening their
faith and allaying their misgivings. See above, on Ps. xxv. 3.

16. And I meditated to know this ; a trouble {was) it in my
eyes. Although he abstained from openly expressing what he
thought, he still did think, he pondered the whole matter, with
a view to understand it, to discover some solution of the mystery,
which not only puzzled but distressed him. The apparent in-
equality of God's providential dealings was a toil, a trouble, an
unhappiness, in his esteem.

158 PSALM LXXIIl.

17. Until I come to the sanctuaries of God^ I will consider (or
observe) their end. The futures have reference, as in vs. 3, 5,
to the date of the anterior experience here recorded. ' But I said
to myself, I will wait till I come into God's presence and inquire
of him, and then, or in the mean time, I will look at or attend to
the end as well as the beginning and the progress of their lives.'
The plural form holy places^ is the same as in Ps. Ixviii. 36 (35.)
It denotes the sanctuary in its whole extent, as the earthly resi-
dence of Grod, and the place where he communed with his
people. See above, on Ps. xxviii. 2.

18. Only in slippery places thou loilt set them., or art setting
them, (and now) thou hast let (or made) them fall into destruc-
tion. However honourable and happy their position may appear
to themselves, the psalmist can see nothing but its danger, as
implied in his use of the word only. Smoothnesses., smooth or slip-
pery places, where their foot-hold is precarious and their fall
inevitable. He sees God, by his providential favours, placing
them in this desu-ed but fearful situation, and then allowing them
to drop into destruction. The last word in Hebrew occurs only
here and in the next psalm, where it means ruins. If this sense
be adopted here, we must suppose a change of figure and an
allusion to the fall, not of a man from a slippery precipice, but
of a building crumbled by decay or violence.

19. How are they (brought) to desolation as (in) a moment !
They have ceased., they are consumed with terrors ! He here ex-
presses his surprise at the abruptness and completeness of their
ruin. The meaning of the last clause seems to be, that their
very apprehensions were sufficient to destroy them, much more
the actual experience of what they apprehended.

20. As a dream on waking., Lord^ in waking., their image thou
wilt scorn. The word translated image means an appearance, as

PSALM LXXUi. 159

opposed to the substance or reality. See above, on Ps. xxxix.
7 (6.) The present prosperity of wicked men will seem here-
after, and to Grod's eye now seems, like an empty dream, worthy
only of contemptuous oblivion. The only dubious expression in
the verse is that translated waking in the second clause, which is
entirely different from the one so rendered in the first clause.
The Hebrew phrase ('n'^3>s) is used in more than fifty other places
and in all of them means in the city. See, for example, Ps. Iv.
10 (9.) This meaning is retained by some interpreters in the
case before us. The reference will then be either to the holy
city, as in Ps. Ixxii. 16, or to the city where the previous scene
is supposed to have been laid, as in Ps. xxxi. 22 (21.) The old
interpretation takes the word as an infinitive, from a verb which,
however, is always transitive and means to awaken^ except per-
haps in Job viii. 6 and in Ps. xxxv. 23 above. To this interpre-
tation it is furthermore objected, that it supposes an unusual
contraction (^'^S'S for 'n'^S'^na), and that the sense which it con-
veys is an incongruous one. But that God should despise them
in the act of waking is, to say the least, as intelligible as that he
should despise them in the city. In either case, the general
meaning of the sentence is too clear to be mistaken.

21. For my heart is soured^ and (in or as to) my reins I am
pierced. The Hebrew verbs are of the future form, although
really relating to past time, which the psalmist's memory recalls
as a state of things then likely to continue. See above on vs.
3, 5. The verbs are also properly reflexives, my heart exacer-
bates itself, I pierce myself , and are perhaps intended to describe
his sufferings as the fruit of his own sin and folly.

22. An/J, I (am) brutish and know not (the true state of the
case); a beast have I been with thee. The last noun is in the
plural number (beasts), as if to signify a beast by way of emi-
nence, in which sense it is literally applied to one of the wonders

160 PSALM LXXIll.

of the animal kingdom (Job xl. 15.) With the first clause com-
pare Prov. XXX. 2, and see above, on Ps. xlix. 11 (10.) These
strong expressions contain an acknowledgment of his own irra-
tionality in questioning God's faithfulness and kindness. In this
verse there is an insensible transition from the present to the
past, from the ideal to the real time of the events in question.
Witk thee suggests an aggravating circumstance, to wit, that this
folly was committed in the presence of God, and as it were in his
society. See above, on Ps. xviii. 26, 27 (25, 26.)

23. And (yet) I (a7n) still with thee; thou hast held (me) hy
my right hand. Notwithstanding his ungrateful and irrational
conduct in God's presence, he had not been driven from it, as
he justly might have been. The word translated still properly
means ahcays^ and denotes that there had been no change or
interruption in the previous relation of the parties. There is
a perfectly analogous usage of the French toujours. Jn the
last clause he seems to return to the metaphor with which he
set out. As the fatal error which he had escaped is in v. 2 repre-
sented as a fall, so here his preservation from it is ascribed to
God's having held him up by his right hand. See above, on Ps.
xvii. 5. xli. 13 (12.) Ixiii. 9 (8.)

24. In (or hy) thy counsel thou ivilf guide me, and after glory
thou wilt take me. The form of the original is such that it may
either express consent or confident expectation ; but the latter in
this case really includes the former. By thy counsel, thy instruc-
tion and advice, considered as a means of safety ; or in thy counsel,
i. e. in the execution of thy plan or purpose, as the end to be ac-
complished. The last clause is obscure. To the common version
(and afterward receive me to glory) it has been objected, that it
takes the preposition after as an adverb, and assumes an unusual
sense and construction of the verb, and also that it makes the
guidance and the glory too distinct and successive. The con-

PSALM LXXlll. 161

struction which it is proposed to substitute is, thou wilt take me
after glory^ i. e. make me overtake it, cause me to attain it,
bring me to it. The same construction may be made to yield
another sense, to wit, after honouring me here thou wilt receive
me to thyself, after honour thou ivilt take me. This, it is true,
is liable to some of the objections brought against the usual con-
struction. But the choice at best is one of difficulties, and some
of the objections spring entirely from the wish to exclude a
reference to a future state, which, however, is as evident in this
verse as it is in vs. 16, 19, if interpreted in any natural and
reasonable manner.

25. Whom have Tin heaven 1 And with thee I have not desired
(any) upon earth. The literal translation of the first clause is,
who (is) to me in heaven^ i. e. what protector or provider } The
idea of another besides God may be supplied in this clause from
the next, where with thee can denote either combination or com-
parison. I have desired none in addition or in preference to thee ;
thou art alone and all-sufficient.

26. Spent is my flesh and my heart ; the rock of my heart and
my portion (is) God to eternity. The first clause is by some un-
derstood as meaning even if or even when my flesh, etc. But the
Psalmist rather assumes the actual occurrence of the extreme case
here described, or places himself in it as an ideal situation. Flesh
and hearty body and soul, the whole man, or the whole life, out-
ward and inward, bodily and mental. The rock of my hearty the
support of my life, that on which it rests as on a solid basis. The
idea is not simply that of strength but of a strong foundation. See
above, on Ps. xviii. 3 (2.) My portion^ the source of my subsist-
ence and my happiness. See above, on Ps. xvi. 5, and with the
whole verse compare Job xix. 25 — 27.

27. For loj those far from thee shall perish ; thou hast destroyed

162 PSALM LXXIII.

all (or every one) whoring from thee. This verse assigns his rea-
son for relying upon God and making him his portion. Those far
from thee^ literally, thy far {ones.) They certainly will perish,
for all such have perished heretofore. The union between God
and his people being often represented by the figure of a
conjugal relation, their violation of the covenant is spoken of as
spiritual whoredom or adultery. See above on Ps. xlv. 1, and
compare Lev. xx. 6. Num. xiv. 33. In the same sense our Sa-
viour calls the unfaithful Israel of his day a wicked and adulterous
generation. See Matt. xii. 39. xvi. 4. Mark viii. 38. The per-
sons threatened with destruction here are not merely sinners in
general, but the wicked members of the ancient church or chosen
people in particular.

28. And J, or as for me — the ajpproach of God to me (is) good ;
I have placed in the Lord Jehovah my trust, to declare all thy
doings. The absolute nominative at the beginning puts himself
in strong contrast with the apostates of the foregoing verse. Com-
pare the beginning of vs. 2, 23, above. The nearness or approach
of God is an ambiguous expression, as in Isai. Iviii. 2, where it
may either mean God's drawing near to the people or then- draw-
ing near to him. In the case before us both may be implied, as
in James iv. 8 both are expressed. Draw nigh to God and he will
draw nigh to you. To me may be connected either with approach,
as in Ps. xxvii. 2, or with good.^ as in v. 1 above. Good is here
to be taken in the absolute sense of the summum honnm or chief
good. The meaning is not merely that nearness to God is a good
thing in itself, or a useful thing to man, but that it comprehends
whatever he can wish or hope for. ' Let apostates wander for
from God and perish ; I am resolved to seek my highest happi-
ness in being near him.' The Lord Jehovah is a combination
expressive of God's sovereignty, self-existence, and covenant re-
lation to his people. My trust, my hiding-place or refuge. See
above, on Ps. xi. 1. The last clause shows that he wishes to be

PSALM LXXIV. 163

something more than a mere passive beneficiary. He desires not
only to enjoy but to celebrate God's goodness. The word trans-
lated doings is applied both to acts and to affairs or business.

PSALM LXXIV.

The church prays for deliverance from extreme distress, en-
forcing the petition, first by a description of the actual state of
things, vs. 1 — 12, and then by an appeal to former mercies, vs.
13 — 23. The historical occasion is not given, but the terms of
the description seem peculiarly appropriate to the state of Judah
after the destruction of the temple and the holy city by the Ba-
bylonians, as described in Jer. lii. 12 — 34.

1 . Maschil. By Asaph. Why^ oh God^ hast thou cast off forever^
smokes thy lorath at thefiock of thy pasture ? The description of
the psalm as a didactic one shows that it was not meant to be
used in reference to its original occasion merely, but in every
emergency resembling it. For this reason the question, what
that occasion was, is of little exegetical importance, although not
without interest in connection with the critical inquiry as to the
date of composition. The state of things assumed, and indeed
described, is so unlike that which existed in the time of David,
that we must either make the psalm prophetical, which is arbi-
trary and without analogy, or no less arbitrarily reject the title
as a spurious addition to the text, or understand by Asaph the
descendants of David's Chief Musician, among whom the gift
and office of their ancestor were hereditary. See above, on Ps,

164 PSALM LXXIV.

1. 1, and compare 2 Chron. xxxv. 15. Ezr. ii. 41. iii. 10. Neh.
vii. 44. xi. 22. That this title indicates the author, and not
merely the performer, can only be inferred from the general fact,
that where a single name is given it is usually that of the writer.
See above on Ps. xlii. 1. Ixxii. ]. The interrogation in this
verse does not involve a disavowal of guilt or ill-desert, but is
rather a passionate expostulation and indirect petition for deliver-
ance. Cast off^ a verb implying abhorrence and disgust. See
above, on Ps. xliii. 2. xliv. 10, 24 (9, 23.) Ix. 3, 12 (1, 10.) As
the object is easily supplied, namely, us or thy people, its omission
adds to the strength of the expression. Cast off forever, as it
seems to us and others. Why hast thou cast us off with what ap-
pears to be a final and perpetual rejection } See above, on Ps.
xiii, 2 (1.) The interrogation is continued throughout the sen-
tence. ( Why) smokes or ivill smoke ? The future form suggests
the same idea as the forever in the other clause. ^ Why is thy
wrath to continue smoking P The presence of smoke presup-
poses that of fire ; but the former is particularly mentioned, per-
haps for the purpose of adding to the primary idea of distress or
destruction the secondary one of gloom and terror. At or against
thy people, literally, i7i, amo7ig them. See below on Ps. Ixxx. 5
(4), and compare Deut. xxix. 19 (20.) The sheep (or flock) of
thy pasture, those who feed upon thy pasture, or are fed by thee,
a favourite designation of the chosen people, as the occupants of
the Land of Promise. The figurative form of the description was
originally furnished by the pastoral experience of David, but from
him was borrowed by other sacred writers. See below, Ps. Ixxix.
13. c. 3.

2. Remember thy congregation thou hast purchased of old (and)
redeemed the rod of thine inheritance, this Mount Zion thoxh hast
dwelt in. The ellipsis of the relative in both the clauses of this
verse is common to the Hebrew and the English idiom. The
word translated congregation is one of those applied in the Old

PSALM LXXIV. 165

Testament to Israel as an organized body and the people of Jeho-
vah. See above, on Ps. i. 5. Purchased., acquired, made thine
own. The word translated of old is a noun meaning antiquity,
but here used as an adverb of time. The full phrase occurs below
in V. 12. The next verb contains a specification of the first, to
wit, that he ^purchased by redeeming them from bondage, with
particular reference to the exodus from Egypt. The rod of thine
inheritance is a phrase which, to any Hebrew reader, would sug-
gest the twofold idea of a chieftain's stafi*, the badge of authority
in the several tribes, and that of aTneasuring rod, here put for
the portion of land measured. The whole sense conveyed by
these associations is that of a definite province, with its population,
of which God is the possessor and the sovereign. The last clause
applies what had been said of the people and the land still more
specifically to the central point of the theocracy. Mount Zion
may be understood as a description of the whole of Jerusalem,
including the temple upon Mount Moriah. This Mount Zion.,
with which the speakers were familiar, and at or near which they
are supposed to be speaking. The explanation of this as a rela-
tive is gratuitous, nor could the idea {this Mount Zion) have
been well expressed in any other form of Hebrew words. The
grand distinction of Mount Zion, in the wide sense just explained,
was the inhabitation of Jehovah, which is therefore here expressly
mentioned in the closing words.

3. Lift thy steps to the jperjpetual ruins ^ all the enemy has ill done
in the holy place. The first phrase is a poetical expression mean-
ing simply advance^ draiv near^ for the purpose of inspection.
The word translated ruins occurs only here and in Ps. Ixxiii. 18.
The whole phrase strictly means ruins of perpetuity., i. e. such as
appear likely to continue forever, and will certainly do so, unless
God comply with this request to draw near. The construction of
the second clause adopted by some writers, the enemy has destroyed
all (or every thing) in the holy place, is scarcely grammatical

166 PSALM LXXIV.

To express that idea, the word all would have the article, as in
Ps. xiv. 3, or a suffix, as in Ps. xxix. 9, whereas its intimate con-
nection here with the following verb in Hebrew is equivalent to a
relative construction. Ill donCj injured or destroyed, done mis-
chief.

4. Thine adversaries have roared in the midst of thine assembly ;
they have set their signs (as) signs. The tumultuous violence of
the destroyers is described in the first clause by a figure borrowed
from the habits of wild beasts, and elsewhere used as an expres-
sion of extreme distresis. See above, on Ps. xxii. 2(1.) xxxii.
3. xxxviii. 9 (8.) The word translated assemUy is not the same
that is rendered congregation in v. 2, but one that strictly means
a meeting by mutual agreement or appointment, and is specially
applied to the meeting between God and his people at the sanc-
tuary, which was therefore designated in the law as the tent of
meeting (n3>i)3 ^Jj^^), not merely the tent where the people as-
sembled, but the place where they met with God by previous
appointment. See Ex. xxv. 8. xxix. 42, 43, 45, 46. Num. xvii.
19 (4.) The ideas suggested by the etymology and usage of the He-
brew noun are those of previous appointment, the act of meeting
consequent upon it, the persons met, and the place where they
assemble. The full sense therefore of the phrase here used is, ' in
the midst of thy people assembled at the appointed time and
place to meet thee ' The exclusive local meaning put by some
upon the words is quite gratuitous. The plural form which some
assume [thine asscmhlies) varies the meaning only by suggesting
the idea of repeated convocations, ' in the midst of thy people,
whenever (or as often as) they meet thee thus,' but without at all
conveying the idea of numerous or even different places. Sct^
fixed, established ; or set up^ exhibited, exposed to view. See
above, on Ps. xviii. 44 (43.) xxxix. 9 (8.) xliv. 14, 15 (13, 14. ")
The common version of the last words, ensigns for signs, conveys
a false impression of the form of the original, in which the two

PSALM LXXIV. 107

nouns are identical. The word signs does not necessarily denote
either military or religious ensigns, but rather signifies in general
the insignia of sovereignty. For all that once marked the pre-
sence and authority of God the impious enemy had substituted
the signs or tokens of their own ascendancy. In other words,
they had usurped God's place in his very sanctuary, the spot
which he had chosen for his earthly residence.

5. He is knoion (or shall he known) as (one) raising on high,
in the thicket of the wood, axes. The most probable sense of this
obscure verse is as follows : the ruthless enemy is known or
recognised as dealing with the sanctuary no more tenderly than
a woodman with the forest which he fells. On high seems to be
added to suggest the force of the blow and the sweep of the arm
which deals it. The thicket may be mentioned for the purpose of
contrasting the delicate and complicated wood- work of the temple
with the worthless undergrowth which the woodman cuts away
without scruple or discrimination. The word translated wood is
often used as a collective meaning trees.

6. And now the carvings thereof together (or at once) loith sledge
and hammers they leat (down). This completes the comparison
begun in the preceding verse, with which the one before us is
connected by the phrase and now, i. e. in this case. As in the
case supposed the woodman deals with trees and thickets, so
in the real case the spoiler deals with the costly fruits of art and
skill. The word translated carvings is expressly used in the de-
scription of the temple. See 1 Kings vi. 29, and compare Ex.
xxviii. 11. xxxix. 6. The suffix (thereof) has no grammatical
antecedent in the sentence ; the form was probably determined by
a word not expressed though present to the writer's mind. At
once does not mean quickly, suddenly, without delay, but all to-
gether, indiscriminately, in confusion.

168 PSALM LXXIV.

7. They have set on fire thy holy place ; to the earth they have
profaned the dwelling of thy name. The literal translation of the
first clause is, they have sent (or cast) into the fire thy holy place.
The construction in the last clause is a pregnant one, profaned to
the earthy i. e. profaned by casting to the ground a sacred edifice.
This form of expression would be inappropriate to mere profana-
tion by defilement, without actual prostration of the edifice itself.

8. They have said in their hearty let us destroy them together
(or at once) ; they have burned all the assemblies of God in the
land., by burning the only place where such assemblies could be
held (Deut. xii. 5, 11.) Others, with less probability, suppose
that the Hebrew word itself denotes the place of assembly, and
that all such places means the only such place. The translation
synagogues has no authority from Hebrew usage, or the ancient
versions (LXX. hoQT6i.g Vulg. dies festos. Jer. solennitates) y and
has been abused to prove that the psalm was written after the
Babylonish exile, before which synagogues are commonly sup-
posed to have had no existence.

9. Owr signs ive see not ; there is no more (any) prophet^ and
(there is) not with us (any one) knowing until what time, or how
long, these things are to last. By signs we are here to under-
stand the tokens of God's presence and of Israel's peculiar rela-
tion to him. One of these is then specified, to wit, the gift of
prophecy, which seemed to cease at the time of the Babylonian
conquest, although afterwards renewed. Even Jeremiah's ministry
may be considered as then closing. The complaint of this, as of
a recent loss, shows that the period meant is not that of the per-
secutions under Antiochus Epiphanes, when the gift of prophecy
had been withdrawn for many generations.

10. Till when, oh God, shall the foe revile, the enemy contemn
thy name forever ? By making the last clause a distinct interro-

PSALM LXXIV. 169

gation {shall the enemy despise thy name forever ?) we avoid tHe
solecism of combining how long and forever ; but this can oc-
casion no more difficulty here than in v. 1 and in Ps. xiii. 2(1.)
The verb in the last clause means to treat contemptuously, to
show contempt by word or deed. Blaspheme expresses only one
mode of doing this, and that too strongly.

1 1 . Why wili thou withdraw thy hand and thy right hand 7
From the midst of thy bosom (draw it and) consume (them.) The
future here includes the present {lohy dost thon withdraw thy
hand ?) with the additional idea of continuance or perseverance in
so doing. The hand, and especially the right hand, is the seat
and symbol of strength. The and between them is equivalent to
the English even. To make the hand return, or draw it back, is
to cease from action, the continuance of which cessation is de-
scribed as hiding it in the bosom.

12. And God (is) my king of old^ working salvations in the
midst of the land. Having pleaded the greatness of the danger
and distress, as a reason for imploring the divine interposition,
the church now pleads her covenant relation to him as her Sove-
reign and her Saviour in former emergencies, with particular
reference to the plagues of Egypt, which makes it probable that
laiid and not earth is the true translation of the last word. The
very form of expression is borrowed from the narrative of Moses.
See Ex. viii. 18 (22.) Doing, working, as opposed to a mere
promise or prediction. The participle signifies continued action,
and extends the description beyond the particular occasion speci-
ally referred to. God is described as He who, then and ever,
works salvations or deliverances, the plural form implying fulness
and variety. See above, on Ps. xviii. 51 (50.) xxviii. 8. xlii.
C, 12 (5, 11.) xliii. 5. liii. 7.

13. Thou hast burst, with thy strength, the. sea ; thou hast bro-

VOL. II. 8

170 PSALM LXXIV.

ke7i the heads of dragons 07i the water. The word translated
dragons is applied to the largest class of aquatic animals. Some
suppose these to be here emblematic of Egypt and other hostile
powers, as in Ez. xxix. 3, 4. Isai. li. 9, 10. Others, with more
probability, explain the verse as a description of God's power over
nature, and particularly over the sea, as specially manifested in
the passage of the Red Sea. The dragons or sea-monsters are
then added merely to complete the picture. As if he had said,
' thou hast subdued and crushed the sea and its most terrible in-
habitants.' This is described as taking place, not iw or under the
waters, the abode of the sea-monsters, but on the surface, where
the contest becomes visible. The pronoun at the beginning is
emphatic : Mt is thou that hast done all this, and not another.'

14. (It is) thou (that) hast crushed the heads of Leviathan,
(that) icilt give him (as) food to the people, to the wild men, or
the dwellers in the desert. See above, on Ps. Ixxii. 9. Leviathan,
according to its etymology, denotes a coiled or crooked serpent,
but like dragon in v. 13, is used as a generic term for huge
aquatic animals. Having no plural form, it is here used in a
collective sense, as appears from the expression heads, unless we
understand this as denoting a many-headed monster, to which,
however, there is no analogy in Scripture. In the last clause,
people seems to mean men in general, and is then rendered defi-
nite by the use of the specific term which follows. By the people
of the desert some understand the savage beasts, by whom the
Egyptians were devoured after the overthrow of Pharaoh ; others,
with more probability, the wild men living on the shores of the
Red Sea, and subsisting on its fish, and hence called by the Greeks
the Ichthyophagi. The transition from the past tense to the future
seems to represent the scene as actually passing, or the act as one
that may be frequently repeated. ' It is thou that hast done all
this and wilt do it again.'

PSALM LXXIV. 171

15. (It is) thoit (that) didst cleave fount and flood ^ (that) didst
dry wp rivers ever-floiving. Fountain and flood is a kind of pro-
verbial expression for smaller and greater bodies of water. The
primary historical allusion here is to the passage of the Jordan.
The original construction of the last phrase is streams of perpetuity ^
perennial or unfailing streams, as distinguished from the winter
torrents of the Holy Land, which disappear in summer. The
common version, rivers of strength or mighty rivers, is not sus-
tained by etymology or usage.

16. To thee (belongs) day^ yea, to thee night ; thou hast pre-
pared light and sun. From the mention of God's actual control
over the elements, as exercised in certain memorable cases, the
Psalmist here proceeds to assert his sovereignty by right of crea-
tion. Not only day but night, which seems to sense beyond the
reach of government or regulation, is subject to God's power.
Thou, and no other, as in the three preceding verses. Prepared
for the place which they now fill and the work which they per-
form. Light and sun are related as the genus and the species,
like hand and right hand in v. 11, signs and prophet in v. 9.
Light, in the local sense of luminary, which the same Hebrew
word has in Gen. i. 14 — 16,

17. Thou hast set (or established) all the bounds of earth ; sum-
mer and ivintcr — thou hast formed them. This is the seventh
emphatic repetition of the pronoun thou. The bounds of earth
are supposed by some to be the limits of the land, by which it is
separated from the sea. See above, on Ps. xxir. 2. The de-
scription of God's power over nature is complesed by referring to
it the revolution of the seasons as not only appointed but created
by him. He is not only the ordainer of the change itself, but the
author of the causes which produce it.

18. Remember this ; an enemy has reviled Jehovah, and a fool-

■%:y

172 PSALM LXXIV.

tsh people Jmve contemned thy name. For the meaning of the verbs,
see above, on v. 10, where the same facts are alleged, but are
here recalled to God's remembrance as a reason for his interpo-
sition. Jehovah may also be construed as a vocative, which
makes the parallelism more exact. Foolhh., in the strong sense
of that word, as used in Scripture, to denote the irrationality of
sin. See above, on Ps. xiv. 1, and compare Deut. xxxii. 6, from
which place the whole phrase is borrowed.

19. Give not to the greedy herd thy turtle-dove : the herd of thy
afflicted {ones) forget not forever ! The general import of this
prayer is obvious, and the only doubtful point is the precise sense
of the word (ti;^n) twice translated herd above. It usually means
an animal or living thing, and more especially a wild beast, as
distinguished from domesticated cattle. This would yield a good
sense in the first clause {greedy beast), but is inadmissible in the
other. The same objection lies against the explanation of the
first as meaning life and the last as meaning flock. The only
meaning equally admissible in both parts of the sentence is the
one just mentioned, that of animal collectively, and then a flock
or herd of animals, from which it is sometimes transferred to hu-
man subjects. See above, on Ps. Ixviii. 11 (10.) Greedy herd,
literally, herd of appetite. See above, on Ps. xxvii. 12. xli. 3 (2.)
The turtle-dove is here used as an emblem of innocence and help-
lessness, as well as an expression of affectionate endearment.

20. Look to the covenant ; for filed are the darknesses of earth
with homes of violence (or cruelty.) The prayer in the first
clause is equivalent to saying. Remember thy promise, fulfill thy
covenant engagements. The reason assigned is, that the existing
state of things is such as to require this fulfilment. The word
translated darknesses has the form of a local noun, and may there-
fore mean dark placeiy, jiot in the sense of hiding places, but in
that of gloomy dismal' places. The same idea, of distress and

I

PSALM LXXIV. 273

gloom, which is always included in the sense of the word
elsewhere, may be obtained by making it an abstract, darkvess,
or supposing the plural form to be emphatic, profound darkness,
not as an attribute of certain places, but of the whole earth. As
if he had said, the darkness of the earth, or this dark world, is
filled with homes of cruelty. This word (D)pn ) , here as elsewhere,
comprehends the two ideas of injustice and violence. See above
on Ps. vii. 17 (16.) xviii. 49 (48.) The use of the word homes
(or habitations) indicates that violence or cruelty is there domes-
ticated, permanently resident. See above, on Ps. xxv. 13. The
meaning of the whole verse, thus explained, is, that the permanent
establishment and prevalence of " wrong and outrage" in the
darkness of the world may be urged as a reason for the fulfilment
of God's promise, nay, his solemn oath, that the whole earth shall
be filled with his glory (Num. xiv. 21.)

21. Let not the oppressed turn back confounded; let the sufferer
and the poor (man) praise thy name. The word translated op-
pressed means strictly broken, bruised, or crushed. See above,
on Ps. ix. 10 (9.) X. 18. Turn back^ abandon his pursuit, retire
in despair. Confounded, disappointed, put to shame, by the
frustration of his hopes and wishes. See above, on Ps. xxxv. 4.
xl. 15 (14.) Ixix. 7 (6.) Ixx. 3 (2.)

22. Arise, oh God ! Plead thine own cause ! Remember thy
reviling by the fool all day ! The first prayer is the common one,
that God would put an end to his apparent inaction and indiffer-
ence to the sufferings of his servants. See above, on Ps. iii.
8 (7.) vii. 7 (6.) ix. 20 (19.) x. 12. xvii. 13. xxxv. 2. xliv. 27
{2Q.) Plead thine own cause, literally, strive thy strife. See
above, on Ps. xliii. 1. ^ Remember how thou art reviled by
the irrational transgressor, and arouse thyself to silence his re-
proaches.'

174 PSALM LXXIV.

23. Forget not the voice of thy foes, ^ the noise of thy assailants^
ascending always. The voice and noise here meant are the
clamorous revilings and blasphemies of wicked men, continually
going up into the ears of God, and calling down his wrath upon
them. This striking figure, representing gross sin as a vocal and
audible witness against him who commits it, is a common one in
Scripture from the earliest books downwards. See Gen. iv. 10.
xviii. 21. xix. 13, and compare Jon. i. 2. Thy assailants^ or more
literally, thy insurgents^ those who rise up against thee, in the
way not only of attack but of rebellion. See above, on Ps. iii. 2
(1.) xviii. 40, 49 (39, 48.) xliv. 6 (5), and compare Ex. xv. 7.
Deut. xxxiii. 11.2 Sam. xxii. 49. All this the Psalmist, or rather
the Church, in whose behalf he speaks, recalls to the divine re-
membrance, as a ground or reason for immediate interference.

PSALM LXXY.

1. To the Chief Musician. Al-tashheth. A Psalm hy Asaph.
A song (of praise.) See above, on Ps. Ixviii. 1. In this psalm
the ancient church expresses a confident anticipation of divine
assistance and deliverance from the domination of some great
hostile power, the catastrophe of which is here foretold. The
immediate historical occasion we have no direct means of de-
termining ; but the one to which the psalm itself seems most
appropriate is the destruction of the Assyrian host in the reign
of Hezekiah. See above, on Ps. xlvi. 1, and below, on Ps.
Ixxvi. 1, and compare Isai. xxxvi and xxxvii. That the psalm has
reference to a period of imminent and extraordinary danger, is

PSALM LXXV. 175

moreover indicated by the phrase al-tashheth^ or destroy not. See
above, on Ps. Ivii. 1.

2 (1.) Wc give thanks to thec^ oh God^ we give tJmnks ; and
near (is) thy name ; they recount thy wonders. The thankso-ivinfT
is in anticipation of some great event, and implies a strong faith
in the certainty of its occurrence. Thy name is near^ a signal
manifestation of thine attributes is just at hand, so that men begin
already to recount thy wondrous works, as if actually past. Or
this may mean that they recount God's former dealings with
them, as a reason for expecting like or greater things to come.
Another construction of the last clause, perhaps still more
natural, is that adopted in the English Bible : thy name is mar^
thy wondrous works declare. For the sense and usage of the last
word in Hebrew, see above, on Ps. ix. 2 (1.) xxvi. 7. xl. 6 (5.)
Ixxi. 17.

3 (2.) For I will take a set time ; I will equitably judge.
The best interpreters are now in favour of explaining these as
the words of God himself, containing the promise upon which was
built the hope expressed in the preceding verse. Take then in-
cludes the two ideas of choosing and using for the end proposed.
The word translated set time is the same that means assembly in
Ps. Ixxiv. 4, 8. The idea of constituted time, which is included
even there, is here predominant. The same use of the word oc-
curs in Ps. cii. 14 (13.) Hab. ii. 3. Dan. viii. 19. xi. 27, 35. There
is here an obvious allusion to the stated times at which justice is
publicly administered. Compare Acts xix. 38. As if he had
said, I will appoint a time, and when it comes, I will ascend the
judgment-seat. The parties to be tried are the foes and oppres-
sors of Grod's people. The pronoun is emphatic ; I, and no
other, will be judge. See above, on Ps. 1. 6. Equitably .^ liter-
ally, equities or rectitudes. See above on Ps. xvii. 2. Iviii. 2 (1.)
The use of the plural, as an abstract, and that of the noun in

176 PSALM LXXV.

an adverbial sense, are both familiar Hebrew idioms. The judg-
ing of the wicked at God's bar implies their condemnation, and,
as a necessary consequence, the deliverance of those whom they
oppress or injure.

4 (3.) Melted (are) the earth and all dwelling on it; I have
weighed the 'pillars of it. Selah. Dissolved with fear, enfeebled,
or reduced to nothing. See above, on Ps. xlvi. 7 (6.) The
figure in the last clause is obscure. The act of weighing may be
intended to suggest that of raising, bearing up. Compare Isai
xl. 12, 13, 15. Some suppose, however, that it means to mea-
sure, estimate, or value, and implies not only perfect knowledge
but creative power. As a part of the promise or encouraging
assurance begun in the preceding verse, the one before us must
mean that God himself will prevent or rectify the evils caused or
thi-eatened by his enemies.

5 (4.) I said to the boasters , Boast not, aiid to the loickedy Lift
not up the horn ! Some regard these as the words of the psalm-
ist, speaking again in the person of the church. The sense will
then be that, encouraged by God's promise of protection and de-
liverance, his people warn their adversaries not to triuulph. It
seems more natural, however, to explain them as a continuation
of the words of God himself, whose very assurance of protection
to his people was in fact a warning of destruction to his enemies.
The objection, that what follows must then be referred to the
same speaker, is of little weight, as the transition from one per-
son to another, in the psalms of a dramatic structure, is not com-
monly a marked one, and is often quite insensible. The conclud-
ing metaphor is borrowed from the habits of horned animals, and
nearly equivalent to the act of holding the head high, as a sign
of human pride. For a diflferent application of the figure, see
above, on Ps. xviii. 3 (2.)

PSALM LXXV. 177

6 (5.) Do not raise on high your horn (and) speak with a proud
neckj or speak with (outstretched) neck proudly. The last word
is an adjective meaning insolent or arrogant. See above, on Ps.
xxxi. 19 (18.) It may either agree with neck^ and signify a
position and carriage of the neck indicative of pride (Ps. Ixxiii. 6)
or constitute the object of the verb, in which case with the neck
may mean with outstretched or prolonged neck, not projecting
forwards but inclining backwards. See Isai. iii. 16, and compare
Job XV. 26 in Hebrew. For a similar ellipsis, see below, Ps.
Ixxvii. 16 (15.)

7 (6.) For not from east, and (not) from west, and not from
the wilderness of mountains^ is the judgment on these sinners to
proceed, but from a very different quarter. The word translated
east means properly the sunrise, or rather the place of his com-
ing forth ; the parallel term the sunset, or the place of evening.
A third point of the compass is denoted by the wilderness, the
great Arabian desert lying to the south of Palestine. The last
word in Hebrew (d^^H) admits of two entirely different explana-
tions. One of these, given in the English Bible, makes it the in-
finitive of the verb translated raise in vs. 5, 6 (4, 5), and sup-
poses it to mean the act of raising, or a state of exaltation. The
sense will then be that promotion cometh not from any quarter
upon earth, but from God and God alone. Others object that
the question here is not one of promotion but of judgment, as ap-
pears from the foregoing and the following context. They
accordingly adhere to the ancient versions in making (Q'^'^n) the
plural of the common Hebrew word for hill or mountain, and ex-
plain the whole phrase to mean a hilly desert or a wilderness of
moiontains, a description eminently applicable to Idumaea and
Arabia Petrsea. The essential idea is still that of the south, here
added to the east and west, as a general description of the
countries contiguous to Palestine. The south is mentioned last,
perhaps for the sake of an emphatic reference to Egypt, as the

l^Q PSALM LXXV.

foreign power, on which the Jews were supposed by the Assyrians
to rely with special confidence. Compare Isai. xxxvi. 4 — 6.
The omission of the north may either be fortuitous or (as some
suppose) intended to suggest that this was the quarter from
which the hostile incursion had proceeded, as it was in fact, in-
vaders even from the furthest east commonly entering the coun-
try from that side. The meaning of the whole verse then is that
the danger which impended from one quarter could not be averted
by mere human aid from any other, but only by the means re-
ferred to in the next verse.

8 (7.) For God {is) judge (or actusiW j judgi7ig ;) this (one) he
will humble^ and this (one) will exalt. The for at the beginning
introduces the reason of the negative statement in the verse pre-
ceding. It is not man, for it is God, who can perform this.
The same relation of the sentences is commonly expressed in our
idiom by but. The act of judging, or the office of a judge, here
implies absolute sovereignty. This and this is the idiomatic
Hebrew phrase answering to one and another in English. See
above, on Ps. xx. 8 (7.)

9 (8.) JF'or a cup (is) in the hand of Jehovah^ and the wine
ferments J and it is full of mixture.^ and he pours out from this

{cup) ; only its dregs shall they wring (or suck) out^ shall they
drink — all the wicked of the earth (or land.) This is a common
figure in the Scriptures for the wrath of God. See above, on Ps. xi. 6.
The cup contains the prescribed or allotted portion of the sinner to
whom it is administered. Fervients or has fermented., implying that
it is real wine and strong wine. The translation it is red is now sup-
posed to rest upon a doubtful etymology. Some interpreters ex-
plain the phrase, it foams with wine ; but this construction is not
only in itself less simple, but puts a sense upon the verb not en-
tirely authorized by usage, and requires the noun (dis) cup., which
is elsewhere feminine, to be construed as a masculine. It (the

PSALM LXXV

179

wine) is full of mlxtwre, i. e. mixed with spices to increase its
strength and stimulating power. Only its dregs is an idiomatic
Hebrew phrase, which does not mean, as it may seem to do in
English, that they shall drink nothing but the dregs. The mean-
ing rather is, that they shall have nothing left for it, no resource,
or no alternative, except to drain the cup to the very dregs, i. e.
to suffer God's wrath to the uttermost (1 Thess. ii. 16.) The
position given to the subject of the sentence at its close makes it
more emphatic. See above on Ps. xl. 15 (14.)

10 (9.) And I will declare fo)- ever J I will sing praise to the God
of Jacob. The emphatic pronoun puts him in opposition to the
wicked of the earth or la7id. ^ While they are thus destroyed, I
will declare' etc. The object of the verb in the first clause is
determined by the second. Sing praise ^ make music, as a means
of celebrating the divine praise. See above, on Ps. ix. 12 (11.)
XXX. 5 (4.) xlvii. 7 (6.) Ixvi. 4. To the God.:of Jacob ^ to him
who has proved himself to be such, by fulfilling the promise made
of old to Israel. The personal name of the patriarch is poetically
substituted for the one which properly belonged to him as founder
of the nation. See above, on Ps. xxiv. 6.

11 (10.) And all horns of wicked ones will I cut off ; lifted up
shall be the horns of the righteous. The same noun and verb, that
were used in vs. 5, 6 f4, 5), to denote the self-exaltation of the
wicked, are here used in a good sense to denote God's gracious
exaltation of the righteous. Compare Matth. xxiii. 12. Luko
xiv. 11. xviii. 14. In the first clause, to the simple correlative
idea of humiliation is superadded that of violent destruction.
While the horns of the righteous are to be exalted, those of the
wicked are not only to be lowered but cut off. The change from
the plural (wicked men) to the singular (a righteous man), if
meant to be significant at all, may have reference to the speaker
as an ideal individual. The construction of these words as those

180

PSALM LXXVI.

of God liimself is a gratuitous and harsh one. They are rather
littered by the Church, as representing him, or acting in his
strength and under his authority.

PSALM LXXVI.

1. To the Chiif Wlusician. With (oy on) stringed instruments.
A Psalm hy Asaph. A song (of praise.) The resemblance of
this title to that of the preceding psalm, their juxtaposition in the
Psalter, and their internal similarity, all favour the opinion that
they had respect originally to the same historical occasion, with
this difference, that the first is rather an anticipation of the great
deliverance as certain but still future, and the other a commemo-
ration of the same as actually past or really experienced. In this,
as in the other case, the event is ascribed to a wonderful divine
interposition, and described as one affecting the whole world or
the nations gejierally, which was emphatically true of the great
stroke, by which the power of Assyria was broken.

2. (L) Known in Judah (is) God ; in Israel great {is) his name.
Known as God, and as the God of Israel, his chosen people, which,
after the great schism in the time of Rehoboam, continued to exist
in the kingdom of Judah. It was only in the ancient church that
his name was fully known, his perfections clearly manifested.

3 (2.) And in Salem was his tahernacle^ and his home in Zion.
This is explanatory of the first verse. He was best known there
because it was his chosen earthly residence. Salem is evidently
used poetically for Jerusalem. The former name means peaceful

PSALM LXXVI. 181

and secure, and some suppose it- to be one of the elements of
which the other name is composed, so as to signify a peaceful or
secure possession. The same interpreters identify the Salem of
Gen. xiv. 18 with Jerusahm. The word translated tabernacle
properly means a booth or shed composed of leaves and branches,
in allusion to the moveable and temporary form of the first sanc-
tuary.

4 (3.) Thither he shattered the bolts of the bow — buckler and
sword and battle. Sclah. Some translate the first word there,
but there is no clear instance of the Hebrew adverb being so used,
and the best interpreters suppose the sense to be, that he destroyed
them on their way there, while in motion towards the Holy City.
The word (^^"d) translated shattered is an intensive species of the
common verb ("inr") to break. Both forms occur together in Ps.
xxix. 5. See also Ps. iii. 8 (7.) The ambiguous word bolts is
used to represent a Hebrew one, which properly means thunder-
bolts or flashes of lightning, but is here applied to the flight of
arrows, with or without allusion to the practice of igniting them
(Eph. vi. 16.) To the shield and sword, as the most important
pieces of defensive and offensive armour, he adds, by a bold and
striking figure, war itself, perhaps as a residuary aggregate of all
other arms and weapons.

5 (4.) Bright (art) thou, glorious, more than the mountains of
prey. The object of address is God, who had been previously
spoken of, in the third person. The first word in Hebrew is a
participle, meaning illuminated, made to shine, and therefore bear-
ing some affinity to our word illustrious. The other epithet means
grand, glorious, sublime. See above, on Ps. viii. 1. The com-
mon version {excellent) seems to restrict the praise to moral
qualities. As mountains are standing symbols of states and king-
doms, mou/iitains of prey, i. e. mountains occupied by robbers,
may denote oppressive powers, such as that of Assyria, to which

182 PSALM LXXVl.

the Prophets apply similar descriptions. See Nah. ii. 11, 12.
iii. 1. To all such hostile pojvers God is here represented as
superior.

6 (5.) Spoiled are the stout of heart ; they have slept their
sleep ; aTid all the men of might have not found their hands. The
meaning of the first clause seems to be, that the spoilers are them-
selves spoiled, by a signal providential retribution. Some, how-
ever, explain the first word to mean snatched away^ caused to
disappear or vanish. They have slept their own sleep, i. e. they,
like others, in their turn, sleep the sleep of death. See above,
on Ps. xiii. 4 (3), and compare Nah. iii. 18. 2 Kings xix. 35.
Stout of heart suggests the two distinct ideas, courageous and
hard-hearted. The same expression is used, in an unfavourable
sense, by Isaiah (xlvi. 12.) All have not found does not imply
that some have found, but on the contrary, that none have found,
or in other words that the negative poposition is true of all with-
out exception. Fou7id their hands is understood by some to mean
regained their strength. But the direct sense of the words is, that
they have not found the use of their hands, or been able to em-
ploy them with advantage.

7 (6.) At thy rebuke^ oh God of Jacoh^ put to sleep (is) both
chariot and horse. The particle at the beginning is both temporal
and causal, post hoc et propter hoc. After and because of thy
rebuke. This noun denotes not merely a verbal but a real or
practical expression of the divine displeasure. See above, on Ps.
ix. 6 (5.) Ixviii. 31 (30.) God of Jacob, see above, on v. 10 (9.)
Put to sleep is here used to translate a passive participle, denoting
not a mere state or condition, but the violence by which it is pro-
duced. The sleep meant is of course the sleep of death. The
application of this figure to the chariot as well as to the horse,
is less paradoxical in Hebrew, where the noun used is sometimes
a collective meaning cavalry. See my note on Isaiah xxi. 7.

PSALM LXXVT. 183

At the same time, there is beauty in the figure, as suggesting
that the noisy rattle of the wheels is hushed in death-like silence.

8 (7.) Thou (art) to be feared, (even) thou, and who shall
stand before thee, when once thou art angry ? The Hebrew pas-
sive participle often has the force of the future passive or gerun-
dive in Latin. See above, on Ps. xviii. 4 (3.) The repetition
of the pronoun makes it highly emphatic and even exclusive,
thou and no other, thou and only thou. Who s/mll stand? in-
cludes the kindred question, who may or can stand? To stand
before God means, in this connection, to stand one's ground in
opposition to him, or in independence of him. See above, on
Ps. i. 5. The common version of the last words, which is re-
tained above, conveys correctly the idea, but without the peculiar
form of the original, which is highly idiomatic, and not susceptible
of literal translation. The last word strictly means thy anger and
the one before it from then or from that time. The nearest ap-
proach to it in English would be since thy anger, a construction
which is actually given in the latest German versions.

9 (8.) From heaven thou hast caused judgment to be heard; the,
earth feared and rested, or, the earth was afraid and was still.
From his throne in heaven God had pronounced judgment on his
wicked enemies, the sound of which had struck the dwellers upon
earth with awe and calmed their tumult. The last Hebrew verb
is especially applied to repose after the noise and agitation of
war. See Josh. xiv. 15. Judg. v. 31. Isai. xiv 7.

10 (9.) In Godh arising for the judgment, to save all the
humble of the earth. This completes the sentence begun in the
preceding verse, by assigning the date, and at the same time the
cause, of the effect there recorded. The earth was awe-struck
and reduced to silence when God arose to judgment, i. e. to act
as judge or sovereign arbiter. In the last clause, as in many

184 PSALM LXXVI.

other places, the judgments of God upon his enemies are repre-
sented as occasions of deliverance to his people, here described
by one of their characteristic qualities, not merely as the meek in
temper, but as the lowly in spirit, the humhU in the strong reli-
gious sense. See above, on Ps. ix. 13 (12.) x. 12, 17. xxii. 27 (26.)
XXV. 9. xxxiv. 3 (2.) xxxvii. 11. Ixix. 33 (32.) The last word in
the verse has here a kind of double sense, since the promise made
directly to the humble of the land, i. e. the spiritual Israel, was
really intended to include all the humble of the earthy i. e. all the
truly pious, whether Jews or Gentiles.

11 (^10.) For the ivralh of man shall praise thee (or acknow-
ledge thee) ; the remainder of wraths thou shall gird (about thee.)
The very passions which excite men to rebel against God shall
be used as instruments and means of coercion. See above, on
Ps. xxxii. 9. And so complete shall be this process, that even
the remnant of such passionate excitement, which might be ex-
pected to escape attention, will be nevertheless an instrument
or weapon in the hands of God. This last idea is expressed by
the figure of a girdle, here considered as a sword-belt. So too
in other cases the verb to gird is absolutely used in the sense of
girding on a sword, or the still more general one of arming one's
self. See above, on Ps. xlv. 4 f3),and compare Judg. xviii. 11.
1 Kings XX. 11.2 Kings iii. 21. Others, with less probability,
suppose the figure to denote the act of attaching to one's self, as
in Ps. cix. 19. Isai. xi. 5. Jer. xiii. 11, and apply it to the future
conversion of all remaining enemies. The plural in the last
clause {tvraths or angers) seems to be an emphatic (lesignation
of abundance or excess. See above, on. Ps. xviii. 51 (50.)

12 (11.) Vow and pay unto Jehovah your God, all (ye that
are) round about him ; let them bring tribute to the Dread ( One.)
The first clause may be understood to mean, pay now what you
have vowed before, i. e. before the great deliverance and during

PSALM LXXVI.

185

the impending danger. The addition of your God shows that
the object of address is Israel. Compare Deut. xxiii. 22 (21.)
According to the masoretic interpunction, all that are round about
him belongs to the first clause, and denotes the host of Israel, in
the midst of whom Jehovah's tent was pitched (Num. ii. 2.) The
English Bible, following the ancient versions, throws these words
into the last clause, as the subject of the verb that follows, let all
that are round about him bring presents, or they shall bring
presents. This last word in Hebrew denotes tribute from the
conquered or dependent to the conqueror or sovereign. See
above, on Ps. Ixviii. 30 (29), and compare Isai. xviii. 7. This
was literally verified in the case of Hezekiah's rescue from the
power of Sennacherib. See 2 Chron. xxxii. 23. God is here
called Fear or Terror, as an object to be reverenced or dreaded.
Compare the similar expressions in Isaiah viii. 12, 13.

13 (12.) He cuts off the spirit of princes , he is feared (or to be
feared) by the kings of earth. The first verb is specially applied
to the pruning or cutting of vines. See Jer. vi. 9. xxv. 30. xlix.
9, and compare Rev. xiv. 18, 19. Its future form includes a
potential sense. He can do it when he will, and he will do it
when he sees occasion. Spirit or breath is here put for the life
or vital principle, to cut which is to kill. He who possesses this
alarming power is or ought to be an object of religious fear, not
only to ordinary men or to certain great men in particular, but
to all the kings of the earth. Compare Matt. x. 28. Luke xii.
5. These expressions show that the historical occasion of the
psalm was not an event of merely local interest, but a great his-
torical and national catastrophe, such as the blow inflicted on the
power of Assyria by the sudden destruction of Sennacherib's host.

186 PSALM LXXVl

PSALM L XXVII.

1. To the Chief Musician over (the choir or family of) Jedu-
thun. By Asaph. A Psalm. For the meaning of this title, see
above, on Ps. Ixii. 1. The psalm before us contains a complaint
and prayer of the ancient church in times of deep distress. It
consists of two parts. In the first, the church describes her sad
condition and complains of God's desertion, vs. 2 — 10 (1 — 9.)
In the second, she encourages herself by the remembrance of
former deliverances, and especially of that from Egypt, vs. 11 —
21 (10 — 20.) The particular historical occasion is not specified ;
but if, as some suppose, it be the crisis of afiairs in the reign of
Josiah, the name Asaph must be understood as a description of
the family, and not of its progenitor. See above on Ps. 1. 1.
There are several obvious imitations of this psalm in the third
chapter of Habakkuk.

2 yl ) My voice unto God (I will raise) and will cry ; my voice
unto God (I will raise) and he will give ear to me. Some make
the last verb an imperative, and (when I raise my voice) do thou
give ear. But besides the sudden change of person, which, though
common, is not to be assumed without necessity, the form of the
Hebrew verb is that of an infinitive, to be determined by assimi-
lation to the one before it. The last clause then really assigns a
reason for the purpose expressed in the first. He would not pray,
if he despaired of being heard.

PSALM LXXVII. 187

3 (2.) Li the day of my distress the Lord I sought ; my hand
by night was spread and grew not numb ; my soul refused to be
comforted. Day is here put for time, but not without allusion to
the mention of the night in the clause following, so as to express
the idea that he prayed day and night. The verb translated
spread means strictly spilt, poured out, scattered, but seems to be
here poetically applied to the spreading of the hands as a cus-
tomary gesture of entreaty. See above, on Ps. xliv. 21 (20.)
The common version, my sore ran, has no foundation in etymo-
logy or usage. For the meaning of the next verb, see above, on
Ps. xxxviii. 9 (8.) Its form is future, but the copulative particle,
though separated from it by the negative, may be considered as
exerting a conversive force.

4 (3.) I remember God and murmur ; I muse, and overtchelmed
IS my spirit. Selah. The recollection of God's former kindness,
as contrasted with what seems to be his present desertion, extorts
from the sufferer an expression of disquietude. The second verb
in Hebrew is the same with that in Ps. xxxix. 7 (6.) xlii. 6, 12
(5, 11.) Iv. 18 (17.) My spirit is not simply equivalent to my-
self, but suggests the additional idea of profound internal agitation.

5 (4.) Thou hast held fast my eyes ; I am sviitten and cannot
speak. The word here rendered /as^ is properly a passive par-
ticiple meaning watched, kept, and here, from the connection, kept
awake or open. This circumstance is added to enhance the de-
scription of his miserable state.

6 (5.) I thought on days of old, years of antiquities {ot perpe-
tuities.) The contrast of the present with the past is again urged
as an ao-o-ravatino; circumstance in his condition.

oo

7 (6.) I will remember my song in the night, with my heart will
I muse, and my spirit inquires. The futures of the first clause

188 PSALM LXXVIl.

have reference to the time of actual suflfering. The word trans-
lated song means strictly a stringed instrument^ or that kind of
music, but is here used more generally to denote the musical ex-
pression of thanksgiving. In the night qualifies the words imme-
diately preceding {my song)^ not the remoter antecedent (J re-
member.) With my hearty i. e. in communion with it, with
myself. My spirit inquires^ i.e. I, from the bottom of my heart,
ask the questions recorded in the following verses,

8 (7.) For ever icill the Lord reject., and will he no more favour ?
It was thus that the spirit of the sufferer made inquiry. For ever,
literally, to eternities or ages. Reject^ with abhorrence and con-
tempt. See above, on Ps. xliii. 2. xliv. 10,24 (9,23.) Ix. 3, 12
(2, 11.) Ixxiv. 1. The idiomatic form of the last clause is, will
he not add to favour again (or any longer ?)

9 (8.) Ceased forever has his mercy., failed {his) word to
generation and generation ? The general term word here denotes
specifically a word of promise. See above, on Ps. xviii. 31 (30.)
Generation and generation., i. e. all generations in succession, are
not mentioned as the objects of the promise, to whom God's word
was pledged, but as the period of its failure.

10 (9.) Has the Mighty {One) forgotten to he gracious^ or closed
in wrath his mercies ? Selah. The use of the divine name Fl
is here significant, as if it had been asked, does the goodness of
God no longer bear proportion to his greatness ? The verb trans-
lated closed is one found only in poetical style. The original ex-
pression for his mercies suggests the idea of his bowels., according
to the idiom which represents the viscera as the seat of the ten-
derest affections.

11 (10.) And I said ^ this is my affliction^ the years of the right
hcmd of the Highest. This may be regarded as the turning point

PSALM LXXVII. 189

of the entire composition. After all the repinings and misgivings
just described, I said, at length, what I might and should have
said before. My a^idion, literally, 7ny sickness^ that specific form
of sufi'ering being put for suffering in general, as inflicted by the
hand of God. The use of the word years seems to imply that
the trial was one of lono; continuance. The divine name or de-
scription {Most High) suggests the duty and necessity of yielding
to his sovereign pleasure.

\2 '{11.) I will commevior ate the deeds of Jah ; for I will re-
memher thy wonders of old. The forms of the verb in the two
clauses are different though needlessly assimilated by the masoretic
critics and the versions. The second is the primitive verb remem-
ber ; the first its derivative, cause to be remembered, commemo-
rate, celebrate. The literal meaning of the last words is from
antiquity thy wonder^ a collective and abstract expression for thy
wondrous works. For the orio-in and use of the divine name
Jah, see above, on Ps. Ixviii. 5 (4.)

13 (12.) Atid I icill meditate of all thy loork., and of thy doings
will I muse. The original expression is not of but in them, as if
implying a complete absorption of the thoughts and feelings in the
object.

14 (13.) Oh God .^ in holiness is thy way. What 3'Eghty {One)
is great like God ? The common version, m the sanctuary^ yields
a good sense ; but the other is entitled to the preference on ac-
count of Ex. XV. 11, to which place there is evident allusion.
Holiness here means the divine perfection, all that distinguishes
the Maker from his creatures. See above, on Ps. xxii. 4 (3.)
Thy way, i. e. thy mode of dealing with thy creatures, and par-
ticularly with thy people. The use of the name El is again signi-
ficant. Who is there like God, even among the mightiest and
most exalted beings .'*

190 PSALM LXXYll.

15 (14.) Thou {art) the Almighty doing wonders; thou hast
made knoicn in the nations thy strength. Thou ait the true Al-
mighty as distinguished from all counterfeits. Doing., i. e.
habitually, characteristically, doing wonders. The next word has
the singular form but a collective meaning, as in v. 12 (11)
above. In the nations., not only to them, but among them, in the
midst of them, and in their own experience. The display of God's
omnipotence had not been confined to his own people, but extended
to surrounding nations. This is particularly mentioned in the
history of the exodus from Egypt. See Ex. ix. 16. xv. 14.

16 (15.^ Thou hast redeemed with the arm thy jieo^le., the sons
of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. The particular display of the di-
vine strength just referred to is now specified. Redeemed.,
recovered from captivity or bondage. With the arm., i. e. by the
exercise of power. See above, on Ps. xliv. 4 (3.) Joseph is
named as well as Jacob., in order to include the ten tribes in the
statement, which might otherwise have been applied to Judah only,
as the legitimate successor of the ancient Israel. In this clause
some interpreters see a distinct allusion to the downfal of the
kingdom of the ten tribes, as an event which had already taken
place when the psalm was written.

17 (16.) The icaters saw thee, God, the waters saw thee; they
shake, yea, the depths quake. The historical reference is of course
to the passage of the Red Sea, but at the same time with al-
lusion to the symbolical use of seas in Scripture. See above, on
Ps. xlvi. 3 (2.) The transition from the past tense to the future
or present shows that the writer suddenly transports himself into
the midst of the events which he commemorates. The yea or nay
(C)5<) in the last clause is emphatic. Not merely the surface of
the water moves ; its very depths are agitated and convulsed.

18 (17.) The clouds poured water ; the skies gave a sound ; yea.

PSALM LXXVII. 192

thine arroiDS Jly. These are natural phenomena of storms, here
noted as betokening God's presence. See above, on Ps. xviii.
12 — 15 (11 — 14.) The skies, the vapours constituting the visible
heavens. See above, on Ps. Ixviii. 35 (34.) Gave a sound, ut-
tered their voice, a beautiful description of the thunder. The
yea indicates a climax. There was not only rain and thunder but
lightning, the flashes of which are poetically spoken of as arrows.
See above, on Ps. xviii. 15 (14.) The word translated^?/ is an
intensive form of the verb to go, implying swiftness and perhaps
diversity of direction, hither and thither, to and fro. See above,
on Ps. xxvi. 3. xxxv. 14. With this verse compare Hab. iii. 11.

19 (18.) The voice of thy thunder [was) in the ivhirlwind ;
lightnings made the world shine; (then) shook and quaktd the
earth. The word translated whirlwind usually means a wheel,
but is sometimes applied to any thing whirled or driven round
before the wind. See below, on Ps. Ixxxiii. 14 (13), and com-
pare Isai. xvii. 13. Hence it may naturally be employed to de-
signate the whirlwind itself as the cause of this rotary motion.
This is surely more agreeable to usage than to make it descriptive
of mere swiftness or velocity. The common version, in the hea-
ven, if not entirely arbitary, must rest upon a supposed allusion
to the convex appearance of the heavens. Made to shine, illu-
minated, lighted up. There is however no affinity between the
Hebrew word and that for lightnings. The whole description is
remarkably like that of the theophany in Ps. xviii. See also
Hab. iii. 14.

20 (19.) In the sea (was) thy way and thy paths in great (or
many) waters, and thy footsteps were not known. This may be
understood as a general description of the divine operations as in-
scrutable, in which case the verbs supplied should have the pre-
sent form, is thy way, are not known. It is more agreeable, how-
ever, to the context, and in far better keeping witli the vivid

192 PSALM LXXVIII.

graphic character of this part of the psalm, to understand the
verse, at least in the first instance, as referring to the exodus from
Egypt, when it might indeed be said that the way of Jehovah, as
the deliverer and conductor of his people, was hi the sea^ and that
his footsteps and theirs could not be traced, because the waters
instantly rolled over them. With this verse compare Hab. iii. 15.

21 (20.) Thou didst guide like a Jiock thy jpeople^ by the hand
of Moses and Aaron. Like a flock, in perfect safety and with
perfect ease. The comparison of Moses, at this juncture, to a
shepherd, reappears in Isai. Ixiii. 11 — 14. The conclusion of the
psalm appears abrupt, but any devout Israelite could draw the
inference for himself, that he who had so gloriously saved his
people could deliver them again.

PSALM LXXYIII.

This psalm appears to have been written after David's eleva-
tion to the throne, and perhaps before he was acknowledged by
the whole race of Israel (2 Sam. v. 5.) Its design is to impress
upon the public mind the true grounds of the transfer which had
taken place, of the pre-eminence in Israel, from the tribe of
Ephraim to that of Judah, as the execution of a divine purpose
long before disclosed, and at the same time a just judgment on
the sins committed by the people under the predominant influence
of Ephraim, from the time of Joshua to that of Eli. The internal
character of the psalm determines its external form, which is
simple, and admits of no minute division, beyond that afforded by
the historical succession of events and the logical design of the

PSALM LXXVIIl. 193

composition, to prove that the Israelites under the ascendancy
of Ephraim were similar in character to the elder generation which
came out of Egypt.

1. MaschU. By Asaph Listen, my people, to my law ; in-
cline your ear to the sayings of my mouth. This is eminently a
didactic psalm, because it teaches the true meaning of events in
the history of Israel which might otherwise seem to be mere
matters of curiosity. For the same reason it was necessary that
it should be so designated in the title or inscription. See above,
on Ps. xxxii. 1. xlii. 1. lii. 1. etc. The Asaph meant, as we have
seen, is probably the contemporary and chief musician of David,
but also an inspired psalmist. See above, on Ps. 1. 1. In this
verse, he invites attention, as if to something strange and unex-
pected. My people, fellow-members of the ancient church, not
as individuals, however, but as an organized body. My law, my
inspired instructions which, as such, have a binding authority and
force.

2. / will open, in a parable, my mouth ; I will utter riddles
from antiquity. By a parable we are here to understand an
analogical illustration of divine truth. An exposition of the true
design and meaning of the history of Israel was in this sense a
mashal or parable. Riddles, enigmas, not the events themselves,
but their latent import, which escaped a merely superficial obser-
vation. See above, on Ps. xlix. 5 (4.) Of old, or from an-
tiquity, i. e. belonging to the early period of our national exist-
ence. Utter, literally, pour forth, cause to flow or gush. See
above, on Ps. xix. 3 (2.)

3. Which we have heard, and have knownthem, and our fathers
recounted to us. Here, as often elsewhere, the knowledge of God's
ancient dealings with his people is ascribed to that national tra-
dition, which they were not only suffered but required to cherish

9

194 PSALM LXXVIJI.

and perpetuate (Ex. xii. 14. Deut. vi. 20), but wHich was not
at all exclusive of a written and authoritative record.

4. We loillnot hide {them) from their sonSy to an after genera-
tion recounting the praises of Jehovah^ and his strength^ and his
wonders lohich he did. The psalmist here recognises the obliga-
tion resting on the individual parent, but above all on the church
as such, to continue the transmission of this knowledge to the
latest generations.

5. And set wp a testimony in Jacoh^ and a law established in
Israel^ which he commanded our fathers^ to make them known unto
their sons. The essential idea here conveyed still is, that the
traditional transmission of God's mighty deeds entered into the
very end or purpose for which Israel existed as a nation.

6. In order that the after generation might kno%i\ sons he horn^
arise J and tell (it) to their own sons. This prolonged reiteration
of the same thing seems intended to preclude the thought or feel-
ing, that the things about to be recounted were mere relics of
antiquity, without interest or use to the contemporary race.

7. And might place in God their hope, and not forget the deeds
of the Almighty., and his commandments might observe (or keep.)
The construction is continued from the verse preceding. The
recollection thus enjoined was not a more historical or speculative
exercise, but designed to have a practical effect, to wit, that of
securing obedience.

8. And might not he as their fathers, a generation stuhhorn and
rehellious, a generation that did not prepare its heart, and ichose
spirit was not true to God. A still more specific purpose is here
mentioned, to wit, that of warning by means of bad examples.
The fathers here meant arc the elder race that came out of

PSALM LXXVIII. 195

Egypt. The description stubborn and rebellious is borrowed from
Deut, xxi. 18. To prepare the heart is to dispose or devote it to
God's service. Compare 1 Sam. vii. 3. 2 Chron. xx. 33.

9. The sons of Ephraim^ armed bowmen^ turned (back) in the,
day of battle. The people, during the ascendancy of Ephraim,
proved false to their great mission of subduing Canaan and de-
stroying its inhabitants. This neglect is represented, in the his-
tory itself, as the source of all the national calamities that fol-
lowed. As the bow among the ancients was one of the chief
weapons of war, the description armed bowmen is equivalent to
well armed soldiers, and is added to enhance the guilt and shame
of those who thus betrayed their trust, in spite of every external
advantage.

"b^

10. They kept not the covenant of God^ and in his law refused
to walk. They violated the condition of their national vocation,
and refused to do the very thing for which they were brought out
of Egypt.

11. And forgot his deeds and his wonders which heshoioed them.
The second generation forgot the proofs of God's presence and
power, which, in the person of their fathers, they had seen when
they came out of Egypt.

12. Before their fathers he did a wonder ^ in the land of Egypt,
in the field of Zoan. Wonder has here the same collective
sense as in Ps. Ixxvii. 12, 15 (11, 14,) Zoan called by the
Grreeks Tanis, was the ancient capital of Lower Egypt. See
Num. xiii. 22. The field of Zoan was the country immediately
adjacent to it.

13. He clave the sea, and let them pass, and made the waters

196 PSALM LXXVIil.

stand as a heap. This last expression is derived from Ex. xv. 8.
See above, on Ps. xxxiii. 7.

14. And led them by the cloud by day^ and all the night by light
of fire. See Ex. xiii. 21, 22. The original expression, in the
cloudy may denote something more than instrumental agency, to
wit, the personal presence of the Divine Angel in the cloud
itself.

15. He cleaves rocks in the wilderness^ and gives them drink as
a great deep. This last is a hyperbolical description of an abun-
dant flow of water in the desert. Some account for it by sup-
posing an allusion to the flood, from the account of which (Gen.
vii. 11) some of the expressions are borrowed. The verse has
reference to both miraculous supplies of this kind, one in the first,
and one in the last year of the error in the wilderness. See Ex.
xvii. 6 Num. xx. 8.

16. And brings out torrents from a rock^ and brings down wa-
ters like the rivers. This verse relates to the later miracle, re-
corded in the twentieth of Numbers.

17. And they continued still to sin against him, to rebel against
the Highest in the desert. What ought to have been the efi'ect of
these divine interpositions, is clearly implied in this description of
the actual efi'ect. The very means which should have made them
more obedient made them more rebellious. The last word in
Hebrew means a desert, properly so called, a dry land, and may
here be used to suggest the idea, that they foolishly and wickedly
provoked God in the very situation where they were most de-
pendent on him for protection and supplies. The extent of this
dependence is implied in the use of a divine name signifying sove-
reignty, supremacy.

PSALM LXXVIIl. 197

18. And tempted God in their heart, to ask food for their soul.
To tempt God is to require unnecessary proof of what should be
believed without it. Instead of trusting in his bounty to supply
them, they anxiously demanded what they looked upon as neces-
sary for their sustenance. In their heart describes the first con-
ception of the sin, as distinguished from its outward commission
in the next verse. To ask, by asking, or rather, so as to ask.
Such was their impious distrust of God, that they actually asked,
etc. For their soul, for themselves ; or, for their appetite, to
gratify their inordinate desire of bodily indulgence ; or, for their
life, as absolutely necessary to preserve it.

19. And spake of God (and) said, Will the Almighty he able
to set a table in the wilderness ? This they not only said, but
said it speaking of or against God. The unreasonableness of the
doubt is aggravated by the use of a divine name which implies om-
nipotence. As if they had said. Can he do this who can do
everything .''

20. La, he smote the rock, and waters flow, and streams gush
out ; (but) can he also give bread or provide flesh for his people ?
The same thing is now proved by an appeal to what he had done.
The question is reduced to an absurdity by introducing as a kind
of preamble, what ought to have prevented its being asked at
all. The doubters are described in these two verses as virtually
reasoning thus ; God is almighty ; but is he able to supply our
wants } He has given us water ; but can he give us bread or
meat }

21. Therefore Jehovah heard and was wroth, and fire was
kindled in Jacob, and also anger came up in (or against) Israel.
The first clause exemplifies a common Hebrew idiom, equivalent
to saying, therefore when he heard he was angry. Heard, not
the rumour or report of their offence, but the ofience itself, which

198 PSALM LXXVIIl.

consisted externally in speaking against God. The second verb
is a reflexive form of one that means to pass out or over, and
properly denotes the act of letting one's self out or giving vent to
the emotions. Fire seems to be a figure for this same wi'ath,
with or without allusion to material fire as a destroying agent.
Compare Num. xi. 1. Came up^ in the mind. See 2 Sam.
xi. 20. Or there may be an allusion to the visible ascent of
smoke and flame, as in Ps. xviii. 9 (8.)

22. Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his sal-
vation. Compare the terms of the history in Ex. xiv. 13. Num.
xiv. 11.

23. And he commanded the cloud above, and the doors of heaven
he opened. The connection of the sentences is correctly although
freely given in the common version, though he had commanded,
etc. Above, literally, from above, but see on Ps. 1. 4. The
whole verse expresses the idea of a copious supply from heaven.
In the last clause there seems to be a reference to the opening of
the windows of heaven at the deluge. Compare Gen. vii. 11,
and see above on v. 15.

24. And rained upon them manna to eat, and corn of heaven
gave to them. The expression rained is borrowed from the his-
tory, Ex. xvi. 4. The addition of the words to eat may have
reference to the primary import of the word [y2\ manna as an
interrogative or indefinite pronoun, meaning what or somewhat, so
that the words here might also bear the sense of something to eat.
See Ex. xvi. 15, 31. It is called corn of heaven as a miracu-
lous substitute for bread, and also in allusion to its granular form
and appearance, Ex. xvi. 31.

25. Bread of the mighty (ones) did (each) man eat ; victual he
sent them to the full. The first Hebrew word, as appears from the

PSALM LXXVIII. 199

preceding verso, is used in its specific sense of hread, and not in
the generic one of food^ wliich is otherwise expressed in v. 20.
Some explain bread of the mighty to mean delicate or costly
bread, like that used by the rich and noble. But to these the
epithet is nowhere else applied, as a similar one is to the angels
in Ps. ciii. 20, a circumstance which favours the old explanation
given in the Targum and the Septuagint, according to which
manna is called angeW bread, not as being their food, but as
coming from the place where they reside. 3Tan is not used
generically in antithesis to angels, which would have required an-
other Hebrew word (QH^), but distributively in the sense of every
one, as it is in the history of this very miracle, Ex. xvi. 16. The
idea then is that enough was sent for all without exception. The
word translated victual denotes specially provision for a march
or journey. See Ex. xii. 39. To t/iefull^ov to satiety, enough
and more than enough to satisfy the appetite of every individual ;
another expression borrowed from the history. See Ex. xvi. 3.

26. He rouses an east-wind in the heavens, and guides by his
power a south-unnd. The first verb is a causative of that used in
Num. xi. 31, which strictly means to strike a tent or break up an
encampment, and then to set out upon a march or journey, but
is there applied to the sudden rise of a particular wind. The east
and south are here named as the points from which the strongest
winds were known to blow in that part of the world. The history
itself contains no such specification. Guides, directs it in the
course required for his purpose.

27. And he rained upon them, like dust,Jlesh, and like the sand
of seas, winged fowl (or birds of wing. ) Here, as in the miracle
of water, two miraculous supplies of flesh are brought together.
See Ex. xvi. 13. Num. xi. 31, 32. To these too is transferred
the figure of rain, which in the history is applied only to tho
manna.

200 PSALM LXXVIII.

28. And let it fall in the midst of his camp, round about his
dwellings. The pronoun his refers to Israel as a body, and may
be rendered clearer by the use of the plural their. Several of the
terms here used are borrowed from the Mosaic narrative. See
Ex. xvi. 13 Num. xi. 31.

29. And they ate and were sated exceedingly, and (thus) their
desire he brings to them. The first clause is an amplification of
the phrase to the full in v. 25 above. Compare the history in
Num. xi. 18 — 20. Their desire^ i. e. the object of it, that which
they had longed for.

30. They were not (yet) estranged from their desire ; still
(was) their food in their mouth. This is merely the protasis or
conditional clause of the sentence completed in the next verse.
The first clause does not mean that the food had not begun to
pall upon their appetite, but, as the other clause explains it, that
it was still in their possession, in their very mouths, when God
smote them. Compare Num. xi. 33.

31. And the wrath of God came up among them (or against
them), and slew among their fat ones, and the chosen {youths) of
Israel brought low. The form of expression in the first clause is
the same as in v. 21 above. Among their fat ones, i. e. killed
some or many of them. The parallel term, according to its ety-
mology, means picked or chosen men, but in usage is applied to
young men in their full strength and the flower of their age, and
therefore fit for military service. Thus the youngest and strongest
arc described as unable to resist the exhibition of God's wrath
against his people.

32. For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his won-
ders. Notwithstanding all these favours and extraordinary inter-
positions, the generation that came out of Egypt still persisted in

PSALM LXXVIII. 201

their evil courses. The last clause does not charge them with
denying the reality of the wonders which they witnessed, but with
refusing to trust God on the strength of them. This appears
from the history itself, Num. xiv. 11, to which there is obvious
allusion.

33. And (therefore) he wasted in vanity their days and their
years in terror. As the preceding verse relates to the refusal of
the people to go up against the Canaanites in the first year of the
exodus, so this relates to the forty years of error in the wilder-
ness, by which that refusal was at once indulged and punished.
The fruitless monotony of their existence during this long period,
and their constant apprehension of some outbreak of divine wrath,
are expressed here by the words translated va7iity and terror.
The meaning of the verb is that he suJBfered or caused their years
to be thus unprofitably and miserably spent. Compare Ps. Ixxiii.
19.

34. If he slew them., then they sought him., and returned and
inquired early after God. Whenever, during this long interval,
he punished them with more than usual severity, a temporary and
apparent reformation was the immediate consequence. The verb
in the last clause denotes eager and importunate solicitation. See
above, on Ps. xliii. 2 (1.)

35. And remembered that God {was) their Rock., and the
Mighty., the Most High., their Redeemer. It was only at these
times of peculiar suffering that the people, as a body, called to
mind their national relation to Jehovah, as their founder, their
protector, and their refuge. See above, on Ps. xviii. 3 (2), and
compare Deut. xxxii. 4, 15, 18, 31.

36. And (yet) they deceived him with their mouth., and with
their tongue they lie to him. Even these apparent reformations

202 PSALM LXXVllI.

only led to hypocritical professions. The verb in the first clause
does not describe the effect but the intention. It may therefore
be tvsinslsited flattered J although this is not the strict sense of the
Hebrew word.

37. And their heart was not fixed (or constant) with him^ and
they were not true to {or faithful in) his covenant. Their obedience
was capricious and imperfect, and proceeded from no settled prin-
ciple or genuine devotion to his service. They were false to the
very end for which they existed as a nation. For the meaning of
a fixed or settled hearty see above, on Ps. li. 12 (10), and com-
pare Ps. Ivii. 8 (7.)

38. And he^ the Merciful^ forgives iniquity^ and does not (ut-
terly) destroy ; and he often withdreio his anger ^ and would not
arouse all his wrath. The first clause relates rather to God's at-
tributes, or to his method of proceeding in the general, than to
his proceeding in this particular case, which is not brought for-
ward till the last clause. There is obvious allusion to the de-
scription of God's mercy in Ex. xxxiv. 6, 7. Forgives is a very
inadequate translation of the Hebrew word, which necessarily
suggests the idea of expiation as the ground of pardon. Often
withdrew^ literally, multiplied to withdraw his wrath, or cause it
to return without accomplishing its object.

39. And he rememlered that they (were hut) fiesh, a hreath de-
parting and returning not. Here as elsewhere the frailty and
infirmity of man is assigned as a ground of the divine forbearance.
Compare Ps. ciii. 14 — 16. Flesh, a common scriptural expres-
sion for humanity or human nature, as distinguished from superior
beings, and especially from God. See above, on Ps. Ivi. 5 (4),
and compare Gen. vi. 3. Isai. xxxi. 3. The idea of fragility and
brief duration is expressed still more strongly by the exquisite
figure in the last clause. The melancholy thought with which it

PSALM LXXVIII.

203

closes is rendered still more emphatic in Hebrevv by the position
of the verb and the irregular construction of the sentence, a breath

going and it shall not return.

40. Hovj oft do they resist him in the wilderness (and) grieve
him in the desert ! Many particular occurrences are summed up
in this pregnant exclamation. The future form of the verbs
seemg to have reference to the ideal situation of the writer, look-
ing forward in imagination to the error as still future, and saying
as Moses might have said, if gifted with prophetic foresight of the
sins cf Israel, Notwithstanding all these favours and these high
professions, how oft wiU they resist his authority and rouse his
wrath !

41. Awl they turned and tempted God^ and {on) the Holy One
of IsroA set a mark. Having described the conduct of the first
generation in the wilderness, the Psalmist now proceeds to show
that the younger generation, after the death of Joshua (Josh,
xxiv. 31), were like their fathers (v. 57 below.) The fii'st verb
may either have the independent meaning turned away or turned
hack from his service, or qualify the next verb by denoting repe-
tition of the action ; and they temj^ted again^ or still tem'pted.
They tempted God by doubting his supremacy, and practically
challenging him to the proof of it. See above, on v. 19. The
last word in Hebrew is of doubtful meaning. Some explain it, by
a Syriac analogy, and on the authority of the ancient versions, to
mean -provoked or grieved. In the only other place where the
Hebrew word occurs (Ez. ix. 4) it means to set a mark upon a
person, which some apply here, in the figurative sense of stigma-
tizing or insulting. A cognate verb is used by Moses (Num. xxxiv.
7, 8) to denote the act of laying off or marking out a boundary,
which is probably the origin of the common version, limited., i. o.
prescribed bounds to the power of Jehovah in their unbelief.
Holy One of Israel, see above, on Ps. Ixxi. 22.

204 PSALM LXXVIll.

42. They remembered not his handj the day that he redeemed
them from distress {or from the enemy.) The Psalmist still con-
founds or identifies the several generations as one aggregate or
national person. The younger race remembered not the mirac-
ulous favours experienced by their predecessors. His hand^ the
exertion of his power, a favourite Mosaic figure. See particu-
larly Ex. vii. 5. xiii. 9. Deut. vii. 8. The last clause admits of
two constructions. The day may be in apposition with his Jiandy
and a collateral object to the verb, as in the common version ; or
it may be an adverbial expression qualifying what precedes. ' They
remembered not how his power was exerted in the day that \q
redeemed them from the enemy.' The essential meaning is the
same in either case.

43. {He) ivho set in Egypt his signs and his wonders in the
field of Zoan. The miraculous interpositions at the exodus were
signs of God's presence and immediate agency. To set these
was to hold them up to view. See above, on Ps. Ixxiv. 4. The
description of Egypt in the last clause is repeated from v. 12
above.

44. And turned to blood their rivers, and their streams they can
not drink. The general statement of the preceding verse is
rendered more specific by the mention of several of the plagues
in detail, beginning with the first. See Ex. vii. 18 — 20. The
word translated rivers is the plural of one commonly applied to
the Nile, and supposed i^o be of Egyptian origin. It may here
be understood as denoting either the natural branches of the Nile
or the artificial channels by which its waters are employed in the
irrigation of the country. In the last clause, by a very common
trope, the wi'iter speaks as he might have spoken at the time of
the event.

45. He scTids among them (or against them) flies and they de-

PSALM LXXVIIT. 205

vour them, and frogs and they destroy them. Two of the other
plagues are here added, from the narrative in Exodus oh. viii.
The first noun in Hebrew was explained by the ancient writers as
denoting a mixture of noxious animals ; but the best interpreters
are now agreed that it means the Egyptian dog-fly, which Philo
represents as feeding upon flesh and blood.

46. And he gave (up) to the caterpillar their produce^ and their
labour to the locust. Both the animal names in this verse are
really designations of the locust, one meaning the devour er^ and
the other denoting the vast numbers of that insect. Their labour j
i. e. its efiect or fruit. Compare the narrative in Ex. x. 12 — 19.

47. He kills with hail their vine and their sycamores with frost.
The destruction of the vines is not mentioned in the history (Ex.
ix. 23 — 32), though it is in Ps. cv. 33. It has even been de-
nied that the culture of the vine was known in ancient Egypt ;
but the fact has been fully established by modern investigation
and discovery. The last word of the sentence occurs nowhere
else. Some of the moderns explain it, from an Arabic analogy, to
mean an ant ; but the parallelism favours the usual interpreta-
tion which is derived from the ancient versions.

48. And delivered their cattle to the hail and their herds to the
flames. The Hebrew verb strictly means shut up, and occurs

elsewhere in the combination to shut up in the hand, i. e. abandon
to the power, of another. See above, on Ps. xxxi. 9 (8), and
compare 1 Sam. xxiii. 11. Here, as in Deut. xxxii. 30, the verb
is used absolutely in the sense of the whole phrase. The word
translated flames occurs above in Ps. Ixxvi. 4 (3), and is here a
poetical description of the lightning. The common version {hot
thunderbolts) is striking and poetical, but perhaps too strong.
This verse does not relate to a distinct plague, but to the effects

20G PbALM LXXVIII.

of the hail-storm upon animals, as its effect upon plants was de-
scribed in the preceding verse.

49. He sends upon them the heat of his anger, wrath and indigo
nation and anguish, a mission of angels of evil. Before men-
tioning the last and greatest plague of all, he accumulates expres-
sions to describe it as the effect of the divine displeasure. The
slaughter of the first-born is ascribed in the history itself to a
destroyer or destroying angel (Ex. xii. 23. Heb. xi. 28), which
may be a collective as it seems to be in 1 Sam. xiii. 17, or
denote the commander of a destroying host (Josh. v. 15,) here
called a mission or commission of angels. The destroying angel
reappears in the history of David (2 Sam. xxiv. 16) and of Heze-
kiah (2 Kings xix. 35.) The original construction in the case
before us is peculiar, angels of evil [ones. ) This cannot mean
evil angels, in the sense of fallen spirits, who are not described in
the Old Testament as the executioners of God's decrees. The
best explanation is perhaps to take the plural evils in an abstract
sense, angels of evil, not moral but physical, i. e. authors of suf-
fering or destruction.

50. lie levels a path for his anger; and he did not withhold from
death their soul, and their life to the plague gave up. For the
meaning of the first verb, see above, on Ps. Iviii. 3 (2.) The
meaning of the figure seems to be, that he removes all hinderance
to his anger and allows it free scope. Not content with having
smitten their possessions and their persons, he now extends his
stroke to their lives. The word translated life more usually
means an animal or animals collectively. See above, on Ps.
Ixviii. 11, 31 (10, 30.) Ixxiv. 19. If we retain this meaning here,
the verse may be referred to the death of the Egyptian cattle by
the murrain (Ex. ix. 1 — 7.) But the parallelism and the con-
text rather favour the translation life, and the reference of the
passage to the death of the first-born, which was probably oc-

PSALM LXXVlil. 207

casioned by a pestilence (Ex. ix. 15) and is expressly mentioned
in the next verse.

51. And smote all the first-born in Egypt, the first-fruits of
strength in the tents of Ham. Compare the narrative in Ex.
xii. 29, 30. The poetical description of the first-born in the last
clause is derived from Gen. xlix. 3 (compare Deut. xxi. 17), and
that of Egypt from Gen. x. 6.

52. And hrought out, like sheep, his people, and led them, like
a flock, in the tvilderness. For the precise meaning of the fii-st
verb, see above, on v. 26, and compare Ex. xii. 37. xv. 22. The
guidance in the wilderness includes that on both sides of the Red
Sea, as appears from Ex. xii. 37.

53. And guided them in safety, and they did not fear, and their
enemies the sea covered. They did not fear, because he removed
all ground of apprehension. This was especially the case at the
passage of the Red Sea, Ex. xv. 19, to which there is clearly a
particular allusion.

54. And hrought them to his holy border, this mountain (which)
his right hand icon. The bound or border of his holiness, the
frontier of the land which he had set apart as holy. This moun^
tain may, agreeably to Hebrew usage, mean this hilly country, as
it does in Deut. iii. 25. But there is no doubt a particular re-
ference to Mount Zion, in the wide sense, as the central point of
the theocracy, designated as such long before the conquest of
Canaan. See Gen. xxii. 14, and compare Ex. xv. 13, 17. His
right hand, the exertion of his strength. Won, purchased, not
in the restricted modern sense of buying, but in the old and wide
sense of acquiring.

55. And drove out before them nations, and assigned them by

208 PSALM LXXVIII.

vieasure (as) a heritage^ and caused to dwell in their tents the
tribes of Israel. Before them^ literally, from their face or presence.
Nations, whole nations, not mere armies, much less individuals.
Assigned them, literally, made them fall, by lot or otherwise, a
common expression for the distribution and allotment of the land.
See Num. xxxiv. 2. The pronoun {them) refers to the nations,
put for their possessions, and especially their territory. The word
translated measure means primarily a measuring line, but then the
portion of land measured. Hence we may also read, assigned
them as (or for) a hereditary 'portion. In the last clause, thei:r
tents means of course those of the Canaanites, not of the Israelites
themselves, which would make the clause unmeaning.

bQ. And they tempted and resisted God, Most High, and his
testimonies did not keep. Having brought down the narrative of
God's dealings with the older race to the conquest of Canaan, the
Psalmist now resumes his charge (against the following generations)
of being no better than their fathers. To tempt God and resist
him, or rebel against him, has the same sense as in vs. 18, 40. The
divine title ('^i'^lb?) suggests that their rebellion was against the
highest and the most legitimate of all authority. His testimonies
against sin, contained in his commandments ; hence the use of the
verb keep. The form of expression, in both clauses of this verse,
is borrowed from Deut. vi. 16, 17.

57. And revolted and dealt falsely like their fathers ; they were
turned like a deceitful bow. He here resumes the thread dropped
at V. 8, for the purpose of relating what their fathers did and were,
i.e. the older generation who came out of Egypt. Having shown
this at great length, he now reiterates the charge that their de-
scendants, after the days of Joshua, were no better, and proceeds
to prove it. The first clause describes them both as rebels and
traitors. They were turned, i. e., as some suppose, turned aside,
swerved or twisted in the archer's hand, so as to give a wrong di-

PSALM LXXVIII. 209

rcction to the arrow. Others understand it to mean, they were
converted (or became) like a deceitful how^ i. e. one which deceives
the expectation, and fails to accomplish the design for which it ls
employed. By a similar trope, falsehood or lying is ascribed to
waters which are not perennial, but fail precisely when most
needed. See Isai. Iviii. 11. Job vi. 15. The figure of cu deceitful
how is borrowed from this passage by Hosea (vii. 16.)

58. And made him angry with their heights^ and with their idols
made him jealous. Here, for the first time, idolatry is mentioned
as the great national sin of Israel after the death of Joshua and
the contemporary elders. This sin is intimately connected with
the one described in v. 9, since the failure to exterminate the
Canaanites and gain complete possession of the country, with its
necessary consequence, the continued residence of gross idolaters
in the midst of Israel, could not fail to expose the chosen people
to perpetual temptation, and afibrd occasion to their worst defec-
tions. In the last clause, graven images are put for the whole
class of idols or created gods, of whom the true God must be
jealous as his rivals, as well as indignant at the heights or high-
places, the hill-tops where these false gods were most usually
worshipped. The whole form of expression is Mosaic. See Deut.
xxxii. 16, 21, and compare Ex. xx. 5.

59. God heard and was indignant^ and rejected Israel exceed-
ingly. The same sin is followed by the same retribution as in v.
21. Abhorred is an inadequate translation of the last verb,
which denotes not merely an internal feeling, but the outward
exhibition of it. It means not merely to abhor, but to reject with
abhorrence. See above, on Ps. xv. 4. The addition of the in-
tensive adverb, very or exceedingly ^ serves at the sanie time to
enhance and to restrict the meaning of the verb which it qualifies.
He abhorred them, not a little but exceedingly, and as a token of his
doing so, rejected them, exceedingly, yet not utterly or altogether.

210 PSALM LXXViri.

As there is nothing to restrict the application of this statement,
we must understand it in its widest sense, as meaning that the
whole people was regarded with displeasure, and punished on ac-
count of its transgressions dui'ing the ascendancy of Ephraim.

60. And forsook the clwcllmg-'place of Shilo, the tent (which)
he caused to dwell among men. The punishment of Ephraim, not
as the sole offender, but as the unfaithful leader of the chosen
people, consisted in the transfer of the sanctuary, and the mani-
fested presence of God in it, to the tribe which was intended from
the first to have that honour (Gen. xlix. 10), but whose rights
had been held in abeyance during the experimental chieftainship
of Ephraim. The ark, after it was taken by the Philistines (1
Sam. iv. 17), never returned to Shiloh, but was deposited suc-
cessively at Nob (1 Sam. xxi. 2) and at Gibeon (1 Kings iii. 4),
until David pitched a tabernacle for it on Mount Zion (2 Chron.
XV. 1.) See above, on Ps. xxiv. 1. Caused to dwell is an ex-
pression used in the very same connection in the history. See
Josh, xviii. 1, and compare Deut. xii. 11, where the sanctuary is
described as the place in which God caused his name to dwell.
Among men implies that this was his only earthly residence, and
hints at the true meaning of the sanctuary, as propounded in the
Law (Ex. XXV. 8.)

6 1 . And gave 2ip to captivity his strength^ and his beauty into
the foeman^s hand. This is a still more distinct allusion to the
capture of the ark by the Philistines (1 Sam. iv. 17.) The pro-
nouns admit of two constructions, as they may be referred either
to God or Israel. In the former case, the ark is called his strength,
because it was the symbol of his saving presence and a pledge
for the exertion of his power to protect and save his people. It
is called his beauty or honour, as it marked the place where God
was pleased to manifest his glory. At the same time it was Is-
rael's strength, because it was considered as ensuring the divine

PSALM LXXVIII 2X1

protection (1 Sam. iv. 3), and his glory, because the possession
of this symbol was his highest honour (1 Sam. iv. 21 ) Both
these senses are so perfectly appropriate, that it is not easy to
choose either, to the entire exclusion of the other.

62. And abandoned to the suwrd his peoplcj and at his heritage
was wroth. For the meaning of the first verb, see above on v.
48, and for that of the second, on v. 21." To the sivord, to de-
feat and destruction in war, with particular reference to 1 Sam.
iv. 10. The severity of these judgments is enhanced by their
having been inflicted on his jpeojple and his heritage.

63. His youths (or chosen ones) the fire devoured^ and his maid-
ens were not praised. This may either mean that they attracted
no attention on account of public troubles, or that they were not
praised in nuptial songs, implying what is expressed in the text of
the English Bible,to wit, that they -wj^re not given to marriage.
The fire may be a figure for destructive war, as in Num. xxi. 28.
The pronoun (his) refers to Israel as a whole or an ideal person.

64. His priests by the sword fell^ and his widows weep not. The
priests are particularly mentioned because, at the time specially
referred to, the chief magistracy was vested in a sacerdotal family,
and because Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, were among the
first victims of the great calamity in question. See 1 Sam. iv.
11, 17. In the last clause there seems to be allusion to the death
of Phinehas' wife, whose sorrow for her husband and herself was
lost in sorrow for the departing glory of Israel (1 Sam. iv. 21.)
In a wider sense, the words may represent the whole class of Is-
raelitish widows as not weeping for their husbands, either because
they were engrossed by their own perils and personal sufi"erings,
or, as some interpreters suppose, because the bodies of the slain
were absent, and there could not therefore be a formal mourning

212 PSALM LXXVlll.

accordance with the oriental usage. The last words of this verse
are copied in Job xxvii. 15.

65. Thenawoke^ as a shcjper^the Lord^ as a hero rejoicing from
wine. His apparent connivance or indifference to what was pass-
ing was abruptly exchanged for new and terrible activity. The
Lord, the sole and rightful sovereign, both of men in general and
of Israel in particular. A hero, mighty man, or warrior. See
above, on Ps. xiv. 8. From wine is not to be construed with
awoke or aivakes understood, but with rejoicing, exhilarated,
cheered by wine.

66. And he struck his foes hack (and) disgrace of eternity gave
them. The idea of di-iving his assailants back, repelling or re-
pulsing them, is worthier in itself and better suited to the context
than the one expressed in the English Bible. Perpetual dis-
honour was in fact the doom of the Philistines from the time of
the events in question. The successes particularly meant are
those of Saul and David. Gave them, or to them, as their portion.

67. And rejected the tent of Joseph, and the tribe of Ephraim
did not choose. This is the completion and specification of the
statement in v. 60. Even after the punishment of Israel, as a
whole, had ceased, Ephraim, though still a member of the chosen
people, was deprived of the ascendancy, of which he had proved
himself unworthy, and by means of which he had betrayed the
whole race into grievous sin. The tent or house of Joseph (the
progenitor of Ephraim) is particularly mentioned, because the
honour taken from that family was the honour of God's dwelling
in the midst of them. The last clause might be rendered, and
the tribe of Ephraim no (longer) chose. But the original contains
a simple negative without qualification ; and according to the
scriptural account, Ephraim never was the chosen tribe, but only
allowed to act as such, for a particular purpose, just as the experi-

PSALM LXXVIIl. 213

mental reign of Saul afterwards preceded the commencement of
the true theocratical monarchy in David.

68. And chose the tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion which he
loved. He now assigned the visible pre-eminence to Judah, who
had long enjoyed it in the divine purpose (Gen. xlix. 10.) Zion
is mentioned as the capital of Judah, the place of the sanctuary,
and the seat of the theocratic monarchy. The name, as usual in
this book, does not signify the single eminence so called, but the
entu'e height on which Jerusalem was built.

69. And built like high (places) his sanctuary, like the earth
(which) he founded forever. Some give the adjective in the
first clause the abstract sense of heights, which it never has in
usage. Others supply heavens, but the construction most agree-
able to usage is that which supplies hills or mountains. The
sanctuary is then described as being, not externally but spiritual-
ly, lofty as mountains and enduring as the earth.

70. And chose David (as) his servant, and took him from the
sheep-folds. Having spoken of the tribe and the particular lo-
cality preferred to Ephraim and Shiloh, he now brings into view
the personal instrument or agent, by whom it pleased God that
the theocratic kingdom should be founded. He did not choose
David because he was his servant, i. e. a good man, but to be his
servant, in the same pregnant and emphatic sense in which the
title is applied to him in Ps. xviii. 1. The sovereignty of the
choice is indicated by the humble occupation and condition from
which he was promoted.

71. From behind the suckling {ewes) he brought him, to feed Jacob
his people and Israel his heritage. From behind them, i. e. from
following and watching them with tender care, one of the chief
duties of a shepherd. The next word in Hebrew is a participle,

214 PSALM LXXVlll.

and means, nursing, giving suck. The sense is incorrectly given
in the common version of this place, and ambiguously in that of
Isai xl. 11. To feed expresses only one part of the meaning of
the Hebrew verb, which signifies to do the work or exercise the
office of a shepherd. See above, on Ps. xlix. 14 (13.) The
contrast presented is, that he who had spent his youth in tending
sheep was now to be the shepherd of a nation, nay of the chosen
people, of the church, the heritage of God himself. To this pas-
sage, and those portions of the history on which it is founded
(2 Sam. vii. 8. 1 Chron. xi. 2), may be traced the constant use
of pastoral images, in the later Scriptures, to express the relation
which subsists between the Church and Christ, as its Chief Shep-
herd, and his faithful ministers as his representatives and
deputies.

72. And he has fed them after his integrity of hearty and in tJie
skill i^ov prudence) of his hands icill lead them (still.) This is no
sudden interruption of th.e psalm, but the conclusion to which all
was tending from the first. At the same time it implies that when
the psalm was written David was still reigning and expected to
reio-n lonirer. Besides the divine attestation here afibrded to his
theocratical fidelity, the verse may be regarded as a beautiful
tribute to the good and great King from his chief musician and
fellow seer. To lead^ in the last clause, is to lead or tend a flock,
and, with the parallel term feed, makes up the full description of a
shepherd.

PSALM LXXIX. 215

PSALM LXXIX.

This psalm belongs to the same period with Ps. Ixxiv, perhaps
that of the Babylonish conquest, and contains a description of the
sufferings of the chosen people, vs. 1 — 4, a prayer for deliverance,
vs. 5 — 12, and a promise of thanksgiving, v. 13.

1. A Psalm. By Asoph. Oh God^ gentiles have come into thy
heritage ; they have defiled thy holy temple ; they have turned Je-
rusalem to heaps. The intrusion of heathen into the sanctuary
was its worst dishonour. They have placed Jerusalem for heaps,
or as a heap of ruins. This includes the destruction of the tem-
ple. Compare Ps. Ixxiv. 4.

2. They have given the corpse of thy servants (ns) food to the
bird of the heavens^ the flesh of thy saints to the (ivild) beast of the
earth. A common description of extensive and promiscuous car-
nage. The words translated corpse^ birdy beast, are all collec-
tives. The last has here its most specific and distinctive sense as
denoting beasts of prey. See above, on Ps. Ixviii. 11 (10.)
Ixxiv. 19.

3. They have shed their blood like water round about Jerusalem^
awl there is none burying, or none to bury them. There Is no
period in the history of ancient Israel, to which these terms can

216 PSALM LXXIX.

be applied without extravagance, except that of the Babylonian
conquest.

4. We have been for become) a contem'pt to our neighbours^ a
scorn afid derision to those routid about us. See above, on Ps.
xliv. 14 (13), where the very same expressions are employed,

5. Unto what (point), until when, how long, Jehovah, wilt thou
be angry forever, will burn like fire thy zeal (or jealousy ?)
With the first clause compare Ps. xiii. 2 (1.) Ixxiv. 1, 10 ; with
the second, Ex. xx. 5. Deut. xxix. 19 (20.) Ps. Ixxviii. 58.

6. Pour out thy wrath against the nations tohich have not known
thee, and upon kingdoms ivhich thy name have not invoked. This
is commonly explained as a prayer for divine judgments on the
nations which combined for the destruction of Judah (2 Kings
xxiv. 2). But it seems to be rather an expostulation and com-
plaint that God had made no difference between his own people and
the heathen. As if he had said. If thou must pour out thy wrath,
let it rather be on those who neither know nor worship thee than
on thine own peculiar people.

7. For he hath devoured Jacob, and his dwelling (or his pasture-
ground) they have laid waste. The singular verb in the first
clause relates to the chief enemy, the plural in the last to his con-
federates. The wide sense of dwelling and the narrower one of
pasture are both authorized by usage. See above, on Ps. xxiii.
2. Ixv. 13 (12.) Ixxiv. 20.

8. Remember not against us the iniquities of former (genera-
tions) ; make haste, let thy compassions meet us, for we are reduced
axceedingly. Against us, literally, as to us, respecting us, which,
in this connection, must mean to our disadvantage or our condem-
nation. Former iniquities is scarcely a grammatical construction

PSALM LXXTX

217

of the Hebrew words usually so translated. The adjective, when
absolutely used, always refers to persons and means ancestors or
ancients. Personal and hereditary guilt are not exclusive but
augmentative of one another. The sons merely fill up the ini-
quities of their fathers. The verb hasten (^ij^) may be either
imperative or infinitive. If the latter, it qualifies the following
verb, as in the English version, let thy tender mercies speedily
prevent us. For the meaning of this last verb, see above, on Ps.
xxi. 4 (3.) Reducedy weakened, brought low, both in strength
and condition. See above, on Ps. xl. 2 (Ij, where the cognate
adjective is used. It was probably the verse before us that de-
termined the position of this psalm, in close connection with Ps.
Ixxviii, the great theme of which is the iniquity of former gener-
ations.

9. Help uSy oh God of our salvation^ on account of the glory of
thy name ; ami set us free and pardon our sins for the sake of thy
(own) name. The title, God of our salvation.^ is expressive of a,
covenant obligation to protect his people, as well as of protection
and deliverance experienced already. On account., literally, for
the word., or as we say in English for the sake., which is used
above, however, to translate a different Hebrew word. The
glory of thy name., to maintain and vindicate the honour of thy
attributes as heretofore revealed in act. See above, on Ps. v.
12 (11.) xxiii. 3. Set us free., deliver us, from our present suf-
ferings and the power of our enemies. Pardon our sins., liter-
ally, make atonement for them, i. e. forgive them for the sake
of the expiation which thou hast thyself provided. See above, on
Ps. Ixxviii. 38. It is characteristic of the ancient saints to ask
God's favour, not for their own sake merely, but for the promo-
tion of his glory.

10. Wherefore should the nations say ., Where (is) their Godl
Known among the nations., in our sight., ha the avenging of tht

VOL. I. J 10

218 PSALM LXXIX.

Hood of thy servants^ the (blood) poured out (or shed)^ as was de-
scribed above, in v. 3. This argument in favour of God's inter-
position, founded on the false conclusions which his enemies
would draw from his refusal, is of frequent occurrence in the
Pentateuch. See Ex. xxxii. 12. Num. xiv. 13 — 16. Deut. ix. 28,
and compare Joel ii. 17, from which the words before us are
directly borrowed. Where is their God^ the invisible, sphritual
being whom they worship, but who cannot save them from ex-
ternal dangers ? Or the meaning may be, where is the proof of
that almighty power, and that love for his own people, of which they
have so often and so loudly boasted ? The English Bible makes
the verb in the second clause agree with God (let him be known),
and supplies a preposition before vengeance {by the revenging.)
But the ancient versions, followed by the Prayer Book and the
best modern interpreters, construe the verb and noun together
{known be the avenging.) The diversity of gender may be easily
reduced to tbe general law of Hebrew syntax, that when the
verb precedes its subject, and especially when separated from it,
the former may assume the masculine form, not as such, but as
the primitive and simplest form. In our sight ^ literally, to our
eyes J just as we say in English to our faces. This aggravating
circumstance is borrowed from Deut. vi. 22, and the idea of
avenging blood from Deut. xxxii. 43.

11. Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee., according to
the greatness of thine arm., suffer to survive the sons of death (or
of mortality.) The nation is here viewed as an individual captive,
not without reference to the literal captivity and exile occasioned
by the Babylonian conquest, and with evident historical allusion to
the bondage of Israel in Egypt, from the account of which (Ex.
ii. 23 — 25) some of the expressions here are borrowed. Come
before thee., reach thee, and attract thy notice. Compare the op-
posite expression in Isai. i. 23. The arm^s^s usual, is the symbol
of exerted strength. See above, on Ps. x. 15. xxxvii. 17. xliv.

PSALM LXXIX. 219

4 (3.) The whole phrase is a Mosaic one. See Ex. xv. 16,
and compare Num. xiv. 19. Deut. iii. 24. The last verb in the
sentence means to leave behind or over, to cause or suffer to re-
main. See Ex. x. 15. xii. 10. Isai. i. 9. The last noun in He-
brew occurs only here, but is an obvious derivative from (n^)2)
deathy bearing perhaps the same relation to it that mortalitas sus-
tains to 7nors. According to a well known oriental idiom, the
whole phrase denotes dyiiig men, or those about to die, or more
specifically, those condemned or doomed to death.

12. And render to our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom
their contempt {with) which they have contemned thee, Lord ! The
first verb is a causative and means to bring back or cause to re-
turn. See above, on Ps. Ixxii. 10. The neighbours are those
mentioned in v. 4, and the allusion here at least includes the ex-
pression of contemptuous incredulity in v. 10. Sevenfold, a
common idiomatic term denoting frequent repetition or abundance.
Se« above, on Ps. xii. 7(6.) Into the bosom, an expression which
originally seems to have had reference to the practice of carrying
and holding things in the lap or the front fold of the flowing
oriental dress, has in usage the accessory sense of retribution or
retaliation. See my note on Isai. Ixv. 6, 7, and compare Jer.
xxxii. 18. Luke vi. 38. The cognate noun and verb, translated
contempt and contemned, denote not the mere internal feeling, but
the oral expression of it by revilings, scoffs, and insults. See
above, on Ps. xlii. 11 (10.) Ixix. 10 (9.) The Lord at the con-
clusion is by no means a mere expletive, but aggravates the sin
of these despisers by describing it as committed against their right-
ful sovereign.

13. And we, thy people and flock of thy pasture, will give thanks
to thee forever, to generation and generation will we recount thy
praise. Some interpreters needlessly make two distinct proposi-
tions, we (are) thy people (and therefore) will give thanks, etc.

220 PSALM LXXX.

The Jlock of thy 'pasture^ that whicli thou feedest, that of which
thou art the shepherd. See above, on Ps. Ixxiv. 1 . Ixxviii. 70 — 72.
Forever^ literally, to eternity. The following words, though
thrown into the first clause by the masoretic interpunction, belong
to the second, as appears from the parallel structure of the sen-
tence.

PSALM LXXX.

This psalm was probably occasioned by the overthrow and
deportation of the ten tribes, and expresses the feelings of the
ancient church in view of that event. Besides a title or inscrip-
tion, V. 1, it contains a lamentation or complaint, in reference to
the strokes which had befallen Israel, vs. 2 — 8 (1 — 7) ; an exqui-
site picture of the vocation and original condition of the chosen
race, under the image of a transplanted vine, vs. 9 — 14 (8 — 13) ;
and an earnest prayer that God would again have mercy on his
afflicted people, vs. 15 — 20 (14 — 19.) The structure of the
psalm is very regular, deriving a strophical character from the
recurrence of a burden or refrain in vs. 4 (3), 8 (7), 20 (19.)
The disputed questions, as to the occasion and design of the com-
position, will be considered in the exposition of the several verses.

1. To the Chief Musician. As to lilies. A Testimony. By
Asa'ph. A Psalm. The first and last of these inscriptions show
that the composition was intended to be used in public worship.
The preposition before lilies indicates the theme or subject, as in
Ps. V. 1. Lilies^ as in Ps. xlv. 1. k. 1. Ixix. 1, probably means
loveliness, delightfulness, as an attribute of the divine favour

PSALM LXXX. 221

which is here implored. Testimony is a term commonly applied
to the divine law, as a testimony against sin, and in such cases as
the present indicates the divine authority under which the Psalmist
writes. See above, on Ps. Ix. 1.

2. Shepherd of Israel ^ give ear^ hading Joseph like a jiock^
sitting (on) the cheriibim^ shine forth ! The description of Je-
hovah as the Shepherd of Israel is peculiarly appropriate in this
connection because borrowed from Jacob's blessing upon Joseph,
Gen. xlviii. 15. xlix. 24. According to some interpreters, Joseph
is simply a poetical equivalent to Israel^ the son being put upon
a level with the father in the usao;e of the lano-uao-e, on account
of his historical pre-eminence and his being the progenitor of two
of the twelve tribes. According to another view, Joseph denotes
the ten tribes as distinguished from the kingdom of Judah, which
is rendered more probable by the specification of certain tribes
in the next verse. On this hypothesis, the verse before us is an
invocation of Jehovah, as the patron and protector, not of Judah
merely but of all Israel, including the posterity of Joseph and the
tribes politically allied to them. Dwelling (between) the Cheru-
bim^ or sitting (enthroned upon) the Cherubim^ a token of supe-
riority to all his creatures. See above, on Ps. xviii. 11 (10.)

3 (2.) Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh arouse
thy strength and come to save us. The first clause alludes to the
encampment and march through the wilderness, in which these
three tribes always went together, as the descendants of one
mother (Gen. xliv. 20. Num. ii. 18 — 24. x. 22 — 24.) It has
commonly been inferred from 1 Kings xii. 21, that the tribe of
Benjamin adhered to the kingdom of Judah. But Hengstenberg
has made it highly probable, at least, that those words relate only
to the dwellers in Jerusalem and the immediately circumjacent
country ; that the tribe, as such, was reckoned one of the ten
tribes, among which Simeon was not included, because, in fulfil-

222 PSALM LXXX.

ment of Jacob's prophecy (Gen. xlix. 7), they had no distinct
or compact territory of their own, but certain towns within the
boundary of Judah (Josh. xix. 1 — 9.) Hence we are told ex-
pressly and repeatedly that in the great schism after the death of
Solomon, but one tribe remained faithful to the house of David
(1 Kings xi. 13, 32, 36. xii. 20), i. e. one complete tribe, having
a definite and independent share in the allotment of the land.
That Benjamin should take part with Ephraim and Manasseh
rather than with Judah, might have been expected from the near
affinity and mutual affection of the sons of Rachel, and from the
jealousy which must have been excited by the transfer of the
crown from Saul, a Benjamite, to David, a Jew. The same thing
incidentally appears from such passages as 2 Sam. xix. 21 (20),
where Shimei, a Benjamite, speaks of himself as representing
the whole house of Joseph. If this be admitted or assumed,
the mention of Benjamin with Ephraim and Manasseh, in
the verse before us, far from invalidating, seems to confirm the
application of the passage to the kingdom of the Ten Tribes, and
that of the whole psalm to their overthrow and deportation by the
Assyrians. Thus understood, the verse before us is a prayer, that
God would again march at the head of the " camp of Ephraim,"
as he did of old. Arouse thy strength^ awake from thy present
state of seeming inaction and indifference. See above, on Ps.
xliv. 24 (23.) Ixxviii. 65. Come^ literally go^ which may mean
go forth, march ; but see above, on Ps. xlvi 9 (8.) To save uSy
literally, /or salvation to us.

4 (3.) Oh God^ restore us^ and let thy face shine ; and let us he
saved ! The verb in the first clause would suggest two ideas to
a Hebrew reader, both of which are here appropriate. The first
is that of a literal bringing back from exile or captivity ; the other
that of restoration to a former state, without regard to change of
place or other local circumstances. In the case before us, the
general and figurative sense of restoration includes that of literal

PSALM LXXX. 223

return. The church prays to be restored to her integrity and
normal state, by the redemption of the part which had gone into
captivity. This prayer was substantially fulfilled in the return
of many members of the ten tribes with Judah from the Baby-
lonish exile, while the tribes themselves, as organized bodies, and
the apostate kingdom which they constituted, ceased to exist.
The petition, cause thy face to shine^ i. e. look upon us with a
favourable countenance, is borrowed from the sacerdotal blessing.
Num. vi. 25. See above, on Ps. iv. 7 (6.) xxxi. 17 (16.) The
last verb in the verse may also be explained as an expression of
strong confidence, we shall be saved^ which really involves the
subjunctive sense preferred by some interpreters, that we may be
saved. This sentence, which is solemnly repeated at the close of
vs. 4, 20 (3, 19), is thereby marked as the theme or key-note of
the whole composition.

6 (4.) Jehovakj God^ (God of) Hosts, how long dost thou
smoke against the prayer of thy people 1 The accumulation of
divine names involves an appeal to the perfections which they in-
dicate, as so many arguments or reasons why the prayer should
be favourably heard and answered. See above, on Ps. 1. 1, and
for the meaning of the third title, on Ps. xxiv. 10. How
long., literally, until lohen ? The verb is preterite in form {hast
thou smoked.) implying that the state of things complained of had
already long existed. Smoke is here (as in Ps. Ixxiv. 1) put for
fire., the common emblem of divine wrath, for the sake of an
allusion to the smoke from the altar of incense, the appointed
symbol of the prayers of God's people. See Lev. xvi. 13, and
compare Ps. cxli. 2. Isai. vi. 4. Rev. v. 8. viii. 3, 4. There is
then a tacit antithesis between the two significations of the sym-
bol. The smoke of God's wrath, and thatof his people's prayers,
are presented in a kind of conflict.

6 (5.) Thou hast made them eat tear-bread.^ and made them

224 PSALM LXXX.

drink of tears a tierce (or measure.) The noun tear in Hebrew
is commonly collective, but the singular and plural forms are
here combined. See above, on Ps. vi. 7 (6.) xxxix. 13 (12.)
Ivi. 9 (8.) The same strong figure of tears as nourishment oc-
curs above, Ps. xlii. 4 (3. J The last word in Hebrew means a
measure which is the third of another measure, thus correspond-
ing to the old and wide sense of the English tierce. See my note
on Isai. xl. 12. Measure here denotes abundance.

7 (6.) Thou makest us a strife unto our metghbours^ and our
enemies amuse themselves (at our expense.) The future verbs im-
ply a probable continuance of this humiliating treatment unless
God interpose to put an end to it, and thus suggest a reason for
his doing so. Makest us^ literally, puttest, settest up. See
above, on Ps. xliv. 14 (13.) A strife, a subject of contention,
perhaps in reference to the emulous desire of their neighbours to
insult and aggravate their sufferings. Here, as in Ps. xliv. 14 (13.)
Ixxix. 4, these neighbours are the circumjacent nations, who
always triumphed in the time of Israel's calamities (Am. i. 9, 11.
Obad. 12.) The literal translation of the last words is will mock
(or scoff) for them, i. e. for themselves, for their own gratifica-
tion, and at their own discretion, as they will.

8 (7.) Ok God J (God of) Hosts, restore 7is, and let thy face
shine, and let us he saved ! See above, on v. 4 (3.) The only
variation in the case before us is the addition of a second divine
title, implying God's supremacy above the hosts of heaven, both
material and spiritual, and thus indirectly urging a new argument
for being heard and answered. See above, on v. 5 (4.)

9 (8.) A vine out of Egypt thou transplantest, thou drivest out
nations and plantest it. There is a twofold usage of the first verb
in Hebrew, which imparts peculiar force and beauty to the sen-
tence. Its primary meaning, to pluck up, is strictly appropriate

PSALM LXXX. 225

to the act of transplanting, while its secondary but more usnal
sense of moving an encampment, marching, is equally appropri-
ate to the removal of the nation which the vine here represents,
and is actually so applied in Ps. Ixxviii. 52 above, as well as in
the history itself, Ex. xii. 37. xv. 22. The next verb is also used
in Ps. Ixxviii. 55 and Ex. xxiii. 28. xxxiii. 2. xxxiv. 11. The
figure of planting occurs above, in Ps. xliv. 3 (2), that of a vine
in Isai. v. 1 — 7. The points of comparison are probably as-
siduous culture, luxuriant growth, and fruitfulness. The argument
involved is that by forsaking Israel God would be undoing his
own work. Compare Jer. xlv. 4.

10 (9.) Thou didst clear (the way) before itj and it took root
and filled the land. The first word means to clear by the re-
moval of obstructions. See Gen. xxiv. 31. Lev. xiv. 36, and
compare my notes on Isai. xl. 3. Ivii. 14. Ixii. 10. The sense
may here be, thou didst clear (the ground), i. e. from weeds and
stones (compare Isai. v. 2) before it, i. e. to make room for it or
prepare a place for it. Took root, literally, rooted its roots^ the
cognate verb and noun being combined by a common Hebrew
idiom. See my note on Isai. xxvii. 6.

11 (10.) Covered were the mountains (ivith) its s/mdow, and
with its branches the cedars of God. This is an amplification and
poetical exaggeration of the last words of v. 10 (9.) So com-
pletely did it fill the land that its shadow was cast upon the
highest hill-tops, and its tendrils overran the loftiest trees.
Cedars of God, i. e. in their kind the noblest products of his
power, the attribute suggested by Ct^\ the divine name here
used. See above, on Ps. xxxvi. 7 (6.) Some interpreters sup-
pose the southern range of mountains west of Jordan, sometimes
called Mount Judah or the Highlands of Judah, to be here
specifically meant and contrasted with the cedars of Lebanon, the
northern frontier of the Land of Promise, just as Lebanon and
Kadesh are contrasted in Ps. xxix. 5 — 8. That Lebanon, though

10*

226 PSALM LXXX.

not expressly mentioned, is referred to, appears probable from
the analogy of Ps. xxix. 5. xcii. 13. civ. 16. The literal fact con-
veyed by all these figures is the one prophetically stated in Gen.
xxviii. 14. Deut. xi. 24. Jos. i. 4.

12 (11.) It sends forth its loughs to the sea, and to the river its
shoots (or suckers.) Compare the description in Isai. xvi. 8. If
the north and south are indicated in the preceding verse, the
other cardinal points may here be represented by the Mediter-
ranean and the Euphrates.

13 (12.) Why hast thou hroken down its walls (or hedges)^ and
all 'pluck it that jpass by the way ? See below, on Ps. Ixxxix.
41, 42 (40, 41 ), and compare Isai. v. 5. The last words are de-
scriptive of the hostile powers of the heathen world, with par-
ticular reference to the neighlours of v. 6 (5.)

14 (13.) The hoar out oj the wood doth waste it, and the beast of
the field jeeds ujpon it. For the precise sense of the word trans-
lated beast, see above, on Ps. 1. 11, the only other place where it
occurs in such an application, being thus peculiar to the psalms
which bear the name of Asaph. The essential idea conveyed by
the figures of this verse is that of fierce and greedy enemies. If
any more specific explanation be admissible, the wild boar may
denote the Assyrian power, and the parallel term its allies and
dependents. Feeds upon it, as a sheep upon its pasture. See
above, on Ps. xxxvii. 3.

15 (14.) Oh God, (God of) Hosts, pray return, look from
heaven and see, and visit this vine. The expostulation and com-
plaint are followed by an earnest prayer. Pray return is used
to represent (hs) the Hebrew particle of entreaty, expressed in
the English Bible by a circumlocution {we beseech thee.) The
pra3'^er that God will return, implies that the evils just complained

PSALM LXXX. 227

of were occasioned by his absence. Visity manifest thy presence
and thy favourable disposition. See above, on Ps. viii. 5 (4.)
This vine, Israel, the church or chosen people, which, though
robbed of some of its luxuriant branches, still lives and is yet to
bear abundant fruit.

16 (15.) And sustain what thy right hand has planted, and over
the child thou hast reared for thysrelf {do thou watch, or extend
thy protection.) The common version of the first words (and the
vineyard) is countenanced neither by the ancient versions nor by
Hebrew etymology and usage. By giving it, as a verbal form, the
sense of covering, protecting (which belongs to some kindred roots),
the over in the last clause may depend upon it, and no verb need in
that case be supplied. Thy right hand implies an exertion of
strength, and at the same time involves an allusion to the name
of Benjamin (Son of the Right Hand), here perhaps representing
the whole race, on account of the connection of that tribe with
both the rival kingdoms, its central position, its possession of the
sanctuary, and its historical relation to the infant monarchy under
Saul the Benjamite. To complete the allusion, the other
element in the name C^S a son) is then introduced and metaphori-
cally applied to the vine, which is still the Psalmist's theme, by
an assimilation of animal and vegetable life common in all lan-
guages. Reared, literally, strengthened, made strong, i. e. raised,
brought up. See my note on Tsai. xliv. 14. For thyself, not for
its own sake, but as a means of promoting the divine praise and
glory.

17 (16.) (It is) hurnt with fire, cut (down or up); at th^
rebuke of thy counten/ince they perish. The prayer is interrupted
for a moment by a new description of the evils which occasioned
it. The first clause alludes to the destruction of vineyards by fire
and steel in ancient warfare, here recognized however as a divine
judgment. At the rebuke, i. e. at the time, and also as a conse-

228 PSALM LXXX.

quence of it. Any expression of disapprobation and displeasure,
whether by word or deed, is a rebuke. See above, on Ps. Ixxvi.
7 (6.) The rebuke is here supposed to be expressed in the
countenance, a much more natural interpretation than that which
makes thy face mean thy presence. They perish, those who had
before been represented by the vine transplanted out of Egypt.
The future form implies that it will always be so, when God ut-
ters his rebuke.

18 (17.) Let thy hand be on the man of thy right handy on the
son of man thou hast reared (or made strong) for thysdf. Here
again the component parts of the name Benjamin are introduced
as parallels, precisely as in v. 16 (15.) The man of thy right
hand may either be the man whom thy power has raised up, or the
man who occupies the post of honour at thy right hand. That
the words were intended to suggest both ideas, is a supposition
perfectly agreeable to Hebrew usage. A more doubtful question
is that in reference to the first words of the sentence, let thy hand
he upon him, whether this means in favour or in wrath. The
only way in which both senses can be reconciled is by applying
the words to the Messiah, as the ground of the faith and hope
expressed. Let thy hand fall not on us but on our substitute.
Compare the remarkably similar expressions in Acts v. 31.

19 (18.) And (then) we ivill not backslide from thee; thou
wilt quicken us^ and on thy name will ive call. Forgiveness
founded on atonement is the best security against relapses into sin.
The first verb is the one used to describe the general apostasy in
in Ps. liii. 4 (3.) Quicken, restore to life, or save alive, or simply
make alive. Compare Ps. Ixxi, 20. The meaning of the last
clause is, thee (alone) will we invoke, as the object of our trust
and worship, a profession involving the repudiation of all other
gods.

PSALM LXXXI.

229

20 (19.) Jehovah^ God, (God of) Hosts, restore us, let thy face
shine, and let us he saved ! While the prayer in this verse is
identical with that in v. 4 (3) and 8 (7), there is a kind of climax
in the form of the address. In the first of the three places it is
simply God, in the second God of Hosts, in the third and last
Jehovah God of Hosts, as if to add to the general ideas of divinity
and sovereignty those of self-existence, eternity, and covenant-
relation to his chosen people, as additional warrants for the hope
and prayer, that he would turn them, smile upon them, save them.

PSALM LXXXI.

1. To the Chief Musician. On (or according to) the Gittith.
By Asaph. For the prohable meaning of the Gittith, see above
on Ps. viii. 1. In the absence of any proof to the contrary, the
Asaph of this title must be assumed to be the contemporary of
David. See above, on Ps. 1. 1. The psalm before us was pro-
bably intended to be sung at the Passover, as it consists of an
exhortation to praise God for the deliverance of Israel from
Egypt, vs. 2 — 8 (1 — 7), a complaint of their ingratitude, vs.
9 — 13 (8 — 12), and a glowing picture of the happy effects to be
expected from obedience and fidelity, vs. 14 — 18 (13 — 17.)

2 (1 .) Sing aloud unto God our strength, make a joyful noise
unto the God of Jacob ! The first verb is properly a causative
meaning make or let rejoice. See above, on Ps. Ixv. 9 (8), and
compare Deut. xxxii. 43, in which place, and in this, it is com-
monly supposed to be intransitive. The parallel verb is a generic
term, applied both to shouting and the sound of a trumpet. See

230 PSALM LXXXl.

aLove, on Ps. xli. 12 (11.) xlvii. 2 (1.) God our strength^ our
strong protector and deliverer, in which character he specially
revealed himself in the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, the main
theme or subject of this psalm, and thereby proved himself to be
indeed the covenant or tutelary God of Jacob.

3 (2.) Raise the song^ and beat the drum, the sweet harp with
the lute (or lyre.) Beat, literally, give, i. e. give forth its sound,
or sound it. See above, on Ps. xlvi. 7(6.) Ixviii. 34 (33.) Ixxvii.
18 (17.) This is to be understood as a mutual exhortation of
the musicians to each other during the actual performance.

4 (3.) Blow, in the month, the trum.'pet, at the full moon, on the
day of our feast. The month, by way of eminence, was the first
month, in which the passover was celebrated (Ex. xii. 1, 2.) Here,
as in the Hebrew of Lev. xxiii. 5, the month is first named, then
the particular part of it. That this last was no unessential cir-
cumstance, appears from the fact, that when an extraordinary
passover was kept, it was on the same day of another month
(Num. ix. 9 — 14), and that when Jeroboam changed the feast of
tabernacles, he transferred it to the same day of the eighth month
(1 Kings xii. 32.) The time thus selected for religious obser-
vance seems to have been that of the full moon. Compare the
original and marginal translation of Prov. vii. 20. The day of
our festival or feast, i. e. the great day of the Passover. Our
feast, if emphatic, is intended to describe it as a distinctive na-
tional solemnity. The continued use of instrumental music at
this festival appears from 2 Chr. xxx. 21.

5 (4.) For a law to Israel (is) this, a right (belonging) to the
God of Jacoh. The observance of this festival was not a mere
matter of usac-e or conventional arrano-ement, but bindinsr on the
people and due to Jehovah as their God. The personal pronoun
{it) at the end of the first clause is emphatic, and may be better

PSALM LXXXI. 231

expressed in English by a demonstrative. A right^ juSj that to
which he is rightfully entitled.

6 (5.) (As) a testimony in Joseph he set ity in his coming out
over the latid of Egypt. A speech I knew not I am hearing.
Besides the constant use of testimony in the sense of law^ Ps. xix.
8 (7.) Ix. 1. Ixxviii. 5. Ixxx. 1, the word is appropriate, in its
strict sense, to the Passover, as a perpetual memento or memorial
of the exodus from Egypt. Joseph is here put for Israel^ on ac-
count of his pre-eminence during the residence in Egypt (Gen.
xlix. 26. Ex. i. 8.) He set it^ i. e. God instituted or ordained the
festival. Jn his comings at the time, or in the very act, of his
departure. Over the land of Egypt includes the usual expression,
from or out of it (Ex. xxxiv. 18), but suggests the additional
ideas of publicity and triumph. Israel, at the exodus, passed over
a considerable tract of the Egyptian territory, and at the same
time, as it were, over the heads of the humbled and terrified
Egyptians. Compare Ex. xiv. 8. Num. xxxiii. 3. iSpeecA, liter-
ally, lipy a common idiomatic expression for dialect or language.
According to the version of this last clause above given, it refers
to the words of Grod that follow, and describes the people as hav-
ing then heard what they never heard before. Some interpreters,
however, understand it as describing the condition of the people
while in Egypt, by one of its most marked and painful circum-
stances, namely, that they there resided in the midst of a foreign
and by implication heathen race. This agrees better with the
figurative usage of lip elsewhere, and is strongly favoured by the
analogy of Deut. xxviii. 49. Jer. v. 15. Ps. cxiv. 1. Compare
my note on Isai. xxxiii. 19. Thus understood, the clause may
be translated, (where) / heard a tongue I did not understand.
The future form of the first verb has reference to the actual time
of the events, into which the speaker here transports himself.

7 (6.) I removed from the burden his shoulder ; his hands f rain

232 PSALM LXXXI.

the basket escape. The first verb strictly means I caused (or suf-
fered) to depart. The idea is borrowed from Ex. vi. 6, 7. The
specific reference is no doubt to the carrying of bricks and mortar,
and the pot or basket of the next clause is the vessel used for
that purpose, the form of which has been found delineated in a
burial-vault at Thebes. Escape^ literally, pass away.

8 (7.) In distress thou hast called and I have delivered the£.; I
will {yet) answer thee in the secret place of thunder ; I will try thee
at the waters of Strife. The secret or hiding place of thunder is
the dark cloud charged with tempest which overhung Mount
Sinai at the giving of the law (Ex. xx. 18.) This is here anti-
cipated or predicted, as well as the murmuring of the people at
Meribah (Ex. xvii. Num. xx.) as a signal instance of their unbe-
lief and disobedience. Thus understood, the verse continues the
words of God himself, at the crisis of the Exodus. According to
the other exegetical hypothesis already mentioned, there is heve
a sudden change of speaker, and the future verbs in this verse are
to be explained as historical presents.

9 (8.) Hear^ my people^ and I will testify against thee^ Israel^ if
thou wilt hearken to me. There is a strong resemblance between
this verse and Ps. 1. 7. The conditional particle (if) in the last
clause is by some taken optatively, oh that thou wouldst hearken^
or, as we might say in English, if thou wouldst hut hearken. As
examples of this usage, Ps. xcv. 7. cxxxix. 19. Prov. xxiv. 11,
are cited. Other interpreters deny its existence and regard this
as an instance of aposiopesis, ifthon wilt hearken to me (thou shalt
do well,) like those in Ex. xxxii. 32. Luke xix. 42. See above,
on Ps. xxvii. 13. A simpler and more natural construction than
either is to make this the condition of the statement in the first
clause. ' I will speak, if thou wilt hear me.'

10 (9.) There shall not he in thee a strange God^ and thou shalt
not worship a foreign God. The divine name here used is the

PSALM LXXXI. 233

one denoting power. ' Thou shalt acknowledge no Almighty but
the true one.' The prohibitory futures have a stronger sense
than that expressed in some translations, let there he no strange God
in thee^ i. e. in the midst of thee, among you. A strange God,
a God who is an alien to Jehovah and to Israel. Worship^ lite-
rally bow down or prostrate thyself. A foreign God^ a God of
strangeness, or belonging to foreign parts, in other words, a hea-
then deity. See above, on Ps. xviii. 45, 46 (44, 45.) The spe-
cific reason here implied is that expressed in Deut. xxxii. 12.
The general principle is the same that is propounded in the first
commandment (Ex. xx. 3. Deut. v. 7.)

11 (10.) I am Jehovah^ thy God^ who hr ought thee up out of the
land of Egypt ; open thy mouth wide and I will fill it. The reason
of the precept in the foregoing verse is now explicitly declared.
The (one) making thee ascend^ or causing thee to come up. Open
thy mouth wide, literally, widen it. The supply of food is here
put for that of all necessities. The reason here suggested for ad-
hering to Jehovah is, that He not only had delivered them from
Egypt, but was abundantly able to provide for them in Canaan
and the wilderness.

12 (11.) And my people did not hearken to my voice^ and Israel
did not consent unto me. God having once been introduced as
speaking, the description of the subsequent events is still ascribed
to him. The phrase my people is designed to aggravate the guilt
of their rebellion. My voice has special reference to the warning
ill vs. 7 — 11 (6 — 10), supposed to be uttered at the exodus from
Egypt. Some interpreters, however, make the whole verse a general
description. Consent unto me, acquiesce in my requirements and
agree to do my will. The form of expression is like that in
Deut. xiii. 9. (8.)

13 (12.) And I gave them up to the corruption of their own

234 PSALM LXXXI.

heart ; they go on in thdr own counsels. The first verb strictly
means I sent them forth^ i, e. to walk in the corruption of their
own heart. The word translated corruption occurs elsewhere only
in Deut. xxix. IS, and in Jeremiah's imitations of it (Jer. iii. 17.
vii. 24. ix. 13. xi. 8.) According to a Syriac analogy, and the
most probable Hebrew etymology, it properly means hardness^
corresponding to the nihoornvg of the New Testament (Mark
vii. 5. Rom. xi, 25. Eph. iv. 18.) In their own counsels., in the
execution of their own evil purposes and unwise plans. The verb
in the last clause may be read as a concession or permission, by
referring the words to an anterior point of time. ' I gave them
up, etc. (saying) let them go on in their own counsels.' As to
the fearful kind of retribution here denounced, see Prov. i. 30, 31.
Rom. i. 24. 2 Thess. ii. 10, 11.

14 (13. J If my people would (but) hearken to me (and) Israel in
my ways would walk. The conditional particle at the beginning,
although not the same with that in v. 9 (8), is construed in the
same way, but with a stronger optative meaning. To listen to
God's teaching and commands implies a docile and obedient
spirit. To walk in his ways is to act as he approves and has
required.

15 (14.) Soon would I how down their enemies, and on their
foes bring hack my hand. The first Hebrew phrase strictly
means like a little, but is used like the English yet a little, i. e, in
a little while. See above, on Ps. ii. 12, and compare Ps. Ixxiii. 2.
To draw hack tJie hand, in Ps. Ixxiv. 11, means to withdraw or
withhold it from action ; but in this connection it conveys the
opposite idea of bringing it again into action, with specific refer-
ence, as some suppose, to its use in former exigencies, v. 8 (7.)
The phrase itself denotes mere action ; the idea of hostile or de-
structive action is suggested by the context. See my note on
Isai. i. 25.

PSALM LXXXI. 235

16 (15.) The haters of Jehovah should lie to him^ and their time
should he forever. The first phrase is intended to suggest the con-
solatory thought that the foes of God's people are the foes of God
himself. There is no need, therefore, of referring him to Israel or
my people J as in Deut. xxxiii. 29, from which the clause is bor-
rowed. The plurals before and after render this less natural, and
as the interests of God and his people are identical, the meaning
is the same in either case. To lie is here to yield a feigned obe-
dience to a conqueror or superior enemy. See above, on Ps. xviii.
45 (44.) Ixvi. 3. Their time^ i. e. the continued existence of
Israel as the chosen people. Compare 2 Sam. vii. 24.

17 (16.) And he loould feed him with the fat of wJieat^ and from
the rock with honey sate him. The first verb is a causative and
means would let (or make) him eat. The fat of wheat, its richest
part or finest quality, another transfer of animal attributes to vege-
table objects. See above, on Ps. Ixxx. 16 (15.) Honey from
the rock, some suppose to mean wild honey ; others, with more
probability, honey supplied by miracle, like the water from the
rock in the desert. All these strong expressions are borrowed
from Deut. xxxii. 13, 14, and are imitated likewise in Ps. cxlvii.
14. Isai. xxxiv. 16. Wheat and honey, by a natural and primi-
tive association, are here put for the necessaries and the luxuries
of human sustenance, and these again for the highest enjoyment
and prosperity. The English version refers these four verses all
to past time, had hearkened^ had walked^ should have subdued^
should have submitted, should have endured, should have fed, should
have satisfied. This is in fact the true construction of the similar
passage in Isai. xlviii. 18 ; but there the conditional or optative
particle is construed with the preterite, and not with the future
tense as here, which makes an essential diflerence of syntax.
See Nordheimer's Hebrew Grammar, § 1078.

236 PSALM LXXXll.

PSALM LXXXII.

A BRIEF but pregnant statement of the responsibilities attached
to the judicial office under the Mosaic dispensation. After de-
claring the relation which the judges bore to God, v. 1, he re-
bukes their malversation, v. 2, and exhorts them to a better
practice, vs. 3, 4, and in case of their persistency in evil, v. 5,
notwithstanding their acknowledged dignity, v. 6, threatens them
with condign punishment, v. 7, to which the church responds by
praying God himself to appear as the universal judge and sove-
reign, V. 8.

1. A Psalm. By Asaph. God stands in the assemUy of the
Mighty ; in the midst of the gods he judges. There is no reason
for doubting that the Asaph mentioned in this title was the Asaph
of the reign of David, in whose times the necessity for such a
warning must already have existed, if not in the person of the
king, who, perhaps on that account, is not particularly mentioned,
yet in his chiefs or nobles, the exalted though inferior magis-
trates who executed justice under him. The judicial appearance
of Jehovah here presented is like that in Ps. 1. 1. Stands, or,
as the participle strictly means, (is) standing, stationing him-
self, assuming his position. The word translated assembly is one
commonly applied to the congregation of Israel, as an organ-
ized whole or body politic. See Ex. xii. 3. xvi. 1. Lev. iv. 15.
Num. xxvii. 17. Blighty is singular not plural in Hebrew, being
one of the divine names (b^)j and qualifies the congregation or

PSALM LXXXll. 237

assembly as belonging to God himself, i. e. instituted by him and
held under his authority. The parallel expression, in the midst of
thegodsy superadds to this idea an allusion to a singular usage of the
Pentateuch, according to which the theocratical magistrates, as
mere representatives of God's judicial sovereignty, are expressly
called Elohim^ the plural form of which is peculiarly well suited
to this double sense or application. See Ex. xxi. 6. xxii. 7, 8
(8, 9), and compare Deut. i. 17. xix. 17. 2 Chron. xix. 6. Even
reverence to old age seems to be required on this principle (Lev.
xix. 32), and obedience to parents in the fifth commandment (Ex.
XX. 12), which really applies to all the offices and powers of the
patriarchal system, a system founded upon natural relations, and
originating in a simple extension of domestic or parental govern-
ment, in which the human head represents the original and uni-
versal parent or progenitor. The remarkable use of the name
God in Exodus, above referred to, is concealed from the reader
of the English Bible, by the arbitrary use of the word ^'ud^^es, as
a translation of the Hebrew, which of course it cannot be. He
judges^ will judge, is about to judge. The idea is, that as the
judges were gods to other men, so he would be a judge to them.
Compare Isai. iii. 13 — 15. Micah iii. 1 — 4. Jer. xxii. 1 — 4.

2. How long loill ye judge wrongs and the faces of wicked men
acce'pt ? Selah. The question implies that they had done so long
enough, nay, too long, since it was wrong from the beginning.
Wrongs in the strongest moral sense, injustice, wickedness.
Wrong, in Hebrew as in English, may be construed either as an
adverb or a noun or both, i. e. as a noun adverbially used to
qualify the verb. See the similar construction of its counterpart
or converse, Ps. Iviii. 2(1.) The last clause exemplifies one of
the most peculiar Hebrew idioms. The combination usually
rendered resjpect persons in the English Bible, and applied to
judicial partiality, means literally to take (or take up) faces.
Some suppose this to mean the raising of the countenance, or

238 PSALM LXXXII.

causing to look up from deep dejection. But the highest philo-
logical authorities are now agreed, that the primary idea is that
of accepting one man's face or person rather than another's, the
precise form of expression, though obscure, being probably de-
rived from the practice of admitting suitors to confer with govern-
ors or rulers face to face, a privilege which can sometimes only
be obtained by bribes, especially though not exclusively in
oriental courts. The Selah commends the implied charge of
official malversation to the serious reflection of the accused
parties.

3. Judge the weak and fatherless^ (to) the sufferer and the 'poor
do justice. The indirect censure of their evil deeds is followed
by a direct exhortation to do well. Compare Isai. i. 16, 17.
The verb of the first clause is explained by that of the second,
which is a technical forensic term, meaning to make innocent or
righteous, i. e. to recognize or declare as such by a judicial act.
See Ex. xxiii. 7. Deut. xxv. 1, and compare 2 Sam. xv. 4. Isai.
5. 23. 1. 8. The word translated weak is applied to the defect
both of bodily strength and of property or substance. See above,
on Ps. xli. 2(1.) It is used by Moses in the same connection.
Ex. xxiii. 3. The fatherless or orphans are continually spoken
of, as proper objects both of mercy and of justice. See above, on
Ps. X. 14. Ixviii. 6 (5), and compare Ex. xxii. 21 (22.) The word
translated jpoor seems strictly to denote one who has grown poor
or become impoverished. See the verbal root in Ps. xxxiv.
11 (10.)

4. Deliver the iveak and the needy (man), from the hand of wicked
(men)f7'ee (him.) The first verb means originally to suifer or cause
to escape ; the second to extricate or disembarrass. From the hand
of the wicked implies from their power, as actually exercised for
coercion. The structure of the sentence may be made more
regular by disregarding the pause-accent and attaching the 'needy

PSALM LXXXIJ. 239

to the last clause, and the 'poor 'from the hand of the icicked set
free.

5. They know not and they will not understand ; in darkness
they will (still) walk ; shaken are all the foimdations of earth.
This is the Lord's complaint of their incorrigible ignorance and
indocility, which rendered even his divine instructions unavailing.
The object of the first verbs is suggested by the context, as in
Ps. xiv. 4. What they did not know and would not understand
was their judicial duty and responsibility, the end for which they
were invested with authority. Darkness is a figure both for ig-
norance and wickedness. See Prov. ii. 13. The denial or per-
version of justice is described as disorganizing society. Compare
the figures in Ps. xi. 3. Ixxv. 4 (3.)

6. I have said, Gods (arc) ye, and sons of the Highest all of you.
Their sin did not consist in arrogating to themselves too high a
dignity, but in abusing it by malversation, and imagining that it
relieved them from responsibility, whereas it really enhanced it.
They were God's representatives, bu: for that very reason they
were bound to be pre-eminently just and faithful. / have said,
not merely to myself or in secret, but in my law ; referring to the.
passages in Exodus already cited. See above, on v. 1. Ye are
gods, or God, i. e. ye occupy his place and are entrusted with his
honour as a just and holy Grod. The pregnant significancy of the
plural form is here the same as in v. 1 above. The parallel ex-
pression, sons of the Most High, denotes the closest and most in-
timate relation to Jehovah, as the Supreme or Sovereign God.
See above, on Ps. ii. 7. This verse is cited by our Lord (John
X. 34, 35), to show that if the divine name had been applied by
God to mere men, there could be neither blasphemy nor folly in
its application to the incarnate Son of God himself.*

7. (Yet) verily like mankind shall ye die, and like one of the

240 PSALM LXXXIl.

princes shall ye fall. Our idiom*requires an adversative particle at
the beirinnino-, to brino; out the antithetical relation of the sentences.
But the first word in Hebrew is properly a particle of strong as-
severation, certainly ^ assuredly . See above, on Ps. xxxi. 23 (22.)
and compare my note on Isai. liii. 4. Like mankind^ or men col-
lectively, or like a man indefinitely, i. e. any other man. So in
the other clause, like one of the princeSy i. e. any other prince, or
person holding an exalted station. The clauses constitute a cli-
max. The first merely describes them as sharers in the general
mortality of man. The second threatens them with death, i. e.
violent or untimely death, as a special punishment. Ye shall f ally
by the sword (Jer. xxxix. 18,) or in some analogous manner.
The verb is often absolutely used in this way to denote a violent
and penal loss of life. See above, Ps. xx. 9, (8,) and below,
Ps. xci. 7, and compare Ex. xix. 21, Jer. viii. 12. The general
meaning of this verse, when taken in connection with the one be-
fore it, is that notwithstanding their exalted dignity, bestowed
and recognized by God himself, they were not thereby exempted
from the common mortality of men, nor even from those signal
and destructive strokes, with which God often visits men as highly
favored and exalted as themselves.

8. Arise^ ok God, judge the earth; for thou art to possess all
nations. This is not, as some interpreters suppose, a mere wish
that God would do what he had just threatened; for this would
make the psalm end with a feeble anti-climax. It is rather a pe-
tition that, since the representative or delegated judges had proved
so unfaithful, God would appear in person and reclaim the powers
which had been so wickedly abused. And this he is besought to
do, not only in Israel, where the proximate occasion of the prayer
was furnished, but throughout the earth, over all whose nations
he possessed,* and was one day to make good, the same hereditary
rio-ht, i. e. a right continuing unchanged through all successive
generations.

PSALM LXXXIIl. 241

PSALM LXXXIIl .

1. A Song. A Psalm. By Asaph. To the general descrip-
tion (mizmor), there is here prefixed a more specific one (shir,)
which designates the composition as a song of praise or triumph.
The same combination occurs above, in the title of Ps. xlviii, a
composition which, as we have there seen, was probably occa-
sioned by the victory of Jehoshaphat over the Moabites, Ammo-
nites, and their confederates, as described in 2 Chr. ch. xx.
This agrees well with the hypothesis, conclusively maintained by
Hengstenberg, that the psalm before us has relation to the same
event, and that as the forty-seventh was probably sung upon the
field of battle, and the forty-eighth after the triumphant return
to Jerusalem, so the eighty-third was composed in confident anti-
cipation of the victory. The points of agreement with the history
will be indicated in the exposition of the several verses. After a
general petition for divine help, v. 2 (1), follows a description of
the violence, craft, destructive purpose, and extensive combination
of the enemies of Judah, vs. 3 — 9 (2 — 8), and then an earnest
prayer for the renewal of God's ancient deeds in similar emer-
gencies, vs. 10 — 15 (9 — 14), with a view to the promotion of his
glory in the destruction of his irreconcilable enemies, vs. 16 — 19
(15 — 18.) According to the view of the historical occasion above
given, the Asaph of the title must denote some descendant of the
ancient seer, as it seems to do in several of the preceding psalms.
Now it happens, by a singular coincidence, that in the history

VOL. I!. 11

242 PSALM LXXXIII.

(2 Chr. XX. 14), such a descendant is particularly mentioned,
Jahaziel, upon whom the Spirit of the Lord came in the midst of
the assembly, and prompted him to take a leading part in the pre-
liminary movements which resulted in the triumph of Judah (ib.
vs. 15 — 18.) Compare the similar coincidence in reference to
the Sons of Korah, as the authors of Ps. 48, vol. 1. p. 400.

2 (1 .) Oh God^ he not silent^ hold not thy peace, and be not still,
oh Mighty ( One) ! This is a general introductory petition, that
God would not remain inactive and indiiferent to the dangers
which environed his own people. The peculiar form of expression
in the first clause, let there not (be) silence to thee, is copied by
Isaiah (Ixii. 6, 7.) The next phrase is one that has occurred re-
peatedly before. See Ps. xxviii. 1. xxxv. 22. xxxix. 13 (12. J
The third petition, be not still or quiet, rest not, has the same re-
lation to act that the others have to word or speech. The use of
this divine name ("b^) involves an appeal to God's omnipotence,
as furnishing a reason for his interference. Why should He who
is Almighty remain silent and inactive, when his people are in
danger and his enemies apparently triumphant r

3 (2.) Jor lo, thine enemies roar, and thy haters raise the head.
The general prayer in the preceding verse is now enforced by a
description of the danger, beginning with the violence and con-
fidence of the assailants. The lo is equivalent to see there, and
converts the passage into a description of a present scene. The
enemies of Israel are, as usual, identified with those of God, as a
reason why he should appear for their destruction. The first
verb means to make a noise, and is applied to the roar of the
sea in Ps. xlvi. 4 (3), as it is to the howl of dogs in Ps. lix.
7 (6), and to internal commotions in Ps. xxxix. 7(6.) xlii. 6,
12 (5, 11.) Lift up the head, as a natural indication of confi-
dence and triumph. Compare the description of a conquered
people, Judg. viii. 28.

PSALM LXXXIII. 243

4 (3.) Against thy people they take crafty coimselj and consult
against thy hidden ones. To the qualities of violence and arro-
gance, the description now adds that of treacherous cunning.
The construction in the first clause is, they make (their) consulta-
tion crafty. For the meaning of the Hebrew noun, see above, on
Ps. XXV. 14. Iv. 15 (14.) Ixiv. 3 (2.) Thy hidden ones, those
whom thou hast hidden for safe-keeping, the objects of thy merci-
ful protection. See above, on Ps. xxvii. 5. xxxi. 21 (20.)

5 (4.) They have said, Come and let us destroy them from
(being) a nation, a'nd let not the name of Israel be remembered
any more. Not only were they turbulent and confident and
crafty, but malignant and determined to destroy. The past
tense of the first verb represents the combination as already formed.
The idiomatic phrase, from a nation, is used more than once by
Isaiah (vii. 8. xxiii. 1.) The expression for complete extirpa-
tion in the last clause is borrowed from the curse on Amalek, Ex.
xvii. 14. Israel, as the name of the chosen people, was right-
fully claimed by Judah after the great schism, even while the
rival kingdom still existed.

6 (5.) For they have consulted heartily together ; against thee a
covenant they ratify. The word translated heartily is really a
noun meaning heart, but here used to qualify the verb by adding
the idea, with tJie Mart, ex animo, cordially, heartily. The
phrase rendered one heart in 1 Chr. xii. 38 is altogether difife rent.
For the meaning of the last verb, see above, on Ps. 1. 5. The
preterite and future tense represent the combination as already
formed and still continued.

7 (6.) The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moah and the
Hagarenes. The use of the word tents does not necessarily im-
ply a wandering mode of life, as it may mean military tents, or
be a figure for dwellings. See above, on Ps. Ixxviii. 67, and

244 PSALM LXXXril.

compare Judg. vii. 8. 1 Kings xii. 16. The Ishmaelites inhab-
ited a part of Desert Arabia (Gen. xxv. 18), as did also the
Hagarenes or Hagarites, a people driven from their lands by the
tribe of Simeon in the reign of Saul. See 1 Chr. v. 10, 19 — 22,
and compare 1 Chr. xi. 38. xxvii. 31.

8 (7.) Gebal and Ammon and Amahk^ Philistia with the in-
habitants of Tyre. Gebal was probably a part of Idumea. Am-
mon and Amalek are joined in the same manner, Judges iii. 13,
as Philistia and Tyre are, Ez. xxxviii. 13, and Philistia, Tyre,
and Edom, Am. i. 6 — 10.

9 (8.) Also Assyria was joined with them. (These) were an
arm to the Sons of Lot. Selah. Assyria is put last as the re-
motest and least interested in this combination against Judah. It
had evidently not yet supplanted Babylonia as the dominant
power of Western Asia. The last clause refers, not merely to
Assyria, as the plural verb shows, but to all the confederates ex-
cept the Sons of Lot, i. e. Moab and Ammon (Gen. xix. 37, 38),
who are here referred to, as the authors and conductors of the
expedition.

10 (9.) Do to them as (thou didst) to Midian, as (to) Sisera^ as
(to) Jabirij in the valley of the Kishon. This is a prayer for such
deliverances as Israel experienced of old. The examples here
selected are the victory of Gideon over the Midianites (Judges
vii, viii), and that of Deborah and Barak over Jabin and Sisera
(Judges iv, V. ) Between the first of these and the event which the
psalm before us was designed to celebrate there was this remark-
able resemblance, that the enemies of Israel were in both cases
made to destroy each other (Judg. vii. 22. 2 Chr. xx. 23.) Com-
pare the allusions to the same event in Isai. ix. 4 (3.) Hab. iii. 7.
The Kishon is repeatedly mentioned in the history of Deborah
and Barak's triumph (Judg. iv. 7, 13. v. 21.)

PSALM LXXXIII. 245

11 (10.) They were destroyed at Endor, they were dung to the
earth. This refers to the second of the battles mentioned in the
preceding verse. Endor is not expressly named in the history,
but is known to have been in the vicinity of Tabor, which is
repeatedly there mentioned (Judg. iv. 6, 12, 14.) The last clause
derives illustration from the extraordinary fruitfulness of certain
battle-fields in modern times, particularly that of Waterloo.
Compare 2 Kings ix. 37. Jer. ix. 21 (22.)

12 (11.) Make them^ (even) their noileSj like Or eh and like
Zeeb ; and like Zehah and like Zalmunnah all their princes. He
asks not only that the masses of the enemy may fare like those
of Midian, but that their chief men may be utterly destroyed as
the kings and chiefs of Midian were by Gideon. See Judg. vii.
25. viii. 5 — ^21. The appeal to the historical associations of the
people is greatly strengthened by this recital of familiar names.
The first word properly means set or place them, i. e. put them in
the same condition.

13 (12.) Who have said., let us inherit for ourselves the dwell-
ings (or pasture-grounds) of God. This relates not to the former
but to the present enemies of Israel, and assigns the reason why
they should experience the same fate with their predecessors.
The double meaning of the word translated dwellings makes it
peculiarly descriptive of the Holy Land, where God dwelt with
his people, and where he fed them as a shepherd. See above,
on Ps. xxiii. 3. Ixv. 13 (12.) Ixxiv. 20.

14 (13.) My God^ make them like the whirling chaff before the
wind. Make them, literally, place them, as in v. 11. Like the
whirling chaff., literally, like the whirl (or whirlwind)., like the
chaff. See above, on Ps. Ixxvii. 19 (18), and compare Isai.
xvii. 13.

246 PSALM LXXXIIT.

15 (14.) As fire consumes a forest, and as a flame kindles moun-
tains. The original construction is, like a fire (which) consumes.^
like afiame (which) kindles. Bj mountains we are here to under-
stand what covers them or grows upon them.

16 (15.) So wilt thou pursue them with thy storm, and with thy
tempest scare them. There is no need of translating these futures
as imperatives. It is one of those cases, so frequent in Hebrew,
and especially in this book, where the form of direct petition al-
ternates with that of confident anticipation

17 (16.) Fill their face with shame, and (men) will seek thy
name, Jehovah I With the first clause compare Ps. Ixix. 8 (7.)
Ixxxix. 46 (45.) Some refer the last clause also to the enemies ;
but their destruction is still anticipated in the next verse, and to
seek the name of God can hardly be expressive of a compulsory
humiliation. The word translated shame is very strong, and
means contempt, disgrace, or ignominy.

18 (17.) They shall he shamed and terror-stricken to eternity,
aiid blush and perish. This no doubt includes a prayer or the
expression of a wish, but it also includes a strong and confident
anticipation. To discard the future form is therefore at the
same time weakenins; to the sense and destructive of a character-
istic feature of the language. With the first clause compare Ps.
vi. 11 (10.) The word translated terror-stricken is the same that
Was rendered scared in v. 16 (15.) See above, on Ps. ii. 5.
vi. 4 (3.) xlviii. 6 (5.)

19. (18.) And (men) shall know that thou, whose name (is) Je-
hovah, {art) alone Most High over all the earth. The reference
here, as in v. 17 (16), is not to the impression made upon the
minds of those destroyed, but upon men in general considered as
spectators of theii* fate. See above, on Ps. lix. 14 (13), and com-

PSALM LXXXIV. 247

pare 1 Sam. xvii. 46. 2 Kings xix. 19. Isai. xxxvii. 16,20. The
original construction is peculiar : ' they shall know that thou —
thy name Jehovah — thou alone — art Most High over all the
earth.' The simple pronoun thou is explained and amplified by
the addition of the words, thy name Jehovah^ i. e. thou who hast
revealed thyself already as the self-existent and eternal God,
and as the covenant God of Israel.

PSALM LXXXIV.

1. To the Chief Musician, On (or according to) the Gittith.
By (or /or) the So7is of Korah. The Psalmist celebrates the
blessedness of intimate communion with God, vs. 2 — 8 (1 — 7),
and prays that he may himself enjoy it, vs. 9 — 13 (8 — 12.)
The resemblance of this psalm, in subject, tone, and spirit, to
Ps. xlii, is the more remarkable because each stands at the be-
ginning of a series inscribed to the Sons of Korah. The experi-
ence here recorded is so evidently David's, that we must either
understand the Sons of Korah to be mentioned merely as the mu-
sical performers, or suppose that they composed it to express the
feelings of the king himself, a hypothesis which Hengstenberg
illustrates by the case of David playing and singing before
Saul, in order to alleviate his paroxysms of madness. For the ar-
guments on both sides of the question, see above, on Ps. xlii. 1,
and for the meaning of the Gittith^ on Ps. viii. 1. Ixxxi. 1.

2 (1.) How dear (to me are) thy dwellings^ oh Jehovah^ (God
of) Hosts ! The adjective is rendered by the English versions
amiable J in the sense of the French aimahle^ lovely. But the

248 PSALM LXXXIV.

usage of the Hebrew word requires it to be understood as meaning
dear^ beloved, which is exactly the idea here required by the con-
text. See above, on Ps. xlv. 1. The plural dwellings has re-
ference to the subdivisions and appurtenances of the sanctuary,
and is applied to the tabernacle in Ps. xliii. 3. Compare Ps. Ixviii.
36 (35.) The divine titles are as usual significant. While one
suggests the covenant relation between God and the petitioner,
the other makes his sovereignty the ground of a prayer for his
protection. The force of this impassioned exclamation is en-
hanced by the structure of the sentence, which consists of a single
clause, like Ps. xviii. 2 (l.j With the whole verse compare
Ps. xxvii. 1 — 5.

3 (2.) Longs and also faints my soul for the courts of Jehovah,
my heart and my flesh ; they sing (with joy) unto the living God.
The first verb is expressive of intense desire, as in Ps. xvii. 12.
Compare Gen. xxxi. 30. Instead of and also the English Bible
has yea even, which is perhaps too strong, and indicates a climax
not intended by the writer. Faints, fails, or is consumed with
strong desire. The plural courts, i. e. enclosures, is to be explained
like dwellings in v. 2 (1.) Solomon's temple had two courts ; but
one was appropriated to the priests, 2 Chr. iv. 9. The courts of
the tabernacle are mentioned as the place where God statedly
communed with Israel. See above, on Ps. Ixv. 5 (4), and below,
on Ps. xcii. 14 (13.) They are here mentioned merely as a sign
of the communion itself, which might be enjoyed in any place
whatever. See above, on Ps. xxvii. 4. xxxvi. 9. Soul, heart,
and flesh, denote the whole man. See above, on Ps. Ixiii. 2(1.)
The Hebrew accents connect heart and flesh with the preceding
words. A much more natural division is the common one, which
construes them directly with the verb of the last clause. That
verb elsewhere always denotes a joyful shout or song ; but the de-
rivative noun (n2^.) is used to signify a cry for help or earnest
prayer, which meaning some attach to the verb itself in this place,

PSALM LXXXIV 249

so as to make the clauses strictly parallel. If the usual meaning
of the verb be here retained, the clause shows that the speaker
had already experienced that for which he prays. The Living
God^ really existing, and the giver of life to others. See above,
on Ps. xlii. 3 (2.)

4 (3.) Yes^ the spa?'row has found a home, and the swalloio a
nest J (in) which she lays her youngs even thine altars^ Jehovah^
(God) of Hosts ^ my King and my God. The first word properly
means also^ as in the preceding verse, and is by some translated
even^ as if he had said, ' the very birds have nests in the sanctu-
ary of God, while I am excluded from it.' Compare Matt. viii.
20. But the fact thus alleged is highly improbable and nowhere
recorded. A more natural interpretation is to make the sparrow
and the swallow (put for small and helpless birds in general) em-
blems of the worshipper himself. As if he had said, yes, this
wandering bird has at last found a resting-place, or home, both for
itself and for its young. That this is perfectly in keeping with
Bavidic usage, is plain from 1 Sam. xxvi. 20, Ps. xi. 1. Iv. 7 (6.)
Ivi. 1. The translation even thine altars supposes the Hebrew
particle (n5<) to indicate the object of the verb, as it does before
the same noun in 1 Kings xix. 10, 14. It may, however, be a
preposition meaning at or near^ and this sense is preferred by
those interpreters who suppose a literal nestling of the birds in
the sanctuary to be here alluded to. The altars meant are those
of burnt-offering and of incense, as in Num. iii. 31. They are par-
ticularly mentioned, because it was by means of sacrifice and
prayer that communion between God and man was possible.
Compare Ps. xxvi. 6. The young birds are introduced, not
only to complete the picture, but to show that the communion
and divine protection, which the Psalmist so highly valued, were
not merely personal but domestic and social privileges, which he
desired both for himself and those dependent on him. The ad-
dress, Jehovah (God) of Hosts, has the same sense as in v. 2 (1.)
11*

250 PSALM LXXXIV.

The same essential notions of supremacy and covenant relation
are conveyed by the parallel expression, my King and my God,
a combination which occurs only here and in Ps. v. 3 (2.)

5. Happy the dwellers in thy house^ (for) still they praise thee
(or icill praise thee.) The first phrase is the idiomatic one with
which the book begins, for the peculiar form and sense of which,
see above, on Ps. i. 1. ii. 12. xxxii. 1, 2. xxxiii. 12. xli. 2 (1.)
Dwellers in., inhabitants of, thy house, i. e. members of thy family,
as the same words literally mean in Jer. xx. 5. For the spiritual
or figurative meaning, see above, on Ps. xv. 1. xxiii. 6. xxiv. 3.
xxvii. 4. Ixi. 5 (4.) Ixv. 5 (4.) The privilege thus described
might be enjoyed in any local situation ; but the outward sign of
it, under the old economy, was the frequenting of the sanctuary.
As inmates, not mere visitors, they will still have occasion
and opportunity of doing what they do when first admitted to
God's household. They will still praise, because they will have
renewed cause so to do. See above, on Ps. v. 8 (7.) 1. 15, 23.
Ixxix. 13.

6 (5. ) Happy the man who (has) strength in thee, (who have) high-
ways in their heart. The original consists of several exclamations
or ejaculations — happy man ! — (there is) strength to him in thee !
— {thQrc, 2iVe) highways in their heart ! This last unusual and
obscure expression is supposed by some to mean, in whose thoughts,
(or affections) are th^ highways to Jerusalem, i. e. who still think
of going up to worship there. But another explanation, which
agrees far better, both with the immediate context and with usao;e
and analogy, supposes the figure to be identical with that in Ps.
1. 23. Prov. xvi. 17. Isai. xl. 3, 4, where the removal of all
moral or spiritual hinderanccs to God's revisiting his people and
communing with them, is poetically represented as the opening,
levelling, and raising of a causeway through a pathless wilderness
or otherwise impracticable ground. The word translated high-

PSALM LXXXIV. 251

ways is determined, both by etymology and usage, to denote not
a mere beaten track or footpath, but a road artificially constructed
and raised above the level of the ground through which it passes.
The sudden change of number in the last clause shows that man
is a generic or collective term.

7 (6.) Passing through the Vale of Tears^ a spring they make
it ; also with blessings is the Teacher clothed. This is one of the
obscurest verses in the book. Interpreters, however, are now
commonly agreed as to the first clause. The explanation of Baca^
as meaning the Valley of Mulberry or Baca-trees (2 Sam. v.
23, 24. 1 Chron. xiv. 13, 14), is now very commonly abandoned
for the one given in the ancient versions, the Vale of Weeping or
of Sorrow, a beautiful poetical description of the present life a^
one of sufiering. To the fons lacrymarum is opposed the foun-
tain of salvation or of joy, a figure so familiar in the Scriptures,
as to be readily suggested by the one word spring or fountain.
See above, on Ps. xxxvi. 10 (9.) xlvi. 5 (4), and compare Isai.
xii. 3. The meaning of the clause, as thus explained, is, that
the persons pronounced happy in the foregoing verse are a
source of happiness, and convert the very Vale of Tears into a
fountain of delight. The meaning of the other clause is still dis-
puted. As the first noun, by varying a single vowel-point, may
mean either jpools or blessings^ and the next, though it commonly
means teacher (2 Kings xvii. 28. Prov. v. 13. Isai. xxx. 20), has
in one other place (Joel ii. 23) the sense of rain^ or rather of
the early rain in Palestine, the clause admits of several very
difierent explanations. 1 . The rain also covers the pools. 2. The
teacher is clothed in blessings. 3. The rain covers it with bless-
ings. In favour of the second is its close adherence to the usage
of the three leading words. It is also found substantially in the
ancient versions. The meaning then is, that this strange trans-
forming power is exerted by the good man as a teacher of right-
eousness, in which sense one of the disputed words (n'ni>3) occurs

252 PSALM LXXX[V.

in Joel ii. 23, which accounts for its being there repeated in the
very same sentence, bj a kind of paronomasia, in the sense of
early rain, elsewhere denoted by a cognate form (rTli"). Com-
pare the sentiment with that in Ps. li. 15 (13.) For the neuter
or intransitive meaning of the last verb, see Lev. xiii. 45. Mic.
iii, 7. Jer. xliii. 12.

8 (7.) They shall go from strength to strength; he shall ap-
pear to God in Zion. The change of number is the opposite of
that in V. 6 (5), but to be explained on the same principle. Or
the singular verb in the last clause may refer to the Teacher in
V. 7 (6.) The strength is that bestowed by God, in the experi-
ence of which they make continual advances. The form of ex-
pression in the last clause is one used in the Law to denote the

stated appearance of the Israelites at the sanctuary. The mean-
ing of the whole verse is, that they who answer to the previous
description shall finally attain to the full fruition of that unioa
with God in which their happiness resides.

9 (8.) Jehovah, God, (Lord of) Hosts, hear my prayer ; give
ear^ oh God of Jacob ! Selah. Here begins the second part of
the psalm, containing the petition founded on the preceding view
of the happiness arising from communion with God. The names
applied to him suggest, as usual, the grounds of the petition,
namely, his eternity, self-existence, sovereignty, and covenant-
relation to his people.

10 (9.) {Oh) our shield, see, {oh) God, and behold the face of
thine Anointed. Some make the first noun the object of the verb
that follows, see our shield ; but in v. 12 (11) God himself is so
described, as well as in Ps. iii. 4 (3.) Gen. xv. 1. Its position,
as a vocative, is certainly unusual, but seems to be emphatic
Behold the face^i. e. behold it favourably, look upon it graciously.

PSALM LXXXIV. 253

Thine Anointed (One), i. e. David, by whom, or in whose name,
the psalm was written.

11. (10.) For better (is) a day in thy courts than a thousand ; I
have chosen to occupy the threshold in the house of my God, rather
than dwell in tents of wickedness. The comparison in both
clauses is expressed, as usual in Hebrew, by the preposition /rom,
away from. ' Good from, i. e. in comparison with, a thousand.' 'I
choose from dwelling, i. e. rather than to dwell.' The first clause
of course means that one day in God's courts is better than a thou-
sand elsewhere. I have chosen, and do still choose, a stronger
expression than I would choose or would rather. The next verb
occurs only here and is evidently formed from the noun (tiD) sill
or threshold. To be a door-keeper (guard the threshold), and to
lie on the threshold, are too specific, and appear to add some^
thing to the sense of the original. The idea perhaps is, that he would
rather stand at the door of Grod's house and look in (which was
all that the worshippers could do at the Mosaic sanctuary) than
dwell in the interior of tents or houses where iniquity prevailed.
The use of the word tents in this clause makes it still more
probable that the tabernacle, not the temple, is meant by the
parallel expression, house of God.

12 (11.) For a sun and, a shield is Jehovah, God ; grace and
glory will Jehovah give ; he will not refuse (any thing) good to
those walking in a perfect (way.) The for shows that this verse
gives a reason for the preference expressed in that before it.
God is here called a sun, as he is called a light in Ps. xxvii. 1.
Both these figures represent him as a source of happiness ; that
of a shield describes him as a source of safety, or a strong pro-
tector. Grace and glory (or honour) are related as the cause and
the effect. The latter includes all the sensible fruits and mani-
festations of the divine favour. See above, on Ps. xlix. 17 (16.)
In a perfect is by some understood to mean as a perfect person,

254 PSALM LXXXV.

i. e. perfectly, uprightly. See above, on Ps. xv. 2. xviii. 24 (23),
and compare Gen. xvii. 1.

13 (12.) Jehovah^ (Lord of) Hosts^ happy the man trusting in
thee. The participle is expressive of habitual reliance. Trusting
in thee, as I do.

PSALM LXXXV.

1. To the Chief Musician. To (or hy) the Sons of Korah.
A Psalm. On the ground of former benefits, the Church prays
for deliverance from present evils, vs. 2 — 8 (1 — 7), and joyfully
anticipates a favourable answer, vs. 9 — 14 (8 — 13.) There is
nothing in the title, or the psalm itself, to determine its date or
confine its application to any particular historical occasion. It
seems to be appropriate to every case in which the fulfilment of
the promise (Lev. xxvi. 3 — 13) was suspended or withheld.

2(1.) Thou wast gracious^ oh Jehovah.^ to thy land ; thou didst
return {to) the captivity of Jacob. Some interpreters refer these
words to favours recently experienced ; thou hast (now) been gra-
cious, etc. But it is clear from vs. 5 — 8 (4 — 7), that the people
were actually sufi'ering, and that the acknowledgments in vs. 2 — 4
(1 — 3) must relate to former instances of God's compassion.
The idea, that the benefit acknowledged was deliverance from the
Babylonish exile, has arisen from a false interpretation of the
last clause, for the true sense of which see above, on Ps. xiv. 7.
Captivity is a common figure for distress, and God's revisiting
the captives for relief from it. It is also worthy of remark that

PSALM LXXXV. 255

the favour shown was to the land^ i. e. to the people while in pos-
session and actual occupation of it.

3 (2.) Thou didst take aioay the guilt of thy people ; thou didst
cover all their sin. Selah. The same form of expression occurs
above, in Ps. xxxii. 1, 5 Both verbs suggest the idea of atone-
ment as well as pardon.

4 (3.) Thou didst withdraw all thy wrath ; tho7i didst turn from
the heat of thine anger. There is probably an allusion here to
the prayer of Moses in Ex. xxxii. 12. The Hebrew verb of the
second clause corresponds strictly to the English verb in its transi-
tive or causative sense. It is used, however, in the same way by
Ezekiel (xviii. 30, 32), who, in one place (xiv. 6), has the
phrase to turn away the face, of which the other may be an ab-
breviation.

5 (4.) Return to us, oh God of our salvation, and cease thine
anger towards us. The recollection of former mercies is here
followed by a prayer for their renewal. ' As thou hast had pity
on thy people heretofore, so have pity on them now.' Return to
us, revisit us again in mercy. See above, on v. 2 (1), and on Ps.
xiv. 7. The verb in the last clause means to annul or nullify,
put an end to, cause to cease. It occurs above, Ps. xxxiii. 10.
The word translated anger is one which properly expresses a
mixed feeling of grief and indignation. See above, on Ps. vi.
7(6.)

7 (6.) Forever wilt thou be angry at us ? Wilt thou draio
out thine anger to generation and generation ? The first Hebrew
word strictly means to ages or eternities. The verb to draw out,
protract, continue, is used in a favourable sense, Ps. xxxvi.
11 (10.) The idea here expressed is the opposite of that in Ps.
XXX. 6 (5.)

256 PSALM LXXXV.

8 (7.) Wili thou not return (and) quicken us^ (and) shall (not)
thy people rejoice in thee 7 With the first clause compare Ps.
Ixxi. 20. Ixxx. 19 (18.) Deut. xxxii. 39. Hos. vi. 2. With the
second compare Ps. v. 12 (11.) ix. 3 (2.) xl. 17 (16.) ^ Wilt
thou not revisit us in mercy, raise us from the dead or dying
state in which we now are, and give us, as thy people, fresh oc-
casion to rejoice in our relation to thee, and in our union and
communion with thee .^' The construction which continues the
interrogation through the sentence is much simpler and more na-
tural than that which makes the second clause contingent and
dependent on the first, that thy people may rejoice in thee. At
the same time, the interrogative form expresses a more confident
anticipation than a bare petition.

8 (7.) Let us see, oh Lord^ thy mercy \ and thy salvation thou
wilt give unto us. The first petition is, that God would cause
them to experience his mercy. In the last clause, as in many
other places, the form of petition is insensibly exchanged for that
of anticipation. As if he had said, ^ We can confidently ask thee
to show us thy mercy, for we know that thou wilt grant us thy
salvation.'

9 (8.) I will hear what the Mighty {God)^ Jehovah^ will speak;
for he will speak peace to his people and to his saints ; and let them
not return to folly. The first clause expresses the people's wil-
lingness to hear and to abide by God's decision. The second
gives the reason of this willingness, to wit, because they know
that the response will be auspicious. The third assigns the ne-
cessary limitation to this confidence, by stating the condition of
God's favourable answer. The failure to comply with this con-
dition accounts for the partial fulfilment of the promise, both in
the case of individuals and of the church at large. See above,
on Ps. Ixxx. 19 (18), and compare the promise in Lev. xxvi.
3-^13. His saintSy the objects of his mercy and subjects of his

PSALM LXXXV. ^ 257

grace. See above, on Ps. iv. 4 (3.) And let them not turn is
equivalent to saying, so (or therefore) let them not turn. The
real connection of the clauses might be brought out still more
clearly in our idiom by the paraphrase, ' provided they do not re-
turn to folly.'

10 (9.) Only nigh to his fearers, (is) his salvation^ for glory to
dwell in our land. As the limitation of the promise to those
fearing God is an essential stroke in this description, there is no
need of departing from the strict sense of (Tj5<:) the particle with
which the sentence opens. See above, on Ps. Ixii. 10 (9.) Ixviii.
7 (6), and compare Ps. Iviii. 12 (11.) Ixxiii. 1. The meaning
then is that salvation is provided by God's mercy for none but
those who fear him. The last clause, which is literally rendered
above, is equivalent to saying in our idiom, that glory may dwell
in our land. Glory has the same sense as in Ps. Ixxxiv. 12 (11.)
Dwell, reside permanently, long continue.

11 (12.) Mercy and truth have met (together); righteousmss
and peace have kissed {each other.) By truth, we are to under-
stand the truth of God's promises, the divine veracity. See above,
on Ps. XXV. 5. The same combination with grace or mercy
occurs above, in Ps. xxv. 10. xl. 11 (10.) Ivii. 4 (3.) Ixi. 8 (7),
and below, Ps. Ixxxix. 15 (14.) Righteousness, considered as the
gift of God, justification, whether judicial or providential. Peace,
immunity from all disturbing causes, which implies prosperity of
every kind. See above, on Ps. Ixxii. 3. Have met, in a peace-
able and friendly manner, an idea still more strongly expressed
by the kiss of reconciliation or aifection in the last clause. A still
more pointed and emphatic meaning may be put upon the sentence
by supposing it to mean, that God's mercy or free favour to the
undeserving is now seen to be consistent with his truth, which was
pledged for their destruction, and their peace or safety with his

258 PSALM LXXXV.

righteousness or justice, whicli might otherwise have seemed to be
wholly incompatible.

12 (11.) Truth from the earth is springing, and Hghteousness
from heaven looks down. The truth of God's promise may be
seen, as it were, springing from the earth in its abundant fruits,
and his rectitude, or faithfulness to his engagements, looking down
from heaven in the rain and sunshine. By this bold and beautiful
conception, the certainty of God's providential care is expressed
more strongly than it could be by any mere didactic statement.
The beauty of the image in the last clause is heightened by the
use of a verb which originally means to lean or bend over, for the
purpose of gazing down upon a lower object. See above, on Ps.
xiv. 2, and compare Judg. v. 28. 2 Sam. vi. 16.

13 (12.) Jehovah also will give the (material or earthly), ^ooc?,
and our land ivill give its produce (or increase.) In other words,
the promise shall be verified that stands recorded in the Law
(Lev. xxvi. 4), from which the form of expression is borrowed, as
it is in Ps. Ixvii. 7 (6.)

14 (13.) Righteousness before him shall march., and set (us) m
the way of his steps. The verb in the first clause is a poetical in-
tensive form of one which means to walk or go. The idea here
expressed seems to be that of public and solemn manifestation.
The last clause is obscure and of dubious construction. The latest
interpreters understand it as meaning, and set its steps for a way.,
i. e. mark out by its own steps the way in which we are to walk.
This yields, in the end, the same sense as the common version
above given.

PSALM LXXXVI. 259

PSALM LXXXVI.

1. A Prayer. By David. Incline^ oh Jehovah ^ thine ear
(and) answer me., for wretched and needy (am) /. The whole
psalm is called a prayer, because entirely made up, either of di-
rect petitions, or of arguments intended to enforce them. The
tone and substance of the composition are well suited to David's
situation in his days of suffering at the hands of Saul or Absalom
more probably the latter, on account of the repeated allusions to
deliverance from former trials of the same kind. Some account
for the position of this psalm in the midst of a series inscribed to
the Sons of Korah, by supposing that the latter composed it in the
person or the spirit of David. See above, on Ps. Ixxxiv. 1.
The same hypothesis is used by these interpreters to explain the
many forms of expression borrowed from other psalms of David ;
as if the Sons of Korah meant to comfort him by the repetition of
his own consolatory words in other cases. Compare 2 Cor. i. 4.
The psalm admits of no minute or artificial subdivision. The only
marked diversity of the parts is, that in vs. 1 — 10, petition is com-
bined with argument, whereas in vs. 11 — 17, it is more unmixed.
The first ground or reason is derived, in this verse, from the ur-
gency of the necessity. At the same time, there is a tacit claim to
God's protection, on the ground that he who asks it is one of his
own people. According to the usage of the psalms, the afflicted
and the needy denote sufferers among God's people. See above,
on Ps. X. 2.

260 PSALM LXXXVI.

2. Kee/p my soulj for a gracious one (am) I; save thy servant,
even thou, my God, the (servant) trusting in thee. He prays for
the safe-keeping of his soul or life, because it was this that the
enemy threatened. See below, v. 14. The grounds assigned are
two, or rather one exhibited in two forms. The first is, that he
is a (T^Dn) saint or gracious one, a merciful object of God's mercy.
See above, on Ps. Ixxxv. 8 (7.) The other is that, as a servant
of Jehovah, he believes and trusts in him alone. The original
expression is not in but to or towards thee, as if implying that
the believer turns or looks away from every other ground of con-
fidence to God alone. The same construction occurs twice above,
in Ps. iv. 6 (5.) xxxi. 7 (6.)

3. Be gracious unto me, oh Lord, for unto thee will I cry all
the day. The prayer is still substantially the same, but enforced
by two additional reasons ; one implied in the divine name used,
to wit, that God is his sovereign and as such bound to protect his
subject ; the other expressed, namely, that his subject never
ceases to invoke his aid. The future meaning of the verb includes
the present, but suggests the additional idea of determination to
pursue the same course till the blessing is obtained. Compare
Gen. xxxii. 27 (26.) Luke xviii. 1. All the day is a common
idiomatic phrase equivalent to all the time in English, and may
therefore be considered as including, though it does not formally
express, the idea of every day or daily. See above, on Ps. xlii.
4,11 (3,10.)

4. Gladden the soul of thy servant, for unto thee, Lord, my soul
do I raise. The first clause is not a mere periphrasis for " make
me glad," or "cause me to rejoice." It means "make me
heartily rejoice, because I am thy servant," thus suggesting a new
ground of his petition, different in form although substantially
identical with that in the preceding verse. A similar analogy
exists between the second clause of that verse and the second

PSALM LXXXVI. 261

clause of this, the form of which, however, is borrowed from Ps.
XXV. 1. Here, as there, to raise the soul to God is to regard
hira with affection and strong confidence. See above, on Ps.
xxiv. 4. At the same time, there is an allusion to the strict
sense of the Hebrew verb, as if he had said, ' make my soul re-
joice, since T bring it up or raise it to thee for this very pur-
pose.' The force of the future is the same as in v. 4.

5. For thou^ Lord^ art good arid forgiving and rich in mercy
to all {those) invoking thee. God is not only the sovereign of
bis people, and as such bound by covenant to protect them, but
benevolent or good in his own nature ; and that not merely in
the general, or in reference to all his creatures, but especially in
reference to the undeserving and the ill-deserving ; that is, to
such of them as really desire his favour, and evince their willing-
ness to have it by the act of asking for it. Rich (in) mercy,
literally, great (or much, abundant, plenteous, as to) mercy.
This expression, and indeed the whole description, is borrowed
from Ex. xxxiv. 6.

6. Give ear, Jehovah, to my prayer, and attend (or hearken) to
the voice of my supplications. The same verbs are used in a
similar connection, Ps. v. 2, 3 (1, 2.) The last word in Hebrew,
according to its etymology, denotes specifically prayers for favour,
grace, or mercy. See above, on Ps. xxviii. 6. xxxi. 23 (22.)
There is no new grounder argument suggested here, beyond what
is implied in the use of the word just explained, and of the divine
name in the first clause.

7. In the day of my distress I will invoke thse, for thou wilt
answer me. The future includes the present, I do and will in-
voke thee, call thee to my aid, or call upon thee for assistance.
The second clause assigns the reason, namely, his conviction that
he shall not call in vain. The implied ground of this convic-

262 PSALM LXXXVI.

tion is, that he never does and never did call, in the exercise of
faith, without being favourably heard or answered.

8. There, is none like thee among the gods ^ oh Lord^ and nothing
like thy works (among their works.) This last, which might seem
to be needed to complete the sense and the parallelism, was sup-
pressed perhaps in order to suggest the idea, that the gods have
no works, even the gentiles who worship them being creatures of
Jehovah, as is expressly stated in the next verse. Even the full
comparison, however, in the first clause, does not necessarily con-
cede the personal existence of the gods themselves, but only that
of their material images, or at most the belief of their besotted
worshippers. Compare with this verse its Mosaic models, Ex.
XV. 11. Deut. iii. 24, and the Davidic imitations of them, 2 Sam.
vii. 22. Ps. xviii. 32 f31.) The exclusive godhead of Jehovah
is here urged as a distinct ground or reason of importunate pe-
tition to him.

9. All nations which thou hast made shall come and worship he-
fore thee^ oh Lord^ and give honour to thy name. The common
relation of Jehovah to all men as their Maker, although now de-
nied by most nations, shall be one day universally acknowledged,
not in word merely, but in act, the most expressive act of wor-
ship, involving a believing recognition of the previous display of
God's perfections, in the language of the Scriptures called his
name. This prospective view of the conversion of the world to
the belief and service of its Maker shows how far the Old Testa-
ment writers were from cherishino; or countenancino- the contracted
nationality of the later and the less enlightened Jews. See above,
on Ps. xxii. 28, 29 (27, 28.) xlv. 13—17 (12—16.; xlvii. 10 (9),
and compare Jer. xvi. 19. Zeph. ii. 11. Zech. xiv. 9, 16.

10. For great (art) thov, and doing wonders^ thou (art) God
alone. The only new idea here is the evidence afforded of Je-

PSALM LXXXVl. 263

hovah's sole divinity by his miraculous performances. The for,
at the beginning of the verse, implies that these proofs of divinity
must sooner or later have their full eflfect.

11. Guide me, Jehovah, (in) thy way ; I will walk in thy truth;
unite my heart to fear thy name. The common version of the
first verb {teach me) is too vague, as it fails to bring out the pe-
culiar suitableness of the term to express the kind of teaching
here specifically meant. The original meaning of the Hebrew
word is to point out or mark the way. According to the usage
of the Psalms, the way of God is here the course of his provi-
dential dealings, and his truth the truth of his promises, to walk
in which is to assent to them or acquiesce in them and trust them.
See above, on Ps. xxv. 4, 5. xxvi. 3. That he may be enabled to
do this without distraction or reserve, is the prayer of the last
clause. The idea of a united heart is the opposite of a double
heart. See above, on Ps. xii. 3 (2), and compare James iv. 8.

12. I will thank thee, oh Lord my God, with all my heart, and I
will honour thy name forever . The first verb means not merely to
praise in general, but to praise for benefits received. See above,
on Ps. vi. 'o {^.) This verse describes the effect that is to follow
from the granting of the prayer at the close of the preceding
verse. When his heart is once united to fear God, cordial and
perpetual thanksgiving will follow as a necessary consequence.

13. For thy mercy (has been) great towards me, and thou hast
freed my soul from the lowest hell. The most natural explana-
tion of these words is that which makes them an appeal to
former mercies as a reason for expecting new ones. If the psalm
belongs to the period of Absalom's rebellion (see above, on v. 1 ),
the reference here may be to David's dangers and deliverances
from Saul. Towards me, literally, 07i me, with an implication of
descent from above. Hell, in the wide sense of death or the state

264 PSALM LXXXVI.

of the dead. See above, on Ps. vi. 6 (5.) Lowest^ or lower,
lying under, subterraneous. The expression is derived from
Deut. xxxii. 22. With this verse compare Ps. xviii. 6 (5.)
Ivi. 14 (13.)

14. Oh God^ proud (men) have arisen agahist me^ and an as-
scmhly of violent {ineii) have sought my soul^ and have not set thee
before them. Nearly the same words had been used by David in
reference to the Sauline persecution, Ps. liv. 5 (3). But in-
stead of aliens, he here speaks of proud ones, and before the
parallel term violent, oppressive, or tyrannical (Ps. xxxvii. 35),
inserts congregation or assembly, as if to imply organization,
both which variations agree well with the hypothesis that this
psalm relates to the revolt of Absalom.

15. And thou, Lord, (art) a God merciful and gracious, long-
suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. He here appeals to
God's description of himself as warranting his prayer for mercy.
See Ex. xxxiv. 6, and the imitations or quotations of it by Joel
(ii. 13) and Jonah (iv. 2.) See also Ps. Ixxxv. 11 (10.)

16. Turn towards me and he gracious to me ; give thy strength
to thy servant, and grant salvation to the son of thy handmaid.
The first prayer implies that God's face had previously been
averted. Give thy strength, exercise it for his protection. The
son of thy handmaid or female slave, i. e. a home-born and
hereditary servant, and as such entitled to defence and sustenance.
The expression is borrowed from Ex. xxiii. 12, and re-appears in
Ps. cxvi. 16. The last verb is the common one meaning: to save.,
but here connected with its object by the proposition to.

17. Shoio me a token for good, and (then) my haters shall see
and be shamed, because thou, Jehovah, hast helped me and comforted
VIC. The phrase translated show me strictly means do with me^

PSALM LXXXVII. 2(35

and is here used because the sign or token asked is neither a ver-
bal declaration nor a miracle, but a practical or providential
indication of God's favour, furnished by his dealings with him.
The word translated good is the one used in Ps. xvi. 2, where as
here it has the sense of physical good, welfare, happiness. A
token for good is a pledge of its possession and enjoyment. The
oblique construction, that my haters may see, is really included in
the direct future. Shamed, surprised, disappointed, and con-
founded. The preterites in the last clause have reference to the
time when this effect shall be produced upon the enemy, and
when the divine help and consolation shall have been already
granted.

PSALM L XXXVII.

1. To (or hy) the Sonsof Korah. A Psalm. A Song. His
foundation (is) in the hills of holiness. The first title decides
nothing as to the date of composition. See above, on Ps. xlii. 1.
xlvi. 1. xlvii. 1. xlviii. 1. It is not only a psalm, a religious
lyric, but a song, i. e. a song of praise or triumph. See above,
on Ps. Ixxxiii. 1. This agrees well with the tone of the compo-
sition, which seems to indicate some great deliverance as its his-
torical occasion. The only one that can be fixed upon with any
great degree of probability is that of Hezekiah from the power of
Assyria. See above, on Ps. xlvi. 1. Ixxv. 1. Ixxvi. 1. In view
of some such signal intervention in behalf of Israel, the psalm
celebrates the actual security of Zion, vs. 1 — 3, and anticipates
its future honours as the spiritual birth-place of the nations, vs.
4 — 7. His foundation, that which he has founded, meaning his

VOL. II. 12

266 PSALM LXXXVIT.

sanctuary and his theocratical kingdom. The plural expression,
hills of holiness^ means Zion in the wide sense, including all the
heights on which Jerusalem was built. It was peculiarly ap-
propriate in this case, if the psalm was written in the reign of
Hezekiah, because at that time Zion, in the strict sense, was no
lonorer the exclusive residence of God on earth. At the same
time, there is particular reference to Zion as the citadel, in which
the strength of the royal city was concentrated.

2. Jehovah loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of
Jacob. This description of Jehovah's choice of Zion as his
dwelling-place is similar to that in Ps. Ixxviii. 68. The gates of
a walled city give access to it and power over it, and are there-
fore naturally here put for the whole. The Hebrew participle
(loving) implies constant and habitual attachment.

3. Glorious things (have been) sjpoJcen in thee^ oh City of God !
Selah. Glorious or honourable things, in the way of prophecy
and promise, the fulfilment of which is here implied. As if he
had said, the promises respecting thee are great, but they are or
shall be fully verified. So too in the other clause the meaning
is, thou art well called the city of God, for he is in thee, to pro-
tect and honour thee. See above, on Ps. xlvi. 5 (4.) xlviii. 2,
9 (1, 8.) Instead oi in thee some read of thee, but the former is
entitled to the preference ; first, because it is the strict sense and
therefore not to be rejected without reason ; then, because it
really includes the other, but is not included in it ; lastly, be-
cause it suggests the additional idea of the holy city, as the scene,
no less than the theme, of the prophetic visions.

4. I will mention Rahah and Babylon as knowing me. Lo,
PhiliUia and Tyre with Ethiopia! This (one) was born there.
Interpreters are commonly agreed, that these are the words of
God himself, though not expressly so announced. The first verb

PSALM LXXXVII. 267

in Hebrew is a causative, I will make to be remembered, celebrate,
commemorate. See above, Ps, xx. 8 (7.) xlv. 18 (17.) Ixxi. 16
(15.) Ixxvii. 12 (11.) It here means to announce or proclaim.
To know God is to love him and to be his servant. See above,
on Ps. xxxvi. 11 (10), and compare Isai. xix. 21. Those knowing
him in this sense are his people. As knotving me, literally, to those
knowing me, i. e. belonging to their number. Or the sense may be,
for knowers of me, I will recognize and reckon them for such. Com-
pare the Hebrew of Ex. xxi. 2, he shall go out free, literally, for
free, i. e. as free. The nations thus announced as belonging to
God's people are mere samples of the whole gentile world, those
being chosen for the purpose, who were or had been most con-
nected with the history of Israel, and were at the same time ruling
powers of antiquity, Rahah is an enigmatical name given to
Egypt by the Prophet Isaiah. See below, on Ps. Ixxxix. 11 (10),
and compare my notes on Isai. xxx. 7. li. 9. Babylon is named
instead of Assyria, perhaps because in Hezekiah's reign the for-
mer began to supersede the latter as the dominant power of
Western Asia. See my note on Isai. xxxix. 1. Compare the
prophecy respecting Egypt and Assyria in Isai. xix. 23, 24.
Philistia and Tyre are put together, as in Ps. Ixxxiii. 8 (7.) As
to the latter, see above, on Ps. xlv. 13 (12), and compare Isai.
xxiii. 18. The conversion of Ciish or Ethiopia had already been
foretold by David, Ps. Ixviii. 32 (31), and by Solomon, Ps. Ixxii.
10. The last words are obscure, but may be rendered clearer by
supplying before them, as to each of these it shall he said. The
pronoun {this) is then to be referred not to individual men, but to
the nations as ideal persons. The idea of regeneration or spiritual
birth, applied in the New Testament to individuals, is here ap-
plied to nations, who are represented as born again, when received
into communion with the church or chosen people,

5, And of Zion it shall he said, (This) vian and (that) man
"• was born in her, and He will establish her, the Highest. The strict

268 PSALM LXXXVIl.

translation of the first words is to Zion^ but the subsequent use of the
third person {in her) shows that the act described is that of speak-
ing of a person in his presence, yet not directly to him, or, as we
sometimes say in English, talking at him. See above, on Ps. iii.
3 (2 J Ixxi. 10. The idiomatic phrase man and man means every
one or each one severally. See the Hebrew of Esther i. 8, and
compare that of Lev. xvii. 10, 13. The clause may then be un-
derstood as asserting of individuals what had just been said of
whole communities, or as repeating the latter, in a more emphatic
form, for the purpose of connecting it with an additional promise,
namely, that the church, thus enlarged by the accession of the Gen-
tiles, shall be permanently established and secured. The pronoun
is emphatic and is rendered more so by the epithet attached to it.
He tJie Highest^ or the Highest himself. The protector of the
church is neither man nor angel, but the supreme and sovereign
God. See above, on Ps. xlvii. 3 {2.) xlviii. 9 (8-)

6 Jehovah shall county in enrolling the nations : This (one) was
born there. Sclah. The theme or idea of the whole psalm, that
Zion should yet be the birth place of all nations, is again repeated,
under a new figure, that of registration. Compare Ez. xiii. 9.
The meaning is that, as he counts the nations, he shall say of each,
in turn or one by one, this one was also born there. In enrolling^
literally writing, i. e. inscribing in a list or register. The com-
mon version {when he ivriteth up the people) not only fails to
reproduce the plural form of the last word, or to show in any way
that more than a single nation is referred to, but ascribes the act
of writing to the Lord himself, which, though not so inadmissible
in a figurative passage as some writers think it, is not necessarily
implied in the original, where the form of expression is in t/ie
writing., i. e. at the time or in the act of doing so, whether the
act be that of God himself or merely done by his authority and
under his direction.

PSALM LXXXVIl. 269

7. And singers as well as players (shall be heard saying), All
my springs are in thee. The construction in the first clause is
peculiar, singers as players. See above, on Ps. xlviii. 6 (5.)
The image present to the Psalmist's mind seems to be that of a
procession or triumphal march, composed of the nations on their
way to Zion. At the head of this procession are the minstrels,
who, as the spokesmen of the rest, acknowledge that the source
of their happiness is henceforth to be sought in Zion, not as a
mere locality, but as the place where God was pleased to mani-
fest his gracious presence. It matters little, therefore, whether
the closing words {in thee) be referred to God directly, or to Zion,
as the channel through which he imparted spiritual blessings to the
gentiles. Compare the figure of a spring or stream in Joel iv.
18 (iii. 18.) Zech. xiii. 1. xiv. 8 Ez. xlvii. 1, and see above, on
Ps. Ixxxiv. 7 (6.) The word joined with singers admits of a two-
fold derivation, and may either mean players upon instruments,
or still more definitely, pipers., as the players on stringed instru-
ments are named in the same connection, Ps. Ixviii. 26 (25) ; or as
some of the latest interpreters prefer, it may mean dancers., as this
indication of joy was commonly practised, in connection with
singing, not only by women but by men. See above, on Ps. xxx.
12 (11), and below, on Ps cl, 4, and compare Ex. xv. 20. 2 Sam.
vi. 16. The Selah at the end of the preceding verse shows
that the variations of the main theme are concluded, and separates
the body of the psalm from this verse, which contains the words
neither of the Psalmist nor the Church nor God himself, but of
the converted Gentiles.

270 PSALM LXXXVIIl

PSALM LXXXYIII.

1. A Song. A Psalm. To (or hy) the Sons of Korah. To
the Chief Musician. Concerning afflictive sickness. A didactic
Psalm. By Heman the EzraMte. The first word of this title
elsewhere denotes a song of praise or triumph. See above, on
Ps. xlii. 9 (8.) Ixxxiii. 1. It is here prefixed, however, to the
most despondent psalm in the collection, in which the complaints
and lamentations are relieved by no joyful anticipations or ex-
pressions of strong confidence. The only satisfactory explana-
tion of these facts is afibrded by the supposition, that Ps. Ixxxviii
and Ixxxix were intended to constitute a pair or double psalm,
like the first and second, third and fourth, ninth and tenth, forty-
second and forty- third, etc. The desponding lamentations of
P. Ixxxviii are then merely introductory to the cheering expec-
tations of Ps. Ixxxix. This supposition also explains the un-
usual length of the inscription now before us, the first part of
which may then be considered as belonging to both psalms, while
the last clause corresponds to the title of Ps. Ixxxix. Affiictive
sickness, literally, sickness to affiict or humUe. For the figurative
use of sickness, and the sense of this inscription, see above, on
Ps. liii. 1. Heman the Ezrahite is mentioned, with Asaph and
Ethan, as chief musicians in the reign of David, 1 Chron. vi.
18 (33.) XV. 17. xvi. 41, 42. The Heman and Ethan, spoken
of in 1 Chron. ii. 6 as Ezrahites (i. e. sons of Zerah), and in
1 King V. 11 as eminent for wisdom, are supposed by some to be

PSALM LXXXVJII. 271

different persons, because they were of the tribe of Judah, while
others suppose that they were Levites adopted into that tribe.
The Psalm before us neither requires nor admits of any minute
or artificial subdivision.

2 (1.) Jehovah^ God of my salvation^ {by) day have I cried,
and by night , before thee. God of my salvation, the God in
whom I trust to save me, because he is a saving God, or God my
Saviour. See above, on Ps. Ixxxv. 5 (4.) Day and by night
are related to each other here, as night and by day are in Ps.
Ixxvii. 3 (2.) Before thee implies that his cries were not mere
instinctive expressions of distress, but prayers addressed to God.
With the whole verse compare Ps. xxii. 3 (2.)

3 (2.) Let my prayer come before thee ; incline thine ear unto my
cry. The first petition is that his prayer may attract the divine
attention, which is varied in the last clause by the figure of one
bending down to catch a faint or distant cry. See above, on Ps.
xvii. 6. xxxi. 3 (2.) Ixxi. 2.

4 (3.) For sated with evils is my soul, and my life to the grave
draws near. Evils, sufferings, distresses. As life is plural in
Hebrew, it can be construed regularly with the plural verb ; but
as this is properly a causative, it may also be construed with
evils, or with men indefinitely, they have brought my life near to
the grave. The first construction is favoured by the analogy of
Ps. cvii. 18. The grave, sheol, the state of the dead. See
above on Ps. vi. 6 (5.)

5 (4.) I am reckoned with those going down to the pit ; I am
(or a?)! become) as a man with no strength. With the first clause
compare Ps. xxviii. 1. cxliii. 7. With no strength, literally, (to
whom) there is no strength. The last word in Hebrew occurs only
here, but a cognate form in Ps. xxii. 20 (19.) There is in the

8

272 PSALM LXXXVIII.

original an antithesis, which cannot be conveyed by mere transla-
tion, arisino; from the fact that the first word for man is one
implying strength.

6 (5.) With (or among) the dead^ /''^e, like the slain, lying in
the grave, tohom thou rememherest no more, and. they hy {or. from)
thy hand arc cut off. As to be God's servant is the highest privi-
lege and honour (Ps. Ixxxvi. 16), so to be free from his service
(Job iii. 19) is to be miserable. The reference is not to death
in general, but to death by violence and as a punishment. The
slain, literally, the (mortally) loounded. See above, on Ps. Ixix.
21 (26.) The latter half of the verse contains a strong poetical
description of the wicked, as no longer the objects of God's pro-
tecting care. Of the two translations, from and hy thy hand, the
first conveys the same idea with the foregoing words, while the
second represents the destruction of God's enemies as the work
of his own hands.

7 (6.) Thoib hast placed me in a deep pit, in dark places, in
abysses. A deep pit, literally, a pit of low or under places. See
above, on Ps. Ixiii. 10 (9.) Ixxxvi. 13, and compare Ez. xxvi. 20.
The dark places are those of the invisible and lower world.
Abysses, deeps, or depths of water. See above, on Ps. Ixix. 3 (2.)

8 (7.) Upon me weighs thy tcrath, and {with) all thy waves
thou dost oppress me. Selah. The word translated leaves cor-
responds etymologically to breakers. See above, on Ps. xlii.
8 (7.) With the first clause compare Ps. xxxviii. 3 (2.) The
verb to oppress or afflict is applied in historical prose to the op-
pression of Israel in Egypt, Gen. xv. 13. Ex. i. 12. The in-
finitive of the same verb occurs in the title of the psalm before us.
The Selah indicates the depth of his distress, and the necessity
of a pause before resuming the description.

PSALM LXXXVIIJ. 273

9 (S.) Thoxb hast 'put far my acquaintances from mc ; thou hast
made me an ahomination to them ; (I am) shut up and cannot come
f 07-th. The circumstance complained of in the first clause, is one
often mentioned as an aggravation of distress. See above, on Ps.
xxxi.l2(ll.)xxxviii. 12 (ll.)lxix. 9 (8), and compare Ps. xxvii. 10.
The next clause shows that he complains of something more than
mere neglect. Made me, literally, put or placed me. See above,
on Ps. xxxix. 9 (8.) There may be an allusion to the statement
in the history, that the Israelites were an abomination, an object
of religious detestation and abhorrence, to their Egyptian mas-
ters. See Gen. xliii. 32. xlvi. 34. The last clause is by some
understood to mean, I am encompassed by inextricable diffi-
culties. Compare Lam. iii. 7. Job. iii. 23. Others, with more
probability, connect it with what goes before, and understand the
sense to be, that he is not willing to expose himself to this un-
merited hatred and contempt. See Job. xxxi. 34, and compare
Ps. xliv. 14 (13.) Ixxx. 7 (6.)

10 (9.) My eye decays by reason of affiiction ; I invoke thee, oh
Jehovahj every day ; I spread out unto thee my hands. With the
first clause compare Ps. vi. 8 (7.) xxxi. 10 (9.) xxxviii. 11 (10.)
Ixix. 4 (3.) With the last compare Ps. xliv. 21 (20.) The
first Hebrew verb is one of rare occurrence ; a derivative noun
is used by Moses, Deut. xxviii. 65. The preterites represent the
suffering as no new thing but one of long continuance.

11 (10.) Wilt thou to the dead do wonders^ or shall ghosts
arise (andj thank thee ? Selah. The argument implied is that
the present life is the appropriate time for those favours which
belong to it. See above, on Ps. vi. 6 (5.) The word Rephaim^
in the last clause, is the name of a Canaanitish race of giants, but
is applied poetically to the gigantic shades or spectres of the
dead. See my note on Isai. xiv. 9. Do wonders j literally, won-
der ^ as in Ps. Ixxvii. 12 (11 )

274 PSALM LXXXVIII.

12 (11. J Shall thy mercy he recounted in the grave^ thy faith-
fulness in destruction^ The last word (vlJrt^^^o??) appears else-
where in conjunction with the grave and death, as a poetical
equivalent. See Prov. xv. 11. Job. xxvi. 6. xxviii. 22.

13 (12.) Shall thy wonders he known in the dark^ and thy
righteousness in the land of for get fulness ? These are varied
metaphorical descriptions of the state of death, considered neg-
atively as the privation or the opposite of life. Darkness is here
opposed to the light of life or of the livings Ps. Ivi. 14 (13.) The
land of forgetfulness, where men forget, Ecc. ix. 5, 6, 10, and
are forgotten, Ps. xxxi. 13 (12.)

14 (13.) And I unto thee J oh Jehovah^ have cried^ and in the
morning shall my frayer come hefore thee. What he has done he
is still resolved to do, as the only means of safety. Hence the
alternation of the preterite and future. The first verb means to
cry for help. See above, on Ps. xviii. 42 (41.) With the last
clause compare Ps, v. 4 (3.) Ivii. 9 (8.) lix. 17 (16.) The verb
has its proper sense of coming before one or into his presence.
See above, on Ps. xvii. 13. xviii. 6 (5.) xxi. 4 (3.)

15. (14.) Why^ oh Jehovah^ tvilt thou reject my soid, wilt thow
hide thy face from me ? The first verb means to reject with ab-
horrence. See above, on Ps. xliii. 2 xliv. 10, 24 (9, 23.) Ix.
3, 12 (1, 10.) Ixxiv. 1. Ixxvii. 8 (7.) The question implies that
such rejection would be inconsistent with God's faithfulness, and
is therefore not expressive of entire despondence.

16 (15.) Wretched {am) I and expiring from childhood; I
have borne thy terrors ; I despair. Expiring, ready to perish, at
the point of death, a strong description of extreme distress. The
childhood may be that of the individual sufferer, or of Israel as a
nation (Hos. xi. 1.) Both applications may have been intended.

PSALM LXXXIX. 275

17 (16.) Over me have ^passed thine indignations; thy terrors
have destroyed me. The image in the first clause is the same as
in Ps. xlii. 8 (7.) Indignations, literally, heats or inflammations,
but always applied to anger. The plural occurs only here. The
unusual form of the last verb is supposed by some to have been
coined by the writer, for the sake of an allusion to Lev. xxv. 23.

18 (17.) They have surronnded me like waters all the day ; they
have encompassed me at once (or all together.) The figure of over-
whelming waves is still continued. The subject of the verbs can
only be the indignations and the terrors of v- 17 (16. J

19 (18.) Th/)u hast put far from me lover and friend; my ac-
quaintances (are) darkness (or a dark place.) The first clause is
a repetition of v. 9 (8.) The other is obscure, and is supposed
by some to mean, my acquaintances vanish, disappear in dark-
ness ; by others, my acquaintances give way to darkness, are suc-
ceeded by it ; my only friend is now the dark place, i. e. the grave
or death. Thus understood, the sentiment is not unlike that in
Job xvii. 14.

PSALM LXXXIX.

1 Maschil. By Ethan the Ezrahite. From the fact that
Ethan and Jeduthun are both named with Asaph and Heman, but
never named together, it has been inferred that they are two names
of the same person, or rather that Ethan is the personal name,
and Jeduthun (derived from a verb which means to praise) the
official title. Heman and Ethan are both described as Ezrahites,
i. e. adopted sons of Zerah, 1 Chron. ii. 5, but by birth were no

276 PSALM LXXXIX.

doubt both Sons of Korah, 1 Chron. yi. 18, 22 (33, 37.) To the
lamentations and complaints of Heman in the fii'st part of this
double psalm (Ps. Ixxxviii) is now added an appeal to the divine
promise by Ethan in the psalm before us. The particular promise
here insisted on is that in 2 Sam. vii, which constitutes the basis
of all the Messianic Psalms. The hypothesis of Hengstenberg
and others, that the psalm was composed in the interval between
the death of Josiah and the Babylonish exile, by the Korhites of
that period, who merely assumed the name and breathed the
spirit of their great progenitors, could be justified only by extreme
exegetical necessity, which does not here exist, since nothing is
more natural than to assume, that these psalms were nearly con-
temporaneous with the promise itself, and intended to anticipate
misgivings and repinings, which, although they existed even then in
germ, were not developed till the period of decline began, or ra-
ther till it was approaching its catastrophe. By far the larger
part of this psalm is occupied in amplifying and expounding the
great Messianic promise, vs. 2 — 38 (1 — 37), while the remainder,
like Ps. Ixxxviii, teaches the chosen people how to apply it, in
their times of suffering and despondency, vs. 39 — 53 (38 — 52),
a feature of the composition which fully warrants its description
in the title as a maschil ov didactic psalm.

2(1.) The mercies of Jehovah forever will I sing ; to generation
and generation will I make known thy faithfulness with my mouth.
The mercies particularly meant are the favours promised to David
as the progenitor and type of the Messiah. The faithfulness men-
tioned in the other clause is that of God in the fulfihnent of these
promises. Compare my note or^ Isai. Iv. 3, where the same idea
is expressed by the sure mercies of David. Forever.^ literally
eternity.) the noun being used adverbially, as its plural is in Ps. Ixi.
5 (4.) The promise of perpetual commemoration shows that the
Psalmist speaks not only for himself but for the church of which
he is the mouth or spokesman.

PSALM LXXXIX. 277

3 (2.) For I have saidj Forever shall mercy he built up. The
heavens — thou wilt fix thy faithfulness in them. The church will
celebrate God's mercy and faithfulness forever, because they will
endure forever. I have said., i. e. this is the view of the matter
I have taken and expressed already. The scheme of God's gra-
cious dispensations is conceived of as a building, already founded
and hereafter to be carried up to its completion. The emphatic
construction of the heavens as an absolute nominative [as to the
heavens., thou wilt fix etc.) is inadequately represented in the com-
mon version {shalt thou establish in the very heavens.) For the
proverbial use of the heavens and the heavenly bodies as a stand-
ard of permanence and immutability, see above, on Ps. Ixxii. 5.
The idea here is, thou shalt make thy faithfulness as fixed and
stable as the frame of nature.

4 (3.) / have ratified a covenant with my chosen (one) ; I have
sworn unto David my servant. These are the words of God him-
self, though not expressly so described, as in v. 20 (19) below.
We have here a summary statement of the substance of the pro-
mise in 2 Sam. vii, upon which this and the other Messianic
psalms are founded. Ratified a covenant.^ see above, on Ps. 1. 5.
W^ith my chosen., literally, to my chosen., as in the parallel expres-
sion, because what is here called a covenant was really a condi-
tional promise or engagement upon God's part. My servant., i. e.
my chosen and appointed instrument in executing my designs.
See above, on Ps. xviii. 1, and compare Ps. Ixxxvi. 16.

5 (4.) Unto eternity will I confirm thy seed., and build., to gene-
ration and generation., thy throne. Selah. Confirm thy seed,
esta.blish thy descendants in the permanent possession of the royal
dignity. The same two verbs which, in the foregoing verse, are
applied to the divine grace and fidelity, are here applied directly
to their objects, the throne and family of David.

6 (5.) And the heavens acknowledge thy wonders, Jehovah;

278 PSALM LXXXIX.

likewise thy faithfulness (is acknowledged) in the assembly of holy
{ones.) The promise just cited is entitled to men's confidence,
because the omnipotence and faithfulness of Him who uttered it
are thankfully acknowledged by superior beings. The parallel-
ism of heavens and holy ones shows that the former are here put
for their inhabitants. For the true meaning of the first verb, see
above, on Ps. vi. 6(5), and for that of the following noun, on Ps.
Ixxvii. 12 (11.) Ixxxviii. 11 (10.) Wonders or miracles are
here referred to, as proofs of a mighty power. The and^ alsOj
at the beginning of the clauses, have the force of even, yea, in our
idiom. The word translated holy ones is entirely diflferent from
that usually rendered saints. The latter is always applied to men,
the former usually to superior beings, i. e. angels. See Deut.
xxxiii. 2, 3. Dan. viii. 13. Zech. xiv. 5. Job. iv. 18. xv. 15.

7. (6.) For who, in the sky, can compare to Jehovah ? (Who) is
like to Jehovah among the Sons of the Mighty ? The question in-
volves a strong negation, or an affirmation that there is none like
him, even in the orders of existence superior to man. This is
given as a reason for the adoring recognition of his power and
veracity in v. 6 (5.) The word translated sky is elsewhere used
in the plural to denote the clouds collectively. See above, on
Ps. Ixviii. 35 (34.) Ixxvii. 18 (17.) Ixxviii. 23. The singular
form, in this sense, is peculiar to the psalm before us. See be-
low, V. 38 (37.) The twofold usage of the English verb cow.pare^
as active and neuter, corresponds exactly to that of the original
expression, for the primary and proper sense of which, see above
on Ps. V. 4 (3.) xl. 6 (5.) 1. 21. The Sons of the Mighty or
Almighty are the angels. As to the peculiar form of the de-
scription, see above, on Ps. xxix. l,from which it seems to be di-
rectly borrowed in the case before us.

8 (7.) A God to be dreaded in the secret council of (his) holy
(o'nes) greatly, and to be feared above all (those) about him. This

PSALM LXXXXl. 279

is not a distinct proposition, but a further description of the
Being pronounced in the foregoing verse to be incomparable. The
divine name ():^\ here used implies that what makes him so terri-
ble is his infinite power. The angels are again called holy ones,
but furthermore described as the privy council, the confidential
intimates, of God himself. See above, on Ps. xxv. 14. Iv. 15 (14.)
Ixxxiii. 4 (3.) Yet even to these, as being endlessly superior,
he is and ought to be an object of adoring fear. The intensive
adverb greatly is the same with that in Ps. Ixii. 3, and like it is
placed emphatically at the end of the clause. Compare Ps. xlviii.
2(1.) Ixv. 10 (9.) Above may either mean 7}iore than, or by,
with an implication of his vast superiority as the cause or reason.
Those about him^i. e. those immediately surrounding him, his hea-
venly attendants, the angels. See the same expression, in a
somewhat different application, Ps. Ixxvi. 12 (11.)

9 (8.) Jehovah, God of Hosts, who (is) like thee, mighty, J ah,
and thy faithfulness {is) round about thee. The infinite superi-
ority of God to men and angels is here expressed, or rather indi-
cated, by an accumulation of descriptive titles. We hare here
the full phrase, Jehovah God of Hosts, which occurs so frequently
in an abreviated form. See above, on Ps. xxiv. 10. The word
translated mighty is used only here ; but its sense is clear from the
analogy of cognate forms, confirmed by the testimony of the an-
cient versions. As to Jah, the pregnant abbreviation or concen-
tration of Jehovah, see above, on Ps. Ixviii. 5 (4.) It may here
be in apposition either with Jehovah, as a vocative, or with Jah,
as a descriptive title. ' Who is like thee, a mighty one, oh Jah P
Or, ' who like thee is mighty, who like thee is Jah P Faithfid-
'iiess, as elsewhere, is veracity or truth in the fulfilment of a pro-
mise. The word translated round about is the feminine or neuter
form of that used in the preceding verse, and there applied to per-
sons. The meaning of the whole clause is that God^s fidelity is
never absent from him but appears wherever he does, the proofs

280 PSALM LXXXIX.

of its existence "being visible on all hands. Tlie English Bible
supplies a preposition and assumes a second question, ' who is like
thy faithfulness round about thee ?' But the other construction,
which is that adopted in the ancient versions, is much simpler
and more natural, the ellipsis of the preposition in such cases being
rare, whereas that of the substantive verb is the general rule of
Hebrew syntax, to which its insertion is a mere exception.

10 (9.) Thou rulest the swell of the sea; in the rise of its waves
thou stillest them. The general declaration of God's power is now
rendered more distinct by specifying one of the most striking
forms in which it manifests itself. At the same time, there is no
doubt an allusion to the scriptural usage of the sea as an emblem
of the world and its conflicting powers. See above, on Ps. xlvi.
3, 4 (2, 3.) Ixv. 8 (7.) The appropriateness of the words both
to physical and moral changes affords an easy and beautiful transi-
tion to the latter in the next verse. The verbal form at the be-
ginning is a participle, thou (art) ruling, i. e. habitually, con-
stantly. The connective particle may be retained by rendering
it rulest over. The first noun is applied elsewhere (Ps. xvii. 10)
to the swelling or elation of the heart with pride ; but that this is
only a derived and secondary meaning may be gathered from the
use of the same word to denote the loftiness or majesty of God
(Ps. xciii. ]), and also from the application of the verbal root to
the rise of water in an inundation (Ez. xlvii. 5.) The parallel
term is an abbreviated infinitive used as a noun, and therefore
well represented by the English rise, which is also both noun and
verb.

11 (10.) Thoto didst crush, like the slain, Rahab ; with thinz
arm of strength thou didst scatter thy foes. This relates wholly
to the sea of nations, in which Egypt stands first, as the earliest
national enemy of Israel, and also perhaps because the power of
Pharaoh, at the exodus, was literally broken in the sea. The

PSALM LXXXIX, 281

first verb means to shatter, crush, or break in pieces. See above,
Ps. Ixxii. 4. The pronoun is emphatic ; (it was) thou (and none
other that) didst cnish^ etc. The significant name Rahah^ mean-
ing pride or insolence, corresponds to the swelling of the sea, in
the foregoing verse. See above, on Ps. Ixxxvii. 4. Like the
slain, like one mortally wounded, especially in battle. See
above, on Ps. Ixxxviii. 6 (5.) The point of comparison is the
sudden change from overbearing arrogance to helplessness and
weakness. Thine arm of strength^ or strong arm, the active ex-
ertion of thy power. See above, on Ps. x. 15. xxxvii. 17, xliv.
4 (3.) Ixxxiii. 9 (8.) The last verb belongs to the dialect of
poetry, and occurs above, in Ps. liii. 6 (5.) See below, Ps. cxii.
9. cxli. 7. This verse relates only indirectly to the enemies of
God in general. Even the last clause has specific reference to
the enemies who perished in the Red Sea.

12 (11.) To thee (belongs) heaven, also to thee earth, the world
and its fulness, thou didst found thtm. The power of God is now
described as universal and creative. Heaven and earth is the
usual comprehensive phrase for the whole frame of nature or
material universe. The last clause is evidently borrowed from
Ps. xxiv. 1. Its fulness, that which occupies and fills it, its con-
tents and its inhabitants. The verb to found suggests the two
ideas of creation and sustentation. He not only called them into
being, but made them permanent or lasting. See above, on Ps.
Ixxviii. 69, and below, on Ps. civ. 5. The world, the cultivated
and productive earth, as opposed to the desolate and barren sea.
The English Bible, following the masoretic accents, construes
the world and its fulness as absolute nominatives. A simpler con-
struction is to put them in apposition with heaven and earth, and
refer the pronoun at the end to all these antecedents.

13 (12.) North and south, thou didst create them ; Tabor and
Hermon in thy name rejoice. The pronoun at the end of the first

282 PSALM LXXXIX.

clause is superfluous in English ; the original construction re-
quires north and south to be taken absolutely, {as for) the north
and south, thou hast created them. The word for north originally
means concealment ; that for south the right hand. The east
and west are represented by two mountains on either side of
Jordan. As to Hermon, see above, on Ps. xlii. 7 (6.) The
points of the compass are here put, like heaven and earth in the
preceding context, for the whole world, and described as rejoicing
in God's name, i. e. praising his perfections by their very exist-
ence.

14 (13.) To thee (is) an arm with strength ; strong is thy hand^
high is thy right hand. This is simply another declaration of the
divine omnipotence, under the usual emblems, arm, hand, and
right-hand. See above, on v. 11 (10.)

15 (14.) Justice and judgment (are) the place of thy throne ;
mercy and truth shall go before thy face. The word translated
place may also have the more specific sense of dwelling-place.
The meaning is that God reigns in the midst of perfect righteous-
ness. See above, on v. 9 (8. J The verb in the last clause al-
ways means to go or come before., sometimes in the sense of com-
ing into one's presence, sometimes in that of meeting or encoun-
tering, sometimes (as here) in that of being a forerunner. See
above, on Ps. Ixxxv. 14 (13.)

16 (15.) Happy the people hiowing joyful noise ; Jehovah, in
the light of thy face they shall walk. The unusual expression in
the first clause seems to mean those who know how and have
occasion to rejoice in the experience of God's favour. The last
noun in Hebrew denotes any loud expression of exultation, either
by voice or instrument. See above, on Ps. xxvii. 6. The light
of God's face is the cheering expression of his countenance as
indicating favour or benignity. See above, on Ps. iv. 7 (6.)

PSALM LXXXIX.

283

xliii. 3. xliv. 4 (3.) To walk in this light is to live in the ha-
bitual enjoyment of it. This last clause gives the reason for their
being pronounced happy in the first.

17 (16.) In thy name they shall rejoice all the day^ and in thy
righteousness shall he exalted. Jn thy name, in the display of thy
perfections. In thy righteousness, i. e. in the exercise of that
essential rectitude which secures the performance of God's promise
and thereby the salvation of his people.

18 (17.) For the beauty of their strength (art) thou and in thy
favour thou xcilt lift our horn. God is at once their mighty
ornament and their glorious protection. See above, on Ps.
Ixxviii. 61. In thy favour.^ at the time, and by the means, of thy
experienced favour. Lift our horn.^ enable us to triumph in se-
curity. See above, on Ps. Ixxv. 11 (10), and below, on Ps.
xcii. 11 (10.)

19 (18.) For unto Jehovah (belongs) our shield^ and to the
Holy One of Israel our king. Our protectors are themselves
protected by Jehovah. This construction is much simpler and
more natural than that adopted in the English versions, which
entirely overlooks the preposition in both clauses, or arbitrarily
regards it as a sign of the nominative case. A better construc-
tion, although not precisely the true sense, is given in the mar-
gin of the English Bible.

20 (19.) Then thou spaJcest in vision to thy gracious one and
saidstj I have laid help on a Mighty (Man) ; I have raised
one chosen from (among) the people. The Psalmist here returns
to the vocation by David and the promise made to him. See
2 Sam. vii. 17 (compare 1 Chron. xvii. 9), where the divine
communication made through Nathan to David is called a vision.
Thy saint or gracious one may signify either of these persons.

284 PSALM LXXXIX.

The ancient versions, followed by the Prayer Book and some
eminent interpreters, have the plural form instead of the singular,
thy saints, meaning Israel at large, to whom the promise was truly
addressed. See 2 Sam. vii. 10. 1 Chr. xvii. 9. To lay help upon
one is to impart it to him, with a strong implication of descent
from above. See above, on Ps. xxi. 6 (5.) The gift in this
case was not merely for himself, but for others through his
agency. God helped him to help the people. Chosen has here
its strict sense, but not without allusion to its specific use as sig-
nifying a young warrior. See above, on Ps. Ixxviii. 31, 63.

21 (20.) / have found David my servant ; with my holy oil
have I anointed him. This verse removes all doubt as to the per-
son primarily intended in the foregoing verse, but without ex-
cluding his successors, and especially the last and greatest of
them, to whom the royal dignity was given in the unction of
David. See 1 Sam. xvi. 13. This act denoted not only con-
secration to the divine service, but the spiritual gifts required in
order to its right performance. See above, on Ps. ii. 2.

22 (21.) With whom my hand shall he ever present ; also my
arm shall strengthen him. Ever present, literally, established,
permanently fixed. See below, v. 38 (37), and above, Ps.
Ixxviii. 37. The hand and arm, as usual, are emblems of
strength. See above, on vs. 11, 14 (10, 13.)

23 (22.) The enemy shall not vex him, and the son of iniquity
shall not afflict him. The verb in the first clause means specifi-
cally to annoy or persecute as a creditor his debtor. The second
clause is copied, almost word for word, from 2 Sam. vii. 10. Com-
pare 1 Chr. xvii. 9.

24 (23.) And I will crush before him his foes, and his haters I

PSALM LXXXIX. 285

will smite. The last verb is especially applied to strokes inflict-
ed by the hand of God.

25 (24.) And my faithfulness and my mercy (shall be) loith
him^ and in my name shall his horn he high. See above, on vs.
17, 18 (16, 17.) Faithfulness and mercy are combined, as in
Ps. Ixxxviii. 12 (11.)

26 (25.) And I will set in the sea his hand^ and in the floods
his right hand. I will cause him to lay hands upon them, and
exercise authority over them, as his own possession and domain.
Hand and right hand^ as in v. 14 (13.) Sea and floods^ streams,
or rivers, as in Ps. xxiv. 2. The watery parts of the earth are
here put for the whole. Compare 1 Chr. xiv. 17.

27 (26.) He shall call me (or cry unto me). Thou art my
Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. The emphatic
pronouns in the original bring out more clearly the mutual rela-
tion and reciprocal action of the parties. With the first clause
compare 2 Sam. vii. 14. 1 Chr. xxii. 10. Job xvii. 14. With the
second compare Ps. xviii. 3 (2.) xxxi. 3 (2.) The rock of my
salvation, the rock that saves me, the hiding-place and strong-
hold where my safety lies.

28 (27.) Also / (as mj) first-born will give him, higher than
kings of the earth. He shall be treated not only as the son but
as the eldest son of God himself. The same description is ap-
plied elsewhere to Israel (Ex. iv. 22), to Ephraim (Jer. xxxi. 9),
and to Christ (Heb. i. 6.) The last clause is borrowed, both in
form and substance, from Deut. xxviii. 1 (compare xxix. 16) ;
but instead of high above, we have here high as to, in reference
to (or in comparison with) the kings of the earth.

29 (28.) Forever will I keep for him my mercy, and my cove-

286 PSALM LXXXIX.

nant is sure to him. Forever^ literally, to eternity. Keep, i, e.
keep it in reserve for him. My covenant, or conditional promise.
See above, on v. 4 (3.) S^ire, or more exactly, made sure, rati-
fied, confii'med. Compare Isai. Iv. 3.

30 (29.) And I will establish forever his seed, and his throne as
the days of heaven. See 2 Sam. vii. 12. The promise is now
extended from David to his posterity. Establish, literally, set or
place. The pronoun in the second clause may refer either to
David or his seed. In the latter case, it might be rendered its or
their throne. The question, however, is purely grammatical, since
the throne of David and the throne of his descendants are identi-
cal. In the last clause the idea of duration is again expressed by
a reference to the stability of nature. See above, on Ps. Ixxii.
5, 7, 17, and compare Deut. xi. 21.

31 — 33 (30 — 32.) If his sons forsake my law, and in my judg-
ments will not walk ; if my statutes tJiey profane, and my com-
mandments will not keep ; then will I visit with a rod their trans-
gression, and ivith stripes their guilt. The promise of perpetual
favour to the house of David was not intended to ensure impunity
to its unfaithful members. To profane God's statutes is to deny
in theory or practice, their sacred obligation and divine authority.
The and at the commencement of the last verse is equivalent to
then in English after a conditional clause. The whole passage
is an amplification of 2 Sam. vii. 14.

34 (33.) And my mercy Iicill not withdraw from him, and will
not prove false (or deal falsely) in my faith. Our idiom requires
a but to render clear the relation of this sentence to the foreoroins:
context. The verb in the first clause means to break or violate,
but construed, as it here is, with the preposition from, suggests
the idea of breaking an engagement by withdrawing what was
stipulated to be given and secured. Faith in the last clause

PSALM LXXXTX. 287

means fidelity or truth, as in the phrases, good faith^ keejp faith,
etc. See above, on Ps. xliv. 18 (17.) The promise in this verse
is not to them but him, not to the sinning individuals mentioned just
before, but to the family or race as such, to David as still living
in his natural descendants. Compare 1 Kings xi. 36. 2 Kings
viii. 19. 2 Chr. vi. 42, Isai. xxxvii. 35.

35 (34.) I will not jprofane my covenant, and the utterance of
my lips I will not change. In the first clause there is obvious al-
lusion to V. 32 (31.) What God requires of them he renders to
them. The engagement is reciprocal. As they are not to pro-
fane his covenant by breaking it, neither will He. The obliga-
tion is a sacred one on both sides. See below, on the next
verse, and above, on Ps. Iv. 21 (20.) The utterance or outgoing
of the lips is a technical expression of the Law, in reference to oral
vows and other engagements. See Num. xxx. 13 (12.) Deut.
xxiii. 24 (23.) It is a stronger expression than that which I have
said or promised, although this is really the meaning here. I will
not change, evade the execution of my promise by altering its
terms or its conditions. Compare the form of expression in Ps.
XV. 4.

36 (35.) One (thing) have I sioo7'n in my holiness, I loill not
lie u7ito David. The first word in Hebrew is not an adverb of time
(una^, semel, once), but a numeral adjective in the feminine form,
used as the neuter is in Greek and Latin. See above, on Ps.
xxvii. 4. ' Whatever else may fail, there is one thing that cannot,
for I have sworn that it shall come to pass.' In my holiness, as a
holy God, including all divine perfection, but with special reference
to moral rectitude. See above, on Ps. Ix. 8 (6.) The last verb
might bo rendered, I cannot lie. See Num. xxiii. 19. 1 Sam. xv.
29, and compare Heb. vi. 18. vii. 20, 21. The form of the ori-
ginal is highly idiomatic, if I lie unto David. Compare the He-
brew of 1 Sam. xxiv. 7 (6.) 2 Sam. iii. 35.

2S8 PSALM LXXXIX.

37 (36.) His seed to eternity shall be; and his throne as the sun
he/ore me. See above, on v. 30 (29), and compare Ps. xlv. 7
(6.) Shall be, shall continue to exist. Or the whole phrase may
mean, shall be eternal. As the sun^ see above, on Ps. Ixxii. 5,
17. Before me^ in my sight and under my protection.

38 (37.) As the moon is fixed eternally^ and the witness in the
sky is sure. The verse, thus translated, does not repeat the pro-
mise in the one before it, but merely confirms it by a further
reference to the course of nature, as the customary standard of
duration. It is equally grammatical, however, to translate, as the
moon it (the throne) shall be fixed forever^ and {as) the witness in
heaven is sure. In either case the witness is the moon. See
above, on v. 7 (6), 29 (28), and compare Ps. Ixxii. 5.

39 (38.) And (yet) thou hast cast off and rejected ; thou art
wroth with thine Anointed. Having fully recited and expounded
the great promise to the house of David, the psalm now contrasts
it with the present reality, and seems to complain that it had not
been verified. For a similar transition, see above, Ps. xliv. 10 (9.)
There is no need of confining this description to the last days of
the kingdom of Judah, or to any other period of its history exclu-
sively. If the psalm was really composed by Ethan, as we have
no sufficient ground for doubting that it was, he may have design-
edly so framed it as to suit any season of distress and danger, in
which the theocratic sovereisrn seemed to be forsaken of Jehovah.
Both verbs in the first clause signify abhorrent and contemptuous
rejection. See above, on Ps. xv. 4. xliii. 2. xliv. 10 (9.) Ixxviii.
59, 67. Ixxxviii. 15 (14.)

40 (39.) Thou hast broken the covenant of thy servant ; thou hast
profaned to the earth his croion. The first verb in Hebrew occurs
only here and Lam. ii. 7. The usual explanation is conjectural,
or founded on the ancient versions. A connate verb in Arabic

PSALM LXXXIX. 289

means to ahfwr^ which would be appropriate in this place. The
covenant of thy servant^ i. e. thy covenant with thy servant. See
above, on vs. 29, 35 (28, 34.) The pregnant construction, 'pro^
fa'Md to the ground^ i. e. profaned by casting to the ground, occurs
above, Ps. Ixxiv. 7. The theocratical crown was a sacred or reli-
gious dignity, any contempt of which might therefore well be
called a profanation. Compare what is said of the priestly diadem,
Ex. xxviii. 36. xxix. 6.

41 (40.) Thou hast broken down all hk walls ; thou hast made
his defences a ruin. As the word translated loalls is commonly
used to denote the enclosures of vineyards, whether walls or
hedges, this may be the figure here intended, which is then ex-
changed, in the last clause, for that of a walled town, with its
defences or defensive works, its fortifications. See above, on Ps.
Ixxx. 13 (12.) Some interpreters allege that the last word al-
ways has the sense of terror ; but it may be doubted whether it
ever has, whereas that of ruin often occurs, particularly in the
Book of Proverbs.

42 (41.) All spoil him that pass by the way ; he has become a
contempt to his neighbours. With the first clause compare Ps.
Ixxx. 13 (12) ; with the last, Ps. Ixxx. 7 (6.) These resem-
blances prove nothing as to the relative antiquity of the two
psalms, or the date of either. The figure is more fully carried
out in Ps. \xxx.j but this no more proves that to be the original
than it proves it to be the copy. If any such conclusion were
legitimate, it would be easier to account for the amplification of
the hint here thrown out by a later writer, than for the omission,
in the case before us, of so many fine strokes in that admirable
apologue. A co7itemptj an object of supercilious pity and disdain-
ful wonder.

43 (42.^ Thou hmt lifted the right hand of his foes, hast caused

VOL. II. 13

290 PSALM LXXXIX.

to triumph all his enemies. As the hand, and especially the right
hand, is the symbol of exerted strength, and a high hand that of
triumphant superiority, especially in war, so to raise the right
hand in the first clause of the verse before us, really means no-
thing more than the literal expression {caused to triumph) in the
other. This seemed to be in direct contradiction to the promise
in vs. 23, 24 f22, 23), as well as to the prayer in Ps. xxv. 2.

44 (43.) Also thou turnest the edge of his sword^ and dost not
allow him to stand in the battle. The particle (t]5^) at the begin-
ning indicates a climax. Not only was his enemy superior, but
himself delinquent and disgraced. Edge, literally rocky of his
sword. The idea suggested may be that of hardness, as a hard
edge is essential to a serviceable weapon. See my note on Isai.
xxvii. 1. Some interpreters, however, think it best to adhere to
the ordinary usage of rock in Hebrew as an emblem of strength,
and to understand the whole phrase as meaning the strength of
his swordy either in the strict sense or in that of strong sword,
both of which are here appropriate. See above, on v. 27 (26.)
The construction in the last clause is ambiguous, as the pronoun
may refer to sword or rock, no less grammatically than to its pos-
sessor. The general sense remains the same, however, as in the
similar case above, v. 30 (29.)

45 (44.) Thou hast mude {him) to cease from his brightness , and
his throne to the earth cast down. . Brightness is in various lan-
guages a figure for distinction, eminence, celebrity, or glory.
Compare with the last clause what is said of the crown in v. 40
(39), and of the throne itself in v. 5 (4.)

46 (45.) Thou hast shortened the days of his youth ; thou hast
covered him ivith shame. Selah. His youth , his youthful energy
and vigour. See Job xxxiii. 25. Thou hast made him an ob-
ject of contempt by cutting short his vigorous career and rendering

PSALM LXXXIX. 291

him prematurely old. This might be said of certam individual
kings, as well as of the kingdom when approaching its catastrophe.
Covered him with skame^ literally, covered shame u;pon him^ i. e.
heaped it on him so as to cover him.

47 (46.) How long J Jehovah, wilt thou hide thyself forever?
(How long) shall hum, like fire, thy wrath ? On the doubtful
construction of the first clause, and the meaning of the combina-
tion, how long forever, see above, on Ps. xiii. 2 (1.) Ixxix. 5. How
long, literally, until what, i. e. until what point (how far), or
until what time (hoio long) ?

48 (47.) Remember what duration I have ; why {for) nought
hast thou created all the sons of Man (or Adam) ? The construc-
tion in the first clause is obscure and broken, as if it consisted of
incoherent exclamations. Oh rememher — I — what — duration.
For the meaning of the last word, see above, on Ps. xvii. 14.
xxxix. 6 (5), ahd with the whole clause compare Ps. Ixxviii. 39.
cxix 84. Job vii. 6. xiv. 1. The last clause is to be hypotheti-
cally understood. ' Why hast thou made all men in vain, as must
be the case if their short life is entirely filled with suffering P
Or, ' why dost thou give colour and occasion to the charge of
having made men to no purpose V ^^hy-, literally, on ivhat
(account), or for what (reason) } The next word in Hebrew
(j^iffi) is a noun meaning vanity, nonentity, or nothing, here and
in Ps. cxxvii. 1, 2, used adverbially in the sense of vainly, to no
purpose, or for nought.

49 (48.) What man shall live and not see death (but) rescue
his soul from the hand of Sheol ? Selah. An indirect assertion
of the melancholy fact that all must die, rendered still more
pointed by the use of a word for man implying strength. See
above, on Ps. Ixxxviii. 5 (4.) As if he had said, what man is
so strong as to live forever and escape the common destiny of

292 PSALM LXXXIX.

mortals ? This allusion cannot be preserved in any mere trans-
lation. Rescue^ literally, cause to escape. His soul, considered
as his life or vital principle. Hand may be here, as often else-
where, a figure for power ; or it may have its proper sense and
denote the hand of Sheol, the Grave, Mortality or Death, as an
ideal person. The Selah has the same force as in Ps. xxxix.
6, 12 (5, 11.)

50 (49.) Where are thy former mercies, Lord, thou didst swear
unto David in thy truth (or faithfulness.) The first or former
mercies of the Lord are those which he promised of old, espe-
cially to David, as expressly mentioned in the other clause. See
above, on vs. 4, 36 (3, 35.) The inquiry where they are implies
that they have vanished, or that the fulfilment has not become
visible. The last clause may be closely united with the first by
suppl^ang a relative between them, as in the common version,
which thou swarest unto David. A simpler and more emphatic
syntax is to make it a distinct proposition : thou didst swear unto
David, and thy oath cannot be broken. See above, on v. 36 (35.)
This last idea is involved in the concluding words, iu thy veracity
or faithfulness. What God, as a God of truth, has sworn, not
only will but must be executed.

51 (50.) ReDiemher, Lord, the reproach of thy servants, my hear-
ing in my bosom all the many nations. The form of address is
the same as in v. 48 (47.) The reproach of thy servants, the
contempt and disgrace to which they are subjected. Thy ser-
vants, of whom I am one. Or the sudden transition to the first
person singular may show that the petitioner, in this whole con-
text, is not an individual believer, but the Church at large. In
my bosom may denote good measure or abundance. See above,
on Ps. Ixxix. 12. Or bearing in my bosom may m.esin feeling in
my heart, i. e. intensely, exquisitely, in which case nations must
be put for the contempt of nations. More probable than either

PSALM LXXXIX. 293

is the figure of gestation, according to which Zion, although now
despised or hated by the nations, is one day to be their spiritual
mother or their spiritual birth-place. See above on Ps. Ixxxvii.
4, 6. The Hebrew adjective (t;"3^) may mean either great oi
many ; but the latter sense is more agreeable to usage and
the collocation of the words in this case. The idiomatic phrase,
all many nations^ is equivalent to saying, all the nations who are
many in number. The word all might be used, however small the
number of the nations. To express the whole idea, therefore,
both words were required.

52 (51.) Wherewith thine enemies have rejpr cached ^ Jehovah^
wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine Anointed.
The connection indicated by the relative at the beginning is by
no means clear. The common version, above given, makes re-
proach in V. 51 (50) the antecedent. Some interpreters connect
the relative with the verb at the beginning of that verse, and give
it the force of a conjunction, ^ remember that (or how) thine
enemies have reproached.' Its proper meaning as a relative pro-
noun may be retained by referring it to different antecedents.
' (I) whom thine enemies have reproached, (thine enemies) who
have reproached the steps of thine Anointed.' This last expres-
sion seems to mean that they had tracked or followed him, where-
ever he went, with calumny and insult.

53 (52.) Blessed (be) Jehovah to eternity. Amen and Amen.
This is commonly regarded as no part of the psalm, but a doxology
markincr the conclusion of the third book. See above, on Ps. xli.
14 (13.) Ixxii. 18 — 20, and compare the Preface, vol. 1, p. xi.

294 PSALM XC.

PSALM X C .

The Fourth Book, according to the ancient traditional division
of the Psalter, opens with the oldest psalm in the collection. Or
rather the author of the present arrangement, who was probably
no other than Ezra, placed this sublime composition by itself, be-
tween the two great divisions of the book, containing respectively
the Earlier and Later Psalms. See the Preface, vol. i. p. xiii.
It may therefore be regarded as the heart or centre of the whole
collection, and indeed as the model upon which even David, " the
sweet psalmist of Israel" (2 Sam. xxiii, 1), formed that glorious
body of psalmodic literature or hymnology, which, with its later
but inspired and authoritative imitations, constitutes the present
Book of Psalms. The date of the composition, though uncertain
because not recorded, may with most probability be fixed near the
close of the Error in the Wilderness, when the dying out of the
older generation on account of their transgressions, and the
threatened exclusion of Moses himself from the Promised Land,
were exactly suited to produce such views of man's mortality and
sinfulness as are here presented, but without destroying the anti-
cipation of a bright futurity, such as really ensued upon the death
of Moses, and is prospectively disclosed in the conclusion of this
psalm. Its great theme is the frailty and brevity of human life,
considered as the consequence of sin, and as a motive to repent-
ance and obedience. He first contrasts the eternity of God with
the mortality of man, vs. 1 — 6, which is then described as the
efiect of the divine wrath on account of sin, vs. 7 — 11, and made

PSALM XC. 295

the ground of a prayer, with which the psahn concludes, for the
speedy restoration of the divine favour, vs. 12 — 17.

1. A Prayer. By Moscs^ the Man of God. Lord, a home
hast thou been to uSj in generation and generation. The psalm is
called a prayer ^ because the petition at the close (vs. 12 — 17)
contains the essence of the composition, to which the rest is
merely preparatory. For another case precisely similar, see
above, on Ps. Ixxxvi. 1. The correctness of the title which as-
cribes the psalm to Moses is confirmed by its unique simplicity
and grandeur ; its appropriateness to his times and circumstances,
as already stated ; its resemblance to the Law in urging the con-
nection between sin and death ; its similarity of diction to the
poetical portions of the Pentateuch, without the slightest trace of
imitation or quotation ; its marked unlikeness to the psalms of
David, and still more to those of later date ; and finally the proved
impossibility of plausibly assigning it to any other age or author.
The arguments against its authenticity have commonly been
framed by a preposterous inversion of the evidence, converting
into proofs of later date the very points of similarity which prove
that this was the original and model psalm, the primeval basis upon
which even David reared a noble superstructure of his own. The
title Man of God is given to Moses, in Deut. xxxiii. 1. Josh. xiv.
6. Ezr. iii. 2, and is often applied to later prophets, especially
Elijah and Elisha. See 1 Sam. ii. 27. 1 Kings xvii. 18, 24. xx.
28. 2 Kings i. 13. iv. 9, 21, 27, 42. It is here significant, im-
plying that Moses wrote the psalm in this capacity. See above,
on Ps. xviii. 1. xxxvi. 1, where David is in like manner called the
Servant of Jehovah^ a title given to Moses himself in the account
of his death, Deut. xxxiv. 5, as David, on the other hand, is
called the Man of God, 2 Chr. viii. 14. Instead of hast been
some read art ; but though the preterite of other verbs may be
used to express general truths, the present of the substantive verb
is so commonly suppressed, that its form, when inserted, must

296 PSALM XC.

have some significance. The truth seems to be, that the verse
expresses only what God had been, but implies what he still was
and still would be. A home^ a fixed or settled dwelling, even
while they wandered in the desert. The same noun is used by
Moses, Deut. xxvi. 15, and a kindred form, Deut. xxxiii. 27. In
generation and generation^ in all successive generations. See
above, on Ps. x. 6. xxxiii. 11. xlv. 18 (17.) xlix. 12 (11.) Ixi. 7 (6.)

2. Before mountains were born, and (before) thou hadst brought
forth earth and land, and (indeed) fro7}i eternity to eternity, thou

{art) God. The mountains are first mentioned according to a
scriptural usage which describes them as the oldest portions of
the earth. See Gen. xlix. 26. Num. xxiii. 7. Deut. xxxiii. 15.
Hab. iii. 6. By a strong but common and intelligible figure,
creation is here described as generation. This is true not only
of the first verb but of the second, which is too vaguely rendered in
the common version {thou hadst formed.) Earth, as opposed to
heaven ; land, as opposed to sea. These are separately mentioned,
as in the account of the creation. See Gen. i. 1, 9. The last
clause may also be translated, thou art, oh God ! It then simply
asserts his existence from eternity. According to the other and
more usual construction, it likewise asserts his omnipotence, the
attribute denoted by the divine name here employed. This is the
fuller and more comprehensive sense ; but in favour of the other
may be urged, that it is simpler and agrees best with the proxi-
mate design of the Psalmist to contrast the eternal God with
short-lived man.

3. Thou turnest man even to dust, and say est, Return, sons of
Man (or Adam) ! The evident allusion to Gen. iii. 19, which is
also found in Job x. 9. xxxiv. 15, and re-appears in Ps. civ. 29
(compare Ps. ciii. 14), may serve to determine the meaning of the
word translated dust in the first clause, but which is properly an
adjective signifying crushed, broken to pieces, ground to powder,

PSALM XC. 297

and is figuratively applied, in Ps. xxxiv. 19 (IS), to brokenness
of heart. Compare Isai. Ivii. 15. The Hebrew preposition (l'$)
is stronger than our to, and means as far as, even to. The full
sense of the whole phrase is, even to the state of one completely
crushed or ground to powder, even to a pulverized condition.
The shortness and fragility of human life is thus brought into the
strongest contrast with the eternity of God.

4. For a thousand years in thine eyes (are) as yesterday when it
is past and a watch in the night. However long human life may
appear to man himself, it is in God's sight evanescent and con-
temptible. Even the patriarchal measure, which so often ap-
proximated to a thousand years, was in God's sight like a sino-le
day in man's, or rather like a mere subdivision of it, a third part
of the night, which was divided by the ancient Hebrews into
three watches. See above, on Ps. Ixiii. 7 (6.) That this di-
vision was as old as Moses, may be seen from Ex. xiv. 24.
Wh£n it is past or passing. It might also be translated, for it

passes, i. e. no less hastily and swiftly. This verse is quoted and
amplified, but without any change of meaning, 2 Pet. iii. 8.

5. Thou S'weepest them away — a sleep are they — in the morning^
like the grass, they pass away. The first Hebrew verb has no
equivalent in English ; it means to sweep away or carry ofi", as
by a driving rain. The supposition of a reference to the flood is
not necessary though admissible. A derivative form of the same
?^erb occurs above, Ps. Ixxvii. 18 (17.) The comparison of hu-
man life to a sleep or dream is common in all languages. The
morning is mentioned as the time of waking, the time when we
are most impressed with the unsubstantial nature of our dreams.
See above, Ps. Ixxiii. 20, and compare Ps. xxxix. 7 (6.) The
grass is an additional but obvious emblem of caducity. The
last verb is not a plural form in Hebrew, but agrees with sleep, or

13*

298 PSALM XC.

rather with man^ in the generic sense, whose life is here com-
pared to sleep.

6. In the morning it blooms and (then) passes away, (for) at
evening he moivs and it withers. The mention of the morning, in
V, 5, as following the night, suggests the mention of the morn-
ing here, as followed by the evening. The first verb means not
merely to flourish in the wide sense, but to bloom, as plants do.
See above, on Ps. Ixxii. 16, and compare Num. xvii. 23 (S),
which proves it to be a Mosaic expression. The verbs may agree
with grass, or with man whom the grass represents, more probably
the latter. The idea conveyed by supplying theji is really in-
volved in the grammatical relation of the Hebrew verbs, the
second of which never means to grow or sprout, but always to pass
or undergo a change. The third verb is active but may be con-
strued with an indefinite subject, and is then equivalent in mean-
ing to a passive, he is mown and tvithcrs. The withering is not
here referred to as the efi^ect of natural decay but of violent ex-
cision. With the whole verse compare Ps. xxxvii. 2. ciii. 15.
Job xiv. 2.

7. For we fail in thine anger ^ aind in thy icrath are ice af-
frighted. The natural decay or violent interruption of man's
life is the efi"ect of Grod's displeasure. The first verb means to
waste away, decay, wear out, cease to exist. Compare its use in Ps.
Ixxi. 9. Ixxiii. 26. The other verb is very inadequately repre-
sented by the English troubled. It means shocked, confounded,
agitated, terror-stricken. See above, on Ps. ii. 5. vi. 3, 4 (2, 3.)
xlviii. 6 (5.) Ixxviii. 33. Ixxxiii. 16 ( 15), and below, on Ps. civ. 29,
and compare my note on Isai. Ixv. 23. It here denotes the
natural instinctive dread of death. There is here a very sensible
progression in the thought. Thus far the Psalmist had insisted
merely on the frailty and brevity of human life ; but now he
proceeds further and propounds the fearful doctrine, that this

PSALM XC. 299

sorrowful mortality is not an accident but an infliction, tho direct
effect of the divine wrath. Whatever instrumental agencies may
be employed to kill us, our real destroyer is the anger of our
Maker.

8. Thoiv hast set our iniquities before thce^ our secret (sins) in
the light of thy countenance. As man's mortality is the effect of
Go^ wrath, so this wrath itself is the effect of sin. And this
sin becomes the cause of death. See Gen. ii. 17, and compare
Rom. V. 12. The verse before us represents Grod in the act of
shortening man's life, and gives the necessary explanation of
what might otherwise have seemed at variance with his infinite
benevolence. The Bible, as an eminent interpreter has well said,
throws the blame of death entirely on man himself. When God
slays man, he puts his sins before him, looks directly at them ; not
only those which are notorious, but those which are concealed from
every eye but that of omniscience. See Jer. xvi. 17. Heb. iv. 14,
and compare Ps. xix. 15 (14.) 1 Cor. iv. 4, 5. Another reading in
the last clause, and most probably the true one, makes secret or con-
cealed a singular and not a plural form, our secret ; but the refer-
ence is still to sin. The word translated light does not properly
denote the element itself, but that from which it is derived, a
luminary^ just as we call a candle or a lamp a light. See above,
on Ps. Ixxiv. 16. The precise sense seems to be, that God holds
our sins to the light of his own countenance, and therefore cannot
fail to see them.

9 . For all our days are gone in thine anger ; we spend our
years like a thought. The all in the first clause is emphatic.
What he says is true of our whole life. Are gone^ literally,
turned away^ as an act preparatory to departure. The word
translated anger .^ though synonymous, is not identical, with either
of those used above in v. 7. It occurs, however, in Ps. vii. 7 (6),
and according to its derivation properly denotes an outbreak of

300 PSALM XC.

angry feeling. Spend, not as a mere synonjme of pass, but in the
strong sense of consuming, wasting, as in Job. xxxvi. 11 (com-
pare xxi. 13.) The Hebrew verb is the causative of that trans-
lated fail in v. 7. The use of years as a parallel to days gives
the sentence a climacteric effect. The word translated thought is
elsewhere applied to audible sound (Ez. ii. 10. Job. xxxvii. 2),
but only as the natural spontaneous expression of the thoughts
and feelings, not to others but one's self. See above, on Ps.
Ixiii. 7 (6.) Ixxvii. 13 (12.) By some strange misapprehension
the Septuagint and Vulgate make it mean a spider , and the Eng-
lish versions have the singular periphrasis, a tale that is told.

10. The days of our years ! In them (are contained) seventy
years, and if with strength eighty years, and their pride {is)
trouble and mischief, for he drives (us) fast and we fly away.
The parallelism of days and years in the preceding verse suggests
their combination here, a combination used by Moses elsewhere
in describing the long lives of the patriarchal history. See Gen.
XXV. 7. xlvii. 8, 9. The words may here be taken simply as an
absolute nominative, [as for) the days of our years, in them etc.
See above, on Ps. Ixxxix. 3 (2.) But it adds to their signifi-
gance, as well as to the beauty of the sentence, to explain them
as a kind of wondering exclamation, as if such a term scarcely
deserved to be computed. In them are seventy years, this is what
they comprise or comprehend, it is to this that they amount.
The life of Moses was much longer (Deut xxxiv. 7), but even in
the history appears to be recorded as a signal exception to the
general rule. If with strength, if accompanied with strength, or,
as some prefer to construe it, if (the person be endued) with
(more than usual) strength. The plural (strengths) may be an
idiomatic form of speech, simply equivalent to the singular, or an
intensive term denoting extraordinary strength. See above, on
Ps. xviii. 51 (50.) Their pride, the best part of our days or
years, the part in which we are most confident or most contented.

PSALM XC. 301

The words translated trouble and mischief are in usage both applied
to suffering at the hands or through the fault of others. The com-
mon version of the next verb (it is cut off) rests upon a doubtful
etymology. In the only other place where the Hebrew verb
certainly occurs (Num. xi. 31), it is applied to the driving of the
quails by a strong wind over the camp of Israel. It may here
agree with God himself, or with a subject undefined, one drives
(us), which is tantamount to saying, we are driven. Fast, lit-
erally, (in) haste or hastily. And, as a necessary consequence,
we fly before the propellent power.

1 1 . Who knows the power of thine anger and, according to thy
fear, thy wrath ? The separation of the clauses as distinct pro-
positions makes the last unmeaning. The whole is one interro-
gation, implying strong negation, as if he had said, no one knows
the power of thine anger. See above, on Ps. xiv. 4. liii. 5 (4.)
The sense is not that no one can, but that no one will know it, as
he might and ought. Knows, literally, knowing, i. e. habitually.
See above, on Ps. i. 6. The power of thine anger, its degree and
the extent to which it operates. According to thy fear, as true
piety or reverence for God demands. Thy wrath, the same word
that is used in the first clause of v. 9 above.

12. To numher our days thus make us know, and we will bring
a heart of wisdom. The verb translated make us knoiv is the
causative of that in the preceding verse, to which there is an ob-
vious allusion. It is therefore probable that they were meant to
govern the same object. ^ Who knows the power of thine anger P
' So make us know (the power of thine anger.)' The first words
of the verse before us are then not immediately dependent on the
phrase make (us) know, but merely indicate the end for which
the knowledge was desired. ' In order that we may number our
days, i. e. know and feel how few they are, thus make us know,
i. e. give us this knowledge of the connection between God's wrath

302 PSALM XC.

and our own mortality.' The common version of the last clause
i^that mc may apply oiir heai'ts unto wisdom) is forced and un-
graramatical, without an arbitrary change of pointing. The only
admissible construction of the masoretic text is that first given,
which may either mean, as some of the rabbinical interpreters
suppose, ' we will bring into ourselves (i. e. acquire) a heart of
wisdom,' or, ^ we will bring (as an offering to thee) a heart of
wisdom,' with allusion to Gen. iv. 3, 4, where the same verb is
absolutely used of Cain and Abel's offerings.

13. Return, Jehovah ! Hoid long (wilt thou forsake us) .' —
AtuI repent as to thy servants. To the prayer that the people may
understand the causes of God's wrath is now added a prayer for
its removal. The loss of God's favour is, as usual, represented
as his absence. The aposiopesis in the question {how long ?) is
like that in Ps. vi. 4 (3.) xiii. 2 (1.) This clause being paren-
thetical, what follows is connected by the copulative particle with
the imperative at the beginning. The meaning of the last clause
is, so change thy dealing with thy servants as if thou hadst re-
pented of afflicting them. The same bold form of speech is used
by Moses elsewhere. See Ex. xxxii. 12. Deut. xxxii. 36, and
compare the imitations in Judg. ii. 18. Jer. xv. 6. Joel ii. 13.
Jon. iv. 2. Ps. cxxxv. 14.

14. Satisfy us, in the morning, with thy mercy, and (then) we
shall rejoice and he glad through all our days. God's grace is here
presented as the food required for the sustenance of his people.
Satisfy or sate us, i. e. fill us, abundantly supply us. In the.
morning, early, speedily, perhaps with an allusion to the night as
a common figure for affliction. See above, on Ps. v. 4 (3.) xlvi.
6 (5.) xlix. 15 (14.) lix. 17 (16.) Ixxxviii. 14 (13.) The oblique
construction of the last clause, that ive may rejoice etc., is really
involved in the direct one, which is much more pointed and em-
phatic. In or through all our days, i. e. throughout the remainder

PSALM XC. 303

of our lives. The English idiom allows the suppression of the
particle, as in the common version.

15. Make us glad according to the days thou hast afflicted us,
the years we have seen evil. According to^ literally, as or like.
The meaning is, compensate all our sufferings by proportionate
enjoyments. The ellipsis of the relative is common in both idioms.
The English Bible, by supplying it, enfeebles the expression
without making the sense clearer. Days and years, as in v. 9.
The plural forms in the Hebrew are unusual and borrowed from
Deut. xxxii. 7, a Mosaic feature of the psalm which cannot pos-
sibly be reproduced in any version.

16. Let appear unto thy sei'vants thy doing, and thy glory on
their sons (or children.) He prays that even to the elder genera-
tion there maybe vouchsafed a token for good (Ps. Ixxxvi. 17),
i. e. some assurance of the favours to be actually bestowed upon
their children. Thus understood, the use of the two prepositions,
to and on, is not unmeaning or fortuitous. God's work or doing
is the course of his providential dealings, as in Ps. xcii. 5 (4) be-
low ; his glory the manifestation of his divine perfections in ex-
ternal act. See above, on Ps. viii. 6 (5.) xlv. 4 (3.) This was
to appear not only to but on the younger race, i. e. in their own
experience.

17. And let the beauty of Jehovah our God he upon us, and the
work of our hands establish upon us, and the work of our hands,
establish thou it. While the glory of Jehovah is expected to be
fully revealed only in his dealings with the next generation, he is
still besought to grant their fathers the experimental knowledge
of his beauty, loveliness, or all that renders him an object of af-
fection. See above, on Ps. xxvii. 4. The work of our hands is
a favourite Mosaic phrase for all that we do or undertake, all our
affairs and interests. See Deut. xiv. 29. xvi. 15. xxiv. 19. xxviii.

304 PSALM XCl.

12. XXX. 9. To establish or confirm it is to prosper and succeed
it, to bring it to a favourable issue. The expression on us, as
before, suggests the idea of an influence exerted and a favour
granted from above. The yea of the common version is substi-
tuted for the idiomatic repetition of the copulative and in the
original.

PSALM XCI.

An amplification of the theme, that God is the dwelling-place
and refuge of his people. This and other points of contact with
the Prayer of Moses seem to mark it as an imitation of that
psalm, and thereby account for its position in the Psalter. The
most remarkable peculiarity of form in the psalm before us is ihe
frequent change and alternation of the persons. The only divi-
sion which can well be made is that into two stanzas or strophes,
supposed to be marked by the recurrence in v. 9 to the theme
propounded in v. 1.

1. Sitting (or dwelling) in the secret place of the Most High, in
the shadow of the Almighty he is lodged. The common version
seems to make this an identical proposition, amounting really to
this, that he whom God protects is protected by him. To avoid
this, some make the whole verse a mere description of the per-
son speaking in the next verse, and as this seems to be forbidden
by the use of the first person there, they either make an arbi-
trary change of pointing ("i?3&i; for ^)2'^ ) , or suppose a sudden change
of person, as in other parts of this same psalm. Better than
either of these constructions is a third, which makes the parallel
clauses of this first verse descriptive of an ideal person, with whom
the speaker is then tacitly identified. As if he had said, * happy

PSALM XCI. 305

the man wlio dwells, etc.,' and then added, ^ such is my con-
dition ; I can say, etc. 'For the figure of a secret place or covert,
see above, on Ps. xxvii. 5. xxxi. 21 (20.) xxxii. 7 ; for that of a
shadow, on Ps. xvii. 8. xxxvi. 8 (7.) Ivii. 2 (1.) The divine
titles. Highest and Almighty^ suggest the reason of this perfect
safety. The latter is the patriarchal title mentioned in Ex.
vi. 3, where it is combined with /bi<) a more familiar name de-
noting the same attribute. The last verb is strictly a reflective,
and as such means to take up one's lodgings, to domesticate one's
self, implying a voluntary choice more clearly than the primitive
verb, as used above, in Ps. xxv. 13. xxx. 6 (5.) xlix. 13 (12.)

2. I will say to Jehovah^ My refuge and my fortress^ my God^
I will trust in him. The first verb, while it expresses purpose or
determination, includes both a present and potential meaning. /
can sayy I have reason and a right to say ; and I do (habitually)
say. In order to avoid another change of person, the common
version and some others read of the Lord, which is admissible but
needless. See above, on Ps. iii. 3 (2.) Compare the other
figures here used to denote divine protection with those in Ps.
xviii. 3 (2) Ixxi. 7. In the last clause, I will trust in him, there
may seem to be another sudden change of person ; but these
words are really equivalent to a relative construction, in whom I
trusty and may therefore be used even in a direct address.

3. For lo, he will free thee from the fowlerh snare, from the
plague of mischiefs. The confiding soul is now addressed direct-
ly in the tone of promise. The supposition of responsive choirs
is a gratuitous refinement. The/ozt^/er's snare is a figure for in-
sidious and complicated dangers. See above, on Ps. xviii. 6 (5),
and below, on Ps. cxxiv. 7, and compare 2 Tim. ii, 26. The par-
allelism requires plague or pestilence to be taken as a metaphor,
no less than snare. Both probably denote dangers arising from
the craft of wicked enemies, to which the word translated mis-

306 PSALM XCI.

chiefs is peculiarly appropriate. See above, on Ps. v. 10 (9.)
lii. 4, 9 (2, 1.) Ivii. 2 (1.)

4. With his pinion he will cover thee^ and undei' his umigs thou
shaltfind shelter ; shield and huclder {is) his truth. Compare the
figure of an eagle, Deut. xxxii. 11. For the meaning of the first
noun, see above, on Ps. Ixviii. 14 (13.) Cover thce^ literally,
cover (or provide a covering) for thee. Find shelter or take refuge,
see above on Ps. ii. 12. The word translated buckler is properly
a participle and means surrounding. See above, on Ps. xxxv. 2.

5. Thou shall not he afraid for the terror by night., for the
arrow (that) flies by day. Shalt not fear, i. e. shalt have no
reason for alarm. Terror by night, literally, of night, i. e. night-
ly or nocturnal terror. There is no need of restricting this ex-
pression to any particular form of danger or distress, since all are
usually aggravated by their occurrence in the night. Should
any specific sense be put upon the figure of an arrow, from
analogy and usage, it would be that of human enmity. See above,
on Ps. Iviii. 8 (7.) The Hebrew preposition, in both clauses,
properly means /rom, i. e. arising or proceeding from, occasioned
by, in consequence of, something else.

6. For the plague (that) in darkness walks, for the pestilence
(that) wastes at noon. Here the words are to be taken in their
proper sense, and not as in v. 3, where they are figures for a
difierent kind of danger, or for danger in the general.

7. There shall fall at thy side a thousand, and a my?'iad at thy
right hand ; to thee it shall not come nigh. This is equivalent to
saying in our idiom, though a thousand fall, etc., which, however,
would not be an exact translation, as it substitutes a hypothetical
for an afiirmative proposition. For the double sense and usage of
the word translated myriad lee above, on Ps. iii. 7 (Q), and com-

PSALM XCI. 307

pare tlie cognate form, Ps. Ixviii. 18 (17.) Myriad represents
the original term better than ten thousand^ because it is wholly
different, in form and etymology, from that translated thousand.

8. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold^ and the recompense of
wicked [men) see. The only puts mere sight in opposition to ex-
perience or participation. Compare Deut. xxxii. 35, 41. As
usual in such cases, it is implied that the destruction of the wicked
and deliverance of the righteous will be coincident and simul-
taneous. See below, on Ps. xcii. 12 (11.)

9. For thou.^ Jehovah^ {art) my refuge. The Most High hast
thou made thy home (or habitation.) The construction adopted
in the English Bible is a forced one, only assumed in order to
avoid the enallage or sudden change of person, which, however, is
characteristic of this psalm. Equally needless and objectionable
is the supposition of responsive choirs.

10. There shall not happen to thee {any) evil, and a stroke shall
not approach into thy tent. The first verb is a causative passive
and strictly means shall not be suffered or allowed to happen.
Evily i. e. natural evil, suffering or distress. The word trans-
lated stroke is very commonly applied to God's strokes or afflic-
tive judgments. See above, on Ps. xxxviii. 12 (11.) xxxix.
11 (10.) Into thy tent is an expression apparently intended to
qualify the promise, which might otherwise have seemed too abso-
lute and inconsistent with the context from which we learn that
danger was to draw nigh, even to the righteous, but not so as
actually to enter his tent, and take up its abode with him.

1 1 . For his angels he toill charge concerning thee, to keep thee in
all thy ivays. The plural angels shows that there is no allusion to a
guardian spirit attending the individual believer, but merely to the
angels collectively, as ministering spirits, the instrumental agents

308 PSALM XCI.

"of God's providential care over his people. See Heb. i. 14.
The promise here given does not extend to dangers rashly incurred
or presumptuously sought, and was therefore no justification of the
act to which our Lord was tempted by the devil, Matth. iv. 6.
That the mere omission of the phrase iii all thy ways was a part
of the temptation, seems to be a gratuitous refinement, as our
Lord himself makes no such charge ; as the first words of the
sentence would of course suggest the rest ; and as ways, in the
usage of the Psalms, does not mean ways of duty, but the ways
in which a man is led by Providence. Neither the tempter's
argument nor our Lord's reply to it would be at all affected by
the introduction of the words suppressed.

12. Upon (their) hands shall they bear thee, lest thou strike
against the stone thy foot. The dual form, denoting both hands,
might be regarded as emphatic and suggestive of peculiar care ;
but the Hebrew noun has no other plural form in common use.
A smooth path and unimpeded walk is a common figure for pros-
perity and safety. Compare Prov. iii. 23.

13. On lion and adder thoiu shalt tread ; thou shalt trample
young lion and dragon. These are commonly supposed to be
strong figures, for the two kinds of danger from which men need
protection, open violence and secret treachery. The last word
denotes a serpent, as in Ex. vii. 9. The specific meaning of the
parallel term is unimportant. The young lion (not the lion's
whelp) is mentioned as peculiarly fierce and greedy. See above,
on Ps. xvii, 12. xxxiv. 11. xxxv. 17. From this verse our Lord
derived the terms in which he promised protection to his followers,
Luke X. 19.

14. For he has set his love upon me, and I will rescue him ; I
ivill set him on high because he knows my name. The first verb is a
very strong expression for the warmest and most violent attach-

PSALM XCl. 309

ment, corresponding in part with our idiomatic phrase to fall in
love, and followed by a kindred preposition. It seems to be here
used to describe God as an object of supreme devotion to the true
believer. Rescue him, cause him to escape. Set Mm on high,
i. e. beyond the reach of danger. See above, on Ps. xviii.
3 (2.) 49 (48.) XX. 2 (1.) lix. 2(1.) Ixix. 30 (29.) Knoivs my
name, has already experienced my goodness and seen the evidence
of my perfections. See above, on Ps. v. 12 (11.) ix. 11 (lO.J

15. ITe shall call me and I will answer him. With him (am) I
in trouble . I ivill deliver him and honour him. The meaning of
the first clause is essentially the same as if he had said, when hz
calls I will answer, but with much more directness and force in
the expression. Calls me to his aid, invokes me, prays to me.
Answer him by granting his request, the idea commonly conveyed
by the Hebrew verb here used. See above, on Ps. iii. 5 f4.)
The futures have their proper sense, as this is a direct and formal
promise. / will he with him, would have been expressed in the
same manner ; but 1 am with him is still stronger, for it describes
God as already present for the protection and deliverance of his
people. Deliver him, extricate him from his embarrassments and
dangers ; and lest the promise should be thought to ensure mere
safety, it is added, / will honour him, procure for him the respect
of others by showing that I favour him myself.

16. {With) length of days will I satisfy him, and will show
him my salvation. With the first clause compare Ex. xx. 12.
Deut. V. 16. Ps. xxiii. 6. Satisfy or satiate, i. e. abundantly
supply and fully gratify his largest wishes. With the last clause
compare Ps. 1. 23, where we have the same idiomatic construc-
tion of the verb to see with the preposition in, meaning to be-
hold with strong emotion, and especially, emotion of a pleasur-
able kind. For a different application of the same phrase, see
above, on Ps. xxxvii. 34. In the last three verses, God is him-

310 PSALM XCII.

self the speaker, although not expressly so announced. See
above, on Ps. xlvi. 11 (10.) Ixxv. 3, 4 (2, 3.) Ixxxvii. 4.

PSALM XCII.

1. A Psalm. A Song. For the Sabbath-Day. The second
title designates the Psalm as one of praise, in strict conformity to
its contents. The immediate subject of the praise is the exhibi-
tion of God's power and wisdom in his providential dealings both
with the wicked and the righteous. As one main design of
the sabbath was to afford an opportunity for the admiring con-
templation of God's works or doings, the psalm before us was
peculiarly appropriate at such a time, and the third clause of the
inscription is evidently correct.

2 (1.) Good (is it) to give thanks unto Jehovah.^ and to make
music to thy name^ Most High ! The duty about to be performed
is here described as not only right but pleasant. For the mean-
ing of the two verbs, see above, on Ps. vii. 18 (17.)

3 (2.) To declare in the morning thy mercy., and thy faithful-
ness in the nights. The sentence is continued from the preced-
ing verse, the infinitive with which this opens being governed by the
phrase it is good. In the morning., taken by itself, implies eager-
ness and promptness, and with the parallel phrase {in the nights)
unremitting diligence and constancy. See above, on Ps. xvi. 7.
xlii. 9 (8.) Ixxvii. 7 (6.) Ixxxviii. 14 (13.) xc. 14 (13.) Faithful-

PSALM XCri. 311

7iess in the fulfilment of promises. Faithfulness and mercy are
here combined like truth and mercy in Ps. Ixxxix. 15 (14.)

4 (3.) On decachord and on lyre^ on vieditation with a harp.
The first word in Hebrew means a decade, a group or set of ten,
and then an instrument of ten strings. See above, on Ps.
xxxiii. 2. In the last clause, by a bold but intelligible figure,
meditation is referred to as an instrument, precisely as the lyre
and harp are, the latter being joined with it as a mere accompani-
ment.

5 (4.) For thou hast gladd^ned me^ Jehovah^ with thy work ;
in the doings of thy hands I will rejoice. This verse introduces
the theme or subject of the praise proposed, to wit, the work and
doings of the Lord, i. e. his providential dealings. See above,
on Ps. xc. 16, 17. The last verb denotes properly the vocal ex-
pression of an inward joy.

6 (5.) Hoio great-'are thy doings^ Jehovah^ (how) exceedingly
deep thy thoughts ! Thoughts and doings are correlative expres-
sions, signifying plan and execution. Deep^ not mysterious, but
vast, immense, and inexhaustible, corresponding to great in the
other clause. With this verse, compare Ps. xl. 6 (5.) Isai. Iv.
9. Rom. xi. 23.

7 (6.) A man-hrute tuill not knotv, and a fool will not under-
stand this. The compound term at the beginning means a man
who is no better than a brute, i. e. equally irrational. See above,
on Ps. xl. 21 (20.) Ixxiii. 22, and below, on Ps. xciv. 8. Will
not.^ cannot, or does not know. This^ i. e. what has just been said
as to the depth of Code's providential plans and purposes,

8 (6.) In the springhig up of wicked (men) like grass, and
(when) all the doers of iniquity blooin, {it is) that they may be dc.~

i

312 PSALM XCil.

strayed forever. The infinitive, as well as the future, indicates
the time of action. The literal translation of the last words is,
for them to be destroyed until eternity.

9 (8.) And thou (art) Most High to eternity^ Jehovah! This
brief but pregnant proposition is the centre of the psalm, and at
the same time a summary of its contents. The superlative ex-
pression Most High is here used to translate a single Hebrew
word which strictly means a height or high-place, but here de-
notes that which holds the highest place in the scale of being.
For other applications of the same word, see above, on Ps. vii.
8 (7.) X. 5. xviii. 17 (16.)

10 (9.) For loy thine enemies, Jehovah — for lo, thine enemies shall
perish ; dispersed shall be all the doers of iniquity. Jehovah must
be the Most High, because his enemies not only yield to him, but
perish in his presence. Here, as in Ps. Ixxxix. 11, 52 (10, 51),
the enemies of God and of his people are identified. The last
verb is properly a reflective, and may be translated, they shall
scatter (or disperse) themselves, implying more activity and eager-
ness than the simple passive, shall be scattered. Compare Job
iv. 11.

11 (10.) Atid thou hast raised, like the unicorn'^s, my horn; I
am anointed with fresh oil. He now contrasts his own experience
with that of his enemies and God's. With the figure of the first
clause compare Ps. xviii. 3 (2.) Ixxv. 5, 6, 11 (4, 5, 10.) Ixxxix.
18, 25 (17, 24.) I am anointed or I anoint (my head), the He-
brew verb being elsewhere always active. The figure is borrowed
from the ancient custom of anointing the head on festive occa-
sions. See above, on Ps. xxiii. 5. Fresh oil, literally, green,
i. e. verdant, a quality properly belonging to the tree being here
transferred to its most valuable product.

PSALM XCTI. 313

12 (11.) And my eye has looked upon my enemies; of those
rising ujp against me, evil-doers^ my ears shall hear. The sense
is that he sees and hears what is become of them. Their destruc-
tion is implied, though not expressed. The word translated
enemies occurs only here. According to the most probable ety-
mology it means watchers^ liers in wait or ambush. Sec above,
on Ps. xxvii. 11. liv. 7 (5.) Ivi. 3 (2.) lix. 11 (10), where a cog-
nate form occurs. My insurgents^ or those rising up against me,
expresses the accessory idea of rebellion against rightful authority.
See above, on Ps. iii. 2 (1.) liv. 5 (3.) Ixxxvi. 14. The addi-
tion of malefactors^ evil-doers, shows that it is not merely as his
enemies, but on account of their transgressions against God, that
he expects his foes to perish.

13 (12.) A righteous {man) like a palm-tree shall sprout^ like a
cedar in Lebanon shall grow. Some suppose an allusion to the
fact that these trees thrive even in the most unfavourable situa-
tions. All that it is necessary to assume, however, is that as
trees in general are natural and common emblems of a prosperous
existence, so the same idea is conveyed with still more emphasis
by the noblest species. The supposition of a reference to the
decorations of the temple is gratuitous and far-fetched.

14 (13.) Planted in tJie house of Jehovah^ in the courts of our
God they shall hloom (ov flourish.) See above, on Ps. Hi. 10 (8),
where the same image is presented, in a still more specific form,
the olive-tree being there particularly mentioned.

15 (14.) Still shall they hear fruit in old age ; fat and gre&n
shall they he. In old age, literally, in grey or hoary hair. Of the
epithets in the last clause one properly denotes an animal, the
other a vegetable quality. The essential idea is that of the
forefjoincr verse carried out into detail.

VOL. II. 14

314 PSALM XCllI.

16 (15.) To declare that Jehovah is just — my Rock — and no
unrighteousness in Him. See above, on Ps. xviii. 3 (2), and
compare Deut. xxxli. 4. The epithet just denotes the essential
rectitude of God^ including his veracity and faithfulness to his
engagements. See above, on Ps. xxv. 8. My Rock may be
simply in apposition with Jehovah, Jehovah my Rock is just , or a
second predicate, Jehovah is just (and) my Rock.

PSALM XC III.

The theme of this psalm is God's superiority to all opposing
powers and the consequent safety of his church and people.
There are strong reasons for believing that it was designed, with
the one before it, to form a pair or double psalm. Besides those
drawn from the number of verses and of the divine names, this
whole psalm may be described as an amplification of the laconic
dictum in Ps. xcii. 9 (8.) There is nothing to determine its
precise date ; but there seem to be expressions in it, which imply
the existence of imminent danger to the theocracy from some
great hostile power.

I Jehovah reigns ; (with) majesty he clothes himself; Jehovah
clothes himself with strength (and) ^rd<i himself ; also established
is the world, it shall not he moved. The first clause does not
simply affirm Jehovah's sovereignty as a general truth, but an-
nounces the fact that he has just become king or begun to reign,
i. e. manifested himself anew in his regal character. The same
form of the verb is used in reference to the accession of earthly

PSALM XCIII. 315

monarchs, 2 Sam. xv. 10. 1 Kings i. 11, 13. 2 Kings ix. 13. The
word translated majesty is the one applied in Ps. Ixxxix. 11 (10)
to the swelling of the sea. Its use here may be intended to sug-
gest the superiority of Grod to the powers of this world. Clothes
himself with^ literally, puts on, wears. The other verb is reflec-
tive in form. The also introduces the consequence of this exalta-
tion. See below, Ps. xcvi, 10. xcvii, 1. xcix. 1, and compare
Isai. xxiv. 23. Obad. 21. Zech. xiv. 9. Rev. xi. 17. xix. 6.

2. Fixed (w) thy throne of old ; from eternity (art) thou.
Fixcdy firmly established, permanently settled. Compare 2 Sam.
vii. 13, 16. 1 Kings ii. 45. Of old, literally, /rom then, as in the
margin of the English Bible. Compare Prov. viii. 22. Isai.
xlviii. 3. V. 7. With the last clause compare Ps. xc. 2, and with
the whole verse Rev. i. 17.

3. The floods have raised, Jehovah, the floods have raised their
voice ; the floods will raise their crash, or crashing noise. The
last Hebrew word occurs only here, but its etymology is obvious
and perfectly analogous to that of waves or breakers in the next
verse. The idea here conveyed is that of the noise made by the
dashing of waves against each other or upon the shore. The
preterite and future forms include the present, but suggest the
additional idea of what has been heretofore and may be expected
to continue hereafter. The emphatic repetition of the verb is
like that in v, 1, and reappears in this whole series (Ps. xci — c)
as a characteristic feature.

4. More than the voices of loaters — many — mighty — sea-lillows
— mighty in the high-place (is) Jehovah. More than, literally,
from, away from, the particle by which comparison is commonly
expressed in Hebrew. The common version of the next clause,
mighty waves of the sea, is scarcely grammatical, as the adjective,
according to analogy and usage, cannot agree with the noun fol-

316 PSALM XCrif.

lowing, but must be in apposition with the adjective before it,
and agree with the same object. The word translated mighty cor-
responds, in part, to our epithets, sublime and grand. See above,
on Ps. viii. 1. Sea-hillowSj literally, brcal:ers of the sea. Com-
pare Ps. xlii. 8 (7.) Ixxxviii. 8 (7.) Jon. ii. 4 (3.) That the
comparison was meant to be between the noise of the sea and that
of thunder considered as the voice of Grod, is an admissible but
not a necessary supposition. See above, on Ps. xxix. 5.

5. Thy testimonies are sitre, very {sure) ; to thy house suits (or
is becoming) holiness^ Jehovah^ unto length of days. The testi-
monies of God are all the provisions of his Law, as in Ps. xix. 8(7.)
XXV. 10, but with special reference, in this as in several other
cases, to its promises. See above, on Ps. Ix. 1. Ixxx. 1. The
verb here used is a passive, meaning strictly to be founded, set-
tled, or secured. From this clause is borrowed the form of ex-
pression in Rev. xix. 9. xxi. 5. xxii. 6. The intensive adverb
very or exceedingly has the same effect as when in English we use
an epithet and add extremely so or very much so. The verb trans-
lated suits (or is becoming) is the root of the adjective used in Ps.
xxxiii. 1. Compare my note on Isai. Hi. 7. Holiness is by some
understood to mean sacredness^ immunity from profanation, and
of course from violent intrusion. vSee above, on Ps. Ixxiv. 3.
The house of Grod is here referred to, as the place where he dwelt
with his people, and they with him. To length of daySy see Ps.
xxiii. 6.

PSALM XCIV. 317

PSALM XCIV.

This psalm may be divided into two parts, in the first of which
the ancient church complains of Jehovah's absence and apparent
desertion, and of the consequent triumph of his enemies, vs. 1 — 11,
while in the second she asks and confidently looks for his return
and their destruction, vs. 12 — 23. There is nothing to determine
the precise date of the composition, much less to restrict it to any
particular historical occasion. Though some things in it seem
peculiarly appropriate to the state of Judah on the eve of the
Babylonish conquest, it is so constructed as to be a vehicle of
pious feeling to the church in various emergencies.

1. God of reve7igeSj Jehovah^ God of revengeSj shine forth!
Some interpreters, following the ancient versions, make the last
Hebrew word a finite verb, as it certainly is in Deut. xxxiii. 2.
Ps. 1. 2. Ixxx. 2 (1.) The meaning then is^hehas shined or shines,
and the psalm opens with a confident anticipation of God's inter-
vention, as in Ps. xciii. 1. xcvii. 1. xcix. 1. In this case, how-
ever, the tone of confidence does not reappear until v. 12, and
the imperatives in v. 2 make the similar construction of the verb
in this case much more natural, thouo-h less ao-reeable to usao-e,
than the other. The terms of this verse are borrowed from Deut.
xxxii. 35. xxxiii. 2. See above, on Ps. 1. 2. The plural form
{revenges) denotes fulness and variety. See above, on Ps. xviii.
51 (50. j This expression, with the two divine names {El and
Jehovah) recognize God as almighty, eternal, self-existent,

318 PSALM XCIV.

bound by covenant to his people, and alone entitled to take
vengeance.

2. Raise thyself^ Judge of the Earthy ret mm a recompense upon
the proud. The first verb is equivalent in meaning to the more
familiar term arise, i. e. arouse thyself from inactivity, address
thyself to action. See above, on Ps. iii. 8 (7.) The specific
sense, which some interpreters assume, ' ascend the judgment-
seat,' is not expressed by this verb, but suggested by the context.
The word translated recompense strictly means the treatment of
one person by another, to return which is to retaliate or recom-
pense it. See above, on Ps. vii. 5 (4), and compare Ps. Ixxix.
12. The use of the particle upo7i implies the inequality of the
parties or the superiority of the avenger, from whom the recom-
pense, as it were, comes down upon the guilty.

3. Hoiv long shall wicked (jnen), Jehovah, how long shall ivicked
[men) triumph ? The question, as usual in such cases, implies
that they have already triumphed long enough or too long, and
therefore really involves a prayer that they may triumph no
longer. The interruption and resumption of the sentence is like
that in V. 1, and in Ps. xcii. 9 (8.) xciii. 1, 3.

4. (How long) shall they pour forth, utter insolence, talk of
themselves — all the workers of iniquity ? This is usually taken as
an independent proposition, they pour forth, etc. But it seems a
more natural construction to continue the interrofiration from the
other sentence. Pour forth is a figure for excessive and unad-
vised speech. See above, on Ps. lix. 8 (7), and compare Ps.
xix. 3 (2.) Utter in words, speak, talk. Insolence, arrogance,
as in Ps. Ixxv. 6 (5.) The last verb is a reflexive form of the
verb (^^J!^) to say, occurring only here. According to the gen-
eral analogy of those forms, it may mean to talk to one's self, or

PSALM XCIV. 319

of one's* self, or with each other. The second agrees best with
what is said just before of their insolent or arrogant discourse.

5. Thy peojph^ Jehovah^ they grind (or crush) ^ and thy inheri-
tance they hu?nble (or affiict.) The first verb means to bruise,
break in pieces, or reduce to powder. The people and heritage of
God are synonymous expressions, the people being so called be-
cause they belonged to him, and were possessed by him, from
generation to generation. The terms of this verse seem to point
out foreign persecutors or oppressors as the subject of complaint.

6. Widow arid stranger tney kill^ and orphans they murder.
The strongest description of injustice and violence is given by
saying, that they not only wrong but murder the very classes of
sufferers, who in the Law are constantly exhibited as objects of
compassion. See Ex. xxii. 20 — 23 (21 — 24.) Deut. x. 18.

7. And they say^ Jah loill not see, and the God of Jacob will not
attend. The same impious presumption is expressed in Ps. x.
11, 13. xiv. 1. lix. 8 (7.) The divine names are, as usual, sig-
nificant. That the self-existent and eternal Grod should not see,
is a palpable absurdity ; and scarcely less so, that the God of
Israel should suffer his own people to be slaughtered without even
observing it. The last verb means to mark, note, notice.

8. Attend ye brutish among the people ; and ye fools, when will
ye act wisely? See above, on Ps. Ixxiii. 22. xcii. 7 (6.) The
first verb is the same with that at the end of the preceding verse.
It is stronger than the English word attend, implying in all cases,
an intelligent attention, so that it may be rendered, as it is by
many, understand. The word translated brutish is a participle,
denoting habitual conduct or a permanent condition. The ques-
tion in the last clause is a virtual exhortation to begin at once.
The verb in this clause has its usual active meaning. See above,

320 PSALM XCIV.

on Ps. ii. 10. xiv. 2. xli. 2 (1.) In (or among) the j)eople no
doubt means in Israel itself, as in Judg. v. 9, where the form of
expression is the same.

9. Shall the planter of the ear — %hall he not hearl Or the
former of the eye^ shall he not seel The words transhited_p/«7i^cr
and former are active participles, and denote something con-
tinually going on. The figure of planting suggests the two ideas
of formation and insertion. By a similar figure we might speak
in English of implanting the faculty or sense of hearing. Ther
act denoted by the parallel Hebrew word is that of shaping,
moulding. The participle here used, when employed as a noun,
means a _po^^cr. See above, Ps. ii. 9. The peculiar form of the
translation of the first clause is intended to represent that of the
original, in which the interrogative but not the negative particle
is j-epeated. This may be reckoned as another instance of the
reduplicated forms by which this series of psalms is characterized.

10. Shall the reprover of nations — shall he not chastise — he that
teaches mankind knotdedgel The antithesis is not between Israel
and the Gentiles, but between whole nation* or all mankind and
individual ofi"enders. Reprover^ the one reproving or accustomed
to reprove, warn, or admonish. See above, on Ps. ii. 10. xvi. 7.
The parallel term is nearly synonymous and means to correct by
word or deed. The structure of the first clause is the same as in
the verse preceding. In the last clause, by an aposiopesis not un-
common in the Hebrew idiom, the parallelism is left to be com-
pleted by the reader. The full sense seems to fee, is he who
teaches all mankind not competent to teach men individually .''
He that teaches^ literally, the {one) teaching.

11. Jehovah knows the thoughts of mankind^ that they {are)
vanity. The verbal form is still that of a participle, knowing^
habitually knowing, what they are and what they deserve. Such

PSALM XCIV. 321

knowledge carries with it, as a necessary consequence.^ condem-
nation and punishment. See above, on Ps. i. 6. Thoughts^ pur-
poses, designs. See above, on Ps. xl. 5 (4.) Instead of that^
some give the particle its usual sense of for^ because^ without a
material change of meaning. The pronoun they seems in English
to relate necessarily to thoughts ; but in Hebrew the more natural
antecedent is man as a generic or collective term, because the
pronoun is masculine and thoughts feminine ; because the same
thing is predicated, in the same form, of men themselves, Ps.
xxxix. 6, 12 (5, ] 1) ; and because this idea is better suited to
the context here.

12. Happy the man whom thou war nest ^ Jah^ and from thy law
teachest him. This is the turning point, at which the tone of the
composition becomes more encouraging. The word for 7nan is
the one implying strength, and here suggesting the idea, that he
is truly fortunate whose strength arises from the divine counsel
and control. Warnest and wilt warn, or admonish, the same
verb that occurs in the first clause of v. 10. From thy laio may be
partitively understood, as meaning something of thy law, a part or
portion of it. But it more probably means out of^from^ thy law,
as the source of consolation and instruction. See above, on Ps.
xxii. 26 (25.)

13. To give him rest from days of evil, until a pit be digged
for the wicked. Compare Ps. xlix. 6 (5.) cxii. 8. The first
verb is a causative, to make him rest. From days of evil does not
mean merely after them, but so as to escape them. The last
clause ensures the safety of the righteous even during the pros-
perity and triumph of the wicked.

14. For Jehovah loill not forsake his people, and his inheritance
he will not leave. The reason why they are happy who confide in
and obey the divine instructions is that God can never utterly for-

14*

322 PSALM XCIV.

sake those who thus trust him, although he may leave them for a
time when they leave him. See Deut. xxxii. 15. Judg. vi. 13.
Tsai. ii. 6.

15. For unto righteousness shall judgment turn^ and after it
(shall go) all the wpright in heart. The apparent disturbance of
the divine administration is to cease, and justice to return to its
accustomed channels. In the last clause the righteous are de-
scribed as following in its train or attending its triumphal march.

16. Who will arise for me with evil-doers ? Who will stand up
for me with workers of iiiiquity? Arise, address himself to ac-
tion. See above, on Ps. iii. 8 (7.) For me, for my support in
my defence. With, in conflict or contention with. Stand up,
take a stand, assume a position. See above, on Ps. ii. 2. Fvil-
doers, as in Ps. xcii. 12 (H.) Workers of iniquity, as in v. 4
above. The interrogation in this verse prepares the way for the
expression of confidence in that which follows.

17. Unless Jehovah {were) a help for me, soon would my soul
inhabit silence. The phrase a help for me occurs above, Ps.
Ixiii. 8 (7), and a similar one, Ps. xliv. 27 (26.) For the mean-
ing of the phrase translated soon, see above, on Ps. ii. 12. Ixxxi.
15 (14.) To dwell in (or inhabit) silence is to be constantly sur-
rounded by the silence of the grave or of death. See above, Ps.
xxxi. 18 (17), and below, Ps. cxv. 17.

18. If I say, My foot slips, thy mercy, oh Jehovah, holds me up.
If at any time my hope of safety from the Lord's protection yields
to fear, his grace sustains and reinvigorates it. The preterites
in the Hebrew of the first clause imply that such lapses or temp-
tations have occurred in his experience, when his foot seemed to
have swerved or slipped already ; while the future at the close

PSALM XCIV. 323

represents the act of sustentation as one which he expects to be
continued or renewed hereafter.

19. In the multitude of my cares within me^ thy comforts cheer
my soul. The second noun, which is of rare occurrence, does not
mean thoughts in general, but uneasy, anxious thoughts, sohci-
tudes, or cares. The addition of within me renders still more
prominent the idea that it was not mere external troubles that dis-
turbed his peace. Thy comforts, the consolations of thy word.
See above, on v. 13. Cheer or shall cheer, gladden, or exhilarate.
My soul not only completes the parallelism, but suggests the idea
of a cordial genuine exhilaration. See above, on Ps. iii. 3 (2.)

20. Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which
frameth mischief by a laio. This, which is the version in the
English Bible, yields a good sense, and the one preferred by some
of the best interpreters. Others explain the last clause, framing
mischief against laio. In either C2ise, framing means contriving,
plotting. The first verb in Hebrew is supposed by some to be a
passive form, shall it he associated or allied (with) thee, the con-
nective particle being omitted by a common poetic license, for
another instance of which see above, Ps- v. 5 (4.) Others ex-
plain it as an active verb corresponding with the dubious Eng-
lish verb to fellowship a person. Iniqidty, or more exactly, crimes.
See above, on Ps. v. 10 (9.) xxxviii. 13 (12.) Iii. 4, 9 (2, 7.)
Iv. 12 (11.) Ivii. 2 (l.)xci. 3. Both this word and its parallel
translated mischief are applied in usage to the sufi'erings brought
upon one person by the misconduct of another. With respect to
the second term (b?95), see above, on Ps. vii. 17 (16.)

21. They crowd upon the soul of the righteous, and innocent
blood they condemn. The first verb means to rush in crowds or
troops, and may therefore be expressed in English by the verbs,
to cr&wdy to troop. Condemn, literally, make guilty, i. e. recognize

324 PSALM XCIV.

and treat as such. The futures, as usual, suggest the probable
continuance of the evil in question.

22. And (yet) Jehovah has been to me for a high-place, and my
God for the rock of my refuge. Our idiom would require but at
the beginning of this sentence. The verb to be followed by for,
is sometimes used in Hebrew to express the meaning of our verb
become, which may here be considered as at least included. A
high-place, beyond the reach of danger. My rock of refuge, the
rock where I take refuge from my enemies. See above, on Ps.
ix. 10 (9.) xviii. 3 (2.) xlvi. 8, 12 (1, 11.) xlviii. 4 (3.) lix. 10,
18 (9, 17.)

23. And he returns upon them their iniquity, and in their wicked-
niess he will destroy them, (yes) destroy them will Jehovah our God.
The first verb denotes retaliation or requital. The preposition
upon suggests the idea of infliction by a superior power. In-
iquity expresses their misconduct towards others, wicked'iiess the
general depravity which prompted it. In their ivickedness, i. e. in
the midst of it, and by implication on account of it. The verb
destroy is the one used in Ps. liv. 7 (5.) Ixix. 5 (4.) ci. 5. The
repetition of the last verb with its object is like that in Ps. xc. 17.
Compare Ps. xcii. 8 (7.) xciii. 4. xciv. 1. The force of this
emphatic repetition may be partially secured in English by a par-
ticle of affirmation, yea or yes.

PSALM XCV. 325

PSALM XCV.

This psalm contains, first, an exhortation from the Psalmist to
praise Grod as the creator and the sovereign of the earth, vs. 1 — 8,
and then, a warning from God himself to his people not to imitate
the ohstinate unbelief of their fathers in the wilderness, vs. 9 — 11.
The psalm is quoted in the New Testament (Heb. iv. 7) as what
God said in David, which may either mean the Book of Psalms,
so called from its chief author, or this particular psalm, as actually-
written by him. The latter supposition, although not necessary,
is entirely admissible, because, however suitable the psalm may
seem to particular junctures long posterior to David, the very
generality of its expressions makes it probable that it was not
composed in the midst of the events, but long beforehand.

1. Come, let us sing unto Jehovah, let us shout unto the rock of
our salvation. The first verb properly means go, but is constantly
used like co7)ie in other languages, as a formula of invitation, in
summoning others to participate in some act of the speaker. The
two verbs in this verse are those commonly applied to the vocal
expression of joy and triumph. The rock of our salvation, the
strong ground of our confidence, the basis upon which our hope
of safety rests. See above, on Ps. xviii. 3 (2j, and compare Ps.
Ixii. 8 (7.) xcii. 16 (15.) xciv. 22.

2. Let us come before his face with thanksgiving, and in songs
let us shout unto him. The first verb is here used in its primary
and proper sense. See above, on Ps. xvii. 13. That of sur-

326 PSALM XCV.

prising, or taking by surprise, upon which some interpreters in-
sist, is neither intelligible in itself, nor suited to the context, nor
justified by usage. To shout in songs is to sing aloud and with
a voice of triumph.

3. For a great God (is) Jehovah^ and a great King above all
gods. This is not inconsistent with the doctrine elsewhere taught,
that other gods have no real existence. See below, Ps. xcvi.
4, 5, where both truths are asserted together. The very name
of God used in the first clause is expressive of omnipotence.

4. In u-hose hand are the dejpths of the earth and the strength of
the hills (belongs) to him. God's possession of the whole earth is
so asserted as to leave no room for other gods. The word trans-
lated depths means, according to its etymology, places to be
searched into, i. e. requiring search to find them, inmost recesses.
The word translated strength is plural in Hebrew, and seems
properly to mean fatiguing exertions, from which some derive the
idea of strength, others that of extreme height, which can only
be reached by exhausting effort.

5. To whom (belongs) the sea, and he made it, and the dry land
his hands did form. The land and water are here put together,
as the depths and heights are in v. 4, to describe the earth in its
whole extent as subject to Jehovah, by virtue of his right as
its creator.

6. Come.) let us how down and lend., let us kneel before Jehovah
our Maker. The come at the beginning of this verse is not a mere
particle of exhortation, as in v. 1, but an invitation to God's
presence. The Hebrew verb is one that strictly means to come,
and sometimes to enter. See above, on Ps. Ixxi. 16. This verse
requires the external indication of devout emotion, and not the

PSALM XCV. 327

mere internal feeling, althougli the latter is the most essential, as
appears from what follows.

7. For He (is) our God^ and wc (are) the jpeople of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand, to-day, if to his voice ye will hearken.
The people of his pasture are those fed and nurtured by him.
The sheep of his hand are those led and guarded by him. See
above, on Ps. xxiii. 3, 4. Ixxiv. 1. Ixxx. 13 (12.) We not only
have been so, but are so now, to-day, provided we obey him.
The last clause contains the condition of the first, precisely as in
Ps. Ixxxi. 9 (8.) In both cases this construction is more natural
and satisfactory than either of the others among which interpre-
ters have been divided ; some making if an optative particle,
*if ye would only hear !' — some supplying an apodosis, as in Ex.
xxiii. 21, 22, to which there seems to be an obvious allusion ; — some
continuing the sentence into the next verse, which is forbidden by
the change of person there. This last construction is adopted in
the Septuagint, as quoted in Heb. iii. 9 ; but this decides no-
thing as to the Hebrew syntax. To hear (or hearken to) God's
voice is a common Hebrew phrase for obeying his commands.

8. Harden not your heart like Meribah, like the day of Massah
in the wilderness. Be not wilfully and obstinately insensible.
Your heart, in the singular number, because the people are ad-
dressed as an ideal person. Like Meribah, i. e. as your fathers
did at Meribah. Like the day of Massah, as they did at that
period of your national history associated with the name of
Massah. The reference is to Ex. xvii. 7. The incident there re-
corded is here specified, for the sake of the significant names given
to the place, Meribah (strife) and Massah (temptation.) Grod
himself is here abruptly introduced as speaking. See above, on
Ps. xlvi. 11 (10.) Ixxv. 3, 4 (2, 3.) Ixxxvii. 4. xci. 14.

9. When (or where) your fathers tempted me; they proved me

328 PSALM XCV.

(and) also saw my work. The first word in Hebrew is the rela-
tive pronoun, lohich for in wkich^ as in Ps. Ixxxiv. 4 (3.) This
may either mean in which place (where), or at which time (when),
more probably the former, as the preceding verse is full of local
liouns. Tempted me, see above, on Ps. Ixxviii. 18, 41, Proved
me, put me to the proof of my existence, presence, and power,
by requiring me to work, i. e. to act in an extraordinary manner.
And this desire, unreasonable as it was, 1 gratified. They not
only demanded but they likewise (fia) saw my work, i. e. what I
could do. Some restrict these last words to the previous dis-
plays of God's almighty power, especially the plagues of Egypt.
' They proved me, or put me to the proof, although they had seen
my work.' But neither the sense thus put upon the likewise, nor
the pluperfect meaning of the verb, should be assumed without a
greater necessity than here exists.

10. Forty years I am vexed with a (wicked) generation, and
say, A people of wanderers in heart (are) they, and they do not
know wy ways. The first verb strictly means to be sick of, or
disgusted with, a thing or person. The future form expresses
more distinctly the idea of protracted trial and annoyance. A
generation, or contemporary race, as distinguished from mere
individuals. This expression is the more appropriate because
the threatening was fulfilled, with scarcely an exception, in the
whole generation that came out of Egypt. The qualifying epi-
thet supplied in the translation is derived from Deut. 1. 35
(compare Deut. ii. 14.) I say or said, i. e. I had occasion or
good cause to say, T could have said with truth, or I was com-
pelled to say. The next clause contains an allusion to their two-
fold wandering or error. They were not only wanderers in body
but in heart, i. e. they erred from the path of duty, truth, and
safety. This allusion seems to be continued in the last clause.
They were not more bewildered in the mazes of the trackless
waste, than ignorant of God's ways, i. e. of the meaning and de-

PSALM XCV. 329

sign of his providential dealings with them. Compare Dent,
xxix. 3.

1 1 . Unto whom I sivare in my wrath, If they shall come into
my rest (or resting-place.) Here again the first word is a relative
pronoun, and may either be a dative, as in the common version of
the first clause above given ; or an adverb of time or place {when
or lohere) as in v. 9 above ; or a conjunction {so that) as the latest
interpreters prefer. The conditional clause, with which the
sentence closes, is the strongest form of negation, being that em-
ployed in the most solemn oaths. See above, on Ps. Ixxxix.
36 (35.) It is here equivalent to saying, they shall not come, etc.
The form of speech is that actually used in the original threat-
ening, as recorded by Moses, Num. xiv. 23, 30. Deut i. 35.
The word for rest is not an abstract but a local term as indicated
by its form. It is here applied to the Promised Land, as in Deut.
xii. 9. There is something unusual and abrupt in the conclusion
of this psalm, without any cheering prospect to relieve the
threatening. This may be best explained by assuming, that it
was not meant to stand alone, but to form one of a series.

PSALM XCVI.

A JOYOUS celebration of the universal spread of the true reli-
gion and conversion of the G-entiles. The structure of the psalm
is perfectly simple, and all attempts at artificial subdivision and
arrangement are either wholly arbitrary or founded upon dubious
hypotheses. The marked resemblance of the diction to that of

330 PSALM XCVI.

•
Isaiah in his later prophecies, has been thought to fix the date of the

composition as posterior to that Prophet. This seems indeed to be
forbidden by the fact that in 1 Chr. xvi, as commonly interpreted,
this psalm, with portions of others, is said to have been sung at
the dedication of the tabernacle on Mount Zion in the time of
David. But according to Hengstenberg, the true sense of that
passage is, that David instituted the musical service of the sanc-
tuary, of which samples are then given, taken not from the most
ancient psalms, but from those most familiar to the people when
the history was written. See below, the prefatory note to Ps. cv
and cvi. The psalm before us seems to form a pair or double
psalm with that preceding, the Jews and Grentiles being then
successively addressed, as in Isai. ii. 3 — 5, but in an inverted order.

1 . Sing unto Jehovah a new song ; sing unto Jehovah all the
earth. A new song implies fresh occasion to praise God, not
for the mere repetition of his former favours, but for some new
dispensation of his grace. See above, on Ps. xxxiii. 3. xl. 3 (2.)
The one here meant is the extension of his favour to the nations,
who are therefore summoned in the last clause to celebrate his
praise themselves. Compare Isai. xlii. 10. Rev. v. 9, 10.

2. Sing unto Jehovah^ bless his name^ 'proclaim from day to day
his salvation. To bless his name is to praise him for the mani-
festation of his attributes. The verb translated proclaim is con-
stantly applied to joyful tidings. See above, on Ps. xl. 10 (9.)
Ixviii. 12 (11), and compare Isai. Ix. 9. Hi. 7. Ix. 6. The phrase
from day to day implies that the occasion of the praise required
is not a transient one but permanent and perpetual. His salva-
tion^ that which he has wrought, provided, and revealed, not for
the Jews only but for the Grentiles also. With this and the pre-
ceding verse compare 1 Chr. xvi. 23.

3. Recount among the nations his glory ^ among all the peoples his

PSALM XCVI. 331

wonders. The use of glory^ to denote the special inanifestation
of God's attributes, is a characteristic feature of Isaiah's later pro-
phecies. To preclude all doubt as to the extent of the invitation,
the ambiguous expression all the earth., in v. 1, is here explained
to mean the nations., and then still more absolutely all the peoples.
The only variation of the parallel passage (1 Chr. xvi. 24) is the
insertion of the objective particle (fi^t) in the first clause.

4. For great (is) Jehovah and to he praised exceedingly ; to he
feared {is) He above all Gods. He is not a mere local deity, as
the heathen were disposed to imagine, even in reference to their
own divinities. With this verse compare Ps. xlvii. 3 (2.) xlviii.
2 (1.) Ixxvii. 14 (13.) Ixxxvi. 8. xcv. 3. xcvii. 8. xcix. 2.

5. For all the gods of the nations are nothings., and Jehovah
the heavens did make. Nothings., nonentities, a favourite descrip-
tion of idols in Isaiah's later prophecies. See e. g. Isai. xli. 24,
and compare Lev. xix. 4. xxvi. 1. 1 Cor. viii. 4 — 6. x. 19. A
less probable etymology of the Hebrew word makes it a diminu-
tive of (b5<) El., analogous to godlings as an expression of contempt.
The contrast intended is extreme and absolute. He called the
world into existence ; they do not even exist themselves. See
above, Ps. xcv. 4.

")

6. Honour and majesty {are) hefore him., strength and heauty
in his holy-place. The first combination occurs above, Ps. xlv.
4 (3.) Before him., as his constant attendants or forerunners.
Beauty., all that is lovely and admirable. See above, on Ps.
Ixxi. 8. His holy place., his earthly residence, regarded as a
radiating centre even to the Glentiles ; or the place where Grod
reveals himself, whatever it may be.

7. Give to Jehovah., ye families of nations., give to Jehovah glory
and strength. Compare Ps. xxix. 1. Here, as there, to give is

332 PSALM XCVI.

to ascribe or recognize as belonging to him. The expression
families of nations is Mosaic. See Gen. xii. 3. The parallel pas-
sage (1 Chr. xvi. 27) has, strength and joy (are) in Ids place.

8. Give unto Jehovah the glory of his name ; take an offering
and come to his courts. With the first clause compare Ps. xxix.
2. The verb translated take includes the ideas of taking up and
carrying. See above, on Ps. Ixviii. 30 (29.) Ixxii. 10. Ixxvi. 12,
and compare 2 Sam. viii. 2. The word offering is the one used
to denote the bloodless or vegetable oblation of the Mosaic ritual.
His courts^ see above, on Ps. Ixv. 5 (4.) Ixxxiv. 3 (2.) xcii. 14 (13.)
The parallel passage (1 Chr. xvi. 29) has before him.

9. Bow down to Jehovah in beauty of holiness ; tremble before
hwiy all the earth ! The first verb denotes the act of bowing to
the ground, as practised in the East. For the meaning of the
next phrase, beauty of holiness^ see above, on Ps. xxix. 2, from
which place it is borrowed here. The last clause enjoins the
reverential awe due to the exhibition of the divine majesty. Com-
pare Ps. ii. 11. The plural form of the verb {tremble ye) shows
that the earth is put for its inhabitants. Before him^ literally,
from his face. The parallel passage (1 Chr. xvi. 30) has a double
preposition, a Hebrew idiom which cannot be reproduced in Eng-
lish, and which does not in the least affect the sense. We also
find there added to the verse before us the middle clause or mem-
ber of the next verse.

10. Say ye among the n/itions^ Jehovah reigns ; likewise fixed
is the world J it shall not be moved ; He will judge the peoples in
rectitude. The object of address can only be the nations them-
selves, as in the foregoing context. They are therefore summoned
to announce the joyful news to one another. Jehovah reigns, has
begun to reign, i. e. visibly. See above, on Ps. xciii. 1, and com-
pare Isai. xxiv. 23. Hi. 7. As in Ps. xciii. 1, the conservation

PSALM XCVI. 333

of the world is ascribed to God's power, so here to his justice.
Compare Ps. Ixxv. 4 (3.) He will judge the nations : see above,
on Ps. vii. 9 (8.) Ixxii. 2, 4, and compare Isai. xi. 4. I71 equities^
see above, on Ps. Ixxv. 3 (2.) It may here mean impartiality ,
without distinction between Jew and Gentile. This last clause
is omitted in the parallel passage (1 Chr xvi. 31) which also
has instead of say ye, they shall say^ and joins it to what is here
the next verse.

1 1 . Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult ; let the sea roar
and its fulness. The optative form of the second verb deter-
mines the meaning of the other futures, which, however, really
include a prediction or, what here amounts to the same thing, a
confident anticipation. Its fulness ^ that which fills it, its contents.
This verse does not necessarily imply a participation of inferior
creatures in God's favour to his people (Eom. viii. 21), but
may be understood as a strong poetical description of events so
joyous that even the inanimate creation breaks forth into singing.
Compare Isai. xliv. 23. Iv. 12. The verb translated roar is a
cognate form of that which means to thunder^ Ps. xxix. 3.

12. Let the field exult and all that (is) in it ; then shall sing
for joy all the trees of the wood (or forest.) The strict sense
of the future, which was latent in the preceding verse, here, by a
beautiful transition, reasserts itself. See below, on Ps. cxxvi. 2,
and compare Isai. xxxv. 5, 6. The field is the cultivated and
productive portion of the earth. All that is in it^ with particular
reference to its productions. Sing for joy is the translation of a
single verb in Hebrew. See above, on Ps. xcv. 1. The paral-
lel passage (1 Chr. xvi. 32, 33) has precisely the same sense,
but with two slight variations in the words, a less familiar form
being substituted in one case, and a more familiar form in the
other.

334 PSALM XCVII.

13. Before Jehovah., for he cometh^ for he cometh to judge tht
earth ; he shall judge the loorld in righteousness .^ and nations in
his truth (or faithfulness.) The rejoicing described in the pre-
ceding verse is to take place in the presence (literally, to the
face) of God when he assumes his universal sovereignty, the ju-
dicial function of which is here made prominent, in order to sug-
gest the moral perfection of his reign. In righteousness., not
merely in a righteous manner, but in the exercise of his inherent
and essential justice. The use of the word people, in the com-
mon version of the last clause, obscures the sense, by seeming to
apply the verse to Israel, whereas it is expressly applied in the
original to the nations generally. Even the truth or faithfulness
of God, which commonly denotes his veracity in fulfilling his
promises to the chosen people, has here a wider sense, as opposed
to the dishonesty or partiality of human judges. In the parallel
passage (1 Chron. xvi. 33) the emphatic repetition in the first
clause, and the whole of the last clause, are omitted, perhaps be-
cause so striking and sonorous a conclusion would not have been
appropriate, when another psalm was to be added.

PSALM XC YII.

Another exhibition of Jehovah's universal sovereignty, in which
his judicial functions are again made prominent, but with special
reference to the condemnation and destruction of the unbelieving
nations. The structure of the psalm is remarkably like that of
the second, consisting of four stanzas of three verses each. The
first describes the Lord's appearing as the Judge of the Nations,
vs. 1 — 3. The second, its effects upon inanimate creation, vs.
4 — 6. The third, its effects upon idolaters and Israel respectively,

PSALM XCVfl. 335

yg^ 7 — 9, The fourth applies it as a present warning and en-
couragement to true believers, vs. 10 — 12. The characteristic
feature of the psalm is its frequent citation of older scriptures,
all anterior to the Babylonish exile, from which Hengstenberg
infers, not only the date of this composition, but the fact that all
the sacred writings of the ancient Hebrews are now extant in the
Bible.

I.Jehovah reigneth, let the earth exult; glad be the many
islands ! For the meaning of the first clause, see above, on Ps.
xciii. 1. xcvi. 10 ; for that of the second, on Ps. xcvi. 11. The
manifestation of the divine royalty is often represented as a cause
for universal joy, even when attended by direct advantage only
to the chosen people, and by fearful judgments to mankind at
large. See above, on Ps. xviii. 50 (49.) xlvii. 2 (1), and com-
pare Deut. xxxii. 43. The last clause bears a strong resemblance
to Isai. xlii. 10, 12, the use of the word ishs in both, to designate
the Gentiles, being founded upon Gen. x. 5. See also Ps.
Lxxii. 10. The many islands^ see above, on Ps. Ixxxix. 51 (50.)

2. Vafour and gloom (are) round him; righteousness and
judgment {are) the -place of his throne. The images and terms
in the first clause are borrowed from Deut. v. 22. Compare Ex.
xix. 16, 18, and see above, on Ps. xviii. 10, 12 (9, 11.) With
the last clause compare Ps. Ixxxix. 15 (14.) Righteousness and
judgment seem to be here related as the attribute and act. The
word translated place has, from its very derivation, the specific
sense of a permanent or fixed place, and especially a dwelling-
place. Compare 1 Kings viii. 13. The figures in the first
clause are expressive of concealment or mystery, but only as a
source of solemn awe, as in the great theophany on Sinai.

3. Fire hefore him goes, and hums up around {him) his foes.
With the first clause compare Ps. 1. 3 ; with the last, Isai.

336 PSALM XCVII.

xlii. 25. See also Ps. Ixxxiii. 15 (14.) The future form is
used because the verb describes not what the wrath of God is
doing or has actually done, but what it will do when provoked by
obstinate resistance.

4. His lightnings made the loorlcl shine ; (then) saw and trem-
bled the earth. Compare Ps. Ixxvii. 17, 19 (16, 18.) Here be-
gins the second stanza, in which, as in most cases of the same
sort, inanimate creation is described as sharing in the powerful
effects of the divine epiphany. See above, on Ps. xviii. 8 (7.)
xcvi. 11, 12, and compare Judg. v. 4. Nah. i. 5. Hab. iii. 6. Isai.
Ixiv. 1.

5. Mountains like wax are melted from before Jehovah^ from be-
fore the Lord of all the earth. Compare Mic. i. 4. iv. 13. As
in all such cases, while mountains are mentioned as the salient
points of the earth, they suggest, at the same time, the idea of
great states and kingdoms, of which they are a standing symbol.
See above, on Ps. xxx. 8 (7.) xlvi. 3 (2.)

6. The heavens declare his righteousness .^ and all the nations see
his glory. With the first clause compare Ps. 1. 6, and with the
last Isai. xl. 5. Ixvi. 18. See also Isai. xxxv. 2. lix. 19. The
manifestation of Jehovah's glory to the Gentiles is a favourite
conception of Isaiah, and particularly frequent in his later pro-
phecies.

7. Shamed shall be all serving a graven image and boasting
themselves of idols. Boto down to him., all ye gods I The first
word means not merely ashamed, but disappointed, defeated, and
confounded. All serving or all servers (i. e. worshippers) of a
graven image. Boasting themselves^ exulting in the knowledge
and possession and imagined favour of material images. Idols.,
nothings or nonentities, as in Ps. xcvi. 5. The use of this word

PSALM XCVIJ.

337

shows that in the following clause the false gods are invested with
existence only to be treated with the more contempt. Compare
Ex. xii. 12. Num. xxxiii. 4. Isai. xix. 1. xlii. 17. xliv. 9. The
verb in this clause might be taken as a preterite, worship or have
-worshipped ; but the imperative construction seems to be required
by the analogy of Ps. xcvi. 9. These words are not applied to
Christ directly in Heb. i. 6. It is merely said that when God
sends his son into the world, he may be understood as saying
again (nahy) of him, what is here said of himself, to wit, that even
the false gods are required to worship him, much more the angels
who have real existence. The passage was no doubt suggested to
the mind of the New Testament writer by the fact that the Sep-
tuagint renders gods by angels^ though he does not copy this er-
roneous version.

8. Zion hears and rejoices, and glad are the daughters of Judah^
because of thy judgments^ Jehovah ! While the heathen are con-
founded, the people of God rejoice. The terms of the verse are
borrowed from Ps. xlviii. 12 (11), in the note upon which tho
ambiguous phrase, daughters of Judah, is explained. The judg-
ments here particularly meant are those inflicted on the unbelieving
Gentiles.

9. For thou, Jehovah, (art) Most High above all the earth ;
greatly art thou exalted above all gods. Jehovah's infinite supe-
riority to idols and their worshippers is once more solemnly as-
serted. With the first clause compare Ps. Ixxxiii. 19 (18) ; with
the second Ps. xlvii. 10 (9.) It is remarkable that two psalms
are here put together in quotation, which there is t^trong internal
reason for supposing to have been occasioned by a victory of Je-
hoshaphat.

10. Lovers of Jehovah, hate evil ! He keeps the souls of his
gracious ones ; from the hand of wicked {men) he will set them

15

338 PSALM XCVfl

free. Tte people of God are now exhorted not to do evil in the
hope of thereby being safer. Evil^ in the moral sense of wicked-
ness, and more especially injustice. See above, on Ps. vii. 10 (9.)
xxxiv. 14, 15. With the first words of the verse compare Ps. v.
12 (11-) He keeps^ or rather, he {is) keeping^ i. e. habitually
constantly preserving. The danger, against which they particu-
larly need protection, is distinctly mentioned in the last clause,
namely, that arising from the enmity of wicked men. Gracious
ones^ objects of God's mercy, subjects of his grace, a favourite
description of the righteous or true believers, as a class. See
above, on Ps. iv. 4 (3.)

11. Light {is) soicnfor the just (man), and for right-hearted
{men) joy. The figurative term light is explained by the literal
one joy or gladness. Its being soivn suggests the two ideas of
diffusion and productiveness. Compare the similar and parallel
expression, Ps. cxii. 4. The alternation of the singular and plural
number shows that the just man of the first clause is an ideal per-
son, representing a whole class.

12. Rejoice^ ye righteous^ in Jehovah., and give thanks to the
memory of his holiness. Since joy is the portion of the righteous,
let them accept it and make use of it, but only in the Lord, i. e.
in reference to the possession and enjoyment of his favour, as the
reason and the warrant for rejoicing. At the same time let them
testify their gratitude to that divine perfection which is treasured
in their memory and suggested by the name of Grod. See above,
on Ps. XXX. 5 (4.) xxxii. llj from which the language of this
verse is borrowed.

PSALM XCVlll. 339

PSALM XCVIII.

This psalm is similar, in tone and structure, to the one before
it, containing three stanzas of three verses each. The first pro-
pounds the subject of the praise to which the whole world is ex-
horted, vs. 1 — 3. The second prescribes the form in which it
shall be rendered, vs. 4 — 6. The third determines its extent, or
in other words, requires it to be universal, vs. 7 — 9.

1. A Psalm. Sing ye to Jehovah a new song ^ for wonders he
has done ; his right hand has wrought salvation for him^ and his
holy arm. This is the only case in which the wordjpsaZm (li)2t?3)
stands by itself as a complete inscription. This fact has been in-
geniously explained by supposing, that the word was intended to
distinguish this, as a purely lyrical composition, from the one be-
fore it, which has more of the prophetic character and style.
The first clause after this inscription is like Ps. xcvi. 1, where the
words have been explained already. Wonders, or wondrous deeds,
things wonderfully done, as in Ps. xcvi. 3. Wrought salvation,
literally, saved for him, i. e. enabled him to save his people. The
idea and expression are both found in Isai. lix. 16. Ixiii. 5, as the
expression arm of holiness (or holy arm) is in Isai. lii. 10. This
is one of the cases in which holiness has the wide sense of divine
perfection, as opposed to what is finite or belongs to the creature.
See above, on Ps. xxii. 4 (3.) With the whole verse compare
Judg. vii. 2. The allusions to Isaiah, or quotations from him,

340 PSALM XCVIll.

show that the loonders to be celebrated are like those which con-
stitute the theme of his later prophecies, namely, Jehovah's in-
terpositions for the deliverance and protection of his people.

2. Jehovah hath made known his salvation^ to the eyes of the na-
tions he hath revealed his righteousness. He has shown the world
his power and his willingness to save his own people according to
his promise, with respect to which his righteousness and his salva-
tion are related to each other as cause and effect. With this verse
compare Isai. Hi. 10.

3. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth for the house of
Israel ; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
The common version connects to the house of Israel \f\ih. what im-
mediately precedes, the mercy and truth which he formerly ex-
ercised towards the house of Israel. But accordinor to the
Hebrew idiom and the usage of the Psalms, the preposition is de-
pendent on the leading verb ; ' he has called to mind his mercy
and truth for the present benefit of the house of Israel.' Truth,
fidelity to his engagements. See the same combination in Ps.
xcii. 3. The last clause is another citation from Isai. Hi. 10,
which shows that the salvation primarily meant is that of Israel.
This, however, is closely connected in prophecy with that of the
Gentiles.

4. Shout to Jehovah., all the earth ! Burst forth^ and sing, and
play I The second stanza prescribes the form or manner of the
praise. This verse accumulates the verbs denoting joyful noise,
whether inarticulate, articulate, or instrumental. The first clause
differs from Ps. xcvi. 1, only by substituting one divine name for
another. See also Ps. xlvii. 2 (1.) The verb (n^S) to burst
forth (into praise or singing) is almost peculiar to Isaiah (xiv. 7.
xliv. 23. xlix. 12, liv. 1.) This very combination with the verb
to sing occurs in Isai. Hi. 9.

PSALM XCVTll. 345

5. Make music to Jehovah with a harp^ with a harp and
a musical voice ! The first verb is the one translated play in
the preceding verse. Its repetition is like that in Ps. xlvli
2 (1.) It is strictly applied to instrumental music, but often ex •
tended to any musical expression, especially of praise to God. A
musical voice, or a voice of singing, as distinguished from the voie-
of speech. The phrase occurs in Isai. li. 3. The repeated in-
troduction of the verb ^^T or its derivatives is supposed by some
to be the reason of the title "il?2T?3. See above, on v. 1.

G. With trumpets and sound of cornet, shout before the King
Jehovah ! The first noun is supposed to denote the long straight
trumpet, the other the cornet or curved horn of ancient music.
These are named as the accompaniments of the act described in
the other clause, where the verb may therefore have the sense of
shouting, which it has most generally in these psalms. The act
described is the joyful acclamation at the accession or public re-
cognition of a sovereign. King Jehovah is a combination found
in Isai. vi. 5. Compare Ps. xcv. 3. xcvi. 10. xcvii. 1. The
whole is equivalent to saying, hail him who has now become your
king I

7. Let th^ sea thunder and what fills it— the land and those
dwelling on it. The last stanza represents the praise as universal.
For the meaning of the first clause, see above, on Ps. xcvi. 11 ; for
that of the second, on Ps. xxiv. 1. The word there translated
world is here used in opposition to sea, and therefore rendered
land. See above, on Ps. xc. 2.

8. Let rivers clap the hand; together let mountains sing (or
shout for joy!) This bold but beautiful personification is also
found in Isai. Iv. 12, the only other place where the clapping of
the hands is ascribed to lifeless objects. This was a customary
sign of joy, especially when joined with acclamation in honour

342 PSALM XCIX.

of a sovereign, as it is not only here, and in Ps. xlvii. 2(1), iu
highly figurative poetry, but also in historical prose, e. g. the
account of the coronation of Joash, 2 Kings xi. 12. Together^
not merely with each other, but at the same time and in concert
with the applauses of the floods or rivers.

9. Before Jehovah^ for he cometh to judge the earth; he will
judge the world in righteousness and nations in equity. The ac-
clamations must be uttered to Jehovah, not only as a sovereign
king, but as a righteous judge. The first clause is like Ps.
xcvi. 13, except that it omits the emphatic repetition, which is
also the case iu 1 Chr. xvi. 33. The first verb might, in all these
cases, be more exactly and emphatically rendered, he is come.
In equity, literally equities or rectitudes, the plural form denoting
fulness and perfection. See above, on Ps. xcvi. 10.

PSALM XCIX.

The theme of this psalm, as of those immediately preceding, is
the kingship of Jehovah, v. 1. The remainder falls into two
stanzas of four verses each. In the first, Jehovah's goodness to
his people is propounded as a subject of applause to all mankind,
vs. 2 — 5. In the second, the same duty is enforced by an ap-
peal to historical examples, vs. 6 — 9. The strophical arrange-
ment is marked by the resemblance of vs. 5 and 9. The psalm
is related in the closest manner to those before and after it, as
forming one connected series. See below, on Ps. c.

1 . Jehovah reigns, the Tuitions tremble ; sitting on (or dwelling

PSALM XCIX. 343

between) the cherubim (he reigns), the earth quakes. The second
member of each clause describes the effect produced by the dis-
closure of the fact that God has begun to reign, is actually
reigning. For the meaning of the phrase sitting on (or dwelling
between) the cheruUm^ see above, on Ps. Ixxx. 2(1.) As used in
history, it always presupposes the presence of the ark as symbol-
izing that of God himself. See 1 Sam. iv. 4. 2 Sam. vi. 2.
2 Kings xix. 15. Its use here, therefore, shows that the psalm
before us, and by necessary consequence, the series to which it
belongs (Ps. xci — c), and by parity of reasoning, the later pro-
phecies of Isaiah, were all composed before the Babylonian eon-
quest, when the temple was destroyed and the ark lost sight of.
The futures have their strict sense, as this is a prediction. If
they were optative {let the nations tremble^ etc.) one of the verbs
at least would have that form.

2. Jehovah in Zion (is) great, and high (is) he above all na-
tions. Compare Ps. xlviii. 2(1.) xcv. 3. xcvi. 4. xcvii. 9. The
addition of the qualifying phrase in Zion shows that the reference
is not to God's absolute essential greatness, but to some signal
manifestation of his greatness to his people. The word translated
highia originally a participle, and may be likened to our English
towering.

3. They shall acknowledge thy name, great and terrible : Holy
(is) He ! The subject of the first verb is the nations mentioned
in V. 2. See above, Ps. xcvi. 9. xcvii. 7. xcviii. 1, 4. The verb
itself means to acknowledge thankfully, to thank, to praise for
benefits received. See above, on Ps. vi. 5 (4.) Thy name, the
evidence already furnished of thine infinite perfection. Great
and feared, or to be feared, epithets derived from Deut. x. 17.
xxviii. 58. In the last clause some would read, Holy (is) it, i. e
thy name. But the sense is determined by the analogy of vs.
5, 9, and the obvious allusion to Isai. vi, 3. This allusion is by

344 PSALM XCIX.

some supposed to be the reason of the sudden change of person,
He instead of Thou. But this may be still more readily ac-
counted for, by making these the very words in which God is
acknowledged by the nations : (saying) Holy is He ! Holy^ in
the wide sense which it has in the Old Testament, and more par-
ticularly in the Psalms. See above, on Ps. xxii. 4 (3.)

4. And the king'^s strength loves judgment ; thou hast established
equity ; judgment and justice in Jacoh thou hast done. Some con-
tinue the construction from the preceding sentence ; they shall
acknoiclcdge thy name and the kingh strength loving judgment.
But as sentences of this length are unusual in Hebrew, and as
iu5^ is not elsewhere a participle or verbal adjective, the best
construction is the old one which makes this an independent
proposition. The meaning of the first clause seems to be, that
God's power is controlled in its exercise by his love of justice.
To estallish equity is to give it permanence by a habitually pure
administration of justice. The terms of the last clause are the
same by which the history describes the judicial fidelity of David,
2 Sam. viii. 15, as if to indicate that it was a mere type of God's
more perfect and infallible administration of impartial justice.

5. Exalt ye Jehovah our God., and 'prostrate yourselves to his
footstool. Holy (is) He! With the first clause compare Ps.
XXX. 2 (1.) xxxiv. 4 (3) ; with the second, Ps. xcvi. 9. xcvii. 7.
As in those cases, the address is to the nations. Bow down (or
^prostrate) yourselves^ as an act of worship. Not at his footstool^
as the mere place of worship, but to it, as the object, this name
being constantly given to the ark, 1 Chron. xxviii. 2. Lam. ii. 1.
Ps. cxxxii. 7. Isai. Ix. 13. Even in Isai. Ixvi. 1, there is al-
lusion to the ordinary usage of the terms. The ark is here re-
presented as the object of worship, just as Zion is in Isai. xlv. 14,
both being put for the God who was present in them.

PSALM XCIX. 345

6. Moses and Aaron among his priests j and Samuel among
those calling on his name — calling to Jehovah^ and he answers
them. The structure of the sentence is elliptical, and may be
completed either by supplying are or were before among., or by
making the participle calling mean are calling., call. In ex-
plaining the sentence due regard must be had to its parallel
structure. As Moses and Aaron are evidently meant to be in-
cluded among those who called upon the name of the Lord, so
Samuel must be comprehended among his priests. Moses and
Samuel are so described because they were theocratic mediators
between God and the people, and as such performed occasionally
what were strictly sacerdotal functions. See Lev. viii. 15 — 30.
1 Sam. ix. 13. The prayers here referred to are their interces-
sions for the people. See Ex. xviii. 19. xxxii. 11 — 30. Num.
xi. 2. xiv. 9. xxi. 7. Deut. v. 5. ix. 18, 19. 1 Sam. vii. 9. xii. 23.
Ps. cvi. 23. The connection of this verse with the foreoroino- con-
text is obscure, but the idea seems to be, that as even the chiefs
of the theocracy were under the necessity of seeking the divine
favour, such prayer must, to say the least, be equally necessary
in the case of others.

1 . In a pillar of cloud he speaks to them. They kept his testi-
monies and the statute he gave unto them. The first clause may
be figuratively understood as denoting any special divine com-
munication, or what was literally true of Moses and Aaron (Ex.
xxxiii. 9. Num. xii. 5. Deut. xxxi. 15) may be here applied to all
three indiscriminately. The verse contains a second lesson
drawn from the history of the theocracy, to wit, the necessity of
obedience no less than of prayer. It was true, God spoke to these
men in an extraordinary manner ; but it was for the purpose of
making known his will, and that will they obeyed. For the
meaning of testimonies., see above, on Ps. xciii. 5. The last
clause may be construed as an independent proposition, and he,
gave a statute to them., i. e. he rewarded their obedience by re-

346 PSALM XCIX.

vealing to them new laws. But the sense thus obtained is not so
clear or natural as that afforded by the relative construction, and
the statute {lohich) he gave them.

8. Jehovah our God^ thou didst answer them ; a forgiving God
wast thou to them, and (a God) taking vengeance on their crimes.
The apostrophe to God himself adds solemnity and tenderness
to the discourse. The pronoun is emphatic, they called and thou
didst hear or answer. The following description is borrowed
from Ex. xxxiv. 7. The divine name (\^) implies that he had
infinite power to destroy and yet forgave them. The last He-
brew word in the verse is used of God in a good sense, and of
man always in a bad one. See above on Ps. ix. 12 (H.) xiv. 1.
Ixxvii. 13 (12.) There is here a beautiful transition from the repre-
sentatives of the people to the people themselves. The pronoun
in the first clause {them) can refer only to Moses, Aaron, and
Samuel ; in the second, it is applicable both to them and to the
people ; in the third, it relates to the latter exclusively.

9. Exalt ye Jehovah our God^ and how doivn to his holy kill ;
for holy (is) Jehovah our God. See above, on v. 5, from which
this differs only in the substitution of the holy hill for the equiva-
lent expression footstool^ and in the more distinct assertion of
God's holiness as a reason for the worship thus required.

P S AL M C.

This psalm is related to the ninety-ninth as the ninety-eighth
is to the ninety-seventh. The prophecy there latent is here

PSALM C. 347

clothed in a genuine lyrical form. There is also the same likeness
as to structure and arrangement. The theme, propounded in v.
1, is amplified in two short stanzas, of two verses each. In both
these an exhortation to praise God is followed by a reason for so
doino-. Men ought to praise him as their creator and preserver,
vs. 2, 3. They ought also to praise him for his infinite goodness,
constancy, and faithfulness, vs. 4, 5. Besides completing the
foregoing psalm, it closes the whole series or cycle of harmonious
addresses to the nations or the world at large.

1. A Psalm. For thanksgiving. Shout unto Jehovah^ all the
earth ! The title resembles that of Ps. xcvii., but is rendered
more specific by the addition for thanksgiving. The version
praise is too restricted. See above, on Ps. xcix. 3. The rest of
the verse is identical with Ps. xcviii. 4. See also Ps. ii. 11. Ixvi. 1.

2. Serve Jehovah with joy, come before him with singing !
Since he is the king of the nations, they are his subjects, and as
such bound to serve him. What they are required to do in Ps.
ii. 11 with fear and trembling as repentant rebels, they are here
invited to do with joy and gladness as his willing subjects.

3. Know ye that Jehovah is God; (it is) He (that) made us, and
not we (ourselves), his people, and the sheep of his pasture. This
is the first reason given for acknowledging Jehovah's sovereignty,
to wit, that he has made his people what they are. With the
first clause compare Ps. xlvi. 11 (10.) Instead of and not we
ourselves, the keri or masoretic reading in the margin of the He-
brew Bible has, and his we are. These phrases, though so un-
like in English, difi'er only in a single letter, and not (itb) we,
and to him (lb) we. The first is adopted by the Septuagint and
Vulgate, the second by the Targum and Jerome. In favour of
the latter is the similar construction of the pronoun (l2n35^) we
with (1723?) his people in Ps. Ixxix. 13. xcv. 7. In favour of the

348 PSALM C.

other is its antiquity, and its greater significancy and appropriate-
ness to tlie context. Some who adopt it read, it is ke that has made
us (to be) his peopkj the sheep, etc. But besides the violence of this
construction, he made us has no doubt the same sense as in Ps.
xcv. 6, and his people must mean us loho are his people. Sheep (or
Jlock) of his pasture, as in Ps. Ixxiv. 1. Ixxix. 13. xcv. 7.

4. Enter his gates with thanksgixing and his courts ivith praise ;
give tho.nks unto him, bless his name ! Compare Ps. Ixxxiv. 3 (2.)
xcii. 14 (13.) xcv. 2. xcvi. 2, 8. xcvii. 12. The substance of the
exhortation is, join in the worship of his people. That the refer-
ence to the sanctuary at Jerusalem is merely typical or meta-
phorical, is clear from the analogy of Isai. Ixvi. 23, where all
mankind are required to come up every sabbath, a command
which, if literally understood, is perfectly impracticable. The
combination of the verb to thank (^lin) with its derivative noun
(MTiln) may throw some light upon the title, a psalm for thanks-
giving (niiri?).

5. For good (is) Jehovah, to eternity his mercy, and even to
generation and generation his faithfulness (or truth.) This verse
assigns a second reason for the invitation to praise Jehovah,
namely, the goodness, truth, and constancy of the divine nature.
With the first clause compare Ps. xxv. 8. xxxiv. 9 (8.) Ixxxvi. 5 ;
with the second, Isai. liv. 8, 10 ; with the third, Ps. Ixxxix. 2 (1.)
xcii. 3 (2.)

Here ends what Hengstenberg describes as a decalogue of
Psalms (xci — c), all intended to exhibit the relation between Israel
and the world at large ; all of a cheering and triumphant character,
\vithout the slightest intermixture of complaint or lamentation ;
all crowded with citations from the older Scriptures, or al-

PSALM C. 349

lusions to them ; almost all pointing to a glorious theophany still
future ; and almost all distinguished by emphatic repetitions, and
the frequent use of musical terms, especially the names of instru-
ments. That these psalms are not thrown together at random, is
apparent from the fact that the series begins with a general as-
surance of divine protection (Ps. xci.), and of God's power both
to save the righteous and destroy the wicked (Ps. xcii), followed
by variations on the grand theme that the Lord reigneth
Ps. xciii — xcix),and closing with an earnest exhortation to the
whole world to receive him as their sovereign (Ps. c.) The
mutual relation of the several psalms has been already indicated
in the exposition. According to Hengstenberg, these ten psalms
are in Psalmody what the later chapters of Isaiah (xl — Ixvi) are
in Prophecy ; and as the former are undoubtedly anterior to the
exile, they confirm the genuineness of the latter.

END OF VOL. II.

Princeton Theological Semmary-Speer Library

1 1012 01083 8920

DEMCO 38-297