8. I will early destroy &c.] The meaning may be, "Every morning I will be destroying, &c." The Hebrew courts of justice were held in the morning; see 2 Sam. xv. 2; Jer. xxi. 12. Green. Or, the word here rendered "early," may mean "soon." Merrick. Or, "assiduously." Rosenmuller. How noble a declaration was this in a great king and how worthy the imitation of all the princes of the earth! How noble a manner too was this of publishing declarations to the people, in solemn and sublime hymns to Almighty God; set to musick, and sung with joy and transport through the land; at once vindicating innocence, and propagating piety! Let this be numbered among the felicities peculiar to David. Dr. Delaney. Psalm CH. This Psalm seems, by the thirteenth verse, to have been composed about the time that God had promised a restoration to his people from their captivity in Babylon; namely, after a term of seventy years: it strongly describes the miseries they suffered during their captivity, and begs God at length to take pity on Jerusalem, and restore it, with the temple, to its former glory; for this would be such an illustrious proof of his divinity, that it would draw all nations to do Him homage; and particularly his attention to this prayer of the poor prisoner should be recorded for his honour to future generations. Mudge. Penitential sorrow being a principal subject of this Psalm, it is suitable to the service of Ash-Wednesday. Travell. Ver. 3.—as an hearth.] Literally, as a firebrand. Dr. Wall, Old Translation. ness: I am like an owl of the desert. 9. For I have eaten ashes &c.] I am so humbled by my affliction, that, like a mournful penitent, I lie down among the dust and ashes, which mingle themselves with my food, as tears do with my drink. Travell, Bp. Patrick. 9. 10. He will not always chide: &c.] God's chastisements are some of the most eminent proofs of his mercy. They are sent to reclaim us from eternal punishment. They continue not always, but are removed when they have done their work; and while they last, are as nothing in comparison of those heavy stripes which our sins have deserved. Bp. Horne. 12. As far as the east &c.] That is, He hath entirely remitted the punishment due to our manifold offences. Bp. Patrick. 13.—the set time, is come.] The time fixed for the continuance of the Babylonish captivity; which was seventy years, Jer. xxix. 10. Green. 13. Like as a father &c.] See Isa. xlix. 15. This is one of the most excellent songs of thanksgiving in the whole Book of Psalms. David here seems affected with the highest strains of devotion, and 14.—take pleasure in her stones.] That is, bear an affection to her ruins. Green. —and favour the dust thereof.] Rather, "and compassionate her dust." 16. When the Lord &c.] From ver. 16 to 22 inclusive, the Psalmist seems to speak prophetically of the Messiah. The mercies of God are to be recorded. PSALMS. An exhortation to bless God for his mercy, generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. 25. Of old hast thou &c.] The application of this and the following verses to Jesus Christ, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, is at once a proof of his Divinity, and of the inspiration of the Psalms. See Heb. i. 10. Travell. 28. The children of thy servants &c.] Whatever may be the fate of the present generation, whether they may live to see the accomplishment of all that has been foretold, or not, yet the word of God standeth sure; there shall be always a Church, and an holy seed, to whom the promise shall be made good. Bp. Horne. If we had a true devotion in our hearts to form and compound our prayers, and a fervent motion from our hearts to pour them out, we might reasonably as well as piously believe, that every prayer we so send up to heaven would prove effectual, and bring down that from thence to us, for which we pray. The Church hath provided an excellent form of devotion and prayer for all men to concur in at the publick service and worship of God; and whoever reads and considers that form, will find himself best prepared for his private devotions; and may very profitably transplant expressions from thence into his most private and occasional addresses to the Divine Providence. Lord Clarendon. Psalm CHI. In this Psalm David blesses God for # ¶ A Psalm of David. BLESS the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 3. Who layeth &c.] That is, the clouds make the flooring of his heavens. Mudge. - who maketh the clouds his chariot.] See the note on Deut. xxviii. 26. 4. Who maketh his angels &c.] From the manner in which these words are introduced, and the place where they stand, one should conceive the meaning of them to be, that God employs the elements of air and fire, the winds and the lightnings, as his messengers and ministers, to execute his commands upon the earth. But the Apostle, Heb. i. 7, informs us, that they have a further reference to immaterial angels; either because those angels often appeared in the likeness, or because they were endued with the properties, of wind and flame. Intellectual beings of the highest order in the realms above, are as ready to fulfil the word of Jehovah, as are the elements of this lower world. Bp. Horne. 5. - that it should not &c.] These words do by no means imply, that the earth is stationary, or that it is eternal; but only that it is so constructed as to answer the end, and to last the time for which it was created. Bp. Horne. 7. At thy rebuke] At thy omnipotent word. Bp. Patrick. 8. They go up &c.] Rather. They go up mountains, they go down valleys, to the places Thou hast appointed for them. Edwards. A meditation upon the mighty power and wonderful providence of God. place which thou hast founded for them. 15.—and oil to make] See the note on Psalm xxiii. 5. 17.—as for the stork, &c.] The storks breed plentifully in Barbary every summer. They make their nests with dry twigs of trees, which they place upon the highest parts of old ruins or houses, in the canals of ancient aqueducts, and frequently (so familiar they are, by being never molested) upon the very tops of their mosques and dwelling-houses. The fir and other trees likewise (when these are wanting) “are a dwelling for the stork.” Dr. Shaw. 18. The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats;] See the note on Job xxxix. 1. —for the conies.] See notes on Lev. xi. 5; Prov. xxx. 26. 19. He appointed the moon for seasons;] The greatest part of the Jewish feasts, as the new moon, the pass-over, the pentecost, &c. were governed by the moon. Dimock. 26.—leviathan.] This word, which in Job xli. signifies the crocodile, and in Psalm lxxiv. 14, is used allegorically for the Egyptians, and in Isa. xxvii. 1, for other mighty oppressors of God's church, appears to be used in this place for a whale, or large fish of the cetaceous kind. Porkhurst. 30. Thou sendest forth thy spirit, &c.] That Spirit of thine, which moved, at the first, upon the face of the waters, is still sent forth by Thee, for the renewing of those several creatures, whose daily mortality requires the supply of a continual succession and propagation. Bp. Hail. 32. He looketh on the earth, &c.] At his presence the very earth trembles, and the mountains, as our fathers saw at mount Sinai, are full of fire and smoke. Bp. Patrick. Since the works of the creation are all of them so many demonstrations of the infinite wisdom and power of God, they may serve to us as so many arguments exciting to the constant fear of God, and to a steady hearty obedience to all his laws. And thus we may make these works as serviceable to our spiritual interest, as they all are to our life and temporal interest. For if, whenever we see them, we would consider that these are the works of our Divine Lord and Master, to whom we are to be accountable for all our thoughts, words, and works, and that in these we may see his infinite power and wisdom; this would check us in sunning, and excite us to serve and please Him who is above all control, and who hath our life and whole happiness in his power. Dr. Derkaw. Ver. 4.—seek his face evermore.] Approach his presence evermore; that is, the ark of his presence. Green. 5.—the judgments of his mouth.] He means, the punishments on their enemies, which He, by the word of his mouth, by the exercise of his immediate power, had wrought. Dr. Hammond. 6.—ye children of Jacob his chosen.] Ye children of Jacob, whom he chose (rejecting Esau) to inherit the promised blessing; see Gen. xxv. 23. Bp. Patrick. 10.—everlasting covenant.] That is, a covenant never to be altered, if they steadily kept it. Bp. Patrick. 15.—Touch not mine anointed.] Do not dare to lay hands upon those whom I have peculiarly consecrated to myself and my service. Bp. Hall. See the notes on Lev. ii. 1, and on Gen. xx. 18. — anointed,—prophets! The Patriarchs were considered as priests and Prophets, by celebrating the name of Jehovah among the nations, and foretelling a Redeemer of Israel; see Gen. xx. 7; xxii. 8; xlix. 10. Dimock. 16.—the whole staff of bread.] All the support of life. Bp. Wilson. 19.—that his word came.] That the word of the Lord came. See Gen. xli. 25. 22. To bind his princes at his pleasure.] That is, he entrusted him with absolute power, to command the rulers of his several provinces at his pleasure. Bp. Patrick. 25. He turned their heart &c.] The kindness and love of God to his people "turned the hearts" of the H 2 Ver. 6. We have sinned with our fathers.] That is, after their example of unbelief and disobedience. Bp. Horue. 13. - they waited not for his counsel. They were too impatient to wait for the full execution of his purposes towards them. Travell. 14. - and tempted God! To give them still further proofs of his power. Bp. Wilson. 15. - but sent leanness into their soul. This expression refers generally to the diseases inflicted upon the Israelites by Heaven; see Numb. xi. 33. Rosenmüller. 17. The earth opened &c.] Perhaps Dathan and Abram are mentioned only as being guilty of the greater crime in invading the priestly office, which belonged to the tribe of Levi. Dimock. 20. - they changed their glory. They forsook the true worship of God, who was their glory. Dr. Wells. 24. Yea, they despised the pleasant land.] They de 26. Therefore he lifted up &c.] That is, He swore unto them that He would make them fall in the wilderness. "Lifting the hand" was the usual form of swearing; see Gen. xiv. 22. Mudge. See the note on Deut. xxxii. 40. 28. — and they rebelled not &c.] Some interpreters suppose the word "they" refers to Moses and Aaron. Dimock, Rosenmuller. 44. — they inherited the labour of the people; They took possession of the cities, towns, fields, and vineyards, which the labour of others (that is, the Canaanites) had built and planted. Bp. Patrick. 45. — Praise ye the Lord. This is a literal translation from the Hebrew word Alleluia, or Hallelujah (see the margin). This word occurs at the beginning or at the end of many Psalms. Alleluia was sung on solemn days of rejoicing: "and all her streets (that is, the streets of Jerusalem) shall say Alleluia," says Tobit, speaking of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, Tob. xiii. 18. St. John in the Revelation says, "I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God," chap. xix. 1; see also ver. 3, 4, 6. This expression of joy and praise was transferred at an early period from the synagogue to the church: and it is still occasionally used in devotional psalmody. Calmet. Who can behold the army of Divine judgments set forth in dreadful array before him, (ver. 28—36,) without trembling very exceedingly at that Power which is departed: for the fear of them fell upon them. 28. They joined themselves &c.] See the note on Numb. xxv. 3. - the sacrifices of the dead.] Perhaps the meaning is, sacrifices which were offered to idols, which he calls "dead," in opposition to the true and living God, and by way of contempt, and to note the sottishness of idolaters, who worshipped lifeless things, as stocks and stones, or dead men. Poole, Rosenmüller. 30. Then stood up &c.] The notes upon many of the passages referred to in the margin will explain several of the following verses. Ver. 7. — to a city of habitation.] That is, to a place inhabited, where they found relief for their necessities. Bp. Patrick. 10. — being bound in affliction and iron;] This passage may be rendered, Being bound in galling chains. Dimock, Rosenmüller. 16. For he hath broken &c.] That is, made way for men's escape, when their case was desperate, by removing the greatest obstacles. Dr. Wells. 33. He turneth rivers &c.] He turneth a well-watered country into a wilderness, and a soil abounding with springs into dry ground. Green. 37. — yield fruits of increase.] The land of Canaan was fruitful beyond measure; see Deut. viii. 7, &c. Dimock. 39. Thus were they defiled &c.] Idolatry, which is infidelity towards God, is often represented in Scripture as spiritual formication or adultery. Travell. See notes at Exod. xxxii. 6; xxxiv. 16.