. Ver. 5. In the judgment.—The judgment-seat of Christ.—Bishop Horne. Ver. 6. The Lord knoweth.—That is, approveth and acknowledgeth. See (Psalms 31:7). (Amos 3:2). (Matthew 25:12). Psat. II. David's name is not prefixed to this psalm in our bibles; it is so in the Septuagint translation, and the whole assembly of the apostles here intended, is evidently the last righteous, is their assembly at the judgment. Ver. 4. The Lord.—Adonai, not JEHOVAH, as in ver. 2. As we shall frequently meet with both these words in this book, we may here observe, that when the word “Lord” occurs in small letters, it is the former in the original, but the latter when in capitals: here, however, all the printed bibles in Hebrew we have consulted, read Adonai, ‘Lord;’ yet most copies of our authorized version we have seen, print the word in capitals, as if it were JEHOVAH, which ## Notes on the verses So do the Bereshith Rabba, the book Jalleuth, (Zohar) and others of the Talmudical writings. So Solomon Jarchi confesses in these words, ‘‘Our masters have expounded (this psalm) of the King Messiah; but, according to the letter, and for furnishing answers to the Minim, (heretics, i.e. the Christians,) ‘t is better to interpret it of David himself."—(Dr. Smith's Scripture Testimony to the Messiah.) Ver. 1. Why do the heathen.— Hebrew, “the nations,” The Jews called all nations beside their own heathen: we restrain it to pagan or idolatrous na- Ver. 3, cords.—This implies rebellion, or renouncing all Dr. Boothroyd says, is the reading of many Hebrew MSS. and he thinks the true one. Ver. 5. Ver.—Margin “trouble:” ‘‘rebuke.”—Dr. J. P. Smith. “Confound.”—Dr. Chandler. mo. Ver. 7. I will declare the decree.—Messiah is here introduced as speaking in his own person. Ver. 9. A rod of iron.— A sceptre of iron.” See note on (Genesis 49:10). Ver. 12. Perish from the way.—Or ‘by the way;’ or ‘on the road.’ Dr. J. P. Smith (Or, “and ye lose the way,” or, “and ye perish in the way.” The LXX. and Vulgate have, “and ye perish from the righteous way:” and the Syriac, “and ye perish from his way.”)—Bagster.—Kiss—Was used not only as an act of submission, but also of idolatry. (1 Kings 19:18). Hosea XI. 2. He raised my head to see the light, And make his praise my morning song.”— Watts. Psalm IV. Ver. 1—8. A Psalm of David, for the even- “the chief musician on Neginoth,” or, “the overseer of the hs like many other psalms, is in, the title directed to performers on stringed instruments,” including the harp, psaltery, and other instruments played with the hand: so the following psalm is dedicated “to the chief musician on Nehiloth, or “to the overseer of the performers on wind instruments.” The trumpets were performed on by the priests only; but these two classes of instruments, as already intimated, were pro- formed alternately, and when they united in general chorus, coe used to accompany two choirs of singers, which per- the trumpets, horns, and cymbals, were probably joined with them. This was an evening psalm, and probably used at the tie of the evening sacrifice. It is, however, equally adapted to the use of Christians as of Jews. It is the language of one sho, having received mercy in former time, now applies to the me source for assistance and deliverance, But the psalm is not all devotional; part of it 1s addressed to persons of a different character: “How long will ye turn my glory into shame?” that is, how long will you despise and ridicule my trust in Jehovah, which is my por! and at the same time delight in vanity and falsehood; or, as those words mean in the lips of a pious Israelite, “How long will you put your trust in idols, which are but lying vanities.” ((Acts 14:15).) Such are exhorted to stand in awe—to reflect—to meditate by night upon their beds, and submit to the divine decree, as having reference to his establishment on the throne, from which he was probably now driven; for Lightfoot, Calmet, and others, thin this psalm, as well as the pret was written during Absalom’s rebellion. Both, however, may have a farther reference to the Messiah himself, as King in Sion, and ver. 4. may be parallel with Ps. 2. 11. “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”, t I represent the The concluding verses of the psalm forcibl writer’s faith and confidence in God, in contra been given to this word; but elevation seems the radical idea, from which many have inferred that it signified an extraordinary elevation of the voice; but as this word wenerally occurs at the end of a verse, such an elevation seems most unnatural. We are not apt to speak confidently; but in this case we have no doubt, that the elevation was not that of the voice, but of the “hand; a common and very natural sign, made by the leader of a choir, when the performers are to hold a note beyond its proper duration, or make a solemn pause. The LXX. render Selah by Diapsalma, which is explained to intimate a pause, or division in the performance. Ver. 3. A shield forme. The. eee of the ancients were sometimes so ee that a man might be carried on them.;: 4 pe ok Twill not be afraid.—The Lord had helped David, and disabled his enemies, when persecuted by Saul and his ungodly adherents; and he was confident that he would thus appear for him in his present distress; for salvation, temporal and spiritual, came from God alone; and he never failed to bless his faithful people.—T. Scott. ’ Ver. 7. On the cheek bone.—David’s ungodly and profane enemies are here man may lay down to sleep with composure, and rest in the assurance of perfect safety. “Thus with my thoughts, composed to peace, I lay me down to sleep: Thy hand in safety keeps my days, And will my slumbers keep.” — Watts. Psalm V. Ver. 1-12. A Psalm of David, at morning prayer.—This psalm (as already mentioned) is addressed to the chief musician,” or Levite who superintended Nehiloth, or “the wind instruments.” Musicians know that it requires a high state of improvement. wind instruments, (by means of keys, &c.) to make them perform in tune with stringed instruments, which, being played with the hand, may be tuned more perfectly. Hence the bands of stringed and wind instruments are generally employed separately and alternately, even to our own time. Bishop Horsley applies this psalm personally to Christ, in his pods office, for which we see no sufficient grounds. We should rather consider it as the language of the psalmist, attending the early devotions of the temple, preparing his heart to seek God, looking upward towards his holy residence in heaven, and waiting like an anxious petitioner for his answer. The psalmist then, considering his own situation as placed among wicked men, waiting for his halting, (as the prophet Jeremiah expresses it, (Psalms 20:10).) prays to be directed in the straight path of duty, that his enemies may gain no advantage over him. Bishop Horne remarks, that St. Paul ((Romans 3:13).) has cited a part of verse 9, “together with other passages from the Psalms and Prophets, to evince the depravity of mankind whether Jews or Gentiles, till justified by faith, and renewed by grace. It is plain, therefore, that the description was designed for others, besides the enemies of the literal David; and is of more general import, reaching to the world of the ungodly, and to the enemies of all righteousness, as manifested in the person of the Messiah and his church. The charge istinction from natseach) signifies one that urgeth the continuance of any thing unto the end. (2 Chronicles 22:18). and xxxiv. 12,13..... There, were Levites appointed to several duties; and some (lenatseach) to set forward, and be over the rest, (1 Chronicles 15:21). and there were Such as excelled in the art of singing and playing upon instruments... -_- - Some Levites had no other charge.” —Ainsworth. The LXX. render Lemnatseach, “to the end,” (eis télos,) which the critics have been much puzzled to account for; but if the leader were always placed as with us, at the end of the row of musicians which he superintended, it will be easily accounted for. A Ver. 1. My righteousness.—By this expression the Psalmist acknowledged God to be in all respects the Author and Source of his righteousness, as accepted and sanctified; and he appealed to him to do justice between him and his unrighteous adversaries.—T. Scott.. 4, Ver. 2. My glory.—David might have considered his throne as special honour to him, seeing he was called to it by the immediate choice of God, and as a type of the Messiah: but the Lord himself, and his relation to him, were indeed “‘his Glory.’—Scott.— Leasing. Horseley, falsehood. Ver. 4. Stand in awe.—Bishop Horne, “tremble.” But the Greek translators render it, “Be angry and sin not; And so it is quoted by St. Paul, Ep. ## Notes on the verses ALM IV.: bg ed Pitle--To the chief —[Nagan, to strike, or play on a minor on the same occasion as the preceding.]—Bagster. iv. 6. y 3 Ver. 7. More than in the time.—‘Beyond,” or, “superior to.”"—Bishop The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 4; the text below is that joint comment. He raised my head to see the light, And make his praise my morning song.”— Watts. Psalm IV. Ver. 1—8. A Psalm of David, for the evening—“the chief musician on Neginoth,” or, “the overseer of the performers on stringed instruments,” including the harp, psaltery, and other instruments played with the hand: so the following psalm is dedicated “to the chief musician on Nehiloth,” or “to the overseer of the performers on wind instruments.” The trumpets were performed on by the priests only; but these two classes of instruments, as already intimated, were performed alternately, and when they united in general chorus, were used to accompany two choirs of singers, which performed; the trumpets, horns, and cymbals, were probably joined with them. This was an evening psalm, and probably used at the time of the evening sacrifice. It is, however, equally adapted to the use of Christians as of Jews. It is the language of one who, having received mercy in former time, now applies to the same source for assistance and deliverance. But the psalm is not all devotional; part of it is addressed to persons of a different character: “How long will ye turn my glory into shame?” that is, how long will you despise and ridicule my trust in Jehovah, which is my port, and at the same time delight in vanity and falsehood; or, as those words mean in the lips of a pious Israelite, “How long will you put your trust in idols, which are but lying vanities?” ((Acts 14:15).) Such are exhorted to stand in awe—to reflect—to meditate by night upon their beds, and submit to the divine decree, as having reference to his establishment on the throne, from which he was probably now driven; for Lightfoot, Calmet, and others, think this psalm, as well as the preceding, was written during Absalom’s rebellion. Both, however, may have a farther reference to the Messiah himself, as King in Sion, and ver. 4. may be parallel with (Psalms 2:11). “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” I represent the The concluding verses of the psalm forcibly the writer’s faith and confidence in God, in contrast with the reproaches that had been given to this word; but elevation seems the radical idea, from which many have inferred that it signified an extraordinary elevation of the voice; but as this word generally occurs at the end of a verse, such an elevation seems most unnatural. We are not apt to speak confidently; but in this case we have no doubt, that the elevation was not that of the voice, but of the “hand;” a common and very natural sign, made by the leader of a choir, when the performers are to hold a note beyond its proper duration, or make a solemn pause. The LXX. render Selah by Diapsalma, which is explained to intimate a pause, or division in the performance. Ver. 3. A shield formed. The shields of the ancients were sometimes so large that a man might be carried on them. Ver. 4. I will not be afraid.—The Lord had helped David, and disabled his enemies, when persecuted by Saul and his ungodly adherents; and he was confident that he would thus appear for him in his present distress; for salvation, temporal and spiritual, came from God alone; and he never failed to bless his faithful people.—T. Scott. Ver. 7. On the cheek bone.—David’s ungodly and profane enemies are here mentioned; but the godly man may lay down to sleep with composure, and rest in the assurance of perfect safety. “Thus with my thoughts, composed to peace, I lay me down to sleep: Thy hand in safety keeps my days, And will my slumbers keep.” — Watts. Psalm V. Ver. 1-12. A Psalm of David, at morning prayer.—This psalm (as already mentioned) is addressed to the chief musician,” or Levite who superintended Nehiloth, or “the wind instruments.” Musicians know that it requires a high state of improvement in wind instruments, (by means of keys, &c.) to make them perform in tune with stringed instruments, which, being played with the hand, may be tuned more perfectly. Hence the bands of stringed and wind instruments are generally employed separately and alternately, even to our own time. Bishop Horsley applies this psalm personally to Christ, in his priest’s office, for which we see no sufficient grounds. We should rather consider it as the language of the psalmist, attending the early devotions of the temple, preparing his heart to seek God, looking upward towards his holy residence in heaven, and waiting like an anxious petitioner for his answer. The psalmist then, considering his own situation as placed among wicked men, waiting for his halting, (as the prophet Jeremiah expresses it, (Psalms 20:10).) prays to be directed in the straight path of duty, that his enemies may gain no advantage over him. Bishop Horne remarks, that St. Paul ((Romans 3:13).) has cited a part of verse 9, “together with other passages from the Psalms and Prophets, to evince the depravity of mankind whether Jews or Gentiles, till justified by faith, and renewed by grace. It is plain, therefore, that the description was designed for others, besides the enemies of the literal David; and is of more general import, reaching to the world of the ungodly, and to the enemies of all righteousness, as manifested in the person of the Messiah and his church. The charge (lest each) signifies one that urgeth the continuance of any thing unto the end. (2 Chronicles 22:18). and xxxiv. 12,13. There were Levites appointed to several duties; and some (lenatseach) to set forward, and be over the rest, (1 Chronicles 15:21). and there were such as excelled in the art of singing and playing upon instruments... Some Levites had no other charge.” —Ainsworth. The LXX. render Lemnatseach, “to the end,” (eis télos,) which the critics have been much puzzled to account for; but if the leader were always placed as with us, at the end of the row of musicians which he superintended, it will be easily accounted for. Ver. 1. My righteousness.—By this expression the Psalmist acknowledged God to be in all respects the Author and Source of his righteousness, as accepted and sanctified; and he appealed to him to do justice between him and his unrighteous adversaries.—T. Scott. Ver. 2. My glory.—David might have considered his throne as special honour to him, seeing he was called to it by the immediate choice of God, and as a type of the Messiah: but the Lord himself, and his relation to him, were indeed “his Glory.”—Scott.—Leasing. Horsley, falsehood. Ver. 4. Stand in awe.—Bishop Horne, “tremble.” But the Greek translators render it, “Be angry and sin not; And so it is quoted by St. Paul, Ep. ## Notes on the verses ALM IV.: big ed Title—To the chief —[Nagan, to strike, or play on a minor on the same occasion as the preceding.]—Bagster. iv. 6. Ver. 7. More than in the time.—“Beyond,” or, “superior to.””—Bishop be found in their dealings with God or each other; that their ‘inward parts’ were very wickedness; their first thoughts and imaginations were defiled, and the stream was poisoned at the fountain: that their ‘throat was an open sepulchre,’ continually emitting, in obscene and impious language, the noisome and infectious exhalations of a putrid heart, entombed in a body of sin; and that, if ever they put on the appearance of goodness, they ‘flattered with their tongue,’ in order the more effectually to deceive and destroy.” In calling for judgment against his enemies, the psalmist against him, rebelled against the Lord himself. This is particularly true, if, with Bishops Horne and Horsley, we apply the psalm to the Messiah, whose impenitent enemies are excluded from the hope of mercy. ((Psalms 2:9, 12).) Those, however, who love and fear him, have every reason to hope in him— “For thou, Jehovah, wilt be found To bless and guard man still, As with a shield thou wilt surround Him with thy lasting favour and good-will.” —Milton. Psalm VI. Ver. 1—10. A Psalm of David, in time of sickness and great affliction.—This psalm is addressed to the chief musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith—that is, probably, on stringed instruments (tuned) an octave above the usual pitch, as more plaintive, and therefore a more suitable accompaniment to a penitential psalm like this. Bishop Horsley here remarks, “The supplicatory Psalms may be generally divided into two classes, according to the prayer; which, in some, regards the public, and in others the individual. In those of the ways in distress. His distress arises chiefly from the persecution of his enemies. His enemies are always the enemies of God and goodness. Their enmity to the supplicant is unprovoked. If it has any cause, it is only that he is the faithful servant of Jehovah, whose worship they oppose. They are numerous and powerful, and use all means, both of force and stratagem, for the supplicant’s destruction; an object, in the pursuit of which they are incessantly employed. The supplicant is alone, without friends, poor, and destitute of all support, but God’s providential protection. The supplicant, ously relieved, is yet never out of danger, though he looks forward with confidence to a period of final deliverance. If at any time he is under apprehension of death, it is by the visitation of God in sickness. And at those seasons, the persecution of his enemies always makes a considerable part of the affliction. But why, (it may be asked,) is David so distressed at the thought of dying? Did he suppose that he should perish, or be annihilated? or that the state on which he was entering was one of total insensibility? This can refer only to the state of the body. The grave is the land of forgetfulness and of silence, where the voice of praise is never heard. ((Psalms 88:12); cxv. 17. (Isaiah 38:18-19).) Recovery from sickness is the restoration of joy and gladness, and while our joy arises from a load of gratitude, our gladness will be expressed in praise; and that praise will not rest privately in our own bosoms, but we shall be spon to unite with the congregation of all those who fear be spon to unite with the con- Psalm VI. Ver. 1-17. An Elegy of David.—* David is that this psalm was written to vindicate his reputation.” The writer declares his trust, protests his innocence of the accusation, judgment may be given on his behalf. He then prays for the dness and the establishment of righteousness, suppression of wickedness, denounces the most awful judgment against sinners, and praises God for his deliverance. That the psalmist requests to be “righteousness,” has been used as an argument, not only to apply, but to confine this psalm to the Messiah, but with how little force may be seen by considering the cases of Hezekiah and Nehemiah, (referred to in the notes.) We have no objection, however, to such an application, if not made exclusive. The following remarks of Bishop Horne are both just and striking: “Conscious of his righteousness and integrity, David desires to be judge in question, today. How few judge the world at the last! How few have seriously considered whether the sentence of that day is likely to be in their favour! Yet, how many, with the utmost composure and self-complacency, repeat continually the words of this psalm, as well as those in the Te Deum, ‘We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge!’ Legal, or perfect, righteousness and integrity, are peculiar to the Redeemer; but evangelical righteousness and integrity all must have who would be saved.” Psalm VIII. Ver. 1—9. A Psalm of David.—We consider this as an evening or midnight hymn, in which the psalmist, overwhelmed with the bright glories of the golden orbs, which he surveyed, to be only floating meteors, supposing the glory of their brilliancy and beauty, and especially that of the moon, might well command his admiration. Man is mean and little, compared with the globe which he inhabits, much more compared with the skies around him—well might he, therefore say, “Lord, what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” It is highly probable that from the title of this psalm, we think it was composed for the time of vintage, which we know was a time of great rejoicing, in which not only the young people, but the children also, joined in praising God for the bounties of his providence, which marked Israel, under that dispensation, as the chosen people of God, and was calculated to silence the reproaches of their enemies. This circumstance may account for our Lord’s application to himself of the hosannahs of the Jewish children, (Matthew 21:16). The New Testament, however, gives us another and widely different view of human nature. Adam fell and lost his prerogative of supremacy, and in fact, his all; but a second Adam has been appointed to supersede the former; and not only to restore, but to raise our nature to higher honour and felicity than his predecessor lost. This second Adam, this “Lord from heaven,” whose peculiar character is that of Son of Man, has been for “a little while” made lower than the angels, to the end that he might, in his own person, exalt human nature far above them; and herein is a display of the divine power and goodness that may well excite our admiration and our praise: “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” ## Notes on the verses Psalm V. Ver. 3. Will I direct.—Rather, arrange. Ainsworth, “orderly address thee;” the words “my prayer” being supplementary. Bishop Horsley thinks it refers to the orderly arrangement made by the priests previous to the sacrifice.—And will look up.—Ainsworth, “look out;” literally, “watch” for an answer to his prayer. Ver. 4. Wickedness.... evil.—Ainsworth remarks, that these words may be understood of wicked and evil persons, who ought not impenitently to come into the divine presence; and who will not be admitted into the courts. Ver. 5. The foolish, in Scripture, seldom or never means persons deficient in capacity. The word here used is rendered by Ainsworth, “vain-glorious fools;” i.e. sinners who glory in their sins. Ver. 7, Toward thy holy temple.—(See Margin.) See (1 Kings 8:38, 44, 48). Before the erection of Solomon's temple, this applied to the tabernacle. (1 Samuel 1:9).; iii. 3. Ver. 9. Faithlessness.—Ainsworth, “certainty;” i.e. their word cannot be depended on.—Very wickedness.—Flatter.—Horsley, “smooth over.” Ver. 10. Destroy thou them.—See Margin. Bishop Horsley, “Convict them,” i.e. pronounce sentence against them as rebels; for those that rebelled against the Lord’s anointed, rebelled against the Lord. Ver. 12. Compass him.—“Crown him.” This seems in allusion to the verse preceding, and means, to spread the divine protection all around them, as if covered by a shield. Bishop Horsley renders it, “As a shield of good-will (favour) thou wilt guard around him.” PSALM VI. Title.—Neginoth upon Sheminith—If Sheminith means the eighth, or octave, as is generally agreed, the question occurs whether we are to consider it in the ascending scale or descending. Some learned men have suggested the latter; common sense leads to the former; for in accompanying airs of peculiar pathos, the soft notes in the upper scale of our harps would surely be preferred, by a skilful musician, to those of the deep, sonorous chords at the bottom of the scale. We therefore consider these as a small species of harps tuned an octave higher than others, and intended for this purpose, over which particular Levites were appointed to preside. (1 Chronicles 15:20). Ver. 5. In the grave.—The word is often translated hell, and it frequently denotes the place of separate spirits, happy or unhappy, according to the context: yet it sometimes must be understood of the grave, and that appears to be the sense in this place.—T. Scott. Ver. 7. Mine eye is consumed.—That is, worn with grief and weeping. David, as visited and chastised by distressing sickness, and a variety of sufferings; and at the same time mourning for his sins in deep repentance, complained, that his complicated sorrows caused him every night to water his couch with copious tears, and made him waste, become dull-sighted, and as it were grow old prematurely. In this distress, he earnestly pleaded with God to visit him in mercy, without farther delay.—T. Scott. (Psalms 7)Title,—Shiggaion.—This is a very difficult word, and of doubtful derivation. Ainsworth calls it ‘an artificial song’ (or wandering); Gesenius, “a lamentation;” and Boothroyd, (still better) “an elegy.” See (Habakkuk 3:1). [Shiggaion probably denotes a mournful song, or elegy, from the Arabic, shaga, to be anxious, sorrowful.—Bagster.] Cush, the Benjamite.—The late C. Taylor has taken some pains to show that the Hebrews (like other Orientalists) indulged sometimes in a play of words. Something of the kind may be observed here: Some suppose the name Cush (or Kush) used for Kish, and the name Kish, the father, for Saul his son. Others think Cush may here be used in a moral sense for Shimei, (who also was a Benjamite,) as in such sense a black man* that is, a man of black, malignant character, as we find in his history. ((2 Samuel 16:5), &c.) Such was Shimei, absolutely black, were Cushites, if not abandoned this.—Namely, w Ver. 3. If I have 7, 8. “but—rather” I have delivered.—See ver. 10, ii. of the Ver. 4. Yea, (var) chapter just quoted. = ‘ Ver. 8. According to my righteousness.—See (Nehemiah 13:14, 22, 31). (2 Kings 20:3). and exposition. Ver. 10. My defence is of God.—Ainsworth, “in God;” the meaning unquestionably is, “God is my buckler,” or “shield.” Ver. 11. God judgeth the righteous.—See margin. So Ainsworth, Horsley, &c.—God is angry with the wicked.—This should be understood in the singular, “the wicked man,” which agrees with the following sentence, If he, &c. Ver. 14. Behold, he travaileth.—The verbs travaileth and conceiveth should be transposed; “Hath conceived iniquity, led with mischief, brought forth falsehood;” i.e. an abortion; to this effect Boothroyd. (Psalms 8)Upon Gittith. This to be a musical instrument, which David brought from Gath, where he long, doubtless, resided; so the Chaldee paraphrase; and if this be correct, a stringed instrument, that David played on any other. But Gath is also a wine-press; and the LXX understand the purport of the psalm very differently, as it does not appear to be composed for the time of thanksgiving to God for the bounty of his providence. Of very dark complexions. N well agrees, as it is a d.—The first word here rendered LORD, in capitals, is Jehovah, the second Lord is Adonai, Governor, ordered the divine ordination Ver. 2. Ordained.—See margin. The Jews consider this to have been composed as the foundation of all strength. Ver. 3. Consider the heavens.—(The Psalmist appears the silence of the stars of light; this sacred hymn, while his attention was fixed, during evening, on “the moon walking in brightness,” and on the heavenly host, he contemplated the magnificent scene, and the immensity of the creation, till he was filled with adoring admiration of the Creator’s incompleteness, which naturally suggested the subsequent reflections.)—T. Scott. Ver. 5. A little lower.—The Heb. (orth.) means either “a little while,” or “a little deal,” in (Psalms 37:10-16). Bishop Horsley renders it, “hast reduced him a little below the gods; which is a comparison of angels.” Dr. J. P. Smith, “Thou: the angels;” the Hebrew thus translated is Elohim, but also by the apostle explained of angels, not only by the Greek and Chaldee, it was ascribed to the Hebrews, (Psalms 1:7, 9). be found in their dealings with God or each other; that their ‘inward parts’ were very wickedness; their first thoughts and imaginations were defiled, and the stream was poisoned at the fountain: that their ‘throat was an open sepulchre,’ continually emitting, in obscene and impious language, the noisome and infectious exhalations of a putrid heart, entombed in a body of sin; and that, if ever they put on the appearance of goodness, they ‘flattered with their tongue,’ in order the more effectually to deceive and destroy.” In calling for judgment against his enemies, the psalmist against him, rebelled against the Lord himself. This is particularly true, if, with Bishops Horne and Horsley, we apply the psalm to the Messiah, whose impenitent enemies are excluded from the hope of mercy. ((Psalms 2:9, 12).) Those, however, who love and fear him, have every reason to hope in him— “For thou, Jehovah, wilt be found To bless and good man still, As with a shield thou wilt surround Him with thy lasting favour and good-will.” —Milton. Psalm VI. Ver. 1—10. A Psalm of David, in time of sickness and great affliction.—This psalm is addressed to the chief musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith—that is, probably, on stringed instruments (tuned) an octave above the usual pitch, as more plaintive, and therefore a more suitable accompaniment to a penitential psalm like this. Bishop Horsley here remarks, “The supplicatory Psalms may be generally divided into two classes, according to the prayer; which, in some, regards the public, and in others the individual. In those of the ways in distress. His distress arises chiefly from the persecution of his enemies. His enemies are always the enemies of God and goodness. Their enmity to the supplicant is unprovoked. If it has any cause, it is only that he is the faithful servant of Jehovah, whose worship they oppose. They are numerous and powerful, and use all means, both of force and stratagem, for the supplicant’s destruction; an object, in the pursuit of which they are incessantly employed. The supplicant is alone, without friends, poor, and destitute of all support, but God’s providential protection. The supplicant, [though]ously relieved, is yet never out of danger, though he looks forward with confidence to a period of final deliverance. If at any time he is under apprehension of death, it is by the visitation of God in sickness. And at those seasons, the persecution of his enemies always makes a considerable part of the affliction. But why, (it may be asked,) is David so distressed at the thought of dying? Did he suppose that he should perish, or be annihilated? or that the state on which he was entering was one of total insensibility? This can refer only to the state of the body. The grave is the land of forgetfulness and of silence, where the voice of praise is never heard. ((Psalms 88:12); cxv. 17. (Isaiah 38:18-19).) Recovery from sickness is the restoration of joy and gladness, and while our joy arises from a heart freed of gratitude, our gladness will be expressed in praise; and that praise will not rest privately in our own bosoms, but we shall be spon[to unite with the congregation of all those who fear be] Psalm VI. Ver. 1-17. An Elegy of David.—* David is that this psalm was written to vindicate his reputation.” The writer declares his trust, protests his innocence of the accusation, [and prays that] judgment may be given on his behalf. He then prays for the [goodness] and the establishment of righteousness, suppression of wickedness, denounces the most awful judgment against sinners, and praises God for his deliverance. That the psalmist requests to be [judged] “righteousness,” has been used as an argument, not only to apply, but to confine this psalm to the Messiah, but with how little force may be seen by considering the cases of Hezekiah and Nehemiah, (referred to in the notes.) We have no objection, however, to such an application, if not made exclusive. The following remarks of Bishop Horne are both just and striking: “Conscious of his righteousness and integrity, David desires to be judge [in the matter] in question, today. How few judge the world at the last [day] lately considered whether the sentence of that day is likely to be in their favour! Yet, how many, with the utmost composure and self-complacency, repeat continually the words of this psalm, as well as those in the Te Deum, ‘We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge!’ Legal, or perfect, righteousness and integrity, are peculiar to the Redeemer; but evangelical righteousness and integrity all must have who would be saved.” Psalm VIII. Ver. 1—9. A Psalm of David.—We consider this as an evening or midnight hymn, with the bright glories of an [elegant] golden orbs, which the psalmist, overwhelmed with the beauty, and especially that of the [heavenly] skies around him—well might command his admiration. Man is mean and little, compared with the globe which he inhabits, much more compared with the vaulted heavens around him—well might he, therefore say, “Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” From the title of this psalm, we think it was composed for the time of vintage, which we know was a time of great [rejoicing], in which not only the young people, but the children also, joined in praising God for the bounties of his providence, which marked Israel, under that dispensation, as the chosen people of God, and was calculated to silence the reproaches of their enemies. This circumstance may account for our Lord’s application to himself of the hosannahs of the Jewish children, (Matthew 21:16). The New Testament, however, gives us another and widely different view of human nature. Adam fell and lost his prerogative of supremacy, and in fact, his all; but a second Adam has been appointed to supersede the former; and not only to restore, but to raise our nature to higher honour and felicity than his predecessor lost. This second Adam, this “Lord from heaven,” whose peculiar character is that of Son of Man, has been for “a little while” made lower than the angels, to the end that he might, in his own person, exalt human nature far above them; and herein is a display of the divine power and goodness that may well excite our admiration and our praise: “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” It is highly probable that the vintage, and this title as intimating that it was ## Notes on the verses Psalm V. Ver. 3. Will I direct.—Rather, arrange. Ainsworth, “orderly address thee;” the words “my prayer” being supplementary. Bishop Horsley thinks it refers to the orderly arrangement made by the priests previous to the [sacrifice].—And will look up.—Ainsworth, “look out;” literally, “watch” for an answer to his prayer. Ver. 4. Wickedness.... evil.—Ainsworth remarks, that these words may be understood of wicked and evil [persons] who ought not impenitently to [enter] into the divine presence; and who will not be admitted into the courts. Ver. 5. The foolish, in Scripture, seldom or never means persons deficient in capacity. The word here used is rendered by Ainsworth, “vain-glorious fools;” i.e. sinners who glory in their sins. Ver. 7, Toward thy holy temple.—(See Margin.) See (1 Kings 8:38, 44, 48). Before the erection of Solomon's temple, this applied to the tabernacle. (1 Samuel 1:9).; iii. 3. Ver. 9. Faithfulness.—Ainsworth, “certainty;” i.e. their word cannot be depended on.—Very wickedness.—Flatter.—Horsley, “smooth over.” Ver. 10. Destroy thou them.—See Margin. Bishop Horsley, “Convict them,” i.e. pronounce sentence against them as rebels; for those that rebelled against the Lord’s anointed, rebelled against the Lord. Ver. 12. Compass him.—“Crown him.” This seems in allusion to the verse preceding, and means, to spread the divine protection all around them, as if covered by a shield. Bishop Horsley renders it, “As a shield of good-will, (favour,) thou wilt guard around him.” PSALM VI. Title.—Neginoth upon Sheminith—If Sheminith means the eighth, or octave, as is generally agreed, the question occurs whether we are to consider it in the ascending scale or descending. Some learned men have suggested the [latter], but common sense leads to the former; for in accompanying airs of peculiar pathos, the soft notes in the upper scale of our harps would surely be preferred, by a skilful musician, to those of the deep, sonorous chords at the bottom of the scale. We therefore consider these as a small species of harps tuned an octave higher than others, and intended for this purpose, over which particular Levites were appointed to preside. (1 Chronicles 15:20). Ver. 5. In the grave.—The word is often translated hell, and it frequently denotes the place of separate spirits, happy or unhappy, according to the context: yet it sometimes must be understood of the grave, and that appears to be the sense in this place.—T. Scott. Ver. 7. Mine eye is consumed.—That is, worn with grief and weeping. David, as visited and chastised by distressing sickness, and a variety of sufferings; and at the same time mourning for his sins in deep repentance, complained, that his complicated sorrows caused him every night to water his couch with copious tears, and made him waste, become dull-sighted, and as it were grow old prematurely. In this distress, he earnestly pleaded with God to visit him in mercy, without farther delay.—T. Scott. (Psalms 7)Title,—Shiggaion.—This is a very difficult word, and of doubtful derivation. Ainsworth calls it ‘an artificial song’ (or wandering); Gesenius, “a lamentation;” and Boothroyd, (still better) “an elegy.” See (Habakkuk 3:1). [Shiggaion probably denotes a mournful song, or elegy, from the Arabic, shaga, to be anxious, sorrowful.—Bagster.] Cush, the Benjamite.—The late C. Taylor has taken some pains to show that the Hebrews (like other Orientalists) indulged sometimes in a play of words. Something of the kind may be observed here: Some suppose the name Cush (or Kush) used for Kish, and the name Kish, the father, for Saul his son. Others think Cush may here be used in a moral sense for Shimei, (who also was a Benjamite,) as in such sense a black man* that is, a man of black, malignant character, as we find in his history. ((2 Samuel 16:5), &c.) Such was Shimei, absolutely black, were O Cushites, if not abandoned this.—Namely, w Ver. 3. [If I have 7, 8. “but—rather” I have delivered.—See ver. 10, ii. of the Ver. 4. Yea, (var) chapter just quoted. = ‘ Ver. 8. According to my righteousness.—See (Nehemiah 13:14, 22, 31). (2 Kings 20:3). and exposition. Ver. 10. My defence is of God.—Ainsworth, in God;” the meaning unquestionably is, “God is my buckler,” or “shield.” Ver. 11. God judgeth the righteous.—See margin. So Ainsworth, Horsley, &c.—God is angry with the wicked.—This should be understood in the singular, “the wicked man,” which agrees with the following sentence, If he, &c. Ver. 14. Behold, he travaileth.—The verbs travaileth and conceiveth should be transposed; “Hath conceived iniquity, led with mischief, brought forth falsehood;” i.e. an abortion; to this effect Boothroyd. (Psalms 8)Upon Gittith. This to be a musical instrument, which David brought from Gath, where he long, doubtless, resided; so the Chaldee paraphrase; and if this be correct, [it is a] stringed instrument, that David played on [and] no other. But Gath is also a [wine-press]; and the LXX [understand] it as such, which the purport of the psalm very [much] composed for the time of thanksgiving to God for the bounty of his providence. [Of] very dark complexions. N well agrees, as it is a d.—The first word here rendered LORD, in capitals, [is] that he was accused of, 2 Sam. xvi. Ver. 1. O LORD our Lord or Master. [The] hae is Jehovah, the second Lord is Adonai, Governor, [considered] the divine ordination Ver. 2. Ordained.—See margin. The Jews cons[idered] to have composed as the foundation of all strength. Ver. 3. Consider the heavens.—(The Psalmist appears [to have contemplated] the silence of the stars of light; this sacred hymn, while his attention was fixed, during evening, on “the moon walking in brightness,” and on [the] heavenly host, he contemplated the magnificent scene, and the immensity of the creation, till he was filled with adoring admiration of the Creator’s incomprehensibility, which naturally suggested the subsequent reflections.)—T. Scott. Ver. 5. A little lower.—The Heb[rew word], means either “a little while,” or “a little deal,” in (Psalms 37:10-16). Bishop Horsley renders it, “hast reduced him a little below the gods; which is a comparison of angels.” Dr. J. P. Smith, “Thou [hast made him] a little lower than the angels;” the Hebrew thus translated is Elohim, but also by the apostle [is] explained of angels, not only by the Greek and Chaldee, it was as [such] to the Hebrews, (Psalms 1:7-9). _. Psalm IX. Ver. 1—20. A Psalm of David—in thanksgiving for victory.—There seems no doubt but this was a song of triumph and thanksgiving for a signal victory over some powerful pagan adversary, whose object seems to have been the overthrow of the Jewish church and state. David, however, piously attributes his victory to divine interference, and thanks his deliverer for rescuing him from the gates of death, which had probably enclosed many both of his enemies and friends: and determines, in consequence of being so spared, that he will enter the gates of the daughter of Zion, and worship among her children. We have reason to bless God that we live in times of peace, and in a land that has long been exempted from the miseries of war. But all true Christians have enemies, if not externally, yet in their own bosoms; against these enemies they have need, most earnestly, to pray, and to return thanks for every victory obtained over them. The church of God also, as a body, have their enemies, and will always be liable to suffer from the hostilities both of infidels and wicked men: and though, under the Christian dispensation, we are forbidden to pray for the destruction of our enemies, there is nothing unchristian in praying that they may be made sensible of their frailty, and humbled before their Maker and their Judge, and thereby be prevented from showing their enmity against the people and the cause of God. “Rise, great Redeemer, from thy seat, ‘To judge and save the poor; Let nations tremble at thy feet, And man prevail no more.” — Watts. Psalm X. Ver.1—18. A Prayer for deliverance From atheistical and cruel enemies.—This psalm having no title, it is in vain to guess at either its author or occasion. Bishop Horsley calls it “‘a supplication in behalf of certain helpless people cruelly persecuted by a powerful enemy; who, renouncing all fear of God and regard of men, uses both force and deceit as means of oppression.” The heathen formerly, as well as at present were divisible into two classes; the one extremely ignorant and superstitious—the other more enlightened, as to general know- ## Notes on the verses PSALM IX. Title.—Upon the death of Labben.—Among the great variety of interpretations here given, we shall name a few only. 1. We have no idea that any of these Hebrew terms refer to hymn tunes. The Hebrews had no musical characters, nor any metrical tunes, like modern psalmody. Their hymns were all chanted, as already remarked. 2. We do not conceive Labben to be Goliath; internal evidence is strong to the contrary. This Psalm must have been composed after David laid claim to the crown, ver. 4.; after he had taken Zion, ver. 11; and the conquest here referred to, was in defence of his throne and his religion; ver. 4,5. Ben signifies a son, and the Chaldee so here explains it; but David’s feelings on the death of his son Absalom were very different from those of joy and triumph. Farther, Labben signifies white; and it is very possible that the fallen chieftain here meant, may have been named the white prince, perhaps from wearing a remarkable white feather; and as one English prince was called the black prince, from the colour of his Ver. 6. O thou enemy!—Bishop Lowth reads, “* Destructions have consumed the enemy for ever; and as to the cities which thou (O God) hast destroyed, their memory is perished with them.” This nearly corresponds with the margin, but is clearer. _ Ver. 13. The gates of death.—The invisible world is constantly represented in the Scriptures as a place of confinement, having gates and bars, (Job 17:16).; xxxviii. 17. (Isaiah 38:10). es Ver. 16. Higgaion—is generally allowed to mean, as in the margin, “a meditation.” As we have supposed Selah ((Psalms 3)) to answer in some respects to a hold in our music, it is probable that the pious Israelites were here required seriously to meditate during this musical pause. Ver. 17, Turned into hell.—The place of future punishment; not the grave; nor Moses' state of death merely; for this is equally true of the righteous as of the (Psalms 10)The LXX. have united this psalm to the preceding, for which we know no reason, except that it has no distinct title; but this alteration makes a difference in the numbering, till we come to the 147th psalm, which is divided into two, and makes the final number right. _ Calmet, Dr. Grey, and Bishop Horne, suppose it to have been composed during the time of the Babylonish captivity; but there is no certainty of this. Ver. 10. He croucheth.—Or rather, bendeth himself, as a wild beast crouches down to spring at his prey.—By his strong ones.—"Into his strong parts:" i. e. into his paws. Ainsworth The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 9; the text below is that joint comment. _. Psalm IX. Ver. 1—20. A Psalm of David—in thanksgiving for victory.—There seems no doubt but this was a song of triumph and thanksgiving for a signal victory over some powerful pagan adversary, whose object seems to have been the overthrow of the Jewish church and state. David, however, piously attributes his victory to divine interference, and thanks his deliverer for rescuing him from the gates of death, which had probably enclosed many both of his enemies and friends: and determines, in consequence of being so spared, that he will enter the gates of the daughter of Zion, and worship among her children. We have reason to bless God that we live in times of peace, and in a land that has long been exempted from the miseries of war. But all true Christians have enemies, if not externally, yet in their own bosoms; against these enemies they have need, most earnestly, to pray, and to return thanks for every victory obtained over them. The church of God also, as a body, have their enemies, and will always be liable to suffer from the hostilities both of infidels and wicked men: and though, under the Christian dispensation, we are forbidden to pray for the destruction of our enemies, there is nothing unchristian in praying that they may be made sensible of their frailty, and humbled before their Maker and their Judge, and thereby be prevented from showing their enmity against the people and the cause of God. “Rise, great Redeemer, from thy seat, ‘To judge and save the poor; Let nations tremble at thy feet, And man prevail no more.” — Watts. Psalm X. Ver.1—18. A Prayer for deliverance From atheistical and cruel enemies.—This psalm having no title, it is in vain to guess at either its author or occasion. Bishop Horsley calls it “‘a supplication in behalf of certain helpless people cruelly persecuted by a powerful enemy; who, renouncing all fear of God and regard of men, uses both force and deceit as means of oppression.” The heathen formerly, as well as at present were divisible into two classes; the one extremely ignorant and superstitious—the other more enlightened, as to general know- ## Notes on the verses , PSALM IX. Title.—Upon the death of Labben.—Among the great variety of interpretations here given, we shall name a few only. 1. We have no idea that any of these Hebrew terms refer to hymn tunes. The Hebrews had no musical characters, nor any metrical tunes, like modern psalmody. Their hymns were all chanted, as already remarked. 2. We do not conceive Labben to be Goliath; internal evidence is strong to the contrary. This Psalm must have been composed after David laid claim to the crown, ver. 4.; after he had taken Zion, ver. 11; and the conquest here referred to, was in defence of his throne and his religion; ver. 4,5. Ben signifies a son, and the Chaldee so here explains it; but David’s feelings on the death of his son Absalom were very different from those of joy and triumph. Farther, Labben signifies white; and it is very possible that the fallen chieftain here meant, may have been named the white prince, perhaps from wearing a remarkable white feather; and as one English prince was called the black prince, from the colour of his Ver. 6. O thou enemy!—Bishop Lowth reads, “* Destructions have consumed the enemy for ever; and as to the cities which thou (O God) hast destroyed, their memory is perished with them.” This nearly corresponds with the margin, but is clearer. _ Ver. 13. The gates of death.—The invisible world is constantly represented in the Scriptures as a place of confinement, having gates and bars, (Job 17:16).; xxxviii. 17. (Isaiah 38:10). es Ver. 16. Higgaion—is generally allowed to mean, as in the margin, “a meditation.” As we have supposed Selah ((Psalms 3)) to answer in some respects to a hold in our music, it is probable that the pious Israelites were here required seriously to meditate during this musical pause. Ver. 17, Turned into hell.—The place of future punishment; not the grave; nor Moses' state of death merely; for this is equally true of the righteous as of the (Psalms 10)The LXX. have united this psalm to the preceding, for which we know no reason, except that it has no distinct title; but this alteration makes a difference in the numbering, till we come to the 147th psalm, which is divided into two, and makes the final number right. _ Calmet, Dr. Grey, and Bishop Horne, suppose it to have been composed during the time of the Babylonish captivity; but there is no certainty of this. Ver. 10. He croucheth.—Or rather, bendeth himself, as a wild beast crouches down to spring at his prey.—By his strong ones.—"Into his strong parts:" i. e. into his paws. Ainsworth —the other rejecting superstition, and ship; the true God as well as idols. however, the universal sovereign. He will punish impenitent sinners of every class. At the same time, he hears the desire of the humble, before that desire is expressed in words; and will never fail to answer the prayer which his spirit teaches them to offer. God will “ prepare their hearts to pray, And cause his ear to hear; He hearkens what his children say, ‘And puts the world in fear.” — Watts. Psarm XI. Ver. 1—7. A Psalm of David, expressive of his confidence in God.—Whether this was written during Saul’s ersecution of him, when some advised him to seek his safety in flight; or during the rebellion of Absalom, when the foundations of the kingdom appeared to be subverted (as intimated ver. 3.) We cannot ascertain. But it was certainly during a time of great danger and alarm; when the fate of his kingdom seemed very precarious, and when his friends seemed utterly in despair. David, however, strengthened himself in the Lord his God, and trusted in him for support and deliverance. Ags the choicest of heavenly blessings (says Bishop Horne) are frequently in scripture represented by the salutary effects of wine, a cup of which the master of the family is supposed to hold in his hand, ready to distribute due portions of it to, those around him; so, from the noxious and intoxicating qualities of that Jiquor, when drunk strong, and in too large a quantity, 18 borrowed a mo most tremendous image of the wrath and indigna- Calamity and sorrow, fear and tremtion of Almighty God. bling, infatuation and despair, the evils of the present life, and of that which is to come, are the bitter ingredients which comose this most horrible cup of mixture. It is entirely in the hand and disposal of God, who, through every age, has been pouring out its contents, more or less, in proportion to the sins of men. But much of the strength and power of the liquor still remains behind, until the day of final vengeance. It will be then exhausted, even to the dregs, by unrepenting rebels, when * burning coals, fire and brimstone,’ be ‘the portion of their cup.” (Horne on (Psalms 24:8).) The light of his coundence, and rewards them by his grace. The Lord Jehovah is, tenance shall afford them everlasting happiness. Psaum XII. Ver.1—8. A Psalm of David, imploring the divine aid in a time of great degeneracy.—It is in vain to conjecture to what particular period this psalm originally referred; but often do such unhappy periods occur, both in the world and in the church. | In the former, by the spread of infidel and atheistic principles; and in the latter, by the lukewarmness of zeal and the decay of piety among believers. We are encouraged, however, to rest assured that the Lord will not forsake his people. His word is pure, and his promises have been often tried. Among the signs of our Lord’s second coming, we have been taught to consider this as one, that ‘the love of many shall wax cold” towards him. ((Matthew 24:12).) Many such, seasons have occurred, and the Lord has been pleased, by sig appearances, to produce revivals in his church, and such we still expect, even in an unprecedented degree. But even the millennium itself is to be followed with a degeneracy equall remarkable. Satan, though bound for a thousand years, wi be again let loose with all the powers of infidelity, ((Revelation 20:7-11).) so that finally, when the Son of Man cometh, he shall — find little faith upon the earth. ((Luke 17)=) ““When the wicked walk around on every side, the vilest of men shall be hrones of earth are filled with infidels exalted;” and when thet then—when good men shall shrink in despair unand tyrants, f the last tyranny—then shall the * sion of the der the power 0 “trumpet sound to Son of Man” suddenly appear, and his A Psalm of David, complaining Psatm XIII. Ver. 1—6. i “While God perof desertion, and imploring divine aid.— ‘ Maits his servants to continue under affliction he is said, after the manner of men, to have ‘forgotten and hid his face from them.’ For the use, therefore, of persons in such circumstances, is this psalm intended; and consequently, it suits the different cases of the church universal, lan uishing for the advent of our Lord to deliver her from this evi world; of any partiand eternal ‘tempest,’ shall cular church, in time of persecution, and of each individual, hab obs a IS may likewise be presumed to have made it a part of his devotions in the day of trouble.”’—( Bishop Horne.) The complaint of desertion here resembles that in the beginning of the twenty-second Psalm, which we know was used by our blessed Lord upon the cross; and the complaint is not of desertion only, but also of persecution fro. n the enemy. In both, deliverance is implored and confidence expressed, witha promise of the like grateful return of praise. ‘The heart which trusteth in God’s mercy (says the above excellent writer) shall alone rejoice in his salvation, and celebrate by the tongue, in songs of praise, the loving-kindness of the Lord. It is observaple, that this and many other psalms -with a mournful beginning, have a triumphant ending; to show us the prevailing power of devotion, and to convince us of the certain return of prayer, sooner or later, bringing with it the comforts of heaven, to revive and enrich our weary and barren spirits in the gloomy seasons of sorrow and temptation, like the dew descending by night upon the withered summit of an eastern mountain.” Psaum XIV. Ver. 1—7. A Psalm of David, lamenting the depravity of human nature.—This psalm is also ascribed to David, but the occasion is uncertain. From the last verse some learned men have supposed it to have been written during the time of Absalom’s rebellion, when the ark was in possessi »n of his party: (see (2 Samuel 19:9-15),) others refer it to the period of the Babylonish captivity; but St. Paul plainly refers us to the days of Messiah, and to a future restoration of the Jews subsequent to their conversion. ((Romans 11:26), &c. compare Psalm ex. 2. Isa. Ixii. 11. (Zechariah 9:9).) The chief subject of this psalm, however, is the infidelity of the human heart, for infidelity is unquestionably more a disease of the heart than of the head; the corruption of our nature gives an unhappy bias to the judgment. Sin makes fools of us all; and he is the greatest fool whose mind is most under the influence of depraved passions, which not only lead to abominable actions, but incapacitate for doing good. “The consideration of the apostacy and corruption of mankind, described in this psalm, makes heppophet express a longing desire for ‘the salvation of Israel,’ which was to ‘go forth out of Zion,’ and to bring back the people of God from that most dreadful of all captivities, the captivity under sin and death; a salvation at which Jacob would indeed rejoice, and Israel be glad.’’—(Bishop Horne.) Psarm XV. Ver.1—5. A Psalm of David, describing a citizen of Zion.—We agree with Bishop Horsley, that this salm has ‘‘no allusion to the offices of the Levitical priestn00d;” but is simply intended to point out, that moral ‘ righteousness is the qualification which alone can fit any one to be a guest in God’s tabernacle,’’—a citizen of Zion. ‘This qualification, however, implies no claim of merit, but simply moral fitness. “The man (says Bishop Horne) who would be a citizen of Zion, and there enter into the rest and joy of his Lord, must set that Lord always before him. Renewed through grace, endued with a lively faith, and an operative charity, he must consider and imitate the life of that blessed Person, who walked amongst men without partaking of their corruptions; who conversed unblameably with sinners; who could give this challenge to his inveterate enemies, ‘ Which of you convinceth me of sin? in whom the grand accuser, when he came ‘found nothing;’ who being himself ‘the truth,’ thought and spake oF nothing else, making many promises and performing them ‘In the above comment (says Bishop Horne) it was thought most advisable to open and display the full intent of what was both enjoined and forbidden, by exemplifying each particular. Whoever shall survey and copy these virtues and graces as they present themselves in his life, [relying at the same time on his atonement,] will, it is humbl apprehended, take the best and shortest way to the Ranvonlt Zion; and shall never be expelled from the eternal city.” Psaum XVI. Ver. I—11. A golden Psalm of David.—Different conjectures have been formed respecting the occasion of penning this psalm, and that of Dr. Hales seems as probable as any; namely, that it was composed just after David had received by Nathan the promise that his house should be built up for ever in the person of Messiah. ((1 Chronicles 17:11-27).) The late Dr. Kennicott calls it—‘‘A hymn prophetically descriptive of the Messiah, as expressing hig abhorrence of the general idolatry of mankind, and his own zeal for the honour of Jehovah: with the full assurance of his being raised from the dead, before his body should be corrupted in the grave. That David did not here speak of himself, but of the Messiah, and of him only, is asserted by St. Peter and St. Paul: (see (Acts 2:25-32), with xiii. 35—37.) And if this psalm speaksin a literal sense, concerning an actual and speedy resurrection, b that same literal sense David himself is necessarily excluded.” The former part of this psalm has, by most commentators, been considered as applicable to David; but if, as some think, ver. 4. implies the priestly character of the speaker, David is excluded from this as well as from the latter part of the psalm. One thing seems here intimated, which we have not before remarked, that the priests under the law, when they offered the sacrifice of an individual, named the offerer before the Lord; a circumstance that beautifully points to the intercession of the Saviour. (See (Revelation 8:3-4).) The latter part of the psalm being expressly applied to the resurrection of Christ by the apostles themselves, as above reinarked, can apply to others only as interested in and virtually raised with him ‘‘ to newness of lite,” and introduced into those paths which lead to everlasting bliss. "Those paths that to his presence bear, For plenitude of bliss is there; And pleasures, Lord ! unmixed with wo, ‘At thy right hand for ever flow.” —Merrick. Psarm XVII. Ver. 1-15. A Prayer of David against his enemies.—From the description of his enemies here given, there can be little doubt but Saul and his followers were intended; and their Doe 8 against David was no less than treason—that he aspired to the crown and sought the life of Saul; which was not only false, but exactly the reverse of the truth. ((1 Samuel 24)) The psalmist, therefore, confident in the justice of his cause, appeals to the Almighty for his decision. His ‘‘ heart condemns him not, and he has confidence towards God,” who is the witness as well as judge of his integrity. He had been tried, and lived in the expectation of farther trials: but he attributes his preservation to the word of God. ‘ By the word of thy lips I have kept (me) from the paths of the de- The description here given of David’s enemies, (as already hinted,) naturally leads us to look to Saul and his party as laying snares for him, as sportsmen were accustomed to do for ame in the forests, or for wild beasts in the woods. Saul imself resembled “a lion greedy of his prey,’’ who had been lurking and watching for him “ in secret places.” From these men, these “mortals of this transitory world,” (as Ainsworth and Horne render it,) he prays to be delivered; and in confidence that he shall be so, he concludes with declaring, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness;” an expression that may be referred either to the immortality of the soul, or the resurrection of the body. Dr. Watts includes both, and paraphrases the verse in three beautiful stanzas, which we should be glad to transcribe, but can only refer to.. Some commentators apply this psalm, as well as the preceding, to Christ himself, who, though he assumed in his death “ the form of a slave,” arose in all the glories of the Divinity. Psarm XVIII. Ver. 1-24. To the chief musician: d Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.—The title of this psalm is literally transcribed from (2 Samuel 22:1)., where the psalm itself follows, nearly as in this place, except that the first verse is now introduced, with some verbal corrections in the following verses. ‘‘The variations between the two copies (says Scott, the commentator) seem to have been principally poetical improvements of the style, as few of them materially alter the sense, and several evidently render the composition more elegant. Indeed, the whole psalm seems one of the most finished poetical compositions extant in any language.” The first verse of the psalm just referred to, is noticed by the critics as peculiarly emphatic.“ With all the yearnings of affection, I will love thee,” is the paraphrase of Bishup Horne; and we may remark, that we can never too forcibly express our attachment to the Author-of our mercies, while we are careful to keep our language unalloyed: our expressions can never be too strong, while t ley are pure and chaste: but we sometimes meet with a familiarity or puerility of address in Christians to the Most High, which can only be excused by the simplicity of their piety, and unconscious ignorance. But David reverenced the God he loved; and accumulates the strongest terms he could recollect to express his obligations to his deliverer: the rock on whom all his hopes were built; the fortress to which he looked alone for safety, and ‘‘ the horn of his The psalmist now looks back upon the sorrows and dangers from which he had been at different times rescued. He had been in imminent danger of his life. ‘‘The sorrows,” or rather ‘toils’ (i. e. snares) of death had been thrown around him; but “ the horn of his salvation” tore them to pieces. “The floods of Belial,” or of wickedness, had been cast after him, as it were to overwhelm him. But he fled to the rock that was higher than himself, and there he founda refuge. The psalmist then goes on to describe the deliverance wrought for him in allusion to the awful tempests at mount Sinai, meaning thereby to intimate that, in some instance at least, his rescue from death and destruction had been attended with a similar display of the divine power and majesty, and he ascribes the cause of it to the divine bounty: ‘‘ He delivered me, because he delighted in me.” Nor is this contradicted by the words following: for though his character and conduct, especially in respect of zeal and uprightness, may not be the cause of his de Iverance, it may be the measure of it. Thus, under the new dispensation, salvation, as to its cause, is of grace alone, ((Ephesians 2:8).) yet will the rewards of grace be distributed to every man according to his works.” ((Matthew 16:27).) =. It does not, therefore, appear to us necessary to exclude David’s personal experience from this psalm: at the same time we have no objection to its application, in a secondary view, to the Messiah: and, indeed, St. Peter seems to allude to the 4th verse, when he speaks of his resurrection from the dead, ((Acts 2:24).) and to him, certainly, some of the expressions apply more literally and fully, for “he knew no sin, neither was f or, with thy meekself froward. ness thou hast mul- 27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; tiplied me but wilt bring down high looks. g ancles. 28 For thou wilt light my » candle: the Lord b Pr.4.12 my God will enlighten my darkness. 29 For by thee have* run through a troop; i 2 Sa.5.20. and by my God have I leaped over a wall. j caused to 30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word ofthe Lorv’is ® <tried: he is a buckler “to all k (Jeremiah 2)those that trust-in him. 1 18.55.5. 31 For who is God save the Lorn? or who m at the is arock save our God ? of the ear. 32 It is God ¢ that girdeth me with strength, n sons 0) ne of and maketh my way perfect. feet, and 33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ setteth me upon my high places. 34 He teacheth my’ hands to war, so thata bow ofsteel is broken by mine arms. - 35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me q or, deup, and ‘ thy gentleness hath made me great. rman of 36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, 8 or, conthat my € feet did not * slip. 37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overt Ro.11.29. taken them: neither did I turn again till they a Ro.1.19,20 were consumed. guile found in his mouth.” ((1 Peter 2:22).) The last verse one is also quoted by St. Paul, in reference to the calling of the Gentiles. ((Romans 15:9).) The equity of divine providence, and the mer- Ver. 25—50. ciful deliverance of those who trust in God.—These maxims accord with those of our Lord in his sermon on “The merciful shall obtain mercy; mount, ((Matthew 5:3), &c.) He will save the meek, the pure in heart shall see God.” oor, and the distressed;: but with the froward and perverse e will contend; and the high-spirited and proud he will bring his confidence in down. The Psalmist, however, expresses, he trusted in him that he not known shall serve me. 44 ™ As soon as they hear of me, they shal] obey me: the "strangers shall ° submit themselves unto me. Fu. 2 45 The strangers shall fade a ‘afraid out of their close places. — 46 The Lord liveth, and blesse ock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. 47 It is God that » avengeth me, and 4 subdueth the people unto me. 6 48 He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the r violent man. Seas 49 Therefore will I *give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. 50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and showeth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for t evermore. PSALM XIX. 12 David prayeth for 1 The creatures show God’s glory. 1 ore his grace. To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. HE heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handyfuture glory of his great antitype; and frequent views of the as it appears the Hebrews always felt this is the more natural 1 and no one a peculiar interest in the fate of their posturity, more than the patriarch David, who, at the same time that he of Messiah as the consummation of al looked to the corning looked to him also as the medium of his his wishes in futurity, personal salvation.: The last verse, in which both appear included: is thus beau- Bishop Horne: “ Great eliverance gltifully paraphrased by d to king David, in saving him from Saul, e unto his king, veth:: him on the earthl and his other temporal enemies, and seating him from deat throne of Israel; to King Messiah, in rescuing Selah; -° 3 For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. 4 Heasked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. 5 His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him. ~ 6 For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast » made him exceeding glad ¢withthy countenance. 7 For “the king trusteth in the Lorn, and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved. 8 Thy hand shall find ¢ out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. 9 Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall s devour them. 10 Their " fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men. 11 For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which | they are not able to perform. 12 Therefore shalt thou )make them turn their «back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them. 13 Be thou exalted, Lorn, in thine own istrength: so will we sing and praise thy PSALM XXII. L David complaineth in great discouragement. 9 He prayeth in great distress. 23 He To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. Y » God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from ¢ helping me, and from the words of my ¢ roaring ? 2 O my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou ) ae ham, he was made a blessing, and so David; is God’s method of blessing mankind. Israel the fathers’ sakes, and we are blessed for Christ’s sake. ((Romans 11:28). (Ephesians 4:32).) “The church concludes with a joyful acclamation to her Redeemer, wishing for his exaltation in his own strength as be abased in much weakness as man. God, who was to still continue to wish and pray for his exaltation over sin, in the hearts of his people by grace, and finally over death, in their bodies, by his glorious power at the resurrection. ’— Bishop Horne. “Let every nation, every age, b gladded him with 3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the c Ps.4.6,7. rare: of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they tru d 1 Sa.30.6. and thou didst deliverthem. tegen pe e Am.9,2,3. 5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: f Mal.4.1. they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. g Is.26.11. h Ps.37.28, 6 But I am a &worm, and no man; a rei Ps.2.1,4. preach of men, and despised » of the people. J or, set them asa 7 Allithey thatsee me laugh me toscorn: they k shoulder. jshoot out the lip, they shake * the head, saying. 1 Job 9.19. 8 He ' trusted on the Lord that he would dehind of liver him: let him deliver ™ him, "seeing he the morndelighted in him.. b Mat.27.46 9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou ° didst make me hope when Iwas © my salupon my mother’s breasts. d He.5.7. 10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou Part my God from my mother’s belly. 3 there is no silence 11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; to me. for there is 4none to help.: f Ps.65.1. g I[s.41.14. 12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong h 1s.53.3. bulls of Bashan have beset me round. i Ma. 15.29, 13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. j open. k Ps.109.25. 141 am poured out like water, and all my 1 rolled bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; m Ps.91.14. it is melted in the midst of my bowels. n or, if he 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; delight in and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou o or, keptest me in hast brought me into the dust of death. 16 For t dogs have compassed me: the asp Is.46.3. sembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they q nota « pierced my hands and my feet. r opened 171 may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. praiseth God. 18 They part my garments among them, and § OF, suncast lots upon my vesture. t Re.22.15. 19 But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O u In, 19.23. my strength, haste thee to help me. v Is.52.14. w only one. 20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my x hand. w darling from the power of the dog. and this, indeed, _ Psarm XXII. Ver. 1—31. A Psalm of David.—Our Lord is here set forth, as Bishop Horne remarks, under the image _were blessed for of a hind (or hart) roused early in the morning of his mortal life, chased all the day, and, in the evening of that gey, hunted to the death. This psalm appears to belong exclusively to the Messiah, several passages not meeting the circumstances of David, whose garments were not parted by lot; whose hands Dr. Kennicott (with many and feet were never pierced, &c. others) divides this psalm into two parts—a prayer and thanks- The first sentence of the former was uttered by our aviour on the cross in an agony of distress, and with a voice 2 tre e o Ps 124.7,8 i 6 Remember, O Lord, thy « tender mercies | r hatred of and thy loving-kindnesses; for they have been ever of old. cuts the silken, cord—on which the virgins shout, “ You are our king, the king of Sion!’ and they are immediately joined’ by the Court and the army, singing Hallelujah! accompanie with the sound of trumpets, drums, and fire-arms! This ceremony seems evidently borrowed from the psalm before us; or may probably allude to some ceremony of more ancient date not on record, which might elucidate che phrase here used of lifting up the gates of Sion, and the repetition of this important question, “Who is the King of glory?’ Suppomp. hav ever. some petaporay impediment to have been placed in different parts of the hill of Zion, it will sufficiently account for the reiterated demand and reply here made by the semi-chorus and chorus in this psalm. _ But to come to the psalm itself, which was evidently sung in dialogue. It first opens with claiming, on the part of the God of Israel, the sovereignty of the whole earth, though he had made his dwelling-place in Sion. The inquiry then is, Who will this great an illustrious Being admit to reside with him 2 And the answer is, None but upright and faithful men; none but those who seek the blessing of God and his righteousness; none but the generation of those who seek communion with the God of Jacob. In short, neither painted hypocrites, nor self-righteous Pharisees, nor mere formal professors; but the true worshippers only of the true God—the God of The character of the God of Israel, and of his true worshippers, being ascertained, a demand is now made to admit him, with his attendants, into his holy temple. This psalm, according to the Rabbins, was always sung on the first day of the week, and is marked as such in some copies of the Septuagint. Whether or not they considered it as a prophecy of the resurrection of Christ, to that event it has been, by Christians, uniformly applied, and with the greatest propriety, considering that he hath, on his vesture and on his thigh, this. name written, ‘ King of kings, and Lord of lords.” ((Revelation 19:16).) “We must now form to ourselves an idea of the Lord of Glory, after his resurrection from the dead, making his entry into the eternal temple in heaven, as of old, by the symbol of his presence, he took possession of that figurative and tempois oodnese. hes a n ° me; for I wait on thee. 22 Redeem * Israel, O God, out of all his 8 Ps. 130.8. rary structure which once stood upon the hill of Sion. We are to conceive him gradually rising from mount Olivet, taking, the clouds for bis chariot, and ascending up on high; while some of his angels (like the Levites in this procession) demand that those everlasting gates and doors, hitherto shut and barred against the race of Adam should be thrown open for his admission. ‘Lift up your heads, O ye gates! and if any one should ask, ‘ Who is the King of Glory? to heaven and earth be it proclaimed aloud, by men and angels—that God our Saviour,—He is ‘ the Lord of Hosts;—He is the King of Glory.’ Amen. Hallelujah.’—Bishop Horne. Psatm XXV. Ver. 1—22. A Psalm of David—in great distress.—*Itis much the same, whether we suppose the church, or any single member thereof, to be speaking throughout this psalm, and praying for help and protection against spiritual enemies; and for knowledge and direction in the way of godliness.” For this purpose the psalmist pleads God’s ancient mercies, and the are of his own name. He then describes the blessedness of those who fear the Lord, and concludes with praying for the redemption of God’s Israel. Some passages, however, require a distinct remark. When David prays, “ Pardon my iniquity, for it is great,” we are not to consider (as some have done) the greatness of our sins as an argument for divine forgiveness; but because our sin is great, therefore should we the more earnestly pray for pardon. Again, by “the secret of the Lord,” we do not understand any knowledge of the divine decrees, or of mysteries unrevealed; but rather, the assurance of his mercy, and that secret, and divine communion with God, through Jesus Christ, in which consists the essence of true Christianity. (See (John 14:22-23). 1 John i. 3. On the psalmist’s concluding prayer, * Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles,” Bishop Horne remarks, “In the common salvation, all have an interest; and for that reason, all should pray for it. The earthly David petitioned for Israel; the heavenly David ever continueth to intercede for the church; and every Christian ought to become a suppliant for his brethren, still looking and longing for that glorious day, when, by a joyful resurrection unto life eternal, God shall indeed “ redeem Israel out of all his troubles.” ## Notes on the verses Vor. 15. Break thou the arm.—That is, the power of the wicked. Psaum XI. Ver. 3. If the foundations.—* For the foundations are cast down.” “ The just, what hath he done ?”—Ainsworth.:: Ver. 6. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, &c.—Pachim, Bisho Lowth explains by balls of fire, or sionply lightning. This is a manifest al- Jusion to the destruction of Sodom an Gomorrah. (Psalms 18:12-13). Bishop Lowth renders this verse, “ He shall rain live coals upon the ungodly, Fire, and sulphur, and a burning storm 3 This shall be the contents of their cup.” (Psalms 40)Title,—Upon Sheminith—(The eig Bom think this Psalm was made when the Ziphites Ver. 5. From him that is, that disregardeth him; c y out threatenings and slaughter against him.” reads, “* From bina that would ensnare him.” it might be rendered, “1 will put him in —_ aid.” Ver. 6. Furnace.—Bishop Horne, “ Crucible Ver. 7. Preserve them. Lord, wilt guard us and as om t _ pele race, ingdom.""—1". Scott.: PSALM XUL. Title,—To the chief Musician.—Or oversect. See title of hth.)—See title of (Psalms 6)(Psalms 4)(Psalms 4)si betrayed Pavid to Saul. uffeth at him.—The English import of the phrase ut the Hebrew rather means, probably, to breath (See (Acts 9:1).) The margin ¢ Bishop Horsley says, ponee for whom the snare 18 » of earth. 1 e as follows: —The LXX, render this vers Thou, preserve us from this generation, and for ever.’ Not but “from every evil work unto thy heavenly Ver. 3. Lighten mine eyes.—That is, restore to me health and joy and comfort; for darkness is the shadow of death. er. 5. Ihave trusted.—Or, ‘I trust.” Bishop Horne. Ver: 6. Dealt bowntifully.—The verb is more frequently rendered reward or geepnpenss; but a gracious recompense is intended, when good received from God is spoken of’; and this is “dealing bountifully."—T. Scott. PsaLM XIV.—This psalm bears the name of David, and is addressed likewise to the chief Musician. Another copy of it is given, with some slight variations, (Psalms 53), and a difference in the title, which will be there noticed. Ver. 3. Gone aside—Become Jilthy.—The expressions, Hervey suggests, are borrowed from wines soured (or turned,) und means putrified.” The word for the latter is used (Job 15:16). At the end of this verse, the present cowe of the LXX. insert three verses quoted by St. Paul in the third chapter of tomans from the other psalms. Ver. 4. Who (or they) eat up my people.—That is, devour the poor. See Micah iii. 3.. Ver. 5. There were they in great fear,—The parallel passage, Psalm liii, 5. it is added, ‘‘ where no fear was;? see that Psalm. Ver. 7. Othat, &c.—Marg. ‘* Who will give,” &c, The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 11; the text below is that joint comment. —the other rejecting superstition, and ship; the true God as well as idols. however, the universal sovereign. He will punish impenitent sinners of every class. At the same time, he hears the desire of the humble, before that desire is expressed in words; and will never fail to answer the prayer which his spirit teaches them to offer. God will “ prepare their hearts to pray, And cause his ear to hear; He hearkens what his children say, ‘And puts the world in fear.” — Watts. Psarm XI. Ver. 1—7. A Psalm of David, expressive of his confidence in God.—Whether this was written during Saul’s ersecution of him, when some advised him to seek his safety in flight; or during the rebellion of Absalom, when the foundations of the kingdom appeared to be subverted (as intimated ver. 3.) We cannot ascertain. But it was certainly during a time of great danger and alarm; when the fate of his kingdom seemed very precarious, and when his friends seemed utterly in despair. David, however, strengthened himself in the Lord his God, and trusted in him for support and deliverance. Ags the choicest of heavenly blessings (says Bishop Horne) are frequently in scripture represented by the salutary effects of wine, a cup of which the master of the family is supposed to hold in his hand, ready to distribute due portions of it to, those around him; so, from the noxious and intoxicating qualities of that Jiquor, when drunk strong, and in too large a quantity, 18 borrowed a mo most tremendous image of the wrath and indigna- Calamity and sorrow, fear and tremtion of Almighty God. bling, infatuation and despair, the evils of the present life, and of that which is to come, are the bitter ingredients which comose this most horrible cup of mixture. It is entirely in the hand and disposal of God, who, through every age, has been pouring out its contents, more or less, in proportion to the sins of men. But much of the strength and power of the liquor still remains behind, until the day of final vengeance. It will be then exhausted, even to the dregs, by unrepenting rebels, when * burning coals, fire and brimstone,’ be ‘the portion of their cup.” (Horne on (Psalms 24:8).) The light of his coundence, and rewards them by his grace. The Lord Jehovah is, tenance shall afford them everlasting happiness. Psaum XII. Ver.1—8. A Psalm of David, imploring the divine aid in a time of great degeneracy.—It is in vain to conjecture to what particular period this psalm originally referred; but often do such unhappy periods occur, both in the world and in the church. | In the former, by the spread of infidel and atheistic principles; and in the latter, by the lukewarmness of zeal and the decay of piety among believers. We are encouraged, however, to rest assured that the Lord will not forsake his people. His word is pure, and his promises have been often tried. Among the signs of our Lord’s second coming, we have been taught to consider this as one, that ‘the love of many shall wax cold” towards him. ((Matthew 24:12).) Many such, seasons have occurred, and the Lord has been pleased, by sig appearances, to produce revivals in his church, and such we still expect, even in an unprecedented degree. But even the millennium itself is to be followed with a degeneracy equall remarkable. Satan, though bound for a thousand years, wi be again let loose with all the powers of infidelity, ((Revelation 20:7-11).) so that finally, when the Son of Man cometh, he shall — find little faith upon the earth. ((Luke 17)=) ““When the wicked walk around on every side, the vilest of men shall be hrones of earth are filled with infidels exalted;” and when thet then—when good men shall shrink in despair unand tyrants, f the last tyranny—then shall the * sion of the der the power 0 “trumpet sound to Son of Man” suddenly appear, and his A Psalm of David, complaining Psatm XIII. Ver. 1—6. i “While God perof desertion, and imploring divine aid.— ‘ Maits his servants to continue under affliction he is said, after the manner of men, to have ‘forgotten and hid his face from them.’ For the use, therefore, of persons in such circumstances, is this psalm intended; and consequently, it suits the different cases of the church universal, lan uishing for the advent of our Lord to deliver her from this evi world; of any partiand eternal ‘tempest,’ shall cular church, in time of persecution, and of each individual, hab obs a IS may likewise be presumed to have made it a part of his devotions in the day of trouble.”’—( Bishop Horne.) The complaint of desertion here resembles that in the beginning of the twenty-second Psalm, which we know was used by our blessed Lord upon the cross; and the complaint is not of desertion only, but also of persecution fro. n the enemy. In both, deliverance is implored and confidence expressed, witha promise of the like grateful return of praise. ‘The heart which trusteth in God’s mercy (says the above excellent writer) shall alone rejoice in his salvation, and celebrate by the tongue, in songs of praise, the loving-kindness of the Lord. It is observaple, that this and many other psalms -with a mournful beginning, have a triumphant ending; to show us the prevailing power of devotion, and to convince us of the certain return of prayer, sooner or later, bringing with it the comforts of heaven, to revive and enrich our weary and barren spirits in the gloomy seasons of sorrow and temptation, like the dew descending by night upon the withered summit of an eastern mountain.” Psaum XIV. Ver. 1—7. A Psalm of David, lamenting the depravity of human nature.—This psalm is also ascribed to David, but the occasion is uncertain. From the last verse some learned men have supposed it to have been written during the time of Absalom’s rebellion, when the ark was in possessi »n of his party: (see (2 Samuel 19:9-15),) others refer it to the period of the Babylonish captivity; but St. Paul plainly refers us to the days of Messiah, and to a future restoration of the Jews subsequent to their conversion. ((Romans 11:26), &c. compare Psalm ex. 2. Isa. Ixii. 11. (Zechariah 9:9).) The chief subject of this psalm, however, is the infidelity of the human heart, for infidelity is unquestionably more a disease of the heart than of the head; the corruption of our nature gives an unhappy bias to the judgment. Sin makes fools of us all; and he is the greatest fool whose mind is most under the influence of depraved passions, which not only lead to abominable actions, but incapacitate for doing good. “The consideration of the apostacy and corruption of mankind, described in this psalm, makes heppophet express a longing desire for ‘the salvation of Israel,’ which was to ‘go forth out of Zion,’ and to bring back the people of God from that most dreadful of all captivities, the captivity under sin and death; a salvation at which Jacob would indeed rejoice, and Israel be glad.’’—(Bishop Horne.) Psarm XV. Ver.1—5. A Psalm of David, describing a citizen of Zion.—We agree with Bishop Horsley, that this salm has ‘‘no allusion to the offices of the Levitical priestn00d;” but is simply intended to point out, that moral ‘ righteousness is the qualification which alone can fit any one to be a guest in God’s tabernacle,’’—a citizen of Zion. ‘This qualification, however, implies no claim of merit, but simply moral fitness. “The man (says Bishop Horne) who would be a citizen of Zion, and there enter into the rest and joy of his Lord, must set that Lord always before him. Renewed through grace, endued with a lively faith, and an operative charity, he must consider and imitate the life of that blessed Person, who walked amongst men without partaking of their corruptions; who conversed unblameably with sinners; who could give this challenge to his inveterate enemies, ‘ Which of you convinceth me of sin? in whom the grand accuser, when he came ‘found nothing;’ who being himself ‘the truth,’ thought and spake oF nothing else, making many promises and performing them ‘In the above comment (says Bishop Horne) it was thought most advisable to open and display the full intent of what was both enjoined and forbidden, by exemplifying each particular. Whoever shall survey and copy these virtues and graces as they present themselves in his life, [relying at the same time on his atonement,] will, it is humbl apprehended, take the best and shortest way to the Ranvonlt Zion; and shall never be expelled from the eternal city.” Psaum XVI. Ver. I—11. A golden Psalm of David.—Different conjectures have been formed respecting the occasion of penning this psalm, and that of Dr. Hales seems as probable as any; namely, that it was composed just after David had received by Nathan the promise that his house should be built up for ever in the person of Messiah. ((1 Chronicles 17:11-27).) The late Dr. Kennicott calls it—‘‘A hymn prophetically descriptive of the Messiah, as expressing hig abhorrence of the general idolatry of mankind, and his own zeal for the honour of Jehovah: with the full assurance of his being raised from the dead, before his body should be corrupted in the grave. That David did not here speak of himself, but of the Messiah, and of him only, is asserted by St. Peter and St. Paul: (see (Acts 2:25-32), with xiii. 35—37.) And if this psalm speaksin a literal sense, concerning an actual and speedy resurrection, b that same literal sense David himself is necessarily excluded.” The former part of this psalm has, by most commentators, been considered as applicable to David; but if, as some think, ver. 4. implies the priestly character of the speaker, David is excluded from this as well as from the latter part of the psalm. One thing seems here intimated, which we have not before remarked, that the priests under the law, when they offered the sacrifice of an individual, named the offerer before the Lord; a circumstance that beautifully points to the intercession of the Saviour. (See (Revelation 8:3-4).) The latter part of the psalm being expressly applied to the resurrection of Christ by the apostles themselves, as above reinarked, can apply to others only as interested in and virtually raised with him ‘‘ to newness of lite,” and introduced into those paths which lead to everlasting bliss. "Those paths that to his presence bear, For plenitude of bliss is there; And pleasures, Lord ! unmixed with wo, ‘At thy right hand for ever flow.” —Merrick. Psarm XVII. Ver. 1-15. A Prayer of David against his enemies.—From the description of his enemies here given, there can be little doubt but Saul and his followers were intended; and their Doe 8 against David was no less than treason—that he aspired to the crown and sought the life of Saul; which was not only false, but exactly the reverse of the truth. ((1 Samuel 24)) The psalmist, therefore, confident in the justice of his cause, appeals to the Almighty for his decision. His ‘‘ heart condemns him not, and he has confidence towards God,” who is the witness as well as judge of his integrity. He had been tried, and lived in the expectation of farther trials: but he attributes his preservation to the word of God. ‘ By the word of thy lips I have kept (me) from the paths of the de- The description here given of David’s enemies, (as already hinted,) naturally leads us to look to Saul and his party as laying snares for him, as sportsmen were accustomed to do for ame in the forests, or for wild beasts in the woods. Saul imself resembled “a lion greedy of his prey,’’ who had been lurking and watching for him “ in secret places.” From these men, these “mortals of this transitory world,” (as Ainsworth and Horne render it,) he prays to be delivered; and in confidence that he shall be so, he concludes with declaring, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness;” an expression that may be referred either to the immortality of the soul, or the resurrection of the body. Dr. Watts includes both, and paraphrases the verse in three beautiful stanzas, which we should be glad to transcribe, but can only refer to.. Some commentators apply this psalm, as well as the preceding, to Christ himself, who, though he assumed in his death “ the form of a slave,” arose in all the glories of the Divinity. Psarm XVIII. Ver. 1-24. To the chief musician: d Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord.—The title of this psalm is literally transcribed from (2 Samuel 22:1)., where the psalm itself follows, nearly as in this place, except that the first verse is now introduced, with some verbal corrections in the following verses. ‘‘The variations between the two copies (says Scott, the commentator) seem to have been principally poetical improvements of the style, as few of them materially alter the sense, and several evidently render the composition more elegant. Indeed, the whole psalm seems one of the most finished poetical compositions extant in any language.” The first verse of the psalm just referred to, is noticed by the critics as peculiarly emphatic.“ With all the yearnings of affection, I will love thee,” is the paraphrase of Bishup Horne; and we may remark, that we can never too forcibly express our attachment to the Author-of our mercies, while we are careful to keep our language unalloyed: our expressions can never be too strong, while t ley are pure and chaste: but we sometimes meet with a familiarity or puerility of address in Christians to the Most High, which can only be excused by the simplicity of their piety, and unconscious ignorance. But David reverenced the God he loved; and accumulates the strongest terms he could recollect to express his obligations to his deliverer: the rock on whom all his hopes were built; the fortress to which he looked alone for safety, and ‘‘ the horn of his The psalmist now looks back upon the sorrows and dangers from which he had been at different times rescued. He had been in imminent danger of his life. ‘‘The sorrows,” or rather ‘toils’ (i. e. snares) of death had been thrown around him; but “ the horn of his salvation” tore them to pieces. “The floods of Belial,” or of wickedness, had been cast after him, as it were to overwhelm him. But he fled to the rock that was higher than himself, and there he founda refuge. The psalmist then goes on to describe the deliverance wrought for him in allusion to the awful tempests at mount Sinai, meaning thereby to intimate that, in some instance at least, his rescue from death and destruction had been attended with a similar display of the divine power and majesty, and he ascribes the cause of it to the divine bounty: ‘‘ He delivered me, because he delighted in me.” Nor is this contradicted by the words following: for though his character and conduct, especially in respect of zeal and uprightness, may not be the cause of his de Iverance, it may be the measure of it. Thus, under the new dispensation, salvation, as to its cause, is of grace alone, ((Ephesians 2:8).) yet will the rewards of grace be distributed to every man according to his works.” ((Matthew 16:27).) =. It does not, therefore, appear to us necessary to exclude David’s personal experience from this psalm: at the same time we have no objection to its application, in a secondary view, to the Messiah: and, indeed, St. Peter seems to allude to the 4th verse, when he speaks of his resurrection from the dead, ((Acts 2:24).) and to him, certainly, some of the expressions apply more literally and fully, for “he knew no sin, neither was f or, with thy meekself froward. ness thou hast mul- 27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; tiplied me but wilt bring down high looks. g ancles. 28 For thou wilt light my » candle: the Lord b Pr.4.12 my God will enlighten my darkness. 29 For by thee have* run through a troop; i 2 Sa.5.20. and by my God have I leaped over a wall. j caused to 30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word ofthe Lorv’is ® <tried: he is a buckler “to all k (Jeremiah 2)those that trust-in him. 1 18.55.5. 31 For who is God save the Lorn? or who m at the is arock save our God ? of the ear. 32 It is God ¢ that girdeth me with strength, n sons 0) ne of and maketh my way perfect. feet, and 33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ setteth me upon my high places. 34 He teacheth my’ hands to war, so thata bow ofsteel is broken by mine arms. - 35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me q or, deup, and ‘ thy gentleness hath made me great. rman of 36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, 8 or, conthat my € feet did not * slip. 37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overt Ro.11.29. taken them: neither did I turn again till they a Ro.1.19,20 were consumed. guile found in his mouth.” ((1 Peter 2:22).) The last verse one is also quoted by St. Paul, in reference to the calling of the Gentiles. ((Romans 15:9).) The equity of divine providence, and the mer- Ver. 25—50. ciful deliverance of those who trust in God.—These maxims accord with those of our Lord in his sermon on “The merciful shall obtain mercy; mount, ((Matthew 5:3), &c.) He will save the meek, the pure in heart shall see God.” oor, and the distressed;: but with the froward and perverse e will contend; and the high-spirited and proud he will bring his confidence in down. The Psalmist, however, expresses, he trusted in him that he not known shall serve me. 44 ™ As soon as they hear of me, they shal] obey me: the "strangers shall ° submit themselves unto me. Fu. 2 45 The strangers shall fade a ‘afraid out of their close places. — 46 The Lord liveth, and blesse ock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. 47 It is God that » avengeth me, and 4 subdueth the people unto me. 6 48 He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the r violent man. Seas 49 Therefore will I *give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. 50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and showeth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for t evermore. PSALM XIX. 12 David prayeth for 1 The creatures show God’s glory. 1 ore his grace. To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. HE heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handyfuture glory of his great antitype; and frequent views of the as it appears the Hebrews always felt this is the more natural 1 and no one a peculiar interest in the fate of their posturity, more than the patriarch David, who, at the same time that he of Messiah as the consummation of al looked to the corning looked to him also as the medium of his his wishes in futurity, personal salvation.: The last verse, in which both appear included: is thus beau- Bishop Horne: “ Great eliverance gltifully paraphrased by d to king David, in saving him from Saul, e unto his king, veth:: him on the earthl and his other temporal enemies, and seating him from deat throne of Israel; to King Messiah, in rescuing Selah; -° 3 For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. 4 Heasked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. 5 His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him. ~ 6 For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast » made him exceeding glad ¢withthy countenance. 7 For “the king trusteth in the Lorn, and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved. 8 Thy hand shall find ¢ out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. 9 Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall s devour them. 10 Their " fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men. 11 For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which | they are not able to perform. 12 Therefore shalt thou )make them turn their «back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them. 13 Be thou exalted, Lorn, in thine own istrength: so will we sing and praise thy PSALM XXII. L David complaineth in great discouragement. 9 He prayeth in great distress. 23 He To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. Y » God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from ¢ helping me, and from the words of my ¢ roaring ? 2 O my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou ) ae ham, he was made a blessing, and so David; is God’s method of blessing mankind. Israel the fathers’ sakes, and we are blessed for Christ’s sake. ((Romans 11:28). (Ephesians 4:32).) “The church concludes with a joyful acclamation to her Redeemer, wishing for his exaltation in his own strength as be abased in much weakness as man. God, who was to still continue to wish and pray for his exaltation over sin, in the hearts of his people by grace, and finally over death, in their bodies, by his glorious power at the resurrection. ’— Bishop Horne. “Let every nation, every age, b gladded him with 3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the c Ps.4.6,7. rare: of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they tru d 1 Sa.30.6. and thou didst deliverthem. tegen pe e Am.9,2,3. 5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: f Mal.4.1. they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. g Is.26.11. h Ps.37.28, 6 But I am a &worm, and no man; a rei Ps.2.1,4. preach of men, and despised » of the people. J or, set them asa 7 Allithey thatsee me laugh me toscorn: they k shoulder. jshoot out the lip, they shake * the head, saying. 1 Job 9.19. 8 He ' trusted on the Lord that he would dehind of liver him: let him deliver ™ him, "seeing he the morndelighted in him.. b Mat.27.46 9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou ° didst make me hope when Iwas © my salupon my mother’s breasts. d He.5.7. 10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou Part my God from my mother’s belly. 3 there is no silence 11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; to me. for there is 4none to help.: f Ps.65.1. g I[s.41.14. 12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong h 1s.53.3. bulls of Bashan have beset me round. i Ma. 15.29, 13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. j open. k Ps.109.25. 141 am poured out like water, and all my 1 rolled bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; m Ps.91.14. it is melted in the midst of my bowels. n or, if he 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; delight in and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou o or, keptest me in hast brought me into the dust of death. 16 For t dogs have compassed me: the asp Is.46.3. sembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they q nota « pierced my hands and my feet. r opened 171 may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. praiseth God. 18 They part my garments among them, and § OF, suncast lots upon my vesture. t Re.22.15. 19 But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O u In, 19.23. my strength, haste thee to help me. v Is.52.14. w only one. 20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my x hand. w darling from the power of the dog. and this, indeed, _ Psarm XXII. Ver. 1—31. A Psalm of David.—Our Lord is here set forth, as Bishop Horne remarks, under the image _were blessed for of a hind (or hart) roused early in the morning of his mortal life, chased all the day, and, in the evening of that gey, hunted to the death. This psalm appears to belong exclusively to the Messiah, several passages not meeting the circumstances of David, whose garments were not parted by lot; whose hands Dr. Kennicott (with many and feet were never pierced, &c. others) divides this psalm into two parts—a prayer and thanks- The first sentence of the former was uttered by our aviour on the cross in an agony of distress, and with a voice 2 tre e o Ps 124.7,8 i 6 Remember, O Lord, thy « tender mercies | r hatred of and thy loving-kindnesses; for they have been ever of old. cuts the silken, cord—on which the virgins shout, “ You are our king, the king of Sion!’ and they are immediately joined’ by the Court and the army, singing Hallelujah! accompanie with the sound of trumpets, drums, and fire-arms! This ceremony seems evidently borrowed from the psalm before us; or may probably allude to some ceremony of more ancient date not on record, which might elucidate che phrase here used of lifting up the gates of Sion, and the repetition of this important question, “Who is the King of glory?’ Suppomp. hav ever. some petaporay impediment to have been placed in different parts of the hill of Zion, it will sufficiently account for the reiterated demand and reply here made by the semi-chorus and chorus in this psalm. _ But to come to the psalm itself, which was evidently sung in dialogue. It first opens with claiming, on the part of the God of Israel, the sovereignty of the whole earth, though he had made his dwelling-place in Sion. The inquiry then is, Who will this great an illustrious Being admit to reside with him 2 And the answer is, None but upright and faithful men; none but those who seek the blessing of God and his righteousness; none but the generation of those who seek communion with the God of Jacob. In short, neither painted hypocrites, nor self-righteous Pharisees, nor mere formal professors; but the true worshippers only of the true God—the God of The character of the God of Israel, and of his true worshippers, being ascertained, a demand is now made to admit him, with his attendants, into his holy temple. This psalm, according to the Rabbins, was always sung on the first day of the week, and is marked as such in some copies of the Septuagint. Whether or not they considered it as a prophecy of the resurrection of Christ, to that event it has been, by Christians, uniformly applied, and with the greatest propriety, considering that he hath, on his vesture and on his thigh, this. name written, ‘ King of kings, and Lord of lords.” ((Revelation 19:16).) “We must now form to ourselves an idea of the Lord of Glory, after his resurrection from the dead, making his entry into the eternal temple in heaven, as of old, by the symbol of his presence, he took possession of that figurative and tempois oodnese. hes a n ° me; for I wait on thee. 22 Redeem * Israel, O God, out of all his 8 Ps. 130.8. rary structure which once stood upon the hill of Sion. We are to conceive him gradually rising from mount Olivet, taking, the clouds for bis chariot, and ascending up on high; while some of his angels (like the Levites in this procession) demand that those everlasting gates and doors, hitherto shut and barred against the race of Adam should be thrown open for his admission. ‘Lift up your heads, O ye gates! and if any one should ask, ‘ Who is the King of Glory? to heaven and earth be it proclaimed aloud, by men and angels—that God our Saviour,—He is ‘ the Lord of Hosts;—He is the King of Glory.’ Amen. Hallelujah.’—Bishop Horne. Psatm XXV. Ver. 1—22. A Psalm of David—in great distress.—*Itis much the same, whether we suppose the church, or any single member thereof, to be speaking throughout this psalm, and praying for help and protection against spiritual enemies; and for knowledge and direction in the way of godliness.” For this purpose the psalmist pleads God’s ancient mercies, and the are of his own name. He then describes the blessedness of those who fear the Lord, and concludes with praying for the redemption of God’s Israel. Some passages, however, require a distinct remark. When David prays, “ Pardon my iniquity, for it is great,” we are not to consider (as some have done) the greatness of our sins as an argument for divine forgiveness; but because our sin is great, therefore should we the more earnestly pray for pardon. Again, by “the secret of the Lord,” we do not understand any knowledge of the divine decrees, or of mysteries unrevealed; but rather, the assurance of his mercy, and that secret, and divine communion with God, through Jesus Christ, in which consists the essence of true Christianity. (See (John 14:22-23). 1 John i. 3. On the psalmist’s concluding prayer, * Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles,” Bishop Horne remarks, “In the common salvation, all have an interest; and for that reason, all should pray for it. The earthly David petitioned for Israel; the heavenly David ever continueth to intercede for the church; and every Christian ought to become a suppliant for his brethren, still looking and longing for that glorious day, when, by a joyful resurrection unto life eternal, God shall indeed “ redeem Israel out of all his troubles.” ## Notes on the verses Vor. 15. Break thou the arm.—That is, the power of the wicked. Psaum XI. Ver. 3. If the foundations.—* For the foundations are cast down.” “ The just, what hath he done ?”—Ainsworth.:: Ver. 6. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, &c.—Pachim, Bisho Lowth explains by balls of fire, or sionply lightning. This is a manifest al- Jusion to the destruction of Sodom an Gomorrah. (Psalms 18:12-13). Bishop Lowth renders this verse, “ He shall rain live coals upon the ungodly, Fire, and sulphur, and a burning storm 3 This shall be the contents of their cup.” (Psalms 40)Title,—Upon Sheminith—(The eig Bom think this Psalm was made when the Ziphites Ver. 5. From him that is, that disregardeth him; c y out threatenings and slaughter against him.” reads, “* From bina that would ensnare him.” it might be rendered, “1 will put him in —_ aid.” Ver. 6. Furnace.—Bishop Horne, “ Crucible Ver. 7. Preserve them. Lord, wilt guard us and as om t _ pele race, ingdom.""—1". Scott.: PSALM XUL. Title,—To the chief Musician.—Or oversect. See title of hth.)—See title of (Psalms 6)(Psalms 4)(Psalms 4)si betrayed Pavid to Saul. uffeth at him.—The English import of the phrase ut the Hebrew rather means, probably, to breath (See (Acts 9:1).) The margin ¢ Bishop Horsley says, ponee for whom the snare 18 » of earth. 1 e as follows: —The LXX, render this vers Thou, preserve us from this generation, and for ever.’ Not but “from every evil work unto thy heavenly Ver. 3. Lighten mine eyes.—That is, restore to me health and joy and comfort; for darkness is the shadow of death. er. 5. Ihave trusted.—Or, ‘I trust.” Bishop Horne. Ver: 6. Dealt bowntifully.—The verb is more frequently rendered reward or geepnpenss; but a gracious recompense is intended, when good received from God is spoken of’; and this is “dealing bountifully."—T. Scott. PsaLM XIV.—This psalm bears the name of David, and is addressed likewise to the chief Musician. Another copy of it is given, with some slight variations, (Psalms 53), and a difference in the title, which will be there noticed. Ver. 3. Gone aside—Become Jilthy.—The expressions, Hervey suggests, are borrowed from wines soured (or turned,) und means putrified.” The word for the latter is used (Job 15:16). At the end of this verse, the present cowe of the LXX. insert three verses quoted by St. Paul in the third chapter of tomans from the other psalms. Ver. 4. Who (or they) eat up my people.—That is, devour the poor. See Micah iii. 3.. Ver. 5. There were they in great fear,—The parallel passage, Psalm liii, 5. it is added, ‘‘ where no fear was;? see that Psalm. Ver. 7. Othat, &c.—Marg. ‘* Who will give,” &c, ## Notes on the verses PSALM XV. Ver. 2. Walketh uprightly.—"The fruits meet for repentance,” “the work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope,” “the fruits of the Spirit,” and “the things which accompany salvation,” are here compendiously enumerated, or rather pointed out, in some of the most striking and observable particulars.—T. Scott. man, who renders himself base and contemptible by his crimes. Persons of this description may be exalted in station, and abound in wealth; and many will pay court to them: but the true servant of God will form a juster estimate of their character and state. He will neither envy their prosperity, nor give any sanction to their impiety.—T. Scott.— Changeth not.—That is, will not violate his oath for self-interest, Ver. 5. Usury.—See (Exodus 22:25-26). (Leviticus 25:35-37). (Nehemiah 5:1-7).—Never be moved.—The concluding clause of this verse, in the original, is emphatical. “He that doeth these things shall not be moved for ever,” or to eternity. ‘The formal, nay, plausible worshippers at the tabernacle; the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and the most zealous contenders for the law; might be moved from their steadfastness, and perish: but none would be moved for ever, or come short of eternal life, who really bore the character here delineated.—T. Scott. j PSALM XVI. Title,—Michtam.—Marg. “‘A golden (psalm) of David.” D’Herbelot observes of the works of seven of the most excellent Arabian poets, that they are called A? Modhahebat, which signifies golden, because they were written in letters of gold upon Egyptian paper. Might not the six psalms which are thus distinguished (viz. this and (Psalms 55)—ix.) be so called from their having been, on some occasion, written in letters of gold, and hung up in the sanctuary? Such a title would have been br seen to the Eastern See title of (Psalms 22)O my soul, thou hast said, &c.—The LXX. and several MSS. this makes no difference in the meaning.—My goodness (extendeth) not to thee.—The LXX. render it, “Thou hast no need of my goods (or goodness.) Compare (Job 35:7). The Chaldee and Syriac render the words, “My goodness is from thee.”—Kennicott reads, “Is not without thee.” Ver. 4. That hasten (run) after another (god.)—Ainsworth renders it, “that endow another;” and Kennicott, “that go whoring after strange gods.” —Their drink-offerings of blood.—The drink-offerings of the Jews were of wine only, ((Leviticus 17:10-14).) part of which was poured on the head of the victim; but the heathen offered drink-offerings of blood, even of human blood, the blood of their enemies.” In Dupuis’ Journal in Ashantee, mention is made of a wretched tyrant who delighted in drinking the blood of his enemies. In one instance he had an enemy bound and laid before him. He then had his body pierced with hot irons, fed the blood which issued from him in a vessel, one half of which he drank, and offered up the rest unto his Ver. 5. Portion of mine inheritance.—JEHOVAH was David’s present comfort, a source of exultation and refreshment, as the cup of water to the thirsty, or wine to the faint: he was also his future inheritance; and he who allotted him his portion, would maintain him in it, and never leave him to forfeit it.—T. Scott. Ver. 6. The lines are fallen.—That is, the measuring cords by which heritages are allotted out. As Canaan was divided by rod and line, these metes are used to represent his joy in the favour of God. But the Saviour himself has obtained the most goodly heritage; and his people are admitted to partake of it.—T. Scott. See (Psalms 78:55).—My reins instruct me.—See note on (Job 19:27). The apostles Peter and Paul both explain these Ver. 10. My soul in hell.—The Christ, as in our exposition, but there is words exclusively of our Saviour some difficulty as to the translation. The word rendered Hell is Sheol, which we have already shown to mean both the grave and the invisible world. Our translators frequently render it by the former word, as (Genesis 42:38).; xliv. 31. (1 Kings 2:9). (Job 17:18, 14). and often Hell, as here, (Job 26:6). (Psalms 9:17). But it is generally admitted to include (like Hades) the invisible world in general. See exposition and notes on (Job 26:5-6). Bishop Pearson says, “It appeareth that the first intention of putting these words into the Creed was only to express the burial of our Saviour, or the descent of his body into the grave.” It is most certain, however, that the phrase was afterwards explained, even by the Christian fathers, of Christ’s descent into the place of punishment. See 1 Peter iii. 18. “But that it was actually so, or that the apostle intended so much,” the Bishop confesses is “not manifest.” See also Professor Wittus, who contends, “that Christ descended into hell, (the place of torment,) is no where expressly affirmed in Scripture, nor in the most ancient creeds. The creeds which mentioned the descent, were generally silent with respect to the burial; nor was it without some mistake that both be afterwards joined together, as Dr. J. P. Smith renders the first clause of verse (10,) “Thou wilt not leave my life in the grave;” which nearly corresponds with Dr. Kennicott’s version ‘Thou wilt not abandon my life to the grave.” [The word hell, from the Saxon hillan or helan, to hide, or from holl, a cavern, though now used only for the place of torment, anciently denoted the concealed or unseen place of the dead in general.]—Bagster. ## Notes on the verses Psalm XVII. Ver. 1. Hear the right, O Lord.—Or, “Hear, O righteous Lord.” Bishop Horne. Ver. 7. That savest by thy right hand.—See margin. Rather, “at thy right hand.” See (Zechariah 3:1). Ver. 8. Apple of the eye.—Heb. as the pupil, or black spot, the daughter of the eye.—The singular precaution with which the Creator has secured the pupil of the eye, and by which every creature instinctively guards it from injury, forms a striking illustration of the Lord’s watchful care over his people amidst the peculiar dangers to which they are on every side exposed. — Ver. 9. My deadly enemies—i.e. my soul’s enemies, or the enemies of my life. Ver. 10. Enclosed in their own fat.—Or, “They have closed up their mouth with fat.” Dr. Hammond. See (Job 15:27). Ver. 11. Bowing down to the ground.—Or, “Bending (us) down to the earth.” Ainsworth and Horne. Sep. Ver. 14. Wired bellies [= wearied bellies] p= [to] M aasd tae Nar mi wee eet ae to enjoy temporal blessings in abundance. Bishop Horne. See (Luke 6:25).—They are full of children.—See (Job 21:11). Or, they are [full of children], “their children are full.” ## Notes on the verses PSALM XVIII. Ver. 1. I will love.—The original implies tenderness; ‘‘with bowels of compassion.” Ver. 2. My strength.—Heb. ‘‘rock;” but a different word from that in the preceding line. Ver. 3. I will call—This being a psalm of thanksgiving, Bishop Horne thinks the verbs should be rendered in the present tense: so Dr. Kennicott. But as the Hebrew is future, we rather think with Scott, that the future was used purposely, to express “the feelings of David's heart, while struggling with his difficulties; he then said, ‘‘I will love,” &c. Ver. 4. The sorrows.—So the word is used for the pains of childbirth and of death; see (Acts 2:24).; but the same word (with a slight variation in the points) is used also for cords, ropes, and the toils of the fowler (made of cord) to ensnare his game, &c. Ver. 5. The sorrows (or cords) of hell.—Heb Sheol. See note on ver. 4. Sheol and Hades, according to Archbishop Usher, ‘‘when spoken of the body, means the grave; when of the soul, they refer to the state in which [the soul] is without the body, whether in Paradise or Hell, properly so. Ver. 7. The earth shook and trembled,—{In this and the following verses, David describes, by the sublimest expressions and grandest terms, the majesty of God, and the awful manner in which he came to his assistance. ‘The imagery is borrowed from an awful and tremendous thunder storm; and the circumstances are such as create the utmost admiration, excite a kind of horror, and far exceed in sublimity every thing of the kind to be found in any remains of heathen antiquity. ]—Bagster. agi Ver. 8, Smoke out of his nostrils.—Ainsworth, ‘‘Smoke ascended in his Ver. 9. He bowed the heavens.—{Jehovah is here represented as a mighty warrior going forth to fight the battles of David. When he descended to the engagement, the very heavens bowed to render his descent more awful:—His military tent was substantial darkness;—the voice of his thunder was the warlike alarm which sounded to the battle;—the chariot in which he rode was the thick clouds of heaven, conducted by cherubs, and carried on by the irresistible force, and rapid wings of an impetuous tempest;—and the darts and weapons he employed were thunder-bolts, lightnings, fiery hail, deluging rains, and stormy winds!—No wonder that when God arose all his enemies were scattered, and those that hated him fled before him!|—Bagster. Ver. 10. Fly on wings of the wind.—In the parallel place of Samuel it is wyyaire, “and he was seen;” but many MSS. read as here wyyaide, ‘‘and he did fly,” which, from the parallelism, appears the correct reading. God alone “rides in the whirlwind and directs the storm.” ]—Bagster. Ver. 15, At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.—Ainsworth, “At the breath of the wind of thine anger.” This is supposed to refer to the passage of the Red sea. a9 Ver. 16. Many waters.—i.e. afflictions, terrors. Ver 18. They prevented me.—Anticipated, surrounded me. God, who, as he had delivered, would still deliver: and in this Psalm also occur which seem peculiar. David might indeed say, when rounding nations, (nations;) a people whom I have not known (that is, foreigners) shall submit themselves unto me:” but it appertains, far more exalted and extensive sense, to whom, as we have seen, ((Psalms 2:8).) it was said, ‘‘Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” Christ being indeed the substance of the Old Testament as well as of the New, * David, in most of his psalms, instances and experience, jj I authority in conceiving, that by the Spirit of inspiration he Ver. 21. Wickedly departed.—Ainsworth, er. 23. ‘‘from my the | Same tl I am prove to.” This shows that the Psalms should not be applied indiscriminately to the Messiah. Ver. 27. Afflicted—(Or rather, between this and “high” intended. |—Bagster. Ver. 28. My candle.—{As tion, hence to light the lamp for any one means ester. On this verse, thou shalt enlighten the thou art the Author of the light of Israel; the Lord my God shall lead me out of darkness into light, and shall make me see the consolation of the which shall come to the just.” Ver. 32. God that girdeth me.—{The eastern dress: it strengthened and supported the loins; served to confine garments close to the body; and to tuck them up in when pure strength of God was to his soul what the girdle was to the art of the psalm some verses appropriate to the Messiah. He became master of the sur- ‘Thou hast made me head of the heathen while we are warranted in believing that had respect to his own circumwe are no less justified by apostolical “Did not wickedly from” (or iniquity.—That is, says Ainsworth, “from the iniquity “the humble people;” for the contrast looks,” shows that humility, rather than suffering, is darkness is a usual metaphor for trouble or affliction; the Chaldee paraphrase thus enlarges: “Because lamp of Israel, which is girdle was a necessary part of the exalting him to a heavenly throne, as brave, and and the “s 7; d mri and showeth mercy to, his anointed; Head of the church: d in a figure, with oil (David;) and to him i.e. outwardly, an * h the Holy who was anointed inwardly, and, in truth, with es) David, and to his se Ghost and with power (Christ): literal David, and to his royal progeny, for evermore;” to the Christ came;” and to Christ “of whom, according to the flesh, ne to our divine Redeemer, himself, the spiritual David, the beloved of God, with all those become his children, the sons of God, and who through faith heirs of eternal life. “To David and his royal seed all “Thy grace for ever shall extend; hye Thy love to saints, in Christ their head, He Knows not a limit, nor an end.”—Watts. To the chief musician. A Psalm Psalm XIX. Ver. 1—14, vet.—Agility was a great qualification with the ancient Ver. 33. Likehinds’ /" (1 Chronicles 12:8). So among the Greeks Achilles was a ‘‘swift-footed,” 5 “brass,” or copper. [All ph tbe oy gw = brass;” evi- 7 Ver. 31. Bow of steel.—Ainsworth and Horsley, “thou hast given” or made, instead of nichathah, the versions read, “and thou hast made my arms as a bow of which arms z ading nathattah, f t be- Eye te 2 and nechooshanh, is certainly not steel, but brass, were anciently made.]—Bagster. hath made me great.—Boothroyd, ‘‘Thy conde- — Ver. 35. Thy gentleness 4 as meekness cannot be applied ascension maketh me great;’’ which we prefer, to restore to prospect to Deity. does not The necks of mine enemies.—See (Joshua 10:24). Jer. xxvii. Ver. 40. —‘‘Lie unto me.” Submission put out in the captivity, for Ver. 44. Shall submit themselves: 2? &c. ver. 45. “they shall fade away always imply conversion: = ° 2 inished and beautiful ode was PSALM XIX. [It is uncertain when this highly though some think it was written by David in the wilderness when composed; Saul. | Bagster. a: é the persecuted by Saul.|—Bagster from raka, to stretch out, the expanse: not Ver. 1. Firmament.—| Rakeed, but also the air, light, rain, dews. only containing the celestial bodies, thou me from secret faults.; 1 A thanksgiving for victory. 7 Confidence of farther success. heaven of his holi- 13 Keep back thy servant also from presump- To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. tuous sins; let them not have dominion ® over | ¢ ty me § bok king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be in-| ‘77%, and in thy salvation how greatly shall he innocent from the great transgression. eations: | rejoice! Psalm XX. Ver. 1—9. To the chief musician. A Psalm of David, on the works and word of God.—As the 8th Psalm describes the beauties of a midnight scene, this celebrates the after he became king, containing the prayer of the glories of an unclouded eastern day. “Day unto day, and Hebrew church on his behalf.—This is a loyal as well as a de night unto night,” in perpetual succession, declare the glory votional psalm. It is evidently intended to express the attach their Creator; and though their instructions are conveyed ment of Israel, and particularly of Judah, to David’s govern silence, and no sound is heard, yet those instructions are uniment, and may very properly be applied to David’s Son and versally understood, and equally intelligible in all nations.” the King of Zion, interpreting only Old Testament types “Their line (or sound) is: gone out through all the earth,” &c. The sixth verse seems according to the apostolical examples: that is, the instructions they are intended to convey, as to the to be the language of David himself, who, contemplating the being and power, wisdom and goodness of the a Coen are pious petitions offered on his behalf, says, “Now know J,” seen without letters, and heard without sound, because they ing the Lord’s people are stirred up to prayer for me, and for speak not to the eye or ear only, but to the heart. my success—“Now know I that the Lord saveth his anoint ed!” In the following verses, David and his subjects unite in which is here com hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, the same petitions, and conclude with an hosanna, or prayer ared to ‘‘a bridegroom” coming ‘‘out of his chamber” on the for salvation, which, as it was offered to our Saviour while on earth, peculiarly belongs to him. ‘‘Thus (says Bishop Horne) ridal morning; or to “a giant fit to run a race. is the diffusion of divine truth, and such the extent of its pow the psalm concludes with a erful influence, as displayed The law d in the following verses. genet ‘hosanna’ of the church, success of the then future Mes praying for the prosperity an é of God here spoken of, though it always includes ‘the preceptive” parts of Scripture, is seldom confined to them; but includes “the doctrine” (as in the margin, and in short the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, whole of divine revelation, every part of which is occasionally and present to his Father, the prayers of his people, ‘when employed by the Holy Spirit in the conversion of the soul they call upon him.’ ” man, or in restoring it to God, from whom it has miserably “Hosanna to the Prince of Grace; Sion, behold thy King! David follows his eulogy on the word of God with a prayer Proclaim the Son of David’s race, for renewing and restraining grace; And teach the babes to sing.”—Watts. the latter, as Horne expresses it, “to keep him back” from root presumptuous Psalm XXI. Ver. 1—13. A Psalm of David.—Bishop deliberately, and with a sins,” or sins committed knowingly, Horsley divides this psalm into two parts. “The first part, (he remarks,) consisting of the first seven verses, is addressed to a certain king. The second part, beginning with the eighth sins into those committed ignorantly and presumptuously:” and ending with the twelfth verse, is addressed to that king, the former we consider here intended by ‘secret faults,’ assuring him of success and triumph over his enemies, as the forming a contrast to the latter. (See (Leviticus 4:2-3). (Numbers 15:30).) And by the great transgression, commentators understand either idolatry or apostacy, which, indeed, as respected the ancient Jews, was the same thing; for whenever they apostatized from Jehovah, they became idolaters. He that would avoid great sins, must beware of little ones, all of which display the infinite power and wisdom of their Almighty Creator.] Ver. 13. Presumptuous sins.—Literally, swelling sins; as pride, ness, tyranny. Ver. 2. Day \ J unto day.—Or, “After day:” so unto is used for after, (Exodus 16:15) xix. 1. in Hebrew. ## Notes on the verses PSALM XX. Ver. 5. We will set up our banners.—* The sense is, We will take the field against our enemies, in full reliance upon God’s assistance.” Ver. 3. Where their voice, &c.—See margin. Bishop Horsley renders this verse, “There is no speech, no words: Bishop Horsley. ’ = no voice of them is heard: (yet) their sound goeth,” &c, [Or, they have no Ver. 7. Some trust, &c.—Bishop Lowth renders this verse, speech, nor words, nor is their voice heard; yet into all the earth inte gone out their sound, and to the extremity “These in chariots, and those in horses; Y of the world their words. |—Bagster. But we in the name of Jehovah our God will be strong.” Ver. 4. Their line.—The allusion is to a measuring line, by which inherit- (This is probably a reference to the vast multitudes of chariots and horses ances were divided. But the LXX. render it sound, and so it is quoted by the which the Ammonites and Syrians brought against David, (2 Samuel 10:6-8). The apostle, ((Romans 10:18).) implying the intelligible nature of that instruction which Psalm seems to consist of the following parts:—the prayers of the people on the works of nature every where give to man, as to the being and perfections of his Creator. behalf of the king, who had previously offered sacrifices, ver. 1—3. of the high Ver. 7. The law.—The Hebrew priest, ver. 4.; of David and his attendants, ver. 5.; of the high priest, after Torah, is neither confined to the preceptive. the victim was consumed, ver. 6.; of David and his men, ver. 7, 8.; of the Beane doctrinal parts of Scripture, but includes the whole of revelation, whole congregation, ver. 9.|—Bagster.. tn 9. Clean.—Lowth, Pure.” ——True.—Heb, “Truth.” The and, Ver. 9. Save, Lord.—[{Or, O Jehovah save the king* answer us when we ic, is better sie vs as by Ainsworth and Lowth “just altogether” call upon thee.” ]—Bagster.. so loud, that it is here compared to the roaring of a lion: a cry be indistinct, which accounts for In this delightful work engage; so strong and agonizing as to Old men and babes in Sion sing its being misunderstood by the by-standers, some of whom sup- The growing glories of her king.”— Watts. Ver. 1. From my roaring.—The word is applied to the roaring of a lion, Psalm XXI. Ver. 3. Preventest.—(To prevent, literally signifies to go be- ((Amos 3:8), and elsewhere,) and we learn from St. Matthew, (ch. xxvii. 46, preceding words, it was with a loud voice, fore; and this sense of the word is an exact version of the original.]—B. 47.) that when Jesus uttered the i Kennicott, on the authority of three or four Ver. 9. As a fiery oven.—Dr. (° and in great agony. ((Hebrews 5:7).) But Bishop MSS., would read, ‘Thou shalt put them in a fiery furnace.”’ Ver. 2. Am not silent.—See margin; i. e. no interval of rest, or ease. It describes the, Horsley says, ‘The common reading seems preferable. Ver. 3. Inhabitest the praises, &c.—That is, that dwellest in the temple, smoke of the Messiah’s enemies perishing by fire, ascending like the smoke of where praises are perpetually sung. a furnace.” See (Revelation 5)xiv 1. Ver: 6. A worm.—A maggot; implying excessive weakness in himself, and Ver, 10. Their fruit.—That is, their children. (Psalms 27:3). contempt from others, as in the verse following. 9; Ver. 12. Make them turn their back.— Thou shalt set them as a butt.” So Ver. 8. He trusted on the Lord.—A Hebrew phrase, expressing faith and con- Ainsworth, Horsley, &c. See (Job 7:20). 5 xvi. 12. (Lamentations 3:12). fidence; but used here in ridicule. ——Seeing he delighted.—Or, If he delight- Ver. 13. Be thou exalted.—Both the prosperity of the church, and the ruin See (Matthew 27:43). eth in him.’” -of its enemies, tend to exalt God, or to render his glory conspicuous to his ra- Ver. 12. Strong (bulls) of Bashan.—A country famous for cattle and sheep. These effects can only be produced by his Omnipotence; tional creatures. (Deuteronomy 32:14-15). (Amos 4:1)b. |:; which his people unitedly pray to see displayed, that they may joyfully cele- Ver. 14. I am poured out.—This describes a state of extreme lassitude and i first petitions, and brate his praises. This conclusion greatly resembles the weakness. f closing doxology, of the Lord’s prayer.—T. Scott. Ver. 16. Dogs have compassed me.—Dogs in the East are not domesticated. upon Aijeleth Sha- PSALM XXII. Title,—To the chief Musician. as with us; (see note on (Exodus 11:7).) they are therefore furious and dangerous. har.—We have not the least idea that this psalm has reference to any musical Pierced.—(The textual reading is, kaar?, “as a lion my hands and feet;”” for 1 none of these titles is any known instrument menbut several MSS. read karoo, which affords the reading adopted by our transinstrument or tune. the: \ i The mar- Ethiopic; and as mentioned, only the different kinds of wind or stringed instruments. lators. So the LXX., also the Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, and crucifixion of Shahar to mean, * the hind of the all the Evangelists so quote the passage, and apply it to the gin explains the Hebrew words Aijeleth f a doubt that this is the genuine morning,” with which agree Ainsworth, Patrick, and many others, who com- Christ, there seems scarcely the shadow of red, that the other contains no clear pare the illustrious subject of this psalm to a hid hunted by dogs (see ver. 16 reading; especially when it is considered The whole difference lies between two av and yood, which might —90 ) in the morning, the usual time for hunting. Some Rabbins, however, sense at all, " and Bishop Chandler tells us that translate these words, ‘' the morning star Pa easily be mistaken for each other.]—Bagster. and this name, “the morning Ver. 17. Tell all my bones.—The body of our Lord, being distended by eru- Ayelta is the name of Venus among the Arabs; star,” is, we know, applied to our Saviour by St. John, in (Revelation 22:16). cifixion. Le Clere.—They look and stare.—Who? It is generally supposed Such titles of poetical compositions are, ja enemies are here referred to; but may not the bones themselves, by a bold we prefer the former interpretation. One of the most celebrated Persian poems is it not often said, of a person in the last stage prosopopeia, be intended! we know, quite in the Eastern taste. “the Garden of Knowledge;” of consumption, that his bones stare through the skin? is called ‘‘the Bed of Roses;” another, See (Psalms 35:17).—From the power certain celebrated Arabian works are called, “Fragrant Plants,” “Approved Ver. 20. My darling.—i. e. my life. 5 7 ’ &c. Forest,” “The Bright Star,” “Lion of the Butter,” ‘‘Pure Gold,” “Che -i. e. the paw of the dog ready to tear the sufferer to pieces. T. H. Horne’s Introduction. See Orient. if No. 755. (Revelation 5)praise thee. >f 23 Ye » that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him: and fear him, dust shall bow before him: and none can keep f makes alive his own soul. ‘30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. posed he was calling for Elias. The other circumstances herewith connected, imply a state of extreme lassitude, weakness, and fatigue, previous to the execution of our Lord, in consequence of which he fainted in carrying his cross; and the peculiarity of his death by crucifixion, which was not a Jewish, but a Roman punishment, is here pointed out by the “piercing of his hands and feet, and the parting of his garments;” but the casting lots for his vesture was still more singular, and occurred perhaps in no other instance. (Compare (Matthew 27:35), and (John 19:23-24).) The twenty-first verse, which concludes the petitionary part of the psalm, is obscure and difficult, (as may be seen in our note subjoined;) but Bishop Horsley has a very ingenious conjecture, which removes the difficulty without violence to the text. By restoring the words to the order of the Hebrew original, he divides the verse thus— “Save me from the mouth of the lion, And from the horns of the unicorns:— PART II. ————— Thou hast answered me. I will declare,” &c. And then the psalmist proceeds (according to Bishop Lowth’s idea) with the hymn of praise here referred to. This second part of the psalm expresses Messiah’s triumph after his resurrection, the universal spread of his gospel among the rich and the poor—those who are fattened like the bulls of Bashan, and those, who, for poverty and distress, can scarcely keep life in them—all, that is, many of both classes shall submit, and become “a seed to serve him,” even the generation of the righteous. On the authority of the Septuagint, and some of Kennicott’s Hebrew manuscripts, Bishop Lowth disjoins the last member of the twenty-ninth verse, in a manner similar to the above correction of Bishop Horsley on ver. 21; and, by a very slight departure from the present edition of the Hebrew Bible, reads as follows, ver. 35: - “But my soul shall live to him; my seed shall serve him: It shall be accounted,” &c. With this correction, agree Bishop Horsley and others, and it is mentioned by Bishop Horne without censure. The two great points to be considered by us in this psalm, are, 1. The extreme sufferings of the Son of God for our sins, which ought to humble us at his feet with gratitude and with shame; and, 2. The blessed consequences resulting to mankind from his death and resurrection, which call upon us for the most animated praises, and the utmost devotion to his Psalm XXIII. Ver. 1—6. A Psalm of David, in pastoral language.—Of the author of this psalm there is no doubt; and we are inclined to date it among the first of the writer’s compositions, when he had not forgotten the pleasures of the pastoral life, though at the same time he had become acquainted with the dangers of the wilderness, and had traversed the deep ravines between the mountains, from which he drew the fearful image of ‘‘the valley of the shadow of death.” The psalmist appears overwhelmed with a grateful sense of the many blessings and privileges he then enjoyed, and encouraged to brave any dangers he might meet by faith in the divine protection. By “the valley of the shadow of death,” may be intended any situation of danger, whether in sickness or in war, in which he looked for protection to the rod (or sceptre) of the Almighty, and for support to the staff of his holy word. Contemplating a situation in the barren wilderness, though even surrounded with enemies, he is encouraged by the divine goodness, not only to expect necessary supplies, but to sit more composedly as to a feast—his head fattened with oil (as the Hebrew phrase is) and his cup running over with the choicest wine; that is, the divine presence and communion with his God was to him a feast in the wilderness, and a guard of protection when surrounded with foes. He looks forward therefore, to end his days on earth in peace, where he could constantly attend God's earthly tabernacle, and from thence to be removed to his palace in the heavens. “Still hope and grateful praise, ‘Shall form my constant song: Shall cheer my gloomiest days, And tune my dying tongue— Until my ransomed soul shall rise, To praise him better in the skies.” Condor’s Star in the East. Psalm XXIV. Ver. 1—10. A Psalm of David. The sovereignty of God, and the resurrection of Christ.—The occasion of this psalm is not stated. Bishop Lowth supposes it to have been composed on the removal of the ark to mount Sion. (1 Chronicles 15)xvi; but it is remarkable that another psalm is there given, as composed on this occasion, totally different from the one before us: nor is the expression, ‘Lift up your heads, ye gates,” well adapted to the occasion, since the tabernacle had neither gates nor doors, (much less everlasting ones;) and when the temple was erected, the gates do not appear to have been made to lift up, but to fold, as usual in both ancient and modern times. The only way to account for this is, to suppose that on ascending the hill some temporary impediments were placed in the way, analogous to what is related by Bruce to have taken place at a grand festival occasion at which he was present, in Ethiopia. On this occasion, a chorus of noble virgins stretched a silken cord across where the king was to pass, and demanded, ‘Who are you?” The answer was, “I am your king, the king of Ethiopia!” This is denied, and the king withdraws. The ceremony is three times repeated, and at the last the king draws his sword, and et oe ee ee ## Notes on the verses PSALM XXIII. Ver. 2. Beside the still waters.—See margin. Or, stillness; i.e. a gently purling stream. Ver. 3. He restoreth my soul,—from backsliding; as a wandering sheep from the mountains. See (Luke 15:4-5). Ver. 5. Thou anointest my head with oil.—This was customary at the feasts both of the Hebrews and Greeks. (Ecclesiastes 9:7-8). (Matthew 6:17). Homer's Iliad, x. 577, &c.—My cup runneth over.—This was also a piece of ancient hospitality, to make a guest welcome. See Orient. Cust. Nos. 889, 890. ## Notes on the verses PSALM XXIV. Ver. 2. Established it upon the Floods,—See note on (Job 38:6). Ver. 4. He that hath clean hands.—“The clean of hands and pure of heart.” —Nor sworn deceitfully.—Compare (Psalms 15:4). Ver. 7. Lift up your heads.—It may be remarked, in addition to the Ethiopian custom above alluded to, that in London there is an ancient custom of shutting the gates of Temple Bar, whenever the king comes into the city; who is therefore obliged to demand admittance by a herald. PSALM XXV. Title.—The name of David is prefixed to this and other psalms without the word Psalm or Prayer. Whether it were so originally, or for what excuse omitted, we know not. This is the first of the alphabetical psalms, each verse beginning with a different letter, with some exceptions, supposed to be owing to the errors of the transcribers. Bishop Horsley. Bs Ver. 3. Transgress without cause.—Ainsworth, “In vain;” falsely, perfidiously. The sins of my youth.—That is, youthful sins. See note on (Job 13:26). Ver. 7. Ver. 13. Dwell at ease.—See margin. Loveth, “Rest in goodness.” Ver. 14. The secret of the Lord.—The Hebrew word (sod) means private confidential conversation. Gesenius. Safe seek PSALM XXVII. thy face. 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine 1 David sustaineth his faith by the vane 4 by his love to the service of God, i gather me. enemies: for false witnesses are risen up A Psalm of David. against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. j way of 13 [had fainted, unless I had believed to | see A iio Lord * is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the the goodness of the Lord in the land of the k those strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid 2 which observe me. 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and 14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, my foes, » came upon me to eat up my flesh, and he shall strengthen thy heart: wait, I 1 Ep.2.8 they stumbled and fell. say, on the Lord. Psalm XXVI. Ver. 1—12. A Psalm of David, pleading glory of Deity, so softened by the displays of grace interminhis integrity and the divine mercy.—This is another of those gled therewith, as to afford the most pleasing contemplations psalms in which the writer maintains his own integrity; yet his temple!’ Ah! to a pardoned sinner.—“ And to inquire in we must not, on that account, either exclude David, (see on what subjects of inquiry are there suggested? What Moses (Psalms 15)) or apply the whole to our Redeemer; for how could said, as to the Passover, may well be applied to all the parts ot he who made satisfaction for our sins, plead (as in ver. 11.) for the Jewish ritual. 1 “And it shall come to pass, when your mercy for himself? Such an idea goes to set aside the atonechildren shall say unto you, What mean you by this service ? ment of Christ; for if our sins were forgiven to him, they can- It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover.” that ye shall say, It i: not be forgiven to us for his sake. ((Exodus 12:26-27).) So when it is asked, what mean you by this. The expression, used by the psalmist, of “ washing his hands goat, or by this bullock 2—by the golden altar or fragrant in innocency,” does not imply absolute purity in the sight of cense?—by the shew-bread or the golden candlesticks, &c.? God, or wherefore otter an atoning sacrifice’? but innocence, would di- The answer to each, from a pious priest or Levite, as to any design of injuring his fellow-creatures, and freedom rect the humble worshipper to the great mysteries of the then from hypocrisy in the sight of God. sigh (See (Exodus 40:32). Deut. future gospel: xxi. 6. (Isaiah 1:15). (1 Timothy 2:8).) Such are the characters who In perfect harmony with these views of the tabernacle wor have-welcome access to the vine presence, and whose gifts ship is the latter part of this are accepted on the sacred altar. 1 ((Psalms 24:4).) Yet they ae on which, as it has been thought very obscure, we shall venture a little to enlarge. The psalmist says, “Hear me, O Lord; and answer me.” The divine oracle replies, “ Seek ye my face;” and the heart of the petitioner replies, “Thy face, Lord, will I seek.” So that these words are a sort of dialogue between the sacred oracle and the heart of the sincere worshipper, the object of which is to draw him into closer communion with his God— the God of Jacob.” There shall I hear thy holy word, XXIV. 6.) And there thy works of wonder tell. In the conclusion, David again encourages himself in the Among thy saints will I appear, his God. The supplementary words, “I had fainted,” My hands well washed in innocence; 13. (like those in ver. 8.) add to the perspicuity of the ex- But when I stand before thy bar, The blood of Christ is my defence.” —Watts. pression, but subtract something from its poetical beauty; Unless I had believed,” as if the psalmist had said, ‘What Psalm XXVII. Ver. 1—14. A Psalm of David. Past dethen would have become of me?’ But since I have believed, and trium liverances the ground of future confidence.—The psalmist, after alluding to the Wait, I say, on the Lord.” protection he had received from the providence of God in times past, encourages himself thereby to trust “There (could I say, and mark the happy place) in God in times to come; and avows it to be the great desire T was there I did his glorious footsteps trace: of his heart, constantly to enjoy the privileges of public wor- ’Twas there (oh let me raise an altar there !) ship, and there to contemplate—not the beauty of the taberna- I saw as much of heaven as mortal sense could bear; cle and its furniture—but the beauty of the Lord; that is, the That from his eyes I met the heavenly beam, That kindled in my soul this deathless flame !’—Mrs. Rowe. ## Notes on the verses PSALM XXVI. Verses 4 and 5 are, by Ainsworth and Bishop Horsley, rendered in the present tense. Ver. 5. The congregation.—That is, company, or society. Ver. 6. I will wash my hands in innocency.—After the sacrifice was laid on the altar, and the blood sprinkled, the priest washed his hands, and walked in procession round the altar, both among the Hebrews and the Greeks. See Orient. Cust. No. 990. Ver. 12. In an even place.—On a plain path, so as not to be in danger of ree XXVIII. Ver. 2. To eat up my flesh.—‘*To devour me like wild Ver. 6. Sacrifices of joy—i. e. when the priests blew the trumpets, and the people shouted. Ver. 8. When thou saidst, &c.—See margin. said to thee, (thy words are, being understood,) Seek O Jehovah, will I seek.” That is, in retired meditation, I recollected thy exhortations to the sons of men to seek thy face, or favour; and my heart answered, “ Dost thou deign thus to invite us? Then without delay or hesitation, I will seek thy face.” ]—Bagster. Archbishop Secker renders this, “ 'To thee, my heart, he hath said, Seek ye my face.” Ver. 11, Because of mine enemies.—" Observers,’’ or rather spies: “ those that were on the watch for me.’ (Or, literally, ‘‘ My heart ye my face: Thy face, Psalm XXVIII. Ver. 1—9. A Psalm of David, praying for deliverance from his enemies, and support from God.—The psalmist prays that he may not be involved in the judgments of the wicked, who were his enemies; but the genius of that dispensation did not lead him to pray for his enemies, as does Christianity. On the contrary, he implores upon them the just reward of their evil deeds, (ver. 4.) As, however, in the original of this passage, the imperative and future are used promiscuously: “Give them—render them—thou wilt destroy them:” Bishop Horne suggests, that if the verbs were “in all such cases rendered in the future, every objection against the scripture imprecations would vanish.” Such passages express only the acquiescence of good men in the righteous judgments of the Almighty, and when we shall have done with sin we shall have done with sympathy for sinners. (See (Revelation 18:6, 20); xix. 1—4.) The psalm, however, concludes with strong expressions of gratitude and faith. “The Lord is the strength of his people; the saving strength of his anointed,”—of David, and of his great antitype, the Messiah. Psalm XXIX. Ver. 1—11. A Psalm of David, celebrating the glory of Jehovah as displayed in the thunder storm.—It is not necessary to suppose, as some have done, that this psalm was composed during a thunder-storm; but it is evident that the psalmist had such an event in view, or in recollection. Maimonides says, that this psalm was appointed to be sung on the first working day (i.e. not being a sabbath or holiday) of the feast of Tabernacles, and so it is marked in the Greek version. (See Ainsworth.) Here, then, we have a remarkable coincidence of circumstances; for it may be seen in our calendar at the end of Leviticus, that the feast of Tabernacles fell on the 15th day of the month Tisri, which was the last day of our September, or nearly so; at which time commenced, what the Hebrews called the early or former rain, for this was the first month of their civil year. Now, upon turning to Buhle’s “Economical Calendar of Palestine,” (which may be found translated into English in Taylor's Fragments, No. 454,) we shall find that lightnings, at this time, are very frequent, and often accompanied with rain and thunder. About this time, therefore, we may believe that David composed this animated and beautiful psalm, in which the sublime phenomena of nature are made to exhibit the glory and majesty of nature’s God. This theme is particularly recommended to “the sons of the mighty” among mankind, “the gods of earth,” who must “die like men,” ((Psalms 82:6-7):) they are invited to listen to his voice as it thunders through the heavens, and then to come and worship “in his glorious sanctuary,” every part of which, and every article of its sacred furniture, utters somewhat of his glory or his grace. Notwithstanding we now understand the theory of the thunder and the lightning, there is still something awful in the phenomena, even to a philosopher, especially when he recollects that the thunderbolts of the Almighty often convey his summons to mortals, to meet him at his judgment bar. We need not wonder then that the tyrant Nero, or the infidel Voltaire, should seek to hide themselves in the dark. “With what beauty and propriety,” (says Dr. Boothroyd,) “is the grand name of Jehovah repeated in almost every verse, and in some [verses] several times! Every echo of the thunder, every blaze of the vivid lightning, calls upon us to give glory to the Lord; for who hath an arm like God, or who can thunder with a voice like Him?” But where can men hide themselves from the voice of the Most High? Shall they flee to the desert of Kadesh, climb the heights of Lebanon, or embark upon the mighty ocean? Nature every where trembles at his presence and his voice. The sea roars, the mountains tremble, and the timorous hind is thrown into premature labour. Man only, frail and man only, is insensible to the voice of that Almighty Being whose word with equal ease, can create or can destroy. Psalm XXX. Ver. 1—12. A Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David.—This title, literally considered, is attended with no difficulty; it is, therefore, with some surprise that we have seen learned men attempt a mystical explication, explaining this “house,” of David’s body, which had been sick, or of his “soul,” which had fallen into sin; and, after all, applying it to the Messiah, whose body had never been sick, that we know of, and whose soul, we know, was never stained with sin. That David had “a house of cedar,” while as yet the ark dwelt in curtains, we have certain information. ((2 Samuel 7:2). See note on title of this Psalm for another supposition.) And as we know also, that it was customary with the Israelites to dedicate their houses to God when finished, (see (Deuteronomy 20)) there can be no difficulty in supposing the patriarch David did so. Nor is it improbable, (though not recorded,) that at the time of dedicating this house, David might be but just recovering from a recent illness, and think this a proper opportunity for expressing his gratitude for such recovery. Considering the psalm in this light, it may afford much useful admonition to persons in similar circumstances; and some parts of it are peculiarly beautiful, particularly the fifth verse. “For his anger (is but) for a moment—in his favour is life: weeping may lodge for the evening, but shouting for joy (cometh) in the morning.” Such is the predominancy of Divine mercy, and of human happiness! Affliction has its proper effect on us, when it sends us to a throne of grace. When David was afflicted, then he prayed: and his plea in this case was, “What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?” So Hezekiah argued, Isaiah xxxviii. 18., and the sum of the plea is, “Lord, if I am spared, I will magnify thy name, and study to advance thy glory; but death will put a period to my labours, and my voice shall be heard no more.” The learned Hutchinson having adopted the plan of applying all the Psalms indiscriminately to the Messiah, represents him as pleading the inefficacy of his blood without a resurrection from the dead; and we know that a like system was adopted by some of the early Christian fathers, who were intoxicated with the love of allegory: we, however, consider this scheme not only as fanciful and injudicious, but as dishonourable to Him, whom we doubt not but it was designed to honour. When did the Saviour boast in his prosperity, “I shall never be moved?” He was, at least, from arriving at such a state, “a man of sorrows,” and knew that he came into the world to suffer and to die. Bishop Horsley himself was sensible of this, referring his “prosperity” to his state of glory at the resurrection, after which he was to be no more moved! an application that appears to us violently forced and unwarrantable. Psalm XXXI. Ver. 1—24. A Psalm of David, pleading for mercy.—The occasion of this psalm is not mentioned, but Bishop Patrick, and most of the commentators, apply it to the period when Saul pursued him in the wilderness of Maon, but was diverted from that pursuit by being informed that the Philistines had invaded Judea. (1 Samuel 23:24-29). Part of the fifth verse having been used by our Saviour upon the cross ((Luke 23:46).) many expositors make no hesitation in applying to him the whole psalm; but Scott judiciously remarks, that when our Saviour used this clause he omitted the following, “Thou hast redeemed me,” &c. as more properly relating to the type than to the antitype. Besides which, it should be remembered that the martyr Stephen used the like expression, as did many saints and martyrs in various ages: but a quotation of a single phrase by no means warrants the application of the whole psalm: though it must be allowed that David was an eminent type of our Redeemer, it by no means follows that he was so in all respects. David was a great sinner as well as a great saint, and looked for pardon to the same mercy as we do. (Verses 5, 7, 9, 10, 16.) Sin, in no way, could be attached to our Saviour but by imputation. “He was wounded for our transgressions;” but in no degree polluted by them: nor did he become, in any proper sense, a transgressor, though among such he was numbered. ((Isaiah 53:5, 12).) Many passages in this psalm certainly suit the circumstances of his mortal life; but as no types in all respects correspond to their antitype, so is it with respect to typical prophecies, which require the same caution and prudence in their application. As our Saviour was not the subject of sin, neither was he the proper object of mercy; for he paid the ## Notes on the verses Psalm XXVIII. Ver. 1. Silent to me.—“From me;” i.e. from answering me.—Into the pit.—That is, the grave. Ver. 2. Thy holy oracle.—See margin; i.e. the ark, in the most holy place. Ver. 3. Draw me not.—Bishop Horsley, “Let me not be drawn.” Ver. 8. Their strength.—Instead of gz lamo, “their strength,” eight MSS. have oz leammo, “the strength of his people;” which is confirmed by the LXX., Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, Ethiopic, and Anglo-Saxon: this renders the passage legible.—Bagster.—The saving strength of his anointed.—The meaning is, that Jehovah is the head of the Messiah and of his people; and that He who raised him from the grave, will also raise them to everlasting life. Answer. 9. Feed.—The pastoral office here alluded to, implies both feeding and (Psalms 29)[It is not improbable, that this Psalm was written to commemorate the abundant rain, probably accompanied by a thunder-storm, which fell in the days of David, after it had been withheld three years.]—Bagster. Ver. 4. Powerful.—Lowth, “Full of power.” Ver. 6. A young unicorn.—The one-horned rhinoceros. Exil. 22. Ver. 7. Divideth the flames of fire.—That is, the lightning, which is often zigzag in its form. Ver. 9. And discovereth.—Or, “maketh bare the forest, by stripping it of its leaves;” for we have remarked above, that this is an autumnal scene. To make the images better harmonize, Bishop Lowth and others, by a slight variation, for “hinds” read “oaks;” “he shivereth the oaks;” but as we read before of breaking the cedars, &c., the late Taylor, by another variation, here reads, “And deprives the female ibices” (or rock-goats) [of their young.] But we see no necessity for either of these changes.—Doth every one.—See margin; i.e. every part of the temple, (or tabernacle, and of its mystical furniture,) reveals somewhat of his praise. Ver. 10. The flood.—That is, the vast ocean. (Psalms 30)Title,—A Psalm and Song.—Rather, “A Psalm, (being) a song at the dedication of the house of David.” [By which is supposed to be meant the place he built on the threshing-floor of Araunah, after the grievous plague which had nearly desolated the kingdom. (2 Samuel 24:25), &c. (1 Chronicles 21:6).]—Bagster. Ver. 1. Lifted me up.—Ainsworth, “Drawn me out,” as from the mouth See note on Num. of a pit or a well. Ver. 5. Weeping may endure.—Ainsworth, “In the evening lodgeth weeping; at the morning shouting joy.” Ver. 7. Made my mountain to stand strong.—See margin; i.e. Mount Sion, where David resided; but figuratively, it refers to the establishment of his kingdom. Ainsworth. Ver. 12. To the end that my glory.—The margin explains the “glory” here named, of the psalmist’s tongue, or soul, and we prefer the former, as opposed to silence. See (Psalms 57:8). (Psalms 31)[Bishop Patrick and others suppose that David composed this Psalm, to encourage himself and friends, during his extreme danger of being seized by Saul, when he fled from Keilah. (1 Samuel 23:22-28).]—Bagster. Ver. 2. Be thou my strong rock.—Ainsworth, “A rock of fortresses;” i.e. a fortified rock. Ver. 6. Lying vanities.—This phrase is often used in reference to idols. (Deuteronomy 32:21), &c. Ver. 7. Known my soul in adversity.—In the deepest adversities, when all forsook me, then I found Thee to be my friend and Supporter. “A friend in need is a friend indeed;” and such a Friend is God: human friendships may fail; but the friend of sinners never.—Bagster. Ver. 10. Because of mine iniquity.—That is, says Ainsworth, “punishment due for iniquity.” (Genesis 19:15). But Dr. Boothroyd remarks, that the ancient versions read “affliction,” which he follows. Ver. 9, 10. Consumed.—That is, wasted, as by pining disease, to the appearance of a skeleton. Ver. 12. A broken vessel.—See margin; i.e. becomes useless and of no [further service]. The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 28; the text below is that joint comment. Psalm XXVIII. Ver. 1—9. A Psalm of David, praying for deliverance from his enemies, and support from God.—The psalmist prays that he may not be involved in the judgments of the wicked, who were his enemies; but the genius of that dispensation did not lead him to pray for his enemies, as does Christianity. On the contrary, he implores upon them the just reward of their evil deeds, (ver. 4.) As, however, in the original of this passage, the imperative and future are used promiscuously: “Give them—render them—thou wilt destroy them:” Bishop Horne suggests, that if the verbs were “in all such cases rendered in the future, every objection against the scripture imprecations would vanish.” Such passages express only the acquiescence of good men in the righteous judgments of the Almighty, and when we shall have done with sin we shall have done with sympathy for sinners. (See (Revelation 18:6, 20); xix. 1—4.) The psalm, however, concludes with strong expressions of gratitude and faith. “The Lord is the strength of his people; the saving strength of his anointed,”—of David, and of his great antitype, the Messiah. Psalm XXIX. Ver. 1—11. A Psalm of David, celebrating the glory of Jehovah as displayed in the thunder storm.—It is not necessary to suppose, as some have done, that this psalm was composed during a thunder-storm; but it is evident that the psalmist had such an event in view, or in recollection. Maimonides says, that this psalm was appointed to be sung on the first working day (i.e. not being a sabbath or holiday) of the feast of Tabernacles, and so it is marked in the Greek version. (See Ainsworth.) Here, then, we have a remarkable coincidence of circumstances; for it may be seen in our calendar at the end of Leviticus, that the feast of Tabernacles fell on the 15th day of the month Tisri, which was the last day of our September, or nearly so; at which time commenced, what the Hebrews called the early or former rain, for this was the first month of their civil year. Now, upon turning to Buhle’s “Economical Calendar of Palestine,” (which may be found translated into English in Taylor's Fragments, No. 454,) we shall find that lightnings, at this time, are very frequent, and often accompanied with rain and thunder. About this time, therefore, we may believe that David composed this animated and beautiful psalm, in which the sublime phenomena of nature are made to exhibit the glory and majesty of nature’s God. This theme is particularly recommended to “the sons of the mighty” among mankind, “the gods of earth,” who must “die like men,” ((Psalms 82:6-7):) they are invited to listen to his voice as it thunders through the heavens, and then to come and worship “in his glorious sanctuary,” every part of which, and every article of its sacred furniture, utters somewhat of his glory or his grace. Notwithstanding we now understand the theory of the thunder and the lightning, there is still something awful in the phenomena, even to a philosopher, especially when he recollects that the thunderbolts of the Almighty often convey his summons to mortals, to meet him at his judgment bar. We need not wonder then that the tyrant Nero, or the infidel Voltaire, should seek to hide themselves in the dark. “With what beauty and propriety,” (says Dr. Boothroyd,) “is the grand name of Jehovah repeated in almost every verse, and in some [verses] several times! Every echo of the thunder, every blaze of the vivid lightning, calls upon us to give glory to the Lord; for who hath an arm like God, or who can thunder with a voice like Him?” But where can men hide themselves from the voice of the Most High? Shall they flee to the desert of Kadesh, climb the heights of Lebanon, or embark upon the mighty ocean? Nature every where trembles at his presence and his voice. The sea roars, the mountains tremble, and the timorous hind is thrown into premature labour. Man only, frail and man only, is insensible to the voice of that Almighty Being whose word with equal ease, can create or can destroy. Psalm XXX. Ver. 1—12. A Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David.—This title, literally considered, is attended with no difficulty; it is, therefore, with some surprise that we have seen learned men attempt a mystical explication, explaining this “house,” of David’s body, which had been sick, or of his “soul,” which had fallen into sin; and, after all, applying it to the Messiah, whose body had never been sick, that we know of, and whose soul, we know, was never stained with sin. That David had “a house of cedar,” while as yet the ark dwelt in curtains, we have certain information. ((2 Samuel 7:2). See note on title of this Psalm for another supposition.) And as we know also, that it was customary with the Israelites to dedicate their houses to God when finished, (see (Deuteronomy 20)) there can be no difficulty in supposing the patriarch David did so. Nor is it improbable, (though not recorded,) that at the time of dedicating this house, David might be but just recovering from a recent illness, and think this a proper opportunity for expressing his gratitude for such recovery. Considering the psalm in this light, it may afford much useful admonition to persons in similar circumstances; and some parts of it are peculiarly beautiful, particularly the fifth verse. “For his anger (is but) for a moment—in his favour is life: weeping may lodge for the evening, but shouting for joy (cometh) in the morning.” Such is the predominancy of Divine mercy, and of human happiness! Affliction has its proper effect on us, when it sends us to a throne of grace. When David was afflicted, then he prayed: and his plea in this case was, “What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?” So Hezekiah argued, Isaiah xxxviii. 18., and the sum of the plea is, “Lord, if I am spared, I will magnify thy name, and study to advance thy glory; but death will put a period to my labours, and my voice shall be heard no more.” The learned Hutchinson, having adopted the plan of applying all the Psalms indiscriminately to the Messiah, represents him as pleading the inefficacy of his blood without a resurrection from the dead; and we know that a like system was adopted by some of the early Christian fathers, who were intoxicated with the love of allegory: we, however, consider this scheme not only as fanciful and injudicious, but as dishonourable to Him, whom we doubt not but it was designed to honour. When did the Saviour boast in his prosperity, “I shall never be moved?” He was, at least, from arriving at such a state, “a man of sorrows,” and knew that he came into the world to suffer and to die. Bishop Horsley himself was sensible of this, referring his “prosperity” to his state of glory at the resurrection, after which he was to be no more moved! an application that appears to us violently forced and unwarrantable. Psalm XXXI. Ver. 1—24. A Psalm of David, pleading for mercy.—The occasion of this psalm is not mentioned, but Bishop Patrick, and most of the commentators, apply it to the period when Saul pursued him in the wilderness of Maon, but was diverted from that pursuit by being informed that the Philistines had invaded Judea. (1 Samuel 23:24-29). Part of the fifth verse having been used by our Saviour upon the cross ((Luke 23:46).) many expositors make no hesitation in applying to him the whole psalm; but Scott judiciously remarks, that when our Saviour used this clause he omitted the following, “Thou hast redeemed me,” &c. as more properly relating to the type than to the antitype. Besides which, it should be remembered that the martyr Stephen used the like expression, as did many saints and martyrs in various ages: but a quotation of a single phrase by no means warrants the application of the whole psalm: though it must be allowed that David was an eminent type of our Redeemer, it by no means follows that he was so in all respects. David was a great sinner as well as a great saint, and looked for pardon to the same mercy as we do. (Verses 5, 7, 9, 10, 16.) Sin, in no way, could be attached to our Saviour but by imputation. “He was wounded for our transgressions;” but in no degree polluted by them: nor did he become, in any proper sense, a transgressor, though among such he was numbered. ((Isaiah 53:5, 12).) Many passages in this psalm certainly suit the circumstances of his mortal life; but as no types in all respects correspond to their antitype, so is it with respect to typical prophecies, which require the same caution and prudence in their application. As our Saviour was not the subject of sin, neither was he the proper object of mercy; for he paid the ## Notes on the verses Psalm XXVIII. Ver. 1. Silent to me.—“From me;” i.e. from answering me.—Into the pit.—That is, the grave. Ver. 2. Thy holy oracle.—See margin; i.e. the ark, in the most holy place. Ver. 3. Draw me not.—Bishop Horsley, “Let me not be drawn.” Ver. 8. Their strength.—Instead of gz lamo, “their strength,” eight MSS. have oz leammo, “the strength of his people;” which is confirmed by the LXX., Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, Ethiopic, and Anglo-Saxon: this renders the passage legible. —Bagster.—The saving strength of his anointed.—The meaning is, that Jehovah is the head of the Messiah and of his people; and that He who raised him from the grave, will also raise them to everlasting life. Answer. 9. Feed.—The pastoral office here alluded to, implies both feeding and (Psalms 29)[It is not improbable, that this Psalm was written to commemorate the abundant rain, probably accompanied by a thunder-storm, which fell in the days of David, after it had been withheld three years.]—Bagster. Ver. 4. Powerful.—Lowth, “Full of power.” Ver. 6. A young unicorn.—The one-horned rhinoceros. Exil. 22. Ver. 7. Divideth the flames of fire.—That is, the lightning, which is often zigzag in its form. Ver. 9. And discovereth.—Or, “maketh bare the forest, by stripping it of its leaves;” for we have remarked above, that this is an autumnal scene. To make the images better harmonize, Bishop Lowth and others, by a slight variation, for “hinds” read “oaks;” “he shivereth the oaks;” but as we read before of breaking the cedars, &c., the late Taylor, by another variation, here reads, “And deprives the female ibices” (or rock-goats) [of their young.] But we see no necessity for either of these changes.—Doth every one.—See margin; i.e. every part of the temple, (or tabernacle, and of its mystical furniture, reveals somewhat of his praise. Ver. 10. The flood.—That is, the vast ocean. —PSALM XXX. Title,—A Psalm and Song.—Rather, “A Psalm, (being) a song at the dedication of the house of David.” [By which is supposed to be meant the place he built on the threshing-floor of Araunah, after the grievous plague which had nearly desolated the kingdom. (2 Samuel 24:25), &c. (1 Chronicles 21:6).]—Bagster. Ver. 1. Lifted me up.—Ainsworth, “Drawn me out,” as from the mouth See note on Num. of a pit or a well. Ver. 5. Weeping may endure.—Ainsworth, “In the evening lodgeth weeping; at the morning shouting joy.” Ver. 7. Made my mountain to stand strong.—See margin; i.e. Mount Sion, where David resided; but figuratively, it refers to the establishment of his kingdom. Ainsworth. Ver. 12. To the end that my glory.—The margin explains the “glory” here named, of the psalmist’s tongue, or soul, and we prefer the former, as opposed to silence. See (Psalms 57:8). (Psalms 31)[Bishop Patrick and others suppose that David composed this Psalm, to encourage himself and friends, during his extreme danger of being seized by Saul, when he fled from Keilah. (1 Samuel 23:22-28).]—Bagster. Ver. 2. Be thou my strong rock.—Ainsworth, “A rock of fortresses”—i.e. a fortified rock. “In the evening lodgeth weeping.” Ver. 6. Lying vanities.—This phrase is often used in reference to idols. (Deuteronomy 32:21), &c. Ver. 7. Known my soul in adversity.—In the deepest adversities, when all forsook me, then I found Thee to be my friend and Supporter. “A friend in need is a friend indeed;” and such a Friend is God: human friendships may fail; but the friend of sinners never.—Bagster. Ver. 10. Because of mine iniquity.—That is, says Ainsworth, “punishment due for iniquity.” (Genesis 19:15). But Dr. Boothroyd remarks, that the ancient versions read “affliction,” which he follows. Ver. 9, 10. Consumed.—That is, wasted, as by pining disease, to the appearance of a skeleton. Ver. 12. A broken vessel.—See margin; i.e. becomes useless and of no PSALM XXXII. ae praise is comely for the upright. 1 Blessedness consisteth in remission of sins. 3 Confession of sins giveth ease to the conscience. 8 God’s promises bring joy. mv 2 Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him iivel. | with the psaltery and an instrument of ten A Psalm of David, Maschil. nJe17.78. | Strings. BLESSED ° is he whose transgression is forwpe | 3 Sing © unto him a new song; play skilfully given, whose sin is covered. Fn44 | with a loud noise. 2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord vPsin34.| 4 For the word of the Lord is right; and all imputeth «not iniquity, and in whose spirit ePsist9. | his works are done in truth. there is no guile. vias | eee loveth righteousness and judgment: the 3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old ore earth is full ¢ of the * goodness of the Lord. through my roaring all the day long. 4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon ré. ng” 6 By * the word of the Lord were the heaell3 | vens made; and all « the host of them by the me: my moisture is turned into the drought of eGe2l. | breath of his mouth. es 4 summer. Selah.; doctrine of justification by faith, here stated by St. Paul, was and having satisfied the law on our behalf, juspenalty of sin, justly esteemed by Luther the fundamental article of the Pro- “being delivered tice had no farther demands on him or us: testant faith, by which the church must either stand or fall. for our justification.” for our offences, he was raised again _ This psalm is evidently in dialogue (or in a dramatic form) ((Romans 4:25).): like many others. The two first verses appear to be chorus; A Psalm of David, giving in- Psatm XXXII. Ver. 1—11. the five following the confession of the psalmist. Ver. 8. struction.—‘“ As the sick is eloquent in t ? i e praise of health, Bishop Horsley (and perhaps justly) considers as an oracular ## Notes on the verses (says Bishop Horne,) so the sinner beginneth this his confesvoice from the most holy place. Verne 9 and 10 appear to us 1 an encomium on righteousness, longing earnson of sin with the oracle continued, though the prelate just quote considers of the ‘evangelical’ blessedness; estly to be made a partaker of them as the language of the psalmist; an the last verse we ower of sin, to be ‘to be delivered from the guilt and the conceive to be the concluding chorus. The oracle itself, as ich is in Christ Jepardoned and sanctified through faith w we consider it, promises instruction and enjoins obedience. sus.” Sin is compared to. a debt which may be discharged in Man, in this case, is considered no better than an untamed d, ((Psalms 51:1-9),); or two ways—either by blotting out the recor the merits or colt, which must be forcibly restrained ‘‘ with bit and bridle,” by covering it with a contrary account, namely, and even a kind of muzzle to prevent the animal from _attackby the mercy-seat which atonement of the Saviour, typified ing his owner. So says Job, “ Man is born like a wild ass’s to the blessedness abovecovered the ark. ‘‘In opposition colt,” ((Job 11:12).) and it is only by a long training in trials an mentioned, (continues the good prelate, ) the penitent now proafflictions that he is brought to submission or obedience; but ceeds to declare his own wretched state, occasioned by his when thus brought to trust in the Lord, mercy shall compass his sin, which therefore ‘keeping silence, or not confessing him about; and great matter of joy is this, to those who are rankled and festered inwardly, occasioning torment inexpressithus brought to love and fear God. The disorders of the mind, as well as those of the body. “ Blest is the man, for ever blest, should be communicated to persons skilful in assuaging and Whose guilt is pardoned by his God; i the hor- Whose sins with sorrow are confessed, - removing them: many might thereby be saved from &d in And covered with a Saviour’s blood.” — Watts. rible crime of self-murder, which is generally committe agonies of solitary remorse and despair.” and the Psalm XXIII. Ver. 1—22.. A Psalm exhorting to general This is called an “instructing or didactic psalm;” joy and praise.—The topics of thanksgiving are here derived by the apostle Paul, to be that of doctrine of it is explained, from the general goodness and fidelity of God, from the disi the work of creation, and from the imputed righteousness. ‘To him that worketh not, but be- \ lieveth on for righteousness: the world. It is in vain for mortals, however high in rank, to unto whom God imputeth righteousness ness of the man, combine against him who made the universe. He that spake without works, (saying,) Blessed are they whose iniquities are the world into being, can, with a word, frustrate all the coun- “make their diviners mad.” and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to The | sels of the heathen, and even whom the Lord will not impute sin.” (Romans 4:1-4). no unusual synecdoche, being used for the whole body; see (1 Samuel 31:13). “Let them be cut off for the 9 Sa. xxi. 12—14.— Roaring.—" Roaring,” is here used metonymically for Ver. 17. Let them be silent, &c.—Maurgin. the pains or pangs which occasion it; as otherwise it would be a contradic- Ver. 20. Pride.—‘‘ Conspiracies.” Parkhurst, Gesenius. tion to the silence he maintained. }—Bagster. _ ae Ver. 21. A strong city.—{David probably alludes here to his deliverance from Ver. 9. Held in with bit and bridle.—Bishop Horsley renders it, “ But the the traitorous design of the inhabitants of Keilah. See (1 Samuel 23:7-13).}—B. muzzle must compress his jaws.” The Arabian horses, it appears, were so wild an in- PsALM XXXII. Title —A Psalm giving instruction. Heb. Maschil; as to render this necessary., ie PSALM XXXII. [In the LXX., Syriac, and Vulgate, this is termed “* A Psalm structing or didactic Psalm. Dr. Hales and others consider this psalm (as well of David;”” and it is written as a part of the preceding in ten MSS. ]—Bagster. as the 51st) to have been composed on David’s repentance for his sin “in the Ver. 2. The psaltery, (or Nabla,) was made in the form of a leathern bottle, matter of Uriah.”. “before I confessed my sin.” David Ver. 3. When I kept silence.—That is, and turned round in playing. Bishop Horsley thinks it was the instrument “with ten strings;’”” if so, the “ and” is here improperly supplied; but in Ps. might grieve heavily, but refused to confess the cause, until Nathan was sent = s ii rived of the power of expression, im, 2 sam. xii. [{‘* My grief, when de’ xeii. 3, they appear to be distinguished. sha premature old age,” the bones, by brought on my animal frame the effects o 1 David prais ae and exhorteth others thereto by his experience. 8 They are blessed that trust in God. 11 He exhorteth to the fear of God. 15 ‘The privileges of praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Isaiah xliv. 25.) As in the second psalm, so in this, (which was probably a psalm of David, though his name is not prefixed to it,) Jehovah is represented as seated on his celestial throne, whence, looking down upon men, he distributeth among them the gifts of his providence at pleasure. Wisdom, knowledge, power, are all his; it is in vain, therefore, to look to a horse for speed, to a giant for Strength, or even to a host of warriors for deliverance. “The eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy:’” to him, therefore, are we directed for protection, and not to frail mortals like ourselves, F “Lord, let our hearts in thee rejoice, And bless us from thy throne; For we have made thy word our choice, And trust thy grace alone.”— Watts. Psalm XXXIV. Ver. 1—22. A Psalm of David, thanking God for his deliverance from Gath.—The history here referred to has already passed before us in 1 Sam. (Psalms 21); some have, indeed, doubted the authenticity of this title; but we think without sufficient reason, as the psalm certainly celebrates an escape from some great and imminent danger, and may be suitably and profitably used on any occasion of providential succour or deliverance. It is a narrative of David’s Ver. 7. He gathereth.—As this evidently refers to the creation, (Genesis 1:2, 9, 10), this verse should be rendered in the past tense, like the preceding. [He separated the waters from the earth; and while the latter formed continents, islands, mountains, hills, and valleys, the former were collected into one place, and called seas; and by his all-controlling powers and providence, the waters have retained their place; and he has so adapted the solar and lunar influence exerted on the waters, that the tides are only raised to certain heights; see on (Job 38:11).]—Bagster. Ver. 15. He fashioneth their hearts alike.—Or, “‘ He alike fashioneth all their oo;” i.e. distributeth wisdom to men at his good pleasure. See (Job 38:36). Ver. 17. A horse is a vain thing for safety.—Ainsworth, “ A horse is falsehood for salvation.’; (Psalms 34)Title—Abimelech.—[Achish, king of Gath, is probably here called Abimelech, because that was a common name of the Philistine kings. This is the second of the acrostic, or alphabetic Psalms, (the first being (Psalms 25)) each *son beginning consecutively with a letter of the Hebrew r to the broken o, 20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them shall be desolate.. experience in the particular instance before us: “This poor man cried,” says he, evidently alluding to himself; and “the Lord delivered him:” others are therefore encouraged to do the same, under expectation of the like deliverance. ‘O taste ae the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Pe Many of the expressions here used may, without violence, be applied to the circumstances of our divine Redeemer; ani Bishop Horsley conceives one passage, ‘ He keepeth all his bones, not one of them is broken,” is applied to him by the apostle John, ((Psalms 19:36).) It is more generally thought that “St. John referred to the law of the paschal lamb, ((Exodus 12:46);) but supposing the reference to be to this psalm, we cannot admit it to be inapplicable to the psalmist er who often complains respecting his bones waxing old, &c., and might, therefore, well be thankful for their preservation. Nor can we by any means admit the canon of interpretation which the Bishop cites from Hutchinson, viz., ‘that any one sentence which is applicable to the true David, (i. e. Messiah,) and to none else, dacer dints the psalm to that David.” (Bishop Horsley, p. 72.) On the contrary, we believe there are but few which are confined to Messiah only, or to any one single topic, it being common to these lyric odes generally to admit a yaalphabet. The verse, however, which begins with wav, and which should come in between the fifth and sixth, is totally waned but as the 22d, which now begins with pay, podeh, ‘‘ redeemeth,” is entirely out of the series, it is not improbable that it was originally written oophodeh, “ and redeemeth,” and occupied that situation, in which connexion it reads admirably. }—Bagster. Ver. 5. They looked.—But we conceive the sense to be, that, as by looking to the light of the sun our eyes are enlightened, so are our minds by looking unto God: and as the light of the sun makes our countenances shine, so the influences of the divine Spirit cheer the heart. a Ver. 17. Righteous._{ There is no word for the righteous in the present Hebrew text; but it is preserved in all the versions; and it was probably lost from its similitude to tzaakoo, “ they cry:"'—tazaakoo taddeekimn, “ the righteous cry.’’]—Bagster. J Ver. 19. The righteous.—Singular, ‘* The righteous (man.”) Some apply this exclusively to Christ; but it is also applicable to every one who is justified by his righteousness, " Ver. 21. Shall be desolate.—Ainsworth, “ Condemned as guilty.” their net im a pit, which without cause they ma vee ser ed for my soul. — “<r. » 8 Letdestruction come upon him ¢ at funa- ~ wares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall. 9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lorn: it shall rejoice in his salvation. 10 All my. bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest ¢ the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him ? 11 False witnesses i did rise up; ) they laid to my charge things that I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good to the 1 spoiling of my soul. 13 But as for me, when they were sick, my TH as ° Friend ‘a brother to thy «righteousness; and let them not relo me joice Over me, ay p halting. ” 25 Let them not say in their hearts, ? Ah, so would we haveit: let them not say, We have Job 30.1,8 “2 &e. may swallowedhimup. r La.216. 26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at my hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour 8 only one. that magnify themselves against me. F t Ps.22.20. 27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that u strong. v falsely. favour my ‘ righteous cause: yea, let them w Jn15.%. ¢ say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, x Mat12.24 which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his y Ps.40.15. z Ps.50.21. 28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righta Ps.80.2 eousness and of thy praise all the day long. m to | of the Lord, oppressed and afflicted in this world b eT etgute ather a collection of divine aphorisms on the the psalm is r sa ubject, than a continued and connected discourse, _ ad th of nothing farther in the way of argument:” but the maxims or observations here introduced, are most interesting _and important. It is a folly for Christians to fret and fume at evils which they cannot prevent. It is much better patiently to submit to circumstances, and make the Lord himself the __ object of their confidence and delight. For, after all, as our Lord pimeett assures us, it is “the meek” who “inherit the earth; though others may boast greater claims, they only enjoy it. A sensible writer observes, “They have no turbulent, repining, vexatious thoughts that they deserve better; nor are vexed when they see others possessed of more honour, or _ more riches, than their wise God has allotted for their share.” An observation in the latter part of the psalm may deman particular notice, as it has occasioned *some practical difficulty. As a genéral maxim, it_ may certainly be admitted. “So far is charity om impoverishing, (says Bishop Horne,) that what is givemse way. like vapours emitted by the earth, returns in showers of blessings into the bosom of the person that gave it; and his offspring is not the worse, but infinitely the better “for it.” ((Proverbs 11:25).) This maxim is not, however, to be so strictly interpreted, as to maintain that, in no case, has a pious nan been reduced to beggary: no purse; and whealgmed upon for tribute, ) ms work a miracle to payit. Generally s caliiaga io rever, — volence far more frequently enriches t an impoverishes. - Psarm XX XVII. Ver. 1—22. A Psalm of David to bring to remembrance—That is, a memorial of his sins, and of his sufferings under them. His afflictions appear to have been of two classes—bodily pain and sickness, an the desertion of ~ voted his afflictions. In David’s history, indeed, we read his frigpde and relatives, who, instead of comforting, aggranothing of his being confined with sickness; yet it is reasonable to believe this might often be the case, though perhaps for no long continuance, so as to interrupt the operations of his government. That he suffered much from disease may be inferred, not only from his frequent references to it in the book of Psalms, but from the singular fact of his extreme debility, and the extraordinary means used to keep life in him, for some time before his death, though he died at the age of seventy. ((1 Kings 1:1-4).) In these afilictions, he constantly refers to sin as the cause of his sufferings; and it is true that all our sufferings originate in sin; yet his language in this psalm seems to refer particularly to his dreadful apostacy in the matter of Uriah, when he sent Joab to conduct the war with the Ammonites, while he stayed at home to indulge in ease, and luxury, and crime., our Lord himself, though nota ## Notes on the verses clothing was sackcloth: I™ humbled my soul b 1 Pe,.2.23 ce 2Th.1.6 ‘with fasting; and my prayer returned into d Ah, ah, mine own bosom. our soul! 14 I "behaved myself ° as though he had been e Ps.132.18. my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, f rightas one that mourneth for his mother. g Ps.70.4. 15 But in mine Padversity they rejoiced, and h Ps 34.1. gathered themselves together: yea, the objects a to find his a gathered themselves together against me, to hatet and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not: b Je.4.22. 16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they ¢ or, vanily. gnashed © upon me with their teeth. d Pr.4.16. 17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on ? rescue riety of topics; as we have already had frequent occasion to “Toma In fact, it is the very nature of a typical dispensai typical things themselves, tion, to advert sometimes to the and sometimes to the sublimer objects they were intended to So 1s it in typical prophecies, as we shall have far- » represent. | spiritual Christian may see ther occasion to observe. which surround him, without ex- Christ in a thousand objects cluding the moral improvement arising from their literal sense. A Psalm of David, appealing Psarm XX XV. Ver. 1—28. to God to maintain his cause.—The psalmist here addresses ion, to support his cause against his Jehovah as his champion, on him, in military terms, to enemies; he therefore calls u ler, draw out the spear,” “Take hold of shield and_buc 4 to 9) both Bishop Horne and But the following verses (from h ive. ‘ They ‘Scolt render in the future instead of the imperative. shall be confounded and put to shame,” &c. which is the more necessary when we apply the psalm to the sufferings of Mesas he prayed not enerally applicable, siah, to which it seems 1 ies: ‘ Father, e salvation of his enemies: for the destruction, but t know not what they do.” (Ike xxii. forgive them, for they they shall a4 So verses 26, 27. ‘They shall be ashamed; be clothed with shame,” &e. -V. [This Psalm, as is evident from its language, was composed See eenoevely and the rest of the courtiers.] by David when fiercely persecuted by Saul, Doeg, Ver. 5. Let the angel of the Lord chase them.—Or pursue them with divine They have hid for me their net in a pit.—This alludes to the cus- Ver. 7. They h 4 and putting nets in them, covered with straw, &c. to catch tom of digging pits,: wild beasts.—Orient. Cust. No, 995. [AI] the verbs in these verses, (ver. Ver. 8. Let destruction.—Sce margin. as a prediction, and should proiv. 8.) in the original, are in the future tense, used ia Hebrew for ablyhe so rendered; though, as that tense 1s both ancient and modern, have considered the dmperative, most translators, them as an imprecation. |—Bagster 79 ' PSALM XXXVI. * 14: 1 The grievous estate of the wicked. 5 The excellency of God’s mercy. 10 David prayeth for favour to God's chil To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the — servant of the Lord. _ >HE transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, 4 until his iniquity be found to be hateful. 3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to » do ood. abil. = 4 He deviseth ° mischief upon his ¢ bed; he _ Though the occasion of this psalm is not expressly mentioned, it was evidently written while smarting under the false accusations and re roaches of his enemies, eect arly as others suggest, those Doeg. (See Bishop Patrick an (1 Samuel 22:9, 22).) s te The false witnesses that rose up against David, showed the against his Lord, and ‘same dispositions as those which arose. In several invented alike their malice in taunt and ridicule. stances, David certainly displayed rem arkable forbearance towards his enemies; but it was the glory of Jesus to pray for he was dying. The type was amiable, but his murderers when i the antitype divine. * © clorious type of heavenly grace ! Thus Christ the Lerd appears: While sinners curse, the Saviour prays, And pities them with tears."— Watts. Psarm XXXVI. Ver. 1—12. A Psalm of David, the servant of Jehovah, complaining of the atheism, deceit, and cruhop Patrick supposes that this psalm elty of his enemies.—Bis probably composed toward the begmning of Saul’s jea- ((1 Samuel 18:9).) lousy against David.:: 3 The first verse of the psalm is attended with considerable pS SS re aia of cruel wron Ver. 11. False rorrnesses.— Ainsworth, oe 1 walked as if he had been a friend Vor. 14. I behaved myself, &c.—Heb. “I or brother to me.” Ver. 95. Ah! so would we have it.—See margin; 1. e. 80 our soul desired. Soul (nephesh) is rendered desire, (Psalms 41:2). fine Psalm is supposed by some to have been com- PSALM XXXVI. [This fine Psal t posed by David at the beginning of Saul’s persecution; but Calmet and others, during the Babylonian capon good grounds, are of opinion that it was written tivity. ]—Bagster. Ver. 1. The transgression of the wicked.—[Or, rather, “‘ The speech of transgression to the wicked is within his heart: there is no fear of God before "MSS. have libbo, “his “my heart,” four his eyes;’’ for instead of lébb?, z ) heart,’ which is also the reading of the LXX,, Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, >eS e* ‘te ‘ 7 Be ” <<gets. ee Vi | Wait on the Lord.—{Kaveah, to wait, implies the extension of right line from one point to another. ‘The first point is the human heart; the line is fs intense desire; and the last point js God, to whom the heart extends this straight line of earnest desire. He who, while he toaits on God, Keeps his way, is sure to have the farther blessings of which he is in pursuit. }—B. Ver. 35. Green bay-tree.—({Or, a green tree that groweth in his own soil. Ezrach, is certainly a tree growing in its native soil, not having been transtances, trees acquire their largest and most luxuriplanted; in which circums ant growth. Job viii, 13—19. (Ezekiel 31:6-10, 18). (Daniel 4:20), &c.]—Bagster. | This psalm is alphabetical. but not strictly so throughout;_ whether the deviations are owing to the laxness of the Hebrew laws of yersification, as some have thought, or to the negligence of transcribers, as is now the more general opinion, resume not to determine.: XXVIII. [This deeply penitential Psalm is supposed to have been n y David under some grievous affliction, either bodily or mental, or oth nis licit intercourse with Bathsheba.]— Bagster. ie x ” « Ver. 5. Because of my. are also so; therefore th the body. On reading these and similar passages, sa, Bishop Lovoth, some, who were but little acquainted with the genius of the Hebrew poetry, have pretended to inquire into the nature of the disease with which the poet was affected; not less absurdly, in my opinion, than if they had perplexed themselves to discover in what river he was plunged, when he complains, that “ the deep waters had gon Ver. 6. Troubled.—Or, w Ver. 10. Is gone from me.—: Ver. 17. Ready to halt.—i. e. ready to sin i rs Ver. 19. Lively.. strong.—Linstead of chayim, “lively,” Bishop Lowth would read chinnom, “ without cause;”” “ But mine enemies without cause have strengthened themselves.” As this emendation renders this member of the sentence parallel to the other, it is by no means improbable }— foolishness.—{The soul being invisible, its Gistempers e sacred writers describe them by the distempers of e over his soul.”’]—Bagster. rithed with pain. His disease affected his sight. Ld k down under my infirmities. The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 35; the text below is that joint comment. their net im a pit, which without cause they ma vee ser ed for my soul. — “<r. » 8 Letdestruction come upon him ¢ at funa- ~ wares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall. 9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lorn: it shall rejoice in his salvation. 10 All my. bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest ¢ the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him ? 11 False witnesses i did rise up; ) they laid to my charge things that I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good to the 1 spoiling of my soul. 13 But as for me, when they were sick, my TH as ° Friend ‘a brother to thy «righteousness; and let them not relo me joice Over me, ay p halting. ” 25 Let them not say in their hearts, ? Ah, so would we haveit: let them not say, We have Job 30.1,8 “2 &e. may swallowedhimup. r La.216. 26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at my hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour 8 only one. that magnify themselves against me. F t Ps.22.20. 27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that u strong. v falsely. favour my ‘ righteous cause: yea, let them w Jn15.%. ¢ say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, x Mat12.24 which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his y Ps.40.15. z Ps.50.21. 28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righta Ps.80.2 eousness and of thy praise all the day long. m to | of the Lord, oppressed and afflicted in this world b eT etgute ather a collection of divine aphorisms on the the psalm is r sa ubject, than a continued and connected discourse, _ ad th of nothing farther in the way of argument:” but the maxims or observations here introduced, are most interesting _and important. It is a folly for Christians to fret and fume at evils which they cannot prevent. It is much better patiently to submit to circumstances, and make the Lord himself the __ object of their confidence and delight. For, after all, as our Lord pimeett assures us, it is “the meek” who “inherit the earth; though others may boast greater claims, they only enjoy it. A sensible writer observes, “They have no turbulent, repining, vexatious thoughts that they deserve better; nor are vexed when they see others possessed of more honour, or _ more riches, than their wise God has allotted for their share.” An observation in the latter part of the psalm may deman particular notice, as it has occasioned *some practical difficulty. As a genéral maxim, it_ may certainly be admitted. “So far is charity om impoverishing, (says Bishop Horne,) that what is givemse way. like vapours emitted by the earth, returns in showers of blessings into the bosom of the person that gave it; and his offspring is not the worse, but infinitely the better “for it.” ((Proverbs 11:25).) This maxim is not, however, to be so strictly interpreted, as to maintain that, in no case, has a pious nan been reduced to beggary: no purse; and whealgmed upon for tribute, ) ms work a miracle to payit. Generally s caliiaga io rever, — volence far more frequently enriches t an impoverishes. - Psarm XX XVII. Ver. 1—22. A Psalm of David to bring to remembrance—That is, a memorial of his sins, and of his sufferings under them. His afflictions appear to have been of two classes—bodily pain and sickness, an the desertion of ~ voted his afflictions. In David’s history, indeed, we read his frigpde and relatives, who, instead of comforting, aggranothing of his being confined with sickness; yet it is reasonable to believe this might often be the case, though perhaps for no long continuance, so as to interrupt the operations of his government. That he suffered much from disease may be inferred, not only from his frequent references to it in the book of Psalms, but from the singular fact of his extreme debility, and the extraordinary means used to keep life in him, for some time before his death, though he died at the age of seventy. ((1 Kings 1:1-4).) In these afilictions, he constantly refers to sin as the cause of his sufferings; and it is true that all our sufferings originate in sin; yet his language in this psalm seems to refer particularly to his dreadful apostacy in the matter of Uriah, when he sent Joab to conduct the war with the Ammonites, while he stayed at home to indulge in ease, and luxury, and crime., our Lord himself, though nota ## Notes on the verses clothing was sackcloth: I™ humbled my soul b 1 Pe,.2.23 ce 2Th.1.6 ‘with fasting; and my prayer returned into d Ah, ah, mine own bosom. our soul! 14 I "behaved myself ° as though he had been e Ps.132.18. my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, f rightas one that mourneth for his mother. g Ps.70.4. 15 But in mine Padversity they rejoiced, and h Ps 34.1. gathered themselves together: yea, the objects a to find his a gathered themselves together against me, to hatet and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not: b Je.4.22. 16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they ¢ or, vanily. gnashed © upon me with their teeth. d Pr.4.16. 17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on ? rescue riety of topics; as we have already had frequent occasion to “Toma In fact, it is the very nature of a typical dispensai typical things themselves, tion, to advert sometimes to the and sometimes to the sublimer objects they were intended to So 1s it in typical prophecies, as we shall have far- » represent. | spiritual Christian may see ther occasion to observe. which surround him, without ex- Christ in a thousand objects cluding the moral improvement arising from their literal sense. A Psalm of David, appealing Psarm XX XV. Ver. 1—28. to God to maintain his cause.—The psalmist here addresses ion, to support his cause against his Jehovah as his champion, on him, in military terms, to enemies; he therefore calls u ler, draw out the spear,” “Take hold of shield and_buc 4 to 9) both Bishop Horne and But the following verses (from h ive. ‘ They ‘Scolt render in the future instead of the imperative. shall be confounded and put to shame,” &c. which is the more necessary when we apply the psalm to the sufferings of Mesas he prayed not enerally applicable, siah, to which it seems 1 ies: ‘ Father, e salvation of his enemies: for the destruction, but t know not what they do.” (Ike xxii. forgive them, for they they shall a4 So verses 26, 27. ‘They shall be ashamed; be clothed with shame,” &e. -V. [This Psalm, as is evident from its language, was composed See eenoevely and the rest of the courtiers.] by David when fiercely persecuted by Saul, Doeg, Ver. 5. Let the angel of the Lord chase them.—Or pursue them with divine They have hid for me their net in a pit.—This alludes to the cus- Ver. 7. They h 4 and putting nets in them, covered with straw, &c. to catch tom of digging pits,: wild beasts.—Orient. Cust. No, 995. [AI] the verbs in these verses, (ver. Ver. 8. Let destruction.—Sce margin. as a prediction, and should proiv. 8.) in the original, are in the future tense, used ia Hebrew for ablyhe so rendered; though, as that tense 1s both ancient and modern, have considered the dmperative, most translators, them as an imprecation. |—Bagster 79 ' PSALM XXXVI. * 14: 1 The grievous estate of the wicked. 5 The excellency of God’s mercy. 10 David prayeth for favour to God's chil To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the — servant of the Lord. _ >HE transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, 4 until his iniquity be found to be hateful. 3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to » do ood. abil. = 4 He deviseth ° mischief upon his ¢ bed; he _ Though the occasion of this psalm is not expressly mentioned, it was evidently written while smarting under the false accusations and re roaches of his enemies, eect arly as others suggest, those Doeg. (See Bishop Patrick an (1 Samuel 22:9, 22).) s te The false witnesses that rose up against David, showed the against his Lord, and ‘same dispositions as those which arose. In several invented alike their malice in taunt and ridicule. stances, David certainly displayed rem arkable forbearance towards his enemies; but it was the glory of Jesus to pray for he was dying. The type was amiable, but his murderers when i the antitype divine. * © clorious type of heavenly grace ! Thus Christ the Lerd appears: While sinners curse, the Saviour prays, And pities them with tears."— Watts. Psarm XXXVI. Ver. 1—12. A Psalm of David, the servant of Jehovah, complaining of the atheism, deceit, and cruhop Patrick supposes that this psalm elty of his enemies.—Bis probably composed toward the begmning of Saul’s jea- ((1 Samuel 18:9).) lousy against David.:: 3 The first verse of the psalm is attended with considerable pS SS re aia of cruel wron Ver. 11. False rorrnesses.— Ainsworth, oe 1 walked as if he had been a friend Vor. 14. I behaved myself, &c.—Heb. “I or brother to me.” Ver. 95. Ah! so would we have it.—See margin; 1. e. 80 our soul desired. Soul (nephesh) is rendered desire, (Psalms 41:2). fine Psalm is supposed by some to have been com- PSALM XXXVI. [This fine Psal t posed by David at the beginning of Saul’s persecution; but Calmet and others, during the Babylonian capon good grounds, are of opinion that it was written tivity. ]—Bagster. Ver. 1. The transgression of the wicked.—[Or, rather, “‘ The speech of transgression to the wicked is within his heart: there is no fear of God before "MSS. have libbo, “his “my heart,” four his eyes;’’ for instead of lébb?, z ) heart,’ which is also the reading of the LXX,, Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, >eS e* ‘te ‘ 7 Be ” <<gets. ee Vi | Wait on the Lord.—{Kaveah, to wait, implies the extension of right line from one point to another. ‘The first point is the human heart; the line is fs intense desire; and the last point js God, to whom the heart extends this straight line of earnest desire. He who, while he toaits on God, Keeps his way, is sure to have the farther blessings of which he is in pursuit. }—B. Ver. 35. Green bay-tree.—({Or, a green tree that groweth in his own soil. Ezrach, is certainly a tree growing in its native soil, not having been transtances, trees acquire their largest and most luxuriplanted; in which circums ant growth. Job viii, 13—19. (Ezekiel 31:6-10, 18). (Daniel 4:20), &c.]—Bagster. | This psalm is alphabetical. but not strictly so throughout;_ whether the deviations are owing to the laxness of the Hebrew laws of yersification, as some have thought, or to the negligence of transcribers, as is now the more general opinion, resume not to determine.: XXVIII. [This deeply penitential Psalm is supposed to have been n y David under some grievous affliction, either bodily or mental, or oth nis licit intercourse with Bathsheba.]— Bagster. ie x ” « Ver. 5. Because of my. are also so; therefore th the body. On reading these and similar passages, sa, Bishop Lovoth, some, who were but little acquainted with the genius of the Hebrew poetry, have pretended to inquire into the nature of the disease with which the poet was affected; not less absurdly, in my opinion, than if they had perplexed themselves to discover in what river he was plunged, when he complains, that “ the deep waters had gon Ver. 6. Troubled.—Or, w Ver. 10. Is gone from me.—: Ver. 17. Ready to halt.—i. e. ready to sin i rs Ver. 19. Lively.. strong.—Linstead of chayim, “lively,” Bishop Lowth would read chinnom, “ without cause;”” “ But mine enemies without cause have strengthened themselves.” As this emendation renders this member of the sentence parallel to the other, it is by no means improbable }— foolishness.—{The soul being invisible, its Gistempers e sacred writers describe them by the distempers of e over his soul.”’]—Bagster. rithed with pain. His disease affected his sight. Ld k down under my infirmities. wastico) visited with some dire malady, which affected his whole frame in a most distressing manner; and that he considered this as the chastisement of God, for some particular sins of which his conscience accused him.” What that particular malady might be with which he was afflicted, we presume not to determine; but from the symptoms mentioned, and particularly from his friends and neighbours keeping “aloof from his sore,” we should think it must have closely resembled, either the leprosy of Job, or the pestilence of Hezekiah, either of which, connected with the agonies of conviction in his conscience, would be fully sufficient to account for his groans and agonies. (See note, ver. 5.) But we totally object to the application of such language to our Redeemer, for reasons which we have already stated: nor do we find any application of it to him in the New Testament, by either Brazenlets or apostles. Psalm XXIX. Ver. 1—13. A Psalm of David, contemplating the frailty of human life.—“The psalm begins abruptly, with the result of a meditation on the narrow, slippery, and dangerous paths of life; and more especially on the extreme difficulty of restraining the tongue amidst the continual temptations and provocations of the adversary.” (Bishop Horne.) Meditation should terminate in devotion: and this meditation as a shadow to the substance; a shadow fleeting like that of the passing cloud upon the grass. “—— ae The life of man is then compared to “an image” exhibited to the mind in a vision, or in a dream: and in no man is this vanity more striking than in the avaricious, who “heapeth up riches,” and knoweth not who shall gather them. And even while this transitory life endures, how doth affliction “melt away” health, and beauty, and talent, and wealth, and every — thing desirable in man! ’ But the bright world to which I go, *’ This life’s a dream, an empty show; __ ae r Hath joys substantial and sincere;. ‘ When shall I wake, and find me there ?’—Watts, — Psalm XL. Ver. 1—17. A Psalm of David, relating partly — to his own circumstances, and partly to Messiah.—We agree with Dr. Kennicott in dividing this psalm into three parts, but not exactly in our application of them. The first part, comprising the first five verses, we consider as capable of a double application, expressing first the psalmist’s deep sufferings, during some of his persecutions from his enemies; and, in a typical sense, the sufferings of our Redeemer. The imagery seems taken from one of the horrible dungeons of the Asiatic tyrants, ((Jeremiah 38:6-12).) Applied to our Saviour, it may ## Notes on the verses (Psalms 39)Title—To Jeduthun.—[Jeduthun, probably the same as Ethan, (Psalms 6:44), was one of the sons of Merari; and is supposed to have been one of the four masters of music, or leaders of bands, belonging to the temple service. It is therefore probable that David, having composed this Psalm, gave it to Jeduthun and his company to sing; and it is very likely, that it was written on the same occasion as the preceding.] —Bagster. Ver. 1. With a bridle.—It is probable that the bridles of the ancients were made in the form of muzzles. See note on (Psalms 32:9). Ver. 3. The fire burned.—See (Jeremiah 20:9). Ver. 4. How frail I am.—i.e. as the Chaldee explains it, “How soon I shall cease to exist here.” Ver. 5. At his best state.—Most permanent. Ver. 6. In vain show.—Phantasm, or appearance only. [There is but the semblance of being: he appeareth for a little, and then vanisheth away. (1 Corinthians 7:31). Ja. iv. 14.]—Bagster. — Thou makest his beauty.—Heb. “That which is to be desired in him.” — To consume (Heb. “to melt away”) as a moth, or moth-worm, which perisheth with the touch. See (Job 14:19), and note. PSALM XL, [This Psalm is supposed to have been composed by David about the same time, and on the same occasion, as the two preceding; which also contains a remarkable prophecy of the love and mercy which God for paving [providing] pardon and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.] — Bagster. Ver. 2. A horrible pit—Resounding with falls of water. See (Psalms 18:16). Ver. 6. Mine ears hast thou opened.—Or carved; and it is with much diffidence the editor ventures to suggest, that cutting out, digging, or carving, is the radical idea of the root (karan) here used. It is very commonly used for digging pits, or wells; sometimes for carving sepulchres from a rock, (Isaiah 16:14); also for carving (or cutting up) meat for a feast, (2 Kings 6:23), where, instead of “prepared a great provision,” we would read more literally, “cut [up] a great cutting;” i.e. cut up many joints of meat amongst them; and in (Job 41:6), “Wilt thou part the Leviathan (or carve him out) among the merchants!” The same term is transferred back from the grottoes of the sepulchre, to the quarry of human nature; “Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hollow of the cave whence ye were digged;” referring to Abraham and Sarah. Lowth’s (Isaiah 51:1-2). In harmony with this imagery, a kindred Hebrew noun is used for birth, or origin, (Ezekiel 16:8); XXXI. 30. The writer of these notes is well aware that many interpreters consider this is an allusion to the Jewish law, (Exodus 21:6). But the Hebrew word there used for Ver. 7. In the volume.—That is, roll. All the ancient books were in this form, as are all the sacred MSS. of the Synagogues to this day. Ver. 11. Withhold not, &c.—{From this verse to the end, we have quite a new subject; for the former contains a thanksgiving, and this contains a supplication.}—Bagster. We have mentioned above Dr. Kennicott’s discovery, that this psalm should end with the 10th verse. Thus much is certain, that “e wastico) visited with some dire malady, which affected his whole frame in a most distressing manner; and that he considered this as the chastisement of God, for some particular sins of which his conscience accused him.” What that particular malady might be with which he was afflicted, we presume not to determine; but from the symptoms mentioned, and particularly from his friends and neighbours keeping “aloof from his sore,” we should think it must have closely resembled, either the leprosy of Job, or the pestilence of Hezekiah, either of which, connected with the agonies of conviction in his conscience, would be fully sufficient to account for his groans and agonies. (See note, ver. 5.) But we totally object to the application of such language to our Redeemer, for reasons which we have already stated: nor do we find any application of it to him in the New Testament, by either Brazenets or apostles. Psalm XXXIX. Ver. 1—13. A Psalm of David, contemplating the frailty of human life.—“The psalm begins abruptly, with the result of a meditation on the narrow, slippery, and dangerous paths of life; and more especially on the extreme difficulty of restraining the tongue amidst the continual temptations and provocations of the adversary.” (Bishop Horne.) Meditation should terminate in devotion: and this meditation as a shadow to the substance; a shadow fleeting like that of the passing cloud upon the grass. “—— ae The life of man is then compared to “an image” exhibited to the mind in a vision, or in a dream: and in no man is this vanity more striking than in the avaricious, who “heapeth up riches,” and knoweth not who shall gather them. And even while this transitory life endures, how doth affliction “melt away” health, and beauty, and talent, and wealth, and every — thing desirable in man! ’ But the bright world to which I go, *’ This life’s a dream, an empty show; __ ae r Hath joys substantial and sincere;. ‘ When shall I wake, and find me there ?’—Watts, — Psalm XL. Ver. 1—17. A Psalm of David, relating partly — to his own circumstances, and partly to Messiah.—We agree with Dr. Kennicott in dividing this psalm into three parts, but not exactly in our application of them. The first part, comprising the first five verses, we consider as capable of a double application, expressing first the psalmist’s deep sufferings, during some of his persecutions from his enemies; and, in a typical sense, the sufferings of our Redeemer. The imagery seems taken from one of the horrible dungeons of the Asiatic tyrants, ((Jeremiah 38:6-12).) Applied to our Saviour, it may ## Notes on the verses (Psalms 39)Title—To Jeduthun.—[Jeduthun, probably the same as Ethan, (Psalms 6:44), was one of the sons of Merari; and is supposed to have been one of the four masters of music, or leaders of bands, belonging to the temple service. It is therefore probable that David, having composed this Psalm, gave it to Jeduthun and his company to sing; and it is very likely, that it was written on the same occasion as the preceding.] —Bagster. Ver. 1. With a bridle.—It is probable that the bridles of the ancients were made in the form of muzzles. See note on (Psalms 32:9). Ver. 3. The fire burned.—See (Jeremiah 20:9). Ver. 4. How frail I am.—i.e. as the Chaldee explains it, “How soon I shall cease to exist here.” Ver. 5. At his best state.—Most permanent. Ver. 6. In vain show.—Phantasm, or appearance only. [There is but the semblance of being: he appeareth for a little, and then vanisheth away. (1 Corinthians 7:31). Ja. iv. 14.]—Bagster. — Thou makest his beauty.—Heb. ‘That which is to be desired in him.’ — To consume (Heb. “to melt away”) as a moth, or moth-worm, which perisheth with the touch. See (Job 14:19), and note. PSALM XL, [This Psalm is supposed to have been composed by David about the same time, and on the same occasion, as the two preceding; which also contains a remarkable prophecy of the mercy and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.] — Bagster. Ver. 2. A horrible pit—Resounding with falls of water. See (Psalms 18:16). Ver. 6. Mine ears hast thou opened.—Or carved; and it is with much diffidence the editor ventures to suggest, that cutting out, digging, or carving, is the radical idea of the root (karan) here used. It is very commonly used for digging pits, or wells; sometimes for carving sepulchres from a rock, (Isaiah 16:14); also for carving (or cutting up) meat for a feast, (2 Kings 6:23), where, instead of “prepared a great provision,” we would read more literally, “cut m5. a great cutting;” i.e. cut up many joints of meat amongst them; and in (Job 41:6), “Wilt thou part the Leviathan (or carve him out) among the merchants!” The same term is transferred back from the grottoes of the sepulchre, to the quarry of human nature; “Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hollow of the cave whence ye were digged;” referring to Abraham and Sarah. Lowth’s (Isaiah 51:1-2). In harmony with this imagery, a kindred Hebrew noun is used for birth, or origin, (Ezekiel 16:8); XXXI. 30. The writer of these notes is well aware that many interpreters consider this is an allusion to the Jewish law, (Exodus 21:6). But the Hebrew word there used for Ver. 7. In the volume.—That is, roll. All the ancient books were in this form, as are all the sacred MSS. of the Synagogues to this day. Ver. 11. Withhold not, &c.—{From this verse to the end, we have quite a new subject; for the former contains a thanksgiving, and this contains a supplication.}—Bagster. We have mentioned above Dr. Kennicott’s discovery, that this psalm should end with the 10th verse. Thus much is certain, that “e The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 90; the text below is that joint comment. (Amos 5:21).) ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back inal word used for opening the ears, as in the psalm before| His version given of this passage by the Septuagint, and in Hebrews x. 5, to which we shall there again advert. namely, a ready and prompt obedience the evidence of which appeared in preaching in ways, till the speaker's lips were close the eleventh verse should be connected with the fifth: that deand those who display this kind and benevolent disposition, of a self surrendered to his enemies? why was not he, the most rne, and other Hutchinsonian writers, apply the hop Ho He-| we might divide the psalm not improperly into two parts: in the first five verses, we may consider the writer as speaking in “the great con- | and probably never looked his master in the face after he be- —This thirst for “the living God” was rendered the more painful by the taunting language of the heathen, who surrounded him with the insulting inquiry, “Where is thy God?’ Their gods, indeed, were to be met with everywhere, in a variety of forms of wood and stone; but the God of Israel and of Christians is too great, too glorious, for the conceptions of a pagan.: Again: the psalmist’s desires were quickened of the recollection of former enjoyments, when, in time past, he went with the multitude of the pious worshippers to Mount Zion, there to keep the holy festivals. These, while they called forth “the voice of joy and praise’ for present mercies, pointed to the better days and higher enjoyments of “the age to come,” that is, of king Messiah. In the meantime, many and great were his anxieties and despondencies, but he encouraged himself, as at other times, in the Lord his God. ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul?... Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.’ The following admirable paraphrase is given by Bishop Lowth, in his Lectures on Hebrew Poetry, as the most beautiful specimen of the Hebrew elegy: “As pants the wearied hart for cooling springs, That sinks exhausted in the summer's chase; So pants my soul for thee, great King of kings! So thirsts to reach thy sacred resting-place. On briny tears my famished soul has fed, While taunting foes deride my deep despair; ‘Say, where is now thy great Deliverer fled? Thy mighty God—Deserted wanderer, where?” Oft dwell my thoughts on those thrice happy days, When to thy fane I lead the jocund throng; Our mirth was worship, all our pleasure praise, And festal joys still closed with sacred song. Why throb, my heart? Why sink, my saddening soul? Why droop to earth with various woes oppressed? My years shall yet in blissful circles roll, And joy be yet an inmate of this breast. By Jordan’s banks with devious steps I stray, O’er Hermon’s rugged rocks, and deserts near; E’en there thy hand shall guide my lonely way, There, thy remembrance shall my spirit cheer. In rapid floods the vernal torrents roll, Harsh-sounding cataracts responsive roar; Thine angry billows overwhelm my soul, And dash my shattered bark from shore to shore. Yet thy soft mercies, ever in my sight, My heart shall gladden through the tedious day; And midst the dark and gloomy shades of night, ‘To thee I’ll fondly tune the grateful lay. Rock of my hope! Great solace of my heart! Why, why desert the offspring of thy care, While taunting foes thus point the invidious dart? ‘Where’s now thy God? abandoned wanderer, where?’ Why faint my soul? why doubt Jehovah’s aid? Thy God, the God of mercy still shall prove t In his bright fane thy thanks shall yet be paid; Unquestioned be his pity and his love!” Psalm XLIII. Ver. 1—5. “This psalm (says Piety Horne) seemeth to be a continuation of the former, written by David in the same circumstances, on the same subject, and closing with the same chorus.” And Dr. Kennicott, on the authority of more than twenty manuscripts, considers this as a continuation of the same psalm, which opinion is followed by Bishop Lowth, and the best modern commentators. The fact, indeed, is self-evident, and easily accounted for. The Jewish choristers, having, on some occasions, found the anthem too long, have divided it for their own conveniency, (no uncommon thing among choristers;) and being once divided, it was ignorantly supposed, it ought to be so divided. This fragment of a psalm, however, offers nothing new for remark, except the beautiful wish, or prayer, for the diffusion of divine truths: “O send out thy light and truth!” The morning sun shining from the east, in a clear, unclouded, oriental sky, attracts all eyes towards it; so the psalmist prays that the divine glory, that is, the knowledge of God and the only means of salvation, might be so eminently diffused, as it were to light up the way to the tabernacle, where he longed to see the symbols of his presence, who was his exceeding joy, and take an active part in the public worship. Psalm XLIV. Ver. 1—26. The Jewish church recollecting former mercies, implores fresh deliverance from her heathen enemies.—This is the third of the psalms called Maschil, or instructive, probably from the review which it contains of Jewish history. It is generally supposed to have been written during the reign of king Hezekiah; and Mudge fixes upon the point of time when Rabshakeh delivered his blasphemous message, ((2 Kings 18:19), &c.) threatening total destruction both to the people of Judah and their king. But they are encouraged to hope in God, from the consideration of the many deliverances which they had formerly received. The state of the church here lamented, seems to agree well with the history just referred to; and the zeal which Hezekiah had shown in putting down idolatry, appears to warrant him in saying, “Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant;” meaning, that their return back from the; ‘dost not increase thy wealth by their price.’ A help for 13—Thou makest us a reproach to our neigh- S Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God honours, a scorn and a derision to them that are h t wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath. 19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the What is said of other sacred songs, of the union between Jehovah an form was neither temporary nor hypocritical. Jewish church, or Messiah and the Christian church. (See the cruelty of these ancient heathen, is by no means hypothetical. (Isaiah 5:1). (Matthew 25:1-16). (Ephesians 5:25-32).) It appears to us very probable, that it was composed on the same, or a like occasion, as the book of Canticles, which in style it much resembles; but whether by David, Solomon, or Nathan the prophet, (as Dr. Hales thinks,) we have no sufficient ground to ascertain. One thing is certain, that a greater than David or Solomon is here, namely, king Messiah, to whom certain passages are clearly applied by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews and in the book of the Revelation. (See note to The words, “Thou art fairer (more beautiful) than the children (or sons) of men?” while they refer literally to the exterior form, designate chiefly, as they apply to the Messiah, mental purity and perfection; and though the expression, “grace is poured into thy lips,” might be explained poetically of Messiah’s eloquence, it should, we think, include also the doctrines and precepts of divine grace which he delivered to his hearers. ((Luke 4:22).) The Chaldee explains this of “the spirit of prophecy” bestowed on him. Psalm XLV. Ver. 1—17. A Song of Loves—or, as Ainshear reads it, of “the well-beloved virgins;” supposing it to be an epithalamium, (as Bishop Lowth calls it,) or, wedding song, chanted by the virgins which attended the marriage ceremony. The virgin choristers, here introduced, may be supposed to represent the angelic hosts, who, at the Messiah’s birth, sang “Glory to God and good will to men;” ((Luke 2)) and at his ascension proclaimed him through the skies, “the Lord strong and mighty,” and the “King of glory.” Such, indeed, is the character in which he is here introduced—a mighty warrior, armed and arrayed in majesty and glory. But the conquests of Messiah, here referred to, are not those of violence and blood, but of meekness, truth, and righteousness. Keen is his sword* and sharp are his arrows; their object, however, is not the destruction, but the conversion of mankind. The triumphs here celebrated, are those of the gospel; and we happily day in which these have been conspicuously dis- F wherein we may reasonably anticipate still more. per thou, ride thou” King of saints in all thy majesty till all thine enemies be subdued by the power of truth and prayers, and their good lives: notwithstanding, in these their services he condescends to take delight. This is the doctrine of this highly mystic text, that the value of all our best works of faith and obedience, even in our own eyes, must sink into nothing when they are contrasted with the exuberant mercy of God extended to us through Christ.” The latter part of this most interesting psalm seems particularly to indicate the calling of the Gentiles; for it is that church, and not the Jewish church, which is here called upon to forget her “own people” and her “father’s house.” “So shall the King the more rejoice In thee, the favourite of his choice; 4 For, lo, the kings were assembled, they |,...., | Standing pain, as of a woman in travail. This is generally considered to have been composed by David (though his name is not eT on occasion of removing the ark to Mount Zion, and probably repeated on its removal to the people of Solomon. (See (2 Samuel 6)and (2 Chronicles 5)) But it has been constantly applied by the Christian church to the triumphant ascension of our Saviour into heaven. (Compare (Psalms 68:16-18).) It appears by this and other psalms, that the public processions of the Hebrews were no less animated and noisy than those of the ancient heathens and nominal Christians: but in one important respect they differed; their rejoicings—their shoutings—were the voice of solemn praise, and not debased (so far as we know) by either intemperance or profaneness. The constant, though distant expectation of the Messiah, seems to have sanctified their joy, and turned their songs of triumph into hymns of praise; and on every great occasion, all who were Israelites indeed, were led to look forward to the great events of the expected “world to come,” as the Jews designated the days of their Messiah. Unpardonable, then, is it in professing Christians, to debase their solemn festivals by an admixture of vulgar themes and carnal joys, especially when surrounded by so many circumstances that call for gratitude and praise. “In Israel stood his ancient throne, He lov’d that chosen race; But now he calls the world his own, And Gentiles taste his grace.” — Watts. Psalm XLVIII. Ver. 1—14. A Song of Praise for a great national deliverance.—The date of this psalm can only be conjectured from internal evidence. Bishop Patrick supposes it to have been composed on the great victory of Jehoshaphat, ((2 Chronicles 20)) Others conjecture it might be composed for the dedication of the second temple: but we confess we are disposed to refer it to the age of David: it was probably written by him on his victory over the Syrians and their confederates. ((2 Samuel 10:15-19).) Nor is the mention of God’s temple an objection, since we have met with several instances of the tabernacle itself being called by that name. It even appears to us, that so much would not have been said of Mount Zion if the temple on Mount Moriah had been now erected. What is said of the ships of Tarshish, meaning the largest ships then known, may not, perhaps, imply the occurrence of an actual storm; but only the total defeat of these confederate powers, as vessels at sea, by the fury of an east wind. On whatever occasion, however, this psalm was written, first and more immediate object of the writer was to call countrymen to look to the God of Israel as their only protection and defence; whether it were from storms or enemies on land. Zion, indeed, was an elevated situation and well fortified; but her true strength lay, not in her bulwarks, or her towers, but in that God who resided in them. So it is in the Christian church; Messiah, who resides therein, is both her strength and glory. “This God is the God we adore, Our faithful unchangeable friend; His love is not less than his power, And neither knows measure nor end.” Psalm XLIX. Ver. 1—20. The misery of being rich and great without religion.—The author and occasion of this psalm are alike unknown, nor are there any internal circumstances that can decide. It is, however, generally supposed to have been written during the captivity, and to have been intended to counteract the Epicurean notions of the heathen. It seems, says Dr. Dodd, to be a meditation on the vanity of riches, and the usual haughtiness of those who possess them. As a remedy to this, he sets before them the near approach of death, from which no riches can save, in which no riches can avail. The author considers the subject he is treating as a kind of wisdom concealed from the world; a mystery, an occult science, with respect to the generality of mankind. The style is enigmatical (ver. 4); we may therefore be prepared for difficulties, of which there are indeed many, as may be seen in our notes: yet some critics, by seeking for more mysteries than the psalm contains, have much increased them. The general design and purport of the psalm we conceive to be as follows: The writer, it should seem, was of the poorer class, and his enemies great and wealthy; yet, says he, “Why should I fear them? They are mortal as well as me. None can ransom the life of his brother, nor is there any redemption in the grave.” The rich vainly please themselves in perpetuating their names in their possessions and their posterity, and forget that they themselves must die. Yet their carcasses are laid in the grave, like slaughtered sheep; and death, like a voracious wolf, feeds thereon. ‘Verily,’ says the psalmist, ‘God shall redeem my soul; from the hand of the grave he shall rescue me;’ which is to me, far greater consolation, than to die possessed of riches or of honours, which would then be perfectly useless.” — The last verse so much resembles the twelfth, that some critics have supposed they must have been originally the same; but this is by no means certain. The sense of both is comprised in the following verse. “Men void of wisdom and of grace, If honour raise them high, Live like the beast, a thoughtless race, And like the beast they die.” — Watts. Psalm L. Ver. 1—23. God’s judgment against hypocrisy — This is the first of twelve psalms attributed to Asaph, the contemporary of king David, and whose compositions rank next to those of the royal psalmist. ((1 Chronicles 16:7).) The introduction has much sublimity and grandeur, the imagery being borrowed from the giving of the law at mount Sinai, ((Deuteronomy 33:2).) only instead of shining forth from the wilderness, God’s glory is displayed from Zion. The scene is that of su- ## Notes on the verses Perhaps they might be originally and in the following verses, they are in the future tense, and naturally express the language of lively faith and hope, rather than that of the present foreseen and [are the operations of] (Psalms 41)occasion us the three former; and to relate to David's affliction, and the evil complaint, exiled treatment he received from his enemies during its continuance. — Bagster. ‘and includes every kind of affliction. Ver. 8. An evil disease.—This term seems always to imply moral evil, and blasphemy. (Matthew 26:65). “So be it! So be it!” With this psalm ends the first of the five books into (Psalms 42)Title,—Maschil.—{Or, “An instructive psalm,” from the temple, and the public exercise of religion, 9 the extreme parts of Judea, persecuted by his numerous enemies, and aggr ate: his soul to God in this tender and pathetic composition. —Bagster. 629 Jordan, by Absalom’s re- The author of this elegant Ver. 3. Tears have been my meat.—That is, I have been weeping, that I have neglected my necessary food. Ver. 4. These (things)—Or times, rather. Ver. 6. The hill Mizar.—Some inconsiderable hill, where David had taken refuge in his banishment. Ver. 7. Deep calleth unto deep. river is represented as calling upon us, fire and water are represented as covenanting together against them.—Water-spouts.—(A water-spout is a large tube formed of clouds by means of the electric fluid, the base being uppermost, and the point let down perpendicularly from the clouds. It has a particular kind of circular motion at the point; and, being hollow within, attracts vast quantities of water, which it frequently pours some torrents upon the earth. These spouts are frequent —Merrick observes, that in Homer, one another to aid the Greeks; and in #schye been so occupied in See (Psalms 80:6) on the coast of Syria; and, no doubt, the Psalmist had often seen them, and the ravages which they made. See Shaw’s Travels, p. 333 |—Bagster. Ver. 10. With a sword.— A murderous weapon.’—Ainsworth, Ver. 11. Health of my countenance.—Heb. “The salvation,” &c. as in ver. 5, ## Notes on the verses PSALM XLII Ver. 4. With the harp.—This, we know, was David's favourite instrument, and from this and other places it appears he did not scruple, though a king, to assist in the public worship. Ver. 5. The health.—Our translators have improperly rendered the Hebrew word for salvation (or salvations) in the fifth verse of the preceding Psalm help, and in this, health. PSALM XLIV. Title,—Maschil. See note on title, Ps. xxxii. Ver. 2. Didst afflict, &c.—[Or, rather, “how thou didst afflict the people (of Canaan,) and madest them (the Hebrews) to shoot forth;” for shalach is to send forth in any manner, and is applied to a vine spreading its roots, &c. (Psalms 89:9). Ez. xvii. 6. (Jeremiah 17:8).; and this sense is parallel with plantedst in the former line.] —Bagster. Ver. 12. For nought.—i.e. without enriching thyself. Sometimes, as Bishop Horne remarks, God permits his professing people “to be held cheap and vile, and to be sold into slavery by their enemies, for little or nothing:” this was remarkably the case in the last destruction of Jerusalem. Ver. 19. Thou hast sore broken us.—Ainsworth, “Crushed.” The allusion seems to be to a shipwreck.—In the place of dragons.—Or, sea-monsters; Heb. Tannim: perhaps “crocodiles.” See note on (Job 7:12). Ver. 20. Stretched out—That is, in the attitude of worship. Ver. 25. Our belly cleaveth to the earth.—That is, we crawl like earth- PSALM XLV. Title,—Upon shoshannim.—[Or, rather, “To the chief musician upon the hexacords, a didactic ode for the sons of Korah, and a song of loves.”] Shoshannim, most probably denotes hexachords, or six-stringed instruments, from shesh, “six;” hence the Persian shkashta, a six-stringed lute. This psalm is supposed by some to be an epithalamium, or nuptial song, on the marriage of Solomon with Pharaoh's daughter; but with what propriety could Solomon be described as fairer than the children of men, a mighty warrior, a victorious conqueror, and a prince whose throne is for ever and ever? A greater than Solomon is here, and is no other than the Messiah, as is acknowledged by many Jewish writers. The Targum, on verse 3, says, “Thy beauty, malkia mesheecha, O King Messiah, is greater than the children of men;” and the Apostle expressly quotes it as such, (Hebrews 1:8-9). It was probably written by David after Nathan’s prophetic address, (Psalms 17:27).—Bagster. Ver. 1. My heart is inditing.—See margin; which the Jews consider as an allusion to the frying of the Mincha, or meat-offering, (Leviticus 7:9). It has been rendered, “hath revolved,” “teemeth,” &c. but we rather conceive, “is agitated,” or “labours,” as Bishop Horsley renders it, may be more accurate, as referring to the agitation of the heart, by the spirit of inspiration.—Touching the king.—“To,” or before the king.” This Epithalamium was to be chanted in his presence, as was customary. Ver. 3. O (most) mighty.—This interesting verse will bear two renderings; “Gird thy sword upon the thigh, O thou mighty one, (Arrayed) with thy glory, and thy majesty.” Or, as Dr. Pye Smith renders it, “Gird thy sword upon the thigh, Mighty in thy glory, and thy majesty!” Ver. 7. God.—See margin. “Both the Hebrew and Greek (says Dr. Pye, and the person desirous) would fairly bear this construction; but it cannot be proved.” ## Notes on the verses PSALM XLII Ver. 4. With the harp.—This, we know, was David's favourite instrument, and from this and other places it appears he did not scruple, though a king, to assist in the public worship. Ver. 5. The health.—Our translators have improperly rendered the Hebrew word for salvation (or salvations) in the fifth verse of the preceding Psalm help, and in this, health. PSALM XLIV. Title,—Maschil. See note on title, Ps. xxxii. Ver. 2. Didst afflict, &c.—[Or, rather, ‘how thou didst afflict the people (of Canaan,) and madest them (the Hebrews) to shoot forth;’ for shalach is to send forth in any manner, and is applied to a vine spreading its roots, &c. ((Psalms 80:9); (Ezekiel 17:6); (Jeremiah 17:8)); and this sense is parallel with plantedst in the former line.—Bagster.] Ver. 12. For nought.—i.e. without enriching thyself. Sometimes, as Bishop Horne remarks, God permits his professing people “to be held cheap and vile, and to be sold into slavery by their enemies, for little or nothing:” this was remarkably the case in the last destruction of Jerusalem. Ver. 19. Thou hast sore broken us.—Ainsworth, “Crushed.” The allusion seems to be to a shipwreck.—In the place of dragons.—Or, sea-monsters; Heb. Tannim: perhaps “crocodiles.” See note on (Job 7:12). Ver. 20. Stretched out—That is, in the attitude of worship. Ver. 25. Our belly cleaveth to the earth.—That is, we crawl like earth- PSALM XLV. Title,—Upon shoshannim.—[Or, rather, “To the chief musician upon the hexacords, a didactic ode for the sons of Korah, and a song of loves.” Shoshannim, most probably denotes hexachords, or six-stringed instruments, from shesh, “six;” hence the Persian shkashta, a six-stringed lute.] This psalm is supposed by some to be an epithalamium, or nuptial song, on the marriage of Solomon with Pharaoh's daughter; but with what propriety could Solomon be described as fairer than the children of men, a mighty warrior, a victorious conqueror, and a prince whose throne is for ever and ever? A greater than Solomon is here, and is no other than the Messiah, as is acknowledged by many Jewish writers. The Targum, on verse 3, says, “Thy beauty, malka mesheecha, O King Messiah, is greater than the children of men;” and the Apostle expressly quotes it as such, (Hebrews 1:8-9). It was probably written by David after Nathan’s prophetic address, (1 Chronicles xvii. 27.)—Bagster. Ver. 1. My heart is inditing.—See margin; which the Jews consider as an allusion to the frying of the Mincha, or meat-offering, (Leviticus vii. 9). It has been rendered, “hath revolved,” “teemeth,” &c. but we rather conceive, “is agitated,” or “labours,” as Bishop Horsley renders it, may be more accurate, as referring to the agitation of the heart, by the spirit of inspiration. —Touching the king.—“To,” or “before the king.” This Epithalamium was to be chanted in his presence, as was customary. Ver. 3. O (most) mighty.—This interesting verse will bear two renderings; “Gird thy sword upon the thigh, O thou mighty one, (Arrayed) with thy glory, and thy majesty.” Or, as Dr. Pye Smith renders it, “Gird thy sword upon the thigh, Mighty in thy glory, and thy majesty!” Ver. 7. God.—See margin. “Both the Hebrew and Greek (says Dr. Pye Smith) would fairly bear this construction; but it cannot be proved.” ## Notes on the verses But the dignity of the person here addressed, is evidently a principal object in this psalm. Some persons, from a fear of rendering too high honours to the Son of God, have remarked that princes and magistrates are sometimes addressed as gods, without countenancing any claim to divine origin or power; but here we offer one remark, (in our view equally true and important,) that when men or angels are thus transiently addressed as gods, something is always added to prevent the danger of mistaken honours: both angels and magistrates are called gods, but they are commanded to worship God’s illustrious one ((Psalms 2:7-12). lxxxii. 6, 7. (Hebrews 1:1-9).) But when Christ is called God, as in the passage before us, strength, honour, might, majesty, and eternity, are ascribed to him. ‘Thy throne, O God! is for ever and ever.” This mighty person, arrayed in splendour and armed with power, is no less attractive by his gentle and amiable virtues than by the more masculine virtues of a sovereign. The perfumed garments, here named, were typical both of the virtues of the Redeemer himself, and of the internal comforts of the Holy Spirit. But the incense fumed upon the golden altar was typical of a far inferior, though of a precious and holy thing: namely, of whatever is pleasing to God, in the faith, the devotions, and the good works of the saints.’ “ Now, (says Bishop Horsley,) the psalmist says that the fragrance proceeding from the garments of the king, far excels, not only the sweetest odours of any earthly monarch’s palace, but that it surpasses those spiritual odours of sanctity in which the king himself delights. The consolations which the faithful, under all their sufferings, receive from him, in the example of his holy life, the ministration of the word and sacraments, and the succours of the Spirit, are far beyond the proportion of any thing they have to offer in return to him in their praises, their Ver. 8. All thy garments smell.—This last word smell, is supplementary and unnecessary; Ainsworth and Horsley omit it; ‘ Thy garments (are,’’) ©.—Ivory palaces.—Palaces inlaid with ivory, as was not uncommon; or cabinets of ivory, in which the robes, or rather the perfumes, were kept. Ver. 12. Entreat thy Saviour.— Thy countenance,” or face. As the pronoun is pointed feminine, this is considered to be addressed to the church, as in the verse preceding. PSALM XLVI. Title;—A song upon Alamoth.—Upon no word have the commentators on it been more puzzled, than upon this Alamoth, Let him be lov’d, and yet ador’d, For He’s thy Maker, and thy Lord.”—Watts. Psalm XLVI. Ver. 1—11. A Psalm expressive of faith in God, and gratitude for national deliverance. Neither the author nor the occasion of this psalm is on record: it is, however, a very sublime and animated composition. Bishops Patrick and Lowth suppose it to have been written by David, on occasion of his victory over his enemies, as mentioned in the eighth chapter of the second book of Samuel; but the learned Rosenmüller thinks it was written on occasion of the victory of Jehoshaphat, which was celebrated with great rejoicing, as we find in (2 Chronicles 20:26-30). As, however, we have no data, it would be presumptuous to decide. But the psalm appears to us rather to be the language of faith under threatened difficulties, than of triumph over vanquished foes. In that view Luther composed a famous version of it on his journey to the Diet of Worms, where he went boldly to defend the Reformation, at the risk of his own life; and it was often his cry, when threatened with any fresh trouble, “ Let us sing the forty-sixth Psalm!”; So Bishop Horne explains it: ‘The Church, in time of trouble, declares her trust and confidence in God, and doubts not of being preserved safe by this anchor in the most stormy seasons: even then enjoying the comforts of the Spirit, and the presence of God in the midst of her, and bidding defiance to all her foes.” Finally, God himself is introduced as speaking the stormy nations into obedience, and burning all the implements of war. * Silence, O earth! thy Maker own: Ye Gentiles, he is God alone: The Lord of hosts is in the field, The God of Jacob is our shield.” —Montgomery. Psalm XLVII. Ver. 1—9. A Psalm of Joy and Praise.———— eee which some have supposed to be a musical instrument, and others a psalm tune; for neither of which does there appear sufficient ground. Alamoth sometimes signifies virgins, and it has been thought that these sons of Korah were in this case to sing with feigned voices, to imitate the females, an octave above their proper pitch; such seems to have been the sentiment of the Rabbins, but the question is too dry, and the discussion would be too tedious in this place. Compare note on the title of psalm vi.: Ver. 4. There is a river.—Though this may have a literal reference to the streams that watered Zion, we have no doubt but that the psalmist refers to another Zion, and to purer streams; that is, to the church of God, and the streams of living water by which it is refreshed and purified. ## Notes on the verses PSALM XLVII. Ver. 2. Terrible.—Ainsworth, “fearful:” a God of awful majesty. Ver. 4. The excellency of Jacob.—The tabernacle, (or temple,) and its sacred institutions. Ver. 5. God is gone up.—That is, the ark, the symbol of the divine presence, unto the hill of Zion. Ver. 9. The princes.—Marg. ‘The voluntary of the people;” i. e. the noble volunteers who fought not as mercenaries, but for the freedom of their country; these “are gathered (unto) the people,” &c.—The shields of the earth.—That is, its masters, or defenders, its rulers and its warriors, are all in the hands of God, and disposed of by him with the same ease that a soldier wields his shield. ## Notes on the verses PSALM XLVII. Ver. 2. Beautiful for situation.—Elevated, salubrious.—On the sides of the north (is) the city of the great king.—That is, Jerusalem and the temple were on the north of Zion. Ver. 7. The ships of Tarshish.—By these may be understood, large ships; and the sense may be, that God visited their enemies with a tempest, enough to break the strongest ships, even those built for foreign service. See Taylor's. Ver. 10. So is (or be) thy praise.—That is, corresponding to the glory thou hast already acquired. See Ver. 13. Mark ye well her bulwarks.—See Margin; i.e. contemplate—Consider.—Rather, as Parkhurst, “distinguish, or count,” Compare verse: Ver. 1. Even unto death.—"Beyond death.” As an instance that the Hebrew particle signifies beyond, in respect of time, Professor Gesenius refers to (Leviticus 15:25). The LXX. render it like the preceding phrase, “for ever.” ## Notes on the verses PSALM XLIX. Ver. 4. Dark saying.—(Ghidah.) An enigma, riddle, or mysted saying.—Bishop Lowth. read: Ever. 5. The spite of my heels.—Rather, “of those that lie in wait for me.”—Bishop Lowth. (Or, rather, “my supplanters,” akaivay, from akar, to supplant, defraud; see (Genesis 27:36). (Jeremiah 9:4).; xvii. 9. To the same effect the Syriac and Arabic, “Why should I fear in the evil day, when the iniquity of my enemies compasses me as ven Ver. 7. Redeem his brother.—That is, from death, or the grave, as in ver. 9. Ver. 8. It ceaseth for ever.—That is, after death there is no more redemption. Compare (Hebrews 10:18, 26). Ver. 11. Their inward thought.—(“Their grave is their house for ever, their dwelling place through all generations, though their names are celebrated over countries.” All the ancient versions, instead of kirbom, “their inward part,” seem to have read kivrom, “their grave;” which is probably the true reading.—Bagster. Ver. 12. Nevertheless, man, &c.—More literally, “Man in honour resteth not.” The original term, according to Ainsworth, means, to take a night’s lodging. The sense seems to us, “Man is perpetually restless, never satisfied with his present situation.” Most of the ancient versions read, as in the last verse, “understandeth not.” So Kennicott and Horsley; but they are not supported by MSS.—He is like the beasts that perish.—Ainsworth, “Are silenced;” Kennicott, “Go down into silence;” Horsley, “Sink into nothing.” Compare (Ecclesiastes 3:21). Ver. 14. Like sheep they are laid in the grave.—Vansittart, “They are laid in the grave like sheep (in a fold).” The sense appears to us, they die and are buried, without one able to resist. See (Psalms 44:11, 22).—Death shall feed on them.—So the heathen supposed that Cerberus feasted on the bodies in the grave. (Orient. Lit. No. 767.) But the LXX. read, “Death shall feed (or rule) as a shepherd does his sheep.” So Kennicott and Horsley, “Death is their shepherd;” but query—Their beauty.—Ainsworth, “image, form,” &c.—Shall consume.—Or, “Be consumed” in the body; or rather, “Their form shall be consumed, the grave (being) their dwelling place. Ver. 15. From the power of the grave (or hell) shall he rescue me.—The word Sheol being equivocal, has been variously translated. See note on (Psalms 16:10). We have followed Boothroyd and others, in rejecting the Masoretic pointing of this verse. PSALM L._ [It cannot be certainly determined at what period, or on what occasion, this truly sublime poem was composed; some refer it to the time of David, others to that of Hezekiah, and others to that of the captivity.]—Bag- Ver. 5. Gather my saints.—Ainsworth, “My gracious ones;” those who professing to have received grace and mercy, are bound to display it to all around them.—Those who have made—stricken, or cut a covenant with me by sacrifice; for it was by the death of the sacrifice the covenant was confirmed. (Hebrews 9:22). Ver. 8. I will not reprove, &c.—See (Isaiah 1:11-15). Ver. 22. Lest I tear you in pieces.—The Almighty, thus provoked by their hypocrisy, compares himself to an incensed lion. See (Hosea 5:14). Ver. 23. That ordereth his conversation.—i.e. that regulates his conduct by God's word. The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 20; the text below is that joint comment. ## Notes on the verses PSALM XX. Ver. 5. We will set up our banners.—* The sense is, We will take the field against our enemies, in full reliance upon God’s assistance.” Ver. 3. Where their voice, &c.—See margin. Bishop Horsley renders this verse, “There is no speech, no words: Bishop Horsley. ’ = no voice of them is heard: (yet) their sound goeth,” &c, [Or, they have no Ver. 7. Some trust, &c.—Bishop Lowth renders this verse, speech, nor words, nor is their voice heard; yet into all the earth inte gone out their sound, and to the extremity “These in chariots, and those in horses; Y of the world their words. |—Bagster. But we in the name of Jehovah our God will be strong.” Ver. 4. Their line.—The allusion is to a measuring eiT line, by which inherit- (This is probably a reference to the vast multitudes of chariots and horses &nces were divided. But the LXX. render it sound, and so it is quoted by the which the Ammonites and Syrians brought against David, (2 Samuel 10:6-8). The apostle, ((Romans 10:18).) implying the intelligible nature of that instruction which Psalm seems to consist of the following parts:—the prayers of the people on the works of nature every where give to man, as to the being and perfections of his Creator. behalf of the king, who had previously offered sacrifices, ver. 1—3. of the high Ver. 7. The law.—The Hebrew priest, ver. 4.; of David and his attendants, ver. 5.; of the high priest, after Torah, is neither confined to the preceptive. the victim was consumed, ver. 6.; of David and his men, ver. 7, 8.; of the Beane doctrinal parts of Scripture, but includes the whole of revelation, whole congregation, ver. 9.|—Bagster.. tn 9. Clean.—Lowth, Pure.” ——True.—Heb, “Truth.” The and, Ver. 9. Save, Lord.—[{Or, O Jehovah save the king* answer us when we ic, is better sie vs as by Ainsworth and Lowth “just altogether” call upon thee.” ]—Bagster.. so loud, that it is here compared to the roaring of a lion: a cry be indistinct, which accounts for In this delightful work engage; so strong and agonizing as to Old men and babes in Sion sing its being misunderstood by the by-standers, some of whom sup- The growing glories of her king.”— Watts. Ver. 1. From my roaring.—The word is applied to the roaring of a lion, Psatm XXI. Ver. 3. Preventest.—(To prevent, literally signifies to go be- ((Amos 3:8), and elsewhere,) and we learn from St. Matthew, (ch. xxvii. 46, preceding words, it was with a loud voice, fore; and this sense of the word is an exact version of the original. ]—B. 47.) that when Jesus uttered the i Kennicott, on the authority of three or four Ver. 9. As a fiery oven.—Dr. (° and in great agony. ((Hebrews 5:7).) But Bishop MSS., would read, ‘Thou shalt put them in a fiery furnace.”’ Ver. 2. Am not silent.—See margin; i. e. no interval of rest, or ease. It describes the, Horsley says, ‘The common reading seems preferable. Ver. 3. Inhabitest the praises, &c.—That is, that dwellest in the temple, smoke of the Messiah’s enemies perishing by fire, ascending like the smoke of where praises are perpetually sung. a furnace.” See (Revelation 5)xiv 1. Ver: 6. A worm.—A maggot; implying excessive weakness in himself, and Ver, 10. Their fruit.—That is, their children. (Psalms 27:3). contempt from others, as in the verse following. 9; Ver. 12. Make them turn their back.— Thou shalt set them as a butt.” So Ver. 8. He trusted on the Lord.—A Hebrew phrase, expressing faith and con- Ainsworth, Horsley, &c. See (Job 7:20). 5 xvi. 12. (Lamentations 3:12). fidence; but used here in ridicule. ——Seeing he delighted.—Or, If he delight- Ver. 13. Be thou exalted.—Both the prosperity of the church, and the ruin See (Matthew 27:43). eth in him.’” -of its enemies, tend to exalt God, or to render his glory conspicuous to his ra- Ver. 12. Strong (bulls) of Bashan.—A country famous for cattle and sheep. These effects can only be produced by his Omnipotence; tional creatures. (Deuteronomy 32:14-15). (Amos 4:1)b. |:; which his people unitedly pray to see displayed, that they may joyfully cele- Ver. 14. I am poured out.—This describes a state of extreme lassitude and i first petitions, and brate his praises. This conclusion greatly resembles the weakness. f closing doxology, of the Lord’s prayer.—T. Scott. Ver. 16. Dogs have compassed me.—Dogs in the East are not domesticated. upon Aijeleth Sha- PSALM XXII. Title,—To the chief Musician. as with us; (see note on (Exodus 11:7).) they are therefore furious and dangerous. har.—We have not the least idea that this psalm has reference to any musical Pierced.—(The textual reading is, kaar?, “as a lion my hands and feet;”” for 1 none of these titles is any known instrument men but several MSS. read karoo, which affords the reading adopted by our transinstrument or tune. the: \ i The mar- Ethiopic; and as tioned, only the different ponds of wind or stringed instruments. lators. So the LXX., also the Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, and crucifixion of Shahar to mean, * the hind of the all the Evangelists so quote the passage, and apply it to the gin explains the Hebrew words Aijeleth f a doubt that this is the genuine morning,” with which agree Ainsworth, Patrick, and many others, who com- Christ, there seems scarcely the shadow o red, that the other contains no clear pare the illustrious subject of this psalm to a hid hunted by dogs (see ver. 16 reading; especially when it is consider: The whole difference lies between two av and yood, which might —90 ) in the morning, the usual time for hunting. Some Rabbins, however, sense at all, " and Bishop Chandler tells us that translate these words, ‘' the morning star Pa easily be mistaken for each other. ]—Bagster. and this name, “the morning Ver. 17. Tell all my bones.—The body of our Lord, being distended by cru- Ayelta is the name of Venus among the Arabs; star,” is, we know, applied to our Saviour by St. John, in (Revelation 22:16). cifixion. Le Clere.—They look and stare.—Who? It is generally supposed Such titles of poetical compositions are, ja enemies are here referred to; but may not the bones themselves, by a bold we prefer the former interpretation. One of the most celebrated Persian poems is it not often said, of a person in the last stage prosopopeia, be intended! j we know, quite in the Eastern taste. “the Garden of Knowledge;” of consumption, that his bones stare through the skin? is called ‘‘the Bed of Roses;” another, See (Psalms 35:17).—From the power certain celebrated Arabian works are called, “Fragrant Plants,” “Approved Ver. 20. My darling.—i. e. my life. 5 7 ’ &c. Forest,” “The Bright Star,” “Lion of the Butter,” ‘‘Pure Gold,” “Che -i. e. the paw of the dog ready to tear the sufferer to pieces. T. H. Horne’s Introduction. See Orient. if No. 755. (Revelation 5)praise thee. >f 23 Ye » that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him: and fear him; dust shall bow before him: and none can keep f makes alive his own soul. ‘30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. supposed he was calling for Elias. The other circumstances herewith connected, imply a state of extreme lassitude, weakness, and fatigue, previous to the execution of our Lord, in consequence of which he fainted in carrying his cross; and the peculiarity of his death by crucifixion, which was not a Jewish, but a Roman punishment, is here pointed out by the “piercing of his hands and feet, and the parting of his garments;” but the casting lots for his vesture was still more singular, and occurred perhaps in no other instance. (Compare (Matthew 27:35), and (John 19:23-24).) The twenty-first verse, which concludes the petitionary part of the psalm, is obscure and difficult, (as may be seen in our note subjoined;) but Bishop Horsley has a very ingenious conjecture, which removes the difficulty without violence to the text. By restoring the words to the order of the Hebrew original, he divides the verse thus— “Save me from the mouth of the lion, And from the horns of the unicorns:— PART II. ————— Thou hast answered me. I will declare,” &c. And then the psalmist proceeds (according to Bishop Lowth’s idea) with the hymn of praise here referred to. This second part of the psalm expresses Messiah’s triumph after his resurrection, the universal spread of his gospel among the rich and the poor—those who are fattened like the bulls of Bashan, and those, who, for poverty and distress, can scarcely keep life in them—all, that is, many of both classes shall submit, and become “a seed to serve him,” even the generation of the righteous. On the authority of the Septuagint, and some of Kennicott’s Hebrew manuscripts, Bishop Lowth disjoins the last member of the twenty-ninth verse, in a manner similar to the above correction of Bishop Horsley on ver. 21; and, by a very slight departure from the present edition of the Hebrew Bible, reads as follows, ver. 35: - “But my soul shall live to him; my seed shall serve him: It shall be accounted,” &c. With this correction, agree Bishop Horsley and others, and it is mentioned by Bishop Horne without censure. The two great points to be considered by us in this psalm, are, 1. The extreme sufferings of the Son of God for our sins, which ought to humble us at his feet with gratitude and with shame; and, 2. The blessed consequences resulting to mankind from his death and resurrection, which call upon us for the most animated praises, and the utmost devotion to his Psatm XXIII. Ver. 1—6. A Psalm of David, in pastoral language.—Of the author of this psalm there is no doubt; and we are inclined to date it among the first of the writer’s com- Ver. 21. For thou hast heard me.—This is unhappily transposed, contrary to the order of the original. Ainsworth reads literally, ‘‘from the horns of the unicorns, thou hast answered me.” Bishop Horne renders it, ‘‘From the horns, &c. hear thou me.’ But Bishop Horsley’s conjecture, given in our exposition, removes all the obscurity. Ver. 29. All they that be fat.—That is, says Ainsworth, “the rich and mighty,.... fat with plenty.” See (Isaiah 60:1-10). (Revelation 21:24). If so, the following sentence refers to the poor and wretched.—None (of whom) ‘can keep alive his own soul.—That is, the poor as well as rich shall bow before him. But see exposition, David’s confidence in God’s grace. b Ps. 115.11, A Psalm of David. e Heb. 5.7. -: 4 The Lord is my *shepherd; I "shall not want. down in © green pastures thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.; g to length 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and of days. established it upon the floods.: positions, when he had not forgotten the pleasures of the pastoral life, though at the same time he had become acquainted with the dangers of the wilderness, and had traversed the deep ravines between the mountains, from which he drew the fearful image of ‘‘the valley of the shadow of death.” The psalmist appears overwhelmed with a grateful sense of the many blessings and privileges he then enjoyed, and encouraged to brave any dangers he might meet by faith in the divine protection. By “the valley of the shadow of death,” may be intended any situation of danger, whether in sickness or in war, in which he looked for protection to the rod (or sceptre) of the Almighty, and for support to the staff of his holy word. Contemplating a situation in the barren wilderness, though even surrounded with enemies, he is encouraged by the divine goodness, not only to expect necessary supplies, but to sit more composedly as to a feast—his head fattened with oil (as the Hebrew phrase is) and his cup running over with the choicest wine; that is, the divine presence and communion with his God was to him a feast in the wilderness, and a guard of protection when surrounded with foes. He looks forward therefore, to end his days on earth in peace, where he could constantly attend God's earthly tabernacle, and from thence to be removed to his palace in the heavens. “Still hope and grateful praise, ‘Shall form my constant song: Shall cheer my gloomiest days, And tune my dying tongue— Until my ransomed soul shall rise, To praise him better in the skies.” Condor’s Star in the East. Psatm XXIV. Ver. 1—10. A Psalm of David. The sovereignty of God, and the resurrection of Christ.—The occasion of this psalm is not stated. Bishop Lowth supposes it to have been composed on the removal of the ark to mount Sion. (1 Chronicles 15)xvi; but it is remarkable that another psalm is there given, as composed on this occasion, totally different from the one before us: nor is the expression, ‘Lift up your heads, ye gates,” well adapted to the occasion, since the tabernacle had neither gates nor doors, (much less everlasting ones;) and when the temple was erected, the gates do not appear to have been made to lift up, but to fold, as usual in both ancient and modern times. The only way to account for this is, to suppose that on ascending the hill some temporary impediments were placed in the way, analogous to what is related by Bruce to have taken place at a grand festival occasion at which he was present, in Ethiopia. On this occasion, a chorus of noble virgins stretched a silken cord across where the king was to pass, and demanded, “Who are you?” The answer was, “I am your king, the king of Ethiopia!” This is denied, and the king withdraws. The ceremony is three times repeated, and at the last the king draws his sword, and et oe ee ee The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 100; the text below is that joint comment. parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge ime with hyssop, and I shall be bones which thou hast broken may ! rejoice. 9 Hide ™ thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not P thy holy spirit from me. preme judgment; but it extends not to the world at large, but to Israel only, the professed people of JeEnovan, who are summoned from east to west to appear before him, and answer to his charge. This is not the neglect of external sacrifices, for they, alone considered, are of little estimation in the sight ofGod; but the want of devotion of heart, and purity of life. He who owns all the beasts, both of the fold and the forest, cannot be gratified with the eftusion of goats’ and bullocks’ blood. ‘He that offereth praise glorifieth God;” and ‘‘ to him that ordereth his conversation aright,” that is, according to his word, “to him will he show his salvation.” But to the wicked he speaks in thunder: “What hast thou to do to declare my statutes? or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth ?”’ Some have applied this psalm to the day of general judgment; and others, as Bishops Horne and Horsley, to the promulgation of the gospel in the end of the Jewish dehvetiita Hott to this, indeed, the former prelate has applied it with excellent effect; but in our view, the simple topic is, the danger of hypocrisy. “ God is the judge of hearts: no fair disguises Can screen the guilty when his vengeance rises.”’"—TVatts. Psatm LI. Ver. 1—19. A penitential Psalm of David, on occasion of his sin with Bathsheba.—So it has been universally considered on authority of the title above prefixed, and upon internal evidence, which we think conclusive. As a penitential psalm, it has always been considered as the natural overflowing of a broken heart, deeply estan with a sense of extreme guilt “ before God,” o2 which account the writer compares himself to a polluted leper. This is pap eM a in calling for hyssop as a ceremonial purification, w nile, at the same time, he prays earnestly for pardon; and that he may experience the cleansing and re-creative power of God’s Holy Spirit. It is observable also, that he rests not in the confession of actual transgression; but, as Bishop Horne observes, traces his sinful actions to their source in the, pollution of his fallen nature: himself a sinner, the child of sinful parents, and they the posterity of the first human, guilty, pair. This, however, though a matter of humiliation, 1s never pleaded by him as an excuse.; But it is not adultery only that he laments: he corn ae of “ blood-guiltinesss,” and no doubt his conscience was haunted by the image of his murdered friend Uriah. Sin seems but a little thing when committed, and wears a smiling form; but when it visits the conscience afterwards, it assumes a gigantic r Zec.3.1..8. PSALM LII 3 bloods, 1 David, condemcing the spitefulness of Doeg, prophesieth his destruction. 6 The t Ps.71.23, epee shall rejoice ai fe 8 David, upon ie confidence in God’s inercy, giveth come to the house of Ahimelech. w Is.66.2. x Ps.4.5. W HY boasteth thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the ¢ goodness of God en- ¢ Ps,137.1,2 sharp razor, working deceitfully. w | d Je.9.4,5. 3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and 4lysize, and its head is shrouded with the storm. As we have in David a most aggravated instance of backsliding, so have we a most exemplary example of the contrition of a heard agitated alternately with grief and shame, and terrified with the judgments of the Almighty. _ Bishop Horsley and others, object to the title, as not authentic, because the author prays, in the close of this psalm, that God would build the walls of Jernsalem, which seems to imply that it was written during the captivity. To this, 1. Some ave replied that these two last verses, w hich seem to have no immediate connexion with the rest, might be added by some pious worshipper of that period. 2. It might be said, as some parts of Jerusalem (particularly the strong hold of Zion) had ~ not now been more hes about a dozen years in the possession of David, it is very possible that they might then have been much damaged, and not since repaired; and other parts, as Mount Moriah, where the temple was afterwards erected, not yet builton; and that his prayer might have particular reference to the erection of that Temple (already contemplated, (2 Samuel 7:1), &c.) where sacrifices of unprecedented pine were to be offered. 3. Perhaps the expression should be taken rather figuratively than literally. Men build with brick or stone, but God with living stones; and for him to build up a house or a city, is to furnish it with inhabitants, and to crown It with his blessing. (See (Psalms 18:35); cii. 16; cxlvii. 2.). Lastly, it is probable, or rather more than probable, that this prayer had a particular reference to ‘‘ the future age” of the Messiah, in whom the Lord has since declared himself not only pleased, but satisfied. (See (Daniel 9:25-27). Amosix. 11. (Matthew 1:17).) To return, however, to the psalm before us, the most profitable use that we, as sinners, can make of it, is to make it the model of our own petitions; and the sum of it is well compressed in the following emphatic lines: “ Mercy, good Lord! mercy I ask, This is the total sum:: For mercy, Lord, is all my suit, O let thy mercy come !”’ Psaum LIl. Ver. 1-9. The wicked character and miserable fate of Doeg.—The nse of this wretch has already passed under our review transient yi ((1 Samuel 21:7); xxii. 9, &c.) And from what occurs in this short psalm, we may farther remark, that his character was not only execrable to David, but detestable in the sight of God. Doeg appears to have been one of 8 But I am like *a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. 91 will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait} on thy name; for ™it is good before thy saints. PSALM LIII. edafear:| 4) me by thy strength. he light of their own conscience. le glorieth in the salvation of God, -] e 1Sa.26.24. doeth good, no not one. those sycophants, with whom tyrants are generally surrounded, and who are ready to engage in any dirty work which the think will recommend themselves to promotion or reward. His first wish was, no doubt, to betray David; but, being disappointed by David’s prudence and activity, he wreaks his vengeance on God’s high priest and his attendants. On his unmanly cowardice, in falling upon the unarmed priests and their hehiigae families, David seems here to taunt him—‘ Oh, mighty man!” and ‘Oh, deceitful tongue !” It is probable that, by this time, the vengeance of God had overtaken him, for (in ver. 7.) he points at him and says, “Lo! this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in his riches,” &c. Now Doeg, as chief of Saul’s herdsmen and master of his mules, might take care to enrich himself; but he was a stranger to God, and probably never worshipped in his house. On the contrary, David represents himecte “like a oung olive fresh and green,” planted, and flourishing in the Louse of God. Psaim LIII. Ver, 1—6. The folly of wickedness.—This salm differs very little from the fourteenth; and it is not nown, nor has it been conjectured with much probability, on what account, or for what reason, the same sentiments are repeated in almost the same words. The variations, however, are sufficient to show, that the psalm in one place was intentionally altered from that in the other; and it is probable, that it was in consequence of some change in the psalmist’s circumstances, or some events which had occurred subsequent to its first publication.—The word Mahalath seems to denote a hollow instrument of music, a flute or pipe: and Maschil, or instructing, implies the scope of it, viz. an instruction or warning against impiety towards God, and rebellion against his anointed king. The folly of sinners greatly appears in their acting, as if they could escape the notice of Omniscience, prosper in defiance of Omnipotence, or be happy in rebellion against the Source of all a Ps.14.1, PSALM LIV. 1-Dayid, complaining of the Ziphims, prayeth for salvation. 4 Upon his confidence Iu God’s help he promiscth sacrifice. b Ge.6.5,12, To'the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, e Ep.5.12 A Psalm of David, when the * Ziphims d Ps.114. came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide hirnself with us ? atthey fede ee me, O God, by thy name, and judge gje630. | Wordsof my mouth. j p ’ h Who will mine enemies. Those who go back from a religious profession, generally ome most filthy, or most malicious persecutors, who of all sinners are most infatuated: for God “hath despised,” and will confound and destroy them; as he has often scattered the bones of powerful armies, who have encamped against his church. A guilty conscience and a dread of vengeance frequently fill the enemies of God with fears, where nothing formidable can be perceived; but at length their worst terrors will be awfully realized: and as the deliverance and prosperit of the church on earth will be attended with the ruin of all anti-christian opposers; so the eternal joys of the redeemed will be attended with the everlasting shame and misery of all their impenitent oppressors.— T.. Scolt. Psatm LIV. Ver. 1\—7.. Prayer for deliverance.—Our nearest relations may prove more unkind than strangers: those who ought to protect us may become our oppressors; and mere professors of true religion will generally behave to believers with malignity and treachery, which even heathens would avoid and condemn. So that, looking unto David betrayed by the men of Judah, and to Jesus betrayed by his apostle, and delivered to death by the Jewish rulers and people: what can we expect from any who “have not set God before them,” except ingratitude, treachery, malice, and cruelty? But God is the Helper of his people: he will favour and prosper those “‘that uphold their souls,’ while he confounds their persecutors: seh truth is engaged to reward evil to their enemies. Let us trust him and call upon him, when injured or tempted: for his name’s sake he will then save-us, and plead our cause with all his power. We should recollect past deliverances to encourage our faith and prayer in present trials: and itis good and acceptable for us to sacrifice freely our spiritual oblations of grateful praise for the past, while we wait for farther mercies. As the risen and ascended Jesus could adopt the psalmist’s words, and say, “‘ He hath delivered me from all trouble, and mine eye hath looked upon mine be retrograde; the next being of earfier date than this, and this of earlier date than the preceding. The faction of Saul are here addressed as confederated to take away David’s life— Do ye, indeed, speak righteousness, (or righteously,) O ye confederates?’ and describes them, from their natural depravity and depraved habits, as having their minds full of the poison of serpents, and the ferocity, of lions; and not to be won upon by any acts of generosity or kindness, as was sufficiently evident, from the fact referred to in the preceding psalm, when the psalmist not_only refused to injure, but resolutely protected Saul’s life. Saul, for the moment, appears to have been charmed by it: but they were like deaf nes who could not be charmed. (See (1 Samuel 24)_ David then predicts their ruin in language, which, though imprecatory in its form, should rather ba considered as prophetic. To break the teeth of a lion, is to deprive him of the power of destruction; and the melting of an army, is its defeat and being scattered. The metaphor of the pot and the thorns is an evident allusion to the manners of the Arabs, who, when they want to cook their food, collect bushes and brambles, living or dead, (that is, green or dry,) to make a blaze; but, says he, “before your pots can feel the thorns,” (that is, before they can be sensibly affected with heat,) they shall be melted like the snow, or swept away as with a ehiviwind, in a manner indicative of the power which does it; so that men shall say, “Verily, there is a reward for the righteous.” “ Thus shall the judgment of the Lord, Safety and joy to saints afford; And all that hear shall join and say, “Sure there’s a God that reigns on high, A God that hears his children cry, And will their sufferings well repay.’ ’— Watts. Psarm LIX. Ver. 1—17. Prayer the means of comfort.— In this psalm “ David expresses what his thoughts and affections were, when Saul sent officers to watch his house all night, and to slay him when he came out of his doors in the morning.” Bishop Patrick.—His triumphant confidence in God in this extreme danger, and his anticipated fervour of gratitude, for the deliverance which he fully expected, show a peculiarly pious and happy state of mind, in such trying cireum- When we suffer for well-doing, we are conformed to our Re-. deemer, and have an evidence of our acceptance with God We should indeed greatly fear suffering as “ evil-doers, or busybodies in other men’s matters;” but we ought not to be either afraid or ashamed of the hatred of the workers of iniquity, when “they prepare themselves, and are gathered_together against us without our fault.” They may be both mighty and bloody; their words may be as swords, and their actions ma correspond with them: but the Lord will awake, and behol and hasten to the help of his servants.—In vain ‘aid Saul and his mighty men seek the life of David: they could not prevent his advancement to the throne, but they occasioned their own ignominy and ruin. Nor could the rulers of the Jews, by crucifying Jesus, prevent his glorification but they thus hastened their own destruction: and neither tempters nor persecutors can succeed any better in lying in wait for the soul of the believer. The serpent and his seed bruised the heel of the deemer, but he will crush their head. “‘ Because of the Lor strength” his servants may then confidently wait, on and if we trust in him as the God of our mercy, and have course to him in every temptation and tribulation, he will assuredly be our Defence against all those who rise up against us. —T". Scott. David rejoices in the prospect of Psatm LX. Ver. 1—12. here referred to has victory over all his enemies.—The history from the lily being a six-leaved flower, may also mean a six-stringed instrumen it has been supposed that the word t.—Aram-naharaim; the Syrians of have submitted to me; Ephraim furnishes me with valiant men; and Judah, PSALM LXIII. 1 David's thirst for God. 4 Flis manner of blessing God. 9 His confidence of his enemies’ destruction, and his own safety. A Psalm of David, * when he was in the wil- GOD, thou art my God; early "will I 0 derness of Judah. seek thee: my soul thirsteth ° for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and “thirsty land, ¢ where no water is; 2 To see ‘ thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the &sanctuary. 3 Because thy loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will shall be. lift up my hands in thy name. The best of men must not be put them, in every walk of life. and may be deceived in the place of God: they are weak, overcome; they are mortal, and must shortly die. To be even all taken in the balance, therefore, against God, they are, or nothing. together, vanity, yea, “ lighter than vanity,” of the union and harmony of Our salvation is the result It is, indeed, an exertion’ of divine the divine perfections. is, 1 we are saved by sovereign merpower, but not of power only; | the divine conduct toward mancy, which predominates in a for though every man shall kind, even in the final judgment; mercy shall measure be ‘rewarded according to his works,” nca2is. |¢ matter: they commune ‘of laying snares. a privily; they say, Who shall see them ? wJepece hcl Cee search out iniquities; ‘ they accomepriu. |plish €a diligent search: both the inward reed thought of every one of them, and the heart, ts e ‘ es cep.. = ike 7 But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; cnmumed | suddenly * shall they be wounded. whichtiey | § So they shall make their own tongue fo fall rovgi'y, | upon themselves: all that see them shall flee g search away. searched. | Q And all men shall fear, and shall declare nar | the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing. souls of believers cling to their great Benefactor and Protector, whose “right hand upholdeth them.” “The king,” that is, the royal author, of the psalm, “shall rejoice in God,’”’ as the great object of his dependance and his hope: ‘Every one that sweareth by him, (i. e. the true God,) shall glory.” To swear by or in the name of Jehovah, was to swear fealty or allegiance to him: it was an act of worship, distinguishing Israelites from idolaters. The former had an object of adoration, in which they might well glory; the latter served “lying vanities,” and were therefore considered as liars, deceiving and deceived. “pl lift my hands, I'ii raise my voice, ties,” that they may pretend zeal for God’s glory, while they are murdering his people: but all their malice will rebound upon themselves, and God himself will fight against them and destroy them; and all who behold their doom, especially in a future state, will reverence his power and justice in it. But itis our wisdom now to fear because of the judgments of God, and to flee from the wrath to come; to declare and consider his works, and to shun the rock on which others have split. For the righteous alone can rejoice and trust in this holy Lord God: and all who uprightly rely on his mercy, and seek to know and ‘do his will, shall glory in him as their Salvation and eternal Portion.— T. Scott. Psarm LXV. Ver. 1—13. A Psalm of thanksgiving for the blessings of Providence.—‘‘In this psalm God is praised for his providential -piiipange of the material world. It seems to have been a thanksgiving for the getting in of the fruits of the earth, and might be composed for the feast of Tabernacles. But. considering the manifest allusion to redemption, and the conversion of the Gentiles, in the former part of the psalm, “I cannot but think (says Bishop Horsley) that the blessings of the gospel are adumbrated under the image of genial showers and luxuriant crops.” Taking the same view of the psalm with this learned prelate, we shall briefly consider it in reference to the bounties of divine providence, and the riches of divine grace.: The feast of Tabernacles was about the end of our September, when the fruits of the earth were gathered in, and the raises of Israel were waiting in silence tne it were) ready to urst from every grateful heart, in joyful shouts and songs, at ‘the commencement of this festival. The Chaldee labours to give an idea of the extraordinary rejoicings by an hyperbolical expression: ‘The praise of angels is accounted as silence before thee, O God, whose majesty is in Sion:” being intended to intimate, that the shouts of Israel were far louder than the _ songs of angels. ___ The imagery employed in the following verses, is eminently sublime and beautiful. He girdeth sazethor the mountains by his strength, as with a girdle: he stilleth the roarings of the sea, and the still louder ravings of the people. He maketh the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. The former idea is amplified and illustrated in the nineteenth psalm, (ve rses 5 and 6,) and the latter alluded to in the eighth: no scen¢s in nature can be more beautiful, or more cheerful, than the rising of the morning sun, or the moon “ walking in brightness” in the evening sky. The watering of the earth with showers, or with full and flowing streams, is another display of providential goodness; but the crowning mercy is the gathering in of the harvest. The expression (in ver. 11.) is peculiarly elegant and impressive, “ His paths drop fatness.” In other psalms, the Almighty is represented as walking or riding ‘‘upon the wings of the wind:” ((Psalms 18:10); civ. 3:) the clouds, therefore, are his pathways, and the showers which distil from them enriching the earth, may be said poetically, to “drep fatness’ upon it; and from the cheerful and useful vegetation which clothes the hills and valleys, they are said to become joyful, and even to “shout and sing.” ~ But we mnst not confine our remarks to blessings merely temporal. The psalmist complains of iniquities = against him, and prays to be delivered from them: he speaks of the blessedness of attending God’s house, and considers communion with him as the highest privilege of man. The floods of heaven, and the rivers of earth, are both used to typify the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the diffusion of divine truth, S xcts un. 17, 18.) which produces the same effect in the moral, as water in the natural world. This psalm may therefore be considered as no less rich in spiritual unction than in poetic beauty; and is especially interesting to us Gentiles, residing in “the ends of the earth,” as our part of Europe was considered. © Blest is the man whom thou shalt choose,: And ees him kind access to thee; Give him a place within thy house, To taste thy love divinely free.” —Watts. Psarm LXVI. Ver. 1—20. A Psalm of praise and exhortation.—The author and occasion of this psalm are alike unt or Song. OD be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause » his face to shine © upon us. Selah. 2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all 4 nations. 3 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and ¢ govern the nations upon earth. Selah. 5 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 6 Then‘ shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. Bishop Patrick supposes it to have been composed | at the close by David after some great providential deliverance, for which he promises to offer numerous sacrifices; and the latter part of the psalm inclines us to this opinion, though Calmet and Dr. Gray refer it to the period of the building of the second temple. The former part of the psalm relates to the power and zoodness of God in delivering his people Israel; and the memorable passage of the Red sea is distinctly and pointedly al- Inded to: but the latter relates to the psalmist’s own experience, who calls upon all true Israelites to hear what God had done individually for himself. The closing sentiment merits our particular attention. God heareth not the prayers of hypocrites. “If Iregard iniquity in m heart, the Lord will not hear me,” says the psalmist; but he has heard me, and therefore do I not so regard it. On this, we shall only add the beautiful comment of a pious poet. “Throughout mankind, the Christian kind at least, There dwells a consciousness in every breast, That folly ends where genuine hope begins, ‘And he that finds his heaven must lose his sins.”’— Cowper. Psarm LXVII. Ver. 1—7. A short Psalm of thanksgiving. —This short but sweet psalm, is an echo to the blessing whic the priests were taught to pronounce upon the people of Israel g Je.49.11. h a house. ve ae at the presence of God, the God of i Ps.107.10. 9 Thou, O God, didst !senda plentiful ™ rain, whereby thou didst "confirm thine inheritj Hab.3.13. k Ex.19.16. ance, when it was weary. 10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein. 1 shake out. thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness m De.11.11 for the ° poor. n it. 11 The Lorpv gave the word: great was the o Mat 11.5. » company of those that published it. p army. 12 Kings of armies 9 did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil. did flee,: Gia fae’ 13 Though ye have lien among the * pots, r Pa 816. yet shall ye be asthe wings of a dove covered of the morning service, and which has been already noticed by_us in (Numbers 6:24-26)- From the concluding verses, we may, In addition, draw the following important doceither by a natrines: 1. That gratitude for mercies received, ei tion or individuals, is the way to obtain farther blessings. To bless God for mercies received is the surest way to multip] 2. That the blessing of God, if rightly understood, wilt is, indeed, absolutely necessary to lead to the fear of God, an Men plough and sow utterly in vain, the spread of true religion. unless God smiles upon, their endeavours: and so is it in reliwill bring gion: neither the earth itself, nor the heart of man, g good, unless God cause his face to shine upon forth any thin Those who duly appreciate the mercies which they enjoy, 1 Most of salms which speak of the blessings of the gospel, putina aa be anxious that others should partake with them, or a prayer for the conversion of the heathen, that “all the endsof the earth” may know and fear the God of Israel. removal of the ark, as ty- Pssatm LXVIII. Ver. 1—35. é pical of the ascension of Messiah.—This psalm opens with the by Moses, (and_probabl echoed by the words pronounce; erness, (Numb. priests,) upon the removal of the ark in the wi x. 35.) whence it is reasonably concluded that it was compo- Bishop Horne thinks, on the resed on some such occasion: moval of the ark to mount Zion: (as were ie cheats several other psalms:) but Dr. Boothroyd supposes, that it was on occasion of returning the ark to Zion after the conquests over the Ammonites. (See (2 Samuel 11:11); xii. 31.) As every thing under that dispensation was typical or prophetical, it was very natural for the inspired author to look forward to Messiah’s triumphant ascension to the Zion above, of whom the ark and the tabernacle and the temple itself were all figures; and so we find the psalm applied by St. Paul himself. ((Ephesians 4:8-9).) As a composition, Professor Michaelis, who thinks the character of David’s poetry to be rather sweetness than sublimity, allows this psalm to beeminently sublime, though, (as Bisho Lowth remarks,) not without considerable obscurity, witlel Burke has shown to be, in many instances, essential to the Dr. S. Chandler divides this psalm into five parts, on each of which we shall offera remark or two. Part I. (comprising ver. 1 to 6.) our author considers as sung, when the Levites took up the ark upon their shoulders, which was their way of carrying it. Part II. (ver. 7—14.) Dr. C. supposes to have commenced when the procession began with slow and solemn pace. Part Ill. (ver. 15—17.) he conceives to have been chanted immediately on their coming within sight of Zion— This is the hill which God hath desired to dwell in.” The imagery in Parts Il. and III. is certainly obscure: The general idea is supposed to be, the wonderful change in the situation of Israel, in being delivered from slavery in Egypt, and raised to pre-eminence in Zion, and adorned with all the beauty of the eastern dove; but for a particular explication of the metaphors, we must refer to our notes below: only on ver. 18. we may remark, that Zion is here resembled to Sinai, as the special residence of the divine presence, and a type of the fuure glories of Messiah. Part IV. (ver. 18—23.) celebrates the triamphant entrance of Messiah into his glory after his resurrection, loaded (as we may say.) not only with the trophies of his victory. but the blessings of salvation, to bestow upon penitent Jews and Gentiles, at the same time as ruin and destruction must necessarily overwhelm his enemies. In Part V. (from ver. 24 to the end,) we have a description of the procession. The ark went first, with the attendant priests; then followed the singers, and after them the players upon instruments, among whom we must conceive of David dancing in his ephod, with a portable harp in his hands, and the damsels playing with timbrels, the proper accompaniment of dancing. The concluding verses anticipate the triumphs of Jehovah and his Messiah among the Gentiles. The brutes that delight in war shall all be scattered, and ambassadors of peace from all countries shall seek the favour of the God of Israel. “ Sing praises eae God, ye kingdoms of the earth: O sing praises unto the Psatm LXIX. Ver. 1—36. David complains of his afflictions, in which he was a type of the Messiah.—That several parts of this psalm belong to the Messiah, we doubt not, for they are quoted by him, and are applied to him in the New Testament: but we resist the principles, that because some parte are, the whole must therefore be so applied. Ainsworth hath made the important remark on our Lord’s quoting the thirty-first Psalm, (ver. 5.) that, while he used the first member of the verse, which was applicable to his circumstances, he seems purposely to have omitted the following words as inapplicable. (See our exposition.) And we may add, that though our Lord has quoted and applied to himself many passages is good: ° turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies. ye 17 And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am introuble: ? hear me speedily. 18 Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem ibe deliver me because of mine enemies. 19 Thou hast known my ¢reproach, and my from the Psalms of David, we know of no one of them in which he either confesses or laments his sins, orimplores mercy. We can by no means, therefore, allow the application to him” of the fifth verse of the Psalm before us, in which David says, ““O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.” we are questioned, ‘* How shall we decide what parts are or are nota plicable?” we reply, 1. We admit this of all which are so bled: by either Christ or the inspired writers: and, secondly, we object not to the accommodation of any passages not inconsistent with Messiah’s character. The parts applied to him in this psalm, we shall notice as they occur, premising, however, that we find no passage wholly inapplicable to David, who probably composed It, as is suggeste by Bishop Patrick, during Absalom’s rebellion, when banished from Jerusalem; and during which period he seems to have fallen among false friends, who aggravated his afflictions by illtreatment and reproaches. eee See cin h creepeth. PSALM LXX. i Eze.36.35, David soliciteth God to the speedy ssp of the wicked, and preservaiion of the j Jn.14.23. To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, to a Ps.33. title « bring to remembrance. b Ps.40.13.. c my help. Py AKeE » haste, O God, to deliver me; S make haste to * help me, O Lord. The first verses are highly metaphorical, and resemble many other passages in this sacred book, in which troubles and dangers are compared to sinking in the mire and in the flood; plied to Him who and may certainly, without violence, be a whose sympathies carried our sorrows, an bore our griefs and It is true, that still take part in the afflictions of his people. derived any assistance or support neither type nor antitype but, on the contrary, both were from his family connexions; and betrayed. On one occasion, at least, reproached, deserted, it seems they gave the psalmist sour wine (or vinegar,) with ‘ e name of gall; a some bitter ingredients, which he calls by th bitter or deleterious substance name probably used for any mixed with wine: (See (Deuteronomy 29:18):) and this we know was himself in his last agonies. literally the case with our Lord (See (Matthew 27:34).) partly in the impe- The following verses are, in the original ould not, therefore, rative and partly in the future tense; ands then, but also among the more cold-hearted Israelites. His conduct in dancing contrary, Dr. Hammond, Dr. Kennicolt, Bishop Horne, and some other expositors, render the whole in the future, as prophetic; and in no other sense can they be applied to our Redeemer, who cursed nothing but a barren fig tree, and that only as a warning to his countrymen. ((Matthew 21:19).) It is true that one verse, and one only, is here applied to the case of Judas, and that all the judgments here imprecated, were poured upon the Jews his murderers; but it was not by the prayer of the illustrious sufferer, who prayed only for their salvation. ((Luke 23:34).); The zeal of David in behalf of God’s house and worship, is alluded to by St. John as typical, on occasion of Christ’s clearing the temple of the money changers, ((John 2:17);) and the misery of his betrayer and persecutors is evidently referred to by St. Peter, in speaking of the apostate Judas: but it would be going too far, to conclude that David had, in his own mind, any direct reference to either of these events. Such allusions were common among both Jewish and classical writers, and which, a style deeply imbued with scripture phraseology is one of the chief excellencies of either a Christian preacher or theological writer. Psatm LXXI. Ver. 1—24. A Psalm of David in his old age, surrounded by enemies and infirmities.—‘ The psalmist, sorely distressed in his old age (see verses 9 and 18,) by the rebellion of Absalom, which was his great affliction at that period of life, prayeth for divine assistance” and consolation; pleading God’s gracious promise, and the mercies already received by him. _ He then complains of being deserted and given up by man, in his old age; and of the taunts and insults of his enemies, whose downfall he predicts. At the same time, he encourages himself in the divine promise, and with the hope of spending his last days in praise and comfort. Although we ave no express authority for applying this psalm to our Lord Christ, we do not observe in it any thing to render such application improper. Psatm LX XII. Ver. 1—20. The prosperous reign of Solo spired writers, it makes no difference as to the divine authority | with hundre literature, sacred or profane, to find such a union of sublimity with sweetness and grace.” (Lect. xxv.). In another lecture, the Bishop compares the allegory of this with that of the second psalm, and thus distinguishes them. In the second of the mountains,” should bring forth so fine and plentiful a| &c. s of islands as yet perhaps unknown, shall be Jesus shall reign where’er the sun Does his successive journies run; His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, Till moons shall wax and wane no more.’’— Watts. “Behold, these are the ungodly!” fe ale Se Sa io sanctuary, “Then (says he) understood I their end.” But how so? By hearing the word of God there read, (for the He brews had not Bibles as we have) he learned that these wicked men, though prosperous in the world, were under the curse of God: and, firm as they might seem, they were in eppRey places, and in the road to everlasting run! He saw now that their felicity was all a dream, and that when God should arise and awaken them to the judgment, ‘‘ the vain show,” the image of splendour in which they walked, would appear altogether despicable. (See (Psalms 49:6).) But the Psalmist now reverses the scene, and contemplates himself—poor, destitute, and afflicted,—yet in the hand of God—guided by his counsel, and advancing steadily in the way to glory. And then he breaks out into a devotional rapture— “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire compared with thee.” “ Lord, ’tis enough that thou art mine, My life, my portion, and my God.”— Watts. Psarm LXXIV. Ver. 1—23. The psalmist laments the destruction of the temple by the heathen, and implores divine interference.—We have hinted that some of Asaph’s psalms had reference to the time of the captivity, and this is one of that number, as it refers to the destruction and burning of the temple. It could not be composed by the first Asaph, but by one of his descendants. The psalmist observes, that time was, when men acquired fame by felling the woods; now they sought promotion and reward by cutting down the sacred ornaments of the temple, and burning them with fire. He calls upon the Lord, therefore, to return quickly to his temple, and plead his own cause against the heathen. In order to stir up the Almighty (as it were) to avenge the cause of his church, he is put in mind that it is his own cause, that her enemies are his also, and that those who reproach her blaspheme her God. He is also reminded of his irresistible power, and what he had done for the salvation of his people in times of old, particularly at the Red sea, and is entreated to remember also his covenant of old, and to save his “turtle dove,”’ (so the church is called,) from the hands of his and her An important passage here occurs, as relates to the cause of missions. ‘‘ The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty:” from which we may infer, that, instead of ignorance being the “ mother of devotion,”’ or paganism a harmless system, we shall always find the habitations of cruelty in the lands of ignorance and idolatry. Infanticide, self-immolation, witchcraft, and human sacrifices, are found more or less in ail the regions of idolatry, “‘ Kingdoms wide that sit in darkness, Let them have the glorious light; And from eastern coast to western. May the morning chase the night. 3 Let the gospel Soon resound from pole to pole.” Psatm LX XV. Ver. 1—10. The psalmist praises God and predicts divine judgments on the wicked.—This psalm is also attributed to Asaph, and Bishop Patrick thinks it must have been Asaph the Seer, in the time of Hezekiah, because the Levites were appointed to praise God in “the words of David and of Asaph the Seer.”’ ((2 Chronicles 29:30): see note below.) Bishop Horne (without, giving any reason) attributes the psalm to David, as speaking in the person of Messiah; and some parts of it, especially, the last verse, will hardly apply to any inferior character. The representation of the ‘Almighty as administering, from his throne of judgment, their due portions of punishment, while the righteous rejoice around him, is eminently grand and awful. Compare Rey. xiv. 10, &c. Psatm LX XVI. Ver. |—12. Praise for a, signal interference of divine mercy.—‘ It is obvious, (says Bishop Horne,) to any one who reads this psalm, that 1t was composed as a thanksgiving hymn, on account of some great deliverance wrought for his people by the immediate hand of God. The miraculous destruction of the Assyrian army by the angel, in the days of king Hezekiah, is generally pitched upon as the subject of it, and affirmed to be so by the ancient Greek inscriptions prefixed to it in the Septuagint version. The prophet speaks with rapture of the glory which Jehovah had acquired by former deliverances of Israel, as well as in the present instance; and contemplates with delight the fact, that God had long made Zion his chosen residence, and Judah his favourite tribe. By their sins, indeed, he had been provoked to withdraw his presence; but the mercy recently received, encouraged the psalmist to hope that the Most High, panes Benen ee ee _rarneenenne who had rebuked the heathen by this deliverance, would again dwell in Zion. Thus the wrath of man, which had attempted not only to crush, but even to annihilate his people, was made to praise him, in being overruled for their deliverance: And thus has it often happened, that when the enemies of the church have attempted its destruction with peculiar energy, the Lord has restrained and overruled their wrath for the display of his own glory, and the salvation of his own people. Psatm LXXVII. Ver. 1—20. The psalmist, Asaph, relates the exercises of his mind with regard to God’s dealings with his people Israel in their captivity.—He relates, particularly, his meditations by night upon his bed, while his eyes were withheld from sleep and his hands stretched out in prayer. Reflecting on the melancholy state of things with respect to the Jewish church, he was ready to exclaim, ‘‘Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?’ But turning back his reflections upon God’s dealings towards his eople of old, and especially in the deliverance from Egypt, which was always a favourite topic with the Hebrew poets, ) he encourages himself to hope for fresh deliverances. His way was then in the sea, and his footsteps unseen. His paths are still in the deep waters, untraceable by mortal eye: but still his way isa way of holiness. ‘The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.” (Psalm cxly. 17.) ““God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm.”— Cowper. Psarm LX XVIII. Ver. 1—35. God’s dealing with Israel in the wilderness.—This is the first of the historical psalms: the others are Psalms cy. and evi.; all which contain retrospective narratives of the Lord’s dealings with the people of Israel, from, “ their departure from Egypt to the reign of David, particularizing and illustrating all the leading events. The style (says Bishop Lowth) is simple and uniform; but the structure is poetical, and the sentiments are occasionally splendid.’”’ The psalmist, in the exordium, speaks of Openinis his mouth ina parable and uttering enigmas, or dark sayings. And “Itis observable (Bishop Horne remarks) that our Lord is, by St. Matthew, said to have addressed the multitude in prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables,’ &c. citing the second verse of the psalm now before us. ((Matthew 13:35).) Ifit doth not follow from this citation, that the prophet actually speaks this psalm in the person of Christ,” as we think it does not; ‘‘yet,” continues the Bishop, in which we agree thus much at least is evident from it, that the history of old Israel somewhat resembles the letter of the gospel parables, and contains, shadowed out under it, the history of a corresfevers state of things in the new Israel, or church Christian.” he sum of this is, as St. Paul explainsit, ‘* All these things” —the trials which they suffered, and the deliverances they received— happened to them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon, whom the ends of the world are come.” ((1 Corinthians 10:11).) If it be asked, in what respect are these things ensamples to us? We reply, inasmuch as they show the same depravity and guilt—the same proneness to ingratitude and forgetfulness of God, on their part; and on the part of God, the same long-suffering and compassion, the same hatred to sin, and the same determination to punish it, though he might spare or save the sinners: “ For when he slew them,” thatis, the chief offenders, “ then they,” the surfer God. And they remembered that God was the high God their Redeemer.” “ Great God, how oft did Israel prove, By turns thine anger, and thy love! ‘There in a glass our hearts may see How fickle and how false they be.” — Watts. continued to the reign of David.—This portion of the psalm in- Ver. 36—72. The narrative of God's dealings eps Israel forms us, that even the penitence and repentance 0 | was often hypocritical. When they inquired after God, yet “ their heart was not right with him; neither were they steadfast in his covenant.” ‘True religion always begins with inquiring after God; but such inquiries are not always either earnest or sincere. It is possible to flatter the Almighty Father, even in our devotions; and men may use a thousand names, either of awe or of endearment, without feeling either the reverence or affection of his children. It is alone the spirit of adoption that can give us either access to, or communion with him. The three chief points in the portion of this psalm now before us, are, the miracles in Egypt, the passage of the wilderness, and the conquest of Canaan. The former, we should think, ver were: but there is a vast difference between that vague recollection which we all preserve of our infantile history, and that gratitude due to a kind parent for his attentions in early life. Few of us can forget that we are creatures; yet who among us remembers his Creator with such lively sentiments of gratitude and praise, as that relation demands from us? But with respect to the passage in the wilderness, this forgetfulness seems more remarkable. ‘‘ While their meat was yet in their mouths,” and while their bread was daily showered down upon them out of heaven, for all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.’ Their infidel philosophers, probably, persuaded them that, from the long continued supplies received, they must originate from some natural cause; and even when they got possession of Canaan, though that too was by miracle, or rather a chain ef miracles, they fondly concluded that ‘‘ their own arm had gotten them the victory.” Thus prone are mankind, in every age, and in every country, to attribute to themselves the glory which they should give to God. Most surprising is it, that Christians, under the clear revelation of the gospel, should be guilty of the same sin and folly, and in the language of the Jewish maritime proverb, ‘sacrifice to their own net, and burn incense to their own drag.” ((Habakkuk 1:16).) “* How few with pious care record The wond’rous dealings of the Lord! But wise observers still shall find The Lord is holy, just, and kind.”—Watts, Psatm LXXIX. Ver. 1-13. The temple defiled and destroyed by the heathen.—This psalm strongly resem'les another psalm of Asaph, namely, the seventy-fourth, bothin its style and subject, which was evidently the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem b Nebuchadnezzar and his army, when the bodies of the murdered inhabitants were left to be food to the eagles and vultures—to wolves and foxes. The cry for vengeatice upon the heathen, (ver. 6 and 7,) is literally quoted by eremiah, ((Psalms 10:25).) unless we suppose him to have written first, and then the citation is Asaph’s. The cry for vengeance may rather be considered as proceeding from the blood of the murdered innocents than from the revenge of the survivors; but others consider it simply as a prediction of the judgments which God had determined and denounced against his enemies. ((Revelation 18:6, 20); xix. 2, &c.) _ On the following prayer, ‘“‘O revenge not against us former iniquities !” &c. Bishop Horne remarks: “ Affliction hath then wrought its intended effect, when it hath convinced us of sin, and led us to repentance; when, brought back by it to the house and presence of our heavenly Father, we ac nowledge our guilt as the cause of our misery, and entreat forgiveness of the one, in order to obtain a release of the other; not pleading our own merits, but the mercies of God our Saviour, and the glory of his name.” Psarm LX XX. Ver.1—19. God, the shepherd of Israel, planted the vineyard of his church, which was now attacked by the heathen.—There being some doubt as to the person of Asaph, and the period in which he lived, there is, consequently, a doubt as to what period of the Jewish history this refers; but we incline to the opinion of Bishop Patrick, that it was written in the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah. That it was before the loss of the ark, with the cherubim, may be inferred from the first verse; yet it appears to refer to a period of greater calamit from the heathen, than is to be found in the reign of David. The learned prelate just referred to, therefore considers Sennacherib as as wild boar of the wood, (ver. 13.) in reference to whom Hezekiah himself prays in the very language of this psalm. (See (2 Kings 19:15-16).) In the opening of this psalm, Jehovah is represented as a shepherd leading his flock, as the eastern custom is; going before them with the ark, followed by the several tribes, of which Ephraim, Benjamin, and Mannasseh, appear to have led the van in their processions: but now the heathen had made such ravages among them, that, instead of bread from heaven, and water from the rock, tears and lamentations had become both their meat and drink. Ver. 8. commences another allegory, in which Israel is described as a vine brought out of Egypt, and planted in Canaan, where it so flourished as to fill the land; aiid setit out branches as far as the Mediterranean on the west, and to the Eu hrates on the east. On the north, also, its shadow covered the hills of Lebanon, and crowned the cedars with its fruit. But now the Almighty had withdrawn his protection, they were like a vineyard without a fence, expanse! not only to the attacks of strangers, but to the ravages of wild beasts, to whom their er. iv. 7. veataee ona might be well compared. (See (Isaiah 5:1-73) The prayer, (ver. 17.) “ Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand,” &e. is supposed by many to have reference to the king, whether David or Hezekiah; but the most eminent commentators, Jewish as well as Christian, refer it ultimately and chiefly to the Messiah. “Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand;” that is, upon the man whom thou hast placed at thy right hand, “‘ whom thou hast made strong for thyself;” or, as David expresses it “the rod of thy strength,” or mighty sceptre. Upon him, “lay thy hand”—on him, confer all authority, that he may establish thy church, and subdue their enemies. (Compare Psalm ex.) The last verse forms the chorus of the psalm, which occurs also verses 3 and 7. Psarm LXXXI. Ver, 1—16. An Ode for the Feast of Trumpets.—* This psalm,” says Bishop Lowth, ‘tis an ode composed for the feast of trumpets, in the first new moon of the civil year;” and is “pervaded by an exquisite union of subto celebrate the praises of the Almighty with music and song, mays and sweetness. The exordium contains an exhortation Dek ret eee ges Sg ee ee and is replete with animation and joy, even to exultation. The commemoration of the giving of the law, associated with the sound of the trumpet, (which was the signal of liberty,) introduces in a manner spontaneously, the miseries of the Egyptian bondage, the recovery of their freedom, and the communication with God upon mount Sinai, (the awfulness of which is expressed in avery few words—‘ the secret place of thunder st and, finally, the contention with their Creator at the waters of Meribah..... The remainder of the ode contains an aflectiontionate expostulation of God with his people, a confirmation of his former promises, and a tender complaint, that his favourable intentions towards them have been so long prevented by their disobedience. Thus the object and end of this poem appears to be an exhortation to obedience, from a consideration of the paternal love, the beneficence, and the promises of the Deity,” the God of Israel. The doctrine of the psalm is, that God delights in the exercise and display of mercy and goodness; and that all our deficiencies in comfort and blessedness, arise solely from our own aperaansds and disobedience. saLmM LXXXII. Ver. 1—8. The Magistrate's Psalm.— This psalm is addressed to magistrates and judges, and reminds them, that though they were appointed to Judge the people, there was one to judge them: “God standeth in the congregation of the mighty: He judgeth among the gods.” (See (2 Chronicles 19:6-7).) In all arbitrary countries, it is well known that justice is bought and sold; and, of course, ‘‘the poor and fatherless” seldom can obtain it. Nothing tends so much as this to shake the foundation of a government, or renders it so obnoxious to the Supreme Governor of the world. Magistrates and judges should, therefore, always remember that they are mortal, and that there is a tar before which themselves must stand, and be judged according to “ the things done in the body, whether they be good or evil.” ((2 Corinthians 5:10). This psalm (as several others) concludes wit a prayer for who alone doth reign in right. the universality of his reign, eousness. (See (Psalms 2:8).) “ Arise, O Lord, and let thy Son Possess his universal throne; And rule the nations with his rod; He is our judge, and he our God.”— Watts. Psatm LX XXIII. Ver. 1—18. A prayer against those enemies who had plotted against the church.—“ It is the common opinion, (says Bishop Patrick,) that the combination uf powerful enemies, against whom they (the Jews) here implore the ivine assistance, was that mentioned in the days of Jehoshaphat. (2 Chron. (Psalms 20)) The reason of which is, because the children of Lot (the Moabites and Ammonites, ver. 8.) seem to have been the principals in this confederacy, and the others but assistants, as it is plain they were in that invasion.” ((2 Chronicles 20:2).) ‘ 1 The prayer against these combined powers is founded upon their avowed design of extirpating Israel as a nation; and Bishop Horne compares their confederacy to that of the Jews and Romans against our Saviour. ‘The punishments inflicted by heaven upon wicked men, are primarily intended to bumble and convert them. If they continue incorrigible under every dispensation of merciful severity. they are at last cut off, and finally destroyed, that others, admonished by their example, may repent and return, and give glory to God. Salutary are the afflictions which bring men, and happy the men who are brought by them, to an acknowledgment of ‘Jehovah our Righteousness,’ our exalted and glorified Redeemer, ‘ the Most High over all the earth ? whom all must acknowledge, and before whom all must appear to be judged in the great and terrible day.” “Then shall the nations know, That glorious dreadful word: JEHOVAH is thy name alone, ‘And thou the sovereign Lord.”— Watts. Psarm LX XXIV. Ver. 1—12. The blessings of public worship.—" This psalm, for the subject matter of it, (says Bishop Horne.) bears a resemblance to the forty-second. Under the figure of an Israelite deprived of all access to Jerusalem and the sanctuary, (whether it were David when driven away by Absalom, or any person in like circumstances at a different time,) we are presented with the earnest longing of a devout soul after the house and presence of God—a beautiful and passionate eulogy on the blessedness of his ministers and servants; a fervent prayer fora participation of that blessedness; and an act of faith in his power and goodness, which render him both able and willing to grant requests of this nature.” He seems to wish that he were a bird, that he might be allowed to take up his residence in the sanctuary, to see and hear all that passed in the inner courts, where only the priests were allowed to enter and to worship. _ After a passionate admiration of God’s tabernacle, he exclaims— *< Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee, In whose heart are (thy) highways. Passing through the valley of Baca, they make a well; Yea, the rain overfloweth the pools, They shall go from strength to strength; The God of gods shall appear [to them] in Zion.’ Then the Psalmist resumes his first idea: “ Por a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I would choose to keep the threshold of my God, Rather than to inhabit the tents of wickedness.” “This beautiful, but difficult psalm, describes the character (esse Se of an Old Testament believer, as one who delighted in the house of God, because there he enjoyed communion with him; as one that preferred sitting on the threshold of the tabernacle, to a splendid residence in the tents of sinners. The world, to such, may beas the rugged and thirsty vale of Baca; yet here faith will find resources in the fountain of mercy, an with joy shall they draw water from the wells of salvation. Or, if we prefer the other rendering, ‘the vale of tears’ becomes a vale of blessings, when the believer, refreshed by the teachings of the Spint, (which some understand by the rain,) is enabled to go on from strength to strength, from station to station, till, at the completion of his journey, he shall behold the face of God in Zion.” To such the Lord is both asun and shield—to them he communicates both grace and glory:—grace to strengthen them in the way, and in the end. Well may, the \ glory to crown them 1 fees conclude, “ Blessed is the man that trusteth inathe “ They go from strength to, strength Through this dark vale of tears, Till each arrives at length, Till each in heaven appears: O glorious seat, when God our king, Shall hither bring our willing feet.”— Watts. Psatm LXXXV. Ver. 1—13. A Prayer for deliverance from captivity, as typical of salvation by Christ.—The first three verses of this psalm, Bishop Horne remarks, ‘ speak of the deliverance from captivity, as already brought about, whereas in the subsequent parts of the psalm, it is prayed for and predicted asa thing future. To account for this, some suppose that the psalmist first returns thanks for a temporal redemption, an then prophecies of the spiritual salvation of Messiah. Others are of opinion, that the sa me eternal redemption is spoken of throughout, but represented in the beginning of Ver. 2. And the swallow.—tOr, rather, ‘‘ Even as the sparrow findeth a the psalm as already accomplished in the divine decree, though the eventual completion was yet tocome. The difficulty, perhaps, may be removed, by rendering these first three verses in the present time; ‘Lord, thou art favourable to thy land, thou bringest back the captivity of thy people,’ &c. that is, thou art the God whose property it is to do this, and to show such mercy to thy people, who therefore call upon thee for the same. But, indeed, to us Christians, who now use the psalm, the difference is not material, since a part of our redemption is past, and a part of it is yet to come, for the hastening of which latter we daily pray.’ Speaking of the concluding verses of this psalm, Bishop Lowth observes, ‘‘How admirable is that celebrated personification of the divine attributes by the psalmist! How just, eleant, and splendid does it appear, if applied only according to the literal sense, to the restoration of the Jewish nation from the Babylonish captivity! but if interpreted as relating to that sublimer, more sacred, and mystical sense, which is not obscurely shadowed under the ostensible image, it is certainly uncommonly noble and elevated, mysterious and sublime. “Mercy and truth are met together: Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” “These four divine attributes,” says Bishop Horne, (above referred to,) “parted at the fall of Adam, and met again at the (cross) of Christ. Mercy was ever inclined to save man, and Peace could not be his enemy; but Truth exacted the performance of God’s threat, ‘The soul that sinneth, it shall die;’ and Righteousness could not but give to every man his due. Jeho- 4 must be true in all his ways, and righteous in all his works, Now, there is no religion upon earth, except the Christian, which can satisfy the demands of all these claimants, and restore a union between them; which can show ow God’s word can be true, and his work just, and the sinner, notwithstanding, find mercy and obtain peace. “When Christ appeared in our nature, the promise was fulfilled, and ‘Truth’ sprang out of the ‘earth.’ And now Righteousness, ‘ looking quien from heaven,’ beheld in him every thing that she required—an undefiled birth, a holy life, an innocent death; a spirit and a mouth without guile, a soul and a body without sin. She saw, and was satisfied, and returned to earth. Thus all the four parties met again in perfect harmony. Truth ran to Mercy, and embraced her; Righteousness to Peace, and kissed her..... Those that are thus joined as attributes in Christ, says the same admirable writer, ought not, as virtues, to be separated in a Christian, who may learn how to resemble his blessed Lord and Master, by observing that short, but complete rule of life, comprehended in the few following words—show mercy and speak truth; do righteousness and follow peace.” Merrick has ingeniously, and perhaps justly, turned the latter partof this psalm into a prayer for the conversion of the Jewish nation. “Thy quickening Spirit, Lord, impart, And wake to joy each grateful heart; While Israel’s rescued tribes in thee Their bliss and full salvation see!” Psatm LX XXVI. Ver. 1—17.. A Prayer of David for divine mercy, founded on the experience of) Jormer deliverances. —The plea for mercy in the second verse of this psalm, has often been mistaken or abused, through a mistake as to the sense of the Hebrew words; ‘‘ Preserve my soul, for I am holy: whereas, the term may by no means be taken as a plea grounded on the psalmist’s natural purity, or personal merits; but upon his having been already made a monument of special mercy, and a subject of divine grace. Naming the God of Israel with the gods of the heathen, he says they are not to be compared. ‘Among the gods, there are none like unto thee, O God; neither any works like unto thy works; for thou art God alone. For thou, O Jehovah, art a God full of compassion, and gracious,” d&c. f ‘‘ Great is thy mercy, and my tongue Shall those sweet wonders tell; How, by thy grace, my sinking soul Rose from the deeps of hell.””— Watts. Psarm LX XXVIII. Ver.1—7. The praise of Zion.—Some commentators consider this psalm as having been composed on occasion of laying the foundation of Solomon’s temple; and it was probably written on that, or some similar, occasion. Bishop Horne remarks, “The psalmist, after having meditated on the strength, the beauty, and the glory of Jerusalem, being smitten with the love of the holy city, and imagining the thoughts of his hearers, or readers, to have been emp eyed on the same subject, breaks forth at once in this abrupt manner: ‘It is nrs foundation on the holy mountains! By ‘the holy mountains,’ are meant those hills of Judea which Jehovah had chosen, and separated to himself. from all others, whereon to construct the highlyfavoured city and temple. As the dwellings of Jacob in the promised land were beloved by him more than the dwellings of other nations, so he loved the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Jerusalem was exalted and fortified 7 its situation, but much more so by the protection of the Almighty. What Jerusalem was, the Christian church is; on uy God ‘on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, rist_himself being the chief corner-stone: in whom all the building, fitly framed, together, groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord.’ ((Ephesians 2:20).) It is ‘urs foundation in the holy mountains;’ she is beloved of God above the kingdoms and empires of the earth, ‘which rise and fall only to fulfil the divine counsels concerning her. When those counsels shall be fulfilled, in the salvation of all believers, the world which subsists only for their sake, will be at an end!” The substance of what is said, as to the cities here named, seems to amount to this: that whereas they have all, in their turns, been famous for producing great and eminent men, Zion shall, in this respect, excel them all; and especially when He comes, whose ‘name is above every name,” and whose glory shall give to Zion a pre-eminence, before which all other glories shall sink into insignificance, like the stars before the rising The concluding sentiment, (which some suppose to be the chorus to the ode,) ** All my springs are in thee,” This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/cottage-bible/ ## Notes on the verses PSALM LXIV. Ver. 3. Bitter words.—Properly compared to arrows; we usually call them daggers. PSALM LXV. Ver. 1. Praise waiteth.—The Heb. term means, to wait in silence, as slaves in the presence of their master. Ver. 3. Purge them.—Expiate them: the allusion is to the cover of the mercy seat. See Ainsworth. — 5. By terrible things.—Ainsworth, “Fearful;” Horne, “wonderful.” Ver. 7. Which stilleth—[Thou art sovereign over all the operations of sea and land. Earthquakes are under thy control: so are the flux and reflux of the sea; and all the storms and tempests by which it is agitated.]—Bagster. Ver. 8. Thy tokens.—Or signs. “Thunder and lightning, storms and tempests, eclipses and meteors, tornadoes and earthquakes, are proofs to all that there is a Supreme Being who is wonderful and terrible in his acts.” —Mornings—The rising and ri[sing] sun, the morning and evening twilight, the invariable succession of day and night, are all ordained by Thee, and contribute to the happiness and continuance of man and beast.—Bagster. Ver. 9. Visiteth the earth.—[{God is here represented as going through the globe, and examining the wants of every part; directing the clouds how and where to deposit their fertilizing showers, and the rivers where to direct their beneficial courses.}]—Bagster.—The river of God.—Rain from heaven. See Gen. 1.6,7. Or the Jordan, which overflowed its banks in harvest. See (Joshua 3:15). —Corn.—[Or, “Thou wilt prepare them corn, because thou hast provided for it.” Thou hast made all necessary provision for the fertilization of the earth; hast endued the ground with a vegetative power, and rains and dews, and the genial heat of the sun, enable it to put forth that power in providing grass for the cattle, and food for man.]—Bagster. Ver. 10. Thou settlest the furrows.—Marg. “Thou causest (rain) to descend (into) the furrows thereof.” Ver. 11. Crownest.—“The herbs, fruits, and flowers, produced by the earth are as a beautifully variegated crown set upon her head by the great Creator; and every year is thus crowned by his bounty.” —Bagster. PSALM LXVI. Ver. 10. Proved us.—{This is a metaphor taken from melting and refining metals: afflictions and trials of various kinds are represented as a furnace where ore is melted, and a crucible where it is refined. And this metaphor is especially used to represent cases where there is a doubt concerning the purity of the metal, the quantity of alloy, or even the nature or kind of metal subjected to the trial. So God is said to “try the Israelites that he might know what is in them; and whether they would keep his testimonies;” and then, according to the issue, his conduct towards them would appear to be founded on reason and justice.}—Bagster. Ver. 12. A wealthy place.—That is, a rich and fruitful soil. Ver. 15. Burnt-offerings of fatlings.—Ainsworth renders this, “Marrowed (or fair) rams, with incense.” So Dr. Boothroyd. Ver. 18. Iniquity.—(“If I have seen, race thee, iniquity in my heart,”—if I have known it was there, and encouraged it,—if I pretended to be what I was not,—if I loved iniquity, while I professed to pray and be sorry for my sin,—“then the Lord would not have heard me.”)—Bagster. ## Notes on the verses PSALM LXVII. Ver. 2. Saving health.—" Salvation.” * Verses 3 and 5. Let the people praise thee—is the chorus of the psalm. PSALM LXVIII. Ver. 4. Extol him.—Or, as Symmachus, Jerome, Bishop Lowth, Merrick, and others render, ‘‘ Prepare the way for him who rideth ’ rves, that through the deserts:” i. e. who rode through the wilderness on the cherubim; alluding to the [carriage] of the ark.|—Bagster. Dr. Boothroyd observes this is now admitted to be the true sense of the word Gnarabah. So Bishops Lowth and Horsley; Drs. Kennicott, Chandler, and others. —Jah.—(Jah, Jehovah, and signifieth self-existence:—He who derives [his being] is an abbreviation of [Jehovah] to all. |—Bagster. his being from none, but gives being from the clouds.—A plentiful rain.- Ver. 9. Thou didst send,—i. e. RA worth, “A rain of liberalities.” This is understood of the manna in the wilderness, which is said to have been rained down from heaven. Exo (Psalms 78:24). “ Thy living creatures;” probably a reference Ver. 10. Congregation.—[Or, " to the immense number of quails which were miraculously brought to the camp of the Israelites, and, in a manner, dwelt around it.\—Bagster. xe glad tidings. Ver. 11. Company.—The original word is feminine, and is supposed to refer to a chorus of women, who, on occasions of victory, published t Compare (1 Samuel 18:6-7). Kings of armies.—Rather, “ Kings (and) armies.”——Did flee Ver. 12. i. apace.—Bishop Lowth supposes this verse to be the chorus which they sung: and Dr. Chandler adds the verse following. ‘pots.—It hat is, probably, “* Though Ver. 13. Though ye have lien among t: that is ye have laboured and lain down between the brick-kilns in Egypt—a poor, enslaved, and oppressed people, yet ye shall gradually rise to dignity, prosperity, her plumage, f in a running stream and trimming her colour, and even as a dove, which has been defiled with dirt, disordered, and de- by washing herself dually recovers the serenity of her disposition, the purity of the richness and varied elegance of her appearance. SF a Ver. 14, Kings in it,—i. e. for Israel, his dove.——(White) as snow.—The original has not a word of whiteness. It reads literally, ‘‘ When the Almighty scattered kings (and their armies) for her, (his people,) they (their enemies) were like (i. e. were scattered like flakes of) snow in Salmon,” (or Zalmon,) a pie hill near Shechem, said by Ainsworth to be full of caves and glens, and would therefore attract the snow; not regularly, but in patches: thus lay the vanquished enemies of Israel on the field of battle. Compare (Psalms 47:16). Ver. 15. A high hill.—" A gibbous hill,” says Parkhurst; and the LXX. render it, a cheese-like hill, which Dr. Shaw explains, by saying, that in the East, their cheeses are made like loaves. Ver. 16. Why leap ye?—Dr. Chandler renders it, ‘ Why look askance?” i. e. “with jealous leer malign,” as Milton expresses it. “ Why are ye jealous?” | Ver. 17. The chariots of God.—That is, his angels. See (2 Kings 6) 16, 17. (Hebrews 12:22)—Even thousands.—Literally, ‘ duplicated thousands,” or thousands upon thousands; meaning, a multitude innumerable.—(As in) Sinai.—Rather, ‘* Sinai (its pomp and glory) is in the Holy Place.” Ver. 18. Captivity captive.—That is, many captives. See (Judges 5:12). ——Gifts for men.—Or, ‘unto men,” (Ephesians 4:8). meaning Christ, in his human nature: but we prefer the former,—The rebellious also.—Meaning, that he has gifts for his captives, which shall convert them to himself. Ver. 22. I will bring again from Bashan,—That is, I will perform for my people the like wonders that I did at Bashan, and in the Red sea. Ver. 26. From the isso: of Israel.—See margin; i. e. true Israelites. Or, crocodiles; Ver. 30. Rebuice the company of spearmen.—See margin. meaning the Egyptians.—Submit.—That is, fall down prostrate-——The people.—* Peoples,” or nations.: Ver. 33. Him that rideth, &c,—[He who manages the heavens, directing their course and influence: He formed every orb, ascertained its motion, proportioned its solid contents to the orbit in which it was to revolve, and to the other bodies of the same system; and, as an able rider manages his horse, so does God the sun, moon, planets, and all the hosts of heaven. |—Bagster. Ver. 34. The clouds.—[This refers to the phenomena of thunder and lightning; for all nations have observed that the electric fluid is an irresistible agent,—destroying life, tearing towers and castles to pieces, rending the strongest oaks, and cleaving the most solid rocks; and the most enlightened nations have justly considered it as an especial manifestation of the power and sovereignty of God.)—Bagster. - Ver. 35. O God, terrible out of (or from,) &c.—Meaning, that Jehovah is the great object of reverence and awe to mankind. PSALM LXIX. Title.—[It is uncertain when this psalm was composed; though it is probable that it was written by David during the rebellion of Absalom? It is an exceedingly fine composition; and it evidently refers to the advent, passion, and resurrection of our Lord, to the vocation of the Gentiles, and the reprobation of the Jews.]—Bagster oo >Ver. 1. The waters are come in unto my soul,—An allusion to a leaky vessel, or to an inundation. Ape 2. In deep mire.—Deep waters; Heb. “ Waters of depth.” See (Psalms 11:2). Ver. 4. I restored that which I took not away.—May not this refer to David's surrendering up Jerusalem to the party of Absalom?: Ver. 5. Thou knowest my foolishness.—On this passage, Bishop Horsley adopts Dr. Kennicott's strange translation; “* Thou knowest my plan of recovery;” but finding that rendering insupportable, he returns to the common version, and remarks, “ Perhaps he, who although he was without sin, was yet ‘tempted in all points like unto us ? might, in his humility, speak of the incitement of the passions in his own mind, as weakness and fault, making confession of it before the Father!” What then? was it a point of humility in the immaculate Saviour, to confess himself “in fault?’ But see (John 14:30). i Ver. 8. Alien.—{In the East, where polygamy prevails, the husband is a stern and unfeeling despot; his haram a group of trembling slaves; and the children, while they regard their common father with indifference or terror, cling to their own mother with the fondest. affection, as the only parent in whom they feel an interest. Hence it greatly aggravated the affliction of David that he “ had become an alien to his mother’s children:” the enmity of the other children of his father, the children of his father’s other wives, gave him less concern.|—Bagster. ‘ Ver. 9. The zeal of thy house.—David’s zeal for the worship of Jehovah, probably exposed him to much obloquy and reproach, not only among the heathen before the ark, was one instance, ((2 Samuel 6:16).) and his religious observance of the sacred fasts, (ver. 10.) was probably another..: » “> Ver. 21. Gall for my meat.—( Bochart, from a comparison of this passage with (John 19:29). thinks that ros/ is the same herb as the Evangelist calls hyssop: a species of which, growing in Judea, he proves from Isaac ben man, an Arabian writer, to be so bitter as not to be eatable. pressly tells us, that the hyssop was added as being deleterious, or ous; and Nonnus, in his paraphrase, says, “with hyssop.”’]—Bagster. seas 4 Ver. 25. Their habitation—Or tower. But Gesenius explains it of a village of moveable tents, which seems to suit best the context.. 4 Ver. 27. Add iniquity.—See margin. ‘ To their iniquity.” That is, suffer them to fill up the measure of their iniquity, until they are ripe for destruction. Bishop Horne. (Romans 1:24, 28). ¥ Ver. 33, Lord heareth.—| Venema and others conjecture, that from this verse to the end of the Psalm was added in the time of the Babylonian captivity 5 while others, from the expressions occurring in these verses, without sufficient reason, refer the whole Psalm to that peri Ver. 1. Make haste, &c.—{This Psalm is almost word for word with (Psalms 70)word the same as the five Le ee fe xl.5 the succeeding Psalm in about. 88. Be t have been written by David during the rebellion of Absalom, and probably in Theophylact ex- “One gave the deadly act mixed. l—Bagster.. and it is written as a part of Both Psalms evidently appear to the crisis when he heard of the sanguinary counsel which Abithophel had given respecting him; or, as some suppose, when beyond Jordan, (2 Samuel 17:1-21).] —Bagster. (For exposition and notes, see Psalm 40. ## Notes on the verses PSALM LXXI. Ver. 2. Deliver me.—[Display thy righteousness in delivering me, and punishing my enemies. This kind of appeal to the justice of God, in David’s circumstances, seems the most natural interpretation; but some suppose the faithfulness of God to his promises is meant.]—Bagster. Ver. 4. Wicked.—[Probably, his unnatural son Absalom, called vasha, the wicked one, because he had violated all laws, both human and divine.]—Bagster.—Cruel man.—“Leavened man.”—Ainsworth. [Most probably Ahithophel, who was the iniquitous counsellor of a wicked and rebellious son.] Ver. 7. As wonder.—{Kemopheth, “as a prodigy:” my low estate,—my slaying the lion and bear,—conquering the Philistine,—escaping the fury of Saul,—being raised to the throne of Israel,—enduring such uncommon trials and afflictions,—and experiencing such wonderful deliverances, all mark me bala the subject of “wonder unto many; but thou art my strong Refuge.” —Bagster. Ver. 9. Old age.—{This determines the period when this Psalm was composed; for it was in David's old age that the rebellion of Absalom took place.} PSALM LXXII. Title,—A Psalm for Solomon,—Or, “of Solomon.” [This Psalm seems to have been composed by David, in his last days, when he had set his beloved son on the throne. “Then,” says Calmet, “transported with joy and gratitude, he addressed this psalm to God, in which he prays him to pour out his blessings on the young king, and upon the people. He then, wrapped up in a divine enthusiasm, ascends to a higher subject; and sings the glory of the Messiah, and the magnificence of his reign.”]—Bagster. Ver. 1. Give the king.... and.... the king’s son.—Namely, Solomon, to whom both characters agree.—Mudge, Chandler, Bishops Horne and Horsley, &c. (i.e. bring forth) peace, and the little Ver. 3. The mountains shall Ang h the hills, by righteousness.—“And the hills (also bring forth peace) with righteousness.” Ainsworth. The Chaldee explains it of “the inhabitants of the mountains” bringing forth peace; i.e. announcing the tidings of peace to the surrounding country. See (Isaiah 2:7). Ver. 6. Mown grass.—It see Gentiles. (Psalms 2:8). Ver. 13. He shall spare.—Ainsworth, “Mercifully spare.” Ver. 17. His name shall be continued.—See margin. “The word jinnon, (7.) “Asaph janin,” 8 Ainsworth, cometh of Nin, which is ason;” Bishop Patrick the recorder,’ therefore paraphrases it, “His memory and fame shall never die; but be propagated from father to son, so long as the sun shall shine.” Admit a translation exactly literal. Ver. 20. The prayers of David... are ended.—Some, taking these he Seer,” ((2 Chronicles 29:30). and “Asaph, the father of Joah,” ((2 Kings 18:18).) Bishop Patrick thinks the two last were “The text will not Ver. 3; ‘Previous.—It seems to have been a maxim among the ancient heathen, “The prosperity of the wicked is a reproach to God;” but they had no just conception of a state of future rewards and... Patrick, Kennicott, and arranged them; this being the end of... be aseri the whole collection, (150,) though perhaps not all is supposed to have been composed on Sennacherib’s army, 2 Ki. XIX, compare ver. 9, ‘Asaph.—For Asaph.” See note on the Ver. 4. No bands—Or, “pangs.” Bishop Horne. See (Job 21:13, 23, 24). Ver. 10. Return hither.—Or, “to them;” i.e. seduced by the boasting language of these profane men, they are sometimes tempted back to the world, but then it costs them abundance of tears and sufferings, before they can re- Ver. 8. Oppression.—Dr. Boothroyd joins this word to the latter clause, thus: “Concerning oppression they speak loftily.” This we think preferable. Ver. 15. I will speak.—Reckon,” or “reason.” Peterson Job. Ver. 20. When thou awakest—Or, “When thou awakest them;” viz. from the grave.—Ainsworth. Ver. 25. Beside thee.—Heb, “With,” or in comparison of “thee.”—Horne. Ver. 27. Go a whoring.—That is, after idols. See (Exodus 24:15-16). Ver. 28. All thy works.—(The LXX., Vulgate, Arabic, and Ethiopic, add “the gates of the daughter of Zion:” which makes a better conclusion; is not acknowledged by any MS. yet collated.)—Bagster. PSALM LXXIV. Ver. 2. The rod.—Measured portion, or lot. See (Deuteronomy 21:9). (Jeremiah 10:16), Or, as margin, “Tribe;” viz. Judah. [Shaivet also signifies a sceptre; and may here mean the sovereignty of thine inheritance;” alluding to the theocracy of the Israelites.]—Bagster. Ver. 3. Lift up thy feet.—That is, hasten to our deliverance. Ver. 4. Thine enemies roar.—Like lions. (Amos 3:8). [The Chaldeans, rushing into the temple, shouting for victory amid the affrighted worshippers, and setting up their standards, or erecting trophies of their success, on that sacred ground, seem to be here described.]—Bagster.—They set up their ensigns (adorned with their idolatrous emblems) for signs.—To show that their idols have got the ascendancy. Ver. 8. Burned all the synagogues.—{Moadim, rendered “congregations” in ver. 4, is supposed by Prideaux to mean rather PVOSeUucne than synagogues, i.e. rather open courts where the people met to pray each man for himself, than covered buildings where a public service was performed.}—Bagster. Ver. 9. We see not our signs—That is, miracles; the usual signs of the divine presence.—No more any prophet.—Bishop Patrick hence infers this must have been after the death of Jeremiah; but if he were in prison, it was the same: they could not consult him. Ver. 11. Pluck it out.—[As the outward habit of the easterns has no sleeves, the hands and arms are frequently covered with the folds of the robe; and, in order to do any thing, the hand must be disentangled and drawn out.]—B. a gi a a EE Ver. 14. Heads of leviathan.—These terms seem here used for Pharaoh and his military captains.—People,—Or wild inhabitants of the desert: the beasts and birds of prey, that doubtless feasted on the drowned carcasses when thrown on shore. See Bishop Horne. Compare (Isaiah 51:9-11). and (Revelation 19:17). Ver. 15. Thou didst cleave.—This verse refers to the miracle of cleaving the rock for water, and drying up the Jordan. Ver. 19. To the multitude.—Or, rather, “O deliver not thy turtle-dove to the beasts (or birds) of prey.” “Thy people Israel are afflicted and miserable, and weak, helpless, and defenceless, as a turtle-dove, the smallest of her tribe—O, deliver them not into the power of their brutal adversaries.”—Bagster. Ver. 20. Dark places.—(The caves, dens, and woods of the land are full of robbers and murderers, who are continually destroying thy people; so that the holy seed seems as if it would be entirely cut off, and the covenant promise thus be rendered void.)—Bagster. PSALM LXXV. Title. [Some consider this Psalm to have been written by David on his accession to the throne over all Israel; others refer it to the time of the captivity, considering it as a continuation of the subject in the preceding; but Bishop Patrick and others are of opinion that it was composed by Asaph to commemorate the overthrow of Sennacherib’s army, 2 Kings xix. Ver. 2. When I shall receive the congregation.—See margin. The same word signifies both a set time, and a set meeting. It is, things are returning to a moral chaos.—I bear up the pillars of it.—I am left alone, to support the sinking state. Ver. 5. Stiff neck.—[Bruce observes that the Abyssinian kings have a horn on their diadem; and that the keeping it erect, or in a projecting form, makes them appear as if they had a stiff neck; and he refers to this passage for the antiquity of the usage, and the appearance also.]—Bagster. Ver. 6. From the south.—The land of Canaan had a desert at both ends, north and south. The Jews were not to look for support to any of the surrounding nations. Ver. 10. All the horns, &c.—To cut off the horn, is to reduce to insignificance; to lift the horn, is to raise to power and dignity. A silver horn on the top of the head, is a part of the Abyssinian dress. ## Notes on the verses PSALM LXXVI. Ver. 2. In Salem.—The poetical name of Jerusalem. See (Genesis 14:18). Ver. 3. Arrows.—(Rishphey kasheth, “fiery arrows of the bow,” which Servius describes as a dart or javelin with a spherical leaden head to which fire was attached. When thrown by a powerful hand, it killed those whom it hit; and set fire to buildings, &c.)—Bagster. Ver. 4. Mountains of prey.—(This is an address to Mount Zion; which was more illustrious and excellent than all the mountains of prey, i.e. where wild beasts wander, and prey on those that are more helpless than themselves.)—Bagster. Ver. 6. Chariot and horse.—Poetically, charioteers and horsemen. Ver. 11. Bring presents.—That is, offer tribute, and submit; i.e. unto him who alone is to be feared. See (Genesis 31:42). PSALM LXXVII.—[This Psalm is allowed by the best judges to have been written during the Babylonian captivity.]—Bagster. Ver. 2. My sore.—(Or, rather, “my hand was stretched out by night, and ceased not,” or without intermission: so Symmachus and Jerome. He continued the whole night with his voice and hands lifted up to God, imploring his gracious and efficacious assistance.)—Bagster. Ver. 6. I call to remembrance.—Some of the ancient versions and modern translators join this verb to the preceding line, thus: “The years of ancient times I called to mind.” This verse may then read, “My (harp) strings (neginathi) in the night communed with my heart:” this (though it may be new) is more poetical, and agrees with a suggestion of Ainsworth, that the psalmist might have taken his harp, and lamented to it, in the night. Ver. 10. The years (Ainsworth, Horne, &c. “the changes”) of the right hand.—(Or, as Dr. Waterland renders, “This my affliction is a change of the right hand of the Most High,” i.e. it proceeds from a change of God’s conduct towards me. De Dieu renders, “To pray, this is my business: to change the right hand of the Most High.” I can do nothing else than pray + God is the Ruler of events. N. M. Berlin, “To grieve is my portion; to change (my condition) belongs to the right hand of the Most High.”)—Bagster. Ver. 13. Thy peats in the sanctuary.—If this psalm were written during the captivity, this could hardly be referred to the sanctuary, which [was] destroyed. Ainsworth renders it, “in sanctity;” Horne and Lowth, “in Ver. 19. Thy way is in the sea—Rather, (for there is no verb in the text) “was in the sea;” namely, in the Red sea, as in the context. PSALM LXXIV. [Or, a Psalm for Asaph, to give instruction. (Psalms 74)title. This Psalm was probably written, as Calmet and others suppose, by Asaph in the days of Asa, who had gained, by the aid of the Syrians, a great victory over the Israelites; and brought back to the pure worship of God many out of the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, (Psalms 15), xvi. It is a poetical abstract, or chronological poem, of the ancient history of the Hebrews; and must have greatly assisted the people in becoming better acquainted with the wonderful deeds of Jehovah in their behalf.]—Bagster. Ver. 2. In a parable.—[Bishop Lowth renders mashal, a grave, sententious, and elevated discourse, or a poetic composition, elevated and grave, weighty and powerful, highly ornamented with comparisons, figures, and imagery.—Dark sayings.—Or, “pointed sayings;” for there is nothing dark or mystical in this psalm; except as the history of Israel, like the parables of Christ, was a picture or similitude of heavenly things.]—Bagster.—Of old.—Relative to ancient times. Ver. 6. For he established, &c.—This verse may be read as a parenthesis. Ver. 9. The Children of Ephraim.—(Some think this refers to a defeat of the Ephraimites mentioned in (Psalms 7:20-22); but it probably refers to the conduct and defeat of the ten tribes, of which Ephraim was the head.)—Bagster.—Carrying bows.—Heb. “Throwing forth (arrows from) bows.” Ver. 12. Field of Zoun.—Zoan, the ancient capital of the Pharaohs, where Moses wrought so many miracles, is rendered by the Chaldee, LXX., and Vulgate, Tanis, and Coptic Tane, from the Coptic ten, plain, flat, level; being situated in the low ground of the Delta, on one of the eastern branches of the Nile, bearing its own name, near large lake, now called the lake of Menzula, 44 miles west of Pelusium, and 169 miles east of Alexandria, according to the Antonine Itinerary, and three miles from the Mediterranean, according to the Geograph. Nubiens. There are ruins still remaining to mark the site of Zoan, or Tanis, called San by the Arabs; comprising broken obelisks, capitals of the Corinthian order, a granite monument.—Bagster. Ver. 24. Corn of heaven.—The manna fell about their camp in the form of seeds; and as it appeared to come down from the clouds, it was not improperly termed degan shamayim, “the corn of heaven,” or “heavenly grain;” the term heaven being frequently used to denote the atmosphere.— Ver. 25. Man did eat angels’ food.—See margin. The Hebrew says nothing about angels, but the original (abirim) means persons of the higher classes; signifying, that it was bread fit for princes. Ver. 27. Feathered fowls—i.e. flying fowls, in distinction from domestic. Ver. 35. High God.—(El elyon gaolom, “the strong God, the Most High, their redeemer,” or Kinsman; that One who possessed the right of redemption; the nearest akin to him who had forfeited his inheritance, as the word originally means; and hence is used for a redeemer: and here denotes Him who redeemed them from Egyptian bondage.)—Bagster. Ver. 39. A wind.—(Or, as the Hebrew may be rendered, “the spirit goeth away, and returneth not again.” To this purpose the Arabic, “He remembered that they were flesh; and a spirit which, when it departs, returneth not again.” The human being is composed of flesh and spirit, or body and soul: these are easily separated, and when separated, the body turns to dust, and is body in a state of probation. So the spirit returns no more here. But the soul of man returns no more; nor can it be acquired, nor caught, after it has passed the barrier of the tenth year.) Ver. 47. Sycamore.—(From the value of the sycamore in furnishing wood for various uses, from the grateful shade which its wide spreading branches afforded, and on account of the fruit, which Maillet says the Egyptians hold in the highest estimation, we may conceive somewhat of the loss they sustained when “their vines were destroyed with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost.” See note on (Psalms 27:28).)—Bagster.—With frost.—See (Exodus 9:24-25). So recently as May, 1822, Dr. Nagerath mentions a hail-shower in Boan, which broke all the glass windows, and even perforated the slates, like bullets: their general size, an inch and a half in diameter. Ver. 49. Evil angels.—“Angels of evil,” (Job 1:12, 16), &c. or, “messengers of evil;” namely, Moses and Aaron. Ver. 50. Gave their life over to the pestilence.—See margin. See (Exodus 9)Our version connects with the death of the first-born, in the verse following. Ver. 54. Border of his sanctuary.—“Holiness;” i.e. the holy land. Ver. 59. Greatly abhorred.—Lowth, “Utterly rejected:” or, “refused with loathing.”—Ainsworth. Ver. 63. The fire consumed them.—That is, the fire of God’s wrath. See (Numbers 16:35). (1 Samuel 4:16), &c.—Their maidens were not given in marriage.—That is, they had no marriage festivities. Ver. 64. Their priests fell, &c. See (1 Samuel 4:16-20). Ver. 65, Like a mighty man.—A warrior, animated with wine. Ver. 69. Like high palaces.—Like a royal residence, in an elevated situation; and established upon a solid foundation, like a rock. ## Notes on the verses PsALM LXXIX. Ver. 3. None to bury them.—(Either there was no friend or relation left to bury them, or none was allowed to perform this last sad office. The despotism of eastern princes often proceeds to such a degree of extravagance as to fill the mind with astonishment and horror. In Morocco, no person dares to bury the body of a malefactor without an order from the emperor; and Windus, speaking of a man who was sawed in two, informs us, that “* his body must have remained to be eaten by the dogs, if the emperor had not pardoned him.”)—Bagster. ‘ Ver. 8. Former iniquities.—See margin. {That is, the iniquities of former times, or persons.—Ainsworth. ## Notes on the verses Ver. 12. Seven-fold.—That is, abundantly. PSALM LXXX. Title.—This title is nearly the same as that of Psalm IX. Ver. 1. Between the cherubims.—Or, “who inhabitest the cherubim,” which were over the ark, and considered as the throne of Jehovah: or if the celestial cherubim be here referred to, they constituted (as it were) his state carriage. (Psalms 104:3-4). By &c.—These tribes, in procession, followed immediately the ark. Ver. 2. Before Ephraim, &c. Ver. 5. In great measure—i.e. in great abundance. Ver. 10. The boughs thereof.—"Covered the cedars of God.”—Bishop Lowth. The cedars of God were the original tenants of the forest, planted by no human hand, and these are represented in the allegory, as covered with the branches of the vine of Israel; that is, the land of Israel, in its most prosperous days, (the time of Solomon,) extended as far as Lebanon. To justify the allegory, it may be added, that in some eastern countries, the vines are trained on standard trees, and sometimes spread themselves over the highest branches. Ver. 13. The boar out of the wood doth waste it.—{The wild boar, chazér, is the parent stock of our domestic hog. He is much smaller, but stronger, and more undaunted; colour, an iron gray, inclining to black; snout, longer than that of the common breed; ears, comparatively short; tusks, very formidable; and habits, fierce and savage. He is particularly destructive to corn fields and vineyards; for which reason he was immolated to Ceres and Bacchus, }—Bagster. Homer makes the same complaint, and Ward remarks that the buffaloes and wild hogs make the like ravages in the orchards of the Hindoos; to prevent which, men are placed day and night, in proper situations, to guard against them. Ver. 15. The vineyard.—Ainsworth, “the stock;” Secker, “the plant.” —The branch.—“The son;” for in that language, branches are considered as the offspring of the trees. The LXX. read, “the son of man;” and the Chaldee and some Rabbins apply this to Messiah, as in the seventeenth verse, from which they appear to us to have borrowed the expression, and where it properly belongs. Ver. 16. They perish.—This should either be rendered, as by our translators and Ainsworth, and then the words refer to the Vine of the Jewish church; but if in the future, as by Bishop Horsley, it must refer to their heathen persecutors. Bishop Horne mentions both, and the original will admit of either. PSALM LXXXI. Title.—Upon Gittith. See note on the title of Psalm ## Notes on the verses Ver. 5. Heard a language.—{Ail the versions, except the Chaldee, read in the third person, instead of the first -—‘‘ He heard a language which he understood not;”? but probably the Psalmist speaks in the name of the nation, who Hse to have been ignorant of the language of their haughty oppressors. |— Ver. 6. His hands were delivered Srom the baskets;” meaning, “ from the vessels in whic bricks,” &c. J é Ver. 15. Submitted themselves.—See margin. —Their time-—That is, the time of his people.—Bishop Horne, (Psalms 82)[Some refer this psalm to the time of David, and others to that of Hezekiah; but it is more probable that it was composed when Je- Pestaphat reformed the courts throughout his kingdom, (2 Chronicles 19:6-7).]— 8. Ver, 1, God Henge esctOn, ‘“ God standeth in the assembly of God, he ots.—Ainsivorth, ** from the they carried straw, mortar, judgeth among the judges,”’ God is among His own people; and presides especially in those courts of justice which Himself has established. )|—Bagster. Ver. 5. They walk on in darkness.—That is, n ignorance. — Out course. —Ainsworth, ‘‘ Moved,” shaken. Ver. 7. Like one of the (other) princes.—No rank or office among mortals can confer immortality. Princes die like other men. ## Notes on the verses PsaLM LXXXIII. Ver. 6. The tabernacles.—[Tents are mentioned, because it was the custom of these people, particularly the Ishmaelites, to live a migratory or wandering life; encamping sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another, as they found convenience for themselves and cattle; a custom retained by their descendants to the present day.]—Bagster. Ver. 7. Gebal.—[From being united with Ammon, it is probable that these were not the Giblétes, ((1 Kings 5:18).) or inhabitants of Gebal on the Mediterranean, but the inhabitants of the northern part of Seir, or Edom now called Djebal, and mentioned by Burckhardt,]—Bagster, ## Notes on the verses Ver. 13. Like a qwhéel.—Bishop Lowth renders it, “As the chaff whirled about;” i. e. like chaff in the whirlwind. So Ainsworth. But Bishop Horne renders it, “Like the thistle-down,” which is in the form of a wheel. Ver. 14. As fire burneth the wood.—{In uncultivated countries, it is a usual practice to set the woods on fire, as the first step towards clearing the land; a custom alluded to by Homer.}—Bagster. Ver. 17. Let them, &c.—Bishop Horne renders these verbs in the future, as if they are in the original. J PsaLM LXXXIV. [Some suppose this psalm was composed by David, when driven from Jerusalem by Absalom’s rebellion: but it is more probable that it was written at the foundation of the second temple.]—Bagster.— Title.—For the sons of Korah. It is admitted, that the Hebrew preposition here used (lamed) may be translated either by, to, or for. When applied to an individual, we consider it as marking the author by whom it was written, or the addressed to a company of choristers, as the sons of Korah, there seems no musician to whose care it was addressed, for adapting it to music. But when [intended] for them to sing it, doubt but it was intended for the house, and the swallow, (or the ring-dove according to some, but probably the bird which Forskal mentions among the migratory birds of Alexandria, by the name of dururi,) a nest for herself where she may lay her young, (so I seek) thine altars, O Jehovah, God of Hosts, my King and my God.” That is, as nature inclines birds to seek and prepare their nests, so grace has taught me to desire thy altars, and to worship there. }—Bagster. Ver. 5. In whose heart are the ways of them.—We have supplied the pronoun thy, as more intelligible and natural: the “high-ways” here intended, are probably the causeys (or causeways) leading to the temple. — Ver. 6. Passing through the valley of Baca.— Baca," according to some, means mulberry trees, which some say grow best in the driest situations: or tears, (so LXX.) or a rugged valley.—The rain also filleth the pools. Bishop Horsley reads, “The pools which the rain hath filled;’ which he explains to mean: They quench their thirst with rain water, as well satisfied with the pure waters of a spring. See Ver. 7. From strength to strength.—Horsley, ares [text lost] to wall;” Dfer- The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 84; the text below is that joint comment. ## Notes on the verses Ver. 13. Like a qwhéel.—Bishop Lowth renders it, “As the chaff whirled about;” i. e. like chaff in the whirlwind. So Ainsworth. But Bishop Horne renders it, “Like the thistle-down,” which is in the form of a wheel. Ver. 14. As fire burneth the wood.—{In uncultivated countries, it is a usual practice to set the woods on fire, as the first step towards clearing the land; a custom alluded to by Homer.}—Bagster. Ver. 17. Let them, &c.—Bishop Horne renders these verbs in the future, as often are in the original. (Psalms 84)[Some suppose this psalm was composed by David, when driven from Jerusalem by Absalom’s rebellion: but it is more probable that it was written at the foundation of the second temple.]—Bagster.—Title.—For the sons of Korah. It is admitted, that the Hebrew preposition here used (lamed) may be translated either by, to, or for. When applied to an individual, we consider it as marking the author by whom it was written, or the addressed; to a company of choristers, as the sons of Korah, there seems no musician to whose care it was addressed, for adapting it to music. But when [intended] for them to sing it, doubt not it was intended for the house, and the swallow, (or the ring-dove according to some, but probably the bird which Forskal mentions among the migratory birds of Alexandria, by the name of dururi,) a nest for herself where she may lay her young, (so I seek) thine altars, O Jehovah, God of Hosts, my King and my God.” That is, as nature inclines birds to seek and prepare their nests, so grace has taught me to desire thy altars, and to worship there. }—Bagster. Ver. 5. In whose heart are the ways of them.—We have supplied the pronoun thy, as more intelligible and natural: the “high-ways” here intended, are probably the causeys (or causeways) leading to the temple. Ver. 6. Passing through the valley of Baca.—“Baca,” according to some, means mulberry trees, which some say grow best in the driest situations: or tears, (so LXX.) or a rugged valley.—The rain also filleth the pools. Bishop Horsley reads, “The pools which the rain hath filled;” which he explains to mean: They quench their thirst with rain water, as well satisfied with the pure waters of a spring. Ver. 7. From strength to strength.—Horsley, ares [arose] oe to wall;” Dfer- ## Notes on the verses All come to the same effect; they persevere through all difficulty or opposition, having their hearts set on reaching Zion's hill. Psalm LXXIV. Ver. 2. Thou hast covered.—To cover sin is to pardon it through an atonement. See (Psalms 32:1). Ver. 4. Turnus, &c.—(The Israelites were not restored from their captivity all at once; a few returned with Zerubbabel, some more with Ezra and Nehemiah; but a great number still remained in Babylonia, Media, Assyria, &c.: and therefore the Psalmist prays for a complete restoration.)—Bagster. -(Psalms 86)—psalm is supposed to have been composed by David, either when persecuted by Saul, or driven from Jerusalem by Absalom. (Psalms 102)—exlii. titles.}—Bagster. 4 Ver. 2. I am holy.—See margin. A subject of thy grace. 3 Ver. 13. From the lowest hell.—“Grave;” but Peters remarks, that if Sheol here meant [only] a deliverance from death and the grave, the expression lower or lowest would be quite unnecessary. (i ## Notes on the verses PsaLM LXXXVII. Ver. 1. His foundation.—(Or, “Its (that is, the city’s or Zion’s) foundation is on holy mountains.” Jerusalem was built on several hills, called holy, because the whole city was in an especial manner consecrated to God.—Bagster. Ver. 4. Rahab.—That is, Egypt. So (Psalms 38:11). (Isaiah 51:9).—Philistia.—The country of the Philistines.—Ethiopia.—The land of Cush, which was in Arabia. [The sentiment in these verses seems to be similar to that of a Persian poet cited by Dr. Clarke: “What celebrity can Egypt or Sheeraz or any thing on earth, or on the sea, pretend to? When compared to Sheeraz, those are but villages, but this alone is a city.”]—Bagster. Ver. 5. This and that man.—“A man and a man:” or, one and another. Dr. Durell renders it, “‘The man, even the man;” i.e. “the man” so long promised and foretold; the Messiah. Ver. 7. As well the singers as players—Or dancers, shall be there; i.e. the whole chorus of joy and praise. Dr. Chandler renders it, “They shall sing like those that lead up the dance;” i.e. with joy and exultation.—SB. PsaLM LXXXVIII. Title,—Mahalath-leannoth. We have noticed the division of the Hebrew musical instruments into Neginoth, or stringed, and Nehiloth, or wind instruments: of these latter, some appear to have been called Mahaloth, which, if we may judge from the odes to which they were appropriated (this psalm and the fifty-third,) was particularly adapted to plaintive and mournful subjects. The term leannoth evidently refers to an alternate performance, either in turn with other instruments, or with female mourners. For Maschil, see title of Ps. xxx. Ver. 4. Asa man.—“A strong man without strength.” Ver. 5. Free among the dead.—Liberated from the cares and labours of this life. (Job 3:18-19). Compare (Isaiah 53:8). “Cut off from all intercourse with the living.” Bishop Lowth. See (2 Kings 15:5). “Cast out among the dead,” (as mortally wounded.)—Bishop Horsley. Ver. 6. In the lowest pit.—Alluding to the dungeons of the captives. Ver. 8. Shut up.—Or rather, perhaps, shut down; namely, in the pit. Compare (Psalms 69:14-15). Ver. 10. Wilt thou show, &c.—(The interrogations in these verses imply the strongest negations.)—Bagster. Ver. 12. Land of forgetfulness.—(The state of separate spirits, or the invisible world. The heathens had some notion of this state; and feigned a river in the invisible world, called Lethe, or Oblivion, and that those who drank of it remembered no more any thing relative to their former state. See Virgil.) Ver. 13. Prevent thee.—Come before the usual hour or morning prayer. See kc i. 35. Ready to die.—Ainsworth, “Breathing out the ghost.” See (Matthew 27:50).—I am distracted.—Ainsworth, “Doubtfully troubled;” i.e. possessed with the most distressing feelings. ## Notes on the verses PSALM LXXXIX. Ver. 2. In the very heavens.—Ainsworth renders this both more literally and more elegantly; *The heavens, thou wilt establish thy faithfulness in them;” i.e. it shall be there recorded, so long as the heavens themselves endure. See ver. 5. } “bel 6. Sons of the mighty.—Or of the gods, (elim,) meaning the gods of the _ Ver. 7. Greatly to be feared.—“Daunting terrible,” says Ainsworth; meaning, an object of awe and reverence, as in the following line. Ver. 10. Rahab.—{Lower Egypt, which is enclosed by the eastern and western branches of the Nile, divided below Memphis, or Old Cairo, was called by the Greeks the Delta, from its representing the shape of the Greek letter so called. For the same on the learned Bochart, and others, think it was called Rahab, from the Egyptian Rib, Ribi, or Riph, a pear; by which name the Delta is called to the present day. ]—Bagster. Ver. 12. Tabor and Hermon.—Well known hills in the east and west of Ca- Ver. 19. Thy holy one.—The prophet Samuel, or Nathan. See exposition. Ver. 22. Shall not exact upon him.—Bishop Horne, “Deceive him.”——Nor the son of wickedness afflict.—Horne, “Subdue him.” The allusion appears to us to be made to a cruel and ape exacter who exacts not only his just debt, but some exaggerated demand, with usurious interest, which was not permitted. Ver. 25, His hand in the sea, &c.—Meaning, that he should reign from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates. See the Scythian ambassadors said to Alexander, “If the gods had given thee a body as great as thy mind, thou wouldest reach with one hand to the east, and with the other to the west.” Ver. 35. Will not lie.—The most solemn form of negative in that language. Ver. 37. Established for ever.—{That is, as long as the sun and moon shall endure, as long as time shall last, his kingdom shall continue among men. The moon is probably termed a faithful witness, because by her, particularly, time is measured. Her decrease and increase are especially observed by every nation; and by these, time is generally estimated, especially among eastern nations;—So many moons is a man old—so many moons since such an event happened; and even their years are reckoned by lunations. Or, the rainbow may be intended; that faithful sign which God has established in the clouds, that the earth shall no more be destroyed by water. ]—Bagster. Ver. 43. Turned the edge, &c.—(Thou hast placed him in as perilous and hopeless a state as the soldier, whose sword, while defending his life against his mortal foe, breaks, or turns its edge; or, in modern warfare, whose gun misses fire. The Gauls, hardening iron; at every blow their swords bent, so that they were obliged, before they could strike again, to put them under foot, or on their knee to mend them: and, in most cases, before this could be done, their better armed foe had taken away their life! | Bagster. short my time is.—Ainsworth, “How transitory Ver. 46. Remember how: Lam.’’—All men in vain,—Ainsworth, “Unto what vanity thou hast made all the sons of Adam.” Ver. 51. Of thine anointed.—Heb. “Messiah.” third book of the Psalter; and Ver. 52. Blessed, &c.—(This verse ends the d \ is thought to have been added by a later hand, as it is wanting in two i in another written without points, and in three others written separately from though it is found in all the versions. ]—Bagster. i the text; XC. Ver. 3. And sayest return.—[Rather, “Return, ye children of formed. |—Bagster. Adam;” i.e. to that dust out of which ye were originally Ver. 5. They are as a sleep: in the morning.—Dr. Durell, “They are like changing the punctuation. sleep in the morning;” passed.—("The Vulgate has, “Our years pass away} Our days are Ver. 9. 8 Our plans and operations are like the spider's web. like those of the spider.” the thread of it as brittle, as one of those which constitute Life is as frail, and e but fragile, habitation of that insect. All the the well-wrought, and curious, versions have the word spider, but it is not found in any Hebrew MSS. or edition yet collated. The Hebrew might be rendered, “We consume our lives like a groan.” |—Bagster, (Amos 5:21).) ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back inal word used for opening the ears, as in the psalm before. His version given of this passage by the Septuagint, and in Hebrews x. 5, to which we shall there again advert, namely, a ready and prompt obedience, the evidence of which appeared in preaching in ways, till the speaker's lips were close. The eleventh verse should be connected with the fifth: that deed and those who display this kind and benevolent disposition, of a self surrendered to his enemies? Why was not he, the most rne, and other Hutchinsonian writers, apply the hope Ho He— we might divide the psalm not improperly into two parts: in the first five verses, we may consider the writer as speaking in “the great con- and probably never looked his master in the face after he be— This thirst for “the living God” was rendered the more painful by the taunting language of the heathen, who surrounded him with the insulting inquiry, “Where is thy God?” Their gods, indeed, were to be met with everywhere, in a variety of forms of wood and stone; but the God of Israel and of Christians is too great, too glorious, for the conceptions of a pagan. Again: the psalmist’s desires were quickened of the recollection of former enjoyments, when, in time past, he went with the multitude of the pious worshippers to Mount Zion, there to keep the holy festivals. These, while they called forth “the voice of joy and praise” for present mercies, pointed to the better days and higher enjoyments of “the age to come,” that is, of king Messiah. In the meantime, many and great were his anxieties and despondencies, but he encouraged himself, as at other times, in the Lord his God. ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul?... Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.’ The following admirable paraphrase is given by Bishop Lowth, in his Lectures on Hebrew Poetry, as the most beautiful specimen of the Hebrew elegy: “As pants the wearied hart for cooling springs, That sinks exhausted in the summer's chase; So pants my soul for thee, great King of kings! So thirsts to reach thy sacred resting-place. On briny tears my famished soul has fed, While taunting foes deride my deep despair; ‘Say, where is now thy great Deliverer fled? Thy mighty God—Deserted wanderer, where?’ Oft dwell my thoughts on those thrice happy days, When to thy fane I lead the jocund throng; Our mirth was worship, all our pleasure praise, And festal joys still closed with sacred song. Why throb, my heart? Why sink, my saddening soul? Why droop to earth with various woes oppressed? My years shall yet in blissful circles roll, And joy be yet an inmate of this breast. By Jordan’s banks with devious steps I stray, O’er Hermon’s rugged rocks, and deserts rear; E’en there thy hand shall guide my lonely way, There, thy remembrance shall my spirit cheer. In rapid floods the vernal torrents roll, Harsh-sounding cataracts responsive roar; Thine angry billows overwhelm my soul, And dash my shattered bark from shore to shore. Yet thy soft mercies, ever in my sight, My heart shall gladden through the tedious day; And midst the dark and gloomy shades of night, To thee I’ll fondly tune the grateful lay. Rock of my hope! Great solace of my heart! Why, why desert the offspring of thy care, While taunting foes thus point the invidious dart? ‘Where’s now thy God? abandoned wanderer, where?’ Why faint my soul? why doubt Jehovah’s aid? Thy God, the God of mercy still shall prove t In his bright fane thy thanks shall yet be paid; Unquestioned be his pity and his love!” Psalm XLIII. Ver. 1—5. “This psalm (says Piety Horne) seemeth to be a continuation of the former, written by David in the same circumstances, on the same subject, and closing with the same chorus.” And Dr. Kennicott, on the authority of more than twenty manuscripts, considers this as a continuation of the same psalm, which opinion is followed by Bishop Lowth, and the best modern commentators. The fact, indeed, is self-evident, and easily accounted for. The Jewish choristers, having, on some occasions, found the anthem too long, have divided it for their own conveniency, (no uncommon thing among choristers;) and being once divided, it was ignorantly supposed it ought to be so divided. This fragment of a psalm, however, offers nothing new for remark, except the beautiful wish, or prayer, for the diffusion of divine truths: “O send out thy light and truth!” The morning sun shining from the east, in a clear, unclouded, oriental sky, attracts all eyes towards it; so the psalmist prays that the divine glory, that is, the knowledge of God and the only means of salvation, might be so eminently diffused, as it were to light up the way to the tabernacle, where he longed to see the symbols of his presence, who was his exceeding joy, and take an active part in the public worship. Psalm XLIV. Ver. 1—26. The Jewish church recollecting former mercies, implores fresh deliverance from her heathen enemies.—This is the third of the psalms called Maschil, or instructive, probably from the review which it contains of Jewish history. It is generally supposed to have been written during the reign of king Hezekiah; and Mudge fixes upon the point of time when Rabshakeh delivered his blasphemous message, ((2 Kings 18:19), &c.) threatening total destruction both to the people of Judah and their king. But they are encouraged to hope in God, from the consideration of the many deliverances which they had formerly received. The state of the church ere lamented, seems to agree well with the history just referred to; and the zeal which Hezekiah had shown in putting down idolatry, appears to warrant him in saying, “Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant;” meaning, that their return back from the; ‘dost not increase thy wealth by their price. A help for 13—Thou makest us a reproach to our neigh- S Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God honours, a scorn and a derision to them that are h t wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath. 19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the What is said of other sacred songs, of the union between Jehovah and form was neither temporary nor hypocritical. Jewish church, or Messiah and the Christian church. (See the cruelty of these ancient heathen, is by no means hypothetical. (Isaiah 5:1). (Matthew 25:1-16). (Ephesians 5:25-32).) It appears to us very probable, that it was composed on the same, or a like occasion, as the book of Canticles, which in style it much resembles; but whether by David, Solomon, or Nathan the prophet, (as Dr. Hales thinks,) we have no sufficient ground to ascertain. One thing is certain, that a greater than David or On the latter part of the psalm, Bishop Horne remarks— Solomon is here, namely, king Messiah, to whom certain “There is a time, when the triumphs of the adversary, and passages are clearly applied by the author of the Epistle to the afflictions of the church, tempt men to think that the eye of Providence is closed or turned away; and that the Almighty pene and in the book of the Revelation. (See note to hath ceased to remember their sad estate. But the truth is, The words, ‘Thou art fairer (more beautiful) than the children (or sons) of men’? while they refer literally to the exterior form, designate chiefly, as they apply to the Messiah, mental purity and perfection; and though the expression, “grace is poured into thy lips,” might be explained poetically of Messiah’s eloquence, it should, we think, include also the doctrines and precepts of divine grace which he delivered to his hearers. ((Luke 4:22).) The Chaldee explains this of ‘the spirit of prophecy” bestowed on him. Psalm XLV. Ver. 1—17. A Song of Loves—or, as Ainshear reads it, of “the well-beloved virgins;” supposing it to be an epithalamium, (as Bishop Lowth calls it,) or, wedding song, chanted by the virgins which attended the marriage ceremony. The virgin choristers, here introduced, may be supposed to represent the angelic hosts, who, at the Messiah’s birth, sang “Glory to God and good will to men;” ((Luke 2:14)) and at his ascension proclaimed him through the skies, “the Lord strong and mighty,” and the “King of glory.” Such, indeed, is the character in which he is here introduced—a mighty warrior, armed and arrayed in majesty and glory. But the conquests of Messiah, here referred to, are not those of violence and blood, but of meekness, truth, and righteousness. Keen is his sword and sharp are his arrows; their object, however, is not the destruction, but the conversion of mankind. The triumphs here celebrated, are those of the gospel; and we happily day in which these have been conspicuously dis- per thou, ride thou” King of saints in all thy majesty till all thine enemies be subdued by the power of truth and prayers, and their good lives: notwithstanding, in these their services he condescends to take delight. This is the doctrine of this highly mystic text, that the value of all our best works of faith and obedience, even in our own eyes, must sink into nothing when they are contrasted with the exuberant mercy of God extended to us through Christ. The latter part of this most interesting psalm seems particularly to indicate the calling of the Gentiles; for it is that church, and not the Jewish church, which is here called upon to forget her “own people” and her “father’s house.” “So shall the King the more rejoice In thee, the favourite of his choice; For, lo, the kings were assembled, they Standing pain, as of a woman in travail. This is generally considered to have been composed by David (though his name is not eT on occasion of removing the ark to Mount Zion, and probably repeated on its removal to the people of Solomon. (See (2 Samuel 6)and (2 Chronicles 5)) But it has been constantly applied by the Christian church to the triumphant ascension of our Saviour into heaven. (Compare (Psalms 68:16-18).) It appears by this and other psalms, that the public processions of the Hebrews were no less animated and noisy than those of the ancient heathens and nominal Christians: but in one important respect they differed; their rejoicings—their shoutings—were the voice of solemn praise, and not debased (so far as we know) by either intemperance or profaneness. The constant, though distant expectation of the Messiah, seems to have sanctified their joy, and turned their songs of triumph into hymns of praise; and on every great occasion, all who were Israelites indeed, were led to look forward to the great events of the expected “world to come,” as the Jews designated the days of their Messiah. Unpardonable, then, is it in professing Christians, to debase their solemn festivals by an admixture of vulgar themes and carnal joys, especially when surrounded by so many circumstances that call for gratitude and praise. “In Israel stood his ancient throne, He lov’d that chosen race; But now he calls the world his own, And Gentiles taste his grace.” — Watts. Psalm XLVIII. Ver. 1—14. A Song of Praise for a great national deliverance.—The date of this psalm can only be conjectured from internal evidence. Bishop Patrick supposes it to have been composed on the great victory of Jehoshaphat, ((2 Chronicles 20)) Others conjecture it might be composed for the dedication of the second temple: but we confess we are disposed to refer it to the age of David: it was probably written by him on his victory over the Syrians and their confederates. ((2 Samuel 10:15-19).) Nor is the mention of God’s temple an objection, since we have met with several instances of the tabernacle itself being called by that name. It even appears to us, that so much would not have been said of Mount Zion if the temple on Mount Moriah had been now erected. What is said of the ships of Tarshish, meaning the largest ships then known, may not, perhaps, imply the occurrence of an actual storm; but only the total defeat of these confederate powers, as vessels at sea, by the fury of an east wind. On whatever occasion, however, this psalm was written, the first and more immediate object of the writer was to call countrymen to look to the God of Israel as their only protection and defence; whether it were from storms or enemies on land. Zion, indeed, was an elevated situation and well fortified; but her true strength lay, not in her bulwarks, or her towers, but in that God who resided in them. So it is in the Christian church; Messiah, who resides therein, is both her strength and glory. “This God is the God we adore, Our faithful unchangeable friend; His love is not less than his power, And neither knows measure nor end.” Psalm XLIX. Ver. 1—20. The misery of being rich and great without religion.—The author and occasion of this psalm are alike unknown, nor are there any internal circumstances that can decide. It is, however, generally supposed to have been written during the captivity, and to have been intended to counteract the Epicurean notions of the heathen. It seems, says Dr. Dodd, to be a meditation on the vanity of riches, and the usual haughtiness of those who possess them. As a remedy to this, he sets before them the near approach of death, from which no riches can save, in which no riches can avail. The author considers the subject he is treating as a kind of wisdom concealed from the world; a mystery, an occult science, with respect to the generality of mankind. The style is enigmatical (ver. 4); we may therefore be prepared for difficulties, of which there are indeed many, as may be seen in our notes: yet some critics, by seeking for more mysteries than the psalm contains, have much increased them. The general design and purport of the psalm we conceive to be as follows: The writer, it should seem, was of the poorer class, and his enemies great and wealthy; yet, says he, “Why should I fear them? They are mortal as well as me. None can ransom the life of his brother, nor is there any redemption in the grave.” The rich vainly please themselves in perpetuating their names in their possessions and their posterity, and forget that they themselves must die. Yet their carcasses are laid in the grave, like slaughtered sheep; and death, like a voracious wolf, feeds thereon. “Verily,” says the psalmist, “God shall redeem my soul; from the hand of the grave he shall rescue me;” which is to me far greater consolation, than to die possessed of riches or of honours, which would then be perfectly useless.” — The last verse so much resembles the twelfth, that some critics have supposed they must have been originally the same; but this is by no means certain. The sense of both is comprised in the following verse. “Men void of wisdom and of grace, If honour raise them high, Live like the beast, a thoughtless race, And like the beast they die.” — Watts. Psalm L. Ver. 1—23. God’s judgment against hypocrisy.—This is the first of twelve psalms attributed to Asaph, the contemporary of king David, and whose compositions rank next to those of the royal psalmist. ((1 Chronicles 16:7).) The introduction has much sublimity and grandeur, the imagery being borrowed from the giving of the law at mount Sinai, ((Deuteronomy 33:2).) only instead of shining forth from the wilderness, God’s glory is displayed from Zion. The scene is that of su- ## Notes on the verses Perhaps they might be originally and in the following verses, they are in the future tense, and naturally express the language of lively faith and hope, rather than that of the three former; and to relate to David's affliction, and the evil complaint, exiled treatment he received from his enemies during its continuance. — Bagster. ‘and includes every kind of affliction. Ver. 8. An evil disease.—This term seems always to imply moral evil, and blasphemy. (Matthew 26:65). “So be it! So be it!” With this psalm ends the first of the five books into (Psalms 41)Title,—Maschil.—{Or, “An instructive psalm,” from the temple, and the public exercise of religion, the extreme parts of Judea, persecuted by his numerous enemies, and aggr ate: his soul to God in this tender and pathetic composition.} — Bagster. 629 Jordan, by Absalom’s re- The author of this elegant Ver. 3. Tears have been my meat.—That is, I have been weeping, that I have neglected my necessary food. Ver. 4. These (things)—Or times, rather. Ver. 6. The hill Mizar.—Some inconsiderable hill, where David had taken refuge in his banishment. Ver. 7. Deep calleth unto deep. The river is represented as calling upon us, fire and water are represented as covenanting together against them.—Water-spouts.—(A water-spout is a large tube formed of clouds by means of the electric fluid, the base being uppermost, and the point let down perpendicularly from the clouds. It has a particular kind of circular motion at the point; and, being hollow within, attracts vast quantities of water, which it frequently pours some torrents upon the earth. These spouts are frequent — Merrick observes, that in Homer, one another to aid the Greeks; and in #schye been so occupied in See (Psalms 80:6) on the coast of Syria; and, no doubt, the Psalmist had often seen them, and the ravages which they made. See Shaw’s Travels, p. 333 |—Bagster. Ver. 10. With a sword.—A murderous weapon.—Ainsworth. Ver. 11. Health of my countenance.—Heb. “The salvation,” &c. as in ver. 5, ## Notes on the verses Psalm XCII. Ver. 3. With a solemn sound.—Perhaps “with deep meditation.” The LXX. here render it “a song,” meaning, perhaps, an extemporaneous effusion, accompanied with the soft warblings of the harp, which the moderns call Arpeggios. Zi: X ver. 10. A unicorn.—See note on (Numbers 23:22).—Anointed with fresh oil." Green oil.” i.e. made from green or unripe olives, which is preferred. Ver. 11. “* My desire,” which twice occurs, is not in the original; and Bishop Horne better supplies the ellipsis, thus: “Mine eye shall see (the fall) of mine enemies; and mine ear shall hear (the destruction) of the wicked.” Ver. 12. Palm tree.—{The noble and beautiful palm tree affords an agreeable shade: its fruit makes a great part of the diet of the East, the stones of which are ground for the camels; the leaves are made into couches, baskets, &c.; its boughs, into fences; the fibres of the boughs, into ropes, and the rigging of small vessels; its ashes serve for lighter fuel; and there is no unrighteousness in it.} PSALM XCIII. ‘The majesty, power, and holiness of Christ’s kingdom. HE Lord reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is established, that it cannot be moved.’ 2 Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting. 3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. (Matt. 7:23.) (2 Corinthians 1:21.) (1 John 2:20.) 4 The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters. 2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud. (Hebrews 12:14.) (Revelation 21:27.) 3 Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long [continue]? The psalmist comforts himself with the consideration that his God is “mightier than the noise of many waters,” and able to protect him both from seas and storms. The imagery is similar to that in the second psalm, “Why do the heathen rage,” &c.; and the Jews acknowledge, (according to Bishop Horne,) that this and the seven following psalms have all a reference to the kingdom of Christ. The concluding verse, “Holiness becometh thy house, O Lord, for ever,” affords not only an admonition to trifling worshippers, but a sharp reproof to hypocrites, who, like the Jews in our Lord’s time, changed the house of prayer not only into “a house of merchandise,” but also into “a den of thieves.” ((Matthew 21:12-13).) Psalm XCIV. Ver. 1—23. An appeal to the Almighty on behalf of the poor and the afflicted. JEHOVAH is here appealed to as the God of vengeance; from which we may learn, that neither public vengeance, nor private revenge, is within our department. “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, and I will repay it.” ((Romans 12:19).) He alone is capable of executing just judgment, for he alone can read the hearts of men: he alone has the right, for “God is judge himself,” (Psalm 50:6,) and will allow no creature to interfere, either in the government of the world, or in its final judgment. “He sitteth upon the throne judging righteously.” (Psalm 9:4.) Infinitely important and consoling is the truth, that this God is the friend of “the widow and the stranger, the fatherless and the oppressed.” That on such, though he may lay his chastising hand, it is in the way only of parental correction, that he may “teach him out of his law;” but he “will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.” In the midst, therefore, of all his troubles, in the multitude of his afflictions, the Psalmist [finds comfort]. (Psalms 93)[It is highly probable that this psalm was written on the same occasion as the preceding, as a part of which it is written in twelve stanzas.] Ver. 1. It cannot be moved.—That is, out of the sphere in which God himself hath placed it. It cannot be moved by man. Ver. 4. The Lord, &c.—Bishop Lowth reads this more poetically, thus: “The glorious waves of the sea! Jehovah on high is more glorious.” (Psalms 94)[Dr. Delaney supposes that this psalm was written on occasion of his war with the Ammonites, in consequence of the indignities shown to his messengers; but it is more probable, that it was written to bewail the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.—Bagster.] Ver. 1. To whom vengeance belongeth.—“Of revert en thyself. * shine forth;” alluding, undoubtedly, to the Shechinah, which, on some [occasions]... ## Notes on the verses Ver. 9. Planted the ear.—{The mechanism of the ear, like a root planted in the earth, is sunk deep into the head, and concealed from view: whereas the ball of the eye is prominent on the face, and presented to general observation, though its structure is no less wonderful. This is allowed to be an unanswerable argument. Whatever is found of excellence in the creature, must be derived from the Creator, and exist in him in the plenitude of infinite excellence. But, to prevent the error of humanizing God, the psalmist does not attribute ears and eyes to Him, but simply hearing and seeing.|—Bagster. Ver. 10. Chastiseth the heathen.—That is, all the nations. Ver. 13. Until the pit, &c.—That is, he takes care of his people, till their enemies are put out of the way. So Jesus, when a child, was preserved in Egypt till the death of Herod. “(Matthew 2:13), &c.., Ver. 17. Had almost.—In a short time.——Dwelt in silence.—That is, in the silent grave, Ver. 21. They gather themselves together.—Ainsiworth, troops against the soul of the just.’ How exactly does this mark the rage of Jews against our Saviour! See (Matthew 26:59), &c, PsAuM XCV. [This Psalm is attributed to David by the LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic, and St. Paul, ((Hebrews 4:3-7).) but it is uncertain upon what occasion it was composed.]— Bagster. Ver. 3. Gods.—'* Even the angels, (who in respect of men are thought as gods,) are nothing in his sight; much less the idols which man’s brain inventeth.’—T. Scott. Ver. 6. Let us worship.—The former verses were intended to animate the people to sorted praise and thanksgiving: but this seems a call to humble prayer and supplication.— Since God made our bodies, as well as our souls, it is meet and right that they should bear their part in his service, and that internal worship should be accompanied and signified by that which is external.” Bishop Horne.—Three words are used: “ We will prostrate ourselves, we will bow our heads, we will kneel,” &c.—T. Scott. we 9 For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. 10 Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. with the greater propriety, if we consider the carrying up the ark to Mount Zion, as symbolical of the resurrection and ascension of Christ, (as we have done on (Psalms 47)and lxviii;) because, on the latter occasion, it was expressly declared from heaven—‘This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come (again) in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” ((Acts 1:11).) This is called his second advent, of which we have repeated assurances, both in the apostolical epistles, ((1 Thessalonians 4:16),) and in the book of Revelations, Chap. 1. 7, &c. ¢ This is called “a new song,” in reference to the new cause of thanksgiving which it affords, arising from the great event to which it ultimately refers: so the choirs of the blessed are represented as singing a new song in honour of the completion of Christ’s redemption. ((Revelation 5:9), &c.) Psalm XCVII. Ver. 1—12. The majesty of God's kingdom, a ground of joy to all people.—God, under the Old Testament dispensation, is described as dwelling in the thick darkness, and surrounded with the tempest, like his residence on Mount Sinai. ((Deuteronomy 5:22).) Under the new dispensation, the clouds open, and a ray of light directs us to the mercy-seat, where he now sits with a rainbow round about the throne, in which the divine attributes appear harmonized like the colours which form that mysterious emblem. (Compare (Psalms 85:10). with (Revelation 4:3); x. 1.) This is a matter of joy to the whole earth, and especially to us who inhabit the isles of these northern seas. Formerly we were gross idolaters, and worshipped images of wood and stone; but when the light of the gospel shone upon us, we threw away our idols (as always will be the case) and worshipped him who alone is worthy. ‘The heavens declared his righteousness,’ and we hailed the solemn sound, and are at length endeavouring to send the same gospel forth to all the world; and the islands of the south also, as they receive it, endeavour to propagate it still farther: and thus shall it still (Psalms 97)(This, and the three following Psalms, are supposed, with much probability, to have been composed by Solomon at the induction of the ark into the temple, (Psalms 7)This sublime ode evidently celebrates the kingdom and victories of the Messiah: see (Hebrews 1:6).)—Bagster. Ver. 6. The heavens declare.—(In this most sublime description, the Psalmist, by the figure termed prosopopoeia, or personification, gives vitality and thought to all the objects he employs: here the very throne of God is animated; righteousness and judgment are two intellectual beings who preside; the fire, the lightning, the earth, and the heavens, are all intelligent beings, which either accompany, precede Him, or proclaim His majesty.)—Bagster. Ver. 7. Worship him all ye gods.—LXX., 4 ini i. 6, and not mond is of opinion that the apostle took this citation in Heb. from (Deuteronomy 32:43), as commonly supposed. Ver. 11. Light is sown.—Light sown, is here supposed, figuratively, to produce a crop of joy. The prophet, setting forth the kingdom of God in Zion, exhorteth all, by the example of forefathers, to worship God at his holy hill. Lu. 1.54, Ro. 10.12, re * Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. 4 The king’s strength also loveth judgment; spla[e] until “all the earth shall rejoice in this salvation, and the multitude of isles be glad thereof.” “He reigns! the Lord the Saviour reigns; Praise him in evangelic strains: Let the whole earth in songs rejoice, ‘And distant islands join their voice.” — Watts. Psalm XCVIII. Ver. 1-9. A Psalm of praise for Jews and Gentiles.—The deliverances which God wrought for the salvation of his people were of that public nature, that they were evidently known to the surrounding nations, as we find in the history of Rahab the harlot, ((Joshua 2:10-11).) and in other instances: so that all the ends (or extremities) of the earth, so far as the earth was then known, had either seen or heard ‘the salvation” of their God. But these were the shadows only of better things, and the type of that salvation, in which the heathen nations themselves were to be embraced. The whole world is, therefore now called upon to rejoice in the God of Israel, who is here foreseen as coming to execute those judgments that should overthrow the reign of idolatry, throw down the barriers of the Jewish system of peculiarity, and publish salvation alike to the whole world. And blessed are our eyes that see, and our ears which hear the rapid fulfilment of the promise. “Bless, bless his name; from day to day, Let his salvation prompt the lay, Till realms remote his acts have known, And man’s whole race his wonders own.” —Merrick, Psalm XCIX. Ver. 1—9. Another Psalm celebrating the kingdom of God.—In the ninety-sixth Psalm the world is called upon to rejoice—in this to tremble: for the same events which are matters of joy to those who fear God, afford awful presages to those who fear him not. The opening of this psalm may remind us of the vision which Isaiah saw before the death of king Uzziah. ((Isaiah 6:1-4).) The cherubim and seraphim were probably the same. (Psalms 97)This is called A Psalm; the Septuagint add, ‘“of David." —it very much resembles the ninety-sixth. It especially celebrates, prophetically, the salvation of the Redeemer, by his almighty power accomplishing his holy decrees, notwithstanding the opposition of earth and hell.—T. Scott. Ver. 2. Openly showed.—The salvation and righteousness of God are often united in Scripture, as showing the way of a sinner’s acceptance, by the righteousness of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ;” and these were made known to the heathen in the most public manner, by the preaching of the apostles. But perhaps the awful, yet righteous vengeance, executed on the Jewish nation for rejecting the gospel, while salvation was thus sent to the Gentiles and welcomed by them, was intended. ‘Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God; on them which fell, severity; but towards thee, goodness!’—T. Scott. “Ver. 9. Before the Lord, &c.—See (Psalms 96:13)., ## Notes on the verses PSALM XCIX. Ver. 1. Let the people tremble.—Ainsworth, "The people are stirred;” and alarmed. See (Revelation 11:17-18). Ver. 6. Moses and Aaron among his priests.—They were brothers, of the same tribe and family; but the word Cohen, though usually rendered priest, is also for any great office of state.—Ainsworth. See 2 Samuel vi. 5. Ver. 8. Inventions—That is, idolatries, as of the golden calf, &c. PSALM C. [The Chaldee has shabbecha al kurban todetha, “Praise at the offering of thanksgiving;” for which occasion it is supposed to have been composed by Solomon.]—Bagster. Ver. 1. All ye lands.—The Jews have a tradition that this psalm was sung during the offering of the sacrifices of thanksgiving. (Leviticus 7:12-13). Ver. 3. And not we ourselves.—{Instead of wela anachnoo, ‘and not we,” the Keri, twenty-six MSS., the Chaldee, and Jerome, have welo anachnoo, and his "we are;” which is doubtless the genuine reading, as no man was ever weet [=suppose he made himself].}—Bagster. Ver. 4. Hate them, &c.—Bishop Lowth, “Him that dealeth unfaithfully hate them, &c.” Ver. 4. Not Meera [=mercy], not countenance, or encourage. See above. Ver. 5. A high look, &c.—“Lofty in eyes, and swollen in heart.” Ver. 8. Early.—“In the morning,” meaning, probably, in the commencement of his reign; but Dr. Chandler thinks David meant to devote his mornings to the administration of justice, as is common in eastern countries. parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge ime with hyssop, and I shall be bones which thou hast broken may ! rejoice. 9 Hide ™ thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not P thy holy spirit from me. preme judgment; but it extends not to the world at large, but to Israel only, the professed people of JeEnovan, who are summoned from east to west to appear before him, and answer to his charge. This is not the neglect of external sacrifices, for they, alone considered, are of little estimation in the sight ofGod; but the want of devotion of heart, and purity of life. He who owns all the beasts, both of the fold and the forest, cannot be gratified with the eftusion of goats’ and bullocks’ blood. ‘He that offereth praise glorifieth God;” and ‘‘ to him that ordereth his conversation aright,” that is, according to his word, “to him will he show his salvation.” But to the wicked he speaks in thunder: “What hast thou to do to declare my statutes? or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth ?”’ Some have applied this psalm to the day of general judgment; and others, as Bishops Horne and Horsley, to the promulgation of the gospel in the end of the Jewish dehvetiita Hott to this, indeed, the former prelate has applied it with excellent effect; but in our view, the simple topic is, the danger of hypocrisy. “ God is the judge of hearts: no fair disguises Can screen the guilty when his vengeance rises.”’"—TVatts. Psatm LI. Ver. 1—19. A penitential Psalm of David, on occasion of his sin with Bathsheba.—So it has been universally considered on authority of the title above prefixed, and upon internal evidence, which we think conclusive. As a penitential psalm, it has always been considered as the natural overflowing of a broken heart, deeply estan with a sense of extreme guilt “ before God,” o2 which account the writer compares himself to a polluted leper. This is pap eM a in calling for hyssop as a ceremonial purification, w nile, at the same time, he prays earnestly for pardon; and that he may experience the cleansing and re-creative power of God’s Holy Spirit. It is observable also, that he rests not in the confession of actual transgression; but, as Bishop Horne observes, traces his sinful actions to their source in the, pollution of his fallen nature: himself a sinner, the child of sinful parents, and they the posterity of the first human, guilty, pair. This, however, though a matter of humiliation, 1s never pleaded by him as an excuse.; But it is not adultery only that he laments: he corn ae of “ blood-guiltinesss,” and no doubt his conscience was haunted by the image of his murdered friend Uriah. Sin seems but a little thing when committed, and wears a smiling form; but when it visits the conscience afterwards, it assumes a gigantic r Zec.3.1..8. PSALM LII 3 bloods, 1 David, condemcing the spitefulness of Doeg, prophesieth his destruction. 6 The t Ps.71.23, epee shall rejoice ai fe 8 David, upon ie confidence in God’s inercy, giveth come to the house of Ahimelech. w Is.66.2. x Ps.4.5. W HY boasteth thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the ¢ goodness of God en- ¢ Ps,137.1,2 sharp razor, working deceitfully. w | d Je.9.4,5. 3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and 4lysize, and its head is shrouded with the storm. As we have in David a most aggravated instance of backsliding, so have we a most exemplary example of the contrition of a heard agitated alternately with grief and shame, and terrified with the judgments of the Almighty. _ Bishop Horsley and others, object to the title, as not authentic, because the author prays, in the close of this psalm, that God would build the walls of Jernsalem, which seems to imply that it was written during the captivity. To this, 1. Some ave replied that these two last verses, w hich seem to have no immediate connexion with the rest, might be added by some pious worshipper of that period. 2. It might be said, as some parts of Jerusalem (particularly the strong hold of Zion) had ~ not now been more hes about a dozen years in the possession of David, it is very possible that they might then have been much damaged, and not since repaired; and other parts, as Mount Moriah, where the temple was afterwards erected, not yet builton; and that his prayer might have particular reference to the erection of that Temple (already contemplated, (2 Samuel 7:1), &c.) where sacrifices of unprecedented pine were to be offered. 3. Perhaps the expression should be taken rather figuratively than literally. Men build with brick or stone, but God with living stones; and for him to build up a house or a city, is to furnish it with inhabitants, and to crown It with his blessing. (See (Psalms 18:35); cii. 16; cxlvii. 2.). Lastly, it is probable, or rather more than probable, that this prayer had a particular reference to ‘‘ the future age” of the Messiah, in whom the Lord has since declared himself not only pleased, but satisfied. (See (Daniel 9:25-27). Amosix. 11. (Matthew 1:17).) To return, however, to the psalm before us, the most profitable use that we, as sinners, can make of it, is to make it the model of our own petitions; and the sum of it is well compressed in the following emphatic lines: “ Mercy, good Lord! mercy I ask, This is the total sum:: For mercy, Lord, is all my suit, O let thy mercy come !”’ Psaum LIl. Ver. 1-9. The wicked character and miserable fate of Doeg.—The nse of this wretch has already passed under our review transient yi ((1 Samuel 21:7); xxii. 9, &c.) And from what occurs in this short psalm, we may farther remark, that his character was not only execrable to David, but detestable in the sight of God. Doeg appears to have been one of 8 But I am like *a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. 91 will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait} on thy name; for ™it is good before thy saints. PSALM LIII. edafear:| 4) me by thy strength. he light of their own conscience. le glorieth in the salvation of God, -] e 1Sa.26.24. doeth good, no not one. those sycophants, with whom tyrants are generally surrounded, and who are ready to engage in any dirty work which the think will recommend themselves to promotion or reward. His first wish was, no doubt, to betray David; but, being disappointed by David’s prudence and activity, he wreaks his vengeance on God’s high priest and his attendants. On his unmanly cowardice, in falling upon the unarmed priests and their hehiigae families, David seems here to taunt him—‘ Oh, mighty man!” and ‘Oh, deceitful tongue !” It is probable that, by this time, the vengeance of God had overtaken him, for (in ver. 7.) he points at him and says, “Lo! this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in his riches,” &c. Now Doeg, as chief of Saul’s herdsmen and master of his mules, might take care to enrich himself; but he was a stranger to God, and probably never worshipped in his house. On the contrary, David represents himecte “like a oung olive fresh and green,” planted, and flourishing in the Louse of God. Psaim LIII. Ver, 1—6. The folly of wickedness.—This salm differs very little from the fourteenth; and it is not nown, nor has it been conjectured with much probability, on what account, or for what reason, the same sentiments are repeated in almost the same words. The variations, however, are sufficient to show, that the psalm in one place was intentionally altered from that in the other; and it is probable, that it was in consequence of some change in the psalmist’s circumstances, or some events which had occurred subsequent to its first publication.—The word Mahalath seems to denote a hollow instrument of music, a flute or pipe: and Maschil, or instructing, implies the scope of it, viz. an instruction or warning against impiety towards God, and rebellion against his anointed king. The folly of sinners greatly appears in their acting, as if they could escape the notice of Omniscience, prosper in defiance of Omnipotence, or be happy in rebellion against the Source of all a Ps.14.1, PSALM LIV. 1-Dayid, complaining of the Ziphims, prayeth for salvation. 4 Upon his confidence Iu God’s help he promiscth sacrifice. b Ge.6.5,12, To'the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, e Ep.5.12 A Psalm of David, when the * Ziphims d Ps.114. came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide hirnself with us ? atthey fede ee me, O God, by thy name, and judge gje630. | Wordsof my mouth. j p ’ h Who will mine enemies. Those who go back from a religious profession, generally ome most filthy, or most malicious persecutors, who of all sinners are most infatuated: for God “hath despised,” and will confound and destroy them; as he has often scattered the bones of powerful armies, who have encamped against his church. A guilty conscience and a dread of vengeance frequently fill the enemies of God with fears, where nothing formidable can be perceived; but at length their worst terrors will be awfully realized: and as the deliverance and prosperit of the church on earth will be attended with the ruin of all anti-christian opposers; so the eternal joys of the redeemed will be attended with the everlasting shame and misery of all their impenitent oppressors.— T.. Scolt. Psatm LIV. Ver. 1\—7.. Prayer for deliverance.—Our nearest relations may prove more unkind than strangers: those who ought to protect us may become our oppressors; and mere professors of true religion will generally behave to believers with malignity and treachery, which even heathens would avoid and condemn. So that, looking unto David betrayed by the men of Judah, and to Jesus betrayed by his apostle, and delivered to death by the Jewish rulers and people: what can we expect from any who “have not set God before them,” except ingratitude, treachery, malice, and cruelty? But God is the Helper of his people: he will favour and prosper those “‘that uphold their souls,’ while he confounds their persecutors: seh truth is engaged to reward evil to their enemies. Let us trust him and call upon him, when injured or tempted: for his name’s sake he will then save-us, and plead our cause with all his power. We should recollect past deliverances to encourage our faith and prayer in present trials: and itis good and acceptable for us to sacrifice freely our spiritual oblations of grateful praise for the past, while we wait for farther mercies. As the risen and ascended Jesus could adopt the psalmist’s words, and say, “‘ He hath delivered me from all trouble, and mine eye hath looked upon mine be retrograde; the next being of earfier date than this, and this of earlier date than the preceding. The faction of Saul are here addressed as confederated to take away David’s life— Do ye, indeed, speak righteousness, (or righteously,) O ye confederates?’ and describes them, from their natural depravity and depraved habits, as having their minds full of the poison of serpents, and the ferocity, of lions; and not to be won upon by any acts of generosity or kindness, as was sufficiently evident, from the fact referred to in the preceding psalm, when the psalmist not_only refused to injure, but resolutely protected Saul’s life. Saul, for the moment, appears to have been charmed by it: but they were like deaf nes who could not be charmed. (See (1 Samuel 24)_ David then predicts their ruin in language, which, though imprecatory in its form, should rather ba considered as prophetic. To break the teeth of a lion, is to deprive him of the power of destruction; and the melting of an army, is its defeat and being scattered. The metaphor of the pot and the thorns is an evident allusion to the manners of the Arabs, who, when they want to cook their food, collect bushes and brambles, living or dead, (that is, green or dry,) to make a blaze; but, says he, “before your pots can feel the thorns,” (that is, before they can be sensibly affected with heat,) they shall be melted like the snow, or swept away as with a ehiviwind, in a manner indicative of the power which does it; so that men shall say, “Verily, there is a reward for the righteous.” “ Thus shall the judgment of the Lord, Safety and joy to saints afford; And all that hear shall join and say, “Sure there’s a God that reigns on high, A God that hears his children cry, And will their sufferings well repay.’ ’— Watts. Psarm LIX. Ver. 1—17. Prayer the means of comfort.— In this psalm “ David expresses what his thoughts and affections were, when Saul sent officers to watch his house all night, and to slay him when he came out of his doors in the morning.” Bishop Patrick.—His triumphant confidence in God in this extreme danger, and his anticipated fervour of gratitude, for the deliverance which he fully expected, show a peculiarly pious and happy state of mind, in such trying cireum- When we suffer for well-doing, we are conformed to our Re-. deemer, and have an evidence of our acceptance with God We should indeed greatly fear suffering as “ evil-doers, or busybodies in other men’s matters;” but we ought not to be either afraid or ashamed of the hatred of the workers of iniquity, when “they prepare themselves, and are gathered_together against us without our fault.” They may be both mighty and bloody; their words may be as swords, and their actions ma correspond with them: but the Lord will awake, and behol and hasten to the help of his servants.—In vain ‘aid Saul and his mighty men seek the life of David: they could not prevent his advancement to the throne, but they occasioned their own ignominy and ruin. Nor could the rulers of the Jews, by crucifying Jesus, prevent his glorification but they thus hastened their own destruction: and neither tempters nor persecutors can succeed any better in lying in wait for the soul of the believer. The serpent and his seed bruised the heel of the deemer, but he will crush their head. “‘ Because of the Lor strength” his servants may then confidently wait, on and if we trust in him as the God of our mercy, and have course to him in every temptation and tribulation, he will assuredly be our Defence against all those who rise up against us. —T". Scott. David rejoices in the prospect of Psatm LX. Ver. 1—12. here referred to has victory over all his enemies.—The history from the lily being a six-leaved flower, may also mean a six-stringed instrumen it has been supposed that the word t.—Aram-naharaim; the Syrians of have submitted to me; Ephraim furnishes me with valiant men; and Judah, PSALM LXIII. 1 David's thirst for God. 4 Flis manner of blessing God. 9 His confidence of his enemies’ destruction, and his own safety. A Psalm of David, * when he was in the wil- GOD, thou art my God; early "will I 0 derness of Judah. seek thee: my soul thirsteth ° for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and “thirsty land, ¢ where no water is; 2 To see ‘ thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the &sanctuary. 3 Because thy loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will shall be. lift up my hands in thy name. The best of men must not be put them, in every walk of life. and may be deceived in the place of God: they are weak, overcome; they are mortal, and must shortly die. To be even all taken in the balance, therefore, against God, they are, or nothing. together, vanity, yea, “ lighter than vanity,” of the union and harmony of Our salvation is the result It is, indeed, an exertion’ of divine the divine perfections. is, 1 we are saved by sovereign merpower, but not of power only; | the divine conduct toward mancy, which predominates in a for though every man shall kind, even in the final judgment; mercy shall measure be ‘rewarded according to his works,” nca2is. |¢ matter: they commune ‘of laying snares. a privily; they say, Who shall see them ? wJepece hcl Cee search out iniquities; ‘ they accomepriu. |plish €a diligent search: both the inward reed thought of every one of them, and the heart, ts e ‘ es cep.. = ike 7 But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; cnmumed | suddenly * shall they be wounded. whichtiey | § So they shall make their own tongue fo fall rovgi'y, | upon themselves: all that see them shall flee g search away. searched. | Q And all men shall fear, and shall declare nar | the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing. souls of believers cling to their great Benefactor and Protector, whose “right hand upholdeth them.” “The king,” that is, the royal author, of the psalm, “shall rejoice in God,’”’ as the great object of his dependance and his hope: ‘Every one that sweareth by him, (i. e. the true God,) shall glory.” To swear by or in the name of Jehovah, was to swear fealty or allegiance to him: it was an act of worship, distinguishing Israelites from idolaters. The former had an object of adoration, in which they might well glory; the latter served “lying vanities,” and were therefore considered as liars, deceiving and deceived. “pl lift my hands, I'ii raise my voice, ties,” that they may pretend zeal for God’s glory, while they are murdering his people: but all their malice will rebound upon themselves, and God himself will fight against them and destroy them; and all who behold their doom, especially in a future state, will reverence his power and justice in it. But itis our wisdom now to fear because of the judgments of God, and to flee from the wrath to come; to declare and consider his works, and to shun the rock on which others have split. For the righteous alone can rejoice and trust in this holy Lord God: and all who uprightly rely on his mercy, and seek to know and ‘do his will, shall glory in him as their Salvation and eternal Portion.— T. Scott. Psarm LXV. Ver. 1—13. A Psalm of thanksgiving for the blessings of Providence.—‘‘In this psalm God is praised for his providential -piiipange of the material world. It seems to have been a thanksgiving for the getting in of the fruits of the earth, and might be composed for the feast of Tabernacles. But. considering the manifest allusion to redemption, and the conversion of the Gentiles, in the former part of the psalm, “I cannot but think (says Bishop Horsley) that the blessings of the gospel are adumbrated under the image of genial showers and luxuriant crops.” Taking the same view of the psalm with this learned prelate, we shall briefly consider it in reference to the bounties of divine providence, and the riches of divine grace.: The feast of Tabernacles was about the end of our September, when the fruits of the earth were gathered in, and the raises of Israel were waiting in silence tne it were) ready to urst from every grateful heart, in joyful shouts and songs, at ‘the commencement of this festival. The Chaldee labours to give an idea of the extraordinary rejoicings by an hyperbolical expression: ‘The praise of angels is accounted as silence before thee, O God, whose majesty is in Sion:” being intended to intimate, that the shouts of Israel were far louder than the _ songs of angels. ___ The imagery employed in the following verses, is eminently sublime and beautiful. He girdeth sazethor the mountains by his strength, as with a girdle: he stilleth the roarings of the sea, and the still louder ravings of the people. He maketh the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. The former idea is amplified and illustrated in the nineteenth psalm, (ve rses 5 and 6,) and the latter alluded to in the eighth: no scen¢s in nature can be more beautiful, or more cheerful, than the rising of the morning sun, or the moon “ walking in brightness” in the evening sky. The watering of the earth with showers, or with full and flowing streams, is another display of providential goodness; but the crowning mercy is the gathering in of the harvest. The expression (in ver. 11.) is peculiarly elegant and impressive, “ His paths drop fatness.” In other psalms, the Almighty is represented as walking or riding ‘‘upon the wings of the wind:” ((Psalms 18:10); civ. 3:) the clouds, therefore, are his pathways, and the showers which distil from them enriching the earth, may be said poetically, to “drep fatness’ upon it; and from the cheerful and useful vegetation which clothes the hills and valleys, they are said to become joyful, and even to “shout and sing.” ~ But we mnst not confine our remarks to blessings merely temporal. The psalmist complains of iniquities = against him, and prays to be delivered from them: he speaks of the blessedness of attending God’s house, and considers communion with him as the highest privilege of man. The floods of heaven, and the rivers of earth, are both used to typify the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the diffusion of divine truth, S xcts un. 17, 18.) which produces the same effect in the moral, as water in the natural world. This psalm may therefore be considered as no less rich in spiritual unction than in poetic beauty; and is especially interesting to us Gentiles, residing in “the ends of the earth,” as our part of Europe was considered. © Blest is the man whom thou shalt choose,: And ees him kind access to thee; Give him a place within thy house, To taste thy love divinely free.” —Watts. Psarm LXVI. Ver. 1—20. A Psalm of praise and exhortation.—The author and occasion of this psalm are alike unt or Song. OD be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause » his face to shine © upon us. Selah. 2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all 4 nations. 3 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and ¢ govern the nations upon earth. Selah. 5 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 6 Then‘ shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. Bishop Patrick supposes it to have been composed | at the close by David after some great providential deliverance, for which he promises to offer numerous sacrifices; and the latter part of the psalm inclines us to this opinion, though Calmet and Dr. Gray refer it to the period of the building of the second temple. The former part of the psalm relates to the power and zoodness of God in delivering his people Israel; and the memorable passage of the Red sea is distinctly and pointedly al- Inded to: but the latter relates to the psalmist’s own experience, who calls upon all true Israelites to hear what God had done individually for himself. The closing sentiment merits our particular attention. God heareth not the prayers of hypocrites. “If Iregard iniquity in m heart, the Lord will not hear me,” says the psalmist; but he has heard me, and therefore do I not so regard it. On this, we shall only add the beautiful comment of a pious poet. “Throughout mankind, the Christian kind at least, There dwells a consciousness in every breast, That folly ends where genuine hope begins, ‘And he that finds his heaven must lose his sins.”’— Cowper. Psarm LXVII. Ver. 1—7. A short Psalm of thanksgiving. —This short but sweet psalm, is an echo to the blessing whic the priests were taught to pronounce upon the people of Israel g Je.49.11. h a house. ve ae at the presence of God, the God of i Ps.107.10. 9 Thou, O God, didst !senda plentiful ™ rain, whereby thou didst "confirm thine inheritj Hab.3.13. k Ex.19.16. ance, when it was weary. 10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein. 1 shake out. thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness m De.11.11 for the ° poor. n it. 11 The Lorpv gave the word: great was the o Mat 11.5. » company of those that published it. p army. 12 Kings of armies 9 did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil. did flee,: Gia fae’ 13 Though ye have lien among the * pots, r Pa 816. yet shall ye be asthe wings of a dove covered of the morning service, and which has been already noticed by_us in (Numbers 6:24-26)- From the concluding verses, we may, In addition, draw the following important doceither by a natrines: 1. That gratitude for mercies received, ei tion or individuals, is the way to obtain farther blessings. To bless God for mercies received is the surest way to multip] 2. That the blessing of God, if rightly understood, wilt is, indeed, absolutely necessary to lead to the fear of God, an Men plough and sow utterly in vain, the spread of true religion. unless God smiles upon, their endeavours: and so is it in reliwill bring gion: neither the earth itself, nor the heart of man, g good, unless God cause his face to shine upon forth any thin Those who duly appreciate the mercies which they enjoy, 1 Most of salms which speak of the blessings of the gospel, putina aa be anxious that others should partake with them, or a prayer for the conversion of the heathen, that “all the endsof the earth” may know and fear the God of Israel. removal of the ark, as ty- Pssatm LXVIII. Ver. 1—35. é pical of the ascension of Messiah.—This psalm opens with the by Moses, (and_probabl echoed by the words pronounce; erness, (Numb. priests,) upon the removal of the ark in the wi x. 35.) whence it is reasonably concluded that it was compo- Bishop Horne thinks, on the resed on some such occasion: moval of the ark to mount Zion: (as were ie cheats several other psalms:) but Dr. Boothroyd supposes, that it was on occasion of returning the ark to Zion after the conquests over the Ammonites. (See (2 Samuel 11:11); xii. 31.) As every thing under that dispensation was typical or prophetical, it was very natural for the inspired author to look forward to Messiah’s triumphant ascension to the Zion above, of whom the ark and the tabernacle and the temple itself were all figures; and so we find the psalm applied by St. Paul himself. ((Ephesians 4:8-9).) As a composition, Professor Michaelis, who thinks the character of David’s poetry to be rather sweetness than sublimity, allows this psalm to beeminently sublime, though, (as Bisho Lowth remarks,) not without considerable obscurity, witlel Burke has shown to be, in many instances, essential to the Dr. S. Chandler divides this psalm into five parts, on each of which we shall offera remark or two. Part I. (comprising ver. 1 to 6.) our author considers as sung, when the Levites took up the ark upon their shoulders, which was their way of carrying it. Part II. (ver. 7—14.) Dr. C. supposes to have commenced when the procession began with slow and solemn pace. Part Ill. (ver. 15—17.) he conceives to have been chanted immediately on their coming within sight of Zion— This is the hill which God hath desired to dwell in.” The imagery in Parts Il. and III. is certainly obscure: The general idea is supposed to be, the wonderful change in the situation of Israel, in being delivered from slavery in Egypt, and raised to pre-eminence in Zion, and adorned with all the beauty of the eastern dove; but for a particular explication of the metaphors, we must refer to our notes below: only on ver. 18. we may remark, that Zion is here resembled to Sinai, as the special residence of the divine presence, and a type of the fuure glories of Messiah. Part IV. (ver. 18—23.) celebrates the triamphant entrance of Messiah into his glory after his resurrection, loaded (as we may say.) not only with the trophies of his victory. but the blessings of salvation, to bestow upon penitent Jews and Gentiles, at the same time as ruin and destruction must necessarily overwhelm his enemies. In Part V. (from ver. 24 to the end,) we have a description of the procession. The ark went first, with the attendant priests; then followed the singers, and after them the players upon instruments, among whom we must conceive of David dancing in his ephod, with a portable harp in his hands, and the damsels playing with timbrels, the proper accompaniment of dancing. The concluding verses anticipate the triumphs of Jehovah and his Messiah among the Gentiles. The brutes that delight in war shall all be scattered, and ambassadors of peace from all countries shall seek the favour of the God of Israel. “ Sing praises eae God, ye kingdoms of the earth: O sing praises unto the Psatm LXIX. Ver. 1—36. David complains of his afflictions, in which he was a type of the Messiah.—That several parts of this psalm belong to the Messiah, we doubt not, for they are quoted by him, and are applied to him in the New Testament: but we resist the principles, that because some parte are, the whole must therefore be so applied. Ainsworth hath made the important remark on our Lord’s quoting the thirty-first Psalm, (ver. 5.) that, while he used the first member of the verse, which was applicable to his circumstances, he seems purposely to have omitted the following words as inapplicable. (See our exposition.) And we may add, that though our Lord has quoted and applied to himself many passages is good: ° turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies. ye 17 And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am introuble: ? hear me speedily. 18 Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem ibe deliver me because of mine enemies. 19 Thou hast known my ¢reproach, and my from the Psalms of David, we know of no one of them in which he either confesses or laments his sins, orimplores mercy. We can by no means, therefore, allow the application to him” of the fifth verse of the Psalm before us, in which David says, ““O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.” we are questioned, ‘* How shall we decide what parts are or are nota plicable?” we reply, 1. We admit this of all which are so bled: by either Christ or the inspired writers: and, secondly, we object not to the accommodation of any passages not inconsistent with Messiah’s character. The parts applied to him in this psalm, we shall notice as they occur, premising, however, that we find no passage wholly inapplicable to David, who probably composed It, as is suggeste by Bishop Patrick, during Absalom’s rebellion, when banished from Jerusalem; and during which period he seems to have fallen among false friends, who aggravated his afflictions by illtreatment and reproaches. eee See cin h creepeth. PSALM LXX. i Eze.36.35, David soliciteth God to the speedy ssp of the wicked, and preservaiion of the j Jn.14.23. To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, to a Ps.33. title « bring to remembrance. b Ps.40.13.. c my help. Py AKeE » haste, O God, to deliver me; S make haste to * help me, O Lord. The first verses are highly metaphorical, and resemble many other passages in this sacred book, in which troubles and dangers are compared to sinking in the mire and in the flood; plied to Him who and may certainly, without violence, be a whose sympathies carried our sorrows, an bore our griefs and It is true, that still take part in the afflictions of his people. derived any assistance or support neither type nor antitype but, on the contrary, both were from his family connexions; and betrayed. On one occasion, at least, reproached, deserted, it seems they gave the psalmist sour wine (or vinegar,) with ‘ e name of gall; a some bitter ingredients, which he calls by th bitter or deleterious substance name probably used for any mixed with wine: (See (Deuteronomy 29:18):) and this we know was himself in his last agonies. literally the case with our Lord (See (Matthew 27:34).) partly in the impe- The following verses are, in the original ould not, therefore, rative and partly in the future tense; ands then, but also among the more cold-hearted Israelites. His conduct in dancing contrary, Dr. Hammond, Dr. Kennicolt, Bishop Horne, and some other expositors, render the whole in the future, as prophetic; and in no other sense can they be applied to our Redeemer, who cursed nothing but a barren fig tree, and that only as a warning to his countrymen. ((Matthew 21:19).) It is true that one verse, and one only, is here applied to the case of Judas, and that all the judgments here imprecated, were poured upon the Jews his murderers; but it was not by the prayer of the illustrious sufferer, who prayed only for their salvation. ((Luke 23:34).); The zeal of David in behalf of God’s house and worship, is alluded to by St. John as typical, on occasion of Christ’s clearing the temple of the money changers, ((John 2:17);) and the misery of his betrayer and persecutors is evidently referred to by St. Peter, in speaking of the apostate Judas: but it would be going too far, to conclude that David had, in his own mind, any direct reference to either of these events. Such allusions were common among both Jewish and classical writers, and which, a style deeply imbued with scripture phraseology is one of the chief excellencies of either a Christian preacher or theological writer. Psatm LXXI. Ver. 1—24. A Psalm of David in his old age, surrounded by enemies and infirmities.—‘ The psalmist, sorely distressed in his old age (see verses 9 and 18,) by the rebellion of Absalom, which was his great affliction at that period of life, prayeth for divine assistance” and consolation; pleading God’s gracious promise, and the mercies already received by him. _ He then complains of being deserted and given up by man, in his old age; and of the taunts and insults of his enemies, whose downfall he predicts. At the same time, he encourages himself in the divine promise, and with the hope of spending his last days in praise and comfort. Although we ave no express authority for applying this psalm to our Lord Christ, we do not observe in it any thing to render such application improper. Psatm LX XII. Ver. 1—20. The prosperous reign of Solo spired writers, it makes no difference as to the divine authority | with hundre literature, sacred or profane, to find such a union of sublimity with sweetness and grace.” (Lect. xxv.). In another lecture, the Bishop compares the allegory of this with that of the second psalm, and thus distinguishes them. In the second of the mountains,” should bring forth so fine and plentiful a| &c. s of islands as yet perhaps unknown, shall be Jesus shall reign where’er the sun Does his successive journies run; His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, Till moons shall wax and wane no more.’’— Watts. “Behold, these are the ungodly!” fe ale Se Sa io sanctuary, “Then (says he) understood I their end.” But how so? By hearing the word of God there read, (for the He brews had not Bibles as we have) he learned that these wicked men, though prosperous in the world, were under the curse of God: and, firm as they might seem, they were in eppRey places, and in the road to everlasting run! He saw now that their felicity was all a dream, and that when God should arise and awaken them to the judgment, ‘‘ the vain show,” the image of splendour in which they walked, would appear altogether despicable. (See (Psalms 49:6).) But the Psalmist now reverses the scene, and contemplates himself—poor, destitute, and afflicted,—yet in the hand of God—guided by his counsel, and advancing steadily in the way to glory. And then he breaks out into a devotional rapture— “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire compared with thee.” “ Lord, ’tis enough that thou art mine, My life, my portion, and my God.”— Watts. Psarm LXXIV. Ver. 1—23. The psalmist laments the destruction of the temple by the heathen, and implores divine interference.—We have hinted that some of Asaph’s psalms had reference to the time of the captivity, and this is one of that number, as it refers to the destruction and burning of the temple. It could not be composed by the first Asaph, but by one of his descendants. The psalmist observes, that time was, when men acquired fame by felling the woods; now they sought promotion and reward by cutting down the sacred ornaments of the temple, and burning them with fire. He calls upon the Lord, therefore, to return quickly to his temple, and plead his own cause against the heathen. In order to stir up the Almighty (as it were) to avenge the cause of his church, he is put in mind that it is his own cause, that her enemies are his also, and that those who reproach her blaspheme her God. He is also reminded of his irresistible power, and what he had done for the salvation of his people in times of old, particularly at the Red sea, and is entreated to remember also his covenant of old, and to save his “turtle dove,”’ (so the church is called,) from the hands of his and her An important passage here occurs, as relates to the cause of missions. ‘‘ The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty:” from which we may infer, that, instead of ignorance being the “ mother of devotion,”’ or paganism a harmless system, we shall always find the habitations of cruelty in the lands of ignorance and idolatry. Infanticide, self-immolation, witchcraft, and human sacrifices, are found more or less in ail the regions of idolatry, “‘ Kingdoms wide that sit in darkness, Let them have the glorious light; And from eastern coast to western. May the morning chase the night. 3 Let the gospel Soon resound from pole to pole.” Psatm LX XV. Ver. 1—10. The psalmist praises God and predicts divine judgments on the wicked.—This psalm is also attributed to Asaph, and Bishop Patrick thinks it must have been Asaph the Seer, in the time of Hezekiah, because the Levites were appointed to praise God in “the words of David and of Asaph the Seer.”’ ((2 Chronicles 29:30): see note below.) Bishop Horne (without, giving any reason) attributes the psalm to David, as speaking in the person of Messiah; and some parts of it, especially, the last verse, will hardly apply to any inferior character. The representation of the ‘Almighty as administering, from his throne of judgment, their due portions of punishment, while the righteous rejoice around him, is eminently grand and awful. Compare Rey. xiv. 10, &c. Psatm LX XVI. Ver. |—12. Praise for a, signal interference of divine mercy.—‘ It is obvious, (says Bishop Horne,) to any one who reads this psalm, that 1t was composed as a thanksgiving hymn, on account of some great deliverance wrought for his people by the immediate hand of God. The miraculous destruction of the Assyrian army by the angel, in the days of king Hezekiah, is generally pitched upon as the subject of it, and affirmed to be so by the ancient Greek inscriptions prefixed to it in the Septuagint version. The prophet speaks with rapture of the glory which Jehovah had acquired by former deliverances of Israel, as well as in the present instance; and contemplates with delight the fact, that God had long made Zion his chosen residence, and Judah his favourite tribe. By their sins, indeed, he had been provoked to withdraw his presence; but the mercy recently received, encouraged the psalmist to hope that the Most High, panes Benen ee ee _rarneenenne who had rebuked the heathen by this deliverance, would again dwell in Zion. Thus the wrath of man, which had attempted not only to crush, but even to annihilate his people, was made to praise him, in being overruled for their deliverance: And thus has it often happened, that when the enemies of the church have attempted its destruction with peculiar energy, the Lord has restrained and overruled their wrath for the display of his own glory, and the salvation of his own people. Psatm LXXVII. Ver. 1—20. The psalmist, Asaph, relates the exercises of his mind with regard to God’s dealings with his people Israel in their captivity.—He relates, particularly, his meditations by night upon his bed, while his eyes were withheld from sleep and his hands stretched out in prayer. Reflecting on the melancholy state of things with respect to the Jewish church, he was ready to exclaim, ‘‘Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?’ But turning back his reflections upon God’s dealings towards his eople of old, and especially in the deliverance from Egypt, which was always a favourite topic with the Hebrew poets, ) he encourages himself to hope for fresh deliverances. His way was then in the sea, and his footsteps unseen. His paths are still in the deep waters, untraceable by mortal eye: but still his way isa way of holiness. ‘The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.” (Psalm cxly. 17.) ““God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm.”— Cowper. Psarm LX XVIII. Ver. 1—35. God’s dealing with Israel in the wilderness.—This is the first of the historical psalms: the others are Psalms cy. and evi.; all which contain retrospective narratives of the Lord’s dealings with the people of Israel, from, “ their departure from Egypt to the reign of David, particularizing and illustrating all the leading events. The style (says Bishop Lowth) is simple and uniform; but the structure is poetical, and the sentiments are occasionally splendid.’”’ The psalmist, in the exordium, speaks of Openinis his mouth ina parable and uttering enigmas, or dark sayings. And “Itis observable (Bishop Horne remarks) that our Lord is, by St. Matthew, said to have addressed the multitude in prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables,’ &c. citing the second verse of the psalm now before us. ((Matthew 13:35).) Ifit doth not follow from this citation, that the prophet actually speaks this psalm in the person of Christ,” as we think it does not; ‘‘yet,” continues the Bishop, in which we agree thus much at least is evident from it, that the history of old Israel somewhat resembles the letter of the gospel parables, and contains, shadowed out under it, the history of a corresfevers state of things in the new Israel, or church Christian.” he sum of this is, as St. Paul explainsit, ‘* All these things” —the trials which they suffered, and the deliverances they received— happened to them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon, whom the ends of the world are come.” ((1 Corinthians 10:11).) If it be asked, in what respect are these things ensamples to us? We reply, inasmuch as they show the same depravity and guilt—the same proneness to ingratitude and forgetfulness of God, on their part; and on the part of God, the same long-suffering and compassion, the same hatred to sin, and the same determination to punish it, though he might spare or save the sinners: “ For when he slew them,” thatis, the chief offenders, “ then they,” the surfer God. And they remembered that God was the high God their Redeemer.” “ Great God, how oft did Israel prove, By turns thine anger, and thy love! ‘There in a glass our hearts may see How fickle and how false they be.” — Watts. continued to the reign of David.—This portion of the psalm in- Ver. 36—72. The narrative of God's dealings eps Israel forms us, that even the penitence and repentance 0 | was often hypocritical. When they inquired after God, yet “ their heart was not right with him; neither were they steadfast in his covenant.” ‘True religion always begins with inquiring after God; but such inquiries are not always either earnest or sincere. It is possible to flatter the Almighty Father, even in our devotions; and men may use a thousand names, either of awe or of endearment, without feeling either the reverence or affection of his children. It is alone the spirit of adoption that can give us either access to, or communion with him. The three chief points in the portion of this psalm now before us, are, the miracles in Egypt, the passage of the wilderness, and the conquest of Canaan. The former, we should think, ver were: but there is a vast difference between that vague recollection which we all preserve of our infantile history, and that gratitude due to a kind parent for his attentions in early life. Few of us can forget that we are creatures; yet who among us remembers his Creator with such lively sentiments of gratitude and praise, as that relation demands from us? But with respect to the passage in the wilderness, this forgetfulness seems more remarkable. ‘‘ While their meat was yet in their mouths,” and while their bread was daily showered down upon them out of heaven, for all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.’ Their infidel philosophers, probably, persuaded them that, from the long continued supplies received, they must originate from some natural cause; and even when they got possession of Canaan, though that too was by miracle, or rather a chain ef miracles, they fondly concluded that ‘‘ their own arm had gotten them the victory.” Thus prone are mankind, in every age, and in every country, to attribute to themselves the glory which they should give to God. Most surprising is it, that Christians, under the clear revelation of the gospel, should be guilty of the same sin and folly, and in the language of the Jewish maritime proverb, ‘sacrifice to their own net, and burn incense to their own drag.” ((Habakkuk 1:16).) “* How few with pious care record The wond’rous dealings of the Lord! But wise observers still shall find The Lord is holy, just, and kind.”—Watts, Psatm LXXIX. Ver. 1-13. The temple defiled and destroyed by the heathen.—This psalm strongly resem'les another psalm of Asaph, namely, the seventy-fourth, bothin its style and subject, which was evidently the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem b Nebuchadnezzar and his army, when the bodies of the murdered inhabitants were left to be food to the eagles and vultures—to wolves and foxes. The cry for vengeatice upon the heathen, (ver. 6 and 7,) is literally quoted by eremiah, ((Psalms 10:25).) unless we suppose him to have written first, and then the citation is Asaph’s. The cry for vengeance may rather be considered as proceeding from the blood of the murdered innocents than from the revenge of the survivors; but others consider it simply as a prediction of the judgments which God had determined and denounced against his enemies. ((Revelation 18:6, 20); xix. 2, &c.) _ On the following prayer, ‘“‘O revenge not against us former iniquities !” &c. Bishop Horne remarks: “ Affliction hath then wrought its intended effect, when it hath convinced us of sin, and led us to repentance; when, brought back by it to the house and presence of our heavenly Father, we ac nowledge our guilt as the cause of our misery, and entreat forgiveness of the one, in order to obtain a release of the other; not pleading our own merits, but the mercies of God our Saviour, and the glory of his name.” Psarm LX XX. Ver.1—19. God, the shepherd of Israel, planted the vineyard of his church, which was now attacked by the heathen.—There being some doubt as to the person of Asaph, and the period in which he lived, there is, consequently, a doubt as to what period of the Jewish history this refers; but we incline to the opinion of Bishop Patrick, that it was written in the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah. That it was before the loss of the ark, with the cherubim, may be inferred from the first verse; yet it appears to refer to a period of greater calamit from the heathen, than is to be found in the reign of David. The learned prelate just referred to, therefore considers Sennacherib as as wild boar of the wood, (ver. 13.) in reference to whom Hezekiah himself prays in the very language of this psalm. (See (2 Kings 19:15-16).) In the opening of this psalm, Jehovah is represented as a shepherd leading his flock, as the eastern custom is; going before them with the ark, followed by the several tribes, of which Ephraim, Benjamin, and Mannasseh, appear to have led the van in their processions: but now the heathen had made such ravages among them, that, instead of bread from heaven, and water from the rock, tears and lamentations had become both their meat and drink. Ver. 8. commences another allegory, in which Israel is described as a vine brought out of Egypt, and planted in Canaan, where it so flourished as to fill the land; aiid setit out branches as far as the Mediterranean on the west, and to the Eu hrates on the east. On the north, also, its shadow covered the hills of Lebanon, and crowned the cedars with its fruit. But now the Almighty had withdrawn his protection, they were like a vineyard without a fence, expanse! not only to the attacks of strangers, but to the ravages of wild beasts, to whom their er. iv. 7. veataee ona might be well compared. (See (Isaiah 5:1-73) The prayer, (ver. 17.) “ Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand,” &e. is supposed by many to have reference to the king, whether David or Hezekiah; but the most eminent commentators, Jewish as well as Christian, refer it ultimately and chiefly to the Messiah. “Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand;” that is, upon the man whom thou hast placed at thy right hand, “‘ whom thou hast made strong for thyself;” or, as David expresses it “the rod of thy strength,” or mighty sceptre. Upon him, “lay thy hand”—on him, confer all authority, that he may establish thy church, and subdue their enemies. (Compare Psalm ex.) The last verse forms the chorus of the psalm, which occurs also verses 3 and 7. Psarm LXXXI. Ver, 1—16. An Ode for the Feast of Trumpets.—* This psalm,” says Bishop Lowth, ‘tis an ode composed for the feast of trumpets, in the first new moon of the civil year;” and is “pervaded by an exquisite union of subto celebrate the praises of the Almighty with music and song, mays and sweetness. The exordium contains an exhortation Dek ret eee ges Sg ee ee and is replete with animation and joy, even to exultation. The commemoration of the giving of the law, associated with the sound of the trumpet, (which was the signal of liberty,) introduces in a manner spontaneously, the miseries of the Egyptian bondage, the recovery of their freedom, and the communication with God upon mount Sinai, (the awfulness of which is expressed in avery few words—‘ the secret place of thunder st and, finally, the contention with their Creator at the waters of Meribah..... The remainder of the ode contains an aflectiontionate expostulation of God with his people, a confirmation of his former promises, and a tender complaint, that his favourable intentions towards them have been so long prevented by their disobedience. Thus the object and end of this poem appears to be an exhortation to obedience, from a consideration of the paternal love, the beneficence, and the promises of the Deity,” the God of Israel. The doctrine of the psalm is, that God delights in the exercise and display of mercy and goodness; and that all our deficiencies in comfort and blessedness, arise solely from our own aperaansds and disobedience. saLmM LXXXII. Ver. 1—8. The Magistrate's Psalm.— This psalm is addressed to magistrates and judges, and reminds them, that though they were appointed to Judge the people, there was one to judge them: “God standeth in the congregation of the mighty: He judgeth among the gods.” (See (2 Chronicles 19:6-7).) In all arbitrary countries, it is well known that justice is bought and sold; and, of course, ‘‘the poor and fatherless” seldom can obtain it. Nothing tends so much as this to shake the foundation of a government, or renders it so obnoxious to the Supreme Governor of the world. Magistrates and judges should, therefore, always remember that they are mortal, and that there is a tar before which themselves must stand, and be judged according to “ the things done in the body, whether they be good or evil.” ((2 Corinthians 5:10). This psalm (as several others) concludes wit a prayer for who alone doth reign in right. the universality of his reign, eousness. (See (Psalms 2:8).) “ Arise, O Lord, and let thy Son Possess his universal throne; And rule the nations with his rod; He is our judge, and he our God.”— Watts. Psatm LX XXIII. Ver. 1—18. A prayer against those enemies who had plotted against the church.—“ It is the common opinion, (says Bishop Patrick,) that the combination uf powerful enemies, against whom they (the Jews) here implore the ivine assistance, was that mentioned in the days of Jehoshaphat. (2 Chron. (Psalms 20)) The reason of which is, because the children of Lot (the Moabites and Ammonites, ver. 8.) seem to have been the principals in this confederacy, and the others but assistants, as it is plain they were in that invasion.” ((2 Chronicles 20:2).) ‘ 1 The prayer against these combined powers is founded upon their avowed design of extirpating Israel as a nation; and Bishop Horne compares their confederacy to that of the Jews and Romans against our Saviour. ‘The punishments inflicted by heaven upon wicked men, are primarily intended to bumble and convert them. If they continue incorrigible under every dispensation of merciful severity. they are at last cut off, and finally destroyed, that others, admonished by their example, may repent and return, and give glory to God. Salutary are the afflictions which bring men, and happy the men who are brought by them, to an acknowledgment of ‘Jehovah our Righteousness,’ our exalted and glorified Redeemer, ‘ the Most High over all the earth ? whom all must acknowledge, and before whom all must appear to be judged in the great and terrible day.” “Then shall the nations know, That glorious dreadful word: JEHOVAH is thy name alone, ‘And thou the sovereign Lord.”— Watts. Psarm LX XXIV. Ver. 1—12. The blessings of public worship.—" This psalm, for the subject matter of it, (says Bishop Horne.) bears a resemblance to the forty-second. Under the figure of an Israelite deprived of all access to Jerusalem and the sanctuary, (whether it were David when driven away by Absalom, or any person in like circumstances at a different time,) we are presented with the earnest longing of a devout soul after the house and presence of God—a beautiful and passionate eulogy on the blessedness of his ministers and servants; a fervent prayer fora participation of that blessedness; and an act of faith in his power and goodness, which render him both able and willing to grant requests of this nature.” He seems to wish that he were a bird, that he might be allowed to take up his residence in the sanctuary, to see and hear all that passed in the inner courts, where only the priests were allowed to enter and to worship. _ After a passionate admiration of God’s tabernacle, he exclaims— *< Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee, In whose heart are (thy) highways. Passing through the valley of Baca, they make a well; Yea, the rain overfloweth the pools, They shall go from strength to strength; The God of gods shall appear [to them] in Zion.’ Then the Psalmist resumes his first idea: “ Por a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I would choose to keep the threshold of my God, Rather than to inhabit the tents of wickedness.” “This beautiful, but difficult psalm, describes the character (esse Se of an Old Testament believer, as one who delighted in the house of God, because there he enjoyed communion with him; as one that preferred sitting on the threshold of the tabernacle, to a splendid residence in the tents of sinners. The world, to such, may beas the rugged and thirsty vale of Baca; yet here faith will find resources in the fountain of mercy, an with joy shall they draw water from the wells of salvation. Or, if we prefer the other rendering, ‘the vale of tears’ becomes a vale of blessings, when the believer, refreshed by the teachings of the Spint, (which some understand by the rain,) is enabled to go on from strength to strength, from station to station, till, at the completion of his journey, he shall behold the face of God in Zion.” To such the Lord is both asun and shield—to them he communicates both grace and glory:—grace to strengthen them in the way, and in the end. Well may, the \ glory to crown them 1 fees conclude, “ Blessed is the man that trusteth inathe “ They go from strength to, strength Through this dark vale of tears, Till each arrives at length, Till each in heaven appears: O glorious seat, when God our king, Shall hither bring our willing feet.”— Watts. Psatm LXXXV. Ver. 1—13. A Prayer for deliverance from captivity, as typical of salvation by Christ.—The first three verses of this psalm, Bishop Horne remarks, ‘ speak of the deliverance from captivity, as already brought about, whereas in the subsequent parts of the psalm, it is prayed for and predicted asa thing future. To account for this, some suppose that the psalmist first returns thanks for a temporal redemption, an then prophecies of the spiritual salvation of Messiah. Others are of opinion, that the sa me eternal redemption is spoken of throughout, but represented in the beginning of Ver. 2. And the swallow.—tOr, rather, ‘‘ Even as the sparrow findeth a the psalm as already accomplished in the divine decree, though the eventual completion was yet tocome. The difficulty, perhaps, may be removed, by rendering these first three verses in the present time; ‘Lord, thou art favourable to thy land, thou bringest back the captivity of thy people,’ &c. that is, thou art the God whose property it is to do this, and to show such mercy to thy people, who therefore call upon thee for the same. But, indeed, to us Christians, who now use the psalm, the difference is not material, since a part of our redemption is past, and a part of it is yet to come, for the hastening of which latter we daily pray.’ Speaking of the concluding verses of this psalm, Bishop Lowth observes, ‘‘How admirable is that celebrated personification of the divine attributes by the psalmist! How just, eleant, and splendid does it appear, if applied only according to the literal sense, to the restoration of the Jewish nation from the Babylonish captivity! but if interpreted as relating to that sublimer, more sacred, and mystical sense, which is not obscurely shadowed under the ostensible image, it is certainly uncommonly noble and elevated, mysterious and sublime. “Mercy and truth are met together: Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” “These four divine attributes,” says Bishop Horne, (above referred to,) “parted at the fall of Adam, and met again at the (cross) of Christ. Mercy was ever inclined to save man, and Peace could not be his enemy; but Truth exacted the performance of God’s threat, ‘The soul that sinneth, it shall die;’ and Righteousness could not but give to every man his due. Jeho- 4 must be true in all his ways, and righteous in all his works, Now, there is no religion upon earth, except the Christian, which can satisfy the demands of all these claimants, and restore a union between them; which can show ow God’s word can be true, and his work just, and the sinner, notwithstanding, find mercy and obtain peace. “When Christ appeared in our nature, the promise was fulfilled, and ‘Truth’ sprang out of the ‘earth.’ And now Righteousness, ‘ looking quien from heaven,’ beheld in him every thing that she required—an undefiled birth, a holy life, an innocent death; a spirit and a mouth without guile, a soul and a body without sin. She saw, and was satisfied, and returned to earth. Thus all the four parties met again in perfect harmony. Truth ran to Mercy, and embraced her; Righteousness to Peace, and kissed her..... Those that are thus joined as attributes in Christ, says the same admirable writer, ought not, as virtues, to be separated in a Christian, who may learn how to resemble his blessed Lord and Master, by observing that short, but complete rule of life, comprehended in the few following words—show mercy and speak truth; do righteousness and follow peace.” Merrick has ingeniously, and perhaps justly, turned the latter partof this psalm into a prayer for the conversion of the Jewish nation. “Thy quickening Spirit, Lord, impart, And wake to joy each grateful heart; While Israel’s rescued tribes in thee Their bliss and full salvation see!” Psatm LX XXVI. Ver. 1—17.. A Prayer of David for divine mercy, founded on the experience of) Jormer deliverances. —The plea for mercy in the second verse of this psalm, has often been mistaken or abused, through a mistake as to the sense of the Hebrew words; ‘‘ Preserve my soul, for I am holy: whereas, the term may by no means be taken as a plea grounded on the psalmist’s natural purity, or personal merits; but upon his having been already made a monument of special mercy, and a subject of divine grace. Naming the God of Israel with the gods of the heathen, he says they are not to be compared. ‘Among the gods, there are none like unto thee, O God; neither any works like unto thy works; for thou art God alone. For thou, O Jehovah, art a God full of compassion, and gracious,” d&c. f ‘‘ Great is thy mercy, and my tongue Shall those sweet wonders tell; How, by thy grace, my sinking soul Rose from the deeps of hell.””— Watts. Psarm LX XXVIII. Ver.1—7. The praise of Zion.—Some commentators consider this psalm as having been composed on occasion of laying the foundation of Solomon’s temple; and it was probably written on that, or some similar, occasion. Bishop Horne remarks, “The psalmist, after having meditated on the strength, the beauty, and the glory of Jerusalem, being smitten with the love of the holy city, and imagining the thoughts of his hearers, or readers, to have been emp eyed on the same subject, breaks forth at once in this abrupt manner: ‘It is nrs foundation on the holy mountains! By ‘the holy mountains,’ are meant those hills of Judea which Jehovah had chosen, and separated to himself. from all others, whereon to construct the highlyfavoured city and temple. As the dwellings of Jacob in the promised land were beloved by him more than the dwellings of other nations, so he loved the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Jerusalem was exalted and fortified 7 its situation, but much more so by the protection of the Almighty. What Jerusalem was, the Christian church is; on uy God ‘on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, rist_himself being the chief corner-stone: in whom all the building, fitly framed, together, groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord.’ ((Ephesians 2:20).) It is ‘urs foundation in the holy mountains;’ she is beloved of God above the kingdoms and empires of the earth, ‘which rise and fall only to fulfil the divine counsels concerning her. When those counsels shall be fulfilled, in the salvation of all believers, the world which subsists only for their sake, will be at an end!” The substance of what is said, as to the cities here named, seems to amount to this: that whereas they have all, in their turns, been famous for producing great and eminent men, Zion shall, in this respect, excel them all; and especially when He comes, whose ‘name is above every name,” and whose glory shall give to Zion a pre-eminence, before which all other glories shall sink into insignificance, like the stars before the rising The concluding sentiment, (which some suppose to be the chorus to the ode,) ** All my springs are in thee,” This entry is longer than a Bible module can hold. The rest is at https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/cottage-bible/ ## Notes on the verses ‘PSALM CII. Ver. 6. Pelican.—[The pelican is a remarkable aquatic bird, of the order anseres, of a size larger than a swan; colour, a grayish white, except that the neck is a little yellowish, and the feathers on the middle of the back rather black; anterior part of the head, towards the throat, naked; beak, very long, crooked, unguiculated at the extremity, and sides not denticulated; under which is a lax membrane, extending to the throat, forming a large bag or pouch, into which it receives its food, and by pressing it with its bill, throws it up for the nourishment of its young; whence its name keath, or the vomiter. |—Bagster.—Like an owl of the desert.—Rather, “A bittern, in waste (or ruinous) places.”’—Bishop Horne.: Ver. 9. For.—Bishop Horne, ‘‘Therefore.’’ Eating ashes and drinking tears, must be explained figuratively, as “the ashes of humiliation” and ‘the water of affliction.” —Horne, 1 An exhortation to bless God for his mercy, 15 and for the constancy thereof. p Joel 2.11. of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul. PSALM CIV. heavens a curtain of sapphire, which shades from our mortal eyes a splendour that they could not support. ‘‘ Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters:” may not this refer to those pillars of cloud, commonly called water-spouts, and which are common in the Mediterranean? These forma communication between the sea and skies—his towering chambers in the clouds on which he rides. The next image is still more sublime, (as was long ago remarked by Addison,) and has perhaps no parallel, even in the inspired writings. ‘‘ He walketh,” with a dignified deliberation, “upon the wings of those winds” that are known to advance, at times, not less than 100 miles within the hour. The following verse has an ambiguity and obscurity which is often attendant on the sublime, and may be rendered either —“ He maketh his angels winds, and his ministers flaming fire;” that is, they move with the force and rapidity of the tempest and the lightning: or the words may be rendered inversely—‘‘ He maketh the winds his messengers, and the flame (i. e. the lightnings) his ministers;” meaning, that all the agents in nature are employed to perform his will. The rest of the imagery, if not equally grand, is no less beautiful and appropriate. The hills, the valleys, the skies, the seas, are all explored for images to display the glory of Deity; and all this celestial artillery is planted against the impenitent and incorrigible sinner; and yet, amidst all this majesty and terror, the psalmist sits down, as it were beneath the curtainsof the ta ernacle, and says, “‘ My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.” And thus also sings the Christian poet: nd “ This awful God is ours, Our Father, and our love; He shall send down his heavenly pow’rs To carry us above.” — Watts. Psatm CV. Ver. 1—45. A review of God's mercies to Israel. —This is another of those psalms usually called historical, or narrative. The first of them, ((Psalms 28)) has been already considered, and is attributed to Asaph. This we know (at laast the first fifteen verses) was composed by David, on occasion of placing the ark of God in Zion. ((1 Chronicles 16)) Much of the matter of this psalm is similar to that of the seventy-eighth, above alluded to, with which it may be compared, as also with the scriptures referred to in our notes. The nature of onr plan prevents us from going repeatedly over the same ground. Suffice it to remark here, that after a_general exhortation to his mercies towards Ispraise God, we have a general view of rael, from the covenant made with Abraham to their taking great end ofall his possession of the land of Canaan; and the the chapter, is stadispensations towards them, in the close of observe his statutes and keep his ted to be, that “they might ‘: the great. laws.” So, under the New, Testament dispensation: he might object of Christ’s redemption 1s stated to be, that eem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of goo works.” ((Titus 2:14).) “ Give thanks to God, invoke his name, And tell the world his grace; Sound through the earth his deeds of fame, That all may seek his face.”— Watts. A Psalm of praise, confession, Psatm CVI. Ver. 1—48. and prayer.—This is another of the historical psalms, and recapitulates the same wonderful deliverances on the part of God, and the like perverse rebellion on the part of Israel. The points particularly reproved in the conduct of the latter are—their murmuring in the wilderness for want of food and water, which were miraculously supplied;—the rebellion of Korah and his confederates;—the worshipping of a calf in Horeb;—and the idolatry of Baal-peor. These circumstances mark the Jewish character with a degree of perverseness, ingratitude, and folly, credible only to those who have a deep acquaintance with the depravity of human nature. But to this we may add also, the farther degradation of their character during their state of slavery in Egypt, when they seemed to have been reduced to a state of extreme ignorance, superstition, and even barbarism; so that they worshipped animals, like their Egyptian masters, 29 Thus they provoked him to anger with and were lost to every sentiment of national independence, freedom, or ambition; insomuch that they were hardly prevailed upon to accept the liberty that was offered them; and murmured at the divine interference, as if the object had been to lead them intu slavery, instead of advancing them to privileges and to honour, above all the nations that were around them. Their repeated crimes, however, were followed by repeated pardons, and reiterated deliverances. ‘‘ Many times 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom did he deliver them, but they provoked him;.... and were brought low for theiriniquities. Nevertheless, he regarded their affliction when he heard their cry.” q Psatm CVII. Ver. 1—43._ A Psalm of general thanksgiving Sor the mercies of Divine Providence.—This psalm, according to Bishop Lovoth, “ may be enumerated among the most elegant monuments of antiquity; and it is chiefly indebted for its elegance to the general plan and conduct of the poem. It celewe consider the act itself, or the consequences to which it leads? Yet the same Lord, who is “rich in mercy to all who call upon him,” sends his word and heals the penitent backslider. The concluding class of persons is that of mariners, than whom none see more of the power or goodness of divine providence. And when a storm overtakes them, then even sailors pray? “They cry unto the Lord, and he delivereth them out of their distresses.”’ Few of us, perhaps, may be exposed to this terrible situation; ‘‘ But then, (as Bishop Horne remarks,) we cannot help reflecting, that thereis a ship in which we are all embarked; there is a troubled sea on which we all sail; there are storms by which we are all frequently overtaken; and there is a haven which we all desire to behold and to enter. For the church is a ship; the world is a sea; temptations, persecutions, and afflictions are the waves of it; the prince of the power of the air is the stormy wind which raises them, and eaven is the only port of rest and security. Often during the voyage, for our punishment or our trial, God permitteth us to be thus assaulted.” But, as he adds, in all such cases, prayer is the only resource; and if we ery to Him who governs and directs the storm, as his disciples on earth did, “Lord save, or we perish !”” he will make the storm subside into a calm, and “bring us to our desired haven.” In the conclusion, the psalmist farther illustrates the conduct of Divine Providence, in changing the face of nature to punish the rebellious, or to save and bless the penitent or obedient of his people. The concluding verse is particularly interesting, as containing this important fact, that those who ert this subject, will constantly find in it the most pleasing exhibition of “ the loving-kindness of the Lord.” Psatm CVIII. Ver. 1\—13. Prayer for help.—This psalm consists of the latter part of the fifty-seventh Psalm, and the latter part of the sixtieth, with no material alteration. The fifty-seventh was composed when David fled from Saul in the cave; and begins with grievous complaints, which are here omitted. The sixtieth was written after David had for some time reigned over all Israel, and when he was engaged in war with the Syrians and others. It also begins with complaints of the calamities to which Israel had been exposed; and these likewise are left out. So that this, as a psalm, is more in the strain of confidence. gratitude, and joyful hope, than either of those from which it is taken; and thus more suited to a season of thanksgiving for past mercies, and prayer for farther deliverance; and it is probable, it was compiled for that purpose.— T.. Scott. 5 Psatm CLIX. Ver. 1—31. It is generally supposed that this psalm was composed by David, when persecuted b Saul, who was rendered more implacable by the base an malicious calumnies of Doeg and others; though some are of opinion, that it was written when David fled from Absalom, and that Ahithophel, rather than Doeg, is the typical person against whom itis principally directed. Bishop Patrick, and other commentators, following Aben Ezra and D. Kimchi, apply the psalm in the first place to David, under the persecution of Saul and his part particularly Doeg, the Edomite. But we incline rather to refer the psalm to a subsequent period; namely, that of Absalom’s rebellion, and to attribute the curses here recited to Shimei, “ whose mouth was full of cursing and bitterness,”’ while David, like his great antitype, “blesséd and cursed not.” (See (2 Samuel 16)Such was the conjecture of Drs. Sykes and Kennicott, Professor Michaelis, and others, who attribute all the e1rses from verse 6 to 19 inclusive, to David’s enemies. Dh. Boothroyd, however, remarks, that David, adopting these imprecations as his own in the 20th verse, ‘‘Let this be the reward of mine enemies,” &c., reinstates all the difficulty arising from a supposition of the preceding language being his.. Bishop Horne and others, therefore, adopt a different mode of explanation. ‘‘As most of the following verbs are in the future tense, and the rest have evidently a predictive and future import, the same liberty is here taken (by him) as in (Psalms 18)of rendering them throughout uniformly in that tense; by which means, the curses pronounced in this psalm will at once appear to be of the same import with those in the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy,” which see. - Butas St. Peter quotes this psalm in the imperative, in Acts i, 16, 20, 25, and applies some of the imprecations to the traitor Judas, it seems doubtful whether we have sufficient authority to interpret them all in the simple future. Two things are, however, certain; 1. That such expressions can only be justified when uttered under the influence of immediate inspiration; and, 2. We ought in no case to use such Scriptures in expression of private malevolence. The church is in many places (see (Revelation 19:2-3), &c.) represented as confirming or applauding the divine judgments on the wicked, in the same manner as the spectators of a public trial may commend the conduct of a judge, in pronouncing sentence on a criminal clearly convicted, without the least personal enmity to the culprit. Psatm OX. Ver. 1—7. The kingdom, priesthood, and final triumphs of the Messiah.—This very much resembles the second psalm, by the same author, (David;) and refers to the same events, namely, the conversion of the heathen, and the universal prevalence of Messiah’s kingdom. It begins, like the former, with narrating a divine decree. ‘The Lord said unto my Lord:”? and promises him “ the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession.» He is also ordained a priest, as well as king, and that of an order peculiar to himself, an “* everlasting priesthood,” (see (Hebrews 5:6); vi. vii.) which admits of no succession and no Quoting this psalm in evidence of the divinity of Christ, Dr. J. Pye Smith judiciously remarks:—‘‘ The Messiah is here represented as a person distinct from Jehovah, and as receiving from him a dominion the most extensive—a dominion, the exercise of which is described in characters which we cannot. without difficulty, conceive as inherent in a merely create and dependant being. He is represented as a sovereign, no less than a priest; as receiving the homage of his devoted subjects; and as employing irresistible powers in discomfiting and punishing his persisting opposers. Jesus certainly proposed this passage,°as involving his enemies in an unanswerable — difficulty. ‘How, then, doth David, by the Spirit, call him Lord, saying, Jehovah said to my Lord,’ &ec. ‘If David, then, called him (Messiah) Lord, how is he his son? ((Matthew 22:43-46).) To this it is evident the Jews could give no satisfactory answer, being ignorant (perhaps wilfully ignorant) of the true character of the Messiah; and such appears to be the case with many others.”: In viewing this psalm with relation to the progress of Christ’s kingdom, we may remark, that all his army consists of volunteers; yet have they so little idea of merit in themselves, that they give him the glory, by offering to him the fruit of all their spiritual conflicts. They are like “ the Governors of the people (namely, of Israel) that offered themselves willingly” to the war; ((Judges 5:9)-) and when they gained a victory, brought with cheerfulness their offerings to the Lord, saying with Solomon, “All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” (i Chron. xxix. 14. (2 Chronicles 15:11-12).) * The last verse is attended with considerable difficulty. Many commentators explain drinking of the brook, in reference to our Redeemer’s sufferings, and it is certain that these nn ne ena ## Notes on the verses A Psalm of David. LESS the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the Lorv, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: probably during the captivity, or under the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes. The outline of it is a plaintive description of the depressed and languishing condition of the church of God; and an encouraging contemplation of its revival and extension among the Gentiles: then. the writer is suddenly checked by the reflection of his own mortality, and the thought that he could not hope to see the happy state of things, which the spirit of prophecy enabled him to behold afar off: but, to relieve his mind from this distressing feeling, he takes refuge in the unchangeableness of the great Preserver and Deliverer of the church, and the certainty that he would fulfil the promises of his grace to the latest posterity of his faithful people. Is it incredible or improbable, that, under these descriptions, the mourning but despairing psalmist looked forward to the promised Saviour, the hope of Isracl? His knowledge was, of course, obscure; but his faith was not the less certain. Who was destined to restore the desolate church, and to extend its blessings among all nations, but Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever?” Psarm CI. Ver. 1-22. Praise to God for his recovering mercy.—This sweet and pathetic psalm is ascribed to David, and supposed by Bishop Patrick and other to have been written by him on his recovery from some dangerous sickness. At the head of every list of our mercies should always stand that Ver. 14. Take pleasure, &c.—Like antiquarians, they found a pensive sure in the very contemplation of her ruins. PSALM CHIL Ver. 3. Diseases.—Or, “‘Infirmities.’—Bishop Horne. _. Ver. 5. Thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.—That is, by moulting, or shedding their feathers; this is cor. mon to all birds, and eagles and vultures are said to do so nearly to one hundred years of age.—Bishop Horne. Ver. ii. As the heaven is high, é&c.—See Margin. Compare (Isaiah 55:9). Lowth, © So high is his goodness over,’’ &c.: Ver. 15. As g7ass. —| Grass, the well known vegetable which decks our fields q Da.7.10. 1 A meditation upon the mighty power, 7 and wonderful providence of God. 31 God’s glory is eternal. 33 The prophet voweth perpetually to praise God. LESS the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my r Ps.145.10. God, thou art very great; *thou art cloa Re.1.13, thed with honour and majesty. of pardon and salvation through Christ. What availeth recovery from sickness, or any temporal blessing, while we still lie under the curse of God for sin? But pardon granted renders every temporal mercy doubly sweet and valuable. A variety of beautiful images are here employed to exhibit the riches of divine mercy; but none more tender or affecting than that borrowed from the paternal relation among men. “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.” But how is this? |“ The father (says Henry) pities his children that are weak in knowledge, and instructs them; pities them when they are froward, and bears with them; pities them when they are sick, and cor‘orts them; pities them when they have fallen, and raises them, When they have offended, upon their submission he forgives them; and when they are wronged, his power rights them. Thus the Lord pitieth them that fear him.” “ The pity of the Lord To those that fear his name, Is such as tender parents feel; He knows our fheble frame.’’--Watts. Psautm CIV. Ver. 1—35. Meditation on the creation and providence of God.—This psalm is eminently sublime and beautiful. The Most High is here represented as clothed with glois garment; and the visible ry and majesty: light ineffable and refreshes our sight with its grateful verdure, in its feeble frame and transitory duration is beautifully emblematic of the frail condition and fleeting existence of man; and in the order of its growth, from seeds dead and buried, it gives a natural testimony to the doctrine of a resurrection: the pro shet. Isaiah, ((Psalms 26:19).) and the apostle Peter, (1 Peter i, 24, 25.) both speak of bodies rising from the dead as of so many seeds springing from the ground to renovated existence and beauty. ]—Bagster. 7 \ PsALM CIV. (‘This sublime poem on the works of God in Creation and Providence, is ascribed to David in the LX X., Vulgate, Ethiopic, Syriac, and Ara bic; and as it opens and closes with the same words as the preceding psalm, it is probable that it was composed on the same occasion; and it is written a3 part of it in nine MSS.]—Bagster. Ver. 3. Layeth the beams.—[The psalmist here elegantly represents Jehovah as building the upper chambers (aleeyo¢h) of his magnificent palace in those waters above the firmament whence the clouds are formed. ]—Bagster. Ver. 4. Maketh his angels, &c.—(Or, rather, ‘“ Who maketh the winds (or spirits) (roochoth) his messengers; a flaming fire his ministers.” ]—Bagster. Ver. 10. He sendeth.—|The waters of the sea are not only prevented from destroying the earth, but, by a wonderful machinery, are rendered the means of preserving every living thing: partly ascending from the great deep through the strata of the earth, partly exhaled in vapour from the surface of the ocean, aud thence falling in rain, especially on the tops and sides of mountains, they break forth into fresh springs, and form streams and sven | Ver. 11. Quench.—Ainsworth, “ Slake.” The ass was thought to possess an extraordinary power of discovering water in the deserts. Nees The fowls.—Namely, singing birds, “‘ who gave a voice” among the Ver. 17. Stork.—{The stork is a species of the ardeaor heron genus, about the size of a goose in its body, but when erect, about three or fuur feet high; its general colour is white; extremity of the wings, and small part of the head, black; legs, very long, red, and naked a great way up; the toes four, long and “onnected, with flat nails like those of a man; beak long, jagged, red, and somewhat compressed; the upper and under chaps both of a length, with a furrow from the nostrils: it feeds on serpents, frogs, and insects, on which account it might be deemed unclean; lays four eggs, and sits thirty days; migrates about August, and'returne in spring; and is remarkable forits love to its arents. whom it never forsakes, but feeds and cherishes when old; whence it fe the name chaseedah, which denotes kindness or piety, and stork, from the Greek storge, natural affection.|—Bagster. Ver. 18. Wild goats.—|The yaal, is the ibex, or rock-goat, so called from alah, to ascend, because it is fumous for mounting to the tops of the highest rocks. Its pleening appearance is that of the tame goat, of a dusky brown colour; but the male is larger, with long horns, bending backwards. J—Bag ster. - Ver. 25. Great beasts.—Meaning the monsters of the deep. PsaLmM CV. [It appears from (1 Chronicles 16)where the former part of this psalm, as far as the sixteenth verse, is found with little variation, that David composed it at the removal of the ark to Mount Zion, and he himself probably enlarged it afterwards with the glorious detail of God’s merciful dealings with Abraham and his posterity till their settlement in the land of Promise. ‘The Hallelujah, which terminates the preceding psalm, is made the title of this by the Septuagint, Vulgate, Arabic, and prreins and the Syriae considers it a paraphrase on the words, “‘ Pear not, Jacob, to go down into Egynt a and teaches us spiritually not to fear when we are obliged to contend with devils; for God is our shield, and will fight for us."” —Bagséer. Vor. 8. He hath remembered.—{In the other copy in Chronicles, the Psalmjat exhorts the people to be mindful of the covenant which Jehovah had made with their fathers; but here he teaches them to praise remembered it. ]— Bagster. Ver. 31. Divers sorts of flies.—(Arov, was probably LXX. render; and it is supposed to be the same as is called in Abyssinia the zimb; which word, says, Bruce, The Chaldee paraphrase is content the same general signification. The Ethiopic version calls it ¢sa/tsalya, whichis the true name of this particular fly in Geez. It is in size very a bee, of a thicker proportion, and its wings, vurate like those of a fly. Its head is large; fon at the end of it a strong length; the lower jaw. has two of these a hog. Its legs are serrated on the inside, and the whole covered with God for having always is Arabic, and signifies the fly in general. with calling it simply which are broader, are placed se- | the upper jaw or lip is sharp, an pointed hair, of abouta quarter of an inch in hairs; and this pencil of hairs, joined hair or down. It has no sting, though it appears to be of the bee kind. As soon as this winged assassin appears, and its buzzing is heard, the cattle forsake their food, and run wildly a beuE the plain, till they die, worn out with uffright, fatigue, and pain.]—Bagster. f f Ver. 37. Not one feeble person.—[ Considering the immense number of men, the dog-jly, as the women, children, and cattle, it must certainly have appeared extraordinary, that there was none among them weak or feeble, none unable to perform the journey. ‘The order was, that “not a hoof should be left behind;”’ and He who zebub, which has ‘commanded gave strength to obey. |—Bagster.;: Ver, 44. Labour.—(That is, “the produce of their labour;” the cities and little longer than houses they had built, the vineyards they had planted, é&c.|—Bagster. Psatm CVI [As part of the preceding psalm is found in (Psalms 16), 50 the first and two last verses of this are found in the same place; and it is highly i upon the same occasion as the former, to which it probable this was composed w;; seems to be a continuation; for as that celebrates the mercies of God to Israel, Ver. 7. Provoked him.—‘' Thee,” as harmonizing better with the former member of the verse. Ver. 9. Rebuxed.—(In the descriptions of the Psalmist, every thing has life. The sea is av animated being, behaves itself proudly, is rebuked, and retires in confusion. |— Bagster. Ver. 15. Leanness.—[ They despised the manna, calling it light or innutritive food. God gave them flesh aa they desired, but gave no blessing with it; and, in consequence, they did not fatten, but grew lean upon it; and many, surfeited by excess, died of disease. Instead of razon, “ leanness,”’ however, Bishop Lovth supposes we should read zeraon, “ nausea or loathing,” which appears to be supported by several ancient versions, and by (Numbers 11:20). where this portion of the history of the Israelites is recorded, and where the word zara is used, and rendered. “it be loathsome.” |—Bagster. Ver. 20. Their glory.—|That is, their God, who ought to have been the peculiar object of their glory. |—Bagster. Ver, 22, Wondrous works.... land of Ham.—{The plagues He in- Gicted on the here Egypt is called the land of Ham, or rathar, Cham, because it was peopled by Mizraim the son of Ham, and grandson of Noah, Plutarch informs us, that the Egyptians called their couatry Chemia: and the Copts give it the name of Chemi, to the present day.)—Bagster. Ver. 28. the dead.—{The word maithim, signifies dead men; for the idols of the heathen were generally men,—warriors, kings, or lawgivers,—who had been deified after their death; though many of them had been execrated during their life.]— Bagster.; Ver. 37. Unto devils.—[However unnatural and horrid human sacrifices may appear, it is certain, that they did not only exist, but almost universally prevailed in the heathen world, especially among the Canaanites and Phenicians. |—Bagster. 5 N (Psalms 107)[The author of this Psalm is unknown; but it was evidently written to commemorate the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity; and it may easily be perceived that it must have been sung in alternate parts, having a double burden, or two intercalary verses often recurring. Bishop Lovoth considers it as written “‘ after the method of the ancient pastorals, where, be the subject of their verse what it will, each swain endeavoure 4 They wandered in the wilderness ¢ in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. 5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul faintedin them. 6 Then ‘they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their 7 And he led them forth by the right &way, that they might go to a city of habitation. 8 Oh that men would praise the Lorn for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 9 For “he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. 10 Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound iin affliction and iron; 11 Because i they rebelled against the words 3f God, and contemned the counsel ‘of the pan Most High: F Ps.30.2,3 12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none !to help. 13 Then they cried unto the Lorn in their trouble, and he saved them out of their dis- 14 He ™ brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in 15 O that men would praise the Lono for his ” tudomie goodness, and for his wonderful works to the edup. children of men ! 16 For "he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the gates of iron in sunder. 17 Fools ° because of their transgression, and ree because of their iniquities, are afflicted. PL BELL, 18 Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death. 19 Then? they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. 90 He sent his word, ? and healed them, * and delivered them from their destructions. _ ee ree brates the goodness and mercy of God towards mankind, as demonstrated in the immediate assistance and comfort which he affords, in the greatest calamities, to those who devoutly implore his aid: in the first place, to those who wander in the desert, and who encounter the horrors of famine; next, to those who are in pendage= 10 those who are afflicted with disease: and, finally, to those who are tossed about upon the ocean. The prolixity of the argument 1s occasionally relieved by narration; and examples are superadded of the divine severity in punishing the wicked, as well as of his benignity to the devout and virtuous; and both the narrative and preceptive parts are recommended to the earnest contem lation of considerate minds. Thus, the whole poem actually divides into five parts, nearly equal: the four first of which conclude with an intercalary verse expressive of the subject or design of the hymn;” and which is thus rendered by our translators: 18} that men would praise the Lord for his goodness; and for his wonderful works to the children of men ?? This distich, as the same eminent critic calls it, is occasionally diversified, and forms a chorus to the ode. It might more hicraiviee rendered “Tet them confess to Jehovah his mercy; and his wonderful works to the children of Adam.” to excel the other; and one may perceive their thoughts and expressions gradually to arise upon each other.” “No doubt,” he adds, “ the composition of this psalm is admirable throughout; and the descriptive part of it adds at least its share of beauty to the whole; but what is most to be admired is its conciseness, and withal the expressiveness of the diction, which strikes the imagination with inimitable elegance. ‘The weary and bewildered traveller— the miserable captive in the dungeon—the sick and dying man—the seaman foundering in a storm—are described in so affecting a manner, that they far exceed any thing of the kind, though never so much laboured.’ ]—Bagster. Ver. 4. Found no city.—(This is the first similitude; in which the Israelites in captivity are compared to travellers ina dreary, uninhabited, and barren desert, spent with hunger and thirst, as well as by the fatigues of the journey.) Ver. 10. Sit in darkness.—[Here begins the sEcoND comparison; in which the state of the captives in Babylon is illustrated by that of prisoners ina dreary Ver. 17. Fools, &c.—(This is the THIRD comparison; the captives. being compared to persons in a dangerous malady, as the consequence of their own sins. |—Bagster. f v.13.19,28. " yejoicing. Ps.50. 15. 23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; g Ezr.8.21. 24 These see the works of the Lord, and his h Lu.1.53, wonders in the deep. 25 For Yhe commandeth, and ¥ raiseth the i Job 36.8,9. stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves j La.3.42. k Lu.7.30. 26 They mount up to the heaven, they go 1 Job 9.13. down again to the depths: their soul is melted x because of trouble. m Ps,146.7. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a n Is.45.2. drunken man, and ” areat their wit’s end. o Ps.38.3,5. 28 Then they cry unto the Lord in their p Job 33.19, trouble, and he bringeth them out of their disq 2Ki. W.4,5 29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; 8 Ps.66.5. so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. t Le.7.12. 31 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to u singing. the children of men! y Jo.1.4,&c. 32 Let them exalt him also in the congrew maketh to gation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. x Na.2.10. 33 He » turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the water-springs into dry ground; 34 A « fruitful land into “ barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. z Ps.89.9. 35 He « turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into water-springs. 36 And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; 37 And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, c Ge.13.10. which may yield fruits of increase. 38 He blesseth them also, so that they are d saltness. e Ps.114.8. multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease. f 2 Ki.10.32. 39 Again, they are ‘ diminished and brought Bishop Horne applies this psalm particularly to the Christian our Lord to the Jews, that many church, on the suggestion of of his redeemed ones should ‘‘ come from the east and from and from the south,” and ‘should the west, from the north sit down in the kingdom of God,” whilst themselves, for their “thrust out,” and scattered through the unbelief, should be wilderness of this world, as has indeed been most remarkably the case for many centuries; for there is scarcely any considerable country in which the children of Abraham are not found. It is not, however, to these unhappy apostates that the psalmbut rather to their forefathers in the time ist primarily refers; yt who. are all pilot Moses, and to ‘Abraham’s spiritual seed, who have here “no congrims and strangers in the earth, ((Hebrews 11:14-16).) >but seek ore that is above. tinuing city,’ The same persons are then represented as captives, and that on account of their rebellion against the Most High; yet when their hearts were suitably humbled, they were saved out of their distresses. Cases of personal affliction and disease are next introduced, with this emphatic remark, that “fools, because of ointed out their transgressions, are afflicted;” in which sin is as the source of all afiliction, and sinners are branded universaland, indeed, what folly is so great as sin; whether ly as fools; Ver. 23. Go down to the sea.—{This is the FOURTH comparison; their captivity was as dangerous and alarming as a dreadful tempest at sea; with a most natural and striking description of which we are here presented. )- Bag- Raiseth.—The rising tempest is here compared to a giant, raising Ver. 25. himself upright.. j Ver. 26. Soulis melted.—{This is not less expressive than descriptive. When the sea runs high; and when the vessel is raised to the clouds on the ridge of then precipitated into the yawning gulf below;, the a stupendous wave, and soul seems to dissolve, and the whole mind to melt away, so that neither ng nor reflection remains, but the mere apprenension of inevitable destruction. }—Bagster.; head Ver. 39. Again, they aredimin ished.—{The incidents detailed in these verses, which frequently occur, and mark the superintendence of a benign Providence, and the hand of a just God, appear to be brought forward to ilhistrate the return of the Israelites from captivity, and the punishment of their oppressors, the ‘Wherefore, at last, as in a common chorus, they conclude with exhorting each other to a serious consideration of these things, and to make a proper return to the Almighty.]—Bagster. a vee 42. All iniquity.—That is, all cavillers at divine providence. See Job This Psalm begins the 5th hook of the Psalter, according to the Rabbins. (Psalms 106)Title,—A Song or Psalm of David.—Some have supposed, theterm psalm implies the accompaniment of instruments, and song does not: it may be equivalent to “ with or without instruments.” But this is by no means certain. Ver. 1. O God, my heart ts fixed, &c.—The first five verses of this pralm are the last five of (Psalms 57), and the remaining eight are taken from Psalin !x, 5—12. They were probably united for some occasion at present unknown, and which it is useless to conjecture.: i The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 103; the text below is that joint comment. 1 An exhortation to bless God for his mercy, 15 and for the constancy thereof. p Joel 2.11. of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul. PSALM CIV. heavens a curtain of sapphire, which shades from our mortal eyes a splendour that they could not support. ‘‘ Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters:” may not this refer to those pillars of cloud, commonly called water-spouts, and which are common in the Mediterranean? These forma communication between the sea and skies—his towering chambers in the clouds on which he rides. The next image is still more sublime, (as was long ago remarked by Addison,) and has perhaps no parallel, even in the inspired writings. ‘‘ He walketh,” with a dignified deliberation, “upon the wings of those winds” that are known to advance, at times, not less than 100 miles within the hour. The following verse has an ambiguity and obscurity which is often attendant on the sublime, and may be rendered either —“ He maketh his angels winds, and his ministers flaming fire;” that is, they move with the force and rapidity of the tempest and the lightning: or the words may be rendered inversely—‘‘ He maketh the winds his messengers, and the flame (i. e. the lightnings) his ministers;” meaning, that all the agents in nature are employed to perform his will. The rest of the imagery, if not equally grand, is no less beautiful and appropriate. The hills, the valleys, the skies, the seas, are all explored for images to display the glory of Deity; and all this celestial artillery is planted against the impenitent and incorrigible sinner; and yet, amidst all this majesty and terror, the psalmist sits down, as it were beneath the curtainsof the ta ernacle, and says, “‘ My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.” And thus also sings the Christian poet: nd “ This awful God is ours, Our Father, and our love; He shall send down his heavenly pow’rs To carry us above.” — Watts. Psatm CV. Ver. 1—45. A review of God's mercies to Israel. —This is another of those psalms usually called historical, or narrative. The first of them, ((Psalms 28)) has been already considered, and is attributed to Asaph. This we know (at laast the first fifteen verses) was composed by David, on occasion of placing the ark of God in Zion. ((1 Chronicles 16)) Much of the matter of this psalm is similar to that of the seventy-eighth, above alluded to, with which it may be compared, as also with the scriptures referred to in our notes. The nature of onr plan prevents us from going repeatedly over the same ground. Suffice it to remark here, that after a_general exhortation to his mercies towards Ispraise God, we have a general view of rael, from the covenant made with Abraham to their taking great end ofall his possession of the land of Canaan; and the the chapter, is stadispensations towards them, in the close of observe his statutes and keep his ted to be, that “they might ‘: the great. laws.” So, under the New, Testament dispensation: he might object of Christ’s redemption 1s stated to be, that eem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of goo works.” ((Titus 2:14).) “ Give thanks to God, invoke his name, And tell the world his grace; Sound through the earth his deeds of fame, That all may seek his face.”— Watts. A Psalm of praise, confession, Psatm CVI. Ver. 1—48. and prayer.—This is another of the historical psalms, and recapitulates the same wonderful deliverances on the part of God, and the like perverse rebellion on the part of Israel. The points particularly reproved in the conduct of the latter are—their murmuring in the wilderness for want of food and water, which were miraculously supplied;—the rebellion of Korah and his confederates;—the worshipping of a calf in Horeb;—and the idolatry of Baal-peor. These circumstances mark the Jewish character with a degree of perverseness, ingratitude, and folly, credible only to those who have a deep acquaintance with the depravity of human nature. But to this we may add also, the farther degradation of their character during their state of slavery in Egypt, when they seemed to have been reduced to a state of extreme ignorance, superstition, and even barbarism; so that they worshipped animals, like their Egyptian masters, 29 Thus they provoked him to anger with and were lost to every sentiment of national independence, freedom, or ambition; insomuch that they were hardly prevailed upon to accept the liberty that was offered them; and murmured at the divine interference, as if the object had been to lead them intu slavery, instead of advancing them to privileges and to honour, above all the nations that were around them. Their repeated crimes, however, were followed by repeated pardons, and reiterated deliverances. ‘‘ Many times 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom did he deliver them, but they provoked him;.... and were brought low for theiriniquities. Nevertheless, he regarded their affliction when he heard their cry.” q Psatm CVII. Ver. 1—43._ A Psalm of general thanksgiving Sor the mercies of Divine Providence.—This psalm, according to Bishop Lovoth, “ may be enumerated among the most elegant monuments of antiquity; and it is chiefly indebted for its elegance to the general plan and conduct of the poem. It celewe consider the act itself, or the consequences to which it leads? Yet the same Lord, who is “rich in mercy to all who call upon him,” sends his word and heals the penitent backslider. The concluding class of persons is that of mariners, than whom none see more of the power or goodness of divine providence. And when a storm overtakes them, then even sailors pray? “They cry unto the Lord, and he delivereth them out of their distresses.”’ Few of us, perhaps, may be exposed to this terrible situation; ‘‘ But then, (as Bishop Horne remarks,) we cannot help reflecting, that thereis a ship in which we are all embarked; there is a troubled sea on which we all sail; there are storms by which we are all frequently overtaken; and there is a haven which we all desire to behold and to enter. For the church is a ship; the world is a sea; temptations, persecutions, and afflictions are the waves of it; the prince of the power of the air is the stormy wind which raises them, and eaven is the only port of rest and security. Often during the voyage, for our punishment or our trial, God permitteth us to be thus assaulted.” But, as he adds, in all such cases, prayer is the only resource; and if we ery to Him who governs and directs the storm, as his disciples on earth did, “Lord save, or we perish !”” he will make the storm subside into a calm, and “bring us to our desired haven.” In the conclusion, the psalmist farther illustrates the conduct of Divine Providence, in changing the face of nature to punish the rebellious, or to save and bless the penitent or obedient of his people. The concluding verse is particularly interesting, as containing this important fact, that those who ert this subject, will constantly find in it the most pleasing exhibition of “ the loving-kindness of the Lord.” Psatm CVIII. Ver. 1\—13. Prayer for help.—This psalm consists of the latter part of the fifty-seventh Psalm, and the latter part of the sixtieth, with no material alteration. The fifty-seventh was composed when David fled from Saul in the cave; and begins with grievous complaints, which are here omitted. The sixtieth was written after David had for some time reigned over all Israel, and when he was engaged in war with the Syrians and others. It also begins with complaints of the calamities to which Israel had been exposed; and these likewise are left out. So that this, as a psalm, is more in the strain of confidence. gratitude, and joyful hope, than either of those from which it is taken; and thus more suited to a season of thanksgiving for past mercies, and prayer for farther deliverance; and it is probable, it was compiled for that purpose.— T.. Scott. 5 Psatm CLIX. Ver. 1—31. It is generally supposed that this psalm was composed by David, when persecuted b Saul, who was rendered more implacable by the base an malicious calumnies of Doeg and others; though some are of opinion, that it was written when David fled from Absalom, and that Ahithophel, rather than Doeg, is the typical person against whom itis principally directed. Bishop Patrick, and other commentators, following Aben Ezra and D. Kimchi, apply the psalm in the first place to David, under the persecution of Saul and his part particularly Doeg, the Edomite. But we incline rather to refer the psalm to a subsequent period; namely, that of Absalom’s rebellion, and to attribute the curses here recited to Shimei, “ whose mouth was full of cursing and bitterness,”’ while David, like his great antitype, “blesséd and cursed not.” (See (2 Samuel 16)Such was the conjecture of Drs. Sykes and Kennicott, Professor Michaelis, and others, who attribute all the e1rses from verse 6 to 19 inclusive, to David’s enemies. Dh. Boothroyd, however, remarks, that David, adopting these imprecations as his own in the 20th verse, ‘‘Let this be the reward of mine enemies,” &c., reinstates all the difficulty arising from a supposition of the preceding language being his.. Bishop Horne and others, therefore, adopt a different mode of explanation. ‘‘As most of the following verbs are in the future tense, and the rest have evidently a predictive and future import, the same liberty is here taken (by him) as in (Psalms 18)of rendering them throughout uniformly in that tense; by which means, the curses pronounced in this psalm will at once appear to be of the same import with those in the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy,” which see. - Butas St. Peter quotes this psalm in the imperative, in Acts i, 16, 20, 25, and applies some of the imprecations to the traitor Judas, it seems doubtful whether we have sufficient authority to interpret them all in the simple future. Two things are, however, certain; 1. That such expressions can only be justified when uttered under the influence of immediate inspiration; and, 2. We ought in no case to use such Scriptures in expression of private malevolence. The church is in many places (see (Revelation 19:2-3), &c.) represented as confirming or applauding the divine judgments on the wicked, in the same manner as the spectators of a public trial may commend the conduct of a judge, in pronouncing sentence on a criminal clearly convicted, without the least personal enmity to the culprit. Psatm OX. Ver. 1—7. The kingdom, priesthood, and final triumphs of the Messiah.—This very much resembles the second psalm, by the same author, (David;) and refers to the same events, namely, the conversion of the heathen, and the universal prevalence of Messiah’s kingdom. It begins, like the former, with narrating a divine decree. ‘The Lord said unto my Lord:”? and promises him “ the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession.» He is also ordained a priest, as well as king, and that of an order peculiar to himself, an “* everlasting priesthood,” (see (Hebrews 5:6); vi. vii.) which admits of no succession and no Quoting this psalm in evidence of the divinity of Christ, Dr. J. Pye Smith judiciously remarks:—‘‘ The Messiah is here represented as a person distinct from Jehovah, and as receiving from him a dominion the most extensive—a dominion, the exercise of which is described in characters which we cannot. without difficulty, conceive as inherent in a merely create and dependant being. He is represented as a sovereign, no less than a priest; as receiving the homage of his devoted subjects; and as employing irresistible powers in discomfiting and punishing his persisting opposers. Jesus certainly proposed this passage,°as involving his enemies in an unanswerable — difficulty. ‘How, then, doth David, by the Spirit, call him Lord, saying, Jehovah said to my Lord,’ &ec. ‘If David, then, called him (Messiah) Lord, how is he his son? ((Matthew 22:43-46).) To this it is evident the Jews could give no satisfactory answer, being ignorant (perhaps wilfully ignorant) of the true character of the Messiah; and such appears to be the case with many others.”: In viewing this psalm with relation to the progress of Christ’s kingdom, we may remark, that all his army consists of volunteers; yet have they so little idea of merit in themselves, that they give him the glory, by offering to him the fruit of all their spiritual conflicts. They are like “ the Governors of the people (namely, of Israel) that offered themselves willingly” to the war; ((Judges 5:9)-) and when they gained a victory, brought with cheerfulness their offerings to the Lord, saying with Solomon, “All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” (i Chron. xxix. 14. (2 Chronicles 15:11-12).) * The last verse is attended with considerable difficulty. Many commentators explain drinking of the brook, in reference to our Redeemer’s sufferings, and it is certain that these nn ne ena ## Notes on the verses A Psalm of David. LESS the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the Lorv, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: probably during the captivity, or under the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes. The outline of it is a plaintive description of the depressed and languishing condition of the church of God; and an encouraging contemplation of its revival and extension among the Gentiles: then. the writer is suddenly checked by the reflection of his own mortality, and the thought that he could not hope to see the happy state of things, which the spirit of prophecy enabled him to behold afar off: but, to relieve his mind from this distressing feeling, he takes refuge in the unchangeableness of the great Preserver and Deliverer of the church, and the certainty that he would fulfil the promises of his grace to the latest posterity of his faithful people. Is it incredible or improbable, that, under these descriptions, the mourning but despairing psalmist looked forward to the promised Saviour, the hope of Isracl? His knowledge was, of course, obscure; but his faith was not the less certain. Who was destined to restore the desolate church, and to extend its blessings among all nations, but Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever?” Psarm CI. Ver. 1-22. Praise to God for his recovering mercy.—This sweet and pathetic psalm is ascribed to David, and supposed by Bishop Patrick and other to have been written by him on his recovery from some dangerous sickness. At the head of every list of our mercies should always stand that Ver. 14. Take pleasure, &c.—Like antiquarians, they found a pensive sure in the very contemplation of her ruins. PSALM CHIL Ver. 3. Diseases.—Or, “‘Infirmities.’—Bishop Horne. _. Ver. 5. Thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.—That is, by moulting, or shedding their feathers; this is cor. mon to all birds, and eagles and vultures are said to do so nearly to one hundred years of age.—Bishop Horne. Ver. ii. As the heaven is high, é&c.—See Margin. Compare (Isaiah 55:9). Lowth, © So high is his goodness over,’’ &c.: Ver. 15. As g7ass. —| Grass, the well known vegetable which decks our fields q Da.7.10. 1 A meditation upon the mighty power, 7 and wonderful providence of God. 31 God’s glory is eternal. 33 The prophet voweth perpetually to praise God. LESS the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my r Ps.145.10. God, thou art very great; *thou art cloa Re.1.13, thed with honour and majesty. of pardon and salvation through Christ. What availeth recovery from sickness, or any temporal blessing, while we still lie under the curse of God for sin? But pardon granted renders every temporal mercy doubly sweet and valuable. A variety of beautiful images are here employed to exhibit the riches of divine mercy; but none more tender or affecting than that borrowed from the paternal relation among men. “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.” But how is this? |“ The father (says Henry) pities his children that are weak in knowledge, and instructs them; pities them when they are froward, and bears with them; pities them when they are sick, and cor‘orts them; pities them when they have fallen, and raises them, When they have offended, upon their submission he forgives them; and when they are wronged, his power rights them. Thus the Lord pitieth them that fear him.” “ The pity of the Lord To those that fear his name, Is such as tender parents feel; He knows our fheble frame.’’--Watts. Psautm CIV. Ver. 1—35. Meditation on the creation and providence of God.—This psalm is eminently sublime and beautiful. The Most High is here represented as clothed with glois garment; and the visible ry and majesty: light ineffable and refreshes our sight with its grateful verdure, in its feeble frame and transitory duration is beautifully emblematic of the frail condition and fleeting existence of man; and in the order of its growth, from seeds dead and buried, it gives a natural testimony to the doctrine of a resurrection: the pro shet. Isaiah, ((Psalms 26:19).) and the apostle Peter, (1 Peter i, 24, 25.) both speak of bodies rising from the dead as of so many seeds springing from the ground to renovated existence and beauty. ]—Bagster. 7 \ PsALM CIV. (‘This sublime poem on the works of God in Creation and Providence, is ascribed to David in the LX X., Vulgate, Ethiopic, Syriac, and Ara bic; and as it opens and closes with the same words as the preceding psalm, it is probable that it was composed on the same occasion; and it is written a3 part of it in nine MSS.]—Bagster. Ver. 3. Layeth the beams.—[The psalmist here elegantly represents Jehovah as building the upper chambers (aleeyo¢h) of his magnificent palace in those waters above the firmament whence the clouds are formed. ]—Bagster. Ver. 4. Maketh his angels, &c.—(Or, rather, ‘“ Who maketh the winds (or spirits) (roochoth) his messengers; a flaming fire his ministers.” ]—Bagster. Ver. 10. He sendeth.—|The waters of the sea are not only prevented from destroying the earth, but, by a wonderful machinery, are rendered the means of preserving every living thing: partly ascending from the great deep through the strata of the earth, partly exhaled in vapour from the surface of the ocean, aud thence falling in rain, especially on the tops and sides of mountains, they break forth into fresh springs, and form streams and sven | Ver. 11. Quench.—Ainsworth, “ Slake.” The ass was thought to possess an extraordinary power of discovering water in the deserts. Nees The fowls.—Namely, singing birds, “‘ who gave a voice” among the Ver. 17. Stork.—{The stork is a species of the ardeaor heron genus, about the size of a goose in its body, but when erect, about three or fuur feet high; its general colour is white; extremity of the wings, and small part of the head, black; legs, very long, red, and naked a great way up; the toes four, long and “onnected, with flat nails like those of a man; beak long, jagged, red, and somewhat compressed; the upper and under chaps both of a length, with a furrow from the nostrils: it feeds on serpents, frogs, and insects, on which account it might be deemed unclean; lays four eggs, and sits thirty days; migrates about August, and'returne in spring; and is remarkable forits love to its arents. whom it never forsakes, but feeds and cherishes when old; whence it fe the name chaseedah, which denotes kindness or piety, and stork, from the Greek storge, natural affection.|—Bagster. Ver. 18. Wild goats.—|The yaal, is the ibex, or rock-goat, so called from alah, to ascend, because it is fumous for mounting to the tops of the highest rocks. Its pleening appearance is that of the tame goat, of a dusky brown colour; but the male is larger, with long horns, bending backwards. J—Bag ster. - Ver. 25. Great beasts.—Meaning the monsters of the deep. PsaLmM CV. [It appears from (1 Chronicles 16)where the former part of this psalm, as far as the sixteenth verse, is found with little variation, that David composed it at the removal of the ark to Mount Zion, and he himself probably enlarged it afterwards with the glorious detail of God’s merciful dealings with Abraham and his posterity till their settlement in the land of Promise. ‘The Hallelujah, which terminates the preceding psalm, is made the title of this by the Septuagint, Vulgate, Arabic, and prreins and the Syriae considers it a paraphrase on the words, “‘ Pear not, Jacob, to go down into Egynt a and teaches us spiritually not to fear when we are obliged to contend with devils; for God is our shield, and will fight for us."” —Bagséer. Vor. 8. He hath remembered.—{In the other copy in Chronicles, the Psalmjat exhorts the people to be mindful of the covenant which Jehovah had made with their fathers; but here he teaches them to praise remembered it. ]— Bagster. Ver. 31. Divers sorts of flies.—(Arov, was probably LXX. render; and it is supposed to be the same as is called in Abyssinia the zimb; which word, says, Bruce, The Chaldee paraphrase is content the same general signification. The Ethiopic version calls it ¢sa/tsalya, whichis the true name of this particular fly in Geez. It is in size very a bee, of a thicker proportion, and its wings, vurate like those of a fly. Its head is large; fon at the end of it a strong length; the lower jaw. has two of these a hog. Its legs are serrated on the inside, and the whole covered with God for having always is Arabic, and signifies the fly in general. with calling it simply which are broader, are placed se- | the upper jaw or lip is sharp, an pointed hair, of abouta quarter of an inch in hairs; and this pencil of hairs, joined hair or down. It has no sting, though it appears to be of the bee kind. As soon as this winged assassin appears, and its buzzing is heard, the cattle forsake their food, and run wildly a beuE the plain, till they die, worn out with uffright, fatigue, and pain.]—Bagster. f f Ver. 37. Not one feeble person.—[ Considering the immense number of men, the dog-jly, as the women, children, and cattle, it must certainly have appeared extraordinary, that there was none among them weak or feeble, none unable to perform the journey. ‘The order was, that “not a hoof should be left behind;”’ and He who zebub, which has ‘commanded gave strength to obey. |—Bagster.;: Ver, 44. Labour.—(That is, “the produce of their labour;” the cities and little longer than houses they had built, the vineyards they had planted, é&c.|—Bagster. Psatm CVI [As part of the preceding psalm is found in (Psalms 16), 50 the first and two last verses of this are found in the same place; and it is highly i upon the same occasion as the former, to which it probable this was composed w;; seems to be a continuation; for as that celebrates the mercies of God to Israel, Ver. 7. Provoked him.—‘' Thee,” as harmonizing better with the former member of the verse. Ver. 9. Rebuxed.—(In the descriptions of the Psalmist, every thing has life. The sea is av animated being, behaves itself proudly, is rebuked, and retires in confusion. |— Bagster. Ver. 15. Leanness.—[ They despised the manna, calling it light or innutritive food. God gave them flesh aa they desired, but gave no blessing with it; and, in consequence, they did not fatten, but grew lean upon it; and many, surfeited by excess, died of disease. Instead of razon, “ leanness,”’ however, Bishop Lovth supposes we should read zeraon, “ nausea or loathing,” which appears to be supported by several ancient versions, and by (Numbers 11:20). where this portion of the history of the Israelites is recorded, and where the word zara is used, and rendered. “it be loathsome.” |—Bagster. Ver. 20. Their glory.—|That is, their God, who ought to have been the peculiar object of their glory. |—Bagster. Ver, 22, Wondrous works.... land of Ham.—{The plagues He in- Gicted on the here Egypt is called the land of Ham, or rathar, Cham, because it was peopled by Mizraim the son of Ham, and grandson of Noah, Plutarch informs us, that the Egyptians called their couatry Chemia: and the Copts give it the name of Chemi, to the present day.)—Bagster. Ver. 28. the dead.—{The word maithim, signifies dead men; for the idols of the heathen were generally men,—warriors, kings, or lawgivers,—who had been deified after their death; though many of them had been execrated during their life.]— Bagster.; Ver. 37. Unto devils.—[However unnatural and horrid human sacrifices may appear, it is certain, that they did not only exist, but almost universally prevailed in the heathen world, especially among the Canaanites and Phenicians. |—Bagster. 5 N (Psalms 107)[The author of this Psalm is unknown; but it was evidently written to commemorate the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity; and it may easily be perceived that it must have been sung in alternate parts, having a double burden, or two intercalary verses often recurring. Bishop Lovoth considers it as written “‘ after the method of the ancient pastorals, where, be the subject of their verse what it will, each swain endeavoure 4 They wandered in the wilderness ¢ in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. 5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul faintedin them. 6 Then ‘they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their 7 And he led them forth by the right &way, that they might go to a city of habitation. 8 Oh that men would praise the Lorn for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 9 For “he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. 10 Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound iin affliction and iron; 11 Because i they rebelled against the words 3f God, and contemned the counsel ‘of the pan Most High: F Ps.30.2,3 12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none !to help. 13 Then they cried unto the Lorn in their trouble, and he saved them out of their dis- 14 He ™ brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in 15 O that men would praise the Lono for his ” tudomie goodness, and for his wonderful works to the edup. children of men ! 16 For "he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the gates of iron in sunder. 17 Fools ° because of their transgression, and ree because of their iniquities, are afflicted. PL BELL, 18 Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death. 19 Then? they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. 90 He sent his word, ? and healed them, * and delivered them from their destructions. _ ee ree brates the goodness and mercy of God towards mankind, as demonstrated in the immediate assistance and comfort which he affords, in the greatest calamities, to those who devoutly implore his aid: in the first place, to those who wander in the desert, and who encounter the horrors of famine; next, to those who are in pendage= 10 those who are afflicted with disease: and, finally, to those who are tossed about upon the ocean. The prolixity of the argument 1s occasionally relieved by narration; and examples are superadded of the divine severity in punishing the wicked, as well as of his benignity to the devout and virtuous; and both the narrative and preceptive parts are recommended to the earnest contem lation of considerate minds. Thus, the whole poem actually divides into five parts, nearly equal: the four first of which conclude with an intercalary verse expressive of the subject or design of the hymn;” and which is thus rendered by our translators: 18} that men would praise the Lord for his goodness; and for his wonderful works to the children of men ?? This distich, as the same eminent critic calls it, is occasionally diversified, and forms a chorus to the ode. It might more hicraiviee rendered “Tet them confess to Jehovah his mercy; and his wonderful works to the children of Adam.” to excel the other; and one may perceive their thoughts and expressions gradually to arise upon each other.” “No doubt,” he adds, “ the composition of this psalm is admirable throughout; and the descriptive part of it adds at least its share of beauty to the whole; but what is most to be admired is its conciseness, and withal the expressiveness of the diction, which strikes the imagination with inimitable elegance. ‘The weary and bewildered traveller— the miserable captive in the dungeon—the sick and dying man—the seaman foundering in a storm—are described in so affecting a manner, that they far exceed any thing of the kind, though never so much laboured.’ ]—Bagster. Ver. 4. Found no city.—(This is the first similitude; in which the Israelites in captivity are compared to travellers ina dreary, uninhabited, and barren desert, spent with hunger and thirst, as well as by the fatigues of the journey.) Ver. 10. Sit in darkness.—[Here begins the sEcoND comparison; in which the state of the captives in Babylon is illustrated by that of prisoners ina dreary Ver. 17. Fools, &c.—(This is the THIRD comparison; the captives. being compared to persons in a dangerous malady, as the consequence of their own sins. |—Bagster. f v.13.19,28. " yejoicing. Ps.50. 15. 23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; g Ezr.8.21. 24 These see the works of the Lord, and his h Lu.1.53, wonders in the deep. 25 For Yhe commandeth, and ¥ raiseth the i Job 36.8,9. stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves j La.3.42. k Lu.7.30. 26 They mount up to the heaven, they go 1 Job 9.13. down again to the depths: their soul is melted x because of trouble. m Ps,146.7. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a n Is.45.2. drunken man, and ” areat their wit’s end. o Ps.38.3,5. 28 Then they cry unto the Lord in their p Job 33.19, trouble, and he bringeth them out of their disq 2Ki. W.4,5 29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; 8 Ps.66.5. so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. t Le.7.12. 31 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to u singing. the children of men! y Jo.1.4,&c. 32 Let them exalt him also in the congrew maketh to gation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. x Na.2.10. 33 He » turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the water-springs into dry ground; 34 A « fruitful land into “ barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. z Ps.89.9. 35 He « turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into water-springs. 36 And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; 37 And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, c Ge.13.10. which may yield fruits of increase. 38 He blesseth them also, so that they are d saltness. e Ps.114.8. multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease. f 2 Ki.10.32. 39 Again, they are ‘ diminished and brought Bishop Horne applies this psalm particularly to the Christian our Lord to the Jews, that many church, on the suggestion of of his redeemed ones should ‘‘ come from the east and from and from the south,” and ‘should the west, from the north sit down in the kingdom of God,” whilst themselves, for their “thrust out,” and scattered through the unbelief, should be wilderness of this world, as has indeed been most remarkably the case for many centuries; for there is scarcely any considerable country in which the children of Abraham are not found. It is not, however, to these unhappy apostates that the psalmbut rather to their forefathers in the time ist primarily refers; yt who. are all pilot Moses, and to ‘Abraham’s spiritual seed, who have here “no congrims and strangers in the earth, ((Hebrews 11:14-16).) >but seek ore that is above. tinuing city,’ The same persons are then represented as captives, and that on account of their rebellion against the Most High; yet when their hearts were suitably humbled, they were saved out of their distresses. Cases of personal affliction and disease are next introduced, with this emphatic remark, that “fools, because of ointed out their transgressions, are afflicted;” in which sin is as the source of all afiliction, and sinners are branded universaland, indeed, what folly is so great as sin; whether ly as fools; Ver. 23. Go down to the sea.—{This is the FOURTH comparison; their captivity was as dangerous and alarming as a dreadful tempest at sea; with a most natural and striking description of which we are here presented. )- Bag- Raiseth.—The rising tempest is here compared to a giant, raising Ver. 25. himself upright.. j Ver. 26. Soulis melted.—{This is not less expressive than descriptive. When the sea runs high; and when the vessel is raised to the clouds on the ridge of then precipitated into the yawning gulf below;, the a stupendous wave, and soul seems to dissolve, and the whole mind to melt away, so that neither ng nor reflection remains, but the mere apprenension of inevitable destruction. }—Bagster.; head Ver. 39. Again, they aredimin ished.—{The incidents detailed in these verses, which frequently occur, and mark the superintendence of a benign Providence, and the hand of a just God, appear to be brought forward to ilhistrate the return of the Israelites from captivity, and the punishment of their oppressors, the ‘Wherefore, at last, as in a common chorus, they conclude with exhorting each other to a serious consideration of these things, and to make a proper return to the Almighty.]—Bagster. a vee 42. All iniquity.—That is, all cavillers at divine providence. See Job This Psalm begins the 5th hook of the Psalter, according to the Rabbins. (Psalms 106)Title,—A Song or Psalm of David.—Some have supposed, theterm psalm implies the accompaniment of instruments, and song does not: it may be equivalent to “ with or without instruments.” But this is by no means certain. Ver. 1. O God, my heart ts fixed, &c.—The first five verses of this pralm are the last five of (Psalms 57), and the remaining eight are taken from Psalin !x, 5—12. They were probably united for some occasion at present unknown, and which it is useless to conjecture.: i ## Notes on the verses Psalm CIX. Ver. 1. God of my praise.—That is, worthy to be praised. (Psalms 13:3). Ver. 6. Set thou a wicked man.—Bishop Horne, “Thou wilt set the wicked one over him.” See (Acts 1:16), &c. Ver. 7. Be condemned—i.e. to prison, or execution.—Let his prayer become sin.—Bishop Horsley remarks, that “the Jewish worship is now become sin, as it contains a standing denial of our Lord.” Ver. 18. Oil into his bones.—(There is nothing more pernicious to a naked bone than oil, or any other moisture: it is said to cause exquisite pain, and to render it carious.)—Bagster. Ver. 20. Let this be, &c.—[Some, considering this verse a key to the preceding, render, “This is the work of my adversaries before the Lord:” but peuilath, not only signifies work, but the reward or wages for work; (Leviticus xix. 13. Proverbs x. 16. Jeremiah xxii. 13.) and maiaith, son, wit.] Ver. 33. Like the shadow.—(Like the shadows of terrestrial objects near sun-set; lengthening every moment, growing fainter as they lengthen, and, in the instant that they shoot to immeasurable length, disappearing.)—Bagster. —Tossed up and down as the locust.—Dr. Shaw, when at Algiers, says, “When the wind blew briskly, so that these swarms (of locusts) were crowded by others, we had a lively idea of being tossed up and down as the locust.” (Psalms 110)(This Psalm was probably composed by David after Nathan’s prophetic address; and, from the grandeur of the subject, and the sublimity of the expressions, it is evident that it can only refer, as the ancient Jews fully acknowledged, to the royal dignity, priesthood, victories, and triumphs of the Messiah.)—Bagster. LORD said unto my Lord.—“Jehovah assuredly said unto my Adon,” which last word is used for master of a family to the sovereign of an empire. In its origin, this title seems similar to the Italian cardinal, which means primarily a hinge, as Adon does a socket; hence figuratively applied to executive magistrates, on whom the government rests, and public affairs turn.—Sit thou at my right hand.—This was the place of honour, (Psalms 45:9). So the Greeks placed Minerva on the right hand of Jove; and Niebuhr relates, that when he had an audience of the Imam of Sana, (in Arabia,) the Imam placed his sons on his right hand, and his brothers on his left. Ver. 3. Thy people shall be willing.—Ainsworth, “Voluntaries,” or volunteers; meaning, as he explains it, such as shall freely and liberally present both themselves and their oblations.—In the beauties of holiness—“In the beautiful sanctuary,” says Dr. Durell: meaning, perhaps, that Messiah's volunteers were there to assemble. Others, “In the beautiful vestments,” alludes not mean before, but from, owing to the splendid dresses of the priests, typifying (as Ainsworth suggests) the graces and virtues of the Holy Spirit. See (Revelation 19:14).—From the womb of the morning.—Marg. “More than the womb of the morning thou shalt have,” &c. This passage is confessedly very difficult. Bishop Lowth renders it, “Beyond, (or more abundant than,) the womb of the morning, is the dew of thy youth;” taking this word in the sense of progeny, or offspring, as Dr. Watts had before explained it; “Thy converts shall surpass the numerous drops of morning dew:” N. B. In pointing this verse, the colon should be placed, not at morning, but at holiness, thus: “Thy people shall be willing (or volunteers) in the beauty of holiness: more than the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth.” Ver. 5. The Lord at thy right hand.—This is evidently addressed to Jehovah, and refers to Messiah. Compare verse 1. Ver. 6. He shall fill the places—That is, the field of battle shall be covered with the slain.—He shall wound the heads over many countries.—“The head over a great country.” So Horsley; but Kennicott renders it, “The head over many a country.” Psalm CXI. Ver. 1. Praise the Lord.—Hallelujah.—That this should be considered as the title, and no part of the psalm itself, is evident from the alphabetical construction of the poem, which is acrostic, and begins with Aleph; our Hallelujah begins with the fifth letter of the alphabet, answering to Ver. 4. His wonderful works to be remembered.—Lowth, “A memorial of his wonders.” Ver. 5. Given meat—i.e. food. Some think this refers to the manna rained upon Israel in the wilderness; we should rather think, to the quails. See (Psalms 105)A The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 112; the text below is that joint comment. The imagery here is therefore borrowed from the case of a conqueror, who, faint or thirsty in the battle, refreshes himself at the stream he passes, and pursues the enemy with renewed vigour. That the Saviour, for our sakes, endured many bitter conflicts, is indisputable; and as we know that he was encouraged and supported by communications from above; such may reasonably be supposed here referred to. (See (Matthew 4:11). (John 12:28).) That this psalm refers solely and exclusively to our Redeemer is certain, from its application, in the New Testament; and, indeed, this was freely admitted by the more ancient Jews, as may be seen in Pool’s Synopsis, and other commentaries; though now they find it necessary in many cases to pervert the Old Testament, to excuse their rejection of the New. Psalm CXI. Ver. 1—10. A Psalm of general thanksgiving.—It commences with an admiration of the works of nature and providence, which “are sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.” “Nothing (says Bishop Horne) cometh from the hands of the divine artist, but what is excellent and perfect in its kind..... Happy are they who, with humility and diligence, with faith and devotion, give themselves to the contemplation of these works, and take pleasure and delight therein. To them shall the gate of true science open; they shall understand (to a certain extent) the mysteries of creation, providence, and redemption; and they who thus seek shall find the treasures of eternal wisdom:” for “‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” and should be laid as the foundation of all our studies and inquiries. “They that would grow divinely wise, Must with his fear begin; Our fairest proof of knowledge lies o In hating every sin.” Watts. The great naturalist, Linneus, affords here a bright example. It is said, that “wherever he found an opportunity of expatiating on the greatness, the providence, and omnipotence of God, which frequently happened in his lectures and botanical excursions, his heart glowed with a celestial fire, and his mouth poured forth torrents of admirable eloquence.” Psalm CXII. Ver. 1—10. The happiness of them that fear God.—Bishop Patrick considers this psalm as a short commentary on the final verse of the preceding. It founds all the happiness of man on delight in God, and on benevolence to our fellow-creatures: the greatest luxury that a good man can enjoy. “Love and liberality (says Bishop Horne) do good to themselves, by doing it to others, and enjoy all the happiness which they cause.” On the other hand, the wicked are envious at the prosperity of the righteous; they are grieved, enraged, and finally melt (or faint) with envy, to see their enjoyments, even in this life, while their own desires perish. But to the upright, “there ariseth light in darkness.” A gleam of light from heaven will penetrate the most gloomy situation—the most distressful scene. “There is a light that gilds the darkest hour, When dangers thicken, and when tempests lower; That calm to faith and hope and love is given— That peace remains when all besides is riven— That light shines down on earth direct from heaven.” Psalm CXIII. Ver. 1-9. An invitation to praise God continually.—This psalm, and the five following, constitute what the Jews call the great Hallel, or [Psalms] of Praise, which was recited at most of their festivals, and particularly at the Passover, and was probably the hymn which our Lord sang (or chanted) with his disciples on that occasion. The psalm before us, which formed the first part of the great Hallel, represents Jehovah as “dwelling on high;” so that he looks down upon the most elevated of his creatures, and yet stooping to the concerns and circumstances of the lowest. (Compare (1 Samuel 2:8).)—Barrenness was considered as one of the greatest misfortunes to which females are subject, and therefore did the Lord, in several instances, interfere by miracle to remove it; but this idea is, in the New Testament, applied to the Gentile church which, after long ages of barrenness became pro-. lv. 27. Ga and the mother of us all. (Compare Isaiah liv. 1. with Psalm CXIV. Ver. 1—8. Praise for deliverance from Egypt.—This is a very animated composition, in which the sea is represented as beholding the symbol of the divine presence, and fleeing from before it, as did the Jordan forty years afterwards, to admit Israel into Canaan. The earth also is described as trembling before Jehovah, and the hills as fleeing like affrighted sheep: an emblem of that more awful convulsion, which shall take place when the same Almighty being shall come, arrayed in superior splendour to the final judgment; and shall flee before him. (Isaiah xxxiv. 4. (Revelation 6:13-14), &c.) Psalm CXV. Ver. 1—18. A contrast between the God of Israel and the idols of the heathen.—The former, as the God of truth and mercy; the latter, as insensible images of wood and stone; and neither their makers nor their worshippers, are much more intelligent. There is indeed a degree of stupidity among idolaters hardly credible, if it were not notorious. The following anecdotes will illustrate this subject. “When W. T. Pidbey Esq. resided some years since, in Mahratta country, as his daughter, not then three years old, was walking out with a native servant, they came near an old Hindoo temple, when the man stepped aside and made his salaam,’ as they call it, to a stone idol at the door. The child, in her simple language, said, ‘Saamy, (that was his name,) what for you do that?’ ‘Oh missey! (said he,) that my god.’—‘Your god, Saamy! why your god no see, no hear, no walk,—your god stone! My God see every thing, my God make you, make me, make every thing.’—At Buhapuram, in the northern Circars, a child about eight years old, who had been educated in Christianity, was ridiculed on that account by some heathen older than himself. In reply, he repeated what he had been taught respecting God. ‘Show us your God!’ said the heathens. ‘I cannot do that,’ answered the child; ‘but I can soon show yours to you.’ Taking up a stone, and daubing it with some resemblance of a human face, he placed it very gravely on the ground, and pushed it towards them with his foot: ‘There,’ said he, “is such a god as you worship!” (Burder’s Mission. Anec.) “You teach,” said the Emperor Trajan to Rabbi Joshua, “that your God is every where, and boast that he resides amongst your nations. I should like to see him.” “‘God’s presence is indeed every where,” replied Joshua, “but he cannot be seen; no mortal can behold his glory.” The Emperor insisted. “Well,” said Joshua, “suppose we try to look first at one of his ambassadors?” The Emperor consented. The rabbi took him into the open air at noon-day, and bid him look at the sun in its meridian splendour. “I cannot,” said Trajan; “the light dazzles me.” “Thou art unable,” said Joshua, “to endure the light of one of his creatures, and canst thou expect to behold the glory of the Creator? Would not such a sight annihilate thee?” Psalm CXVI. Ver. 1—19. The Psalmist encouraged to trust in God from a recollection of former mercies.—In those psalms ## Notes on the verses PSALM CXII. Ver. 1. Praise, &c.—This psalm is also alphabetical. See on ver. 1. of the preceding. Ver. 4. Light ariseth—“Springeth up,” as the sun riseth, See (Malachi 4)& Ver. 5. With discretion.—According to Bishop Horne, this verse might be rendered, “It is well with the man who is gracious and communicative: He will support (or maintain) his words (or transactions) in judgment.” Ver. 9. He hath dispersed.—See (2 Corinthians 9:9). A Ver. 10. Melt.—Either from fear, (Joshua 2:11). or grief, (Psalms 22:15). The imagery here is therefore borrowed from the case of a conqueror, who, faint or thirsty in the battle, refreshes himself at the stream he passes, and pursues the enemy with renewed vigour. That the Saviour, for our sakes, endured many bitter conflicts, is indisputable; and as we know that he was encouraged and supported by communications from above; such may reasonably be supposed here referred to. (See (Matthew 4:11). (John 12:28).) That this psalm refers solely and exclusively to our Redeemer is certain, from its application, in the New Testament; and, indeed, this was freely admitted by the more ancient Jews, as may be seen in Pool’s Synopsis, and other commentaries; though now they find it necessary in many cases to pervert the Old Testament, to excuse their rejection of the New. Psalm CXI. Ver. 1—10. A Psalm of general thanksgiving.—It commences with an admiration of the works of nature and providence, which “are sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.” “Nothing (says Bishop Horne) cometh from the hands of the divine artist, but what is excellent and perfect in its kind..... Happy are they who, with humility and diligence, with faith and devotion, give themselves to the contemplation of these works, and take pleasure and delight therein. To them shall the gate of true science open; they shall understand (to a certain extent) the mysteries of creation, providence, and redemption; and they who thus seek shall find the treasures of eternal wisdom:” for “‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” and should be laid as the foundation of all our studies and inquiries. “They that would grow divinely wise, Must with his fear begin; Our fairest proof of knowledge lies o * In hating every sin.” Watts. The great naturalist, Linneus, affords here a bright example. It is said, that “wherever he found an opportunity of expatiating on the greatness, the providence, and omnipotence of God, which frequently happened in his lectures and botanical excursions, his heart glowed with a celestial fire, and his mouth poured forth torrents of admirable eloquence.” Psalm CXII. Ver. 1—10. The happiness of them that fear God.—Bishop Patrick considers this psalm as a short commentary on the final verse of the preceding. It founds all the happiness of man on delight in God, and on benevolence to our fellow-creatures: the greatest luxury that a good man can enjoy. “Love and liberality (says Bishop Horne) do good to themselves, by doing it to others, and enjoy all the happiness which they cause.” On the other hand, the wicked are envious at the prosperity of the righteous; they are grieved, enraged, and finally melt (or faint) with envy, to see their enjoyments, even in this life, while their own desires perish. But to the upright, “there ariseth light in darkness.” A gleam of light from heaven will penetrate the most gloomy situation—the most distressful scene. “There is a light that gilds the darkest hour, When dangers thicken, and when tempests lower; That calm to faith and hope and love is given— That peace remains when all besides is riven— That light shines down on earth direct from heaven.” Psalm CXIII. Ver. 1-9. An invitation to praise God continually.—This psalm, and the five following, constitute what the Jews call the great Hallel, or [Psalms] of Praise, which was recited at most of their festivals, and particularly at the Passover, and was probably the hymn which our Lord sang (or chanted) with his disciples on that occasion. The psalm before us, which formed the first part of the great Hallel, represents Jehovah as “dwelling on high;” so that he looks down upon the most elevated of his creatures, and yet stooping to the concerns and circumstances of the lowest. (Compare (1 Samuel 2:8).)—Barrenness was considered as one of the greatest misfortunes to which females are subject, and therefore did the Lord, in several instances, interfere by miracle to remove it; but this idea is, in the New Testament, applied to the Gentile church which, after long ages of barrenness became pro- lv. 27. Ga and the mother of us all. (Compare Isaiah liv. 1. with Psalm CXIV. Ver. 1—8. Praise for deliverance from Egypt.—This is a very animated composition, in which the sea is represented as beholding the symbol of the divine presence, and fleeing from before it, as did the Jordan forty years afterwards, to admit Israel into Canaan. The earth also is described as trembling before Jehovah, and the hills as fleeing like affrighted sheep: an emblem of that more awful convulsion, which shall take place when the same Almighty being shall come, arrayed in superior splendour to the final judgment; and shall flee before him. (Isaiah xxxiv. 4. (Revelation 6:13-14), &c.) Psalm CXV. Ver. 1—18. A contrast between the God of Israel and the idols of the heathen.—The former, as the God of truth and mercy; the latter, as insensible images of wood and stone; and neither their makers nor their worshippers, are much more intelligent. There is indeed a degree of stupidity among idolaters hardly credible, if it were not notorious. The following anecdotes will illustrate this subject. “When W. T. Pidbey Esq. resided some years since, in Mahratta country, as his daughter, not then three years old, was walking out with a native servant, they came near an old Hindoo temple, when the man stepped aside and made his salaam, as they call it, to a stone idol at the door. The child, in her simple language, said, ‘Saamy, (that was his name,) what for you do that?’ ‘Oh missey! (said he,) that my god.’—‘Your god, Saamy! why your god no see, no hear, no walk,—your god stone! My God see every thing, my God make you, make me, make every thing.’—At Buhapuram, in the northern Circars, a child about eight years old, who had been educated in Christianity, was ridiculed on that account by some heathen older than himself. In reply, he repeated what he had been taught respecting God. ‘Show us your God!’ said the heathens. ‘I cannot do that,’ answered the child; ‘but I can soon show yours to you.’ Taking up a stone, and daubing it with some resemblance of a human face, he placed it very gravely on the ground, and pushed it towards them with his foot: ‘There,’ said he, “is such a god as you worship!” (Burder’s Mission. Anec.) “You teach,” said the Emperor Trajan to Rabbi Joshua, “that your God is every where, and boast that he resides amongst your nations. I should like to see him.” “‘God’s presence is indeed every where,” replied Joshua, “but he cannot be seen; no mortal can behold his glory.” The Emperor insisted. “Well,” said Joshua, “suppose we try to look first at one of his ambassadors?” The Emperor consented. The rabbi took him into the open air at noon-day, and bid him look at the sun in its meridian splendour. “I cannot,” said Trajan; “the light dazzles me.” “Thou art unable,” said Joshua, “to endure the light of one of his creatures, and canst thou expect to behold the glory of the Creator? Would not such a sight annihilate thee?” Psalm CXVI. Ver. 1—19. The Psalmist encouraged to trust in God from a recollection of former mercies.—In those psalms ## Notes on the verses PSALM CXII. Ver. 1. Praise, &c.—This psalm is also alphabetical. See on ver. 1. of the preceding. Ver. 4. Light ariseth—“Springeth up,” as the sun riseth, See (Malachi 4)& Ver. 5. With discretion.—According to Bishop Horne, this verse might be rendered, “It is well with the man who is gracious and communicative: He will support (or maintain) his words (or transactions) in judgment.” Ver. 9. He hath dispersed.—See (2 Corinthians 9:9). Ver. 10. Melt.—Either from fear, (Joshua 2:11). or grief, (Psalms 22:15). ## Notes on the verses Psalm CXIII. Ver. 6. In heaven.—[Bishop Lowth observes, that the two members of this line are to be referred severally to the two preceding lines; as if it were, “Who is exalted to dwell in the heavens; and who humbleth himself to inspect the things in the earth.”]—Bagster. Ver. 9. To keep house.—Dr. Boothroyd renders the verse thus _ “She who resideth barren at home, he maketh a joyful mother of children.”——Praise ye the Lord.—Dr. Boothroyd considers this as the title of the following psalm, which we think very probable. Psalm CXIV. Ver. 1. A people of strange language.—Kennicott, “A strange,” i.e. a foreign “people.” On Ver. 2. Judah was his sanctuary.—Some learned men, with more critical acumen than poetic taste, have supposed the divine name here omitted by an accident of the transcribers; but, Dr. Watts justly remarks, that this would destroy the beauty of the poem; for had the name of Jehovah been here introduced, “there could be no (cause to) wonder why the mountains should ‘leap,’ and the sea retire.”——Dominions.—“Sacred heritage.” Bp. Lowth. Ver. 4. Like lambs.—“Like the sons of the flock.”—Bp. Lowth. So in ver. 6. Ver. 5. Thou Jordan.—Lowth, “O Jordan, that thou turnedst back.” Ver. 7. At the presence of the Lord.—Notwithstanding many of our English Bibles read Lord, in capitals, for Jehovah, our printed Hebrew Bibles read ‘Adon, and even Dr. Boothroyd. See note on (Psalms 110:1). {Addison properly observes, that the author of this Psalm designedly works for effect, in pointing out these miraculous effects, without mentioning an agent; till, at last, peace of the sea is seen rapidly retiring from the shore, Jordan retreating to its source, and the mountains and hills running away like a flock of affrighted sheep, that the passage of the Israelites might be every way uninterrupted; then the Cause of all is suddenly introduced, and the presence of God in his grandeur solves every difficulty. }—Bagster. Ver. 8. A standing water.—Lowth, “A lake of waters; the flint into a wa- (Psalms 115)[This seems to be a triumphal song, in which the victory is wholly ascribed to JEHOVAH; and to none can it be referred with more propriety than to that of Jehoshaphat over the confederated forces of his enemies, Q (Psalms 20)]—Bagster. Ver. 4. Their idols.—(They are metal, stone, and wood; and, though generally made in the form of man, they can neither see, hear, smell, feel, walk, nor speak! Even the wiser heathen made them the objects of their jests. ‘Thus Juvenal, “Dost thou hear, Jupiter, these things? nor move thy lips when thou shouldest speak out, whether thou art of marble or of bronze? Or why do we put the sacred incense on thy altar from the opened paper, and the extracted liver of a calf, and the white caul of a hog? As far as I can discern, there is no difference between thy statue and that of Bathyllus’—a fiddler and player, whose image, by the order of Polycrates, in the temple of Juno at Samos.]—Bagster. Ver. 10, 11. O Israel.—Or, “House of Israel,” as many MSS. and versions read. Verses 9, “The church is here divided into three parts; 1. The members of the commonwealth. 2. The ministers. 3. The fearers of Jehovah, of all nations.” Ainsworth. See Acts li. 5. 5 x. 35. 4 x Ver. 13. Will bless.—(We are here presented with a beautiful contrast between the God of Israel and heathen idols. He made every thing; they are themselves made by men; He is in heaven; they are upon the earth! He they can do not! doeth whatsoever He pleaseth; He seeth the distresses, heareth and answereth the prayers, accepteth the offerings, cometh to the assistance, effecteth the salvation, and blesseth his servants; they are blind, deaf, and dumb, senseless, motionless, and impotent. }—Bagster. Ver. 16. The heavens, &c.—Bishop Horsley renders this literally; The heaven of heavens are for Jehovah.” 2 isha ge Bishop Patrick attributes this psalm to David, when he was obliged to leave Jerusalem, in consequence of Absalom’s unnatural rebellion: ((2 Samuel 15:14), &c.:) and it is certain that many of the expressions are found in David’s acknowledged psalms. Others, however, from some forms of expression in the original, assign to it a later date, and attribute it to Hezekiah on his recovery from. his illness; to which occasion, it must be acknowledged, itis not iii adapted. (2 Kings, (Psalms 20)) This was the opimion of Bishop Horsley: but we confess ourselves inclined to the former. The psalm is evidently the language of a true penitent, devoting himself to God, in gratitude for mercies received, and determined, in future, to ae solely to his “Here in thy courts I leave my vow, 9—11.) Some, as Bishop Horsley, consider it only as an exordium to the psalm following; but it was probably used sepa+ rately, as there seems no necessary connexion between them; and other learned men consider them as composed at very different periods. Dr. Watts’ popular version is the best commentary we can offer on this psalm. “From all that dwell below the skies Let the Creator’s praise arise: Let the Redeemer’s name be sung Thro’ every land, by every tongue. Eternal are thy mercies, Lord: Eternal truth attends thy word: Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore, Till suns shall rise and set no more.” Psatm CXVIII. Ver. 1—29. Praise to God, especially for the salvation by Messiah.—In this psalm, which is universally attributed to David, Bishop Horne remarks—* A king of Israel author. He describeth, in a series of devotional meditations, sel.” Ver. 25—56. Prayer or divine instruction and direction. —Our souls naturally cleave to the dust. It is alone by the influence of God’s Spirit, and by the instrumentality of his word, that they can be quickened. And when quickened to newness of life, it is still the same word that must be our guide, our consolation, our support. ‘* Remember thy word unto thy servant on which thou hast caused me to hope.” And when the word of God becomes the ground of our hope, it will become the subject of our conversation, and the theme of our rejoicing. We shall neither be ashamed nor afraid, to avow ourselves believers in divine truth. David resolves to bear testimony in favour of the God of Israel “ before kings,” when assembled on affairs of state: and when travelling among strangers, in ‘the house of his pilgrimage,” that neither his voice nor his harp should be prostituted to idol worship, however po pular; but the word and truth of God should form “ his theme, his inspiration, and his song.” Ver. 57—88. The advantages of affliction and the value of God's word.—The psalmist complains of having been plundered by banditti, caaby others reproached and slandered. Even in this, however, he finds both advantage and consolation. He finds it good for him that he had “been afflicted:” for, before his aflliction, he had gone “astray; but “now,” says he, “have I kept thy word;” and that word, from the instruction and consolation which it administered, had become to him “more precious than thousands of gold and silver.” ‘In the school of affliction, (says Dr. Boothroyd,) sin ig brought to remembrance, repentance promoted, the judgment informed, the heart improved, the spirit of prayer strengthened, and the principles of new and holy obedience established.” “T love thee, therefore, O my God, And breathe toward thy dear abode; Where, in thy presence fully blest, Thy chosen saints for ever rest.”’—Cowper. ings, mingled with those meditations; one of which is particularly worthy of our adoption. Most of our backslidings from God are preceded by too much confidence in ourselves, and in our strength to resist temptation. Well, therefore, may we pray, “Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.” Indeed, our safety depends solely on the support of divine grace. Ver. 121—152. An appeal to, and prayer for the divine protection.—The psalmist David, as we know, being engaged in a righteous cause, is warranted in his appeal to God, to support him in his pretensions, which were founded on the divine appointment and decree; and his enemies were now so numerous, and had become so powerful, that he seems warranted in saying, “It is time for thee, Lord, to work:” for no human aid Ver. 119. Thou puttest away.—{When Thou triest them in the refining fire, seemed sufficient to extricate or deliver him. And we if always conclude this to be the case, when men make “void the law” of God. A remark, this, not impertinent in the present time, when some persons appear to glory in thus treating the divine law, though St. Paul revolted at the idea:—“ What, then, do we make void the law through faith? God forbid!’ ((Romans 3:31).) The fact is, we can never think or speak too highly of any part of God’s word, unless we misplaceit for some other part, as the law for the gospel, &c. Though salvation be not of the law, yet the subjects of salvation should never vilify God’s law, to exalt his gospel. ‘The law is good, if a man use it lawfully.” ((1 Timothy 1:8).) Ver. 1536—17. The Psalm concludes with penitence and prayer.—The great design of this psalm is, to lead us to admiring ## Notes on the verses And thy rich grace record: Witness, ye saints, who hear me now, If { forsake the Lord.”’— Watts. Psarm CXVII. Ver. 1,2. All nations exhorted to praise the true God.—This, like the hundredth psalm, seems to predict the conversion of the Gentiles, since it callsupon men of all tribes and countries to praise the Lord, for his mercy and his truth, and is so applied by St. Paul himself. (Rom. xv. Ver. 11. I said in my haste.—That is, througl fear or unbelief——AUW men are liars—Even the prophets themselves, in whom the author, whether David or Hezekiah, had placed confidence. So Ainsworth and Bishop Horne. Compare (Psalms 31:22). Ver. 13. The cup of salvation.—Or, “ of blessing,” (as St. Paul calls it, (1 Corinthians 10:16).) [The cup used in offering eucharistical sacrifices, was called the cup acs apres i, e. commemorating salvation. ((Numbers 28:7).;) similar to which is the cup of blessing among the Jews, in taking which into his hand, the master of the house says, ‘‘ Blessed be the Lord, the Maker of the world, who has created the fruit of the vine !”” Ver. 15. Preciows, &c.—|That is, the Lord accounts the death of his saints. of so much importance, that he will not suffer their enemies to cut them. off before his appointed time; all the circumstances of their death being regulated by infinite wisdom and love, for their final and eternal benefit. |—Bagster. Ver. 16. Thy servant, the son of thy handmaid.—That is, thy property, as horn in thy house. See (Psalms 35:16).; Ixxxvil. 5. The Septuagint translators divide this psalm into two, at the end of ver. 9, but. evidently without authority. PsaLMCXVII. [This Psalm, the shortest in the whole collection, is written as a part of the preceding in thirty-two MSS,: it celebrates the deliverance from the Babylonian captivity, the grand type of the redemption of the world by the Messiah. ]|—Bagster. Ver. 1. All ye nations.—The term nations is equivalent to Gentiles, and is therefore 80 en apostle, (Romans 15:1) appears leading his pease in solemn procession to the temple, (or tabernacle,) there to offer up the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, for a marvellous deliverance from his enemies, and a glorious victory gained over them. After inviting the whole nation to join with him upon this joyful occasion, he describes at large his (previous) danger and his deliverance from it, which latter is wholly attributed to the power and goodness of Jehovah.” After this, as Mudge has rightly ob- PsaLM CXVIII._ [This Psalm was probably composed by David, after Nathan’s prophetic address; and sung by alternate choirs at, some public festival. It largely partakes_ of David’s spirit, and every where shows the hand of a inaster: the style is grand and sublime; the subject noble and majestic. ]—B. Ver. 1. O give thanks.—This is evidently a chorus, which is repeated in the close of the psalm. ‘ i Ver. 2. Let Israel now say.—This verse was probably sung by the king and his attendants, the next, by the priests and Levites; and so on, alternately. Verses 10, 11, 12. Destroy them.—Both Ainsworth and Bishop Horne render — words in the past (“TI cut,” or ‘I did cut.”) So LXX., Vulgate, and Ver. 12. Quenched.—LXX. and Chaldee, “ kindled.” Ainsworth says, the Hebrew means both. [Dr. Delaney justly remarks, that it is familiar with David to couch such images in three words, as would in the hands of Homer be the materials of his noblest, most enlarged, and dignified descriptions. The reader has here, in miniature, two of the finest images in Homer, which, if his curiosity demands to be gratified, he will find illustrated and enlarged in the second book of the Uiad. The idea of an army resembling a fire is common both to David and Homer; but the idea of that fire being quenched, when the army was conquered, is peculiar to the Psalmist. |—Bagster.. Ver. 13. Thow hast thrust.—Dr. Boothroyd, following the Arabic, reads. “They have thrust,” to agree with the verse preceding; but Bishop Horsley, fllewne the LXX., Vulgate, &c. reads, ‘'I received a strong push,” or te of the tabernacle, or temple. [Dr. Kennicott supposes, with much pro- word rendered cords is sometimes used for thick branches, (Leviticus 22:40). ani bability, that this verse was sung by the priest, the next by the king, the three | may therefore refer to keeping the feast of tabernacles.: next by a chorus of peo yle, the 25th by the king, the two next by the priest, PsaLmM CXIX. ‘Aleph—Beth.—The meaning is, that the first eight verses in the 28th by the king, an the last the grand chorus of the whole assembly.}— os pay begin with aleph, answerng to our A, the next eight with beth, or Bagster., and so on.;. in ai Ver. 22. The stone.—Whether or not this stone had any reference to David Ver. 3. Dono iniquity.—LXX. “ Work not iniquity.” So Ainsworth; and himself, as chosen by God, but rejected by man of the people, we are sure see 1 John iii. 6—10. y,: that it refers chiefly aad ultimately to the Messiah, to whom it is specially ap- | _ Ver. 17. Deal bounti, ‘ully.—(Gemol, “ reward” thy servant: let him have the plied, both by the evangelists and apostles. (Matthew 21:42). (Mark 12:10). Luke | return of his faith and prayers. From this word is derived the name of gimxx. 17. (Acts 4:11). 1 Peter ii. 4,——The head stone of the corner.—That 1s, | mel, the third letter of the alphabet, which is prefixed to every verse In not the top stone, but the chief stone of the foundation, answering to what we part: this is a stroke of the Psalmist’s art and ingenuity. }—Bagster. call the first stone. See Bphes. ii. 20, 21. 1 Peter ii. 4, 5. Ver. 18. Open thou mine eyes.—Or rather, uncover, unveil. St. Paul speaks Ver. 24. The day - - made.—To make (or do) a day, is to appoint, or of some who had still “ the veil upon their hearts,” or understandings. Dav consecrate it. See Heb. of (Exodus 34:22). Dout. v. 15.; xv. 1. prays, that from lim this veil might be removed. ors Ver. 28, Melteth for heaviness.—Grief melted him into tears. Ver. 35. Make me to go.—Bishop Horne, * Conduct me.” whe! 42. So shall I have.—See margin. Or, “in any matter.’’ See Ains- Ver. 44. So shall I keep.—{The language of this verse is very emphatic. Perfect obedience will constitute a large proportion of heavenly happiness to all eternity; and the nearer we approach to it on earth, the more we anticipate the felicity of heaven.|—Bagster, Ver. 48, My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments.—That is, to Practise them. Compare ver. 2. Ver. 53. petit lal properly signifies the pestilential burning wind called by the Arabs Simoom, (see (Psalms 11:6).;) and is here used in # fi rative sense for the most horrid mental distress; and strongly marks the idea the, Psalmist had of the corrupting, pestilential, and destructive nature of sin.) Ver. 54. Thy statutes have been my songs.—That is, the theme of his meditation, and source of his delight. In the early ages, it was customary to versify the laws, that the people might learn them by heart, and s: ag them. Ver, 66. Good judgment.—|Rather, ‘Teach me (to have) a good taste (taam) and discerninent:” that faculty of the mind by which I may discern, distinguish, judge rightly, and relish things moral and spiritual. ]|—Bagster. p Ver. 70. Fat as grease.—Ainsworth, “ As gross as fat;’ Boothroyd “ Void shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth. f He.13.15.: 5 LAMED. g Job 13.14. 89 For P ever, O Lorn, thy word is settled in h Pr.1.11,12 90 Thy faithfulness is 4 unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, andit abideth. 91 They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants. -92 Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction. 93 I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. 941 am thine, save tme; for I have sought thy precepts.; 95 The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: but I will consider thy testimonies. Ver. 89—120. Farther meditations on God’s word, accompanied by prayer.—The psalmist’s attachment to the word of God, both by day led him to make it the theme of his meditation, his path, and and night. It was honey to his taste, a light to that word ? the choicest of all his treasures. But what was The Pentateuch, and afew other books of the Old Testament; of feeling; which is rather the interpretation. [Or, rather, “‘ Their heart is become gross (or inseusible) as fat;’ the fat of animals being supposed to be without feeling; or, “ as with fat,” as in Persius: “ Gross fat involves each fibre of his heart, Grows o’er the whole, and deadens every part.’’]—Bagster. Vor. 82. Mine eyes fail.—That is, are wearied (or worn) with waiting for its fulfilment. See (Psalms 18:3). Ver. 33. Like a bottle.—lAs the bottles in the East are made of skin, it is evident that one of these hung up in the smoke must soon be parched, shriveland become unsightly and useless. Thus the Psalmled up, lose all its strength ist appeared to bimself to have become useless and despicable, through the exhausted state of his body and mind, by long bodily afflictions and mental distaken from the mode in which tress. ]— Bagster.; ’ Ver. 85. Digged pits.—(This metaphor is are dug in the earth, and slightwild beasts are caught in the East: deep pits ly covered over with reeds, turf, &c. so as not to be discerned from the solid to walk over them, the surface breaks, ground; and the animals attempting Thus the psalmist’s enemies em sloyed craft they fall in, and are taken alive. us th ter thy law. us well as power, in order to effect his ruin. }—Bagster. —That is, contrary to thy law. Ver. 46. Faithful.—Hebrew, “ Faithfulness.” Ver. 89. For ever, O Lord, &c.—(Or, as the Syriac reads, “ Thow art (or etstext) for ever, O Jehovah: Thy word is established in the heavens.” The D SAMECH. sues I hate vain ™ thoughts: but thy law do I on rs 114 Thou "art my hiding-place and my 21516. | shield: I hope in thy word. j2ch193. |" 445 Depart °from me, ye evil-doers: for I es will keep the commandments of my God. 1Re219 | 116 Uphold me according unto thy word, that mJe4it. |] may live: and let me not be ashamed ? of n Ps327. | My hope. opstza19, | 117 Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: 15.8 | 44 I will have respect unto thy statutes con- PRS5 | tinually. a send 118 Thou hast trodden 7 down all them thaterr from thy statutes: for their deceit is "falsehood. as a whole, nor any of the prophets. If, but neither the Psalms, then, a part only of the Old Testament was thus precious, what store ought we to set by our Bible, as comprehendin both Testaments, and es ocal as including the discourses 0 our Lord, and the epistolary correspondence of his apostles ? But the author of this psalm is an example for us, not only in word of God is as unchangeable and everlasting as his own existence: it “is established in the heavens,” beyond the reach of the revolutions of this lower world; and its accomplishment is as certain as the motions of the heavenly bodies, which are not, and cannot be, affected by the convulsions and vicissitudes of the earth and its inhabitants.]-—Bagster. ointment to Ver. 91. They continue.—(Thou hast given an ordinance or ap in the place the heavens and the earth; ‘and each continues to fulfil Thy wi Thou hast assigned it.1—Bagster. i Ver. 96. Exceeding broad.—{That is, T have seen that all human wisdom or knowledge, however extensive, noble, and excellent, has its bounds, and limits, and end; but Thy law, a transcript of Thine own mind, is infinite, and extends to eternity. |—Bagster. €: Ver. 109. Mysoul. - in my hand.—{Rather, My life (naphshee) is continually in my hand;”” i. e. it is in constant danger; every hour ] am on the confines of death. So Xenarchus, in Atheneus, “ Having the life in the hand,” signifies continual danger and jeopardy. The LXX., Syriac, and Ethiopic read, ‘in thy hand;”’ but this is conjectural and useless alteration.}— Ver. 113. I hate vain thoughts.—The term “ vain,” not being in the original, various epithets have been supplied, as “* wavering, foolish,” and, by. Luther, “light-minded.” Perhaps no supply is necessary. Ainsworth t inks the reference is to “the top branches © trees,” continually waving in the wind; the sense may be, “I hate apeculutions;” meaning, sceptical notions in religion. ’ they are burnt up, fly offin fumes, orin scoria, which ‘hou sweepest away. ]--B. er. 122. Be surety.—Advocate, mediator. See (Isaiah 38:14), Ver. 126. Time for thee.... to work.—[{That is, “to take vengeance,” as asah signifies, (Jeremiah 18:23). (Malachi 3:17). by an ellipsis of the noun. When infidels, profligates, and Pharisees, ‘‘ make void the law of God,” generally, then it is time for God to arise to vindicate his own honour and maintain his cause among men. ]—Bagster. Ver. 128 Therefore I esteem, &c.—Or, all, have I approved.”—Bishop Horne. Ver. 131. I opened my mouth and panted.—Like as a traveller in hot countries gasps and pants for the cooling breeze.—Bishop Horne. Ver. 140. Thy word is very pure.—[Gold has need to be refined; but thy word is purity itself; reflecting the holiness of Jehovah’s character and government, and poser (2 leuding to purity of heart and life.|—Bagster. Ver. 142. Thy righteousness.—| Men, as Bishop Horne observes, may decree wickedness by a law; or they may change their decrees, and with them what is right to-day may be wrong to-morrow; but the law of God is righteousness, and it is truth, to-day and for ever.] —Bagster. i é Ver. 148. Prevent the night watches.—{The ancient Jews divided the night into three watches of four hours each, beginning at six o’clock in the evening; before the last of which, “ the day-break” or “ morning watch,” as the XX. and Vulgate read, the Psalmist was awake. ]—Bagster. “Therefore all thy precepts, even Ver. 160. Thy word is true from the beginning.—See margin. [ Datke. renders, “‘ The sum of thy word,” &c. and Archbishop Secker, “ The principles of thy word;” but the textual rendering, by understanding the _preposi-~ tion from, before rosh, ‘ beginning,” appears to be more correct, as it is supported by the following line. |—Bagster. Ver. 164. Seven times.—{That is, probabl the term seven frequently denotes; but Ra; many times, or frequently, as 1 Solomon says, that this is to be “Thine eyes in me the sheep behold, Whose feet have wandered from the fold; That guideless, helpless, strives in vain To find its safe retreat again. Now listens, if perchance its ear The shepherd’s well known voice may hear; O seek thou him,” thou friend of men, And guide him to thy fold again.—Merrick, altered. Psalm CXX. Ver. 1—7. The psalmist prays for protection against his adversaries.—The title prefixed to this and the fourteen following psalms, is, in our translation, “A Song of degrees,” which is variously interpreted. The most general opinion is, that these psalms were written, either for the tribes going up in procession to worship at Mount Zion; or, for their subsequent going up from the captivity in Babylon. The psalm before us, however, seems to have no reference to either, but to be rather of the epigrammatic cast, and to favour the notion of Professor Gesenius, that the title has reference to the poetic composition. (See note.) It is generally supposed to have been written by David, when persecuted by the malignant slanders of Doeg, or some other malignant slanderers, whose words were like sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper,” in which there is a beautiful gradation of sense, terminating in a point of severity which does not appear in the translation. Slanderous words are often compared to arrows and to sharp arrows; but the force is much increased by the bow being drawn by “a mighty man,” for “as the man is, so is his strength;” ((Judges 8:21);) and the force with which inflaming the course of nature. ((James 3:5-6).) Psalm CXXI. Ver. 1—8. Help in God under all circumstances.—Bishop Lowth supposes the two first verses to be the language of a king of Israel going out to battle, and looking up to the oracle on Mount Zion for support; and the following part of the psalm he considers as the answer of the high priest from the tabernacle: but Bishop Horne considers the first verses as the language rather of an Israelite going up to the tabernacle, to keep one of the sacred festivals, and the following as an answer of peace and protection on his journey. This is to us far the most probable: for had the scene been a military one, we should have heard of shield, and sword, and buckler. The protection solicited and promised is from the burning heat of the sun, and the chilling influences of the moon, or the night air, both which were to be dreaded in Judea. “The meaning is, says Bishop Horne,) that the good man, during his journey through life, shall be under God’s protection at all seasons; as Israel in the wilderness was defended from the burning heat of the sun by the moist and refreshing shadow of the cloud; and secured against the inclement influences of the nocturnal heavens by the kindly warmth and splendour diffused from the pillar of fire. Be thou with us, thy servants, O Lord, in the world, as thou wast with Israel in the wilderness; suffer not our virtue to dissolve before the sultry gleams of prosperity; permit it not to be frozen by the chilling blasts of adi[e]s[e]s[e]. ## Notes on the verses Ver. 1. 5. Let my soul live.—i.e. preserve my life. (Psalms 120)Title,—A song of degrees—which is prefixed to this and to the fourteen following psalms. The word (mahaloth) rendered “degrees,” means literally, steps, or stairs, but is very generally applied to any kind of ascents. Bishop Lowth calls these psalms “Odes of the Ascensions,” which were sung, either when the people came up to worship at Jerusalem, at the annual festivals, or perhaps from the Babylonish captivity. The return is certainly called the ‘ascension, or coming UP from Babylon,’ (Ezra 7:9). and the Syriac translator refers to this circumstance almost all the psalms that bear this inscription; — and many of them manifestly have a relation to it. But we must not omit remarking also, that both in the Old and New Testaments there is scarcely a phrase more common than “up to Jerusalem; to go up to the feast;” and (Psalms 122)can scarcely be applied to anything but the celebration of some festival. Besides, several of these psalms bear the name of David, and others have evident reference to his time and circumstances; but few of them could therefore be composed for the return from Babylon. Gesenius suggests, that the term may mark a peculiar species of Hebrew composition; and it is remarkable, that these psalms are all very short, (one only exceeding nine verses,) and in several of them there is a gradation of meaning, and a degree of point toward the close, almost epigrammatic. The Rabbinical tradition, of these Psalms being intended to be sung on the steps of the temple, is now generally rejected; besides, David lived in the time of the tabernacle, which had no steps. Ver. 3. What shall be given, &c.—See margin; i.e. what is to be gained by deceit and slander? Ver. 4. Sharp arrows.—See margin. — With coals of juniper.—See note on (1 Kings 19:4). Rosenmuller considers the juniper (Rothern) of the same species with the broom, which, in Spain, retains the Arabic name, Rotherna; and St. Jerome speaks of its retaining live ashes for a whole year. See Orient. Lit. No. 804. Ver. 5. In Mesech.—Meshech was the son of Japheth, from whom apparently the Moschi descended, who inhabited the mountains bordering upon Colchis, Iberia, and Armenia, (Strabo, l. xi.) and who afterwards peopled Russia; and the posterity of Kedar, son of Abraham, called Kedarenians by Pliny, dwelt in the south of Arabia Deserta, near the Nabatheans. Probably the Psalmist simply means that the people among whom he lived appeared to be as fierce and barbarous as these wandering tribes.—Bagster. It is not certain that Mesech is a proper name: both Ainsworth and Bishop Horne remark that the verse may be “Wo is me, that my sojourning is prolonged: I dwell in the tents of Kedar,” or of the Ishmaelites. Psalm C _ [will lift—See margin; i.e. to the idols worshipped in the mountains.—But we prefer the text.] Ver. 5. Thy shade, &c.—Lowth, “The Lord will shade thee with his right hand.” Ver. 6. The sun.—Sun-strokes are very fatal in those hot countries. It is a fact, too, that the moonbeams have a pernicious influence. “Moonlight will not take salt, but taints and spoils.” Milton attributes parching to the night air: “The parching air Burns froze, and cold performs th’ effect of fire.” The effects of fire and frost on the human body, Jerusalem was a type of the Christian church; and as the former was “compacted together;” so the latter, being “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,” is “fitly framed together,” and “groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord.” ((Ephesians 2:20-21).) As it was an object of the earnest desire of true Israelites to attend the typical solemnities of the law; so is it of Christian believers to meet their Lord in the more spiritual services of the New Testament church: but their ultimate desire is to meet him in the New Jerusalem which is above. Bishop Horne mentions of Theodore Zwinger, a learned physician of the sixteenth century, that, on his death-bed, he took leave of the world in a Latin paraphrase of this psalm, which was translated by Merrick, and from which we copy the last verse, which is an apostrophe to the New Jerusalem. “Let me, blest seat, my name behold Among thy citizens enrolled, In thee for ever dwell: Let Charity my steps attend, My sole companion and my friend, And Faith and Hope farewell!” (Psalms 123:1-4). Confidence in God, and prayer for deliverance.—The attention of servants (or slaves) to their masters, is, and perhaps always was, in the east, very particular and minute. Dr. Pococke says, that “at a visit in Egypt, every thing is done with the greatest decency, and the most profound silence; the slaves, or servants, standing at the bottom of the room with their hands joined before them, watching with the utmost attention every motion of their master, who commands them by signs.” Another traveller (a Motraye) says, “that the Eastern ladies are waited on even at the least wink of the eye or motion of the fingers, and that in a manner not perceptible to strangers.” Supposing this, or somewhat like it, to have been the practice in Judea, the psalmist might be as a servant (male or female) watched the orders that were expressed by the hand of their master or mistress. Even so “our eyes wait upon the Lord our God.” From the latter part of this psalm, we are led to conclude that it was composed during a period of great contempt and scorn toward Israel from their heathen enemies. Bishop Patrick thinks it was probably at the period of Rabshakeh’s blasphemy, when Hezekiah and the pious Jews watched the motions of divine providence (if we may so speak) with the most diligent attention. If so, it was probably written by Isaiah. (See (2 Kings 19:1-5).) If the Lord’s servants apply to him for relief, or for redress under injuries, it is necessary that they should watch as well as pray; or “look up,” as David himself expresses it. ((Psalms 5:3).) Psalm CXXIV. Ver. 1—8. Acknowledgments of divine mercy received.—This is a psalm of David, but it is not necessary, nor perhaps possible, to ascertain the occasion of its being written. David was frequently distressed by the inroads of numerous armies of his enemies, as by the Philistines when they spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim; and when the Ammonites and Syrians combined against him like the billows of an overwhelming sea; but the Lord was on his side, and they were defeated. (See (2 Samuel 5:17-25); x. 6—19.) Christians can have no difficulty in making a proper use of passages like these. “The great lesson which this psalm inculcates (says Bishop Horne) is, that for every deliverance, whether of a temporal or spiritual nature, we should, in imitation of the saints above, ascribe salvation to God and to the “* Our help is in Jehovah's name, Who formed the earth and built the skies: He that upholds that wondrous frame, Guards his own church with watchful eyes.”—Watts. Psalm CXXV. Ver. 1—5. The final prosperity of Zion, ## Notes on the verses (Psalms 122)[It is very uncertain why the title of “A song of degrees,” is affixed to these Psalms. As maaloth, from alah, “to ascend,” denotes steps, or stairs; some are of opinion that they were sung by the Levites, as they went up the steps or stairs of the temple. But as it also signifies simply ascents, or goings up, others explain them in reference to the return from the Babylonian captivity; and others think they were so called because sung by the Hebrews when they went up to Jerusalem, three times a year, at the annual festivals. Some think it means a song sung with the highest elevation of the voice and music; and others apply it to the matter of the psalm, and think it denotes a song of peculiar excellence,—" a most excellent ode,” as Junius and Tremellius render. This psalm was probably written by David for the use of the Israelites, when they went up to Jerusalem, after the ark was removed thither, to celebrate the sacred feasts.]—Bagster. Ver. 4. The testimony of Israel.—That is, the ark of the testimony, Exod. 25, 20. Ver. 5. The thrones of the house of Israel.—That is, of the heads of the several tribes. (Psalms 123)[This psalm is mainly a complaint of the captives in Babylon, relative to severe and cruel usage they received.]—Bagster. Ver. 2. Eyes of servants.—(These words may be understood as expressive of a readiness to obey his commands when known; and also as the language of dependence, expecting support, protection, and redress.)—Bagster. (Psalms 124)[It is uncertain what the particular deliverance was which is celebrated in this Psalm. It is attributed to David in the present copies of the Hebrew text; but it is to be remarked, that ledavoid, “of David,” is wanting in three MSS. and in the ancient versions. Some refer it to the deliverance of Hezekiah from Sennacherib; and others to the return from the Babylonian captivity; while Dr. A. Clarke refers it to that of the Jews from the massacre intended by Haman.]—Bagster. Ver. 4. Then the waters had overwhelmed us—Meaning, the army of the enemy. Compare (Isaiah 59:19). (Psalms 125)[Dr. Delaney supposes this psalm to have been composed by David when about to attack the strong holds of Zion; others refer it to the invasion of Judah by Sennacherib, and the miraculous deliverance of Phœnicia; but it most probably was written on the return from the captivity.] Ver. 2. As the mountains.—(This comparison beautifully illustrates the power and protection of God; Jerusalem, says Sandys, is seated on a rocky PSALM CXXVI f or, seed 1 The church, celebrating her incredible ret t of eapti prophesieth the ee a spice g Ps.30.5. A Song of degrees. HEN the Lord turned » again the capa or, of. Pe ine tivity of Zion, we were like them that b 1C0.3.6,7. ¢ that are 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, of it init. and our tongue with singing: then said they d Ge.3.17, among the heathen, The Lord hath ° done e Ge.33.5. great things for them. 3 The Lord hath done great things for us; f filled his whereof we are glad. 4 Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the g or, subdue Ps. 18.47. streams in the south. h Job 5.4. 5 They ‘ that sow in tears shall reap in joy. a Ps.112.1. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing b Is.3.10. f precious seed, shall doubtless come again ce Eze.19.10. d Ps.144.12. — g rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with and destruction of her enemies.—In this psalm the church is comforted with the promises of God’s protection and defence; due time, the hand of persecution from and to remove, in them, so that the rod (or sceptre) of the wicked (or of wickedon the lot (or portion) of the ness) shall not rest permanently “lest the righteous put forth righteous. The reason given Is, their hands to iniquity;” that is, I lest from the universal prevalence of eae they also should be drawn into the vortex of crime. Dr. Hammond quotes Aben L 2n Ezra as applying this psalm to the kingdom of the Messiah, when “ the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains,” ((Isaiah 2:2).) while those who turn aside to the “ crooked ways” of idolatry, shall be led forth to punishment with other eace shall be upon Israel;” or as workers of iniquity. But “ ‘Peace be on Israel!” (See Gal. we should rather render it, vi. 16.) This psalm is generally, and we Psarm CXXVI. Ver. 1—6. first return from captivity, which to think justly, applied to the many must be so unexpected, and appear so marvellous, that dream than a reality. The decree of it must seem rather a Cyrus, doubtless, filled their ‘‘ mouth with songs,” ca 7 those of the heathen around them with admiration. Lord hath done great things for them,” said they; and the Jews replied, “True! indeed the Lord hath done great things now arose in for us, and we are glad.” The prayer which teach us to pray as well as their hearts (for our mercies shoul i By “streams in praise) will bear a two-fold interpretation. the south,” Bishop Lowth understands the torrents produced which dried u by the periodical rains in the south of Judea, during the heat of summer; but, when the time came round, and filled the same chanreturned again from the same cause, nels. So Israel were now about to return to their country. i different turn to the words, But Dr. Durell gives rather a which he renders, ‘The turning of our captivity, O Lord, is south,” or desert of Judea; equally welcome as streams in the so the thirsty sands. and delightful as rain upon forth from Babylon, are compared The Israelites now going } not be lest they should to husbandmen sowing with tears A traveller in that permitted to reap the fruit of their industry. often seen the huscountry remarks: ‘‘In Palestine we have by an armed friend, to prevent bandman sowing, accompanied Harmer observes, that these his being robbed of the seed.” reason to Israelites were in similar circumstances: they ha but the fear that their enemies would defeat their efforts; author ofthis psalm (perhaps Ezra) predicts a happy issue to their efforts, and promises them a joyful harvest. north, with steep giveth his beloved sleep. 3 Lo, children are aheritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand ofa mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath ‘ his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall s speak with the enemies in the * gate. PSALM CXXVIII. The sundry blessings which follow them that fear God. A Song of degrees. LESSED is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. 2¥For thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 3 Thy wife ¢ shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thy house: thy children like oliveplants ¢round about thy table. that “the return of Israel from Ba- Bishop Horne remarks, a holds forth a figure of the same import with the Exodus Egypt. And this psalm, like the propheof that people from cies of Isaiah, representeth the blessed effects of a spiritual redemption, in words primarily alluding to that temporal 1—5. The importance of God's Psarm CXXVII. Ver. blessing on all our affairs.—Judging from the title, we should consider this psalm as probably composed by Solomon, at the house, or the temple. The chiet time of building his own doctrine meant to be inculcated is, that all our labours are in vain, either to build, or to guard our habitations, without the divine aid and concurrence. Solomon expresses the same ((Proverbs 3:5-6). sentiment in his Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. (Ecclesiastes 9:11).) salm is, that “children are a The second doctrine of the ” and bestowed as a reward on heritage of (or from) the Lord, those that serve him. Among the Jews, instead of being a among us consider them,) they were "as burden, (as many arrows in the hand ef a mighty man,” that 1s, as weapons ot himself aged and infirm, so that their father, when self defence; i i afraid to speak with his enemies in need not be the gate; mpeey if he were accused before the elders, they were ready to plea his cause: or, if war should be at his gate, i i (as in inves v. 8.) and much it is to they were able personally to defend him: the honour of those affectionate children, who make their parent’s cause their own. _ The blessings of a virtuous Psatm CX XVIII. Ver. 1—6. Bishop Horne) was ordained by marriage.—‘‘ Marriage (says God, to complete the felicity of man in a state of innocency * will ever descend upon it, when and the benediction of heaven undertaken in the fear of the Lord. The vine, a lowly plant, its luxuriancy, its beauraised with tender care, becoming, b ty, its fragrance, and its clusters, the ornament and glory the house to which it is joined, and by which it is supported le emblem of a fair, virtuous, an forms the finest imagina children round the family table are no less faithful wife.” a plantation of young olives, “ever beautifully represented by ‘And both images, taken together, compose fair and green.” 1 1 the most engaging picture of a happy family ever drawn by the hand of a poet. here promised are, indeed, of a temporal na- The blessings } ture; but pious Jews, as well as pious Christians, were used to es to higher objects, of which we havo look through these ima araphrase of this expression, “‘It ‘in the world to come.” an example in the Chaldee P' shall be well with thee,” w ich adds ## Notes on the verses Ver. 3. The rod.—Or sceptre, (see Ps. ex. 2.) Ver. 5. Lead them forth.—That is, to punishment.—But peace, &c.—The Hebrew reads literally, “Peace (be) on Israel!” Like them that dream.—{Similar to this was the PSALM CXXVIL Ver. 2. So—Ainsworth, ‘‘ surely;” Hammond, “ since;” to Solomon’s name, Jedidiah. he giveth his beloved sicep.—An allusion ## Notes on the verses PsaLM CXXVIL. Ver. 1. the Greeks when the Romans proclaimed their liberty at effect produced upon after they had vanquished Philip king of Macedon. the Isthmian games, i They gazed on each “Searcely could any, person believe w heard. other, wondering as if it had been some illusion, similar toa dream.”-Livy.} Vor 5. Reap injoy.—See margin; which is no doubt to be understood lite- 4 Parvo but with this difference, that they sung songs raliy, as at our harvest homes; of praise to the true God, and not to Bacchus, or Ceres, é&c, as is too common inour rejoicings. See (Ruth 2:4). ‘for the most part, it is environed (2 Samuel 12:25).; \ a Ver. 5. That hath his quiver full.—See margin.— Speak awith— Sub- ‘Merrick quotes a Chinese remark ““ When due,” or “ destroy his enemies.” family, it is customary to hang up a bow and arrow before a son is born in a as a sign that the family has acquired a defender. the house,: PsaLM OXXVII. Ver. 3. Fruitful vine.—(The houses in the East are built in the form of a square, with an open area in the midst, with apartments This quadrangular court is adorned with s reading trees, aroon each side. flowers, which are continually refreshed by the matic shrubs, and fragrant ers, L hat he crystal waters of a fountain playing in the midst; and te increase the beauty eading to the upper apartments of the haof the scene, they cover the stairs f against the dead lattice work of wood raised rem with vines, and have often a: c ster. ——T'hy le like oliveround thy tal walls, upon which climbs a ecg or other pie foe shrub. Ba, children. like olive-plants, &c.—Or, Thy chile ren } plants; i. e. ever fresh and flourishing; Harmer and hdl Ainswort thinks the allusion to the olive, implies legitimacy, as the olive admits no foreign graft. Of these she here takes a retrospective view, alluding to the various sufferings of the nation, from the days of Pharaoh to the Babylonish captivity; and the third verse in “meet no horses ploughed upon my back,” &c., has been often applied (and not improperly) to the scourging that our Saviour himself endured from his apostate countrymen. The psalm itself, we have remarked, seems to have been written in the dawn of Judah’s deliverance from Babylon. “The Lord is righteous,” saith the prophet, in the name of his brethren; “He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked,” with which they had bound and scourged their captives. The following part of the psalm, though in an imprecatory form, may rather be considered (as Bishop Horne renders it) as predictive of their speedy deliverance, and the righteous retribution of heaven upon these enemies. They are not only compared to grass, as in other places, but to grass on the house-tops, where it could have no depth of soil, and where it withered before it could attain sufficient growth to fill the mower’s hand, or to attract the admiration of the passers by, who were accustomed to bless the productions of the earth, and those who cultivated them. ((Ruth 2:4). Psalm CXXX. Ver. 1—8. A penitent confession with prayer for pardon.—This very excellent penitential psalm was also perhaps written during the captivity; though some, as Bishop Patrick and others, ascribe it to the patriarch David. The writer had evidently a deep sense of his own guilt, of the necessity of pardon, and of the way in which it was to be obtained. “All true fear of God must be founded on his forgiving mercy; but for the hope of this we might, indeed we must, dread him; but could not filially and reverentially fear him.” [The] piety and anxiety of a convinced sinner in imploring mercy. “*So waits my soul to see thy grace, And, more intent than they, Meets the first openings of thy face, And finds a brighter day.”— Watts. Psalm CXXXI. Ver. 1—3. A profession of humility, and subjection to Jehovah.—This psalm is ascribed to David, and may correctly describe his fortitude and disposition, which, under the influences of divine grace, were controlled and subdued, as a child that is completely weaned from the breast. It is supposed to have been composed in answer to the charges brought against him, of attempting to supplant Saul, and wrest the kingdom from him. The psalm is applied to Christ by some divines, on his being charged, with equal falsehood, with being an enemy to Caesar. ((John 19:12).) And it is true, that all the virtues which Jews or Christians have partially possessed, resided, in their maturity and full perfection, in our divine Lord. Psalm CXXII. Ver. 1—18. “David's anxiety to provide for the ark, and its removal.—There is some difference among commentators, as to the author of this psalm, and the occasion of its being written. If composed by David, it was probably on the second removal of the ark, from the house of Obed-edom, ((1 Chronicles 15:4), &c.) and so Lightfoot places it: if by Solomon, it must have been about the time of removing the ark into the temple, which he had built for it, ((1 Chronicles 5:2), &c.) on which occasion the 135th and 136th Psalms are also supposed to have been written. Bishop Horne, who inclines to the former hypothesis, so clearly expresses and so beautifully improves it, that we cannot persuade ourselves to omit the forcible quotation: “In all circumstances and situations, (says the Bishop,) Da- ## Notes on the verses PSALM CXXIX. Ver. 2. Not prevailed—That is, so as to extirpate the Jewish nation, as appears to have been their object. Ver. 3. Ploughers ploughed.—This strong figure seems to intimate, that the enemies of Israel cut their backs by scourging, as the ploughers cut the soil. —Bagster. Ver. 6. As grass upon the house-tops.—[As the tops of the houses in the East are flat, and covered with plaster or terrace, they are frequently grown over with grass, or other vegetable productions; but, from the want of proper nourishment, it is but small and weak, and from its elevation, being exposed to the scorching sun, it is soon withered. If grass, the mower cannot make hay of it; if corn, the reaper cannot make a sheaf of it. A more beautiful and striking figure, to display the weak and evanescent condition of wicked men, cannot easily be conceived.] —Bagster. Psalm CXXX. Ver. 6. More than they that watch, &c.—Ainsworth, “More than the watchmen for the morning—more than the watchmen for the morning.” Hammond, “My soul hasteneth to the Lord, from the time of the morning watches.” [Some suppose this to be an allusion to the city guards, or to the men who watched at the temple; but probably it refers to the case of a bewildered and benighted traveller, or the endangered mariner, who eagerly looks forward to the break of day.] —Bagster. ## Notes on the verses PsaLM CXXXI. Ver. 1. Neither do I exercise (‘‘ walk”) in great matters.... too high—" Wonderful.” ‘‘ He could appeal to God, that he should have been well satisfied in privacy and obscurity, and in the meaner occupations of a shepherd; without intermeddling with affairs of state, or other ‘matters too high’ or wonderful for him.’—T. Scott. Ver. 2. Surely I have, &c.—The clause rendered “‘ Surely I have,’ is literally, ‘‘If I have not,” that is, “‘ Then let mine enemies prevail against me.” —lI have behaved and quieted myseif.—‘. 1 have composed and stilled my soul.”—T". Scott. Z FSALM CXXXIL Ver. 3. Surely I will not come.—“ If 1 enter,” being the Their inward joys, shal! shout and sing: The Son of David here shall reign, And Zion triumph in her King.” — Watts. usual form of an oath, or vow, that he would not. —Find out—That is, discover a proper situation.: er. 6. Lo, we heard of it (that is, of the ark) at Ephratah—The city of Shiloh, in the country of Ephraim, where the ark and tabernacle long continued, (Judges 18:31).; xxi. 19. 1 Sam. 13. therefore an Ephraizte is called un Ephrathite, Judges xii, 5. See Ainsworth.——In the fields of the wood— That is, in the city of Kirjath-jearim, which signifies, the city of the woods, where the ark was twenty years, after it came home from the Philistines. L Sam. vi. 21.; vii. 1,2. See Ainsworth, Ver. 7. At his footstool.—Namely, before the ark. Ver. 8. Arise, O Lord.—(Numbers 10:35). 2 Chron. vi, 41. Re (2 Ver. 10. Turn not away the face of thine anointed.—That is, ‘‘ Deny not my request.” ‘ Resasuss Ver. 11. The Lord hath sworn.—See (2 Samuel 7:12). (1 Kings 8:25). (2 Chronicles 1:16). Lithe i. 69. (Acts 2:30). v ver. 17. There (i. e. in Zion, or Jerusalem) twill Imake the horn of David to bud.—{A horn is an emblem of power and sovereignty; and as one horn dropped off, another sprung up, till the budding forth of the Messiah, the born of salvation,” ((Luke 1:69).;) and the lamp, or family, of David was not erfor a continued round of worship; for, strictly figuratively, } speaking, there is “no night there.” ((Revelation 22:5).) tinguished, till the Sun of righteousness arose with healing in his wings.”’]— Bagster.—A lamp for mine anointed.—A successor, to perpetuate his me- See (1 Kings 15) 4. Kimchi, and other Rabbins, admit this verse to refer to the Messiah.;. “Ver. 18. Crown flourish.—This seems to allude to the materials of which crowns were perhaps originally made, as certain species of everg'eens- the bay, laurel, &c. The skirts—‘ The mouth;” i. e. the edge, or The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 129; the text below is that joint comment. Of these she here takes a retrospective view, alluding to the various sufferings of the nation, from the days of Pharaoh to the Babylonish captivity; and the third verse in “net bo hers ploughed upon my back,” &c., has been often applied (and not improperly) to the scourging that our Saviour himself endured from his apostate countrymen. The psalm itself, we have remarked, seems to have been written in the dawn of Judah’s deliverance from Babylon. “The Lord is righteous,” saith the prophet, in the name of his brethren; “He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked,” with which they had bound and scourged their captives. The following part of the psalm, though in an imprecatory form, may rather be considered (as Bishop Horne renders it) as predictive of their speedy deliverance, and the righteous retribution of heaven upon these enemies. They are not only compared to grass, as in other places, but to grass on the house-tops, where it could have no depth of soil, and where it withered before it could attain sufficient growth to fill the mower’s hand, or to attract the admiration of the passers by, who were accustomed to bless the productions of the earth, and those who cultivated them. ((Ruth 2:4). Psalm CXXX Ver. 1—8. A penitent confession with prayer for pardon.—This very excellent penitential psalm was also perhaps written during the captivity; though some, as Bishop Patrick and others, ascribe it to the patriarch David. The writer had evidently a deep sense of his own guilt, of the need of pardon, and of the way in which it was to be obtained. “All true fear of God must be founded on his forgiving mercy; but for the hope of this we might, indeed we must, dread him; but could not filially and reverentially fear him.” [The] piety and anxiety of a convinced sinner in imploring mercy. “*So waits my soul to see thy grace, And, more intent than they, Meets the first openings of thy face, And finds a brighter day.”— Watts. Psalm CXXXI. Ver. 1—3. A profession of humility, and subjection to Jehovah.—This psalm is ascribed to David, and may correctly describe his forthright and disposition, which, under the influences of divine grace, were controlled and subdued, as a child that is completely weaned from the breast. It is supposed to have been composed in answer to the charges brought against him, of attempting to supplant Saul, and wrest the kingdom from him. The psalm is applied to Christ by some divines, on his being charged, with equal falsehood, with being an enemy to Cesar. ((John 19:12).) And it is true, that all the virtues which Jews or Christians have partially possessed, resided, in their maturity and full perfection, in our divine Lord. Psalm CXXII. Ver. 1—18. “David's anxiety to provide for the ark, and its removal.—There is some difference among commentators, as to the author of this psalm, and the occasion of its being written. If composed by David, it was probably on the second removal of the ark, from the house of Obed-edom, ((1 Chronicles 15:4), &c.) and so Lightfoot places it: if by Solomon, it must have been about the time of removing the ark into the temple, which he had built for it, ((1 Chronicles 5:2), &c.) on which occasion the 135th and 136th Psalms are also supposed to have been written. Bishop Horne, who inclines to the former hypothesis, so clearly expresses and so beautifully improves it, that we cannot persuade ourselves to omit the foray quotation: “In all circumstances and situations, (says the Bishop,) Da- ## Notes on the verses PSALM CXXIX. Ver. 2. Not prevailed—That is, so as to extirpate the Jewish nation, as appears to have been their object. Ver. 3. Ploughers ploughed.—This strong figure seems to intimate, that the enemies of Israel cut their backs by scourging, as the ploughers cut the soil. —Bagster. Ver. 6. As grass upon the house-tops.—[As the tops of the houses in the East are flat, and covered with plaster of terrace, they are frequently grown over with grass, or other vegetable productions; but, from the want of proper nourishment, it is but small and weak, and from its elevation, being exposed to the scorching sun, it is soon withered. If grass, the mower cannot make hay of it; if corn, the reaper cannot make a sheaf of it. A more beautiful and striking figure, to display the weak and evanescent condition of wicked men, cannot easily be conceived. —Bagster. Psalm CXXX. Ver. 6. More than they that watch, &c.—Ainsworth, “More than the watchmen for the morning—more than the watchmen for the morning.” Hammond, “My soul hasteneth to the Lord, from the time of the morning watches.” [Some suppose this to be an allusion to the city guards, or to the men who watched at the temple; but probably it refers to the case of a bewildered and benighted traveller, or the endangered mariner, who eagerly looks forward to the break of day.] —Bagster. Of the oath and vow here mentioned, we have, indeed, no account in the sacred history: but we read ((2 Samuel 7:2).) of the uneasiness which he expressed to Nathan the prophet, at the thought of his dwelling in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God dwelt only within the curtains of a tent. Nay, we find ((1 Chronicles 16:43).) that he did not bless, and consequently did not inhabit his own house, until he had brought the ark to Zion, where the temple was afterwards erected. He could take neither pleasure nor rest, until a place was prepared for the residence of Jehovah, in the midst of his people; and from thenceforth he gave himself, with unwearied diligence, to lay in a plentiful store of the most costly materials, silver, gold, and precious stones, which were employed by his son and successor, Solomon, in constructing the magnificent and mystic edifice. Thus, in the covenant of grace, did the Son of God engage not to take possession of his heavenly palace, nor to enter into his eternal rest, until he had prepared upon the earth a place for the residence of the Lord; a building framed of materials more precious than gold and silver, more bright and beautiful than rubies, emeralds, and diamonds. All this was planned and executed by one and the same person, who first suffered in meekness and patience, like David, then reigned in glory and peace, like Solomon. The believer should spare no pains, no time, no thought, to find out and prepare in his heart an habitation for the God of Jacob, since our Lord hath graciously vouchsafed to make this general promise to us all, ‘If a man love me, my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.’ ((John 14:23).) Several reasons, however, incline us to the opinion of those who consider Solomon as the author. Not only are several expressions in this psalm quoted, or alluded to in his dedication prayer, which, to be sure, a son might copy from his father; but the writer speaks of David in the third person, and leads before God the labours and afflictions which he (David) had suffered on account of his attachment to the ark of the God of Israel; the oath and covenant which God had made with him, and the promises to be fulfilled in himself, (Solomon,) as the budding of David’s horn, and as a lamp to preserve his memory; but finally to be accomplished, to their utmost extent, in the Messiah himself to whom the kingdom must be eventually surrendered, and in whom the promises must receive their ultimate accomplishment. “The saints, unable to contain PSALM CXXXIV. An exhortation to bless God. b Ex. 30.25. A Song of degrees. e De. 4.48. BEHOLD, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord. b or, holy 2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, (Ps. 1629) and bless the Lord. The blessedness of unity and brotherly affection.—This very beautiful, though very short psalm, is ascribed to David, and was probably written on the death of Ishbosheth, when Abner persuaded the other tribes to unite with Judah and Benjamin, under David’s government. (2 Sam. y. 1, &c.) The unity of brethren is illustrated by two fine poetic images. The first is borrowed from the anointing of the priest with the precious consecrated ointment, of the high substance, but the rich fragrance which spread, not its oil. So Lowth quotes, from the elegant version of Buchanan: “Sweet as the odorous balsam poured On Aaron’s sacred head; Which o’er his beard, and down his breast A breathing fragrance shed.” The other image is from the dew, which gently distils upon mountains. Dr. Pococke, however, who travelled the Hermon country, gives a more literal translation. He supposes the highest mountain in Judea, and that the clouds upon its summit are carried by the north winds, let fall their dews upon which lies southward. R. Delany (in his life of David) supposes these images to represent the spirit of unity between the governor and people, the head and body of the nation; and if we admit the notion of Dr. Pococke, the dews represent in the same way, the blessings or benefit conveyed by the highest orders to all around them. But the images may be more spiritually explained. Christ, who is God’s anointed, bestows the anointing of the Spirit on his people by divine grace. He also is “as the dew unto all his people.” (1 John ii. 27.) He is Israel,” refreshing and comforting (Hosea xiv. 5.); In the close of this psalm, we have a striking proof that the more pious Hebrews did not confine their views to the present life, but carried forward their hopes and views beyond the grave, even to “life evermore.” An Evening Hymn.—Bishop Patrick thinks this short psalm (which was usually sung by the priests, on shutting up the gates of the temple in the evening, as the next psalm, on opening them in the morning. We read ((1 Chronicles 16:33).) that some of the Levitical singers were constantly employed, “day and night,” in singing the praises of Jehovah; so we find, in the celestial world above, the redeemed before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: ((Revelation 7:15):) but this must be taken ## Notes on the verses PSALM CXXXIII. Ver. 2 ((Exodus 39:23).) which was under the rather, the button-hole of the collar, are here, and of Zion.—Bishop Lowth supplies Ver. 3. As the dew of Hermon..... and (Maundrell says, “We were sufficiently instructed by experience what the holy Psalmist means by ‘the dew of Hermon,’ our tents being as wet with it as if it rained. al 2 Zion here means a part of Mount Hermon, Some suppose that ((Deuteronomy 4:48);) but it is not written Sion here, but Zion, which is Bagster., Psalm CXXXIV. Ver. 1. Which by night stand—Namely, the priests, who stood to minister in the sanctuary; or, as some think, the watch, (Exodus 8:3)& The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 133; the text below is that joint comment. Of the oath and vow here mentioned, we have, indeed, no account in the sacred history: but we read ((2 Samuel 7:2).) of the uneasiness which he expressed to Nathan the prophet, at the thought of his dwelling in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God dwelt only within the curtains of a tent. Nay, we find ((1 Chronicles 16:43).) that he did not bless, and consequently did not inhabit his own house, until he had brought the ark to Zion, where the temple was afterwards erected. He could take neither pleasure nor rest, until a place was prepared for the residence of Jehovah, in the midst of his people; and from thenceforth he gave himself, with unwearied diligence, to lay in a plentiful store of the most costly materials, silver, gold, and precious stones, which were employed by his son and successor, Solomon, in constructing the magnificent and mystic edifice. Thus, in the covenant of grace, did the Son of God engage not to take possession of his heavenly palace, nor to enter into his eternal rest, until he had prepared upon the earth a place for the residence of the Lord; a building framed of materials more precious than gold and silver, more bright and beautiful than rubies, emeralds, and diamonds. All this was planned and executed by one and the same person, who first suffered in meekness and patience, like David, then reigned in glory and peace, like Solomon. The believer should spare no pains, no time, no thought, to find out and prepare in his heart an habitation for the God of Jacob, since our Lord hath graciously vouchsafed to make this general promise to us all, ‘If a man love me, my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.’ ((John 14:23).) Several reasons, however, incline us to the opinion of those who consider Solomon as the author. Not only are several expressions in this psalm quoted, or alluded to in his dedication prayer, which, to be sure, a son might copy from his father; but the writer speaks of David in the third person, and leads before God the labours and afflictions which he (David) had suffered on account of his attachment to the ark of the God of Israel; the oath and covenant which God had made with him, and the promises to be fulfilled in himself, (Solomon,) as the budding of David’s horn, and as a lamp to preserve his memory; but finally to be accomplished, to their utmost extent, in the Messiah himself to whom the kingdom must be eventually surrendered, and in whom the promises must receive their ultimate accomplishment. “The saints, unable to contain PSALM CXXXIV. An exhortation to bless God. b Ex. 30.25. A Song of degrees. e De. 4.48. BEHOLD, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord. b or, holy- 2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, (1 Chron. 16.29) and bless the Lord. The blessedness of unity and brotherly affection.—This very beautiful, though very short psalm, is ascribed to David, and was probably written on the death of Ishbosheth, when Abner persuaded the other tribes to unite with Judah and Benjamin, under David’s government. (2 Sam. y. 1, &c.) The unity of brethren is illustrated by two fine poetic images. The first is borrowed from the anointing of the priest with the precious consecrated ointment, of the high substance, but the rich fragrance which spread, not its oil. So Lowth quotes, from the elegant version of Buchanan: “Sweet as the odorous balsam poured On Aaron’s sacred head; Which o’er his beard, and down his breast A breathing fragrance shed.” The other image is from the dew, which gently distils upon mountains. Dr. Pococke, however, who travelled the Hermon country, gives a more literal translation. He supposes the highest mountain in Judea, and that the clouds upon it carried by the north winds, let fall their dews upon which lies southward. Dr. Delany (in his life of David) supposes these images to represent the spirit of unity between the governor and people, the head and body of the nation; and if we admit the notion of Dr. Pococke, the dews represent in the same way, the benefits conveyed by the highest orders to all around them. But the images may be more spiritually explained. Christ, who is God’s anointed, bestows the anointing of the Spirit on his people by divine grace. He also is “‘as the dew unto all his people.” (1 John ii. 27.) He is Israel,” refreshing and comforting (Hosea xiv. 5.); In the close of this psalm, we have a striking proof that the more pious Hebrews did not confine their views to the present life, but carried forward their hopes and views beyond the grave, even to “life evermore.” An Evening Hymn.—Bishop Patrick thinks this short psalm (which was usually sung by the priests, on shutting up the gates of the temple in the evening, as the next psalm, on opening them in the morning. We read (1 Chron. conix. 33.) that some or other of the Levitical singers were constantly employed, “day and night,” in singing the praises of Jehovah; so we find, in the celestial world above, the re- before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: ((Revelation 7:15):) but this must be taken ## Notes on the verses PSALM CXXXIII. Ver. 2 ((Exodus 39:23).) which was under the rather, the button-hole of the collar, are here. and of Zion.—Bishop Lowth supplies Ver. 3. As the dew of Hermon..... and {Maundrell says, ‘We were sufficiently instructed by experience what the holy Psalmist means by “the dew of Hermon,” our tents being as wet with it as if it rained.} Zion here means a part of Mount Hermon. Some suppose that ((Deuteronomy 4:48).;) but it is not written Sion here, but Zion, which is Bagster. PSALM CXXXIV. Ver. 1. Which by night stand—Namely, the priests, who stood to minister in the sanctuary; or, as some think, the watch, (Exodus 8:3)& Psatm CXXXV. Ver. 1—21. This is evidently a dialogue psalm between the priests and Levites; and Henley (in Lowth) supposes a third choir uttered the hallelujahs—“ Praise ye Jah, praise ye Jehovah;”’ that is, praise ye the Lord. Verse 4 is supposed to be a general chorus, in which the congregation joined, as also verses 12, 14, 18, 21. This, however, is in great measure conjectural. The chief topics of this psalm, and of the following, and, indeed, of most of the Hebrew odes, are the deliverance from Egypt and the conquest of Canaan, wit the preference of the true God before the idols of the heathen. These psalms admonish us, that it is our duty to praise God for his mercy to the church, and to the world at large; but specially to record our national mercies and deliverances, of which no nation under heaven has so many to record as ours. When the heart of man is in a suitable frame for praise, it can never want for topics, and all our temporal mercies will insensibly lead a pious mind to the blessings of redemption and eternal life. “He for his people needful food provides Guards all their blessings, all their steps he guides; Through snares and dangers safely leads them on To endless bliss, and his own heavenly throne; May praise perpetual to the God of heaven, For his eternal grace and truth be given.””—Simon Browne. Psatm CXXXVI. Ver. 1—26. A general exhortation to praise God for his mercies.—The words, “for his mercy endureth for ever,” which are repeated as the chorus to every verse of this psalm, were used by the Israelites in their daily worship; ((1 Chronicles 16:41);) by Solomon, at the dedication of the temple; ((2 Chronicles 7:3, 6);) by Jehoshaphat, on the advice of a prophet, when he went out to engage the combined armies of the Ammonites and Moabites, ((2 Chronicles 20:21).) and by their descendants, on laying the foundation of the God’s omniscience, and appeals to it-for his integrity.—We know this psalm to be David's A good man, who knows the deceitfulness of the human heart, will often feel the necessity of appealing to God to search and try his heart, that he may be relieved from the most dangerous of all errors, self-deception. Various and beautiful is the imagery here employed to describe the divine omniscience. _ He considers, first, the human mind, and attributes to the divine Being a knowledge of its cogitations before man has time to utter them. Then he looks to God’s omnipresence, which extends to the farthest part of the eastern continent, or the western sea; which descends at once to the abyss of hell, and rises to the highest heavens, where he keeps his throne, in light unapproachable. He next adverts to the secret formation of the human foetus, embroidered, as here described, with veins and nerves, so as to form one of the most wonderful works of God. Its members, as it were, written, or delineated, before the eye of the Creator, before one of them was formed. Though anatomy, like other studies, has been much abused, few are calculated to discover more of the infinite wisdom of our Maker. We are indeed “ fearfully (or awfully) and wonderfully made.” Though the Jews did not practise the anatomy of man, yet their priests could not be ignorant of animal anatomy, ae consequently not wholly so of the structure of the human frame, whose formation they seem to have contemplated, not only with admiration, but with a kind of awe; as sey. did fire in the bowels of the earth, or lightning in the elaboratory of the clouds. When the psalmist exclaims, ‘‘How precious are thy thoughts concerning me, O God!’ we are inclined to consider him as engaged in contemplating his own being as the result of divine benevolence as well as power; as having occupied the friendly, as well as inscrutable thoughts of God. He considers himself, whether waking or sleeping, as equally the subject of divine providence; and, however far his dreaming thoughts might wander from the contemplation of his Maker, ““ when I awake (says he) I am still with thee.” ‘: Was it not from this sense of his perpetual connexion with the Deity, that David proposes to keep himself at such a distance from “blood-thirsty men;” that is, from Pagan idolaters, who almost universally delighted in offering human sacrifices. These men he considers as his enemies, because they were God’s enemies; he hates them because they hate his God; and he bids thera keep at a distance from him, from a conviction that God would destroy them, and from a fear of being involved in the same ruin: so the children of Israel withdrew from Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. (See (Numbers 16:26-27).) The psalm concludes with another appeal to God, to search and try him, and if there were in him any deceit and falsehood, to ‘lead’? him “ in the way of life everlasting.” “* Searcher of hearts, my thoughts review; With kind severity pursue, Through each disguise, thy servant’s mind. Guide thro’ the eternal path my feet, And bring me to thy blissful seat.”—Bishop Lowth. Psatm CXL. Ver. 1—13. David prays for deliverance from his enemies.—The burden of this psalm resembles that of several others. He is beset by implacable and restless enemies, and calls upon God for deliverance from them. If by “the head” of these, as Aixsworth supposes, Ahithophel were intended, it fixes the time and occasion to be that of Absalom’s rebellion, one of the most distressing periods of David’s life; and re it is observable he never complains of him, but lays all the lame on his confederates or advisers. e 3. Whether he had groun for this, or whether he was wholly blinded by his fond partiality for that worthless pe we need not inquire: it may be more 1at our bitterest trials often arise out of our useful to remark, t David made an idol of him, and Providence fond partialities. We are delivered from idols of wood made him his tormentor. and stone, O let us beware of making idols of flesh and blood! David prays to be kept from Psarm CXLI. Ver. 1—10. temptation.—The learned Peters considers this psalm to have been compose é d by David, “just before his flight to Achish, king of Gath, when he had a second time spared Saul’s life, but could trust him no longer.” (See (1 Samuel 16)and xvii. 1, ) At a distance 2.) And this idea is adopted by Bishop Horne. from the tabernacle and its ordinances, he entreats that hisown as the evening sacrifice. an Taking refuge among idolaters, ee del may be accepted, instead of the offering up of incense, he prays that a guard might be set over his lips, that he might say nothing that could give c countenance to their crimes, and Another passage meriting our remark, is the salutary nature of friendly reproof—“ let the righteous smite me,” instead of a deadly stroke, it shall be as precious oil, which instead of breaking, shall salubriate and refresh my head. The sixth and seventh verses require a different translation, as in our notes. We need not wonder at some difficulties in writings of 3000 yearsold. The conclusion is, however, easy and practical. In all our difficulties, our eyes should be directed to God, who will not leave the soul destitute that trusts in him. Psaum CXLII. Ver. 1—7. Prayer, the psalmist’s resource in trouble-—This is a prayer of David “ when he was _in the cave: most probably of Adullam, whither he fied when i danger, both from Saul and from the Philistines. ((1 Samuel 22:1).) He was then, doubtless, in a state of utter destitution and of extreme danger; when, at times, he was probably obliged to escape alone and unattended, and when snares were literally laid to entrap his feet, as for the beasts of the forest. Then he “ cried unto the Lord;” as he elsewhere says, “ This poor man cried, and the Lord heard, and delivered him out of all his troubles.” ((Psalms 34:6).) “Come, magnify the Lord with me; ## Notes on the verses PsaLM CXXXV. [Bishop Patrick supposes this to be the morning hymn which the precentor called upon the Levites to sing at the opening the gates of the temple, as the foregoing was sung at the shutting in the evening; but it is more poeue that it was composed by Solomon, to be sung at the dedication of the Temple. ]—Bagster. In verses 1, 3, 4, &c. the sacred names Jah and Jehovah are used interchangeably, and both rendered Lorn in capitals. Ver. 7. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth.—[He causes the small aqueous particles to evaporate, and to ascend into the atmosphere as vapour; and there, by the gravity of the air, to be suspended at different heights in the form of clouds, as reservoirs for the purpose of furnishing rain for watering the earth.—He maketh lightnings for the rain.—Dr. Russell informs us, that seldom a night passes at Aleppo without much lightning in the north-west, but not attended with thunder; and, when it appears in the west or south-western points, it is a sure sign of the approaching rain, which is often followed with thunder. See note on (Job 38:26).)—Bagster. Ver. 15—18. These verses seem copied from (Psalms 115:4-6, 8).; only, instead of ‘‘ Noses have they, but they smell not,” we here read, “ Neither is there any breath in their mouths;”’ i. e. they are lifeless.. PsaLM CXXXVL._ [This psalm is little else than a repetition of the preceding, with the a the burden, “ for his mercy endureth for ever,” at the end of each verse; and it was doubtless composed on the same occasion. It seems evidently to have been a responsive song; the first part of the verse being probably sung by the Levites, and the burden by the people. J—Bag- Ver. 5. By wisdom made, &c.—[In the contrivance of the celestial bodies— in their specific gravities, relations, connexions, influences on each other, revolutions, &c.: and in the wonderful adaptation of the atmosphere for the purposes of refracting the light, forming rain, dew, snow, &c., are exhibited the most astonishing displays of the Divine wisdom.]—Bagster. Ver. 9. Moon and stars.—(The sun is the monarch of day, the state of light; the moon of the night, the state of darkness. The rays of the sun falling on the atmosphere, are refracted and diffused over the whole of the hemisphere of the earth immediately under its orb; while those rays of that vast luminary which, because of the earth’s smallness in comparison of the sun, are diffused on all sides beyond the earth, falling on the opaque dise of the moon, are reflected back on the lower hemisphere, or the part of the carts opposite the sun. But the reflected light being 50,000 times Jess in intensity than that. of the sun there is a sufficient distinction between day and night, though each is ruled and determined by one of these two great lights.|\—Bagster. a Ver. 15. But overthrew.—((Exodus 14:27-28).; xv. 4.) The various events named in this psalm have been repeatedly referred to. for his mercy endureth for ever: 24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever. 7 Seer | O Lord, the children of Edom |» 5612 | hands. second temple. ((Ezra 8:11).) Praise is as necessary as prayer; and it is impertinent continually to su for new mercies, without thanking rearly have received.: _ On this psalm, Henry will furnish us with two or three pertinent remarks. 1. God’s mercies to his people are thus repeated and drawn out from the beginning to dis end, with a progress and advance ad infinitum, (i. e. to infinity.) 2. In every favour received, we ought to notice the mercy of God, as the same now that it always has been. 3. That the everlasting continuance of God’s_mercy is equally to his honour _and to his saints’ comfort. not only because he does good to us, but also because he is good in himself; the streams must be traced to the fountain; and he is the fountain of all mercy.: “Let us, with a joyful mind, Praise the Lord, for he is kind: For his mercies shall endure, Ever faithful, ever sure.” —Milton. Psarm OX X XVII. Ver. 1—9._ The lament of the Israelites in Babylon.— By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down— we wept.’—‘‘ What an inexpressible pathos is there in these few words! (says Bishop Horne.) How do they at once transport us to Babylon, an place before our eyes the mournful situation of the Israelitish captives! Driven from their native country, stripped of every comfort, and convenience, in a strange land, among idolaters, wearied and broken hearted, they sit in silence by those hostile waters. Then the pleasant banks of Jordan present themselves to their imagination; the towers of Salem rise to view; and the sad remembrance of much-loved Zion causes tears to run down their cheeks.” Their harps untuned hung pendent on the willows which bordered the Euphrates; and their cruel masters, who had probably heard much of their native melodies, required of them a song, even “one of the songs of Zion.” But can they sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land 2—the praises of Jehovah to infidels and idol-worshippers ? Ah no! say they; and imprethe loss of limbs, or of speech, if ever cate upon themselves t they should forget their country, their city, or their God. Nay, Ver 25. Who giveth food.—[He who, in his gracious and universal providence, furnishes suitable food for the support and preservation of every intellectual and animal being. The appointing every living thing that sort of food which is exactly suited to its nature, desires, and necessities, (and the nature and habits of animals are endlessly diversified,) and a different kind of aliment adapted to its various stages of life, or the different periods of its growth, is an overwhelming proof of the wonderful wisdom, providence, and goodness of God; and calls for the loudest songs of gratitude and praise. |—Bagster.. PsaLM CXXXVII. [The author of this beautiful and affecting elegy is unknown; but the occasion is evident; and it was most probably composed during, or near the close of, the captivity. |—Bagster. Ver. 1. Rivers of Babylon. These “ rivers of Babylon’? may have been the Tigris and Euphrates, or their branches; or the streams that flowed into them. In their captivity and dispersion, it was customary for the Jews to hold their religious meetings on the banks of rivers, ((Acts 16:13).) and sometimes they built their synagogues bere, when expelled from the cities. ]—Bagster. Ver. 2. Willows.—{ Willows were 80 plentiful at Babylon, on the banks of the Euphrates, that Isaiah calls it ‘‘ the a the words 1 David praiseth God for the truth of his word, “4 He prophesieth that of a song the e praise God. 7 He professeth his Sy undenes ay ig ipeyst A Psalm of David. b laiduson WILL praise thee with my whole heart: befarther, they appear to rejoice in anticipating the destruction of their enemies, the Edomites, as well as Babylonians; for supplicate the divine Being him for those which we alit appears by the prophet Obadiah, (ver. 10.) that the Edomites, though akin to Israel, rejoiced in their overthrow; and, as it is here expressed, encouraged their enemies to raze the foundations of their city. How terrible soever may be the judgments of God on Babylon, there is no doubt but they are “just and righteous,’’ for so are all the ways of the Almighty. ((Revelation 15:3, 45) Xvi. 5.) But let us turn our attention for a moment to the weeping sufferers, who are now involved in a more dreadful judgment for the rejection of their Saviour, and drop a prayer and a tear 4. We must give thanks to God, over them. “© weep for those that wept b Babel’s stream, Whose shrines are desolate, whose land a dream; Weep for the harp of Judah’s broken shell; Mourn—where their God hath dwelt the godless dwell.”—Byron. Psatm CX XXVIII. Ver. 1—8. David prophesieth the conversion of the Gentiles.—To this psalm is prefixed the name of David, with which the internal evidence agrees. God had now fulfilled his promise of giving him the kingdom; and this fidelity to his word, David considers more honourable to the divine character than the displays of mere power or wisdom. And this made such an impression upon his mind, that it was the subject of his conversation, even among kings and princes, (See (Psalms 119) 46.) From this circumstance he is led forward, in prophetic vision, to anticipate the period when they also ghall know and praise Jehovah, and, instead of gross and emel idolaters, become the ‘nursing fathers” of the church. ((Isaiah 49:23). We notice the last verse particularly, because of its containing a most important doctrine, and its practical improvement. God’s promises of persevering grace have been often abused, to the neglect of practical religion; but every inference that such grace shall be afforded to those who are not anxious to persevere, is a horrid perversion of this truth. David, while he adores the perpetuity of divine mercy, prays for its continuance; and no longer than we do this, are we authorized to expect it. Psarm CX X XIX. Ver. 1—24. The psalmist acknowledges reeds, and the gray osier wil- “Its banks were hoary with r R. K. Porter, says, arps, and lows were yet there, on which the ca) tives of Israel hung up their while Jerusalem was not, refused to be comforted.” }—Bagster. 4 Ver. 3. Required of usa song.—Ps. exly. 5. Thy marvellous works,” is in the Hebrew, ‘‘ The words of thy marvels.” let me be speechless. See Job xxix Ver. 6. Let my tongue cleave.—That is, 10. (Ezekiel 3:26). | Ver. 7. Raze it—i. e. i a the foundation: level it to the grout Ver. 8. Who art to be destroyed—By the divine decree, xiii. 1, &e. Or, as Ainsworth reads it, “ Who art (worthy) to be destroyed.” So (Revelation 16:6). PsALMCXXXVIIL [Five MSS. omit ledawid; and the LXX. and Arabic prefix also the names of Haggai and Zechariah. |—Bagster. _ Ver. 1. Before the gods.—That is, “rulers.” See (Psalms 31:6-7). Ver. 2, Above all thy name—Or, “ Thou hast magnified thy name, (even) thy word, above all.” Bishop Horne. PsaLM CXXXLX. [‘This Psalm is supposed to have been composed by David when made king of Israel; though some think it was written by himwhen accused of traitorous designs against Saul. It wa _ sublime ode on the brook or river of willows;” and Sir wisdom, knowledge, presence, and justice of God; the sentiments are grand, the style highly elevated, and the images various, beautiful, and impressive. ]—B. Ver. 3. Thou compassest—i. e. sittest all my actions and motives. Ver. 4. For... not a wora in my tongue.—Ainsworth, “* When the speech is not (yet) in my tongue.” Ver. 6. Such knowledge.—Rather, ‘‘ The (or this) knowledge,” &c. Ver. ». If [ascend.—This thought is amplified by the prophet Amos, ch. ix. 2—4. See also (Job 26:5-7). Ver. 9. Wings of the morning.—[Light has been proved, by many experiments, to travel at the astonishing rate of 194,188 miles in one second of time ! and comes from the sun to the earth, a distance of 95,513,794 miles, in eight minutes and nearly twelve seconds! But could I even fly upon the wings or rays of the morning light, which diffuses itself with such velocity over the globe from east to west, instead of being beyond Thy reach, or by this sudden transition be able to escape Thy notice, Thy arm could still at pleasure prevent or arrest my progress, and [ should still be encireled with the immensity of ‘Thy essence. The sentiment in this noble passage is remarkably striking, and the description truly sublime. |—Bagster. Ver, 13. Thou hast possessed—Or, “formed.” Bishop Horne.——Covered mme.—That is, with flesh and skin. (Job 10:11) Ver. 14. I am fearfully and wonderfully made.—That is, so wonderfully made, as to impress on his mind an awiul sense of the majesty of his Creator. Ver. 15. My substance.—The Hebrew means, the solid parts of the body, articularly the bones, (Ecclesiastes 11:5).—Curiously wrought.—l Ukkamtee, “embroidered,” or ‘* wrought as witha needle,” referring to the external covering of the human body, the various implication of muscles, tendons, veins, urteries, fibres, membranes, nerves, and the inexplicable texture of the whole frame; as the word rendered substance, otzmee, does to the bony skeleton, the foundation of the whole. The process in the gradual formation of the fo tus is beautifully compared to that in a piece of work wrought with a needle, which, with all its variety of colour, and proportion of figure, is gradually brought to perfection, under the hand of the artist, according to the pattern lying before him, from a rude mass of silk, or other material. ]}—Bagster.-—In the lowest parts of the earth—That is, in perfect darkness. Ver. 16. My swbhstance.—Ainsworth, ““ Embryo;” not the same word as in the verse preceding. ‘ The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 135; the text below is that joint comment. Psatm CXXXV. Ver. 1—21. This is evidently a dialogue psalm between the priests and Levites; and Henley (in Lowth) supposes a third choir uttered the hallelujahs—“ Praise ye Jah, praise ye Jehovah;”’ that is, praise ye the Lord. Verse 4 is supposed to be a general chorus, in which the congregation joined, as also verses 12, 14, 18, 21. This, however, is in great measure conjectural. The chief topics of this psalm, and of the following, and, indeed, of most of the Hebrew odes, are the deliverance from Egypt and the conquest of Canaan, wit the preference of the true God before the idols of the heathen. These psalms admonish us, that it is our duty to praise God for his mercy to the church, and to the world at large; but specially to record our national mercies and deliverances, of which no nation under heaven has so many to record as ours. When the heart of man is in a suitable frame for praise, it can never want for topics, and all our temporal mercies will insensibly lead a pious mind to the blessings of redemption and eternal life. “He for his people needful food provides Guards all their blessings, all their steps he guides; Through snares and dangers safely leads them on To endless bliss, and his own heavenly throne; May praise perpetual to the God of heaven, For his eternal grace and truth be given.””—Simon Browne. Psatm CXXXVI. Ver. 1—26. A general exhortation to praise God for his mercies.—The words, “for his mercy endureth for ever,” which are repeated as the chorus to every verse of this psalm, were used by the Israelites in their daily worship; ((1 Chronicles 16:41);) by Solomon, at the dedication of the temple; ((2 Chronicles 7:3, 6);) by Jehoshaphat, on the advice of a prophet, when he went out to engage the combined armies of the Ammonites and Moabites, ((2 Chronicles 20:21).) and by their descendants, on laying the foundation of the God’s omniscience, and appeals to it-for his integrity.—We know this psalm to be David's A good man, who knows the deceitfulness of the human heart, will often feel the necessity of appealing to God to search and try his heart, that he may be relieved from the most dangerous of all errors, self-deception. Various and beautiful is the imagery here employed to describe the divine omniscience. _ He considers, first, the human mind, and attributes to the divine Being a knowledge of its cogitations before man has time to utter them. Then he looks to God’s omnipresence, which extends to the farthest part of the eastern continent, or the western sea; which descends at once to the abyss of hell, and rises to the highest heavens, where he keeps his throne, in light unapproachable. He next adverts to the secret formation of the human foetus, embroidered, as here described, with veins and nerves, so as to form one of the most wonderful works of God. Its members, as it were, written, or delineated, before the eye of the Creator, before one of them was formed. Though anatomy, like other studies, has been much abused, few are calculated to discover more of the infinite wisdom of our Maker. We are indeed “ fearfully (or awfully) and wonderfully made.” Though the Jews did not practise the anatomy of man, yet their priests could not be ignorant of animal anatomy, ae consequently not wholly so of the structure of the human frame, whose formation they seem to have contemplated, not only with admiration, but with a kind of awe; as sey. did fire in the bowels of the earth, or lightning in the elaboratory of the clouds. When the psalmist exclaims, ‘‘How precious are thy thoughts concerning me, O God!’ we are inclined to consider him as engaged in contemplating his own being as the result of divine benevolence as well as power; as having occupied the friendly, as well as inscrutable thoughts of God. He considers himself, whether waking or sleeping, as equally the subject of divine providence; and, however far his dreaming thoughts might wander from the contemplation of his Maker, ““ when I awake (says he) I am still with thee.” ‘: Was it not from this sense of his perpetual connexion with the Deity, that David proposes to keep himself at such a distance from “blood-thirsty men;” that is, from Pagan idolaters, who almost universally delighted in offering human sacrifices. These men he considers as his enemies, because they were God’s enemies; he hates them because they hate his God; and he bids thera keep at a distance from him, from a conviction that God would destroy them, and from a fear of being involved in the same ruin: so the children of Israel withdrew from Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. (See (Numbers 16:26-27).) The psalm concludes with another appeal to God, to search and try him, and if there were in him any deceit and falsehood, to ‘lead’? him “ in the way of life everlasting.” “* Searcher of hearts, my thoughts review; With kind severity pursue, Through each disguise, thy servant’s mind. Guide thro’ the eternal path my feet, And bring me to thy blissful seat.”—Bishop Lowth. Psatm CXL. Ver. 1—13. David prays for deliverance from his enemies.—The burden of this psalm resembles that of several others. He is beset by implacable and restless enemies, and calls upon God for deliverance from them. If by “the head” of these, as Aixsworth supposes, Ahithophel were intended, it fixes the time and occasion to be that of Absalom’s rebellion, one of the most distressing periods of David’s life; and re it is observable he never complains of him, but lays all the lame on his confederates or advisers. e 3. Whether he had groun for this, or whether he was wholly blinded by his fond partiality for that worthless pe we need not inquire: it may be more 1at our bitterest trials often arise out of our useful to remark, t David made an idol of him, and Providence fond partialities. We are delivered from idols of wood made him his tormentor. and stone, O let us beware of making idols of flesh and blood! David prays to be kept from Psarm CXLI. Ver. 1—10. temptation.—The learned Peters considers this psalm to have been compose é d by David, “just before his flight to Achish, king of Gath, when he had a second time spared Saul’s life, but could trust him no longer.” (See (1 Samuel 16)and xvii. 1, ) At a distance 2.) And this idea is adopted by Bishop Horne. from the tabernacle and its ordinances, he entreats that hisown as the evening sacrifice. an Taking refuge among idolaters, ee del may be accepted, instead of the offering up of incense, he prays that a guard might be set over his lips, that he might say nothing that could give c countenance to their crimes, and Another passage meriting our remark, is the salutary nature of friendly reproof—“ let the righteous smite me,” instead of a deadly stroke, it shall be as precious oil, which instead of breaking, shall salubriate and refresh my head. The sixth and seventh verses require a different translation, as in our notes. We need not wonder at some difficulties in writings of 3000 yearsold. The conclusion is, however, easy and practical. In all our difficulties, our eyes should be directed to God, who will not leave the soul destitute that trusts in him. Psaum CXLII. Ver. 1—7. Prayer, the psalmist’s resource in trouble-—This is a prayer of David “ when he was _in the cave: most probably of Adullam, whither he fied when i danger, both from Saul and from the Philistines. ((1 Samuel 22:1).) He was then, doubtless, in a state of utter destitution and of extreme danger; when, at times, he was probably obliged to escape alone and unattended, and when snares were literally laid to entrap his feet, as for the beasts of the forest. Then he “ cried unto the Lord;” as he elsewhere says, “ This poor man cried, and the Lord heard, and delivered him out of all his troubles.” ((Psalms 34:6).) “Come, magnify the Lord with me; ## Notes on the verses PsaLM CXXXV. [Bishop Patrick supposes this to be the morning hymn which the precentor called upon the Levites to sing at the opening the gates of the temple, as the foregoing was sung at the shutting in the evening; but it is more poeue that it was composed by Solomon, to be sung at the dedication of the Temple. ]—Bagster. In verses 1, 3, 4, &c. the sacred names Jah and Jehovah are used interchangeably, and both rendered Lorn in capitals. Ver. 7. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth.—[He causes the small aqueous particles to evaporate, and to ascend into the atmosphere as vapour; and there, by the gravity of the air, to be suspended at different heights in the form of clouds, as reservoirs for the purpose of furnishing rain for watering the earth.—He maketh lightnings for the rain.—Dr. Russell informs us, that seldom a night passes at Aleppo without much lightning in the north-west, but not attended with thunder; and, when it appears in the west or south-western points, it is a sure sign of the approaching rain, which is often followed with thunder. See note on (Job 38:26).)—Bagster. Ver. 15—18. These verses seem copied from (Psalms 115:4-6, 8).; only, instead of ‘‘ Noses have they, but they smell not,” we here read, “ Neither is there any breath in their mouths;”’ i. e. they are lifeless.. PsaLM CXXXVL._ [This psalm is little else than a repetition of the preceding, with the a the burden, “ for his mercy endureth for ever,” at the end of each verse; and it was doubtless composed on the same occasion. It seems evidently to have been a responsive song; the first part of the verse being probably sung by the Levites, and the burden by the people. J—Bag- Ver. 5. By wisdom made, &c.—[In the contrivance of the celestial bodies— in their specific gravities, relations, connexions, influences on each other, revolutions, &c.: and in the wonderful adaptation of the atmosphere for the purposes of refracting the light, forming rain, dew, snow, &c., are exhibited the most astonishing displays of the Divine wisdom.]—Bagster. Ver. 9. Moon and stars.—(The sun is the monarch of day, the state of light; the moon of the night, the state of darkness. The rays of the sun falling on the atmosphere, are refracted and diffused over the whole of the hemisphere of the earth immediately under its orb; while those rays of that vast luminary which, because of the earth’s smallness in comparison of the sun, are diffused on all sides beyond the earth, falling on the opaque dise of the moon, are reflected back on the lower hemisphere, or the part of the carts opposite the sun. But the reflected light being 50,000 times Jess in intensity than that. of the sun there is a sufficient distinction between day and night, though each is ruled and determined by one of these two great lights.|\—Bagster. a Ver. 15. But overthrew.—((Exodus 14:27-28).; xv. 4.) The various events named in this psalm have been repeatedly referred to. for his mercy endureth for ever: 24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever. 7 Seer | O Lord, the children of Edom |» 5612 | hands. second temple. ((Ezra 8:11).) Praise is as necessary as prayer; and it is impertinent continually to su for new mercies, without thanking rearly have received.: _ On this psalm, Henry will furnish us with two or three pertinent remarks. 1. God’s mercies to his people are thus repeated and drawn out from the beginning to dis end, with a progress and advance ad infinitum, (i. e. to infinity.) 2. In every favour received, we ought to notice the mercy of God, as the same now that it always has been. 3. That the everlasting continuance of God’s_mercy is equally to his honour _and to his saints’ comfort. not only because he does good to us, but also because he is good in himself; the streams must be traced to the fountain; and he is the fountain of all mercy.: “Let us, with a joyful mind, Praise the Lord, for he is kind: For his mercies shall endure, Ever faithful, ever sure.” —Milton. Psarm OX X XVII. Ver. 1—9._ The lament of the Israelites in Babylon.— By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down— we wept.’—‘‘ What an inexpressible pathos is there in these few words! (says Bishop Horne.) How do they at once transport us to Babylon, an place before our eyes the mournful situation of the Israelitish captives! Driven from their native country, stripped of every comfort, and convenience, in a strange land, among idolaters, wearied and broken hearted, they sit in silence by those hostile waters. Then the pleasant banks of Jordan present themselves to their imagination; the towers of Salem rise to view; and the sad remembrance of much-loved Zion causes tears to run down their cheeks.” Their harps untuned hung pendent on the willows which bordered the Euphrates; and their cruel masters, who had probably heard much of their native melodies, required of them a song, even “one of the songs of Zion.” But can they sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land 2—the praises of Jehovah to infidels and idol-worshippers ? Ah no! say they; and imprethe loss of limbs, or of speech, if ever cate upon themselves t they should forget their country, their city, or their God. Nay, Ver 25. Who giveth food.—[He who, in his gracious and universal providence, furnishes suitable food for the support and preservation of every intellectual and animal being. The appointing every living thing that sort of food which is exactly suited to its nature, desires, and necessities, (and the nature and habits of animals are endlessly diversified,) and a different kind of aliment adapted to its various stages of life, or the different periods of its growth, is an overwhelming proof of the wonderful wisdom, providence, and goodness of God; and calls for the loudest songs of gratitude and praise. |—Bagster.. PsaLM CXXXVII. [The author of this beautiful and affecting elegy is unknown; but the occasion is evident; and it was most probably composed during, or near the close of, the captivity. |—Bagster. Ver. 1. Rivers of Babylon. These “ rivers of Babylon’? may have been the Tigris and Euphrates, or their branches; or the streams that flowed into them. In their captivity and dispersion, it was customary for the Jews to hold their religious meetings on the banks of rivers, ((Acts 16:13).) and sometimes they built their synagogues bere, when expelled from the cities. ]—Bagster. Ver. 2. Willows.—{ Willows were 80 plentiful at Babylon, on the banks of the Euphrates, that Isaiah calls it ‘‘ the a the words 1 David praiseth God for the truth of his word, “4 He prophesieth that of a song the e praise God. 7 He professeth his Sy undenes ay ig ipeyst A Psalm of David. b laiduson WILL praise thee with my whole heart: befarther, they appear to rejoice in anticipating the destruction of their enemies, the Edomites, as well as Babylonians; for supplicate the divine Being him for those which we alit appears by the prophet Obadiah, (ver. 10.) that the Edomites, though akin to Israel, rejoiced in their overthrow; and, as it is here expressed, encouraged their enemies to raze the foundations of their city. How terrible soever may be the judgments of God on Babylon, there is no doubt but they are “just and righteous,’’ for so are all the ways of the Almighty. ((Revelation 15:3, 45) Xvi. 5.) But let us turn our attention for a moment to the weeping sufferers, who are now involved in a more dreadful judgment for the rejection of their Saviour, and drop a prayer and a tear 4. We must give thanks to God, over them. “© weep for those that wept b Babel’s stream, Whose shrines are desolate, whose land a dream; Weep for the harp of Judah’s broken shell; Mourn—where their God hath dwelt the godless dwell.”—Byron. Psatm CX XXVIII. Ver. 1—8. David prophesieth the conversion of the Gentiles.—To this psalm is prefixed the name of David, with which the internal evidence agrees. God had now fulfilled his promise of giving him the kingdom; and this fidelity to his word, David considers more honourable to the divine character than the displays of mere power or wisdom. And this made such an impression upon his mind, that it was the subject of his conversation, even among kings and princes, (See (Psalms 119) 46.) From this circumstance he is led forward, in prophetic vision, to anticipate the period when they also ghall know and praise Jehovah, and, instead of gross and emel idolaters, become the ‘nursing fathers” of the church. ((Isaiah 49:23). We notice the last verse particularly, because of its containing a most important doctrine, and its practical improvement. God’s promises of persevering grace have been often abused, to the neglect of practical religion; but every inference that such grace shall be afforded to those who are not anxious to persevere, is a horrid perversion of this truth. David, while he adores the perpetuity of divine mercy, prays for its continuance; and no longer than we do this, are we authorized to expect it. Psarm CX X XIX. Ver. 1—24. The psalmist acknowledges reeds, and the gray osier wil- “Its banks were hoary with r R. K. Porter, says, arps, and lows were yet there, on which the ca) tives of Israel hung up their while Jerusalem was not, refused to be comforted.” }—Bagster. 4 Ver. 3. Required of usa song.—Ps. exly. 5. Thy marvellous works,” is in the Hebrew, ‘‘ The words of thy marvels.” let me be speechless. See Job xxix Ver. 6. Let my tongue cleave.—That is, 10. (Ezekiel 3:26). | Ver. 7. Raze it—i. e. i a the foundation: level it to the grout Ver. 8. Who art to be destroyed—By the divine decree, xiii. 1, &e. Or, as Ainsworth reads it, “ Who art (worthy) to be destroyed.” So (Revelation 16:6). PsALMCXXXVIIL [Five MSS. omit ledawid; and the LXX. and Arabic prefix also the names of Haggai and Zechariah. |—Bagster. _ Ver. 1. Before the gods.—That is, “rulers.” See (Psalms 31:6-7). Ver. 2, Above all thy name—Or, “ Thou hast magnified thy name, (even) thy word, above all.” Bishop Horne. PsaLM CXXXLX. [‘This Psalm is supposed to have been composed by David when made king of Israel; though some think it was written by himwhen accused of traitorous designs against Saul. It wa _ sublime ode on the brook or river of willows;” and Sir wisdom, knowledge, presence, and justice of God; the sentiments are grand, the style highly elevated, and the images various, beautiful, and impressive. ]—B. Ver. 3. Thou compassest—i. e. sittest all my actions and motives. Ver. 4. For... not a wora in my tongue.—Ainsworth, “* When the speech is not (yet) in my tongue.” Ver. 6. Such knowledge.—Rather, ‘‘ The (or this) knowledge,” &c. Ver. ». If [ascend.—This thought is amplified by the prophet Amos, ch. ix. 2—4. See also (Job 26:5-7). Ver. 9. Wings of the morning.—[Light has been proved, by many experiments, to travel at the astonishing rate of 194,188 miles in one second of time ! and comes from the sun to the earth, a distance of 95,513,794 miles, in eight minutes and nearly twelve seconds! But could I even fly upon the wings or rays of the morning light, which diffuses itself with such velocity over the globe from east to west, instead of being beyond Thy reach, or by this sudden transition be able to escape Thy notice, Thy arm could still at pleasure prevent or arrest my progress, and [ should still be encireled with the immensity of ‘Thy essence. The sentiment in this noble passage is remarkably striking, and the description truly sublime. |—Bagster. Ver, 13. Thou hast possessed—Or, “formed.” Bishop Horne.——Covered mme.—That is, with flesh and skin. (Job 10:11) Ver. 14. I am fearfully and wonderfully made.—That is, so wonderfully made, as to impress on his mind an awiul sense of the majesty of his Creator. Ver. 15. My substance.—The Hebrew means, the solid parts of the body, articularly the bones, (Ecclesiastes 11:5).—Curiously wrought.—l Ukkamtee, “embroidered,” or ‘* wrought as witha needle,” referring to the external covering of the human body, the various implication of muscles, tendons, veins, urteries, fibres, membranes, nerves, and the inexplicable texture of the whole frame; as the word rendered substance, otzmee, does to the bony skeleton, the foundation of the whole. The process in the gradual formation of the fo tus is beautifully compared to that in a piece of work wrought with a needle, which, with all its variety of colour, and proportion of figure, is gradually brought to perfection, under the hand of the artist, according to the pattern lying before him, from a rude mass of silk, or other material. ]}—Bagster.-—In the lowest parts of the earth—That is, in perfect darkness. Ver. 16. My swbhstance.—Ainsworth, ““ Embryo;” not the same word as in the verse preceding. ‘ ## Notes on the verses PSALM CXL. Ver. 9. Thy habitation.—See exposition, and compare (Psalms 11:2). Ver. 13. Adder.—{Shachal, rendered “the lion,” is supposed by the most ancient interpreters to be a kind of serpent, and Bochart thinks it to be the black serpent, or hemorhous; and kephir, rendered “young lion,” has been supposed to be the cenchris, which Nicander calls a spotted lion, because he is speckled, and like the lion, raises his tail when about to fight, and bites ani gluta himself with blood.}—Bagster. ': _ Ver. 14, Because, &c.—Here is a change of person; but David, or Messiah, is still meant. 1 The prophet exhorteth to praise God, 4 for his great works, 6 f dgmai La3.2. the wicked, 10 and for his pectin to the Podly his Jodarnentg on y i a _A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day. nights. orp, and tosing praises unto th hile is oe thing to give thanks unto the |? 472" Most High: a or athe 2 To show forth thy loving-kindness in the >morning, and thy faithfulness ° every night, _ 3Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; ¢ upon the harp with a solemn _ sound. e _ 4 For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through wy es { will triumph in the works of thy “Wd: Pep.; k gren. | Waves of the sea. f ¢ becom thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. 10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn Psarm XCII. Ver. 1—15. A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath day.—The Jews have a silly tradition reserved in the Chaldee paraphrase, that Adam composed this psalm for the Sabbath day—perhaps on its institution; forgetting that * Jubal was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.” ((Genesis 4:21).) Calmet and others suppose this psalm to have been composed by some of the Levites during or near the close of the Babylonian captivity, acknowledging the mercy of God, and foreseeing the destruction of their enemies, and their own return to Jerusalem and the temple service. | It contemplates press as the delight and enjoyment of a good man, as well as is duty; and considers those as silly and brutish who are insensible of this truth. The latter verses (particularly 12 and 13) have been supposed to allude to planting trees in the courts of the tabernacle; but this we apprehend was not allowed, and was practised only by idolaters. We understand it of those worshippers who were constant in their attendance, as if they had been trees there planted: these the psalmist considers as flourishing in faith and hope, and bringing forth the fruits of righteousness to old age, like the olive. “ When age advances, may we grow In faith, ard hope, and love; And walk in holiness below— In holiness above 1’—-— Montgomery. Psalm XCUI. Ver. 1-5. The universal sovereign king 2 Israel.—This short psalm presents to us Jehovah clothed with majesty and power, and seated upon his eternal throne. | The floods lift up their waves and roar: the psalmist perceives a political commotion all around him; but he encourages him- Psalm CXL. Ver. 3. They have sharpened—“They vibrate their tongues." poe Horsley.—Adder’s poison.—The poison of asps. See note on Psalm vul. 4, Ver. 4. To overthrow my goings.—Ainsworth, "Footsteps.” cones) that he might be kept from eating of their sacrifices, which he calls their “dainties,” and which, no doubt, were the richest delicacies of their tables, and attended with plentiful libations of their choicest wines. us, that have reason to pray, against the like temptation, from the dainties of some professing Christians? [bl 2 Ver. 9. As for the head,—That is, the chief; mischief of their own lips cover them.—Or, [As rosh, rendered head, also signifies poison, especially that of serpents, which is collected in their heads, some render, that compass me about, even the mischief of their own lips shall cover them.” (See ver. 3.) All the verbs in this passage are in the future tense. |—Bagster. ## Notes on the verses PsALM CXLI. Ver. 4. Lo practise wicked works.—Peters, enterprises in wickedness, with,” &c. i Ver. 5. It shall be a kindness.—See margin. shall be an excellent oil.—Dr. Boothroyd here properly inserts the comparative as, which must necessarily be understood.— For ye my prayer bear in their calamities.—Peters and Horne, “Against t Ver. 6. When their cry see &c.—We confess we can make no intelli (or in the sides of) the rocks, and have heard my words, that they were sweet as to David’s generous treatment of Saul in the cave of Engedi, and “the rocks of the wild goats,” when they heard him expostulate with him in a manner so mild and humble, that even Saul wept.” ((1 Samuel 24))—Bagster. Ver. 7. Our bones are scattered, &c.—Peters renders this piece very differently: ‘Like as when one cutteth and cleaveth, (so) have our bones scattered on the earth, at the command of Saul.” This is supposed to allude Come, let us all exalt his name; I sought th’ eternal God, and he Has not expos’d my soul to shame.”— Watts. ‘And are there not many among Psalm CXLIII. Ver. 1-12. A Prayer of David for pardon and grace.—Notwithstanding the manner in which David perhaps Ahithophel.—Let the to the massacre of the priests at Nob, perpetrated by Doeg the Edomite, under the command of Saul, whose name signifies the grave, or hell. “The mischief.... shall cover Ver. 10. Let the wicked fall (Peters and Horne, “the wicked shall fall,” &c.) into deep pits.—Bishop Horsley, “Into the chasms (of the yawning earth:)” alluding to the punishment of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, (Numbers 16) 31—35. So Parkhurst.— Whilst that I withal escape.—Peters, ‘And I shall still escape;” avoid their snares. ay ¥ “To attempt PsaLm CXLII. [David was twice in great peril in caves: on one occasion, in the cave of Adullam, when he fled from Achish king of Gath; and on an- But we prefer the text.—It other, in the cave of Engedi, where he had taken refuge from the pursuit of Saul. It is not certain to which of these events this psalm refers; though probably to the former.]—Bagster. ns their wickedness.” So Ver. 1. I cried.—Bishop Horne, ‘I will cry.” The Hebrew language having no present tense, frequently uses the present and future promiscuously for one. Horne therefore renders this psalm wholly in the present tense, to God while in the cave, though it is not to be supposed that he had the opportunity there to write them; see with 3 Ver. rid I looked on my right hand.—See margin. But we prefer the text. “lift up his voice and Ver. 7. Bring my soul out of prison—That is, the cave in which he was environed.— Shall compass me about—That is, surround me with conglobate re CXL. (The LXX., Vulgate, Ethiopic, a state that this psalm was composed by David on the rebellion of his son Absalom; and there are several passages in it which agree remarkably well with that period: for then he had most reason to fear lest God should deal with him according to his sins; which he deprecates with such a deep sense of his unworthiness, that it has hence been numbered among the penitential psalms, of which it is the last. In it he prays to God for pardon, ver. 1; acknowledges the impossibility of being saved but by grace, ver. 2; deplores the lamentable effects of sin, ver. 3, 4; comforts himself with a retrospect of God’s mercies of old, ver. 5; and prays, in a variety of expressions, for remission of sin, sanctification, and redemption, ver. 6, 12.|—Bagster. Ver. 3. As those that have been long dead—Ainsworth, ‘Dead for ever,” or “of old;” the giants of the antediluvian world. See note on (Job 26:5). Ver. 6. My soul thirsteth.—[My soul pants after Thy grace and mercy, as the parched ground gasps for the refreshing shower, to impart beauty and fertility to the face of the earth.]—Bagster. enh 9. I flee unto thee, &c.—See margin. Ainsworth, “Unto thee I fly for Ver. 10, Thy spirit is good, lead me, &c.—Or, ‘Let thy good spirit lead me.” —Ainsworth and Horne. i (like Job) maintains his own integrity, it is abundantly evident that he looked not to be saved by his own merits, but by the mercy of God, and through the future sacrifice of the Messiah. “In thy sight (says he) shall no man living be justified;’ which words are quoted by St. Paul, in his celebrated Epistle to the Romans, ((Psalms 3:20).) in favour of the Christian doctrine of salvation by faith alone, (i. e. without any claim of merit on our part;) indeed, nothing can be more inconsistent, than to plead our own merits while we pray for mercy. There are few of David’s psalms, in which he does not come of enemies, many of them arising from the eminence of his situation, and others sent as the punishment of his sins. ((2 Samuel 12:10).) Our situation may be materially different from his, but there are none of us without our enemies, against which we have the need of divine aid; but especially do we need the teaching and quickening influence of God’s Holy Spirit, for which the psalmist here prays— Psalm CXLIV. Ver. 1—15. Another Psalm of David, uniting prayer and praise.—Calmet and others think, with much probability, that this psalm was composed by David after the death of Absalom; and from a collation of it with (Psalms 18)in which the same ideas and form of expression occur, there can be no doubt of both having proceeded from “Teach me to do thy holy will, And lead me to the heav’nly hill; Let the good Spirit of thy love Conduct me to thy courts above.”— Watts. the same pen, and that David was the author. Bishop Horne supposes it was composed soon after he ascended the throne, when he was deeply engaged in military affairs, in which, as he had the sanction of the Almighty, so was he authorized in looking to him for wisdom to direct him and for strength to support him; in addition to which he implores the aid of storm and tempest, which on former occasions had been afforded to Israel against their enemies. ((1 Samuel 7:10).) David then goes on to pray for national prosperity; that the youth might shoot up he plants—strong and hale; that the maidens might be furnished with every attractive accomplishment; that their granaries might be filled with corn, and their pastures with sheep; their oxen, or bullocks, strong to labour, and no complaining in the streets for want of work or food. “The psalmist concludes,” as is remarked by Bishop Horne, ‘“‘with pronouncing the happiness of the Israelites, when in the state of prosperity above described, and their far greater happiness in ‘having Jehovah for their God;’ who, by settling them in peaceful possession of the land of Canaan and the Jerusalem below, gave them a pledge and foretaste of that love, which stood engaged by covenant to bring them and us to his everlasting rest in the Jerusalem above.” Psalm CXLV. Ver. 1—21. David praises God for what he “© happy we, while thus our race The signals of thy love shall grace! O blest the people that in thee, Their God and faithful guardian see !”—Merrick. ## Notes on the verses Psalm CXLIV. Ver. 2. My goodness—‘‘ Mercy;” i. e. the source of it: but there seems great probability that we should read with the Syriac, “ My fortress,” as in (Psalms 18:1)., the words being very similar in Hebrew. So Dre. Durell and Boothroyd.—My people—* The peoples;” i. e. his enemies. So Dathe and Boothroyd. Ver. 12. As corner stones—[Or, “ as corner pillars wrought after the form of those of a palace;’’ that is, in the fittest and best proportions _ combining strength, symmetry, and beauty. No comparison can be more delicate. |—B Ver. 13. In our streets.—[As streets are by no means fit or usual places for sheep to bring forth their young, we should render bechootzothainoo, with Michaelis and others, ‘‘ in our open pastures,” or “ fields,’’ as it is translated in (Job 5:10).)—Bagster. y aS. Ver. 14. No breaking in, &c.—Bishop Lowth, ‘‘ No irruption, no captivity, and no outcry in our streets.”’ is (Psalms 145)Title—A hymn. This is the same word which, in the (like Job) maintains his own integrity, it is abundantly evident that he looked not to be saved by his own merits, but by the mercy of God, and through the future sacrifice of the Messiah. “In thy sight (says he) shall no man living be justified;” which words are quoted by St. Paul, in his celebrated Epistle to the Romans, ((Psalms 3:20).) in favour of the Christian doctrine of salvation by faith alone, (i. e. without any claim of merit on our part;) indeed, nothing can be more inconsistent, than to plead our own merits while we pray for mercy. There are few of David’s psalms, in which he does not come of enemies, many of them arising from the eminence of his situation, and others sent as the punishment of his sins. ((2 Samuel 12:10).) Our situation may be materially different from his, but there are none of us without our enemies, against which we have the need of divine aid; but especially do we need the teaching and quickening influence of God’s Holy Spirit, for which the psalmist here prays— Psalm CXLIV. Ver. 1—15. Another Psalm of David, uniting prayer and praise.—Calmet and others think, with much probability, that this psalm was composed by David after the death of Absalom; and from a collation of it with (Psalms 18)in which the same ideas and form of expression occur, there can be no doubt of both having proceeded from “Teach me to do thy holy will, And lead me to the heav’nly hill; Let the good Spirit of thy love Conduct me to thy courts above.”— Watts. the same pen, and that David was the author. Bishop Horne supposes it was composed soon after he ascended the throne, when he was deeply engaged in military affairs, in which, as he had the sanction of the Almighty, so was he authorized in looking to him for wisdom to direct him and for strength to support him; in addition to which he implores the aid of storm and tempest, which on former occasions had been afforded to Israel against their enemies. ((1 Samuel 7:10).) David then goes on to pray for national prosperity; that the youth might shoot up the plants—strong and hale; that the maidens might be furnished with every attractive accomplishment; that their granaries might be filled with corn, and their pastures with sheep; their oxen, or bullocks, strong to labour, and no complaining in the streets for want of work or food. “The psalmist concludes,” as is remarked by Bishop Horne, “‘with pronouncing the happiness of the Israelites, when in the state of prosperity above described, and their far greater happiness in ‘having Jehovah for their God;’ who, by settling them in peaceful possession of the land of Canaan and the Jerusalem below, gave them a pledge and foretaste of that love, which stood engaged by covenant to bring them and us to his everlasting rest in the Jerusalem above.” Psalm CXLV. Ver. 1—21. David praises God for what he “© happy we, while thus our race The signals of thy love shall grace! O blest the people that in thee, Their God and faithful guardian see !”—Merrick. ## Notes on the verses Psalm CXLIV. Ver. 2. My goodness—“Mercy;” i. e. the source of it: but there seems great probability that we should read with the Syriac, “My fortress,” as in (Psalms 18:1)., the words being very similar in Hebrew. So Dre., Durell and Boothroyd.—My people—“The peoples;” i. e. his enemies. So Dathe and Boothroyd. Ver. 12. As corner stones—[Or, “as corner pillars wrought after the form of those of a palace;” that is, in the fittest and best proportions combining strength, symmetry, and beauty. No comparison can be more delicate.]—B Ver. 13. In our streets.—[As streets are by no means fit or usual places for sheep to bring forth their young, we should render bechootzothainoo, with Michaelis and others, “in our open pastures,” or “fields,” as it is translated in (Job 5:10).)—Bagster. y aS. Ver. 14. No breaking in, &c.—Bishop Lowth, “No irruption, no captivity, and no outcry in our streets.” is (Psalms 145)Title—A hymn. This is the same word which, in the “The need of Jehovah, whether we consider it as relating to his essence or his works, is never to be fully comprehended by his saints, whose delight it is to contemplate ‘the breadth, and length, and depth, and height,’ ((Ephesians 3:18).) the extent and duration of his being and his kingdom; the profundity of his counsels, and the sublimity of his power and these are the inexhaustible subjects of divine meditation transmitted from age to age. And as the greatness of God our Saviour hath no bounds, so his praises should have no end; nor should the voice of thanksgiving ever cease in the church. As ‘one generation’ drops it, ‘another’ should take the rightful strain, till the sun and the of intelligent and even sentient creatures: especially every species his hand, and satisfieth the desire of tures: for “he openeth every living thing.” (ver. 16.) This tender mercy of God, however, must not be abused or suppose that impenitence or obstinate rebellion will always go unpunished. “Thinkest thou, O man, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the ((Romans 2:4-6).) is deeds!” according to The Psalmist exhorts all men Psalm CXLVI. Ver. 1—10. to praise God.—This psalm and the four following both begin “Hallelujah,” and might, therefore, have formed and end with Ps. exil.) The time and another great Hallel. (See expos. certainly known, but the sense occasion of this psalm are not The great lessons here inculcated are, the vanity of man and the folly of trusting In him; cated are, the vanity of God, and the safety of confiding the power and good Man is vain, and his breath is fleeting. We in his promises. are full of schemes have seen men of the most restless ambition, cut off in a of aggrandizement, and surrounded with flatterers, Their breath and moment, and sent down to the silent dust. departed: the former to evaporate in their soul have at once hope is in the Lord his God.’ “Happy the man whose hopes rely, On Israel’s God: he made the sky, With earth and seas, and all their train, And none shall find his promise vain.” — Watts. or trifled with; nor must we Psalm CXLVII. Ver. 1-20. Farther exhortations to praise God.—Of all the duties of religion, praise is the most pleasant;” and certainly nothing can be more [pleasant] to the creatures when it is considered that we are sinners who have forfeited all the blessings which we enjoy. Ver. 4. His breath.—See (Isaiah 2:22). Ainsworth, “His spirit.” So Booth- ## Notes on the verses This is also one of the psalms called alphabetical, but defective in the verse which should begin with the letter Nun; but this verse is supplied by the LXX. between verses 13 and 14; viz. “The Lord is faithful in all his words; and holy (or merciful).” The same verse is found also in the Syriac, Vulgate, Arabic, Ethiopic, and at least one MS., and there could be no danger in supplying it, as the sentiment repeatedly occurs in this book of psalms. Ver. 14. All that be bowed down—Bent double, as it were, with trouble. See Ainsworth. So (Psalms 146:8).: PSALM CXLVI. [This Psalm, and the four following, which end the book, are supposed to have been sung at the dedication of the second temple. In the LXX. Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic, this is attributed to Haggai and Zechariah.]—Bagster. Ver. 3. Put not your trust, &c.—See Ps. exviii. 6, 7 and Zechariah, in the PSALM CXLVII. [This Psalm is ascribed to Haggai LXX., Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic.]—Bagster. Ver. 4. Number of stars.—(The fixed stars, in general, are considered to be innumerable suns, similar to that in our system, each having an appropriate number of planets moving round it; Dr. Herschel supposes they form primaries and secondaries, i.e., suns in the milky way, the with grief or this must be the case and that us Z revolving about suns, he gives the following in prodigious quantities, of which stars being there! What must God proof: On August 22, 1792, he found that, in 41 minutes, not less than 258,000 stars had passed through the field of view in his telescope and supports so many worlds, and who “* telleth he who has made, governs, the number of the stars; and calleth them by name.”}—Bagster. Ver. 10. The legs of a man—Either for swiftness in running, or strength in wrestling; for both running and wrestling were practised in the armies of the ancients. Or the horse and man may be put for cavalry and infantry. Ver. 16. Snow like wool.—[Snow is a well known meteor, formed by the congelation of the vapours in the atmosphere, while descending; the particles of which being entangled, and frozen in clusters, fall down in large flakes, like wool; and, like it, by covering the face of the earth, it preserves the vegetables from the nipping, but necessary, frost, and greatly assists vegetation. — Like ashes.—Hoar-frost is the congelation of dew, in frosty mornings, consisting of an assemblage of extremely small crystals of ice, of various figures; descending softly, and almost imperceptibly, like the light ashes of wood burnt in the open air.]—Bagster. Ver. 17. Like hail Korach seems to denote here hail; which is generally supposed to be the drops of rain frozen in their passage through the atmosphere, compared to morse/s from the solid form the hail-stones assume.]— The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 146; the text below is that joint comment. “The need of Jehovah, whether we consider it as relating to his essence or his works, is never to be fully comprehended by his saints, whose delight it is to contemplate ‘the breadth, and length, and depth, and height,’ ((Ephesians 3:18).) the extent and duration of his being and his kingdom; the profundity of his counsels, and the sublimity of his power and these are the inexhaustible subjects of divine meditation transmitted from age to age. And as the greatness of God our Saviour hath no bounds, so his praises should have no end; nor should the voice of thanksgiving ever cease in the church. As ‘one generation’ drops it, ‘another’ should take up the rightful strain, till the sun and the of intelligent and even sentient creatures: especially every species his hand, and satisfieth the desire of tures: for “he openeth every living thing.” (ver. 16. This tender mercy of God, however, must not be abused or suppose that impenitence or obstinate rebellion will always go unpunished. “Thinkest thou, pi coda: thet thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the ((Romans 2:4-6).) is deeds!” according to The Psalmist exhorts all men Psalm CXLVI. Ver. 1—10. to praise God.—This psalm and the four following both begin “Hallelujah,” and might, therefore, have formed and end with Ps. exil.) The time and another great Hallel. (See expos. certainly known, but the sense occasion of this psalm are not The great lessons here inculcated are, the vanity of man and the folly of trusting In him; cated are, the vanity of God, and the safety of confiding the power and good Man is vain, and his breath is fleeting. We in his promises. are full of schemes have seen men of the most restless ambition, cut off in a of aggrandizement, and surrounded with flatterers, Their breath and moment, and sent down to the silent dust. departed: the former to evaporate in their soul have at once hope is in the Lord his God.’ “Happy the man whose hopes rely, On Israel’s God: he made the sky, With earth and seas, and all their train, And none shall find his promise vain.” — Watts. or trifled with; nor must we Psalm CXLVII. Ver. 1-20. Farther exhortations to praise God.—Of all the duties of religion, praise is the most pleasant;” and certainly nothing can be more neste creatures when it is considered that we are sinners who have forfeited all the blessings which we enjoy. Ver. 4. His breath.—See (Isaiah 2:22). Ainsworth, “His spirit.” So Booth- ## Notes on the verses This is also one of the psalms called alphabetical, but defective in the verse which should begin with the letter Nun; but this verse is supplied by the LXX. between verses 13 and 14; viz. ‘‘The Lord is faithful in all his words; and holy (or merciful). The same verse is found also in the Syriac, Vulgate, Arabic, Ethiopic, and at least one MS., and there could be no danger in supplying it, as the sentiment repeatedly occurs in this book of psalms. Ver. 14. All that be bowed down—Bent double, as it were, with grief or trouble. See Ainsworth. So (Psalms 146:8).: ' PSALM CXLVI. [This Psalm, and the four following, which end the book, are supposed to have been sung at the dedication of the second temple. In the LXX. Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic, this is attributed to Haggai and Zechariah. |—Bagster. x Ver. 3. Put not your trust, &c.—See Ps. exviii. 6, 7 and Zechariah, in the PSALM CXLVII. [This Psalm is ascribed to Haggai LXX., Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic. |}—Bagster, b Ver. 4. Number of stars.—(The fixed stars, in general, are considered to be innumerable suns, similar to that in our system, each having an appropriate number of planets moving round it; Dr. Herschel supposes they form primaries and secondaries, i.e. suns in the milky way, the with grief or this must be the case and that us Z revolving about suns, he gives the following in prodigious quantities, of which stars being there! What must God proof: On August 22, 1792, he found that, in 41 minutes, not less than 258,000 stars had passed through the field of view in his telescope and supports so many worlds, and who “* telleth he who has made, governs, the number of the stars; and calleth them by name.”}—Bagster. Ver. 10. The legs of a man—Either for swiftness in running, or strength in wrestling; for both running and wrestling were practised in the armies of the ancients. Or the horse and man may be put for cavalry and infantry. é Ver. 16. Snow like wool.—[Snow is a well known meteor, formed by the congelation of the vapours in the atmosphere, while descending; the particles of which being entangled, and frozen in clusters, fall down in large flakes, like wool; and, like it, by covering the face of the earth, it preserves the vegetables from the nipping, but necessary, frost, and greatly assists vegetation. — Like ashes.—Hoar-frost is the congelation of dew, in frosty mornings, consisting of an assemblage of extremely small crystals of ice, of various figures; descending softly, and almost imperceptibly, like the light ashes of wood burnt in the open air.]—Bagster. Ver. 17. Like rain Korach seems to denote here hail; which is generally supposed to be the drops of rain frozen in their passage through the atmosphere, compared to morse/s from the solid form the hail-stones assume.]— From the second verse of this psalm, it has been supposed that it was written after the return from captivity: ‘* The Lord doth build up Jerusalem;” but the chief topics of the psalm refer to the general providence of God. His wisdom is displayed in his knowledge, and government of the heavenly bodies, the regulation of the seasons, the feeding of the lower creation; but, above all, in the distribution of his holy word, among his favourite nation; and this brings the subject home to our own country, to our own times, and to our own bosoms. “He hath showed his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any (other) nation,” except our own. Psalm CXLVIII. Ver. 1—14. A chorus of deers praise.— All the creatures of God in heaven and earth, animate or inanimate, sensual or intellectual, are here called upon to praise their Maker: and do they praise him? Most assuredly. The heavenly bodies? Yes: as Addison beautifully expresses ‘ For ever singing as they shine, The hand that made us is divine.’ The inhabitants of the earth? Yes: even storms and monsters. ‘‘ Kings of the earth, and all people?’ Most assuredly. Ver. 5. Is infinite—‘ Without number;’’ i. e. the things which he under may shame them; for sinners are the only beings in God's creation chargeable with ingratitude. But may we mingle our praises with the celestial hierarchy? And why not? Are we not fellow-creatures? Before the great Eternal Being all shrink into insignificance, as the flame of an expiring taper before the meridian sun. Rational creatures are, however, the only ones capable of design or enjoyment in the work; and music is given to man, that he may participate in the employ of angels: “ Angels and men, assisted by this art, May sing together, though they dwell apart.”— Waller. Psalm CXLIX. Ver. 1—9. Praise to God for the victories of his church.—The two great topics of this psalm are the victories of God’s church, and the happy consequences that are to follow, which may be interpreted in reference to either the Old dispensation or the New. In reference to the former, we are necessarily reminded of the warlike means by which the Canaanites were to be subdued, and the glory and prosperity to which Israel were to be raised; but this we do not find accomplished till the reign of Solomon, when the nation was advanced to the highest glory, and sat and sung at their ease at the sacrificial feasts in honour of Jehovah. In referring these verses to the New Testament dispensation, we must give to the CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE BOOK OF PSALMS. THE Psalms of [expressions] of praise and thanksgiving towards the ALMIGHTY FATHER of his being; to pour out his soul in penitence or prayer; to bewail, with tears of con- Psalms afford him the most perfect models and examples for expressing 2. with equal piety and beauty, ‘are an epitome of the Bible, adapted to the 3. transactions of the patriarchs; the exodus of the children of Israel; their 4. priesthood, and ritual; the exploits of their great men, wrought through faith; their 5. histories of David; the peaceful and happy reign of Solomon; the advent of 6. death, resurrection, ascension, kingdom, and priesthood; the effusion of the 7. [Holy Spirit]; establishment, increase, and perpetuity of the Christian Church; the end of the 8. world; the general judgment; the condemnation of the wicked, and the final triumph of the righteous, with their Lord and King. These are the subjects here presented to our meditations. We are instructed how to conceive of them aright, 1 and to express the different affections, which, when so conceived of, they must | xxiii to be recommended by the charms of music, thus consecrate of God: that so delight may prepare the way for improvement, and pleasure | qyy become the handmaid of wisdom, while every turbulent passion is calmed by sacred melody, and the evil spirit is still dispossessed by the harp of the son. It is here restored,—the tree of life in the midst of the garden. That which 2. [is] practice, when we recite it in the Psalms; in those repentance ‘and faith are descri- | xevi bed, but in these they are acted; by a perusal of the former, we learn how others served God; but, by using the latter, we serve Him ourselves... + Composed upon particular occasions, but designed for general use; delivered 8 out as services for the Israelites under the Law, yet no less adapted for the cir- and investigate, in a style which poetry can never equal; while history is made the 2. vehicle of prophecy, and creation lends all its charms to paint the regions of| 3 Redemption. Calculated alike to profit and to please, they inform the under- 4. standing, elevate the affections, and entertain the imagination. Indited under 5. the influence of Him, to whom all hearts are known, and all events foreshown, they suit mankind in all situations; grateful as the manna which descended from above, and conformed ‘tself to every palate. ‘The fairest productions of human wit, after a few perusals, like gathered flowers, wither in our hands, and lose their fragrancy; but these unfading plants of paradise become, as we [Introduction to the Critical Study of the Scriptures.] who, we are informed, composed no less than three iv. 32.) As it is nowhere said that Solomon himself made a collection of proverbs | piety towards God, and sentences, the general opinion is, that several persons made collection of | and them. Hezekiah, among others, as mentioned in the twenty-fifth chapter; and * Michaelis has 0 I. PRAYERS. Prayers composed when the Psalmist was deprived of the public exercise. Prayers in which the Psalmist appears extremely dejected, though not to- Prayers in which the Psalmist asks help of God, in consideration of his Prayers expressing the firmest trust and confidence in God under afflic- Prayers composed when the people of God were under affliction or perse- The following are also prayers in time of trouble and affliction, (Psalms 4)Vv. Prayers of intercession, (Psalms 20)lxvii. cxxii. exxxii. cxliv. II, PSALMS OF THANKSGIVING. Thanksgivings for mercies bestowed on particular persons, (Psalms 9)xviii. oxxx. xxxiv. xl. [xxy. ciii. evili. exvi. exvill. cxxxviii. cxlix. PSALMS OF PRAISE AND ADORATION DISPLAYING THE ATTRIBUTES OF Psalms displaying the power, majesty, glory, and other attributes of Je- " xcvii. cxcix. civ. cxxi. cxxiii. cxv. cxxxiv. exxxix. exlyii. cxlviii. cl. IV. INSTRUCTIVE PSALMS. ‘The different characters of good and bad men—the happiness of the one, the misery of the other, (Psalms 1)v.. vi. lx; x. xl. xii. xiv. xv. xvii. xxiv. xxv. The excellence of God’s law, (Psalms 19)xix. The vanity of human life, (Psalms 29)xlix. xc. Advice to watchfulness, (Psalms 72)ci. The virtue of humility, Ps. exxxi. V. PROPHETICAL PSALMS. (Psalms 2)xvi. xxii. xl. xlv. lxviii. lxxii. lxxvii. cx. exviii. VI. HISTORICAL PSALMS. (Psalms 78)cv. cvi.]—Bagster. THE BOOK OF PROVERBS. a ee ee deepest mysteries of true wisdom and understanding, the height and perfection thousand Proverbs; (1 Ki. [4:32]) ancient sages, and comprising in themselves distinct doctrines, duties, of equity and benevolence towards man, and of sobriety temperance; together with, precepts for the right education of children, for the relative situations of subjects, magistrates, and sovereigns. The first nine chapters, directions, cautions, and exhortations, which is varied, ele- 1: the order of the subject is, in general, excel- It is embellished diction is polished. ## Notes on the verses Psalm CXLVIII. Ver. 7. Dragons—That is, sea monsters. See notes on (Job 7:12). (Psalms 44:19). Psalm CXLIX. Ver. 2. In him that made him—Ainsworth, “In his Makers.” The word is certainly plural, implying more than one person in the Godhead. See (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Ver. 5. Upon their beds.—Our beds are so different from those of the ancients as to convey a wrong idea. ‘They were (and still are) carpeted seats, or cushions. Bishop Horne renders this verse and the preceding in the future, like the original. So Ainsworth. Ver. 6. A two-edged (Heb. “‘ two-mouthed”) sword, ~. Ver. 9. To execute the judgment written—in the New Testament, and particularly in the book of the Revelation of St. John. The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 148; the text below is that joint comment. From the second verse of this psalm, it hath been supposed that it was written after the return from captivity: ‘* The Lord doth build up Jerusalem;” but the chief topics of the psalm refer to the general providence of God. His wisdom is displayed in his knowledge, and government of the heavenly bodies, the regulation of the seasons, the feeding of the lower creation; but, above all, in the distribution of his holy word, among his favourite nation; and this brings the subject home to our own country, to our own times, and to our own bosoms. “He hath showed his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any (other) nation,” except our own. Psalm CXLVIII. Ver. 1—14. A chorus of deers praise.— All the creatures of God in heaven and earth, animate or inanimate, sensual or intellectual, are here called upon to praise their Maker: and do they praise him? Most assuredly. The heavenly bodies? Yes: as Addison beautifully expresses ‘ For ever singing as they shine, The hand that made us is divine.’ The inhabitants of the earth? Yes: even storms and monsters. ‘‘ Kings of the earth, and all people?’ Most assuredly. Ver. 5. Is infinite—‘ Without number;’’ i. e. the things which he under may shame them; for sinners are the only beings in God's creation chargeable with ingratitude. But may we mingle our praises with the celestial hierarchy? And why not? Are we not fellow-creatures? Before the great Eternal Being all shrink into insignificance, as the flame of an expiring taper before the meridian sun. Rational creatures are, however, the only ones capable of design or enjoyment in the work; and music is given to man, that he may participate in the employ of angels: “ Angels and men, assisted by this art, May sing together, though they dwell apart.”— Waller. Psalm CXLIX. Ver. 1—9. Praise to God for the victories of his church.—The two great topics of this psalm are the victories of God’s church, and the happy consequences that are to follow, which may be interpreted in reference to either the Old dispensation or the New. In reference to the former, we are necessarily reminded of the warlike means by which the Canaanites were to be subdued, and the glory and prosperity to which Israel were to be raised; but this we do not find accomplished till the reign of Solomon, when the nation was advanced to the highest glory, and sat and sung at their ease at the sacrificial feasts in honour of Jehovah. In referring these verses to the New Testament dispensation, we must give to the CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE BOOK OF PSALMS. THE Psalms of [expressions] of praise and thanksgiving towards the ALMIGHTY FATHER of his being; to pour out his soul in penitence or prayer; to bewail, with tears of con- [trition]. Psalms afford him the most perfect models and examples for expressing 2. with equal piety and beauty, ‘are an epitome of the Bible, adapted to the 3. transactions of the patriarchs; the exodus of the children of Israel; their 4. [childhood], and ritual; the exploits of their great men, wrought through faith; their 5. [histories] of David; the peaceful and happy reign of Solomon; the advent of 6. death, resurrection, ascension, kingdom, and priesthood; the effusion of the 7. [Holy Spirit]; establishment, increase, and perpetuity of the Christian Church; the end of the 8. world; the general judgment; the condemnation of the wicked, and the final triumph of the righteous, with their Lord and King. These are the subjects here presented to our meditations. We are instructed how to conceive of them aright, 1 and to express the different affections, which, when so conceived of, they must | xxiii to be recommended by the charms of music, thus consecrate[d] of God: that so delight may prepare the way for improvement, and pleasure | qyy become the handmaid of wisdom, while every turbulent passion is calmed by sacred melody, and the evil spirit is still dispossessed by the harp of the son [which] is here restored,—the tree of life in the midst of the garden. That which 2. [we] notice, when we recite it in the Psalms; in those repentance ‘and faith are descri- | xevi bed, but in these they are acted; by a perusal of the former, we learn how others served God; but, by using the latter, we serve Him ourselves... + Composed upon particular occasions, but designed for general use; delivered 8 out as services for the Israelites under the Law, yet no less adapted for the cir- and vestigate, in a style which poetry can never equal; while history is made the 2. vehicle of prophecy, and creation lends all its charms to paint the regions of| 3 Redemption. Calculated alike to profit and to please, they inform the under- 4. standing, elevate the affections, and entertain the imagination. Indited under 5. the influence of Him, to whom all hearts are known, and all events foreshown, they suit mankind in all situations; grateful as the manna which descended from above, and conformed ‘tself to every palate. ‘The fairest productions of human wit, after a few perusals, like gathered flowers, wither in our hands, and lose their fragrancy; but these unfading plants of paradise become, as we [read in the] “Introduction to the Critical Study of the Scriptures,” who, we are informed, composed no less than three iv. 32.) As it is nowhere said that Solomon himself made a collection of proverbs | piety towards God, and sentences, the general opinion is, that several persons made collection of | and them. Hezekiah, among others, as mentioned in the twenty-fifth chapter; and * Michaelis has 0 I. PRAYERS. Prayers composed when the Psalmist was deprived of the public exercise. Prayers in which the Psalmist appears extremely dejected, though not to- Prayers in which the Psalmist asks help of God, in consideration of his Prayers expressing the firmest trust and confidence in God under afflic- Prayers composed when the people of God were under affliction or perse- The following are also prayers in time of trouble and affliction, (Psalms 4)Vv. Prayers of intercession, (Psalms 20)lxvii. cxxii. exxxii. cxliv. II, PSALMS OF THANKSGIVING. Thanksgivings for mercies bestowed on particular persons, (Psalms 9)xviii. oxxx. xxxiv. xl. [xxy. ciii. evili. exvi. exvill. cxxxviii. cxlix. PSALMS OF PRAISE AND ADORATION DISPLAYING THE ATTRIBUTES OF Psalms displaying the power, majesty, glory, and other attributes of Je- " xcvii. cxix. civ. cxxi. cxxiii. cxv. cxxxiv. exxxix. exlyii. cxlviii. cl. IV. INSTRUCTIVE PSALMS. ‘The different characters of good and bad men—the happiness of the one, the misery of the other, (Psalms 1)v.. vi. lx; x. xl. xii. xiv. xv. xvii. xxiv. xxv. The excellence of God’s law, (Psalms 19)xix. The vanity of human life, (Psalms 29)xlix. xc. Advice to watchfulness, (Psalms 72)ci. The virtue of humility, Ps. exxxi. V. PROPHETICAL PSALMS. (Psalms 2)xvi. xxii. xl. xlv. lxviii. lxxii. lxxvii. cx. cxviii. VI. HISTORICAL PSALMS. (Psalms 78)cv. cvi.]—Bagster. THE BOOK OF PROVERBS. a ee ee deepest mysteries of true wisdom and understanding, the height and perfection thousand Proverbs; (1 Ki. [4:32]) ancient sages, and comprising in themselves distinct doctrines, duties, of equity and benevolence towards man, and of sobriety temperance; together with, precepts for the right education of children, for the relative situations of subjects, magistrates, and sovereigns. The first nine chapters, directions, cautions, and exhortations, is varied, ele- 1: the order of the subject is, in general, excel- It is embellished diction is polished. ## Notes on the verses Psalm CXLVIII. Ver. 7. Dragons—That is, sea monsters. See notes on (Job 7:12). (Psalms 44:19). Psalm CXLIX. Ver. 2. In him that made him—Ainsworth, “In his Makers.” The word is certainly plural, implying more than one person in the Godhead. See (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Ver. 5. Upon their beds.—Our beds are so different from those of the ancients as to convey a wrong idea. ‘They were (and still are) carpeted seats, or cushions. Bishop Horne renders this verse and the preceding in the future, like the original. So Ainsworth. Ver. 6. A two-edged (Heb. “‘ two-mouthed”) sword, ~. Ver. 9. To execute the judgment written—in the New Testament, and particularly in the book of the Revelation of St. John. The commentary treats this chapter together with chapter 120; the text below is that joint comment. “Thine eyes in me the sheep behold, Whose feet have wandered from the fold; That guideless, helpless, strives in vain To find its safe retreat again. Now listens, if perchance its ear The shepherd’s well known voice may hear; O seek thou him,” thou friend of men, And guide him to thy fold again.—Merrick, altered. Psalm CXX. Ver. 1—7. The psalmist prays for protection against his adversaries.—The title prefixed to this and the fourteen following psalms, is, in our translation, “A Song of degrees,” which is variously interpreted. The most general opinion is, that these psalms were written, either for the tribes going up in procession to worship at Mount Zion; or, for their subsequent going up from the captivity in Babylon. The psalm before us, however, seems to have no reference to either, but to be rather of the epigrammatic cast, and to favour the notion of Professor Gesenius, that the title has reference to the poetic composition. (See note.) It is generally supposed to have been written by David, when persecuted by the malignant slanders of Doeg, or some other malignant slanderers, whose words were like sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper,” in which there is a beautiful gradation of sense, terminating in a point of severity which does not appear in the translation. Slanderous words are often compared to arrows and to sharp arrows; but the force is much increased by the bow being drawn by “a mighty man,” for “as the man is, so is his strength;” ((Judges 8:21);) and the force with which inflaming the course of nature. ((James 3:5-6).) Psalm CXI. Ver. 1—8. Help in God under all circumstances.—Bishop Lowth supposes the two first verses to be the language of a king of Israel going out to battle, and looking up to the oracle on Mount Zion for support; and the following part of the psalm he considers as the answer of the high priest from the tabernacle: but Bishop Horne considers the first verses as the language rather of an Israelite going up to the tabernacle, to keep one of the sacred festivals, and the following as an answer of peace and protection on his journey. This seems to us far the most probable: for had the scene been a military one, we should have heard of shield, and sword, and buckler. The protection solicited and promised is from the burning heat of the sun, and the chilling influences of the moon, or the night air, both which were to be dreaded in Judea. “The meaning is, says Bishop Horne,) that the good man, during his journey through life, shall be under God’s protection at all seasons; as Israel in the wilderness was defended from the burning heat of the sun by the moist and refreshing shadow of the cloud; and secured against the inclement influences of the nocturnal heavens by the kindly warmth and splendour diffused from the pillar of fire. Be thou with us, thy servants, O Lord, in the world, as thou wast with Israel in the wilderness; suffer not our virtue to dissolve before the sultry gleams of prosperity; permit it not to be frozen by the chilling blasts of adi[e]nce[s] [air]. ## Notes on the verses Ver. 1. Let my soul live.—i. e. preserve my life. (Psalms 120)Title,—A song of degrees—which is prefixed to this and to the fourteen following psalms. The word (mahaloth) rendered “degrees,” means literally, steps, or stairs, but is very generally applied to any kind of ascents. Bishop Lowth calls these psalms “Odes of the Ascensions,” which were sung, either when the people came up to worship at Jerusalem, at the annual festivals, or perhaps from the Babylonish captivity. The return is certainly called the ‘ascension, or coming UP from Babylon,’ (Ezra 7:9). and the Syriac translator refers to this circumstance almost all the psalms that bear this inscription; — and many of them manifestly have a relation to it. But we must not omit remarking also, that both in the Old and New Testaments there is scarcely a phrase more common than “up to Jerusalem; to go up to the feast;” and (Psalms 122)can scarcely be applied to any thing but the celebration of some festival. Besides, several of these psalms bear the name of David, and others have evident reference to his time and circumstances; but few of them could therefore be composed for the return from Babylon. Gesenius suggests, that the term may mark a peculiar species of Hebrew composition; and it is remarkable, that these psalms are all very short, (one only exceeding nine verses,) and in several of them there is a gradation of meaning, and a degree of point toward the close, almost epigrammatic. The Rabbinical tradition, of these Psalms being intended to be sung on the steps of the temple, is now generally rejected; besides, David lived in the time of the tabernacle, which had no steps. Ver. 3. What shall be given, &c.—See margin; i. e. what is to be gained by deceit and slander? Ver. 4. Sharp arrows.—See margin. — With coals of juniper.—See note on (1 Kings 19:4). Rosenmuller considers the juniper (Rothern) of the same species with the broom, which, in Spain, retains the Arabic name, Rothern; and St. Jerome speaks of its retaining live ashes for a whole year. See Orient. Lit. No. 804. Ver. 5. In Mesech.—Meshech was the son of Japheth, from whom apparently the Moschi descended, who inhabited the mountains bordering upon Colchis, Iberia, and Armenia, (Strabo, l. xi.) and who afterwards peopled Russia; and the posterity of Kedar, son of Abraham, called Kedarenians by Pliny, dwelt in the south of Arabia Deserta, near the Nabatheans. Probably the Psalmist simply means that the people among whom he lived appeared to be as fierce and barbarous as these wandering tribes. —Bagster. It is not certain that Mesech is a proper name: both Ainsworth and Bishop Horne remark that the verse may be “Wo is me, that my sojourning is prolonged: I dwell in the tents of Kedar,” or of the Ishmaelites. (Psalms 120)[will lift]—See margin; i. e. to the idols worshipped in the mountains.—But we prefer the text. Ver. 5. Thy shade, &c.—Lowth, “The Lord will shade thee with his right hand.” Ver. 6. The sun.—Sun-strokes are very fatal in those hot countries. It is a fact, too, that the moonbeams have a pernicious influence. “Moonlight will not take salt, but taints and spoils.” Milton attributes parching to the night air: “The parching air Burns frore, and cold performs th’ effect of fire.” The effects of fire and frost on the human body,