^^ 1. Author of ihe psalm. — Tliis psalm is ascribed to David, not only in the title, but in all the versions, and there is no rt-a:^on to doubt the correctness of this. It would not be difficult to show from its contents that the sentiments and style of. composition are such as accord with the other compositions of David.
^^ 2. Occasion on which the psalm was composed. — On this point nothing is intimated expressly in the psalm, unless it be in the title, " To the chief INIusician upon ]\Iuth-labben." The meaning of this will be considered in another part of the introduction to the psalm {^ 4). It will be seen there that nothing is determined by that title in regard to the origin of the psalm, or the time when it Avas composed. Neither is thore any certain tradition which will determine this, and most that has been written on this point has been mere conjecture, or has arisen out of some interpretation of the enigmatical title ^' itpon Muthlabben." Some have supposed that the word labben refers to some foreign king or prince slain by David, and that the gjalni Avas composed on his death, thers, following the Targum, or Chaldee Paraphrase (see >J 4), suppose that the person referred to was Goliath of Gath, and that it was composed on his death. Oth(>rs, as Riidinger, suppose that it is a psalm of thanksgiving on occasion of the victory over Absalom, and the suppression of his rebellion by his death: a harsh and unnatural supposition, as if any father, in any circumstances, could compose a psalm of praise on occasion of the death of a son. Moeller supposes that it was composed on occasion of a victory over the Philistines by David; Ferrand, Avho unites this psalm Avith the following, supposes that the Avhole refers to tho times of the captivity in Babjlon, and is a triumphal song of the people over their enemies; and Venema, avIio also thinks that these tAVO psalms should be united, ' supposes that Ps. ix. 1-18 refers to David, and to his deliverance from all his enemies, and the remainder to the times of the IMaccabees, and the deliverance from the persecutions under Antiochus Epiphancs. Bishop Ilorsley styles the psalm " Thanksgiving for the extirpation of the vVtheistical faction, promised in Psalm x," and supposes that the order should be reversed, and that the Avhole refers to some great deliverance — cither the '' overthi'ow of the Babj'- lonian empire by Cyrus, or the defeat of Haman's plot."' The Jewish Avriters, Jarchi and Aben Ezra, suppose that it Avas composed on occasion of the defeat and death of some foreign prince. From this variety of vicAvs, none of Avhich seem to rest on certain historical grounds, it appears probable that the exact occasion on which the psalm Avas composed cannot now be ascertained in such a Avay as to leave no ground for doubt. The only indications of the occasion on Avhich it Avas Avrittcn must be found, if at all, in the psalm itself. In the psalm Ave tind the following tilings, which may, perhaps, be all that is necessary to enable us to understand it.
(a) It Avas composed in vicAV oi enemies of the Avriter, ov foes Avitli Avhom he had been engaged, ver. 3: " When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence." Comp. vers. 6, 13, 19, 20.
{h) These Avere foreign enemies, or those Avho are called heathen., that is, belonging to idolatrous nations, ver. o: '*Thou hast rebuked the heathen.'' Comp. vers. 15, 19.
(c) They Avere desolating foes— invading foes— those v.ho laid a land Avasteiu E their marches, ver. 6: " Thou hast destroyed cities: theii- memorial is perished with them."
(cl) The writer had achieved a victory over them, and for this he cek^brated the praises of God for his interposition, vers. 1, 2, 10, 11, lo. This victory thus achieved Avas such as to make him certain of ultimate complete triumph.
{e) Yet he was still surrounded by enemies, and he still asks God's merciful interposition in his behalf, ver. 13: " Have mercy upon me, 0 Lord; consider my trouble which I suffer of tliem that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death." Comp. vers.
David was not unfi*equently in his life in circumstances such as are here supposed, and it is not possible now to determine the exact occasion to wliich the psalm alludes.
^*i 3. The contents of the psalm.— Tha psalm embraces two leading subjects — onepertaining to the past and the other to the future, both illustrating the chai-acter of God, and both giving occasion to the writer to express his confidence in God. The one relates to deliverance already granted; the other to deliverance still hoped for in his troubles.
I. The first relates to deliverance from trouble, or conquest over foes, already granted,^and to the occasion which that furnished for praising God, and for pious reflections on his character.
(2) The particular reason for this is stated; that God had enabled him to overcome many of his enemies,— the heathen that had risen up against him, Avho had now been subdued, vers. 3—6.
(3) This gives occasion for pious reflections on the character of God, as one who Avould endure for ever; as one who had set up his throne to do judgment or right; as one who would be a refuge for the oppressed; as one Avho might be confided in by all who knew him; as one avIio Avould remember the foes of the righteous, and Avho Avould not forget the cry of the humble, vers. 7-12, The principal truth taught in this part of the psalm is, that God is a refuge and help for those Avho are in trouble and danger; that all such may put their trust in Him; and that He will interpose to save them.
II. The second part, constructed in a manner similar to the former, relates to the future, and to Avhat the psalmist ho2mi still from God, in Aiew of the character AA'hich He had evinced in his former troubles, A'ers. 13 — 20.
(1) The psalmist still needs help, A'ers. 13, 14. He still has trouble from them that hate him, and he calls upon God still to interpose and lift him \ip from the gates of death, that he may praise
(2) He refers to the fact that the heathen, Avho surrounded him as his foes, had sunk down into the pit Avhich they had made for others; and that their foot Avas taken in the net Avliich they had hid: referring either to Avhat had occurred in the past as the foundation of his present hope, or being so certain that tliis would be done that he could speak of it as if it Avere now actually accomplished, ver. lo.
(3) This also, as in the former case, giA-es occasion for pious reflections on the character of God, and on the fact that he would interpose to destroy the Avicked, and to protect the righteous, vers. 16 — 18.
(4) Li vieAv of all this, the psalmist calls on God still to interpose — to manifest the same character Avhich He had formerly done, by protecting him, and by overcoming his "foes, vers. 19, 20. The principal truth taught in this part of the psalm is, that the wicked Avill be destroyed; that they, as contradistinguished from the righteous, can hope for no protection from God, but will be cut down and punished.
The condition of the author of the psalm then Avas, that he had been surrounded b}' foes, and that God had interposed in his behalf, giving him occasion for praise and thanksgiving; that he Avas still surrounded by formidable enemies, yet he felt assured that God would manifest the same character Avhich He had done formerly, and that he might, thei-efore, call upon Him to interpose and give him occasion for future praise.
§ 4. Tlie title of thepsalm. — The psalm is directed to " the chief Musician upon Jfath-labben." In regard to the phrase "chief ]\Iusician," see!Notes on the title to Ps. iv. The phrase, " upon Ifnthlabben," occurs nowhere else, and very different explanations have been given of its meaning. The Targum, or Chaldee Paraphrase, renders it " To be sung over the man that Avent out between the camps;" that is, Goliath of Gath; and the author of the Chaldee Paraphrase, endeutly supposed it Avas Avritten on the
— "for the secret tilings (mysteries) of the Son:" but what idea Avas attached to those words it is impossible now to determine. The Syriac has this title: " Concerning the ']\[essiah taking his throne and kingdom, and prostrating his foe." Luther renders it, "A Psalm of David concerning a beautiful youth" — vonder schonen jugend. Substantially so also De Wette; Nach der Jungfern- Aveise, den Beniten. Tholuck renders it, "To the chief Musician, after the melody ' Death to the Son ' (Tod dem Sohne"), a Psalm of David."
After this variety in the explanation of the title, it is certainly not easy to determine the meaning. The most probable opinions maj' be regarded as two.
(1) That which supposes that it was a melody designed to be sung by females, or with female voices: literally, according to this interpretation, after the manner of virgins; that is, with the female voice treble, soprano, in opposition to the deeper voice of men. Comp. 1 Cliron. XV. 20. Forkel, in his History of:Musick (Gesch. der Musik, 1, 142), understands it as meaning vij-gin measures, like the German Jungfrawveis. Gesenius, who supposes that it refers to the female voice or treble, regards the title— m?3"^i^—" upon Muth," as being the same as PlTD^i^ by/, in Ps. xlvi., "Upon Alamoth," arid supposes that it is derived from TilZP^J, ahnah—a vu-gin.
(2) The other opinion is that which supposes that the title is the beginning of some old and well-known melody in common use, and that the idea is, that this psalm was to be sung to that melody. That melody was, as expressed by Tholuck and others, a melody on the death of a son, and was set to some hymn that had been composed with reference to such an event. This is founded on the supposition that the national melodies had become in some degree fixed and unchangeable, or that certain melodies or tunes originally composed for a particular occasion had become popular, and that the melody would be affixed to new pieces of music. This is common in the East; and, indeed, it is common in all countries. See this idea illustrated in Rosenmiiller (]\Iorgenland, No. 800). The meaning, as thus expi-essed, is, " According to the manner (or, to the air) of the song (or poem) called Death to the Son." Thus understood, it does not refer to the death of Absalom (as some have supposed), since there is nothing in the psalm that would coiTespond with such a supposition; nor to the death of Goliath, as the Targum supposes; but the composition was to be sung to the well-known air, or tune, entitled "Death to the Son." But when that air was composed, or on what occasion, there is of course no possibility now of asctertaining; and equally impossible is it to recover the ai}', or tune. The literal meaning of the title is b^, al, on, or according to — ni?3, muth, death— "1 55, labbain, to the son.
1. / will praise thee, O Loed. That is, in view of the merciful interpositions referred to in the psalm (vers. 3 — 5), and in view of the attributes of God's character which had. been displayed on that occasion (vers. 7 — 12). ^ With my ivhole heart. Not with divided affection, or with partial gratitude. He meant that all his powers should be employed in this service; that he would give utterance to his feelings of gratitude and adoration in the loftiest and purest manner possible. ^ I tvill shoio forth. I w^ill recount or narrate — to wit, in this song of praise. ^ All thy marvellous ivorks. All his works or doings fitted to excite admiration or wonder. The reference here is particularly to what God had done which had given occasion to this psalm, but still the psalmist designs undoubtedly to connect with this the purpose to give a general expression of praise in view of all that God had done that was fitted to excite such feelings.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou '' most high.
3 When mine enemies are
turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4 For thou hast ^ maintained my right and my cause; thou
and will express my joy. ^ And rejoice in thee. I will exult; I will triumph. That is, he would express his joy in God — iu knowing that there was such a Being; in all that he had done for him; in all the evidences of his favour and friendship. *\\ Will sing j)i'<^iise to tliij name. To thee; the name often being put for the person. ^ O thou Most High. Thou who art supreme — the God over all. See Notes on Ps. vii. 17.
3. When mine enemies are turned back. AVlio these enemies were, the psalmist does not saj'. It is clear, however, as was r-emarked in the introduction, that the psalm was composed [a) in view of a victory which had been achieved over some formidable enemies; and (h) in view of some dangers still impending from a similar source. The literal meaning of the passage here is, " In the turning of my enemies back;" that is, in their retreat, discomfiture, overthrow? So far as the Hebrew form of expression is concerned, this may either refer to what had been done, or to what tvould be; and may imply either that they had been turned back, or that the psalmist hoped and believed that they would be; for in either case the fact would show the Divine perfections, and give occasion for gratitude and praise. The verbs with which tliis is connected — "they shall fall and perish" — are indeed in the Hebrew, as in our version, in the future tense; but this does not necessarily determine the question whether the psalmist refers to what had occurred or what would occur. His attitude is this: he contemplates his enemies as mighty and formidable; he sees the danger which exists when such enemies surround one; he looks at the interposition of God, and he sees that whenever it occurs it would be followed by this consequence, that they would stumble and fall before him. But while this verse does not determine the question whether he refers to what has been, or to what would be, the subsequent verses (4 — 6) seem to settle it, where he speaks as if this were already done, and as if God had interposed in a remarkable manner in discomfiting his foes. I regard this, therefore, as a reflection on what had occurred, and as expressing what was then actually a ground of praise and thanksgiving. ^ They shall fall and j^erish. A general statement in view of what had occurred, meaning that this would always be the case. % At thy presence. Before thee; that is, when thou dost manifest thyself. This was the reason why they w^ould stumble and fall, and is equivalent to saying, that " whenever mine enemies arc turned back, the reason why they stumble and fall is thy presence. It is the interposition of thy power. It is not to be traced to the prowess of man that they thus turn back, and that they fall and perish; it is to be traced to the fact that thou art present,— that thou dost interpose." It is thus an acknowledgment of God as the author of the victory in all cases.
4. For thou, hast maintained my right and my cause. My righteous cause; that is, when he was unequally attacked. When his enemies came upon him in an unprovoked and cruel manner, God had interposed and had defended his cause. This shows that the psalmist refers to something that had occurred in the past; also that he regarded his cause as right, — for the interposition of God in his behalf had confirmed him in this belief. ^ Thou satest in the throne judging right. As if he had been seated on a bench
5 Thoii hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their
2 Or, the destructions nf the enemy are come to a perpetual end; and llieir cities hast thou destroyed.
of justice, and had decided on the merits of his cause before he interfered in his behalf. It was not the result of impulse, folly, partiality, or favouritism; it was because he had, as a judge, considered the matter, and had decided that the right was with the author of the psalm, and not with his enemies. As the result of that determination of the case, he had interposed to vindicate him, and to overthrow his adversaries. Compare Ps. viii. 3—8.
5. Thoii Jiast rebuked the Tieatlien. Not the heathen in general, or the lu.tions at large, but those who are particularly referred to in this psalm — tliose who are described as the enem.ies of the writer and of God. On the word rendered heathen here — Q'^ln, goim — see Notes on Ps. ii. 1. The word rehuTce here does not mean, as it does usually with us, to chide with words, but it means that he had done this by deeds; that is, by overcoming or vanquishing them. The reference is, undoubtedly, to some of those nations with whom the writer had been at war, and who were the enemies of himself and of God, and to some signal act of the Divine interposition by which they had been overcome, or in which the author of the psalm had gained a victory. De VVette understands this as referring to "barbarians, foreigners, heathen." David, in the course of his life, was often in such circumstances as are here supposed, though to what particular event he refers it would not be possible now to decide. *\\ Thou hast destroyed the wicked. The Hebrew here is in the singular number — ^^"i — though it may be used collectively, and as synonymous with the word heathen. Comp. Isa. xiv. 5; Ps. Ixxxiv. 10; cxxv, 3. The Chaklee Paraphrase renders this, " Thou hast destroyed the impious Goliath." The reference is undoubtedly to the enemies meant by the word heathen, and the writer speaks of them not only as heathen or foreigners, but as characterized by ivickedness, whicili was doubtless a correct description of their general character. % Thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. As when a nation is conquered, and subdued; when it is ninde a province of the conquering nation, and loses its own government, and its distinct existence as a people, and its name is no more recorded among the kingdoms of the earth. This is such language as would denote entire subjugation, and it is probably to some such event that the psalmist refers. Nations have often by conquest thus lost their independence and their distinct existence, by becoming incorporated into others.. To some such entire subjugation by conquest the psalmist undoubtedly here refers.
6. O thou enemy! This verse has been very variously rendered and explained. For an examination of the particular views entertained of it, see particularly Rosenmiiller, in loc. The reference is doubtless to the enemies mentioned in the previous verses; and the idea is substantially the same • — that they were completely overcome and subdued. The phrase, " O thou enemy," is probably to be regarded as the nominative absolute. " The enemy — his destructions or desolations are finished for ever. He will now no more engage in that work." The attention of the writer is fixed on them, and on the f:ict that they will no more engage in the work of desolation. It is not, therefore, properly to be regarded, as it is rendered in the common translation, as thou hast destroyed cities; ^ their memorial is perished with them.
7 ' But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment:
an apostrophe to the enemy, but rather as indicating a state of mind in which the writer is meditating on his foes, and on the fact that they would no more engage in the work in which they had been occupied — of laying cities and towns in ruins. % Destructions are come to a perpetual end. That is, thy destructions are finished, completed, accomplished. There are to be no more of them. This may either refer to their acts causing destruction, or laying waste cities and towns, meaning that they would no more accomplish this work; or to the destruction or ruins which they had caused in laying waste cities • — the ruins which marked their career — meaning that the number of such ruins was now complete, and that no more would be added, for they themselves were overthrown. The word rendered destructions means properly desolations, waste places, ruins, and seem here to refer to the wastes or.ruins which the enemy had made; and the true idea is, that such desolations were now complete, or that Ihey would not be sutiered to devastate any more cities and fields. Prof. Alexander renders this, "JinisJied, completed are (his) ruins, desolations, for ever; i. e., he is ruined or made desolate forever." ^ And thou hast destroyed cities. That is, in thy desolating career. This, considered as an address to the enemy, would seem to refer to the career of some victor who had carried fire and sword through the land, and whose course had been marked by smoking ruins. This was, however, now at an end, for God had interposed, and had given the author of the psalm a victory over his foe. Prof. Alexander regards this, less properly, as an address to God, meaning that he had destroyed the cities of the enemy. The idea is, rather, that this enemy had been distinguished for spreading desolation and ruin, and that this career was now closed for ever. ^ Their memorial is perished ivith them. The names of the cities, referring to their utter destruction, and to the character of the warfare wdiich had been waged. It had been utterly bai-barous and vicious; the enemy had left nothing to testify even what the city had been, and its name had ceased to be mentioned. See Notes on ver. 5. This seems to be mentioned as a justification of the warfare which the author of the psalm had waged against this eneiny, and as showing why God had interposed and had given him the victory.
7. But the LoKD shall endure for ever. Jehovah is eternal — always the same. Though these cities have become desolate, and the enemy has been permitted to triumph, and nations and people have passed away, yet God is ever the same, unaffected by these changes and desolations, and in due time he will always interfere and vindicate his own character, and defend the oppressed and the wronged. ^ He hath prepared his throne for judgment. See ver. 4. He sits as a just judge among the nations, and he will see that right is done. The wicked, though temporarily prosperous, cannot always triumph; and the righteous, though cast down and oppressed, cannot always remain thus, for God, the just Judge, w ill rise in their defence and for their deliverance. The unchangeableness of God, therefore, is at the same time the ground of confidence for the righteous, and the ground of dread for the wicked. The eternal principles of right will ultimately triumph.
8. And he shall judge the world in righteousness. Tlie word here rendered toorld means properly the habitable earth; and then it denotes the inhabitants that dwell upon the earth. The statement here is general, in righteousness, lie shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
9 The Lord also will be i a
refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
10 And they that know thy name » will put their trust in
and is suggested by what is referred to in the previous verses. In the particular case on which the psalm turns, God had manifested himself as a just Judge. He liad overthrown the enemies of himself and of truth; 'he had interposed in behalf of the righteous: and from this fact the psalmist makes tlie natural and proper inference that this would be found to be his character in regard to all the world; this indicated what, in all his dealings with men, he would always be found to be; this showed what he would be whenever he in any way pronounced a judgment on mankind. It may be added here that this will be found to be true in the great final judgment; that it will be in accordance with the principles of eternal justice. ^ He shall minister judgment. He will declare or pronounce judgment ] he will execute the office of judge. ^ To the people. To all people; to the nations of the earth. This corresponds with what, in the former part of the verse, is called the world; and the declaration is, that in his dealings with the dwellers on the earth he will be guided by the strictest principles of justice. *![ In uprightness. In rectitude. He will not be influenced by partiality; he will shovv^ no favouritism; he will not be bribed. He will do exact justice to ah.
9. The Lord also toill he a refuge. Margin, an high place. The margin expresses the more exact sense of the Hebrew Avcrd — HStoTD, misgoh. It means properly height, altitude; then a height, rock, crag j and then, as such localities, being inaccessible to an enemy, were sought in times of danger as places of secure retreat, it comes to denote a place of security and refuge, Ps. xviii. 2; xlvi. 7, 11; xlviii. 3; lix. 9, 17; xciv. 22. The declaration here is equivalent to what is so often said, that God is a refuge, a rock, a higli tower, a defence; meaning, that those referred to might find safety in him. See Notes on Ps. xviii. 2. •|1" For the oppressed. Literally, for those who are crushed, broken; hence, the dejected, afflicted, unhappy, — TT^, dak — from 7T5^> dakak — to beat small; to break in pieces; to crush. The allusion here is to those who are wronged or down-trodden; to the victims of tyranny and injustice. Such may look to God to vindicate them and their cause, and they will not look in vain. Sooner or later he will manifest himself as their protector and their helper. See ver. 12. % A refuge in times of trouble. Not only for the oppressed, but for all those who are in trouble. Comp. Ps. xlvi. 1. That is, all such may come to him with the assm-ance that he will be ready to pity them in their sorrows, and to deliver them. The psalmist had found it so in his own case; and he infers that it would be so in all eases, and that this might be regarded as the general character of
10. And they that knoio thy name. All who are acquainted with thee; all those w^ho have been made acquainted with the manifestations of thy goodness, and with the truth respecting thy character. ^ Will put their trust in thee. That is, all who have any just views of God, or who understand his real character, will confide in him. This is as much as to say, that he has a character wliich is worthy of confidence, — since they who know him best most unreservedly rely on him. It is the same as saying that all the revelations of his character in his word and works are such as to make it proper to confide in him. The more intimate our knowledge of thee: for tliou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
11 Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.
God, tlie more ciith'cly shall we trust in him; the more we learu of his real character, the more shall we see that he is worthy of universal love. It is much to say of any one that the more he is known the more he will be loved; and in saying this of God, it is but saying that one reason why men do not confide in him is that they do not understand his real character.* ^ For ihou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Thou hast never left them when they have come to thee with a confiding heart. David means, doubtless, to refer here particularly to his own case, to derive a conclusion from his particular case in regard to the general chai-acter of God. But what is here affirmed is still true, and always has been true, and always will be true, that God does not forsake those who put their trust in him. Men forsake him; he does not forsake thei7t.
11. Sing _^?ra/5e5 to the Lord. As the result of these views of his character, and at the remembrance of his doings. The heart of the psalmist is full of exultation and joy at the remembrance of the Divine iuterpositicn, and he naturally breaks out into these strong expressions, calling on others to rejoice also. ^ Which dwelleth in Zion. On the word Zion, see Notes on Psalm ii. 6. Cump. Ps. iii. 4; v. 7. As Zion was the place where at this time the tabernacle was set up, and the worship of God was celebrated, it is spoken of as his dwelling-place. \ JJeclare among the people his doings. Make general and wide proclamation of what he has done; that is, make him known abroad, in his true character, that others may be brought also to put their trust in him, and to praise
12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remerahereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the 1 humble.
Hood. When he inquires after blood; that is, when he comes forth with this view, to wit, for purposes of punishment. There is allusion here to such passages as that in Gen. ix. 5, "And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man." The idea is, that when blood was shed in murder, God would seek out the murderer; he woidd require satisfaction of him who had shed the blood j he w- uld punish the ofiender. The language, there, becomes equivalent to that of seeking punishment for murder, and then for sin in general; and the representation here is that of God as going forth in the capacity of an executioner of his own laws to inflict punishment on the guilty. ^ He rememhereth them, " He rememhereth/' says Prof. Alexander, " the bloods or murders,'* since the ivord hlood, as in Ps. v. 6, is in the plural — bloods. The better interpretation, however, is, that the word " them " here refers to the oppressed and the afllicted — for that is the main idea in the passage. See vers. 8, 9. When he goes forth in the earth to execute judgment on the wicked; when he cuts them down in his wrath; when he sweeps them away as with a flood, — the punishment will not be indiscriminate. He w^ill then mark the oppressed, the afllicted, the persecuted, the troubled, and the sad, and will interpose to save them, — delivering them from the storms of wrath. The idea, then, is, that the righteous will not be forgotten; that even in the most fierce and awful of his dispensations he will still regard them, and interpose to save them. ^, Ke forgetteth not the cry of the humble. Marg., afflicted. The margin expresses the true idea. The reference is not to the hiimhle in the
13 Have mercy upon me, O Lord; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the
common sense of that term, but to the aHlicted; the oppressed; to those who are ia trouble, ver. 9. He will then remember the cry which in their ailiictious they have been long sending up to him.
13. Have merci/ upon me, O Loed. The cry tor mercy impHes that though God had interposed and granted tliem surprising deliverances, yet he was still surrounded by enemies, and was still in trouble. See introd. to the psalm, §§ 2, 3. He had been delivered from many troubles, but there were many still pressing upon him, and he now calls on God to interpose lurther in his behalf, and to grant him entire deliverance from all his sorrows and dangers. The trouble to which he here refers was of the same kind as that adverted to in the former part of the psalm — that arising from the efibrts of formidable enemies. \ Consider my trouble. Do not forget this trouble; bear it in remembrance; look upon its character and its depth, and mercifully interpose to deliver me. ^ Which I %\\^qv of them that hate me. Or, " see my sutiering arising from those that hate me; or, which is produced by those who hate me." The design is to fix the attention on the greatness of that suffering as caused by his *' haters " or by his enemies, — the foes that were still unsubdued. ^ Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death. Thou on whom I rely to do this; or, who hast done it in times past. The idea is, that he was apparently near to the gates of death, and tliat the only one who could raise him up was God, and he now invoked His interposition that it might be done. The phrase 'Agates of death " relates to the prevalent views about the unseen world, — the world where the dead abide. That world was represented as beneath; as a dark and gloamy abode; r.s enclosed
1-i That 1 may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the by bai's and walls; as entered by gates, — the grave leading to it. See Introd. to Job, § 7 (10), and Notes on Job X. 21, 22. The psalmist felt that he had come near to that dark and gloomy abode, and that God only could rescue him from it; therefore, in the trouble which now threatened his life, he looks to him to interfere and save him.
14. That I may shoiv forth all thy praise. That I may praise thee in the land of the living; that I may fiyiish the work of praise by rendering to thee all that is due. The idea is, that the dead could not praise God, or that his praise could be uttered only by the living; and he calls on God, therefore, to interpose and save him, that he might yet worship and praise him on the earth. In this sentiment the psalmist utters only what man naturally feels when he looks upon the grave; that it is an end of human plans and pursuits; that it is a land of silence; that the worship of God is not there celebrated. Such language must be regarded as uttered under the impiilse of natural feeling, and not as uttered by the deliberate judgment of the mind when calmly contemplating the whole subject. All pious persons have these feelings at times, and it was proper that these feelings should be expressed in the sacred writings, as illustrating human nature even under the influence of religion. The same sentiment occurs in several places, as Ps. cxv. 17, "The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence." See Notes on Ps. vi. 5. It is not necessary to say that the sacred writers had brighter views at times than these, liut who can keep the mind always from desponding when it looks at the grave? Who can always help feeling that it is a place of darkness and gloom? E2
daughter of ZIon: I will rejoice in thy salvation.
15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the
^ Li the gates of the daughter of Zion. As contradistinguished from the " gates of death." Gates in ancient cities were places of concourse, where important transactions were performed; and the "gates" of Jerusalem were regarded as attractive and sacred, because it was through them that the people passed on their way to worship God at the tabernacle or in the temple. Hence it is said, Ps. Ixxxvii. 2, "The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob." Ps. c. 4, " Enter into his gates with thanksgiving." Comp. Ps. cxvlii. 19. The phrase, " daughter of Zion," means Jerusalem. For the reason of this appellation see Notes on Isa. i. 8. The language here used proves that the psalm was composed after Zion or Jerusalem was made the capital of the kingdom and the seat of public worship, and, therefore, that it cannot refer, as is supposed in the Chaldee Paraphrase, to the death of Goliath. ^ I icill rejoice ill thy salvation. In the salvation which thou wilt bestow on me; here particularly, in delivering him from his dangers. The language, however, it: general, and may be employed with reference to salvation of any kind.
15. The heathen. Heb.,"" The nations;" that is, the idolatrous people that were arrayed against him. See Notes on ver. 5. ^ Are sunk down. That is, referring to those who had been overcome, as mentioned in ver. 5; or to those who still encompassed him, in respect to whom he was so certain that they xcould be overcome that he could speak of it as a thing already accomplished. According to the former view, it would be an encouragement derived from the past; according to the latter, it would indicate unwavering confidence in God, and the certain assurance of ultimate victory. It is not easy to determine
net which they hid is their own foot taken.
16 The Lord is known hy the judgment which he executeth:
which is the true interpretation. The Hebrew is, " Sunk are the nations in the pit which they have made;" that is, he sees them sinking down to destruction. ^ In the pit that they made. In which they designed that others should fall. See Notes on Ps. vii. 15. % In the net lohich they hid. Which they laid for others. The allusion here is to a spring-net made to capture birds or wild beasts. TT Is their own foot taken. The net here referred to seems to have been particularly a net to take wild beasts by securing one of their feet, like a modern trap. The idea is, that they had been brought into • the destruction which they had designed for others. See Notes on Ps. vii. 15, 16.
16. The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth. By what he does in his dealings with men, in dispensing rewards and punishments, bestowing blessings upon the righteous, and sending punishments upon the ungodly. That is, his character can be learned from his dealings with mankind; or, by studying the dispensation of his Providence, we may learn what he is. This is always a fair and proper way of estimating character, alike in regard to God and man; and it is proper, at all times, to study what God does, to learn what he is. ^ The ivicked is snared in the ivork of his own hands. The same sentiment which is expressed here occurs in Ps. vii. 16. The idea is that the wicked are the cause of their own destruction; their own devices and designs are the means of their ruin, and they are made their own executioners. It is this to which the writer seems particularly to refer in the former part of the verse, when he says that "the Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth." This great principle is brought out in his dealings with men, that the
the wicked is snared in tlic work of his own hands, i Higgaion. <>
course which wicked men pursue is the cause of their own ruin. The hiws of God in a great measure execute themselves, and men hring upon themselves their own destruction. It is the highest perfection of government to make the hwvs execute themselves. ^ K'lggaion. Marg., Meditation. This v;ord occurs elsewhere only in the following places, Ps. xix. l4, rendered meditation; Ps. xcii. 3, rendered solemn.sound; Lam. iii. 62, rendered device. Its proper meaning is, mnrmiu'; muttering; the ntterance of a low.sound, as the low sound of a harp; or the murmuring or muttering of one who talks to himself j and then meditation. Comp. Notes on Ps. ii. 1, on the word " imagine," — Marg., meditate, — the vei-b from which this is derived. Gesenius supposes that it is here a musical sound. So it is understood hy the LXX., — (•jCi) Cia.\pa.\- ^laroQ. It is not known why it is introduced here. There seems to be nothing in the sense which demands it, as there is no particular reason why the reader should pause and meditate here rather than in any other place in the psalm. It is doubtless a mere musical pause, though perhaps indicating the kind of pause in the music, as some peculiar sound or interlude on the musical instrument that was employed. *^ Selah. Another musical term, see Notes on Ps. iii. 2, This indicates a general pause; the word Higgaion denotes the particular kind of pause.
17. The wicked. All the wicked; all who come properly inider the denomination of wicked pei'sons. Doubtless the writer had particularly in his eye the eneiuies with whom he was contending, and in reference to whom the psalm was composed; and he meant to say that theg would be certainly punished. But what was true in regard to them, was true of all
17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget i' God.
others of similar character, and the statement is therefore made in a universal form — «/? the wicked. ^ Shalt he turned. Shall turn back, or be turned from their present course. The idea is, that they were now pursuing a certain course, but that they would be turned back from that, or would fiiil and retreat; and instead of going on to victory, would be defeated, and would sink into hell. The idea is essentially the same as that which is expressed in ver. 3 above: — " When mine enemies are turned lack." ^ Info hell — n^lNlI^^ — to Sheol, Hades, the grave, the tvorld of departed spirits. This is the usual meaning ot this word. See Notes on Luke xvi. 23; Isa. xiv. 9; Job x. 21, 22. Though the word, however, originally denoted the grave, the region of the dead, the world of departed spirits, yet it was also supposed that there was a distinction in the condition of the dead; and the word gradually came to denote the abode of the xvicked portion of the dead, and hence the place of future punishment. So it is undoubtedly used in Luke xvi. 23. It is clear («) that this cannot he understood here as referring to the grave in its ordinary sense, for the righteous will be as certainly consigned to the grave, or will as certainly die, as the wicked; ih) that it cannot refer to the invisible world, the abodes of the dead, in the ordinary sense of the term — for it is as true that the righteous will enter that world as that sinners will. There must be some sense, in which the word is used here, different from that of the grave, or different merely from death as such. This sense can be only one of two — either (1) that the author means that they will be cut off by a sudden and violent death, considered as a calamity or as a punishment; or (2) that he regarded the Sheol men-
18 For the needy 9sliall not
tioiu'd here as a place of punishment. Calvin thinks it is not improbable that tiio former of these is intended; hut it may he observed in regard to this, {a) that this is not the language usually employed to denote that idea — the phrase, to be cut off, or cut down, being tliat which a writer intending to express that idea, would most naturally use — since the phrase, to be sent to SheoJ, considered as the grave or the region of the dead, would express nothing peculiar in regard to the Avicked; and {h) the spirit of the passage seems to demand the idea that the wicked referred to here would be cons'gned to a place of punishment, that they would be cut oil' as wicked persons, and treated accordingly. Tiiis interpretation is strengthened by the other member of the parallelism, Avhere it is said, "and all the nations that forget God;" since it is no more true that the nations "that forget God" will be "turned into t\-\e grave, or the world of departed spirits," than it is that the nations that serve and obey liim will. It seems to me, thereforo, that this is one of the passages in which it is clear that the word Sheol had connected with it the idea of punishment beyond the grave — of a region where the wicked would be treated according to their deserts, and in a manner dirterent from the treatment of the righteous; that although tlie general idea of that under-world was that it was a dark and gloomy place, yet that there was also the idea that the abode of the wicked there was far more gloomy than that of the righteous; and that it was regarded as a punishment to be consigned to that region. It is not necessary to suppose that they had the full idea attached to the word hell which we have, any more than that they had the same full and clear ideit of heaven that we have. Light has come into our M-orld on all tliese subjects gradually, and there is nothing which requires us to suppose that the earlier sacred writers had the same clear views which the later writers had, or that either of them knew all that is to he known. Comp. 1 Pet. i. 10, 11. % And all the nations that forget God. All who are strangers to him, or who are ignorant of the true God. See Notes on Pom. ii. 12. From the character and prospective doom of those to Avhom the psalmist particularly referred in this psalm, he is led to make this general remark about all who sustain the same character which they did. Under the administration of the same God those of the same character would share alike, for " there is no respect of persons with him;" and it is the perfection of an impartial government to treat all of the same character in the same manner. If we can, therefore, ascertain how, under his administration, one sinner will he treated in- the future world, we can infer how all of the same character will he treated; if we can learn how God will deal with one people, we can infer how he will deal with all. The statement here is, that all tlie wicked, of whatever nation, will he consigned to punishment in the future world. The phrase here used, " i\\?itforget God," denotes those who are not disposed or inclined to remember and honour him. The idea seems to be that thougli they might have known him, they did not choose to retain him in their knowledge, but gave themselves up to a life of idolatry and sin. Comp. Notes on Horn, i. 39— 21, 28.
18. For the needi/. The poor; those who are dependent and helpless. ^ Shall not alieay he forgotten. That is, by God. He will interfere and save them by destroying their enemies. He will not suffer the wicked always to pei'secute and oppress the righteous. In due time he will vindicate his own cause; will deliver the oppressed and down-trodden, and will consign theiv oppressors to deserved punishment. This is as true now, in regard to all
tion of the poor shall not perish for ever.
19 Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail; let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
the oppressed and then* oppressors, as it was in the time of the psahiiist. % The expect at ion of the poor. Of the afllicted and the oppressed. The word expectation refers to their hope; their desire; their earnest looking for deliverance. In that state men naturally look for the Divine interposition, and the psalmist says that in that they will not always he disappointed. ^ Shall not jjerishjfor ever. The word " not " is supplied here hy our translators, hut not improperly.. It is thus supplied in the Targum, and in the Syrlac, the Vulgate and the Greek. Such forms of construction are not uncommon. Comp. Ps. i. 5j Deut. xxxiii. 0. " The negative is repeated from the preceding memher." — Michaelis.
19. Arise, O Loed. See Notes on Ps. iii. 7. H Let not man prevail. Against thee and thy cause. The war waged against the psalmist he regarded as waged against God, and he calls upon him, therefore, to interpose and vindicate his own cause. The word rendered prevail is he strong; that is, let not man seem to be stronger than thou art, or let him not succeed in his etlbrts in opposing thy cause. \ Let the heathen he judged in thy sight. The nations to whom the writer had referred in the psalm, that were arrayed against him and against God. He desired that a just judgment should be passed on them, and that God would vindicate the righteous, and save them from the power of those who oppressed and wronged them.
20. Put them in fear, O Lord. From this it is evident that the enemies of the psalmist were bold, daring, confident in their own strength, and in the belief that they would succeed. He prays, therefore, that these bold and daring invaders of the rights of others might be made to stand in awe, and to tremble before the great and
20 Put them in fear, » O Lord; tliat the nations may know themselves to he hut men. Selali.
terrible majesty of God; that they might thus have just views of themselves, and see how weak and feeble they were as compared with Him. ^ That the nations mag know. The nations particvilarly referred to in this psalm as arrayed against the writer. ^ Themselves to be but men. That they may see themselves as they are, — poor, feeble creatures; as nothing when compared with God; that instead of their pride and self-confidence, their belief that they can accomplish any purpose that they choose, they may see that they are not like God, but that they are frail and feeble mortals. The psalmist seems to have supposed that if they understood this, they would be humbled and would desist from their purposes; and he therefore prays that God would interpose and show them precisely what they were. If men understood this, they would not dare to array themselves against their Maker.
§ 1. Author and occasion of the psalm.' — This psalm, like Ps. i., ii., and many others, has no title to indicate its authorship; nor is there anything in the psalm itself which can enable us to determine this with any certainty. From the place which it occupies among the acknowledged Psalms of David, it is morally certain that it was regarded by those who arranged the Book of Psalms, as having been composed by him. There is nothing m the psalm to forbid this supposition.
Of course nothing is known as to the occasion on which it was composed. In the Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, the ninth and tenth Psalms are united, and reckoned as the ninth Psalm; and thenceforward the reckoning proceeds according to this arrangement, the eleventh in the Hebrew bein,? numbered in those versions as the tenth, etc. Tliis arrangement continues to the hundred and thirteenth Psahn inclusive. In those
Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
versions, Ps. cxiv. and cxv.of the Hebrew form but one psalm, and the reckoning coincides. But the hundred and sixteenth Psahn in Hebrew is, in those versions, di-sided into two, and the hundred and forty-seventh Psahn in Hebrew is, in those versions, divided into two, thus completing the number of one hundred and fifty— making the number in the Hebrew, and the Latin Yulgate, and the Septuagmt, the same. It is not now known by whom these divisions were made, or on what pretence they were made. There is no known reason for making the diWsions of the Psalms that occur in the Septuagint and the Latin Yulgate.
There is no evidence, therefore, that this psalm Avas composed at the same time, and on the same occasion, as the nmtli, and there is nothing in the psalm itself that Avould necessarily lead to this supposition. It is as independent of that in its structure, as one psalm usually is of another.
So far as appears from the psalm itself, it was composed like the former, and like many others, when the \rater was in the midst of trouble; and when, for the time, he seemed to be forsaken by God, ver. L The nature of that trouble is so far indicated as to show that it arose from the conduct of some formidable enemy, some one who was wicked, some one who was pursuing a secret and underhanded, a clandestine and treacherous course, to destroy the reputation or the life of the author of the psalm. In these cuxuinstances the writer calls upon God to interpose for liim, Nothing is indicated, however, by which we can ascertain who this enemy was, or on what occasion, in the life of David, the psalm was composed. It is only necessary to add, that there Avere several occasions in the life of David which corresponded with what is stated in the psalm, and that it is not necessarj' to understand the particular occasion more clearly in order to see the meaning of the psalm.
The first contains an account of the character of the enemy to whom the writer refers, vei's. 1-11; the second is an appeal to God to interpose and deliver him from the machinations of this foe,
I. The characteristics of the enemy, vers. 1-11. Those characteristics were the following:
(a) He Avas proud, and on that account persecuted the poor, ver. 2.
(b) He was a boaster, and especially, it would seem, was one Avho Avas disposed to boast of his Avealth, A'er. 3.
{c) He Avas a practical atheist; one too proud to seek after God, or to acknoAvledge his dependence on him, ver. 4.
(r/) His Avays Avere always grievous, or adapted to produce evil, and the reason Avas that he had no just A'iews on moral subjects — that the great principles of truth and right Avere " far above out of his sight," ver. 5.
{e) He Avas a man Avho had no apprehensions about the future; one Avho felt that his course Avould be one of continued prosperity, and that adversity would never come upon him, A-er. 6.
(/) HeAvas profane and openly fraudulent, ver. 7 i^q) He Avas insidious, artful, and underhanded in his doings; a man who Avould stoop to any act of duplicity and treachery to accomplish his purposes,
(A) And he acted as if God had " forgotten," that is, as if God Avould pass over offences; as though he did not see or regard them, ver. 11.
11. An appeal to God to deliver him from the machinations of this foe, vers. 12-18. This appeal consists of the folloAving parts:
(«) A solemn address to God, beseeching him to remember the cry of the humble or the afflicted, ver. 12.
(b) Arguments to enforce this appeal, or reasons A\'hy God sJionld interpose, vers. 13, 14, 15. These arguments are, (1) That he had seen all this; that the eflbrt of the A\Tong-doer to conceal Avhat he had done was vain; and (2) that the poor and afflicted had committed himself to God Avith a firm confidence that he Avould protect those Avho relied on him.
(f) The expression of a solemn and full conviction on the part of the AATiter of the psalm that God tvouhl thus interfere, and save those A\'ho put tliek trust m Him, A'ers. 16-18.
2 1 The wicked in Ms pride dotli persecute the poor: « let them be taken in the devices that they
why thou doest this? The thought on which this is based is that God luiglit be expected to interpose in a time of trouble, and that his aid might then be looked foi\ Yet in this case he seemed to be an indifferent spectator of the sorrows and afflictions of the wronged and oppressed. This filled the mind of the writer with surprise, and he could not account for it, especially in view of the character of the person or persons who had wronged the author of the psalm. To stand ofar off in such circumstances, is an attitude of indifference and unconcern — as when others do not come near us if we are sick, or are bereaved, or ai'e in circumstances of poverty and want. That man should do this, would have produced no surprise in the mind of the writer; that God should do it was something that filled him with wonder. ^ Why hidest thou thyself? As if God concealed himself, or kept away. He did not manifest himself, but seemed to let the afflicted man suffer alone. *[\ In times of trouble. Affliction, sorrow, persecution. The particular trouble referred to here was that which was produced by the machinations of the enemy or enemies whose character is described in the following verses. The question, however, is put in a general form, as if it were strange and unaccountable that God should ever fail to interpose in time of trouble. How often has there been occasion to ask this question in our world!
2. The ivicJced in Ms pride. Marg., In the pride of the ivicJced he doth. The margin is a literal translation of the Hebrew; but the sense is the same. The meaning is, that the fact that the wicked persecuted the poor, in the case referred to, was to be traced to his pride, haughtiness, ambition; that is, in pursuing his own
3 For the wicked boasteth of his 2 heart's desire, and 3blesseth
selfish and ambitious purposes, he became utterly regardless of the rights and comforts of others. He esteemed their interest and happiness as unworthy of regard in comparison with his own aims and purposes, and trampled down all their rights in prosecuting his own ends. The term loicked here — in the original in the singular number, Vlp"^. though perhaps used collectively — means properly the wicked one, or the icicked man, and doubtless refers to some enemy that David had in his eye, and from whom he was at that time suffering wrong. It is not possible now to ascertain with certainty who this was; but as the whole description proceeds in the singular number (vers. 3 — 11), it is most natural to suppose that this refers to one individual. ^ Both persecute the poor, "^i^? p^l"*' Professor Alexander renders this, " hums the sifferer." Luther, muss der Elende leiden — " must the afflicted suffer." De Wette: angstigen sich die Elenden. The Latin Vulgate: " When the impious [man] is proud, the poor [man] is burned:" inceuditur pauper. So the Septuagint. Gesenius {Lex.) supposes it means, to hum loiih anguish. Horsley renders it, " In the exaltation of the impious one the helpless is consumed." But it seems to me that our common version has expressed the true sense. The word rendered persecuieth — ppi, dalaJc — means ])roperly to burn, to flame; then to burn with love, with anger; then to burn after any one, to persecute. See it explained in the Notes on Ps. vii. 13. According to the most natural application of the word here, it would seem to mean, " In the pride of the wicked, he persecutes the poor or the afflicted;" that is, he burns after him; he is inflamed against him; he hotly pursues liim. The word 2^007' in this place — •^:^>, ani — means the afflicted; the crushed; the downtrodden; those in circumstances of humiliation and poverty. The psalmist doubtless refers to himself as a poor and persecuted man; and the time in his life would seem to be when he was withcnt a protector or friend, probably before he came to the throne. ^ Let them he talen in the devices that they have imagined. The artifice, plan, or scheme, which they have formed. That is, they have formed a scheme to take advantage of, or to destroy others; and the psalmist prays that, as a just retribution, this very calaiiiity may come upon them. No man could have a right to complain if the mischief and wrong which he had devised for others should be brought upon himself; and if it were certain that this in all cases Avould occur, there could be nothing that would so effectually deter men from wrongdoing. The psalmist, then, simply ]n-ays that justice might be done. Compare Notes on Ps. v. 10; vii. 15, 16. The plural form of the verb is used here, but it is not cei'tain that the psalmist had more than one enemy in view, for on expressing his feelings towards that one enemy he may have designed to use language which would be applicable to all in similar circumstances.
3. For the iviclced hoasteth of his heart's desire. ^larg., as in Heb., souVs. The main idea in this verse seems to be that he is a hoaster — a man who makes some proclamation about himself as being superior to others, and who, in that proportion, looks with disdain or contempt on others. He vaunts himself, or makes an ostentatious display of something on which he prides himself, as wealth, strength, beauty, talent, prowess, etc. The particular thing here, it would seem, of which he boasted was his natural inclinations; the propensities iind passions of iiis soul; that is, he took pride in himself, in his own passions, desires, lusts, tastes, and made a boastful display of them, as if he regarded them as something honourable, or as something fitted to excite admiration in others. This is not a very uncommon characteristic 01 wicked men; at least it is found in a certain class of wicked men. They pride themselves in tvhatever they have in their character that is peculiar, or that is their own, for the very reason that it is theirs; and they become so shameless that they do not hesitate publicly to hoast of that which should be regarded as a disgrace. A certain class of young men are very apt to " boast " of passions and practices which should cover their faces with the burning blush of shame. ^ And hlesseth the covetous. Marg., the covetous hlesseth himself, he ahhorreth the Lord. Prof. Alexander renders this, "And winning {i.e., when he wins) hi esses, despises Jehovah." In other words, he hypocritically thanks God for his success, but despises him in his heart. This probably expresses the correct idea. The word rendered the covetous — yi^, hotzaia — is a participle, from the verb — yiJ2 — hdtza, to cut in pieces; then, to plunder, to spoil; and then, to be greedy after gain. Here, the natural construction would seem to be to refer it not to another, as one who was covetous, but to himself, as greedy, or as succeeding in the object of his desire; as referring to the fact that he obtained his heart's desire, and as showing what his feelings were then. He was filled with evil desires, and was so shameless of them that he openly avowed them; and when he oi)tained the object of his wishes, he did what is here denoted by the word hless — as will be explained directly. The idea in the mind of the writer seems to be that he cherished the desire, and made no secret of it, and ohtained the object of his wishes. The natural explanation
4 The wicked, tlirongli the pride of his countenance, will not
of the manner in which he did this is, that it was by phinder, ra]Mne, or spoil, for this would be most literally expressed by the word used. Conip. Prov. i. li); xv. 27; Jer. vi. 13; viii. 10; Ezek. xxii. 12. It might bo, however, by unjust gains, or dishonest dealing-, 1 Sam. viii. 3; Isa. xxxiii. 15; Ivii. 17. The word bless here may mean, as in the margin, blesses IdmseJf; or, as Prof. Alexander supposes, may mean that he blesses ihe Lord, that is, renders hypocritical thanks for his success, and professes to acknowledge that all is the gift of God, while at the same time he expresses contempt for him, and despises him in his heart. If the usual moaning of the word hless is to be retained, however, it would seem to be most in accordance with the spirit of the passage that he should hless himself, that is, his own talents, skill, power; in other words, that he should attribute all his success to himself. The idea does not seem to be that he was even professedly a religious man, but that he was a proud and vain boaster who attributed all success to himself, and despised God and his claims. It has been supposed by some, however, and with plausibility (De Wetto, and others), that the word rendered bless here — TpS, bairaich — as in Job i. 5, 11; ii. 9, moans, not to bless, but to curse. See Notes on Job. i. 5. De Wette renders it, Der Riiuber liistert schmahend Jehovah. This seems to me to be the true idea — that this braggart or braggadocio did not make any pretensions to religion, but was a profane man, and one who des])ised God and abhorred his cause. ^ Whom ihe Lord ahhorreth. Or, more correctl^^ despises, or abhors the Lord. That is, he makes shameless boast of his own corrupt and base passions; when he is successful he makes no acknowledgment to God, but curses h^n and seek ctfter God: i God is not i in all his thoughts.
despises or contenTns him in his heart. A correct rendering then of the whole would be, " And having obtained, he curses — he despises Jehovah.''' Coverdale renders this, " The covetous blesseth himself, and blasphemeth the Loi'd." * We have thus an example of most finished and shameless depravity — but alas! one that was not found in the time of David only.
4. The tviclced, throKgh the pride of his countenance. In consequence of his pride; or, his pride is the reason of what is here stated. The " pride of his countenance " is a phrase that is used because pride shows itself mainly in the countenance, or in a lofty air and manner. The design is to state the influence of pride in producing the efiect here specified. ^ Will not seek after God. The phrase " after God," is supplied by our translators. Something clearly is to be supplied, and it is plainly something relating to God — either that the wicked man will not seek after God in prayer, or that he will not inquire after the proofs ot his existence and attributes; or that he will not seek after his favour, or that he will not endeavour to know the Divine will. All this would be implied in seeking after God; and this is undoubtedly the state of mind that is referred to here. The sinner is unwilling, in any appropriate way, to acknowledge God. ^ God is not in all his thoughts. Marg., " Or, all his thoughts are, There is no God," Ps. xiv. 1. The literal translation is, " No God [are] all his thoughts." The margin has undoubtedly'- expressed the meaning better than the translation in the text, since the spirit of the passage is not that the siimer had no thought of God, but that he thought tcrong. Tlie fact that he would not seek' God, and that he had said that God had forgotten (ver. 11), shows tliat he had some thoughts of God. The language hero
5 His -ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above
is properly expressive of belief or desire; either tliat all his thoughts were that there is no God, i. e., that such was the result of all his meditations and reasonings on the subject; or that he wished that it miffht be found to be so. The language will admit of either construction, and in either sense it would express the thoughts of the wicked. Eoth as a matter of practical belief, and as a matter of desire, the language of the wicked \s,"No God." The wicked wish that there were none; he practically believes that there is none. The entire verse, then, expresses the prevailing feelings of a sinner about God: — (a) That he tvishes there were none, and practically believes that there is none; and (It) that the reason or ground of these feelings is pride. Pride will prevent him from seeking God in the following ways: — (1) It makes him unwilling to recognise his dependence on any behig; (2) it makes him unwilling to confess that he is a sinner;
(4) it makes him unwilling to seek aid of any one, even God, in the business of life, in the prosecution of his plans, or in sickness and affliction;
(5) it makes him unwilling to accede to the terms of reconciliation and salvation proposed by God, unwilling to repent, to believe, to submit to His sovereignty, to acknowledge his indebtedness to mere grace for the hope of eternal life. Pride is at the root of all the atheism, theoretical or practical, on the earth; at the root of all the reluctauce which there is to seek the favour of God; at the root, therefore, of the misery and wretchedness of the world.
5. His tvai/s are always grievous. His paths; his manner of life; his conduct towards God; his dealings with men. The word rendered " are grievous," "^D^TV, ydhhiloo — has been very variously rendered. The Latin Vulgate renders it, " His ways are out of Lis sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
defiled." So the Septuagint. Coverdale renders it, " His ways are always filthy." Professor Alexander, " His ways are firm." So De Wette, " Es gelingen seine Wege." Horsley, "His ways are confident." This variety in the interpretation arises from the ambiguity of the original word — b^n, Miool. The meaning of this word, as given by Genesius, is to turn round, to twist, to toJiirl • and hence (1) to dance; (2) to be whirled, or twisted upon anything; (3) to twist oneself with pain, or to be in pain; (4) to bear or bring fortli; (5) to tremble, to quake; (6) to be strong or stable, as things twisted are. Hence he translates this passage, " his ways are firm, or stable, /. e., all his aflairs prospei'." But it seems to me plain that this is not the idea in the mind of the psalmist. He is not dwelling on the prosperity of the wicked, or on the result of his conduct, but on his character. In the previous verses he had stated some of the traits in his character, and the subsec^ucnt verses continue the description; hence it is natural that we should expect to find some peculiar feature of his character referred to here, and not that there should be an allusion to the stability of his aftairs. It seems to me, therefore, that the exact idea here is, that his ways, or his modes of feeling and conduct were always perverse and forced, and hard; that there was always something tortuous and unnatural about him; that he was not straightforward and honest; that he did not see things as they are, and did not act in a plain and upright manner. ^ Thy judgments. Thy laws; or, the principles of thy government. ^ Are far above out of his sight. They are out of the range of his vision. He does not see them. His thoughts grovel on the earth, and he is never elevated in his views so as to see the great principles of truth. ^ As for all hi^ enemies, he puffeth at them.
6 He liatli said in his heart, I shall not be moved; for I shall I never he in adversity.
7 His month is full of cursing and 2 deceit and fraud; under his tongue is mischief and ^ vanity.
He treats them with contempt and scorn, as if lie had no fear of them, or as if he were entirely confident of his own ahility to overcome them. This is an illustration of his pride and selfconfidence; for it is the characteristic of the proud and self-confident to boast in this manner. The word rendered " 2)t(ffeth" means to breathe, to blow; and the idea here is, that he acted as though he could sweep them away with a breath.
6. He hath said in his heart. The phrase, " he hath said," means that this was his deliberate and settled character. What is here described was no sudden thing. It was not the freak of passion; it was a deliberately formed purpose. The phrase, " in his heart," means that he had purposed this; he had said this to himself in a spirit of self-gratulation and confidence. *[\ I shall not he moved. That is, he was confident in his present condition, and he apprehended no changes. He had formed his plans so wisely, that he believed he had nothing to apprehend; he feared neither sickness nor adversity; he dreaded not the l)Ower of his enemies; he feared nothing even from the providence of God; he supposed that he had laid the foundation for permanent prosperity. This feeling of self-confidence and of security is sometimes found, to an extent that cannot be justified, in the hearts of even good men (comp. Notes on Job xxix. 18); and it is common among the wicked. See Vs. xlix. 11; Job xxi. 9. "[I For I shall never be in adversiti/. Marg., toito generation and generation. The margin expresses the correct sense. The idea of the wicked, as expressed here, is that they and their families would continue to be prosperous; that a permanent foundation was laid for houotir and success, and for transmitting accumulated wealth and honours down to far distant times. It is a common feeling among wicked men that they can make permanent their titles, and possessions, and rank, and that nothing will occur to reduce them to the humble condition of others. Nothing more clearly shows the pride and atheism of the heart than this; and in nothing are the anticipations and plans of men more signally disappointed. Comp. the case of Shebna; see Notes on Isa. xxii. 15, seq. 7. His mouth is fall of cursing. Profaneness; blasphemy against God. In the former verse the writer had described the feelings of the heart; he now proceeds to specify the open acts of the wicked. The meaning is, that the w icked man, as here described, was one who was full of imprecation, swearing, execration; — a profane man; — a man who, whatever was his belief about God, would constantly call upon his name, and imprecate his wrath on himself or others. An atheist, strange as it may seem, is as likely to make a frequent use of the name of God, and to call on him, as other men; — just as profane men, who have no belief in the Saviour, swear by Jesus Christ. This passage seems to be referred to by the apostle Paul in Rom. iii. 14, not as a direct quotation, as if the psalmist referred to the point which he was arguing, but as language which expressed the idea that the apostle wished to convey. See Notes on that passage. ^ And deceit. Marg,, as in Heb., deceits. The meaning is, that he was false and treacherous; and i^erliaps also that his treachery and fraud were accompanied with the solemn sanction of an oath, or an appeal to God, as is likely to be the case among fraudulent and dishonest men. \ And fraud. The word here used — TTn, toch — is now commonly supposed to mean rather oppression or violence. See Gesenius,
8 He sittetli in tlie lurkingplaces of tlie villages; in the secret places doth he murder the
9 He lietli in wait - secretly, as
Lex. When this is attributed to his mouth, it means that what he says — • what he requires — what he commands, is unjust, unreasonable, and oppressive. ^ Under his tongue. Perhaps alhuling to the serpent, whose poison is concealed at the root of the fang or tooth, and therefore under the tongue. The meaning is, that beneath what the wicked say, though it seems to be harmless, as the tongue of the serpent does, yet there lies mischief and iniquity, as the poison is hidden beneath the serpent's tongue. ^ Is mischief. Tlie word here used means properly labour, toil; then trouble, vexation, sorrow. The meaning here seems to be that there lies under the tongue that which gives or causes distrv.ss; to wit, wrong-doing; injustice to others. ^ And vanity. Marg., iniquity. This expresses the idea in the original word. Whatever he says is evil, and is fitted to produce trouble and sorrow, as the concealed poison in the mouth of the serpent causes pain and death.
8. Re sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages. As robbers do, who hide themselves in the vicinity of villages, that they make a sudden descent upon them in the silence of the night, or that they may seize and rob the inhabitants as they go forth in the morning to attend their flocks to the pastures, or to labour in the fields. The word rendered villages means properly an enclosure, as a court before a building; and then a village or hamlet, farm-buildings, or farm hamlets, usually erected around an open space; and it is then used to denote the encampment of nomadic tribes, who usually pitch their tents in a circle so as to form an enclosure. Gen. XXV. 16; Isa. xlii. 11. In the neighbourhood of such places, — in the thickets, bushes, or ravines, that might be near such encamp- ments or enclosures, — robbers would naturally secrete themselves, thatthey might fall upon them suddenly, or that they might seize any one who left the village or encampment for any purpose. So Frazer remarks in his Travels in Chorasan, i. 437: " When the Turkomans design to fall upon a village, they take a position near it in the rear, until in the morning the unsuspecting inhabitants drive out their herds, or leave the villages for some other purpose, and then they suddenly fall upon them." De Wette, in loc. ^ In the secret places doth he murder the innocent. From these retreats he suddenly ialls upon those who are unsuspicious, and who have done him no wrong. The word innocent here does not mean sinless in the absolute sense, but it means that they were innocent so far as the robber was concerned. They had done him no wrong; they had given him no occasion to make waf upon them. ^ His eyes are privily set. Marg., hide themselves. The Hebrew word means to hide, to conceal; to lay up in private; to hoard; to keep back; to hold back, etc. Here it means to conceal, to lurk in ambush; and the idea is that his eyes will secretly watch, or keep a lookout for them; that is, that his eyes, or that he himself w^ill be concealed, that he may observe the goings of those whom he intends to make his prey. ^ Against the poor. Or, the wretched, the afflicted, the defenceless. The meaning is, that instead of being a helper of the poor and wretched, he is disposed to take every advantage of them, and deprive them of all their rights and comforts.
9. He lieth in wait secretly. Marg., in the secret 2^l(ices. See Notes on ver. 8. The object here is merely to illustrate the thought in the previous verse, by an allusion to a lion and a
a Hon in his den: he lietli in Avait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.
10 iHe croucheth, and huni- Heth himself, that the poor may fall 2 by his strong ones.
hunter. ^ As a lion in Ms den. As Ji lion crouches down in his den, ready to spring upon his prey. That is, the lion is concealed, but is on the look out, and when his prey passes near his den, he suddenly sprina^s upon it and secures it. So it is with the wicked man. He carefully lays his plans. He conceals his purposes. He is himself hidden, or his plans are all hidden. Suddenly he springs upon his victim, who is taken by surprise and has no power of defence or escape. The purpose here is not so much to describe the wicked man as a literal robber, as to compare the conduct of the wicked loith that of a robber, — one who, like a lion or a hunter, lies concealed until his victim is seen. This will describe the conduct of a large class of men — men who secretly lay plans of seduction, villany, and fraud, and who spring suddenly upon their victims when there is no hope of escape. *[[ He lieth in tuait to catch the 2^oo)\ The helpless and defenceless. ^ He doth catch the poor, tchen he draweth Jiim into his net. As a hunter docs the wild beast. Here the same thought is presented under a new image — that of a hunter. He lays his snare, gin, or pit-fall, and when the animal is allured into it, he springs the net suddenly on him, or tlie animal sinks into the pit, and is secured. See Notes on Ps.vii.15; ix.l5. 10. He croucheth. Marg., hreaketh himself. Coverdale, " Then smiteth he, then oppresseth he." Prof. Alexander, " And bruised he will sink." Horsley, " And the overpowered man* submits." Luther, " He slays, and thrusts down, and presses to the earth the poor with power." This variety of interpretation arises from some ambiguity in regard to the meaning of the original. The word rendered croucheth — HSn, in Chetib or the text, — is in the Keri or margin, rTjT^, " and crushed, he sinks down." There is some uncertainty p.l)out the f)rni in which the word is used, but it is certain that it does not mean, as in our translation, he croucheth. The word HDl, dachah, properly means to be bi'oken in pieces, to be crushetl; and this idea runs through all the forms in which the word occurs. The true idea, it seems to me, is that this does not refer to the wicked man, but to his victim or victims, represented here by a w^ord in the collective singular; and the meaning is that such a victim, crushed and broken down, sinks under the power of the persecutor and oppressor. "And the crushed one sinks down." ^ And humhleth himself. The word here used — XW\ ydshoahh, — from T\^X6, shuahh — means to sink down; to settle down. Here it means to sink down as one does who is overcome or oppressed, or who is smitten to the earth. The idea is, that he is crushed or smitten by the wicked, and sinks to the ground. ^ That the poor mai/ fall. llather, as in the original, " and the poor fall;" that is, they do fall. The idea is, that they do in fact iall by the arm of the persecutor and oppressor who treads them down. ^ Bt/ his strong ones. Marg., " Or, into his strong parts.^^ The text here best expresses the sense. The reference is to the strong ones — the followers and abettors of the " wicked" here referred to — his train of followers. The allusion seems to be to this wicked man represented as the head or leader of a band of robbers or outlaws, — strong, athletic men engaged under him in committing robbery on the unprotected. See vers. 8, 9. Under these strong men the poor and the unprotected fall, and are crushed to the earth. The mcau-
11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: " he hideth
ing of the whole verse, therefore, may be thus expressed: "And the crushed one sinks down, and the poor full under his mighty ones." The word rendered poor is in the plural, Avhile the verb fall is in the singular; but this construction is not uncommon when the verb precedes. Nordheimer, Seb. Gram, § 759, i,, a. The word rendered j^oor means the wretched or the afflicted, and refers here to those who were unprotected, — the victims of oppression and robbery. The following account of the condition of Palestine at the present time will illustrate the passage here, and show how true the statements of the psalmist are to nature. It occurs in " The Land and the Book," by W. M. Thomson, D.D., Missionary in Syria. He is speaking of the sandy beach, or the sand hills, in the neighbourhood of Mount Carmel, and says, respecting these "sandy dow^ns, with feathery reeds, running far inland, the chosen retreat of wild boars and wild Arabs," — " The Arab robber lurks like a wolf among these sand heaps, and often springs out suddenly upon the solitary traveller, robs him in a trice, and then plunges again into the wilderness of sand hills and reedy downs, where pursuit is fruitless. Our friends are careful not to allow U3 to straggle about or lag behind, and yet it seems absurd to fear a surprise here, — Khaifa before, and Acre in the rear, and travellers in sight on both sides. Robberies, however, do often occur, just where we now are. Strange country! and it has always been so." And then quoting the passage before us (vers, 8 — 10), he adds, " A thousand rascals, the living originals of this picture, are this day crouching and lying in wait all over the country to catch poor helpless travellers. You observe that all these people we meet or pass are armed; uvx would they venture to go from Acre to Khaifa without their musket, although the cannon of the castles seem to command every foot of the w^ay." Vol. i., pp. 487, 488.
11. Jle hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten. That is, this is his practical, habitual feeling. He acts as if God had forgotten, or as if God takes no knowledge of what is occurring in the earth. Com p. ver. 6. \ He hideth his face. God has hidden his face; that is, he does not look on what is occurring. ^ He will never see it. That is, he will never see what is done. It cannot be supposed that any man would deliberately saij either that the memory of God has failed, or that he will not see what is done upon the earth, but the meaning is, that this is the practical feeling of the wicked man; he acts as if this were so. He is no more restrained in his conduct than he would be if this were his deliberate conviction, or than if he had settled it in his mind that God is regardless of human actions. It is hardly necessary to say that this is a correct description of the conduct of wicked men. If they deliberately believed that God was regardless of human conduct, if they were certain that he would not behold what is done, their conduct would not be different from what it is now. They do not act as if his eye were upon them; they are not restrained by any sense of his presence.
12. Arise, 0 LoED. See Notes on Ps. iii. 7. This commences the second part of the psalm, in which the author calls on God to remember those who were oppressed and wronged by the tv'icked. By suffering the wicked thus to carry on their plans, God seemed to be indifferent to human affairs, and the psalmist, therefore, invokes him to interpose, and to rescue the afflicted from their grasp. ^ O God, lift up thine hand. As one does when he is about to strike, or to exert his power. The prayer is, that God would inter-
13 Wherefore dotli the wicked contemn God? he hath said in
14 Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the
fere to put down the wicked. ^ For- (/ef not the humble. Marg., afflicted. The margin expresses the true sense. The idea is not that God would remember humble persons in the sense in which that word is now commonly used, but that he would remember tliose who weredown-trodden, crushed, and afflicted. This is in accordance with the marginal reading in the Hebrew Bibles, which is now usually regarded as the more correct reading. 13. Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God / That is, despise him; or treat him with contempt and disregard. On what ground is this done? How is it to he accounted for? What is the proper explanation of so strange a fact? It is to be observed here (a) that the psalmist assumes this to be a fact, that the wicked do thus contemn or despise God. Of this he had no doubt; of this there can be no doubt now. They act as if this were so; they often speak of him as if this were so. They pay no respect to his commands, to his presence, or to his character; they violate all his laws as if they were not worth regarding; they spurn all his counsels and entreaties; they go forward to meet him as if his wrath were not to be apprehended or dreaded. (b) So strange a fact, the psalmist says, ought to be accounted for. There must be some reason why it occurs; and what that reason is, is worth an earnest incpiiry. It could not be possible to believe that man — the creature of God, and a creature so weak and feeble — could do it, unless the fact were so plain that it could not be denied. It is, then, worth inquiry to learn how so strange a fact can be accounted for; and the solution — the thing which will explain this, and which must be assumed to Ije true in order to explain it — is stated in the concluding part of the verse. ^ He hath said in his heart. This expression is here repeated for the third time in the psalm. See vers. 6, 11. The idea is, that all this is the work of the heart, and indicates the state of the heart. It cannot be regarded as the dictate of the reason or the judgment; but it is to be traced to the wishes, the feelings, the desires, and is to be regarded as indicating the real condition of the human heart. A man habitually desires this; he practically persuades himself that this is so; he acts as if it were so. ^ Thou wilt not require it. Thou wilt not require an account of it; thou wilt not inquire into it. The Hebrew is simply, "Thou wilt not seek;" and the idea is, that God would not make an investigation of the matter. This fact, the psalmist says, would account for the conduct of the wicked. This is the actual feeling of wicked men, that they are not to give account of their conduct, or that God will not be strict to mark their deeds. Men act as if they were not responsible to their Maker, and as if it were a settled point that he would never call them to account.
14. Thou hast seen it. Thou seest all. Though men act as if their conduct was not observed, yet thou art intimately acquainted with all that they do. The workers of iniquity cannot hide themselves. The idea here is, that although God seemed not to notice the conduct of the wicked, and though the wicked acted as if he did not, yet that all this was seen by God, and that he would deal with men according to justice and to truth. ^ For thou beholdest mischief. All that is done on the earth, though perhaps in this case referring particularly to that whicli gave the psalmist trouble. Tf And spite. The poor 1 committctli liimself unto tbee; tliou art the lielper of tlie fatherless.
15 '' Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till «^ thou find none.
16 The Lord is King ^ for ever
word spite with us, though it originally denoted rancour, malice, ill-will, now denotes usually a less deliberate and fixed malice than is indicated by those words, but is used to denote a sudden fit of ill-will excited by temporary vexation. It relates to small subjects, and is accompanied with a desire of petty revenge, and implies that one would be gratified with the disappointment or misfortune of another. 'J'he word here, however, in the original, means anger, wrath, malice; and the idea is, that God had seen all the anger of the enemies of the psalmist. % To requite it toith thy hand. By thine own interposition or agency, — the hand being the instrument by which we accomplish anything. The idea is, that the psalmist felt assured that God would not pass this over. Though the wicked acted as if he did not see or regard their conduct, yet the psahr.ist felt assured that God would not be unmindful of it, but would, in due time, visit them with deserved punishment. ^ The j)Oor committeth himself unto thee. Marg,, leaveth. The word rendered poo)- is the same as that which occurs in ver. 10. It means here those who are helpless and defenceless; the oppressed and the down-trodden. The word committeth or leaveth means that he leaves his cause with God; he trusts in his protection and interppsition; he gives himself no anxiety as to the result. He knows that God can deliver him if he sees that it is best; and he is assured that God ti-ill dor that which it is best should be done. ^ Thou art the helper of the fatherless. That is, this is the general character of God, — the character in which he has revealed himself to man. Comp. Ex.xxii. 22; Dent. X. 18; Isa.i. 17; Ps. Ixviii. 5; Ixxxii. 3; Jer. xlix. 11; Hos. xiv.
3; Mah iii. 5; James i. 27. The psalmist here refers to the general character of God as that in which all the oppressed, the crushe'd, the helpless may trust; and he mentions this particular case as one that best illustrated that character.
15. Break thou the arm of the toicJced. The arm is the instrument by which we ellect a purpose, and especially in wielding a sword or a spear, as in battle; and if the arm is broken, we are powerless. The psalmist, therefore, prays that God would render the wicked, m this respect, powerless. ^ And the evil man. Of all the evil, or the wicked. In regard to the prayer here, see Notes on Ps. V. 10. ^ iSeek out his zvickedness till thou find none. Till it is all punished; till there has been a full recompense. This is a wish that no wicked act of his should be forgotten; that exact justice should be rendered. If it is right to punish the wicked at all, it is right to deal with them just as they deserve; if any wickedness may properly be punished, all may be; and, whatever may occur, tbe sinner may be assured that he will not be punished merely for a ])art of his sins. If God punishes the wicked at all, there will be nothing left unpunished.
16. The LoED is King for ever and ever. That is, he reigns, and he will reign for ever. This is one of the instances which frequently occur in the Psalms, where, though there is a desponding spirit, or an appreb.ension of danger expressed in the beginning of the poem, it ends with the language of exultation and triumph. The psalmist speaks here as if what he had desired was actually accomplished, and as if the enemies that had encompassed him, and all the enemies of the Lord, were actually overthrown, and God now reigned supreme. He was
17 Lord, thou Last heard '■> the desire of the humble: thou wilt
so confident that this would be so, that he speaks of it as if it were already done. Conip. Koni. iv. 17; see also Ps. vi. 8, 9; vli. 17; ix. 18. ^ The heathen are perished out of his land. That is, this would so certainly occur that he might speak of it as if it were actually done. The word heathen here refers to the enemies of God and of his cause, who are the principal subjects of the psahn. Comp. Ps. ix. 5. The land, here, refers to the laud of Palestine, or the Holy Land, regarded as a laud sacred to God, or in the midst of which he himself dwelt.
17. Lord, tJiori hast heard the dc' sire of the humhle. Their desire or their prayer that thou wouldst interpose in their behalf in the time of danger, and rescue them. Comp. Ps. vi, 8, 9. The word humble here refers to those who were poor, down-trodden, oppressed; and the original reference is, doubtless, to the psalmist himself, and to his friends. He was so certain that God would interpose, he had such assurance that his prayer would be answered, that his mind was perfectly calm. ^ Thoii iciH prepare their heart. Marg., " or, establish.^' The margin seems most accurately to express the meaning of the original word — \'2T\, idchin. The idea is, that he would settle or confirm their heart; that is, that he would dispel their fears and allay their apprehensions by the assurances of his favour, and by his gracious interposition. They had been full of apprehension and alarm, but the assurances of the Divine favour would establish their hearts and give them peace. ^ Thou v'dt cause thine ear to hear. Another form of expi'essing assurance of the same thing. The idea is, that he would incline his ear, or make it attentive to the cry of his atllicted people.
^ prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear;
18 = To judge the fatherless and him from the hand of those who would oppress and wrong him. In other words, the psalmist prays that God would manifest himself in his real and proper character as the vindicator of the fatherless (see Notes on ver. 14), or of those who are represented by the fatherless — the feeble and the helpless. ^ And the oppressed. Those who are down-trodden, crushed, and wronged. See Notes on Ps. ix. 9. ^ That the man of the earth. Literally, "the man /row the earth;" i. e., that man springing from the earth, or created of the dust (Gen. ii. 7) — man frail, short-lived, feeble — should no more set up an unjust authority, trample on the rights of his fellowworms, or suppose that he is superior to his fellow-creatures, 'f 31ai/ no more oppress. Marg., terrify. The original word means properly to terrify, to make afraid; that is, in this place, to terrify by his harsh and oppressive conduct. It is to be observed here that the original word — y~lX, aratz — has a very close resemblance in sound to the word rendered earth — VlN, eretz — and that this is commonly supposed to be an instance of the figure of speech called paronomasia, when the words have the same sound, but are of difi'erent significations. It is not certain, however, that tliere is in this case any designed resemblance, but it is rather to be supposed that it was accidental. In regard to the prayer in this verse, it may be proper to observe that there is always occasion to utter it, and will be until the Gospel shall pervade the hearts of all men. One of the most common forms of wickedness in our world is oppression — the oppression of the fatherless, of the poor, of the dependent — the oppression ol'the subjects of government, and the oj^pression of the slave. One of the most aflecting things in regard to this is, F the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more i oppress.
that it is done by a man made "from the earth," — a child of dast — a creature composed of clay — of no better mould than others, and soon to return to the dust from which he was taken. Yet frail and weak man strives to feel that he is better than those clothed with a skin not coloured like his own, or tliose born in a more humble condition of life; and, in defiance of all the laws of God, and all the rights of liis follow-men, he crushes and grinds them to the earth. For such sins God Avill interpose, and he will yet show himself to be the helper of the fsitherless and the oppressed. May He liasten the day when oppression and wrong shall cease in the world!
§ L Author of the psahn. — This psalm is ascribed to l)avid, both in the title and in the location which it has among the Psalms. There is nothing in the psalm to make tliis doubtful, and indeed its sU'ucture is so much in accordance with those usually ascribed to David, as to leave no doubt as to its authorship. "The very difficulties of the psalm," says Prof. xVlcxander, " are proofs of its antiquity, and strong corroborations of the title which ascribes it to David."
§ 2. Occasio7i on ivhich it was composed.— Of this there is no intimation in the title, or in the psalm itself There is no special reference to any of the incidents of David's life, although some of the thoughts or images were suggested apparently by the recollection of what occurred in the persecutions of Saul or the rebellion of Absalom. Different occasions in the life of David have indeed been referred to as having led to the composition of the psalm. Yenema supposes that it was composed when Da\'id was in the wildernessof Ziph, and when, betrayed b}- the inhabitants of the wilderness, and pursued by Saul, liis friends began to adxise him to seek a place of safety by flight, 1 Sam. xxiii. 14-23. This gave occasion, A^enema supposes, for liis expressing the sentiment— which is the leading sentiment in the psalm — that when our afl'airs seem to be hopeless, we are not to hn in despair, but are to put our trust still in God. Others have supposed that the psalm was composed Avhen he was in the cave of AduUam (1 Sam. xxii.),and m imminent danger of his life from the persecutions of Saul. A more plausible opinion is that of Amyraldus, who supposes that it Avas composed when Da\id was in the court of Saul, and when he may have been advised to leave the court — a place of danger — and flee to a place of safety. But it cannot be determined with certainty on which of these occasions the psalm was composed, if it was on either of them. All that is apparent in the psalm itself is, that it waa when the author was in danger, and when some of his fiiends advised him to seek safety by flight, ver. 1. Instead of doing this, David determined to remain where he was, and to put his trust in God, with the belief that he Avould interpose and deliver him.
^ 3. Contents of the psalm. — This psalm may be properly regarded as divided into two parts:
I. The counsel of some timid and fearful friends to the writer, in the circumstances of danger in which he was, to make his escape, and to seek safety by flight, vers. 1-3. They advise him to flee as a bird to the mountain; that is, to flee to a place of securit}' while he could, for he seems to have been surrounded by enemies. The arguments by which thej^ enforced this counsel seem to be referred to in vers. 2, 3, and were these: {a) that the wicked had made preparations to destroy him, for their bows and arrows Avere ready, ver. 2; and (Jb) that the condition of aftaks was as if the very foundations Avere destroyed; that there Avas nothing to rest on; and that all his hopes, in his present condition, must be SAvept away, ver. 3. In these circumstances all his hopes of safety, in their apprehension, Avas in flight.
IL The views Avliich the author of the psalm entertained on the subject, in reply to this, vers. 4-7. He had miwavering confidence in God; he did not despair; he believed that God Avould protect him; he believed that the object of God in permitting this was to try the righteous, and that in due time he would come forth and rain snares, fire, and brimstone, upon the ungodlv. The state of mind thus
TN tlie Lord put I my trust: -*- liow say ye to my soul, Flee as
2 For, lo, tlie wicked "bend their bow, they make ready their
evinced, is that of firmness in trying circumstances; steady confidence in God ■when things seem to be most adverse; and an assured belief that God will in due time rescue those who put their trust in him. It is the manifestation of firmness against the counsels of the timid; the language of unshaken trust in God Avhen the fearful and unbelieving despair. For the meaning of the title, see Notes on Ps, V.
1. In the LOED put I my trust. This, in ti^eneral, expresses the state of mind of the author — a state of feeling which runs through the entire psalm. It is designed to be an answer to the counsel which others had been giving him to esca])e, aud it implies tliat he was determined at that time, and always, to put his trust in God. They advised him to flee. In the existing circumstances he felt that that would have implied a want of confidence in God. He determined, therefore, to maintain his present position, and to rely upon the interposition of God in due time. ^ IToiv say ye to my soul. How say ye to me — the soul being put for the person himself. JV/iy do you say this to me? how can you give me such counsel, as if I were to run away from danger, and to put no trust in God? He seems to have supposed that such an act of flight would have been construed by his enemies, and by the enemies of religion, as evidence that he had no faith or confidence in God. Such circumstances often occur in the world; and when that would be the fair and natural construction of one's conduct, the path of duty is plain. We are to remain where we are; we are boldly to face the danger, and commit the whole matter to God. IT Flee as a bird to your mountain. This implies that it was supposed there was no longer any safety where he then was. The use of the plui-al number here — "Flee ye," — by a change not uncommon in the Hebrew wi-itings — seems designed to refer to the whole class of persons in those circumstances. The mind turns from his own particular case to that of others in the same circumstances; and the language may be designed to imply that this was the iisual counsel given to such persons; that, on the same principle on which they now advised flight in this particular case, they would also advise flight in all similar cases. That is, they would counsel persons to flee to a place of safety when they were in danger of their life from persecution. This is the common counsel of the world; this would be the ordinary teaching of human prudence. The mountains in Palestine were regarded as places of safety, and were the common refuge of those who were in danger. In their caves and fastnesses, aud on their heights, those who were in danger found security, for they could there hide themselves, or could more easily defend themselves, than they could in the plains and in the vallies. Hence they became the place of retreat for robbers and banditti, as well as for the persecuted. The allusion to the bii'd here does not imply that birds sought a refuge in the mountains, and that he was to resemble them in this respect; but the point of the comparison turns on the rapidity with which this refuge should be sought: *' Fly to the mountains as swiftly as a bird flies from danger." Comp. Matt. xxiv. 16; Judges vi. 2; Heb. xi. 38.