31. They shall come. That is, there were those who would thus come. Who these would be is not specified. The obvious sense is, that some tvould rise up to do this; that the succecsion of such men would be kept up from nge to age, making known these great facts and truths to succeeding generations. The language would be applicable to a class of men called, from age to age, to proclaim these truths, and set apart to this work. It is 'A fair application of the verse to refer it to those who have been actually designated for such an office, — the ministers of religion appointed to keep up the memory of the great work of redemption in the world. Thus understood, the passage is a proper carrying out of the great truths stated in the psalm — that, in virtue of the sufferings of the Iledeemer, God would be made known to men; that his worship would be kept up in the earth; that distant generations would serve him. ^ And shall declare his righteousness. No language could better describe the actual office of the ministers of the Gospel as appointed to set forth the " righteousness " of God, to vindicate his government and laws, and to state the way in which men may be made righteous, or may be justified. Comp. Rom. i. 17; iii. 26. Tf Unto a people that shall be born. To future generations. ^ That he hath done this. That God has done or accomplished what is stated in this psalm; that is, on the supposition that it refers to the Messiah, that he has caused an atonement to be made for mankind, or that redemption has been provided through the sutierings of the Messiah.
I have given what seems to me to be a fair exposition of this psalm, referring it wholly to the Messiah. No part of the interpretation, on this view of the psalm, seems to me to be foi'ced or unnatural, and as thus interpreted it seems to me to have as fair and obvious an applicability to him as even the liii. chapter of Isaiah, or any other portion of the prophecies. The scene in the psalm is the cross, the Iledeemer suffering for the sins of man. The main features of the psalm relate to the course of thoughts which then passed through the mind of the Iledeemer; his sorrow at the idea of being abandoned by God; his confidence in God; the remembrance of Lis early hopes; his emotions at the taunts and revilings of his enemies; his consciousness of prostrated strength; his feelings as the soldiers pierced his hands and his feet, and as they proceeded to divide his raiment; his prayer that his enemies might not be suffered to accomplish their design, or to defeat the work of redemption; his purpose to make God known to men; his assurance that the effect of his sufferings would be to bring the dwellers on the earth to serve God, and to make his name and his righteousness known to far distant times. I regard the whole psalm, therefore, as applicable to the Messiah alone; and believing it to be inspired, f cannot but feel that we have here a most interesting and affecting account, given long before it ocqmw^, of tvhat actually passed through the mind of the Redeemer tohen on the cross, — an account more full than we have anywhere else in the Bible. Other sta-tements pertain more particularly to the external events of the crucifixion; here we have a record in anticipation of what actually passed through his own mind in those hours of unspeakable anguish when he made an atonement for the sins of the world.
This psalm is asserted in the title to have been composed by David, and tliere is nothing in its contents contrary to this supposition, as there is nothing in it that would lead us necessarily to ascribe it to him. The contents of the psalm indeed correspond with the facts of his history, and with the recollections of his early liie as a sliepherd; but it is such as might have been composed by any one who had been, and in fact by any one though he had not been, a shepherd, as the images in it are such as are common in all poetrj'. Still, there is nothing to lead us to doubt that it was written by David.
It is wholly uncertain on what occasion the psalm was composed, as there are in the psalm no liistorical references, no indications of time, and no allusions to any ciixtumstances in the life of the author. It is impossible even to determine whether it was composed in a time of prosperity or adversity; wlietlu-r wlicu the authoi- was persecuted, or when he was prosperous and triumphant. The only apparent alhision to any chx'unistance of the poet's life is in ver. 6, wheije he says, as the crowning joy wliich he anticipated, that lie would "dwell in the house of the Lord for ever," — from which it has heen inferred hy some that he was then in exile. Eut this allusion is of too general a character to justify this inference with certainty. Such a hope might be expressed by any one in any circumstances, as tha highest desire of a pious heart. Kimchi sup-
£oses that the psalm was composed by avid in the wilderness of Hareth (1 Sam. xxii. 5); and that it pertained to the people of Israel, and to their return from exile. I3ut this is mere conjecture. The Chaldee Paraphrase applies tlie psalm to the Hebrew people when delivered from captivity and exile, as a song of triumph on their return to their own land, lliidinger, and J. D. ^[ichaelis, suppose that it refers to the time when David had obtained a complete victory over all his enemies— when the rebellion of Absalom was quelled, and when he was seated quietly on his throne. Probably if we are to attempt to fix a time, it was at that period of his life — an advanced period — when the recollection of the merciful interposition of God in his behalf so often manifested, would suggest the brightest image of his earlier years, the watchful care which he as a shepherd had extended over his own flock — a care which God had now extended over him in the perils of his own life. Still, all this is no more than conjecture.
The psalm has always been regarded as one of exquisite beauty. The main subject is the watchful care Avliich God had extended over the author, and the consequent assurance which he felt that God would still watch over him, and supply all his need. The ledcUtig thoupht — the essential idea— is, his full belief that God would provide for liim, and that he would never be left to want. This is the thought Avith which the psalm commences: " The Lord is my sJiepherd; I shall not want:" and this thought is carried through the psalm. It is illustrated by two facts or images: (a) That God was his shepherd; that he had always manifested towards him the care which a slu'pherd takes of his flock, vers. 13; and (i^) That he had prepared a table before him in the very presence of his enemies, or that he had abundantly provided for him in their very sight, and when they were endeavouring to destroy him, — thus giving him the assurance that he never would leave him,
I. The general subject of the psalm — the confidence of the author in God— the assurance that he would alwa}s so provide for him that he would not want,
II. The grounds or reasons for this confidence, vers. 2-6. These are twofold:
(1.) An argum(^nt derived from the care of God ever him as a shepherd,
(a) The statement of the fact, vers.
experience of the Divine care in the past, he says that he would not be afraid even to descend into the valley of death.
(2.) An argument derived from the fact that God had provided for him in fho
(ff) The statement of the fact; or a reference to his life, during which God had shown the same care and goodness as if He had spread a table for him even in the sight of his enemies, ver. 5.
{b) The confident assurance, derived from that fact, that God would follow him with goodness and mercv all the days of his life; that liis future course would be as if he were always to dwell in the house of the Lord, ver. 6.
1. T7ie LoED is my shepJierd. Comp. Gen. xlix. 24, " From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel;" Ps. Ixxx. 1, "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel." See also Notes on John x. 1 — 14. The comparison of the care which God extends over his people to that of a shejiherd for his ilock is one that would naturally occur to
2 He maketli me to lie dovm in 1 green pastures: lie leadeth me beside the still 2 waters.
those who were accustomed to pastoral life. It would be natural that it should suggest itself to Jacob (Gen. xlix. 24), and to David, for both of them had been shepherds. David, in advanced years, would naturally remember the occupations of his early life; and the remembrance of the care of God over him would naturally recall the care which he had, in earlier years, extended over his flocks. The idea which the language suggests is that of tender care; protection; particular attention to the young and the feeble (comp. Isa. xl. 11); and providing for their wants. All these things are found eminently in God in reference to his people, ^ I shall not icant. This is the main idea in the psalm, and this idea is derived from the fact that God is a shepherd. The meaning is, that, as a shepherd, he would make all needful provision for his flock, and evince all proper care for it. The words shall not tvant, as applied to the psalmist, would embrace everything that could be a proper object of desire, whether temporal or spiritual; whether pertaining to the body or the soul; whether having reference to time or to eternity. There is no reason for supposing that David limited this to his temporal necessities, or to the present life, but the idea manifestly is that God would provide all that was needful for him always. Comp. Ps. xxxiv. 9, " There is no want to them that fear him." This idea enters essentially into the conception of God as the shepherd of his people, that all their real wants shall be supplied.
2. Me maJceth me to lie down in green pastures. Marg., pastures of tender grass. The Hebrew word rendered pastures means usually dwellings, or habitations. It is applied here properly to pastures, as places where flocks and herds lie down for
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
repose. The word rendered in the margin tender grass — K1I}1, deshe — refers to the first shoots of vegetation from the earth — young herbage — tender grass — as clothing the meadows, and as delicate food for cattle. Job vi. 5. It diflers from ripe grass ready for mowing, which is expressed by a different word — "T^jn. hhatzir. The idea is that of calmness and repose, as suggested by the image of flocks Iging down on the grass. But this is not the only idea. It is that of flocks that lie down on the grass fullg fed or satisfied, — their wants being completely supplied. The exact point of contemplation in the mind of the poet, I apprehend, is that of a flock in young and luxuriant grass, surrounded by abundance, and, having satisfied their wants, lying down amidst this luxuriance with calm contentment. It is not merely a flock enjoying repose; it is a flock whose wants are supplied, lying down in the midst of abundance. Applied to the psalmist himself, or to the people of God generally, the idea is, that the wants of the soul are met and satisfied, and that, in the full enjoyment of this, there is the conviction of abundance, — the repose of the soul at present satisfied, and feeling that in such abundance want will be always unknown. ^ He leadeth me beside the still iraters. IMarg., tcaters of quietness. Not stagnant waters, but waters not tempestuous and stormy; waters so calm, gentle, and still, as to suggest the idea of repose, and such as prompt to repose. As applied to the people of God, this denotes the calmness — the peace— the repose of the soul, when salvation flows as in a gently running stream; when there is no apprehension of want; when the heart is at peace with God.
4 Yea, tlio-.igli I walk tlirongli the valley of the shadow of deatii, I will fear no evil: for thou ^ art
AVette, " He quickens me," or causes me to live. The word soul liere means life, or spirit, and not the soul in the strict sense in which the term is now used. It refers to the spirit when exhausted, weary, or sad; and the meaning is, that God quickens or vivifies the spirit when thus exhausted. The reference is not to the soul as wandering or backsliding from God, but to the life or spirit as exhausted, wearied, troubled, anxious, worn down with care and toil. The heart, thus exhausted, he re-animates. He brings back its vigour. He encourages it; excites it to new effort; fills it with new joy. ^ I£e leadeth me hi the paths of riffhteousness. In right paths, or right ways. He conducts me in the straight path that leads to himself; he does not suffer me to wander in ways that would lead to ruin. In reference to his people it is true (a) that he leads them in the path by which they lecome righteous, or by which tliey iive justified before him; and {h) that he leads them in the way of uprirjhtness and truth. He guides them in the way to heaven; his constant care is evinced that they may walk in that path. ^ For his name's sake. For his own sake; or, that his name may be honoured. It is not primarily on their account; it is not solely that they may be saved. It is that he may be honoured (a) in their being saved at all; (b) in the manner in which it is done; (c) in the influence of their whole life, under his guidance, as making known his own character and perfections. Comp. Isa. xliii. 25; xlviii. 9; Ixvi. 5; Jer. xiv. 7. The feeling expressed in this verse is that of confidence in God; an assurance that he would always lead his people in the path in which they should go. Comp. Ps. XXV. 9. This he will always do if men will follow the directions of his word, the teachings of nis Spirit, and the guidance of bis providence.
with me; thy rod and thy staff they eonifort me.
4. Yea, though I rraUc through the valtei/ of the shadow of death. The meaning of this in the connexion in which it occurs is this: — " God will lead and guide me in the path of righteousness, even though that path lies through the darkest and most gloomy vale — through deep and dismal shades — in regions where there is no light, as if death had cast his dark and baleful shadow there. It is still a right path; it is a patii of safety; and it will conduct me to bright regions beyond. In that dark and gloomy valley, though I could not guide myself, I will not be alarmed; I will not be afraid of wandering or of being lost; I will not fear any enemies there, — for my Shepherd is there to guide me still." On the word here rendered shadotv of death — DIToblJ, tzalmaveth — see Notes on Job iii. 5; Isa. ix. 2. The Avord occurs besides only in the following places, in all of wliich it is rendered shadoio of death: Job x. 21, 22; xii. 22; xvi. 16: xxiv. 17 (twice); xxviii. 3; xxxiv. 22; xxxviii. 17; Ps. xliv. 19; cvii. 10, 14; Jer. ii. 6; xiii. 16; Amos V. 8. The idea is that of death casting his gloomy shadow over tliat valley — the valley of the dead. Hence the word is applicable to any path of gloom or sadness; any scene of trouble or sorrow; any dark and dangerous way. Thus understood, it is applicable not merely to death itself — though it embraces that — but to any or all the dark, the dangerous, and the gloomy paths which we tread in life: to ways of sadness, solitude, and sorrow. All along those paths God will be a safe and certain guide. ^ I will fear no evil. Dark, cheerless, dismal as it seems, T will dread nothing. The true friend of God has nothing to fear in that dark valley. His great Shepherd will accompany him there, and can lead him safely through.
5 Tliou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine ene-
mies: thou 1 anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
however dark ifc may appear. The true believer has nothing to fear in the nxost gloomy scenes of life; he luis nothing to fear in the valley of death; he has nothing to fear in the grave; he has nothing to fear in the world beyond. % For thou art toith me. Thou wilt be with mo. Though invisible, thou wilt attend me. I shall not go alone; I shall not be alone. The psalmist felt assured that if God was with him he had nothing to dread there. God would be his companion, his comforter, his protector, his guide. How applicable is this to death! The dying man seems to go into the dark valley alone. His friends accompany him as far as they can, and then they must give him the parting hand. They cheer him with their voice until he becomes deaf to all sounds; they cheer him with their looks until his eye becomes dim, and he can see no more; they cheer him with the fond embrace until he becomes insensible to every expression of earthly aifection, and then he seems to be alone. But the dying believer is not alone. His Saviour God is with liim in that valley, and will never leave him. On his arm he can lean, and by his presence he will be comforted, until he emerges from the gloom into the bright world beyond. All that is needful to dissipate the terrors of the valley of death is to be able to say, " Thou art with me." % Thy' rod and thy staff. It may not be easy to mark the difference between these two words; but they would seem probably to refer, the latter to the staff whxch the shepherd used in walking, and the former to the crooJc which a shepherd used for guiding his flock. The image is that of a shepherd in attendance on his flock, with a statF on which he leans with one hand; in the other hand the crooJc or rod which was the symbol of his othce. Either of these sdso might be used to guard the flock, or to drive off" the enemies of the flock. The crooJc is said (see llosenmiiller, in loc.) to have been used to seize the legs of the sheep or goats when they were disposed to run away, and thus to keep them with the flock. " The shepherd invariably carries a rod or stalF with him when he goes forth to feed his flock. It is often bent or hooked at one end, which gave rise to the shepherd's crook in the hand of the Christian bishop. With this stafl" he rules and guides the flock to their green pastures, and defends them from their enemies. With it also he corrects them when disobedient, and brings them back when wandering.'' (The Land and the Book, vol. i., p. 305.) ^ They comfort me. The sight of them consoles me. They show that the Shepherd is there. As significant of his presence and his ofliee, they impart confidence, showing that he will not leave me alone, and that he will defend me.
5. Thou jyreparest a table. The image is now changed, though expressing the general idea which is indicated in the first verse of the psalm, " I shall not want." The evidence or proof of this in the previous verses is, that God was a shepherd, and would provide for him as a shepherd does for his flock; the evidence here is that God had provided a table, or a feast, for him in the very presence of his enemies, and had filled his cup with joy. The word table here is synonymous with feast; and the meaning is, " thou providest for my wants." There may be an allusion here to some particular period of the life of the psalmist, when he was in want, and when he perhaps felt an apprehension that he would perish, and when God had unexpectedly provided for his wants; but it is impossible now to determine to what occasion he thus refers. There were numerous occasions in the life of
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all tlie days of
David which would be well represented by this language, as if God had provided a meal for him in the very jv'esence of his foes, and in spite of them. ^ Before me. For me. It is spread in my presence, ami for me. •([ III the presence of mine enemies. That is, in spite of them, or so that they couhl not prevent it. They were compelled to look on and see how God provided for him. It was manifest that this was from God; it was a proof of the Divine favour; it furnished an assurance that he who had done this would never leave him to want. The friends of God are made to triumph in the very presence of their foes. Tlieir enemies are compelled to see how he interposes in their behalf, how he provides for them, and how he defends them. Their final triumph in the day of judgment will be in the very presence of all their assembled enemies, for in their very presence he will pronounce the sentence which will make their eternal happiness sure, Matt. xxv. 31 — 36. ^ T//OU anointest my head toith oil. Marg., as in Heb., maJcest fat. That is, thou dost pour oil on my head so abundantly that it seems to be made fat with it. The expression indicates abundance. The allusion is to the custom of anointing the head on festival occasions, as an indication of prosperity and rejoicing (see Notes on Matt. vi. 17; Luke vii. 46), and the whole is indicative of the Divine favour, of prosperity, and of joy. ^ Mif ctip runneth over. It is not merely full; it runs over. This, too, indicates abundance; and from the abundance of the favours thus bestowed, the psalmist infers that God would always provide for him, and that he would never leave him to want.
6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me. God will bestow them upcm me. This is the result of what is stated in the previous verses. Tlie effect of God's mci'ciful dealings with him had been to lead his mind to the assurance that God would always be his shepherd and friend; that he would never leave him to want. ^ All the days of my life. Through all its changes; in every variety of situation; initil I reach its close. Life indeed would end, and he does not venture to conjecture when that would be; but as long as life should continue, he felt confidently assured that everything needful for him would be bestowed upon him. The language is the utterance of a heart overflowing with joy and gratitude in the recollection of the past, and full of glad anticipation (as derived from the experience of the past) in regard to the future. *[[ And I toill dwell in the house of the honj) for ever. Marg., as in Hebrew, to length of days. The expression, I think, does not refer to eternity or to lieaven, but it is parallel with the former expression "All the days of my life;" that is, he would dwell in the house of the Lord as long as he lived, — with the idea added here, which was not in the former member of the sentence, that his life tvould he long, or that he hoped and anticipated that he would live long on the earth. The phrase here used, " I will dwell in the house of the Lord," is one tliat is several times em])loyed in the Psalms as indicative of tiie wish of the psalmist. Thus in Psalm xxvii. 4, " One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life." Ps. XX vi. 8, *' Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth." Ps. Ixv. 4, " Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts." Ps. Ixxxiv. 4, " Blessed are they that dwell in thy house." (Comp. also vers. 1, 3, and 10 of Psalm Ixxxiv).
The language here is obviously taken from the employment of those who had theh' habitation near the tabernacle, and afterwards the temple, Avhose business it was to attend constantly on the service of God, and to minister in his courts. AVe are not to suppose of David that he anticipated such a residence in or near the tabernacle or the house of God; but the meaning is, that he anticipated and desired a life as if he dwelt there, and as if he was constantly engaged in holy occupations. His life would be spent as if in the constant service of God; his joy and peace in I'eligion would be as if he were always within the immediate dwelling-place of the Most High. This expresses the desire of a true child of God. He wishes to live as if he were always engaged in solemn acts of worship, and occupied in holy things; he desires peace and joy in religion as if he wex'e constantly in the place where God makes his abode, and allowed to partake of his smiles and friendship. In a very important sense it is his privilege so to live even on earth; it icill certainly be his privilege so to live in heaven: and, full of grateful exultation and joy, every child of God may adopt this language as his own, and say confidently, " Goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life here, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever," — for heaven, where God dwells, will be his eternal home.
There is no reason to doubt that the title of this psalm, which ascribes it to David, is correct. A portion of the psalm (vers. 3-6) has a strong resemblance to Psalm XV., and doubtless was composed by the same author.
The occasion on Avhich the psalm was composed is not designated; but from its contents it Avas evidently on some public occasion of great solemnity; pi'Obably on the removal of the ark of the covenant into its appointed place in Jerusalem, where it was to abide permanently; a solemn entrance of Jehovah, as it were, into the place of his permanent abode, vers. 7-10. This could not have been the temple; for {a) that was not erected in the time of David; and {b) the description (vers. 7-10) is rather that of entering into a city than into a temple or a place of public worship, for the psalmist calls on the " gates " to lift up their heads, — an expression more suitable to a city than to the doors of a tabernacle or a temple. According, to this view, no occasion seems more appropriate than that of removing the ark from the house of Obed-edom to " the city of David," or to Jerusalem, as described in 2 Sam. vi. 12-17. David indeed placed the ark " in the midst of the tabernacle Avhich he had pitched for it" on ]\Iount Zion (2 Sam. \\. 17), but the particular reference of the psalm Avould rather seem to be to the entrance of the ark into the city than into the tabernacle. It was probably designed to be sung as the procession approached the city Avhere the ark was destined to remain. The occasion of thus taking up the ark into the boh' hill where it Avas to abide seems to have suggested the inquiry, Avho Avould be fitted to ascend the holy hill Avhere God abides, and to stand in his presence, A'crs. 3- 6.
I. An ascription of praise to God as the Maker and Upholder of all things, A^ers. 1, 2. He is represented as the proprietor of the whole earth, and as having a right to all that there is in the Avorld, since he has made the earth and all Avhich it contains. This xmiversal claim, this recognition of him as Lord of all, Avould be peculiarly appropriate in bringing up the symbol of his existence and his poAver, and establishing his Avorship in the capital of the nation.
II. An inquiry, Avho would ascend into the hill of the Lord, and stand in his holy place; — Avho could be regarded as worthy to engage in his Avorship, and to be considered as his friend.^ vers. 3-6. This part of the psalm accords in the main Avith Ps. xv.; and the inquiry and the answer Avould be peculiarly appropriate on an occasion such as that on Avhich the psalm appears to have been composed. In asserting God's claim to uni\ersal dominion (vers. 1, 2), and in introducing the symbols of his power into the place Avhere he Avas to be recognised and adored (vers. 7-10), nothing could be more suitable than the question Avho Avould be regarded as qualified to Avoi-ship before him; that is, Avho Avould be regarded as his friends. The cssentud thing here asserted to he requisite, as in Ps. XV., is purity of heart and life, — things essential to the evidence of piety under every dispensation, patriarchal, ^losaic, Christian.
III. A responsive song on the entrance of the procession with the ark into the city, vers. 7-10. This consists of two strophes, to be sung, it would seem most probable, by responsive choii's: — First sti-ophe, vers. 7, 8. (i?) The call on the gates to lift up their heads, that the King of glory might come in. {b) The response: Who is this King of
(rt) The call on the gates to lift up their heads, that the King of glory might come in. {b) The response: "Who is this King of
1. The earth is the Lord's. The whole world belongs to God. He is the Creator of tbe earth, and therefore its proprietor; or, in other words, " the property vests in him." It belongs to him in a sense somewhat similar to our right of property in anything that is the production of our hands, or of our labour or skill. We claim that as our own. We feel that we have a right to use it, or to dispose of it, as we choose. No other man has a right to take it from us, or to dictate to us how we shall employ it. Thus God, in the highest possible sense, has a right to tlie earth, and to all which it produces, as being all of it the creation of his hands, and the fruit of his culture and skill. He has a right to dispose of it as he pleases; — by fire, or flood, or tempest; — and he has an equal right to direct man in what way he shall employ that portion of the productions of the earth which may be entrusted to him. All tbe right v/hich any man has to any portion of the fuhiess thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein: the earth's surface, or to what is treasured up in the earth, or to what it is made to produce, is subordinate to the claims of God, and all sliould be yielded up at his bidding, whether he comes and claims it to be employed in his service, or whether he comes and sweeps it away by fire or flood; by the locust, or by the palmer-worm. % And the fulness thereof. All which it contains; everything which goes to Jill up the world: — animals, minerals, vegetables, men. All belong to God, and he has a right to claim them for his service, and to dispose of them as he pleases. This very language, so noble, so true, and so fit to be made conspicuous in the eyes of men, I saw inscribed in a place where it seemed to be most appropriate, and most adapted to arrest and direct the thoughts of men — on the front of the Eoyal Exchange in London. It was well to remind the great merchants of the largest commercial city in the world of the truth which it contains; it does much to describe the character of the British nation that it should be inscribed in a place so conspicuous, and, as it were, on the wealth of that great capital. % ^ The ivorld. The word here used — 5Iin, tebel — is a poetic word, referring to the earth considered as fertile and inhabited,— the habitable globe; the same as the Greek, oiKovix'tvri. ^ And they that dioell therein. All the inhabitants of the earth, embracing men and animals of all kinds. Comp. Ps. 1. 10, 11. God has a claim on men — on their services, on their talents, on all that they can acquire by labour and skill; he has a right to all that fly in the air, or that walk the earth, or that swim in the sea. On the occasion on which it is supposed that this psalm was written, in bringing up the ark of God, and placing it in tbe tabernacle provided for it in the capital of the nation, wo
2 For lie hatli founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
3 Who ^ shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall
sentiment could be more appropriate than that which would recognise the universal supremacy of God.
2. For he hath founded it iqyon the seas. That is, the earth, or the habitable w^orld. The ground of the claim to the earth and all that it contains, which is here asserted, is the fact that God had created it, or "founded" it. Tlie language here used — " he hath founded it," that is, he has laid the foundation of it, " upon the seas " and " the floods " — is in accordance with the usual mode of speaking of the earth in the Scriptures as laid upon a foundation, — as a house is raised on a firm foundation. See Xotes on Job xxxviii. 6. As the earth appeared to be surrounded by water, it was natural to speak of it as founded also upon the waters. There is probably an allusion here to the statement in Gen. i. 9, 10, where the waters are said to have been so gathered together that the dry land appeared. Above all the waters the earth was established, so as to become the abode of plants, animals, and men. ^ And established it upon the floods. The streams; the torrents. The earth has been elevated above them, so as to be a residence for animals and for men. The essential thought is, that this earth has become what it is by the fact that God has founded it; — and, therefore, what it produces belongs of right to him.
3. Who shall ascend into the hill of the LoED? Mount Zion; called the hill of the Lord, because it was the place designated for his worship, or the place of his abode. See Notes on Ps. XV. 1. The"idea here is, " Who shall ascend there with a view of abiding there? who is worthy to dwell there?" The question is equivalent to askino^, What constitutes true reli-
4 1 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
gion? "What is required for the acceptable worship of God? What will prepare a man for heaven? *^ Or who shall stand in his holy place 1 In the tabernacle, or in the place where he is worshipped. Comp. Notes on Ps. i. 5. Wlio is worthy to stand before God? Who has the qualifications requisite to constitute the evidence of his friendship?
4. He that hath clean hands. In the parallel passage in Ps. xv. 2, the answer to the question is, ♦' He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness." The sentiment is substantially the same there as in the passage before us. The meaning is, that he who would be recognised as a friend and worshipper of Jehovah must be an upright man; a man not living in the practice of iniquity, but striving always to do that which is right. The hands are the instruments by which we accomplish anything; and hence to have clean hands is equivalent to being upright. See Job xvii. 9; Isaiah i. 15; lix. 3; Acts ii. 23; Ps. xxvi. 10. The margin here, as the Hebrew, is the clean of hands. ^ And a pure heart. Not merely he whose external conduct is upright, but w^hose heart is pure. The great principle is here stated which enters always into true religion, that it does not consist in outward conformity to law, or to the mere performance of rites and ceremonies, or to external morality, but that it controls the heart, and produces purity of motive and of thought, ^ Who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity. Unto that which is vain, or which is false. This expression might refer to one who had not devoted himself to the worship of an idol, — regarded as vain, or as nothing (1 Cor. viii. 6; Isa. xli. 24; Ps. cxv. 4-8); or to one who had no'c
5 He ^ shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
embraced tliiit which ig Ailso and vain ill opinion; or to one who had not sworn falsely, or taken the name of God in vain, Ex. xx. 7. The probable meaning is, that he has not set his heart on vain things, or that which is false. He has sought after substantial truth, alike in the object of worship, in that which he professes to believe, and in the statements and promises which lie makes to others. He aims to secure tliat which is true and real. He is in no sense " carried away " with that which is unreal and false. % Nor sworn deeeitfully. This is one form of that which had been just specified — his love of truth. The idea here is, that he has not affirmed, under the solemnities of an oath, that which was false; and that he has not, under similar solemnities, promised w.'iat he has not performed. He is a sincere man; a man seeking after the true and the real, and not running after shadows and falsehood; a man tr'je to God and to his fellow-creatures; a man whose statements are ill accordance with facts, and whose ])romises may be always relied on. la the parallel passage, in Ps. xv. 2, the statement is, " he that speaketh the truth in his heart." See Notes on that passage.
5. He shall receive the llessing from the Loed. Literally, " He shall bear away a blessing from Jehovah." The blessing here refei'red to means His favour and friendship. He shall be recognised and treated as his. In other words, God bestows his favour on those who possess the character here referred to. •[[ And righteousness from the God of his salvation. He shall be regarded and treated as righteous. Or, he shall obtain the Divine approval as a righteous man. The idea of the psalmist would seem to be, not that he would obtain this us if it were a gift, but that he would
6 This is the generation oi them that seek him, that seek thy face, ^ O Jacob. Selah.
obtain the Divine approval of his character as righteous; he would be recognised and dealt with as a righteous man. He would come to God with " clean hands and a pure heart " (ver. 4), and would be welcomed and treated as a friend of God. The wicked and the impure could not hope to obtain this; but he who xvas thus righteous would be treated according to his real character, and would meet with the assurances of the Divine favour. It is as true now as it was in the days of the psalmist, that it is only the man who is in fact upright and holy that can obtain the evidences of the Divine approval. God will not regard one who is living in wickedness as a righteous man, nor will he admit such a man to his favour here, or to his dwelling-place hereafter.
6. This is the generation of them that seek him. This describes the race of those who seek him; or, this is their character. The word generation here is used evidently in the sense of race, loeople, or piersons. This is the character or description of the persons who seek his favour; or, this is the character of his true friends. The phrase to seek God is often used as descriptive ottrue piety: Ps. ix. 10; xiv. 2; Ixiii. 1; Prov. viii. 17; Matt, vi. 33; vii. 7. It indicates an earnest desire to know him and to obtain his favour. It denotes also humility of mind, and a sense of dependence on God. ^ That seek thy face, O Jacob. Marg., O God o/ Jacob. De Wette understands this as meaning that they would seek the face of God among his people; or that they who belonged to the race of Jacob, and who were sincere, thus sought the face of God. There is supposed to be, a(;cording to this interpretation, a distinction between the true and the false Israel; between those who professed to be the poojilc of God and those who re:illy
7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
8 Who is this King of glory r The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.
were liis people (comp. Rom. ix. 6-8). It seems to me that the word is not used here as it is in the margin to denote the "God of Jacob," which would be a harsh and an unusual construction, but that it is in apposition with the preceding words, as denothig M'hat constituted the true Jacob, or the true people of God. " This is the generation of them that seek him; this is the true Jacob, that seek thy face, O Lord." That is, this is the characteristic of all who properly belong to the race of Jacob, or who properly belong to God as his true people. The sense, however, is not materially affected if we adopt the reading in the margin.
7. Ziift vp your heads, O ye gates. Either the gates of the city, or of the house erected for the worship of God; most probably, as has been remarked, the former. This may be supposed to have been uttered as the procession approached the city where the ark was to abide, as a summons to admit the King of glory to a permanent residence there. It would seem not improbable that the gates of the city were originally made in the form of a portcullis, as the gates of the old castles in the feudal ages were, not to open, but to be lifted up by weights and pullies. Li some of the old ruius of castles in Palestine there are still to be seen deep grooves in the posts of the gateway, showing that the door did not open and shut, but that it was drawn up or let down. (Land and the Book, vol. i. p. 376. One such I saw at Carisbrooke Castle in the Isle of Wight; and they were common in the castles erected in the Middle Ages.) There were some advantages in this, as they could be suddenly let down on an enemy about to enter, when it would be difficult to close them if they were made to open as doors and gates are commonly made. Thus understood, the " heads "
of the gates would be the top, perhaps ornamented in some such way as \o suggest the idea of a " head," and the command was that these should be elevated to admit the ark of God to pass. ^ And he ye lift up, ye everlasting doors. The doors of a city or sanctuary that was now to be the permanent place of the worship of God. The ark was to be fixed and settled there. It was no longer to be moved from place to place. It had found a final home. The idea in the word "everlasting" is that of permanence. The place where the ark was to abide was to be the enduring place of worship; or was to endure as long as the worship of God in that form should continue. There is no evidence that the author of the psalm supposed that those doors would be literally eternal, but the language is such as we use when we say of anything that it is permanent and abiding. % And the King of glory shall come in. The glorious King. The allusion is to God as a King. On the cover of the ark, or the mercy seat, the symbol of the Divine presence — the Shekinah — rested; and hence it was natural to say that God would enter through those gates. In other words, the cover of the ark was regarded as his abode — his seat — his throne; and, as thus occupying the mercy-seat, he was about to enter the place of his permanent abode. Comp. Ex. xxv. 17, 20, 22. 8. Who is this King of glory? This is probably the response of a portion of the choir of singers. The answer is found in the other part of the verse. ^ The LoED strong and mighty. Jehovah, strong and mighty, — describing him by his most exalted attributes as a God of power. This is in accordance with the idea in vers. 1, 2, where he is represented as the Creator and the Proprietor of all the earth. Perhaps, also, there is an allusion to the fact that he is mighty, as
9 lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
distinguished from idols which have 110 power. % The Lord mighty hi battle. Who displays his power eminently in overthrowing hostile armies; — perhaps in allusion to the victories wlii''h had heen won when his people ^vere animated in war hy the presence of the ark in the midst of their armies, and when the victory could be properly traced to the fact that the ark, the symbol of the Divine presence, was with them, and when, therefore, the victory would be properly ascribed to Jehovah himself.
9. Lift up your heads, etc. The repetition here is designed to give force and emphasis to what is uttered. The response in ver. 5 is slightly varied from the response in ver. 8; but the same general sentiment is expressed. The design is to announce in a solemn manner that the symbol of the Divine presence and majesty Ivas about to be introduced into the place of its permanent abode, and that this was an event worthy to be celebrated; — that even the gates of the city should voluntarily open themselves to admit the great and glorious Kiug who was to reign there for
10. Who is this King of glory? See Notes on ver. 8. \\ The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. On the meaning of the phrase, " the Lord of hosts," see Notes on Isa. i. 9. The essential idea is, that God rules over the universe of worlds considered as marshalled in order, or arrayed as
'liosts or armies are for battle. All are under his command. The stars in the sky, that seem to be marshalled and led forth in such perfect and beautiful order, — the inhabitants of heaven in their different orders and ranks, — all these acknowledge him, and submit to him as the supreme God. In the close of the psalm, therefore, there is an exact accordance with the thouglit in the begin-
10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
ning, that God is the Sovereign Ruler of the universe, and that he should everywhere be recognised and regarded as such. The entrance of the ark of the covenant into the place provided for it as a permanent residence w^as a fit occasion to proclaim this thought; and this is proclaimed in the psalm in a manner befitting so solemn an occasion and so sublime a truth.
This pui-ports to be a psalm of David, and there is no reason to doubt that he was its author. There are no indications, however, of the occasion on which it was composed, nor is it possible now to ascertaui that occasion. It is probably one of those which were composed in his leisure moments, with no outward existing cause —designed to express the feelings of piety in the calm contemplation of God and his perfections.
The peculiarity of the psalm is, that it is the first of that class of psalms which are known as alphabetical, in which the first word of each verse begins with one of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. One design of this mode of composition may have been to assist the memory; but it is probable that the prevailing reason was that it was regarded as a poetic beauty thus to arrange the letters of the alphabet. Such arts of poetry are common in all languages. Occasionally in these psalms the order of the letters is slightly changed; in other instances, some of the letters are omitted, while the general structure is observed. Specimens of this mode of composition occur in Ps. xxxiv., xxxvii., cxi., cxii., cxix., cxlv.; in Proverbs xxxi., from the tenth verse to the end of the chapter; and in the Lamentations of Jeremiali, the whole of which book is composed on this plan, except the last chapter. The same mode of composition is common in Syrian and Persian poetry. See Asseniani Biblioth. Orient. III., Pt. 1, p G3, 32S. Comp. Lowth's Lectures on Heb. Poetry, Lect. xxii.; and Grotii Prolegomra. ad Com. in I'salmos. p. 81.
order of the Hebrew alphabet is observed, with the foUowmg exceptions: —the two first verses commence with the letter N, Aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet; Avhile the second letter, H, Beth, is omitted. The letters 1, Vau, and p, Koph, are also' omitted, while two verses begin with the letter "), Resch; and at the close of the psalm, after the letter H, Tau — i\ie last letter of the Hebrew alphabet,— another verse is added, beginning with the letter D, Fhe. We cannot account for these variations. Capellus supposes that it arises from the haste and Avant of attention of transcribers, and suggests a plan b}^ which the alphabetical arrangement in this psalm could be restored to proper order. See Kosenmiiller, Scholia in Ps. XXV., p. 633. J. D. INIichaelis supposes that the authors of the psalm allowed to themselves some libertj' in the arrangement, and that the proper letter of the alphabet was sometimes in the middle of the verse rather than at the beginning. But it is impossible to assign the reasons which may have existed for the want of perfect regularity in the composition of the psalm, and the deviations from the exaitt alphabetical order which occur. Those deviations are very slight, and do not affect the genei'al character of the composition. Of course this poetic beaut}' cannot be perceived in a translation, and must be lost to all except to Hebrew scholars.
The genei-al plan of these psalms seems to be, not to follow out one particular thought, or to dwell on one subject, but to bring together such independent expressions of pious feeling as could be conveniently arranged in this mamier. Accordingly in the psalm before us we have a considerable variety of subjects introduced,— all suggestive, or all indicating the kind of thoughts which will pass through a pious mind in moments of relaxation, and unbending, when the thoughts are allowed to itiow freely or without restraint from the will. The current of thought in such moments is often a more sure indication of the true state of the heart, and of the real character, than what occurs in our more studied and laboured habits of thinking; and a man may often look to these trains of thought as most certainly indicating the actual condition of his heart.
themselves to the mind of the psalmist in this season of relaxation, and as indicating the real state of his heai-t, the followhig may be noticed: —
(1) Confident trust in God, and a feeling that that trust would not be disappointed, vers. 1-3.
(6) Prayer for the pardon of sin, ver. 11.
(8) The assurance that the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him,
(10) Prayer for the redemption of the people of God; for their complete deliverance from evil; for the salvation of the church, ver. 22.
The psalm thus expresses the feelings^ of a pious mind when running over a great variety of subjects, apparently with little connexion, or united only by a very slender thread of association; such thoughts as occur to one when the mind is allowed a free range, and follows out easy suggestions with no great effort to restrain the mind by the stricter rules of thinking, or Avhen the mind allows itself to be easily drawn along from one subject to another, and finds, in each one that occurs, something to be thankful for; or to pray for; or to rejoice over; or to anticipate with pleasure; or to hope for; or to be penitent for; or to contemplate with gratitude and love. The thoughts of Avicked men, when their minds are thus unbent and._ unstrung, recur to images of pollution" and sin; they gloat over past indulgences; they recall the images of sensual pleasures; they bring before the fiuicy new and untried scenes of pollution; they revel in the anticipated pleasures of gaiety and sensuality. Perhaps there is nothing that more clearly indicates the real state of a man's heart "than the khid of recollections, imaginings, and anticipations into which the mind falls in such a relaxed, or what some might call an
let me not bo ashamed; • let not mine enemies triumph over me.
3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
idle, state of the mind;— just as Ave jiulij::o of a stream when it llows gently as left to its own course, not when it is dammed up, or forced into new channels, or swelled by rains, or made into artificial rills and water-falls, or employed to turn mills, or diverted, contrary to its natural flow, even into beautiful gardens.
1. Unto tJiee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. In meditation; in gratitude; in praise. The idea is, that the thoughts are lifted up from earth and earthly subjects to God. This is the beginning of the meditation; this gives character, perhaps, to the psalm. The state of mind is that of one who turns cheerfully away from earthly themes, and opens his mind to more lofty and hallowed influences. The mind begins with God; and, beginning with this, the current of thought is allowed to flow on, gathering up such ideas as would come in under this general purpose. Opening the mind to this influence, thoughts would flow in upon the soul embracing a wide range, and perhaps not very closely connected among themselves, but all of which would be fitted to raise the heart to God in meditation, thankfulness, and praise.
2. 0 my God, I trust in tJiee. This is the first thought, — a feeling that he had true confidence in God, and that in all the duties of life, in all his trials, and in all his hopes for the future, his i-eliance was on God alone. ^ Let me not be ashamed. That is, let me never be so forsaken by thee as to have occasion for shame that I have thus trusted in thee. The prayer is not that he might never be ashamed to avow and confess his trust in God, but that he might Jind God to be such a helper and friend that he mi;iht never be ashamed on account of the trust which he had put in him, as if it had been a false reliance; that he might not be disappointed, and made to feel that he had done a foolish thing in confiding in one who was not able to help him. See the word explained in the Notes on Job vi. 20. Comp. Isa. XXX. 5; Jer. viii. 9; xiv. 3, 4. ^ Let not mine enemies triumph over me. This explains what the psalmist meant by his prayer that he might not be ashamed, or put to shame. He prayed that he might not be vanquished by his foes, and that it might not appear that he had trusted in a Being who was unable to defend him. Applied now to us, the prayer would imply a desire that we may not be so overcome by our spiritual foes as to bring dishonour on ourselves and on the cause which we profess to love J that we may not be held up to the world as those who are unable to maintain the warfare of faith, and exposed to scorn as those who are unfaithful to their trust; that we may not be so forsaken, so left to trial without consolation, so given over to sadness, melancholy, or despair, as to leave the world to say that reliance on God is vain, and that there is no advantage in being his friends.
3. Yea, let none that tvait on thee be ashamed. To " wait on the Lord" is an expression denoting true piety, as indicating our dependence on him, and as implying that we look to him for the command that is to regulate our conduct and for the grace needfid to protect and save us. Comp. Isa. xl. 31. See also Isa. viii. 17; xxx. 18; Ps. xl. 1; Ixix. 3. This petition is indicative of the wish of the pious heart that none who profess to serve God may ever be put to shame; that they may never be overcome by sin; that they may never fall under the power of temptation; that they may
4 Show ^ me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.
teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
not fail of eternal salvation. ^ Let them he ashamed xvhich transgress ivithoiit cause. This does not imply that any sinners transgress otherwise than without cause, or that they have any good reason for sinning; but it brings into view a prominent thought in regard to sin, that it is without cause. If the wicked had any good reason for their course of life, — if they ■were compelled to do wrong, — if the temptations under which they act were so powerful that they could not resist them, — if they were not voluntary in their transgressions, — then true benevolence would demand of us the prayer that they might 7iot be confounded or put to shame. But as none of these circumstances occur in the case of the sinner, there is no v/ant of benevolence in praying that ail the workers of evil may be put to confusion; that is, that they may not triumph in an evil course, but that their plans may be defeated, and that they may be arrested in their career. There is no benevolence in desiring the triumph of wickedness; there is no want of benevolence in praying that all the plans of wicked men may be confounded, and all the purposes of evil be frustrated. True benevolence requires us to pray that all their plans oyiay be arrested, and that the sinner may not be successful in his career. A man may be certain that he is acting out the principles of benevolence when he endeavours to prevent the consummation of the plans and the desires of the wicked.
4. Show me thy xvays, O Lord. The " ways " of God are his methods of administering the affairs of the world; his dispensations; the rules which he has prescribed for himself in the execution of his plans; the great laws by which he governs the universe. Deut. xxxii, 4, " All his ways are judgment; a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." The prayer of the psalmist is, that he may be able to understand the methods of the Divine government; the principles on which God bestows happiness and salvation; the rules which he has been pleased to prescribe for human conduct; the arrangements by which he confers favours on mankind; the scheme by which he saves men. The idea evidently is that he might understand so much of this as to regulate his own conduct aright; that he might not lean to his own understanding, or trust to his own guidance, but that he might ever be under the guidance and direction of God. ^ Teach me thy 'paths. The paths which thou dost take; to wit, as before, in administering the affairs of the world. The prayer is expressive of a desire to be wholly under the direction of
5. Lead me in thy truth. In the way which thou regardest as truth, or which thou seest to be true. Truth is eternal and unchanging. What God sees and regards as truth is true, for he sees things as they are; and when we have the Divine estimate of anything, we understand what the thing is. It is not that he makes it to be true, but that he sees it to be true. Such is the perfection of his nature that we have the utmost assurance that what God regards as truth is truth; what he proclaims to be right is right. It is then His truth, as he adopts it for the rule of his own conduct, and makes it known to his creatures to guide them. ^ And teach me. As this would be understood by the psalmist, it would be a prayer that God would teach him by his law as then made known; by his Spirit in the heart; by the dispensations of his providence. As applicable to us, it is a prayer that he would instruct us by all the truths then made known, and all that have
6 Remember, O LoiiD, thy 1 tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have hee)i ever of old.
7 Remember not the sins of
my ' youth, nor my transgressions: according '" to thy mercy remember thon me, for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.
since been revealed; by his Spirit in its influences on our hearts; b}— the events which are occurring around us; b}' the accumulated truth of ages; — the knowledge which by all the methods he employ's he has imparted to men for their guidance and direction. % For thou art the God of mi/ salvation. The word salvation is not to be understood here in the sense in which it is now commonly used, as denoting deliverance from sin and future ruin, but in the more general sense of deliverance — deliverance from danger and death. The phrase is synonymous with preservation, and the idea is that the psalmist regarded God as his preserver; or that he owed his protection and safety in the time of danger to Him alone. ^ On thee do I tvait. That is, I rely on thee; or, I am dependent on thee. He had no other source of reliance or dependence. 1[ All the day. Continually, always. He was really dependent on him at all times, and he felt that dependence. It is always true that we are dependent on God for everything; it is not true that we always feel this. It was a characteristic of the piety of the psalmist that he did feel this.
6. Memember, O Lord. That is. In thy future treatment of me, bring to remembrance what thou hast done, and treat me in the same manner still. The language is that of one who felt that God had always been kind and gracious, and who asked for the future a continuance of the favours of the past. If we would recall the goodness of God in the past, we should find enough to lay the foundation of prayer in reference to that which is to come. If we saw and understood fully all that has happened to us, we should need to offer no other prayer than that God might deal with us in the future as he has done in the past. ^ Thy tender mercies. jNIarg., as in Heb., thy bowels. The Hebrew word means the inner l^arts, regarded by the Hebrews as the seat of the affections. See Notes on Isa. xvi. 11. ^ And thy lovingkindnesses. Thy tokens of ftivour; thy acts of mercy and compassion. ^ For they have been ever of old. " For from eternity are they." The language is that of a heart deeply impressed with a sense of the goodness of God. In looking.over his own life, the author of the psalm saw that the mercies of God had been unceasing and constant towards him from his earliest years. In words expressive of warm love and gratitude, therefore, he says that those acts of mercy had never failed — had been from eternity. His thoughts rise from the acts of God toward himself to the character of God, and to His attributes of mercy and love; and his heart is full of the idea that God is always good; that it belongs to His very nature to do good. 7. Memember not the sins of my youth. In strong contrast with God, the psalmist brings forward his own conduct and life. He could ask of God (ver. 6) to remember His own acts — what lie himself had done; but could not ask him to remember his conduct — his past life. He could only pray that this might be forgotten. He did not wish it to come into remembrance before God; he could not ask that God would deal with him according to that. He prays, therefore, that he might not bo visited as he advanced in life with the fruits of his conduct in early years, but that all the offences of that jieriod of his life might be forgiven and forgotten. AVlio is there that cannot with deep feeling join in this prayer? Who is there that has reached the
8 Good and npriglit is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
9 The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way.
period of middle or advanced life, who would be willing to have the follies of his youth, the plans, and thoughts, and wishes of his early years brought again to remembrance? Who would be willing to have recalled to his own mind, or made known to his friends, to society around him, or to assembled worlds, the thoughts, the purposes, the wishes, the hnaginings of his youthful days? Who would dare to pray that he might be treated in advancing years as he treated God in his own early life? Nay, who would venture to pray that God would treat him in the day of judgment as he had treated the friends of his childhood, even the father that begat him, or the mother that bare him? Our hope in regard to the favour of God is that he will not summon up the thoughts and the purposes of our early years; that he will not treat us as if he remembered them; but that he will treat us as if they were forgotten. ^ Xoi' my transgressions. The sins of my early years. ^ According to thy mercy remember tJiou me. Deal with me, not according to strict justice, but according to mercy. Deal with me indeed according to thy nature and j cliaracter; but let the attribute of mercy be that which will be the guide rather than the attribute of justice. ^[ For thy goodness' sake. In order that thy goodness or benevolence may be displayed andhonoured — not primarily and mainly that I may be saved, but that thy character may be seen to be good and merciful. 8. Good and ^ipright is the LoED. His character is benevolent, and he is worthy of confidence. He is not merely good, but he is equal and just in his dealings with men. This latter attribute is no less a reason for confidence in his character than the former. ViQ need a God who is not merely benevolent and kind, but who is just and faithful; whose administration is based on principles of truth and justice, and in whose dealings, therefore, his creatures can repose unlimited confidence. *f Therefore will he teach sinners. Because he is good and upright, we may approach him with the assurance that he will guide us aright. His goodness may be relied on as furnishing evidence that he will be disposed to do this; his uprightness as furnishing the assurance that the path in which he will lead us will be the best path. We could not rely on mere benevolence, for it might lack wisdom and firmness, or might lack power to execute its own purposes; we can rely on it when it is connected with a character that is infinitely upright, and an arm that is infinitely mighty. ^ In the way. In the right way — the way in which they should go, the path of truth, of happiness, of salvation.
9. The meek %mll he guide. The humble, the teachable, the prayerful, the gentle of spirit — those who are willing to learn. A proud man who supposes that he already knows enough cannot be taught; a haughty man who has no respect for others, cannot learn of them,- a man who is willing to believe nothing cannot be instructed. The first requisite, therefore, in the work of religion, as in respect to all kinds of knowledge, is a meek and docile spirit. See Matt, xviii. 3. ^ In judgment. In a right judgment or estimate of things. It is not merely in the administration of justice, or in doing right, but it is in judging of truth; of duty; of the value of objects; of the right way to live; of all on which the mind can be called to exercise judgment, or to come to a decision. '^ Andthe meek will he teach his way. The way in which he would have them to go. The methods by which God does this are (1) By his word or law, (a) laying down there the principles which are to guide human conduct, and (5) in numerous cases furnishing specific
10 All the patlis of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such " as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
rules for dii'cctiiig our conduct in the relations of life; (2) by his Spirit, (a) disposing the mind to candour, (b) enlightening it to see the truth, and (c) making it honest and sincere in its inquiries; (3) by his providence, — often indicating, in an unexpected manner, to those who are sincere in their inquiries after truth and duty, what he would have them to do; and (4) by the advice and counsel of those who have experience, — the aged and the wise, — those who have themselves been placed in similar circumstances, or who have passed through the same perplexities and embarrassments. By all these methods a man who goes to God in humble prayer, and with a proper sense of dependence, may trust that he will be guided aright; and it is not probable that a case could occur in which one who should honestly seek for guidance by these helps, might not feel assured that God would lead him aright. Havingused these means, a man may feel assured that God will not leave him to error.
10. All the paths of the LoED. All the ways that the Lord takes; all that he commands; all that he does. The " paths of the Lord " denote the course in which he himself walks, or his dealings with his creatures. In the previous verse, the psalmist had said that the Lord would teach His way to the " meek;" he now says that all His ways are ways of mercy and of truth; or that all will be found to be in the direction of mercy and of truth. ^ Are mercy and truth. In all his dealings with those who " keep his covenant" he shows himself to be at the same time merciful and true: — compassionate towards their errors; faithful to his own promises, ^ To such as 7ceep his covenant. To those who are his friends; to those who are faithful to him. This expression is often used to denote those who are the true people of God, Gen. xvii. y, 10; Ex. xix. 5; Deut, xxix. 9; Ps. cxxxii. 12. The word covenant here is equivalent to command or law; and the idea is, that if they keep his laws they will find him to be merciful and true. On the meaning of the word covenant, see Notes on Acts vii. 8; Heb. viii. 8; ix. 16, 17. ^ And his testimonies. The word testimony in the Scripture, in this connexion, refers to that to which God bears witness as true; or that which he has declared to be truth. In this sense the phrase means here those who maintain his truth; or who abide by what he has pronounced to be true. The word is very often used in the Scriptures to denote the truth of God and the commandments of God. In all such cases there is the underlying idea that the command or the statement referred to is that to which God bears witness as true or right.
11. For thy name's sake, O LOED. See Notes on Ps. xxiii. 3. The idea here is that God would do this on his own account, or for the honour of his own name. This is a reason, and one of the main reasons, why God ever pardons iniquity. It is that the honour of his name may be promoted; that his glorious character may be displayed; that he may sho^u himself to the universe to be merciful and gracious. There are, doubtless, other reasons why he pardons sin — reasons drawn from the bearing which the act of mercy will have on the welfare of the universe; but still the main reason is, that his own honour will thus be promoted, and his true character thus made known. See Notes on Isa. xliii. 25; xlviii. 9. Comp. Ps. vi. 4; and verse 7 of this psabn. % Pardon mine iniquity. This prayer seems to have been offered in view of the remembered
12 What man is he that feareth the Lord r him "^ shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
7. These recollected sins apparently pressed upon his mind all througli the psalm, and were the main reason of the supplications which occur in it. Comp. vers. 16—18. ^ For it is great. As this translation stands, the fact that his sin was great was a reason why God should pardon it. This is a reason, because (a) it would be felt that the sin was so great that it could not be removed by any one but God, and that \i\i\e%% forgiven it would sink the soul down to death; and {b) because the mere fact of its magnitude would tend to illustrate the mercy of the Lord. Undoubtedly these are reasons why we may pray for the forgiveness of sin; but it may be doubted whether this is the exact idea of the psalmist, and whether the word although would not better express the true sense, — ^^ although it is great." It is true that the general sense of the particle here rendered "for" — ^"3,^1 — is because or since; hut it may also mean although, as in Ex. xiii. 17, " God led them not the way through the land of the Philistines, although — ("»3) — that was near," i. e. that was nearest, or was the most direct way. So in Dent, xxix. 19, " I shall have peace, though — ("*3) — I walk in the imagination of mine heart." Also Josh. xvii. 18, " Thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though — (^'S) — they have iron chariots, and though they be strong." Thus understood, the prayer of the psalmist here is, that God would pardon his offences although they were so great. His mind is fixed on the greatness of the offences; on the obstacles in the way of pardon; on his ov\ii unworthiness; on the fact that he had no claim to mercy; and he presents this strong and earnest plea that God would have mercy on him although his sins were so numerous and
13 His soul shall i dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit r the earth.
so aggravated. In this prayer all can join; this is a petition the force of which all true penitents deeply feel.
12. What man is he. Who is he. The statement in this verse is intended to include every man; or to be universal. Wherever one is found who has the character here referred to, or whoever he may be, of him what is here affirmed will be true, that God will lead him in the way that he shall choose. ^ That feareth the LoKD. That is, a true worshipper of Jehovah, or that is truly a pious roan: Ps. v. 7. \ Him shall he teach. He will guide, or instruct him. See ver. 9. *i\ In the way that he shall choose. The way that the man ought to choose; or, in other words, in the right way. It is not the way that God shall choose, but the way that the pious man ought to choose; God will so instruct him that he shall find the true path.
13. His soul shall dtvell at ease. Marg., shall lodge in goodness. So the Hebrew. The idea is that of one at home; one who finds a comfortable and safe resting-place; one who is not a wanderer or a vagrant. The word rendered in the text at ease, and in the margin goodness, means good; and the idea is that of a good or safe condition as compared with that of one who wanders 'abroad without a shelter, or of one who has lost his way, and has no one to guide him. As contrasted with such an one, he who fears God, and who seeks his guidance and direction, will be like a man in his own comfortable and quiet home. The one is a condition of safety and of ease; the other, a condition of anxiety, doubt, trouble. Nothing could better describe the calmness, peace, and conscious security of the man who has found the truth and who serves God, — as compared with the state of that man who
14 The secret « of tlie Lord is with them that fear him; and 1 he will show them his covenant.
16 Turn " thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; iov I am desolate and afflicted.
has no religion, no fear of God, no hope of heaven. ^ And his seed. His posterity; his family. ^ Shall inherit the earth. Originally this promise referred to the laud of Canaan, as a promise connected with obeying the law of God: Ex. xx. 12. It came then to be synonymous with outward worldly prosperity; with length of days, and happiness in the earth. See it explained in the Notes on Matt. v. 5.
14. The secret of the LORD. On the word here rendered secret, see Notes on Job xv. 8. It properly means a couch or cushion; and then, a divan or circle of friends sitting together; then, deliberation or consultation; then, familiar iutcrcoui'se, intimacy; and then, a secret, — as if it were the result of a private consultation among friends, or something which pertained to them, and which they did not wish to have known. lb is rendered secret in Gen. xlix. 6; Job XV. 8; xxix. 4; Ps. xxv. li; Prov. iii. 32; xi. 13; xx. 19; xxv. 9; Amos iii. 7; — counsel in Ps. \\. 14; Ixiv. 2; Ixxxiii. 3; Jer. xxiii. 18, 22; — and assemhli) in Ps. Ixxxix. 7; cxi. 1; Jer. vi. 11; XV. 17; Ezek. xiii. 9. The word friendship would perhaps express the meaning here. The sense is, that those who fear the Lord are admitted to the intimacy of friendship with him; are permitted to come into liis presence, and to partake of his counsels; are allowed free access to him; or, as it is more commonly expressed, have felloivship with him. Comp. 1 John i. 3. The language is such as would be applied to the intimacy of friends, or to those who take counsel together. The language belongs to a large class of expressions denoting the close connexion between God and his people. *^ With them that fear him. With those who truly and properly reverence him, or who are his true worshippers: Ps. v. 7; Job i. 1. ^[ And he ivill show them his covenant. Marg., And his covenant to make them hnow it. The meaning is, that God will impart to them the true knowledge of his covenant; or, in other words, he will enable them to understand what there is in that covenant, or in its gracious provisions, that is adapted to promote their happiness and salvation. The word covenant here is the same term which is commonly used to describe the arrangements which God has made for the salvation of men: see ver. 10. Whatever there is in that arrangement to promote the happiness and salvation of his people, he will cause them to understand.
15. Mine ei/es ixve ever ioivard the Lord. This is an indication of the habitual state of mind of the psalmist. He had said that God would lead and guide those who were meek, gentle, teachable, humble; and he now s;iys that this was his habitual state of mind. He constantly looked to God. He sought his direction. In perplexity, in doubt, in difficulty, in danger, in view of death and the future world, he looked to God as his guide. In other words, in reference to himself, he carried out the principles which he had stated as constituting true religion. It was a religion of dependence on God, for man's only hope is in him. ^ For he shall ^j/ho^ mi/ feet out of the net. Marg., bring forth. Comp. Notes on Ps. ix. 15, IG; X. 9. The net here is that which had been laid for him by the wicked. He trusted in God alone to deliver him from it.
17 Tlie troubles o£ my heart,.e " enlarged: 0 bring thou me •lit of my distresses.
18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
The idea, however, is that the face of God was, as it were, turned in another direction, or that he was not attentive to hhn; and he prays that he would turn and behold him; that he would see him in his trouble. ^ And have mercy tipon me. The psalmist seems to have felt that if God would look upon him he would pity him. He would see his case to be so sad that he would show him compassion, — as, when we see an object of distress, " the eye affects the heart." ^ For I am desolate. The word here rendered desolate — '\^'r\\yaMi'id — means properly one alone, oily; and then, one who is alone, or who is solitary, forsaken, wretched. There is no deeper sadness that ever comes over the mind than the idea that we are alone in the world; that we have not a friend; that no one cares for us; that no one is concerned about anything that may happen to us; that no one would care if we should die; that no one would shed a tear over our grave. ^ And afflicted. In what way we do not know. David, however, was very often in circumstances when he could use this language. The other parts of the psalm show that the " affliction " to which he here refers was that which arose from the recollection of the sins of his early life, and from the designs and purposes of his enemies.
17. The troubles of my heart. The sorrows which spring upon the heart, — particularly from the recollections of sin. ^ Are enlarged. Have become great. They increased the more he reflected on the sins of his life. ^ O hring thou me out of my distresses. Alike from my sins, and from the dangers which surround me. These two things, external trouble and the inward consciousness of guilt, are not infrequently combined. Outward trouble has a tendency to bring up the remembrance of past transgressions, and to suggest the inquiry whether the affliction is not a Divine visitation for sin. Any one source of sorrow may draw along numerous others in its train. The laws of association are such that when the mind rests on one source of joy, and is made cheerful by that, numerous other blessings will be suggested to increase the joy; and when one great sorrow has taken possession of the soul, all the lesser sorrows of the past life cluster around it, so that we seem to ourselves to be wholly abandoned by God and by man.
18. Look tipon mine affliction and my pain. See ver. 16. This is a repetition of earnest pleading — as if God still turned away from him, and did not deign to regard him. lu trouble and distress piety thus pleads with God, and repeats the earnest supplication for his help. Though God seems not to regard the prayer, faith does not fail, but renews the supplication, confident that he will yet hear and «ave. ^ And forgive all my sins. The mind, as above remarked, connects trouble and sin together. When we are afflicted, we naturally inquire whether the affliction is not on account of some particular transgressions of which we have been guilty; and even when we cannot trace any direct connexion with sin, affliction suggests the general fact that we are sinners, and that all our troubles are originated by that fact. One of the benefits of aflliction, therefore, is to call to our remembrance our sins, and to keep before the mind the fact that we are violators of the law of God. This connexion between suffering and sin, in the sense that the one naturally suggests the other, was more than once illustrated in the miracles wrought by the Saviour. See Matt. ix. 2.
19. Consider mine enemies. See ver. 2. It is evident that one source
they are many; and tliey liato me with i cruel hatred. ' 20 O keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed: for I put my trust in thee.
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on
of the trouble referred to in the psalm wus the fact that he had cruel foes, and that ho was appreheusive of their designs. The train of thought seems to be, in accordance with the remarks above, that enemies actually surrounded him, and threatened him, and that this fact suggested the inquiry whether this was not permitted on account of his sins. This had led him to think of the sins of his past lile, going back as far as his youth (ver. 7), as if these calamities, eveu in advanced life, were on account of those early offences. ^ For tliey are many. Who and what they were, we have now no means of ascertaining. See Notes on ver. 16. ^ And they hate me loith cruel hatred. Marg., as in Heb., hatred of violence. It was such hatred as tended to violence; such that they could not restrain it. It sought his destruction, and was ready to break out at any moment.
20. O keep my soul. My life,- or, keep me. The allusion is to all the perils which encompassed him, whether arising from his foes or his sins; and the prayer is, that the Divine protection might be commensurate with the danger; that is, that ho might not be destroyed, either by liis enemies or by the sins which he bad committed. % And deliver me. Save me; rescue lue. % Let me not he ashamed. See ver. 2. ^ For I ])ut my trust in thee. This is urged as a reason why he should be delivered and saved. The idea seems to be, that the honour of God would be concerned in protecting one who fled to him; who confided in him; who relied on him. Thus, when tlie helpless and the oppressed have so much confidence in our character and our ability as to fly to us in the time of trouble, it is a proper reason for them to ask our protection that they do confide in us. Our character becomes involved in the matter, and they may safely trust that we shall feel ourselves under obligations to act in conformity with the confidence reposed in us. It is thus that the poor and the oppressed confide in the good; thus that a sinner confides in God.
21. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me. The word here rendered integrity means properly perfection. See it explained in the Notes on Job i. 1. The language here may refer either {a) to God — as denoting his perfection and uprightness, and then the psalmist's prayer would be that he, a righteous God, would keep him; or (J) to his own integrity and uprightness of character, and then the prayer would be that that might be the means of keeping him, as the ground of his safety, under the government of a righteous God; or, (c) which I think the more probable meaning, it may be the utterance of a prayer that God would show himself upright and perfect in protecting one who put his trust in him; one who was wronged and injured by his fellow-men; one who fled to God for refuge in time of persecution and trouble. It was not exactly the Divine perfections, as such, on which he relied; nor was it the integrity and purity of his own life; but it was the government of God, considered as just and equal, as bearing on himself and those who had wronged him. \ For J xmit on thee. That is, I depend on thee, or I rely on thee. This is a reason why he pleaded that God would preserve him. See Notes on ver. 20.
22. Redeem Lsrael. Redeem or save thy people, — the word Israel here being u«ed,as elsewhere, to denote the people of God. ^ Out of all his troiibles. Save thy people from persecution, and from trial of all kinds. Tlie prayer of the psalmist had, hefore this, related mainly to himself. He had made mention of his own troubles and sorrows, and had earnestly sought relief. The psalm, however, closes appropriately with a reference to others; to all the people of God who might he in similar circumstances. Religion is not selfish. The mind under the influence of true piety, however intensely it may feel its own trouble, and however earnestly it may pray for deliverance, is not forgetful of the troubles of others; and prayers for their comfort and deliverance are freely mingled with those which the afflicted children of God ofler for themselves. This verse may be, therefore, taken as an illustration of the nature of true piety: — piety that seeks the welfare of all; piety that does not terminate in itself alone; piety that desires the happiness of all men, especially the deliverance of the suffering and the sad. It should, however, be added that this verse is no part of the alphabetical series in the psalm, — that having been ended, in ver. 21, with the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This verse commences with the Hebrew letter ri P. Some have supposed that it was added to the psalm when it was prepared for public use, in order to make wliat was at first applicable to an individual appropriate as a part of public worship, — or because the sentiments in the psalm, originally having reference to one individual, were as applicable to the people of God generally as to the author of the psalm. There is some plausibility in this conjecture.
The title affinns this to be a psalm of David, and there is no reason to doubt the eoiTcctness of the superscription; but there are no indications by which we can determine on what occasion it was written.
from its contents the state of mind in which it was composed; and as • that state of mind is not uncommon among^ those who are the professed people of God, the psalm will be useful in all ages of the world. The state of mhul is that in which there is deep solicitude in regard to personal piety, or on the question whether the evidences of our piety are genuine, and are such as Ave may rely on as warranting our hope of salvation. In this state of mind, and under this deep solicitude, the psalmist appeals to God to search him, or to judge in his case; he then recounts the evidences on which he relied as a ground for concluding that he was truly a friend of God; and then expresses the earnest desire of his heart to be found among the friends of God, and not to be united in character or in destiny with the wicked.