Notes on the Old and New Testaments

This psalm is one of the most remarkable in the whole collection. It is said, in the title, to be " A Prayer of Moses, the man of God;" or, as it is in the margin, " being a Psalm of Moses." The original word— n|pri, tephillah —means properly (1) intercession, supplication for any one; (2) prayer or supplication in general; (3) a hymn or inspired song. Gesenius, Lex. In Ps. Ixxii. 20, the word is applied to the whole preceding part of the Book of Psalms, — " The j9?-ayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended." The word prayer would better represent the nature of the contents of this psalm than the word psalm, or hymn.

If the author was Moses, then this is the only one of his compositions which we have in the Book of Psalms. "We know, from not a few places in the Pentateuch, that Moses was a poet as well as a lawgiver and statesman; and it would not be improbable that there might have been some compositions of his of this natvire which were not incorporated in the five books that he wi-ote, and which would be likely to be preserved by ti-adition. This psalm bears internal evidence that it may have been such a composition. There is no local allusion which would make it necessary to suppose that it was written at a later period; there is nothing inconsistent with the sentiments and style of Moses ia the Pentateuch; there is much that is in accordance with his style and manner; and there were numerous occasions when the sentiments of the psalra would be exceedingly suitable to the circumstances in which he was, and to the train of thoughts which we may suppose to have passed through his mind. The following remarks of Prof. Alexander seem to me to be eminently just and appropriate: — "The correctness of the title which ascribes the psalm to Moses is confirmed by its unique simplicity and grandeur; its appropriateness to his times and circxunstances; its resemblance to the law in urging the connexion between siu and death; its similarity of diction to the poetical portions of the Pentateuch, without the slightest trace of imitation or quotation; its marked unlikeness to the Psalms of David, and still more to those of later date; and finally the proved impossibility of plausibly assigning it to any other age or author." As a relic thus of most ancient times, — as coming down from the most remarkable man in the Jewish history, if not in the world, — as well as for its own instructive beauty and appropriateness to all times and lands, — it is a composition of great interest and value.

This psalm is placed at the beginning of the fourth book of the Psalter, according to the ancient traditional division of the Psalms. Or, perhaps, the author of the arrangement— probably Ezra — designed to place this by itself between the two great divisions of the book, containing respectively the earlier and the later psalms. It may be regarded, therefore, as " the heart or centre of the whole collection," suggesting thoughts appropriate to the entire current of thought in the book.

The phrase, "the man of God," in the title, is given to Moses in Deut. xxxiii. 1; Josh. xiv. 6; Ezra iii. 2, as a title especially appropriate to him, denoting that he was faithful to God; that he was a man approved by God, The title is_ indeed given to others. Judges xiii. 6, 8; 1 Sam. ii. 27; ix. 6-8; I Kings xii. 22, et al.; but there was a peculiar appropriateness in the title

A Prayer » of Moses, the man a of God.

T OBD, ttou hast been our as given to Moses on account of his cliaracter, Ms eminent rank, and his influence in founding the Hebrew commonwealth.

It is impossible, of course, now to determine the time when the psalm was composed, but it may not improbably be supposed to have been near the close of the wanderings in the wilderness. The Hebrew people were about to enter the promised land; the generation that came out of Egypt was passing away; Moses himself felt that he was near the end of his coxirse, for he had been apprised that he could not enter the land of promise, to the borders of which he had conducted the people. These things were eminently fitted to suggest such views of the shortness of human life, and of its frailty, as are here presented. At the same time, all these circumstances were fitted to suggest the reference to the future, and the prayer in respect to that future, with which the psalm so beautifully closes. It seems, then, not improper to regard this psalm as one of the last utterances of Moses, when the wanderings of the Hebrew people were about to cease; when an entire generation had been swept off; and when his own labours were soon to close.

The main subject of the psalm is the brevity — the transitory nature — of human life; the reflections on which seem designed to lead the soul up to God, who does not die. The races of men are cut down like grass, but God remains the same from age to age. One generation finds him the same as the previous generation had found him — unchanged, and as worthy of confidence as ever. None of these changes can affect him, and there is in each age the comforting assurance that he will be found to be the refuge, the support, the "dwelling-place" of his people.

I. The fact that God is unchanging; that he is the refuge of his people, and always has been; that from the eternity past to the eternity to come, he is the same, — he alone is God, vers. 1, 2.

II. The frailty of man — the brevity of human life — as contrasted with this unchanging nature — this eternity — of God, vers. 3-11. Man is turned to destruction; he is carried away as with a fiood; his life is like a night's sleep; the human race is like grass which is green in the morning and is cut down at evening; — human existence is like a tale that is told — b^ief as a meditation— and narrowed down to threescore years and ten.

m. A prayer that the living might be able so to number their days — to take such an account of life as to apply the heart to wisdom; — to make the most of Ufe, or to be truly wise, ver. 12.

IV. A prayer for those who were to follow— for the coming generation — that God would continue his favours; that though the present generation must die, yet that God, who is unchanging and eternal, would meet the next generation, and all the generations to come, with the same mercies and blessings, enjoyed by those who went before them, — prolonging these to all future time, vers. 13-17.

The psalm, therefore, has a universal applicability. Its sentiments and its petitions are as appropriate now as they were in the time of Moses. The generations of men pass away as certainly and as rapidly now as they did then; but it is as true now as it was then, that God is unchanging, and that he is the " dwelUng-place" — the home — of his people.

1. Lord. Not here Jehovah, but Adonai — ''31K. The word is properly rendered Lord, but it is a term which is often applied to God. It indicates, however, nothing in regard to his character or attributes except that he is a Suler or Governor. ^ Thou hast befn our dwelling-

2 Before " the mountains were brought foi-tli, or ever thou hadst formed the earth

and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

place. The LXX. render this, refuge — icora^uy?). So the Latin Vulgate, refugium; and Luther, ZuflucM. The Hebrew word — pVp, maon — means properly a habitation, a dwelling, as of God in his temple, Ps. xxvi. 8; heaven, Ps. Ixviii. 5; Deut, xxvi. 15. It also means a den or lair for wild beasts, Nali. ii. 12; Jer. ix. 11. But here the idea seems to be, as in the Septuagint, Vulgate, and Luther, a refuge; a place to which one may come as to his home, as one does from a journey; from wandering; from toil; from danger: — a place to which such a one naturally resorts, which he loves, and where he feels that he may rest secure. The idea is, that a friend of God has that feeling in respect to Him, which one has towards his own home — his abode — the place which he loves and calls his own. ^ In all generations. Marg., generation and generation. That is, A succeeding generation has found him to be the same as the previous generation had. Se was unchanged, though the successive generations of men passed away.

2. Before the mountains were brought forth. Before the earth brought forth or produced the mountains. In the description of the creation it would be natural to represent the mountains as the first objects that appeared, as emerging from the waters; and, therefore, as the frst or most ancient of created objects. The phrase, therefore, is equivalent to saying. Before the earth was created. The literal meaning of the expression, " were brought forth," is, in the Hebrew, " were born." The mountains are mentioned as the most ancient things in creation, in Deut. xxxiii. 15. Comp. Gen. xlix. 26; Hab. iii. 6. ^ Or ever thou hadst formed. Literally, " hadst brought forth." Comp. Job xxxix. 1. IT 2%e earth and the world. The word earth here is used to denote the world as distinguished either from heaven (Gen. i. 1), or from the sea (Gen. i. 10). The term world in the original is commonly employed to denote the earth considered as inhabited, or as capable of being inhabited, — a dwelling-place for living beings. *[[ Uven from everlasting to everlasting. Prom duration stretching backward without limit to duration stretching forward without limit; that is, from eternal ages to eternal ages; or, for ever. ^ Thou art God. Or, " Thou, 0 God." The idea is, that he was always, and ever will be, God: — the God; the true God; the only God; the unchangeable God. At any period in the past, during the existence of the earth, or the heavens, or before either was formed, he existed, with all the attributes essential to Deity; at any period in the future — during the existence of the earth and the heavens, or beyond — fiir as the mind can reach into the future, and even beyond that — he will still exist unchanged, with all the attributes of Deity. The creation of the universe made no change in him; its destruction would not vary the mode of his existence, or make him in any respect a different being. There could not be a more absolute and unambiguous declaration, as there could not be one more sublime, of the eternity of God. The mind cannot take in a grander thought than that there is one eternal and immutable Being.

3 Thou tumest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, d ye cliildren of men.

4 For a thousand years in

thy eight are hut as yesterday when 1 it is past, and as a watch in the night. d Gen. iii. 19. * Or, he hath passed them-

3. Thou tumest man to destruction. In contradistinction from his own unchangeableness and eternity. Man passes away; God continues ever the same. The word rendered destruction— H'3r\, dahJca — means properly anything beaten or broken small or very fine, and hence dust. The idea here is, that God causes man to return to ditst; that is, the elements which compose the body return to their original condition, or seem to mingle with the earth. Gen. iii. 19: "Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return," The word man here, of course, refers to man in general, — all men. It is the great law of our being. Individual man, classes of men, generations of men, races of men, pass away; but God remains the same. The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate render this, "Thou tumest man to humiliation;" which, though not the sense of the original, is a true idea, for there is nothing more humiliating than that a human body, once so beautiful, should turn back to dust; nothing more humbling than the grave. TT ^nd sayest, Return, ye children of men. Keturn to your dust; go back to the earth from which you came. Return, all of you without exception;— kings, princes, nobles, warriors, conquerors; mighty men, captains, and counsellors; ye learned and great, ye honoured and flattered, ye beautiful and gay, ye youthful and vigorous, and ye aged and venerable; whatever is your rank, whatever are your possessions, whatever are your honours, whatever you have to make you lovely, to charm, to please, to be admired; or whatever there is to make you loathsome and detestable; ye vicious, ye profane, low, grovelling, sensual, debased; go all of you alike to dust I Oh, how affecting the thought that this is the lot of man; how much should it do to abase the pride of the race; how much should it do to make any man sober and humble, that he himself is soon to turn back to dust — unhonoured, undistinguished, and undistinguishable dust!

4. For a thousand years in thy sight. Heb., " In thy eyes;" that is. It so appears to thee, — or, a thousand years so seem to thee, however long they may appear to man. The utmost length to which the life of man has reached — in the case of Methuselah — was nearly a thousand years (Gen. v. 27); and the idea here is, that the longest human life, even if it should be lengthened out to a thousand years, would be in the sight of God, or in comparison with his years, but as a single day. ^ Are but as yesterday when it is past. Marg., "he hath passed them." The translation in the text, however, best expresses the sense. The reference is to a single day, when we call it to remembrance. However long it may have appeared to us when it was passing, yet when it is gone, aud we look back to it, it ^eems short. So the longest period of humaii existence appears to God. ^ Atid as a loatch in the night. This refers to a portion of the night, — the original idea Laving been derived from the practice of dividing the night into portions, during which a watch was placed in a camp. These watches were, of course, relieved at intervals, and the night came to be divided, in accordance with this arrangement, into parts corresponding with these changes. Among the ancient Hebrews there were only three

5 Thou carriest tliem away as with a flood; they ai-e as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass < which ^ groweth up.

6 In/the morning it flourisheth, and gi-oweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

night-watches; the fii^t, mentioned in Lam. ii. 19; the middle, mentioned in Judges vii. 19; and the third, mentioned in Ex. xiv. 24; 1 Sam. xi. 11. In later times — the times referred to in the New Testament— there were four such watches, after the manner of the Romans, Mark xiii. 35. The idea here is not that such a watch in the night would seem to pass quickly, or that it would seem short when it was gone, but that a thousand years seemed to God not only short as a day when it was past, but even as the parts of a day, or the divisions of a night when it was gone.

5. Thou carriest them away as with a flood. The original here is a single verb with the suffix — QipTa^T- The verb — D"]], zaram — means, to flow, to pour; then, to pour upon,' to overwhelm, to wash away. The idea is, that they were swept off as if a torrent bore them from the earth, carrying them away without regard to order, rank, age, or condition. So death makes no discrimination. Every day that passes, multitudes of every age, sex, condition, rank, are swept away and consigned to the gi-ave, — as they would he if a raging flood should sweep over a land. ^ They are as a sleep. The original here is, a sleep they are. The whole sentence is exceedingly graphic and abrupt: " Thou sweepest them away; — a sleep they are, — in the morning, — like grass — it passes away." The idea is that human Ufe resembles a sleep, because it seems to pass so swiftly; to accomplish so little; to be so filled with dreams and visions, none of which remain or become permanent. ^ In the morning they are like grass, which groweth up. A better translation of this would be to attach the words " in the morning " to the previous member of the sentence, " They are like sleep in the morning;" that is, They are as sleep appears to us in the morning, when we wake from it — rapid, unreal, full of empty dreams. The other part of the sentence then would be, " Like grass, it passeth away." The word rendered groweth up, is in the margin translated is changed. The Hebrew word — C]5n, hhalaph — means to pass, to pass along, to pass by; to pass on, to come on; also, to revive or flourish as a plant; and then, to change. It may be rendered here, pass away; and the idea then would be that they are like grass in the fields, or like flowers, which soon change by passing away. There is nothing more permanent in man than there is in the grass or in the flowers of the field.

6. In the morning it flourisheth. This does not mean that it grows with any special vigour or rapidity in the morning, as if that were illustrative of the rapid growth of the young; but merely that, in fact, in the morning it is green and vigorous, and is cut down in the short course of a day, or before evening. The reference here is to grass as an emblem of man. ^ And groweth up. The same word in the Hebrew which is used in the close of the previous verse. ^ In the evening it is cut down, and withereth. In the short period of a day. What was so green and flourishing in the morning, is, at the close of the day, dried up. Life has been arrested, and death, with its con-

7 For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wi'ath are we troubled.

8 Thou " hast set oui' iniquities before thee, oui- secret sins in the light of thy counte-

9 For all our days are ^ passed away in thy wrath; we spend our years as a 2 tale that is told.

sequences, has ensued. So with man. How often is this literally true, that those who are strong, healthy, vigorous, hopeful, in the morning, are at night pale, cold, and speechless in death! How striking is this as an emblem of man in general: — so soon cut down; so soon numbered with the dead. Comp. Notes on Isa. xl. 6-8; 1 Pet. i. 24, 25.

7. For we are consumed iy thine anger. That is. Death — the cutting ofif of the race of man — may be regarded as an expression of thy displeasure against mankind as a race of sinners. The death of man would not have occurred but for sin (Gen. iii. 3, 19 j Rom. v. 12); and all the circumstances connected with it, — the fact of death, the dread of death, the pain that precedes death, the paleness and coldness and rigidity of the dead, and the slow and offensive returning to dust in the grave, — all are adapted to be, and seem designed to be, illustrations of the anger of God against sin. We cannot, indeed, always say that death in a specific case is proof of the direct and special anger of God in that case; but we can say that death always, and death in its general features, may and should be regarded as an evidence of the Divine displeasure against the sins of men. ^ And hy thy wrath. As expressed in death. ^ Are we troubled. Are our plans confounded and broken up; our minds made sad and sorrowful; our habitations made abodes of grief.

8. Thou hast set our iniquities iefore thee. Thou hast arrayed them, or brought them forth to view, as a reason in thy mind for cutting us down. Death may be regarded as proof that God has brought before his mind the evidence of man's guilt, and has passed sentence accordingly. The fact of death at all; the fact that any one of the race dies; the fact that human life has been made so brief, is to be explained on the supposition that God has arrayed before his own mind the reality of human depravity, and has adopted this as an illustration of his sense of the evil of guilt. \ Our secret sins. Literally, "our secret;" or, that which was concealed or unknown. This may refer to the secret or hidden things of our lives, or to what has been concealed in our own bosoms; and the meaning may be, that God has judged in the case not by external appearances, or by what is seen by the world, but by what he has seen in the heart, and that he deals with us according to our real character. The reference is, indeed, to sin, but sin as concealed, hidden, forgotten; the sin of the heart; the sin which we have endeavoured to hide from the world; the sin which has passed away from our own recollection. ^ Ik the light of thy countenance. Directly before thee; in full view; so that thou canst see them all. In accordance with these, thou judgest man, — and hence his death.

9. For all our days are passed away in thy wrath. Marg., turned. The Hebrew word — n33> jianah — means to turn; then, to turn to or from any one; and hence, to turn away as if to flee or depart. Here

10 * The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength

* As for the days of our years, in them are seventy years.

they he fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow: for '' it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

it means that our days seem to turn from us; to give the back to us; to be unwilling to remain with us; to leave us. This seems to be the fruit or result of the anger of God, as if he were unwilling that our days should attend us any longer. Or, it is as if he took aioay our days, or caused them to tn^rn away, because he was angry and was unwilling that we should any longer enjoy them. The cutting off of life in any manner is a proof of the Divine displeasure; and in every instance death should be regarded as a new illustration of the fact that the race is guilty. IT We spend our years as a tale that is told. Marg., meditation. The Hebrew word — n?i7, Jiegeh — means properly (a) a muttering, or growling, as of thunder; (6) a sighing or moaning; (c) a meditation, thought. It means here, evidently, thought; that is, life passes away as rapidly as thought. It has no permanency. It makes no impression. Thought is no sooner come than it is gone. So rapid, so fleeting, so unsubstantial is life. The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate in some unaccountable way render this " as a spider." The translation in our common version, " as a tale that is told," is equally unauthorized, as there is nothing corresponding to this in the Hebrew. The image in the original is very striking and beautiful. Life passes with the rapidity of thought!

10. The days of our years. Marg., " As for the dayt of our years, in them are seventy years." Perhaps the language would better be translated: " The days of our years! In them are seventy years;" or, they amount to seventy years. Thus the psalmist is represented as reflecting on human life — on the days that make up the years of life; — as fixing his thought on those days and years, and taking the sum of them. The days of our years — what are they? 1[ Are threescore years and ten. Not as life originally was, but as it has been narrowed down to about that period; or, this is the ordinary limit of life. This passage proves that the psalm was written when the life of man had been shortened, and had been reduced to about what it is at -present; for this description will apply to man now. It is probable that human life was gradually diminished until it became fixed at the limit which now bounds it, and which is to remain as the great law in regard to its duration upon the earth. All animals, as the horse, the mule, the elephant, the eagle, the raven, the bee, the butterfly, have each a fixed limit of life, wisely adapted undoubtedly to the design for which they were made, and to the highest happiness of the whole. So of man. There can be no doubt that there are good reasons — some of which could be easily suggested — why his term of life is no longer. But, at any rate, it is no longer; and in that brief period he must accomplish all that he is to do in reference to this world, and all that is to be done to prepare liim for the world to come. It is obvious to remark that man has enough to do to fill up the time of his life; that life to man is too precious to be wasted. If And if by reason of strength, etc. If there be unusual strength or vigour of natural con- stitution; or if the constitution has not been impaired or broken by toil, affliction, or vicioas indulgence; or if the great laws of health have been understood and observed. Any of these causes may contribute to lengthen out life, — or they may all be combined; and under these, separately or combined, life is sometimes extended beyond its ordinary limits. Yet the period of seventy is the ordinary limit beyond which few can go; the great mass fall long before they reach that. % Yet is their strength. Heb., " Their pride." That of which a man who has reached that period might be disposed to boast — as if it were owing to himself. There is, at that time of life, as well as at other times, great danger lest that which we have received from God, and which is in no manner to be traced to ourselves, may be an occasion of pride, as if it were our own, or as if it were secured by our own prudence, wisdom, or merit. May it not, also, be implied here that a man who has reached that period of life, — who has survived so many others, — who has seen so many fall by imprudence, or vice, or intemperance, — will be in special danger of being proud, as if it were by some special virtue of his own that his life had been thus lengthened out? Perhaps in no circumstances will the danger of pride be more imminent than when one has thus passed safely through dangers where others have fallen, and practised temperance while others have yielded to habits of intemperance, and taken care of his own health while others have neglected theirs. The tendency to pride in man does not die out because a man grows old. % Labour and sorrow. The word rendered labour — ^73V, (itndl — means properly toil; that is, wearisome labour. The idea here is, that toil then becomes burdensome; that the body is oppressed with it, and soon grows weary and exhausted; that life itself is like labour or wearisome toil. The old man is constantly in the condition of one who is weary; whose powers are exhausted; and who feels the need of repose. The word rendered sorrow — l^iK, aven — means properly nothingness, vanity; Isa. xli. 29; Zech. x. 2; then, nothingness as to worth, unworthiness, iniquity — which is its usual meaning; Num. xxiii. 21; Job xxxvi. 21; Isa. i. 13; and then, evil, adversity, calamity; Prov. xxii. 8; Gen. xxxv. 18. This latter seems to be the meaning here. It is, that happiness cannot ordinarily be found at that period of life; that to lengthen out life does not add materially to its enjoyment; that to do it, is but adding trouble and sorrow. The ordinary hopes and plans of life ended; the companions of other years departed; the offices and honours of the world in other hands; a new generation on the stage that cares little for the old one now departing; a family scattered or in the grave; the infirmities of advanced years on him; his faculties decayed; the buoyancy of life gone; and now in his second childhood dependent on others as he was in his first; — how little of happiness is there in such a condition! How appropriate is it to speak of it as a time of " sorroio!" How little desirable is it for a man to reach extreme old age! And how kind and merciful the arrangement by which man is ordina;rily removed from the world before the time of "trouble and sorrow" thus comes! There are commonly just enough men of extreme old age upon the earth to show us impressively that it is not desirable to live to be very old; just enough to keep this lesson with salutary force before the minds of those in earlier life; just enough, if we saw it aright, to make us willing to die before that period comes! ^ For it is soon cut off, etc. Prof. Alexander renders this, " For ho

11 Wio knowetli the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wi-ath.

12 So teach us to number our days, that we may ' apply our hearts unto » wisdom, t Prov. iv. 7.

drives us fast;" that is, God drives us, — or, one seems to drive, or to urge us on. The word here used — "ts, gaz — is commonly supposed to be derived from X\% gazaz, to cut, as to cut grass, or to mow; and then, to shear, so. a flock, — which is its usual meaning. Thus it would signify, as in our translation, to be cut off. This is the Jewish interpretation. The word, however, may be more properly regarded as derived from 112, guz, which occurs in but one other place. Num. xi. 31, where it is rendered brought, as applied to the quails which were hrougM or driven forward by the east wind. This word means, to pass through, to pass over, to pass away; and then, to cause to pass over, as the quails were (Num. xi, 31) by the east wind. So it means here, that life is soon passed over, and that we flee away, as if driven by the wind; as if impeded or urged forward as chafl" or any light substance is by a gale.

11. Who knoweth ihe poioer of thine anger? Who can measure it, or take a correct estimate of it, as it is manifest in cutting down the race of men? If the removal of men by death is to be traced to thine anger, — or is, in any proper sense, an expression of thy wrath, — who can measure it, or understand it? The cutting down of whole generations of men — of nations — of hundreds of millions of human beings — of the great, the powerful, the mighty, as well as the weak and the feeble, is an amazing exhibition of the power — of the might — of God; and who is there that can fully understand this? Who can estimate fully the wrath of God, if this is to be regarded as an expression of it? Who can comprehend what this is 1 Who can tell, after such an exhibition, what may be in reserve, or what further and more fearful displays of wrath there may yet be? *\r Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. Literally, " And according to thy fear, thy wrath." The word rendered "fear " would here seem to refer to the reverence due to God, or to what there is in his character to inspire awe: — to wit, his power, his majesty, his greatness; and the sense seems to be that his wrath or anger as manifested in cutting down the race seems to be commensurate with all in God that is vast, wonderful, incomprehensible. As no one can understand or take in the one, so no one can understand or take in the other. God is great in all things; great in himself; great in his power in cutting down the race; great in the expressions of his displeasure.

12. So teach us to number our days. Literally, " To number our days make us know, and we will bring a heart of wisdom." The prayer is, that God would instruct us to estimate our days aright: — their number; the rapidity with which they pass away; the liability to be cut down; the certainty that they must soon come to an end; their bearing on the future state of being. T[ That ive may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Marg., " Cause to come." We will bring, or cause to come, a heart of wisdom. By taking a just account of life, that we may bring to it a heart truly wise, or act wisely in view of these facts. The prayer is, that God would enable us to form such an estimate of life, that we

13 Eetum, O JJOED, how longP and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.

14 O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

to the days wherein thou hast afficted us, and the years rvherein we have seen evil.

16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy gloiy unto their children.

shall be truly wise; that we may be able to act as if we saw the whole of life, or as we should do if we saw its end. God sees the end — the time, the manner, the circumstances in which life wiU. close; and although he has wisely hidden that from us, yet he can enable us to act as if we saw it for ourselves; to have the same objects before us, and to make as much of life, as if we saw when and how it would close. If any one knew when, and where, and how he was to die, it might be presumed that this would exert an important influence on him in forming his plans, and on his general manner of life. The prayer is, that God would enable us to act as if we had such a view.

13. Return, 0 Loed. Come back to thy people; show mercy by sparing them. It would seem probable from this that the psalm was composed in a time of pestilence, or raging sickness, which threatened to sweep all the people away — a supposition by no means improbable, as such times occurred in the days of Moses, and in the rebellions of the people when he was leading them to the promised land. ^ Soio long? How long shall this continue? How long shall thy wrath rage? How long shall the people still fall under thy hand? This question is often asked in the Psalms. Ps. iv. 2; vi. 3; xiii. 1, 2; xxxv. 17; Ixxix. 5, et al. ^ And let it repent thee. That is. Withdraw thy judgments, and be merciful, as if thou didst repent. God cannot literally repent, in the sense that he is sorry for what he has done, but he may act as if he repented; that is, he may withdraw his judgments; he may arrest what has been begun; he may show mercy where it seemed that he would only show wrath. Tf Concerning thy servants. In respect to thy people. Deal with them in mercy and not in wrath.

14. O satisfy us early with thy mercy. Literally, "In the morning;" as soon as the day dawns. Perhaps there is an allusion here to their affliction, represented as night; and the prayer is, that the morning — the morning of mercy and joy — might again dawn upon them. ^ That we may rejoice and he glad all our days. All the remainder of our lives. That the memory of thy gracious interposition may go with us to the grave.

15. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast ajfflicted us. Let the one correspond with the other. Let our occasions of joy be measured by the sorrows which have come upon us. As our sufferings have been great, so let our joys and triumphs be. If And the years wherein we have seen evil. Affliction and sorrow. They have been continued through many wearisome years; so let the years of peace and joy be many also.

16. Let thy worJc appear unto thy servants. That is, thy gracious work of interposition. Let us see thy power displayed in removing these calamities, and in restoring to us the days of health and prosperity. If And thy glory unto their children. The manifestation of

17 And let tlie beauty * of the LoED our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of

thy character; the display of thy goodness, of thy power, and thy grace. Let this spreading and wasting evil be checked and removed, so that our children may live, and may have occasion to celebrate thy goodness, and to record the wonders of thy love.

17. And lei the beauty of the Loed our Ood he upon us. The word translated beauty — 'Qy^, noam — means T^roT^erly pleasantness; then, beauty, splendour; then grace or favour. The Septuagiut renders it here, Ka/xnporrjQ, splendour; and so the Latin Vulgate. The wish is clearly that all that there is, in the Divine character, which is beautiful,— which is fitted to win the hearts of men to admiration, gratitude, and love, — might be so manifested to them, or that they might so see the excellency of his character, and that his deaUngs with them might be such, as to keep the beauty, the loveliness, of that character constantly before them. % And establish thou the worh of our hands upon us. What we are endeavouring to do. Enable us to carry out our plans, and to accomplish our purposes. ^ Yea, the ivork of our hands establish thou it. The repetition of the prayer here is emphatic. It indicates an intense desire that God would enable them to carry out their plans. If this was written by Moses, we may suppose that it is expressive of an earnest desire that they might reach the promised land; that they might not all be cut down and perish by the way; that the great object of their march through the wilderness might be accomplished; and that they might be permanently established in the land to which they were going. At the same time it is a prayer which it is proper to offer at any time, that God would enable us to carry out our purposes, and that we may be permanently established in his favour.

The author of this psalm, and the occasion on which it was composed, are alike unknown. The psalm has no title; and there are no internal marks by which we can ascertain when, or by whom, it was written. It is_ very general in its application, and may have been composed wth no particular reference to any event occurring at the time, as it is evident that it had no special reference to the circumstances of the writer. Though it follows a psalm composed by Moses, yet there is no reason to suppose that it waa written by him, nor is there any particular resemblance to that psalm.

From some things in the psalm, as vers. 3, 4, 5, 9, 11, it would appear to be not improbable that the psalm was composed with reference to some individual who was exposed to temptation, or to danger, either from secret enemies or from pestilence, and that it was intended to assure such a one_ that there was nothing to be feared if he put his trust in God. There is no evidence that it was designed to refer particularly to the Saviour. It is, indeed, applied to him by Satan in the temptation in the wilderness (Matt. iv. 6); but there is, in that case, no such recognition of its applicabihty to himself on the part of the Saviour as to justify us in the conclusion that it originally referred to him. Its quotation by the tempter is no proof that this was the original reference of the psalm, and the quotation made ia one which could be applied to him in the same way as any general promise in tho Old Testament made to those who trusted in God might have been.

E that dwelleth "' in the secret place of the Most

The most remarkable tlung in the structure of the psalm is the frequent change of persons, leading some to suppose that it may have been composed with a view to its being sung by choirs in alternate responses, and MichaeHs has suggested that there were probably two such choirs; the one — as in vers. 1, 2 — celebrating the praises of those who trusted in God; the other — as in vers. 3 to 8-^xciting and encouraging the people to put their trust in God, and suggesting reasons why they should do it. Such a thing is, undoubtedly, possible; but the evidence that this was the intention of the author of the psalm is not clear.

Tholuck has divided the psalm, on the supposition that it was thus intended to be sung by alternate choirs, into portions arranged with that view: — ver, 1, the choir; ver. 2, the response; vers. 3-8, the choir; ver. 9, the response; vers. 10-13, the choir; vers. 14-16, the response. This, however, is quite arbitrary, as it cannot be demonstrated to have been the original design.

I. The general statement of the safety of those who put their trust in God, ver. 1.

n. A responsive declaration of the author of the psalm, that he would make the Lord his refuge, and the Most High his habitation, ver. 2.

in. A statement of the security or benefit of doing this, vers. 3-8.

IV. A responsive declaration— repeated — by the author of the psalm that he would do this; that God was his refuge, ver. 9 (part first).

V. A further statement of the benefit of this, vers. 10-13.

VI. A general declaration embracing the sum of all that is said in the psalm, as coming from God himself, containing assurances of his protection to those who thus put their trust in him, and confide in him, vers. 14^16.

This mode of division meets substantially all the changes of persons in the psalm, or arranges the different portions of it into parts belonging to the different speakers in the psalm. There is reason to believe that this was the line of thought in the mind of the psalmist, though it is not clear that this was designed to be so used in public responses in singing.

1. Se that dioelleth. Every one that so dwells. The proposition is universal, and is designed to embrace all who are in this condition. It is true of one; it is true of all. The word rendered dioelleth here is a participle from the verb to sit, and here means sitting: literally, " sitting in the secret place," etc. The idea is that of calm repose; of resting; of sitting down, — as one does in his dwelling. ^ In the secret place. On the meaning of this see Notes on Ps. xxvii. 5. Comp. Ps. xxxi. 20; xxxii. 7. Abiding where God abides. The idea is that of having one's home or residence in the most holy place in the tabernacle or the temple, and of sitting with him in that sacred place. If Of the Most Sigh. Of God, represented as exalted above all; over all the universe. _ ^ Shall abide. Marg., as in Heb., lodge. That is his home, — his resting-place,— w;here he lodges, or passes the night. He takes up his lodging there; he makes it his home. 1[ Under the shadow of the Almighty. Under his protection, as if under his wings. Comp. Notes on Ps._ xvii. 8. This is a general statement, and is designed as an introduction to the whole psalm, or as expressing what the psalm is intended to illustrate, the blessedness of the man who thus dwells with God; who makes him his friend; who makes the home of God big home.

2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge, and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

3 Surely " he shall deliver thee from the snare of the

4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

2. I will say of the Loed. I, the psalmist j I will take this to myself; I will endeavour to secure this blessedness; I will thus abide with God. In view of the blessedness of this condition, and with the hope of securing it to myself; I will adopt this resolution as the purpose of my life. It is what I need; it is what my soul desires. \ My refuge and my fortress. " I will say of Jehovah, My refuge and my fortress.'" I will address him as such; I wLU regard him as such. On the meaning of these terms, see Notes on Ps. xviii. 2. % My God. I will address him as my God; as the God whom alone I worship; as the only being to whom the name God can properly be applied; as being to me all that is implied in the word God. '^ In him will I trust. I will repose that confidence in him which is evinced by making my home with him, and seeking permanently to dwell with him.

3. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler. The snare or gin set for catching birds; meaning, here, that God would save him from the purposes of wicked men; such purposes as might be compared with the devices employed to catch birds. On the meaning of the figure here used, see Notes on Ps. xviii. 5. IT And from the noisome pestilence. The fatal pestilence; the pestilence that spreads death in its march. That is, he can prevent its coming upon you; or, he can save you from its ravages, while others are dying around you. This promise is not to be understood as absolute, or as meaning that no one who fears God will ever fall by the pestilence, — for good men do die at such times as well as bad men; but the idea is, that God can preserve us at such a time; and that, as a great law, he will be thus the protector of those who trust him. It is to be remembered that in times of pestilence (as was the case during the prevalence of the Asiatic cholera in 1832 and 1848), very many of the victims are the intemperate, the sensual, the debased, and that a life of this kind is a predisposing cause of death in such visitations of judgment. A large part of those who die are of that number. From the danger arising from this cause, of course the virtuous, the temperate, the pious are exempt; and this is one of the methods by which God saves those who trust in him from the " noisome pestilence." Religion, therefore, to a considerable extent, constitutes a ground of security at such times; nor is there any reason to doubt that, in many cases also, there may be a special interposition protecting the friends of God from danger.and sparing them for future usefulness. The promise here is substantially that general promise which we have in the Scriptures everywhere, that God is the Protector of his people, and that they may put their trust in him.

4. Se shall cover thee with his feathers, etc. As the parent bird protects its young. See Notes on Ps. xvii. 8. Comp. Deut. xxxii. 11.

5 Thou shalt p not be afraid for tlie terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day,

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; hwt it shall not come nigh thee.

T His truth. His unfailing promise; the certainty that what he has promised to do he will perform. 1[ Shall be thy shield and buckler. Literally, " Shield and buckler is his truth." The meaning is, that his pledge or promise would be unto them as the shield of the soldier is to him in battle. Comp. Ps. xxxv. 2. The word rendered buckler is derived from the verb to surround, and is given to the defensive armour here referred to, because it surrounds, and thus protects a person. It may apply to a coat of mail.

5. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night. That which usually causes alarm at night— a sudden attack; an unexpected incur- Bion of enemies; sudden disease coming on by night; or the pestilence which seems to love night, and to " walk in darkness." Any one of these things seems to be aggravated by night and darkness; and hence we most dread them then. We cannot see their approach; we cannot measure their outlines; we know not the extent of the danger, or what may be the calamity. ^ Nor for the arrow tha.t fieth by day. Whether shot from the bow of God — as pestUence and disease; or from the hand of man in battle. The idea is, that he that trusts in God will be calm. Comp. Notes on Ps. Ivi. 3.

6. Nor/or the pestilence. The plague or pestilence was common in Oriental countries. % That walketh in darkness. Not that it particularly comes in the night, but that it seems to creep along as if in the night; that is, where one cannot mark its progress, or anticipate when or whom it will strike. The laws of its movements are unknown, and it comes upon men as an enemy that suddenly attacks us in the night. IF Nor for the destruction. The word here used— nUP, keteb — means properly a cutting off, a destruction, as a destroying storm, Isa. xxviii. 2; and then, contagious pestilence, Deut. xxxii. 24. It may be applied here to anything that sweeps away men — whether storm, war, pestilence, or famine, f That wasteth at noonday. It lays waste, or produces desolation, at noon; that is, visibly, openly. The meaning is, that whenever, or in whatever form, calamity comes which sweeps away the race, — whether at midnight or at noon,— whether in the form of pestilence, war, or famine, — he who trusts in God need not — will not — be afraid. He wiU feel either that he will be preserved from its ravages, or that if he is cut off he has nothing to fear. He is a friend of God, and he has a hope of a better life. In death, and in the future world, there is nothing of which he should be afraid. The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate render this, strangely enough, " Nor of mischance and the demon of noonday."

7. A thousand shall fall at thy side. Though a thousand should fall at thy side, or close to thee. This alludes to the manner in which the pestilence often moves among men. •[[ And ten thousand at thy right hand. Comp. Ps. iii. 6. The word myriad would better represent the exact idea in the original, as the Hebrew word is different from that

8 Only Q -with thine eyes Shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because thou hast made the LoKD, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation,

which is translated "a thousand." It is put here for any large number. No matter how many fall around thee, on the right hand and the left, you will have nothing to fear. ^ But it shall not come nigh thee. You will be safe. You may feel assured of the Divine protection. Your mind may be calm through a sense of such guardianship, and your very calmness will conduce to your safety. This refers, as remarked above, to a general law in regard to the judgments of God. It is true that others, beside the dissipated, vicious, and debased, may be the victims; but the great law is that temperance, soberness, virtue, cleanliness, and that regard to comfort and health to which religion and virtue prompt, constitute a marked security, — so marked as to illustrate the general law referred to in the psalm before us.

8. Only. That is. This is all that will occur to you. The only thing which you have to anticipate is, that you will see how God punishes sinners. % With thine eyes shall thou behold and see the reward of the ioieked. Your own eyes shall see it. See Notes on Ps. xxxvii. 34. You will see the just punishment of the ungodly, the vicious, the profane, the sensual. You will see what is the proper fruit of their conduct; what is the just expression of the views which Ood takes of their character. This undoubtedly refers to the general principle that there is a moral government on earth; that vice is often punished as such; that the general course of the Divine deaUngs is such as to show that God is favourable to virtue, and is opposed to vice. The system is not complete here, and there are many things which could not be reconciled with this, if the present world were all, and if there were no future state: — but the course of events indicates the general character of the Divine administration, and what is the tendency of things. The completion— the actual and perfect adjustment — is reserved for a future state. The facts as they occur on earth prove that there is an attribute of justice in God; the fact that his dealings here are not wholly and fully in accordance with what justice demands, proves that there will be a state where full justice will be done, and where the whole system will be adjusted.

9. Because thou hast made the LoED, which is my refuge. Literally, " For thou, O Jehovah, [art] my refuge." The Chaldee Paraphrase regards this as the language of Solomon, who, according to that version, is one of the speakers in the psalm: " Solomon answered and said, • Since thou, 0 Lord, art my refuge,'" etc. Tholuck regards this as the response of the choir. But this is unnecessary. The idea is, that the psalmist himself had made Jehovah his refuge, or his defence. The language is an expression of his own feeling— of his own experiencein having made God his refuge, and is designed here to be a ground of exhortation to others to do the same thing. He could say that he had made God his refuge; he could say that God was noiu his refuge; and he could appeal to this — to his own experience — when he exhorted others to do the same, and gave them assurance of safety in doing it. If Even the Most High thy habitation. Literally, " The Most High hast thou made thy habitation;" or, thy home. On the word habita-

10 There »" shall no evil befall thee, neithei" shall any plague come nigh thy dweUing.

11 For * he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shaU bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou t shalt tread upon the Hon and ^ adder; the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

tion, see Notes on Ps. xc. 1. The idea is, that he had, as it were, chosen to abide with God, or to dwell with him — to find his home with him as in a father's house. The consequence of this, or the security which would follow, he states in the following verses.

10. There shall no evil befall thee. The Chaldee Paraphrase has, " The Lord of the world answered and said, ' There shall no evil befall thee,' " etc. The sentiment, however, is that the psalmist could assure such a one, from his own personal experience, that he would be safe. He had himself made Jehovah his refuge, and he could speak with confidence of the safety of doing so. This, of course, is to be understood as a general truth, in accordance with what has been said above. •[f Neither shall any flagiie come nigh thy dwelling. On the word rendered plague here — J?53, naiga — see Notes on Ps. xxxviii. 12 j xxxix. 11, It is not the same word which is used in ver. 6, and translated pestilence; and it does not refer to what is technically caHeUfhe plague. It may denote anything that would be expressive of the Divine displeasure, or that would be sent as a punishment. The word rendered " dwelling " here means a tent; and the idea is, that no such mark of displeasure would abide with him, or enter his tent as its home. Of course, this also must be understood as a general promise, or as meaning that religion would constitute a general ground of security.

11. For he shall give his angels charge over thee. Literally, " He will give command to his angels." That is, he would instruct them, or appoint them for this purpose. This passage (vers. 11, 12) was applied to the Saviour by the tempter. Matt. iv. 6. See Notes on that passage. This, however, does not prove that it had an original reference to the Messiah; for even if we should suppose that Satan was a correct and reliable expounder of the Scriptures, all that the passage would prove as used by him would be, that the righteous, or those who were the friends of God, might rely confidently on his protection, and that Jesus, if he was of God, might do this as others might. On the sentiment in the passage, to wit, that God employs his angels to protect his people, see Notes on Ps. xxxiv. 7; comp. Notes on Heb. i. 14. ^ To keep thee in all thy ivays. To preserve thee wheresoever thou goest.

12. They shall bear thee up, etc. As if they took hold of thee, and held thee up, when about to fall. ^ Lest thou dash thy foot, etc. Lest you shoidd stumble, and fall. They will protect you so that you may walk safely.

13. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder. Thou shalt be safe among dangers, as if the rage of the lion were restrained, and he became like a lamb, and as if the poisonous tooth of the serpent were extracted. Comp. Mark xvi. 18. The word here used to denote the lion is a poetic term, not employed in prose. The word rendered adder

14 Because lie hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He « shall call upon me,

and I will answer him: I " will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16 With 1 long life "^ will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

is, in the margin, asp. The Hebrew word — inE), pethen — commonly means viper, asp, or adder. See Notes on Job xx. 14, 16; comp. Ps. Iviii. 4; Isa. xi. 8. It may be applied to any venomous serpent. % The young lion. The young lion is mentioned as particularly fierce and violent. See Ps. xvii. 12. ^ And the dragon, etc. Heb., V^PIj tannin. See Notes on Ps. Ixxiv. 13; Job vii. 12; Isa. xxvii. 1. In Ex. vii. 9, 10, 12, the word is rendered serpent (and serpents); — in Gen. i. 21, and Job vii. 12, whale (and whales); — in Deut. xxxii. 33; Neh. ii. 13; Ps. Ixxiv. 13 J cxlviii. 7; Isa. xxvii. 1; li. 9; Jer. li. 34, as here, dragon (and dragons); — in Lam. iv. 3, sea-monsters. The word does not occur elsewhere. It woxild perhaps properly denote a sea-monster; yet it may be applied to a serpent. Thus applied, it would denote a serpent of the largest and most dangerous kind; and the idea is, that he who trusted in God would be safe amidst the most fearful dangers, — as if he should walk safely amidst venomous serpents.

14. Because he hath set his love upon me. Has become attached to me; has united himself with me; is my friend. The Hebrew word expresses the strongest attachment, and is equivalent to our expression — to fall in love. It refers here to the fixct that God is the object of supreme affection on the part of his people; — and it also here implies, that this springs from their hearts: that they have seen such beauty in his character, and have such strong desire for him, that their hearts go out in warm affection towards him. % Therefore loill I deliver him. I will save him from trouble and from danger. ^ I will set him on high. By acknowledging him as my own, and treating him accordingly. % Because he hath known my name. He has known me; that is, he understands my true character, and has le;irned to love me.

15. He shall call upon me. He shall have the privilege of calling on me in prayer; and he will do it. \ And I will ansioer him. I will regard his supplications, and will grant his requests. There could be no greater privilege — no more precious promise — than this. ^ J will be with him in trouble. I will stand by him; I will not forsake him. •[T / vnll deliver him, and honour him. I will not only rescue him from danger, but I will exalt him to honour. I will recognize him as my friend, and will regard and treat him as such. On earth he shall be treated as my friSnd; in another world he shall be exalted to honour among the redeemed, and become the associate of holy beings for ever.

16. With long life will I satisfy him. The margin here, is " length of days;" that is, days lengthened out or multiplied. The meaning is, I will give him length of days as he desires, or until he is satisfied with life; — implying (1) that it is natural to desire long life; (2) that long life is to be regarded as a blessing (comp. Prov. iii. 2, 16; Ex. xx. 12); (3) that the tendency of religion is to lengthen out life; since virtue, temperance, regular industry, calmness of mind, moderation in

A Psalm or Song for the sabbath-day.

J'T ' is a good iliing to give thanks unto tlie Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High:

all things, freedom from excesses in eating and in drinking, — to all of which religion prompts, — contribute to health, and to length of days (see Notes on Ps. xxxlv. 12-14; xxxvii. 9j Iv. 23); and (4) that a time will come, even under this promised blessing of length of days, when a man will be "satisfied" with living; when he will have no strong desire to live longer; when, under the infirmities of advanced years, and under his lonely feelings fi'om the fact that his early friends have fallen, and under the influence of a bright hope of heaven, he will feel that he has had enough of life here, and that it is better to depart to another world. ^ And shew him my salvation. In another life, after he shall be "satisfied" with this life. The promise extends beyond the grave: " Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." See Notes on 1 Tim. iv. 8. Thus, religion blesses man in this life, and blesses him for ever. lu possession of this, it is a great thing to him to live long; and then it is a great thing to die — to go to be for ever with God.

The author of this psalm is not indicated in the title, and it is impossible now to ascertain who he was. Nor can the occasion be determined when it was composed. It is of so general a character that it might have been w^itten at any period of the Jewish history; and, so far as the style and the contents are concerned, it may have been written by either of those whose names are attached to the other psalms. That it may have been composed by David, is certainly possible, but of that there is no evidence.

In the title it is called "A Psalm or Song for the sabbath-day;" that is, to be used on the sabbath. The Chaldee Paraphrase has in the title, " Praise and a song which the first man spoke for the sabbath-day." This may indicate that there was an early tradition on this subject; but we have no proof of what would be so interesting a fact, that we have a genuine poetic composition of Adam. The contents are all such as might be properly used on the sabbath, though there is nothing in the psalm that has any special reference to the sabbath, or that is derived from the appointment of such a day. It is not improbable, however, that special psalms and hymns were composed with a view to be used on festal occasions; and this, as a psalm of praise, is well adapted still to the services of the sabbath.

I. To the blessedness of praise, or to the propriety of celebrating the praise of God, vers. 1-4.

n. He refers to the works of God as laying the foundation of praise, vers. 5,6.

III. He refers to the justice of God, or the fact "that the wicked, however they may seem to be prospered, will be cut ofi", vei-s. 7-9.

IV. He refers to the prosperity and the security of the righteous; to the influence of religion and the favour of God on life, as making it prosperous and happy, and as prepaiing men to be useful and cheerful in old age, vers. 10-15.

1. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Loed. Literally, " Good is it to give thanks unto Jehovah." That is, the act is appropriate;

the effect is good. (1) The thing itself is appropriate; for there is much, under all circumstances, to be thankful for: — life, health, food, raiment, air, water, friends, recollections, hopes, — and, above all, the blessings of redemption, and the assurance that we may be happy for ever. Many of these things may be found in the condition of all; but if all else fail, the hope of heaven — the assurance that the Redeemer died — the offer of salvation — cannot fail. That is ours, and cannot be taken away. (2) The effect is good. It is a desirable state of mind. It tends to happiness, contentment, peace. A gloomy mind makes all things around more gloomy; an unthankful mind is an unhappy mind; a murmuring, complaining, dissatisfied mind makes its possessor wretched, and all around him miserable. (3) It is good as it is due to God. For all his favour we should be thankful, — and all that we enjoy is his gift. (4) It tends much to lessen the real troubles and afflictions of life to dwell on those things for which we should be thankful. ^ And to sing praises unto thy name. Unto thee. As this psalm was designed for the " Sabbath-day," this proves that one of the appropriate services of the Sabbath is "praise." It is a daj when it is fit to recall the mercies of God to our recollection; and the remembrance of those mercies, and their celebration by appropriate songs, tend to diffuse joy over all the coming days of the week. % O Most Sigh. God exalted over all. The fact that he is exalted over aU — over us — over our friends — over all worlds — is an appropriate thought when we come before him to praise him; appropriate at all times, and in all circumstances of life.

2. To shoto forth thy loving -Tcindness. To celebrate thy mercy; thy goodness; thy love. If In the morning. That is, there is a fitness in doing this in the morning; or, there are special reasons why we should do this at that time, {a) We have been preserved through the dangers of the night; dangers when we were asleep, unconscious, and defenceless, (i) Life is then, as it were, a new gift, — for we are raised from "the image of death" — sleep, — and we should regard life then as if we had been raised from the dead, (c) To praise God in the morning will have a good influence on us, in promoting cheerfulness; in making U3 benignant and kind; in preparing us for the toils and trials of the day. There is no better preparation for a day, in view of its burdens, cares, toils, and trials, than a thankful, cheerful mind in the morning. He who begins a day with a sour, a morose, a murmuring, an irritable spirit, — who has been preserved through the night, and sees nothing to be thankful for in the morning, — will be a miserable man through the day, and will make all miserable around him. He who sees nothing to be thankful for in the morning will see nothing to hope for in the day; he who has no gratitude for the past, will have no bright anticipations of the future. ^ And, thy faithfulness. Faithfulness in the laws of nature; in thy promises; in thy character; in thy providential dealings with men. ^ Every night. Marg., in the nights. The reference is to the returti of evening; and the meaning is, that it is a good thing, or that it is appropriate to contemplate the faithfulness of God at the close of every day. {a) The mind is then calm, after the toils of the day are over, (fi) The time — even-

3 Upon an instrument of ten sti-ings, and upon the psaltery; ' upon the harp with 2 a solemn sound.

4 For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work; I * Or, upon the solemn sound with the harp.

5 O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts » are very deep.

ing — its stillness — its twilight — its approaching darkness, — all is favourable for reflection, (e) There is much in every day to be thankful for, and it is well to recall it at night, {d) It has a happy effect on the mind when we are about to lie down to rest, to recall the mercies of God; to reflect on what he has done for us; to gather, from his kindness in the past, lessons of confidence and hope for the times to come. We lie down at night more calmly in proportion as we are disposed at the close of a day to think of the mercies which we have received at the hand of God; and the recalling of those mercies to remembrance with the voice, and with instruments of praise, is always an appropriate mode of closing a day.

3. Upon an instrument of ten strings. The general idea in this verse is, that instruments of all kinds are to be employed in celebrating the praises of God. On the instrument here referred to, see Notes on Ps. xxxiii. 2. ^ And upon the psaltery. Or lyre. See Notes on Isa. v. 12. The word is there translated mol. % Upon the harp with a solemn sound. Marg., upo7i the solemn sound loith the harp. Prof. Alexander renders this, "On meditation with a harp." On the word rendered harp, see Notes on Isa. v. 12. The Hebrew word rendered solemn sound is ^i''SrT — higgaion — which means properly murmur; then, the sound of a harp; and then, meditation. See Notes on Ps. ix. 16. Here the meaning seems to be, " tuith murmurs upon the harp;" that is, with the sound of the harp — its murmuring tones. It does not denote here a distinct instrument of music, but it refers to the tones of the harp: not to the meditations of the mind — of the worshipper — but to the low and gentle sounds of the instrument itself.

4. For thou, Loed, hast made me glad. Thou hast made me happy; thou hast given me such a state of feeling as finds an appropriate expression in praise. Tf Through thy work. Either the work of creation, the finishing of which the Sabbath was designed particularly to commemorate; or the works of God in general, — the universe; or the general dealings of his providence; or some particular interpositions of Providence in his behalf that called for special praise. All these are appropriately combined in the celebrations — the praises — of the Sabbath; to these should be added, as among the most marvellous of his works, and that which furnishes special occasion for praise on the Christian Sabbath, the wonderful work of redemption — that which of all the " works " of God makes a heart rightly afi'ected most " glad." 1[ I will triumph. I will exult or rejoice. 1 In the works of thy hands. In all thy works; in. all that thou hast done.

5. O LoED, hotv great are tfiy luorks! Comp. Ps. viii. 3; xl. 5. See also Notes on Job xi. 7. The meaning here is this: — The psalmist, on the Sabbath, in giving himself to meditation on the works of God, is overwhelmed with a sense of their vastness, their incomprehensible

6 A brutish man knowetli not; neither doth, a fool understand this.

7 When a the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the

workers of iniquity do flourish, it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:

8 But thou, Lord, art most high for evermore.

nature, and the depth of wisdom evinced, far beyond the grasp of man, in what God had done. How soon is man lost; how soon does he get beyond his depth; how soon does he feel that here is greatness which he cannot comprehend, and wisdom which he cannot fathom, and goodness which he cannot appreciate, when he sits down to meditate on the works of God! ^ And thi/ thoughts are very deep. Comp. Isa. xxviii. 29 J Rom. xi. 33, 34. The meaning is, that the plans or the purposes of God, as evinced in the works of creation and providence, are too profound for man to understand them. Who but God himself can comprehend them?

6. A hrutish man knoioeth not. A man who is stupid, and who is like the beasts or brutes; that is, a man whose tastes and propensities are like the brutes, or who does not seem to act as if endowed with a rational nature. The idea evidently is, that there are many such men, and that it is not to be wondered at that they have no exalted idea of the greatness of God. As a matter of fact there are many in human form — many made in the image of God — who seem to have no more notion of God, and who see no more wisdom and goodness in his works, than the horse or the ox. Comp. Isa. i. 3. ^ Neither doth a fool understand this. A fool, in the sense that he has been made foolish and stupid by sin; that he does not worship and honour God. He has no right understanding in regard to the Maker and the Governor of the universe.

7. When the toicJced spring as the grass. When they grow up as plants do; when they seem to flourish and prosper. Comp. Ps. xc. 5, 6; xxxvii. 2, 35, 38. The word grass here refers to the vegetable creation generally, embracing plants and flowers of all kinds. ^ And when all the workers of iniquity do flourish. As plants and flowers do. They are like vigorous plants; not like the stunted and dry shrubs of the desert. ^ It is that they shall be destroyed for ever. The meaning here is, not that the design of their being thus made to flourish is that they should be destroyed, or that they are made to flourish for that purpose, but that such will be the result. They will not be made happy in another world by their prosperous and prospered wickedness here, as if God approved of their course; but the end will be that they will be destroyed for ever. The design of the psalmist seems to be to turn the mind from the idea that mere external prosperity is necessarily connected with happiness; or that one who is prospered in this life is on that account safe. There is another world, and there ample justice will be done to all. See Ps. lxxiii. 16-20.

8. But thou, LoED, art most high for evermore. In the treatment of the righteous and the wicked, thou wilt maintain thine own exalted place as a sovereign. Whatever may occur to men, God will maintain this exalted position as supreme over all.

Lord, for, lo, tliine enemies shall perisli: all ' the workers of iniquity shall be scattered;

10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed " with fresh oil.

desire on mine enemies; cimd mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.

12 The righteous '^ shall flourish like the palm-tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

The repetition of the word " lo " here — lehold! — is emphatic. The attention of the psalmist was fixed on this as an event which would be sure to occur. It was certain that God would be exalted; it followed from this, that all his enemies would be subdued in order that he might be thus exalted. ^ All the worJcers of iniquity shall he scattered. More literally, " shall scatter or disperse themselves;" implying eagerness and activity, as if they were in haste to flee away. The allusion is to an army that is discomfited, disorganized, " demoralized," and scattered; or to chafi" that is dispersed by the wind. See Job xxi. 18; Isa. xvii. 13; xxix. 5; Hos. xiii. 3.

10. But my horn shalt thou exalt. The horn is a symbol of strength or power (see Notes on Ps. xviii. 2); and the meaning here is, that, while the wicked would be cut off, he would be prospered; that is, he had such confidence that he was the friend of God, that he believed God would honour him and exalt him. The psalmist here speaks of himself not so much with reference to his own particular case, but as the representative of the righteous. The idea is, that God will thus exalt a righteous man. ^ Like the horn of an unicorn. Supposed to be remarkable for the strength of its horn. On the animal here referred to, see Notes on Job xxxix. 9; comp. Ps. xxii. 21. ^ I shall le anointed with fresh oil. Oil pure and sweet; not old and rancid. That is, he would be made happy, cheerful, bright, and prosperous. Anointing with oil in the East was the symbol of all this, or was equivalent to what we mean by putting on gay apparel — holiday apparel. Comp, Notes on Ps. xxiii. 5.

11. Mine eye also shall see my desire. That is, I shall be permitted to see the destruction of my foes; I shall be gratified with seeing them overthrown. On the sentiment here expressed, see Notes ou Ps. liv. 7; lix. 10. ^ On mine enemies. The word here used — "ilffi' sJmr — occurs nowhere else. It means, properly, a lier-in-wait; one who ivatches; one who is in ambush; and refers to persons who watched his conduct; who watched for his ruin. If And mine ears, etc. Literally, " Of those rising up against me, evil-doers, my ear shall hear." He would hear of their ruin; he would hear what he desired to hear.

12. The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree. That is, the beauty, the erectness, the stateliness, the growth of the palm-tree — all this is an emblem of the condition, the prosperity, the happiness of a righteous man. The wicked shall be cut down; but the righteous shall flourish. This image — the comparison of a righteous man to a flourishing, majestic, green, and beautiful tree — is not uncommon in the Scrip- fcures. See Notes oa Ps. i. 3; comp. Jer. xvii. 8. On the palm-tree, see Notes on Matt. xxi. 8. " The stem," says Dr. Thomson (" Land and the Pook/' voh i. p. 65) " tall, slender, and erect as Rectitude herself, suggests to the Arab poets many a symbol for their lady-love; and Solomon, long before them, has sung, ' How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love! for delights; this thy stature is like the palm-tree." Cant. vii. 6, 7. The following remarks of Dr. Thomson ("Land and the Book," vol. i. pp. 65, 66) will illustrate the passage before us: — " The palm grows slowly, but steadily, from century to century, uninfluenced by those alternations of the seasons which affect other trees. It does not rejoice overmuch in winter's copious rain, nor does it droop, under the drought and the burning sun of summer. Neither heavy weights which men place upon its head, nor the importunate urgency of the wind, can sway it aside from perfect uprightness. There it stands, looking calmly down upon the world below, and patiently yielding its large clusters of golden fruit from generation to generation. They 'bring forth fruit in old age.' The allusion to being planted in the house of the Lord is probably drawn from the custom of planting beautiful and long-Uved trees in the courts of temples and palaces, and in aU ' high places ' used for worship. This is still common; nearly every palace, and mosque, and convent in the country has such trees in the courts, and, being well protected there, they flourish exceedingly. Solomon covered all the walls of the ' Holy of Holies ' round about with palm-trees. They were thus planted, as it were, within the very house of the Lord; and their presence there was not only ornamental, but appropriate and highly suggestive; the very best emblem, not only of patience in welldoing, but of the rewards of the righteous — a fat and flourishing old age — a peaceful end — a glorious immortality." The following cut will furnish an apt representation of the appearance of the tree, and a proper illustration of the beauty of the passage before us. ^ He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. On the cedars of Lebanon, see Notes on Isa. ii. 13. The following remarks by Dr. Thomson (" Land and the Book," vol. i. pp. 292, 295), with the accompanying cut, will show the propriety of the image here. "The platform where the cedars stand is more than six thousand feet above the Mediterranean, and around it are gathered the very tallest and grayest heads of Lebanon. The forest is not large — not more than five hundred trees, great and small, grouped irregularly on the sides of shallow ravines, which mark the birthplace of the Khadisha, or Holy River.

" But, though the space covered by them does not exceed half a dozen acres, yet, when fairly within the grove, and beneath the giant arms of those old patriarchs of a hundred generations, there comes a solemn hush upon the soul as if by enchantment. Precisely the same sort of magic spell settles on the spirits, no matter how often you repeat your visits. But it is most impressive in the night. Let us by all means arrange to sleep there. The universal silence is almost painful. The gray old towers of Lebanon, still as a stone, stand all around, holding up the stars of heaven to look at you, and the trees gather like phantoms about you, and wink knowingly, or seem to, and whisper among themselves you know not what. You become suspicious, nervous, until, broad awake, you find that it is nothing but the flickering of your drowsy fire, and the feeble flutter of bats among the boughs of the trees. A night among the cedars is never forgotten; the impressions, electro- typed, are hid away in the inner chamber of the soul, among her choicest treasures, to be visited a thousand times with never-failing delight.

" There is a singular discrepancy in the statements of travellers with regard to the number of trees. Some mention seven, others thirteen — intending, doubtless, only those whose age and size rendered them Biblical, or at least historical. It is not easy, however, to draw any such line of demarcation. There is a complete gradation from small and comparatively young to the very oldest patriarchs of the forest. I counted four hundred and forty-three, great and small, and this cannot be far from the true number. This, however, is not uniform. Some are struck down by lightning, broken by enormous loads of snow, or torn to fragments by tempests. Even the sacrilegious axe is sometimes lifted against them. But, on the other hand, young trees are constantly springing up from the roots of old ones, and from seeds of ripe cones. I have seen these infant cedars in thousands just springing from the soil; but as the grove is wholly unprotected, and greatly frequented both by men and animals, they are quickly

13 Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall

destroyed. The fact, however, proves that the number might be increased ad libitum. Beyond a doubt, the whole of these upper terraces of Lebanon might again be covered with groves of this noble tree, and furnish timber enough not only for Solomon's Temple and the house of the forest of Lebanon, but for all the houses along this coast. But, unless a wiser and more provident government controls the country, such a result can never be realized, and, indeed, the whole forest will slowly die out under the dominion of the Arab and Turk. Even in that case the tree will not be lost. It has been propagated by the nut or seed in many parks in Europe, and there are more of them within fifty miles of London than on all Lebanon.

" We have seen larger trees every way, and much taller, on the banks of the Ohio, and the loftiest cedar might take shelter under the lowest branches of California's vegetable glories. Still, they are respectable trees. The girth of the largest is more than forty-one feet; the height of the highest may be one hundred. These largest, however, part into two or three only a few feet from the ground. Their age is very uncertain, nor are they more ready to reveal it than others who have an uneasy consciousness of length of days. Very different estimates have been made. Some of our missionary band, who have experience in such matters, and confidence in the results, have counted the growths (as we Western people call the annual concentric circles) for a few inches into the trunk of the oldest cedar, and from such data carry back its birth three thousand five hundred years. It may be so. They are carved full of names and dates, going back several generations, and the growth since the earliest date has been almost nothing. At this rate of increase they must have been growing ever since the Flood. But young trees enlarge far faster, so that my confidence in estimates made from such specimens is but small." The idea in the passage before us is, that the righteous will flourish like the most luxuriant and majestic trees of the forest; they may be compared with the most grand and beautiful objects in nature.

13. Those that he planted in the house of the Loed. As if plants were reared up in the house of God. The same image, under the idea of the olive tree, occurs in Ps, lii. 8. See Notes on that verse. The passage here may refer particularly to those who have been trained up in connexion with the church; young plants set out in the sanctuary, and cultivated until they have reached their growth. ^ Shall flourish in the courts of our God. That is. Having been planted there, they wiU grow there; they will send out their boughs there; they will produce fruit there. The " courts " of the house of God were properly the areas or open spaces around the tabernacle or the temple (see Notes on Matt. xxi. 12); but the word came also to denote the tabernacle or the temple itself, or to designate a place where God was worshipped. It has this meaning here. The passage aSbrds an encouragement to parents to train up their children in attendance on the ordinances of public worship; and it shows the advantage of having been born in the church, and of having been trained up in it, — an advantage which no one can fully appreciate. The passage may also be regarded as furnishing a proof of what will be the result of being thus " planted " and

14 They shall still bring foi'tli fruit in old age; tliey shall be fat and ^ flomishing;

nurtured in connexion with the church, — inasmuch as trees carefully planted and cultivated are expected to produce more and better fruit than those which grow wild.

14. TJiey shall still h ring forth fruit in old age. As a tree that is carefully planted and cultivated may be expected to live long, and to bear fruit even when it is old. It is true that such a tree may be cut down; or that it may be blown down by winds and tempests; or that it may be unproductive, but as a general rule, and as laying the foundation of a reasonable hope, such a tree may be expected to live long, and to produce fruit even when it is old. So of one devoted early to God, and trained up under the influences of religion. The care, the culture, the habits of temperance, of industry, of moderation, and of sobriety so formed, are favourable to length of days, and lay the foundation for usefulness when old age comes. An aged man should be useful. He should feel that whatever wisdom he may possess as the result of long study and experience, belongs to God and to truth; that one great reason for sparing him is that he may be useful; that the world needs the benefit of his counsel and his prayers; that his life is lengthened out not for his own ease or enjoyment, but that virtue and piety may be extended in the world by all the influence which he can bring to bear upon it in advanced years. It may be added that, as a matter of fact, those who are thus trained and are thus preserved, are useful in old age. No one thus spared need be useless; perhaps almost none are. There is something appropriate for old men to do, as there is for the young and the middle-aged; and it should be the object of an aged Christian to find out what that is, and to do it. The word rendered old age means literally grey or hoary hair. ^ They shall he fat. The meaning is, that they shall be vigorous, or have the appearance of vigour and health. ^ And flourishing. Marg., as in Heb., green. This image is taken from a tree, as if it were still green in old age, or gave no indications of decay.

15. To shew that the LoED is upright. That is, This will be a proof that God is faithful to his promises; that he is the true friend of his people. The fact that they live long, — that they are happy and useful even in old age, will be a demonstration that God is the fi-iend of virtue, and that he deals with men according to their character. ^ He is my rock. He is my defence; that which constitutes my security. See Notes on Ps. xviii. 2. This is language of strong confidence in view of all that is said in the psalm. ^ And there is no unrighteousness in him. This is said in the most absolute form, — implying the most entire confidence. God is altogether to be trusted. There is no evil or wrong in his character or in his deahngs. In all respects he is worthy of confidence: — worthy to be loved, trusted, adored, obeyed, by the inhabitants of all worlds. What a sublime thought is this! What a consolatory truth! What would the universe be if God, a Being of infinite powee, were not a Being of perfect EiGnTEOUS- KE88, and could not be trusted by the creatures which he has made!

LoED is clotlied with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stab-

The author of this psahn is unknown, and there is nothing by which we can determine this, or its date, or the occasion on which it was written. It seems, from ver. 5, to have been composed with some reference to the sanctuary, and to the service there: — "Holiness becometh thine house, 0 Lord," and it may have been designed, Nvith the last psalm, to have been used in the place of public worship on the sabbath-day. It would appear, also, from the structure of the psalm, that it was composed in view of some danger which may have threatened the nation from some hostile power (vers. 1-4), and that the design was to impart confidence in God, or to keep up the assurance in the mind of the people that God presided over all, and that his kingdom was safe. With this view, it is adapted to inspire confidence in God in all ages, and in all times of danger. In the Septuagiiit and the Latin Vulgate, the title is, " The praise of an ode by David, for the day preceding the sabbath, when the earth was founded." The origin of this title is unknown, and it has no authority. There is no evidence that it was composed by David, and the presumption from ver. 5 is that it was composed after the temple was bmlt, and conseqently after the death of David.

1. The Lord reigneth. The same commencement of a psalm occurs in Ps. xcvii. and xcix. The same idea is often found in the Scriptures. 1 Chron. xvi. 31; Ps. xUii. 8; Isa. iii. 7; Rev. xix. 6. The thought seems abrupt here. It would appear as if the psalmist had been meditating on the dark things which occur in the world; the mysteries which abound; the things which seem irreconcilable with the idea that there is a jast government over the world, and that suddenly the idea occurs, as a flash of lightning in a storm, that Jehovah reigns over all, and that all must be right. Amidst all these things God sits upon the throne; he orders all events; he sways his sceptre over all; he orders all things according to his own will; he secures the accomplishment of his own purposes. If He is clothed with majesty. That is, he puts on, or wears this; he appears in this as a garb, or robe. The word rendered " majesty " means properly loftiness, and is applied to the swelling of the sea (Ps. Ixxxix. 9), or to a column of smoke, Isa. ix. 18. The idea here is, that God is exalted; and that he appears in such a manner as to indicate his proper dignity. See Notes on Isa. vi. 1. Tf The Loed is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself. There is an allusion here to the mode of dress among the Orientals — the custom of girding the loins when one laboured, or walked, or ran. See Notes on Matt. v. 38-41. ^ The world also is stablished. Is firm j is on a solid foundation. It cannot be shaken or destroyed by natural convulsions, or by the power of man. ^ That it cannot he moved. Moved out of its place; overthrown; destroyed. This seems to have been spoken in view of some impending calamity, as if everything were to be swept away. The psalmist consoles himself with the thought that the world was firmly established; that no storm or tempest could be so violent as to remove it out of its place. The ground of consolation is the essential stability of what God has ordained.

2 Tliy throne ^ is establislied 1 of old: thou art from everlasting.

3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up theii- voice; the floods lift

4 The » LoED on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

5 Thy testimonies are very

2. r/ij/ throne is established of old. Whatever might occur, the throne of God was firm. That could not be moved. It had been set up from all eternity. It had stood through all the convulsions and changes which had occurred in the universe; and it would stand firm for ever. Whatever might change, that was immovable; and as long as that is unchanged we have a ground of security and hope. Should that be moved, all would be gone. The margin here is, as in Heb., from then: — hut it means of old; from the most ancient times j that is, from the period indicated by the next clause, " from everlasting." % Thou art from everlasting. From all eternity; thou hast always existed; thou art ever the same (Ps. xc. 1).

3. The floods have lifted up, 0 Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice. The word here rendered ^oo<^s, means properly rivers, and then it may be applied to any waters. The word voice here refers to the noise of raging waters when they are agitated by the winds, or wheu they dash on the shore. See Notes on Ps. xlii. 7. % The floods lift up their waves. As if they would sweep everything away. The allusion here is to some calamity or danger which might, in its strength and violence, be compared with the wild and raging waves of the ocean. Or if it refers literally to the ocean in a storm, then the psalm may have been the reflections of the author as he stood on the shore of the sea, and saw the waves beat and dash against the shore. To one thus looking upon the billows as they roll in towards the shore, it seems as if they were angry; as if they intended to sweep everything away; as if the rocks of the shore could not resist them. Yet they have their bounds. They spend their strength; they break, and retire as if to recover their force, and then they renew their attack with the same result. But their power is limited. The rocky shore is unmoved. The earth abides. God is over all. His throne is unshaken. No violence of the elements can afi"ect that; and, under his dominion, all is secure.

4. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters. That is, he is more powerful than those waters; he is able to control them. See Notes on Ps. Ixv. 7; Job xxxvui. 11. The original here is more rapid in the course of the thought; more emphatic and forcible: — " More than the voice of waters — many — mighty — the breakers of the aea — in the high place is Jehovah." He is over all those billows and breakers; more mighty than they all. They can proceed no farther than he permits; they wiU be stayed when and where he commands. We can conceive of few things which more illustrate the power and the majesty of God than the fact that he thus presides over, and controls, the waves of the ocean. ^ Yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. The original word here corresponds precisely with our word breakers — the mighty waves that break on the beach.

to; all that thou hast affirmed or declared to be true. This would embrace all that God has spoken, whether his law, his promises, his commands, his prophecies, or his statements of what has occurred and of what will occur. See Notes on Ps. xix. 7. ^ Holiness hecometh thine house, O LoBD. The psalm seems to have been intended to be used in the sanctuary, as a part of public worship, and the word holiness here would seem to mean a proper respect for God; confidence in him; a state of mind free from all doubt, and from all that is impure. Perhaps there may be here, also, the idea that in all the convulsions of the world; in all that threatens to overthrow truth and righteousness; in all the attacks which are made on the Divine government; in all the eiforts of the defenders of error, and in the midst of abounding iniquity, the church should maintain a firm adherence to the principles of holiness, to that which is right and true. There should be one place — the church — where there would be no wavering in regard to truth and holiness; — one place, where the truth would be defended whatever commotions might be abroad. The main idea, therefore, in the psalm is, that, in view of the fact that God reigns, and that nothing can frustrate his plans, or disturb his throne, we should approach him with reverence, with humble trust, with sincere and pure hearts. In a larger sense, also, — in the largest sense conceivable, — it is true that holiness, purity, fi-eedom from evil thoughts, from a wanton eye and a wanton imagination, from unholy plans and purposes, should prevail in the house of God, and should be regarded as indispensable to proper worship. As heaven is pure, and as there shall enter there nothing "that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie " (Rev. xxi, 27), so in the place where we seek to prepare for that holy, world — the sanctuary of God, — nothing should be allowed to enter that is impure and polluting; nothing that tends to corrupt or defile the soul. It may be added, that attendance in a place of pubhc worship is calculated to make the heart pure, and to banish unholy thoughts and purposes from the soul. A man who feels that he is in the presence of a holy God, will not be likely to welcome into his soul polluted images and unholy desires. *[ For ever. Marg., as in Heb., to length of days. The idea is, that it is always appropriate. See Notes on Ps. xxiii. 6.

This psalm, in the Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, is entitled " A Psalm of David, for the fourth day of the week." What is the origin of this title is unknown, as there is nothing corresponding to it in the Hebrew. In the original the psalm is without a title, nor is there anything in the contents of it which will enable us to determine who was the author, or to fix the date or the occasion of its composition. There is in it nothing necessarilj- inconsistent with the supposition that David was the author; and there were undoubtedly occasions in his life when it would have been appropriate. There Uave been many conjectures as to the author, and as to the occasion on which it was composed. Riidinger refers it to the times of David and the rebeUion sf Absalom; Venema supposes that it refers to the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, and the persecution under him; De "Wette refers it to the time of the Babylonish exile; others suppose that it was written on the eve of the

2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.

Babylonish captivity. "Whatever may have been the occasion, the style and form of the psalm are so general that it may be made a vehicle of pious thought, and of the feelings of the people of God, in all ages.

From the psalm itself it is plain that it was composed during some impending or actual national calamity. This is evident from vers. 3, 4, 5, 14, 20. It would seem, also, from vers. 7-10, that it was probably some calamity which was brought upon the people by a foreign nation, — a nation that defied Jehovah, and proclauned that he was unable to defend his friends, or that he would not interpose in their behalf: " They say, the Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it." The object of the psalm is to show that God is the protector of his people; that he does regard them; that he will interpose in their behalf.

(2) A statement of the character and purposes of the wicked who were bringing these calamities upon the nation, vers. 3-7.

(3) A direct appeal to these mvaders themselves, — an appeal based on the ground that God could not be indifferent to the conduct of men; that he must hear their words, understand their thoughts, see their acts, and know aU that they did, vers. 8-11.

(4) Consolation in the trouble derived from the fact that this was a deserved chastening of the Lord, and was not designed for their destruction, but for their good, vers. 12-15.

(5) The fact that God is a scnrce of ccnCdence, comfort, and support to his people, in aU such times of trial, vers. Ifr- 23.

1. 0 LoED Qod, to whom vengeance helongeth, etc. Marg., God of revenges. The idea is, that it pertains to God to take vengeance, or to punish for crimes. See Notes on Rom. xii. 19. The appeal here is made to God in view of the crimes committed by others, and which are referred to in the subsequent part of the psalm. God is addressed as having the right to restrain and punish wicked men, and he is asked to interpose and assert that right in a case which clearly demanded it. The appeal is repeated to make it emphatic, or to denote earnestness in the petition. ^ Sheio thi/self. Marg., as in Heb., shine forth. The meaning is, Manifest thyself; come forth as such a God; prove thy right; display thy power, and show that thou art a God opposed to crime and wrong. The same Hebrew word is used here which is found in Ps. 1.XXX. 1, and which is there rendered shine forth. See Notes on that passage.

2. Lift up thyself Be exalted or lifted up so as to be manifest in thy true character. The idea is that God was, as it were, sitting at his ease, or as if he were indifferent to what was occurring in the world. See Notes on Ps. iii. 7. IT Thou Judge of the earth. Ruler of the world; to whom it appertains to exercise judgment over all classes of people, and in all circumstaucos. The meaning here is, that as he was the Ruler of the whole earth, this matter came without doubt under his jurisdiction. It was a case for his interposition. ^ Render a reward

3 Lord, how long «> shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?

4 How long shall they utter and speak hard " things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?

5 They break in pieces thy

6 They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.

7 Yet they say. The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.

to the proud. A just recoiiipence to the men who are confident in their own strength, and who are manifesting their pride in depriving others of their rights.

3. LoED, hoiv long sliall the wicked, etc. As if there were to be no end to their exultation; their joy; their success. How long would God allow this? How long would he sit by and see it done? Was he disposed to let them go on for ever? Would he never interpose, and arrest them in their career? How often do we wonder that God does not interpose! How often does it seem inexplicable that a Being of almighty power and infinite goodness does not interfere with respect to the wickedness, the oppression, the slavery, the wrong, the cruelty, the fraud, the violence of the world — and put an end to it! Nay, how entirely are we overwhelmed at the thought that he does not put an end to iniquity in the universe altogether; that he never will thus interpose, and put an end to sin and sorrow! Such things are too high for us now; perhaps will be always so. Things on earth are not as we should suppose they would be; and we can only pause and adore where we cannot comprehend!

4. How long shall they litter and speak hard things 1 The word rendered utter means to pour forth — as water from a fountain; to pour forth copiously. The meaning is, that they seemed to be full, and that they poured forth evil words as a fountain pours forth water. The phrase hard things means proud, unfeeling, insolent things; things which are unjust, unkind, severe, harsh, ^ And all the workers of iniquity boost themselves? Boast of their power and their success. How long shall they be permitted to have such success as may seem to justify them in their exultation?

5. They break in pieces thy people. They tread down; they grind; they crush. The Hebrew word is often used as meaning to crush under foot; to trample on; and hence it means to oppress. Lam. iii. 34; Isa. iii. 15. ^ Atid afflict. To wit, by oppression and wrong. If this refers to foreigners, it means that they did this by invasion and by the ravages of war. 1" Thine heritage. Thy people, regarded as an inhe- I'itance or possession. See Notes on Ps. xxviii. 9; xxxiii. 12; Ixviii. 9; Ixxiv. 2; Isa. xix. 25; xlvii. 6; 1 Pet. v. 3.