Notes on the Old and New Testaments

20. Thou makest darkness, and it is night. Thou hast made arrangements for the return of night — for the alternations of Jay and night. The Hebrew word rendered makest, means to place; and the idea is, that God constitutes the darkness, or so disposes things that it occurs. IT Wherein all the beasts of the forest. The margin is, the beasts thereof do trample on the forest. The reference is to the beasts which seek their prey at night. ^ Do creep forth. The Hebrew word here used means properly to creep, as the smaller animals do, which have feet, as mice, lizards, crabs, or as those do which glide or drag themselves upon the ground, having no feet, as worms and serpents. Gen. i. 21, 26, 28, 30; ix. 2. The allusion here is to the quiet and noiseless manner in which the animals come forth at night in search of their prey, or seem to crawl out of their hiding-places — the places where they conceal themselves in the day-time. Tlie idea is, that the arrangements which God has made in regard to day and night are wisely adapted to the animals which he has placed on the earth. The earth is full of animated beings, accomplishing by day and night the purposes of their existence.

21. The young lions roar after their prey. This is a continuation of the description in the previous verse. At night the beasts which had been hidden in the daytime crawl forth, and seek their food. The Hon is particularly specified as one of the beasts that in a general survey would attract attention. The psalmist hears his "roar" as he goes forth in the forest in pursuit of his prey. If And seek their meat from God. Their food. That is, God bestows it on them, and they act as if they sought it at his hand. They seek it where he has placed it; they are dependent on him for it. It is a beautiful idea that even the brute creation act as if they called ou God, and sought the supply of their waats at his hands,

22. The sun ariseth. A new scene in this endless variety of incidents in a world full of life and beauty. The psalmist sees the light break in the oast, aud the sua appear above the horizon,— aud the whole scene is changed. The animals that had gone forth at night are seen to re-

gather themselves together, and lay them down in theii- dens.

23 Man / goeth forth unto his work and to his laboui-, until the evening.

24 O LOED, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom

25 So is this great and wide '' sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.

turn again to their hiding-places, and man in 7. t^ turn (ver. 23) is seen o go ibrth to his daily toil. % They gather t^emseUes together Though scattered in the night, when light returns, they all J^^^^.^^^^.^^f ^PjJ^ the nlaces where they are accustomed to repose in the daytime, ihe scene is r^ort beautifv?. At night they sally forth for their prey;whn the mornin- light returns, they all retrace their steps to the places m dens and^avefns where they pass the day, and there they repose in silpnop until nitrht returns again. n..■• j? i •„ trMTgo:th forth, etc Man is now seen to go forth from his dwelUng an^d be Appears on the stage to perform his daily toil, until Qweiung, duu "^ i-i^.,. for the beasts of night.

S^he^ii^ eve^y^Sr^^^^^^ ho.Jfull of animated existence Sie earth is! how varied ^'e the occupations of its different inhabitaxits; and hoiv The varieties of being are adapted to its own varied condition

'""'^ r^Zt'Z^f^rtethy ^.or^s.r Literally, ho^o.any^ The reference i to the number and the variety of the works of God. and to?he w sdom displayed in them all. The earth is not fitted up merely for one class of inhabitants, but for an almost endless variety; and the Jsdom of God is manifested alike in the number and m the variety. No on" can estimate the number of beings God has -^^^ °n the earth, no one can comprehend the richness of the vanety. By day the air the earth the watere swarm with life,-life struggling everywhere as if no nkce wa^Tobrieft unoccupied; even for the dark scenes of n.^ht cT^tirnumbers of beings have been created; -^'^ -/J^ j^^, -" nion^itv of numbers, there is an endless variety. No two are aiiKe.?ndivSua ityreverywhere preserved, and the mind is astonished and confounded a ke at the numbers and the variety. '^ In ^^"^om^^f / o« It them all. That is, Thou hast adapted each and a to th different ends conteinplated - the..-ea^^ion^^^.^^^T^^ZTZ lhese^^^•tous objects thus created are regarded as the possession of God; or thev Sorto him. as the property of a man belongs to himself The psaluiilt Ivs that this wealth or property abounds everywhere;

26 There go the ships; thei-e is that leviathan, ' whom thou hast 1 made to play therein.

27 These wait all upon thee,

2S That thou givest them they gather: thou '' openest thine hand, they ai-e filled with good.

sight when the psalm was composed, — as it is in sight not only along the coast, but from many of the elevations in Palestine. The phrase "wide of hands " applied to the sea, means that it seems to stretch out in all directions. Comp. Notes on Isa. xxxiii. 21. The creeping things refer to the variety of inhabitants of the deep that glide along as if they crept. See Notes on ver. 20. The word beasts refers to any of the inhabitants of the deep, and the idea is that there is an endless variety there. This reflection cannot but impress itself on the mind of any one when looking on the ocean: What a countless number, and what a vast variety of inhabitants are there in these waters — all created by God; all provided for by his bounty!

26. There go the ships. There the vessels move along — objects that would, of com-se, attract the attention of one lookicg at the sea, and admiring its w^onders. The psalmist is describing the active scenes on the surface of the globe, and, of course, on looking at the ocean, these would be among the objects that would particul.irly attract his attention. ^ There is that leviathan. The Septuagint and the Vulgate render this, dragon. On the meaning of the word leoiathan, see Notes on Job xli. 1. ^ Whom thou hast made. Marg., as in 'B.ob., formed. The idea of creation is implied in the word. ^ To play therein. As his native element. To move about therein; to make quick and rapid motions, as if in sport.

27. These wait all upon thee. That is. These are aU dependent on thee. It does not, of course, mean that they " wait" in the sense that they are conscious of their dependence on God, but that they are actually dependent. The original word implies the idea of expecting or hoping, and is so rendered in the Septuagint and Vulgate. They have no other ground of expectation or hope but in thee. ^ That thou mayest give them their meat in due season. Their food at the proper time. That is. They are constantly dependent on thee, that thou mayest give them food from day to day. Perhaps there is also the idea that they do not lay up or hoard anything; or that they cannot anticipate their own wants, but must receive from one day to another all that they want directly from God.

28. That thou givest them they gather. What thou dost place before them they collect. They have no resources of then- own. They can invent nothing; they cannot vary then- food by art, as man does; they cannot make use of reason, as man does, or of skill, in preparing it, to suit and pamper the appetite. It comes prepared for them direct from the hand of God. ^ Thou openest thine hand. As one does who bestows a gift on another. The point iu the passage is, that they receive it immediately from God, and that they are wholly dependent on him for it. They have not to labour to prepare it, but it is made ready for them, and they have only to gather it up. The allusion in the language may be to the gathering of manna in the wilderness, when it was provided by God, and men had only to collect it for their use.

29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled; thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

30 Thou I sendest foi-th thy

spii-it, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the earth.

31 The glory of the Loed shall 1 endure for ever: the

So it is with the brute creation on laud and in the waters. H They are niledltlZol They are satisfied with good; that is They are satisfied with what to them is good, or with what supphes their wants.

29 nou hidest thy face. As if God turned away from them; as if he wks displeased with them; as if he withdrew from them the tokens of Ms Sdship and favour. ^ They are troubled. T^ey are confounded • they are overwhelmed with terror and amazement. The word SS^y no means conveys the sense of the original word-?>rT^, JaAaZ-which means properly to tremble; to be in t^epidation; to be fined with terror; to be amazed; to be confounded. It is that kind of consternation which one has when all support and protection are with- Sn and when inevitable ruin stares one in the face. So when God J^rns Uay, all their support is gone; all their resources f-l, a.ci^Ajj must die They are represented as conscious of this; or, this is what wou d o^cur if they were conscious. 1[ Thou talcestaway the^rhreath. wTthdiawing that ^hich thou gavest to them. ^\ They die md return Zihei^dust^ Life ends when thou dost leave them, and they return aiafn to earth. So it is also with man. When God withdraws from him.

1o m« sendest forth thy spirit, they are created That is. New races are created in their place, or start up as if they were created directlv bv God. They derive their being from him as really as those d d vvhich were first formed by his hand, and the work ot creation is Ponstantlv ffoins on. \ And thou renewest the face of the earth, ihe earth is not sufllred to become desolate. Though one generation passes off ve? a new one is made in its place, and the face of the earth constantly puts on the aspect of freshness and newness. _

Zl The glory of the Loed shall endure for ever. Marg. as m Heb., shall be It might be rendered, "Let the glory of the Lord be for!ver " imnlving a strong desire that it should be so. But the language ly demote a s^trong conviction that it ^oould be so. The mind of the writer was filled with wonder at the beauty -and variety of the works Tf God on the land, in the air, and iu the waters; and he exclaims with a heart full of admiration, that the glory of a Being who had made all these things could never cease, but must endure for ever. All the glory of man would pass away; all the monuments that he would rear would be destroyed; all the works of art executed by him must perish; but the ^lorv of One who had made the earth, and filled it with such wonders, could not but endure for ever and ever. _ 1[ Thel.o^X> shall rejoice m Us ^orks See Gen. i. 31. The idea here is, that God finds pleasure m the contemplation of his own works; in the beauty and order of creation; and in the happiness which he sees as the result of his work ot creation. There is no impropriety in supposing that God finds pleasure in the manifestation of the wisdom, the power, the goodness, the mercy, and the love of his own glorious nature.

32 He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth; " he toucheth the hills, and they smoke."

33 I will sing unto the Loed as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God whUe I have my being.

34 My p meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad « in the Loed.

35 Let •■ the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked * be no more. Bless thou the Loed, O my soul. Praise ye the Loed.

32. Se looTceth on the earth, and it tremhleth. There is great sublimity ia this expressiou, as indicating the power and the majesty of God. He has only to look upon his works, and they stand in awe and tremble. The most mighty and fearful convulsions of nature occur as if they were the mere effect of God's looking on the earth. Comp. Hab. iii. 10, — " The mountains saw thee, and they trembled." T[ He toiicheth the hills, and they smoTce. That is, as Mount Sinai did when God came down upon it. Ex. xix. 18. It is as if the hills were conscious of his presence, and were awed.

33. I will sing unto the Loed as long as I live. That is, I will continue to praise him; I will never cease to adore him. The result of the psalmist's meditations on the wonderful works of God is to awaken in bis miud a desire to praise God for ever. He is so filled with a sense of bis greatness and glory that he sees that there would be occasion for eternal praise; or that the reason for praise could never be exhausted. He who has any proper sense of the greatness, the majesty, and the glory of God intends to praise him for ever. He sees that there is enough in the character of God to demand eternal praise, and he does not anticipate that a period can ever occur in all the future when he will feel that the causes for praise have come to an end, or when his heart will be indisposed to celebrate that praise.

34. My meditation of him shall be sweet. That is, I will find pleasure in meditating on his character and works. See Notes on Ps. i. 2. It is one of the characteristics of true piety that there is a disposition to think about God; that the mind is naturally drawn to that subject; that it does not turn away from it, when it is suggested; tliat this fills up the intervals of business in the day-time, and that it occupies the mind when walceful at night. Ps. Ixiii. 6. It is also a characteristic of true piety that there is pleasure in such meditations; happiness in thinking of God. The sinner has no such pleasure. The thought of God is painful to him; he does not desire to have it suggested to him; he turns away from it, and avoids it. Comp. Notes on Isa. xxx. 11. It is one of the evidences of true piety when a man begins to find pleasure in thinking about God; when the subject, instead of being unpleasant to him, becomes pleasant; when he no longer turns away from it, but is sensible of a desire to cherish the thought of God, and to know more of him. % I will be glad in the Loed. That is, I will rejoice that there is such a Being; I will seek my happiness in him as my God.

35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth. Comp. Ps. xxxvii. 38. This might with propriety be rendered, " Consumed are the sinners out of the earth,"— expressing ^faci and not a desire; and it may have been prompted by the feeling of the psahnist that such an event would occur; that is, that the time would come when sm would no more abound, but when the world would be filled with righteousness, and all the dwellers on the earth would praise God. The word translated consumed—h-om D7?ip, tamam— means properly to complete, to perfect, to finish, to cease. It does not mean consume in the sense of being burned up-as our word means-or destroyed, but merely to come to an end, to cease, to pass away:— that is. Let the time soon come,— or, the time will soon come,— when there will be no sinners on the earth, but when all the inhabitants of the earth will worship and honour God. i he cownexion here seems to be this: The psalmist was himself so filled with the love of God, and with admiration of his works, that he desired that all might partake of the same feeling; and he looked forward, therefore, as those who love God must do, to the time when all the dweUers on earth would see his glory, and when there should be none who did not adore and love him. All that is fairly impUed in the wish of the psalmist here would be accomplished if all sinners were converted, and if, in that sense, there were to be no more transgressors in the world. nr And let the wicked be no more. Let there not be any more wicked persons: let the time come when there shall be no bad men on the earth, but when all shall be righteous. In this prayer all persons could properly unite. If Bless thou the Loed. 0 my soul. The psalm closes (as Ps. ciii. does) as it began. The psalmist commenced with the expression of a purpose to bless God; it closes with the same purpose, confirmed by a survey of the wonderful works of God. % Praise ye the Loed. Heb., Eallelu-jah. The psalmist expresses the earnest desire of a trulv pious heart (in looking upon a world so beautiful, so varied m its works, so full of the expressions of the wisdom and goodness ot God —a world where all the inferior creation so completely carries out the purpose of the Creator), that man, the noblest of all the works of God, might unite with the world around and beneath him in carrying out the great purpose of the creation,— so that he might, in his own proper place, and according to the powers with which he is endowed, acknowledge God. How beautiful— how sublime— would be the spectacle on earth, if man accomplished the purpose of his creation, and filled his place, as well as the springs, the hills, the trees, the fowls, the wild goats, the moon, the sun, the young lions, and the inhabitants of the " great and wide sea " do in their spheres! Oh, come the time when on earth there shall be harmony in all the works of God, and when all creatures here shall carry out the purpose which was contemplated when God called the earth into existence.

The author of this psahn is unknown, as is the occasion on which it was composed. It resembles the seventy-eighth psalm m the fact that both are of an historical nature, recounting the dealings of God with his people in then deliverance from the bondage in Egypt. The object of the fonner psahn, however seems to have been to recall the nation from their seHs, and to vmdioate the dealings of God with the Hebrews in his arrangements for their government, or in the change of the administration, by giving the govemment to the tribe of Judah under David, rather than to Ephraim; the object of this psalm is to excite the people to gratitude by the remembrance of the goodness of God to the people in fonner times. Accordingly this psahn is occupied with

A t GIYE tlianks unto the ^ LoED; call upon his name; make " known his deeds among the people.

2 Sing nnto him, sing psalma unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.

recounting the mercies of God — his vaiious acts of intervention in their history— all appealing to the nation to cherish a grateful remembrance of those acts, and to love and praise him.

The first sixteen verses of the psalm are substantially the same as the first part of the psalm composed by David when he brought up the ark, as recorded in 1 Chron, xvi. 8-22. But at that point the resemblance ceases. Probably the author of this psalm found in the one composed by David what was suitable to the occasion on which this was composed, and adopted it without any material change. In the remaiader of the psalm, he has simply carried out in the history of the Jews what iras suggested by David in the psalm in 1 Chron. xvi., and has applied the idea to the other events of the Jewish history, as fumishiag a ground of praise. The psalm is a mere summary of the principal events of that history to the time when the people entered the promised land, — as laying the foundation of praise to Gc<l.

1. O give thanks unto tie LoKD. Vae design here is to show that thanks should be given to the Lord ia y/ew of his dealings with his people, as stated in the subsequent portions of the psalm. ^ Call upon Ms name. More literally, "Caii him li/ hfs name;" that is, Address him by his proper title; ascribe to him the attributes which properly belong to him; or, address him in a proper manner. ^ MaTce hnoion his deeds amoyig the people. Wliat he has done in former times. The allusion is to his acts in behalf of his people in delivering them from Egyptian bondage, and bringing them to the promised land. The word " people " here refers to the Hebrew people; and the exhortation is, that the knowledge of these deeds should be diffused and kept up among them. One of the ways of doing this was that proposed by the psalmist, to wit, by a psalm of praise — by recording and celebrating these acts in their devotions. One of the most effective modes of keeping up the knowledge of what God has done in our world is by songs of praise in worshipping assemblies.

2. Sinff tmto him. Sing before him j offer him praise. *![ Sing psalms unto him. The word here rendered sing psalms means properly to prune, and then, to cut off, as a discourse at regular periods; or, to utter in rhythmical numbers; and then it means to accompany such words with an instrument of music. The idea here is, that he is to be approached, not merely with singing, but with sentiments expressed in the form of regular composition — in musical numbers. ^ Talk ye. The word here used very commonly means to meditate, to muse (comp. Notes on Ps. i. 2), but would here seem to be employed in the sense of talking over, to wit, in singing. That is, In the psalms used let there be a narrative of what God has done. Let bis works be the subject of the words used in the psalm. 1 Of all his wondrous works. Of what he has done that is fitted to excite wonder and admiration. Comp. Ps. Ixxvii. 12.

3. Glory ye in his holy name. The original word rendered glory is the same word which is commonly used to Aenote praise, and it has that meaning here. The idea is. In your praises let the main subject be the name of God — that holy name by which he chooses to be known.

4 Seek « the Lord, and bis strength; seek "' his face ever-

6 O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye childi-en of Jacob his chosen.

7 He is the Lord our God,

rence. There woald be no ground of confidence m ^f/J^'' J^^J rr!f an *![ Tpf Hie heart of them rejoice that seek the LOED. itiat S ire to kn^w h m /that co4.e to praise him. Let their hearts rejo.ce.

nr let them be happY,-(«) because they ave permitted to seek him; W becau etLy ■iSini to seek hhn; (c) because they have such a God to come to>-One so mighty, so holy, so good, so gracious

4 SeeTtle LoBD and h!^ strength. Seek strength from him; seek thi hs strength may be imparted to you; seek him as a Being^of almiffhtv power; as One by whom you may be strengthened. The feep Snt and Vul-ate render this, " Seek the Lord, and be strengthened. StSth comes from God, and it is only by his strength that we can be string only by our making use of his omnipotence m our own beh.df that we^can discharge the duties, and bear the trials of this life. Comp Notes on Isa.xl.29-3L '^ Seek his face evermore. His favour. mrsmllSt upon us, his Ufting up the light of his countenance, is spion'nous wi'h his'favour. See Ps. xxiv. 6; xxvii. 8. Comp. Notes

""tBemtber his marvellous works, etc. The works fitted to excite wonder Call them to remembrance in your psalm; seek the aid ot rusfc;nd song to impress the memory of them deeply on your hearts. TH^Znders. His miracles. See Notes on Ps._ Ixxvm. 43; Isa. vni. 18 % And the judgments of his mouth. That s, properly, the judgments which he pronounced on his enemies, and which were followed bjr theiroverthrol. The word does not refer here, as it often does, to

"^^^'tleTdTlZtm his servant, ye children of Jacob his ch.sen. All you who are descendants of Abraham and Jacob;-the fonner being particularlv mentioned here because he was the great ancestor of the Hebrew people; the latter, because the events referred to were closely connected with the history of Jacob-with his going down into Egypt, and with the division of the tribes named after h.s sons The word rendered "his chosen" would seem in our version to refer to Jacob. Li the orig nal, however, it is in the plural number, and must agree with the W rendered e/»7cZre«,-" Ye chosen sons of Jacob" c^mp. ver 43). So it Ta^ been translated in 1 Chron. xvi. 13, " Ye children of Jacob, his « judgments ore in all the earth.

8 He y hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations:

9 Which covenant he made

10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob ^ for a law, and to Israel /or an everlasting covenant;

and this God is ours. See Notes on Ps. xcv. 7. ^ His judgments are in all the earth. More properly " in all the land;" that is, in every part of the land he is honoured as our God. His institutions are established here; his laws are obeyed here; his worship is celebrated here. No other God is worshipped here; everywhere he is acknowledged as the nation's God.

8. He hath remembered his covenant for ev6r. That is, God has had it constantly in remembrance, or always. Comp. Notes on Luke i. 72. Though the covenant was made long since; though many generations of men have passed by; though great changes have occurred; though many calamities have come upon the nations, yet his ancient covenant and promise have never been forgotten. All his promises have been fulfilled; all ever will be. The "covenant" here referred to is that which was made with Abraham, and through him with the Hebrew people. ^ The ivord which he commanded. The thing which he commanded; that is, all which he ordained and appointed, 'i To a thousand generations. Very many generation!; or, any number of generations:— that is, always. Comp. Ex. xx. 6. The experience of the people through all the generations of their history has shown that in what he has promised and directed he is unchanging.

9. Which covenant he made with Abraham. Which he ratified with Abraham. Literally, " which he cut with Abraham." Gen. xvii. 2-14. Comp. Notes on Ps. ]. 5. 1[ And his oath unto Isaac. Confirming the promise made to Abraham. See Gen. xxvi. 2-5.

10. And confirmed the same unto Jacob. Literally, "caused it to stand;" that is, he made it fast or secure. He renewed it, commanding the same things j making the same promises; and pledging himself for its fulfilment in the same manner. Gen. xxviii. 10-15. % For a law. Por an established or settled ordinance; for a rule by which future things were to be regulated: — that is, they would occur according to that promise, and be conformed to it. It was, as it were, a rule which God prescribed for himself in regard to his own future conduct. ^ And to Israel, etc. Another name for Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 28.

11. Saying, Unto thee tvill I give the land of Canaan. Gen. xiii. 14, 15. ^ The lot of your inheritance. Or, that shall be the lot of your inheritance; — or, what you shall inherit. The margin is, the cord. The Hebrew word— 55)1, hhebel — means properly a cord, a rope; and then, ajneasuring-line. Hence it means a portion measured out and assigned to any one as land. Josh. xvii. 14; xix. 9. Comp. Ps. xvi. 6. The meaning is, that the land of Canaan was given by promise to the patriarchs as their lot or portion of the earth; as that which they and their descendants were to possess as their own.

give the land of Canaan, the ' lot of your inheritance:

12 When they were but a f ew « men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.

13 "When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people,

14 He suffered no man to do

15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

16 Moreover, d he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff ^ of bread.

12. When they were but a few men in number. Literally, " In their being men of number, very little." That is, They could then be easily numbered, and they were so few that they could not take possession of ■'t themselves. This is in contrast with the promise then made to them that they sliould be in number as the stars, and as the sand on the sea shore. "If And strangers in it. Foreigners. They were mere sojourners. They did not become incorporated with the people of the land. They did not acquire property there. They were regarded and treated as belonging to a foreign people. See Notes on Heb. xi. 9.

14. Se suffered no man to do them wrong. He protected them as they wandered from place to placg, and as they were exposed to dangers. See the history of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in their wanderings, as it is recorded in the book of Genesis. •([ Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes. That he might protect them; that he might keep them from danger and from sin. See the case of Pharaoh in the time of Abraham, Gen. xii, 17-20, and the case of Abimelech, Gen. XX. 3, 6.

15. Saying, Touch not mine anointed. That is. This was the language of his providence. It was as though God had said this. It is not meant that this was said in so many words, but this is the poetic form of representing the dealings of Providence. Comp. Gen. xxvi. 11. The word anointed here means that God had, as it were, set them apart to his service, or that they were to him as kings, and priests, and prophets, — sacred men, belonging to God. The language is not found in the Old Testament as applied to the patriarchs, but the idea is fairly implied there, that they belonged to God as sacred and holy men. ij" And do my prophets no harm. As if God had thus spoken to them, and called them prophets. That is, they belonged to God as a sacred order: — they were separate from other men, and God regarded them as his own.

16. Moreover, he called for a famine upon the land. It was not by chance; not by the mere operation of pliysical laws, but it was because God ordered it. The famine here referred to, as the connexion shows, was that which occurred in the time of Jacob, and which was the occasion of the migration into Egypt. There was also a famine in the time of Abraham (Gen. xii. 10); but the design of the psalmist here is to refer to that period of the Jewish history which pertained to their residence in Egypt, and to the dealings of God with the nation when there, as furnishing an occasion for gratitude. Gen. xlij xlii. IT Se brake the

17 He / sent a man before them, even Joseph, wlio was sold ff for a servant;

18 Wliose feet they hurt with fetters: ^ he was laid in iron;

20 The king ^ sent and loosed him; even the raler of the people, and let him go free.

whole staff of bread. That which supports life, as a staff does a feeble man. See Notes on Isa. iii. 1.

17. Se sent a man hefore tTiem. That is, He so ordered it by his providence that a man — Joseph — loas sent before the family of Jacob into Egypt, that he might make arrangements for their reception and preservation. The whole matter was as if God had sent him, or had commanded him to go. And yet it was brought about as the result of a series of acts of the most wicked character % — by the envy and the hatred of his brethren; by their guilt and hardness of heart in proposing at first to put him to death, and then in their arrangements for selling him to hopeless slavery; by their plan so to dispose of him that their father might never hear of him again, and that they might be troubled with him no more. God did not cause these acts. He did not command them; he did not approve of them. And yet, since they did occur, and since Joseph's brethren were so wicked, God made use of these things to accomplish his own benevolent purposes, and to carry out his great designs. So he makes use of the passions of wicked men at all times to execute his plans (comp. Notes on Isa. x. 5-7; see also Ps. Ixxvi. 10, and Gen. 1. 20); and so he will do to the end of time. Men are free in their wickedness; but God is equally free in frustrating their schemes, and overruling their designs for the accomplishment of his own purposes. "^ Who was sold for a servant. For a slave; Gen. xxxvii. 28, 36; xxxix. 1.

18. Whose feet they hurt loith fetters. In Gen. xl. 3, it is said of Joseph that he was "bound" in prison. It is not improbable that his feet were bound, as this is the usual way of confining prisoners. ^ Se was laid in iron. In the prison. The margin is, his soul came into iron. The version in the Prayer Book of the Episcopal Church is, the iron entered into his soul. This is a more striking and beautiful rendering, though it may be doubted whether the Hebrew will permit it. De Wette renders it, " In iron lay his body."

19. Until the time that his ivord came. The word, or the communication from God. 1" The word of the Lord fried him. That is, tested his skill in interpreting dreams, and his power to disclose the future. Gen. xli. This furnished a trial of his ability, and showed that he was truly the favourite of God, and was endowed with wisdom from on high. The word rendered tried is that which is commonly applied to metals in testing their genuineness and purity. Comp. Notes on Ps. xii. 6.

20. The kitiff sent and' loosed him. Released him from prison. Gen. xli. 14. The object was tliat he might interpret the dreams of Pliaraoh. ■j" The ruler of the people, and let him go free. Heb., peoples, in the plural, — referring either to the fact that there were many people in the land, or that Pharaoh ruled over tributary nations as well as over the Egyptians.

21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of aU his 1 substance;

22 To bind his princes at his pleasure, and teach his senators wisdom.

Egypt, and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.

24 And * he increased his people greatly, and made them stronger than theii* enemies.

25 He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtilly with his sei'vants.

21. ITe made him lord of his house. Gen. xli. 40. This implied that the administration of the affairs of the nation was virtually committed to him. ^ And ruler of all his substance, Marg., as in Heb., possession. Of all he had. He placed all at his disposal in the affairs of his kingdom.

22. To bind his princes at his pleasure. Giving him absolute power. The power here referred to was that which was always claimed in despotic governments, and was, and is stiU, actually practised in Oriental nations. Literally, " to bind his princes by his soul;" that is, at his will; or, as he chose. % And teach his senators wisdom. This is now an unhappy translation. The word senator in fact originally had reference to age (see Webster's Die), but it is now commonly applied to a body of men entrusted with a share in the administration of government,— usually a higher body in a government, — as the Senate of the United States. As these were usually aged men, the word has acquired its present meaning, and is now ordinarily used without reference to age. But there was no such constituted body in the government of Egypt, — for despotism does not admit of such an arrangement. The Hebrew word here means aged men, and is employed with reference to those who were connected with the administratioD, cr whom the monarch would consult, — his counsellors. The meaning of the phrase " to teach them wisdom " is, that he would instmct them what to do; — literally, he would " make them tuise," that is, in reference to the administration. He had the right of commanding them, and directing them in the administration. At the same time, it is doubtless true that Joseph was endowed with practical wisdom in the affairs of government far beyond them, and that in instructing them what to do, he actually imparted wisdom to them.

23. Israel also came into JEggpt. Another name for Jacob; see ver. 10. H And Jacob sojourned in the land of Sam. Not as a permanent abode, but as a temporary arrangement, until the time should come for the people to be removed to the land of promise. See Gen. xlvi. 6. The more literal rendering would be, "Jacob was a stranger — a foreigner — in the land of Ham." On the meaning of the word Sam, see Notes on Ps. Ixxviii. 51.

24. And he increased his people greatly, etc. God caused them to multiply. Ex. i. 7, 9.

25. Se turned their heart to hate his people. God turned their heart. That is, He so ordered things that they became the enemies of his people, and made it necessary that tliey should be removed into another land. It is not said that God did this by his direct power; or that he compelled them to hatp his people; or that he in any way interfered

26 He sent Moses ' his servant, and Aaron whom he had chosen.

27 They shewed his ^ signs *" among them, and wonders in

28 He sent darkness, " and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.

29 He turned their waters

with their will; or that he regarded this as a good in itself; or that he approved of it: — but this is said in accordance with the usual representations in the Bible, where God is spoken of as having all things under his control, and where it is constantly affirmed that nothing takes place without his own proper agency and government in the matter. Nothing — not even the human will — free as it is — is independent of God; and not even the worst passions of men are outside of his plan, or independent in such a sense that he does not afford the opportunity for their development and display. Comp. Notes on Isa. vi. 10; x. 5-7, 15. ^ To deal subtilly. In a fraudulent, or deceitful manner. See E.X. i. 10.

26. Se sent Moses his servant. He sent Moses to be his servant in delivering his people; that is, to accomplish the work which he had designed should be done. ^ And Aaronwhom he had chosen. Wliom he had selected to perform an important work in delivering his people from bondage.

27. They shewed his signs among them. Literally, " Thej placed among them the words of his signs." So the margin. The reference is to the miracles wrought in Egypt in bringing calamities upon the Egyptians to induce them to permit the children of Israel to go out from their bondage. They were the agents in setting these wonders before the Egyptians. The term words is employed here — "the words of his signs " — to keep up the idea that it was by the command of God that this was done, or by his word. It was by no power of their own, but only by the authority of God. ^ And toonders in the land of Sam. Miracles. Things fitted.to produce astonishment. See ver. 5.

28. He sent darkness, and made it darJc. Ex. x. 21-23. ^ And they rebelled not against his word. More literally, his words. The reference is to Moses and Aaron; and the idea, as expressed here, is that they were obedient to the command of God; that they went and did what he ordered them; that, although he required them to go before a mighty and proud monarch, to denounce against him the vengeance of heaven, and to be the instruments of bringing upon the land unspeakably severe judgments, yet they did not shrink from what God commanded them to do. They were true to his appointment, and showed themselves to be faithful messengers of God. Others, however, suppose that this refers to the Egyptians, and that it is to be taken as a question: "And did they not rebel against his word?" The language might bear this, and the translators of the Septuagint seem to have so understood it, for they render it, "And they rebelled against his words." But the most natural construction is that in our common version, and the design is evidently to commend the boldness and the fidelity of Moses and Aaron.

29-36. See an account of these plagues in Ex. vi.-xi. Comp. Ps. Lsxviii. 43-51. This is mostly a mere enumeration of the plagues in the

30 Their land brotight forth frogs p in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.

31 He « spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, mid lice in all their coasts.

32 He gave them ^ hail *■ for raia, and flaming fire in their land.

33 He smote their vines also and their fig-trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.

34 He spake, and the locusts ' came, and caterpillars, and that without number,

35 And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of.their ground.

36 He smote also all the firstborn ' in their land, the chief " of all their strength.

37 He " brought them forth also with silver and gold; and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

38 Egypt "' was glad when they departed; for the fear of them feU upon them.

39 He ' spread a cloud for a

order in which they occurred, hut without, of course, the details of the circumstances attending them. There are no circumstances mentioned here wliich require particular explanation.

37. Se brought them forth also with silver and gold. Which they had hegged of the E<j:yptians. In Ex. xii. 35, it is said, in our translation, that they had "borrowed" this gold and silver, together with raiment, of the Egyptians. This is an unhappy translation, as our word borrow means to ask anything of another for the purpose of using it for a time, with an implied understanding that it shall be returned, if an article to be used, — or that as much money shall be repaid, if it is money that is borrowed, — and according to this there would have been dishonesty and fraud on the part of the Israelites in borrowing these things of the Egyptians, when not intending (as they evidently did not) to return them. The Hebrew word, however, in Ex. xii. 35 — ^Mia shaal — means merely to ask, to demand, to require, to request, to petition, to beg. The idea of an obligation to return the things, as in our word borrow, is not attached to the Hebrew word. 1[ And there was not one feeble person, etc. Literally, Not one who was lame; or, who halted, or staggered. This of course is not necessarily to be understood literally. It is a general description of the capability of the people for travelling or for war.

38. Egypt was glad tvhen they departed. They had suffered so manj plagues; the land was so utterly desolate, there was so much sorrow in their dwellings, from the calamities which had come upon them for refusing to let the Israelites go, that at last they were glad to have them depart, and they were willing to aid them that they might get rid of them. This will, in part, account for the fact that they were willing to give them what they asked, — even silver and gold, — if they might thus facilitate their departure. ^ For the fear of them fell upon them. The fear of them, as being under the protection of God; and the fear of the judgments, which must follow if they continued to oppress them.

39. Se spread a cloud for a covering. See Notes on Ps. Ixxviii. 14.

covering, and fire to give light in the night.

40 The people asked, v and he brought quails, ' and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

41 He ° opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.

42 For he remembered his

holy promise, * and Abraham his servant.

43 And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with ' gladness;

44 Ajttd <^ gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;

45 That <* they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. 2 Praise ye the Lokd.

la Num. X. 34, it is said that " the cloud of the Lord was upon them t>y day," and from this seems to have heen derived the idea of its covering them, as if it were a protection from the heat in the desert.

40. The people asked, and he brought quails. See Notes on Ps. Ixxviii. 26-29. If And satisfied them with tlie bread of heaven. Manna, sent down, as it were, from heaven. In Ps. Ixxviii. 25, it is called " angels' food.'' See Notes on that verse.

41. Se OTpened the rocTc, etc. See Notes on Ps. Ixxviii. 15. ^ They ran in the dry places like a river. Or, a river. They flowed along in I he desert, — a river of waters. See Notes on 1 Cor. x. 4.

42. For he remembered, etc. He was faithfnl to his promise made to Abraham, and did not forget his descendants in the hour of need. This is the statement made in vers. 8, 9; and to illustrate and confirm the faithfulness of God, this reference is made to the history of the Hebrew people. See Notes on those verses.

43. And he brought forth his people ioit7i yoy. With joy at their deliverance from bondage, and for his merciful interposition. ^ And his chosen tcith gladness. Marg., as in Heb., singing. See Ex. xv.

44. And gave them the lands of the heathen. Of the nations of the land of Palestine, according to his promise. See Notes on Ps. Ixxviii. 55. % And they inherited the labour of the people. The fruit of their labours. See Deut. vi. 10, 11; Josh. xiii. 7, et seq.

45. That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. The end — the design — of all this was that they might be an obedient people. This was the purpose of all his interventions in their behalf; and their obligation to obedience was enforced and measured by what he had done. The same is true in regard to his people now. *!" Fraise ye the LoBD. Heb., Hallelu-jah. See Ps. civ. 35.

The author of this psalm is unknown, and the occasion on which it was composed cannot now be ascevtaiiied. It belongs to the same class as Psalms Ixxviii. and cv., as referting to the ancient history of the Hebrew people, and as deriving lessons of instruction, admonition, gratitude and praise from that Idstor)'. The cvth Psalm referred to that history particularly as showing the mercy and favour of God to that people, and hence their obligation to love and serve him; tliis psalm is occupied mainly mth a confession, drawn from a review of that history, that the nation had not been mindful of those p RAISE 1 ye the Lord. O 1 « give thanks unto tlie LOED; for he is good: for his

2 Who/ can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise?

3 Blessed ^ are they that

mercies, but that they had rebelled against God, andmcun-ed his displeasure. The psalm has a striking resemblance in many respects to the prayer m Uaniel ix • and, like that, is a prayer that God would now interpose and deliver the people as in times that were past. It is possible that the psalm may liave been composed in the time of the Babylonish captivity (comp. ver. 47), and this is the opinion of Hengstenberg; but it is impossible to demonstrate this with any certainty. It was evidently composed in some period ot public calamity, and there is no impropriety in supposing that it »!»«/ have been then.

I. A brief introduction, setting forth the duty of praising God, and refen-ing to his mercy, and expressing the desire of the author of the psalm that he himself might participate in his mercy, and share the happy lot ol the "chosen" of God, vers. 1-5.. ».i, • • „

II A reference to the liistory of the nation, and a confession of their sms in all the periods of then liistory, and their proneness as a people to djsobey God, referring particulariy to their history in Egypt, vers. 6-12; m the desert, vers. 13-33; and in the land of Canaan, vers. 34-43.:,.,,.

in A prayer— founded on the fact that God had often interposed m their behalf— that he would now again interpose, and gather them from among the heathen, that they might again sing his praises, vers. 44-48.

1. Praise ye the Loed. Marg., Hallelu-jah. The two Hebrew words mean, praise ye the Lord. They are the same words with which the previous psalm closes, and are here designed to indicate the general duty illustrated in the psalm. If 0 give thanks unto the Loed. See Notes on Ps. cv. 1. IF For he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. See Notes on Ps. c. 5, and cvii. 1, where the language in the Hebrew is the same.

2. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Loed? Who can speak the great things of God? Who can find language which will suitably express what he has done, or which will come up in sublimity to his acts? In other words, human language must fall immeasurably short of adequately expressing the praises of Jehovah, or conveying the fulness of what he has wrought. Who has not felt this when he has endeavoured to praise God in a proper manner? Comp. Notes on Ps. xl. 5. % Who can sheiv forth all his praise? Heb., Cause to le heard. That is, Language cannot be found which would cause it to be heard in a suitable manner.

3. Blessed are they that keep judgment. They are blessed, tor their conduct is right, and it leads to happiness. The Hebrew is, "the keepers of judgment;" that is, they who observe the rules of justice in their conduct, or who are governed by the principles of integrity. % And he that doeth righteousness at all times. All who yield obedience to just law — whether a nation or an individual. The psalm is designed to illustrate this by contrast; that is, by showing, in the conduct of the Hebrew people, the consequences of disobedience, and thus impliedly what would have been, and what always must be, the consequences of the opposite course. Comp. Ps. xv.

4 Remember i me, O Lord, with the favoui' that thou hearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;

5 That I may see the good

of thy chosen, ^ that I may rejoice in the gladness i of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance."'

6 We " have sinned vrith our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

4. Bemember me, 0 LoED, ivith the favour that thou bearest unto thif people. Literally, " Remember me with the favour of thy people." This is the language of the author of the psalm:— a pious ejaculation such as will occur to the mind in recounting what God has done for his church; what are the advantages of being his friends; what blessmgs of peace, happiness, and joy are connected with true religion. Even the wicked sometimes have this feeling when they look on the happy life and the peaceful death of the godly. So Balaam said, " Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!" Num. xxiii. 10. ^ O visit me with thy salvation. Come to me with salvation; confer it upon me.

5. That I may see the good of thy chosen. Thy chosen people; or, thine elect. That I may possess and enjoy the same favour and happiness which they do. It is implied here that there are peculiar favours conferred on them; or, that happiness is found in the friendship of God which is not to be found elsewhere. It is a characteristic of true piety to desire to make that our own. A truly rehgious man more desires the happiness which results from being amougS^ the " chosen" of God than all that the world can confer. If That I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation. The happiness found in the nation that serves thee. True religion — the favour of God— not only confers happiness on the individual who possesses it, but on the nation or people where it prevails. It is just as vanch fitted to produce happiness there, and is just as necessary for happiness there, as in the 'case of an individual. •IT That I may glory loith thine inheritance. That I may share the honour of thy people. The word inheritance here is used to denote that which is one's own, and is thus applied to the people of God considered as his. The meaning is, that the psalmist desired no other glory, honour, or distinction, than that which pertained to God's people as such. He sought not the " glory" connected with the distinctions of the world; the display of wealth; the triumph of genius, of conquest, of arms,— but the " glory" of being a friend of God, and of partaking of that which God confers on his people.

6. We have sinned with our fathers. We have sinned as they did; we have followed their example. The illustration ot the manner in which the nation had sinned occupies a considerable part of the remainder of the psalm; and the idea here is, that, in the generation in which the psalmist lived, there had been the manifestation of the same rebellious spirit which had so remarkably characterised the entire nation. The connexion of this with the foregoing verses is not very apparent. It would seem to be that the psalmist was deeply impressed with a sense of the great blessings which follow from the friendship of God, and

8 Nevertheless, he saved them for ^ his name's sake, that « he might make his mighty power to be known.

7 Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but o provoked Tiim at the sea, even at the Red

fr^ keeping his commandments.-as stated, vers. 3-5; but he remein- Wd that those blessings had not come upon the people as might have b; efpfctS and his mind suddenly ^^^-ts to the ca«^. ot this m h SS's Jhich would otherwise have come upcm them The psalmist Sere^re, in emphatic language.-repeating the confession m three forms "we have sinned,-we have committed iniquity,-we have done wickedly /'-acknowledges that the failure was in them, "ot m God ThP Wua^e here is substantially the same as in Daniel ix. 5, 6, and it wS seem not improbable that' the one was suggested by the other. Whifh wa^prior in^he order of time, it is now impossible to deter-

'^■^^:jS:^ZZ^::^ l>t: They did not ^uHy comprehend t,e design of the Divine dealings. They did not perceive the f e^tness of fhP f™r shown to themr or the obligation to obey and serve God underTwchlhey were placed by these remarkable manifestations Tily Anders il Egypt. ^The miracles wrought tbe- m behal^^^^^^^^^^ Hebrew neople. ^ Thetj remembered not the multitude Vi'^yj^^rnes.?he great number of the Divine interpositions in their behalf. They di^ noJaiow them to influence their conduct as they should have done. £ a4ravrtion of their offence in the case here referred to was particularifin the multitude of the mercies. It would have been sinful to have Leotten even one act of the Divine favour; it was a great aggra- V tToi ol th'^r guilt that so many acts were forgotten or that they failed to make an impression on them. So now. It i» a gieat sm to WnminSufof a si^^gle favour conferred by God; ^^ - a great aggravation of guilt that men live continually amidst so many Proofs ot Ihe DivYne^goodness; that they are fed, and clothed, af protect d that thev breathe the pure air, and look upon the hght of tlie ^un that they enToy the comforts of domestic life, the blessings of hbertj andtheoffeTof salvation; that they lie down and rise up; that their?ons -ire crowned with success, and that the blessings of every land are made to come around them,-and yet they forget or disregard all these troXoftZ Divine mercy. % But provoked him at the sea,eyenatthe ^iJ %7,y Fx xiv 10-12. They rehelled against him. Even amidst fhf wtli-s^^herToccu'^ring, andlfter all t^e blessings which they h^ received at his hands, when they were m danger they doubted his nowpr and called in question his faithfulness.

^Tk^ertheless, he saved them for Ms name's sajce. For the promotion of his o^^■n honour and glory; that it might be seen that he 13 powerful and i«erciful. This is constantly given as the reason w^ y God Lves xnen; why he forgives sin; why he redeenis the soul; why he delivers from danger and from death. Comp. Ezek. xxxvi. 22, 32, Isa.

9 He *■ rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so lie led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

10 And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

11 And ^ the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.

12 Then believed they his words; they sang ' his praise.

13 They ^ soon forgat " his works; they waited not for his counsel;

14 But 2 lusted " exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.

15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness " into their soul.

9. -He reluked the Red Sea also. The word rendered rebuTce commonly means to chide — as when one is angry with another for havinodone wrong. Here it is evidently a poetic term, meaning that he spake as if he were angry; qv as if the Red Sea did wrong in presenting an obstacle or obstruction to the passage of his people. Comp. Ex. xiv. 21, 22. 1[ So he led them through the depths. Through what had been the abyss; what had seemed to be depths, being covered with water. ^ As through the wilderness. As through a desert or dry place; as he afterwards led them through the wilderness. The waters parted asunder, and made a way for them.

10. And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them. From Pharaoh. By making a path through the waters, they were enabled to escape; by the overthrow of the Egj-ptians in the Red Sea, they were completely and for ever delivered from their oppressors. Ex xiv. 30.

12. Then believed they Ms zvords. In immediate view of his interpositions in their behalf in conducting them through the Red Sea, and in the destruction of their enemies. ^ They sang his praise. In the song composed by Moses on the occasion of their deliverance. Ex. xv.

13. They soon forgat his works. On vers. 13-15, see Notes on Ps. Ixxviii. 17-22. Literally here, as in the margin, They made haste, they forgat. They did it soon; did it without any delay. It was as if they were impatient to have it done. If They luaited not for his cotmsel. For the fulfilment of his promise; or for his command in regard to their future conduct. They did not look to him, but they depended on themselves, and followed their own desires and wishes, ~

14. £t(t lusted exceedingly in the wilderness. Marg., as in Heb., lusted a lust. The reference is to their desire of better food than the manna. % And tempted God in the desert. Tried God, whether he could provide for them food and drink. Ps. Ixxviii. 19, 20.

15. And he gave them their request. By sending great quantities of quaih. Num. xi. 31, 32. Tf But sent leanness into their soul. The

16 They * envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the Lord.

17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.

18 And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.

19 They made a calf " in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.

word translated leanness is from a verb— nT"1, razah— to make thin; to cause to waste away; to destroy. The radical idea is that of abradinc? or scraping; and hence it means to become lean, to waste away, "it occurs only here and in Isa. x. 16, rendered leanness, and in iiicah vi. 10, rendered scant; marg., leanness. It means here that the effect of all this on their souls was similar to the effect on the body when it wastes away by disease or want of food. This effect often occurs. In the gratification of their desires, in great temporal success and prosperity, individuals, churches, nations, often forget their dependence on God; lose their sense of the value of spiritual privileges and blessings; are satisfied with their condition; become self-confident and proad, and forfeit the favour of God. If we pray for ternporal prosperity, we should also pray that we may at the same time have grace commensurate with it, that it may be a blessing and not a curse; if we are visited with prosperity when it has not been a direct object of our prayer,— if ws inherit riches, or if om- plans are successful beyond our expectations — or, in the language of the world, if " fortune smiles upon us," there should be special prayer_ on our part that it may not be a curse rather than a blessing; — that it may be so received and used as not to alienate our minds from God. Few are the Christian men who can bear continued success in life; few are those who are not injured by it; rare is it that growth in grace keeps pace with uninterrupted worldly prosperity; rare is it that the blessings of earth are so received and employed that they are seen to be a means of grace, and not a hindrance to growth in piety. A man does not know what is best for him when his heart is set on worldly prosperity; and God is more benevolent to men than they are to themselves, in withholding what is so often the object of their intense desire. " What is asked in passion, is often given in wrath." — Senry. _

16. They envied Moses also in the camp. They were envious of him, or rebelled against him, as assuming too much authority. See Num. xvi. 1, 2. The reference here is rather to the result of that envy in producing rebellion than to the envy Itself. It is true, however, that the foundation of their opposition to him was envy. 1" And Aaron the saint of the Loed. That is, as set apart to the service of the Lord; or, as employed in holy things. The reference is to his office, not to his personal character.

17, 18. On these verses see Num. xvi. 31-35. This refers to the time when thev rebelled against Moses.

19. They made a calf in Horeh. Ex. xxxii. 4. Probably in resemblance of the Egyptian god Apis. The image was made by Aaron out of materials furnished by the people, and at their request (Ex. xxxii. 1-3), so that it might be said to be the act of the people. IT ^«» worshipped the molten image. The word rendered molten is from a verb

20 Thus = they changed theii* glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.

21 They_ forgat God theiisaviour, which had done great things in Egypt;

land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.

23 Therefore " he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

— IJDS, nasacJi— to pour, to pour out; hence, to cast, to found; and it means anything that is made by fusion or casting. This image was cast (Ex. xxxii. 4), and hence this name is given to it.

20. Thus they changed their glory. Their true glory, — the proper object of worship— God. Comp. Notes on Rom. i. 23. They exchanged, that as an object of worship for the image of an ox. •[[ Into the simili. tude of an ox that eateth grass. Into the likeness of an ox. That is, They worshipped God under that image. The circumstance of its " eating grass " is added to show the absurdity of the act. Instead of worshipping God— an independent Being, who does not need to be supported, but who himself sustains all things, and provides for all they worshipped an animal that had need of constant sustenance, and would itself soon die if deprived of its proper nourishment. Comp. Notes on Isa. xl. 18-20; xli. 6, 7.

21, 22. They forgat God their Saviour, etc. The God who had saved, or delivered them, out of Egypt. The sentiment here is the same as in Ps. Ixxviii. 11, 12. See Notes on that place.

23. Therefore he said that he would destroy them. See Ex. xxxii. 10-14. He threatened to destroy them, and he would have done it, if Moses had not interposed and pleaded for them. There was nothing strange or very unusual in this. Many a descending curse on guilty men is turned away by prayer, and by human intervention. "We are constantly endeavouring to turn aside evils which would come upon others — by our intervention — by labour or by prayer. Thus, when we toil to provide food for our children, or give it in charity to the poor, we are endeavouring to avert the evil of starvation which would otherwise come upon them; when we provide for them clothing, we turn away the evils of nakedness and cold; when we give them medicine, we turn away the evil of long-continued disease or of death; when we rush through the flames if a house is on fire, or venture out in a rough sea in a boat, to save others from devouring flame or from a watery grave, we seek to turn aside evils which would otherwise come upon them. So when we pray for others, we may turn away evils which would otherwise descend on the guilty. No one can estimate the number or the amount of evils which are thus turned away from the guilty and the suffering by intervention and intercession; no one can tell how many of the blessings of his own life he owes to the intercessions and the toils of others. All the blessings that come upon sinners, — all that is done to turn away deserved wrath from men, — is owing to the fact that the one great Intercessor — greater than Moses — cast himself into the "breach," and himself met and rolled back the woes which were coming upon a guilty world. T[ Had not Moses his chosen. Chosen to lead and guide his people to the promised land.

24 Tea, tliey despised » tte pleasant land; * they believed not his word;

25 But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord:

26 Therefore he lifted up his

hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness:

27 To ^ overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.

28 They ' joined themselves also unto Baal-peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.

1 Stood before him. Preseuted himself before him. If -f» i^e breach. Literally, in the breaUng. The allusion is to a breach made in a wall (1 Kings xi. 27; Isa. xxx. 13; Amos iv. 3; Job xxx. 14), and to the force with which an army rushes through a breach that is thus made. So God seemed to be about to come forth to destroy the nation.

24). Yea, they despised the pleasant land. Marg., as in Heb., land of desire. That is, a country to he desired,— a country whose situation, climate, productions, made it desirable as a place of abode. Such Palestine was always represented to be to the children of Israel (Lev. xx. 24; Num. xiii. 27; xiv. 8; xvi. 14; Deut. vi. 3; xi. 9, et al;) but this land had to them, at the time here referred to, no attractions, and they rather desired to return again to Egypt; Num. xi. 5. 1" They believed not his zoord. His assurance in regard to the land to which they were going.

25. Sut murmured in their tents, etc. Num. xiv. 2, 27. They complained of Moses; they complained of their food; they complained of the hardships of their journey j they complained of God. They did this when "in their tents;" when they had a comfortable home; when safe; when provided for; when under the direct Divine protection and care. So men often complain: perhaps oftener when they have many comforts than when they have few.

26. Therefore he lifted up his hand against them. Num. xiv. 27-33. He resolved to cut them off, so that none of them should reach the promised land. % To overthrow them in the wilderness. Literally, to cause them to fall.

27. To overthrow their seed also among the nations. Marg., as in Heb., to make them fall; to wit, among the surrounding people. The reference here is to the posterity of those who murmured and fell in the wilderness. The result of their rebellion and murmuring would not terminate with them. It would extend to their posterity, and the rebellion of the fathers would be remembered in distant generations. The overthrow of the nation, and its captivity in Babylon was thus one of the remote consequences of their rebellion in the wilderness. 1[ And to scatter them in the lands. In foreigu lauds — as at Babylon. If this psalm was written at the time of the Babylonish captivity, this allusion would be most appropriate. It would remind the nation that its captivity there had its origin in the ancient and long-continued disposition of the people to revolt from God.

28. They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor. They joined in their devotions, or, they shared in the rites of idolatrous worship. This occurred when they were in the regions of Moab, and on the very borders of the promised land. Num. xxv. Many other instances of a similar kind are passed over by the psalmist, and this seems to have

29 Thus they provoked him to anger with theii- inventions; and the plague brake in upon

30 Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.

31 And that was counted

unto him for righteousness, unto all generations for evermore.

32 They <i angered Mm also at the waters of strife, so that it went iU with Moses for their sakes:

been selected because of its peculiar aggravation, and to show the general character of the nation. Even after their long-continued enjoyment of the favour and protection of God,— after he had conducted them safely through the wilderness,— after he had brought them to the very border of the land of Canaan, and all his promises ^ were about to be fulfilled, they still showed a disposition to depart from God. _ Baal-peor was an idol of the Moabites, in whose worship females prostituted themselves. Gesenius, Zex. Comp. Num. xxv. 1-3. Baal was the name of the idol; Peor was the name of a mountain in Moab, where the idol was worshipped, f And ate the sacrifices of the dead. Of false gods, represented as dead or having no life, in contradistinction from the true and Uvinff God. They ate the sacrifices ofi^ered to those idols; that is, they participated in their worship. Num. xxv. 2.

29. Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions. The word rendered inventions means properly toorlcs; deeds; then it is used in the sense of evil deeds, crimes. If And the plague hraJce in upon them. See Num. xxv. 8, 9. No less than twenty-four thousand fell in the plague. Num. xxv. 9.

30. Then stood up Phijiehas, and executed judgment, etc. Inflicted summary punishment upon a principal oflfender. Num. xxv. 7, 8.

31. And that ivas counted unto him for righteousness. See Num. xxv. 11-13. Comp. Notes on Eom. iv. 3. The meaning here is, that this was regarded as a proof or demonstration that he was a righteous man — a man fearing God. % Unto all generations for evermore. Heb., " To generation and generation for ever." The record would be transmitted from one generation to another, without any intermission, and would be permanent. This is one of the illustrations of the statement so frequently made in the Scriptures (comp. Ex. xx. 6; Deut. vii. 9; Rom. xi. 28) that the blessings of religion will descend to a distant posterity. Such instances are constantly occurring, and there is no legacy which a man can leave his family so valuable as the fact that he himself fears God and keeps his laws.

32. They angered him also at the waters of strife. Num. xx. 3-13. They complained of the want of water. They wished that they had died as others had done. They murmured against God as if he could not supply their wants. They showed an unbelieving and rebellious spirit, —provoking God, and temptmg Moses to an act of great impatience by their conduct. In Num. xx. 13, this is, " the waters of Meribah;"— marg., strife. This is the meaning of the Hebrew word. The place took its name from the fact that the people there strove against the Lord and against Moses. ^ So that it loent ill with Moses for their salces. Evil came upon him. He was betrayed into impatience, and was tempted to use words which offended God, and prevented his being permitted to lead the people into the promised land. Num. xx. 12.

33 Because they provoked his spii-it, so that lie spake unadvisedly with, his lips.

34 They ' did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LoKD commanded them:

35 But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.

36 And f they served their idols; which were a snare imto

33. Because they provoked his spirit. Literally, " They made his spirit Utter," or they embittered his soul. They threw hun off his guard, so that instead of manifesting the meekness and gentleness which so eminently characterised him in general (see Num. xu. 3), he gave way to expressions of anger. See Num. xx. 10. H So that he spaJce unadvisedly tvith his lips. Passionately; in a severe, harsh, and threatening maaner. He did not bear with them as he should have done; he dul not refer to God, to his power, and to his goodness as he should have done; he spake as if the whole thing depended on him and Aaron:— " Hear now, ye rebels; must tve fetch you water out of this rock i^ The word rendered "spake unadvisedly"— ND3, ^a^a— means properly to babble; and then, to talk idly, or unadvisedly; to utter that which has no meaning, or an improper meaning. Let us not harshly blame Moses, till we are placed in circumstances similar to his, and see How we would ourselves act. Who is there that would not have been provoked as he was, or even to a greater degree? If there are any such, let them " cast the first stone.",

34. Theu did not destroy the nations. The Canaanites, Hivites, Jebusites, etc.;— the nations that inhabited the land of Canaan. 1[ Concerning whom the Loed commanded them. The command on this subject was positive; and it was to destroy them, to spare none ot them. Num. xxxiii. 52; Dent. vii. 5, 16.

35. B%t were mingled among the heathen. Among the nations; oy intermarriage, and by commerce. They suffered them to remain m the land, contrary to the command of God, and thus greatly exposed and endangered the purity of their religion and their own morals, bee Judges ii. 2; iii. 5, 6. 1[ And learned their xoorlcs. Their practices; their customs and habits:— learned to live as they did. This was an illustration of the danger of intercourse with the wicked and the worldly. What occurred in their case has often occurred since in the history of the people of God, that by "mingling" with the world they have learned to practise their " works;" have become conformed to theii- manner of living, and have thus lost their spirituality, and brought dishonour on the cause of religion. There is some proper sense in which the people of God are not to be conformed to the world; m which, though living among them, they are to be separate from theui; in which, though they are parts of the same nation, and live under the same goUrnment and laws, they are to be a distinct and peculiar people, ruled supremely by higher laws, and having higher and nobler ends of life. Rom. xii. 2; 2 Cor. vi. 14-17... ^^ ^„.,_,„... r. „

36. And they served their idols. Judges ii. 12, 16, 1/, -j- J 5 "i- »'. '• IT Which were a snare unto them. Like the snares or toils by which birds and wUd beasts are caught. That is, they were taken unawares; they were in danger when they did not perceive it; tV^'^y fell when

37 Tea, they sacrificed^ their sons and theii- daughters unto devils,

38 And shed innocent blood even the blood of their sons and

of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land '' was polluted with blood. 39 Thus were they defiled

» -witli their own works, and went a whoring * with their own inventions.

40 Therefore ' was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred »» his own inheritance.

41 And he gave them into

the hand of the heathen; and they that hated them ruled over them.

42 Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.

43 Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him,

40. Therefore was the wrath of the Loed kindled against his people. Anger is often compared with a fire; as we say now, a man is inflamed with passion. See Esther i. 12; Lam. ii. 3; Ps. Ixxix. 5; Ixxxix. 46; Jer. iv. 4; Judges ii. 14. Of course, this must be taken in a manner appropriate to God. It means that his treatment of his ofi^ending people was as if he were burning with wrath against them. \ Insomuch that he abhorred his oion inheritance. He was offended with his people; he treated them as t/they were an abomination to him. He punished them; he cast them off; he left them to the just results of their own conduct. Were ever any writers more candid and honest than the sacred penmen? There is no effort to vindicate the nation; there is no apology offered for them; there is no concealment of their guilt; there is no attempt to soften the statement in regard to the feelings of God towards them. Their conduct was abominable; they deserved the Divine displeasure; they were ungrateful, evil, and rebellious; and the sacred writers do not hesitate to admit the truth of this to the fullest extent. mu >. • e

41. A7id he gave them into the hand of the heathen. _ That is, ot foreign nations. They were indeed heathens, in the sense in which that term is used now,— that is, they were ignorant of the true God, and worshipped idols; but that idea is not necessarily in the original word. The word Gentiles expresses all that the word implies. IT ^«a ihey that hated them ruled over them. Had them in subjection.

42. Their enemies also oppressed them. Sept., Afflicted them. They invaded their country; they destroyed their vintages; they laid desolate their land; they made them captives. 1" And they were brought into subjection. Heb., made to bowf.

43. Many times did he deliver them. From danger of invasion; ti-om foreio-n arms; from entire overthrow. Numerous instances of this are recorded in the history of the Hebrew people. 1" But they provoked him luith their counsel. This does not mean that they gave counsel or advice to God; but it refers to the counsel which they took among themselves; the plans which they formed. These were such as to offend God. IF And were brought low for their iniquity. Marg., tmpoyerished or weakened. The Hebrew word means to melt away, to pine; and hence to decay, to be brought low. See Job xxiv. 24, where it is rendered brought low, and Eccl. x. 18, where it is rendered decayeth. The word does not occur elsewhere. The meaning is, that they were weakened; their national strength was exhausted as a punishment tor their sins.

with, their counsel, and were ^ brought low for their iniquity.

44 Nevertheless, " he regarded theii' affiction, when he heard their cry:

45 And he remembered for

them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.

46 He made them also to be pitied " of all those that carried them captives.

44. Nevertheless, he regarded their affliction. Literally, "And he looked upon the trouble that was upon them;" or, " and he saw in the distress to them." The meaning is, that he did not turn away from it; Jie saw the need of interposition, and he came to them. If WJien he heard their cry. Literally, " In his hearing their cry." Their cry for help came before him, and he did not refuse to look upon their affliction. The idea is, that he was attracted to their case by their loud cry for help; and that when he heard the cry, he did not refuse to look upon their low and sad condition. God assists us when we cry to him. We ask his attention to our troubles; we pray for his help; and lohen he hears the cry, he comes and saves us. He does not turn away, or treat our case as unworthy of his notice.

45. And he remembered for them his covenant. His solemn promises made to their fathers. He remembered that covenant in their behalf; or, on account of that, he came and blessed them. He had made gracious promises to the patriarchs; he bad promised to be the God of their posterity; he had his own great purposes to accomplish through their nation in the distant future; and on these accounts, he came and blessed them. ^ And repented. He averted impending judgments. He checked and arrested the calamities which he was bringing upon them for their sins. He acted towards them as though his mind had been changed; as though he was sorry for what he was doing. The word repent can be applied to God in no other sense than this. It cannot be applied to him in the sense that he felt or admitted that he had done wrong; or that he had made a mistake; or that he had changed his mind or purposes; or that he intended to enter on a new course of conduct; but it may be applied to him in the sense that his treatment of men is as if he had changed his mind, or as if he were sorry for what he had done: — that is, a certain course of things which had been commenced, would be arrested and changed to meet existing circumstances, because they had changed, — though all must have been foreseen and purposed in his eternal counsels. ^ According to the multitude of his mercies. The greatness of his mercy; the disposition of his nature to show mercy; the repeated instances in which he had shown mercy in similar circumstances.

46. He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives. That is, he exercised such control over the minds of the heathen that they were willing to show them mercy and ^;o release them. It was not by any native tenderness on the part of the heathen; it was not because they were disposed of themselves to show them any favour; it was not because they had any natural relentiugs on the subject; but it was because God had access to their hearts, and inclined them to show compassion for their suffering prisoners. This is a remarkable instance of the power of God over even the hardened minds and hearts

47 Savep us, O Loed our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.

48 Blessed « he the Loud God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. ^ Praise ye the Loed.

of heathen men; and it shows that he holds this power, and can exercise it when he pleases. If he could excite in their hard hearts feelings of compassion towards his own people in bondage, what should prevent his having such access to the hearts of the heathen now as to lead them to repentance towards himself? On the exercise of this power the salvation of the heathen world— as of all sinners— must depend; and for the putting forth of this power we should most fervently pray. The literal rendering of this verse would be, " And he gave them to compassions before all those that made them captive." That is, he inclined them to show favour or compassion. Comp. Dan. i. 9; 1 Kings viii. 50.

47. Save us, 0 Loed our God, and gather us from among the heathen. From among the nations. From this it would seem that the psalm was composed when the nation was in captivity, or was dispersed among the nations that were hostile to them. The prayer is, that as God had, in former periods, recovered his people when they were in exile, or were scattered abroad, he would again graciously interpose and bring them to the land of their fathers, where they had been accustomed to worship God. 1[ To give thanks unto thy holy name. Unto thee; a holy God. That we may praise thee in the place where thou art accustomed to be worshipped — in the sanctuary. If And to triumph in thy praise. To exult; to rejoice; to be glad in praising thee,— in thy worship.

48. Blessed be the Loed Ood of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. For ever. As he has been adored in the past— even from the beginning of the creation — so let him be adored and praised in all periods to come for ever and for ever. See Notes on Ps. xli. 13. 1[ And let all the people say. Amen. In Ps. xli. 13, this is, "Amen and amen." The idea is. Let all the people join in this; let them all express and declare their assent to this:— let them all say, " Be it so." The word Amen is a word expressing assent — meaning verily, truly, certainly. % Praise ye the LoED. Heb., Sallelu-jah. See Ps. civ. 35.

This psalm is without a title, and its author is unknown. The occasion on which it was composed is not particularly designated, though from vers. 2, 3, it is probable that it was on a return from exile or captivity. There is nothing in the psahn to forbid the supposition that this was the return from the captivity at Babylon, and that the psalm was designed to be used at the re-ded:cation of the temple after the restoration. Every part of it would be appropriate to such an occasion, and it is every way probable that so important an event would be celebrated ^vith appropriate songs of praise.

The design of the psalm, so far as it has a practical bearing, is indicated m vers. 8, 15, 21, 31, in the language repeated in those verses:— " Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!" The purpose of the psalm is so to set forth these " works," or these doings of God, as to lead men to praise and adoration.

2 Let the redeemed of the

ductory, mtended to designate the people who were specially called on to praise God,-as those who had been redeemed from the^W of the enemy and gathered out of the lands-east, west, north, and south ^' nowever, (vers 32-43,) this language is not employed, but the expression of S/S'? t^ °tlier cases IS changed into an affirmation hat aU wh?wereT-ise of thf Lord/'"' '^""' '^^'' ^"""^ ^ould ^^nnderst^nd the loving^Sess The particular parts of the psalm are the foUowino- •—

I. A referenceto the redeemed of the Lord as having wandered in the wilderness; as havmg been hungry and thirsty; as haviSg no city to dwellla • «^.npl?i; '"'.^'illi^g^PO^ the Lord in such a manner°thathY heard them' and led them m a right and safe way. For this the psalmist expresses the wish that "men would praise the Lo/d for his goochies.," ^^s 4T

III. A reference to the deliverance wrought for the people of God Thev had sinned; they had sho^ their folly; they had draVnear to the gates of death and then they cried unto the Lord, and he sent his word and hfaled

IV. A reference to the goodness of the Lord as manifested towards those who go down to the sea m ships, and do business in the o-reat waters Thev see he.^nders of the Lord in the deep. They encount^er Inns and teZ pests. They are raised up to the heavens on the waves, and then sink to a corresponding depth. They reel to and fro and stagger Uke a drunkard^ and then they cry to the Lord, and he hears them, and makes the sea caki' aSd brings them to the desired haven. For this the psabnist expresses th?\S that "men would praise the Lord for his goodness/' vers. 23-32

1. O givethanJcsunto^ tU Loed, for he is good. See Notes on rs. cvi. 1. '^For his mercy endureth /or ever. He is unchangino- in his mercy. It is an attribute of his very nature. He is constantly manifesting it. The word rendered mercy here, hovvever— ipn, hhesed —is more general in its signification than our word mercy. 'Our word

Lord say so, whom lie hatli redeemed ' from tlie liand of the enemy;

3 And gathered ' them out

of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the ' south.

4 They wandered in the wilderness " in a solitary way;

mea,ns favour shown io the guilty; the Hebrew word means kindness, goodness, benignity in general. It is this which is celebrated in the psalm before us.

2. Let the redeemed, of the LoED say so. They are peculiarly qualified to say so; they have special occasion to say so; they can and will appreciate this trait in his character. The word rendered redeemed here — from ^X3, gaal — means delivered, rescued, without reference to any price paid for the deliverance. It refers here not to a ransom from sin, but to deliverance from danger. The probable allusion is to the deliverance from the captivity in Babylon. Comp. Notes on Isa. xliii. 3. \ Whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy. The power of the enemy. That is, He has saved them from their enemies, and has not sufi"ered them to be destroyed by them. What is here said is true in the most eminent sense of those who are redeemed by the blood of the Son of God, and who are made heirs of salvation. Every consideration makes it proper that they should praise the Lord. Of all on earth, they have most occasion for such praise; of all among men, it may be presumed that they will be best qualified to appreciate the goodness of the Lord.

3. And gathered them out of the lands. The countries where they were scattered. In the times of the captivity the people were not all taken to one place, or did not all abide in one place. In the long exile — of seventy years — in Babylon, they would naturally be much scattered in the diff'erent provinces; and the attempt to collect them together, to restore them again to their native land, might be attended with much difficulty. ^ From the east, etc. Ffom all quarters; from the places where they were scattered abroad. That is, one taking his position in Babylon would see them dispersed from that place as a centre into all the surrounding country. If And from the south. Marg., as in Heb., /rom the sea. In general, in the Old Testament, the word sea is used for the ivest, because the western boundary of the land of Palestine was the Mediterranean Sea. Comp. Ps. cxxxix. 9. But the supposed position of the speaker here is Babylon, and on that account the south might be fitly designated by the word sea; — as, on the south of Babylon, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean would be soon reached.

4. They wandered in the wilderness. On their return from Babylon; or, when God was conducting them again to their own land. The word wilderness in the Scriptures means a desolate, barren, uninhabited region", usually destitute of trees, of springs, and of water- courses. It does not denote, as it does with us, a region of extensive forests. Comp. Notes on Matt. iv. 1. ^ In a solitary way. Rather, in a waste way; a land that was desolate and uncaltivated. \ They found no city to dwell in. In their journeyings. This was true of the region between Babylon and Palestine; — a wide, barren, desolate waste.

5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

6 Then " they cried unto the LOED in their trouble, and he

7 And he led them forth by the right " way, that they might go to a city of habitation.

5. Hungry and thirsty. As they would be, when wandering in such t desert. A more literal and expressive rendering would be, " Hungry, —also thirsty." ^ Their soul fainted in them. The word here used — CjOV, ataph — means properly to cover, to clothe, as with a garment, Ps. Ixxiii. 6; or a field with grain, Ps. Ixv. 13; then, to hide oneself. Job xxiii. 9 J then, to cover with darkness, Ps. Ixxvii. 3; cii., title; thus it denotes the state of mind when darkness seems to be in the way — a way of calamity, trouble, sorrow; of weakness, faintness, feebleness. Here it would seem from the connexion to refer to the exhaustion produced by the want of food and drink.

6. Then they cried unto the LoED in their trouble. The language in this verse is repeated in this psalm in vers. 13, 19, 28, — as if this were the main subject of the psalm, that when the people of God in difi'erent circumstances, or under various forms of trouble, call upon God, he hears them and delivers them. Tf And he delivered them out of their distresses. The verb from which the noun here used is derived has the idea of being narroio, straitened, compressed. Hence the word comes to be used in the sense of distress of any kind, — as if one were pressed down, or compressed painfuUy in a narrow space.

7. And he led them forth by the right way. A literal version, if the term necessary to express it might be allowable, would be, " He wayed them in a straight toay;" he made a way for them, and that was a straight way. He conducted them in the most direct path to the land to which they were going. ^ That they might go to a city of habitation, A city where they might permanently dwell. The word city here seems to be used in the sense of abode; and the idea is, that he led them to a land where they might cease to be wanderers, and might find a settled home.

8. Oh that men loould praise the LoED for his goodness. More literally, "Let such — or, let these — praise the Lord for his goodness," — the word " men " having been supplied by our translators. Yet it is not improper to suppose that a wider range is intended than would be denoted if it were confined to those who had then been delivered. It was evidently designed to impress the minds of those who might use this psalm in their devotions; and the idea is, that the deliverance then vouchsafed to the people of God in their troubles should lead all to praise and adore him. Such a surprising interposition suggested an important lesson in regard to God, applicable to all men; and should lead all to praise him in view of the trait of character thus manifested, as that of a God who hfears prayer when his people are in trouble, and who can make a straight path before them when they are in danger of being lost, and who can conduct them through the wilderness — the waste places — of this world, as he did his people across the pathless sands of the desert. The true use of all history is to teach us lessons

tlie Lord for Ms goodness, and for his wonderful works to the childj'en of men!

9 For ^ he satisfieth the longing soul, and fiUeth the hungry soul with goodness.

11 Because ^ they rebelled against the words of God, and contenmed the counsel « of the Most High;

about God. ^ And for his toonderful works to the children of men. His doings as fitted to excite wonder and admiration. His dealings with his people in the desert furnished one illustration of this; the world is full of such illustrations. The desire expressed in this verse suggests the great lesson of the psalm.

9. For lie satisfieth the longing soul. This does not mean — what is indeed true in itself — that God has made provision for the soul of man, and satisfies it when it longs or pants for its needed supply, but the reference is to the creatures of God — the living things that he has made; and the idea is, that he has made provision for their wants. He gives them food and drink, so that their wants are met. The particular reference here, however, in the word rendered longing is to thirst, as contradistinguished from the other member of the verse, where the refeience is to hunger. So the word is used in Isa. xxix. 8. *^ And filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Supplies the wants of the hungry with "good;" that is, with that which is " good" for it; which meets its wants, and imparts strength and happiness.

10. Such as sit in darkness. The reference in these verses (10-14) is evidently to the children of Israel, when in Baljylon; and the design is, to show the goodness of God to them in their trouble, and the occasion which they had for praising him on tliat account. To " sit in darkness" is significant of great ignorance (comp. Notes on Luke i. 79; Isa. Lx. 2); or of affliction and trouble, as darkness is an emblem of calamity. ^ And in the shadoio of death. A dark, gloomy, chilly shade such as Death would cast if he stood between us and the light. See Notes on Job iii. 5; comp. Job x. 21; Vs. xxiii. 4; xliv. 19; Isa. ix. 2. The reference is to the sad and gloomy residence of the Hebrews in the land of captivity. 1[ Being hound in affliction and iron. Captives and slaves. Comp. Ps. cv. 18.

11. Because they rebelled against the words of God. The commands of God. They did not keep ids commandments. Their captivity was produced by national tllsobedience. See Notes on Dan. ix. 5-8. ^ And contemned the counsel. They despised the instructions of God. The law of God, at the same time that it is law, is of the nature of counsel, since it is indicative of what God regards as wise and good, and since it is the best advice that God can give to men. A just and righteous law, while it involves obligation to obey it, is also tlie best counsel that can be given, and implies that the highest ivi^dom would be shown in being obedient to it. God will command nothing which he would not advise, and which it would not be wisdom to obey, f Of the 3Iost High. Of God, who, being supreme, has a right to rule over all, and to require that his laws shall be obeyed.

12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to * help.

13 Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.

14 He c brought them out of

darkness and the shadow of death, and brake theii- bands in sunder.

15 Oh that men would praise the LoED for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

16 For <i he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.