Notes on the Old and New Testaments

12. Therefore he IrougU doion their heart. Their pride; their selfsufficiency; their self-complacency. They thought that they could do without God; they relied on their own resources, and were self-satisfied; but God showed them that all this was vain, and humbled them, as he often does the proud, in the dust. TT With labour. With trouble; with affliction; with disappointment; with reverses; with sorrow. The Hebrew word — hiy^^, awaZ— would include all this. Comp. Gen. xli. 51; Deut. xxvi. 7; Job iii. 10; xvi. 2. ^ They fell down. They, as it were, stumbled — for so the Hebrew word meaus. They were walking along with a haughty air, and a high look, and suddenly they stumbled and fell. ^ And there was none to help. No God to interpose; no nation to befriend them; no human arm to be stretched out for their deliverance. God gave them up, helpless, to the just consequences of their folly and wickedness.

13. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble. Comp. Dan. ix. This is repeated in the psalm in vers. 6, 13, 19, 28, — in all the divisions of the psalm except the last. See Notes on ver. 6.

14. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death. From their captivity; from calamity which seemed to be as gloomy as the shadow of death. \ And braJce their bands in sunder. Delivered them from their bondage, as if the bands of a prisoner or captive were suddenly broken.

15. Oh that men would praise, etc. See Notes on ver. 8. The idea here is that the things just referred to should call forth expressions of gi-atitude to God. The immediate reference is to those who had partaken of these proofs of the Divine goodness, but still the language is so general as to be applicable to all classes of men.

16. For he hath broken the gates of brass. The immediate reason here given for praising the Lord is that he had " broken the gates of brass," continuing the thought from vers. 10-14. In the previous part of the psalm, in giving a reason for praising the Lord, the fact that he feeds the hungry was selected (ver. 9) because in the preceding part the allusion was to the sufferings of hunger and thirst (vers. 4, 5); here the fact that he had broken the gates of brass~ is selected, because the allusion in the immediately preceding verses (12-14) was to their imprisonment. In the construction of the psalm there is great regularity. The " gates of brass" refer probably to Babylon; and the idea is, that their deliverance had been as if the brazen gates of that great city had been broken down to give them free egress from their captivity. Thus the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus is announced in similar language:

17 Fools, because of * theii* transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afEicted.

18 Their soul abhorreth aU manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.

1 9 Then / they cry unto the Lord in theii- trouble; and he saveth them out of their distresses.

20 He sent his word » and healed them, '' and delivered tliem. from their destructions.

"I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron," Isa. xlv. 2. See Notes on that passage.

17. Fools, because of their transgression. Wicked men, considered as fools, because they are transgressors. Comp. Notes on Ps. xiv. 1; Ixxiii. 3; Ixxv. 4. The immediate allusion here, probably, is to the Jews, who had been so wicked and so supremely foolish in violating the commands of God, and making it necessary to bring upon them as a punishment the captivity at Babylon; but the language is made general because it will with equal propriety describe the conduct of all wicked men. There is nothing moi-e foolish than an act of wickedness; there is no wisdom equal to that of obeying God. ^ And because of their iniquities, are afflicted. A more literal rendering of this verse would be, " Fools from the way of their transgressions [that is, by their course of transgression], and by their iniquities, afflict themselves." The idea is, that it is in the very line of their trangressions; or, that they bring it upon themselves. All punishment is in fact in the line of the offence; that is, sin leads directly to it; or, in other words, if a man treads along in the path of sin, he will come to this result — to punishment. Punishment is not arbitrary on the part of God,- and it is not of the nature of a mere direct infliction from his hand. It is what men mete out to themselves, and what they might have avoided if they had chosen to do so.

18. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat. All food; all that is to be eaten. The word rendered abhorreth is a word which is used with reference to anything that is abominable or loathsome; that from which we turn away with disgust. The language is expressive of sickness, when we loathe all food. Tf And they draw near unto the gates of death. They are sick, and are ready to die. The reference is to the under world — the world where the dead are supposed to dwell. This is represented here as a city which is entered through gates. See Notes on Ps. ix. 13.

19. Tlien they cry unto the LoED, etc. See Notes on vers. 6, 13. The meaning here is, that if the sick cry to the Lord, he hears them, and delivers them. This cannot mean that it always occurs, but it occurs so often as to show that God can and does interpose to save; so often as to encourage us thus to call upon him when we are sick; so often as to lay a proper foundation for praise. Many persons — very many — can recall such instances in their own lives, when they seemed to all human appearance to be drawing near to the gates of death, and when, in connexion with prayer, their disease took a favourable turn, and they were restored again to health. Comp. Notes on James v. 14, 15.

21 Oh. that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works * to the children of men!

22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,

23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;

24- These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.

necessary for him merely to give a command, and the disease left them. So it was in the life of the Saviour, who often healed the sick by a " word" (Matt. viii. 8; Luke vii. 7); and so now restoration from disease often seems to be accomplished as if some word had been spoken by one who had power, commanding tlie disease to depart. In all cases, also, whatever means may be used, healing power comes from God, and is under his control. Comp. Ps. xxx. 2. ^ And delivered them from their destructions. From what would have destroyed them, if it had not been checked and removed.

21. Oh that men, etc. See Notes on ver. 8. Who can help joining in this wish, that those who have been restored fi'om sickness, who have been raised up from the borders of the grave, ioould praise God for it! Who can help wishing that they had the feelings of Hezekiah when he was saved from the sickness which threatened his life — saved by the direct and manifest interposition of God — when he said (Isa. xxxviii. 20), " The Lord was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments, all the days of our life in the iouse of the Lord!" Who can help wishing that men everywhere would see in such interpositions the proof of the benevolence of God, and would thank him that he has not forgotten guilty and suffering men 1

22. And let them sacrifice. As in the cases before (vers. 9, 16), this is connected with the preceding part of the p^alm, or is a continuation of the thought which had been interrupted by the prayer, " Oh that men would praise the Lord." The particular idea here is, that they who have been sick, and who have been restored to health, should otter the sacrifice of thanksgiving; or, that they are the proper persons to praise the Lord. The word sacrifice here is used in a large sense to denote worship or adoration. Let them worship God with thanks or praises. ^ The sacrifices of thanl'sgicing. Heb., praise. Let them otfer praise. H And declare his ivorks with rejoicing. Marg., as in Heb., singing. Let them set forth his doings in songs. Comp. Ps. ix. 11.

23. Theg that go doion to the sea in ships. The scene here changes again. From those that wander in the desert, — from those who are in prison, — from those who are sick, — the eye of the psalmist turns to those who encounter the perils of the ocean, and he finds there occasion for praise to God. The phrase " go down" or descend is employed here because the sea is lower thuu the laud, and because we descend when we embark on board of a vessel. % That do business, etc. Whose business or employment is on the ocean.

24. T/iCse see the ivorks of the Lord. They — sailors — have a special opportunity to see the works of God. They see manifestations of his power which are not seen on the land. They see things which seem to come direcitly from God; which are immediately produced by him, —

26 Eor i he commandeth, and ^ raisetli the stormy wind, wkich lifteth up the waves thereof.

26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths; their soul is melted '" because of trouble.

27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and ^ are at their wit's end.

28 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of theii* distresses.

m Nahum ii. 10. 2 all their wisdom is swallowed up.

not as the things which occur on the land, which are the result of growth, and which are slowly developed. They seem in the solitariness and grandeur of the ocean to stand more directly in the presence of the great God. % And his wonders in tJie deep. In the abyss; in that which is distinguished for its depth, as the mountains are for their height. Comp. Ps. cxlviii. 7.

25. For he commandeth. Heb., he says; that is. He speaks the word, and it is done. The mere expression of his will raises up the storm, and throws the sea into commotion. ^ And raiseth the stormy wind. Marg., as in Heb., Maketh to stand. The ''stormy wind" is literally, the wind of the tempest. If WTiich lifteth up the waves thereof. The waves of the ocean. The wind seems to take them up, and lift them on high.

26. They mount up to the heaven. The mariners. That it refers to the seamen, and not to the waves, is apparent from the close of the verse: " their soul is melted." ^ They go down again to the depths. The word here is different from that used in ver. 24, and rendered deep, but the idea is essentially the same. It is the sea or ocean considered as deep; as bottomless. The idea here is, that they seem to descend into the very depths of the ocean. IT Their soul is melted because of trouble. It seems to dissolve; it loses all its vigour; it faints. The word used — 2m, mug — means to melt; to flow down; to soften; and is then applied to the heart or mind that loses its courage or vigour by fear or terror. Ex. xv. 15; Josh. ii. 9, 24; Nah. i. 5. The trouble here referred to is that which arises from fear and danger.

27. They reel to and fro. The word here used — ^jHT, hhagag — means to dance as in a circle; then, to reel, or be giddy as drunkards are. '^ And stagger, gXjQ.. This word means to move to and fro; to waver; to vacillate; and it is then applied to a man who cannot walk steadily — a drunkard. So the vessel, with the mariners on board, seems to stagger and reel in the storm. ^ And are at their wit's end. Marg., as in Hob., All their wisdom is swallowed up. That is. They have no skill to guide the vessel. All ihat has been done by the wisdom of naval architecture in constructing it, and all that has been derived from experience in navigating the ocean, seems now to be useless. They are at the mercy of the winds and waves; they are dependent wholly on God; they can now only cry to him to save them. Often this occurs in a storm at sea, when the most skilful and experienced seaman feels that he can do no more.

28. Then they cry unto the Loed in their trouble, etc. See vers. 6, 13, 19. Sailors pray. If they do not pray elsewhere, they often do in a gtorm, when in danger of being wrecked and lost. A storm at sea

29 He » maketh th.e storai a caLm, so that the waves thereof are still.

30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto theii* desired haven.

brings hundreds on their knees who never prayed before, — for they feel that their only help is in God,. and that it is a fearful thing to die. Then they do right. They do what ought to be done. But they do then only what men ought always to do; for it is as plain a duty to pray when we are iu safety as when we are in danger; when sailing on a smooth sea as iu a storm; when on the land as on the ocean. Men anywhere, and at any time may die; and men everywhere and at all times should, therefore, call upon God. Storms, tempests, fire, disease, and danger, only impel men to do what they should do always from higher motives, and when their vnotives will be likely to be more disinterested and pure.

29. He maketh the storm a calm. God does this, and God only can do it. The fact, therefore, that Jesus did it (Mutt. viii. 26), proves that he was Divine. There can be no more striking proof of Divine power than the ability to calm the raging waves of the ocean by a word. This is literally, " He places the tempest to silence." Tf So that the waves thereof are still. Are lulled. The ocean ceases to be agitated, and the surface becomes smooth. Nothing is more still than the ocean in a calm. Not a breath of air seems to stir; not a ripple agitates the surface of the sea; the sails of the vessel hang loose, and even the vessel seems to be perfectly at rest: "As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean." So God can calm down the tempest of the soul. He can make the mind which was heaving and tossed, like the ocean, with anguish on account of guilt, and which trembled in view of the coming judgment, as calm as the ocean is when in its state of perfect repose. God can do this, and ifone lut God can do it; and as Jesus thus stills the agitation of the guilty soul, as he did the waves of the sea, this proves also that he is Divine.

30. Then are they glad lecause they he quiet. Because the storm subsides, and they have the feeling of safety from danger. "^ So he iringeth them. Rather, "And he guides them." If Unto their desired haven. The word translated haven occurs nowhere else. By some it is rendered shore, but the word haven or jport seems best to express the sense of the passage: " the haven of their desire." No one can appreciate this fully who has not been long at sea, and who has not experienced the intense desire once more to see land. Even then no one experiences it fully who has not some object there which he desires to see, or to accomplish. If his business is there, if it is his native laud, if his father, mother, wife, or children are there, if it is the place of his father's sepulchre, and the place where he was born and reared, how intense becomes the desire to see that land once more. So God brings his people to rest in heaven, — their haven, their home. After being tossed by the tempests of life, after encountering its storms and dangers, after the fear and agitation experienced, he stills the storms; the way becomes smooth and calm; the end of the voyage is serene; and death is like the ship smoothly gliding into port with its sails all set. The soul enters heaven — the desired haven — the port that was longed for; a safe haven, beyond all storms or tempests; an eternal home!

31 Oil that men wovild praise the LoED fo7- Ms goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

32 Let them exalt him also in " the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

33 He p tumeth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dxj ground;

34 A « fi-uitful land into ^ barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dweU therein.

31. Oh tliat men, etc. See Notes on vers. 8, 15, 21. Assuredly they who are tlius delivered from the dangers of the sea should praise the Lord; they who have seen the wonders of God on the great ocean should never forget God.

32. Let them exalt him also. Let them lift up his name on high; let them make it conspicuous. The word means to lift up, andis applied to praise because we thus, as it were, lift up God, or make him conspicuous. IT In the congregation of the people. Not merely m private, but in public. As his doings are public and conspicuous, —as they pertain to all,— men should acknowledge him in their public capacity, or when assemhled together. % And praise him in the assemblu of the elders. The dd men; the men eminent for experience and wisdom. Perhaps this refers to those who occupied some official position in public worship, as appointed to preside over that worship, and to conduct it. We know that the arrangement was early made to appoint a body of aged men to preside over the assemblies for worship, ^ and to direct the devotions of the people. In the presence of such venerable and venerated men, they are here exhorted to give due praise to God. The reason for this seems to be partly drawn from what had been referred to in the previous verses,— the power of God as seen in stilling the tempests of the ocean; and partly from what is immediately referred to— the blessing of God on the labours, of man in cultivating the earth.

33. Se tumeth rivers into a wilderness. He makes great changes m the earth; he shows that he has absolute dominion over it. See Notes on Isa. xliv. 26, 27. On the word wilderness, see Notes on ver. 4. The point here is, that God had such control over nature that he could make the bed of a river dry and barren as the rocky or sandy desert. He could efifectuaUy dry up the stream, and make it so dry and parched that nothing would grow but the most stunted shrubs, such as were found in the waste and sandy desert. 1[ And the ivater-springs into dry ground. The very fountains of the rivers: not only drying up the river itself by leading it olf into burning wastes where it would be evaporated by the heat, or lost in the sand,— but so directly affecting the sources of the streams as to make them dry.. j_-,.

34. A fruitful land. Heb., A land of fruit. That is, a land that would produce abundance. The word fruit here is not used in the limited sense in which we now employ it, but means any productions of the earth. IF Into barrenness. Marg., as in Heb., saltiiess. llie word is used to denote a barren soil, because where salt abounds the soil is barren. Thus it is around the Dead Sea. Comp. Job xxxix. 6; Jer. xvii. 6. See also Virg. Geor. XL 238, " Salsa,.. tellus—frugibus infehx;"

35 He r tumeth tlie wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.

36 And there lie maketli the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;

37 And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may

38 He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly, and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.

39 Again, they are minished » and brought low through oppression, afl3.iction, and sorrow.

35. Se tumeth the wilderness into a staiiding loater. A pool; a lake. See Notes on Isa. xxxv. 6, 7. If And dry ground into loater-springs. Not merely watering it with rain from heaven, but causing gushing fountains to break forth, and to flow continually, diffusing fertility and beauty everywhere.

36. And there he malceth the hungry to dwell. Those who were in want; those who would have perished. It is not necessary to refer this to any particular case. It is a general statement, pertaining to changes which God makes upon the earth, as great as if he should thu3 convert a desert into a fruitful field — a barren waste into a land abounding in springs of water; as if ke should conduct thither a company of famished men, and provide for them food in abundance, "i" That they may prepare a city for habitation. A permanent dwelling-place for man.

37. And sow the fields, and plant vineyards. Cultivate the earth. The culture of the vine was an important feature in agriculture in Palestine, and hence it is made so prominent here. ^ Which may yield fruits of increase. The fruits which the earth produces.

38. He blesseth them also. In the manner immediately specified. "TT So that they are multiplied greatly. This was regarded as one of the highest blessings which God could confer, and hence it was so often promised by him to the patriarchs, as a proof of his favour, that their seed should be as the stars of heaven, and as the sand upon the sea-shore. Gen. xiii. 16; xxii. 17; xxvi. 4; xxxii. 12. ^ And suffereth not their cattle to decrease. The keeping of herds of cattle was also an important point in husbandry, and hence it was a blessing that they were made to increase, and that they were kept from the diseases to which cattle are subject.

39. Again, they are minished, etc. Literally, " And they are made to decrease." That is, — all is in the hand of God. He rules and directs all things. If there is prosperity, it comes from him; if there are reverses, they occur under his hand. Men are not always prosperous. There are changes, misfortunes, disappointments, sorrows. God so deals with the race as in the best manner to secure the recognition of himself:— not always sending prosperity, lest men should regard it as a thing of course, and forget that it comes from him; — and not making the course of life uniformly that of disappointment and sorrow, lest they should feel that there is no God presiding over human affairs. He visits now with prosperity, and now with adversity; — now with success, and

40 He ' peureth contempt upon princes, and causeth tliem to wander in the ' wilderness,

41 Yet " setteth lie tlie poor on high 2 from affliction, and

now with reverses, showing that his agency is constant, and that men are wholly dependent on him. In existing circumstances — since man is what he is — it is better that there should be alternations, reverses, and changes than that there should be a uniform course. ^ Through oppression. Anything that presses or straitens. *![ Affliction. Evil; — here, in the sense of calamity. ^ And sorrow. Anguish, pain: — of body or mind.

40. Se poureth contempt upon princes. He treats them as if they were common men; he pays no regard in his providence to their station and rank. They are subjected to the same wants as others; they meet with reverses like others; they become captives like others; they sicken and die like others; they are laid in the grave like others; and, with the same oifensiveness, they turn back to dust. Between monarchs and their subjects, masters and their slaves, mistresses and their handmaidens, rich men and poor men, beauty and deformity, there is no distinction in the pains of sickness, in the pangs of dying, in the loathsomeness of the grave. Tue process of corruption goes on in the most splendid coffin, and beneath the most costly monument which art and wealth can rear, as well as in the plainest coffin, and in the grave marked by no stone or memorial. What can more strikingly show contempt for the trappings of royalty, for the adornings of wealtl:, for the stars and garters of nobility, for coronets and crowns, for the diamonds, the pearls, and the gold that decorate beauty, than that which occurs in a grave! The very language used here, alike in tlie Hebrew and in our translation, is found in Job xii. 21. Tlie word rendered princes properly nnQAws willing, voluntary, prompt; and is then applied to the generous, to the noble-minded, to those who give liberally. It then denotes one of noble rank, as the idea of rank in the mind of the Orientals was closely connected with the notion of liberality in giving. Thus it comes to denote one of noble birth, and might be applied to any of exalted rank. ^ And causeth them to wander in the toilderness. Marg., void place. The Hebrew word — ^nn. tohu — means properly wasteness, desolateness; emptiness, vanity. See Gen. i. 2; Job xxvi. 7; Isa. xii. 29; xliv. 9; xlix. 4. Here it means an empty, uninhabited place; a place where there is no path to guide; a land of desolation. The reference seems to be to the world beyond the grave; the land of shadows and night. Comp. Notes on Job x. 21, 22. ^ Where there is no way. Literally " no way." That is, no well-trodden path. All must soon go to that pathless world.

41. Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction. Marg., after. The sense is not materially different. The idea is, that while he thus humbles princes, bringing them down from tlieir lofty position, he has respect to the poor in their condition of suffering and trial, and raises them from that depressed state, and gives them prosperity. Thus he orders the circumstances of men, and shows his sovereignty. *lf And maketh ^ivca families like ajlock. Numerous as a flock. Large families were accounted a blessing among the Hebrews. See Notes on ver. 38.

42 The " righteous sliall see it, and rejoice; and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.

43 Whoso « is wise, and will obseiwe these things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord.

42. The righteous shall see it, and rejoice. Shall see all these changes; shall see in their own case the proofs of the Divine favour. They shall thus have occasion for praise. ^ And all iniquity shall stop her mouth. The wicked shall be silenced; they shall be dumb. The righteous shall find, in tiiese varied scenes, occasion for praise and joy; the wicked shall be able to find no occasion for complaining or murmuring. The Divine dealings shall be manifestly so just, and so worthy of universal approval, that, even though the wicked are disposed to complain against God, they will be able to find nothing which will justify them in such complaints.

43. Whoso is wise. All who are truly wise. That is, all who have a proper understanding of things, or who are disposed to look at then? aright. If And will observe these things. Will attentively consider them; will reason ujwn them correctly; will draw just conclusions from them; will allow them to produce their proper impression on the mind. The meaning is, that these things would not be understood at a glance, or by a hasty and cursory observation, but that all who would take time to study them would see in them such proofs of wisdom and goodness that they could not fail to come to the conclusion that God is worthy of confidence and love. T[ Even they shall understandthe lovingMndness of the LoED. They will perceive that God is a mercitul Being; that he seeks the welfare of the universe; that he desires the good of all; that the whole system is so arranged as to be adapted to secure the greatest good in the universe. No one can study the works of God, or mark the events of his providence, without perceiving that there are innumerahle arrangements which have no other end than to produce happiness; which can be explained only on the supposition that God is a benevolent Being; which would not exist under the government of a malevolent being. And, although there are things which seem to be arrangements to cause sufi"ering, and although sin and misery have been allowed to come into the world, yet we are not in circumstances to enable us to show that, in some way, these may not be consistent with a desire to promote the happiness of the universe, or that there may not be some explanation, at present too high for us, which will show that the principle of benevolence is applicable to all the works of God. Meantime, where we can — as we can in numberless cases— see the proofs of benevolence, let us praise God; where we cannot, let us silently trust him, and believe that there will yet be some way in which we may see this as the angels now see it, and, like them, praise him for what "now seems to us to be dark and incotaprehensible. There is an eternity before usiin which to study the works of God, and it would not be strange if in that eternity we may learn things about God which we cannot understand now, or if in that eternity things now to us as dark as midnight may be made clear as noonday. How many things incomprehensible to us in childhood, become clear in riper

OGOD, ^ my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even -vvitli my gloiy.

2 Awake, psaltery and harp; I myself will awake early.

This psahn is ascribed to David, and there is no reason to doubt the correctness of the title in this respect. The psalm is not an original composition, but is made up, with slight alterations, of parts of two other psalms, Ps. Mi. 7-11; Ix. 5-12.

When the psalm was so arranged, or why the parts of two former psalms were thus brought together to form a new composition, it is impossible now to determiae. It mai/ have been for a mere pm-pose of art; or it may, more probably, have occurred when the two pai-ts of psalms already in use might be so combined as to be adapted to some new event. It may have been, also, that what had been expressed on tivo different occasions might now be fulfilled or accomplished on some one occasion, and that thoughts which had been expressed separately before might now be unitedly uttered in praise. EosenmiiUer supposes that the psalm ia its present form was arranged on the return from the captivity at Babylon, and that the parts of the two sepamte psalms were found to be suitable for a national song at that time, and were therefore thus brought together. This supposition would have much probability if the psalm were not ascribed to David; — and perhaps this fact need not be an insuperable objection,— siuce, if the two psalms from which tliis is compiled were the work of David, the author of the arrangement might without impropriety attribute the composition itself to David.

There are some slight variations iu the psalm, as here arranged, from^ the origiual psalms; but why these were made cannot now be determined. Substantially all that will be necessary in the exposition of the psaLm wiU be to notice these variations.

1. 0 God, my heart is fixed. Prepared, fitted, ready. See Notes on Ps. Ivii. 7. In Ps. Ivii. 7, this is repeated: — " My heart is fixed; 0 God, uiy iieart is fixed:" — indicating that there might have been some doubt or vacillation caused by the circumstances then existing, and the repetition would have respect to that, as if the psalmist had been unsettled and wavering for a time, but was at last firm. In such circumstances it would not be unnatural to repeat the assertion, as if there were no longer any doubt. In the beginning of a psalm, however, where there had been no previous expression or feeling of doubt so far as appears, there would be no propriety in repeating the assertion. % I will sing and give praise. See Notes on Ps. Ivii. 7. *^ Even with my glory. This is not in Ps. Ivii. It is literally here, " truly my glory." In Ps. Ivii. 8, however, the expression, " Awake up, my glory," occurs, and this seems to correspond with that language. It means here that it was his glory — his honour— thus to be employed in giving praise to God. It was worthy of all that there was elevated in his nature; of all that constituted his glory; of his highest powers. At no time is man employed in a more noble and lofty work than praise.

2. Aivake, psaltery and harp, etc. This is copied without change from Ps. Ivii. 8.

3. I will praise thee, O Loed, etc. This is taken from Ps. Ivii. 9. The only change is the substitution here of the name Jehovah for Adonai.' Why that change was made is unknown.

4 For thy mercy is great above the heavens, and thy truth reacheth nnto the ' clouds.

5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; and thy glory above all the earth:

6 That V thy beloved may be delivered, save with thy right hand, and answer me.

7 God hath spoken in his holiness: I will rejoice; I wiU

divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.

8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephi-aim also is the strength of mine head; Judah - is my law-giver;

9 Moab is my wash-pot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.

10 Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?

11 Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off.^^ and wilt not

4. For thy mercy, etc. This is taken from Ps. Ivii. 10. The only change is iu the expression "above the heavens," instead of "unto the heavens." The sense is essentially the same. The particular idea here, if it differs at all from the expression in Ps. Ivii., is, that the mercy of God seems to descend from heaven upon man, or comes down from on high.

5. Be thou exalted, etc. This is taken from Ps. Ivii. 11. The only change in the Hebrew is in the insertion of the word " and," " and thy glory above all the earth."

6. That thy beloved may he delivered. The word rendered beloved, and the verb rendered may be delivered, are both in the plural number, showing that it is not an individual that is referred to, but that the people of God are intended. This is taken without any alteration from Ps. Ix. 5. In that psalm the prayer for deliverance is grounded on the afflictions of the people, and the fact that God had given them, "a banner that it might be displayed because of the truth," — or, in the cause of truth. See Notes on that psalm. In the psalm before us, while the prayer for deliverance is the same, the reason for that prayer is different. It is that God is exalted; that his mercy is above the heavens; that his glory is above all the earth, and that he is thus exalted that he may interpose and save his people, ^f Save with thy right hand, and answer me. The Hebrew here is the same as in Ps. Ix. 5, where it is rendered " and hear me."

7. God hath spoken, etc. This is taken, without change, from Ps. Ix. 6. See Notes on that place.

8. Gilead is mine, etc. This is taken from Ps. Ix. 7. The only change is the omission of the word and before " Manasseh."

9. Moab, etc. This is taken from Ps. Ix. 8. The only change is in the close of the verse. Instead of " Philistia, triumph thou because of me " (Ps. Ix. 8), it is here, " Over Philistia will I triumph." Why the change was made is rinkno,wu.

11. Wilt not thou, 0 God, etc. This is taken from Ps. Ix. 10, with no change in the Hebrew, except that the word thou (in the first member of the verse) is omitted.

ttou, O God, go fortli witli our hosts?

12 Give us help from trouble: for " vain is the help of

13 Through God * we shall do valiantly: for he ' it is that shall tread down our enemies.

This is copied from Ps. Ix. 11. This also is taken from Ps. Ix.

Thus the psahn, though made up of parts of two separate psalms, is complete and continuous in itself. There is no break or discrepancy in the current of thought, but the unity is as perfect as though it had been an original composition. It is to be remarked, also, that though in the original psalms the parts which are here used have a different connexion, and are separately complete there, yet as employed here, they seem to be exactly fitted to the new use which is made of the language; and though the original reasons for the use of the language do not appear here, yet there is a sufficient reason for that language apparent in the psalm as rearranged. To an Israelite, also, there might be a new iuterest in the use of the language in the fact that words with which he was familiar, as employed for other purposes, could be thus combined, and made applicable to a new occasion in the national history.

This psalm is ascribed to David, and there is nothing in the psahn to make us doubt the correctness of the title. Kimchi supposes that it refers to the enemies of JDavid in the time of Saul. Grotius and Knapp suppose that it refers to Ahithophel; Dathe, to Shimei; De Wette, that it refers to national foes at a later period than the time of David. It is impossible now to ascertain the occasion on which it was composed. It would seem to have been one of the most trying in the life of David, when his enemies were most bitter against hiiu. It is one of the '■'■imprecatory" psalms, and one which is as difficult to reconcile with a kind and forgiving spirit as any other in the book.

In the New Testament (Acts i. 20) a part of the psalm is applied to Judas the traitor, but without its being necessary to conclude that it had any original refei-ence to him. The conduct of Judas was like the conduct of the enemy of David; the language used in the one case might be properly used in the other.

I. A description of the enemies of the psalmist (vers. 1-5), as {a) deceitful and lying; {u) as using words of hatred; {c) as fighting against him without cause; {d) as returning evil for good, and hati-ed for love. From this it would seem that the persons referred to were some who had been closely connected with the author; who had received important benefits from him; who had been the subjects of his prayer; and who pursued him from mere malice.

II. A prayerifor the punishment of those who had thus wronged him — refening particularly to some one person who had been prominent, or who had instigated otheis, imploring the infliction of just punishment on him as if he were alone responsible, vers. 6-20. It is in this part of tlie psalm that the principal difficulty in the interpretation consists, as this is made up of severe and apparently har.sh and revengeful imprecations. All is hi fact invoked on him that any man could ever desire to see inflicted on an enemy.

III. A prayer for the sufierer's own deliverance, with a promise of thanksgiving, vers. 21-31. The psalmist here describes his miserable and suffering condition, and prays that God would interpose, — expressing a willingness to

TJOLD "^ not thy peace, O God -*■-'- of my praise f

2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of ' the deceitful 2 are opened against me: they have spoken against me

3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without? a cause.

4 For my love they are my adversaries: but '' I give myself unto prayer.

suffer ant/ thing at the hand of man if God ^vould be his friend — a willingness that they should continue to "curse," if God would "bless." As the result of all, he sa3's that he would find delight in praise — in the public acknowledgment of the goodness of God.

On the phi-ase in the title, " To the chief Musician," see Notes on the title to Ps. iv. ■

1. Hold not tli.y peace. That is, Speak for my defence, — as if God had looked with unconcera on the wrongs which were done to him. See Notes on Ps. Ixxxiii. 1. 1 0 God of my 'praise. The God whom I praise; whom I worship and adore. It implies that he was accustomed to praise him, and desired still to praise him. He sought that God would interpose now that he might have new occasion for praise.

2. For the mouth of the tvicked and tlie mouth of the deceitful. Literally, " The mouth of wickedness, and the mouth of deceit." This acquaints us with the nature of the wrong which had been done him. It was slander; — undeserved reproach. % Are opened against me. Marg., have opened; that is, have opened themselves. ^ They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. They have accused me of things which are not true; they have made false charges against me. David, as has not been uncommon with good men, was called repeatedly to this trial.

3. They compassed me about also with words of hatred. They attacked me on every side; they assailed me, not merely in one form and direction, but in every form, and in every direction. I could turn no way — I could go nowhere — where I did not encounter these slanderous reports. 1^ And fought against me without a cause. Contended against me, or fought against me, with toords. They sought to do me all the harm they could. The phrase " without a cause " means that he had given them no occasion for this conduct; he had not wronged them; it was mere malignity. See Ps. xxxv. 7; Ixix. 4. Comp. John XV. 25.

4. For my love, etc. As a recompence for my love; or, this is the return which I get for all the expressions of my love.to them. The enemies referred to were those whom he had treated kindly; to whom he had done good. This is not uncommon in the world.- It was illustrated in an eminent degree in the life of the Saviour. ^ But I give myself unto prayer. Literally, " I — prayer;" that is, I am all prayer; I continually pray. Tliis may mean, either, that he bore these trials with a meek spirit, and did not allow these things to disturb his devotions; or, more probably, that ho prayed constantly for them; hs desired their good, and sought it from above.

5 And i they liave rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

6 Set thou a wicked man over him; and let • Satan stand

7 When he shall be judged, let him 2 be condemned: and let his prayer * become sin.

5. Aiid they have rewarded me evil for good. Literally, " They have placed against me." They have put it iu my way; it is what they had to set before me. See Notes on Ps. xxxv. 12, where the same expression occurs. 1" And hatred for my love. Instead of loving me in return for my love, they have met me with the expressions of hatred. This often occurred in the life of David; it was constant in the life of the Saviour; it is habitually manifested by men towards God; it is often experienced by good men now; it may occur in the life of any man — and if it does occur to us, we should not think that any strange thing has happened to us.

6. Set thou a wicked man over him. This commences the imprecatory part of the psalm, extending to ver. 20. The first thing that the psalmist asks is, that his foe might be subjected to the evil of having a man placed over him like himself: — a man regardless of justice, truth, and right; a man who would respect character and propriety no more than he had himself done. It is, in fact, a prayer that he might be punished in the line of his offences. It cannot be wrong that a man should be treated as he treats others; and it cannot be in itself wrong to desire that a man should be treated according to bis character and deserts, — for this is the object of all law, and this is what all magistrates and legislators are endeavouring to secure. If And let Satan stand at Ms right hand. As his counsellor and adviser. The language would be propei-ly applicable to one who had been a counsellor or adviser to a king in the administration of the government; and the prayer is, that he might know what it was to have such a one as his counsellor and adviser. The language used would seem to make it not improbable that David- here refers particularly to some one who had occupied this position in reference to himself, and who had betrayed his trust; who had given him crafty and malignant counsel; who had led him into bad measures; who had used his position to promote his own interests at the expense of- bis master's. David had such counsellors, as any one in authority may have. The prayer, then, would be, that such "a man might be punished in his own line; that he might know what it was to have a bad and wicked adviser. The word rendered Satan — "jUto — is in the margin rendered adversary. In the Septuagint it is ^ta/3oXoc; in the Vulgate, diaboltis. See Notes on Job i. 6, for its meaning. The prayer here seems not to be that the devil or Satan might stand near him as his counsellor; but that a man^a real adversary— an accuser — one with a malignant heart — one who would make use of his position to accomplish his own purposes, and to betray the interests of his master, might give him counsel, as seems to have been done in the case of David.

7. When he shall be judged, etc. When for his offences he shall btf arraigned. The psalmist supposes that he might be put on trial; he seems to suppose that this luould be. Such wickedness could not always

8 Let liis days be few: and let another take ' his ' office.

9 Let Ids children be fatherless, m and his wife a widow.

escape detection, and sooner or later he would be arrested and brought 10 trial. When this should occur, the psalmist prays that justice might oe done; that he might be condemned, as he ought to be. Such a prayer could" not in itself be wrong, for assuredly it cannot be pi'oper for magistrates to pray that the wicked man may escape, or that they may themselves fail in the very object for which they are appointed- See General Introd, § 6. (5.) e, f. ^ And let his prayer become sin. Evidently his prayer in reference to his trial for crime; his prayer that he might be acquitted and discharged. Let it be seen in the result that such a prayer was wrong; that it was, in fact, a prayer for the discharge of a bad man — a man who ought to be punished. Let it be seen to be what a prayer would be if oiFered for a murderer, or violator of the law, — a prayer that be might escape or not be punished. All must see that such a prayer would be wrong, or would be a " sin;" and so, in his own case, it would be equally true that a prayer /or his own escape would be " sin." The psalmist asks that, by the result of the trial, such a prayer might be seen to be in fact a prayer for the protection and escape of a bad man. A just sentence in the case would demonstrate this; and this is what the psalmist prays for.

8. Let his days be few. Let him be soon cut off; let his life be shortened. It cannot be wrong for an officer of justice to aim at this; to desire it; to pray for it. How strange it would be for a magistrate to pray that a murderer or a traitor should be long-lived! ^ And let another take his office. So every man acts, and practically prays, who seeks to remove a bad and corrupt man from office. As such an office must be filled by some one, all the efforts which he puts forth to remove a wicked man tend to bring it about that " another should take his office;" and for this it is right to labour and pray. The act does not of itself imply malignity or bad feeling, but is consistent with the purest benevolence, the kindest feelings, the strictest integrity, the sternest patriotism, and the highest form of piety. The word rendered office here is in the margin charge. It properly denotes a mustering, an enumeration; then, care, watch, oversight, charge, as in an army, or in a civil office. In Acts i. 20, this passage is applied to Judas, and the word — the same word as in the Septuagint here — is rendered in the text bishopric, — in the margin, office. See Notes on that passage. It had no original reference to Judas, but the language was exactly adapted to him, and to the circumstances of the case, as it is used by the apostle in that passage.

9. Let his children be fatherless. Heb., his sons. This is what always occurs when a criminal who is a father is executed. It is one of the consequences of crime; and if the officer of justice does his duty, of course, the sons of such a man must be made fatherless. The prayer is, simply, that justice may be done, and all this is but an enumeration of what must follow from the proper execution of the laws. •[[ And his wife a widow. This implies no malice against the wife, but may be consistent with the most tender compassion for her sufferings. It is simply one of the consequences which must follow from the punishment of a bad man. The enumeration of these tbioga

10 Let liis cnildi'en be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.

11 Let " the extortioner

catch. aU that he hath: and let the strangers spoil his labour. 12 Let there be none to ex- shows the enormity of the crime— just as the consequences which follow from the execution of a murderer are an illustration of the Divine sense of the evil of the offence.

10. Let his children he continually vagabonds, and leg. Let them continually wander about with no home — no fixed habitation. Let them be compelled to ask their daily food at the hand of charity. Here we enter on a part of the psalm which is more diflicult to be reconciled with a proper feeling than the portions which have been considered. It is, indeed, a frequent consequence of crime that the children of those who are punished are vagabonds and beggars, but this is not a necessary consequence; and there seems here, therefore, to be a mixture of personal feeling, or a feeling of revenge. This runs through the remaining portion of the imprecatory part of the psalm. I confess that it is difficult to explain this without admitting that the expressions are a record only of what actually occurred in the mind of a man, truly pious, but not perfect, — a man who thus, to illustrate the workings of the mind even when the general character was holy, was allowed to record his own feelings, though wrong, just as he would record the conduct of another, or his own conduct, though wrong, as a simple matter of fact — a record of what actually was felt. The record may be exactly correct j the sentiment recorded may have been wholly incapable of vindication. See General Introd. § 6 (6). IT Let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places. In places uninhabited by man; in barren regions; in deserts: let them be compelled to live on the scanty food which they may pick up there, — the roots, or the wild fruits, which will simply keep them alive. See Notes on Job XXX. 4.

11. Let the extortioner catch all that he hath. Literally, " Let the extortioner cast a snare over all that he hath;" that is, let him seize all his property. The word rendered catch — iDpi. nakash — is a word which means to lay a snare, as for birds and wild animals, and hence it means to ensnare, to entrap, to catch. The word rendered " extortioner " means literally one who lends or borrows money; a moneyloaner; in our times, a broker. Here it refers to one who loaned money on interest; or who took advantage of the necessities of others to lend money at high rates — thus sooner or later seizing upon and securing the property of another. The prayer here is, that he might be in such circumstances as to make it necessary to faU into the hands of those who would thus come into possession of all his property. ^ And let the strangers spoil his labour. Let strangers plunder his labour; that is, the fruit of his labour. Let them seize and possess what he has earned and gained to enjoy it themselves. The remarks made on ver. 10, will apply to this verse and the following.

12. Let there be none to extend mercy unto him. Let him find compassion and sympathy in no one. When he suffers, let him be left to bear it alone. Let there be none found to shed a tear of compasaior

tend mercy unto him; neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.

13 Let his posterity " be cut off; and in the generation following let theii' name be p blotted out.

14 Let the iniquity of his fathers q be remembered with the LoKD; and let not the sin

15 Let them be before the LoED continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

16 Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, »" but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.

over him, or to relieve him. Literally, " Let there be no one to draw out kindness to him." ^ Neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children. To show them mercy or- kindness. See Notes on ver. 10.

13. Let his posterity he cut off. To have a numerous posterity, to have the name and family perpetuated, was regarded among the Hebrews as one of the greatest and most desirable blessings. Hence to pray that all one's family might bo cut off was one of the severest forms of malediction which could bo employed. ^ And in the generation following. The very next generation. Let not his family be perpetuated at all. ^ Let their na>ne be blotted out. As a name is erased from a catalogue or muster-roll when one dies.

14. Let the iniquiti/ of his fathers. Of his ancestors. ^ Be remembered tvith the LoED. Or, by the Lord. The doctrine of the Bible is, that God " visits the iniquities of the fathers upon the children imto the third and fourth generation of them that hate" him (Ex. xx. 5); the matter of fact is that children and children's children often suffer from the errors, the crimes, and the follies of their parents, as in the case of intemperance, murder, and treason (comp. Notes on Rom. v. 12, et seq.); and the prayer here is, that this regular effect of sin might follow in this instance; that these consequences might not be arrested by Divine interposition. '^ And let not the sin of his inother he blotted out. This is probably added to complete the parallelism; — the sin of his father and his mother. There may, however, if this is a composition of David, be a similar allusion to that which occurs in Ps. li. 5, " Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." The prayer is, that whatever effects might properly follow from the fact that his mother was a sinner — either in some peculiar sense, or in the general sense that aU are sinners — might come upon him.

15. Let them he before the LoED continually. Let their sins never pass from the mind of God. Let him never so forget them as not to inflict punishment for them. % That he may cut off the memory of them from the earth. That they may be wholly forgotten among men. Let their very name perish; and let the offender in this case be in the condition of those who have no ancestors to whom they can refer with pride and pleasure. The idea here is drawn from the honour which is felt in being able to refer to ancestors worthy of being remembered for their virtues.

16. Because that he remembered not to show mercy. He had no compassion; he was severe, harsh, unjust, unfeeling, 'i But persecuted the

17 As ' he loved cursing, so let it come Tinto tim; as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

18 As he clothed himself with cursing like as with a

garment, so let it come ^ into his bowels like water, ' and like oil into his bones.

19 Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is gii'ded continually. t Num. V. 22.

poor and needy man. The man that was destitute of friends; that was a wanderer and a beggar. There were times in the life of David when this would be strictly and literally applicable to him. ^ That he might even slay the broken in heart. The man whose heart was crushed by sorrow, — that he might put " the finishing stroke" to all, and send him to the grave. Whatever might have been the feeling which prompted to this prayer, or however difficult it may be to vindicate the psalmist's expression of feeling, there can be no doubt as to the prorpriety of inflicting punishment on such a man. The sufierings invoked are none too severe to be inflicted on a man who persecutes the poor and needy, and seeks so to multiply sorrows that the man already crushed and broken in heart shall sink to the grave.

17. As he loved cursing, etc. As he loved to curse others; as he seemed to have a pleasure alike in the act of cursing and in the feeling which prompts to cursing, let him see what it is; let it come upon him in its fulness. He has chosen this as his portion; let it be his. This, in the original, is in the indicative mood, and not, as in our version, in the optative form: " He loved cursing, and it has come upon him; he did not delight in blessing, and it is far from him." Still, the connexion would rather seem to require that we should understand this as a prayer, and not as an affirmation, for the object of the whole seems not to be to state what had come upon him, but what the psalmist wished might come upon him. % As he delighted not in blessing, etc. As he had no pleasure in wishing that others might be happy, or in any measures which would tend to promote their happiness, so let everything that could be regarded as a blessing be put far from himj — let him know nothing of it.

18. As he clothed himself ^vith cursing like as with a garment. Moral qualities are often compared with raiment — as that in which we appear to our fellow-men. See 1 Pet. v. 5; Job xxix. 14. ^ So let it come into his bowels like tvater. Marg., within him. Heb., In his midst. Let it penetrate him through and through. Let no part of him be unaffected by it. f And like oil into his bones. As if oil flowed through all his bones, so let the effects of cursing pervade his whole frame. The prayer is, that his entire nature might feel the effects of cursing; that he might know to the full what he was endeavouring to bring on others.

19. Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him. He has chosen to put it on, to wear it, to appear in it; so let him constantly feel its consequences. As he is always obliged to wear clothing, so let this be as constantly with him and upon him as his mantle and his sash. ^ And for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually. The belt or girdle which he constantly wears. See Notes on Matt. v. 38.

20 Let tliis be the reward of mine adversaries from tlie LoBD, and of them that speak evil against my sonl.

21 But do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name's « sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.

22 For I am poor and needy,

23 I am gone like the shadow ^ when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.

24 My knees '" are weak through fasting, and my flesh faileth of fatness.

25 I became also a reproach

20. Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the Loed, etc. The word rendered reward means usually work, labour, occupation, business; then, what one earns by bis work, — reward, reeompence, Ley. xix. 13. The meaning here is. Let them constantly receive these things which I have prayed for (vers. 6-19); let them be constantly treated in this manner. This is a summing up of his entire wish — his whole desire. It cannot be proved that they did not deserve all this; it cannot be shown that if all this came upon them at the hand of God, it would be unjust; it cannot be denied that such things as these, either singly, in groups, or in succession, do actually come upon wicked men; and the prayer in the case may have been merely that justice might be done. Still, as before remarked, it is not easy wholly to \andicate the expressed feelings of the psalmist. See Notes on ver. 10.

21. But do thou for me, 0 God the Lord, for thy name's salce. That is, Interpose for me; exert thy power in my behalf. The phrase " for thy name's sake" implies that the motive which prompted him was a desire that God might be honoured. It was not primarily or mainly for his own happiness; it was that God might be glorified, that his character might be illustrated, that his plans might be accomplished. Comp. Notes on Dan. ix. 18, 19. •[[ Because thy mercy is good. That is. It is the characteristic of mercy to do good; to show kindness. ^ Deliver thou me. He prays that God would manifest himself as he really was, as a God of mercy.

22. For I am poor and needy. I am helpless and dependent. I am in a condition where I need thy gracious interposition. ^ And my heart is luounded toithin me. I am as one that is prostrated by a weapon — as if my heart had been pierced. I have no courage, no strength. I am like one who lies wounded on a battle-field.

23. I am gone like the shadoiv when it declineth. See Notes on Ps. cii. 11. % I am tossed up and down as the locust. Agitated, moved, driven about, as a cloud of locusts is by the wind. The meaning of the whole is, that he was frail and weak, and needed strength from on high.

24. My knees are iveak through fasting. Hunger; want of food. Strength to stand is connected with firmness in the knee-joints, and hence weakness and feebleness are denoted by the giving way of the knees. Comp. Heb. xii. 12. ^ And my fiesh faileth of fatness. I am lean and weak. There is not the proper supply for my strength. The idea seems to have been that fatness (Heb., oil) was necessary to strength.

25. I became also a reproach unto them. They reproached or reviled me as a bad man. Comp. Notes on Ps. xxii. 6. The plural here —

26 Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy mercy;

27 That they may know that this is thy hand; * that thou, Lord, hast done it.

28 Let a them curse, but bless thou: when they arise,

let them be ashamed; but let thy servant i rejoice.

29 Let "^ mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion as with a mantle.

30 I will gi'eatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I d will praise him among the multitude.

"unto them" — shows that there were more than one to whom the psalm had reference, though one of them was so prominent that a considerable part of the psalm might properly be spoken of him alone. ^ When thej/ looked upon me, they shaked their heads. In contempt. See Ps. xxii. 7. Comp. Matt, xxvii. 39.

27. That they may Jcnoiv that this is thy hand. That this has been done by thee; that it has all occurred under thy direction, or has been ordered by thee. The reference seems to be particularly to God's interposition: — " Let it be manifest to all that thou hast interposed in my behalf; that thou hast undertaken for me; that thou art my Friend." He desired an interposition from God that he might be vindicated before all his enemies. ^ That thou. Lord, hast done it. Let it be such an interposition that it will be manifest to all that no other one hut God could have done this.

28. Let them curse, hut hless thou. See ver. 17. Let them continue to curse me, provided thou wilt bless me. I am willing to bear all these reproaches, if I may have thy favour. That favour I value infinitely more than I do theirs; and it is a small matter that I am reviled and cursed by men, if I may secure the favour and friendship of God. ^ WTien they arise. When they rise up against me; when they attempt to persecute me. ^ Let them he ashamed, etc. Let them be disappointed; let them not be successful in their designs against me. On the word ashamed, see Notes on Job vi. 20; Ps. xxv. 2, 3.

29. Let mine adversaries he clothed tvith shame. Let confusion and disappointment seem to cover them, so as to constitute a garment. See Notes on vers. 18, 19. They had " clothed themselves with cursing" (ver. 18), and the prayer now is, that the covering of shame might be as complete and entire. % And let them cover themselves with their own confusion as tvith a mantle. As with an outer garment, — the mantle or robe, — which they might wrap all round them. Let it be so abundant that they may entii-ely wrap their person in it. Let their confusion correspond with their sin in the fullest manner.

30. I will greatly praise the Loed loith my mouth. I will sing abundant praises to him. Comp. Notes on Isa. xxxviii. 20. 1" Tea, I will praise him among the multitude. In the great congregation. I will publicly acknowledge his goodness and mercy. See Notes on Ps. xxii. 25.

_ 31 For lie shall stand at the I save Mm from i those that right ' hand of the poor, to I condemn his soul.

31. For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor. He will thus show that he befriends the poor and the helpless. % To save him from those that condemn his soul. Marg., from the judges of Jiis soul. The Hebrew is, " from those that judge his soul." The meaning is, from those that pronounce a harsh or unjust judgment; from those that condemn the innocent.

This psalm is entitled " A Psalm of David." It is also ascribed to David by the Saviour (Matt. xxii. 43); and by Peter (Acts ii. 34); and there is no reason to doubt the correctness of the title. There is nothing, however, in the title, or in the psahn, to determine at what period of Da^id's Ufe, or on what occasion it was wiitten. Aben Ezra supposed that it was at the time referred to in 2 Sam. sxi. 15-17; and others have selected other occasions in the Ufe of David. But all this is conjecture. The psalm has no particular reference to anything in his history, and as it is wholly prophetic of the Messiah, it might have been composed at any period of his life.

The psalm is repeatedly quoted in the New Testament as referring to the Messiah, and in such a maimer as to show that this was the customary interpretation among the Jews, or that it might be referred to by way of proof in regard to the Messiah, so that the relevancy and pertinence of the argmnent would be at once admitted. Matt. xxii. 44 (comp. Mark xii. 36; Luke xx. 42); Acts ii. 34; Heb. v. 6; vii. 17, 21. The way in which it is quoted shows that this was the prevailing and received mode of interpreting the psalm.

Yet this belief has not been uniform. De "Wette supposes that it refers to David himself. Jarchi supposed that it referred to Abraham; Borhek, to Solomon; Justin Martyr and Tertullian, to Hezeldah. See Kosenmiiller.

The application of the psahu in the New Testament to the Messiah is so clear and unequivocal, that we are bound to defend the opinion that it was designed to refer to him; and the manner in which it is quoted shows that it was in no secondary sense, and in no way of " accommodation," but that it had an original and exclusive applicability to him. Every principle of honesty in interpretation demands this. There may be difficulties in the interpretation itself, but the fact that it refers to the Messiah involves no difficulty, if it be once admitted that there is such a thing as prophecy at all, and that any portion of the Old Testament has reference to a Messiah. There is no part of the Old Testament that is more clearly applied to him in the New Testament than this psabn; there is no part that more naturally suggests the Messiah; there is none that is more difficult of explanation if it be maintained that it does not refer to him; there is none that is made more plain by refening it to him. It will be assumed, therefore, in this exposition, that the psalm had an original and exclusive reference to the Messiah, and that the friends of revelation are bound to show that in him who claimed to be the Messiah, and to whom it is applied in the New Testament — the Lord Jesus — there is a. fair fulfilment of the predictions which are contained in it.

The idea in the psahn i^ that of the exaltation, the conquest, the priesthood, and the dominion of the Messiah. Two things — the kingship and the priesthood of the Messiah — are combined. The leading idea is that of the priest-king or the king-priest, as in the case of Melchizedek, in whom the two offices of priest and king were in a very unusual manner and form united in one person. Usually they were separate, even iu the earliest ages of the world. In the case of Melchizedek they were combined, and hence

THE f Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

he was selected as a proper representatire of the Messiah-of one who should combine these offices, apparently incongruous, in one. The psalm embraces the following pomts:— ■

I. The appointment of the Messiah-acknowledged by the author of the psalm as /«7" Lord "-to that high office, to be held until he should subdue

III. The assm-ance that his people would be made ''willing m the day when he should put forth his power, ver. 3_. ^,,. •,? •,„ offor rV. The peculiar characteristic of his reign, as that of a pnest-king, alter the order of MelcMzedek; combining the two functions of king and pnest in his own person and office, ver. 4.

1. The LOED said unto my Lord. In the Hebrew, " Spake Jehovah to my Lord." The word Jehovah is the incommunicable name of God. It is never given to a created being. The other word translated Lord —^cZowaJ— means one who has rule or authority; one of high rank; one who has dominion; one who is the owner or possessor, etc. This word is applied frequently to a creature. It is applied to kings, princes, rulers, masters. The phrase "my Lord" refers to some one who was superior in rank to the author of the psalm; one whom he could address as his Euperor. The psalm, therefore, cannot refer to David himself, as if Jehovr.fc had said to him, " Sit thou at my right hand." Nor was there any one on earth in the time of David to whom it could be applicable; any one whom he would call his "Lord" or superior. If, therefore, the psalm was written by David, it must have reference to the Messiah— to one whom he owned as his superior— Aw Lord— Aw Sovereign. It cannot refer to God as if he were to have this rule over David, since God himself is refei-red to as speaking to him whom David called his Lord:—" Jehovah said unto my Lord. The reasoning of the Saviour, therefore, in Matt. xxu. 43-45, was founded on a fair and just interpretation of the psalm, and was so plain and conclusive that the Pharisees did not attempt to reply to it. Matt, xxii. 46. See Notes on that passage. No other interpretation can be given to it, consistently with the proper rules of expounding language, unless it be shown that the psalm was not composed by David, and might, therefore, be applied to some one whom the author would acknowledge as his " Lord." But there is no evidence of this, and there is no one in the Old Testament history to whom the psalni would be applicable. 1[ Sit thou at my right hand. The position of honour and of rank. Comp. Notes on Ps. xvi. 8. See also Ps. xlv. 9; Mark xiv. 62; Luke xxii. 69; Acts vii. 55; Heb. i. 3; vui. 1. Ihe phrase is properly applicable to the Messiah as exalted to the highest place in the universe— the ri-ht hand of God. II Until 1 make thine enemies thy footstool. Until they are entirely subdued under thee. See Notes on Matt. xxii. 44. The enemies here referred to are the enemies of the Messiah considered as King (see Ps. u.); and the.

2 Tlie Lord stall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule s thou in the midst of thine enemies.

3 Thy people shall be willing

'' in the day of thy power, in the beauties » of holiness ^ from the womb of the thou ^ hast the dew of youth.

promise here is, that " he must reign till he shall have put all enemies under his feet." See Notes on 1 Cor. xv. 25.

2. The LoED shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. The sceptre of thy power; that with which thou shalt rule. It will be given to thee by Jehovah; and it will be given to thee, as it were, out of Zion; that is, as proceeding from the church, and as derived from that. It will be an appointment connected with the church, and will be as if the church had conferred it on thee. The idea is, that the Messiah would receive, as it were, his designation, authority, commission, power from the church. He would spring from it (Isa. xi. 1); would act for it; would do what was needful for its good; would wield the power which properly belongs to the church on the earth. Comp. Notes on Ps. ii. 9. \ Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Set up thy power over them, and reign in them. This is a commission to set up a kingdom in the very midst of those who were his enemies; in the hearts of those who had been and were rebellious. His kingdom is set up not by destroying them, but by suhduing them so that they become his willing servants. They yield to him, and he rules over them. It is not hero a commission to cut them off, but one much more difficult of execution, — to make them his friends, and to dispose them to submit to his authority. Mere power may crush men; it requires more than that to make rebels willingly submissive, and to dispose them voluntarily to obey.

3. Thy people. All who are given to thee; all over whom thou art to rule. This verse has been variously translated. The LXX. render it, " "With thee is the beginning in the day of thy power, in the splendour of thy saints, from the womb, before the light of the morning have I begotten thee." So the Latin Vulgate. Luther renders it, " After thy victory shall thy people willingly bring an offering to thee, in holy adorning: thy children shall be born to thee as the dew of the morning." De Wette, " Willingly shall thy people show themselves to thee on the day of the assembling of thy host in holy adorning, as from the womb of the morning, thy youth [vigour] shall be as the dew." Prof. Alexander, "Thy people (are) free-will offerings in the day of thy power, in holy decorations, from the womb of the dawn, to thee (is) the dew of thy youth." Every clause of the verse is obscure, though the general idea is not difficult to perceive; — that, in the day of Messiah's power, his people would willingly offer themselves to him, in holy robes or adorning, like the glittering dew of the morning; — or, in numbers that might be compared with the drops of the morning dew. The essential ideas are (1) that he would have a " people;" (2) that their subjection to him would be a " willing" subjection; (3) that this would be accomplished by his "power;" (4) that they would appear before him in great beauty — in robes of holy adorning; (5) that they would in 8on-ie way resemble the dew of the morning; and (6) that to him in thus subduing tbem there would be the vigour of youth, — the ardour of youthful hope. If Shall be willing. Literally, " Thy people [are, or shall be] willing-offerings." The word rendered willing — n1 115, nedahoth — is in the plural number; — " thy people, willingnesses." The singular — n^HD. nedahah — means voluntariness, spontaneousness: <ind hence it comes ' to mean spontaneously, voluntarily, of a willing mind. It is rendered a willing offering, in Ex. xxxv. 29; free offering, in Ex. xxxvi. 3; voluntary offering, in Lev. vii. 16; free-will offering, in Lev. xxii. 18, 21, 23; xxiii. 38 j Num. xv. 3; xxix. 39; Dent. xii. 6, 17; xvi. 10; xxiii. 23; 2 Chron. xxxi. 14; Ezra i. 4; iii. 5; viii. 28; Ps. cxix. 108; willingly, in 2 Chron. xxxv. S; plentiful, in Ps, Ixviii. 9; voluntary, and voluntarily, in Ezek, xlvi. 12; freely, in Hos. xiv. 4; and free-offering, in Amos iv. 5. It does not occur elsewhere. The idea is that oifreeness; of voluntariness; of doing it from choice, doing it of their own will. They did it in the exercise of freedom. There was no compulsion; no constraint. "Whatever "power" there was in the case, was to make them " willing," not to compel them to do a thing against their will. That which was done, or that which is here intended to be described as having been done, is evidently the act of devoting themselves to him who is here designated as their Ruler —the Messiah. The allusion may be either (a) to their devoting themselves to Mm in conversion, or becoming his; (6) to their devoting themselves to his service— as soldiers do in war; or (e) to their devoting their time, wealth, talents, to him in lives consecrated to him. Whatever there is as the result of his dominion over them is voluntary on their part. There is no compulsion in his religion. Men are not constrained to do what they are unwilling to do. All the power that is exerted is on the will, disposing men to do what is right, and what is for their own interest. No man is forced to go to heaven against his will; no man is saved from hell against his will j no man makes a sacrifice in religion against his will; no man is compelled to serve the Redeemer in any way against his will. The acts of religion are among the most free that men ever perform; and of all the hosts of the redeemed no one will ever say that the act of his becoming a follower of the Redeemer was not perfectly voluntary. He chose— he professed —to be a friend of God, and he never saw the time when he regretted the choice. "H In the day of thy power. The power given to the Messiah to accomplish the work of his mission; the power to convert men, and to save the world. Matt, xxviii. 18; xi. 27; John xvii. 2. This implies (a) that power would be employed in bringing men to submit to him; and {h) that there would be a fixed time when that power would be put forth. Still, it is power which is not inconsistent with freedom. It is power exerted in making men willing, not in compelling or forcing them to submit to him. There is a power which may be exerted over the will consistent with liberty, and that is the power which the Messiah employs in bringing men to himself. IT In the beauties of holiness. This power will be connected with the beauty of holiness; or, holiness will be manifested when that power is put forth. The object is to secure holiness; and there will be beauty in that holiness. The only power put forth in the case is to make men holy; and they will, in their lives and conduct, manifest all the beauty or attractiveness which there is in a holy and pure character. The word rendered beauty is in the plural number, and the allusion may

4 The LoKD hath swom, and will not repent, Thou * art a

priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

be to the raiment of those who are referred to. They would appear in pui-e garments — in sacerdotal vestments — as priests of God. Comp. Lev. xvi. 4. The idea may be that they would be a "kingdom of priests," clad in priestly vestments (Ex. xix. Q; comp. Notes on 1 Pet. ii. 5, 9), and that they would be adorned with robes appropriate to that office. This may refer, however, to their actual, internal holiness, and may mean that they would, when they were subjugated to him, appear as a holy or a righteous people. *^ From the toomb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. Marg., more than the womb of the morning, thou shalt have, etc. The expression here is evidently designed to refer to the source of the dew — the dew of the early dawn — as having its hirth then, or as seeming to be born then. The morn is represented as the mother of the dew. The figure is highly poetic and beautiful. The ground of the comparison may be either (o) that the "beauty of holiness" — the beautiful array of the saints — is more than that produced in the womb of the morning; or (b) that the dew of youth is more beautiful than the dew produced in the morning. As the word deiv, that on which the comparison must turn, occurs in the last member of the sentence, it is probable that the second of these interpretations is the true one, as indicated in the margin: " More than the womb of the morning (more than tjie morning produces) thou hast the dew of thy youth." That is, " as the young morning — the youth of the day — has its beauties in the abundance and lustre of the dew-drops, so shall the dew of thy youth be — the beginning of thy glorious day." May there not be here also an allusion to the multitudes that would be among his " people" — numerous as the dewdrops of the morning, and as beautiful as they — on his going forth to the world with all the beauty of a bright dawn? The meaning of the whole, I apprehend, is, " Thy reign shall be like the day — a long bright day. Thy coming — the morning of that day — shall be like the early dawn — so fresh, so beautiful, made so lovely by the drops of dew sparkling on every blade of grass. More beautiful by far — more lovely — shall be the beginning of the day of thy reign; — more lovely to the world thy youth — thy appearing — the beginnijig of thy day." Thus understood, the verse is n'most beautiful poetic description of the bright morning when the Messiah should come; the dawn of that glorious day when he should reign. Comp. Isa. ix. 1-3.

4. The LoED hath sworn. He has confirmed the appointment of the Messiah by a solemn oath, or as by an oath. That is. It is as sure and fixed as if he had taken an oath. Comp. Heb. vi. 13. The time, so to speak, if the word time can be applied to transactions in a past eternity, was that when he was designated in the Divine pm-pose as Messiah; in the eternal counsels of God. Comp. Ps. ii. 7. ^ And tvill not repent. Will not change his purpose. ^ Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. The word rendered order here means properly a word, a thing, a matter; hence, a way or manner. The meaning here is, that he would be a priest after the manner of Melchizedek; or, such a priest as he was. He would not be of the tribe of Levi; he would not be in the regular line of the priesthood,

6 The Lord at tty right liand shall strike through kings in the day ' of his wrath.

6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he "» shall

but he would resemble, in the characteristics of his office, this ancient priest-king, combining in himself the two functions of priest and king; as a priest, standing alone; not deriving his authority from any line of predecessors; and having no successors. See this verse explained at length, in its application to the Messiah, in the Notes on Heb. v. 6 10 • vii 1-3. The passage as it stands here, and as looked at without any reference to the use made of it in the New Testament, would imply these things:— (1) That he who was spoken of would be, in a proper sense, a priest. (2) That he would have a perpetual or permanent priesthood,-" for ever." (3) That he would not be of the established line of priests in the tribe of Levi, but that his appointment would be unusual and extraordinary. (4) That the appointment would come directly from God, and would not be derived from those who went before him. (5) That as a priest he would resemble Melchizedek, accordincr to the record which was found of Melchizedek in Genesis. (6) ihat.as°Melchizedek was a priest of the Most High God, so ^^ would be. (7) That as Melchizedek combined in himself the functions of both priest and king, so these would be found in him. (8) That as Melchizedek had no successors in office, so he would have none. How far these things were applicable to the Lord Jesus Christ, and with what propriety the passage might be applied to him, may be seen by examining the Epistle to the

5. The Lord at thy right hand. See Notes on Ps. xvi. 8 J Shall strike through Icings. The Hebrew word here rendered «A«ZZ strike,— from Vna,^«M«i-means to shake, to agitate; and then, to shake in piece's, \o dash in pieces, to crush; and here it has the sense of dashing^rpeces, smiting, wounding, crushing The " kings" referred o arf the enemies of God and the Messiah, and the idea is that all would be subdued before him; that he would set up a universal dominion; that none would be able to stand before him; or, that he would reign over all the earth. The language is that which xs derived from conquests in war; from the subjugation of enemies by force of arms Comp. Notes on Ps. i. 9-12; Isa. xi. 4. 1^ In the day ofhiswrath. Ps- i-lf ^TseshM judge among the heathen Among the -^.on.. Tliat is, he shall set up a kingdom, or shaD rule over the nations of the earth He shall come to execute judgment and justice.and shaU -VVori^^ }^ men what is due to them. See Notes on Isa. xi 3-5. 1[ -He shall JiU The pices mth the dead ladies. He shall make a great slaughter,- indicS of conquest, and of the subjugation of the world to himself it would be as if the bodies of the slain m battle strewed the ground, or filled Se valleys of the earth. % Se shall wound the heads. Thej^e word is used here that occurs in the previous verse, and that is there Tende ed.Aa« strike. It is the language of conquest, as i the world was to be subdued to himself bg ^var._ % Over many ^o»»»^^;^^^- ^^^Jarg qreat. Over vast and extensive regions.-carrying his conquests into £ant lands. This will be fulfilled only when a« the earth shall be subject to the reign of the Messiah. 1 Cor. xv. 24-28,

7 He shall drink of the brook "in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

7. Se shall drink of the hrooJc in the way. The design here seems to he to represent the Messiah as a victorious king and conqueror pursuing his enemies. In the previous verse the psalmist had represented him under the image of one engaged in hattle, and slaying his enemies with a great slaughter. He here represents him as pursuing those who should escape from the battle, and as pursuing them without fainting or exhaustion. He is like one who finds abundant springs and streams of water in his journeyings; who refreshes himself at those fountains and streams; who, therefore, is not faint and weary. He pursues his foes vigorously and with success. ^ Therefore shall he lift up the head. Therefore shall he triumph, or be successful. The head falls when we are faint and exhausted, when we are disappointed and are ashamed, when we are conscious of guilt. It is lifted up in conscious rectitude, in success and triumph, in the exuberance of hope. The idea here is. that the Messiah would be triumphant. He would achieve the victory over all his foesj he would pursue, without exhaustion, his flying enemies, and he would return from the conquest joyous, exulting, triumphant. All this is under the image of a victorious hero; all this will be accomplished in the conquest of the world by the Gospel; in the subduing of the foes of God; in the final scene when the Redeemer shall deliver up the kingdom to God. 1 Cor. xv. 24-28.

The author of this psalm is unknown, as is the occasion on which it was composed. It is one of the psalms, of which there are in all ten in number, that commence \nth. the phrase Eallelu-jah in the Hebrew; in our version rendered, Praise ye the Lord. Those psalms are the cvi., cxi., cxii., cxiti., exxxT., cxlvi., cxlvii., cxlviii., cxlix., cl. The use of this phrase shows that the psalms where it is found were designed for pubUc worship. It is probable that this was one of the later psalms,— a fact that might be indicated by the very use of this phrase Hallelujah. Venema supposes that it was composed in the time of the Maccabees, but of this there is no evidence. _ This is one of the alphabetical psalms. In that class of psalms there is considerable variety. In some a letter of the Hebrew alphabet commences each verse m the psalm; in others, the successive letters of the alphabet begin each tsvo or three verses in succession, or, as in Ps. cxix., eight verses in succession; in others, the successive letters of the alphabet are used in the beginning of separate clauses of the verses of a psalm.

The peculiarity of this psahn is that the first eight verses of the psalm contain two clauses, beginning with the letters of the alphabet taken in their order; the last two verses, three. Why this arrangement was adopted, it is impossible now to determine,— as it is in regard to many things which are thought to be beauties in poetry. There is very much in the measure, the rhythm, the rhyme, of modem poetry, that is quite as artificial, and quite as inexplicable, as this.

The psalm is a call to the praise of God on account of his works, and is designed to suggest grounds of confidence in him as drawn /;-o»8 those works. It is, therefore, of universal applicability; and may be used in any nation, at any time, and among any people. It is a psalm which may be translated into all the languages of the world, and whatever language men may speak, it would express in their own tongue what they have occasion to give thanks for in the various lands where they dwell.

PRAISE \ ye the Loed. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly " of the upright, and in the congregation.

2 The works J* of the Loed are great, sought out of all them that have pleasui'e therein.

3 His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever,

1. Fraise ye the Loed. Marg., Hallelnjah. See Ps. evi. 1. 1[ I will praise the LoED toith my whole heart. With undivided affections; holding back nothing. I will allow nothing to be in my heart that would interfere with the fulness of praise; no coldness or dividedness of affection; no love for other things that would deaden my love for God; no suspicion respecting him that would chill my ardour; no unbelief that would drag me down to earth, while the language of my lips ascended to God. See Notes on Ps. Ixxxvi. 12. 1 J» the assembly of the upright. With the righteous when they are gathered together for public worship. 1[ And in the congregation. See Ps. xxii. 22, 25; Isvi. 13; Ixxxix. 5.

2. The works of the Loed are great. They are great in number; great in magnitude; great in wisdom; great in goodness. This language was appropriate in the time of the psalmist, when men looked upon the heavens with the naked eye alone, and when they had very imperfect views of the real magnitude of the universe as it is now disclosed by the telescope. It is entirely appropriate now, and conveys a more solemn and sublime impression than it would in the time of the psalmist. It will still be appropriate under the larger views which may yet be obtained of the universe by more perfect instruments, by more accurate observation, and by more profound study. And it will be appropriate when men shall survey the greatness of the universe from the heights of heaven. T Sought out of all them. Studied by aU such. ^ That have pleasure therein. More literally, " Sought to all their wishes." Perhaps the meaning is, that they would find all their desires gratified in those works; they would find in them all that they would toish to find respecting the power, wisdom, goodness, and majesty of God. Still it implies that they have a desire thus to study his works, or that they do find a pleasure in examining the proofs of the being and attributes of God in his works. A man who loves God will have real pleasure in studying his works as well as his word; and it is as proper to find pleasure in the one as in the other, — as proper to wish to find the knowledge which the one imparts as that which the other bestows. One great error among the friends of God is the neglect to study his works. In doing this, men need not neglect or undervalue the Bible and the knowledge which it gives, for such studies would be among the best means of illusti-ating the Bible.

3. Sis work is honourable and glorious. Literally, " Honour and glory is his work;" that is, All that he does is honourable and glorious. The language would cover all that God does in the works of creation, providence, and redemption. There is honour — there is majesty — in everything that he does. % And his righteousness endureth for ever. That is, It will be found in all the investigations of his works, that

4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and fuU of compassion.

5 He s hath given ^ meat

6 He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that

he is unchangeably righteous or just. All that he has done or that he now does, goes to demonstrate this. There are doings of men — even of good men — which will not bear investigation; but there are no such acts of God. There are things that men do which excite admiration only when there is no investigation in regard to them; but the woi'ks of God are admired the more, the more they are studied. There are things which appear beautiful, or appear sweet only when they are not shaken j a collection of perfumes will give out sweets the more it is stirred.

4. £[e hath made his wonderful works. In heaven and in earth. % To be remembered. Literally, " Memory hath he made for his wonderful works." They are so made, that man may remember them; the memory of man, also, is so made, that it may retain them. The highest and most appropriate exercise of memory is to retain the lessons which the works of God inculcate; to treasure up for gratitude and for use what he teaches his intelligent creation through those works. Memory can never be better employed than in treasuring up the truths which the Creator teaches in his providential dealings with us, and in his word. How much better would it be for man if he laboured more to remember these things; if he sought to forget many of those things which he is so careful now to retain in his recollection. If The Loed is gracious, etc. See Notes on Ps. Ixxxvi. 5. This is stated here as the result of the careful study of the doings of God; as the conclusion to which all will come who carefully study his works. Illustrations of what God has done that deserves to be remembered occupy the remainder of the psalm, except the last verse.

5. Se hath given meat unto them that fear him. Marg., prey. The idea is, that he has supplied their wants. The Hebrew word is, prey, and the allusion is to the mode in which the wants of the beasts of the field are supplied. The meaning may be that they had obtained this from their enemies, as beasts of prey take their food by making war; or the word may be used in a general sense, as meaning that God had supplied their wants. ^ Se will ever he mindful of his covenant. He will never leave or forsake his people; he will be faithful to all the promises that he has made to them.

6. Se hath showed his people. The Jewish people. He has made this known to them. The reference here is not to his announcing it, or stating it, but to his acts of interposition in their behalf in which he had manifested the greatness of his power. ^ The power of his works. The power of his acts; the power involved in what he does. The power referred to here was that which was evinced in destroying the Egyptians, and in subduing the nations of Canaan. 1" That he may give them the heritage of the heathen. The nations; to wit, the nations of Palestine. The word heritage is often used in the large sense of possessions; and the meaning here is, that God had shown the greatness of his power by giving all that they possessed into the hands of his people.

7 The -works of his hands are verity and judgment: all »• his commandments are sure.

8 They ^ stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.

9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath command-

ed his covenant for ever; holy » and reverend is his name.

10 The t fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: ^ a good imderstanding have aU they that do ^ his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

7. The ivorks of his hands. All that he does iu the works of creation andprovidence;— all in his acts towards the children of men. 1 Are verity. Truth. That is, They tend to establish and confirm the truth j they are done in the cause or the defence of truth. Truth in any case may be ascertained by what God does— for all that he defends and protects is truth, and his acts, therefore, may be regarded as an expression of what is true and right. IF And Judgment. In the cause of justice • or, in maintaining the principles of right. God never does anything to vindicate wrong. None of his acts can be fairly interpreted as having been done to sustain injustice, fraud, deceit, ambition, oppression, murder, or licentiousness. That he suffers free agents to do these things without interferenco i3 no evidence that he approves of them. That he disapproves of them is shown {a) by his declarations; (5) by his threatenlngs; (c) by all that be does to punish the wicked here. IT All his commandments are sure. His statutes; his ordinances. They are sure; that is, they are to be relied on; or, are worthy of confidence.,,,.■,■, m. tt

8. Thev stand fast for ever and ever. Marg., established, ihe Hebrew word means sustained, supported. They will not fail pr fall. Whatever else may be shaken, his law, his word, and the principles of his administration, wUl not fail. See Notes on Matt. v. 18. Comp. Luke xvi. 17; Matt. xxiv. 35. The great principles of truth and righteousness will stand, and whatever is founded on those principles will endure for ever. *![ And are done in truth and tiprightness. Are based on truth, or on a just view of things; they are done in such a way that truth will be maintained and promoted. The word uprightness here means that all this is done on the principles of equity— of what ought to be done, or what is best to be done. Comp. Ps. xix. 9.

9. He sent redemption unto his people. In their deliverance from Egypt. He has now sent it in a higher sense uiider the great Deliverer, the Saviour. 1[ -He hath commanded his covenant for ever. He has ordained or appointed it. The covenant is here represented as if it were obedient to the will of God, or under his control. The covenant refers to his arrangements with his people;— his assurances of favour, with the terms on which that favour will be shown. ^ Solg and reverend is his name. Holy and to be venerated; literally, "to be feared." That is, he has shown in all this that he is holy, and that he is a Being who is to be had in reverence.

10. The fear of the Lord. Reverence for God; respect for his law, his will, his government, himself; the fear of ofi'ending him, which will lead us to do right. This fear is not that of a slave; it is not mere dread j it is not terror. It is consistent with love, and springs from it. It is consistent with calmness of mind, and promotes it. It does not produce terror, but rather delivers from it, and preserves the mind from alarms. The word here Tendered fear is a noun of the same origin as the word rendered reverend in the previous verse. The suggestion to the mind of the psalmist that the " name of the Lord " was " reverend," or was to be venerated, introduced this thought that such reverence is the very foundation of wisdom. ^ Is the beginning of wisdom. The foundation, the origin, the commencement of being truly wise. It is so. There is no true wisdom which does not recognize the being, the perfections, and the claims of God. The highest wisdom — the most lofty endowment of man — is that he mai/ know and honour God. This, in capability, makes him wise above the brute creation; this, in exercise, makes one man more wise than another; this, when it springs up in the soul, makes a man more wise than he was before — or, is the beginning of true wisdom in the soul. Comp. Prov. i. 7 j ix. 10; Dent. iv. 6; Job xxviii. 28 j Ecc. xii. 13. 1" A good understanding, etc. Marg., good success. The original word — ^Dto. sechel — is rendered understanding (as here) in 1 Sam. xxv. 3 j Ezra'viii. 18; Job xvii. 4; Prov. iii. 4; xiii. 15; xvi. 22; wisdom in 1 Chron. xxii. 12 j Prov. xii. 8; xxiii. 9; prudence, 2 Chron. ii. 12 j Prov. xix. 11 (marg.); sense, in Neh. viii. 8 J knowledge, 2 Chron. xxx. 22; and policy in Dan. viii. 25. It may denote, therefore, understanding, wisdom, knowledge, success, prudence; and it is true in regard to all of these, — for the fear of the Lord, or true religion, produces them all. It is not necessary, therefore, to endeavour to ascertain precisely which of these is the meaning here. If That do his commandments. Marg., as in the Heb., do them. That do the things connected with the fear of the Lordj that is, who obey God. 1[ His praise endurethfor ever. That is, the foundation for his praise endures to all eternity; or, is unchangeable. As God is always the same, so there is, as derived from his being and perfections, always the same foundation for praise. As there will always be created beings who can and will appreciate this, so it will be literally true, as it should be, that his praise will be celebrated for ever.

The author of this psalm, as of the preceding, is unknown, and equally with that it is impossible now to ascertain the time or the occasion of its composition. It is a psalm of the same structure as that, with the same number of verses; like that, it is alphabetical in its form, and composed in the same manner, — the first eight verses with two clauses each, beginning with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet, — and the last two verses with three clauses, beginning, in like manner, with three letters of the alphabet in succession. This peculiarity of structiure makes it highly probable that it was composed by the same author.

It is further to be noticed that this psalm begins where the other ends, with the happiness or blessedness of "fearing God," and is designed to set forth that blessedness, or to shpw what are the advantages of true religion. This fact makes it further probable that the two psalms were composed by the same author.

This psalm is very simple in its structure. It sets forth the advantages or benefits of the fear of the Lord, or of religion in respect (a) to the posterity of the man, ver. 2; (i) in securing wealth, ver. 3; («) in the light which

PSALM OXII. pRAISE 1 ye the Lord. -^ Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth " greatly in his command-

2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.

springs up in darkness, ver. 4; {d) in. the discretion with which such a man is enabled to manage his affairs, ver. 5; (g) in the firmness and composure of his mind in times of danger and trouble, vers. 6-8; (/) in his being soprosperous, and so exalted, that he will become an object of envy to the wicked, vers. 9, 10.