Explanatory Notes upon the Old and New Testaments

David complains of his troubles, and begs help from God, ver. 1-21. Foretells the judgments of God upon his persecutors, ver. 22-29. Concludes with praise and thanksgiving, ver. 30-36. In all this David was a type of Christ, and several passages of this psalm are applied to him in the New Testament. So that, like the 22nd psalm, it begins with the humiliation, and ends with the exaltation of Christ. To the chief musician upon Shofhannim, a psalm of David.

1. Waters - Tribulations.

4. I restored - For peace sake.

5. My sins - But O Lord, although I have been innocent to mine enemies, I am guilty of many sins and follies against thee.

6. For my sake - Because of my sad disappointments. For if they see me forsaken, they will be discouraged by this example.

7. For thy sake - For my obedience to thy commands, and zeal for thy glory.

9. Zeal - That fervent love which I have for thy house and service, and glory, and people. Eaten - Exhausted my spirits. Upon me - I have been as deeply affected with thy reproaches, as with mine own. This tho' truly belonging to David, yet was also directed by the spirit of God in him, to represent the disposition and condition of Christ, in whom it was more fully accomplished, to whom therefore it is applied in the New Testament, the first part of it, John ii, 17, and the latter, Rom. xv, 3.

10. Wept - For their impiety. Reproach - They derided me for it.

11. Proverb - A proverb of reproach.

12. That sit - Vain and idle persons, that spend their time in the gates and markets.

13. In the truth - Or, According to thy saving truth, or faithfulness; grant me that salvation, which thou hast graciously promised.

21. Gall - Instead of giving me that comfort which my condition required, they added to my afflictions. Vinegar - These things were metaphorically fulfilled in David, but properly in Christ, the description of whose sufferings was principally intended here by the Holy Ghost.

22. Their table - And this punishment in their table, exactly answers their sin, in giving Christ gall for his meat, ver. 21. A snare - Their table or meat, which is set before them, shall become a snare: the occasion of their destruction.

23. Eyes - Not the eyes of their bodies, but of their minds: as they that shut their eyes and will not see, so they shall be judicially blinded. To shake - To take away their strength.

26. For - Which is an act of barbarous cruelty. Talk - Reproaching them, and triumphing in their calamities.

27. Wilt add - Give them up to their own lusts. Not let them - Partake of thy righteousness, or of thy mercy and goodness.

28. Living - Of eternal life.

29. On high - Out of the reach of mine enemies.

31. This - This hearty sacrifice of praise, is more grateful to God, than the most glorious legal sacrifices. Hath horns - That is both tender and mature, as it is when the horns bud forth, and the hoofs grow hard.

32. The humble - Those pious persons who are grieved for their calamities, will heartily rejoice in my deliverance. Live - Or, be revived, which were dejected, and in a manner dead with sorrow.

33. Prisoners - Those who are in prison or affliction for his sake.

35. Sion - His church and people. They - His servants, as is explained in the following verse. There - In the literal Canaan for a long time, in the heavenly Canaan forever.

This psalm is copied almost word for word from the eleventh psalm, and perhaps is for that reason entitled, A psalm to bring remembrance. For it may sometimes be of use to pray over again the prayers we have formerly made to God on like occasions. David here prays, that God would send help to him, shame to his enemies, and joy to his friends. To the chief musician, a psalm of David, to bring to remembrance.

David wrote this psalm in his old age, of which the former part is prayer, ver. 1-13. The latter part, joyful praise and thanksgiving, ver. 14-24.

7. A wonder - For my many and sore calamities.

15. The numbers - Of thy salvations and mercies vouchsafed to me.

16. Make mention - To support and comfort myself with the remembrance of it. Righteousness - Of thy faithfulness in making good all thy promises.

19. Very high - Most eminent.

20. Bring me - From the grave.

Divers passages of this psalm, do not agree to Solomon, nor to any other king but the Messiah. It must therefore be acknowledged, that, this is a mixt psalm, belonging to Solomon imperfectly, but to Christ, clearly and fully: diverse expressions being so ordered, that the reader might be led by them to the contemplation of Christ, and of his kingdom. Which was the more necessary for the support of God's true Israel, because the spirit of God foresaw Solomon's dreadful apostacy, and the great miscarriages and calamities of his successors, and of the kingdom under their hands, and therefore was pleased to fortify their hearts with that glorious condition, which they should certainly enjoy under the Messiah. It is probable, David dictated this psalm, a little before he died, when he gave orders to proclaim Solomon king. After a short prayer for his successor, he foretells the glories of his reign, ver. 1-17. And concludes with praise to the God of Israel, ver. 18-20. A psalm for Solomon.

1. Judgments - He saith judgments in the plural number, because though the office of judging and ruling was but one, yet there were divers parts and branches, of it; in all which he begs that Solomon may be directed to do as God would have him to do.

2. Thy afflicted ones - For such are thine in a special manner, thou art their judge and patron.

3. The mountains - Which are so dangerous to passengers, in regard of robbers and wild beasts. Hereby it is implied, that other places should do so too, and that it should be common and universal.

4. Judge - Vindicate them from their oppressors.

5. Thee - Thee, O God, this shall be another blessed fruit of this righteous government, that together with peace, true religion shall be established, and that throughout all generations, which was begun in Solomon's days, but not fully accomplished 'till Christ came.

6. He shall come - Christ did come down from heaven, and brought or sent down from heaven his doctrine, (which is often compared to rain) and the sweet and powerful influences of his spirit.

8. Dominion - From one sea to another, or in all the parts of the habitable world. This was accomplished in Christ, and in him only. The river - Euphrates: which was the eastern border of the kingdom of Canaan, allotted by God, but enjoyed only by David, Solomon, and Christ. Of whose kingdom this may be mentioned, as one of the borders; because the kingdom of Christ is described under the shadow of Solomon's kingdom.

10. The sea - Of remote countries, to which they used to go from Canaan by sea; which are frequently called isles in scripture; the kings that rule by sea or by land.

11. All nations - Which cannot be said of Solomon with any truth or colour, but was unquestionably verified in Christ,

14. Deceit and violence - The two ways whereby the lives of men are usually destroyed. Precious - He will not be prodigal of the lives of his subjects, but like a true father of his people, will tenderly preserve them, and severely avenge their blood upon those who shall shed it.

15. Live - Long and prosperous, as Solomon: yea, eternally as Christ. Gold - This was done to Solomon, 1 Kings x, 15, and to Christ, Matt. ii, 11. But such expressions as these being used of Christ and his kingdom, are commonly understood in a spiritual sense.

16. A handful - This intimates the small beginnings of his kingdom; and therefore does not agree to Solomon, whose kingdom was in a manner as large at the beginning of his reign, as at the end, but it exactly agrees to Christ. The earth - Sown in the earth. Mountains - In the most barren grounds. Shake - It shall yield such abundance of corn, that the ears being thick and high, shall, when they are shaken with the wind, make a noise not unlike that which the tops of the trees of Lebanon, sometimes make. Of the city - The citizens of Jerusalem, which are here put for the subjects of this kingdom.

20. The prayer - This psalm is the last which David composed: for this was wrote but a little before his death.

It is probable, Asaph was the author of this psalm; for we read of the words of David and the words of Asaph the seer, which were used in praising God in Hezekiah's time, 2 Chron. xxix, 30. He begins with laying down a general principle, ver. 1. Confesses his temptation to envy the wicked, ver. 2-14. Tells how he gained the victory over it, and advantage by it, ver. 15-28. A psalm of Asaph.

1. A clean heart - To all true Israelites, who love God, and serve him in spirit and truth.

2. My feet - My faith in God's providence, was almost overthrown.

4. No bands - They are not dragged to death, by the sentence of the magistrate, which they deserve.

5. As other men - As good men frequently are.

8. And speak - Boasting of their oppressions.

9. Against - Against God, blaspheming his name, and deriding his providence. Walketh - Using all manner of liberty, reproaching all sorts of persons.

10. Turn - To this wicked company. Waters - And partake of the same prosperity with their leaders. God seems to give them a full cup of consolation, as if he would wring out all his blessings upon them.

12. Behold - These seem to be the words of the psalmist, summing up the matter.

13. In vain - Hence I was sometimes tempted, to think that religion was a vain, unprofitable thing. True religion is here described by its two principal parts, the cleansing of the heart, and the hands.

15. Offend - By grieving, discouraging and tempting them to revolt from God.

16. To know - To find out the reason of this providence.

17. Until - 'Till I consulted the word of God. He alludes to the practice of those times, which was, in difficult cases to resort to God's sanctuary, and the oracle therein. Their end - There I learned that their prosperity was short.

19. Terrors - With God's dreadful judgements unexpectedly seizing upon them.

20. They awake - Out of the pleasant dream of this vain life. Despise - Thou shalt make them despicable both to themselves and to all others; raise them to shame, and everlasting contempt. Image - All their felicity and glory, which shall be evidently discerned to be, no real or substantial thing, but a mere image or shadow.

21. Pricked - I was deeply wounded with disquieting thoughts.

22. Nevertheless - Although I gave thee just cause to cast me off, yet thou didst continue thy care and kindness to me. Hast held - That my faith might not fail.

27. Go a whoring - Those who revolt from thee, to work wickedness; which is called whoredom in scripture.

This psalm, which so particularly describes the destruction of Jerusalem, was probably written by another Asaph, who lived at the time of the captivity. He, in the name of the Jews, complains of the miseries they suffered, ver. 1-11. Encourages himself by recollecting the mighty works of God, ver. 12-17. Prays for deliverance, ver. 18-23. Maschil of Asaph Title of the psalm. Maschil of Asaph - Not composed by that famous Asaph, who flourished in David's time, but by some of his posterity, who is called by their father's name, as this psalm speaks of the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem, and of God's people by the Chaldeans.

2. Thy congregation - Thy people. Thine inheritance - The tribe of Judah, which thou hast in a special manner chosen for thine inheritance, and for the birth of the Messiah. Nor is it strange that he mentions this tribe particularly, because the calamity here remembered, did principally befall this tribe, and Benjamin, which was united with it.

3. Lift up - Come speedily to our rescue. Because - Because otherwise our destruction is irrecoverable.

4. Roar - In a way of triumph. Midst, &c. - In the places where thy people used to assemble for thy worship. Set up - Monuments of their victory.

5. Famous - The temple was so noble a structure, that it was a great honour to any man to be employed in the meanest part of the work, though it were but in cutting down the trees of Lebanon.

6. Axes and hammers - These words are not Hebrew, but Chaldee or Syriack, to point out the time when this was done, even when the Chaldeans brought in their language, together with their arms, among the Israelites.

8. Destroy them - All at once. So they intended, although afterwards they changed their council, and carried some away captive. Burnt up - All the public places wherein the Jews used to meet together to worship God every sabbath-day.

9. Signs - Those tokens of God's gracious presence, which we used to enjoy. The temple and ark, and sacrifices, and solemn feasts, were signs between God and his people. Prophet - Who can foretell things to come. Probably Ezekiel and Jeremiah were dead when this psalm was composed; and David was involved in civil affairs, and did not teach the people as a prophet. Knoweth - How long their captivity should continue.

11. Why - Why dost thou forebear the exercise of thy power? Bosom - In which thou now seemest to hide it.

12. King - It belongs therefore to thy office to protect and save me. Midst - In the view of the world.

13. Dragons - He means Pharaoh and his mighty men.

14. Leviathan - Pharaoh. The people - To the ravenous birds and beasts of the desert. These creatures are significantly called the people of the wilderness, because they are the only people that inhabit it.

15. The flood - Thou didst by cleaving the rock, make a fountain and a stream to flow from it, for the refreshment of thy people in those dry deserts. Driedst - Jordan and the Red Sea; for the sea itself; yea, a greater sea than that, is called a river, Jonah ii, 3, where the Hebrew word is the same which is here used. And the same title is expressly given to the sea, by Homer, and other ancient writers.

16. The light - The moon, the lesser light.

17. Set - Thou hast fixed the bounds of the habitable world in general, and of all the countries and people upon the earth. And as this clause shews God's power over all places, so the next displays his dominion over all times and seasons.

18. Remember - Though we deserve to be forgotten, yet do not suffer our enemies to reproach the name of the great and glorious God.

19. Soul - The life. Turtle-dove - Of thy church, which is fitly compared to a turtle-dove, because simple and harmless, and meek, and faithful.

20. The covenant - Made with Abraham, whereby thou didst give the land of Canaan to him, and to his seed forever. Dark places - This dark and dismal land in which we live.

21. Return - From the throne of thy grace, to which they make their resort.

Probably David wrote this psalm, at his coming to the crown, after the death of Saul, and delivered it to that Asaph, who was chief of the musicians. Herein he thanks God for bringing him to the throne, checks the insolence of his enemies, owns the sovereignty of God in all affairs, and promised to lay himself out for the public good. To the chief musician, Al-taschith, A psalm or song of Asaph. Title of the psalm. Asaph - This psalm seems to relate to the time when David had entered upon, but not got full possession of the kingdom.

1. Thy name - Thy self; art present with us, and ready to help.

2. Receive - The whole congregation, all the tribes.

3. Dissolved - Or, destroyed; by intestine divisions and wars. I hear - I support it, by maintaining religion and justice, by setting up good magistrates, and encouraging good ministers, and good men, who are indeed the pillars of a nation.

4. I said - I charged them. Deal not - Desist from your practices. Lift not up - Do not carry yourselves scornfully and maliciously.

5. Lift not - A metaphor from untamed oxen, which will not bow their heads to receive the yoke. Stiff neck - With pride and contempt.

8. For - God is here compared to the master of a feast, who then used to distribute portions of meat and drink to the several guests. A cup - Of vengeance. Red - Such as the best wine of Judea was. Mixture - The wine is mingled not with water, but with strengthening and intoxicating ingredients. Dregs - The worst and most dreadful part of those tribulations. Shall wring - This dreadful draught was brought upon them by their own choice and wickedness.

9. Declare - The praises of God.

10. Horns - Their honour and power, which they made an instrument of mischief. Will - When I shall be advanced to the throne. But - Good men shall be encouraged and promoted.

Asaph congratulates the church, in having God so nigh, ver. 1-3. He celebrates the power of God, shewn in some late victory over their enemies, ver. 4-6. He shews that all ought to fear him on this account, ver. 7-9 And that his people ought to trust him, and to pay their vows, ver. 10-12. To the chief musician on Neginoth, A psalm or song of Asaph.

2. Salem - In Jerusalem, which was anciently called Salem. Zion - Largely so called, as it includes Moriah, an adjoining hill.

3. There - At Jerusalem. Sword - Both offensive and defensive weapons. Battle - All the power of the army, which was put in battle-array.

4. Thou - O God. Than - The greatest kings and empires of the earth, which in prophetic writings are often compared to mountains. And they are called mountains of prey, because they generally were established by tyranny, and maintained by preying upon their own subjects, or other kingdoms.

5. Sleep - Even a perpetual sleep.

6. Chariot - The men who rode upon, and fought from chariots and horses.

8. Thou - Didst execute judgment upon thine enemies, by an angel from heaven: which is said to be heard, either because it was accompanied with thunders and earthquakes, or because the fame of it was quickly spread abroad. Feared - The rest of the world were afraid to disturb Israel.

10 Surely - The furious attempts of thine enemies, shall cause thy people and others to praise thee for thy admirable wisdom, power, and faithfulness.

11. Vow - A sacrifice of thanksgiving for this wonderful deliverance. Let all - All the neighbouring nations submit to the God of Israel.

12. Cut off - As men do their grapes in time of vintage; so the Hebrew verb implies. The spirit - Their breath and life, as he did in the Assyrian army.

The psalmist complains of deep distress, and temptations to despair, ver. 1-10. He encourages himself to hope, by the remembrance of what God had done formerly, ver. 11-20. To the chief musician, to Jeduthun, A psalm of Asaph.

2. Night - Which to others was a time of rest and quietness.

3. Troubled - Yea, the thoughts of God were now a matter of trouble, because he was angry with me. Overwhelmed - So far was I from finding relief.

4. Waking - By continual grief.

5. The days - The mighty works of God in former times.

6. My song - The mercies of God vouchsafed to me, and to his people, which have obliged me to sing his praises, not only in the day, but also by night.

7. Cut off - His peculiar people.

10. I said - These suspicions of God's faithfulness proceed from the weakness of my faith. The years - The years wherein God hath done great and glorious works, which are often ascribed to God's right-hand.

13. In holiness - God is holy and just, and true in all his works.

16. Afraid - And stood still, as men astonished, do.

17. Poured - When the Israelites passed over the sea. Arrows - Hail-stones or lightnings.

19. Not known - Because the water returned and covered them.

20. Leddest - First through the sea, and afterwards through the wilderness, with singular care and tenderness, as a shepherd doth his sheep.

This psalm is a narrative of the great mercies God had bestowed upon Israel, the great sins wherewith they had provoked him, and the many tokens of his displeasure at them. Here is, The preface, ver. 1-8. The general scope of this psalm, ver. 9-11. As to the particulars, we are told, what God had done for them; how ungrateful they were for his favours; how God had justly punished them; and how graciously he had spared them, notwithstanding all their provocations, ver. 12-72. Maschil of Asaph.

1. My law - The doctrine which I am about to deliver. 2. Parable - Weighty sentences. Dark sayings - Not that the words are hard to be understood, but the things, God's transcendent goodness, their unparallel'd ingratitude; and their stupid ignorance and insensibleness, under such excellent teachings of God's word and works, are prodigious and hard to be believed. Of old - Of things done in ancient times.

5. Established - This is justly put in first place, as the chief of all his mercies. A testimony - His law, called a testimony, because it is a witness between God and men, declaring the duties which God expects from man, and the blessings which man may expect from God.

9. Ephraim - That Ephraim is here put for all Israel seems evident from the following verses, wherein the sins, upon which this overthrow is charged, are manifestly the sins of all the children of Israel, and they who are here called Ephraim are called Jacob and Israel, ver. 21, and this passage may refer to that dreadful overthrow related, 1 Sam. iv, 10, 11, which is particularly named, because as the ark, so the flight was in that tribe. And the psalmist having related this amazing providence, falls into a large discourse of the causes of it, namely, the manifold sins of that and the former generations, which having prosecuted from hence to ver. 60, he there returns to this history, and relates the sad consequence of that disaster, the captivity of the ark, and God's forsaking of Shiloh and Ephraim, and removing thence to the tribe of Judah and Mount Zion. Bows - These are put for all arms.

12. Field - In the territory. Zoan - An ancient and eminent city of Egypt.

15. Wilderness - In Rephidim, and again in Kadesh.

16. Streams - Which miraculously followed them in all their travels, even to the borders of Canaan.

17. Wilderness - Where they had such singular obligations to obedience. This was a great aggravation of their sins.

18. Tempted - Desired a proof of God's power. Lust - Not for their necessary subsistence, but out of an inordinate and luxurious appetite.

22. Trusted not - That he both could, and would save them from the famine which they feared.

23. Heaven - Which he compares to a store-house, whereof God shuts or opens the doors, as he sees fit.

25. Angels food - Manna, so called, because it was made by the ministry of angels.

26. South wind - First an eastern, and afterwards a southern wind.

27. Fowl - But God took away from them the use of their wings, and made them to fall into the hands of the Israelites.

31. Mightiest - The most healthy and strong, who probably were most desirous of this food, and fed most eagerly upon it.

33. Vanity - In tedious and fruitless marches hither and thither. Trouble - In manifold diseases, dangers, and perplexities.

34. Returned - From their idols. Inquired - Speedily sought to God for ease and safety.

35. Redeemer - That God alone had preserved them in all their former exigencies, and that he only could help them.

36. Lied - They made but false protestations of their sincere resolutions of future obedience.

42. Hand - The glorious works of his hand. Enemy - That remarkable day, in which God delivered them from their greatest enemy, Pharaoh.

45. Flies - These flies were doubtless extraordinary in their nature, and hurtful qualities. And the like is to be thought concerning the frogs.

46. labour - The herbs which were come up by their care and labour.

47. Sycamore-trees - Under these and the vines, all other trees are comprehended. This hail and frost destroyed the fruit of the trees, and sometimes the trees themselves.

49. Evil angels - Whom God employed in producing these plagues.

51. Ham - Of the Egyptians, the posterity of Ham, the cursed children of a cursed parent.

54. Holy place - The land of Canaan, separated by God from all other lands. Mountain - The mountainous country of Canaan; the word mountain is often used in scripture for a mountainous country.

57. Deceitful bow - Which either breaks when it is drawn, or shoots awry, and frustrates the archer's expectation.

59. Heard - Perceived or understood, it is spoken of God after the manner of men.

60. Shiloh - Which was placed in Shiloh. Among men - Whereby he insinuates both God's wonderful condescension, and their stupendous folly in despising so glorious a privilege.

61. His strength - The ark, called God's strength, 1 Chron. xvi, 11, because it was the sign and pledge of his strength put forth on his people's behalf. Glory - So the ark is called, as being the monument and seat of God's glorious presence. Enemies - The Philistines.

64. Priests - Hophni and Phinehas. No lamentation - No funeral solemnities; either because they were prevented by their own death, as the wife of Phinehas was, or disturbed by the invasion of the enemy.

66. Smote - Them with the piles. Reproach - He caused them to perpetuate their own reproach by sending back the ark of God with their golden emrods, the lasting monuments of their shame.

67. Refused - He would not have his ark to abide any longer in the tabernacle of Shiloh, which was in the tribe of Joseph or Ephraim.

68. Chose - For the seat of the ark and of God's worship.

69. Sanctuary - The temple of Solomon. Palaces - Magnificent and gloriously. Established - Not now to be moved from place to place, as the tabernacle was, but as a fixed place for the ark's perpetual residence.

This psalm seems to have been written by the later Asaph, upon the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. It contains, a representation of the deplorable condition of the Jews, ver. 1-5. And a petition for deliverance, ver. 6-13. A psalm of Asaph.

8. Prevent - Prevent our utter extirpation.

11. The prisoner - Of thy poor people now in captivity.

This psalm was composed upon occasion of some calamity, which befel the tribes of Israel after their division into two kingdoms, and before the captivity of either of them. In which time all the evils mentioned herein did befall them, sometimes in one part, and sometimes in another. The psalmist prays for the tokens of God's presence, ver. 1-3. Complains of heavy distress, ver. 4-7. Illustrates this, by the comparison of a vine, ver. 8-16. Concludes with a prayer for mercy, ver. 17-19. To the chief musician upon Shoshannim Eduth, A psalm of Asaph. Title of the psalm. Shoshannim Eduth - It seems to be the name of a musical instrument.

1. Joseph - The children of Joseph or Israel. The name of Joseph, the most eminent of the patriarchs, is elsewhere put for all the tribes. Cherubim - Which were by the mercy seat above the ark.

2. Before Ephraim - Here is an allusion to the ancient situation of the tabernacle in the wilderness, where these tribes were placed on the west-side of the tabernacle, in which the ark was, which consequently was before them.

3. Turn us - To thy self.

9. Preparedst - Thou didst root out the idolatrous nations. Deep root - Thou gavest them a firm settlement.

10. The hills - They filled not only the fruitful valleys, but even the barren mountains.

11. The river - They possessed the whole land, from the mid-land sea to the river Euphrates.

12. Hedges - Taken away thy protection.

16. They - Thy people, signified by the vine. So now he passes from the metaphor to the thing designed by it.

17. Be - To protect and strengthen him. Right-hand - Benjamin signifies the son of the right hand, a dearly beloved son, as Benjamin was to Jacob. Son of man - The people of Israel, who are often spoken of as one person, as God's son and first-born.

18. Go back - Revolt from thee to idolatry or wickedness. Quicken - Revive and restore us to our tranquility.

This psalm may assist us in our solemn feast-days, in praising God, for what he is, and what he has done, ver. 1-7. In admonishing one another, concerning our obligations to God, the danger of revolting from him, and the happiness of keeping close to him, ver. 8-16. To the chief musician upon Gittith, A psalm of Asaph.

5. Joseph - Among the people of Israel. Testimony - For a witness of that glorious deliverance. He - God. Went - As a captain at the head of his people. Egypt - To execute his judgments upon that land. I - My progenitors, for all the successive generations of Israel make one body, and are sometimes spoken of as one person. A language - The Egyptian language, which at first was unknown to the Israelites, Gen. xlii, 13, and probably continued so for some considerable time, because they were much separated both in place and conversation from the Egyptians.

6. Pots - This word denotes all those vessels wherein they carried water, straw, lime, or bricks.

7. Calledst - At the Red Sea. Secret place - From the dark and cloudy pillar, whence I thundered against the Egyptians.

8. Testify - This God did presently after he brought them from Meribah, even at Sinai.

10. Wide - Either to pray for mercies, or to receive the mercies which I am ready to give you.

15. Him - Unto Israel. Their time - Their happy time.

16. Honey - With all pleasant and precious fruits.

We have here the dignity and duty of magistrates, ver. 1-4. The wickedness of some magistrates, and their doom, ver. 5-7. A prayer to God, ver. 8. A psalm of Asaph.

1. Standeth - To observe all that is said or done there. Mighty - Kings or chief rulers. By their congregation he understands all persons whatsoever of this high and sacred order. Judgeth - Passes sentence upon them. The gods - Judges and magistrates are called gods, because they have their commission from God, and act as his deputies.

2. How long - The psalmist speaks to them in God's name. Accept - By giving sentence according to your respect or affection to the person.

5. They - The magistrates of whom this psalm treats. Know not - The duty of their place. Nor will - Their ignorance is wilful. Walk on - They persist: it is their constant course. In darkness - In their sinful courses. The foundations - This corruption of the supreme rulers, flows from them to their inferior officers and members.

6. Have said - I have given you my name and power to rule your people in my stead. All - Not only the rulers of Israel, but of all other nations. Children - Representing my person, and bearing both my name and authority.

7. Like men - Or, like ordinary men.

8. Arise - Take the sword of justice into thine own hand.