COMMENTARY
ON
THE
BOOK OF PSALMS
BY JOHN
CALVIN
TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL LATIN,
AND COLLATED
WITH THE AUTHOR'S FRENCH
VERSION,
BY THE REV. JAMES
ANDERSON
VOLUME
FIFTH
CHRISTIAN CLASSICS
ETHEREAL LIBRARYGRAND RAPIDS,
MIhttp://www.ccel.orgVOLUME
FIFTHTRANSLATOR'S
PREFACE.
In bringing to a close his labors on Calvin's
Commentary On The Psalms, the Editor begs leave to state, that in addition to
the General Index, and the Indices Of Texts Of Scripture, and of Hebrew Words,
originally contemplated, it has been deemed highly desirable to give at the end
of the Commentary a Translation; or Calvin's Version Of The, Psalms arranged in
parallelisms, together with a Table Of Those Passages In The Psalms Which Are
Quoted In The New Testament, and a Table Of The Particular Subjects Of Each
Psalm, according to Calvin's interpretation. These additions, it is hoped, will
be considered as improvements. From the extent to which they have increased the
size of this Volume, it has been found necessary to omit the Appendix of
Additional Criticisms to which reference is made in some of the footnotes
throughout the work.
To exhibit the Psalms
arranged in the metrical order, was an idea which appears never to have
suggested itself to the mind of Calvin. In his time, indeed, and long after it,
the peculiar character of Hebrew Poetry was not understood. It was not till a
recent period that any steady light was; thrown on the laws of its composition.
A vast amount of learning had indeed been expended on the subject, and a variety
of hypotheses had been suggested by successive writers to unravel a question so
intricate and mysterious; but no satisfactory result was attained until it was
investigated by the learned Bishop Lowth, to whose genius and erudition we are
indebted for the discovery of this long lost secret. He has proved, with a
clearness and force of evidence which has now commanded universal assent, that
Hebrew Poetry bears no resemblance in its structure to the Poetry of Greece and
Rome, that it has no rhyming termination of lines as in the Poetry of our own
language, and that its peculiar, and perhaps its sole characteristic, lies in a
felicitous arrangement of words into what he denominates Parallelism. In other
words, its leading peculiarity is that. each sentence consists generally of two
parts, closely corresponding to each other, not indeed in the number of
syllables, but in the ideas which they express, or in their grammatical
constructive form, the second being synonymous (or, as Bishop Jebb would
denominate it, cognate) with the first, — or antipathetic to it in its
terms and sentiments, — or similar to it in the form of grammatical
construction, such as noun answering to noun, verb to verb, member to member,
negative to negative, interrogative to
interrogative.
fe1 The division of these sacred poems into
hemistichs or lines is, therefore, the form in which they ought naturally to be
arranged; and such an arrangement is attended with great advantages. It exhibits
to the eve the peculiar structure of Hebrew poetical composition, and is,
besides, an important aid in Scriptural Interpretation, as it often contributes
to the elucidation of obscure and difficult passages, and enables even the mere
English reader to discover a thousand beauties, which, without such a help,
would escape his notice.
In translating this
parallel version, two of Calvin's translations of the Hebrew text were at the
service of the Editor, — the Latin and the French. The former is strictly
literal, rarely changing the Hebrew idiom, or even inserting a supplementary
term, and uniformly giving the arrangement of the words as they stand in the
inspired original. The latter is also upon the whole literal, though in some
instances it changes the Hebrew idiom into the French, as well as frequently
inserts such supplementary terms as the sense seems to require; and disregarding
the arrangement of the words in the original, it gives them in the order most
suitable to the genius of the French tongue. The Editor has followed Calvin's
Latin; Version, and has rendered it literally, retaining the Hebrew modes of
expression, and the arrangement of the words in the sequence of the Hebrew text,
except in a very few instances where a deviation seemed necessary to render the
reading intelligible. Occasionally he has found it necessary to insert some
supplementary words. These, when taken from Calvin's French Version, as is
generally the case, are printed simply in italics, and when supplied by
the Editor are printed in italics and enclosed within brackets. By
adhering to the Hebrew order of the words, the arrangements may sometimes appear
harsh and uncouth; but very often they give much beauty and force to the
expression. And in retaining the Hebrew idioms, the Editor has felt little
scruple, considering that as our English Bible is a literal verbal translation
of the Original Hebrew, many of these are quite familiar to us, and from their
peculiar grace have even become naturalized in our
language.
"The Hebrew idioms," says
Addison, "run into the English with a peculiar grace and beauty. Our language
has received innumerable elegance's and improvements from that infusion of
Hebraisms which are derived to it out of the poetical passages in Holy Writ.
They give a force and energy to our expressions, warm and animate our language,
and convey our thoughts in more ardent and intense phrases than any that are to
be met with in our own tongue. There is something so pathetic in this kind of
diction, that it often sets the mind in a flame, and makes our heart burn within
Us."
The utility of the two Tables adverted to
is too obvious to require to be dwelt upon. From the former the reader will
perceive how completely the inspiration of the Psalms is established by New
Testament authority, and how highly they were appreciated by Christ And His
Apostles, there being no portion of Old Testament Scripture from which they so
frequently quoted. The other Table will readily serve as a guide to the
selection of such Psalms as may be adapted to the doctrines of the Christian
system, the duties of the Christian life, or the varied circumstances, whether
prosperous or adverse, in which the Christian or the Church of God may be
placed.
J.A.
EDINBURGH,
April 1849.
Psalm
119:121-128
121.
[ I
have done judgment and righteousness: give me not up to my oppressors.
122.
[
Become surety for thy servant for good, that the proud may not oppress me.
123.
[ My
eyes have failed for thy salvation, and for thy righteous
word.
fe2 124.
[
Deal with thy servant according to thy goodness, and teach me thy statutes.
125.
[ I
am thy servant, give me understanding, that I may learn thy testimonies.
126.
[ It
is time for thee, O Jehovah! to be doing for they have destroyed thy law.
127.
[
And therefore I have loved thy statutes above
gold,
fe3 yea even above the most fine
gold
fe4 128.
[
Therefore I have esteemed all thy commandments to be altogether right, and have
hated every way of lying.
121.
I have done judgment and
righteousness. The Prophet implores the
help of God against the wicked who troubled him, and he does so in such a manner
as at the same time to testify that the harassing treatment he received from
them was on his part altogether undeserved. If we would have God to come down to
succor us, it becomes us to see to it that we meet him with the testimony of a
good conscience. As He everywhere promises his aid to the afflicted who are
unrighteously oppressed, it is no superfluous protestation which the Prophet
makes, that he had not provoked his enemies, but had restrained himself from all
injury and wrong-doing, and had not even attempted to requite evil for evil. In
asserting that he had at all times
done
judgment, he means that whatever rite
wicked practiced, he steadfastly persevered in following after integrity, and
never turned aside from what was just and right in any of his public or private
transactions.
122.
Become surety for thy servant for
good. This prayer is almost similar to
that of the preceding verse; for I prefer translating the Hebrew verb
bwr[,
arob, by Become surety
for, to rendering, as others do,
Delight thy servant in
good, or
Make thy servant to delight in
good. According to this second version,
the words are a prayer that God would rejoice his servant with his benefits.
There is a third translation, by which they become a prayer that God would
inspire his heart with the love and desire of rectitude; for true perfection
consists in our taking pleasure in justice and uprightness. But as from the last
clause of the verse it is obvious that David here desires succor against his
enemies, the verb Become
surety is the more appropriate
rendering
fe5 Lord, as if he had said, since the proud
cruelly rush upon me to destroy me, interpose. thyself between us, as if thou
weft my surety. The letter
l,
lamed, which signifies for, is not indeed prefixed to the noun,
but this is no valid objection to our translation, as that letter is often
understood. It is a form of expression full of comfort, to represent God as
performing the office of a surety in order to effect our deliverance. He is said
metaphorically to become surety for us, just as if, on finding us indebted in a
large sum of money, he discharged us of the obligation, by paying down the money
to our creditor. The prayer is to this effect, That God would not suffer the
wicked to exercise, their cruelty against us at their pleasure, but that he
would interpose as a defender to save us. By these words the Prophet intimates,
that he was in extreme danger, and that he had nothing else left him in which to
hope but the help of God.
123.
My eyes have failed for thy
salvation.
fe6 In the first; place he testifies,
that he had been afflicted with severe troubles, and that not for a short time
only, but for a period so protracted as might have exhausted his patience and
occasioned despondency. But so far was this from being the effect they produced,
that he declares that in all these long and wearisome conflicts his heart had
never sunk into despair. We have before explained
failing for
salvation as denoting that although
there was no prospect of an end to his calamities, and although despair
presented itself on every side, yet he strove against temptation even to the
fainting of his soul. Should we understand the past tense of the verb as put for
the present, in which sense it seems to be employed, the Prophet in that case
intimates, that his eyes fail him not because they become fatigued, but Because
through earnest looking they contract as it were a dimness, and that yet he does
not cease to wait continually for the salvation of God. In short, the failing of
his eyes indicates perseverance combined with severe and arduous effort, and it
is opposed to the momentary ardor of those who immediately faint, if God does
not grant their requests. This expression also denotes a painful earnestness,
which almost consumes all the senses. As to the term
salvation,
he does not limit it to one kind of help, but comprehends under it the
continual course of God's grace, until he put his believing people in the
possession of complete salvation. He expresses the manner in which he
waited for salvation, which was by depending upon God's word in which two things
are to be attended to, first, that we can only be said to wait for salvation
from God, when, confiding in his promises, we actually betake ourselves to him
for protection; and secondly, that we then only yield to God the praise of
salvation, when we continue to keep our hope firmly fixed on his word. This is
the way in which He is to be sought; and although he may conceal from our view
the working of his hand, we ought to repose in his bare promises. This is the
reason why David calls God's word righteous. He would hereby confirm his
faith in the truth of the divine promises for God in promising liberally does
not cherish in his people delusive
expectations.
124.
Deal with thy servant according
to thy goodness. The two clauses of this
verse must be read correctly; for he does not first separately desire God to
deal well with him, and next desire him to be his master and teacher. He rather
beseeches him in the exercise of that goodness and mercy, which he is wont to
display towards all his people, to instruct him in his law. The object of the
Prophet's request then is, that God would teach him in his statutes. But he
begins with the divine mercy, employing it as an argument to prevail with God to
grant him what he desires. This prayer then must be resolved thus: Lord, deal
gently with me, and manifest thy goodness towards me by instructing me in thy
commandments. Our whole happiness undoubtedly consists in our having that true
wisdom which is to be derived from the word of God; and our only hope of
obtaining this wisdom lies in God's being pleased to display his mercy and
goodness towards us. The Prophet, therefore, magnifies the greatness and
excellence of the benefit of being instructed in the divine law, when he
requests that it may be bestowed upon him as a free
gift.
125.
I am thy servant, give me understanding.
Here the prayer of the preceding verse is repeated. The repetition shows how
ardently he wished the blessing prayed for, and how earnest and importunate he
was in pleading with God for it. By the words he expresses still more plainly in
what way it is that God teaches his own people — that he does so by
illuminating with sound knowledge their understandings, which otherwise would be
blind. It would profit us little to have the divine law sounding in our ears, or
to have it exhibited in writing before our eyes, and to have it expounded by the
voice of man, did not God correct our slowness of apprehension, and render us
docile by the secret influence of his Spirit. We are not to suppose that David
advances any meritorious claims before God when he boasts of being his servant.
Men, indeed, commonly imagine that when we are previously well prepared, God
then adds new grace, which they term subsequent grace. But the Prophet,
so far from boasting of his own worth, rather declares how deep the obligations
were under which he lay to God. It is not in the power of any man to make
himself a servant of the Most High, nor can any man bring anything of his own as
a price with which to purchase so great an honor. Of this the Prophet was well
aware. He knew that there is not one of the whole human family who is worthy of
being enrolled among that order; and therefore he does nothing more than adduce
the grace he had obtained, as an argument that God according to his usual way
would perfect what he had begun. In a similar manner he speaks in
<19B606>Psalm
116:6,
"I am thy servant and the
son of thine handmaid:"
in which place it is abundantly manifest that he does
not boast of his services, but only declares that he is one of the members of
the Church.
126.
It is time for thee, O Jehovah!
to be doing. It being the object of the
Prophet to imprecate upon the impious and wicked the vengeance which they have
deserved, he says, that the fit time for executing it had now arrived, inasmuch
as they had carried to a great extent their wanton forwardness against God. The
general verb
doing
is more emphatic than if one more specific had been used. The language is as
if he had said, that God would seem to delay too long, if he did not now execute
the office of a judge. It is the peculiar work of God to restrain the wicked,
and even to punish them severely when he finds that their repentance is utterly
hopeless. If it is alleged, that this prayer is inconsistent with the law of
charity, it may be replied, that David here speaks of reprobates, whose
amendment is become desperate. His heart, there is no doubt, was governed by the
spirit of wisdom. Besides, it is to be remembered, that he does not complain of
his own private wrongs. It is a pure and honest zeal which moves him to desire
the destruction of the wicked despisers of God; for he adduces no other reason
for the prayer, than that the wicked destroyed God's law. By this he
gives evidence, that nothing was dearer to him than the service of God, and that
nothing was held by him in higher recommendation than the observance of the law.
I have already repeatedly warned you, in other places, that our zeal is forward
and disordered whenever its moving principle is a sense of our own personal
injuries. It is, therefore, to be carefully noticed, that the Prophet's grief
proceeded from no other cause than that he could not endure to see the divine
law violated. In short, this is a prayer that God would restore to order the
confused and ruinous state of things in the world. It remains for us to learn
from David's example, whenever the earth is fraught and defiled with wickedness
to such a degree that the fear of him has become almost extinct, to call upon
him to show himself the maintainer of his own glory. This doctrine is of use in
sustaining our hope and patience whenever God suspends the execution of his
judgments longer than we would incline. Previous to his addressing himself to
God, the Prophet adopts it as a principle, that, although God may seem for a
time to false no notice of what his creatures do, yet he never forgets his
office, but delays the execution of his judgments for wise reasons, that at
length he may execute them when the seasonable time
arrives.
127.
And therefore I have loved thy
statutes above gold. This verse, I have
no doubt, is connected with the preceding; for otherwise the illative particle
therefore
would be without meaning. Viewing it in this connection, I understand the
Psalmist as intimating, that the reason why he esteemed God's law as more
valuable than gold and precious stones, was because he had fixed in his mind a
thorough persuasion of the truth, that although God may connive for a time at
wickedness, the making havoc of all uprightness and equity will not always
remain unpunished. Yea, the more he saw the wicked outrageously breaking forth
into wickedness, the more was he incited by a holy indignation burning in his
heart, to love the law. This is a passage deserving of special attention, for
the baneful influence of evil example is well known, every man thinking that he
may lawfully do whatever is commonly practiced around him. Whence it comes to
pass, that evil company carries us away like a tempest. The more diligently then
ought we to meditate on this doctrine, That when the wicked claim to themselves
an unbridled liberty, it behoves us to contemplate with the eyes of faith the
judgments of God, in order to our being thereby quickened to the observance of
the divine law. If attention to this doctrine has been needful from the
beginning, at the present day it is necessary to exert ourselves, that we may
not be involved in violating the law of God with the wicked conspiracy which
almost the whole world have formed to violate it. The more outrageously the
wicked vaunt themselves, let our veneration for and our love of the divine law
proportionally increase.
128.
Therefore I have esteemed all
thy commandments to be altogether
right.
fe7
This verse, like the preceding, is
connected with the 26th, and the connection may be brought out by observing,
that the Prophet, waiting patiently for God's judgments, and also earnestly
calling for their infliction, had subscribed to the law of God in every
particular, and embraced it without a single exception — and moreover,
that he hated every false way. Literally, it is
all the commandments of
all; but the words of all are to
be referred to things and not to persons, as if he had said, that he approved of
all the laws which God had ordained, whatever they
enjoined.
fe8 A similar form of expression occurs in
<264430>Ezekiel
44:30, "all oblations of all things" — that is to say, whatever
kind of oblations men offer. The Prophet has not laid down this sentiment in
such express terms without good reason; for there is nothing to which we are
naturally more inclined than to despise or reject whatever in God's law is not
agreeable to us. Every man, according as he is tainted with this or that
particular vice, would desire their the commandment which forbids it were razed
out of the law. But we cannot lawfully make any addition to it, or take away
anything from it; and since God has joined his commandments together by a sacred
and inviolable bond, to separate any one of them from the rest is altogether
unwarrantable. We perceive then how the Prophet, inspired with a holy jealousy
for the law, contended against the wicked rebellion of those who despised it.
And assuredly, when we see that the ungodly mock God with such effrontery, at
one time rising up audaciously against him, trod at another perverting every
part of the law, it becomes us to be the more inflamed with zeal, and to be the
more courageous in maintaining the truth of God. The extreme impiety of our age
especially demands of all the faithful that they should exercise themselves in
this holy zeal. Profane men strive to outdo one another in scornfully aspersing
the doctrine of salvation, and endeavor to bring God's sacred Word into contempt
by their derisive jeers. Others pour forth their blasphemies without
intermission. We cannot, therefore, avoid being chargeable with the crime of
treacherous indifference, if our hearts are not warmed with zeal, and unless we
burn with a holy jealousy. The Prophet not merely says, that he approved of
God's law wholly and without exception, but he adds,
that he hated every way of
lying, or every false way. And,
undoubtedly, no one subscribes in good earnest to the law of God, but he who
rejects all the slanders by which the wicked taint or obscure the purity of
sound doctrine. By way of
lying, the Prophet doubtless means
whatever is opposed to the purity of the law, intimating that he detested all
corruption's which are contrary to the Word of
God.
Psalm
119:129-136
129.
p
Thy testimonies are marvelous; therefore my soul hath kept them. 130.
p
The entrance of thy words is light, which giveth understanding to the little
ones. 131.
p I
opened my mouth and panted, because I loved thy commandments. Look upon me, and
be merciful to me, according to thy judgment towards them that love thy name.
133.
p
Direct my steps according to thy word, and let no iniquity
have
fe9 dominion in me. 134.
p
Deliver me from the oppression of men; and I will keep thy precepts. 135.
p
Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes. 136.
p
Rivers of waters run from my eyes, because they have not kept thy
law.
129.
Thy testimonies are
marvelous. I have given this translation
to avoid an ambiguous form of expression. The Prophet does not. simply mean,
that the doctrine of the law is wonderful, but that it contains high and hidden
mysteries. Accordingly he declares, that the sublime and admirable wisdom which
he found comprehended in the divine law led him to regard it with reverence.
This is to be carefully marked, for the law of God is proudly despised by the
great majority of mankind, when they do not duly taste its doctrine, nor
acknowledge that God speaks from his throne in heaven, that, the pride of the
flesh being abased, he may raise us upward by the apprehension of faith. We also
gather from this passage, that it is impossible for any man to keep the law of
God from the heart, unless he contemplate it with feelings of reverence: for
reverence is the beginning of pure and right subjection. Accordingly, I have
said that many despise God's Word, because they think it inferior to the
acuteness of their own understandings. Yea, many are led to break forth more
audaciously into this heaven-daring contempt, from the vanity of showing their
own ingenuity. But, although worldly men may flatter themselves in that proud
disdain of the divine law, yet the commendation which the Prophet pronounces
upon it still holds true, that it comprehends mysteries which far transcend all
the conceptions of the human mind.
130.
The entrance of thy word is
light. The amount is, that the light of
the truth revealed in God's word, is so distinct that the very first sight of it
illuminates the mind. The word
jtp
pethach, properly signifies an
opening,
fe10 but metaphorically it is taken
for a gate. Accordingly the old translator has rendered it beginning,
which is not improper, provided it is understood of the rudiments or first
elements of the divine law. It is as if the Prophet had — "Not only do
those who have attained an accurate acquaintance with the whole law, and who
have made the study of it the business of their lives, discern there a clear
light, but also those who have studied it even very imperfectly, and who have
only, so to speak, entered the porch." Now we must reason from the less to the
greater. If tyroes and novices begin to be enlightened at their first entrance,
what will be the case when a man is admitted to a full and perfect
knowledge?
In the second clause the Prophet
unfolds his meaning more fully. By
little
ones he denotes such as neither excel in
ingenuity nor are endued with wisdom, but rather are unskilled in letters, and
unrefined by education. Of such he affirms that, as soon as they have learned
the first principles of the law of God, they will be endued with understanding.
It ought to have a most powerful influence in exciting in us an earnest desire
to become acquainted with the law of God, when we are told that even those who,
in the estimation of the world, are fools, and contemptible simpletons, provided
they apply their minds to this subject, acquire from it wisdom sufficient to
lead them to eternal salvation. Although it is not given to all men to attain to
the highest degree in this wisdom, yet it is common to all the godly to profit
so far as to know the certain and unerring rule by which to regulate their life.
Thus no man who surrenders himself to the teaching of God, will loose his labor
in his school, for from his first entrance he will reap inestimable fruit.
Meanwhile we are warned, that all who follow their own understanding, wander in
darkness. By affirming that the
little ones are enlightened, David
intimates, that it is only when men, divested of all self confidence, submit
themselves with humble and docile minds to God, that they are in a proper state
for becoming proficient scholars in the study of the divine law. Let the Papists
mock, as they are accustomed to do, because we would have the Scriptures to be
read by all men without exception; yet it is no falsehood which God utters by
the mouth of :David, when he affirms that the light of his truth is exhibited to
fools. God will not, therefore, disappoint the desire of such as acknowledge
their own ignorance, and submit themselves humbly to his
teaching.
131.
I opened my mouth and
panted.
fe11 By these words the Psalmist would
have us to understand that he was inflamed with such love to and longing for the
divine law, that lie was unceasingly sighing after it. In comparing himself to
such as are hungry, or to such as burn with parching thirst, he has used a very
appropriate metaphor. As such persons indicate the vehemence of their desire by
opening the mouth, and by distressful panting, as if they would suck up the
whole air, even so the Prophet affirms that he himself was oppressed with
continual uneasiness. The opening of the mouth, then, and the drawing of breath,
are. set in opposition to a cold assent to the word of God. Here the Holy Spirit
teaches with what earnestness of soul the knowledge of divine truth is to be
sought. Whence it follows, that such as make little or no proficiency in God's
law, are punished by their own indolence or carelessness. When David affirms
that he panted continually, he points out not only his ardor but also his
constancy.
132.
Look upon me, and be merciful to
me. In this verse he beseeches God to have a
regard to him: as he is accustomed always to look to those who are his people.
The Hebrew word
fpçm
mishpat, translated
judgment,
signifies in this passage, as in many others, a common rule, or
ordinary usage.
fe12 He next adds the purpose for
which he desires that God would look upon him, namely, that he may be relieved
from his miseries. This, then, is the prayer of an afflicted man, who, when
apparently destitute of all help, and unable to come to any other conclusion
than that he is neglected and forsaken of God, yet reflects with himself, that,
for God to forsake him, was foreign to his nature and to his usual manner of
procedure. It is as if he had said — Although I can perceive no token of
thy favor, yea, although my condition is so wretched and desperate, that,
judging according to sense and reason, I deem that thou hast turned the back:
upon me; yet, as from the beginning of the world to the present day, thou hast
testified, by numberless proofs, that thou art merciful to thy servants, I
beseech time that, acting according to this rule, thou wouldst now exercise the
like loving-kindness towards me. It is to be particularly noticed, lest those
whom God does not immediately answer may become discouraged, that the Prophet
had been long oppressed by miseries, without any prospect of relief. Yet it is
at the same time to be observed, that the Prophets sole ground of confidence in
asking this from God is his free goodness. Whence we gather that, although he
was a man of eminent sanctity, yet the undeserved grace of God was his only
refuge. With respect to the word
judgment, let us learn from the
Prophet's example to acquaint ourselves with the nature of God, from the various
experiences we have had of it that we may have certain evidence that he is
merciful to us. And, in truth, were not his grace known to us from the daily
experience we have of it, which of us would dare to approach him? But if our
eyes are not blind, we must perceive the very clear testimonies by which he
fortifies our faith, so that we need not doubt that all the godly are the
objects of his regard; only we must endeavor to be among the number of those
who love his name. By this title is meant genuine believers; for those
who only slavishly fear God are not worthy of being reckoned among his servants.
He requires a voluntary obedience from us, so that nothing may be more
delightful to us than to follow whithersoever he calls us. It is, however, at
the same time to be observed, that this love proceeds from faith; yea, the
Prophet here commends the grand effect of faith, by separating the godly, who
lean upon the grace of God, from worldly men, who, having given their hearts to
the enticements of the world, never lift up their minds towards
heaven.
133.
Direct my steps according to thy
word. By these words he shows, as he has
often done before in other places, that the only rule of living well is for men
to regulate themselves wholly by the law of God. We have already repeatedly seen
in this Psalm, that so long as men allow there-selves to wander after their own
inventions, God rejects whatever they do, however laborious the efforts they may
put forth. But as the Prophet declares that men's lives are then only framed
aright when they yield themselves wholly to the obeying of God, so, on the other
hand, he confesses that to do this is not within their own will or power. God's
law, it is evident, will not make us better by merely prescribing to us what is
right. Hence the outward preaching of it is compared to a dead letter. David,
then, well instructed in the law, prays for an obedient heart being given him,
that he may walk in the way set before him. Here two points are particularly
deserving of our notice — first, that God deals bountifully with men, when
he invites them to himself by his word and doctrine; and, secondly, that still
all this is lifeless and unprofitable, until he govern by his Spirit those whom
he has already taught by his word. As the Psalmist desires not simply to have
his steps directed, but to have them directed to God's word, we may learn that
he did not hunt after secret revelations, and set the word at nought, as many
fanatics do, but connected the external doctrine with the inward grace of the
Holy Spirit; and herein consists the completeness of the faithful, in that God
engraves on their hearts what he shows by his word to be right. Nothing,
therefore, is more foolish than the fancy of those who say, that in enjoining
upon men what lie would have them to do, God estimates the strength which they
have to perform it. In vain does divine truth sound in our ears, if the Spirit
of God does not effectually pierce into our hearts. The Prophet confesses that
it is to no purpose for him to read or hear the law of God, unless his life is
regulated by the secret influence of the Holy Spirit, that he may thus be
enabled to walk in that righteousness which the law enjoins. In the second
clause he reminds us how necessary it is for us to be continually presenting
this prayer at the throne of grace, acknowledging that he is the bond-slave of
sin until God stretch forth his hand to deliver him. direct me, says he,
that iniquity may not have
dominion in me.
fe13 So long, then, as we are left to
ourselves, Satan exercises', over us his despotic sway uncontrolled, so that we
have not power to rid ourselves of iniquity. The freedom of the godly consists
solely in this — that they are governed by the Spirit of God, and thus
preserved from succumbing to iniquity, although harassed with hard and painful
conflicts.
134.
Deliver me from the oppression of
men. When recounting what had befallen
himself, the Prophet shows, by his own example, that all the godly are exposed
to rapine and oppression, and that, like sheep in the mouths of wolves, they
will be inevitably destroyed unless God defend them. As very few are governed by
the Spirit of God, it is no wonder if all love of equity is banished from the
world, and if all men are found everywhere rushing into all kinds of wickedness,
some impelled by cruelty,
fe14 and others devoted to fraud and deceit.
When, therefore, the Prophet saw that he was overwhelmed on all sides with
injuries, he betook himself to God as his deliverer. By the word deliver
he intimates, that unless he is preserved in a wonderful manner, it is all
over with him. In the second clause, he engages that he will not prove
ungrateful for his deliverance:
And I will keep thy
precepts. Nothing more effectually
strengthens us, in an earnest desire and endeavor to follow after integrity and
righteousness, than when we find by experience, that God's defense is of more
value to us than all the unlawful helps to which worldly men unusually have
recourse. We are taught from this passage, that when engaged in contest with the
wicked, we ought not to suffer our minds to be actuated by malice, but that,
however violently and unjustly they may assault us, we should rest; contented
with the delivers. nee which God bestows, and with that alone; and again, that
every instance in which we experience the grace of God in delivering us, should
be a spur to incite us to follow after uprightness. He delivers us for no other
end, but that the fruits of our deliverance may be manifested in our life; and
we are too perverse if that experience is not sufficient to convince us, that
all who persevere in the unfeigned fear of God, will always abide in safety by
his aid, although the whole world may be against
them.
135.
Make thy face to shine upon thy
servant. There is here the repetition of
a prayer which we have several times met with before in this Psalm. The Prophet
intimates, that he regarded nothing as of more importance than rightly to
understand the divine law. When he beseeches God
to make his face to shine upon
his servant, he, in the first place,
seeks to win the fatherly favor of God — for nothing is to be hoped for
from Him unless we have an interest in his favor — but he at the same
time, shows the greatness of the blessing. There is no testimony of the love of
God, as if he had said, which I am more desirous to obtain than to be enabled to
make progress in his law. Whence we gather, as I have lately observed, that he
preferred divine truth to all the possessions of the world. Would to God that
this affection were vigorous in our hearts! But that which the Prophet extols so
highly, is neglected by the great proportion of mankind. If individuals are to
be found stimulated by this desire, we see them presently falling back to the
Measurements of the world, so that there are very few, indeed, who renouncing
all other desires, seek earnestly with David to become acquainted with the
doctrine of the law. Besides, as God vouchsafes this privilege only to those
whom he has embraced with his fatherly love, it is proper for us to begin with
this prayer, That he would make his face to shine upon us. This form of
expression, however, conveys something more — it implies, that it is only
when God illumines the minds of his believing people with the true knowledge of
the law, that he delights them with the beams of his favor. It often happens
that, even in regard to them, God's countenance is overcast with clouds in this
respect, namely, when he deprives them of tasting the sweetness of his
word.
136.
Rivers of waters run from my
eyes.
fe15 Here David affirms that he was
inflamed with no ordinary zeal for the glory of God, inasmuch as he dissolved
wholly into tears on account of the contempt put upon the divine law. He speaks
hyperbolically; but still he truly and plainly expresses the disposition of mind
with which he was endued; and it corresponds with what he says in altogether
place, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."
(<196909>Psalm
69:9.) Wherever the Spirit of God reigns, he excites this ardent zeal, which
burns the hearts of the godly when they see the commandment of the Most High God
accounted as a thing of nought. It is not enough that each of us endeavor to
please God; we must also desire that his law may be held in estimation by all
men. In this way holy Lot, as the Apostle Peter testifies, vexed his soul when
he beheld Sodom a sink of all kinds of wickedness.
(<610208>2
Peter 2:8.) If, in former times, the ungodliness of the world extorted from the
children of God such bitter grief, so great is the corruption into which we at
this day are fallen, that those who can look upon the present state of things
unconcerned and without tears, are thrice, yea four times, insensible. How great
in our day is the frenzy of the world in despising God and neglecting his
doctrine? A few, no doubt, are to be found who with the mouth profess their
willingness to receive it, but scarcely one in ten proves the sincerity of his
profession by his life. Meanwhile countless multitudes are hurried away to the
impostures of Satan and to the Pope; others are as thoughtless and indifferent
about their salvation as the lower
animals;
fe16 and many Epicureans openly mock at all
religion. If there is, then, the smallest portion of piety remaining in us, full
rivers of tears, and not merely small drops, will flow from our eyes. But if we
would give evidence of pure and uncorrupted zeal, let our grief begin at
ourselves — at our seeing that we are yet far from having attained to a
perfect observance of the law; yea, that the depraved lusts of our carnal nature
are often rising up against the righteousness of
God.
Psalm
119:137-144
137.
x O
Jehovah! thou art righteous, and thy judgments are right. 138.
x
Thou hast commanded righteousness in thy
testimonies, and truth greatly. 139.
X My
zeal hath consumed me, because my adversaries have forgotten thy words.
140.
X
Thy word is exceedingly refined, and thy servant hath loved it. 141.
X I
am insignificant and despised; I have not forgotten thy commandments.
142.
X Thy righteousness is an everlasting
righteousness; and the law is truth.
143.
X Trouble and anguish have come upon me; but thy
commandments are my delight. 144.
X
The righteousness of thy testimonies endereth for
ever; give me understanding and I shall
live.
137. O
Jehovah! thou art
righteous. The Prophet yields to God the
praise of righteousness, and also acknowledges that it is to be found in his
law. Some understand
judgments as referring to those
infliction's by which God chastises the sins of men; but this does not seem so
fitly to agree with the scope of the passage. Besides, as the adjective
rçy,
yashar, translated
right,
is put in the singular number with the word
judgments,
the sentence should be explained thus that there is not any one of the
judgments of God which is not right. Should we be inclined to take
rçy
as a substantive, the sense will be almost the same. All men indeed grant that
God is righteous; but the Prophet has expressed more than the common sort of
men, yea than the whole world, perceive in reference to this subject; for in
designating God
righteous,
he means, that as soon as we depart from Him, we will not find a particle of
righteousness anywhere else. When he adds that the evidence and testimony of
this righteousness are to be seen in the law, he teaches us that God is robbed
of his praise, if we do not subscribe to all his commandments. To the same
purpose is the following verse, which declares that God has taught in his law
full and perfect righteousness and truth. The adverb,
dam,
meod, which signifies
greatly,
is with more propriety connected with the nouns than with the verb
commanded;
inasmuch as it was God's design to exhibit in the law a perfect rule of
righteousness. The doctrine of the law is honored with these encomiums, that all
of us may learn to derive wisdom from it, and that no man may devise for himself
any other standard of rectitude or righteousness than that which is exhibited in
the law; a very necessary lesson, since every man would willingly frame for
himself a new pattern or standard of
righteousness.
139.
My zeal hath consumed
me.
fe17 The Psalmist speaks of his
persecutors, by whom it is certain he had been subjected to much trouble. But
although they were virulent and cruel towards him, he avows that it was not so
much his own private wrongs which offended him as the violation of God's law;
yea rather, that he was so consumed with grief on that account as not to be
affected at all with his own individual troubles. This is an example from which
much profit may be derived. We are too tender and delicate in bearing wrongs;
and hence it is that if we are but touched with a finger, we are instantly
inflamed with anger, whilst at the same time we are but coldly affected at the
most grievous offenses committed against God. But if we are animated with the
zeal that inspired the Prophet it will carry us away to another kind of sorrow,
which will take entire possession of our
souls.
140.
Thy word is exceedingly
refined. In this verse he intimates that
the cause of his zeal was the love which he bore to heavenly doctrine. For to be
displeased with or severely to condemn the contempt of divine truth, unless we
are bound to it by the cords of love, is pure hypocrisy. And he affirms that his
love to God's word was not a rash, or a blind and inconsiderate affection, but
that he loved it, because like gold or silver which has been refined, it was
pure and free from all dregs and dross. This is the idea contained in the
metaphorical term
hpwrx,
tseruphah, translated
refined;
fe18 and though it seems to be
commonplace, yet, vindicating God's word from all perverse and malicious
judgments, it expresses graphically the true obedience of faith. How few are
there who are not guilty, either by their distrust, or waywardness, or pride, or
voluptuousness, of casting upon God's word some spot or stain! The flesh then
being so rebellious, it is no small commendation of revealed truth, when it is
compared to gold well refined, so that it shines pure from all defilement.
Farther, it serves not a little to show the truth of this testimony, that the
Prophet confirms it by his own experience. The more effectually to repress the
foolish rashness with which we are chargeable whenever we imagine that there is
any fault in God's word, he declares that in commending it he gives utterance to
the unfeigned feeling of his heart, having experienced a blissful pleasure in
that purity of which he speaks.
141.
I am, insignificant and
despised. The meaning is, that although
he was tried with poverty and many other calamities, he steadily persevered in
the exercise of true godliness, and in the observance of the law. On that
account, as he states, he was despised by wicked men. Every man gives praise to
God just in proportion as he is gorged with his benefits; and very few will be
found applying their minds to the service of God, unless they have all their
wishes gratified. Hence it comes to pass that hypocrites, as long as they are
pampered to the full, accumulate riches and increase in power, are very lavish
in praising God. But let them be treated in some degree roughly, and immediately
the blessed name of God is heard of no more. Since then men are ordinarily
mercenary in serving God, let us learn from the Prophet's example that true
godliness is disinterested, so that when under its influence we cease not
to praise God, although he may afflict us with adversity and make us despised in
the eyes of the world. These upbraiding words of Christ in
<430626>John
6:26, ought, no doubt, to be carefully attended to,
"Ye seek me, not
because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were
filled."
(<430626>John
6:26)
The persons then who serve God ingenuously and
sincerely, are such as continue steadfast. in his fear, although their condition
in this world may be mean and despised; in short, they are such as seek not
their reward on earth, but through heat and cold, poverty and danger, slanders
and mockeries, persevere with unwearied steps in the course of their
warfare.
142.
Thy righteousness is an
everlasting righteousness. Here the law
of God is honored by the additional encomium, that it is everlasting
righteousness and truth; as if it had been said, that all other rules of life,
with whatever attractions they may appear to be recommended, are but a shadow,
which quickly vanishes away. The Psalmist, no doubt, indirectly contrasts the
doctrine of the law with all the human precepts which were ever delivered, that
he may bring all the faithful in subjection to it, since it is the school of
perfect wisdom. There may be more of plausibility in the refined and subtle
disquisition's of men; but there is in them nothing firm or solid at bottom, as
there is in God's law. This firmness of the divine law he proves in the
following verse from one instance — the continual comfort he found in it
when grievously harassed with temptations. And the true test of the profit we
have reaped from it is, when we oppose to all the distresses of whatever kind
which may straiten us, the consolation derived from the word of God, that
thereby all sadness may be effaced from our minds. David here expresses
something more than he did in the preceding verse; for there he only said that
he reverently served God, although from his rough and hard treatment he might
seem to lose his labor; but now when distressed and tormented, he affirms that
he finds in the law of God the most soothing delight, which mitigates all
grief's, and not only tempers their bitterness, but also seasons them with a
certain sweetness. And assuredly when this taste does not exist to afford us
delight, nothing is more natural than for us to be swallowed up of sorrow. Nor
ought we to omit noticing the form of expression which the Prophet employs, by
which he teaches, that although lie was besieged and shut up on all sides, he
found a remedy sufficiently powerful in improving the consolation offered him by
the word of God. As this could not be true of the bare commandments, which so
far from remedying our distresses, rather fill us with anxiety, there is no
doubt that under the word
commandments
there is comprehended by the figure synecdoche, the whole doctrine of
the law, in which God not only requires what is right, but in which also calling
his elect ones to the hope of eternal salvation, he opens the gate of perfect
happiness. Yea, under the term
law
are comprehended both free adoption, and also the promises which flow from
it.
144.
The righteousness of thy
testimonies endureth forever. The
Psalmist repeats what lie had already before stated, that there is a great
dissimilarity between the righteousness of God's testimonies and man's
inventions; the splendor of the last quickly vanishing away, whereas the other
continues steadfast for ever. He repeats this twice; for although the world is
forced to attribute the praise of righteousness to the law of God, yet the
majority of mankind are carried away after their own speculations, so that there
is nothing more difficult than to hold us fast in our obedience to God. David's
drift is to show that everlasting righteousness is not comprehended elsewhere
than in God's law, and that it is in vain to seek for it anywhere else; and
there is accordingly here laid down a clearer definition of righteousness, which
is, that righteousness consists in our keeping ourselves within the bounds of
the law. As to the last clause of the verse,
Give me understanding and I shall
live, I read it in connection with the
preceding clause; for although David desires to have his mind enlightened by
God, yet he does not conceive of any other way by which he was to obtain an
enlightened understanding than by his profiting aright in the study of the law.
Farther, he here teaches, that men cannot, properly speaking, be said to live
when they are destitute of the light of heavenly wisdom; and as the end for
which men are created is not that, like swine or asses, they may stuff their
bellies, but that they may exercise themselves in the knowledge and service of
God, when they turn away from such employment, their life is worse than a
thousand deaths. David therefore protests that for him to live was not merely to
be fed with meat and drink, and to enjoy earthly comforts, but to aspire after a
better life, which he could not do save under the guidance of faith. This is a
very necessary warning; for although it is universally acknowledged that man is
born with this distinction, that he excels the lower animals in intelligence,
yet the great bulk of mankind, as if with deliberate purpose: stifle whatever
light God pours into their understandings. I indeed admit that all men desire to
be sharp-witted; but how few aspire to heaven, and consider that the fear of,God
is the beginning of wisdom. Since then meditation upon the celestial life is
buried by earthly cares, men do nothing else than plunge into the grave, so that
while living to the world, they die to God. Under the term life, however,
as I have elsewhere said, the Prophet denotes the utmost he could wish. Lord, as
if he had said, although I am already dead, yet if thou art pleased to illumine
my mind with the knowledge of heavenly truth, this grace alone will be
sufficient to revive me.
Psalm
119:145-152
145.
q
I have cried with my whole heart; answer me, O
Jehovah! and I will keep thy statutes. 146.
q
I have called upon thee; save me, and I will
keep thy testimonies. 147.
q
I have prevented the
twilight,
fe19 and have cried: I have looked up to thy
word. 148. q
My eyes have prevented the night-watches, to
meditate upon thy word. 149.
q
Hear my yoke, O Jehovah! According to thy
mercy, quicken me according to thy judgment. 150.
q
The pursuers of malice have drawn near; they
have departed from thy law. 151.
q
Thou, O Jehovah! art near; and all thy
commandments are truth. 152.
q
I have known from thy testimonies from the
beginning that thou hast established them for
ever.
145.
I have cried with my whole
heart. This verse may be so read and
connected as that in the end of it the Psalmist may show what he desired in
crying;
fe20 and thus the meaning would be, that as
he was inflamed with an intense desire to keep the law, he continually made
supplication to God on that subject. But the subsequent verse compels us to take
a different view, for the same thing is, no doubt, there again repeated. The
Prophet then requests that God would hear him; and in token of his gratitude he
promises to keep God's commandments. He simply uses the indefinite term cry;
and thus he does not express what the prayers were which he offered up to
God, but only shows, that while the children of this world are distracted by a
multiplicity of objects, he directed all the affections of his heart exclusively
to God, because he depended solely on him. As the world is compelled to
acknowledge that God is the author of all good things, many formal prayers
proceed from that principle. It was the consideration of this which led David to
affirm that he prayed with his whole heart. When he shall have obtained his
requests, he proposes to himself the glory of God as his end, resolving to
devote himself with so much the more ardent affection to the work of serving
him. Although God declares that he is served aright by the sacrifice of praise,
yet David, to distinguish himself from hypocrites who profane the name of God by
their cold and feigned praises, with good reason declares that he will give
thanks by his life and works.
In the following
verse he makes no new statement; but he speaks more expressly. In the first
place, he says that he cried to God; and next he adds, that he commended his
welfare to Him by prayer; thereby intimating that whether he was in safety, or
whether imminent danger threatened him with death, he uniformly reposed upon
God, being fully persuaded that the only way in which he could continue safe was
by having him for the guardian and protector of his
welfare.
147.
I have prevented the
twilight. The Hebrew noun
ãçn,
nesheph, is in this place improperly translated by crepusculum, twilight;
for it rather signifies the dawn of morning. But as the Latin's derive the
word crepusculum, from creperus, which signifies doubtful
or uncertain, so that it may signify the doubtful and intermediate
time between light and darkness, I have not been particularly nice in the
selection of the term only let my readers understand that the evening twilight
commencing with sunset is not here denoted, but the imperfect light which
precedes the rising of the sun. David then expresses the most eager haste when
he says, that he prevented the dawn of the morning by his prayers. The verb
cry always conveys the idea of earnestness; referring, as it does, not so
much to the loudness of the voice as to the vehemency and ardor of the mind. In
mentioning his haste, his object is the better to set forth his perseverance;
for he tells us, that although he betook himself to prayer with such
promptitude, yet he did not immediately become weary of that exercise, like the
unbelieving, who, if God does not suddenly grant them their requests, murmur and
complain against him. Thus, in conjoining patience of hope with earnestness of
desire, he shows what is the true manner of praying; even as Paul, in
<500406>Philippians
4:6, when he exhorts us to
"let our requests
be made known unto God with thanksgiving,"
(<500406>Philippians
4:6)
admonishes us, while engaged in the exercise of
prayer, to bridle our turbulent affections, because one of the ends of prayer is
to nourish our hope. Nor is the mention made of the word in the close of
the verse superfluous; for it is only by having the Word of God continually
before our eyes, that we can bridle the wanton impetuosity of our corrupt
nature.
148.
My eyes have prevented the night
watchers.
fe21 The Psalmist here intimates, that
he was more sedulously intent on meditating upon the law of God than watchmen of
the night were to keep watch. Others are of opinion, that the verb
jwç,
suach, is put for to discourse. If this opinion is admitted, the
sense will be, that the Prophet, not from ostentation, but for the welfare of
his brethren, was so desirous of communicating instruction, that he gave himself
no rest. The word
meditate
is, however, more appropriate in this place; for the night is an
unseasonable time for discoursing upon the law of God; but at that season, when
alone, he silently recalled to his memory what he had previously learned, so
that he passed no part of the night without meditating upon the
law.
149.
Hear my voice, O Jehovah! according to thy
mercy. In the first place he declares,
that the goodness of God was the only ground of his hope of being heard by him.
Whatever blessings the saints may plead for in prayer, their opening argument
must be the free and unmerited grace of God. Nor is the term
judgments
fe22
in the second clause to be taken in a different sense. As God has revealed
his goodness in his word, his word is the source from which we must derive our
assurance of his goodness. The Prophet, then, sensible that he had need of the
divine mercy, betook himself directly to the word, in which God, sweetly
alluring men to himself, promises that his grace will be ready and open for all.
That each, therefore, may be confidently persuaded that God will be merciful to
him in particular, let him learn from the example of the Prophet to entreat God
to show himself such as he has promised to be. Some expound the word
judgments
by manner or custom;
fe23 because, God's usual way is to
deal graciously with all his people. I would not altogether reject this
exposition; but I think it is harsh and foreign to the scope of the text, while
the meaning which I have adduced comes out very naturally. Moreover, he desires
to be
quickened, to testify that even in the,
midst of life he is dead, except in so far as he is sustained by the power of
God. And assuredly, all who are duly acquainted with their own infirmity,
esteeming their life as nothing, will crave to be quickened every moment. It is
also to be added, that God often so exercised his servant, that with good reason
he might send up his prayers, as it were, out of the sepulcher, to be restored
from death to
life.
150.
The pursuers of malice have drawn near.
As the Hebrew word
ypdwr
rodphee, translated the
pursuers of, is put in the construct.
state, that is to say, as it is so related to the word
hmz,
zimmah, rendered wickedness, that in Latin the latter would be put
in the genitive ease, I expound the clause as denoting that they draw near to do
mischief. I wonder what could move interpreters to translate — The
pursuers have
approached, or drawn near to
wickedness; which the idiom of the language will not admit, to say nothing
of the fact that
hmz,
zimmah, signifies. rather perversity or malice, than
wickedness. David therefore says, that those who are vehemently bent on
malice are pursuing him close behind, and that they rush upon him with such
violence in order to do him mischief, as plainly to indicate that they are far
off from God's law, since they east far from them all regard to uprightness and
equity. It was a most wretched condition for him to be in, to behold his
enemies, who had shaken off all fear of God and reverence for his law, ready
with uplifted hand to smite him to death, had not God been near to defend him,
as he adds in the subsequent verse —
151.
Thou, O Jehovah! art
near. He encourages himself from the
consolatory consideration, that God, when he sees his own people sore pressed,
comes forward. seasonably to afford them succor; even as Paul on this subject
says,
"Be not
over-careful, the Lord is at hand, let your moderation be known to all
men."
(<500405>Philippians
4:5)
The concluding sentence of the verse is to this
effect, That God never forsakes nor disappoints his people in their necessity,
because he is true to his promises; and in them he assures us, that the welfare
of his people will always be the object of his care. That therefore we may be
fully persuaded that the hand of God is always ready to repulse the assaults of
our enemies, let us retain a settled belief of the truth, that he does not in
vain promise in his word to be the guardian of our
welfare.
152.
I have known from thy testimonies
fe24
from the beginning. Others here
translate, I have known long ago of thy
testimonies.
fe25 This translation I would not
directly reject; but I am more inclined to retain the sense which I have given,
namely, That the Prophet not only knew the everlasting steadfastness which
characterizes the testimonies of God; but that he had also derived this
knowledge from the testimonies themselves. When the Hebrews would express the
meaning conveyed by the Latin preposition de, they frequently use the
particle
ˆm,
or the letter
b,
beth. He therefore says, that he had learned from God's testimonies, or
had been taught by them, that
they are established for
ever.
fe26 This indeed is the chief point of
faith, That the word of God is not only distinguished for fidelity and
steadfastness for a time, but that it continues unchangeable for ever. Were it
otherwise, it could not include within it the hope of eternal salvation. That
the assurance of this immutabiliy of God's word may be rooted in our minds, the
inward revelation of the Holy Spirit is indeed necessary; for until God seal
within us the certainty of his word, our belief of its certainty will be
continually wavering. Yet the Prophet, not without cause, affirms, that he
learned this truth from the word; for when God shines into us by his Spirit, he
at the same time causes that sacred truth which endures for ever to shine forth
in the mirror of his word.
Psalm
119:153-160
153.
r
Behold my affliction, and rescue me: for I have
not forgotten thy law. 154.
r
Debate my cause, and redeem me: quicken thy
according to thy word. 155.
r
Safety is far from the wicked; because they
have not sought thy statutes. 156.
r
O Jehovah! Thy tender mercies are many: quicken
me according to thy judgments. 157.
r
My persecutors and oppressors are many:
fe27
I have not swerved from thy testimonies. 158.
r
I saw the perfidious, and chid them; because
they have not kept thy word. 159.
r
Behold O Jehovah! how have loved thy
commandments: quicken me according to thy loving kindness. 160.
r
The beginning [literally, the head
fe28]
of thy word is truth; and all the judgment of thy righteousness is
everlasting.
153.
Behold my affliction and rescue
me. The Psalmist teaches by his own
example that those who are devoted to the service and fear of God, must not be
discouraged though they are not rewarded for it in this world. Their condition
upon earth is one of warfare, and therefore they should not be dismayed by
diversity, but rather rest satisfied with the consolatory consideration, that
the gate of prayer is open to them. Yet the Prophet does not boast of his,
endeavors to keep the law, as if he would have God to pay him wages for his
service, but only to show that he was one of God's servants, just as he has
spoken of his hope that he was so in other places. This reason,
for I have not forgotten thy law,
on account of which he beseeches God to
consider his affliction and to rescue him, is peculiarly forcible in the present
case; for it is an evidence of no ordinary courage when, instead of being led
away from the fear of God by adversity, we wrestle against temptations and seek
him even when he seems purposely to drive us away from
him.
154.
Debate thy cause, and redeem
me. In this verse David specifics the
kind of his affliction, which was the wrongful and harassing treatment which he
met with at the hands of evil and unprincipled men. The reading literally is,
Plead my cause, which is the same thing as to undertake a cause, or to
take the charge of defending one in judgment, or to maintain the right of the
oppressed. In the first place the Prophet in invoking God to defend his cause,
shows that he is wrongfully oppressed, either by violence, calumnies, or crafty
policies; and in seeking to be
redeemed, he intimates that he was
unable to make any resistance, or that he was so entangled in their snares, as
to have no remaining hope except in the deliverance of God. In the second clause
the letter
l,
lamed, seems to be taken for the letter
k,
caph, the mark of similitude,
fe29 as would appear from his having used a
little before (Psalm 119:149) a similar form of prayer. Again, as David here
complains that he is held as it were in fetters by his enemies, unless he is
delivered by the hand of his Redeemer, he with good reason beseeches God to
restore him to life; for he who is rims abased is like a person dead. It is also
aptly added according to thy
word; for it is from the promises which
God makes in his word of becoming our deliverer that the hope of life shines
upon us. Whence the Prophet, when earnestly desiring to be brought from darkness
to light, sustains and encourages himself by the word. If a different sense is
preferred, then David is not to be understood as simply asking that life may be
given him, but as praying for spiritual life, that he may be encouraged to
exercise faith, to cultivate the fear of God, and to cherish the desire of
living a holy
life.
155.
Safety is far from the wicked. Fully
persuaded that the world is governed by the secret providence of God, who is a
just judge, the Prophet draws from that source the doctrine, That the wicked are
far removed from safety, and safety from them. Hence proceeds the confidence of
prayer; for as God is turned away from the despisers of his word, so he is ready
to succor his servants. It is to be noticed, that when the Prophet saw that his
enemies were elated by their prosperity, he on the contrary lifted up his heart
by faith that thus he might come to the settled persuasion that all their
delights were cursed and tended to destruction. Whenever then the wicked prosper
in the world according to their wishes, so that being pampered to the full they
exult in their own fatness, let us learn, in order to defend ourselves, to lay
hold upon this buckler which the Holy Spirit is holding out to us, namely, that
they shall at length miserably perish, because they seek not the commandments of
God. From this we draw a contrary doctrine, That although genuine believers,
whilst they walk sincerely in the fear of God may be as sheep appointed to the
slaughter, yet their salvation, which is under the special care and protection
of God's secret providence, is just at hand. In this sense the Prophet adds in
the following verse,
156.
O Jehovah,! thy tender mercies
are many; as if he had said that no
offenders are safe but those who betake themselves to the divine mercy. Farther,
to encourage himself to approach God with the greater confidence, he not only
says that God is merciful, but he mightily magnifies and extols his
compassion's. From this we gather that he was so contented with them, as not to
seek any aid from his own merits. It is however at the same time to be noted,
that the Prophet was far from being lightly troubled with many temptations,
seeing he was forced to oppose to them this vast abundance of mercy. It makes
little difference whether we read great or
many.
The prayer which follows,
Quicken me according to thy
judgments, I explain as referring to the
promises. The original word for
judgment
is by some translated manner or custom; but I have already
shown above that such a translation is less suitable than the other. The Prophet
then again confirms the truth, That life cannot be hoped for or asked from God,
unless hope is produced by his word; and he often repeats this truth, because it
is one of which we are marvelously forgetful. But that we may boldly appropriate
to ourselves all the grace which God promises to his servants, let the doctrine
of the great and manifold tender mercies of God be ever present to our thoughts.
If we imagine that God makes his promises because he is bound to do it, or
because we have deserved it, doubting or mistrust will steal upon our minds,
which will shut the gate against our prayers. But if we are thoroughly persuaded
that the sole cause by which God is moved to promise us salvation is the mercy
inherent in his own nature, we will approach him without hesitation or doubt,
because he has bound himself to us of his own
accord.
157.
My persecutors and oppressors are
many. The Psalmist here as in other
places testifies, that although lie had been provoked by many injuries, yet he
had not departed from the right way; which, as I have elsewhere observed, was an
evidence of great and singular constancy. It is an easy matter to act well when
we are among the good; but if wicked men afflict us, if one man openly assault
us by force, if another rob us of our property, if a third circumvent us by
wiles, and a fourth attack us by calumnies, it is difficult for us to persevere
in our integrity, and we rather begin to howl among the wolves. Besides, the
license which is allowed them of doing what they please without the fear of
being punished, is a powerful engine for shaking our faith, because, when God
thus winks at the wicked, he seems to abandon us for a prey. The Prophet
therefore, by God's testimonies, means not only the rule of holy and
righteous living, but also the promises. Lord, as if he had said, I have not
turned away from the path of integrity, although the conduct of the wicked has
presented me with a temptation to do so; nor have I shaken off nay confidence in
thy grace, but have waited patiently for thy succor. Both these are necessary.
For although he who has suffered wrongs may contend against the malice of his
enemies by his well — doing, and may refrain from every act of
retaliation, yet, provided he does not depend wholly upon God,. this uprightness
will not be sufficient to save him. :Not that any man behaves himself in a
manner so moderate, except he who leans upon God and waits upon him as his
deliverer; but granting that such could be the ease, there would not be
sufficient power in this half virtue to save him. The salvation of God is
reserved for the faithful who ask it in the exercise of lively faith. And
whoever, persuaded that God will be his deliverer, pillars and supports his mind
on the divine promises, will endeavor also to overcome evil with
good.
158.
I saw the perfidious and child them. In
this verse the Psalmist proceeds yet farther, declaring that he was inflamed
with a holy zeal when he saw the law of God despised by the wicked. Expositors
are not however agreed as to one word in the text, namely the verb
hffwqta,
ethkotatah, which we have rendered
chid,
some deriving it from
fwq,
kut, which often signifies to debate or contend with, it
being in the conjugation hithpael, while others derive it from
ffq
karat, which signifies to kill or to destroy. I adopt the
former interpretation, because it is more generally received among the learned,
and is most appropriate. The Prophet then teaches that he was inflamed with such
zeal for the law of God that he could no longer endure the impious mockery
directed against it. The verb debate may however be understood as well of
the vexation or anger which he felt in himself, as of the rebuke which he openly
administered to the despisers of God; and therefore some translate it, I
shuddered, or I was grieved
fe30
Nor assuredly will any person enter into debate with others for maintaining
the glory of God, but he who is first chafed within himself, and has been
grieved at heart; even as on the other hand, after this holy indignation there
almost always follows transitive action; that is to say, it passes from the
thought to the effect.
fe31 In short, we are admonished by the
example of the Prophet, that we ought to feel such displeasure at the contempt
of God's word as that our heart grows hot even to chiding. In the first place,
then, let grief affect us inwardly; and next, whenever opportunity shall present
itself, let; us strenuously endeavor to repress the forwardness and pride of the
wicked, and let us not hesitate to do so from the fear of provoking their
resentment against us.
159.
Behold, O Jehovah how I have
loved thy commandments. What I have
state before must be remembered — that when the saints speak of their own
piety before God they are not chargeable with obtruding their own merits as the
ground of their confidence; but they regard this as, a settled principle, that
God, who distinguishes his servants from the profane and wicked, will be
merciful to them because they seek him with their whole heart. Besides, an
unfeigned love of God's law is an undoubted evidence of adoption, since this
love is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Prophet, therefore, although he
arrogates nothing to himself, very properly adduces his own piety for the
purpose, of encouraging himself to entertain the more assured hope of obtaining
his request, through the grace of God which he had experienced. At the same time
we are taught that there can be no true keeping of the law but what springs from
free and spontaneous love. God demands voluntary sacrifices, and the
commencement of a good life is to love him, as Moses declares,
(<051012>Deuteronomy
10:12,)
"And now, O
Israel! what doth the Lord require of
thee,
but to love
him."
The same thing is also repeated in the summary of the
law:
(<050605>Deuteronomy
6:5,) "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God." For this reason David has previously
stated, that the law of God was not only precious but also delightful to him.
Now as in keeping the law it behoves us to begin with voluntary obedience, so
that nothing may delight us more than the righteousness of God, so on the other
hand, it must not be forgotten that a sense of the free goodness of God and of
his fatherly love is indispensably necessary in order to our hearts being beheld
to this affection. So far are the bare commandment's from winning men to obey
them, that they rather frighten them away. Hence it is evident, that it is only
when a man shall have tasted the goodness of God from the teaching of the law,
that he will apply his heart to love it in return. The frequency with which the
Prophet repeats the prayer, that
God would quicken him, teaches us that
he knew well the frailty of his own life, so that in his estimation men live
only in so far as God every moment breathes life into them. Besides, it is
probable that he had been continually besieged by many deaths, to the end he
might the more earnestly betake himself to the fountain of life. He again rests
his faith upon the goodness of God as its foundation —
quicken me according to thy
loving-kindness — from
which we perceive how far he was from boasting of his own merits when he
protested in the preceding sentence that he loved God's
law.
160.
The beginning of thy word is
truth. The design of the Prophet it is
not difficult to perceive; but the words admit of being understood in two ways.
Some interpret the noun
beginning
as denoting that the truth of God shines forth conspicuously in his word,
immediately when we enter for the first time upon the study of it, so that this
entrance may justly be called the beginning of the word. This sentence contains
the profitable doctrine, that if we are finished with eyes of understanding, we
will no sooner cast our eyes upon heavenly doctrine than the truth of it will
meet our view. Others, however, give a different explanation, and perhaps with
no less propriety, eliciting this sense, That the word of God has been from the
beginning certain and infallible truth, and will continue so even to the end.
These two clauses hang very well together — that God has been true to his
word from the beginning, and that he will continue to be so everlastingly and
immutably. The interpretation which refers the
word
judgment to the works of God and not to
his doctrine, I would not altogether condemn, yet it is not in harmony with the
context. Let us then retain this sense, That from the time when God began to
speak he has always been faithful to his promises, and has never disappointed
the hope of his people; and that the course of this faithfulness has been so
uniform, that from the beginning even to the end his word is true and
faithful.
Psalm
119:161-168
161.
ç
Princes have persecuted me without a cause; yet
my heart hath beer, afraid at thy word 162.
ç
I have rejoiced at thy word as one who hath
found great spoil. 163.
ç
I have hated and abhorred deceit; but I have
loved thy law. 164.
ç
Seven times a day have I praised thee, because
of thy righteous judgments.
fe32 165.
ç
Great peace have them that love thy law, and
there will be no stumbling-block for them.
fe33
166. ç
Jehovah I have waited for thy salvation and
have done thy commandments. 167.
ç
My soul hath kept thy testimonies, and I have
loved them exceeding. 168.
ç
I have kept thy commandments and thy
testimonies; for all my ways are before
thee.
161.
Princes have persecuted me
without a cause.
fe34 Here the Psalmist, informs us
that sore and grievous as his temptation had been, he was restrained by the fear
of God from desiring to attempt anything unworthy of the character of a godly
man. We are prone to fall into despair when princes who are armed with power to
overwhelm us are hostile to and molest us. The evil is also aggravated from the
consideration that it is the very persons who ought to be as bucklers to
defend us, who employ their strength in hurting us. Yea, when the afflicted are
stricken by those in high places, they in a manner think that the hand of God is
against them. There was also this peculiarity in the case of the Prophet, that
he had to encounter the grandees of the chosen people — men whom God had
placed in such honor-able stations, to the end they might be the pillars of the
Church. Some give, more restricted exposition, which is, that David followed the
exhortation of Christ in
<401028>Matthew
10:28,
"Fear not them who
kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. but rather fear him who is
able to destroy both soul and body in hell;"
a sentiment which although :it had not as yet been
uttered by Christ's mouth, ought nevertheless to have been fixed in the hearts
of all the godly. The sense, then, in their opinion is, that the Prophet had not
been turned aside from the fear of God by any of the threatening or terrors of
his enemies. But his commendation of his own constancy is to be understood in a
more extended sense than this. The exhortation of Isaiah is well
known,
"Neither fear ye
their fear, nor be afraid; sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be
your fear, and let him be your dread."
(<230812>Isaiah
8:12,13)
The Prophet in that place shows in general what the
weapons are, with which the faithful being armed will succeed in vanquishing all
the assaults of the world — he shows that they will do so, provided they
not only stand in awe of God, but also rest assured that he will always be the
guardian of their welfare, so that they may cast all their cares upon him. Thus
it will come to pass that, resting contented with his protection, they will not
turn aside to practice whatever may be sinful to secure their safety. In like
manner the Prophet, in the passage before us, affirms that although being
oppressed by the wrongful violence of princes, he presented a sad spectacle, yet
he did not succumb, but considered what was lawful for him to do, and did not
attempt to rival their wicked practices, by repelling craft with craft and
violence with violence. In this text, as is evident from the connection,
to be afraid at God's
word, is to restrain one's. self and to
attempt nothing which is unlawful. I have already said that the adverb
µnj,
hinnam, without a
cause, is added for the sake of
amplification; for the temptation was so much the harder from the fact, that the
tyrants, without cause and merely to gratify their own wicked inclination,
assaulted an innocent individual. Men of a good disposition and of a noble mind,
it is well known, are more easily excited to anger when the object assaulted is
one who has done wrong to nobody. It was therefore a signal proof of
self-control for the Prophet to bridle himself by the word of God, that he might
not vie with others in evil doing, or, overcome with temptation, go out of the
place which had been assigned him in the social body. Let us then learn to
remain peaceable, although princes tyrannically abuse the power which God has
committed to them, lest by creating insurrection we break in upon the peace and
order of society.
162.
I have rejoiced at thy word as
one who hath found great spoil. No gain,
it is well known, brings greater joy than that which conquerors acquire from the
spoil of their enemies; for to the gain there is added the glory of triumph; and
when profit comes on a sudden, the delight experienced is from that circumstance
the greater. This is the reason why David compares the knowledge he had obtained
of heavenly doctrine with spoils rather than with other riches; for by these
words he intimates that his greatest joy was derived from the word of God, to
which no gain however desirable could at all approach. From this was learn that
he was contented with the word of God as a thing in which was all his delight,
and in which he found solid felicity; which could not be, but, in the way of his
first withdrawing his heart from all depraved desires. :Nor is it wonderful to
find David placing the whole sum of a happy life in the word of God, in which he
well knew the treasure of eternal life to be included and offered to him by
means of free adoption.
163.
I have hated and abhorred
deceit. In this verse he declares more
distinctly what I have adverted to a little before, that he was cleansed from
corrupt affections that he might bestow upon the law of God such honor and
estimation as it deserved. Having elsewhere met with almost the same sentence, I
shall but briefly touch upon the reason why the Prophet affirms that
he hated
deceit before he speaks of his love and
devotedness to the law. As hypocrisy is in the hearts of all men by nature, and
as we are naturally prone to vanity and deceitfulness, we ought diligently to
labor to purge our hearts, that the love of the law may reign in them. Now if
the beginning of a good life and the first point of righteousness is to hate and
abhor deceit, it follows that nothing is more excellent than integrity; for
unless that virtue hold the chief place, all the other virtues speedily
disappear. Nor is
abhorring
superfluously added to hating, the design being to teach us that it
is not enough to hate falsehood with a common hatred, but that God's children
must hate it with a deadly hatred. Now if the love of the law and the hatred of
falsehood are inseparably conjoined, it is a plain inference that all who are
not taught in the school of God are infected with deceit and
hypocrisy.
164.
Seven times a day have I praised
thee. By the adverb
seven
times, the Prophet means that he was
continually or very often engaged in celebrating the praises of God; just as it
is said in
<202416>Proverbs
24:16, "A just man falleth seven times," when he often falls into divers
temptations.
fe35 The phrase
the judgments of
God being in many places taken for the
punishments which God inflicts upon sinners, and also sometimes applied in
general to the providence by which he governs the world, some understand the
Prophet as praising God because he affords such manifest proofs of his justice
both in punishing the wicked and in the whole government of the world. But I
rather agree with others who refer the phrase to the divine law; not that I
dislike the former interpretation, but because in this psalm the great topic
upon which the Psalmist chiefly insists is the commendation of God's law. The
amount then is, that when David was assiduously occupied in meditating upon the
law of God, he found it distinguished by so great perfection of righteousness
and wisdom, that from time to time he burst forth into the exercise of praise
and thanksgiving. This diligence in praising God shows that David not only spoke
reverently and honourably of the divine law, but that he accounted it an
inestimable boon conferred upon the human race. It was not simply admiration
which constrained him to this commendation, but a principle of gratitude; for he
saw that nothing more excellent could be bestowed upon men than their being
renewed to a blessed and an endless life by the incorruptible seed of heavenly
truth. Yet scarcely one in a hundred of those to whom God offers this treasure
puts himself to the trouble of giving God thanks for it even in an ordinary
manner. On the contrary, there reigns such vile ingratitude everywhere in the
world, that some scornfully reject divine truth, and others despise or slight
it, while others rail and gnash their teeth against it if they find anything in
it which does not please them.
165.
Great peace have they who
love thy law. If we take the word
peace for a prosperous or happy condition of life — a sense in
which the Hebrews often employ it — the word rendered
stumbling-block,
to correspond with it, will be used for adversity; as if it had been
said, that those who love God's law shall continually prosper and retain their
position, although the whole world should fall into ruins. But a different
interpretation will be equally appropriate, namely, that they have great peace,
because, being persuaded that both their persons and their life are acceptable
to God, they calmly repose themselves on a good conscience. This tranquil state
of conscience, this serenity of mind, is justly reckoned the chief point of a
happy life, that is to say it is so, when it proceeds from God's being
reconciled to us, and from his fatherly favor shining in our hearts. The Prophet
justly teaches that we attain this peace from the love of the law; for whoever
would make it to depend upon anything else, will be from time to time trembling
at every little blast. If this sense is adopted, the word
stumbling-block,
in the second clause, will signify all the troubles and disquietudes of mind
with which all who lean not upon God's word are miserably distressed and
tormented, and with which they are driven about either by their own depraved
passions, or by the caprice of other men. But in whatever way understand these
two words,
peace
and
stumbling-block,
the design of the Prophet will remain the same, which is to show, that those
who are not devoted to God are miserable; for although they may applaud
themselves for a time, yet they will meet with many stumbling-blocks to drive
them suddenly out of their course. From the term
love,
we gather that this peace is not acquired by a slavish observance of the
law, but proceeds from faith; for the law has no sweetness to attract us to it,
unless it exhibit to us God in the character of a father, and tranquilize our
minds by the assurance of eternal salvation. So far from enjoying peace, all
worldly men and despisers of God are justly punished by their own depravity and
obdurate rebellion; for each of them is his own executioner, and the more
fiercely they rage against the word of God, the sorer are they tormented, until
they bring upon themselves utter destruction. The godly, it is true, are also
tormented or distressed, but this inward consolation wipes away all their
sorrow, or, raising them up, enables them to surmount all stumbling-blocks, or
so relieves them, that they faint
not.
166.
O Jehovah! I have waited for thy salvation.
It is not without cause that the Prophet often repeats this sentence, which
is in all men's mouths, there being nothing easier than to ascribe to God the
praise and office of saving, while yet there is hardly to be met with in the
world a single example of steadfast hope, when men come to wrestle with
temptations for any length of time. From the order of the words we learn, that
if a man would keep himself in the fear of God, and the love of the law, it is
necessary for him, above all things,
fe36 to seek for salvation in God. If faith
in God's grace be removed from our minds, or patience shaken off, we will be
carried away hither and thither, and will cease any longer to cultivate
godliness. The chief virtue of the faithful, therefore, is a patient endurance
of the cross and mortification by which they calmly submit themselves to God;
for so long as no adversity happens to hypocrites, they seem, also to be
well-affectioned to the work of serving him. There are also other reasons why it
behoves us to keep our minds intent upon the salvation of God, if we desire to
regulate our life aright; for if the, allurements of the world hold us in their
snares, we will immediately become discouraged. The reason, as we plainly see,
why the hearts of the great majority fail, is because it is difficult to believe
assuredly that salvation is to be hoped for only from the grace of God. That we
may therefore persevere in serving God, it is indispensable that faith shine on
the future before us, and next, that patience accompany us, to nourish within us
the love of righteousness. For, as we have said, our alacrity in persevering
proceeds from this, that with a patient spirit we suffer our salvation to lie
hidden in the bosom of God, and that we doubt not of his at length, proving a
faithful rewarder of all such as seek him, although he may withdraw his favor
from the eye of sense. In the subsequent verse the Psalmist confirms this
doctrine by other words, saying,
that he kept God's testimonies
with his soul. By the word
soul
he expresses still more forcibly than before, that he had the doctrine of
the law enclosed within the deepest recesses of his heart. The cause of this
peculiarly diligent keeping of the law, was the singular love which he had to
it, as he states in the concluding clause of the verse. He who by constraint and
in a slavish manner obeys the law, is so far from receiving it into the secret
habitation of his heart to keep it there, that he would have it removed far away
from
him.
168.I
have kept thy commandments and thy
testimonies. What the Psalmist had
expressed more strongly, he now repeats more simply, adding there to reason. He
abbreviates the statement as made in the preceding verse only by here omitting
the word
soul,
which he there uses, whilst to
commandments
he joins
testimonies,
in order the more distinctly to show that he does not speak exclusively of
the rule of an upright and holy life, but also comprehends the whole covenant of
salvation. And, assuredly, the doctrine of the law could not be so sweet and
attractive from its commanding what is right, did it not at the same time
exhibit the free favor of God. The reason which the Prophet assigns for his
keeping God's commandments and testimonies —
for all my ways are before
thee
fe37
— is to this effect, That
the truth, which he well knew, that nothing is hidden from God, served as a
bridle to keep him devoted to the cultivation of godliness; for if we live not
as under the omniscient inspection of God, the fickle lustfulness of the flesh
quickly carries us away now one way and now another. The meaning, also, may be
this — that he made God the arbiter and judge of his life; for in
Scripture language those are said to walk before God, who refer all their
actions to him, and, as it were, withdrawing themselves from the sight of men,
present themselves at his judgment-seat. In this way he gives us to understand
that he had endeavored not only to be free from all fault and blame before men..
but also to offer to God a sound and sincere heart. Whichever of these senses is
adopted, he testifies that it is only when we consider that we have to deal with
God, who searcheth the heart, and from whose eyes nothing is hidden, that we
will observe his law aright. This concluding clause may also be a form of
protestation; as if the Prophet had said, Lord, thou art the best witness of the
fidelity with which I have kept thy law, for nothing is hidden from thee. But he
seems rather to have intended to intimate that the principle of his holy living,
was his having consecrated his life to God, and having kept his thoughts fixed
on the diverse presence.
Psalm
119:169-174
169.
t
Let my cry come near b, to thy presence, O
Jehovah! Give me understanding according to thy word. 170.
t
Let my prayer come into thy presence: deliver
me according to thy word. 171.
t
My lips shall speak praise, when thou shalt
have taught me thy statutes. 172.
t
My tongue shall speak of thy word; for all thy
commandments are righteousness. 173.
t
Let thy hand be to succor me; for I have chosen
thy commandments. 174.
t
I have longed for thy salvation, O Jehovah and
thy law has been my delight. 175.
t
Let my soul live, and let it praise thee; and
let thy judgments succor me. 176.
t
I have wandered like a lost sheep: seek thy
servant, for I have not forgotten thy
statutes.
169.
Let my cry
come
fe38 near into thy
presence. The Psalmist repeats the same
sentiment which has already come under our notice — that his chief desire,
and what he, most of all pressed after, regarding everything else as of
secondary importance, was to make progress in the study of the divine law. By
the word cry he denotes earnestness. I am anxious, as if he had said,
above all things, and am chiefly inflamed with this desire, (even as it is just
and reasonable,) that the light of understanding by which we excel the lower
animals, and approach very near to God, may be preferred by me to all earthly
advantages. The expression,
according to thy
word, may be understood in two ways. It
may denote that David besought God to impart to him understanding according to
his promise; or, as some explain it, it may intimate that he desired to have his
mind framed according to the rule of God's word, so that he might :not be wise
otherwise than according to the doctrine of the law. This last sense would not
be inappropriate, did not these words in the following verse,
Deliver me according to thy
word, present an objection to such an
interpretation. Having no doubt that these two sentences have a corresponding
meaning — though at first. sight it is more specious to understand David
as praying to be made wise according to the rule of the law — I rather
incline to the other sense, That he beseeches God to endue him with
understanding, in fulfillment of his promise. And whilst God liberally promises
all blessings to his people, to enlighten them by his Spirit, that they may
excel in true and sound wisdom, is justly entitled to be ranked among the chief
of his promises. This doctrine is profitable to us in many ways. In the first
place we are taught that nothing is more to be desired than to have God guiding
us by his light, that we may not be like brute beasts. In the second place we
are taught that this is the peculiar gift of the Holy Spirit; for it would have
been in vain for David to have besought. God to bestow upon him that which he
had naturally in himself, or which he might have attained by his own
painstaking. In the third place, what I have said concerning the promise is to
be attended to, to the end the faithful may not hesitate to offer themselves to
God to be enlightened by Him, who declares that he will be the guide of the
blind, and who refuses not to be a master and teacher of little ones and of the
humble.
170.
Let my prayer come into thy
presence. After having made supplication
that the gift of right understanding might be imparted to him, the Psalmist now
implores God for deliverance, by which he acknowledges that lie was continually
involved in multiplied dangers from which he found it impossible to escape,
unless God stretched forth his hand from heaven to his aid. We know, indeed,
that whenever any distress was pressing hard behind him, he called upon God for
succor; but as he does not here specify any particular distress, I have no doubt
that, in commending his life in general terms to the protection of God, he
thought again and again how he was shut up on every side by innumerable deaths,
from which lie could not escape if God did not prove his continual deliverer.
But this is an inestimable comfort to us, that God assures us that in all
dangers he will be ready and prepared to help
us.
171.
My lips shall speak
praise. David now shows in another way
than in the preceding verse, how high a privilege lie accounted it to be
admitted by God among the number of His disciples, and to profit aright in His
school, by declaring that, if so privileged, he will hasten forward to render
thanks to him with fluent tongue. The word
[bn,
naba, which he employs, is a metaphor taken from the bubbling up of
fountains, and accordingly it signifies not simply to speak, but to pour
forth speech copiously. As therefore he a little before showed the earnestness
of his desire by praying, so now he affirms that his rejoicing will bear
testimony that he desires nothing more than to be thoroughly imbued with
heavenly truth. He again confirms the doctrine, That the way by which we become
truly wise is, first by submitting ourselves to the Word of God, and not
following our own imaginations; and, secondly, by God's opening our
understanding and subduing it to the obedience of his will. He here joins
together both these truths — namely, that when God has set before us His
law, from which we are to learn what, ever is profitable for our welfare, He, at
the same time, teaches us inwardly. It were not enough to have our ears stricken
with the outward sound, did not God illuminate our minds by the Spirit of
understanding, and correct our obduracy by the Spirit of docility. As the labor
of teachers is to no purpose until virtue and efficacy has been given to it.. so
it is also to be noticed that such as are truly taught of God, are not led away
from the law and the Scriptures by secret revelations, like some fanatics, who
think that they linger still at their A B C, unless disdainfully trampling under
foot the Word of God, they fly away after their own foolish
fancies.
172.
My tongue shall speak of thy
word. Here the Psalmist says, that when
he shall have profited in God's law he will also employ himself in teaching it
to others. This order is undoubtedly to be observed, That divine truth take root
in our hearts before we engage in the work of teaching it to others. Yet every
man, according to the measure of his faith, ought to communicate to his brethren
what he has received, that the doctrine, whose use and fruit God 'would have to
be displayed for the common edification of the Church, may not be buried. There
is added the reason which ought to stir up all the godly to declare the law of
God — namely, because by this means righteousness is spread abroad through
the whole world. When the Prophet honors the commandments of God with the title
of
righteousness,
he does not simply express his approbation of them, but he indirectly shows,
that, until this rule bear sway in governing mankind, the whole world is one
scene of sad and horrible confusion. Yet, let my readers judge whether the word
answer or witness, which the Hebrew verb
hn[,
anah, properly signifies, is not more suitable in this place than
speak; bringing out this sense — " My tongue shall bear witness or
answer to thy word; because the true knowledge of righteousness is to be sought
only in the word;" but in that case, it will be necessary to supply the letter
l,
lamed, in the word
°trma,
imrathecha, that it may read — to thy
word.
173.
Let thy hand be to succor
me. As he had devoted himself to the
doctrine of the law, David requests that the hand of God may be stretched forth
for his aid. Farther, by these words he declares, that those who yield
themselves to God to be governed by His word have continually need of His help.
The more sincerely any individual studies to be a good man, so much the more
numerous are the ways in which Satan troubles him, and so much the more are the
enemies multiplied who molest him on all sides. But when God sees those who once
embraced the truth of his word remaining steadfast in their resolution, he is so
much the more inclined to aid them. By the word choose in the second
clause, the Psalmist has expressed that nothing had hindered him from devoting
himself to the law of God. No man will apply this mind to the love of the law
without a great struggle, since the thoughts of every man are drawn away to a
variety of objects, by the depraved affections of the flesh. This choosing then
spoken of shows that it is not through ignorance or an inconsiderate zeal that.
the children of God desire above all things heavenly doctrine; but as they
partake of the flexibility or pliancy of mind common to men, and feel the
various impulses of the flesh, they purposely subdue their minds to the
obedience of God.
174.
I have longed for thy salvation,
O Jehovah! Although all men desire to be
in happy circumstances, and no man avowedly repudiates God's favor; yet so
confused and uncertain are the ideas which they entertain of that in which a
life of happiness or propriety consists, that very few are to be found directing
their aspirations to God. Some are carried away by their own ambition, some are
wholly possessed with avarice, and others burn with lust, all imagining, that
the farther they recede from God, everything will prosper so much the better
with them. In short, in proportion as each man is desirous to be safe, in the
same proportion does he provoke the anger of God, by seeking the means of his
safety in all directions. The construction in the Hebrew text denotes
steadfastness, or constancy of desire; for literally it is, that
He Had longed for the salvation
of God, and not that he only at the
present time began to long for it. He next expresses the manner in which we are
patiently to long for salvation; which is, by seeking consolation and relief in
all our calamities from the word of God; for whoever does not comfort himself by
a reliance on the grace promised in the word, will quail at the slightest
assault made upon him. The Prophet then wisely kept his thoughts close upon the
divine word, that he might not be turned away from hoping for the salvation of
God.
175.
Let my soul live and let it
praise thee. As the verbs are in the
future tense, shall live, shall praise, this sentence may be expounded
thus: Lord, when thou shalt have bestowed life upon me, I will endeavor, by
celebrating thy praises, to show that I am not ungrateful. If this sense is
approved, the sentence will be a kind of rejoicing, in which the Prophet,
depending upon the divine promises, confidently proclaims, that his life will
continue in safety. And, certainly, although our life is hidden under the shadow
of death, we may, nevertheless, boast that it is safe, because God is its
faithful guardian; and this assured confidence proceeds from his quickening
grace, which is offered to us in his word. Yet, as the majority of Commentators
translate these words in the optative mood, let us follow the more generally
received interpretation, which is, that David in asking to have his life
prolonged, shows, at the same time, that the end for which he desired to live
was, that he might exercise himself in singing the praises of God, even as it is
said in
<19B401>Psalm
114:18, "We who shall remain in life shall praise Jehovah." In the second
clause it would be harsh to understand the word
judgments
of the commandments, to which it does not properly belong to give help. It
seems then, that the Prophet, perceiving himself liable to numberless calamities
— even as the faithful, by reason of the unbridled license of the wicked,
dwell in this world as sheep among wolves, — calls upon God to protect him
in the way of restraining, by his secret providence, the wicked from doing him
harm. It is a very profitable doctrine, when things in the world are in a state
of great confusion, and when our safety is in danger amidst so many and varied
storms, to lift up our eyes to the judgments of God, and to seek a remedy in
them. As, however, in this Psalm the word
judgments
is commonly referred to God's commandments, we may also fitly interpret it
of them in this place, so that the Prophet attributes to the word of God the
office and charge of giving succor; for God does not feed us with delusive
promises, but, whenever an emergency arises, confirms and ratifies his word by
giving some palpable manifestation of the operation of his hand. Thus, when the
Prophet calls the divine law to his help, lie pronounces a singular encomium
upon the efficacy of the divine word. If any would prefer expounding the
sentence of the keeping of the law, I offer no objections. In this sense it is
as if the Prophet had said, — O Lord, let the uprightness which I have
practiced, and the zeal with which I have employed myself in keeping thy
commandments, be a defense to me.
176.
I have wandered like a
lost sheep. He is not to be understood
as here confessing his sins, — an opinion erroneously held by many,
— as if he had been drawn into the trails of Satan; for this is
inconsistent with the second clause, in which he denies that he had forgotten
God's law. It is a poor solution of this difficulty to say, that:, previous to
the time of his calling, he was a wandering sheep, but that from the time of his
calling he was devoted to godliness — or that in straying he was withheld
by some godly affection from utterly casting off the fear of God; for the same
time is undoubtedly referred to in both clauses. Again it is easy to gather,
that the two clauses of this verse ought to be connected together by
although, or notwithstanding, or some other such particle, as the
Latins call adversative,
fe39 as if the Prophet had said, Although I
have wandered about like a lost sheep, yet I have not forgotten the law of God.
His meaning, I conceive, is, that he wandered, because, being chased by the
force and violence of his enemies, he transported himself from place to place in
great fear, in quest of retreats in which he might hide himself. We know for
certain, that David was so hunted that in his exile he could nowhere find a
secure place. This similitude would therefore very properly apply to him,
because, although driven away and hunted after by his persecutors, he yet never
turned aside from the law of God. Moreover, as the wolves pursued him
everywhere, he prays God to bring him back and give him a place of safety and
tranquillity, that he may at length cease from any longer wandering hither and
thither, and being as a vagabond.
fe40 He had a very good ground for believing
that he would be heard in the fact, that although provoked by manifold wrongs he
yet never swerved from the fear of God — a statement which, however, ought
to be referred rather to the general course of his life than to particular acts.
Although when he fell into adultery he continued for a time in a state of
insensibility, yet it cannot be denied that in his adversities he was restrained
by a holy patience, so as to persevere in following after
righteousness.
fe41
PSALM
120.
A Song of
Degrees.
If we suppose David to have been the author of this
Psalm, as is very probable, he declares how diligently he engaged in prayer,
when, to escape the cruelty of Saul, he wandered as an exile from place to
place. But he especially complains of wicked informers, who unjustly and
calumniously charged him with crimes of which he was altogether innocent. If a
different supposition is preferred, the language will be a simple and general
complaint against false reports. This Psalm, and the immediately subsequent
fourteen, are called Psalms of
Degrees; but for what reason is not
agreed upon, even among the Hebrew doctors. Some conceive that there were
fifteen steps to that part of the Temple which was allotted for the men, whereas
the women remained beneath
fe42 but this is a silly conjecture, for.
which there is no foundation; and we know the liberties which the Jews, in
obscure and uncertain matters like this, take of giving forth as an explanation
whatever comes into their own fancy. Some translate Psalms of Ascents;
and by ascent they understand the return of the Jews from the
Babylonish captivity
fe43 — an interpretation which is
altogether forced; for it is manifest that the greater part of these Psalms were
composed, either by David or Solomon; and it is easy to gather from their
contents, that such of them as were written by David, were, sung in the Temple,
while he was alive and on the throne. Others think that the word ascents
refers to the tones of music
fe44 Some also affirm that it was the
beginning of a song. This being a matter of small moment, I am not disposed to
make it the subject of elaborate investigation; but the probable conjecture is,
that this title was given to these Psalms, because they were sung on a higher
key than others. The Hebrew word for degrees being derived from the verb
hlx,
tsalah, to ascend or go up, I agree with those who are of opinion
that it denotes the different musical notes rising in
succession.
fe45
Psalm
120:1-4
1. I
cried
fe46 to Jehovah in my distress, and he
answered me. 2. O Jehovah! deliver my soul from the
lips
fe47 of falsehood, and from the tongue of
deceit.
fe48 3. What shall the tongue of
deceit
fe49 give thee, and what shall avail thee?
4. The arrows of a strong man sharpened, with coals of
junipers.
1.
I cried to Jehovah in my
distress. The name of the author of the
Psalm is not expressed, but the style of it throughout presents David to our
view. Although, therefore, I cannot positively affirm, yet I am rather inclined
to think that it was composed by him. Nor will it be improper, in my judgment,
to explain it as if his name had been mentioned in the inscription. This, then,
being granted, I would observe that although David, when in this verse he
affirms that the Lord had heard him, gives thanks to him, yet his chief purpose
was to set forth, in the form of complaint, how wickedly and cruelly Saul's
flatterers employed all their ingenuity and power to accomplish his destruction.
He, however, sets out with an expression of his gratitude to God, telling us
that he had not called upon Him in vain; and he does this, that by his own
example he might encourage others, especially when oppressed with adversity, to
confidence in prayer. Men, it is true, have need of God's help every moment; but
there is not a more suitable season for seeking him than when some great danger
is immediately menacing us. It is therefore worthy of notice, that he was heard
when, constrained and shut up by tribulation, he betook himself to the
protection of God.
2.
O Jehovah! deliver my soul
from the lip of falsehood. David now
points out the kind of his affliction, declaring that he was loaded with false
accusations. In charging his enemies with lying and falsehood, he asserts his
own innocence of the crimes which they slanderously imputed to him. His
complaint therefore amounts to this, that as he was conscious of having
committed no fault, he was assaulted by the wicked contrary to all law,
human and divine, and that they brought him into hatred without his having given
them any occasion for such injurious treatment. Deceitful tongues assault good
and simple people in two ways' they either circumvent them by wiles and snares,
or wound their reputation by calumnies. It is of the second way that the Prophet
here complains. Now if David, who was endued with such eminent virtue, and free
from every mark of disgrace, and far removed from every wicked action,
was yet assailed with contumely, is it to be wondered at if the children of God
in the present day labor under false accusations, and that when they have
endeavored to conduct themselves uprightly they are yet in reported of? As they
have the devil for their enemy, it is indeed impossible for them to escape being
loaded with his lies. Yea, we see that slanderous tongues did not spare even the
Son of God — a consideration which should induce us to bear the more
patiently our condition, when the wicked traduce us undeservedly; since it is
certain that we have here described the common lot of the whole
Church.
3.
What shall the tongue of
deceit give thee?
fe50 The Prophet aggravates the malice
of his enemies by asserting that they were so wickedly inclined as to be driven
to evil speaking when they saw no prospect of deriving any advantage from such a
course of conduct. He however seems to express more than this, — he seems
farther to intimate, that after they have poured forth all the venom of their
calumnies, their attempts will nevertheless be vain and ineffectual. As God is
the maintainer of the innocence of his servants, David, inspired with hope from
this truth, rises up against them with heroic courage, as if about to triumph
over the whole crowd of his
calumniators,
fe51 reproaching them for doing nothing else
than betraying an impotent passion for evil speaking, which God at length would
cause to recoil upon their own heads. It is a consideration well fitted to
assuage the grief of all the godly, when their good name is unrighteously
wounded by calumniators, that such malicious characters will gain nothing
thereby in the end, because God will disappoint their
expectation.
4.
The arrows of a strong man sharpened, with coals of
juniper. Here the Psalmist amplifies in
another way the malice of such as distress the simple and innocent by their
calumnies, affirming that they throw out their injurious reports just like a man
who should draw an arrow, and with it pierce through the body of his neighbor;
and that their calumnies were like
coals of
juniper,
fe52 which penetrate more effectually,
and burn more intensely the substances with which they come in contact than the
coals of any other kind of wood. The amount is, that the tongues of these
slanderers were inflamed with the burning heat of fire, and, as it were, dipped
in deadly poison; and that such persons were the less excusable, from the fact
that, without deriving any advantage from it, they were impelled by an unbridled
passion to inflict upon others deadly mischief. As the Prophet records nothing
here which he did not experience in his own person, it may be inferred that if
it behoved him and men of a similar character to be assailed by their enemies
with lies, which were to them as arrows to pierce them, or coals to burn them,
we need not be surprised at seeing the most eminent servants of God exercised
with similar assaults.
Psalm
120:5-7
5. Alas for me! that I have
been a sojourner
fe53 in Mesech, and have dwelt among
the tents of Kedar. 6. My soul hath long dwelt with him who hateth peace.
7. I am for peace; and when I speak they are for
war.
fe54
5.
Alas for me! that I have been
a sojourner in Mesech. David complains
that he was doomed to linger for a long time among a perverse people; his
condition resembling that of some wretched individual who is compelled to live
till he grows old in sorrowful exile. The Mesechites and Kedarenes, as is well
known, were Eastern tribes; the former of which derived their original from
Japhet, as Moses informs us in
<011002>Genesis
10:2; and the latter from a son of Ishmael.
(<012513>Genesis
25:13.) To take the latter for a people of Italy, who were anciently called
Hetrurians, is altogether absurd, and without the least color of probability,
Some 'would have the word Mesech to be an appellative noun; and because
çm
mashak, signifies to draw, to protract, they think that the
Prophet bewails his protracted banishment, of the termination of which he saw no
prospect.
fe55 But as immediately after he adds
Kedar, by which term the Ishmaelites are unquestionably intended, I have
no doubt that Mesech is to be understood of the Arabians who were their
neighbors. If any one is of opinion that the Mesechites obtained this name from
their dexterity in shooting with the bow, I will make no objections, provided it
is admitted that the Prophet — as if he had been confined within a country
of robbers — expresses the irksomeness of an uncomfortable and an annoying
place of residence. Although he names the Arabians, yet under the terms employed
he speaks metaphorically of his own countrymen, just as he elsewhere applies the
appellation of Gentiles to the corrupt and degenerate
Jews.
fe56 But here, with the view of
putting still more dishonor upon his enemies, he has purposely selected the name
by which to designate them from some of the savage and barbarous nations whose
horrible cruelty was well known to the Jews. From these words we are taught,
that scarcely a more distressing evil can befall the people of God, than for
them to be placed in circumstances which, notwithstanding their living a holy
and an inoffensive life, they yet cannot escape the calumnies of venomous
tongues. It is to be observed, that although David was living in his own
country, he yet was a stranger in it, nothing being more grievous to him than to
be in the company of wicked men. Hence we learn that no sin is more detestable
to God, by whose Spirit David spake, than the false accusations which shamefully
deface the beauty of God's Church, and lay it waste, causing it to differ little
from the dens of robbers, or other places rendered infamous from the barbarous
cruelty of which they are the scene. Now if the place where the uprightness of
good men is overwhelmed by the criminations of lying lips is to the children of
God converted into a region of miserable exile, how could they have pleasure, or
rather, how could they fail to feel the bitterest sorrow, in abiding in a part
of the world where the sacred name of God is shamefully profaned by horrible
blasphemies, and his truth obscured by detestable lies? David exclaims,
Alas for
me! because, dwelling among false
brethren and a bastard race of Abraham, he was wrongfully molested and tormented
by them, although he had behaved himself towards them in good
conscience.
fe57 Since, then, at the present day, in the
Church of Rome, religion is dishonored by all manner of disgraceful imputations,
faith torn in pieces, light turned into darkness, and the majesty of God exposed
to the grossest mockeries, it will certainly be impossible for those who have
any feeling of true piety within them to lie in the midst of such pollutions
without great anguish of spirit.
6.
My
soul
fe58 hath long dwelt with
him who hateth peace. The Psalmist now
shows, without figure, and, so to speak, points with the finger to
those
fe59 whom he had before indirectly marked out
by the terms Mesech and kedar, namely, the perfidious Israelites,
who had degenerated from the holy fathers, and who rather wore the mask of
Israelites than were the true seed of
Israel.
fe60 He calls them
haters of
peace,
fe61 because they wilfully, and with
deliberate malice, set themselves to make war upon the good and unoffending. To
the same purpose he adds immediately after, that his heart was strongly inclined
to seek after peace, or rather, that he was wholly devoted to it, and had tried
every means in order to win their favor, but that the implacable cruelty of
their disposition invariably impelled them to do him mischief. When he says,
I peace, it is an abrupt, yet not an obscure expression, implying that he
had not done them any injury or wrong which could give occasion for their hatred
there having been always peace on his part. He even proceeds farther, asserting,
that when he saw them inflamed with resentment against him, he endcavourcd to
pacify them, and to bring them to a good understanding; for to speak, is
here equivalent to offering conditions of peace in an amicable spirit, or to
treating of reconciliation. From this it is still more apparent, how savage and
brutal was the pride of David's enemies, since they disdained even to speak with
him — to speak with a man who had deserved well at their hands, and who
had never in any respect injured them. We are taught by his example, that it is
not enough for the faithful to abstain from hurting others: they must, moreover,
study to allure them by gentleness, and to bend them to good will. Should their
moderation and kindness be rejected, let them wait in patience, until God at
length show himself from heaven as their protector. Let us, however, remember,
that if God does not immediately stretch forth his hand in our behalf, it is our
duty to bear the wearisomeness occasioned by delay, like David, whom we find in
this Psalm giving, thanks to God for his deliverance, while, at the same time,
as if worn out with the weariness of waiting for it, he bewails the long
oppression to which he had been subjected by his enemies.
PSALM
121
The Psalmist, to encourage true believers confidently
to trust in the aid of God, and to teach them to betake themselves to his
protection, first, affirms that, to whatever quarter we turn our eyes it is
impossible to find salvation anywhere else; and, in the second place, extols in
lofty terms the fatherly care of God in defending his faithful
ones.
Song of
Degrees.
Psalm
121:1-2
1. I will lift up my eyes to
the mountains, whence my help will
come
fe62. 2. My help is from Jehovah, who
made heaven and
earth.
l.
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains.
The inspired writer, whoever he was, seems, in the opening of the Psalm, to
speak in the person of an unbelieving man. As God prevents his believing people
with his blessings, and meets them of his own accord, so they, on their part,
immediately east their eyes directly upon him. What then is the meaning of this
unsettled looking of the Prophet, who casts his eyes now on this side and now on
that, as if faith directed him not to God? I answer, that the thoughts of the
godly are never so stayed upon the word of God as not to be carried away at the
first impulse to some allurements; and especially when dangers disquiet us, or
when we are assailed with sore temptations, it is scarcely possible for us, from
our being so inclined to the earth, not to be moved by the enticements presented
to us, until our minds put a bridle upon themselves, and turn them back to God.
The sentence, however, may be explained as if expressed in a conditional form.
Whatever we may think, would the Prophet say, all the hopes which draw us away
from God are vain and delusive. If we take it in this sense, he is not to be
understood as relating how he reasoned with himself, or what he intended to do,
but only as declaring, that those lose their pains who, disregarding God, gaze
to a distance all around them, and make long and devious circuits in quest of
remedies to their troubles. It is indeed certain, that in thus speaking of
himself, he exhibits to us a malady with which all mankind are afflicted; but
still, it will not be unsuitable to suppose, that he was prompted to speak in
this manner from his own experience; for such is the inconstancy natural to us,
that so soon as we are smitten with any fear, we turn our eyes in every
direction, until faith, drawing us back from all these erratic wanderings,
direct us exclusively to God. All the difference between believers and
unbelievers in this respect is, that although all are prone to be deceived, and
easily cheated by impostures, yet Satan bewitches unbelievers by his
enchantments; whereas, in regard to believers, God corrects the vice of their
nature, and does not permit them to persevere in going astray. The meaning of
the Prophet is abundantly obvious, which is, that although all the helps of the
world, even the mightiest, should offer themselves to us, yet we ought not to
seek safety anywhere but in God; yea, rather, that when men shall have long
wearied themselves in hunting after remedies, now in one quarter and now in
another, they will at length find. from experience, that there is no assured
help but in God alone. By the
mountains,
the Prophet means whatever is great or excellent in the world; and the
lesson he teaches is, that we ought to account all such favor as
nothing.
Farther, these two verses ought to be
read connectedly, bringing out this sense: When I shall have lifted up my eyes
to the mountains, then I will at length experience that I have fallen into a
rash and unprofitable mistake, until I direct them to God alone, and keep them
fixed upon him. It is at the same time to be observed, that God in this place is
not in vain honored with the title of
Creator of heaven and
earth; it being intended hereby tacitly
to rebuke the ingratitude of men, when they cannot rest contented with his
power. Did they in good earnest acknowledge him as Creator, they would also be
persuaded, that as he holds the whole world in his hand, and governs it as
seemeth good in his sight, he is possessed of infinite power. But when, hurried
away by the blind impetuosity of their passions, they have recourse to other
objects besides him, they defraud him of his right and empire. In this way ought
we to apply this title of God to the case in hand. The amount is, that whilst we
are naturally more anxious than is needful in seeking alleviation and redress to
our calamities, especially when any imminent danger threatens us, yet we act a
foolish and mistaken part in running up and down through tortuous mazes: and
that therefore we ought to impose a restraint upon our understandings, that they
may not apply themselves to any other but God alone. Nor is the opinion of those
unsuitable, who think that the Hebrew word
la,
el, which we translate to, namely,
to the
mountains, is put for
l[,
al, which signifies above, giving this sense, That men, however high
they may look, will find no true salvation except hi
God.
Psalm
121:3-5
3. He will not suffer thy
foot to stumble: he who keepeth thee will not slumber. 4. Behold! he who
keepeth Israel will not slumber nor sleep. 5. Jehovah is thy keeper;
Jehovah is thy defence
fe63 on thy right
hand.
3.
He will not suffer thy foot
to stumble. Here the Prophet, in order
to recall the faithful to the right path, and to defeat the influence of all the
allurements which are wont to distract their minds, affirms that whatever
advantages worldly men are accustomed to desire or hope for from the world, true
believers will find abundantly and at hand in God alone. He not only attributes
power to God, but also teaches that He is so affectioned towards us, that he
will preserve us in all respects in perfect safety. As often as the power of God
is extolled, there are many who immediately reply, It is very true that he can
do such and such things if he is so inclined, but we do not certainly know what
is his intention. In this passage, therefore, God is exhibited to the faithful
as their guardian, that they may rest with assured confidence on his providence.
As the Epicureans, in imagining that God has no care whatever about the 'world,
extinguish all piety, so those who think that the world is governed by God only
in a general and confused manner, and believe not that he cherishes with special
care each of his believing people, leave men's minds in suspense, and are
themselves kept in a state of constant fluctuation and anxiety. In short, never
will the hearts of men be led in good earnest to call upon God, until a
persuasion of the truth of this guardianship is deeply fixed in their minds. The
Psalmist declares that the purpose for which God is our keeper, is, that he may
hold us up. The Hebrew word,
fwm,
mot, which is here used, signifies both a sliding or falling,
and a trembling or staggering. Now, although it often happens
that the faithful stagger, yea, are even ready to fall altogether, yet as God
sustains them by his power, they are said to stand upright. And as amidst the
many dangers which every moment threaten us, it is difficult for us to get rid
of all anxiety and fear, the Prophet at the same time testifies, that God keeps
watch unceasingly over our safety.
4.
Behold! he who keepeth Israel
will not slumber nor sleep.
fe64 To recall each individual to the
consideration of the common covenant, he represents the Divine providence as
extending to the whole body of the Church. In order that each of us for himself
may be assured that God will be gracious to him, it behoves us always to begin
with the general promise made to all God's people,. This form of expression,
he will not slumber nor
sleep, would be improper in other
languages, according to the idiom of which it should rather be, He will not
sleep, yea, he will not slumber: but when the Hebrews invert this order,
they argue from the greater to the less. The sense then is, that as God never
slumbers even in the smallest degree, we need not be afraid of any ham befalling
us while he is asleep. The design of the Prophet is now obvious. To persuade
true believers that God has a special care of each of them in particular, he
brings forward the promise which God made to the whole people, and declares God
to be the guardian. of his Church, that from this general principle, as from a
fountain, each might convey streams to himself. Accordingly immediately after,
(<19C105>Psalm
121:5,) addressing himself to each in particular, he repeats,
Jehovah is thy
keeper, that no person might hesitate to
apply to himself that which belonged to the whole community of Israel. Besides,
God is called a defense at the
right hand, to teach us that it is not
necessary for us to go far in seeking him, but that he is at hand, or rather
stands at our side to defend
us.
Psalm
121:6-8
6. The sun shall not smite
thee by day, nor the moon by night.
fe65 7. Jehovah shall keep thee from
all evil; he will keep thy soul. 8. Jehovah will keep thy going out and
thy coming in, henceforth and for
ever.
6.
The sun shall not smite thee
by day. By these forms of expression the
Psalmist magnifies the advantages which result to us from our having God present
with us; and, by the figure synecdoche, under one particular, he declares in
general that the faithful shall be safe from all adversities, defended as they
are by Divine power. The language is metaphorical, the cold of night and the
heat of day denoting all kind of inconveniences. The sense then is, that
although God's people may be subject in common with others to the miseries of
human life, yet his shadow is always at their side to shield them from thereby
receiving any harm. The Prophet does not, however, promise the faithful a
condition of such felicity and comfort as implies an exemption from all trouble;
he only, for the purpose of assuaging their sorrows, sets before them this
consolation — that being interested in the Divine layout, they shall be
secure from all deadly harm; a point which he unfolds more distinctly in the
following verses, where he tells us that God will so keep his own people from
all evils, as to maintain their life in safety. The statement in the text before
us is indeed general, but he afterwards specifies the chief parts of human
life.
8.
Jehovah will keep thy going
out and thy coming in. The sense is,
Whatever thou shalt undertake or engage in during thy life shall come to a happy
and successful termination. God no doubt directs by his Holy Spirit the,
deliberations of his servants; but it appears to me, that this passage is rather
to be referred to prosperous issues. If, however, any one would give it a more
extended meaning I have no objection. It is enough for me to embrace that sense
which is indisputably certain and solid, That God will be the continual guide of
his people, so that stretching out his hand to them he will conduct them
according to their hearts' desire from the beginning even to the end. Farther,
it is of importance to mark the reason why the Prophet repeats so often what he
had briefly and in one word expressed with sufficient plainness. Such repetition
seems at first sight superfluous; but when we consider how difficult it is to
correct our distrust, it will be easily perceived that he does not improperly
dwell upon the commendation of the divine providence. How few are to be found
who yield to God the honor of being a keeper, in order to their being thence
assured of their safety, and led to call upon him in the midst of their perils!
On the contrary, even when we seem to have largely experienced what this
protection of God implies, we yet instantly tremble at the noise of a leaf
falling from a tree, as if God had quite forgotten us. Being then entangled in
so many unholy misgivings, and so much inclined to distrust, we are taught from
the passage that if a sentence couched in a few words does not suffice us, we
should gather together whatever may be found throughout the whole Scriptures
concerning the providence of God, until this doctrine-" That God always keeps
watch for us" — is deeply rooted in our hearts; so that depending upon his
guardianship alone we may bid adieu to all the vain confidences of the
world.
PSALM
122
In this Psalm David congratulates himself and the
whole Church upon the fact, that a seat had at length been appointed for the ark
of the covenant, and that God had chosen a place where his name should be
continually called upon. Afterwards, to incite and encourage the faithful to
engage in the worship of the sanctuary, he briefly declares, that the prosperous
condition of the people depended upon God's having chosen the seat of royalty to
be at Jerusalem, from whence it was his purpose to defend, maintain, and assist
his people.
A Song of Degrees
of David.
fe66
Psalm
122:1-3
1. I was glad when they said
to me, We will go into the house of Jehovah. 2. Our feet shall
be
fe67 standing within thy gates, O Jerusalem!
3. Jerusalem is built as a city, compact in itself
together.
fe68
1.
I was glad when they said to me. God had
often told Moses, that his Sanctuary would one day have a certain and fixed
place of abode; yet from the time of Moses, for the space of more than a
thousand years, the Ark of the Covenant had been carried about from place to
place, as if it had been in a state of pilgrimage. At length it was revealed to
David, that mount Zion was the spot where God would have his ark to be settled,
and his temple built. Now, as David himself received this revelation with
exceeding great joy, so he affirms that he was glad to find the whole people
with one consent agreeing thereto. This circumstance has not been duly
considered, and the consequence is, that interpreters have given the unhappy
translation—I was glad with
those that said to me. Such a rendering,
however, only renders the sense a little obscure; but the translation of the
Septuagint and the Vulgate, which puts upon the second verb of the verse a
neuter signification, entirely vitiates the meaning, I was glad in the things
which, were said to me. I indeed admit that literally the reading
is—I was glad in those who said to me; but it is no uncommon
thing for the letter
b,
beth, which commonly signifies in, to be resolved into the adverb of
time when; and here the scope of the text requires such a rendering.
David testifies that he felt in his heart a double joy on observing that the
whole people concurred in yielding obedience to the oracle which declared mount
Zion to be the place which God had chosen for his solemn worship. By this
example we are taught, that our joy, in like manner, should be doubled, when God
by his Holy Spirit not only frames each of us to the obedience of his word, but
also produces the same effect upon others, that we may be united together in the
same faith. So stubborn and rebellious is human nature, that the great majority
of mankind invariably murmur against God whenever he speaks. We have, therefore,
no small ground for rejoicing when all harmoniously rank themselves with us on
the side of God. Such as translate, with those who said to me, deduce
this meaning: I take delight in the company of those who allure me to the
service of God, and offer themselves to me as companions, that we may go to the
sanctuary together. But from the second verse it will be still more obvious,
that the joy of which David speaks proceeded from his seeing the people, with
the ready obedience of faith, giving their consent to the utterance of the
heavenly oracle, respecting the spot chosen to be the lawful and permanent scat
of the ark of the covenant. For it immediately follows
—
2.
Our feet shall be standing
within thy gates, O Jerusalem! In the
Hebrew text the verb is indeed in the past tense, which it would not be
unsuitable to retain; but as it makes. little difference as to the
meaning whether the one reading or the other is adopted, I have no difficulty in
leaving my readers to their own choice. David rehearses the language in
which all the godly in common expressed themselves — that they should at
length stand with sure footing in Jerusalem, because it was the will of God
there to establish his Sanctuary, which hitherto had often changed its lodgings,
and had been carried from place to place. By such a pilgrimage state of the ark,
God reminded the people that he had not without cause spoken by Moses what I
have a little ago adverted to. Thus, whenever the ark of the covenant was
conveyed from one place to another, God thereby stirred up the hearts of his
servants to desire and pray that a certain settled place might be appointed to
it. Moreover, this fixing of its seat was not a matter of small moment. As while
it was frequently changing its abode, the faith of the people hung in suspense,
so after God had chosen for it a permanent residence, he by this testified more
unequivocally that he would be the ever, lasting and unchangeable protector of
his people. It is, therefore, not surprising to find the faithful gratefully
acknowledging that their feet, which had hitherto been wont to run from place to
place, should henceforth stand steadfast within the gates of Jerusalem. The ark,
it is true, dwelt a long time in Shiloh,
(<090103>1
Samuel 1:3,) but God having made no promise concerning that place, it could not
be the permanent abode of that symbol of the divine presence. On the contrary,
since, as we shall see on Psalm 132:14, it was said of mount Zion — "This
is my rest for ever," the faithful, depending upon that promise, confidently
boast that their feet shall hereafter be at rest and stand firm. Farther, as
Christ,
"in whom dwelleth all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily,"
(<510209>Colossians
2:9,)
and who is our true Immanuel,
(<230714>Isaiah
7:14,) now resides amongst us, he has furnished us with matter of more abundant
joy. We are, therefore, ungrateful and stupid, if that promise
—
"Lo, I am wit you always,
even unto the end of the
world,"
(<402820>Matthew
28:20,)
does not ravish us with exceeding joy, and especially
if we see it in any place received publicly and with common consent. What I have
just now quoted concerning the rest or repose of the Lord, has been at length
accomplished in the person of Christ, as is evident from
<231110>Isaiah
11:10 — "His rest shall be glorious;" where the Prophet does not
speak of the burial of Christ, as some interpreters erroneously suppose, but of
the future distinction of the
Church.
3.
Jerusalem is built as a
city. Here David begins to celebrate
the praises of Jerusalem; and he does this with the design of
encouraging the people to persevere with uniform steadfastness in their
obedience. It was of great importance for the minds of the godly, instead of
being drawn hither and thither, to be kept constantly fixed on that city,
which was the bond of a holy unity. When the people came to be divided into
two bodies, that was the commencement of melancholy devastation. It is
not surprising, then, to find David commending with such earnestness the place
which God had chosen, knowing, as he did, that the prosperity of the Church
depended upon the children of Abraham worshipping God there in purity, according
to the appointed observances of the law; and next, upon their acknowledging the
royal seat which the same God had erected there by his own authority, and had
taken under his own protection. When it is said that
Jerusalem is built as a
city, it is not to be understood as
referring only to the walls, or towers, or ditches of that city, but chiefly to
the good order and holy polity by which it was distinguished, although I allow
that there is some allusion to its ancient state. Salem, indeed, had been a
noted town even from the beginning; but when God selected it to be the head of
the kingdom, it changed its appearance, and in a manner its nature, so that then
it began to deserve the name of a well-regulated city. At first sight it may
seem a poor commendation to call Jerusalem a city; but it is to be observed that
it is here exhibited as it were standing alone in the whole world — taking
the precedence of all other cities, which will in vain attempt to equal it.
David, certainly, in thus speaking, does not intend to divest other cities of
the rank to which they may be entitled, but he raises Jerusalem higher, that it
may appear conspicuous above them all, even as we find Isaiah,
(<230202>Isaiah
2:2,) when speaking of mount Zion, asserting that it "shall be
established in the top of the mountains, and. shall be exalted above the hills."
In that passage the Prophet, to magnify this little hill, brings down the
loftiest mountains of the world, that they may not obscure its glory. In like
manner David here affirms that Jerusalem is compacted as a city, to induce the
faithful, instead of gazing in all directions around them, to rest contented
with the city which God had chosen, since they would nowhere find its equal.
After having humbled all other cities, he shows, in a few words, the excellence
of Jerusalem, representing it as regularly built, or fitly and neatly joined
together in all its parts. Some take these words as expressing literally and
without figure, that its citizens live together in peace and unity; but I see no
impropriety in supposing that they describe, metaphorically, the peaceable state
of a city. Thus the mutual concord which reigns among the citizens of a city,
and by which they are united to each other, is compared to buildings, compacted
together by a skillful and elegant workmanship, so that there is nothing
imperfect, in joined together, or rent, but throughout a beautiful harmony'. By
this David teaches us, that the Church can only remain in a state of safety when
unanimity prevails in her, and when, being joined together by faith and charity,
she cultivates a holy unity.
Psalm
122:4-5
4. Thither the tribes
ascended, the tribes of God, for a testimony to
Israel,
fe69 to praise the name of Jehovah. 5.
For there were set thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of
David.
4.
Thither the tribes
ascended. David here invests Jerusalem
with two titles of honor, calling it the sacred and regularly appointed place
for calling upon the name of God; and next, the royal sea, to which the whole
people were to have recourse for obtaining justice. All our salvation depends
upon these two points; first, that Christ has been given to us to be our priest;
and, secondly, that he has been established king to govern us. This God showed
to his ancient people under figures. The sanctuary erected on mount Zion was
intended to keep their faith fixed upon the spiritual priesthood of Christ; and
in like manner, by the kingdom of David, there was presented to their view an
image of the kingdom of Christ. The Psalmist, therefore, says in the first
place, that the tribes or families of God shall come to Jerusalem; and then he
immediately adds, that there the seat of judgment is erected, on which he and
his posterity will sit. The reason why it was the will of God that there should
be only one temple and one altar was, that the people might not fall away to
various superstitions. David therefore here declares that this place was
appointed by God's own mouth, that all the families of God, or the twelve
tribes, might there assemble from all quarters. To express more plainly how
important it was, for this form of God's worship to be preserved pure and
complete, he says that it was for
a testimony. The noun employed comes
from the verb
dw[,
ud, which signifies to bear witness, or to covenant. Now by
the word in this place is denoted a mutual declaration or agreement between God
and the people. When the tribes shall come thither, says the Prophet
substantially, it will not be at random, because their fancy thus leads them,
but because God by his own mouth invites them. The amount therefore is, that the
holy assemblies which shall be kept at Jerusalem will not be vain and
unprofitable, since God has made a covenant with his people, determining and
appointing that place for his service. Whence we learn, that in judging of the
true temple of God, it is necessary to take into account the doctrine
taught. With respect to the time in which David lived, as God had adopted
the Jewish people, and as it was his will that they should be employed in the
external worship of his name, he prescribed to them a rule from which it was
unlawful for them to deviate. Thus when the faithful assembled on mount Zion, it
was not foolishness or inconsiderate zeal, or the impulse of their own minds,
which brought them thither, as if they resembled those men whom we daily see
inventing for themselves, out of their own heads, numberless kinds of divine
worship; but they were led thither by the command of God, that they might
worship him on mount Zion, by which word the Prophet intimates, that all other
temples are unholy, and all other religions perverse and corrupt, because they
do not correspond with the rule laid down in God's word. He next subjoins the
end of this contract or covenant, which was
that the name of God might be
praised. And, indeed, as to yield to God
the glory of all good things is the end of our adoption, so it is the end of all
our actions.
5.
For there were set thrones
for judgment. He means, that the throne
of the kingdom was fixed or established at Jerusalem, or that there it had its
permanent seat. Among that people some order of judgments had always existed.
these, however, had formerly been in an unsettled state, and frequently changed,
but God at length ordained, in the person of David, a new government which
should flow in a continual course; for it was his will that the children of
David should succeed their father in this royal dignity from age to age until
the coming of Christ. The Prophet has a little before spoken of the Temple and
the priesthood; and now he affirms, that this kingdom, which God had erected,
will be firm and stable; in order to distinguish it from all the other kingdoms
of the world, which are not only temporary, but also frail and subject to a
variety of changes. This everlastingness of the kingdom has been expressly
confirmed by other Prophets in various parts of their' writings, and not without
cause; for the object was, to teach the faithful that God would be the guardian
of their welfare only upon the supposition of their remaining under the
protection and defense of David, and that, therefore, if they desired to
continue in safety and to prosper, they should not make for themselves new kings
at their own pleasure, but should live quietly under that kind of
government which God had set up among them. The repetition of the word throne
is emphatic. There, says the Psalmist, the throne of judgment and equity is
erected. Then he adds, the throne
of the house of David; for it was the
will of God that the right and prerogative of reigning should continue in
David's posterity, until the true everlastingness of this kingdom should be
manifested in the person of
Christ.
Psalm
122:6-9
6. Pray ye for the peace of
Jerusalem: may those who love thee prosper 7. Peace be within thy
bulwarks
fe70
prosperity
fe71 within thy towers! 8. For the
sake of my brethren and neighbors, I will now say, Peace be within thee!
9. Because of the house of Jehovah our God, I will seek thy
good.
6.
Pray ye for the peace of
Jerusalem. David now exhorts all the
devout worshippers of God to make supplication for the prosperity of the holy
city. The more effectually to stir them up to such exercise, he promises that,
in this way the divine blessing will descend upon them. The reason why he was so
deeply concerned about the prosperity of Jerusalem was, as we have formerly
stated — and he again repeats the same thing at the end of the
Psalm—because the welfare of the whole Church was inseparably connected
with that kingdom and priesthood. Now as each of us in particular, were the
whole Church to be involved in ruin, must necessarily perish miserably,
it is not surprising to find David recommending to all the children of
God to cultivate this anxious concern about the Church. If we would order our
prayers aright, let us always begin with pleading that the Lord would be pleased
to preserve this sacred community. Whoever, confining his attention to
his own personal advantage, is indifferent about the common weal, he not only
gives evidence that he is destitute of all true feeling of godliness, but
in vain desires his own prosperity, and will profit nothing by his prayers,
since he does not observe the due
order.
fe72 Similar is the drift of the promise
which is added immediately after:
They shall prosper that love
thee; which, however, may be read in the
form of a wish, May those who
love thee prosper. But the sense in
either case is almost the same. Farther, although the Hebrew verb
hlç,
shalah, which the Prophet here uses, signifies to live in quietness
or peace, yet as the Hebrew noun for peace, from which it is
derived, is employed by him generally for a joyful and happy condition, I have
no doubt that he here announces in general to all the godly who have the well
being of the Church near their heart, that they shall enjoy the blessing of God
and a prosperous life. This sentence frequently occurs in the Prophecies of
Isaiah, from the 54th chapter to the end of the book (Isaiah 54-66). Hence we
learn that the curse of God rests upon all such as afflict the Church, or plot
and endeavor by any kind of mischief to accomplish its
destruction.
7.
Peace be within thy
bulwarks, etc. The two clauses express
the same sentiment, and, therefore, the meaning of the first is gathered from
the second. The term
peace
signifies nothing else than prosperity. The noun
hwlç,
shalvah, in the second clause, sometimes signifies rest, but it is
more frequently taken for abundance or
prosperity.
On this. account I have translated the noun
°lyjb,
bechelech, within thy
bulwark.
fe73 I do not find fault with others
who have translated it a ditch or outward wall; but the word
bulwark
agrees better with the word
towers,
which occurs at the close of the verse. The amount is, that David prays for
the prosperity of the Church through its whole extent. Moreover, it is to be
noticed, that when he offers supplication for its external prosperity, it is not
to be understood as implying that he was unconcerned about its internal state or
spiritual well being; but under the similitude of
walls,
fe74 he wishes that on all sides the
blessing of God may environ and fortify the holy
city.
8.
For the sake of my brethren
and neighbors. He specifies two causes
on account of which he felt a care about the Church, for the purpose of stirring
up, by his example, all the faithful to exercise the same care. These words,
however, seem to contain a tacit contrast. Among the wicked and malicious he
might be the object of suspicion, or, at least, he was in danger of being
slandered; as if, in commending Jerusalem, he had rather an eye to his own
particular advantage than to the public welfare. In order, therefore, to remove
all ground for objecting, that in thus speaking he was craftily endeavoring to
establish his own kingdom, he protests, that he is not influenced by personal
considerations, but by a concern for the whole Church, which he embraced with a
sincere affection of heart. I will speak, says he, O Jerusalem! of thy peace,
not because it will be profitable for me or mine, but because thy prosperity
shall extend itself to all the children of God; for under the term
brethren
he doubtless comprehends all believers. that he did so, because the worship
of God so far from remaining entire would go to ruin unless Jerusalem continued
standing. If then the salvation of our brethren is regarded by us as an object
of importance, if religion is with us a matter of heart-work, we ought, at the
same time, as much as in us lies, to take an interest in the prosperity
of the Church. Whence it follows, that such as are indifferent about her
condition, are no less cruel than impious; for if she is "the pillar and
foundation of truth," the inevitable consequence of her destruction must be the
extinction of true piety. And if the body is destroyed, how can each of the
members fail to be involved in destruction? Farther, this passage teaches us,
that the Church is not an empty title, but must be sought for where the true
religion prevails. Whence it appears, how foolish the Papists are, who,
notwithstanding their having rejected and overthrown the doctrine of the Gospel,
yet mightily boast of the name of the
Church.
9.
Because of the house of
Jehovah our God, etc. In this verse he
adds a second reason why he cared for the Church — that he did so, because
the worship of God so far from remaining entire would go to ruin unless
Jerusalem continued standing. If then the salvation of our brethren is regarded
by us as an object of importance, if religion is with us a matter of heart-work,
we ought, at the same time, as much as in us lies, to take an interest in the
prosperity of the Church. Whence it follows, that such are indifferent about her
condition, are no less cruel than impious; for if she is "the pillar and
foundation of truth," the inevitable consequence of her destruction must be the
extinction of true piety. And if the body is destroyed, how can each of the
members fail to be involved in destruction? Farther, this passage teaches us
that the Church is not an empty title, but must be sought for where the true
religion prevails. Whence it appears, how foolish the Papists are, who,
notwithstanding their having rejected and overthrown the doctrine of the Gospel,
yet mightily boast of the name of the Church.
PSALM
123
In this Psalm, the faithful oppressed with the cruel
tyranny of their enemies, beseech God to deliver them, there being no other
source of hope left for them except in his protection.
A Song of
Degrees.
Psalm
123:1-4
1. I lift up my eyes to
thee, who dwellest in the heavens. 2. Behold! as the eyes of servants
look
fe75 to the hand of their roadsters; as the
eyes of a handmaid look to the hand of her mistress, so do our eyes to Jehovah
our God, until he have mercy upon us. 3. Have mercy upon us O Jehovah
have mercy upon us; for we are greatly cloyed with reproach. 4. Our soul
is in itself greatly cloyed with the mockery of men who are rich, and with the
contempt of the proud.
1.
I lift my eyes to thee, who
dwellest in the heavens. It is uncertain
at what time, or even by what Prophet, this Psalm was composed. I do not think
it probable that David was its author; because, when he bewails the persecutions
which he suffered in the time of Saul, it is usual with him to inter-pose some
particular references to himself. My opinion, then, rather is, that this form of
prayer was composed for all the godly by some Prophet, either when the Jews were
captives in Babylon, or when Antiochus Epiphanes exercised towards them the most
relentless cruelty. Be this as it may, the Holy Spirit, by whose inspiration the
Prophet delivered it to the people, calls upon us to have recourse to God, when
— ever wicked men unrighteously and proudly persecute, not one or two of
the faithful only, but the whole body of the Church. Moreover, God is here
expressly called the God who
dwelleth in the heavens, not simply to
teach his people to estimate the divine power as it deserves, but also that,
when no hope of aid is left for them on earth, yea rather, when their condition
is desperate, just as if they were laid in the grave, or as if they were lost in
a labyrinth, they should then remember that the power of God remains in heaven
in unimpaired and infinite perfection. Thus these words seem to contain a tacit
contrast between the troubled and confused state of this world and God's
heavenly kingdom, from whence he so manages and governs all things, that
whenever it pleases him, he calms all the agitations of the world, comes to the
rescue of the desperate and the despairing, restores light by dispelling
darkness, and raises up such as were cast down and laid prostrate on the ground.
This the Prophet confirms by the verb
lift
up; which intimates, that although all
worldly resources fail us, we must raise our eyes upward to heaven, where God
remains unchangeably the same, despite the mad impetuosity of men in turning all
things here below upside down.
2.
Behold as the eyes of
servants look to the hand of their masters.
This similitude is very suitable to the present case. It implies that
without the protection of God true believers have no comfort, are completely
disarmed and exposed to all manner of wrongs, have neither strength nor courage
to resist; in short, that their safety depends entirely upon aid derived from
another. We know how shamefully servants were treated in ancient times, and what
reproaches might be cast upon them, whilst yet they durst not move a finger to
repel the outrage. Being therefore deprived of all means of defending
themselves, the only thing which remained for them to do was, what is here
stated, to crave the protection of their masters. The same explanation is
equally applicable to the case of
handmaids.
Their condition was indeed shameful and degrading; but there is no reason
why we should be ashamed of, or offended at being compared to slaves, provided
God is our defender, and takes our life under his guardianship; God, I say, who
purposely disarms us and strips us of all worldly aid, that we may learn to rely
upon his grace, and to be contented 'with it alone. It having been anciently a
capital crime for bond-men to carry a sword or any other weapon about them, and
as they were exposed to injuries of every description, their masters were wont
to defend them with so much the more spirit, when any one causelessly did them
violence. Nor can it be doubted that God, when he sees us placing an exclusive
dependence upon his protection, and renouncing all confidence in our own
resources, will as our defender encounter, and shield us from all the
molestation that shall be offered to us. It is, however, certain that we have
here properly the description of a period in which the people of God were
reduced to a state of extreme necessity, and brought even to the brink of
despair. As to the word
hand, it is very well known to be put
for help.
fe74A
3.
Have mercy upon us, O
Jehovah! etc. The Psalmist prosecutes and
confirms the preceding doctrine. He had said that the godly, finding themselves
utterly broken in spirit and cast down, intently directed their eyes to the hand
of God: now he adds that they are filled with reproach. From this we learn that
the wicked not only assaulted them by such ways of violence as suggested
themselves to their minds, but that by their mockery they as it were trampled
under foot the children of God. The repetition of the prayer,
Have mercy upon
us, which is a sign of vehement and
ardent desire, indicates that they were reduced to the last degree of misery.
When insult is added to wrongs, there is nothing which inflicts a deeper wound
upon well constituted minds. The Prophet therefore complains chiefly of that, as
if it were the consummation of all calamities. He says that
rich and proud
men treated the Church with insolent
triumph; for it commonly happens that those who are elevated hi the world, look
down with contempt upon the people of God. The lustre of their he. hour and
power dazzles their eyes, so that they make no account of God's spiritual
kingdom: yea, the more the wicked prosper and are smiled on by fortune, to the
greater extent does their pride swell, and the more violently does it throw off
its foam. This passage teaches us, that it is no new thing for the Church to be
held in contempt by the children of this world who abound in riches. The epithet
proud
is justly applied to the same persons who are described as
rich;
for wealth engenders pride of heart. Farther, as we see that in old time the
Church of God was covered with reproaches, and pointed at with the finger of
scorn, we ought not to be discouraged if the world despise us, nor should we
allow our faith to be shaken by the wicked when they assault us with their
scoffs, yea, even defame us with their injurious and insulting language. We must
always bear in mind what is here recorded, that the heart not of one man only,
or of a few, but of the whole Church, was filled not merely with the violence,
cruelty, craft, and other evil doings of the wicked, but also with reproaches
and mockery. It is also to be remembered, that all the loftiness and pride
existing in the world are here represented as in opposition to the Church, so
that she is accounted as nothing better than "the filth of the world and
the offscouring of all things," as the Apostle Paul declares in 1 Corinthians.
4:13. When the same thing happens to us at the present day, let us leave the
wicked to swell with their pride until they burst; and let it suffice us to
know, that we are notwithstanding precious in the sight of God. By the verb
cloy, especially as it is emphatically repeated, the Prophet intended to
express a long continued oppression, which filled the hearts of the godly with
weariness and sorrow. How necessary the lesson taught in this text is in our own
day, it requires no lengthened discussion to demonstrate. We see the Church
destitute of all worldly protection, and lying under the feet of her enemies,
who abound in riches, and are armed with dreadful power. We see the Papists
boldly rising up, and with all their might pouring forth their mockeries against
us and the whole service of God. On the other hand, there are mingled amongst
us, and flying about everywhere, Epicureans, who deride our simplicity. There
are also many giants, who overwhelm us with reproaches; and this baseness has
lasted from the time that the Gospel began to emerge from the corruption's of
Popery even to the present day. What then remains to be done, but that, finding
ourselves environed with darkness on all sides, we seek the light of life in
heaven? and that our soul, although it may be filled to satiety with all kinds
of reproaches, breathe forth prayers to God for deliverance with the importunity
of the famished?
PSALM
124
The Church having been providentially delivered from
extreme peril, David exhorts true believers to thanksgiving, and teaches them by
this memorable example, that their safety depends solely upon the grace and
power of God.
A Song of Degrees
of David.
Psalm
124:1-5
1. But for Jehovah, who was
on our side, may Israel now say; 2. But for Jehovah who was on our side,
when men rose up against us; 3. They had then swallowed us up alive, when
their wrath was kindled against us; 4. The waters had then overwhelmed
us, the torrent had gone over our soul: 5. The proud
waters
fe75A had then gone over our
soul.
1.
But for Jehovah, who was on
our side. Some expositors think that
this Psalm describes the very sad and calamitous condition of the Church when
the, residue of the people were carried away into Babylon. This opinion is,
however, without any good foundation for the complaints made, apply with equal
propriety to the persecutions which the Church suffered under the tyranny of
Antiochus Epiphanes. It is another objection to this interpretation, that the
Psalm bears in its inscription the name of David, and historically recounts the
deliverance which the people had obtained from extreme danger by the power of
God. To get quit of this difficulty they observe, that what had not yet come to
pass is described prophetically; but this is a forced conjecture, for the
Prophets usually speak of things to come in a different manner. It is more
probable that David here sets forth a known history, and exhorts the faithful to
reflect upon the divine succor which they had already actually experienced. I
dare not, however, limit what is here spoken to David's time. It is indeed true
that the heathen nations often waged war against the people of God, armed with
such power as to come rushing upon them with the impetuosity of a deluge; but as
David does not specify any particular instance, he is not, I conceive, to be
understood as celebrating only some one deliverance, but in general all the
instances in which God had succoured his Church. The heathen at many different
times, as is well known, rose up against the Church, with such mighty hosts,
that she was brought almost to the verge of destruction. David then represents
as in a mirror the uncertain and changeable condition of the Church, just such
as it had been from the beginning, to teach the faithful that its stability had
not been owing to its own intrinsic strength, but that it had been preserved by
the wonderful grace of God; and to habituate them to call upon God in the midst
of dangers.
2.
But for Jehovah who was on
our side. It is not without cause that
he twice repeats the same sentence. So long as we are in danger our fear is
immoderate; but no sooner are we delivered than we lessen the greatness of our
calamity, and Satan, deceiving us by this artifice, leads us to obscure the
grace of God. Since then, after having been wonderfully preserved by the Lord,
we for the most part devise all sorts of imaginary circumstances, in order to
efface from our minds the remembrance of his grace, David, by introducing the
people as struck with amazement, purposely dwells upon the amplification of the
danger. In these words a bridle is put upon us, to keep us meditating upon our
dangers, lest the sense of God's grace should vanish from our minds. The common
translation, Had not the Lord been on our side, does not sufficiently
express David's meaning; for he affirms that the deliverance and the salvation
of the people proceeded from nothing else than God's succor, and at the same
time shows that this succor was both certain and evident. Two things then are
here to be distinctly noticed; first, that the Lord had been at hand to afford
aid to his servants, and had taken their part; and secondly, that being already
in a desperate condition, they could not by help from any other quarter, or in
another manner, have escaped from danger. Thus we are taught, that men then only
ascribe the glory of their preservation to God, when they are persuaded of his
being so favourably inclined towards them as to defend them and maintain them
safe. In the second clause there is extolled in high terms the infinite power of
God, of which he had given abundant proof in delivering the people, to teach us
that such a manner of preserving does not belong to man. By the noun
µda,
adam, which when it is collective signifies men in general, David seems to
denote a vast number of enemies. The people of God, as if he had said, had not
to contend merely against a few men, or against one nation, but were assailed by
almost the whole world; it being abundantly manifest that all mankind were the
enemies of the Jews.
When he says,
(<19C403>Psalm
124:3,) They had swallowed us up
alive,
fe76 he not only expresses barbarous
cruelty, but also disproportion of strength. He describes then in the first
place how violent was the onset of the enemy, and secondly, how feeble and
inadequate the Jews were to withstand them, since these cruel beasts had no need
of swords for slaughter, but without a battle or an effort of strength, could
easily devour that unwarlike and defenceless
flock.
4.
The waters had then
overwhelmed us. He embellishes by an
elegant metaphor the preceding sentiment, comparing the dreadful impetuosity of
the enemies of the Jews to an inundation, which swallows up whatever it meets
with in its overflowing course. And he continues to preserve the character of a
man affrighted. He names the
waters, next
the
torrent, thirdly,
the
proud or impetuous waters. He
says, over us, and over
our soul, as if, by presenting the thing
to the eye, he intended to strike terror into the people. And certainly this
impassioned language ought to have all the effect of a graphic representation,
that the faithful might the better feel from what a profound gulf they had been
rescued by the hand of God. He only truly attributes his deliverance to God, who
acknowledges himself to have been lost before he was delivered. The adverb
them is here either demonstrative, as if the Psalmist had pointed to the
thing with the finger, or it is taken for long ago. The former
signification is, however, more suitable to the present
passage.
Psalm
124:6-8
6. Blessed be Jehovah! who
gave us not for a prey to their teeth
fe77 7. Our soul has been rescued as a
bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare has been broken, and we have been
delivered
fe78 8. Our help is in the name of
Jehovah, who made heaven and
earth.
6.
Blessed be
Jehovah! The Psalmist now exhorts the
godly to a grateful acknowledgment of the divine goodness, and as it were puts
words into their mouth. Here also he shows by another similitude, that it would
have been all over with them had not God succoured them; affirming that they
were delivered not otherwise than if some one had plucked
the prey from the
teeth of a wild and cruel beast. Of the
same import is the third similitude, That they were on all sides entrapped and
entangled in the snares of their enemies, even as little birds caught in
the net lie stretched under the hand of the fowler; and that when they were
delivered, it was just as if one should set at liberty birds which had been
taken. The amount is, that the people of God, feeble, without counsel, and
destitute of aid, had not only to deal with blood-thirsty and furious beasts,
but were also ensnared by bird-nets and stratagems, so that being greatly
inferior to their enemies as well in policy as in open force, they were besieged
by many deaths. From this it may be easily gathered that they were miraculously
preserved.
8.
Our help is in the name of
Jehovah. David here extends to the state
of the Church in all ages that which the faithful had already experienced. As I
interpret the verse, he not only gives thanks to God for one benefit, but
affirms that the Church cannot continue safe except in so far as she is
protected by the hand of God. His object is to animate the children of God with
the assured hope, that their life is in perfect safety under the divine
guardianship. The contrast between the help of God, and other resources in which
the world vainly confides, as we have seen in
<192007>Psalm
20:7,
"Some trust in
chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our
God,"
is to be noticed, that the faithful, purged from all
false confidence, may betake themselves exclusively to his succor, and depending
upon it, may fearlessly despise whatever Satan and the world may plot against
them. The name of
God is nothing else than God himself;
yet it tacitly conveys a significant idea, implying that as he has disclosed to
us his grace by his word, we have ready access to him, so that in seeking him we
need not go to a distance, or follow long circuitous paths. Nor is it without
cause that the Psalmist again honors God with the title of Creator. We know with
what disquietude our minds are agitated till they have raised the power of God
to its appropriate elevation, that, the whole world being put under, it alone
may be pre-eminent; which cannot be the case unless we are persuaded that all
things are subject to his will. He did not show once and in a moment his power
in the creation of the world and then withdraw it, but he continually
demonstrates it in the government of the world. Moreover, although all men
freely and loudly confess that God is the Creator of heaven and of earth, so
that even the most wicked are ashamed to withhold from him the honor of this
title, yet no sooner does any terror present itself to us than we are convicted
of unbelief in hardly setting any value whatever upon the help which he has to
bestow.
PSALM
125
As the faithful being mingled in this world with the
ungodly seem to be exposed to all the ills of life in the same manner as other
people, the Prophet, comparing them to Jerusalem, shows that they are defended
by an invincible bulwark. And if God at any time suffer them to be plagued by
the malice of the wicked, he exhorts them to be of good hope. He however at the
same time distinguishes between true and false Israelites, that hypocrites may
not apply to themselves what is here said concerning the safety of the
righteous.
A Song of
Degrees.
Psalm
125:1-2
1. They who confide in
Jehovah "are" as mount Zion, "which" shall not be removed, "but" shall abide for
ever.
fe79 2. As the mountains are round
about Jerusalem, so Jehovah round about his people, henceforth and for
ever.
1.
They who confide in Jehovah
are as mount Zion. The present Psalm
differs from the preceding in this — that while in the other it was said
that the Church had been
preserved by the power of God, without
any human means, the Holy Spirit, in the one before us, teaches that in the
time to come she shall always continue in perfect safety, because she
is defended by the invincible power of God. When the Church is emblematically
described by the situation of the city of Jerusalem, the design of the Prophet
is to encourage each of the faithful to believe, that the safety promised in
common to all the chosen people belongs to him. But in exhibiting to the eyes
a visible image of the Church, he accommodates himself to the rudeness of
those who, detained by the dulness of the flesh, still continue settled down in
the earth. It ought then, in the first place, to be noticed, that to those who
may not sufficiently apprehend by faith the secret protection of God, the
mountains which environ Jerusalem are exhibited as a mirror, in which they may
see, beyond all doubt, that the Church is as well defended from all perils, as
if it were surrounded on all sides with like walls and bulwarks. Moreover, it is
profitable to know what I have just now touched upon — that whenever God
speaks to all his people in a body, he addresses himself also to each of them in
particular. As not a few of the promises are extended generally to the whole
body of the Church, so many contemplate them as at a distance, as far removed
from them, and will not presume to appropriate them to themselves. The rule here
prescribed must therefore be observed, which is, that each apply to himself
whatever God promises to his Church in common. Nor does the Psalmist without
cause make Jerusalem a representation of the Church, for the sanctuary of God
and the ark of the covenant were there.
With
respect to the explanation of the words, it is to be observed that the last two
verbs of the first verse may be understood in two ways. They may both be
governed by Jerusalem as the nominative. But some understand the first verb,
fwmy
al al, lo
yimmot, shall not be
removed, only as spoken of Jerusalem and
the latter verb,
bçy,
yesheb, shall
abide, as referring to the faithful, so
that according to this view there is a change of number, which is very common
among the Hebrews — the singular number,
bçy,
yesheb, being used instead of the plural,
wbçy,
yeshbu. And certainly the sentence might not improperly be translated
thus: They who trust in Jehovah, as mount Zion shall not be removed, shall
dwell for ever, or continue steadfast, for the verb translated to
abide is taken in this sense. We now perceive the meaning of the Prophet,
which is, that although the world is subject to so many and so sudden changes as
almost to put on a new face every moment, and although the faithful are mingled
with and placed in the same external condition as others, yet their safety
continues steadfast under the invincible protection of God. Not that they are
permitted to dwell undisturbed and at ease; but because their safety being under
the guardianship of God is assaulted in vain; at least they can never altogether
fall, although they may stumble. But let us notice that the word
µyjmbh,
habbtechim, which signifies, those who hope or wait for,
conveys an implicit injunction to steadfastness of faith. Whoever, then,
desires to be sustained by the hand of God, let him constantly lean upon it; and
whoever would be defended by it, let him patiently repose himself under it. When
God suffers us to be often carried hither and thither, or driven about like
chaff by the wind, this comes to pass through our own inconstancy —
because we prefer fluttering in the air to fixing our minds on the rock of his
help. The similitude employed in the second verse is abundantly plain, teaching
us, that as the continuous chain of mountains round about Jerusalem exhibits the
appearance of walls, so God encompasses the faithful by his power, to ward off
from them all harm.
fe79A Similar forms of expression are
frequently to be met with in the Scriptures' God often promises to be a wall and
a fore-wall to his people. But David, or whoever was the author of the psalm,
proceeds still farther, showing under the figure of mountains the secret
protection with which God defends his own people, to the end that the ignorant
and feeble-minded who are still held down to the earth by their own dulness of
understanding, aided by the sight of the mountains, may raise their minds
upwards to the conception and contemplation of heavenly
things.
Psalm
125:3-5
3. For the
scepter
fe80 of the wicked shall not rest upon the
lot of the just, lest the just should put faith their hands to iniquity.
4. Do good, O Jehovah to the good, and to those who are upright in their
hearts. 5. But those who turn aside into their crooked
paths,
fe81 Jehovah will make them walk with
the workers of iniquity. But there shall be peace upon
Israel.
3.
For the scepter of the wicked
shall not rest upon the lot of the just.
This is, as it were, a correction of the preceding sentence. The Psalmist
had said that the hand of God was extended on all sides to defend his Church.
But as we are disposed to draw the divine promises to our own advantage, in the
way of interpreting them as securing our exemption from all trouble, we are here
warned that the guardianship of God does not secure us from being sometimes
exercised with the cross and afflictions, and that therefore the faithful ought
not to promise themselves a delicate and easy life in this world, it being
enough for them not to. be abandoned of God when they stand in need of his help.
Their heavenly Father, it is true, loves them most tenderly, but he will have
them awakened by the cross, lest they should give themselves too much to the
pleasures of the flesh. If, therefore, we embrace this doctrine, although we may
happen to be oppressed by the tyranny of the wicked, we will wait patiently till
God either break their scepter, or shake it out of their hands. It is a sore
temptation, I admit, to see the wicked exercising cruelty in the heritage of the
Lord, and the faithful lying extended beneath their feet; but as God does not
without just reason thus humble his people, they should comfort themselves from
the consideration suggested in the text.
The
reason is added why God will not suffer the wicked always to triumph over the
righteous — namely, lest the just, overcome by temptation, abandon
themselves wholly to sinning, a reason which ought to be carefully marked. Hence
we gather that God, from his willingness to bear with our weakness, moderates
our adversities. Although, then, we may not possess in ourselves a sufficient
amount of fortitude and constancy to enable us to persevere in our duty for a
single moment, yet let this sentiment be present to our minds, That God will
take care that, broken as we may be by afflictions, we shall not forsake his
service. Were he even to afflict us without intermission during the whole course
of our life, the cross is doubtless always profitable to us; for we see how
indomitable is the rebellion of our flesh, and with what vehement impetuosity it
is continually boiling up; yea, rather how it ceases not to kick amidst the very
afflictions by which it ought to be reduced to obedience. So much the more
necessary then is this lesson of instruction — that the Lord seasonably
sets limits to our temptations, because he knows that we are too feeble to
withstand them. Nor does the Prophet merely say, that the weak are in danger of
failing, but that even the just, who serve God in truth and from the heart, and
who are devoted to the cultivation of a holy life, are in danger of sinking
under the load. However vigorous, then, the fear of God may be in our hearts,
let us remember that we are not endowed with adequate strength for enduring to
the end, unless the Lord have a regard to our infirmity. If the Holy Spirit
makes this declaration concerning the best champions, what will be the case as
to tyroes, who are as yet but imperfectly trained for the combat? It is also
proper to mark the form of speech employed —
lest they stretch forth their
hands; by which it is intimated that the
assaults of temptations. are so violent, that the hands of the just, which were
before, as we may say, bound, and whose motions were also framed and regulated
according to the will of God, being now, as it were, let loose, apply themselves
to the commission of sin without
restraint.
4.
Do good, O Jehovah to the
good. The Prophet has already promised
to all the faithful the seasonable help of God; but still he has recourse to
prayer, and that not without cause; for although faith may sustain us, yet, as
our carnal sense and reason are wavering, we ought to mingle prayers for our
confirmation. Let us then follow this rule of the Prophet, who, having exhorted
all the faithful to cherish confidence, teaches them at the same time, that
instead of sitting in listless inactivity, they should betake themselves to God,
earnestly beseeching him by prayer, for what he has bidden them hope for by his
word. And assuredly the importance of using this remedy is apparent from the
consideration, that amidst the darkness of afflictions, the aid of God is not
discerned, but that he rather seems to make no difference between the righteous
and the wicked. Nor does the Psalmist simply pray that God would deal graciously
with the good, he also defines the goodness by which they are characterized, as
what proceeds from sincere affection of heart. It would not be enough for the
children of God to abstain from all wrong-doing, were they not distinguished by
corresponding integrity of heart, or rather did it not govern their whole
life.
5.
But those who turn aside into
their crooked paths, etc. As the
participle
µyfmh,
hammattim, is in the conjugation Hiphil, it should, according to
the rules of grammar, be rather translated in an active sense —
those who cause to turn
aside; but it being no uncommon thing
for verbs in that conjugation to be taken in a neuter sense, the, version which
I have followed is probably the correct one. Still, as the active signification
is not less appropriate, I would leave the reader freely to exercise his own
judgment. The meaning is, that God does not always connive at the wickedness of
those who, while boasting of a hollow and counterfeit profession, wander hither
and thither according to their own lust, or even corrupt the simple, and draw
them into the same excess of sinning with themselves. I have no doubt that the
Psalmist here speaks of hypocrites, who are so hardened by temporary impunity,
as to claim to. themselves a place among the holiest of men, because God
exercises forbearance towards them. Not only do we see the good mingled with the
bad in the world, but we also behold on the barn-floor of the Lord the wheat
lying hidden under the chaff and refuse. In this dubious and confused state of
matters, the bad are elated with pride, as if they were among the best of God's
servants. We ought therefore to pray that God would drag them into the light,
and, with the workers of iniquity, thrust them down into the punishment which
they have deserved. The consequence is
that
peace, which the Prophet desires may be
the privilege of Israel. He does not speak generally of all the race of Abraham,
according to the. flesh; he rather wishes that the Church of God may be purged
of hypocrites, who occupy a place in her, until God lift up his hand to
judgment. On this account I have said, that the peace of the Church springs from
this — that; God, while executing his just vengeance upon reigned and
counterfeit Israelites, who rend and tear in pieces her bowels, gathers together
the upright in heart, and openly shows by his blessing the fatherly love which
he bears towards them.
PSALM
126
This Psalm consists of three parts. First, the
Prophet exhorts the faithful, who had returned from the captivity, to gratitude,
and highly extols the grace displayed in their deliverance, to show them, beyond
all doubt, that they were brought back to their own country by the hand of God,
and not by a fortuitous conjuncture of circumstances, or by the favor of men. In
the second part a prayer is added, that God would perfect his own work which he
had begun. Finally, although there was no immediate prospect of a full
restoration, yet he mitigates the feeling of weariness which delay might
occasion, and assures them, that though at present the seed was watered with
tears, the harvest would be joyous.
A Song of
Degrees.
Psalm
126:1-3
1. When Jehovah brought back
the captivity
fe82
of Zion, we were like those that dream. 2. Now shall our mouth be
filled
fe83 with laughter, and our tongue with
rejoicing: now shall they say
fe84 among the heathen, Jehovah hath done
great things for them. 3. Jehovah hath done great things for us, whereof
we have been made glad.
1.
When Jehovah brought back the
captivity of Zion, etc. It is unnatural
and forced to suppose, with some expositors, that this is a prediction of what
was to come. For my part I have no doubt that the Psalm was composed upon the
return of the Jewish people from the Babylonish captivity; and for this reason I
have translated the verb
bwçb,
beshub, in the past tense. Now, whoever was the author of
it,
fe85 whether one of the Levites or one of the
Prophets, he affirms that the manner of their deliverance was too wonderful to
be attributed to fortune, in order to lead the faithful to the conclusion that
the prophecy of Jeremiah, which had assigned seventy years as the term of the
captivity, was truly fulfilled.
(<242512>Jeremiah
25:12, and
<242910>Jeremiah
29:10.) By the verb
dream,
which expresses the astonishing character of the event, he teaches us that
there is no room left for ingratitude. As often as God works by ordinary means,
men, through the malignity of their natures, usually exercise their ingenuity in
devising various causes of the deliverance wrought, in order to darken the grace
of God. But the return of the Jewish people from the Babylonish captivity,
having been a miracle of such splendor as was sufficient to swallow up and
confound all the thoughts of men, it compels us. to own that it was a signal
work of God. This is the reason why the Prophet compares this deliverance to a
dream. "So far," he materially says, "is any mind from
comprehending this unparalleled benefit of God, that the bare thinking upon it
transports us with amazement, as if it were a dream, and not an event which had
already taken place. What impiety, then, will it be, not to acknowledge the
author of it." Moreover, he does not mean that the faithful were so dull
of understanding as not to perceive that they were delivered by the hand of God,
but only that, judging according to carnal sense and reason, they were struck
with astonishment; and he was apprehensive lest, in reasoning with themselves
about that redemption, as about an ordinary thing, they should make less account
of the power of God than it became them to do. The noun
tbyç,
shibath, translated captivity, might be rendered bringing back,
as some do, which would give greater elegance to the expression of the
Psalmist, as in that case
tbyç
would be a noun of the same verb which is used in the beginning of the
verse.
fe86 As, however, this makes little
difference in regard to the sense, it is enough to have noticed it to my readers
in passing.
2.
Now shall our mouth be filled
with laughter. The adverb of time,
za,
az, is commonly translated then; but as the verbs are in the
future tense, I have thought that it might not be improper to translate tires
— grow shall our mouth be
filled, and now shall they say.
If, however, we admit what some Hebrew Doctors affirm, that the force of
this particle is to change the future tense into the past, the adverb then
will be the appropriate word. The design of the Prophet is not at all
obscure. He would have the people so to rejoice on account of their return, as
not to bury in forgetfulness the grace of God. He therefore describes no
ordinary rejoicing, but such as so fills their minds as to constrain them to
break forth into extravagance of gesture and of voice. At the same time he
intimates that there was good ground for this joy, in which it became the
children of God to indulge, on account of their return to their own land. As
there was at that period nothing more wretched than for them to live in
captivity, in which they were in a manner dispossessed of the inheritance God
had promised them; so there was nothing which ought to have been more desirable
to them than to be restored. Their restoration to their own country having been
therefore a proof of their renewed adoption by God, it is not surprising to find
the Prophet asserting that their mouth was filled with laughter, and their
tongue with exultation. With a similar joy does it become us at the present day
to exult when God gathers together his Church and it is an undoubted evidence
that we are steel-hearted, if her miserable dispersion does not produce in our
minds grief and lamentation. The Prophet proceeds farther, declaring that this
miracle was seen even by the blind; for in that age of the world, as is well
known, the heathen were wandering in darkness like blind men, no knowledge of
God having shone upon them; and yet God's power and operation were so
conspicuous in that event, that they burst forth into the open acknowledgment
that God had done great things
for his people. So much the more
shame-fill then was the indifference of the Jews to be accounted, if they did
not freely and loudly celebrate God's grace, which had acquired so much renown
among the unbelieving. The form of speech employed is also to be marked, which
forcibly expresses the idea intended to be conveyed, that the mighty power of
God in this deliverance was known by the Gentiles. In the following verse the
Prophet repeats in his own person, and in that of the Church, the words uttered
by the heathen in the last member of the preceding verse. Let us at least, as if
he had said, put forth a confession corresponding to that which God has extorted
from the unbelieving Gentiles. When he adds
that they were
glad, there is an implied antithesis
between this fresh joy and the long continued sorrow with which they were
afflicted in their captivity. he expressly declares that joy was restored to
them, to enable them the better to estimate the dismal condition from which they
had been extricated.
Psalm
126:4-6
4. O Jehovah! bring back our
captivity,
fe87 as rivers in the
south.
fe88 5. They who sow in tears shall
reap in joy. 6. Going forth, he shall go and weep, carrying the price of
the seed: coming, he shall return with rejoicing, carrying his sheaves with
him.
4.
O Jehovah! bring back our captivity. The
second part of the Psalm, as I have said, contains a prayer that God would
gather together the residue of the captives. The Holy Spirit endited this form
of prayer for the Jews who were already come home to their own country, that
they might not forget their poor brethren who were still in exile. All the Jews,
no doubt, had a door opened to them, and perfect liberty granted them, to come
out of the land of their captivity, but the number of those who partook of this
benefit was small when compared with the vast multitude of the people. Some were
kept from returning by fear, and others by sloth and want of courage, on seeing
such perils at hand as they apprehended they had not power to overcome, choosing
rather to lie torpid in their own filthiness, than to undertake the hardship of
the journey. It is probable also that many of them preferred their present ease
and comfort to eternal salvation. What the Prophet Isaiah had foretold was no
doubt fulfilled,
(<231022>Isaiah
10:22,). That although the people were in number as the sand of the sea, yet
only a remnant of them should be saved. Since, then, many openly refused the
benefit when it was offered them, and as there were not; wanting many
difficulties and impediments to be encountered by those who availed themselves
of this liberty granted them by the good pleasure of the
king,
fe89 so that it was only a few of sounder
judgment and of a more intrepid heart, who dared to move a foot — and even
they with reluctance, — it is no wonder that the Prophet requires the
Church still to make supplication to God for the bringing back of the captivity.
Along with this, the state of those who had already returned is also to be
noted; for their land being in the possession of strangers, who were all their
inveterate and sworn enemies, they were no less captives in their own country
than among the Babylonians. It was therefore necessary, on a twofold account,
that the Church should earnestly beseech God to gather together such as were
dispersed; first, that he would give courage to the timid, awaken the torpid,
cause the besotted to forget their pleasures, and stretch forth his hand to be a
guide to all; and, secondly, that he would settle the body of the people who had
returned in liberty and ease.
As to the
similitude which follows, many think the sense to be, that the bringing back of
their captivity prayed for would be as grateful to them as if water should flow
through a desert.
fe90 We know how grievous and painful a thing
it is to travel in a hot country through and sands. The south, is taken
for the wilderness, because the region on the south of Judea was waste and
almost uninhabitable. Yet it seems to me more just to say, that the grace of God
is here magnified, and still more enlarged by the Prophet's comparing it to a
miracle. "Although it is a difficult matter," he substantially says,
"for the dispersed remnant to be again united into one body, yet God, if
he please, can do this, just as he can cause rivers of water to flow through a
parched desert." He, at the same time, alludes to the road intervening between
Judea and Babylon, as appears from the situation of the two countries. Thus the
words will not require any supplement, the meaning being simply this, that the
bringing back of their captivity would be as if a river should run through a
barren and and country. And, certainly, to open up a way for the people who, so
to speak, were swallowed up in a deep gulf, was as if a course had been opened
up for irrigating waters to flow through a
desert.
5.
They who sow in tears shall
reap in joy. This sentence, in my
opinion, ought not less to be extended to the future than understood of the
past. The carrying away of the Jews into Babylon was to them as a
seed-time;
fe91 God having, by the prophecy of Jeremiah,
encouraged them to hope for the harvest. Still, it was not without very great
heaviness and anguish of heart that they were dragged into such long continued
captivity. It was, as if in the time of dearth the poor husbandman, who already
experiences the gnawings of hunger, were compelled to abridge himself of his
ordinary food in order to provide for the coming year; and although this is a
hard and distressing case, he is yet moved to sow from the hope of the harvest.
The Jews then, when led into captivity, were, doubtless, no less sorrowful than
he who, in the time of scarcity, casts the precious seed into the ground; but
afterwards a joyful harvest followed, when they were delivered; for the Lord
restored to them gladness, like that which is experienced in a most abundant
increase.
fe92 I, however, also conceive that the
Prophet exhorts the faithful to patience in reference to the future. The
restoration of the Church was not yet completed, and even, for the two reasons
which I have a little before specified, that period was evidently the time of
sowing. Although the edict of the king frankly invited the Jews to return, yet
only a few of many returned, gradually and fearfully, in small companies.
Moreover, those who did so were unkindly and harshly welcomed by their
neighbors, and to so much trouble were they subjected that their former
bondage appeared equally tolerable. Whence we gather, that they had still to
suffer — the full time of harvest, not having yet arrived; and, therefore,
the Prophet, not without cause, exhorts them strenuously to labor, and to
persevere in the midst of continual difficulties without fainting, until they
found themselves placed in more favorable circumstances. With respect to the
words, some translate.
°çm,
meshech, a price; and others, a basket or seed
vessel.
fe93 For the latter translation there
is no foundation. Those who translate price quote in support of their
version that passage in the book of Job:28:18 "The price of wisdom is
above rubies." But as the verb
°çm,
mashach, from which this noun is derived, signifies to extend or
to draw out, it may perhaps, both here and in that other place, be more
fitly taken in its proper signification. In the text quoted from Job it is
profound wisdom, and not intellectual acuteness, which is commended, and thus
the extending of wisdom, that is to say, a continual course of wisdom, is, from
its being deeply grounded, better than pearls. In like manner, in the passage
before us, the drawing out of the seed is applied to the husbandmen themselves,
implying, that they extend and prolong their life when they sow. If, however,
the word
price
is preferred, the sense will be, that when corn is scarce, seed is committed
to the ground with tears, because it is precious and costly. This doctrine
extends still farther. Our life is, in other parts of Scripture, compared to the
seed-time, and as it will often happen that we must sow in tears, it becomes us,
lest sorrow should weaken or slacken our diligence, to raise our minds to the
hope of the harvest. Besides, let us remember that all the Jews who were carried
captives into Babylon did not sow; for as really among them, who had hardened
themselves against God and the Prophets, had despised all threatenings, so they
lost all hope of returning. Those in whom such despair brooded were consumed in
their miseries; but those who were sustained by the promise of God, cherished in
their hearts the hope of harvest, although in a time, of extreme scarcity they
cast their seed into the ground, as it were, at venture. In order then that joy
may succeed our present sorrow, let us learn to apply our minds to the
contemplation of the issue which God promises. Thus we shall experience that all
true believers have a common interest in this prophecy, That God not only will
wipe away tears from their eyes, but that he will also diffuse inconceivable joy
through their hearts.
PSALM
127
This Psalm shows that the order of society, both
political and domestic, is maintained solely by the blessing of God, and not by
the policy, diligence, or wisdom of men; and that the procreating of children is
his peculiar gift.
A Song of Degrees
of Solomon.
Psalm
127:1-2
1.
fe94 Except Jehovah build the house, those
who build it labor in vain except Jehovah keep the city the watchman watcheth in
vain. 2. It is in vain for you in hastening to rise early, to. go late to
rest, to eat the bread of sorrows: for
fe95 thus will he give sleep to his
beloved.
1.
Except Jehovah build the
house. There is no reason why the Jews
should deny that this Psalm was composed by Solomon. They think that the letter
l,
lamed, which we translate of, is equivalent to, in behalf of Solomon;
which is at variance with common usage, for such a title in all cases
designates the author. Accordingly, they absurdly devise a new sense, for which
there is no necessity, it being very suitable for Solomon, who was endued with
the spirit of wisdom hi the affairs of government, to discourse of things which
he knew and had experience about. In affirming that God governs the world and
the life of man, he does so for two reasons: First, whatever prosperous event
may fall out to men, their ingratitude is instantly manifested by their
ascribing it wholly to themselves; and thus God is defrauded of the honor which
is his due. Solomon, to correct such a perverse error, declares, that nothing
happens prosperously to us except in so far as God blesses our proceedings.
Secondly, his purpose was to beat down the foolish presumption of men, who,
setting God aside, are not afraid to undertake to do anything, whatever it may
be, in exclusive reliance upon their own wisdom and strength. Stripping them,
therefore, of that which they groundlessly arrogate to themselves, he exhorts
them to modesty and the invocation of God. He does not, however, reject either
the labor, the enterprises, or the counsels of men; for it is a praiseworthy
virtue diligently to discharge the duties of our office. It is not the will of
the Lord that we should be like blocks of wood, or that we should keep our arms
folded without doing
anything;fe97
but that we should apply to use all the talents and advantages which he has
conferred upon us. It is indeed true that the greatest part of our labors
proceeds from the curse of God; and yet although men had still retained the
integrity of their primitive state, God would have had us to be employed, even
as we see how Adam was placed in the garden of Eden to dress it.
(<010215>Genesis
2:15.) Solomon, therefore, does not condemn watchfulness, a thing which God
approves; nor yet men's labor, by which when they undertake it willingly,
according to the commandment of God, they offer to him all acceptable sacrifice;
but lest, blinded by presumption, they should forcibly appropriate to themselves
that which belongs to God, he admonishes them that their being busily occupied
will profit them nothing, except in so far as God blesses their exertions. By
the word
house
he means not only a building of wood or stone, but he comprehends the whole
domestic order and government of a family, even as a little after by the word
city
he denotes not only the buildings or enclosure of the walls, but also the
general state of the whole commonwealth. There is likewise a synecdoche in the
words builder and keeper; for he intends to say in general that
whatever labor, foresight, and skill men may employ in maintaining a family, or
in preserving a city, will be to no purpose unless God grant from heaven a
prosperous issue to the whole.
It behoves us to
remember what I have just now touched upon, that since the minds of men are
commonly possessed with such headstrong arrogance as leads them to despise God,
and to magnify beyond measure their own means and advantages, nothing is of more
importance than to humble them, in order to their being made to perceive that
whatever they undertake it shall dissolve into smoke, unless God in the exercise
of pure grace cause it to prosper. When philosophers argue concerning the
political affairs of a state they ingeniously gather together whatever seems to
them to answer their purpose — they acutely point out the means of
erecting a commonwealth, and on the other hand the vices by which a
well-regulated state is commonly corrupted; in short, they discourse with
consummate skill upon everything that is necessary to be known on this subject,
except that they omit the principal point — which is, that men, however
much they may excel in wisdom and virtue, and whatever may be the undertakings
in which they may engage, can effect nothing, unless in so far as God stretches
forth his hand to them, or rather makes use of them as his instruments. Which of
the philosophers ever acknowledged that a politician is nothing else but an
instrument guided by the hand of God? Yea, rather they held that good management
on the part of man constituted the chief cause of the happiness of the social
body. Now, since mortal men thus rise up with profane boldness to build cities,
and to order the state of the whole world, the Holy Spirit justly reproves such
madness. Let us then so occupy ourselves, each according to the measure of his
ability and the nature of his office, as that at the same time the praise of the
success attending our exertions may remain exclusively with God. The partition
which many devise — that he who has behaved himself valiantly, while he
leaves the half of the praise to God, may take the other half to himself, is
deserving of all condemnation. The blessing of God should have the whole share
and exclusively hold the throne.
Now, if our
terrestrial condition depends. entirely upon the good pleasure of God, with what
wings shall we fly up into heaven? When a house is planned, or a certain manner
of life is chosen — yea, even when laws are enacted and justice
administered, all this is nothing else than to creep upon the earth; and yet the
Holy Spirit declares, that all our endeavors in this way are fruitless and of no
value. So much the less to be borne with, then, is the folly of those who strive
to penetrate even into heaven by their own power. Farther, we may gather from
this doctrine, that it is not wonderful to find in the present day the state of
the world so troubled and confused as it actually is — justice put to
flight in cities, the husband and the wife mutually accusing each other, fathers
and mothers complaining of their children — in short, all bewailing their
own condition. For how few are to be found who, in their vocation, turn to God,
and who, being rather inflated with arrogance, do not wickedly exalt themselves?
God then justly renders this sad reward to ungrateful men when he is defrauded
of his honor. But were all men humbly to submit themselves to the providence of
God, there is no doubt that this blessing which Solomon here commends would shed
its lustre on all parts of our life, both public and
private.
The verb
lm[,
amal, which we have translated to labor, signifies not only to
employ one's self in something or other, but also to busy one's self even to
lassitude and distress. I have said that by the word keepers is to be
understood not only those who are appointed to keep watch, but all magistrates
and judges. If they are characterized by vigilance, it is the gift of God. There
is, however, need of another vigilance — that of God; for unless he keep
watch out of heaven no perspicacity of men will be sufficient to guard against
dangers.
2.
It is vain for you in
hastening to rise early. Solomon now
expresses more plainly that men in vain wear themselves out with toiling, and
waste themselves by fasting to acquire riches, since these also are a benefit
bestowed only by God. The more effectually to move them, he addresses himself to
every man in particular. It
is, says he,
in vain for
you. He particularizes two means which
are thought to contribute in an eminent degree to the amassing of riches. It is
not surprising to find those growing rich in a short time who spare no exertion,
but consume night and day in plying their occupations, and allow themselves only
scanty fare from the product of their labor. Solomon, however, affirms that
neither living at a small expense, nor diligence in business will by themselves
profit anything at all. Not that he forbids us to practice temperance in our
diet and to rise early to engage in our worldly business; but to;stir us up to
prayer, and to calling upon God, and also to recommend gratitude for the divine
blessings, he brings to nought whatever would obscure the grace of God.
Consequently, we shall then enter upon our worldly avocations in a right way
when our hope depends exclusively upon God, and our success in that case will
correspond to our wishes. But if a man, taking no account of God, eagerly makes
haste, he will bring ruin upon himself by his too precipitate course. It is not,
therefore, the design of the Prophet to encourage men to give way to
sloth, so that they should think upon nothing all their life long, but fall
asleep and abandon themselves to idleness- his meaning rather is, that, in
executing what God has enjoined upon them, they should always begin with prayer
and calling upon his name, offering to him their labors that he may bless them.
The expression, the bread of
sorrows, may be explained in two ways,
either as denoting what is acquired by hard and anxious toil, or what is eaten
with disquietude of mind; just as we see parsimonious and close-handed persons,
when they have scarcely tasted a bit of bread, pulling back their hand from
their mouth. It is of no great importance which of these senses is adopted; for
we are simply taught that parsimonious men profit nothing — no not even
when through their own niggardliness they grudge to eat as much as nature
requires.
For thus will he
give sleep to his beloved. The inspired
writer intimates that the blessing of God, of which he has spoken, is actually
seen in his children and servants. It will not suffice to believe this doctrine
— that whatever, men attempt is to no purpose; it is necessary that the
promise be added, in order to their being led with assured hope to perform their
duty. The sentence may be read either — he will give sleep to his
beloved, or, he will give in sleeping; that is, he will give them
those things which unbelievers labor to acquire by their own industry. The
particle,
ˆk,
ken, thus, is put to express
certainty;fe98
for with the view of producing a more undoubted persuasion of the truth —
4hat God gives food to his people without any great care on their part —
which seems incredible, and a fiction, Solomon points to the thing as it were
with the finger. He indeed speaks as if God nourished the slothfulness of his
servants by his gentle treatment; but as we know that men are created with the
design of their being occupied, and as in the subsequent Psalm we shall find
that the servants of God are accounted happy when they eat the labor of their
hands, it is certain that the word
sleep
is not to be understood as implying slothfulness, but a placid labor, to
which true believers subject themselves by the obedience of faith. Whence
proceeds this so great ardor in the unbelieving, that they move not a finger
without a tumult or bustle, in other words, without tormenting themselves with
superfluous cares, but because they attribute nothing to the providence of God!
The faithful, on the other hand, although they lead a laborious life, yet follow
their vocations with composed and tranquil minds. Thus their hands are not idle,
but their minds repose in the stillness of faith, as if they were asleep. If it
is again objected, that God's people are often agitated with distressing cares,
and that, oppressed with pinching poverty, and destitute of all resources, they
are anxiously concerned about the morrow, I answer, that if faith and love to
God were perfect in his servants, his blessing, of which the Prophet makes
mention, would be manifest. Whenever they are tormented above measure, this
happens through their own default, in not resting entirely upon the providence
of God. I farther add, that God punishes them more severely than unbelievers,
because it is profitable for them to be agitated by disquietude for a season,
that at length they may attain to this peaceful sleep. In the meantime, however,
God's grace prevails, and always shines forth in the midst of darkness, in
respect of his cherishing his children as it were by
sleep.
Psalm
127:3-5
3. Lo! children are the
heritage of Jehovah: the fruit of the womb is the reward which he bestows.
fe99
4. As arrows in, the hand of a strong man so are the children of
youth.
fe100 5. Blessed is the man who shall
have filled his quiver with them; for
fe101 they shall not be ashamed when they
speak with their enemies in the
gate.
3.
Lo! children are the heritage
of Jehovah. Solomon here adduces one
instance in which, in a particular manner, he would have us to recognize the
truth which he has hitherto asserted generally — that the life of men is
governed by God. Nothing seems more natural than for men to be produced of men.
The majority of mankind dream, that after God had once ordained this at the
beginning, children were thenceforth begotten solely by a secret instinct of
nature, God ceasing to interfere in the matter; and even those who are endued
with some sense of piety, although they may not deny that He is the Father and
Creator of the human race, yet do not acknowledge that his providential care
descends to this particular case, but rather think that men are created by a
certain universal motion. With the view of correcting this preposterous error,
Solomon calls children the heritage of God, and the fruit of the womb
his gift; for the Hebrew word
rkç,
sachar, translated
reward,
signifies whatever benefits God bestows upon men, as is plainly manifest
from many passages of Scripture. The meaning then is, that, children are not the
fruit of chance, but that God, as it seems good to him, distributes to every man
his share of them. Moreover, as the Prophet repeats the same thing twice,
heritage and reward are to be understood as equivalent; for both
these terms are set in opposition to fortune, or the strength of men. The
stronger a man is he seems so much the better fitted for procreation. Solomon
declares on the contrary, that those become fathers to whom God vouchsafes that
honor.
As the majority of children are not
always a source of joy to their parents, a second favor of God is added, which
is his forming the minds of children, and adorning them with an excellent
disposition, and all kinds of virtues. Aristotle in his Politics very properly
discusses the question whether
poluteknia,
that is, the having of many children, ought to be accounted among good
things or no; and he decides it in the negative, unless there is added
eujgeneia,
that is, generosity or goodness of nature in the children themselves. And
assuredly it would be a far happier lot for many to be without children, or
barren, than to have a numerous offspring, proving to them only the cause of
tears and groans. In order, then, to set forth this blessing of God — the
having offspring — in a clear light, Solomon commends a virtuous and
generous disposition in children. The similitude introduced for this purpose is,
that as an archer is armed 'with a well-furnished bow, so men are defended by
their children, as it were with a bow and all arrow. This similitude might seem,
at first sight, a little too harsh; but if it is examined somewhat more closely,
its elegance will be readily admitted. The Prophet means that those who are
without children are in a manner unarmed; for what else is it to be childless
but to be solitary? It is no small gift of God for a man to be renewed in his
posterity; for God then gives him new strength, that he who otherwise would
straightway decay, may begin as it were to live a second
time.
The knowledge of this doctrine is highly
useful. The fruitfulness even of the lower animals is expressly ascribed to God
alone; and if He would have it to be accounted his benefit that kine, and
sheep, and mares conceive, how inexcusable will be the impiety of men, if
when he adorns them with the honorable title of fathers, they account this favor
as nothing. It is also to be added, that unless men regard their children as the
gift of God, they are careless and reluctant in providing for their support,
just as on the other hand this knowledge contributes in a very eminent degree to
encourage them in bringing up their offspring. Farther, he who thus reflects
upon the goodness of God in giving him children, will readily and with a settled
mind look for the continuance of God's grace; and although he may have but a
small inheritance to leave them, he will not be unduly careful on that
account.
5.
They shall not be ashamed
when they speak with their enemies in the
gate. Here Solomon describes such
children as, distinguished by uprightness and integrity, have no hesitation in
rendering an account of their life, that they may shut the mouths of the
malevolent and of calumniators. In ancient times, as is well known, judicial
assemblies
fe102 were held at the gates of cities. He
therefore here speaks of the gate, as if in the present day one should speak of
the bench, or the courts, or the senate. Let it be observed that what is chiefly
praised in children is innocence, that fathers may estimate this grace at its
true value. In the preceding clause he had compared children endued with virtue
and excellence of nature to arrows. Now, that no man may put a violent
construction upon this comparison, as if it were intended to give children
leave, like robbers, to rush upon doing mischief to such as come in their way,
reckless of right and wrong, he expressly represents virtue and moral integrity
as constituting the protection which they ought to afford to their fathers. He
teaches us, then, that the children which we ought to wish for, are not such as
may violently oppress the wretched and suffering, or overreach others by craft
and deceit, or accumulate great riches by unlawful means, or acquire for
themselves tyrannical authority, but such as will practice uprightness, and be
willing to live in obedience to the laws, and prepared to render an account of
their life. Farther, although fathers ought diligently to form their children
under a system of holy discipline, yet let them remember that they will never
succeed in attaining the object aimed at, save by the pure and special grace of
God. Solomon also tacitly intimates that however zealously we may be devoted to
the practice of integrity, we shall never be without detractors and slanderers;
for if integrity of life were exempt from all calumny, we would have no quarrel
with our enemies.
PSALM
128
This Psalm is akin to the preceding, and, so to
speak, a kind of appendage to it; for it declares that the divine blessing, to
the diffusion of which among the whole human race Solomon testified, is to be
seen most conspicuously in the ease of God's true and sincere
servants.
A Song of
Degrees.
Psalm
128:1-3
1. Blessed is the man who
feareth Jehovah, and walketh in his ways. 2. For when thou shalt eat the
labor of thy hands, thou shalt be blessed, and it shall be well with thee.
3. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine on the sides of thy house, and
thy children as olive plants around thy
table.
fe103A
1.
Blessed is the man who
feareth Jehovah. In the preceding Psalm
it was stated that prosperity in all human affairs, and in the whole course of
our life, is to be hoped for exclusively from the grace of God; and now the
Prophet admonishes us that those who desire to be partakers of the blessing of
God must with sincerity of heart devote themselves wholly to him; for he will
never disappoint those who serve him. The first verse contains a summary of the
subject-matter of the Psalm; the remaining portion being added only by way of
exposition. The maxim "that those are blessed who fear God, especially in the
present life," is so much with variance with the common opinion of men, that
very few will give it their assent. Everywhere are to be found fluttering about
many Epicureans, similar to Dionysius, who, having once had a favorable wind
upon the sea and a prosperous voyage, after having plundered a
temple,
fe104 boasted that the gods favored church
robbers. Also the weak are troubled and shaken by the prosperity of evil men,
and they next faint under the load of their own miseries. The despisers of God
may not indeed enjoy prosperity, and the condition of good men may be tolerable,
but still the greater part of men are blind in considering the providence of
God, or seem not in any degree to perceive it. The adage, "That it is
best not to be born at all, or to die as soon as possible," has certainly been
long since received by the common consent of almost all men. Finally, carnal
reason judges either that all mankind without exception are miserable, or that
fortune is more favorable to ungodly and wicked men than to the good. To the
sentiment that those are blessed who fear the Lord, it has an entire aversion,
as I have declared at length on Psalm 37. So much the more requisite then is it
to dwell upon the consideration of this truth. Farther, as this blessedness is
not apparent to the eye, it is of importance, in order to our being able to
apprehend it., first to attend to the definition which will ]be given of it by
and bye, and secondly, to know that it depends chiefly upon the protection of
God. Although we collect together all the circumstances which seem to contribute
to a happy life, surely nothing will be found more desirable than to be kept
hidden under the guardianship of God. If this blessing is, in our estimation, to
be preferred, as it deserves, to all other good things, whoever is persuaded
that the care of God is exercised about the world and human affairs, will at the
same time unquestionably acknowledge that what is here laid down is the chief
point of happiness.
But before I proceed
farther, it is to be noticed that in the second part of the verse there is with
good reason added a mark by which the servants of God are distinguished from
those who despise him. We see how the most depraved, with no less pride than
audacity and mockery, boast of fearing God. The Prophet therefore requires the
attestation of the life as to this; for these two things, the fear of God and
the keeping of his law, are inseparable; and the root must necessarily produce
its corresponding fruit. Farther, we learn from this passage that our life does
not meet with the divine approbation, except it be framed according to the
divine law. There is unquestionably no religion without the fear of God, and
from this fear the Prophet represents our living according to the commandment
and ordinance of God as proceeding.
2.
For when thou shalt eat the
labor of thy hands thou shalt be blessed.
Some divide this sentence into two members, reading these words, For thou
shalt eat the labor of thy hands, as a distinct sentence, and then what
follows, Thou shalt be
blessed, as the beginning of a new
sentence. I indeed grant that it is true, as they assert, that the grace of God,
manifested in the faithful enjoying the fruits of their labor is set in
opposition to the curse to which all mankind have been subjected. But it is more
natural to read the words as one sentence, bringing out this meaning —
That God's children are happy in eating the fruits of their labor; for if we
make them two sentences, these words,
thou, shalt be blessed, and it
shall be well with thee, would contain a
cold and even an insipid repetition. Here the Prophet, confirming the doctrine
stated in the first verse, teaches us that we ought to form a different estimate
of what happiness consists hi from that formed by the world, which makes a happy
life to consist in ease, honors, and great wealth. He recalls God's servants to
the practice of moderation, which almost all men refuse to exercise. How few are
to be found who, were it left to their own choice, would desire to live by their
own labor; yea, who would account it a singular benefit to do so! No sooner is
the name of happiness pronounced, than instantly every man breaks forth into the
most extravagant ideas of what is necessary to it, so insatiable a gulf is the
covetousness of the human heart. The Prophet therefore bids the fearers of God
be content with this one thing — with the assurance that having God for
their foster-father, they shall be suitably maintained by the labor of their own
hands; just as it is said in
<193410>Psalm
34:10,
"The young lions do lack,
and suffer hunger; but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good
thing."
We must remember that the Prophet does not speak of
the highest blessedness, which consists not in meat and drink, nor is confined
within the narrow bounds of this transitory life; but he assures God's believing
people that even in this pilgrimage or earthly place of sojourn they shall enjoy
a happy life, in so far as the state of the world will permit; even as Paul
declares that God promises both these to such as fear him, in other words, that
God will take care of us during the whole course of our life, until he has at
last brought us to eternal glory.
(<540408>1
Timothy 4:8.) The change of person serves also to give greater emphasis to the
language; for after having),' spoken in the third person, the Prophet comes to
address his discourse to. each individual in particular, to this effect:
— Not only does immortal felicity await thee in heaven, but during thy
pilgrimage in this world God will not cease to perform the office of the father
of a family in maintaining thee, so that thy daily food will be administered to
thee by his hand, provided thou art contented with a lowly
condition.
3.
Thy wife shall be as a
fruitful vine on the sides of thy house.
Here again it is promised, as in the preceding Psalm, that God will make
those who honor him fruitful in a numerous offspring. The majority of mankind
indeed desire to have issue, and this desire may be said to be implanted in them
by nature; but many, when they have obtained children, soon become cloyed
therewith. Again it is often more grateful to want children than to leave a
number of them hi circumstances of destitution. But although the world is
carried away by irregular desires after various objects, between which it is
perpetually fluctuating in its choice, God gives this his own blessing, the
preference to all riches, and therefore we ought to hold it in high estimation.
If a man has a wife of amiable manners as the companion of his life, let him set
no less value upon this blessing than Solomon did, who, in
<201914>Proverbs
19:14, affirms that it is God alone who gives a good wife. In like manner, if a
man be a father of a numerous offspring, let him receive that goodly boon with a
thankful heart. If it is objected that the Prophet in speaking thus, detains the
faithful on the earth by the allurements of the flesh, and hinders them from
aspiring towards heaven with free and unencumbered minds, I answer, that it is
not surprising to find him offering to the Jews under the law a taste of God's
grace and paternal favor, when we consider that they were like children. He has,
however, so tempered, or mixed it, as that by it; they might rise in their
contemplations to the heavenly life. Even at the present day God, though in a
more sparing manner, testifies his favor by temporal benefits, agreeably to that
passage in Paul's first Epistle to Timothy just now quoted,
(<540408>1
Timothy 4:8,)
"Godliness is profitable
unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to
come."
But by this he does not cast any hindrance or
impediment in our way to keep us from elevating our minds to heaven, but ladders
are by this means rather erected to enable us to mount up thither step by step.
The Prophet, therefore, very properly reminds the faithful that they already
receive some fruit of their integrity, when God gives them their food, makes
them happy in their wives and children, and condescends to take care of their
life. But his design in commending the present goodness of God is to animate
them to hasten forward with alacrity on the path which leads to their eternal
inheritance. If the earthly felicity described in this Psalm may not always be
the lot of the godly, but should it sometimes happen that their wife is a
termagant, or proud, or of depraved morals, or that their children are dissolute
and vagabonds, and even bring disgrace upon their father's house, let them know
that their being deprived of God's blessing is owing to their having repulsed it
by their own fault. And surely if each duly considers his own vices he will
acknowledge that God's earthly benefits have been justly withheld from
him.
Psalm
128:4-6
4. Lo! surely, thus blessed
shall be the man who feareth Jehovah. 5. Jehovah shall bless thee from
Zion; and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life:
6. And thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon
Israel.
4.
Lo! surely, thus blessed
shall be the man who feareth Jehovah.
The preceding doctrine, that even in the outward condition of God's servants
while in this transitory state there is afforded such evidence of the divine
favor and goodness as demonstrates that we do not lose our labor in serving him,
is here confirmed by the Prophet. Yet as the reward of godliness does not appear
eminently conspicuous, he, in the first place, uses the demonstrative particle,
Lo!
fe105 and then adds
surely;
for so I interpret the particle
yk,
ki. We must, however, always remember, as I have previously noticed, that
the divine blessing is promised to us upon earth in such a way as that it may
not engross our thoughts and keep them grovelling in the dust; for it is not
meet that our hope of the life to come should be stifled. This is the reason why
we do not at all times equally enjoy the benefits of
God.
5.
Jehovah shall bless thee from
Zion. Some, would have this sentence to
be a prayer, and therefore they resolve the future tense into the optative mood.
But it seems rather to be a continued statement of the same doctrine previously
dwelt on, the Prophet now expressing more plainly that the benefits which he has
recounted are to be ascribed to God as their author. Although the gifts of God
often present themselves before our eyes, yet through the obscurity which false
imaginations throw around them our perception of them is dim and imperfect.
Hence this repetition of the sentiment, That whenever true believers meet with
any prosperous events in the course of their life, it is the effect of the
divine blessing, is not to be deemed superfluous. The persons described are said
to be blessed from
Zion, to lead them to call to
remembrance the covenant into which God had entered with them, for he had
graciously promised to be favorable to the observers of his law; and these
principles of godliness they had imbibed from their infancy. The Prophet,
therefore, declares that it is no novel doctrine or something before unheard of
which he adduces, the law having long ago taught them that it is made manifest
even by the temporary benefits conferred on those who serve God, that the pains
taken in serving him are not thrown away; and he affirms that of this they shall
actually have the experience. What is added concerning
the good of
Jerusalem is to be regarded as
en-joining upon the godly the duty not only of seeking their own individual
welfare, or of being devoted to their own peculiar interests, but rather of
having it as chief desire to see the Church of God in a flourishing condition.
It would be a very unreasonable thing for each member to desire what may be
profitable for itself, while in the meantime the body was neglected. From our
extreme proneness to err in that respect, the Prophet, with good reason,
recommends solicitude about the public welfare; and he mingles together domestic
blessings and the common benefits of the Church in such a way as to show us that
they are things joined together, and which it is unlawful to put
asuader.
PSALM
129
This Psalm teaches, in the first place, that God
subjects his Church to divers troubles and affections, to the end he may the
better prove himself her deliverer and defender. The Psalmist, therefore,
recalls to the memory of the faithful how sadly God's people had been persecuted
in all ages, and how wonderfully they had been preserved, in order by such
examples to fortify their hope in reference to the future. In the second part,
under the form of an imprecation, he shows that the divine vengeance is ready to
fall upon all the ungodly, who without cause distress the people of
God.
A Song of
Degrees.
Psalm
129:1-4
1. They have often afflicted
me from my youth, let Israel now say: 2. They have often afflicted me
from my youth; but they have not prevailed against me. 3. The ploughers
have plouched upon my back, and made long their
furrows.
fe106 4. But Jellovah who is
righteous, hath cut asunder the cords of the
wicked.
1.
They have often afflicted me
from my youth. This Psalm was probably
composed at a time when the Church of God, reduced to a state of extreme
distress, or dismayed by some great danger, or oppressed with tyranny, was on
the verge of total destruction. This conjecture, I conceive, is supported by the
adverb of time,
now,
which appears to me to be emphatic. It is as if the Prophet; had said, When
God's faithful ones are with difficulty drawing their breath under the burden of
temptations, it is a seasonable time for them to reflect on the manner in which
he has exercised his people from the beginning, and from age to age. As soon as
God has given loose reins to our enemies to do as they please we are distressed
with sorrow, and our thoughts are wholly engrossed with the evils which
presently harass us. Hence proceeds despair; for we do not remember that the
patience of the fathers was subjected to the like trial, and that nothing
happens to us which they did not experience. It is then an exercise eminently
fitted to comfort true believers to look back to the conflicts of the Church in
the days of old, in order thereby to know that she has always labored under the
cross, and has been severely afflicted by the unrighteous violence of her
enemies. The most probable conjecture which occurs to me at present is, that
this Psalm was written after the Jews had returned from the Babylonish
captivity, and when, having suffered many grievous and cruel injuries at the
hands of their neighbors, they hadn't length almost fainted under the tyranny of
Antiochus Epiphanes. In this dark and troublous state of matters, the Prophet
encourages the faithful to fortitude, nor does he address himself to a few of
them only, but to the whole body without exception; and in order to their
sustaining such fierce assaults, he would have them to oppose to them a hope
inspired by the encouraging consideration, that the Church, by patient
endurance, has uniformly proved victorious. Almost every word is emphatic.
Let Israel now
say, that is, let him consider the trials of
the Church in ancient times, from which it may be gathered, that the people of
God have never been exempted from bearing the cross, and yet that the various
afflictions by which they have been tried have always had a happy issue. In
speaking of the enemies of Israel simply by the pronoun
they,
without being more specific, the Psalmist aggravates the greatness of the
evil more than if he had expressly named the Assyrians or the Egyptians. By not
specifying any particular class of foes, he tacitly intimates that the world is
fraught with innumerable bands of enemies, whom Satan easily arms for the
destruction of good men, his object being that new wars may arise continually on
every side. History certainly bears ample testimony that the people of God had
not to deal with a few enemies, but that they were assaulted by almost the whole
world; and farther, that
they
were molested not only by external foes, but also by those of an internal
kind, by such as professed to belong to the
Church.
The term
youth
here denotes their first
beginnings,
fe106A and refers not only to the time when
God brought the people out of Egypt, but also to the time when he wearied
Abraham and the patriarchs during almost their whole life, by keeping them in a
condition of painful warfare. If these patriarchs were strangely driven about in
the land of Canaan, the lot of their descendants was still worse during the time
of their sojourning in Egypt, when they were not only oppressed as slaves, but
loaded with every kind of reproach and ignominy. At their departure from that
land we know what difficulties they had to encounter. If in tracing their
history from that period we find seasons in which some respite was granted them,
yet they were not in a state of repose for any length of time, until the
reign of David. And although during his reign they appeared to be in a
prosperous condition, yet soon after troubles and even. defeats arose, which
threatened the people of God with total destruction. In the Babylonish
captivity, all hope being well-nigh extinguished, they seemed as if hidden in
the grave and undergoing the process of putrefaction. After their return they
obtained, with difficulty, some brief intermission to take their breath. They
were certainly often put; to the sword, until the race of them was almost wholly
destroyed. To prevent it, therefore, from being supposed that they had received
only some slight hurt, they are justly said to have been afflicted; as if
the Prophet placed them before our eyes as it were half-dead, through the
treatment of their enemies, who, seeing them prostrated under their feet,
scrupled not to tread upon them. If we come to ourselves, it will be proper to
add the horrible persecutions, by which the Church would have been consumed a
thousand times, had not God, by hidden and mysterious means, preserved her,
raising her as it were from the dead. Unless we have become stupid under our
calamities, the distressing circumstances of this unhappy age will compel us to
meditate on the same doctrine.
When the Prophet
says twice, they have afflicted
me, they have afflicted me, the repetition is
not superfluous, it being intended to teach us that the people of God had not
merely once or twice to enter the conflict, but that their patience had been
tried by continual exercises. He had said that they had commenced this conflict
from their
youth, intimating that they had been
inured to it from their first origin, in order to their being accustomed to bear
the cross. He now adds, that their being subjected to this rigorous training was
not without good reason, inasmuch as God had not ceased, by a continued course,
to make use of these calamities for subduing them to himself. If the exercises
of the Church, during her state of childhood, were so severe, our effeminacy
will be very shameful indeed, if in the present day, when the Church, by the
coming of Christ, has reached the age of manhood, we are found wanting in
firmness for enduring trials. Matter of consolation is laid down in the last
clause, which informs us that the enemies of Israel, after having tried all
methods, never succeeded in realizing their wishes, God having always
disappointed their hopes, and baffled their
attempts.
3.
The ploughers have ploughed
upon my back.
fe107 Here the Prophet, by an apparent
similitude, embellishes his preceding statement respecting the grievous
afflictions of the Church. He compares the people of God to a field through
which a plough is drawn. He says that the furrows were made long, so that no
corner was exempted from being cut up by the ploughshare. These words vividly
express the fact — that the cross has always been planted on the back of
the Church, to make long and wide furrows.
In
the subsequent verse a ground of consolation under the same figure is subjoined,
which is, that the righteous Lord
hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.
The allusion is to a plough, which, as we all know, is tied with cords to
the necks of the oxen. The language very aptly conveys the idea, that the
wicked, — since they would never have become tired or satiated in
exercising their cruelty, and also in consequence of their being well armed,
— were prepared to proceed farther, but that the Lord, in a way altogether
unexpected, repressed their fury, just as if a man should unyoke oxen from the
plough by cutting in pieces the cords and thongs which tied them to it. Hence we
perceive what is the true condition of the Church. As God would have us
contentedly to take his yoke upon us, the Holy Spirit not unfitly compares us to
an arable field, which cannot make any resistance to its being cut, and cleaved,
and turned up by the ploughshare. Should any one be disposed to indulge in
greater refinement of speculation, he might say that the field is ploughed to
prepare it for receiving the seed, and that it may at length bring forth fruit.
But in my opinion the subject to which the Prophet limits his attention is the
afflictions of the Church. The epithet
righteous,
with which he honors God, must, in a suitableness to the scope of the
passage, be explained as implying that, although God may seem to dissemble for a
time, yet he never forgets his righteousness, so as to withhold relief from his
afflicted people. Paul in like manner adduces the same reason why God will not
always suffer them to be persecuted,
"Seeing it is a righteous
thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you
who are troubled
rest with us."
(<530106>2
Thessalonians 1:6, 7,)
It is a point worthy of special notice, that the
welfare of the Church is inseparably connected with the righteousness of God.
The Prophet, also, wisely teaches us. that the reason why the enemies of the
Church did not prevail, was because God brought to nothing their enterprises,
and did not suffer them to go beyond what he had determined in his own
mind.
Psalm
129:5-8
5. All who hate Zion shall
be confounded, and turned backward. 6. They shall be as the
grass
fe108 of the housetops', which is withered
before it comes forth: 7. With which the mower hath not filled his hand,
nor the gleaner his bosom.
fe109 8. Neither have they who pass by
said, - The blessing of Jehovah be upon you: we bless you in the name of
Jehovah.
fe110
5.
All who hate Zion shall be
confounded, and tutored backward.
Whether we take this as a prayer or a promise, the Prophet has a respect to
the time to come. Since all the verbs are in the future tense, it is certainly a
very appropriate interpretation to understand him as deriving from times past
instruction as to what is to be hoped for in future, even to the end. In
whichever way we understand the passage, he declares that the faithful have no
reason to be discouraged when they behold their enemies raised on high. The
grass which grows upon the house-tops is not, on account of its higher
situation, more valuable than the blade of corn which in the low ground is
trampled under foot; for although it stands elevated above men's heads, it is,
in the first place, unprofitable; and secondly, it quickly withers
away.
fe111 The verb,
ãlç,
shalaph,
fe112 which we have translate
comes
forth, is by some rendered, is
plucked up. According to this translation the sense is, that without the
hand or labor of man the grass on the house-tops is dried up. But as the verb
properly signifies to be brought forth, or to come forth, the
meaning, in my opinion, is that the grass'. on the housetops, so far from
continuing long in a state of freshness, withers and perishes at its first
springing up, because it has no root under it, nor earth to supply it with sap
or moisture for its nourishment. Whenever, then, the splendor or greatness of
our enemies strikes us with fear, let us bring to our recollection this
comparison, that as the grass which grows upon the house-tops, though high, is
yet without root, and consequently of brief duration, so these enemies, the
nearer they approach the sun by the height of their pride, shall be the sooner
consumed by the burning heat, since they have no root, it being humility alone
which draws life and vigor from
God.
7.
With which the mower hath not
filled his hand.
fe113 We have here an additional
confirmation of the truth, that although the wicked mount high or elevate
themselves, and form an extravagant opinion of their own importance, yet they
continue mere grass, not bringing forth any good fruit, nor reaching a state of
ripeness, but swelling only with fresh appearance. To make this obvious, the
Psalmist sets them in opposition to fruit-bearing herbs, which in valleys and
low grounds produce fruit for men. In fine, he affirms that they deserve to be
hated or despised of all, whereas commonly every one in passing by the corn
fields blesses them and prays for the
harvest?
fe114 Farther, he has borrowed this
illustration of his doctrine from the affairs of ordinary life, we are taught
that whenever there is a hopeful prospect of a good harvest, we ought to beseech
God, whose peculiar province it is to impart fertility to the earth, that he
would give full effect to his blessing. And considering that the fruits of the
earth are exposed to so many hazards, it is certainly strange that we are not
stirred 'up to engage in the exercise of prayer from the absolute necessity of
these to man and beast. Nor does the Psalmist, in speaking of passers by
blessing the reapers, speak exclusively of rite children of God, who are truly
taught by his word that the fruitfulness of the earth is owing to his goodness;
but he also comprehends worldly men in whom the same knowledge is implanted
naturally. In conclusion, provided we not only dwell in the Church of the Lord,
but also labor to have place among the number of her genuine citizens, we will
be able fearlessly to despise all fire might of our enemies; for although they
may flourish and have a great outward show for a time, yet they are but barren
grass, on which the curse of heaven rests.
PSALM
130
Whether the Prophet in this Psalm prays in his own
name in particular, or represents the whole Church, it is manifest, that finding
himself overwhelmed with adversities, he supplicates deliverance with passionate
ardor. And while acknowledging that he is justly chastised by the hand of God,
he encourages himself and all genuine believers to cherish good hope, since God
is the everlasting deliverer of his people, and has always in readiness the
means of effecting their rescue from death.
A Song of
Degrees.
Psalm
130:1-4
1. Out of the deep places
have I cried to thee, O Jehovah 2. O Lord hear voice; let thine ears be
attentive to the voice of my prayers 3. If thou, O God shouldst mark
iniquities, O Lord who shall stand? 4. But with thee there is forgiveness
that thou mayest be feared.
1.
Out of the deep places have I
cried to thee, O Jehovah! It is to be
noticed that the Prophet speaks of himself as sending forth his voice, as it
were from out of a deep gulf,
fe115 feeling himself overwhelmed with
calamities. As the miseries to which there is no prospect of a termination
commonly bring despair in their train, nothing is more difficult than for
persons, when involved in grievous and deep sorrow, to stir up their minds to
the exercise of prayer. And it is wonderful, considering that whilst we enjoy
peace and prosperity we are cold in prayer, (because then our hearts are in a
state of infatuated security, how in adversities, which ought to quicken us, we
are still more stupefied. But the Prophet derives confidence in coming to the
time one of grace from the very troubles, cares, dangers and sorrow into which
he was plunged. He expresses his perplexity and the earnestness of his desire
both by the word cry, and by the repetition continued in the second verse. So
much the more detestable then is the barbarous ignorance of the Papist's, in
shamefully profaning this Psalm by wresting; it to a purpose wholly foreign to
its genuine application. To what intent do they mumble it over for the dead, if
it; is not that, in consequence of Satan having bewitched them, they may by
their profanity extinguish a doctrine of singular utility? From the time that
this Psalm was, by, a forced interpretation, applied to the souls of the dead,
it is very generally believed to be of no use whatever to the living, and thus
the world has lost an inestimable
treasure.
3.
If thou, O God! shoudst mark
iniquities.
fe116 Here the Prophet acknowledges
that although grievously afflicted he had justly deserved such punishment, as
had been inflicted upon him. As by his own example he gives a rule which the
whole Church ought to observe, let no man presume to intrude himself into the
presence of
God,
but in the way of humbly deprecating his wrath; and especially when God
exercises severity in his dealings towards us, let us know that we are required
to make the same confession which is here uttered. Whoever either flatters
himself or buries his sins by inattention to them, deserves to pine away in his
miseries; at least he is unworthy of obtaining from God the smallest
alleviation. Whenever God then exhibits the tokens of his wrath, let even the
man who seems to others to be the holies of all his fellows, descend to make
this confession, that should God determine to deal with us according to the
strict demands of his law, and to summon us before his tribunal, not one of the
whole human race would be able to stand. We grant that it is one man only who
here prays, but he at once pronounces sentence upon the whole human race. "All
the children of Adam," he substantially says, "from the first to the last, are
lost and condemned, should God require them to render up an account of their
life." It is therefore necessary that even the holiest of men should pass under
this condemnation, that they may betake themselves to the mercy of God as their
only refuge. The Prophet does not however mean to extenuate his own fault by
thus involving others with himself, as we see hypocrites do, who when they dare
not altogether justify themselves, resort to this subterfuge, "Am I the
first or the only man who has offended?" and thus, mingling themselves
with a multitude of others, they think themselves half absolved from their
guilt. But the Prophet, instead of seeking to shelter himself under such a
subterfuge, rather confesses, after having thoroughly examined himself, that if
of the whole human race not even one can escape eternal perdition, this instead
of lessening rather increased his obnoxiousness to punishment. Whoever, as if he
had said, shall come into the presence of God, whatever may be his eminence for
sanctity, he must succumb and stand
confounded,
fe117 what then will be the case as to me,
who am not one of the best? The right application of this doctrine is,
for every man to examine in good earnest his own life by the perfection which is
enjoined upon us in the law. In this way he will be forced to confess that all
men without exception have deserved everlasting damnation; and each will
acknowledge in respect to himself that he is a thousand times undone. Farther,
this passage teaches us that, since no man can stand by his own works, all such
as are accounted righteous before God, are righteous in consequence of the
pardon and remission of their sins. In no other manner can any man be righteous
in the sight of God. Very differently do the Papists think. They indeed confess
that the deficiencies of our works are supplied by the lenity which God
exercises towards us; but at the same time they dream of a partial
righteousness, on the ground of which men may stand before God. In entertaining
such an idea they go very far astray from the sense of the Prophet, as will
appear more plainly from the
sequel.
4.
But with thee there is
forgiveness. This verse leads us
farther. Though all men confess with the mouth that there is no human being in
the world whom God may not justly adjudge to everlasting death, should it so
please him, yet how few are persuaded of the truth which the Prophet now adds,
that the grace of which they stand in need shall not be denied them? They either
sleep in their sins through stupidity, or fluctuate amidst a variety of doubts,
and, at length, are overwhelmed with despair. This maxim, "that no man is free
from sin," is, as I have said, received among all men without dispute,
and yet the majority shut their eyes to their own faults, and settle securely in
hiding - places to which, in their ignorance, they have betaken themselves, if
they are not forcibly roused out of them, and then, when pursued close by the
judgments of God, they are overwhelmed with alarm, or so greatly tormented as to
fall into despair. The consequence of this want of hope in men, that God will be
favorable to them, is an indifference about coming into the Divine presence to
supplicate for pardon. When a man is awakened with a lively sense of the
judgment of God, lie cannot fail to be humbled with shame and fear. Such
self-dissatisfaction would not however suffice, unless at the same time there
were added faith, whose office it is to raise up the hearts which were cast down
with fear, and to encourage them to pray for forgiveness. David then acted as he
ought to have done when, in order to his attaining genuine repentance, he first
summons himself before God's judgment seat; but, to preserve his confidence from
failing under the overpowering influence of fear, he presently adds the hope
which there was of obtaining pardon. It is, indeed, a matter which comes under
our daily observation, that those who proceed not beyond the step of thinking
themselves deserving of endless death, rush, like frenzied men, with great
impetuosity against God. The better, therefore, to confirm himself and others,
the Prophet declares that God's mercy cannot be separated or torn away from
himself. "As soon as I think upon thee," he says in amount, "thy clemency also
presents itself to my mind, so that I have no doubt that thou wilt be merciful
to me, it being impossible for thee to divest thyself of thy own nature: the
very fact that thou art God is to me a sure guarantee that thou wilt be
merciful." At the same time let it be understood, that he does not
here speak of a confused knowledge of the grace of God, but of such a knowledge
of it as enables the sinner to conclude with certainty, that as soon as he seeks
God he shall find him ready to be reconciled towards him. It is not therefore
surprising that among the Papists there is no steady calling upon God, when we
consider that, in consequence of their mingling their own merits, satisfactions,
and worthy preparation - as they term it - with the grace of God, they continue
always in suspense and doubt respecting their reconciliation with God. Thus it
comes to pass, that by praying they only augment their own sorrows and torments,
just as if a man should lay wood upon a fire already kindled. Whoever would reap
profit from the exercise of prayer, must necessarily begin with free remission
of sins. It is also proper to mark the final cause - as we say - for which God
is inclined to forgive, and never comes forward without showing himself easy to
be pacified towards those who serve him; which is the absolute necessity of this
hope of obtaining forgiveness, to the existence of piety, and the worship of God
in the world. This is another principle of which the Papists are ignorant. They,
indeed, make long sermons
fe118 about the fear of God, but, by keeping
poor souls in perplexity and doubt, they build without a foundation. The first
step to the right serving of God unquestionably is, to submit ourselves to him
willingly and with a free heart. The doctrine which Paul teaches concerning
alms-deeds,
<470907>2
Corinthians 9:7, that "God loveth a cheerful giver," is to be extended to all
parts of the life. How is it possible for any man to offer himself cheerfully to
God unless he rely upon his grace, and be certainly persuaded that the obedience
lie yields is pleasing to him? When this is not the case all men will rather
shun God, and be afraid to appear in his presence, and if they do not altogether
turn their back upon him, they will catch at subterfuges. In short, the sense of
God's judgment, unless conjoined with the hope of forgiveness, strikes men with
terror, which must necessarily engender hatred. It is no doubt true, that the
sinner, who, alarmed at the Divine threatenings, is tormented in himself, does
not. despise God, but yet lie shuns him; and this shunning of him is downright
apostasy and rebellion. Whence it follows, that men never serve God aright
unless they know that he is a gracious and merciful being. The other reason to
which I have adverted must also be remembered, which is, that unless we are
assured that what we offer to God is acceptable to him, we will be seized with
indolence and stupidity which will keep us from doing our duty. Although
unbelievers often show a great deal of earnestness, just as we see the Papists
laboriously occupied with their superstitions, yet, from their not being
persuaded that God is reconciled to them, they do not all the while render to
him any voluntary obedience. Were they not held back by a slavish fear, the
horrible rebellion of their heart, which this fear keeps hidden and suppressed,
would soon manifest itself
externally.
Psalm
130:5-6
5. I have waited for
Jehovah, my soul hath waited; and I have hoped in his word. 6. My soul
hath waited for the Lord before the watchers of the morning, idea, before the
watchers of the mourning.
5.
I have waited for
Jehovah. After having testified in
general that God is ready to show mercy to poor sinners who betake themselves to
him, the Psalmist concludes that he is thereby encouraged to entertain good
hope. The past tense in the verbs wait and trust is put for the
present. I have
waited for I wait; I have hoped
for I hope. The repetition occurring in the first part of the verse
is emphatic; and the word soul gives additional emphasis, implying, as it
does, that the Prophet trusted in God even with the deepest affections of his
heart. From this we also gather that he was not only patient and constant in the
sight. of men, but that even in the inward feelings of his heart he had
maintained quietness and patience before God; which is a very evident proof of
faith. Many, no doubt, are restrained by vain glory from openly murmuring
against God or betraying their distrust, but there is hardly one in ten who,
when removed from the inspection of his fellow-men, and in his own heart, waits
for God with a quiet mind. The Psalmist adds, in the concluding clause, that
what supported his patience was the confidence which he reposed in the divine
promises. Were these promises taken away, the grace of God would necessarily
vanish from our sight, and thus our hearts would fail and be overwhelmed with
despair. Besides, he teaches us, that our being contented with the word of God
alone affords a genuine proof of our hope. When a man, embracing the word,
becomes assured of having his welfare attended to by God, this assurance will be
the mother of waiting or patience. Although the Prophet here speaks to himself
for the purpose of confirming his faith, yet there is no doubt that he suggests
to all the children of God like matter of confidence in reference to themselves.
In the first place he sets before them the word, that they may depend entirely
upon it; and next he warns them that faith is vain and ineffectual unless it
frame us to patience.
6.
My soul hath waited for the
Lord before the watchers of the morning.
In this verse he expresses both the ardor and the perseverance of his
desire. In saying that he anticipated the watchmen, he shows by this similitude
with what diligence and alacrity he breathed after God. And the repetition is a
proof of his perseverance; for there is no doubt that thereby he intended to
express an uninterrnitted continuance of the same course, and consequently
perseverance. Both these qualities in his exercise, are worthy of attention; for
it is too manifest how slow and cold we are in elevating our minds to God, and
also how easily we are shaken and even fall at every little blast of wind.
Farther, as the watches of the night were in ancient times usually divided into
four parts, this passage may be explained as implying that as the watchmen of
the night, who keep watch by turns, are careful in looking when the morning will
dawn, so the Prophet looked to God with the greatest attention of mind. But the
more natural sense seems to be, that as in the morning the warders of the gates
are more wakeful than all other people, and are the earliest in rising, that
they may appear at the posts assigned them, so the mind of the Prophet hastened
with all speed to seek God. The repetition, as I have already observed:, shows
that he stood keeping his gaze perseveringly fixed upon its object. We must
always beware of allowing our fervor to languish through the weariness of delay,
should the Lord for any length of time keep us in
suspense.
fe119
Psalm
130:7-8
7. But let Israel hope in
Jehovah; for with Jehovah there is mercy, and with him there is plenteous
redemption. 8. And he shall redeem Israel from all his
iniquities.
fe120
7.
But let Israel hope in
Jehovah. After having spoken of himself,
and exhibited in his own person an example for all to follow, he now applies the
doctrine to the whole body of the Church. It is to be noticed that the
foundation upon which he would have the hope of all the godly to rest is the
mercy of God, the source from which redemption springs. In the first clause he
reminds them that although they bring with them no worth or merits of their own,
it ought to suffice them that God is merciful. This mutual relation between the
faith of the Church and the free goodness of God is to be attentively marked, to
the end we may know that all those who, depending upon their own merits,
persuade themselves that God will be their rewarder, have not their hope
regulated according to the rule of Scripture. From this mercy, as from a
fountain, the Prophet derives redemption; for there is no other cause which
moves God to manifest himself as the redeemer of his people but his mercy. He
describes this redemption as plenteous, that the faithful, even when
reduced to the last extremity, may sustain themselves from the consideration
that there are in the hand of God many and incredible means by which to save
them. This Psalm may have been composed at a time when the Church was in so very
afflicted a condition as might have discouraged one and all, had not the
infinite greatness of the power of God served as a buckler to defend them. The
true use of the present doctrine is, first, that the faithful, even when plunged
in the deepest gulfs, should not doubt of their deliverance being in the hand of
God, who, whenever necessity shall require, will be able to find means, which
are now hidden and unknown to us; and, secondly, that they should hold it as
certain, that as often as the Church shall be afflicted he will manifest himself
to be her deliverer. To this truth the sentence immediately following
refers.
8.
And he shall redeem Israel
from all his iniquities. Here the
Psalmist applies more closely to the Church what he has said in the preceding
verse. He concludes that it is not to be doubted that God, who has it in his
power to save by multiplied means, will prove himself the deliverer of the
people whom he has chosen. By these words he teaches us, that when we have
evidence of our being adopted by God, we ought also to regard our salvation as
certain. His meaning might be explained more familiarly in this way: As to
redeem is the continual office of God, and as he is not the redeemer of all men
indiscriminately, but only of his chosen people, there is no reason for
apprehending that the faithful will not emerge from all calamities; for were it
otherwise, God would cease to execute the office which he claims to himself. He
repeats the sentiment of the preceding verse, that, provided Israel with all
humility draw near to God to plead for pardon, his sins will not be an obstacle
in the way of God's showing himself his redeemer. Although the Hebrew word,
ˆw[
, avon, is often put for the punishment of
sin, yet it also contains a tacit reference to the fault. Whenever, then, God
promises a mitigation of the punishment, he at the same time gives assurance
that he will pardon the sins; or rather in offering to sinners a gratuitious
reconciliation, he promises them forgiveness. According to this exposition it is
here said that he will redeem his Church, not from the captivity of Babylon, or
from the tyranny and oppression of enemies, or from penury, or, in short, from
any other disasters but from sin; for until God pardon the sins of the men whom
he afflicts, deliverance is not to be hoped for. Let us then learn from this
passage in what way we are to expect deliverance from all calamities, or the
order which it becomes us to observe in seeking it. Remission of sins always
goes first, without which nothing will come to a favorable issue. Those who only
desire to shake off the punishment are like silly invalids, who are careless
about the disease itself with which they are afflicted, provided the symptoms
which occasion them trouble for a time are removed. In order, then, that God may
deliver us from our miseries, we must chiefly endeavor to be brought to a state
of favor with him by obtaining the remission of our sins. If this is not
obtained, it will avail us little to have the temporal punishment remitted; for
that often happens even to the reprobate themselves. This is true and
substantial deliverance, when God, by blotting out our sins, shows himself
merciful towards us. Whence, also, we gather, that having once obtained
forgiveness, we have no reason to be afraid of our being excluded from free
access to, and from enjoying the ready exercise of, the loving-kindness and
mercy of God; for to redeem from
iniquity is equivalent to moderating
punishments or chastisements. This serves as an argument to disprove the
preposterous invention of the Papists respecting satisfactions and purgatory, as
if God, in forgiving the fault, still reserved for a future time the execution
of the punishment upon the sinner. If it is objected that the Lord sometimes
punishes those whom he has already pardoned; in reply, I grant that he does not
always, at the very moment in which he reconciles men to himself, show them the
tokens of his favor, for he chastises them to render them circumspect for the
future, but while he does this, he in the meantime fails not to moderate his
rigour. This, however, forms no part of the satisfactions by which the Papists
imagine that they present to God the half of the price of their redemption. In
innumerable passages of Scripture, where God promises to his people outward
blessings, he always begins with a promise of the pardon of sin. It is therefore
the grossest ignorance to say, that God does not remit the punishment till they
have pacified him by their works. Moreover, while God's intention in inflicting
some punishments or chastisements upon the faithful, is to. bring them to yield
a more perfect obedience to his law, the Papists are mistaken in extending these
punishments beyond death. But it is not wonderful to find them heaping together
so many heathenish dreams, seeing they adhere not to the true and only way of
reconciliation, which is, that God is merciful only to such as seek the
expiation of their sins in the sacrifice of Christ. It is to be noticed that it
is said from all iniquities, that poor sinners, although they feel
themselves to be guilty in many ways, may not cease to cherish the hope that God
will be merciful to them.
PSALM
131
David, having it as his object in this Psalm to
encourage the people to fight strenuously under his banner, and to exhort and
excite the godly to acknowledge him as entitled to their obedience, declares
that he had always submitted himself to the guidance of God, and had done
nothing without his call and commission.
A Song of Degrees
of David.
Psalm
131:1
1. O Jehovah! My heart has not
been elated, nor have mine eyes been lifted up, neither have I walked in great
matters, or in, things shut up from me.
1.
O Jehovah! My heart has not
been elated David had been made head
over God's people, and in order to prove that he was their lawful prince,
entitled to the allegiance of the faithful, he is desirous to show that he had
not been influenced, in anything which he had attempted, by ambition or pride,
but had submitted himself with a quiet and humble spirit to the divine disposal.
In this he teaches us a very useful lesson, and one by which we should be ruled
in life — to be contented with the lot which God has marked out for us, to
consider what he calls us to, and not to aim at fashioning our own lot - to be
moderate in our desires, to avoid entering upon rash undertakings, and to
confine ourselves cheerfully within our own sphere, instead of attempting great
things. He denies that his heart
had, been lifted up, for this is the
true cause of all unwarranted rashness and presumption in conduct Is not pride
what leads men, under the instigation of their passions, to dare such
presumptuous flights, to hurry on recklessly in their course, and throw the
whole world into confusion? Were this loftiness of spirit checked, the
consequence would be, that all men would study moderation of conduct. His
eyes were not; lifted up; there were no symptoms of pride in his looks or
gestures, as elsewhere
(<191828>Psalm
18:28) we find proud looks condemned. Something more than this, however, may be
intended, That while he put a restraint upon the risings of ambition in his
heart, he was careful that his eyes should not lend their assistance to the
heart in any covetous aspirations after greatness. All the senses, in short, as
well as his heart, were subjected to the restraints of humility. In denying that
he walked
in, or was conversant with, great
things, he must be supposed to refer to the disposition or temper of his
soul. For, to hold as he did the office of a Prophet, to be invested with regal
dignity, nay, to sit upon the sacred throne of the only-begotten Son of God, not
to speak of other distinctions with which he was honored above the generality of
men, were great things. But the expression was applicable, in so far as he
strictly confined himself to the one object of being serviceable to God and to
the Church. Should any still be inclined to lay an undue stress upon the word
which is here employed, I would observe that the words from or above
me, at the close of the verse, are to be considered as connected with what
David here says of great things, as well as of the things
shut
up, or
hidden,
so that we may read I have not walked in great things which are above
me. The question, therefore, was not whether the lot of David was mean or
exalted; it is enough that he was careful not to pass beyond the proper bounds
of his calling. He did not think himself at liberty to move one step unless
called to it by God.
His submission in such
matters stands contrasted with the presumption of those who, without any call
from God, hurry themselves into unwarrantable undertakings, and involve
themselves in duties which properly belong to others; for so long as we have a
clear call from God things cannot be said to be shut up or hidden from us, or
too great for us, provided we stand ready for all obedience; and, on the other
hand, those who yield themselves up to the influence of ambition will soon lose
themselves in a labyrinth of perplexity. We see how God confounds the proud and
boasted enterprises of the children of this world. They run the full course of
their wild career, they turn the earth upside down at their pleasure, and put
forth their hand in every direction; they are filled with complacency at the
thought of their own talents and industry, and, in a moment, when all their
plans have been fully formed, they are entirely overthrown, because there is no
solidity in them. There are two different forms which the presumption of those
takes who will not submit to be humble followers of God, but must needs run
before him. Some rush forward with a reckless precipitancy, and seem as if they
would build to the skies; others do not so openly exhibit the inordinateness of
their desires, are slower in their movements, and cautiously calculate upon the
future, and yet their presumption appears no less from the very fact, that, with
a total oversight of God, as if heaven and earth were subject to them. they pass
their decree as to what shall be done by them some ten or twenty years
hereafter. These build, as it were, in the deep sea. But never shall it come to
the surface, however extended may be the term of their lives; while those who,
like David, submit themselves to God, keeping in their own sphere, moderate in
their desires, will enjoy a life of tranquillity and
assurance.
Psalm
131:2-3
2. If I have not set, and
quieted and my soul like one that is weaned frown his mother, - My soul is over
me as a weaned child. 3. Israel shall hope in Jehovah from henceforth,
and for ever.
2.
If I have not
set, etc. He here employs a figure which
appropriately explains what he meant, and likens himself to a weaned child; by
which is intended, that he dismissed all the anxieties which disquiet the man of
ambition, and was willing to be satisfied with small things. This assertion,
which some might be inclined to disbelieve, he makes with an oath, expressed in
that particular form of which I have elsewhere taken notice, in which the
imprecation is not directly brought forward, but left to be understood, to teach
us caution in the use of God's name.
fe121 As to the words,
to set his soul like a
child, is as if he had said, that he
would frame it into such a likeness. And this with the view, as he declares,
of composing himself to silence. For
ytmmwd
domaintee, is formed from
µwd
dum, and has the active sense of reducing to silence. The quiet
of soul he alludes to is opposed to those tumultuous desires by which many
cause disquietude to themselves, and are the means of throwing the world into
agitation. The figure of childhood is elsewhere used in another sense, to convey
reprehension.
(<232809>Isaiah
28:9.)
"Whom shall I
teach knowledge?
them that are
weaned from the milk? and drawn from the breasts?"
where the Prophet censures the people for their
slowness of apprehension, and being as incapable of profiting by instruction as
infants. In the passage now before us, what is recommended is that
simplicity of which Christ spake,
"Unless ye become like
this little child, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of
God." fe122
(<401803>Matthew
18:3)
The vain desires with which men are carried away,
originate in their seeking to be wise and careful above what is
necessary. David adds accordingly,
my soul over me is
quieted, not as expressing the
language of self-confidence, but speaking as if his soul lay sweetly and
peacefully on his bosom, undisturbed by inordinate desires. He contrasts the
wayward and tumultuous agitation which prevails in those of a discontented
spirit, with the peace which reigns in the man who abides in the calling of the
Lord. From the verse with which the Psalm closes, we see the reason why David
asserted his having undertaken nothing in the spirit of a carnal ambition. He
calls upon Israel to hope in the
Lord, words which must have been abrupt
had it not deeply concerned the common safety of the Church, to know that he sat
upon the throne of the kingdom by Divine appointment, in which case the faithful
would be certain of the bestowment of the promised blessing. Our hope is of the
right kind when we cherish humble and sober views of ourselves, and neither wish
nor attempt anything without the leading and approbation of
God.
PSALM
132
The writer of this Psalm, whoever he may have
been
fe123 here, in the name of all the faithful,
puts God in remembrance of his promise, that he would never suffer his house or
kingdom to fail, but support and defend both.
A Song of
Degrees.
Psalm
132:1-5
1. O Jehovah! Remember
David, and all his affliction: 2. Who sware to Jehovah, vowed to the
Mighty One of Jacob. 3. If; shall enter into the tabernacle of my house,
if I shall go up upon the cover of my
couch,
fe124 4. If I give sleep to mine eyes,
slumber to mine eyelids, 5. Until I, find a place for Jehovah,
habitations
fe125 for the Mighty One of Jacob -
fe126
1.O
Jehovah! remember David. Interpreters
are not agreed respecting the penman of this Psalm, though there is little doubt
that it was either David or Solomon. At the solemn dedication of the Temple,
when Solomon prayed, several verses are mentioned in the sacred history as
having been quoted by him, from which we may infer that the Psalm was
sufficiently well known to the people, or that Solomon applied a few words of it
for an occasion in reference to which he had written the whole Psalm. The name
of David is prominently mentioned, because it was to him that the continuance of
the kingdom and Temple was promised, and though dead, this could not affect the
truthfulness of God's word. The Church could very properly pray in the manner
which is here done, that God would perform what he had promised to his servant
David, not as a private individual, but in favor of all his people. It was
therefore a preposterous idea of the Papists to argue from this passage that we
may be benefitted by the intercession of the dead. Just as if the faithful were
here to be understood as calling up an advocate from the tomb to plead their
cause with God, when it is abundantly evident from the context that they look
entirely to the covenant which God had made with David, knowing well that though
given to one man, it was with the understanding that it should be communicated
to all. There is a propriety why mention should be made of his
affliction
or humiliation. Some render the word meekness, but there is no
reason for this whatsoever. In
<140642>2
Chronicles 6:42, it is true we read of
µydsj;
that is, mercies, which I consider to be there understood in the
passive sense, as meaning the benefits which had been conferred upon David; but
I am clearly of opinion that here the reference is to the anxious cares, the
numerous difficulties and struggles which David had to undergo, so long as he
was kept by God in suspense. Remember, as if it had been said, the great
anxieties, the heavy troubles, which David endured before he came to the
kingdom, and how fervently and earnestly he desired to build the Temple, though
he was not allowed to do it during his whole life. The dangers, labors, and
troubles which he underwent, must clearly have confirmed the faith of God's
people in the truth of the divine oracle, inasmuch as they showed how firmly and
certainly he was himself convinced of the truth of what God had spoken. Some
insert the copulative reading, remember David and affliction; but of this
I do not approve. The particle
ta
eth, rather denotes that special respect in which they would have David
remembered, viz., as regarded his afflictions, or that he might come forth
before the view of God with his afflictions, and obtain his desire according to
them.
2.
Who sware to
Jehovah. One affliction of David is
particularly mentioned, That he was filled with perplexity on account of the
situation of the Ark. Moses had commanded the people ages before to worship God
in the place which he had chosen.
(<051205>Deuteronomy
12:5.) David knew that the full time had now arrived when the particular place
should be made apparent, and yet was in some hesitation — a state of
things which was necessarily attended with much anxiety, especially to one who
was so ardently attached to the worship of God, and so vehemently desirous to
have the fixed presence of God with the nation, for its defense and government.
It is said that he swore to see to the building of the Temple, and to postpone
every other consideration to the accomplishment of this
object.
fe127 The objurgation may seem to assume a
somewhat too harsh and severe form, when he declares his resolution to refuse
sleep, his food, and the common supports of life, until a place should have been
set apart for the Temple. To have acted in this way would have been to show an
inconsiderate zeal, for it did not become him to prescribe the time to God, nor
was it possible for him to endure any number of fasting days or sleepless
nights. Then when are we to consider that this vow was taken? I am aware indeed
that some Hebrew writers judge it to have been at that period when he fell down
trembling at the sight of the angel; but, without denying that the plot of
ground was pointed out to him immediately after that circumstance, it is
altogether a forced and unsupported conjecture to say, that what had so long
been in the thoughts of David was conceived at that exact time. Nor is there
anything which should prevent us from supposing that his language is here to be
understood as hyperbolical, and that this was not a vow in the strict form of
it, but to be understood in a qualified sense - that he would never enter his
house, nor ascend his couch, without feeling a concern upon this subject. He
felt persuaded that the settlement of the sanctuary was intimately connected
with the state of the kingdom; and we need not be surprised that so long as he
was kept in uncertainty regarding the place of the Temple, he should scarcely
have felt assured of his very crown, and have been incapable of sharing the
ordinary comforts of life with any satisfaction. Still, where Scripture has been
silent we can say nothing certain; and I may throw out these things as what
seems to me the most probable interpretation. And I think the sense of the
passage may very well bear to be that which I have mentioned, That until
informed of the place of the Ark's destined residence, David was full of concern
and anxiety, dwelling in his house, or when he lay upon his bed. As to the vow
itself, this and other passages afford no ground for supposing, with the
Papists, that God approves of whatever vows they may utter, without regard to
the nature of them. To vow unto God that which he has himself declared to be
agreeable to him, is a commendable practice; but it is too much presumption on
our part to say that we will rush upon such vows as suit our carnal inclination.
The great thing is that we consider what is agreeable to his will, otherwise we
may be found depriving him of that wherein indeed his principal right lies, for
with him "to obey is better than sacrifice."
(<091522>1
Samuel 15:22.)
Psalm
132:6-9
6. Lo! We heard of it at
Ephratha; we found it in the fields of the wood. 7. We will go into his
habitations, we will worship at his footstool. 8. Arise, O Jehova! Into
thy rest, thou, and the Ark of thy strength. 9. Let thy priests be
clothed with righteousness, and let thy meek ones
rejoice.
6.
Lo! we heard of it at
Ephratha. This verse is obscure, and we
need not wonder at the difficulty which interpreters have felt in ascertaining
its meaning. First, the relative
pronoun
fe128 being of the feminine gender has no
antecedent, and we are forced to suppose that it must refer to the word
habitation
in the foregoing sentence, although there it reads
habitations,
in the plural number. But the principal difficulty lies in the word
Ephratha,
because the Ark of the Covenant was never placed there. If the reference be
to past time, Shiloh should have been the place mentioned; but as it is plain
the Psalmist speaks of its new residence, the question returns, why
Ephratha and not Zion is specified? Some would get rid of the difficulty by
resorting to a frivolous conceit, That the place had two names, and that the
plat of ground which was shown to David
(<102418>2
Samuel 24:18;
<132118>1
Chronicles 21:18) was called Ephratha, because it was fertile, on which
account Jerome styles it
karpoforian,
and yet is not very consistent with himself, for in another place, when he
gets into his allegories, he most absurdly interprets it to mean frenzy.
I have no doubt whatever that the word comes from
hrp
parah, which means to bear fruit;
just as Bethlehem, which is situated in the same quarter, was called for its
fruitfulness "the house of bread." But any conjecture founded upon the mere name
of the place is necessarily unsatisfactory, and we must seek some more probable
explanation. I might begin by mentioning one which is not without force. A rumor
had spread that the Ark of the Covenant was to be deposited in Ephratha, which
was the place of David's nativity
fe129, and we may suppose at least that his
native soil would seem to many the most appropriate locality for the Ark and
Sanctuary. We can easily understand how such an opinion should get abroad. In
that case the hearing referred to by the Psalmist alludes to the report which
had been circulated. Should this be taken as the meaning, the verb would be in
the pluperfect tense, we HAD
heard that it was in Ephratha, but we
found it in the woods, that is, in a place by no means so attractive or well
cultivated. Jerusalem might be said to be woody, because we know that it was
surrounded by mountains, and that it was by no means in a part of the country
which was noted for fruitfulness. There is another meaning which I would submit
to the judgment of the reader. Let us suppose that the faithful here say that
they had heard of its being in
Ephratha, because God had spoken still
greater things of Ephratha than of Zion. It is true that the memorable
prediction
(<330502>Micah
5:2) had not yet been given, yet it may have been that God had already issued
some very great and signal prophecy regarding Bethlehem. We have heard, as if
they had said, of Bethlehem, but it is only as yet a dim expectation which we
have in reference to that place, and in the meantime we must worship God in this
place of the woods, looking forward to the fulfillment of the promise regarding
Ephratha. This interpretation, however, is far fetched, nor would I venture to
adopt it, or at least recommend it to others as the right one. The simpler way
seems to be to understand the word
Ephratha
as applying to David personally, and not so much to the place of that name,
the declaration of the Psalmist being to this effect - that now when God had
chosen a king from Ephratha, the place would necessarily at the same time
be marked out for the Ark of the Covenant. It is said,
have
heard, for the fixing of the place of
the Sanctuary depended upon the will of God; nor until this was declared could
men determine it according to their own fancy. The fact that now upon David's
mounting the throne this illustrious oracle concerning the permanent settlement
of the Temple was to take effect, afforded good ground of thanksgiving. We have
proof here that the people of God did not deposit the Ark at random in any
place, but had express directions from God himself as to the place where he
would be worshipped - all proper worship proceeding from faith, while faith
cometh by hearing.
(<451017>Romans
10:17.) Mount Zion had no peculiar excellencies almost to recommend it; but
having once heard that it was the object of God's choice, they show that they
consider it wrong to call the matter in
question.
7.
We will go into his
habitations. Here he dictates to all the
Lord's people a common form of mutual exhortation to the duty of going up to the
place which had been pointed out by the Angel. The clearer the intimation God
may have given of his will, the more alacrity should we show in obeying it.
Accordingly, the Psalmist intimates that now when the people had ascertained
beyond all doubt the place of God's choice, they should admit of no
procrastination, and show all the more alacrity as God was calling them more
closely, and with a more privileged familiarity, to himself, now that he had
selected a certain place of rest amongst them. He thus passes a virtual
condemnation upon the lukewarmness of those whose zeal does not increase in
proportion to the measure of revelation which they enjoy.
Habitations
are spoken of in the plural number, and this it may be (though we may doubt
whether the Psalmist had such minute distinctions in his eye) because there was
in the temple an inner sanctuary, a middle apartment, and then the court. It is
of more importance to attend to the epithet which follows, where the Psalmist
calls the Ark of the Covenant God's footstool, to intimate that the
sanctuary could never contain the immensity of God's essence, as men were apt
absurdly to imagine. The mere outward temple with all its majesty being no more
than his foot. stool, his people were called upon to look upwards to the heavens
and fix their contemplations with due reverence upon God himself. We know that
they were prohibited from forming any low and carnal view of him. Elsewhere, it
is true, we find it called "God's face,"
(<192808>Psalm
28:8,) to confirm the faith of the people in looking to this divine symbol which
was set before them. Both ideas are brought out very distinctly in the passage
before us, that, on the one hand, it is mere superstition to suppose God
confined to the temple, and that, on the other hand, the external symbols are
not without their use in the Church - that, in short, we should improve these as
helps to our faith, but not rest in them. While God dwells in heaven, and is
above all heavens, we must avail ourselves of helps in rising to the knowledge
of him; and in giving us symbols of his presence, he sets, as it were, his feet
upon the earth, and suffers us to touch them. It is thus that the Holy Spirit
condescends for our profit, and in accommodation to our infirmity, raising our
thoughts to heavenly and divine things by these worldly elements. In reference
to this passage, we are called to notice the amazing ignorance of the Second
Council of Nice, in which these worthy weak
Fathers
fe130A of ours wrested it into a proof of
idolatry, as if David or Solomon commanded the people to erect statues to God
and worship them. Now, that the Mosiac ceremonies are abolished we worship at
the footstool of God, when we yield a reverential submission to. his word, and
rise from the sacraments to a true spiritual service of him. Knowing that God
has not descended from heaven directly or in his absolute character, but that.
his feet, are withdrawn from us, being placed on a footstool, we should be
careful to rise to him by the intermediate steps. Christ is he not only on whom
the feet of God rest, but in whom the whole fullness of God's essence and glory
resides, and in him, therefore, we should seek the Father. With this view he
descended, that we might rise
heavenward.
8.
Arise, O
Jehovah?
fe130 Such language as this, inviting
the great God who fills heaven and earth to come into a new place of residence,
might seem strange and harsh, but the external symbols of religion which God had
appointed are spoken of in these exalted terms to put honor upon them, and the
better to ensure to them the regard of God's people. Should God institute no
medium of intercourse, and call us to a direct communication with heaven, the
great distance at which we stand from him would strike us with dismay, and
paralyze invocation. Although, therefore, he does not thereby change place
himself, he is felt by us to draw sensibly nearer. It was thus that he descended
amongst his ancient people by the Ark of the Covenant, which he designed to be a
visible emblem of his power and grace being present amongst them. Accordingly,
the second clause of the verse is of an exegetical character, informing
the Church that God was to be understood as having come in the sense of making a
conspicuous display of his power in connection with the Ark. Hence it is called
the Ark of his
strength, not a mere dead idle shadow to
look upon, but what certainly declared God's nearness to his Church. By the
rest
spoken of we are to understand Mount Zion, because, as we shall see
afterwards, God was ever afterwards to be worshiped only in that
place.
9.
Let thy
priests, etc. He now prays in general
for the prosperity of the Church, as what stood intimately connected with the
previous statement, the promotion of our best interests being the great end for
which God dwells amongst us. Some construe the words into a wish that the
worship of God might be maintained in its purity, and think that the Psalmist
prays that the priests might be clothed with holiness in allusion to their
sacred garments. Upon a closer view of the words and the whole context, I am
rather inclined to be of another opinion, and to consider this a prayer that the
righteousness of God might be displayed amongst the people, being as an ornament
upon the priests, and communicating joy to all the people. Thus I take
righteousness
to mean the fruit or effects of righteousness, and this the righteousness of
God, not of men. The
priests
are of course mentioned first, as holding a higher place in the appointed
order of the Church; while they have their due place assigned to them, it is
still the Church collectively to which the prayer refers as though the Psalmist
requested that the glory of this righteousness should be reflected from the
priests upon the people generally. God:is said to clothe us with his
righteousness when he appears as our Savior and help, defends us by his power,
and shows in his government of us that we are the objects of his care. The
rejoicing which is spoken of must have reference to a life of happiness.
And these two things being joined together may convince us that by
righteousness
nothing else is meant than God's guardianship
and government. Consistently with this we find it said afterwards - " Thy
priests shall be clothed with salvation;" and I may add, that Solomon:. in the
solemn prayer already referred to,
(<140641>2
Chronicles 6:41,) makes no mention of righteousness, but of salvation. I have
repeatedly given the reason why the saints of God are called
µydysj
chasidim, or merciful ones, because
mercy or beneficence is that grace which assimilates us most to
God.
Psalm
132:10-12
10. For thy servant
David's sake turn not away the face of thy Christ. 11. Jehovah has sworn
to David in truth, nor will he turn from it; of the fruit of thy belly will I
set upon thy throne. 12. If thy children will keep my covenant and my,
testimonies which I will teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy
throne for evermore.
10.
For thy servant David's
sake, etc. Some would connect the first
part of the verse with the preceding. without adducing reasons against this, it
must at once strike the reader that this verse must be taken together. Before
entering upon an explanation of the Psalmist's meaning I may just say that it
would be to put a forced sense upon the words were we to understand by
turning away the face of thy Christ - depriving us of a view of
the Redeemer. We may infer with certainty from Solomon's prayer, that they are a
request that God would show favor to the king. The same expression is employed
by Bathsheba in the request which she made to her son Solomon, "Turn not
away thy face," meaning that he would not cast her out of his sight.
(<110220>1
Kings 2:20.) It is an expression tantamount to shewing displeasure; and
we might say a word or two in reference to it because the other idea of
referring the words to our Redeemer is plausible, and might mislead persons of
little discernment. Nothing more, then, is here asked than that God would not
despise and reject the prayers which David had preferred in the name of all the
people. The favor is asked for David's sake, only because God had made a
covenant with him. So far as that privilege was concerned, he did not stand
exactly upon the footing of any other ordinary man. The prayer, in short, is to
the effect that God in remembrance of his promise would show favor to the
posterity of David, for though this prayer for the Church must be considered as
dictated to each of the kings, the foundation was in the person of David. The
Church was thus taught figuratively that Christ, as Mediator, would make
intercession for all his people. As yet he had not appeared in the flesh, nor
entered by the sacrifice of himself into the Holiest of all, and in the meantime
the people had a figurative Mediator to embolden them in their
supplications.
11.
Jehovah sware unto
David.
fe131 Here he brings out the idea
still more clearly, that the only thing he had respect to in David was the free
promise which God had made to him. He takes notice of the fact, as confirmatory
to his faith, that God had ratified the promise by oath. As to the particular
words used, he speaks of God having sworn in truth, that is, not fallaciously,
but in good faith, so that no doubt could be entertained of his departing from
his word. The thing promised was a successor to David of his own seed; for
though he did not want children, he had already almost despaired of the regular
succession, from the fatal confusions which prevailed in his family, and the
discord which internally rent his household, and might eventually ruin it.
Solomon was particularly marked out, but the promise extended to a continuous
line of successors. This arrangement affected the welfare of the whole Church,
and not of David only, and the people of Godare encouraged by the assurance,
that the kingdom which he had established amongst them was possessed of a sacred
and enduring stability. Both king and people needed to be reminded of this
divine foundation upon which it rested. We see how insolently the sovereigns of
this world often deport themselves - filled with pride, though in words they may
acknowledge that they reign by the grace of God. How often, besides, do they
violently usurp the throne; how rarely do they come to it in a regular manner. A
distinction is therefore drawn between the kingdoms of this world and that which
David held by the sacred tenure of God's own
oracle.
12.
If thy sons keep my
covenant. More distinct. notice is now
taken of the descending line, by which the perpetuity of the
succession, as I have already shown, is pointed out. Sons of princes
commonly succeed them in this world by right of inheritance, but there was this
undoubted peculiarity of privilege in the case of David's kingdom, that God
expressly declared that he would always have a descendant from his body upon the
throne, not for one age merely, but for ever. For though that kingdom was for a
time destroyed, it was restored again, and had its everlasting establishment in
Christ. Here the question occurs - Did the continuance of the kingdom rest upon
good conduct, or human merit? for the terms of this agreement would seem to
suggest that God's covenant would not be made good, unless men faithfully
performed their part, and that thus the effect of the grace promised was
suspended upon obedience. We must remember, in the first place, that the
covenant was perfectly gratuitous, so far as related to God's promise of sending
a Savior and Redeemer, because this stood connected with the original adoption
of those to whom the promise was made, which was itself free. Indeed the
treachery and rebellion of the nation did not prevent God from sending forth his
Son, and this was a public proof that he was not influenced by the consideration
of their good conduct. Hence Paul says,
(<450303>Romans
3:3,)
"What if some did
not believe
is therefore the truth
of God of none effect?"
intimating that God had not withdrawn his favor from
the Jews, having chosen them freely of his grace. We know, too, that
notwithstanding their efforts, as if it had been of set purpose, to destroy the
promises, God met their malicious opposition with displays of his marvellous
love, made his truth and faithfulness to emerge in a most triumphant manner, and
showed that he stood firm to his own purpose, independently of any merit of
theirs. This may serve to show in what sense the covenant was not conditional;
but as there were other things which were accessories to the
covenant,
fe132 a condition was appended, to the effect
that God would bless them if they obeyed his commandments. The Jews, for
declining from this obedience, were removed into exile. God seemed at that time
"to make void or profane his covenant," as we have seen elsewhere. The
dispersion was a kind of breaking of the covenant, but only in part and to
appearance. This will be brought out more clearly by reference to what we learn,
from sacred history, to have occurred shortly after David's death. By the
defection of the ten tribes the kingdom suffered a severe blow, only a small
portion of it being left. Afterwards it was reduced by fresh disasters, till at
length it was torn up by the root. And although their return from the captivity
gave some hope of restoration, there was no one bearing the name of king, and
any dignity that attached to Zerubbabel was but obscure, till kings sprung up
who were spurious, and not of the right line. In this case would we not have
said that the covenant of God was abolished? and yet, as the Redeemer came forth
from the very source predicted, it is plain that it stood firm and stable. In
this sense it is said by Ezekiel of the crown,
(<262126>Ezekiel
21:26,)
"Remove the diadem;
reversed, reversed, reversed shall it
be,
till he come whose it
is;"
where the Prophet might seem to cancel what God had
written with his own hand, and nullify his promise, for the safety of the people
stood intimately connected with the throne, according to the expression we find
in the Lamentations,
"The breath of our
nostrils, the anointed of the
Lord,
was taken in their pits."
(<250420>Lamentations
4:20)
The Prophet, we say, might seem to strike directly
against the covenant made by God, when he speaks of the crown being taken away,
and yet what he adds in the subsequent part of the sentence, proves that
covenant, in so far as it was gratuitous, to have been everlasting and
inviolable, since he holds out the promise of the Redeemer, notwithstanding the
conduct of the Jews, which was such as to exclude them temporarily from the
divine, favor. God, on the one hand, took vengeance upon the people for their
ingratitude, so as to show that the terms of the covenant did not run
conditionally to no purpose; while on the other, at the coming of Christ there
was a free performance of what had been freely promised, the crown being set
upon Christ's head. The obedience which God demands is particularly stated to be
the obedience of his covenant, to teach us that we must not serve him by human
inventions, but confine ourselves within the prescription of his
word.
Psalm
132:13-16
13. Seeing that Jehovah
has chosen Zion,
fe133 he hath desired it for his habitation.
14. This is my rest for ever, here will I dwell: because I have desired
it. 15. Blessing I will bless her provision, I will satisfy her poor with
bread; 16. And I will clothe her priests with
salvation
fe134 and her merciful ones shall shout aloud
for joy.
13.
Seeing that Jehovah has chosen
Zion. By coupling the kingdom with the
priesthood and sanctuary service, he declares it still more emphatically to have
been of divine and not human appointment. The connection is not to be
overlooked, on another account. The true strength and stability of that kingdom
were in Christ, and Christ's kingdom is inseparable from his priesthood. This
may explain why mention is made of Zion being chosen. God decreed nothing in
relation to the kingdom, but what had a certain connection with the sanctuary,
the more perfectly to prefigure the Mediator who was to come, and who was both
priest and king, after the order of Melchizedek. The kingdom and tabernacle
were, therefore, closely allied. Notice is taken of the reason upon which the
choice proceeded - that mount Zion was not chosen for any excellency belonging
to it, as we have seen,
(<196816>Psalm
68:16,) but because such was the will of God. His good pleasure is specified in
contrast with any merit in the place itself. This is another proof of what we
have already stated - that the covenant made by God with David proceeded from
his mere goodness.
14.
This is my rest for
ever. The same truth is here put into
the mouth of God, to give it additional weight; and it is declared not to have
been in vain that the Temple had been erected, since God would show effectually
and by practical testimonies the delight which he had in the worship of his own
appointment. God's resting, or talking up his habitation, are expressions which
denote his being present with men in the manifestation of his power. Thus he
dwelt in Zion, in the sense that there his people worshipped him according
to the prescription of his law, and found besides the benefit of the service in
his favorable answer to their requests. It was eventually seen, in a very
striking manner, that this was the promise of an infallible God, whet, after the
Temple had been overthrown, the altar cast down, and the whole frame of legal
service interrupted, the glory of the Lord afterwards returned to it once more,
and remained there up to the advent of Christ. We all know in what a wicked and
shameful manner the Jews abused the divine promise which is here made, under the
impression that it necessarily laid God under an obligation to favor them,
taking occasion from if, in the pride of their hearts, to despise, and even
cruelly persecute the Prophets. Luther on this account calls it "the bloody
promise;" for, like all hypocrites who make God's holy name a covert for
iniquity, they did not hesitate, when charged with the, worst, crimes, to insist
that it was beyond the power of the Prophets to take from them privileges which
God had bestowed. With them to assert that the Temple could be stripped of its
glory, was equivalent to charging God with falsehood, and impeaching his
faithfulness. Under the influence of this spirit of vain confidence they
proceeded such inconceivable lengths in shedding innocent blood. Were the Devil
of Rome armed with pretensions as splendid, what bounds would be set to its
audacity? As it is, we see how fiercely, and with what bloody pride it arrogates
the name of the Church, while outraging all religion, in open contempt of God
and flagrant violation of humanity. But what of that? the hierarchy would
otherwise fall, and this must stand, if Christ would not desert his spouse the
Church! The refutation of such a plea is not far to seek. The Church is limited
to no one place: now that the glory of the Lord shines through all the earth,
his rest is where Christ and his members are. It is necessary that we rightly
understand what the Psalmist says of the everlasting continuance of the Temple.
The advent of Christ was "the time of reformation," and the figures of the
former Testament, instead of being then proved or rendered vain, were
substantiated, and received their fulfillment in him. If it be still objected
that mount Zion is here spoken of as the everlasting residence of God, it is
sufficient to answer that the whole world became an enlarged mount Zion upon the
advent of Christ.
15.
Blessing I will
bless, etc. God's dwelling in the midst
of the people was what constituted the great source of their blessedness; and
now some of the proofs are mentioned which he would give of his fatherly regard,
such as preparing and administering their ordinary food, relieving their wants,
clothing their priests with salvation, and filling all his people with joy and
gladness. This it was necessary should be added, for unless we have ocular
demonstration of the divine goodness, we are not spiritual enough to rise
upwards to the apprehension of it. We have a twofold demonstration of it in the
matter of our daily food; first in the earth's being enriched so as to furnish
us with corn, and wine, and oil; and again in the earth's produce being
multiplied, through a secret power, so as to provide us with sufficient
nourishment. There is here a promise that God would exert a special care over
his own people to supply them with food, and that though they might not have a
great abundance, yet the poor would be satisfied. We must not omit mentioning
the remarkable and ludicrous mistake which the Papists have made upon this
passage, and which shows the judicial stupidity they lie under to be such, that
there is nothing so absurd they will not swallow. By confounding two letters
into one, for victus they read vidus, and then conjectured that
this must be a mutilation for viduas -
blessing I will bless her
widows! Thus they made
"widows" out of "food" - an extraordinary blunder,
which we would scarcely credit, were it not a fact that they sing the word out
in their temples to this present day.
fe135 But God, who blesses the food of his
own people, has infatuated their minds, and left them to confound everything in
their absurd reveries and triflings. The inspired penman goes on to repeat what
he had already said of other blessings, only the
term
salvation is used instead of
righteousness, but in the same sense I already mentioned. Some understand
it to have reference to purity of doctrine and holiness of life; but this seems
a forced interpretation, and he means simply that they would be safe and happy
under the divine protection.
Psalm
132:17-18
17. There will I make the
horn of David to bud; I have prepared a
lamp
fe136 for my Christ. 18. His enemies
will I clothe with shame, and upon, him shall his crown
flourish.
fe137
17.
There will I
make, etc. He reverts to the state of
the kingdom, which God had promised to take under his care and protection. It is
necessary that we should attend to the peculiar force of the words employed -
I will make the horn of David to
bud. Now there can be no doubt as to the
meaning of the term
horn,
which in Hebrew is very commonly used to signify force or power;
but we are to mark that by the horn budding there is an allusion to
the humble original of the kingdom, and the singular restorations which it
underwent. David was taken from the menial drudgery of the sheepfold, and from
the lowly cottage where he dwelt, the youngest son of his father, who was no
more than an ordinary shepherd, and was advanced to the throne, and rose by a
series of unlooked for successes. Under Jeroboam the kingdom was at an early
period so effectually cut down again, that it was only by budding forth from
time to time that it maintained itself in a moderate degree of advancement.
Afterwards it underwent various shocks, which must have issued in its
destruction, had it not still budded anew. And when the people were dispersed in
the captivity, what must have become of them, had not God made the broken and
trampled horn of David. again to bud? Isaiah accordingly seems to have had this
in his eye when he compared Christ to a rod which should spring not from tree in
full growth, but from a trunk or stem.
(<231101>Isaiah
11:1.) To the prophecy now before us Zechariah perhaps refers when he says,
"Behold the man whose name is the Branch,"
(<380612>Zechariah
6:12,) intimating that in this way only could the power and dignity of the
kingdom be restored after the dismemberment and ravages to which it had been
exposed. In
<102305>2
Samuel 23:5, David makes use of the word employed in the verse before us, but in
somewhat a different sense, referring to the continual advancement of the
kingdom unto further measures of prosperity. Here the inspired penman rather
refers to the singular manner in which God would cause the horn of David to
revive again, when at any time it might. seem broken and withered. The figure of
the lamp is much to the same effect, and occurs in many other
places of Scripture, being a prophecy very generally in the mouths of the
people. The meaning is, that the kingdom, though it underwent occasional
obscurations, would never be wholly extinguished under the calamities which
overtook it, being as the lamp of God constantly burning, and pointing out
safety to the Lord's people, though not shining to a great distance. At that
time all the illumination enjoyed was but the feeble lamp which shone in
Jerusalem; now Christ, the sun of righteousness, sheds a full radiance all over
the world.
18.
His enemies will I clothe with
shame. The priests were said above
"to be clothed with righteousness and salvation," now the enemies of
David are represented as "clothed with shame." It is not enough that all go well
within. God must keep us from the various harms and evils which come upon us
from without, and hence we have this second promise added, which is one wherein
we recognize often the goodness of God even more than in the blessings which he
may shower upon us in the day of prosperity. The greater that fear which seizes
upon us when exposed to aggression from enemies, the more are we sensibly
awakened to take hold of divine help. The passage teaches us that the Church and
people of God will never enjoy such peace on earth as altogether to escape being
assaulted by the variety of enemies which Satan stirs up for their destruction.
It is enough to have it declared, upon divine authority, that their attempts
shall be unsuccessful, and that they will retire eventually with ignominy and
disgrace. The, clause which follows has been variously interpreted. The verb
which we have translated to flourish, in the Hiphil conjugation means
sometimes to see, so that some have explained the words - In that place
shall the crown of David be seen, when the horn shall have been made to bud.
Some derive the word from
˜yx,
tsits, a plate, as if it had been said that the crown of the king would be
resplendent with plates of gold. But I consider that the crown is here said to
flourish, just as formerly the allusion was to budding or germinating.
Isaiah, on the other hand, speaks
(<232805>Isaiah
28:5)of the crown of drunkenness of Ephraim as being a fading flower. Thus we
have it here declared that however frail to appearance the crown of David might
be in his posterity, it would be invigorated by some secret virtue, and flourish
for ever.
PSALM
133
A Psalm of thanksgiving for that holy concord which
prevailed in the nation, and which the Lord's people are earnestly exhorted to
maintain.
A Song of Degrees
of David.
Psalm
133:1-3
1. Behold! how good, and how
becoming, that brethren
fe138 should even dwell together! 2.
Like the precious ointment upon the head, that descendeth upon the beard, the
beard of Aaron, which descendeth upon the skirt of his
garments.
fe139 3. Like the dew of
Hermon,
fe140 which descendeth upon the mountains of
Zion,
fe141 for
there
fe142 Jehovah commanded the blessing, life
for
evermore.
1.
Behold how good, etc. I have no doubt.
that David in this Psalm renders thanks to God for the peace and harmony which
had succeeded a long and melancholy state of confusion and division in the
kingdom, and that he would exhort all individually to study the maintenance of
peace. This is the subject enlarged upon, at least so far as the shortness of
the Psalm admits of it. There was ample ground to praise the goodness of God in
the highest terms, for uniting in one a people which had been so deplorably
divided. When he first came to the kingdom the larger part of the nation
considered him in the light of an enemy to the public good, and were alienated
from him. Indeed so mortal was the feud which existed, that nothing else than
the destruction of the party in opposition seemed to hold out the prospect of
peace. The hand of God was wonderfully seen, and most unexpectedly, in the
concord which ensued among them, when these who had been inflamed with the most
violent antipathy cordially coalesced.
This
fe142A peculiarity in the circumstances which
called forth the Psalm has been unfortunately by interpreters, who have
considered that David merely passes a general commendation upon brotherly union,
without any such particular reference. The exclamation with which the Psalm
opens,
Behold!
is particularly expressive, not only as setting the state of things visibly
before our eyes, but suggesting a tacit contrast between the delightfulness of
peace and those civil commotions which had well-nigh rent the kingdom asunder.
He sets forth the goodness of God in exalted terms, the Jews having by long
experience of intestine feuds, which had gone far to ruin the nation, learned
the inestimable value of union. That this is the sense of the passage appears
still further from the particle
µg,
gam, at the end of the verse. It is not to be understood with some, who
have mistaken the sense of the Psalmist, as being a mere copulative, but as
adding emphasis to the context. We, as if he had said, who were naturally
brethren, had become so divided, as to view one another with a more bitter
hatred than any foreign foe, but now how well is it that we should cultivate a
spirit of brotherly concord!
There can at the
same time be no doubt; that the Holy Ghost is to be viewed as commending in this
passage that mutual harmony which should subsist amongst all God's children, and
exhorting us to make every endeavor to maintain it. So long as animosities
divide us, and heart-burnings prevail amongst us, we may be brethren no doubt
still by common relation to God, but cannot be judged one so long as we present
the appearance of a broken and dismembered body. As we are one in God the
Father, and in Christ, the union must be ratified amongst us by reciprocal
harmony, and fraternal love. Should it so happen in the providence of God, that
the Papists should return to that holy concord which they have apostatized from,
it would be in such terms as these that we would be called to render
thanksgiving unto God, and in the meantime we are bound to receive into our
brotherly embraces all such as cheerfully submit themselves to the Lord. We are
to set ourselves against those turbulent spirits which the devil will never fail
to raise up in the Church, and be sedulous to retain intercourse with such as
show a docile and tractable disposition. But we cannot extend this intercourse
to those who obstinately persist in error, since the condition of receiving them
as brethren would be our renouncing him who is Father of all, and from whom all
spiritual relationship takes its rise. The peace which David recommends is such
as begins in the true head, and this is quite enough to refute the unfounded
charge of schism and division which has been brought against us by the Papists,
while we have given abundant evidence of our desire that they would coalesce
with us in God's truth, which is the only bond of holy
union.
3.
Like the precious ointment
upon the head. We have here clear proof
that David, as we have just said, holds all true union among brethren to take
its rise from God, and to have this for its legitimate object, that all may be
brought to worship God in purity, and call upon iris name with one consent.
Would the similitude have been borrowed from holy ointment if it had not been to
denote, that religion must always hold the first
place?
fe143 Any concord, it is thus insinuated,
which may prevail amongst men, is insipid, if not pervaded by a sweet savor of
God's worship. We maintain, therefore, that men are to be united amongst
themselves in mutual affection, with this as the great end., that they may be
placed together under the government of God. If there be any who disagree with
these terms, we would do well rather to oppose them strenuously, than purchase
peace at the expense of God's honor. We must hold, that when mention is made of
the Priest, it is to intimate, that concord takes its rise in the true and pure
worship of God, while by the
beard and skirts of the
garments, we are led to understand that
the peace which springs from Christ as the head, is diffused through the whole
length and breadth of the Church. The other figure, of the dew distilling
upon:mount Zion and Hermon, denotes, that a holy unity has not only a sweet
savor before God, but is productive of good effects, as the dew moistens
the earth and supplies it with sap and freshness. Moses, we know, said of Judea,
that it was not like Egypt fertilized by the overflowings of its river, but such
as drank daily of the rain of heaven.
(<051111>Deuteronomy
11:11.) David suggests, that the life of man would be sapless, unprofitable, and
wretched, unless sustained by brotherly harmony. It is evident, that mount
Hermon must have been rich and fruitful, being famed amongst places for pasture.
Mountains depend principally for fertility upon the dews of heaven, and this was
shown in the case of mount Zion. David adds in the close, that God commands his
blessing where peace is cultivated; by which is meant, that he testifies how
much tie is pleased with concord amongst men, by showering down blessings upon
them. The same sentiment is expressed by Paul in other words,
(<471311>2
Corinthians 13:11;
<500409>Philippians
4:9,) "Live in peace, and the God of peace shall be with you." Let us then, as
much as lies in us, study to walk in brotherly love, that we may secure the
divine blessing. Let us even stretch out our arms to those who differ from us,
desiring to bid them welcome if they will but return to the unity of the faith.
Do they refuse? Then let them go. We recognize no brotherhood, as I have said
already, except amongst the children of God.
PSALM
134
An exhortation to praise God, addressed to the people
of God generally, but more particularly to the Priests and
Levites.
A Song of
Degrees.
Psalm
134:1-3
1. Behold! bless ye Jehovah,
all ye servants of Jehovah, who stand nightly in the house of Jehovah. 2.
Lift up your hands towards the
sanctuary,
fe144 and bless Jehovah. 3. Jehovah
bless thee out of Zion, who made heaven and
earth!
1.
Behold! bless ye
Jehovah. Some interpreters think, that
others besides the Levites are here intended, and it must be granted, at least,
that some of the more zealous of the people remained over night in the Temple,
as we read
(<420237>Luke
2:37) of Anna, a widow, "who served God constantly with prayers night and
day."
fe145 But it is evident, from the close of
the Psalm, that the inspired penman addresses priests only, since he prescribes
the form of benediction which they were to offer up for the people, and this was
a duty belonging exclusively to the Priests. It would appear then, that the
Levites are here called servants of God, from the functions they discharged,
being specially appointed, and that by turns, to watch by night in the Temple,
as we read in the inspired history.
fe146
(<030835>Leviticus
8:35.) The Psalm begins with the demonstrative adverb Behold! setting the matter
of their duty before their eyes, for they were to be stimulated to devotion by
looking constantly to the Temple. We are to notice the Psalmist's design in
urging the duty of praise so earnestly upon them. Many of the Levites, through
the tendency which there is in all men to abuse ceremonies, considered that
nothing more was necessary than standing idly in the Temple, and thus overlooked
the principal part of their duty. The Psalmist would show that merely to keep
nightly watch over the Temple, kindle the lamps, and superintend the sacrifices,
was of no importance, unless they served God spiritually, and referred all
outward ceremonies to that which must be considered the main sacrifice - the
celebration of God's praises. You may think it a very laborious service, as if
he had said, to stand at watch in the Temple, while others sleep in their own
houses; but the worship which God requires is something more excellent than
this, and demands of you to sing his praises before all the people. In the
second verse he reminds them in addition, of the form observed in calling upon
the name of the Lord. For why do men lift their hands when they pray? Is
it not that their hearts may be raised at the same time to
God?
fe147 It is thus that the Psalmist takes
occasion to reprehend their carelessness in either standing idle in the Temple,
or trifling and indulging in vain conversation, and thus failing to worship God
in a proper manner.
3.
Jehovah bless thee out of
Zion! We have conclusive proof in my
opinion from this verse that the Psalm is to be considered as referring to the
priests and Levites only, for to them it properly belonged under the law to
bless the people.
(<040623>Numbers
6:23.) The Psalmist had first told them to bless God; now he tells them to bless
the people in his name. Not that God meant by any such injunction that the
people might themselves indulge in a life of carnal security - an opinion
prevalent among the Papists, who think that if the monks chant in the temples,
this is all the worship necessary on the part of the whole body of the people.
What God intended was, that the priests should lead the way in divine service,
and the people take example by what was done in the temple, and practice it
individually in their private houses. The duty of blessing the people was
enjoined upon the priests, as representing Christ's person. Express mention is
intentionally made of two things, which are in themselves distinct, when the God
who blessed them out of Zion is said to be also the Creator of heaven and earth.
Mention is made of his title as Creator to set forth his power, and
convince believers there is nothing that may not be hoped from God. For what is
the world but a mirror in which we see his boundless power? And those must be
senseless persons indeed, that are not satisfied with the favor of Him who is
recognized by them as having all dominion and all riches in his hand. Since
many, however, are apt, when they hear God spoken of as Creator, to conceive of
him as standing at a distance from them, and doubt their access to him, the
Psalmist makes mention also of that which was a symbol of God's nearness to his
people - and this that they might be encouraged to approach him with the freedom
and unrestrained confidence of persons who are invited to come to the bosom of a
Father. By looking to the heavens, then, they were to discover the power of God
- by looking to Zion, his dwelling-place, they were to recognize his fatherly
love.
Psalm
135
An exhortation to praise God, both for his goodness
specially shown to his chosen people, and for his power and glory apparent in
the world at large. A contrast is drawn between idols, which had but a vain show
of divinity, and the God of Israel, who had established his claim to be
considered the only true God by clear and indubitable proofs, and this with the
view of leading his people the more cheerfully to praise him, and submit to his
government.
Halleluiah.
Psalm
135:1-4
1. Praise ye the name of
Jehovah,
fe152 praise him, O ye servants of Jehovah!
2. Ye who stand in the house of Jehovah, and ye who stand in the courts
of the house of our God. FE153
3. Praise God, for good is Jehovah:
sing unto his name, for it is pleasant. 4. For God hath chosen Jacob
fe154
unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar
treasure.
1.
Praise ye the name of
Jehovah. Though this Psalm begins almost
in the same manner with the preceding, the Psalmist would not appear to be
addressing the Levites exclusively, but the people generally, since the reasons
given for praising God are equally applicable to all God's children. No mention
is made of night watching, or of their standing constantly in the Temple. But
indeed, as it was the special duty of the priests to take the lead in this
devotional exercise, to give out, if we might use such an expression, and sing
the praises of God before the people, there is no reason why we should not
suppose that they are primarily addressed, and stirred up to their duty. We need
only to examine the 'words more closely in order to be convinced that the people
are included as next in order to the
priests.
FE155 For the Psalmist addresses the servants
of God who stand in the temple, then those who are
in the
courts, whereas no notice was taken of
the courts in the former Psalm. Mention seems to be made of
courts
in the plural number, because the priests had their court; and then there
was another common to all the people, for by the law spoken of,
(<031617>Leviticus
16:17,) they were prohibited from entering the sanctuary. To prevent any feeling
of disgust which might arise from the very frequent repetition of this
exhortation to the praises of God, it is only necessary to remember, as was
already observed, that there is no sacrifice in which he takes greater delight
than the expression of our gratitude. Thus,
(<195014>Psalm
50:14,)
"Sacrifice unto
the Lord thanksgiving,
and pay your
vows to the Most High;"
and,
(<19B612>Psalm
116:12, 13,)
"What shal1 I render unto
the Lord for all his benefits? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon
the name of the Lord."
Particular attention is to be paid to those passages
of Scripture which speak in such high terms of that worship of God which is
spiritual; otherwise we may be led, in the exercise of a misguided zeal, to
spend our labor upon trifles, and in this respect imitate the example of too
many who have wearied themselves with ridiculous attempts to invent additions to
the service of God, while they have neglected what is of all other things most
important. This is the reason why the Holy Spirit so repeatedly inculcates the
duty of praise. It is that we may not undervalue, or grow careless in this
devotional exercise. It implies, too, an indirect censure of our tardiness in
proceeding to the duty, for he would not reiterate the admonition were we ready
and active in the discharge of it. The expression in the end of the verse
— because it is sweet, admits of two meanings — that the name
of God is sweet, as in the previous clause it was said that God is good —
or, that it is a sweet and pleasant thing to sing' God's praises. The Hebrew
word
µy[n
naim, properly signifies beautiful or comely, and this general
signification answers best.
FE156
4.
For God hath chosen
Jacob. Other reasons are given
afterwards why they should praise God, drawn from his government of the world.
But as it was only the children of Abraham who were favored with the knowledge
of God at that time, and were capable of praising him, the Psalmist directs them
to the fact of their ]roving been chosen by God to be his peculiar people, as
affording matter for thanksgiving. The mercy was surely one of incomparable
value, and which might well stir them up to fervent gratitude and praise,
adopted as they were into favor with God, while the whole Gentile world was
passed by. The praise of their election is given by the Psalmist to God —
a clear proof that they owed the distinction not to any excellency of
their own, but to the free mercy of God the Father which had been extended to
them. He has laid all without exception under obligation to his service,
for
"he maketh his sun
to rise on the evil and on the
good."
(<400545>Matthew
5:45.)
But he bound the posterity of Abraham to him by a
closer tie, such as that by which he now adopts men generally into his Church,
and unites them with the body of his only-begotten
Son.
FE157
Psalm
135:5-7
5. For I know that Jehovah
is great, and our God above all gods. 6. Whatsoever doth please him,
Jehovah does in heaven and in earth, in the sea, and in all deep places.
7. Causing the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth, he maketh
lightnings for the rain, bringing forth the wind out of his secret
places.
FE158
5.
For I know that Jehovah is great. We
have here a general description of the power of God, to show the Israelites that
the God they worshipped was the same who made the world, and rules over all
according to his will, neither is there any other besides him. He would not
exclude others when he speaks of having known himself the greatness of God, but
is rather to be considered as taking occasion from his own experience to stir up
men generally to attend to this subject, and awake to the recognition of what
lies abundantly open to observation. The immensity of God is what none can
comprehend; still his glory, so far as was seen fit, has been sufficiently
manifested to leave all the world without excuse for ignorance. How can one who
has enjoyed a sight of the heavens and of the earth shut his eyes so as to
overlook the Author of them without sin of the deepest dye? It is with the view,
then, of stirring us up more effectually, — that the Psalmist makes
reference to himself in inviting us to the knowledge of God's glory; or rather
he reprehends our carelessness in not being alive enough to the consideration of
it. The second part of the verse makes the truth of the observation which I have
already stated still more apparent, — that the Psalmist's design was to
retain the Israelites in the service and fear of the one true God, by a
declaration to the effect that the God who cove-nanted with their Fathers was
the same who created heaven and earth, No sooner had he made mention of Jehovah
than he adds his being the God of Israel. It follows as a necessary consequence,
that all who depart from this God prefer a god who has no claim to the title,
and that Jews and Turks, for example, in our own day, are guilty of mere
trifling when they pretend to worship God the Creator of the world. Where
persons have diverged from the law and from the gospel, any show of piety they
may have amounts to a renunciation of the true God. The Psalmist had, therefore,
in his eye when he clothed God with a specific title,, to limit the Israelites
to that.God who was set forth in the doctrine of the Law. If by
µyhla,
Elohim, we understand the false gods of the Gentiles — the title is
given them only by concession, for it could not be properly assigned to what are
mere lying' vanities; and the meaning is, that God's greatness altogether
eclipses any pretended deity. But the expression would seem to include the
angels, as has been already observed, in whom there is some reflection of
divinity, as being heavenly principalities and powers, but who are exalted by
God, and assigned such a subordinate place as may not interfere with his glory.
FE159
6.
Whatsoever doth please
him, etc. This is that immeasurable
greatness of the divine being, of which he had just spoken. He not only founded
heaven and earth at first, but governs all things according to his power. To own
that God made the world, but maintain that he sits idle in heaven, and takes no
concern in the management of it, is to cast an impious aspersion upon his power;
and yet the idea, absurd as it is, obtains wide currency amongst men. They would
not say, perhaps, in so many words, that they believed that God slept in heaven,
but in imagining, as they do, that he resigns the reins to chance or fortune,
they leave him the mere shadow of a power, such as is not manifested in effects;
whereas Scripture teaches us that it is a real practical power, by which he
governs the whole world as he does according to his will. The Psalmist expressly
asserts every part of the world to be under the divine care, and that nothing
takes place by Chance, or without determination. According to a very common
opinion, all the power necessary to be assigned to God in the matter, is that of
a universal providence, which I do not profess to understand. The distinction
here made between the heavens, earth, and waters, denotes a particular
governments. The term
rpj,
chaphets, is emphatical. The Holy Spirit declares that he does whatsoever
pleases him. That confused sort of divine government which many talk of, amounts
to no more than a certain maintenance of order in the world, without due
counsel. No account whatever is made of his will in this way, for will implies
counsel and method. Consequently there is a special providence exerted in the
government of the various parts of the world, there is:no such thing as chance,
and what appears most fortuitous, is in reality ordered by his secret wisdom. We
are not called to inquire why he wills events which contradict our sense of what
his administration should be, but if we would not unsettle the very foundations
of religion, we must hold by this as a firm principle, that nothing happens
without, the divine will and decree.
FE160 His will may be mysterious, but it is
to be regarded with reverence, as the fountain of all justice and rectitude,
unquestionably entitled as it is to our supreme consideration. For farther
information upon this subject the reader may consult Psalm
115.
7.
Causing the clouds to
ascend. The Psalmist touches upon one or
two particulars, in illustration of the point that nothing takes place of
itself, but by the hand and counsel of God. Our understandings cannot comprehend
a thousandth part of God's works, and it is only a few examples which he brings
forward to be considered:in proof of the doctrine of a divine providence which
he had just announced. He speaks of
the clouds ascending from the
ends of the earth; for the vapours which
rise out of the earth form clouds, when they accumulate more densely together.
Now who would think that the vapours which we see ascending upwards would
shortly darken the sky, and impend above our heads? It strikingly proves the
power of God, that these thin vapours, which steam up from the ground:, should
form a body over-spreading the whole atmosphere. The Psalmist mentions it as
another circumstance calling for our wonder, that
lightnings are mixed with
rain, things quite opposite in their
nature one from another. Did not custom make us familiar with the spectacle, we
would pronounce this mixture, of fire and water to be a phenomenon altogether
incredible.
FE161 The same may be said of the phenomena
of the winds. Natural causes can be assigned for them, and philosophers have
pointed them out; but the winds, with their various currents, are a wonderful
work of God. He does not merely assert the power of God, be it observed, in the
sense in which philosophers themselves grant it, but he maintains that not a
drop of rain falls from heaven without a divine commission or dispensation to
that effect. All readily allow that God is the author of rain, thunder, and
wind, in so far as he originally established this order of things in nature; but
the Psalmist goes farther than this, holding that when it rains, this is not
effected by a blind instinct of nature, but is the consequence of the decree of
God, who is pleased at one time to darken the sky with clouds, and at another to
brighten it again with
sunshine.
Psalm
135:8-12
8. He smote the first-born
of Egypt, from man to beast. 9. He sent tokens and wonders in the midst
of thee, O Egypt! On Pharaoh, and on all his servants. 10.. He smote
great nation, and slew mighty kings. 11. Sikon king of the Amorites, and
Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of
Canaan.
FE162 12. And gave their land for an
heritage, an heritage to Israel his
people.
8.
He smote the first-born of
Egypt. He now reverts to those more
special benefits, by which God had laid his Church and chosen people under
obligation to his service. As it was the Lord's believing people only whom he
addressed, the chief point singled out as the subject of praise is God's having
adopted them, small as they were in numbers, from the mass of the human family.
Again, there was the fact of his having set himself in opposition, for their
sakes, to great kingdoms and mighty nations. The wonderful works done by God in
Egypt and in Canaan were all just so many proofs of that fatherly love which he
entertained for them as his chosen people. It is not strictly according to
historic order to begin with mentioning the destruction of the first-born of
Egypt; but this is instanced as a memorable illustration of the great regard God
had for the safety of his people, which was such that he would not spare even so
mighty and wealthy a nation. The scope of the passage is to show that God, in
delivering his people, had abundantly testified his power and his
mercy.
10.
He smote great
nations. He comes now to speak of the
end for which God delivered them from their bondage. He did not lead his people
out of Egypt, and then leave them to wander as they might, but brought them
forth that he might settle them in the promised inheritance. This the Psalmist
mentions as another signal proof of the favor of God, and his unwearied kindness
to them; for having once taken the children of Abraham. by the hand, he led them
on, in the continued exercise of his power, till he put them in possession of
the promised land. He takes occasion to extol God's power, from the circumstance
that it was only after the slaughter of many enemies that they came to the
peaceable possession of the country. And it was a striking illustration of the
divine goodness to manifest this preference for the Israelites, who were but a
multitude of inconsiderable persons, while those opposed to them were mighty
kings and powerful nations. Notice is taken of two kings, Sihon and Og, not as
being more powerful than the rest, but because shutting up the entrance to the
land in front they were the first formidable enemies met
with
fe163 and the people, besides, were not as
yet habituated to war. As the crowning act of the Lord's goodness, the Psalmist
adds, that the Israelites obtained firm possession of the land. One has said
—
"Non minor est
virtus quam quaerere, parta tueri,"
"It is no less an achievement to keep possession than
to acquire it;" and as the Israelites were surrounded with deadly enemies, the
power of God was very eminently displayed in preserving them from 'being
rooted out and expelled again, an event which must have repeatedly taken place,
had they not been firmly settled in the
inheritance.
Psalm
135:13-14
13. O Jehovah! thy name is
for ever; O Jehovah! thy memorial is from generation to generation. 14.
For Jehovah will judge his people, and he will repent
himself
fe164 concerning his
servants.
10.
O Jehovah! thy name is for
ever. There are many reasons why the
name of God ought always to be kept up in the world, but here the Psalmist
speaks more especially of that everlasting praise which is due to him for
preserving his Church and people, the cause being immediately added — that
God will judge his
people. The whole world is a theater for
the display of the divine goodness, wisdom, justice, and power, but the Church
is the orchestra, as it were — the most conspicuous part of it; and the
nearer the approaches are that God makes to us the more intimate and
condescending the communication of his benefits, the more attentively are we
called to consider them. The term judging in the Hebrew expresses
whatever belongs to just and legitimate
government,
fe165 the future tense denoting continued
action apparently, as it often does, so that what the Psalmist says is
tantamount to this — that God would always watch over and preserve his
people, and that being thus under God's guardian care, they would be placed
in safety. Or we may suppose that the Psalmist employs the future tense to
teach us that, under affliction, we must have a sustained hope, not giving way
to despondency, though God may seem to have overlooked and deserted us, since
whatever temporary delays there may be of his help, he will appear as our judge
and defender at the proper season, and when he sees that we have been
sufficiently humbled. This may recommend itself the more to be the true meaning,
because the Psalmist seems to allude to the expression of Moses,
(<053236>Deuteronomy
32:36,) whose very words indeed, he quotes. As some alleviation under the divine
chastisements which the people would suffer, Moses foretold that God would come
forth as their judge, to help and deliver them when in extremity. And this the
writer of the present Psalm, whoever he may have been, makes use of with a
general application to the Church, declaring that God would never allow it to be
altogether destroyed, since upon the event of its destruction he would cease to
be a King. To propose changing the tense of the verb into the past, and
understand it of God having shown himself to be the judge of his people against
the Egyptians, puts a feeble sense upon the passage, and one which does not suit
with the context, either of this Psalm or of the address of Moses. The Hebrew
verb
µjn,
nacham, means either to
repent,
or to receive comfort, and both meanings answer sufficiently well. On
the,one hand, when God returns in mercy to his people, though this implies no
change in him, yet there is a change apparent in the event itself. Thus he is
said to repent when he begins to show mercy to his people, instead
of manifesting his displeasure in just judgments against them. Again, he is said
to receive consolation, or to be appeased and reconciled towards his
people, when in remembrance of his covenant, which endures for ever, he visits
them with everlasting mercies, though he had corrected them for a moment.
(<235408>Isaiah
54:8.) The meaning, in short, is, that the displeasure of God towards his people
is but temporary, and that, in taking vengeance upon their sins, he remembers
mercy in the midst of wrath, as Habakkuk says.
(<350302>Habakkuk
3:2.) Thus God is spoken of as man, manifesting a father's affection, and
restoring his children, who deserved to have been cast off, because he cannot
bear' that the fruit of his own body should be torn from him. Such is the sense
of the passage — that God has a compassion for his people because they are
his children, that he would not willingly be bereaved of them and left
childless, that he is placable towards them, as being dear to him, and that
having recoginsed them as his offspring, he cherishes them with a tender
love.
Psalm
135:15-21
15. The images of the
nations are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. 16. They have a
mouth, and will not speak: they have eyes, and will not see. 17. They
have ears, and will not hear; also
fe166 there is no breath in their mouth.
18. Like be they to them who make them, whosoever trusteth in them.
19. Bless Jehovah, O house of Israel! bless Jehovah, O house of Aaron!
20. Bless Jehovah, O house of Levi! ye that fear Jehovah, bless Jehovah.
21. Blessed be Jehovah out of Zion, who dwelleth at Jerusalem.
Hallelujah.
FE167
15.
The images of the
nations, etc. As the whole of this part
of the Psalm has been explained elsewhere, it is needless to insist upon it, and
repetition might be felt irksome by the reader. I shall only in a few words,
therefore, show what is the scope of the Psalmist. In upbraiding the stupidity
of the heathen, who thought that they could not have God near them in any other
way than by resorting to idol worship, he reminds the Israelites of the signal
mercy which they had enjoyed, and would have them abide the more deliberately by
the simplicity and purity of God's worship, and avoid profane superstitions. He
declares, that idolaters only draw down heavier judgments upon themselves, the
more zealous they are in the service of their idols. And there is no doubt,
that, in denouncing the awful judgments which must fall upon the worshippers of
false gods, it is his object to deter such as had been brought up under the word
of God from following their example. In Psalm 115 the exhortation given is to
trust or hope in the Lord; here, to bless him. The Levites are mentioned in
addition to the house of Aaron, there being two orders of priesthood. Every
thing else in the two Psalms is the same, except that, in the last verse:, the
Psalmist here joins himself, along with the rest of the Lord's people, in
blessing God. He says, out of
Zion, for when God promised to hear
their prayers from that place, and to communicate from it the rich display of
his favor, he thereby gave good ground why they should praise him from
it.
FE168 The reason is stated, that
he dwelt in
Jerusalem; which is not to be understood
in the low and gross sense that he was confined to any such narrow residence;
but in the sense, that he was there as to the visible manifestation of his
favor, experience showing, that while his majesty is such as to fill heaven and
earth, his power and. grace were vouchsafed in a particular manner to his own
people.
PSALM
136
The Psalmist reminds the Lord's people, that unless
they were assiduous in his praises, they were chargeable with defrauding him of
what was justly due to him for his benefits. And, in mentioning each benefit, he
takes particular notice of the mercy of God, to teach us how necessary it is to
the proper celebration of his praises that we own everything which we receive
from him to be bestowed gratuitously.
FE169
Psalm
136:1-9
1. Praise Jehovah, for he is
good, for his mercy endureth for ever. 2. Praise the Cod of gods, for his
mercy endureth for ever. 3.. Praise the Lord of
Lords,
fe170 for his mercy endureth for ever.
4. Who alone hath done great wonders, for his mercy endureth for ever,
5. Who made the heavens by his wisdom, [or, intelligently,] for his mercy
endureth for ever. 6. Who stretcheth out the earth above the waters, for
his mercy endureth for ever. 7. Who made the great lights, for his mercy
endureth for ever. 8. The sun for rule by day, for his mercy endureth for
ever. 9. The moon and stars for rule by night for his mercy endureth for
ever.
1.
For his
mercy,
fe171 etc. The insertion of this
clause again and again in so many short and abrupt sentences, may seem a vain
repetition, but verses repeated by way of chorus are both allowed and admired in
profane poets, and why should we object to the reiteration in this instance, for
which the best reasons can be shown, Men may not deny the divine goodness to be
the source and:Fountain of all their blessings, but the graciousness of his
bounty is far from being fully and sincerely recognised, though the greatest
stress is laid upon it in Scripture. Paul in speaking of it,
(<450323>Romans
3:23,) calls it emphatically by the general term of the glory of God,
intimating, that while God should be praised for all his works, it is his mercy
principally that we should glorify. It is evident from what we read in sacred
history, that it was customary for the Levites. according to the regulation laid
down by David for conducting the praises of God, to sing by response, "for his
mercy endureth for ever." The practice was followed by Solomon in the dedication
of the Temple,
(<140703>2
Chronicles 7:3, 6,) and by Jehoshaphat in that solemn triumphal song mentioned
in
<142021>2
Chronicles 20:21, of the same book. [Before proceeding to recite God's works,
the Psalmist declares his supreme Deity, and dominion, not that such comparative
language implies that there is anything approaching] Deity besides him, but
there is a disposition in men, whenever they see any part of his glory
displayed, to conceive of a God separate from him, thus impiously dividing the
Godhead into parts, and even proceeding so far as to frame gods of wood and
stone. There is a depraved tendency in all to take delight in a multiplicity of
gods. For this reason, apparently, the. Psalmist uses the plural number, not
only in the word
µyhla,
Elohim, but in the word
µynwda,
Adonim, so that it reads literally, praise ye the Lords of Lords: he
would intimate, that the fullest perfection of all dominion is to be found in
the one
God.
4.
Who alone hath done great wonders. Under
this term he comprehends all God's works from the least to the greatest, that he
may awaken our admiration of them, for notwithstanding the signal marks of
inconceivably great wisdom and divine power of God which are inscribed upon them
we are apt through thoughtlessness to undervalue them. He declares that whatever
is worthy of admiration is exclusively made and done by God, to teach us that we
cannot transfer the smallest portion of the praise due to him without awful
sacrilege, there being no vestige of divinity in the whole range of heaven and
earth with which it is lawful to compare or equal him. He then proceeds to
praise the wisdom of God, as particularly displayed in the skill with which
the heavens are
framed, giving evidence in a surprising
degree of the fine discrimination with which they are
adorned.
FE172 Next he comes to speak of the earth,
that he may lead us to form a proper estimate of this great and memorable
work of God, stretching forth as it does a bare and dry superficies above the
waters. As these elements are of a spherical form, the waters, if not kept
within their limits, would naturally cover the earth, were it not that God has
seen fit to secure a place of habitation for the human family. This philosophers
themselves are forced to admit as one of their principles and
maxims.
FE173 The earth's expanded surface, and the
vacant space uncovered with water, has been justly considered therefore one of
the great wonders of God. And it is ascribed to his mercy, because his only
reason for displacing the waters from their proper seat was that regard which he
had in his infinite goodness for the interests of
man.
7.
Who made the great
lights, etc. — Moses calls the sun
and moon the two great lights, and there is little doubt that the Psalmist here
borrows the same phraseology. What is immediately added about the stars, is, as
it were, accessory to the others. It is true, that the other planets are larger
than the moon, but it is stated as second in order on account of its visible
effects. The Holy Spirit had no intention to teach astronomy; and, in proposing
instruction meant to be common to the simplest and most uneducated persons, he
made use by Moses and the other Prophets of popular language, that none might
shelter himself under the pretext of obscurity, as we will see men sometimes
very readily pretended an incapacity to understand, when anything deep or
recondite is submitted to their notice. Accordingly, as Saturn though bigger
than the moon is not so to the eye owing to his greater distance, the Holy
Spirit would rather speak childishly than unintelligibly to the humble and
unlearned. The same remark may be made upon what the Psalmist adds regarding
God's having assigned the sun and moon their respective parts, making the one to
rule the day, and the other to rule the night, by which we are not
to understand that they exercise any government, but that the administrative
power of God is very manifest in this distribution. The sun in illuminating the
earth through the day, and the, moon and stars by night, may be said to yield a
reverential homage to God.
Psalm
136:10-16
10. Who smote the
Egyptians in their first-born, for his mercy endureth for ever. 11. And
brought out Israel from, the midst of them, for his mercy endureth for ever:
12. With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, for his mercy
endureth for ever. 13. Who divided the Red Sea into divisions, for his
mercy endureth for ever, 14. And made Israel to pass through the midst of
it, for his mercy endureth for ever. 15. And cast Pharaoh and his host
headlong into the Red Sea, for his mercy endureth for ever. 16. And led
his people through the wilderness, for his mercy endureth for
ever.
10.
Who smote the Egyptians in, their
first-born. Some read with their
first-born, but the other rendering reads better. As we do not mean to
sermonize upon the passage, it is unnecessary to detain the reader here with
many words, as nothing is mentioned but what has been treated elsewhere. Only we
may notice that the Egyptians are well said to have been smitten in their
first-born, because they continued in their outrageous obstinacy under the other
plagues, though occasionally terrified by them, but were broken and subdued by
this last plague, and submitted. As it was not intended to recount all the
wonders successively done in Egypt, the whole is summed up in one word when it
is said, that he led his people forth from the midst of it with a mighty and a
stretched out arm. For pressed down as they were on every side, it was only by a
wonderful display of divine power that they could effect an escape. The figure
of an outstretched
arm is appropriate, for we stretch out
the arm when any great effort is required; so that this implies that God put
forth an extraordinary and not a common or slight display of his power in
redeeming his people.
FE174
13.
Who divided the Red
Sea. I have already
(<19A607>Psalm
106:7) spoken of the word
ãws,
suph, and have not therefore hesitated to render it
the Red
Sea. The Psalmist speaks of
divisions
in the plural number, which has led some Jewish authors to conjecture that
there must have been more passages than one — an instance of their solemn
trifling in firings of which they know nothing, and of their method of
corrupting the Scriptures entirely with their vain fancies. 'We may well laugh
at such fooleries, yet we are to hold them at the same time in detestation; for
there can be no doubt that the Rabbinical writers were led to this by the devil,
as an artful way of discrediting the Scriptures. Moses plainly and explicitly
asserts that the heaps of waters stood up on both sides, from which we infer
that the space between was one and
undivided.
FE175 But as the people passed through in
troops, and not one by one, the pathway being so broad as to admit of their
passing freely men and women, with their families and cattle, the Psalmist very
properly mentions
divisions,
with a reference to the people who passed through, this circumstance not a
little enhancing the mercy of God, that they saw large depths or channels dried
up, so that they had no difficulty in advancing in troops abreast. Another
circumstance which confirmed or enhanced the mercy shown, was, that Pharaoh was
shortly afterwards drowned; for the very different issue proved that it could
not be owing to any hidden cause of a merely natural kind, that some should have
perished, while others passed over with entire safety. The distinction made
afforded a conspicuous display of God's mercy in saving his people. Much is
included in the single expression that God was
the leader of his people through
the wilderness. It was only by a
succession of miracles of various kinds that they could have been preserved for
forty years in a parched wilderness, where they were destitute of all the means
of subsistence. So that we are to comprehend, under what is here stated, the
various proofs of divine goodness and power which are mentioned by Moses as
having been vouchsafed, in feeding his people with bread from heaven — in
making water to flow from the rock — in protecting them under the cloud
from the heat of the sun — giving them a sign of his presence in the
pillar of fire — preserving their raiment entire — shielding them
and their little ones in their exile wanderings under tents of
leaves,
fe176 with innumerable other instances of
mercy which must occur to the
reader.
Psalm
136:17-26
17. Who smote great kings,
for his mercy endureth for ever. 18. And slew famous kings, for his mercy
endureth for ever. 19. Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his mercy
endureth for ever. 20. And Og, king of Bashan, for his mercy endureth for
ever. 21. And gave their land for an heritage, for his mercy endureth for
ever. 22. An heritage to Israel his servant., for his mercy endureth for
ever. 23. Who remembered us in our humiliation, for his mercy endureth
for ever. 24. And hath rescued us from our oppressors, for his mercy
endureth for ever. 25. Who giveth food to all flesh, for his mercy
endureth for ever. 26. Make acknowledgments to the God of heavens, for
his mercy endureth for ever.
23.
Who remembered us in our
humiliation. The six verses taken from
the previous Psalm I pass over without observation; and I shall only touch very
briefly upon the others, which do not need lengthened consideration. We may just
observe that the Psalmist represents every age as affording' displays of the
same goodness as had been shown to their fathers, since God had never failed to
help his people by a continued succession of deliverances. It was a more notable
proof of his mercy to interpose for the nation at a time when it was nearly
overwhelmed by calamities, than to preserve it in its entire state and under a
more even course of affairs, there being something in the emergency to awaken
attention and arrest the view. Besides, in all the deliverances which God grants
his people, there is an accompanying remission of their sins. In the close he
speaks of the paternal providence of God as extending not only to all mankind,
but to every living creature, suggesting that we have no reason to feel surprise
at his sustaining the character of a kind and provident father to his own
people, when he condescends to care for the cattle, and the asses of the field,
and the crow, and the sparrow. Men are much better than brute beasts, and there
is a great difference between some men and others, though not in merit, yet as
regards the privilege of the divine adoption, and the Psalmist is to be
considered as reasoning from the less to the greater, and enhancing the
incomparably superior mercy which God shows to his own
children.
PSALM
137
At the Babylonish captivity the established order of
God's worship was overthrown, and the Psalmist complains, in the name of the
Church at large, of the taunts which the enemy east upon the name of God,
addressing at the same time a word of comfort to his people under their
captivity, to cheer them with the hope of
deliverance.
Psalm
137:1-4
1. By the rivers of Babylon
there we sat down, we even wept when we remembered thee, O Zion! 2. We
hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 3. Then they that
carried us away captive required of us the words of a song, and mirth when we
were in suspense, saying, Sing to us one of the songs of Zion. 4. How
shall we sing Jehovah's song in a foreign
land?
1.
By the rivers of
Babylon
fe178 there we sat
down. I have elsewhere said, that it is
a great mistake to suppose that it is David who here prophetically apprises the
people of God of the captivity which should come upon them. The Prophets in
speaking of future events employ very different language. What is brought under
notice is the event as now historically come, and matter of experience. We shall
briefly explain the scope of the Psalmist. There was danger that the Jews when
cast off in such a melancholy manner should lose hold altogether of their faith
and of their religion. Considering how ready we are, when mixed up with the
wicked and ungodly, to fall into superstition or evil practices, it was to be
feared that they might wax profane amongst the population of Babylon. The people
of the Lord might be thrown into despondency, besides, by their captivity, the
cruel bondage they were subjected to, and the other indignities which they had
to endure. The writer of this Psalm, whose name is unknown, drew up a form of
lamentation, that by giving expression to their sufferings in sighs and prayers,
they might keep alive the hope of that deliverance which they despaired
of. Another end he has in view, is to warn them against, the decline of
godliness in an irreligious land, and against; defilement with the
contaminations of the heathen. Accordingly he denounces merited judgment upon
the children of Edom, and declares that Babylon, whose prosperity, shortlived as
it was destined to be in itself, eclipsed at that time the rest of the world,
was an object of pity, and near to destruction. The length of time during which
the captivity lasted, may of itself convince us how useful and even necessary it
must have been to support the fainting minds of God's people. They must have
been ready to acquiesce in the corrupt practices of the heathen, unless endued
with surprising mental fortitude through a period of seventy
years.
When they are said to have
sat,
this denotes a continued period of captivity, that they were not only torn
from the sight of their native country, but in a manner buried and
entombed.
FE179 The demonstrative adverb of place,
µç,
sham,
there,
is emphatical, setting the subject, as it were, before the eyes of the
reader. Though the pleasantness of the country, irrigated by:streams, might have
had an effect in soothing their dejected minds, we are told that the Lord's
people, so long as they dwelt there, were continually in tears. The particle
µg,
gam,
even,
is used as being intensative, to let us know that the true fearers of the
Lord could not be tempted by all the luxuries of Babylon to forget their native
inheritance. The language is such as to intimate at the same time that they were
not so entirely overwhelmed by their calamities as not to recognize in them the
deserved chatisement of God, and that they were not chargeable with obstinately
struggling against him; for tears are the expression of humility and penitence,
as well as of distress. This appears still more plainly from its being
Zion
they remembered, which proves that what had charms for them was not any
advantage of a worldly kind they might there enjoy:, but the worship of God. God
had erected his sanctuary like a flag upon mount Zion, that as often as they
looked to it, they might be assured of his salvation. Fair then and fertile as
was the region where they dwelt, with charms which could corrupt effeminate
minds, and long as they 'were detained in it, tears, which are proverbially soon
dried up, never ceased to stream from their eyes, because they were cut off from
the worship of God, upon which they 'were wont to attend, and felt that they
were torn from the inheritance of
promise.
2.
We hanged our harps upon the
willows.
FE180 He deplores the suspension of
the songs of praise, which God had enjoined in his Temple. The Levites were set
over the department of singing, and led the way among the people in this
devotional exercise. Is it asked how they had carried their harps with them so
far from their native land, we have in this another proof mentioned by the
Psalmist of their faith and fervent piety, for the Levites when stripped of all
their fortunes had preserved their harps at least as a piece of precious
furniture, to be devoted to a former use when opportunity presented itself. We
may suppose that those who truly feared God put a high value upon the relics of
his worship, and showed the greatest care in preserving them, till the period of
their restoration.
FE181 When
willows
are mentioned, this denotes the pleasantness of the banks, which were
planted with willows for coolness. But the Psalmist says that these shades,
however delightful, could not dispel a grief which was too deeply seated to
admit of common consolations or refreshment. As they sat upon the banks of the
rivers covered with the shadows of the trees, this was just the place where they
might have been tempted to take up their harps, and soothe their griefs with
song; but the Psalmist suggests that their minds were too heavily wounded with a
sense of the displeasure of the Lord to deceive themselves with such idle
sources of comfort. He would even go:farther, and intimate that joy of a good
and holy kind was at this time suspended. For though it was neither right nor
well judged to encourage their grief, we cannot wonder if the singing of praises
in public was given up till their return from the captivity, called as they were
by the chastisements of God to mourning and
lamentation.
3.
Then they that carried us away captive,
etc. We may be certain that the Israelites were treated with cruel
severity under this barbarous tyranny to which they were subjected. And the
worst affliction of all was, that their conquerors reproachfully insulted them,
and even mocked them, their design being less to wound the hearts of these
miserable exiles, than to cast blasphemies upon their God. The Babylonians had
no desire to hear their sacred songs, and very likely would not have suffered
them to engage in the public praises of God, but they speak ironically, and
insinuate it as a reproach upon the Levites that they should be silent, when it
was their custom formerly to sing sacred songs. Is your God dead, as if they had
said, to whom your praises were formerly addressed? Or if lie delights in your
songs, why do you not sing them? The last clause of the verse has been variously
rendered by interpreters. Some derive
wnyllwt,
tholalenu, from the verb
lly,
yalal, to howl, reading — they required mirth in our howlings.
Others translate it suspensions of
mirth.
FE182 Some take it for a participle of
the verb
llh,
halal, to rage, and read, raging against us. But as
wnylt,
talinu, the root of the noun here employed, is taken in the preceding verse
as meaning to suspend, I considered the reading which I have adopted the
simplest one.
4.
How shall we
sing, etc. The Psalmist puts a lofty and
magnanimous answer into the mouth of the Lord's people to their insolent
reproach, which is this, that they abstained from their songs, as from their
legal sacrifices, because the land where they now were was polluted. The
Chaldeans thought the Jews were bound down permanently to this place of their
exile; the Psalmist, when he calls it
a foreign
land, suggests that it was but the place
of their temporary stay. But the main idea is, that Chaldea was not worthy of
the honor of having God's praises sung in it. No doubt the children of God
wherever they have lived have always been strangers and foreigners in the world,
but the land of Canaan was the sacred rest provided for them, and the Psalmist
well describes them as being foreigners and sojourners when they were in other
climes. He would in this way have them to be always ready and prepared for their
return, tacitly enforcing what Jeremiah had prophesied, when, in order to
prevent them from forgetting their native country, he had definitely foretold
the time during which their exile should last,
(<242511>Jeremiah
25:11;
<242910>Jeremiah
29:10.) He would in the meantime animate them to constancy, and have them not to
coalesce with the Babylonians through motives of fear. In our own day under the
Papacy, great as the danger may be to which the faithful expose themselves by
not conforming to the example around them, the Holy Spirit makes use of such a
barrier as this to separate them from sinful
compliances.
FE183 To those, whether Frenchmen,
Englishmen, or Italians, who love and practice the true religion, even their
native country is a foreign clime when they live under that tyranny. And yet
there is a distinction between us and God's ancient people, for at that
time the worship of God was confined to one place, but now he has his Temple
wherever two or three are met together in Christ's name, if they separate
themselves from all idolatrous profession, and maintain purity of divine
worship. The Psalmist by the language which he employs would by no means put
down every attempt on their part to celebrate God's praises. He rather exhorts
them under their affliction to wait with patience till the liberty of publicly
worshipping God was restored, saying' upon the matter — We have been
bereft of our Temple and sacrifices, we wander as exiles in a polluted land, and
what remains but that in remembrance of our outcast state we should sigh and
groan:for the promised
deliverance.
Psalm
137:5-9
5. If I shall forget thee, O
Jerusalem! let my right had forget.
FE184 6. Let my tongue cleave to the
roof of my mouth, if I remember thee not, if I set not Jerusalem over the head
of all my joy. 7. Remember, O Jehovah! the children or Edom, in the day
of Jerusalem, saying, Lay it bare, lay it bare even to the foundation thereof.
8. O daughter of Babylon laid
waste.
FE185 happy he who shall pay thee back the
retribution wherewith thou retributedst us! 9. Happy he who shall take
and dash thy little ones upon the
stones.
FE186
5.
If I shall forget thee, O
Jerusalem! This confirms what was said
in the former verse, and leaves us in no difficulty to understand what the
Psalmist meant by it. For here God's people declare, and with the solemnity of
an oath, that the remembrance of the holy city would be ever engra-yen upon
their hearts, and never, under any circumstances, effaced. Having spoken
of song, and of the instruments of music, the Psalmist's appeal is made in terms
which corre-spond — that
his hand would
forager its cunning, and
his tongue cleave to his
palate, or
the roof of his
mouth. The meaning' is, that the Lord's
people, while they mourn under personal trials, should be still more deeply
affected by public calamities which befall the Church, it being' reasonable that
the zeal of God's house should have the highest place in our hearts, and rise
above all mere private considerations. The second part of the sixth verse some
interpret — If this be not my chief joy to see Jerusalem once more in a
flourishing condition. Others — Joy will never enter my heart more, till I
be gladdened by the Church's restoration. Both meanings are in my opinion
comprehended in the words of the Psalmist. The one cannot be separated from the
other; for if we set Jerusalem above our chiefest joy, the height of this joy
must arise from the consideration of its prosperity, and, if this be the
case, the grief we feel under its calamities will be such as effectually
to shut out all worldly joys.
7.
Remember, O Jehovah! the
children of Edom. Vengeance was to be
executed upon the other neighboring nations which had conspired to destroy
Jerusalem, so that they are all doubtless included here under the children of
Edom, who are specified, a parr, for the whole, either because they showed more
hatred and cruelty than the rest, or that theirs were not so easily borne,
considering that they were brethren, and of one blood, being the posterity of
Esau, and that the Israelites had, by God's commandment, spared the Edomites,
when they devoted all beside them to destruction.
(<050204>Deuteronomy
2:4.) It was, therefore, the height of cruelty in them to invite the Babylonians
to destroy their own brethren, or fan the flames of their hostility. We are to
notice, however, that the Psalmist does not break forth into these awful
denunciations unadvisedly, but as God's herald, to confirm former prophecies.
God both by Ezekiel and Jeremiah had predicted that he would punish the
Edomites,
(<262513>Ezekiel
25:13;
<244907>Jeremiah
49:7; and
<250421>Lamentations
4:21,22) and Obadiah distinctly gives the reason, answerable to what is here
stated — that they had conspired with the Babylonians.
(<310111>Obadiah
1:11.) We know that God intended in this way to comfort and support the minds of
the people under a calamity so very distressing, as that Jacob's election might
have seemed to be rendered frustrate, should his descendants be treated with
impunity in such a barbarous manner, by the posterity of Esau. The Psalmist
prays, under the inspiration of the Spirit, that God would practically
demonstrate the truth of this prediction. Anti when he says,
Remember, O Jehovah!
he would remind God's people of the promise to
strengthen their belief in his avenging justice, and make them wait for the
event with patience and submission. To pray for vengeance would have been
unwarrantable, had not God pro-raised it, and had the party against whom it was
sought not been reprobate and incurable; for as to others, even our greatest
enemies, we should wish their amendment and reformation. The day of
Jerusalem,, is a title given by him, and of frequent occurrence in
Scripture, to the time of visitation, which had a divinely appointed and
definite term.
8.
O daughter of Babylon
fe187
laid waste! The Psalmist discerns the
coming judgment of God, though not yet apparent, by the eye of faith, as the
Apostle well calls faith "the beholding of things not seen."
(<581101>Hebrews
11:1.) Incredible as it might appear that any calamity should overtake so mighty
an empire as Babylon then was, and impregnable as it was generally considered to
be, he sees in the glass of the Word its destruction and overthrow. He calls
upon all God's people to do the same, and by faith from the elevation of
heaven's oracles, to despise the pride of that abandoned city. If the divine
promises inspire us with hope and confidence, and God's Spirit attemper our
afflictions to the rule of his own uprightness, we shall lift up our heads in
the lowest depths of affliction to which we may be east down, and glory in the
fact that it is well with us in our worst distresses, and that our enemies are
devoted to destruction. In declaring those to be happy who should
pay back vengeance upon the
Babylonians, he does not mean that the
service done by the Medes and Persians, in itself met with the approbation of
God;
fe188 for they were actuated in the war by
ambition, insatiable covetousness, and unprincipled rivalry; but he declares
that a war which was carried on in a manner under God's auspices, should be
crowned with success. As God had determined to punish Babylon, he pronounced a
blessing upon Cyrus and Darius, while on the,other hand Jeremiah
(<244810>Jeremiah
48:10) declares those cursed who should do the work of the Lord negligently,
that is, fail in strenuously carrying out the work of desolation and
destruction, to which God had called them as his hired executioners. It may seem
to savor of cruelty, that he should wish the tender and innocent infants to be
dashed and mangled upon the stones, but he does not speak under the impulse of
personal feeling, and only employs words which God had himself authorized, so
that this is but the declaration of a just judgment, as when our Lord
says,
"With what measure
ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."
(<400702>Matthew
7:2.)
Isaiah
(<231316>Isaiah
13:16) had issued a special prediction in reference to Babylon, which the
Psalmist has doubtless here in his eye — "Behold God has sharpened the
iron, and bent the bows; he sends forth the Medes and Persians, which shall not
regard silver and gold; they shall thirst for blood only," etc.
PSALM
138
In this Psalm David, in remembrance of the singular
help which had always been vouchsafed him by God — the experience he had
enjoyed of his faithfulness and goodness, takes occasion to stir himself up to
gratitude; and from what he had known of the divine faithfulness, he anticipates
a continuance of the same mercy. If dangers must be met, he confidently looks
for a happy issue.
A Psalm of
David.
Psalm
138:1-5
1. I will praise
thee
fe189 with my whole heart, before the
gods
fe190 will I sing psalms to thee. 2. I
will worship thee towards the temple of thy holiness, and sing unto thy name for
thy mercy and for thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy name above all things
by thy word. 3. In the day when I cried to thee then thou answeredst me,
and hast abundantly ministered strength to me in my soul. 4. Let all
kings of the earth praise thee, O Jehovah! because they have heard the words of
thy mouth. 5. And let theta sing
in
fe191 the walls of Jehovah, for great is the
glory of Jehovah.
1.
I will praise thee with my
whole heart. As David had been honored
to receive distinguishing marks of the divine favor, he declares his resolution
to show more than ordinary gratitude. This is exercise which degenerates and is
degraded in the case of hypocrites to a mere sound of empty words, but he states
that he would return thanks to God not with the lips only, but with sincerity of
heart, for by the whole
heart, as we have elsewhere seen, is
meant a heart which is sincere and not double. The noun
µyhla,
Elohim, sometimes means angels, and sometimes kings, and
either meaning will suit with the passage before us. The praise David;speaks of
is that which is of a public kind. The solemn assembly is, so to speak, a
heavenly theater, graced by the presence of attending angels; and one reason why
the cherubim overshadowed the Ark of the Covenant was to let God's people know
that the angels are present when they come to worship in the sanctuary. We might
very properly apply what is said here to kings, on account of their
eminence in rank, as in
<19A732>Psalm
107:32, "Praise ye the Lord in the assembly of the elders" — that is, as
we should say, in an assembly of an honored and illustrious kind. But I prefer
the former sense, and this because believers in drawing near to God are
withdrawn from the world, and rise to heaven in the enjoyment of fellowship with
angels, so that we find Paul enforcing his address to the Corinthians upon the
necessity of decency and order, by requiring them to show some respect at least
in their public religious assemblies to the angels.
(<461110>1
Corinthians 11:10.) The same thing was represented by God long before, under the
figure of the cherubim, thus giving his people a visible pledge of his
presence.
2.
I will worship towards the temple
fe192 of thy
holiness. He intimates that he would
show more than private gratitude, and, in order to set an example before others,
come in compliance with the precept of the law into the sanctuary. He worshipped
God spiritually, and yet would lift his eyes to those outward symbols which were
the means then appointed for drawing the minds of God's people upwards. He
singles out the divine mercy and truth as the subject of his praise, for while
the power and greatness of God are equally worthy of commendation, nothing has a
more sensible influence in stimulating us to thanksgiving than his free mercy;
and in communicating to us of his goodness he opens our mouth to sing his
praises. As we cannot taste, or at least have any lively apprehensions in our
souls of the divine mercy otherwise than through the word, mention is made of
his faithfulness or truth. This coupling of mercy with truth is to be
particularly taken notice of, as I have frequently observed, for however much
the goodness of God may appear to us in its effects, such is our insensibility
that it will never penetrate our minds, unless the word have come to us in the
first place. Goodness is first mentioned, because the only ground upon which God
shows himself to us as true is his having bound himself by his free promise. And
it is in this that his unspeakable mercy shows itself — that he prevents
those with it who were at a distance from him, and invites them to draw near to
him by condescending to address them in a familiar manner. In the end of the
verse some supply the copulative, and read —
Thou hast magnified thy name and
thy word above all
things.
FE193 This learned interpreters have
rejected as a meagre rendering, and yet have themselves had recourse to what I
con:sider a forced
interpretation, Thou hast
magnified thy name above all thy word. I
am satisfied David means to declare that God's name is exalted above all things,
specifying the particular manner in which he has exalted his name, by faithfully
performing his free promises. Nor can any doubt that owing to our blind
insensibility to the benefits which God bestows upon us, the best way in which
he can awaken us to the right notice of them is by first addressing his word to
us. and then certifying and sealing his goodness by accomplishing what he has
promised.
3.
In the day when I cried to
thee, etc. Frequently God prevents our
prayers, and surprises us, as it were, sleeping: but commonly he stirs us up to
prayer by the influence of his Spirit, and this to illustrate his goodness the
more by our finding that he crowns our prayers with success. David well infers
that his escape front danger could not have been merely fortuitous, as it
plainly appeared that God had answered him. This then is one thing noticeable,
that our prayers more nearly discover his goodness to us. Some supply a
copulative in the second part of the verse — Thou
hast increased me, and in my soul
is strength. But this is not called for,
since the words read well enough as they stand, whether we render the passage as
I have done above, or translate it,
Thou hast
multiplied, or increased, me with
strength in my soul. The sense, is, That from a weak and afflicted state he
had received fresh strength to his spirit Or some may, perhaps, prefer resolving
it thus: Thou hast multiplied — that is, blest me, whence strength in my
soul.
4.
Let all kings of the earth praise thee.
Here he declares that the goodness he had experienced would be extensively
known, and the report of it spread over all the world. In saying that even kings
had heard the words of God's mouth, he does not mean to aver that they had been
taught in the true religion so as to be prepared for becoming members of the
Church, but only that it would be well known everywhere that the reason of his
having been preserved in such a wonderful manner was God's having anointed him
king by his commandment.
FE194 Thus although the neighboring kings
reaped no advantage by that divine oracle, the goodness of God was illustrated
by its being universally known, by his being called to the throne in an
extraordinary manner. Having uniformly during the whole period of Saul's severe
and bloody persecution declared that he raised his standard in God's name, there
could be no doubt that he came to the crown by divine will and commandment. And
this was a proof of divine goodness which might draw forth an acknowledgment
even from heathen kings.
Psalm
138:6-8
6. Because Jehovah the
exalted will yet have respect to the lowly, and being high will know afar off,
[or, will know afar off him that is high.] 7. Should I
will
fe195 in the midst of trouble thou wilt
revive me: thou wilt put forth thy hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and
thy right hand shall save me. 8. Jehovah will recompense upon
me.
FE196 thy mercy, O Jehovah! is for ever; thou
wilt not forsake the works of thine own
hand.
6.
Because Jehovah the
exalted, etc. In this verse he passes
commendation upon God's general government of the world. The thing of all others
most necessary to be known is, that he is not indifferent to our safety; for
though in words we are all ready to grant this, our disbelief of it is shown by
the feat' we betray upon the slightest appearance of danger, and we would not
give way to such alarm if we had a solid persuasion of our being under his
fatherly protection. Some read,
Jehovah on
high, that is, he sits on his heavenly
throne governing the world; but I prefer considering, that there is an
opposition intended — that the greatness of God does not prevent his
having' respect to the poor and humble ones of the earth. This is confirmed by
what is stated in the second clause, That being highly exalted he recognises
afar off, or from a distance. Some read
hbg,
gabah, in the accusative case, and this gives a meaning to,the words
which answers well to the context, That God does not honor the high and haughty
by looking near to them — that he despises them — while, with regard
to the poor and humble, who might seem to be at a great distance from him, he
takes care of them, as if they were near to him. By some the verb
[dy,
yada, is rendered, to crush, and they take the meaning to be, that
God, while he favors the lowly, treads down the mighty who glory in their
prosperity. There is reason to doubt, however, whether any such refinement of
meaning is to be attached to David's words, and it is enough to conclude, that
he here repeats the same sentiment formerly expressed, that God though highly
exalted, takes notice of what might be thought to escape his observation. Thus
we have seen,
(<19B306>Psalm
113:6,)
"The Lord dwelleth on
high, yet he humbleth himself to behold both the things that are in heaven and
on earth."
The meaning is, that though God's glory is far above
all heavens, the distance at which he is placed does not prevent his governing
the world by his providence. God is highly exalted, but he sees after off, so
that he needs not change place when he would condescend to take care of us. We
on our part are poor and lowly, but our wretched condition is; no reason why God
will not concern himself about us. While we view with admiration the immensity
of his glory as raised above all heavens, we must not disbelieve his willingness
to foster us under his fatherly care. The two things are, with great propriety,
conjoined here by David, that, on the one hand, when we think of God's majesty
we should not be terrified into a forgetfulness of his goodness and benignity,
nor, on the other, lose our reverence for his majesty in contemplating the
condescension of his mercy.
FE197
7.
Should I walk in the midst of
trouble, etc. Here David declares the
sense in which he looked flint God would act the part of his preserver —
by giving him life from the dead, were that necessary. The passage is well
deserving our attention for by nature we are so delicately averse to suffering
as to wish that we might all live safely beyond shot of its arrows, and shrink
from close contact with the fear of death, as something altogether intolerable.
On the slightest approach of danger we are immoderately afraid, as if our
emergencies precluded the hope of Divine deliverance. This is faith's true
office, to see life in the midst of death, and to trust the mercy of God —
not as that which will procure us universal exemption from evil, but as
that which will quicken us in the midst of death every moment of our lives; for
God humbles his children under various trials, that his defense of them:may be
the more remarkable, and that he may show himself to be their deliverer, as well
as their preserver. In the world believers are constantly exposed to enemies,
and David asserts, that he will be safe under God's protection from all their
machinations. He declares his hope of life to lie in this, that the hand of God
was stretched out:for his help, that hand which he knew to be invincible, and
victorious over every foe. And from all this we are taught, that it is
God's method to exercise his children with a continual conflict, that, having
one foot as it were in the grave, they may flee with alarm to hide themselves
under his wings, where they malt abide in peace. Some translate the particle
ãa,
aph, also, instead of anger, reading — thou wilt also
extend over mine; enemies, etc. But I have followed the more commonly
received sense, as both fuller and more
natural.
8.
Jehovah will recompense upon
me, etc. The doubtful-ness which
attaches to the meaning of the verb
rmg,
gamar, throws an uncertainty over the whole sentence. Sometimes it
signifies to repay, and, in general, to bestow, for it is often
applied to free favors.
FE198 Yet the context would seem to
require.another sense, since, when it is added as a reason,
that Jehovah's mercy is
everlasting, and that he will not forsake the works of his
hands, the better sense would seem to be
— Jehovah will perform for me, that is, will continue to show that
he cares for my safety, and will fully perfect what he has begun. Having once
been delivered by an act of Divine mercy, he concludes that what had been done
would be perfected, as God's nature is unchangeable, and he cannot divest
himself of that goodness which belongs to him. There can be no doubt that the
way to maintain good hope in danger is to fix our eyes upon the Divine goodness,
on which our deliverance rests. God is under no obligation on his part, but
when, of his mere good pleasure, he promises to interest himself in our behalf.
David concludes with the best reason, from the eternity of the Divine goodness,
that the salvation granted him would be of no limited and merely evanescent
character. This he confirms still farther by what he adds, that it is impossible
God should leave his work, as men may do, in an imperfect or unfinished state
through lassitude or disgust. This David is to be understood as asserting in the
same sense in which Paul declares, that "the gifts and calling of God are
without repentance."
(<451129>Romans
11:29.) Men may leave off a work for very slight reasons which they foolishly
undertook from the first, and from which they may have been diverted through
their inconstancy, or they may be forced to give up through inability what they
enterprised above their strength; but nothing of this kind can happen with God,
and, therefore, we have no occasion to apprehend that our hopes will be
disappointed in their course towards fulfillment. Nothing but sin and
ingratitude on our part interrupts the continued and unvarying tenor of the
Divine goodness. What we firmly apprehend by our faith God will never take from
us, or allow to pass out of our hands. When he declares that God perfects the
salvation of his people, David would not encourage sloth, but strengthen his
faith and quicken himself to the exercise of prayer. What is the cause of that
anxiety and fear which are felt by the godly, but the consciousness of their own
weakness and entire dependence upon God? At the same time they rely with full
certainty upon the grace of God, "being confident," as Paul writes to the
Philippians,
"that he who has begun
the good work will perform it till the day of Christ Jesus."
(<500106>Philippians
1:6.)
The use to be made of the doctrine is, to remember,
when we fall or are disposed to waver in our minds, that since God has wrought
the beginning of our salvation in us, he will carry it forward to its
termination. Accordingly, we should betake ourselves to prayer, that we may not,
through our own indolence, bar our access to that continuous stream of
the divine goodness which flows from a fountain that is
inexhaustible.
PSALM
139
In this Psalm David, that he may dismiss the
deceptive coverings under which most men take refuge, and divest himself of
hypocrisy, insists at large upon the truth that nothing can elude the divine
observation — a truth which he illustrates from the original formation of
man, since he who fashioned us in our mother's womb, and imparted to every
member its particular office and function, cannot possibly be ignorant of our
actions. Quickened by this meditation to a due reverential fear of God, he
declares himself to have no sympathy with the ungodly and profane, and beseeches
God, in the confidence of conscious integrity, not to forsake him in this life.
fe199
To the chief
Musician, a Psalm of David.
Psalm
139:1-6
1. O Jehovah! thou hast
searched me, and knowest me. 2. Thou hast known my downsitting and
mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3. Thou besiegest
my path, and my lying clown, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4. For
there is not a word in my tongue, but lo! O Lord! Thou knowest it altogether.
5. Thou hast shut me up behind and before, and hast laid thine hand upon
me. 6. Thy knowledge is wonderful above
me:
fe200 it is high, I cannot attain to
it.
1.
O Jehovah! thou hast searched
me. David declares, in the outset of
this Psalm, that he does not come before God with any idea of its being possible
to succeed by dissimulation, as hypocrites will take advantage of secret refuges
to prosecute sinful indulgences, but that he voluntarily lays bare his
innermost heart for inspection, as one convinced of the impossibility of
deceiving God. It is thine, he says, O God! to discover every secret thought,
nor is there anything which can escape thy notice, He then insists upon
particulars, to show that his whole life was known to God, who watched him in
all his motions — when he slept, when he arose, or when he walked abroad.
The word
[r,
rea, which we have rendered
thought,
signifies also a friend or companion, on which account some
read — thou knowest what is nearest me afar off, a meaning more to
the point than any other, if it could be supported by example. The reference
would then be very appropriately to the fact that the most distant objects are
contemplated as near by God. Some
for afar
off read beforehand, in which
signification the Hebrew word is elsewhere taken, as if he had said — O
Lord, every thought which I conceive in my heart is already known to thee
beforehand. But I prefer the other meaning, That God is not confined to heaven,
indulging in a state of repose, and indifferent to human concerns, according to
the Epicurean idea, and that however far off we may be from him, he is never far
off from us.
The verb
hrz,
zarah, means to winnow as well as to compass, so that we
may very properly read the third verse — thou winnowest my
ways,
fe201 a figurative expression to
denote the bringing of anything which is unknown to light. The reader is left to
his own option, for the other rendering which I have adopted is
also.appropriate. There has been also a difference of opinion amongst
interpreters as to the last clause of the verse. The verb
ˆks,
sachan, in the Hiphil conjugation, as here, signifies to render
successful, which has led some to think that David here thanks God for
crowning his actions with success; but this is a sense which does not at all
suit the scope of the Psalmist in the context, for he is not speaking of
thanksgiving. Equally forced is the meaning given to the words by others —
Thou hast made me to get acquainted or accustomed with my
ways;
fe202 as if he praised God for being endued
with wisdom and counsel. Though the verb be in the Hiphil, I have therefore felt
no hesitation in assigning it a neuter signification — Lord, thou art
accustomed to my ways, so that they are familiar to
thee.
4.
For there is not a word, etc. The words
admit a double meaning. Accordingly some understand them to imply that God knows
what, we are about to say before the words are formed on our tongue; others,
that though we speak not a word, and try by silence to conceal our secret
intentions, we cannot elude his notice. Either rendering amounts to the same
thing, and it is of no consequence which we adopt. The idea meant to be conveyed
is, that while the tongue is the index of thought to man. being the great medium
of communication, God, who knows the heart, is independent of words. And use is
made of the demonstrative particle lo! to indicate emphatically that the
innermost recesses of our spirit stand present to his
view.
In verse fifth some read — behind
and before thou hast fashioned me;
fe203 but
rwx,
tsur, often signifies to shut up, and David, there can be no
doubt, means that he was surrounded on every side, and so kept in sight by God,
that he could not escape in any quarter. One who finds the way blocked up turns
back; but David found himself hedged in behind as well as before. The other
clause of the verse has the same meaning; for those put a very forced
interpretation upon it who think that it refers to God's fashioning us, and
applying his hand in the sense of an artizan to his work; nor does this suit
with the context. And it is much better to understand it as asserting that God
by his hand, laid as it were upon men, holds them strictly under his inspection,
so that they cannot move a hair's breadth without his
knowledge.
FE204
6.
Thy knowledge is wonderful
above me. Two meanings may be attached
to
ynmm:
mimmenni. We may read upon me, or, in relation to me,
and understand David to mean that God's knowledge is seen to be wonderful in
forming such a creature as man, who, to use an old saying', may be called a
little world in himself; nor can we think without astonishment of the consummate
artifice apparent in the structure of the human body, and of the excellent
endowments with which the human soul is invested. But the context demands
another interpretation; and we are to suppose that David, prosecuting the same
idea upon which he had already insisted, exclaims against the folly of measuring
God's knowledge by our own, when it rises prodigiously above us. Many when they
hear God spoken of conceive of him as like unto themselves, and such presumption
is most condemnable. Very commonly they will not allow his knowledge to be
greater than what comes up to their own apprehensions of things. David, on the
contrary, confesses it to be beyond his comprehension, virtually declaring that
words could not express this truth of the absoluteness with which all things
stand patent to the eye of God, this being a knowledge having' neither bound nor
measure, so that he could only contemplate the extent of it with conscious
imbecility.
Psalm
139:7-12
7. Whither shall I go from
thy Spirit? rind whither shall flee from thy face? 8. If I ascend up into
heaters, thou art there; if I lie down in the sepulcher, lo! thou art there.
9. Shall I take the wings of the morning, that I may dwell in the
uttermost parts of the sea? 10. Even there shall thy hand lead me, and
thy right hand shall hold me. 11. If I shall say; at least the darkness
shall cover me, and the night shall be light for me; 12. Even the
darkness shall not hide from thee, and the night shall be lightened up as day,
and darkness as the light.
7.
Whither shall I go from thy
Spirit? I consider that David prosecutes the
same idea of its being' impossible that men by any subterfuge should elude the
eye of God. By the Spirit of
God we are not here, as in several other
parts of Scripture, to conceive of his power merely, but his understanding and
knowledge.
FE205 In man the spirit is the seat of
intelligence, and so it is here in reference to God, as is plain from the second
part of the sentence, where by
the face of
God is meant his knowledge or
inspection. David means in short that he could not change from one place to
another without God seeing him, and following him with his eyes as he moved.
They misapply the passage who adduce it as a proof of the immensity of God's
essence; for though it be an undoubted truth that the glory of the Lord fills
heaven and earth, this was not at present in the view of the Psalmist, but the
truth that God's eye penetrates heaven and hell, so that, hide in what obscure
corner of the world he might, he must be discovered by him. Accordingly he tells
us that though he should fly to heaven, or lurk in the lowest abysses, from
above or from below all was naked and manifest before God.
The wings of the
morning,
fe206 or of Lucifer, is a beautiful
metaphor, for when the sun rises on the earth, it transmits its radiance
suddenly to all regions of the world, as with the swiftness of flight. The same
figure is employed in
<390402>Malachi
4:2. And the idea is, that though one should fly with the speed of light, he
could find no recess where he would be beyond the reach of divine power. For by
hand
we are to understand power, and the assertion is to the effect that should
man attempt to withdraw from the observation of God, it were easy for him to
arrest and draw back the fugitive.
FE207
11.
If I shall
say, etc. David represents himself as a
man using every possible method to make his escape from a situation of
embarrassment. So having acknowledged that it was vain to dream of flight, he
bethinks himself of another remedy, and says, If no speed of mine can bear me
out of the range of God's vision, yet, on the supposition of light being
removed, the darkness might cover me, that I might have a short breath of
respite. But this also he declares to be hopeless, as God sees equally well in
the deepest darkness as at noon-day. It is a mistake in my opinion to consider,
as some have done, that the two clauses of the verse are to be taken separately,
and read, If I shall say the
darkness will cover me, even the night shall be as light before
me — meaning that darkness would
be converted into light, and so though he saw nothing himself, he would stand
manifest before the eye of God. David is rather to be considered as in both
clauses expressing what he might be supposed to feel desirous of, and intimates
that, could he only find any covert or subterfuge, he would avail himself of the
license;
fe208 "if I shall say, at least the
darkness will cover me, and the night be as light for me," that is, in the sense
in which it is so to the robbers or wild beasts of the forest, who then range at
greater liberty. That this is the proper construction of the words we may infer
from the particle
µg,
gam. If any one should 'think it a very unnecessary observation to say that
as respects God there is no difference between light and darkness, it is enough
to remind him that all observation proves with what reluctance and extreme
difficulty men are brought to come forward openly and 'unreservedly into God's
presence. In words we all grant that God is omniscient; meanwhile what none
would ever think of controverting we secretly make no account of whatsoever, in
so far as we make no scruple of mocking God, and lack even that reverence of him
which we extend to one of our fellow-creatures. We are ashamed to let men know
and witness our delinquencies; but we are as indifferent to what God may think
of us, as if our sins were covered and veiled from his inspection. This
infatuation if not sharply reproved will soon change light, so far as we are
concerned, into darkness, and therefore David insists upon the subject at length
in order to refute our false apprehensions. Be it our concern to apply the
reproofs given, and stir ourselves up by them, when we feel disposed to become
secure.
Psalm
139:13-16
13. For thou hast
possessed
fe209 my reins; thou hast covered me
fe210
in my mother's womb, 14. I will praise thee; for I have been made
wonderful terribly; marvellous are thy works, and my soul shall know them well.
15. My strength is not hid from
thee,
fe211 which thou hast made in secret: I was
woven together in the lowest parts of the earth. 16. Thine eyes did see
my shapelessness; all are written in thy book, they were formed by days, and not
one of them.
13.
For thou hast possessed my
reins. Apparently he prosecutes the same
subject, though he carries it out somewhat farther, declaring that we need not
be surprised at God's knowledge of the most secret thoughts of men, since he
formed their hearts and their reins. He thus represents God as sitting king in
the very reins of man, as the center of his jurisdiction, and shows it ought to
be no ground of wonder that all the windings and recesses of our hearts are
known to him who, when we were inclosed in our mother's womb, saw us as clearly
and perfectly as if we had stood before him in the light of mid-day. This may
let us know the design with which David proceeds to speak of man's original
formation, tits scope is the same in the verse which follows, where, with some
ambiguity in the terms employed, it is sufficiently clear and obvious that David
means that he had been fashioned in a manner wonderful, and calculated to excite
both fear and admiration,
fe212
so that he breaks forth into the praises of God. One great reason of the carnal
security into which we fall, is our not considering how singularly we were
fashioned at first by our Divine Maker. From this particular instance David is
led to refer in general to all the works of God, which are just so many wonders
fitted to draw our attention to him. The true and proper view to take of the
works of God, as I have observed elsewhere, is that which ends in wonder. His
declaration to the effect that
his soul should well
know these wonders, which far transcend
human comprehension, means no more than that with humble and sober application
he would give his attention and talents to obtaining such an apprehension of the
wonderful works of God as might end in adoring the immensity of his glory. The
knowledge he means, therefore, is not that which professes to comprehend what,
under the name of wonders, he confesses to be incomprehensible, nor of that kind
which philosophers presumptuously pretend to, as if they could solve every
mystery of God, but simply that religious attention to the works of God which
excites to the duty of thanksgiving.
15.
My strength was not hid from
thee. That nothing is hid from God David
now begins to prove from the way in which man is at first formed, and points out
God's superiority to other artificers in this, that while they must have their
work set before their eyes before they can form it, he fashioned us in our
mother's womb. It is of little importance whether we read
my
strength or my bone, though I
prefer the latter reading. He next likens the womb of the mother to
the lowest
caverns or recesses of the earth.
Should an artizan intend commencing a work in some dark cave where there was
no light to assist him, how would he set his hand to it? in what way would he
proceed? and what kind of workmanship would it
prove?
FE213 But God makes the most perfect work of
all in the dark, for he fashions man in mother's womb. The verb
µqr,
rakam, which means weave
together,
fe214 is employed to amplify and
enhance what the Psalmist had just said. David no doubt means figuratively to
express the inconceivable skill which appears in the formation of the human
body. When we examine it, even to the nails on our fingers, there is nothing
which could be altered, without felt inconveniency, as at something disjointed
or put out of place; and what, then, if we should make the individual parts the
subject of enumeration?
FE215 Where is the embroiderer who —
with all his industry and ingenuity — could execute the hundredth part of
this complicate and diversified structure? We need not then wonder if God, who
formed man so perfectly in the womb, should have an exact knowledge of him after
he is ushered into the world.
16.
Thine eyes beheld my
shapelessness, etc. The embryo, when
first conceived in the womb, has no form; and David speaks of God's having known
him when he was yet a shapeless mass,
to<
ku>hma, as the Greeks term it; for
to<
embruon is the name given to the foetus from the
time of conception to birth inclusive. The argument is from the greater' to the
less. If he was known to God before he had grown to certain definite shape, much
less could he now elude his observation. He adds, that
all things were written in his
book; that is, the whole method of his
formation was well known to God. The term book is a figure taken from the
practice common amongst men of helping their memory by means of books and
commentaries. Whatever is an object of God's knowledge he is said to have
registered in writing, for he needs no helps to memory. Interpreters are not
agreed as to the second clause. Some read
µymy,
yamim, in the nominative case,
when days were
made; the sense being, according to them
— All my bones were written in thy book, O God! from the beginning of the
world, when days were first formed by thee, and when as yet none of them
actually existed. The other is the more natural meaning, That the different
parts of the human body are formed in a succession of time; for in the first
germ there is no arrangement of parts, or proportion of members, but it is
developed, and takes its peculiar form
progressively.
FE216 There is another point on which
interpreters differ. As in the particle
al,
lo, the
a,
aleph, is often interchangeable with
w
vau; some read
wl,
to him, and others
al
not. According to the first reading, the sense is, that though the body is
formed progressively, it was always one and the same in God's book, who is not
dependent upon time for the execution of his work. A sufficiently good meaning,
however, can be got by adhering' without change to the negative particle,
namely, that though the members were formed in the course of days, or gradually,
none of them had existed; no order or distinctness of parts having been there at
first, but a formless substance. And thus our admiration is directed to the
providence of God in gradually giving' shape and beauty to a confused
mass.
FE217
Psalm
139:17-18
17. How precious also are
thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great the sums of them! 18. If I should
count them, they shall be multiplied above the sand: I have awaked, and am still
with thee.
17.
How precious also are thy
thoughts unto me. It is the same Hebrew
word,
h[r,
reah, which is used here as in the second verse, and means thought,
not companion or friend, as many have rendered it, after the
Chaldee translator, under the idea that the Psalmist is already condescending
upon the distinction between the righteous and the wicked. The context requires
that he should still be considered as speaking of the matchless excellence of
divine providence. He therefore repeats — and not without reason —
what he had said before; for we apparently neglect or underestimate the singular
proofs of the deep wisdom of God, exhibited in man's creation, and the whole
superintendence and government of his life. Some read — How rare are
thy thoughts; but this only darkens the meaning. I grant we find that word
made use of in the Sacred History,
(<090301>1
Samuel 3:1,) where the oracles of the Lord are said to have been rare, in the
time of Eli. But it also means
precious,
and it is enough that we retain the sense which is free from all ambiguity.
He applies the term to God's thoughts, as not lying within the compass of man's
judgment. To the same effect is what he adds that the
sums
or aggregates of them were great and mighty; that is, sufficient to
overwhelm the minds of men. The exclamation made by the Psalmist suggests to us
that were men not so dull of apprehension, or rather so senseless, they would be
struck by the mysterious ways of God, and would humbly and tremblingly sist
themselves before his tribunal, instead of presumptuously thinking that they
could evade it. The same truth is set forth in the next verse, that if any
should attempt to number the hidden judgments or counsels of God, their
immensity is more than the sands of the sea. Our capacities conseqently
could not comprehend the most infinitesimal part of them. As to what follows
— I have a waked, and am
still with, thee, interpreters have
rendered the words differently; but I have no doubt of the meaning simply being
that David found new occasion, every time he awoke from sleep, for meditating
upon the extraordinary wisdom of God. When he speaks of rising, we are not to
suppose he refers to one day, but agreeably to what he had said already of his
thoughts being absorbed in the incomprehensible greatness of divine wisdom, he
adds that every time he
awoke he discovered fresh matter for
admiration. We are thus put in possession of the true meaning of David, to the
effect that God's providential government of the world is such that nothing can
escape him, not even the profoundest thoughts. And although many precipitate
themselves in an infatuated manner into all excess of crime, under the idea that
God will never discover them, it is in vain that they resort to hiding-places,
from which, however reluctantly, they must be dragged to light. The truth is one
which we would do well to consider more than we do, for while we may cast a.
glance at our hands and our feet, and occasionally survey the elegance of our
shape with complacency, there is scarcely one in a hundred who thinks of his
Maker. Or if any recognize their life as coming from God, there is none at least
who rises to the great truth that he who formed the ear, and the eye, and the
understanding heart, himself hears, and sees, and knows
everything.
Psalm
139:19-24
19. If thou shalt slay, O
God! the wicked, then depart from me, ye bloody men. 20. Who have spoken
of thee wickedly, thine adversaries have taken [thy name] falsely. 21.
Shall not I hold in hatred those that hate thee, O Jehovah! And strive with
those that rise up against thee? 22. I have hated them with perfect
hatred; they were to me for enemies.
FE218 23. Search me, O God! and know
my heart: try me, and know my thoughts; 24. And know whether the way of
wickedness be in me, and lead me throughout the way of this
life.
FE219
19.
If thou shalt
slay, etc. It is unnatural to seek, as
some have done, to connect this with the preceding verse. Nor does it seem
proper to view the words as expressing a wish — " I wish," or, "Oh!
if thou God wouldst slay the wicked." Neither can I subscribe to the idea of
those who think that David congratulates himself upon the wicked being cut off.
The sentiment seems to me to be of another kind, that he would apply himself to
the consideration of the divine judgments, and advance in godliness and in the
fear of his name, so often as vengeance was taken upon the ungodly. There can be
no question that God designs to make an example of them, that his elect ones may
be taught by their punishment to withdraw themselves from their society. David
was of himself well disposed to the fear and worship of God, and yet he needed a
certain check, like other saints, as Isaiah says,
(<232609>Isaiah
26:9,) "when God has sent abroad his judgments, the inhabitants of the
earth shall learn righteousness," that is, to remain in the fear of the Lord. At
the same time, I have no doubt that the Psalmist presents himself before God as
witness of his integrity; as if he had said, that he came freely and ingenuously
to God's bar, as not being one of the wicked despisers of his name, nor having
any connection with them.
20.
Who have spoken of thee
wickedly. He intimates the extent to
which the wicked proceed when God spares them, and forbears to visit them with
vengeance. They not merely conclude that they may perpetrate any crime with
impunity, but openly blaspheme their Judge. He takes notice of their speaking
wickedly, in the sense of their taking no pains to disguise their sin under
plausible pretences, as persons who have some shame remaining will exercise a
certain restraint upon their language, but they make no secret of the contempt
they entertain for God. The second clause, where he speaks of their taking God's
name falsely, some have interpreted too restrictedly with reference to their sin
of perjury. Those,come nearer the truth who consider that the wicked are spoken
of as taking God's name in vain, when they conceive of him according to their
own idle fancies. We see from experience, that most men are ignorant of what God
is, and judge of him rather as one dead than alive. In words they all
acknowledge him to be judge of the world, but the acknowledgment comes to
nothing, as they straightway denude him of his office of judgment, which is to
take God's name in vain, by tarnishing the glory of it, and, in a manner,
deforming it. But as
name
is not in the original, and
açn,
nasa, means to lift Up, or on high, I think we are warranted
rather to interpret the passage as meaning', that they carried themselves with
an arrogant and false pride. This elation or haughtiness of spirit is almost
always allied with that petulance of which he. had previously taken notice. What
other reason can be given for their vending such poisonous rancour against God,
but pride, and forgetfulness, on the one hand, of their own insignificance as
men, and on the other, of the power which belongeth unto the Lord? On this
account he calls them God's adversaries, for all who exalt themselves
above the place which they should occupy, act the part of the giants who warred
against heaven.
21.
Shall I not hold in hatred those
that hate thee? He proceeds to mention
how greatly he had profited by the meditation upon God into which he had been
led, for, as the effect, of his having realized his presence before God's bar,
and reflected upon the impossibility of escaping the eye of him who searches all
deep places, he now lays down his resolution to lead a holy and pious life. In
declaring his hatred of those who despised God, he virtually asserts thereby his
own integrity, not as being free from all sin, but as being devoted to
godliness, so that he detested in his heart everything which was contrary to it.
Our attachment to godliness must be inwardly defective, if it do not generate an
abhorrence of sin, such as David here speaks of. If that zeal for the house of
the Lord, which he mentions elsewhere,
(<196909>Psalm
69:9,) burn in our hearts, it would be an unpardonable
indifference silently to look on when his righteous law was violated, nay, when
his holy name was trampled upon by the wicked. As to the last word in the verse,
fwq,
kut, means to dispute with, or contend, and may be
understood as here retaining' the same sense in the Hithpael conjugation, unless
we consider David to have more particularly meant, that he inflamed himself so
as to stir up his mind to contend with them. We thus see that he stood forward
strenuously in defense of the glory of God, regardless of the hatred of the
whole world, and waged war with all the workers of
iniquity.
22.
I hate them with perfect
hatred. Literally it is, I hate them
with perfection of hatred. He repeats the same truth as formerly, that such was
his esteem for God's glory that he would have nothing' in common with those who
despised him. He means in general that he gave no countenance to the works of
darkness, for whoever connives at sin and encourages it through silence,
wickedly betrays God's cause, who has committed the vindication of righteousness
into our hands. David's example should teach us to rise with a lofty and bold
spirit above all regard to the enmity of the wicked, when the question concerns
the honor of God, and rather to renounce all earthly friendships than falsely
pander with flattery to the favor of those who do everything to draw down upon
themselves the divine displeasure. We have the more need to attend to this,
because the keen sense we have of what concerns our private interest, honor, and
convenience, makes us never hesitate to engage in contest when any one injures
ourselves, while we are abundantly timid and cowardly in defending the glory of
God. Thus, as each of us studies his own interest and advantage, the only thing
which incites us to contention, strife, and war, is a desire to avenge our
private wrongs; none is affected when the majesty of God is outraged. On the
other hand, it is a proof of our having a fervent zeal for God when we have the
magnanimity to declare irreconcilable war with the wicked and them who hate God,
rather than court their favor at the expense of alienating the divine layout. We
are to observe, however, that the hatred of which the Psalmist speaks is
directed to the sins rather than the persons of the wicked. We are, so far as
lies in us, to study peace with all men; we are to seek the good of all, and, if
possible, they are to be reclaimed by kindness and good offices: only so far as
they are enemies to God we must strenuously confront their
resentment.
23.
Search me, O
God! He:insists upon this as being the
only cause why he opposed the despisers of God, that he himself was a genuine
worshipper of God, and desired others to possess the same character. It
indicates no common confidence that he should submit, himself so boldly to the
judgment of God. But being fully conscious of sincerity in his religion, it was
not without due consideration that he placed himself so confidently before God's
bar; neither must we think that he claims to be free from all sin, for he
groaned under the felt burden of his transgressions. The saints in all that they
say of their integrity still depend only upon free grace. Yet persuaded as they
are that their godliness is approved before God, notwithstanding their falls and
infirmities, we need not wonder that (hey feel themselves at freedom to draw a
distinction between themselves and the wicked. While he denies that his heart
was double or insincere, he does not profess exemption from all sin, but only
that he was not devoted to wickedness; for
bx[,
otseb, does not mean any sin whatever, but grief, trouble, or
pravity — and sometimes metaphorically an
idol.
FE220 But the last of these meanings
will not apply here, for David asserts his freedom not from superstition merely,
but unrighteousness, as elsewhere it is said,
(<235907>Isaiah
59:7,) that in the ways of such men there is "trouble and destruction," because
they carry everything by violence and wickedness. Others think the allusion is
to a bad conscience, which afflicts the wicked with inward torments, but this is
a forced interpretation. Whatever sense we attach to the word, David's meaning
simply is, that though he was a man subject to sin, he was not devotedly bent
upon the practice of it.
24.
And lead
me, etc. I see no foundation for the
opinion of some that this is an imprecation, and that David adjudges himself
over to punishment. It is true, that "the way of all the earth" is an
expression used sometimes to denote death, which is common to all, but the verb
here translated to lead is more commonly taken in a good than a bad
sense, and I question if the phrase
way of this
life ever means
death.
FE221 It seems evidently to denote the full
continuous term of human life, and David prays God to guide him even to the end
of his course. I am aware some understand it to refer to eternal life, nor is
it. denied that the world to come is comprehended under the full term of life to
which the Psalm~ ist alludes, but it seems enough to hold by the plain sense of
the words, That God would watch over his servant to whom he had already shown
kindness to the end, and not forsake him in the midst of his
days.
PSALM
140
David complains of the implacable cruelty of his
enemies, and of their treachery and rancorous calumnies. In the close, having
besought God's help, and expressing his persuasion of obtaining his layout, he
comforts himself with the hope of deliverance, and just vengeance being executed
upon his enemies.
To the chief
Musician — A Psalm of David.
Psalm
140:1-5
1. Deliver me, O Jehovah!
from the evil man, (homo,) preserve me from the man
(vir)
fe222 of injuries. 2. Who imagine
mischiefs in their heart; daily they congregate for war. 3. They have
sharpened their tongue like a serpent:
fe223 the poison of an
asp
fe224 is under their lips. Selah. 4.
Keep us, O Jehovah! from the hands of the wicked: preserve me from the man of
injuries, who plot to overthrow my goings. 5. The proud have set a snare
for me, and have spread a net with cords: by the way side they have set gins for
me.
FE225
Selah.
To the chief
Musician, etc. I cannot bring myself to
restrict this Psalm to Doeg, as the great body of interpreters do, for the
context will clearly show that it speaks of Saul, and of the counselors who
ceased not to inflame the king — himself sufficiently incensed against the
life of one who was a saint of God. Being as he was a figure of Christ, we need
not wonder that the agents of the devil directed so much of their rage against
him. And this is the reason why he animadverts so sharply upon their rancor and
treachery.
The terms
wicked
and violent men denote their unwarranted attempts at his destruction
without provocation given. He therefore commends his cause to God, as having
studied peace with them, as never having injured them, but being the innocent
object of their unjust persecution. The same rule must be observed by us all, as
it is against violence and wickedness that the help of God is extended. David is
not Multiplying mere terms of reproach as men do in their personal disputes, but
conciliating God's favor by supplying a proof of his innocence, for he must
always be upon the side of good and peaceable
men.
2.
Who imagine mischief's in their
heart. Here he charges them with inward
malignity of heart. And it is plain that the reference is not to one man merely,
for he passes to the plural number (in a manner sufficiently common,) reverting
from the head to all his associates and copartners in guilt. Indeed what was
formerly said in the singular number may be taken indefinitely, as grammarians
say. In general he repeats what I have noticed already, that the hostility to
which he was subjected arose from no cause of his. From this we learn that the
more wickedly our enemies assail us, and the more of treachery and clandestine
acts they manifest, the nearer is the promised aid of the Holy Spirit, who
himself dictated this form of prayer by the mouth of David. The second clause
may be rendered in three ways. Literally it reads, who gather wars, and so some
understand it. But it, is well known that the prepositions are often omitted in
the Hebrew, and no doubt lie means that they stirred up general enmity by their
false information's being as the trumpet which sounds to battle. Some render the
verb — to conspire, or plot together, but this is a farfetched and
meager sense. He intimates afterwards in what manner they stirred up unjust war
by the wicked calumnies which they spread, as they could not crush a good and
innocent person by violence, otherwise than by first overwhelming him with
calumny.
4.
Keep me, O
Jehovah! To complaints and accusations he now
again adds prayer, from which it appears more clearly, as I observed already,
that it is God whom he seeks to be his avenger. It is the same sentiment
repeated, with one or two words changed; for he had said
deliver
me, now he says keep me, and for
the wicked
man he substitutes the hand of the
wicked. He had spoken of their conceiving mischief's, now of their plotting
how they might ruin a poor unsuspecting individual. What he had said of their
fraud and deceit he repeats in figurative language, which does not want
emphasis. He speaks of nets spread out on every side to circumvent him, unless
God interposed for his help. Though at first sight the metaphors may seem more
obscure than the prayer was in its simple unfigurative expression, they are far
from darkening the previous declarations, and they add much to the strength of
them. From the word
µyag,
geim, which signifies
proud
or lofty in the Hebrew, we learn that he does not speak of common men,
but of men in power, who considered that they would have no difficulty in
crushing an insignificant individual. When our enemies attack us in the
insolence of pride, let us learn to resort to God, who can repel the rage of the
wicked. Nor does he mean to say that they attacked him merely by bold and
violent measures, for he complains of their spreading gins and snares; both
methods are spoken of, namely, that while they were confident of the power which
they possessed, they devised stratagems for his
destruction.
Psalm
140:6-10
6. I said to Jehovah thou
art my God; hear the voice of my supplication. 7. O, Jehovah, my Lord!
the strength of my salvation, thou hast set a covering upon my head in the day
of arms. FE226
8. Grant not, O Jehovah! the desires
of the wicked; they have devised, do not though consummate, they shall be
exalted. Selah. 9. As for the head of those compassing me about, let the
mischief of his lips cover him. 10. Let coals with fire fall upon them;
he shall cast them into deeps, fe227
they shall not rise
again.
6.
I said to
Jehovah. In these words he shows that his
prayers were not merely those of the lips, as hypocrites will make loud appeals
to God for mere appearance sake, but that he prayed with earnestness, and from a
hidden principle of faith. Till we have a persuasion of being saved through the
grace of God there can be no sincere prayer. We have here an excellent
illustration of the nature of faith, in the Psalmist's turning himself away from
man's view, that he may address God apart, hypocrisy being excluded in this
internal exercise of the heart. This is true prayer — not the mere idle
lifting up of the voice, but the presentation of our petitions from an inward
principle of faith. To beget in himself a persuasion of his obtaining his
present requests from God, he recalls to his mind what deliverance's God had
already extended to him. He speaks of his having been to him as a shield in
every time of danger. Some read the words in the future tense — "Thou wilt
cover my head in the day of battle." But it is evident David speaks of
protection formerly experienced from the hand of God, and from this derives
comfort to his faith. He comes forth, not as a raw and undisciplined recruit,
but as a soldier well tried in previous engagements. The strength of salvation
is equivalent to salvation displayed with no ordinary
power.
8.
Grant not, O Jehovah! the desires
of the
wicked.
FE228 We might render the words Establish
not, though the meaning would be the same — that God would restrain
the desires of the wicked, and frustrate all their aims and attempts. We see
from this that it is in his power, whenever he sees proper, to frustrate the
unprincipled designs of men, and their wicked expectations, and to dash their
schemes. When, therefore, it is found impracticable to bring our enemies to a
right state of mind, we are to pray that the devices which they have imagined
may be immediately overthrown and thwarted. In the next clause there is more
ambiguity. As the Hebrew verb
qwp,
puk, means to lead out, as well as to strike or fall, the words might
mean, that God would not carry out into effect the counsels of the wicked. But
the opinion of those may be correct who read — their thought is thou
wilt not strike, David representing such hopes as the wicked are wont to
entertain. We find him elsewhere
(<191006>Psalm
10:6) describing their pride in a similar way, in entirely overlooking a divine
providence, and considering all events as subject to their control, and the
world placed under their sole management. The word which follows with thus come
in appropriately — they shall be lifted up, in illusion to the
wicked being inflated by pride, through the idea that they can never be
overtaken by adversity. If the other reading be preferred, the negative particle
must be considered as repeated — "Suffer not their attempts to be carried
into effect; let them not be exalted." At any rate David is to be considered as
censuring the security of his enemies, in making no account of God, and in
surrendering themselves to unbridled
license.
9.
As for the
head, etc. There may be a doubt whether,
under the term head, lie refers to the chief of the faction opposed to him; for
we call suppose an inversion in the sentence, and a change of the plural to the
singular number, bringing out this
sense.
FE229 "Let the mischief of their wicked
speeches, which they intended against me, fall upon their own
head."
FE230 As almost all interpreters, however,
have taken the other view, I have adopted it, only understanding the reference
as being to Saul rather than Doeg. There follows an imprecation upon the whole
company of his enemies generally, that
coals may fall upon
them, alluding to the awful fate of Sodom and
Gomorrha. We find this elsewhere
(<191106>Psalm
11:6) set forth by the Spirit of God as an example of Divine vengeance, to
terrify the wicked; and Jude
(<650107>Jude
1:7) declares that God testified, by this example of everlasting significance,
that he would be the Judge of all the ungodly. Some translate what follows
— the wilt cast them into the fire, which might pass. But as:
b,
beth, in the Hebrew often denotes instrumentality, we may properly render
the words — thou wilt cast them down By fire, or With
fire, as God sent it forth against Sodom and Gomorrha. He prays they may
be sunk into deep pits, whence they may never rise. God sometimes heals those
whom he has smitten with great severity; David cuts off the reprobate from the
hope of pardon, as knowing them to be beyond recovery. Had they been disposable
to repentance, he would have been inclinable on his part to
mercy.
Psalm
140:11-13
11. The man (vir) of
tongue shall not be established in the earth, evil shall hunt the man
(vir)
fe231 of violence to banishments. 12.
I have known that God will accomplish the judgment of the poor, the judgment of
the afflicted. 13. Surely the righteous will praise thy name, the upright
shall dwell before thy face.
11.
The man of
tongue,
fe232 etc. Some understand by this the
loquacious man, but the sense is too restricted; nor is the
reference to a reproachful, garrulous, vain and boastful man, but the man of
virulence, who wars by deceit and calumny, and not openly. This is plain from
what is said of the other class of persons in the subsequent part of the
sentence, that his enemies were given to open violence as well as to treachery
and cunning — like the lion as well as the wolf — as formerly he
complained that the poison of the asp or viper was under their lips. The words
run in the future tense, and many interpreters construe them into the optative
form, or into a prayer; but I prefer retaining the future tense, as David does
not appear so much to pray, as to look forward to a coming deliverance. Whether
his enemies wrought by treachery, or by open violence, he looks forward to God
as his deliverer. The figure drawn from hunting is expressive. The hunter, by
spreading his toils on all sides, leaves no way of escape for the wild beast;
and the ungodly cannot by any subterfuge elude the divine judgments.
Mischief hunts them into
banishment's, for the more they look for
impunity and escape, they only precipitate themselves more certainly upon
destruction.
12.
I have known; that
God, etc. There can be no question that David
here seals or corroborates his prayer by turning his thoughts and discourse to
the providential judgments of God, for, as I have already said, doubtful prayer
is no prayer at all. He declares it to be a thing known and ascertained that God
cannot but deliver the afflicted. As he may connive for a time, however, and
suffer good and upright persons to be grievously tried, David suggests as
consideration which may meet this temptation, that God does so advisedly, that
he may relieve those who are in affliction, and recover those who are oppressed.
He accordingly says in express words that he will be
the judge of the poor and the
afflicted. In this way does he encourage both
others and himself under continued troubles, till the time proper for
deliverance arrive, intimating that though he might be universally considered an
object of pity in being exposed to the fury of the wicked, and in not being
immediately delivered by the hand of God, he would not give way to despair, but
remember that it was the very part of God to undertake the cause of the poor. It
were to weaken the passage if we considered David merely to be speaking of his
own individual case.
He infers
(<19E013>Psalm
140:13) that the righteous would give thanks to God, and be safe under his help.
For the particle
°a,
ach, which is often adversative in the Hebrew, is here affirmative, and
denotes inference or consequence from what was formerly stated. Though the godly
may be silenced for a time, and through the force of trouble may not raise the
praises of God, David expresses his conviction that what was taken away would be
speedily restored, and they would celebrate the loving kindness of the Lord with
joy and alacrity. As this is not easily believed in circumstances of trial, the
already referred to is inserted. We must endeavor, though with a struggle, to
rise to a confident persuasion, that however low they may be brought, the Lord's
people will be restored to prosperity, and will soon sing his praises. The
second clause of the verse gives the reason of their thanksgiving's. He speaks
of this as being the ground of the praises of the righteous, that they
experience God's care of them, and concern for their salvation. For
to dwell before God's
face is to be cherished and sustained by his
fatherly regards.
PSALM
141
Whatever may have been the immediate cause pressing
David to pray in the manner he does in this
Psalm, fe233
it is plain that his desire is through divine
grace to check and bridle his spirit, under injuries of a causeless and
unprovoked description, so as not to break out into retaliation and revenge, and
return evil for evil. Having attained to the exercise of forbearance, he seeks
that God would judge between him and his enemies.
A Psalm of
David.
Psalm
141:1-4
1. O Jehovah! I have cried
unto thee, make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice when I cry unto thee.
2. Let my prayer be directed as incense before thy face; the lifting up
of my hands, as
fe234
the evening sacrifice. 3. Set a watch, O Jehovah! upon my mouth, keep a
guard upon the door of my lips. 4. Incline not my heart to an evil thing,
to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity, and that I may not eat of
their dainties.
1.
O Jehovah! I have cried unto
thee. From such an exordium and manner of
praying, it is evident that David was laboring under no small trial, as he
repeats his requests, and insists upon receiving help. Without venturing to say
anything definite upon the point, we would not disapprove of the conjecture that
this Psalm was written by David with reference to the persecutions he suffered
from Saul. He teaches us by his example to make application immediately to God,
and not be tempted, as wicked men are, to renounce prayer, and rely on other
resources. He says that he cried to God, not to heaven or earth, to men or to
fortune, and other vain objects, which are made mention of, in the first place
at least, in such cases by the ungodly. If they do address themselves to God, it
is with murmurs and complaints, howling rather than
praying.
In the second verse the allusion is
evidently to the legal ceremonies.
fe235 At that time the prayers of God's
people were according to his own appointment sanctified through the offering up
of incense and sacrifices, and David depended upon this
promise.
FE236 As to the conjecture some have made,
that he was at this time an exile, and cut off from the privileges of the
religious assembly, nothing certain can be said upon that point; their idea
being that there is a tacit antithesis in the verse — that though
prevented from continuing with God's worshippers into the sanctuary, or using
incense and sacrifice, he desired God would accept his prayers notwithstanding.
But as there seems no reason to adopt this restricted sense, it is enough to
understand the general truth, that as these symbols taught the Lord's people to
consider their prayers equally acceptable to God with the sweetest incense, and
most excellent sacrifice, David derived confirmation to his faith from the
circumstance. Although the view of the fathers was not confined entirely to the
external ceremonies, David was bound to avail himself of such helps. As he
considered, therefore, that it was not in vain the incense was burned daily on
the altar by God's commandment, and the evening offering presented, he speaks of
his prayers in connection with this ceremonial worship.
The lifting up of the
hands, evidently means prayer, for those who
translate
taçm,
masath, a gift, obscure and pervert the meaning of the Psalmist.
As the word, which is derived from
açn,
nasa, means lifting
up in the Hebrew, the natural inference is,
that prayer is meant, in allusion to the outward action practiced in it. And we
can easily suppose that David here as elsewhere repeats the same thing twice. As
to the reason which has led to the universal practice amongst all nations of
lifting up the hand in prayer, I have taken notice of it
elsewhere.
3.
Set a watch, O Jehovah! upon my
mouth. As David was liable to be hurt at the
unbridled and unprincipled rage of his enemies, so as to be tempted to act in a
manner that might not be justifiable, he prays for divine direction, and not
that he might be kept back from manual violence merely, but that his tongue
might be restrained from venting reproach, or words of complaint. Even persons
of the most self-possessed temper, if unwarrantably injured, will some —
times proceed to make retaliation, through their resenting the unbecoming
conduct of their enemies. David prays accordingly that his tongue might be
restrained by the Lord from uttering any word which was out of joint. Next he
seeks that his heart be kept back from every mischievous device that might issue
in revenge. The words added —
that I may not eat of their
delicacies, are to be understood figuratively,
as a petition that he might not be tempted by the prosperity which they enjoyed
in sin to imitate their conduct. The three things mentioned in the context are
to be connected; and it may be advisable to consider each of them more
particularly. Nothing being more difficult than for the victims of unjust
persecution to bridle their speech, and submit silently and without complaint to
injuries, David needed to pray that his mouth might be closed and guarded
— that the door of his mouth might be kept shut by God, as one who keeps
the gate watches the ingress and egress —
hrxn,
nitsrah, being the imperative of the verb, rather than a noun. He next
subjoins that God would not
incline his heart to an evil thing; for
rbd,
dabar, is here, as in many other places, used to signify a thing.
Immediately after he explains himself to mean, that he would not desire to
strive with them in wickedness, and thus make himself like his enemies. Had that
monk of whom Eusebius makes mention duly reflected upon this resolution of
David, he would not have fallen into the silly fallacy of imagining that he had
shown himself the perfect scholar by observing silence for a whole term of seven
years. Hearing that the regulation of the tongue was a rare virtue, he betook
himself to a distant solitude, from which he did not return to his master for
seven years; and being asked the cause of his long absence, replied that he had
been meditating upon what he had learned from this verse. It would have been
proper to have asked him at the same time, whether during the interim he had
thought none, as well as spoken none. For the two things stand connected the
being silent, and the being free from the charge of evil thoughts. It is very
possible that although he observed silence, he had many ungodly thoughts, and
these are worse than vain words. We have simply alluded in passing to this
foolish notion, as what may convince the reader of the possibility of persons
running away with a word torn from its connection, and overlooking the scope of
the writer. In committing himself to the guidance of God, both as to thoughts
and words, David acknowledges the need of the influence of the Spirit for the
regulation of his tongue and of his mind, particularly when tempted to be
exasperated by the insolence of opposition. If, on the one hand, the tongue be
liable to slip and too fast of utterance, unless continually watched and guarded
by God; on the other, there are disorderly affections of an inward kind which
require to be restrained. What a busy workshop is the heart of man, and what a
host of devices is there manufactured every moment! If God do not watch over our
heart and tongue, there will confessedly be no bounds to words and thoughts of a
sinful kind, — so rare a gift of the Spirit is moderation in language,
while Satan is ever making suggestions which will be readily and easily complied
with, unless God prevent. It need not seem absurd to speak of God inclining our
hearts to evil, since these are in his hand, to turn them whithersoever he
willeth at his pleasure. Not that he himself prompts them to evil desires, but
as according to his secret judgments he surrenders and effectually gives over
the wicked to Satan's tyranny, he is properly said to blind and harden them. The
blame of their sins rests with men themselves, and the lust which is in them;
and, as they are carried out to good or evil by a natural desire, it is not from
any external impulse that they incline to what is evil, but spontaneously and of
their own corruption. I have read —
to work the works of
iniquity; others read — to think the
thoughts of iniquity. The meaning is the same, and it is needless to insist
upon the preference to be given. By
µym[nm,
manammim, translated
delicacies,
is meant the satisfaction felt by the ungodly when their sins are connived at
through the divine forbearance. While their insolence in such a case becomes
more presumptuous, even the Lord's people are in danger of being deceived by the
prosperity they see enjoying, and to take liberties themselves. David had reason
therefore to pray for the secret restraints of the Holy Spirit, that he might be
kept from feasting on their delicacies; that is, being intoxicated into
license or sinful pleasure through anything debasing, flattering, or agreeable
in outward circumstances.
FE237
Psalm
141:5-7
5. Let the righteous smite
me, a kindness; and let him chastise. me, a precious oil, it shall not break my
head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities. 6. Their
judges have been thrown down upon stony places; and they shall hear my words,
for they are sweet. 7. As one who breaketh and cutteth
fe238 on the earth, our bones have been,
scattered at the mouth of the
grave.
5.
Let the righteous smite
me, etc. While Satan tempts the wicked by his
allurements, they, at the same time, deceive one another by flattery, which
leads David to declare, that he would much rather be awakened to his duty by the
severe rod of reproof, than be seduced through pleasing falsehoods. Among those
who hold religion in contempt no reproof is administered to one who has
contracted any sin, and, therefore, if we have any concern for our spiritual
safety we will connect ourselves with good men, who restore such as have fallen
by upright admonition, and bring back those who have erred to the right way. It
is not agreeable to corrupt nature to be reproved when we sin, but, David had
brought himself to that degree of docility and self-denial which led him to
consider no reproof distasteful which he knew to proceed from the spirit of
kindness. As there is some ambiguity in the words, we may see to ascertain the
proper meaning of them. The noun
dsj,
chesed, can very well be resolved into the adverb —
the righteous shall smite me
mercifully, or in mercy, supplying the
preposition. And this is the meaning adopted by most interpreters, that David
reckoned as the best ointment such reproofs as breathed charity and kindness, or
proceeded from a kind and dispassionate spirit. Should this reading be preferred
it is to be remembered, that David refers, not so much to the outward manner in
which the reproof is to be administered, as to the frame of the heart. However
how good men may be, and whatever severity of language they may employ in
admonishing those who have erred, they are still actuated by the force of
brotherly affection. My, the very severity is, in fact, occasioned by their holy
anxiety and fear of their brother's safety. The righteous act mercifully under
all this apparent sharpness and severity — as the wicked, on the other
hand, act cruelly who censure only in a very gentle manner. By noticing this
feature in reproof, David besides would distinguish that kind of it which takes
its rise in sincere affection, from invectives which proceed from hatred or
private animosity, as Solomon says.
(<201012>Proverbs
10:12.) The other rendering of the words, however, which I have adopted, is
equally suitable —
Let
the righteous censure me, it shall be mercy, or, I will reckon it a benefit, let
him reprove me, this shall be precious ointment that will not hurt my
head.
The last clause some interpret in another
way — the oil of the head let it not break my head, that is, let
not the wicked seduce me to destruction by their pleasing
flatteries.
FE239 By the
oil
they understand the pernicious adulations by which
the wicked would ruin us, and plunge us deeper and deeper in destruction, while
they seem to administer pleasure. This would make the passage convey a fuller
meaning, That while David was pliable and yielding in the matter of reproof, he
fled from flattery as from the fatal songs of the Sirens. However sweet praise
may be to the taste at first, every one who lends an ear to flattery, drinks in
a poison which will presently diffuse itself through the whole heart. Let us
learn by David's example to reject all flatteries, prone as we are naturally to
receive them, and to renounce waywardness and obstinacy, lest we should put away
from us those corrections which are wholesome remedies for our vices. For such
is the infatuated love men have to their own destruction, that even when forced
to condemn themselves they wish to have the approbation of the world. And why?
that by superinducing torpor of conscience, they may, by their own spontaneous
act, devote themselves to
ruin.
For yet my
prayer, etc. Three explanations of this clause
have been suggested. According to some the meaning of it is, that, as we are
ever ready to be corrupted by bad example, David here prays, that he might not
decline to their evils, or the evils which they practiced. The second sense
assigned is, that David, recognizing their mischievous devices, prays that he
may be kept by the Lord from their wickedness. The third sense, that recognizing
them as reduced to desperate calamities, he prays that the just vengeance of God
might be executed upon them according to their deserts. The very opposite
meaning might seem the more suitable, that David was not prevented by their
obstinacy in wickedness from praying for their welfare. For there is the adverb
yet emphatically inserted. Or, what if David is to be considered as predicting
their unfortunate end, intimating, that though the ungodly now riot in excess,
they shall shortly be arrested, and that before long his compassion would be
exercised towards them? The way in which the words stand connected favors this
view; for he does not say —
yet my prayer shall be in their
calamities, but rather separately, "yet,
or, yet a little while, and then my power shall be in their calamities."
As David was in danger of being tempted to yield to similarly vain courses with
them, he very properly suggests a sustaining motive to his soul, why he should
retain his integrity, that erelong they would be overtaken with so awful a
destruction as to entreat compassion from him and others of the people of
God.
6.
Their judges have been thrown
down upon stony places.
FE240
Almost all interpreters agree, that the tense of the verb should be changed from
the preterit to the future, and then resolve it into the optative — let
them be thrown down. It appears to me that the sense of David would be made
very plain by reading, When their
judges have been cast down from the rock, or upon stony places, they shall hear
my words. David, on perceiving the rage which
the common people expressed towards him, as carried away through the influence
of error and misrepresentation, lays the blame upon their leaders. When their
power should be taken away, he is confident that the simple, who had been
misled, would be brought to a right mind.
Casting from the rocks, or upon
stony places, is a metaphorical expression in
reference to the high and dignified position in which they were placed. Although
not without blame in following evil counselors so as to persecute unjustly a
good and godly man, yet he had reason to entertain more hope of their
repentance, that they would return to consideration when God executed vengeance
upon those who were at their head. We see how ready the common people are to
judge by impulse rather than deliberation, and to be hurried into most
condemnable proceedings by blind prejudice, while afterwards upon being
admonished they retrace their steps with equal precipitation. So that, granting
cruelty must always be sinful, and simplicity no excuse, we are taught by
David's example to pray that sound counsel may be sent to such as are in error,
with a view to enabling them to hear the truth and the right with
patience.
7.
As one who
breaketh, etc. Here David complains that his
enemies were not satisfied with inflicting upon him one death — death of a
common description — but must first mangle him, and those associated with
him, and then cast them into the grave. The common robber on the highway throws
the body of his murdered victim whole into the ditch; David tells us, that he
and those with him were treated more barbarously, their Bones being dispersed,
as one cleaves wood or stones into fragments, or digs the earth. From this it
appears, that David, like Paul,
(<470109>2
Corinthians 1:9,) was delivered from deaths oft;
fe241
and we may learn the duty of continuing to cherish hope of life and deliverance
even when the expression may apply to us, that our bones have been broken and
scattered.
Psalm
141:8-10
8. Because to thee, O
Jehovah! My Lord, are my eyes; in thee have I hoped: leave mot my soul
destitute. 9. Keep we from the hands of the snare which they have spread
for me, from the nets of the workers of iniquity. 10. Let the wicked fall
together into his nets; I always shall pass
by.
FE242
8.
Because to thee, O
Jehovah! etc. If we reflect upon what was
comprehended under the previous figure of their bones being broken, his praying
in such circumstances is just as if the torn fragments of a mangled corpse
should cry unto God. This may give us some idea of the heroical courage of
David, who could continue to direct his eyes to God even under such overwhelming
difficulties; this being the very part faith ought to discharge, in making us
collected and composed when our senses would otherwise be
confounded.
FE243 Great a miracle as it would have been
for God to have preserved them in life, when their bones were scattered abroad,
it was a double miracle to support their minds in the firm persuasion of their
not perishing.
9.
Keep
me, etc. He owns himself to be shut up in the
snares of his enemies, unless set free by a higher hand. In praying to God under
the straits to which he was reduced, he proves what a high estimate he formed of
what his mercy could effect, as elsewhere he says, that the issues from death
belong to him.
(<196820>Psalm
68:20.) God often delays interposing, that the deliverance may be the more
signal; and afterwards he makes the devices of the wicked to recoil upon their
own heads. It seems absurd to refer the pronoun
his
to Saul, as if the sense were that Doeg and others of that character would fall
into the snares of Saul. It would seem to be God who is intended. First, he had
spoken of being preserved by God from the toils of the wicked, and now to these
snares which the wicked spread for the upright he opposes the snares with which
God catches the crafty in their own devices. And as the number of his enemies
was great, he uses the expression,
let them fall
together, for escape would have been
impossible, had he not been persuaded that it was easy for God to overthrow any
combined force and array of men. What follows admits of two meanings. Many read,
I shall always pass. But we may suppose order of the words changed and
read, until I pass. It prays that his enemies should be held in the snare
till he got off safe,
PSALM
142
When Saul came into the cave where David lay
concealed, this saint of God might upon such an occurrence have been either
thrown into consternation, or led by his alarm into some unwarrantable step, it
being common for persons in despair either to be prostrated with dismay, or
driven into frenzy. But it appears from this Psalm that David retained his
composure, relying with assured confidence upon God, and resigning himself to
vows and prayers instead of taking any unauthorized steps.
A Prayer of David,
giving instruction when he was in the
cave.
FE244
Psalm
142:1-4
1. I cried to Jehovah with
my voice, with my voice to Jehovah I made supplication. 2. I pour out my
meditation before his face: I tell my affliction before his face. 3. When
my spirit was perplexed within me, and thou knewest my path: in the way wherein
I walked they laid a snare for me. 4. On looking to the right hand, and
perceiving, none would know me, refuge failed me, there was none seeking after
my soul.
1.
I cried
fe245
to Jehovah, etc. It showed singular presence of
mind in David that he was not paralyzed with fear, or that he did not in a
paroxysm of fury take vengeance upon his enemy, as he easily might have done;
and that he was not actuated by despair to take away his life, but composedly
addressed himself to the exercise of prayer. There was good reason why the title
should have been affixed to the Psalm to note this circumstance, and David had
good grounds for mentioning how he commended himself to God. Surrounded by the
army of Saul, and hemmed in by destruction on every side, how was it possible
for him to have spared so implacable an enemy, had he not been fortified against
the strongest temptations by prayer? The repetition he makes use of indicates
his having prayed with earnestness, so as to be impervious to every assault of
temptation.
He tells us still more clearly in
the next verse that he disburdened his ears unto God. To pour out one's thoughts
and tell over his afflictions implies the reverse of those perplexing anxieties
which men brood over inwardly to their own distress, and by which they torture
themselves, and are chafed by their afflictions rather than led to God; or it
implies the reverse of those frantic exclamations to which others give utterance
who find no comfort in the superintending providence and care of God. In short,
we are left to infer that while he did not give way before men to loud and
senseless lamentations, neither did he suffer himself to be tormented with
inward and suppressed cares, but made known his grief's with unsuspecting
confidence to the Lord.
3.
When, my
spirit, etc. Though he owns here that he felt
anxiety, yet he confirms what he had said as to the constancy of his faith. The
figure which he uses of his spirit being perplexed,
fe246
aptly represents the state of the mind in
alternating between various resolutions when there was no apparent outgate from
danger, and increasing its distress by resorting to all kinds of devices. He
adds, that though there was no apparent way of safety, God knew from the
beginning in what way his deliverance should be effected. Others put a different
meaning upon this clause, thou
knowest my way, as if David asserted God to
have been witness of his integrity, but the other is the more correct, that God
knew the way to deliver him, while his own mind was distracted by a variety of
thoughts, and yet could not conceive any mode of extrication. The words teach
us, when we have tried every remedy and know not what to do, to rest satisfied
with the conviction that God is acquainted with our afflictions, and condescends
to care for us, as Abraham said —
"The Lord will provide."
(<012208>Genesis
22:8.)
4.
On looking to the right
hand,
fe247
etc., He shows that there was good cause for the dreadful sufferings he
experienced, since no human aid or comfort was to be expected, and destruction
seemed inevitable. When he speaks of having looked and yet not perceived a
friend amongst men, he does not mean that he had turned his thoughts to earthly
helps in forgetfulness of God, but that he had made such inquiry as was
warrantable after one on the earth who might assist him. Had any person of the
kind presented himself, he would no doubt have recognized him as an instrument
in the hand of God's mercy, but it was God's purpose that he should be abandoned
of all assistance from man, and that his deliverance from destruction should
thus appear more extraordinary. In the expression,
none seeking after my
soul, the verb to seek after is used in
a good sense, for being solicitous about any man's welfare or
safety.
Psalm
142:5-7
5. I cried unto thee, O
Jehovah! I said thou art my hope and my portion in the land of the living.
6. Attend unto my cry, for I labor very much under affliction: deliver me
from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. 7. Rescue my soul from
prison, that I may praise thy name; the righteous shall crown me, for thou wilt
recompense me.
5.
I cried unto thee, O
Jehovah! With a view to hasten God's
interposition, David complains of the low estate he was reduced to, and of his
extremity; the term cry denoting vehemence, as I have elsewhere noticed. He
speaks of deliverance as being plainly needed, since he was now held a prisoner.
By
prison
some suppose he alludes to the cave where he was lodged, but this is too
restricted a meaning. The subsequent clause,
the righteous shall compass
me, is translated differently by some, they
shall wait me. I have retained the true and natural sense. I grant that it
is taken figuratively for surrounding, intimating that he would be a spectacle
to all, the eyes of men being attracted by such a singular case of deliverance.
If any consider the words not to be figurative, the sense will be, That the
righteous would not only congratulate him, but place a crown upon his head in
token of victory. Some explain the passage, They will assemble to congratulate
me, and will stand round me on every side like a crown. As the words literally
read, they will crown upon me, some supply another pronoun, and give this
sense, that the righteous would construe the mercy bestowed upon David as a
glory conferred upon themselves; for when God delivers any of his children he
holds out the prospect of deliverance to the rest, and, as it were, gifts them
with a crown. The sense which I have adopted is the simplest, however, That the
mercy vouchsafed would be shown conspicuously to all as in a theater, proving a
signal example to the righteous for establishment of their faith. The verb
lmg,
gamal, in the Hebrew, is of a more general signification than to repay,
and means to confer a benefit, as I have shown
elsewhere.
PSALM
143
Although the enemies with whom David had to contend
were wicked, and their persecution as unjust as it was cruel, David recognized
the just judgment of God in it all, and seeks to conciliate his favor by humbly
supplicating pardon. Having complained of the cruelty of his enemies, and
declared that amidst all his affliction he still remembered God, he prays for
restoration, and the guidance of God's Spirit, that the remainder of his life
might be devoted to his fear.
A Psalm of
David.
FE248
Psalm
143:1-3
1. Hear my prayer, O
Jehovah! give ear to my supplication, in thy truth answer me, in thy
righteousness. 2. And enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in
thy sight shall no man living be justified. 3. For the enemy hath
persecuted my soul; he hath prostrated my life on the ground: he hath set me in
dark places, as the dead of an
age.
1.
Hear my prayer, O Jehovah! It is evident that
the oppression of his enemies must have been extreme, when David laments his
case in such earnest and pathetic terms. The introductory words show that the
grief he felt was great. His reason for speaking of the justice and faithfulness
of God in connection we have shown elsewhere. Under the term justice, or
righteousness,
we are not to suppose that he speaks of merit, or hire, as some ignorantly
imagine, but of that goodness of God which leads him to defend his people. To
the same effect does he speak of God's
truth
or faithfulness; for the best proof he can give of his faithfulness is in
not forsaking those whom he has promised to help. In helping his people he shows
himself to be a just and true God, both in not frustrating their expectation,
and in so far as he shows in this extension of mercy what his nature is, that
David very properly encourages himself in prayer by making mention of
both.
2.
And enter not into
judgment,
fe249
etc. I have hinted already why he proceeds to pray for pardon. When overtaken by
adversity, we are ever to conclude that it is a rod of correction sent by God to
stir us up to pray. Although he is far from taking pleasure in our trials, it is
certain that our sins are the cause of his dealing towards us with this
severity. While those to whom David was opposed were wicked men, and he was
perfectly conscious of the rectitude of his cause as regarded them, he freely
acknowledged his sin before God as a condemned suppliant. We are to hold this as
a general rule in seeking to conciliate God, that we must pray for the pardon of
our sins. If David found refuge nowhere else than in prayer for pardon, who is
there amongst us who would presume to come before God trusting in his own
righteousness and integrity? Nor does David here merely set an example before
God's people how they ought to pray, but declares that there is none amongst men
who could be just before God were he called to plead his cause. The passage is
one fraught with much instruction, teaching us, as I have just hinted, that God
can only show favor to us in our approaches by throwing aside the character of a
judge, and reconciling us to himself in a gratuitous remission of our sins. All
human righteousnesses, accordingly, go for nothing, when we come to his
tribunal. This is a truth which is universally acknowledged in words, but which
very few are seriously impressed with. As there is an indulgence which is
mutually extended to one another amongst men, they all come confidently before
God for judgment, as if it were as easy to satisfy him as to gain man's
approval. In order to obtain a proper view of the whole matter, we are first to
note what is meant by being justified. The passage before us clearly proves that
the man who is justified, is he who is judged and reckoned just before God, or
whom the heavenly Judge himself acquits as innocent. Now, in denying that any
amongst men can claim this innocence, David intimates that any righteousness
which the saints have is not perfect enough to abide God's scrutiny, and thus he
declares that all are guilty before God, and can only be absolved in the way of
acknowledging they might justly be condemned. Had perfection been a thing to be
found in the world, he certainly of all others was the man who might justly have
boasted of it; and the righteousness of Abraham and the holy fathers was not
unknown to him; but he spares neither them nor himself, but lays it down as the
one universal rule of conciliating God, that we must cast ourselves upon his
mercy. This may give us some idea of the satanic infatuation which has taken
hold of those who speak so much of perfection in holiness, with a view to
supersede remission of sins. Such a degree of pride could never be evinced by
them, were they not secretly influenced by a brutish contempt of God. They speak
in high and magnificent terms of regeneration, as if the whole kingdom of Christ
consisted in purity of life. But in doing away with the principal blessing of
the everlasting covenant — gratuitous reconciliation — which God's
people are commanded to seek daily, and in puffing up both themselves and others
with a vain pride, they show what spirit they are of. Let us hold them in
detestation, since they scruple not to put open contempt upon God. This of
itself, however, which we have stated, is not enough; for the Papists themselves
acknowledge that were God to enter upon an examination of men's lives as a
judge, all would lie obnoxious to just condemnation. And in this respect they
are sounder, more moderate and sober, than those Cyclopses and monsters in
heresy of whom we have just spoken. But though not arrogating to themselves
righteousness in the whole extent of it, they show, by obtruding their merits
and satisfactions, that they are very far from following the example of David.
They are always ready to acknowledge some defect in their works, and so, in
seeking God's favor, they plead for the assistance of his mercy. But there is
nothing intermediate between these two things, which are represented in
Scripture as opposites — being justified by faith and justified by works.
It is absurd for the Papists to invent a third species of righteousness, which
is partly wrought out by works of their own, and partly imputed to them by God
in his mercy. Without all doubt, when he affirmed that no man could stand before
God were his works brought to judgment, David had no idea of this complex or
twofold righteousness, but would shut us up at once to the conclusion that God
is only favorable upon the ground of his mercy, since any reputed righteousness
of man has no significance before him.
3.
For the enemy hath persecuted my
soul. Having acknowledged that he only suffered
the just punishment of his sins, David comes now to speak of his enemies; for to
have begun by speaking of them would have been a preposterous order. Their
cruelty was shown in their not resting satisfied but with the destruction of one
who was a saint of God; he declares that he must even now perish unless God
should help him speedily. The comparison is not merely to a dead man, but a
putrid corpse; for by the dead of
an age
fe250 are meant those who have been long
removed from the world. Such language intimates that he not only trusted in God
as he who could heal him of a deadly disease, but considered that though his
life should be buried, as it were, and long out of mind, God could raise it
again, and restore his very
ashes.
Psalm
143:4-7
4. And my spirit is
perplexed within me, my heart within me is astonished. 5. I remembered
the days of old, I meditated upon all thy works; I meditated upon the work of
thy hands. 6. I spread out my hands to thee, my soul is to thee as the
earth without water.
FE251 Selah. 7. Hasten, answer me, O
Jehovah! my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, because I shall be like
to those descending into the pit.
4.
And my
spirit, etc. Hitherto he has spoken of the
troubles that were without, now he acknowledges the feebleness of his spirits,
from which it is evident that his strength, vas not like that of the rock,
imperturbable or without feeling, but that, while overwhelmed with grief as to
the feeling of the flesh, he owed his support entirely to faith and the grace of
the Spirit,. We are taught by his example not to throw up the conflict in
despair, however much we may be weakened, and even exanimated by afflictions, as
God will enable us to surmount them, if we only rise to him with our hearts
amidst all our anxieties.
In the next verse
David mentions that he had diligently sought means whereby to mitigate his
grief. It is not to be wondered at, that many who spontaneously give themselves
up to inaction, should sink under their trials, not using means to invigorate
themselves by calling to remembrance the grace of God. Sometimes, it is true,
our trials are only more keenly felt when we recall the former kindness which
God may have shown to us, the comparison tending to awaken our feelings, and
render them more acute; but David proposed a different end than this to himself,
and gathered confidence from the past mercies of God. The very best method in
order to obtain relief in trouble, when we are about to faint under it, is to
call to mind the former loving-kindness of the Lord. Nor does David mean such as
he had experienced from childhood, as some have thought, adopting in my judgment
too restricted a sense; for the word
µdq,
kedem, has a more extensive signification. I have no doubt, therefore,
that he includes past history, as well as his own personal experience, it being
easy to discover proofs there of God's continued goodness to his people. We
should ourselves learn by his example, in reflecting upon personal favors
received from God, to remember also how often he has assisted those that served
him, and improve the truth for our own benefit. Should this not immediately or
at once abate the bitterness of our grief, yet the advantage of it will
afterwards appear. In the passage before us, David complains that he did not get
relief from his anxieties and cares from this consolatory source, but he
prosecuted his meditations in expectation of finding the good result in due
time. The verb
hwç,
suach, I have elsewhere observed, may mean either to declare with the
tongue, or to revolve in the mind. Some accordingly read — "I
have discoursed of thy works." But as the verb
hgh,
hagah, means to meditate, I consider that the Psalmist repeats the
same thing twice, and this in token of earnestness. We will often upon a slight
exercise of the thoughts upon God's works, start aside from them almost
immediately; nor is it matter of surprise, that, in this case, there results no
solid comfort. That our knowledge may be abiding we must call in the aid of
constant attention.
6.
I have stretched forth my hands
to thee. Here appears the good effect of
meditation, that it stirred David up to pray; for if we reflect seriously upon
the acting's of God towards his people, and towards ourselves in our own
experience, this will necessarily lead out our minds to seek after him, under
the alluring influence of his goodness. Prayer, indeed, springs from faith; but
as practical proofs of the favor and mercy confirm this faith, they are means
evidently fitted for dissipating languor. He makes use of a striking figure to
set forth the ardor of his affection, comparing
his soul to the parched
earth. In great heats we see that the earth is
cleft, and opens, as it were, its mouth to heaven for moisture. David therefore
intimates, he drew near to God with vehement desire, as if the very sap of life
failed him, as he shows more fully in the verse which follows. In this he gives
another proof of his extraordinary faith. Feeling himself weak, and ready to
sink into the very grave, he does not vacillate between this and the other hope
of relief, but fixes his sole dependence upon God. And heavy as the struggle was
that he underwent with his own felt weakness, the fainting of spirit he speaks
of was a better stimulant to prayer than any stoical obstinacy he might have
shown in suppressing fear, grief, or anxiety. We must not overlook the fact, how
in order to induce himself to depend exclusively upon God, he dismisses all
other hopes from his mind, and makes a chariot to himself of the extreme
necessity of his case, in which he ascends upwards to
God.
Psalm
143:8-12
8. Cause me to hear thy
loving-kindness in the morning, for in thee have I hoped; show me the way in
which I may walk, for I have lifted up my soul to thee. 9. Deliver me, O
Jehovah! from my enemies; I have hidden with thee. 10. Teach me that I
may do thy will, for thou art my God; let thy good Spirit lead me into the right
land. 11. For thy name's sake, O Lord! thou wilt quicken me: in thy
righteousness bring my soul out of trouble. 12. And in thy mercy thou
wilt scatter my enemies, and thou wilt destroy
FE252
all them that afflict my soul, for I am thy
servant.
8.
Cause me to hear thy
loving-kindness. In this verse he again prays
that God would show him his favor visibly and effectually. The expression cause
me to hear, may seem not very proper, as the goodness of God is rather felt than
heard; but as the mere perception of God's benefits, without a believing
apprehension and improvement of them, would do us little good, David very
properly begins with hearing. We see how wicked men riot in the abundance of
them, while yet they have no sense of the Lord's goodness, through want of
attention to the word, and a believing apprehension of God as a father. The
adverb in the morning some confine to a reference to sacrifices — which is
a meager interpretation — in allusion to the well-known fact that
sacrifices used to be offered twice, in the morning and in the evening. Others
give a more strained sense, understanding that when God deals in a more
favorable way with his people, he is said to form a new
day.
FE253 Others consider it to be a metaphor for
a prosperous and happy condition, as an afflicted and calamitous time is often
denoted by darkness. I wonder that there should be such a search after
extraneous meanings for this word, by which he is simply to be considered as
repeating his former prayer to God — make haste. In the morning means the
same with speedily or seasonably. He founds a reason here, as elsewhere, upon
his having hoped in God, this being something by which, in a sense, we lay God
under obligation to us, for in making a liberal offer of himself to us, and
promising to sustain the relationship of a father, he gives what men would call
a pledge. This, accordingly, is a species of obligation. But so far is this from
implying any worthiness or merit on our part, that the hope we entertain rather
proves our nothingness and helplessness. His prayer that a way might be opened
up for him to walk in, refers to the anxieties which perplexed him. He intimates
that he was dismayed, and brought to a stand, unable to move a step, if God did
not open a way, by his divine power; that all the desires of his soul terminated
upon him; and that he looked for counsel from him to procure relief in his
perplexity.
9.
Deliver me, O Jehovah! from my
enemies. This prayer is to the same effect, his
enemies being so earnestly bent upon his destruction as to leave no outgate for
him. The verb
ytysk,
chisithi, some render to hope: the proper meaning is to
cover, and I am unwilling to depart from it. The explanation some give is,
that David upon perceiving the imminent danger to which he was exposed, betook
himself to the covert of God's shadow, and concealed himself under the
protection of it. This seems a very natural rendering, at least I prefer it to
another which has recommended itself to some as being ingenious — that
David, instead of having recourse to various quarters for relief, was satisfied
to have God cognizant of his case, and called upon him in a hidden manner and
apart.
10.
Teach me that I may do thy
will. He now rises to something higher, praying
not merely for deliverance from outward troubles, but, what is of still greater
importance, for the guidance of God's Spirit, that he might not decline to the
right hand or to the left, but be kept in the path of rectitude. This is a
request which should never be forgotten when temptations assail us with great
severity, as it is peculiarly difficult to submit to God without resorting to
unwarrantable methods of relief. As anxiety, fear, disease, languor, or pain,
often tempt persons to particular steps, David's example should bad us to pray
for divine restraint, and that we may not be hurried, through impulses of
feeling, into unjustifiable courses. We are to mark carefully his way of
expressing himself, for what he asks is not simply to be taught what the will of
God is, but to be taught and brought to the observance, and doing of it. The
former kind of teaching is of less avail, as upon God's showing us our duty we
by no means necessarily follow it, and it is necessary that he should draw out
our affections to himself. God therefore must be master and teacher to us not
only in the dead letter, but by the inward motions of his Spirit; indeed there
are three ways in which he acts the part of our teacher, instructing us by his
word, enlightening our minds by the Spirit, and engraving instruction upon our
hearts, so as to bring us observe it with a true and cordial consent. The mere
hearing of the word would serve no purpose, nor is it enough that we understand
it; there must be besides the willing' obedience of the heart. Nor does he
merely say, Teach me that I may be capable of doing, as the deluded Papists
imagine that the grace of God does no more than make us flexible to what is
good, but he seeks something to be actually and presently
done.
He insists upon the same thing in the next
clause, when he says, Let thy
good Spirit lead me, etc., for he desires the
guidance of the Spirit not merely as he enlightens our minds, but as he
effectually influences the consent of our hearts, and as it were leads us by the
hand. The passage in its connection warns us of the necessity of being
sedulously on our guard against yielding to inordinate passions in any contests
we may have with wicked persons, and as we have no sufficient wisdom or power of
our own by which to check and restrain these passions, that we should always
seek the guidance of God's Spirit, to keep them in moderation. More generally,
the passage teaches us what we are to think of free will; for David here denies
the will to have the power of judging rightly, till our hearts be formed to a
holy obedience by the Spirit of God. The term leading, which I have already
adverted to, proves also that David did not hold that middle species of grace
which Papists talk so much about, and which leaves man in a state of suspension
or indecision, but asserts something much more effectual, agreeably to what Paul
says,
(<503813>Philippians
2:13,) that
"it is God who works in
us both to will and to do
of his
good pleasure."
By the words
right
hand, I understand, figuratively,
uprightness; David's meaning being, that we are drawn into error whenever
we decline from what is agreeable to the will of God. The term
Spirit
is tacitly opposed to that corruption which is natural to us; what he says being
tantamount to this, that all men's thoughts are polluted and perverted, till
reduced to right rule by the grace of the Spirit. It follows that nothing which
is dictated by the judgment of the flesh is good or sound. I grant that wicked
men are led away by an evil spirit sent from God, for he executes his judgments
by the agency of devils,
fe254
(<091614>1
Samuel 16:14;) but when David in this place speaks of God's
good
Spirit, I do not imagine that he has any such
strained allusion, but rather that he takes here to himself the charge of
corruption, and assigns the praise of whatever is good, upright, or true, to the
Spirit of God. When he says,
Because thou art my
God, he shows that his confidence of obtaining
his request was founded entirely upon the free favor and promises of God. It is
not a matter lying within our own power to make him our God, but it rests with
his free preventing grace.
11.
For thy name's sake, O
Jehovah! etc. By this expression he makes it
still more clear that it was entirely of God's free mercy that he looked for
deliverance; for, had he brought forward anything of his own, the cause would
not have been in God, and only in God. He is said to help us
for his own name's
sake, when, although he discovers nothing in us
to conciliate his favor, he is induced to interpose of his mere goodness. To the
same effect is the term
righteousness;
for God, as I have said elsewhere, has made the deliverance of his people a
means of illustrating his righteousness. He at the same time repeats what he had
said as to the extraordinary extent of his afflictions: in seeking to be
quickened or made alive, he declares himself to be exanimated, and that he must
remain under the power of death, if the God who has the issues of life did not
recover him by a species of
resurrection.
12.
And in thy
mercy, etc. In this verse he repeats for the
fifth or sixth time that he looked for life only of God's free mercy. Whatever
severity may appear on the part of God when he destroys the wicked, David
affirms that the vengeance taken upon them would be a proof of fatherly mercy to
him. Indeed these two things often meet together — the severity and the
goodness of God; for in stretching out his hand to deliver his own people, he
directs the thunder of his indignation against their enemies. In short, he comes
forth armed for the deliverance of his people, as he says in
Isaiah,
"The day of vengeance is
in mine heart,
and this is the year
of my redemption."
(<236304>Isaiah
63:4.)
In calling himself
The servant of
God, he by no means boasts of his services, but
rather commends the grace of God, to whom he owed this privilege. This is not an
honor to be got by our own struggles or exertions — to be reckoned among
God's servants; it depends upon his free choice, by which he condescends before
we are born to take us into the number and rank of his followers, as David
elsewhere declares still more explicitly —
"I am thy servant, truly
I am thy servant,
and the son of
thine handmaid."
(<19B616>Psalm
116:16.)
This is equivalent to making himself God's client,
and committing his life to his protection.
PSALM
144
This Psalm contains a mixture of praise trod prayer;
for David, while he extols in very high terms the great mercies which God had
bestowed upon him, is led at the same time, either from a consideration of the
many trials to be met with in the whole course of human life, or from the
connection he still had with wicked men, to pray that God would continue to show
this favor to the end. There is this difference between it and Psalm
18,
fe255 that the latter is triumphant
throughout, the kingdom having been thoroughly subdued, and affairs going
forward prosperously, whereas in the present he mixes up one or two things which
are indicative of fear and anxiety, there being some remaining enemies to cause
him apprehension.
FE256
A Psalm of
David.
Psalm
144:1-4
1. Blessed be Jehovah, my
strength, who teaches my hands for battle, my fingers for war. 2. My
goodness, and my munition, my citadel, and my deliverer, my shield, and in him I
have hoped, who subdues my people under me. 3. O Jehovah ! what is man
that thou acknowledgest him? the son of man that thou thinkest of him? 4.
Man is like to vanity: his deeds are as a shadow passing
away.
1.
Blessed be Jehovah, my
strength.
FE257 It is very evident that David, since he
celebrates the favor of God in such high terms, had not only obtained the
kingdom, but gained signal victories. When he calls God
his
strength, he acknowledges that any courage he
had was given him from above, not only because he had been made from a country
shepherd a mighty warrior, but because the constancy and perseverance he had
shown was signally a gift from God. This term answers better than were we to
translate it rock; for, by way of explanation, he adds immediately afterwards,
that he had been formed under God's teaching for war. The words certainly imply
an acknowledgment, that though of a warlike spirit, he was not born for warlike
enterprises but needed to undergo a change. What kind of a commencement, for
example, did he show in the case of Goliah? That attempt would have been
preposterous on any other supposition than his being upheld by secret divine
support, so as to be independent of mere human help.
(<091740>1
Samuel 17:40.)
2.
My
goodness, etc. This way of using the word in a
passive sense, as in the Hebrew, sounds harsh in Latin; just as elsewhere
(<191850>Psalm
18:50) he calls himself "God's king," not in the sense of his having dominion
over God, but being made and appointed king by him. Having experienced God's
kindness in so many ways, he calls him "his goodness," meaning that whatever
good he possessed flowed from him. The accumulation of terms, one upon another,
which follows, may appear unnecessary, yet it tends greatly to strengthen faith.
We know how unstable men's minds are, and especially how soon faith wavers, when
they are assailed by some trial of more than usual severity. It is not enough,
if God would sustain us under such weakness, to promise us his help in
individual or single expressions; and, even however many aids he supplies us
with, we are subject to very great vacillations, and a forgetfulness of his
mercy creeps in upon us which almost overwhelms our minds. We are to remember
that it is not merely in token of his gratitude that David heaps together so
many terms in declaring the goodness of God, but to fortify God's people against
all attacks of the world, and of the evil one. He had a reason for reckoning it
among the chiefest of God's mercies, that he controlled the people under his
government. For
ym[,
ami, my
people, some read,
µym[,
amim, peoples;
fe258 and it is surprising they should prefer
such a forced rendering, as David means simply that the settled state of the
kingdom was owing not to any counsel, valor, or authority of his own, but to
God's secret favor. The verb
ddr,
radad, is used appropriately, signifying to spread out. The idea
some have, that by a people spread out is meant a people set down at ease in a
prosperous and happy condition, is farfetched. I have as great objections to the
idea of others, that he means a people laid prostrate, so as that they may be
trodden under foot; for a violent domination like this would not have been
desirable over the chosen people, and sacred inheritance of the Lord. When a
people yields a cordial and willing obedience to the laws, all subordinating
themselves to their own place peaceably, this signally proves the divine
blessing. And in such a settlement as this, where there is no turbulence, nor
confusion, the people are appropriately represented, according to what we have
said above, as being spread out. David accordingly having ascribed the
victories lie had gained over foreign enemies to God, thanks him at the same
time for the settled state of the kingdom. Raised indeed as he was from an
obscure station, and exposed to hatred from calumnious charges, it was scarcely
to have been believer[that he would ever obtain a peaceable reign. The people
had suddenly and beyond expectation submitted to him, and so surprising a change
was eminently God's work.
3.
O Jehovah! what is
man, etc. He amplifies the goodness shown by
God by instituting a comparison. Having declared how singularly he had been
dealt with, he turns his eyes inward, and asks, "Who am I, that God should show
me such condescension? " He speaks of man in general; only the circumstance is
noticeable that he commends the mercy of God, by considering his lowly and
abject condition. In other places he mentions grounds of humiliation of a more
personal or private nature, — here he confines himself to what has
reference to our common nature; and though even in discussing the nature of man
there are other reasons he might have specified why he is unworthy of the regard
and love of God, he briefly adverts to his being like the smoke, and as a
shadow.
FE259 We are left to infer that the riches of
the divine goodness are extended to objects altogether unworthy in themselves.
We are warned, when apt at any time to forget ourselves, and think we are
something when we are nothing, that the simple fact of the shortness of our life
should put down all arrogance and pride. The Scriptures, in speaking of the
frailty of man, comprehend whatever is necessarily connected with it. And,
indeed, if our life vanish in a moment, what is there stable about us? We taught
this truth also — that we cannot properly estimate the divine goodness,
unless we take into consideration what we are as to our condition, as we can
only ascribe to God what is due unto him, by acknowledging that his goodness is
bestowed upon undeserving creatures. The reader may seek for further information
upon this point in the eighth Psalm, where nearly the same truth is insisted
upon.
Psalm
144:5-8
5. O Jehovah! bow thy
heavens,
fe260 and descend:
fe261
touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. 6. Thunder forth thunderings,
and scatter them;
fe262
shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them. 7. Send thy hand from above,
rid me and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of the sons of the
stranger. 8. For their mouth hath spoken falsehood; and their right hand
is a right hand of deceit.
5.
O Jehovah! bow thy
heavens. After extolling, as was due, the great
goodness of God, he requests him to furnish such help for the preservation of
the kingdom as was necessary in the present exigency. As formerly we saw that he
had gloried in God with a heroical courage, so here he makes use of the same
lofty terms in his prayers, That he would bow the heavens — that he would
make the mountains to smoke — disturb the air with thunderings — and
shoot forth arrows; forms of speech by which, doubtless, he would put away from
him all the obstacles which stand between us and a believing apprehension of the
omnipotence of God, and from which we find it so difficult to emerge. He employs
almost the same phraseology in the eighteenth Psalm, but it is in praising God
for help already extended, and to signify that he had been preserved from above
in a wonderful and unusual manner. For although such signs as he mentions might
not always occur when God interposed in his behalf, he had good ground to
celebrate what had happened to him of an unexpected kind, by reference to
extraordinary phenomena. In the passage before us his purpose is different.
Threatened by destruction of various kinds, which might overwhelm his mind with
despair, he would realize the wonderful power of God, before which all obstacles
of a worldly kind must necessarily give way. We may be certain at least that he
indulged in this figurative phraseology for a good reason, that he might not
confine deliverance to human remedies; for nothing could be more preposterous at
such a time than to measure divine power by ordinary
rules.
7.
Send thy
hand, etc. In one word we are now made to see
what was meant by the figures formerly used — that in the absence of all
earthly help, God would put forth his hand from above, the greatness of the
exigency making extraordinary help necessary. Accordingly he compares his
enemies to great and deep waters. He calls them strangers, not in respect of
generic origin, but character and disposition. It were a mistake to refer the
term to the uncircumcision, for David rather animadverts upon degenerate Jews
who gloried in the flesh; and shortly afterwards he hints that he had to do with
internal foes rather than a foreign enemy, who would openly assault him with
violence and arms. By the right hand of falsehood some understand rash attempts,
which David hoped would be frustrated. Others limit the phrase to the solemn
ceremony of taking an oath, as if he said they were
perjured;
fe263 while others explain it as meaning that
they not only lied with the tongue, but executed wicked devices with the
hand.
FE264 But as it was customary in making
promises to join hands, as Solomon says,
(<201121>Proverbs
11:21;
<201605>Proverbs
16:5,) I have no doubt David's reference here is to false, treacherous, and
perfidious persons. The two things go naturally together in the verse —
the lying tongue and the deceitful hand, meaning upon the matter that nothing
was to be looked for from any of their promises, since it was only to deceive
that they flattered with their mouth and gave the
hand.
Psalm
144:9-11
9. O God! I will sing a new
song to thee: upon the nablum, upon the
psaltery,
fe265 I will sing psalms to thee. 10.
Giving salvation to kings, delivering David his servant from the hurtful sword.
11. Deliver me, and rescue me from the hand of the sons of the stranger,
whose mouth hath spoken falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of
deceit.
9.
O God! I will sing a new song to
thee. He again sets himself, with
self-possession, to the exercise of praising God, not doubting but he would
continue those mercies which he had once bestowed. I have taken notice in
another place that by a new
song is meant one of a singular or uncommon
kind; and we are left from this to infer that David's expectations stretched
beyond the conclusions of man's judgment; for, with a view to the greatness of
the help to be extended, he promises a song of praise unprecedented in its
nature, and distinguished, by the title here applied to it, from ordinary
thanksgiving's. As to the
nablum
and
psaltery,
I have elsewhere observed that they formed part of that system of training under
the law to which the Church was subjected in its infancy. But the chief thing to
be noticed is the subject of his songs that God, who is the preserver of kings,
had kept — and even rescued from the sword — David, whom he had made
and anointed king by his authoritative decree. As to the idea of there being
implied in the term kings an opposition to the commonalty, David meaning
that not only the common class of people are indebted to divine preservation,
but the more influential, and such as appear to have sufficient and abundant
strength of their own, I question whether it be well founded. His meaning seems
to me rather to be different from this, That while God preserves all men without
exception, his care is peculiarly extended to the maintenance of political
order, which is the foundation of the common safety of all. It is in effect as
if he called him the guardian and defender of kingdoms; for as the very mention
of government is an odious thing, and none willingly obeys another, and nothing
is more contrary to natural inclination than servitude, men would seek to throw
off the yoke, and subvert the thrones of kings, were these not hedged round by a
hidden divine presidency. David, however, distinguishes himself from other
kings, as elsewhere he is called "the firstborn of kings,"
(<198927>Psalm
89:27;) at least he speaks of the goodness of God as having been preeminently
shown to him, representing himself as holding the highest place, on account of
the holy anointing which had been more eminently bestowed upon him. As a title
of distinction, he claims the special name of God's servant; for although
all kings are God's servants, and Cyrus has the name applied to him by Isaiah
emphatically,
(<234501>Isaiah
45:1,) yet as no heathen prince ever recognized himself as called of God, and
David alone of all others in the world was invested with legitimate authority,
and had a warrant to reign which faith could rest upon with certainty, it was
not without reason that this mark of distinction is applied to him. By
the hurtful
sword, are doubtless meant all the dangers he
had passed through for a series of years, which were such that he might be truly
said to have come to the throne by deaths oft, and to have been settled upon the
throne in the midst of them.
Psalm
144:12-15
12. Because our sons are
as plants which have grown up in their youth, our daughters as corners polished
after the similitude of a palace.
fe266 13. Our recesses [or corners]
full, going out,
fe267 from kind to kind; our sheep brining
forth to thousands, to ten thousands,
fe268 in our
streets. FE269
14. Our oxen accustomed
fe270
to the burden, no breach, nor going out, nor cry in our streets. 15.
Happy the people to whom it is so! happy the people whose God is
Jehovah!
12.
Because our
sons, etc. These three concluding verses some
consider as being a wish or a prayer.
FE271 Others think that David congratulates
himself, and all the people, that through the divine blessing every species of
mercy was showered down prosperously upon them. I have no doubt that David
commemorates, by way of thanksgiving, the liberality which God had shown to his
people. But it consists very well with this, to suppose that he prays at the
same time for the continuance or preservation of those divine benefits which
must well-nigh be cut off altogether by wicked men and domestic foes, unless God
should interpose, in the troubles and confusions which prevailed. The end he has
in view therefore is, that God would not suffer the signal blessings with which
he had loaded his people to fail and depart. He begins by making mention of the
children, comparing the male portion of them, by way of commendation of their
excellency, to plants which have
grown up in their youth; for trees rarely come
to any height if they do not grow large early, and when yet tender. He speaks of
the girls as being like corners
skillfully and ingeniously cut out, to make the
building beautiful; as if he would say that they adorned the house by their
comeliness and elegance. It is not surprising that he should reckon a noble and
well trained offspring to be the very first of God's earthly blessings, a point
of which I have spoken elsewhere more at large. As David speaks in the name of
the whole people, and of his own condition as mixed up with that of the
community, we may infer from this that he was not exclusively occupied with his
own private interests.
13.
Our recesses
full, etc. Some read
storehouses,
fe272 and I would not reject this meaning.
But as the word comes from the same root with
hwz,
zavah, which is rendered corner in the previous verse, it seems more
agreeable to the etymology to translate the words as I have done — "that
the recesses or corners were full." The participle
µyqypm,
mephikim, some take transitively, and read producing, but the
meaning comes to the same thing, that abundance of every blessing flowed from
all the corners, expression
ˆzAAla
ˆzm, mizan
el-zan,
fe273 seems to me to denote the variety and
manifold nature of the blessings, rather than, as some interpreters think, so
abundant a produce as would issue in the different species being mixed, and
forming a confused heap owing to the unmanageable plenty. We have no need to
have recourse to this strained hyperbole, and the words as they stand evidently
do not favor that sense, for had a confused heap been meant, it would have read
simply ˆz
ˆz, zan. The meaning in short is, that
there prevailed amongst the people such plenty, not only of wheat, but all kinds
of produce, that every corner was filled to sufficiency with every
variety.
14.
Our
oxen, etc. The Hebrew word
lbs,
sabal, is properly to carry. Accordingly some understand
µylbwsm,
mesubbalim, to mean robust,
fe274 as unless they were strong oxen they
would not be fit for carriage, or bearing burdens. Others think they are spoken
of as laden with fat. There is no need for insisting upon this point, as it does
not affect the main scope of the passage. It may be more important to notice,
that God's fatherly care of his people is celebrated on the account that he
condescends to attend to every the smallest matter which concerns their
advantage. As in the verse before he had ascribed the fruitfulness of the herds
and flocks to God's goodness, so now the fattening of their oxen, to show that
there is nothing relating to us here which he overlooks. As it would signify
little to have abundance of everything unless we could enjoy it, he takes notice
of it as another part of the Lord's kindness that the people were peaceable and
quiet. By
breach
I have no doubt that he alludes to hostile incursions, that there was no enemy
to break in upon them through demolished gates or walls. By
goings
out it is surprising that any should understand
exile, that the people were not torn away from the bounds of their native
country. All he means simply is, in my opinion, that there was no necessity of
sallying out to repel an enemy, none offering violence or molestation. To the
same effect is the expression, as to any crying in the streets, the effect of a
sudden tumult. The meaning is, accordingly, that there was no disturbance in the
cities, because God kept enemies at a
distance.
15.
Happy the
people, etc. He thus concludes that the divine
favor had been sufficiently shown and manifested to his people. Should any
object that it breathed altogether a gross and worldly spirit to estimate man's
happiness by benefits of a transitory description, I would say in reply that we
must read the two things in connection, that those are happy who recognize the
favor of God in the abundance they enjoy, and have such a sense of it from these
transitory blessings as leads them through a persuasion of his fatherly love to
aspire after the true inheritance. There is no impropriety in calling those
happy whom God blesses in this world, provided they do not show themselves
blinded in the improvement and use which they make of their mercies, or
foolishly and supinely overlook the author of them. The kind providence of God
in not suffering us to want any of the means of life is surely a striking
illustration of his wonderful love. What more desirable than to be the objects
of God's care, especially if we have sufficient understanding to conclude from
the liberality with which he supports us he is our Father? For everything is to
be viewed with a reference to this point. Better it were at once to perish for
want than have a mere brute satisfaction, and forget the main thing of all, that
they and they only are happy whom God has chosen for his people. We are to
observe this, that while God in giving us meat and drink admits us to the
enjoyment of a certain measure of happiness, it does not follow that those
believers are miserable who struggle through life in want and poverty, for this
want, whatever it be, God can counterbalance by better
consolations.
PSALM
145
The Psalmist is led to celebrate the praises of God
by reflecting upon his excellent wisdom, goodness, and righteousness, both in
the government of the world generally, and particularly in managing,
superintending, and defending the children of men. After recounting in general
the praises of his providence, he comes to speak of the special favor shown by
him to his own people.
The Praise of David
fe275
Psalm
145:1-6
1. I will extol thee, my God
and my king!
FE276
and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. 2. Daily I will bless thee,
and will praise thy name for ever and
ever. FE277
3. Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be
praised, and there is no searching out, his greatness. 4. Generation to
generation, will praise thy works, and will show forth thy power. 5. I
will meditate upon
fe278
the beauty of the glory of thy excellency, and the words of thy wonderful
things. 6. And they shall speak of the might of thy terrible works, and I
will declare thy greatness.
1.
I will extol thee, my God and my
king. David does not so much tell what he would
do himself, as stir up and urge all others to this religious service of offering
to God the praises due to his name. The design with which he declares God to be
beneficent to the children of men is, to induce them to cultivate a pious
gratitude, he insists upon the necessity of persevering in the exercise; for
since God is constant in extending mercies, it would be highly improper in us to
faint in his praises. As he thus gives his people new ground for praising him,
so he stimulates them to gratitude, and to exercise it throughout the whole
course of their life. In using the term
daily,
he denotes perseverance in the exercise. Afterwards he adds, that should he live
through a succession of ages he would never cease to act in this manner. The
repetitions used tend very considerably to give emphasis to his language. As it
is probable that the Psalm was written at a time when the kingdom of David was
in a flourishing condition, the circumstances deserves notice, that in calling
God his king he gives both himself and other earthly princes their proper
place, and does not allow any earthly distinctions to interfere with the glory
due to God.
This is made still more manifest in
the verse which follows, where, in speaking of the greatness of God as
unmeasurable, he intimates that we only praise God aright when we are filled and
overwhelmed with an ecstatic admiration of the immensity of his power. This
admiration will form the fountain from which our just praises of him will
proceed, according the measure of our
capacity.
4.
Generation to
generation, etc. Here he insists upon the
general truth, that all men were made and are preserved in life for this end,
that they may devote themselves to the praise of God. And there is an implied
contrast between the eternal name of God, and that immortality of renown which
great men seem to acquire by their exploits. Human excellencies are eulogized in
histories; with God it stands differently, for there is not a day in which he
does not. renew remembrance of his works, and cherish it by some present effect,
so as indelibly to preserve it alive upon our minds. For the same reason he
speaks of the glorious
brightness, or beauty of his excellence, the
better to raise in others a due admiration of it.
By the words of his wonderful
works, I consider that there is an allusion to
the incomprehensible method of God's works, for so many are the wonders that
they overwhelm our senses. And we may infer from this, that the greatness of God
is not that which lies concealed in his mysterious essence, and in subtle
disputation upon which, to the neglect of his works, many have been chargeable
with mere trifling, for true religion demands practical not speculative
knowledge. Having said that he would
speak
of, or meditate upon God's works, (for
the Hebrew word,
hjyça,
asichah, as we have elsewhere seen, may be rendered either way,) he
transfers his discourse to others, intimating, that there will always be some in
the world to declare the righteousness, goodness, and wisdom of God, and that
his divine excellencies are worthy of being sounded, with universal consent, by
every tongue. And, should others desist and defraud God of the honor due to him,
he declares that he would himself at least discharge his part, and, while they
were silent, energetically set forth the praises of God. Some think, that
the might of his terrible
works is an expression to the same effect with
what had been already stated. But it seems rather to denote the judgments of God
against profane scoffers.
Psalm
145:7-13
7. They shall steak forth
[or, utter copiously] the memory of the greatness of thy goodness, and shall
sing of thy righteousness. 8. Jehovah is gracious and compassionate, slow
to anger, and great in mercy. 9. Jehovah is good to all, and his mercies
above all his works. 10. All thy works shall praise thee, O Jehovah! and
thy merciful ones shall bless thee. 11. They shall speak the glory of thy
kingdom, and shall talk of thy power. 12. That they may make known his
powers to the sons of men, and the glory of the beauty of his kingdom.
13. Thy kingdom is a kingdom of all ages, and thy dominion unto all
successive generations.
FE279
7.
They shall speak
forth, etc. As the verb
[bn,
nabang, means properly to gush out, some suppose, that, as applied
to speech, it means not simply speaking, but an overflowing utterance, like
water rushing from a fountain, and the verb
wnnry,
yerannenu, in the close of the verse, answers to this, meaning to
shout, or sing aloud. To celebrate the memory of the Lord's goodness,
is the same with recalling to memory what we have personally experienced of his
goodness. We cannot deny God's claim to praise in all his excellencies, but we
are most sensibly affected by such proofs of his fatherly mercy as we have
ourselves experienced. David makes use, therefore, of this alluring
consideration to induce us the more readily and cheerfully to engage in the
praises of God, or rather, (according to the figurative word already used,) to
burst forth in celebration of them.
8.
Jehovah is
gracious, etc. He opens up the goodness of
which he spoke by using several expressions, as that God is inclined to mercy,
(for such is the proper meaning of the word
ˆwnj,
channun,) and that he helps us willingly, as one sympathizing with our
miseries. It is to be noticed that David has borrowed the terms which he here
applies to God from that celebrated passage in
<023406>Exodus
34:6; and as the inspired writers drew their doctrine from the fountain of the
law, we need not wonder that they set a high value upon the vision which is
there recorded, and in which as clear and satisfactory a description of the
nature of God is given us as can anywhere be found. David, therefore, in giving
us a brief statement of what it was most important we should know in reference
to God, makes use of the same terms employed there. Indeed no small part of the
grace of God is to be seen in his alluring us to himself by such attractive
titles. Were he to bring his power prominently into view before us, we would be
cast down by the terror of it rather than encouraged, as the Papists represent
him a dreadful God, from whose presence all must fly, whereas the proper view of
him is that which invites us to seek after him. Accordingly, the more nearly
that a person feels himself drawn to God, the more has he advanced in the
knowledge of him. If it be true that God is not only willing to befriend us, but
is spoken of as touched with sympathy for our miseries, so as to be all the
kinder to us the more that we are miserable, what folly were it not to fly to
him without delay? But as we drive God's goodness away from us by our sins, and
block up the way of access, unless his goodness overcome this obstacle, it would
be in vain that the Prophets spoke of his grace and
mercy.
FE280 It was necessary, therefore, to add
what follows, that great is his mercy, that he pardons sins, and bears with the
wickedness of men, so as to show favor to the unworthy. As regards the ungodly,
although God shows them his long-suffering patience, they are incapable of
perceiving pardon, so that the doctrine on which we insist has a special
application to believers only, who apprehend God's goodness by a living faith.
To the wicked it is said —
"To what end is the day
of the Lord for you? the day of the Lord is darkness and not light, affliction
and not
joy."
(<300518>Amos
5:18.)
We see in what severe terms Nahum threatens them at
the very beginning of his prophecy. Having referred to the language used in the
passage from Moses, he adds immediately, on the other hand, to prevent them
being emboldened by it, that God is a rigid and severe, a terrible and an
inexorable judge.
(<340103>Nahum
1:3.) They therefore who have provoked God to anger by their sins, must see to
secure his favor by believing.
9.
Jehovah is good to
all, etc. The truth here stated is of wider
application than the former, for the declaration of David is to the effect, that
not only does God, with fatherly indulgence and clemency, forgive sin, but is
good to all without discrimination, as he makes his sun to rise upon the good
and upon the wicked.
(<400545>Matthew
5:45.) Forgiveness of sin is a treasure from which the wicked are excluded, but
their sin and depravity does not prevent God from showering down his goodness
upon them, which they appropriate without being at all sensible of it. Meanwhile
believers, and they only, know what it is to enjoy a reconciled God, as
elsewhere it is said —
"Come ye to him, and be
ye enlightened, and your faces shall not be ashamed; taste and see that the Lord
is
good."
(<193405>Psalm
34:5, 8.)
When it is added that
the mercy of God extends to all
his works, this ought not to be considered as
contrary to reason, or obscure. Our sins having involved the whole world in the
curse of God, there is everywhere an opportunity for the exercise of God's
mercy, even in helping the brute
creation.
10.
All thy
works, etc. Though many would suppress God's
praises, observing a wicked silence regarding them, David declares that they
shine forth everywhere, appear of themselves, and are sounded, as it were, by
the very dumb creatures. He then assigns the special work of declaring them to
believers, who have eyes to perceive God's works, and know that they cannot be
employed better than in celebrating his mercies. What is added —
they shall speak the glory of thy
kingdom — I consider to have reference
only to believers. If any incline to think that these words rather apply to
God's creatures universally, I would not object to that view. But the particular
kind of speaking or teaching which David here refers to, applies only to saints.
Accordingly I have retained the future tense of the verbs, rather than the
optative mood, as others have done. In using the term kingdom, David intimates
that this is the tendency of the manifestation of God's works, to reduce the
whole world to a state of order, and subject it to his government. He insists
upon the excellency of this kingdom, that men may know that things are to be
considered as in disorder and confusion, unless God alone be acknowledged
supreme. He denies it to be transitory, like all earthly kingdoms, asserting
that it will stand fast for ever. And to call our attention more particularly to
its everlasting nature, he breaks out into an admiring exclamation, and
addresses his discourse to
God.
Psalm
145:14-16
14. Jehovah upholding all
the falling,
fe281 and raising up all who are bowed down.
15. The eyes of all hope in thee, and thou givest them their food in its
season. 16. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest every living thing by
thy good pleasure.
14.
Jehovah upholding all the
falling. He gives instances of the goodness and
mercy of God, such as make it evident that God reigns only for the promotion of
the general welfare of mankind.
By the
falling, and
those who are bowed
down, he means figuratively those who are
overwhelmed by adversity, and would sink at once, were not God to extend his
hand for their support. God, in short, has respect to the troubles of men, and
helps such as are in distress, so that all ought not only to look upon his
divine government with reverence, but willingly and cordially submit themselves
to it. Another lesson taught us is, that none will be disappointed who seeks
comfort from God in his affliction.
15.
The eyes of all hope in
thee. David adduces an additional proof of
God's goodness, in giving food to all living creatures, and thus showing himself
in the character of the father of a family. Some interpreters, led by the term
hope, which is employed, restrict the application to men, as being endued with
reason and intelligence, to seek their food from their heavenly father, while
the beasts seek it only in a gross manner, by sight or smell. But although not
endued with the exercise of reason, leading them to depend upon God's
providence, necessity itself forces even them, by a certain hidden instinct, to
seek their food, so that they may very properly be said to hope in God, as
elsewhere the young ravens are said to cry unto him.
(<19E709>Psalm
147:9.) Besides, those who would restrict the words to man, still leave them
open to the charge of impropriety; for the wicked have no regard to the fatherly
care of God, more than the ox or the ass. Since such is the order established in
nature that all animals are brought to a dependence upon their Maker, there is
no impropriety in supposing the affection of desire or expectation to be here
put for the fact of dependence itself.
FE282 All ambiguity is taken away by the next
verse, where every living thing is said to be satisfied. It is said that he
gives them their food, and in its season, for the very variety of it serves more
to illustrate the providence of God. Each has its own way of feeding, and the
different kinds of aliment are designed and adapted for different uses. David
therefore speaks of that food which is particular to them. The pronoun is not in
the plural, and we are not to read in their season, as if it applied to
the animals. The food he notices as given in its season; for here also we are to
notice the admirable arrangements of divine providence, that there is a certain
time appointed for harvest, vintage, and hay crop, and that the year is so
divided into intervals, that the cattle are fed at one time upon grass, at
another on hay, or straw, or acorns, or other products of the earth. Were the
whole supply poured forth at one and the same moment, it could not be gathered
together so conveniently; and we have no small reason to admire the
seasonableness with which the different kinds of fruit and aliment are yearly
produced.
16.
Thou openest thine
hand, etc. The figure is a beautiful one. Most
men pass over without observation the singular goodness of God apparent in this
admirable ordering of things in nature, and David therefore represents him as
stretching out his hand to distribute to the animals their food. We sinfully
confine our attention to the earth which yields us our food, or to natural
causes. To correct this error David describes God as opening his hands to put
the food into our mouths. The word
ˆwxr,
ratson, some render desire, as though he meant that God supplied
each kind of animal with food according to its wish. And a little afterwards we
do indeed find it used in that sense. Others, however, refer it rather to God's
feeding them of his mere good pleasure and kindness; it not being enough to say
that our food is given us by God, unless we add, as in the second clause of the
verse, that his kindness is gratuitous, and that there is no extrinsic cause
whatever moving him to provide so liberally for every living creature. In that
case the cause is put for the effect; the various kinds of provision being
effects of his good pleasure —
carismata thv
ca>ritov. If it be found that men and others of
his creatures often suffer and die from want, this is to be traced to the change
which has come upon nature by sin. The fair order which subsisted in it by God's
original appointment often fails since the fall through our sins, and yet in
what remains of it, though marred, we may see the kindness of God referred to by
David, for in the severest failures of crop, there is no year so barren and
unproductive, that God may not be said to open his hand in
it.
Psalm
145:17-21
17. Jehovah is righteous
in all his ways, and merciful in all his works. 18. Jehovah is near to
all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. 19. He will
perform the desire of them that fear him, and will hear their cry, and will save
them. 20. Jehovah preserves all them that love him, and will destroy all
the wicked. 21. My mouth shall speak the praise of Jehovah, and all,
flesh shall bless his holy name for ever and
ever.
17.
Jehovah is righteous in all his
ways. He does not now speak of God's goodness
merely in providing all his creatures with their daily food, but comprehends
other parts of his providence, as in correcting men for their sins, restraining
the wicked, trying the patience of his people under the cross, and governing the
world by judgments which are often inscrutable to us. The ground upon which
praise is here ascribed to God may seem a common one, being in every one's
mouth; but in nothing is wisdom shown more than in holding fast the truth, that
God is just in all his ways, so as to retain in our hearts an unabated sense of
it amidst all troubles and confusions. Though all acknowledge God to be just,
most men are no sooner overtaken by affliction than they quarrel with his
severity: unless their wishes are immediately complied with, they are impatient,
and nothing is more common than to hear his justice impeached. As it is
everywhere abused by the wicked imputations men cast upon it, here it is very
properly vindicated from such ungrateful treatment, and asserted to be constant
and unfailing, however loudly the word may disparage it. It is expressly added,
in all his ways and
works, for we fail to give God due honor unless
we recognize a consistent tenor of righteousness in the whole progress of his
operation. Nothing is more difficult in the time of trouble, when God has
apparently forsaken us, or afflicts us without cause, than to restrain our
corrupt feelings from breaking out against his judgments; as we are told of the
emperor Mauricius in a memorable passage of history, that seeing his sons
murdered by the wicked and perfidious traitor Phocas, and being about to be
carried out himself to death, he cried out — "Thou art righteous, O God,
and just are thy judgments!" As this man of no bad character opposed such a
shield to the cruel trials he met with, we must learn to put a check upon our
spirits, and always give God's righteousness the honor due to it. David,
however, goes farther still, intimating that God, even when he seems to be most
severe, is so far from being cruel as to temper his heaviest judgments with
equity and clemency.
18.
Jehovah is near to all that call
upon him. This truth is principally applicable
to believers, whom God in the way of singular privilege invites to draw near
him, promising that he will be favorable to their prayers. Faith, there is no
doubt, lies idle and even dead without prayer, in which the spirit of adoption
shows and exercises itself, and by which we evidence that all his promises are
considered by us as stable and sure. The inestimable grace of God, in short,
towards believers, appears in this, that he exhibits himself to them as a
Father. As many doubts steal upon us when we pray to God, and we either approach
him with trembling, or fail by becoming discouraged and lifeless, David declares
it to be true without exception, that God hears all who call upon him. At the
same time, as most men pervert and profane the method of calling upon God
through inventions of their own, the right manner of praying is laid down in the
next part of the verse, which is, that we should pray in truth. Although men
resort to God in a cold manner, or even in their prayers expostulate with him,
while their hearts are swelling with pride or with anger, they yet complain
that. they are not heard; just as if there were no difference between praying
and quarreling, or the exercise of faith and hypocrisy. The greater part of men,
involved in infidelity, scarcely believe that there is a God in heaven at all;
others would banish him from it if they could; others would tie him down to
their views and, wishes, while some seek slight and insufficient ways of
reconciling him, so that the common way of praying is but an idle and empty
ceremony.
FE283 And although nearly all men without
exception have recourse to God in the time of their need, they are few indeed
who bring the smallest measure of faith or repentance. It were better that the
name of God should be buried in oblivion than exposed to such insults. There is
good reason, therefore, why truth should be said to be necessary in our prayers
— that they come from a sincere heart. The falsehood, which is the
opposite of this sincerity, is of various kinds; indeed it were difficult to
enumerate them — infidelity, wavering, impatience, murmuring, pretended
humility, in short there are as many sorts of it as there are sinful
dispositions. The truth being one of no small importance, David again confirms
and enlarges upon it in the next verse. The repetition is worthy of our
particular notice, for such is our tendency to unbelief, that there are few who
in calling upon God do not look upon their prayers as fruitless. Hence the
perverse manner in which the wandering minds of men are tossed hither and
thither, as in the Papacy they invented patrons without number, holding it of no
importance almost to embrace with an unwavering faith the promises by which God
invites us to himself.
To throw the door still
more open, the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of David, tells us, that
God will accommodate himself to
the desires of all who fear him. This is a mode
of expression of which it is difficult to say how much it ought to impress our
minds. Who is man, that God should show complaisance to his will, when rather it
is ours to look up to his exalted greatness, and humbly submit to his authority?
Yet he voluntarily condescends to these terms, to obtemper our desires. At the
same time, there is a check to be put upon this liberty, and we have not a
license of universal appetency, as if his people might forwardly clamor for
whatever their corrupt desires listed, but before God says that he will hear
their prayers, he enjoins the law of moderation and submission upon their
affections, as we learn from John, —
"We know that he will
deny us nothing,
if we seek it
according to his will."
(<620514>1
John 5:14.)
For the same reason, Christ dictated that form of
prayer, "Thy will be done," setting limits round us, that we should not
preposterously prefer our desires to those of God, nor ask without deliberation
what first comes into our mouth. David, in making express mention of
them that fear
God, enjoins fear, reverence, and obedience
upon them before holding out the favorable indulgence of God, that they might
not think themselves warranted to ask more than his word grants and approves.
When he speaks of their cry, this is a kind of qualification of what he had
said. For God's willingness to grant our prayers is not always so apparent that
he answers them at the very moment they are made. We have, therefore, need of
perseverance in this trial of our faith, and our desires must be confirmed by
crying. The last clause —
he will save
them — is also added by way of
correction, to make us aware how far, and for what end God answers the prayers
of his people, namely, to evidence in a practical manner that he is the faithful
guardian of their welfare.
20.
Jehovah
preserves, etc. He insists upon the same truth,
— that God is near to his people to help them in the time of need; this
being a sure proof of his presence, that by his mercy they come safe and unhurt
out of every danger which befalls them. It is worthy of our notice, that,
instead of fear, he now speaks of love; for, in distinguishing believers by this
title, that they love
God, he intimates it to be the root of true
godliness, that they submit themselves to him voluntarily, which again is the
effect of faith. Till God draw us by the attractions of his grace, this placid
submission will never follow. The love spoken of by David, however, is perhaps
more extensive, as God's people not only attach themselves to him in the way of
obedience to his authority, but knowing that union to him is of all other things
most desirable, aspire with their whole soul after this happiness. Still there
can be no doubt, that the reference is to it here as the chief part of holiness
and righteousness, as was said by Moses,
"And now, O Israel, what
does the Lord thy God require of thee," etc.
(<051012>Deuteronomy
10:12.)
This effect of godliness in securing our safety and
preservation under the divine guardianship, David exemplifies by an opposition
clause, declaring, that all the wicked shall, in the just judgment of God,
miserably perish. That he might close as he had begun, he again affirms,
that he will publish the praises
of God, and urges all to the same duty by his
example. Some would read, every living thing shall bless, but this does
not seem to me a proper reading. When Moses, speaking of the flood, says, that
"all
flesh
in which was the breath of life perished," I grant that the term comprehends the
brute creation, but wherever "flesh" is mentioned without any addition, the
reference is only to men. Nor is David here stating what they would, but what
they should do, declaring all men bound by the great and inexhaustible goodness
of God constantly and for ever to praise him.
PSALM
146 fe284
After stirring up himself, and others by his example,
to praise God, David animadverts upon the diseased disposition, almost
universally prevalent, to deceive ourselves by expectations entertained from
various quarters. He, at the same time, points out the remedy — that our
whole hope should be centered in God. To persuade us to resort to him more
readily, he touches shortly upon some proofs of his power and
mercy.
Hallelujah.
Psalm
146:1-5
1. Praise Jehovah, O my
soul! 2. I will praise Jehovah in my life; I will sing psalms to my God
so long as I shall have being. 3. Trust not in princes; in the son of man
in whom there is not safety. 4. His breath shall go forth; he shall
return to his earth, in that day his thoughts
fe285
shall perish. 5. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope
is in Jehovah, his God.
1.
Praise
Jehovah. The five last Psalms close with the
same word with which they begin.
FE286
But having in general called upon all to praise God, he addresses himself, or,
which is the same thing, his soul, only that under the name of soul he
addresses his inward self more emphatically. We may infer from this, that the
influence which moved him was not volatile and superficial, (as many will blame
themselves with remissness on this point, and then immediately lapse into it
again,) but a staid and constant affection, followed up by activity, and proved
by its effects not to be feigned. As David felt, that good endeavors are
frustrated or hindered through the craft of Satan, he thinks it proper to apply
a stimulus for exciting his own zeal, in the first place, before professing to
be a leader or teacher to others. Although his heart was truly and seriously in
the work, he would not rest in this, until he had acquired still greater ardor.
And if it was necessary for David to stir himself up to the praises of God, how
powerful a stimulant must we require for a more difficult matter when we aim at
the divine life with self-denial. As to the religious exercise here mentioned,
let us feel that we will never be sufficiently active in it, unless we
strenuously exact it from ourselves. As God supports and maintains his people in
the world with this view, that they may employ their whole life in praising him,
David very properly declares, that he will do this to the end of his
course.
3.
Trust not in
princes. This admonition is
appropriately inserted, for one means by which men blind themselves is that of
involving their minds through a number of inventions, and being thus prevented
from engaging in the praises of God. That God may have the whole praise due to
him, David exposes and overthrows those false stays on which we would otherwise
be too much disposed to trust. His meaning is, that we should withdraw ourselves
from man in general, but he names
princes,
from whom more is to be feared than common men. For what promise could poor
people hold out, or such as need the help of others? The great and wealthy,
again, have a dangerous attraction through the splendor attaching to them,
suggesting to us the step of taking shelter under their patronage. As the simple
are fascinated by looking to their grandeur, he adds, that the most powerful of
the world's princes is but a son
of man. This should be enough to rebuke
our folly in worshipping them as a kind of demigods, as Isaiah says,
(<233103>Isaiah
31:3,) "The Egyptian is man, and not God; flesh, and not spirit." Although
princes then are furnished with power, money, troops of men, and other
resources, David reminds us, that it is wrong to place our trust in frail mortal
man, and vain to seek safety where it cannot be
found.
This he explains more fully in the verse,
which follows, where he tells us how short and fleeting the life of man is.
Though God throw loose the reins, and suffer princes even to invade heaven in
the wildest enterprises, the passing of the spirit, like a breath, suddenly
overthrows all their counsels and plans. The body being the dwelling-place of
the soul, what is here said may very well be so understood; for at death God
recalls the spirit. We may understand it more simply, however, of the vital
breath; and this will answer better with the context — that as soon as man
has ceased to breathe, his corpse is subject to putrefaction. It follows, that
those who put their trust in men, depend upon a fleeting breath. When he says
that in that day all his thoughts
perish, or flow away, perhaps
under this expression he censures the madness of princes in setting no bounds to
their hopes and desires, and scaling the very heavens in their ambition, like
the insane Alexander of Macedon, who, upon hearing that there were other worlds,
wept that he had not yet conquered one, although soon after the funeral urn
sufficed him. Observation itself proves that the schemes of princes are deep and
complicated. That we may not fall, therefore, into the error of connecting our
hopes with them, David says that the life of princes also passes away swiftly
and in a moment, and that with it all their plans
vanish.
5.
Blessed is
he, etc. As it would not have been enough to
reprove the sin, he submits the remedy upon which the proper correction of it
depends; and this is, that the hopes of men are only stable and well-founded
when they rest entirely upon God. For even the wicked sometimes come the length
of acknowledging the folly of trust in man. Accordingly they are often angry
with themselves for being so inconsiderate as to expect deliverance from men;
but by neglecting the remedy, they are not extricated from their error. The
Psalmist having condemned the infatuation, which we have seen to be natural to
us all, wisely subjoins that they are blessed who trust in God. Jeremiah
observes the same order.
(<241705>Jeremiah
17:5, 7.)
"Cursed is he that
trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm," etc.;
and then — "Blessed is the man whose hope the
Lord is." When David pronounces
those blessed whose help is the
Lord, he does not restrict the happiness of
believers to present sense, as if they were only happy when God openly and in
outward acts appeared as their helper, but he places their happiness in this
— that they are truly persuaded of its being entirely by the grace of God
they stand. He calls him the God
of Jacob, to distinguish him from the multitude
of false gods in which unbelievers gloried at that time; and there was good
reason for this; for while all propose to themselves to seek God, few take the
right way. In designating the true God by his proper mark, he intimates that it
is only by an assured faith of adoption that any of us can rest upon him; for he
must show himself favorable to us before we can look for help from
him.
Psalm
146:6-10
6. Who made heaven and
earth, the sea, and all things which are in them: who keepeth truth for ever.
7. Rendering right to the unjustly oppressed, giving bread to the hungry,
Jehovah, loosening the bound. 8. Jehovah enlightening the
blind,
fe287 Jehovah raising up the bowed down,
Jehovah loving the righteous. 9. Jehovah guarding the strangers; he
relieves the fatherless and widow, and will destroy the way of the wicked.
10. Jehovah shall reign for ever; thy God, O Zion! from generation to
generation. Hallelujah.
6.
Who made
heaven, etc. By all these epithets he confirms
the truth previously stated. For though at first sight it may seem inappropriate
to speak of the Creation, the power of God bears most pertinently upon his
helping us whenever danger is near. We know how easily Satan tempts to distrust,
and we are thrown into a state of trembling agitation by the slightest causes.
Now, if we reflect that God is the Maker of heaven and earth, we will reasonably
give him the honor of having the government of the world which he created in his
hands and power. There is in this first ascription, then, a commendation of his
power, which should swallow up all our fears. As it is not enough that God is
merely able to help us, but as a promise is farther necessary, to the effect
that he is willing and shall do it, David next declares
that he is faithful and
true, that, on discovering his
willingness, no room may be left for
hesitation.
7.
Rendering
right, etc. He instances other kinds both of
the power and goodness of God, which are just so many reasons why we should hope
in him. All of them bear upon the point, that the help of God will be ready and
forthcoming to those who are in the lowest circumstances, that accordingly our
miseries will be no barrier in the way of his helping us; nay, that such is his
nature, that he is disposed to assist all in proportion to their necessity. He
says first, that God renders
justice to the oppressed, to remind us
that although in the judgment of sense God connives at the injuries done to us,
he will not neglect the duty which properly belongs to him of forcing the wicked
to give an account of their violence. As God, in short, would have the patience
of his people tried, he here expressly calls upon the afflicted not to faint
under their troubles, but composedly wait for deliverance from one who is slow
in interposing, only that he may appear eventually as the righteous judge of the
world. It follows, that he gives
bread to the hungry. We learn from this that he
is not always so indulgent to his own as to load them with abundance, but
occasionally withdraws his blessing, that he may succor them when reduced to
hunger. Had the Psalmist said that God fed his people with abundance, and
pampered them, would not any of those under want or in famine have immediately
desponded? The goodness of God is therefore properly extended farther to the
feeding of the hungry. What is added is to the same purpose — that
he looses them that are bound,
and enlightens the blind. As it is the fate of
his people to be straitened by anxiety, or pressed down by human tyranny, or
reduced to extremity, in a manner equivalent to being shut up in the worst of
dungeons, it was necessary to announce, by way of comfort, that God can easily
find an outgate for us when brought into such straits.
To enlighten the
blind is the same with giving light in the
midst of darkness. When at any time we know not what to do — are in
perplexity, and lie confounded and dismayed, as if the darkness of death had
fallen upon us — let us learn to ascribe this title to God, that he may
dissipate the gloom and open our eyes. So when he is said
to raise up the bowed
down, we are taught to take courage when weary
and groaning under any burden. Nor is it merely that God would here have his
praises celebrated; he in a manner stretches out his hand to the blind, the
captives, and the afflicted, that they may cast their grief's and cares upon
him. There is a reason for repeating the name Jehovah three times. In
this way he stimulates and excites men to seek him who will often rather chafe
and pine away in their miseries, than betake themselves to this sure asylum.
FE288
What is added in the close of the verse —
that Jehovah loves the
righteous, would seem to be a qualification of
what was formerly said. There are evidently many who, though they are grievously
afflicted, and groan with anxiety, and lie in darkness, experience no comfort
from God; and this because in such circumstances they provoke God more by their
contumacy, and by failing for the most part to seek his mercy, reap the just
reward of their unthankfulness. The Psalmist therefore very properly restricts
what he had said in general terms of God's helping the afflicted, to the
righteous — that those who wish to experience his deliverance, may address
themselves to him in the sincere exercise of
godliness.
9.
Jehovah
guarding, etc. By strangers, orphans,
and widows, the Psalmist means all those in general who are destitute of
the help of man. While all show favor to those who are known to them and near to
them, we know that strangers are, for the most part, exposed to injurious
treatment. We find comparatively few who come forward to protect and redress
widows and orphans; it seems lost labor, where there is no likelihood of
compensation. Under these cases the Psalmist shows that whatever the grievance
may be under which we suffer, the reason can only be with ourselves if God, who
so kindly invites all who are in distress to come to him, does not stretch forth
his arm for our help. On the other hand, he declares that everything will have
an adverse and unfortunate issue to those who wickedly despise God. We have said
upon the first Psalm, that by the
way is meant the course of life in general. God
will destroy the way of the
wicked, inasmuch as he will curse all their
counsels, acts, attempts, and enterprises, so that none of them shall have good
success. However excellent they may be in planning, although they may be crafty
and sharp-sighted, and abound in strength of resources of every kind, God will
overturn all their expectations. While he extends his hand to those who are his
people, and brings them through all obstacles, and even impassable ways, he on
the contrary destroys the path of the wicked, when apparently most open and
plain before them.
10.
Jehovah shall
reign, etc. He directs his discourse to the
Church, that he may more effectually persuade all God's people of their really
finding him to be such as he had just described. When he says that God is king
for ever, we are to remember at the same time the purpose for which he reigns
— taking our definition of it from the preceding ascription's. It follows
that, whether living or dying, we shall be safe under the keeping of a king who
reigns expressly for our salvation. Had he said no more than that Jehovah
reigned for ever, we would have been ready to object the distance between us and
his inconceivable greatness. He states, therefore, in express terms, his being
bound by sacred covenant to his chosen people.
PSALM
147
This Psalm also incites the people of God to praise
him upon two accounts; first, for the display of his power, goodness, wisdom,
and other perfections in the common government of the world, and the several
parts of it, the heavens and the earth, but more particularly for his special
goodness in cherishing and defending the Church which he has chosen of his free
grace, in restoring it when fallen down, and gathering it when dispersed.
fe289
Psalm
147:1-6
1. Praise ye God; for it is
good to sing praises unto our God, for it is pleasant, and praise is comely.
2. Jehovah building up Jerusalem, will gather the dispersed of Israel:
3. Healing the contrite in heart, and binding up their griefs: 4.
Numbering the multitude of the stars, giving names to each of them. 5.
Great is our Lord, and plenteous in power, there is no figure for his
understanding. 6. Jehovah raiseth up the miserable, and casteth the
wicked down to the
ground.
Praise ye
God, etc. Though the benefits he speaks
of are such as God extends to all men indiscriminately, it is plain that he
addresses more especially God's people, who alone behold his works in an
enlightened manner, whereas stupidity and blindness of mind deprive others of
their understanding. Nor is his subject confined to the common benefits of God,
but the main thing which he celebrates is his mercy, as shown to his chosen
people. That the Church may address itself to the praises of God with more
alacrity, he states that this kind of exercise is good, delightful, and
pleasant, by which he indirectly censures a sin which is all but universal of
becoming wearied at the very mention of God, and counting it our highest
pleasure to forget both God and ourselves, that we may give way to unrestrained
indulgence. To teach men to take a delight in this religious exercise, the
Psalmist reminds them that praise is
comely,
or desirable. For the term
hwan,
navah, may be rendered either
way.
2.
Jehovah building
up, etc. He begins with the special
mercy of God towards his Church and people, in choosing to adopt one nation out
of all others, and selecting a fixed place where his name might be called upon.
When he is here called the builder of Jerusalem, the allusion is not so much to
the outward form and structure, as to the spiritual worship of God. It is a
common figure in treating of the Church to speak of it as a building or temple.
The meaning is, that the Church was not of human erection, but formed by the
supernatural power of God; for it was from no dignity of the place itself that
Jerusalem became the only habitation of God in our world, nor did it come to
this honor by counsel, industry, effort or power of man, but because God was
pleased to consecrate it to himself. He employed the labor and instrumentality
of men indeed in erecting his sanctuary there, but this ought never to take from
his grace, which alone distinguished the holy city from all others. In calling
God the former and architect of the Church, his object is to make us aware that
by his power it remains in a firm condition, or is restored when in ruins. Hence
he infers that it is in his power and arbitrament to gather those who have been
dispersed. Here the Psalmist would comfort those miserable exiles who had been
scattered in various quarters, with the hope of being recovered from their
dispersion, as God had not adopted them without a definite purpose into one
body. As he had ordered his temple and altar to be erected at Jerusalem, and had
fixed his seat there, the Psalmist would encourage the Jews who were exiles from
their native country, to entertain good hope of a return, intimating that it was
no less properly God's work to raise up his Church when ruined and fallen down,
than to found it at first. It was not, therefore, the Psalmist's object directly
to celebrate the free mercy of God in the first institution of the Church, but
to argue from its original, that God would not suffer his Church altogether to
fall, having once founded it with the design of preserving it for ever; for he
forsakes not the work of his own hands. This comfort ought to be improved by
ourselves at the present period, when we see the Church on every side so
miserably rent asunder, leading us to hope that all the elect who have been
adjoined to Christ's body, will be gathered unto the unity of the faith,
although now scattered like members torn from one another, and that the
mutilated body of the Church, which is daily distracted, will be restored to its
entireness; for God will not suffer his work to
fail.
In the following verse he insists upon the
same truth, the figure suggesting that though the Church labor under, and be
oppressed by many diseases, God will speedily and easily recover it from all its
wounds. The same truth, therefore, is evidently conveyed, under a different form
of expression — that the Church, though it may not always be in a
flourishing condition, is ever safe and secure, and that God will miraculously
heal it, as though it were a diseased
body.
4.
Numbering the
multitude, etc. As the gathering
together of the people of whom the Psalmist spoke might appear to be an
impossibility, there seems some ground for the opinion of those who think that
he confirms it in this verse. The connection they give to the Psalmist's words
is this — that as it is at least not more difficult to gather men together
who are outcast and scattered, than to number the stars, there was no reason why
the wandering exile Israelites should despair of their return, provided they
should resort with one consent to God as their only head. There is some
probability, too, in the conjecture that the Psalmist may allude to that promise
—
"Look now towards the
stars of heaven, if thou canst tell
them,
so shall thy seed be."
(<011505>Genesis
15:5.)
But as the Psalmist immediately afterwards treats of
the order of things in nature generally, the simplest rendering, I think, is to
understand this verse with reference to the admirable work of God to be seen in
the heavens, where we behold his matchless wisdom, in regulating, without one
degree of aberration, the manifold, complex, winding courses of the stars. To
each of them he assigns its fixed and distinct office, and in all the multitude
there is no confusion. He therefore exclaims immediately —
Great is God, and boundless, both
in power and understanding. We learn from this
that there cannot be greater folly than to make our judgment the measure of
God's works, displaying in these, as he often does, his incomprehensible power
and wisdom.
6.
Raising
up, etc. The ascription of this to God fitly
tends to confirm our hope under affliction, and prevent our souls from fainting
under the cross. From this we may infer that although our fathers who lived
under the Law were more gently dealt with, they knew something at least of that
warfare with which God daily exercises us, in order to make us seek our true
rest elsewhere than in this world. Should a doubt steal upon the minds of those
who have been brought under heavy afflictions, as to the forthcoming of that
help which God has promised to extend, let the truth recur to our remembrance,
that we are brought low that God may lift us up again. And if upon seeing the
prosperity of the wicked we are smitten and inflamed with envy, let the words of
the Psalmist come into our mind, That they are lifted up that they may be cast
down into destruction. When he speaks of their being cast down even to the
earth, there can be no doubt that he passes an indirect censure upon their
pride which leads them to exalt themselves on high, as if they belonged to some
superior order of beings.
Psalm
147:7-11
7. Sing to Jehovah in
thanksgiving, sing psalms to our God upon the
harp. FE290
8. Who covereth the heavens with
clouds, prepareth rain for the earth, maketh grass to germinate on the
mountains. FE291A
9. Who giveth to the cattle their
food, to the young ones of the ravens which cry to him. 10. Not in the
strength of the horse will he take pleasure, nor in the legs of man will he
delight. 11. Jehovah delighteth in those who fear him, who hope in his
mercy.
7.
Sing to Jehovah in
thanksgiving. Again he exhorts to sing
the praises of God, intimating at the same time that abundant matter was not
wanting, since new proofs still meet our eyes of his power, goodness, and
wisdom. First he tells us that he covers the heavens with clouds, and
this change would awaken our attention, were we not chargeable with so much
thoughtlessness. Various as are the marvels to be seen in the heavens above us,
were the same serenity always to continue, we would not have so wonderful a
display of his power as when he suddenly veils them with clouds, withdrawing the
light of the sun, and setting a new face as it were upon the world. He
afterwards hints that in this way provision is made for all living creatures,
for thus the herbs germinate, and the earth is supplied with the moisture which
makes it fertile. Thus in connection with the proofs of his power God sets
before our eyes those of his mercy and fatherly consideration for the human
family; nay, he shows that he does not overlook even the wild beasts and cattle.
Philosophers discover the origin of rain in the elements, and it is not denied
that clouds are formed from the gross vapors which are exhaled from the earth
and sea, but second causes should not prevent us from recognizing the providence
of God in furnishing the earth with the moisture needed for fructification. As
the earth chapped with heat shows its thirst by opening its mouth, so God on his
part in sending rain distills drink for it. He might in other ways of a more
secret kind give it strength to preserve it from failing, but this irrigation is
something which passes before our eyes to image forth the continual care which
he has over us.
9.
Who gives to the cattle their
food. By giving an instance he explains
more clearly what he had said, of God's providing food for every living
creature. When he speaks of the cattle and the ravens being fed, and not of men,
this is to give more emphasis to his argument. We know that it was for man's
sake the world was made at all, and endued with fertility and plenty; and in
proportion as we are nearer in the scale of existence to God, he shows us the
more of his goodness. But if he condescends to notice the brute creation, it is
plain that to us he will be a nurse and a father. For the same reason he names
the
ravens, the most contemptible of all
birds, to teach us that the goodness of God extends to every part of the world.
When he says that their young cry unto God, he no doubt refers to their
natural cry, but hints at the same time that they own that they must be in want
unless God give them meat from heaven. As to the Jewish fable that the ravens
desert their young ones as soon as put forth, and that worms are bred in the
barks of the trees to feed them, this is one of their customary stories, never
scrupling as they do, nor being ashamed, to invent anything, however unfounded,
when a difficulty comes in the way.
FE292A It is enough for us to know that the
whole system of nature is so regulated by God, that not even the young ravens
want their food, when with hoarse outcry they confess that they are in need, and
that they cannot have it supplied except by
God.
10.
Not in the strength of the
horse, etc. After the Psalmist has shown that
there is proof of the divine goodness in every part of the world, he takes
particular notice that men have no strength but what is given them from above,
and this he adds with the express purpose of checking the pride by which almost
all men are inflamed, and which leads them to trust in their own strength. The
meaning of the passage is, that let man come in the preparation of his own
strength, and with all the assistance's that seem to him most prevalent, this
will only issue in smoke and vanity; nay, that in arrogating the very least to
himself, this will only be a hindrance in the way of the mercy of God, by which
alone we stand. The strength of
the horse is mentioned by synecdoche to denote
any kind of protection. Not that God is displeased with those things in
themselves considered which he has given us as helps, but it is necessary that
we be withdrawn from a false confidence in them, for very commonly when any
resource is at hand, we are foolishly intoxicated and lifted up with pride. He
opposes the fear of God therefore to the strength both of men and of horses, and
places his hope in his mercy, intimating that it is highly incumbent upon us to
show our moderation in worshipping God with reverence and holiness, and
depending upon his grace. Hence we learn that he only condemns that strength
which would take from God the honor due to
him.
Psalm
147:12-14
12. Celebrate Jehovah, O
Jerusalem! praise thy God, O Zion! 13. For he strengthens the bars of thy
gates, he blesses thy children in the midst of thee. 14. Who maketh thy
borders peace; with the fatness of the corn he satifieth
thee.
12.
Celebrate Jehovah, O
Jerusalem! Having spoken in general of the
mercies of God, he again addresses his discourse to the Lord's people, who
alone, as we have remarked already, can appreciate them, calling upon them to
recognize with thanksgiving the blessings which others riot upon without
acknowledgment. Under the name of
Jerusalem,
he comprises the whole Church, for in that place the faithful then held
their religious assemblies, and flowed together as it were to the standard of
the Lord. Although he will take occasion afterwards again to speak of the
government of the world at large, he here commemorates the goodness of God as
manifested to his own people, in protecting his own Church, bountifully
cherishing it, enriching it abundantly with all blessings, and preserving it in
peace and safety from all harm. When he says that
the bars of the gates are
strengthened by God, he means that the
holy city was perfectly guarded by him from all fear of hostile attack. To the
same effect is the other expression which comes after — that
all its bounds were made
peace. Enemies were under divine
restraint so as to cause no disturbance or confusions. Not that the Church is
always in a state of peace throughout its whole extent, and exempt from attack,
but that God in a visible manner stretches forth his hand to repel these
assaults, and it can securely survey the whole array of its enemies. A more
extensive meaning indeed may be given to the term
peace,
which is often taken to signify a happy and prosperous condition. But as mention
is made of bounds, the former sense seems most appropriate. The blessing
of God enjoyed within is next spoken of, consisting in this, that the citizens
dwell prosperously and happily in it, and are fed bountifully, even to satiety;
which does not mean that the children of God always wallow in abundance. This
might be the means of corrupting them, prone as our nature is to wantonness; but
it suggests that they recognize the liberality of God in their daily food more
clearly than others who want faith, and whom either abundance renders blind, or
poverty vexes with deplorable anxiety, or covetousness inflames with a desire
that never can be satisfied. God's paternal favor was shown more particularly to
our fathers under the law in the abundance of temporal provision, it being
necessary to lead them forward to something higher by what was
elementary.
Psalm
147:15-20
15. While he sends forth
his word to the earth, his word runneth very swiftly. 16. Who giveth snow
like wool,
fe293A and scattereth the hoar frost as
ashes. 17. He casteth forth his ice like
morsels:
fe294A before his cold who can
stand? FE295A
18. He shall send his word, and shall
melt them: his breath shall blow, the waters shall flow. 19. He announces
his words to Jacob, his edicts and his judgments to Israel. 20. He hath
not done so to every nation, and his judgments he hath not showed them.
Hallelujah.
15.
While he sends
forth, etc. He again touches upon some
instances of the operation of God, everywhere to be seen in the system of
nature. And as the changes which take place in the air, and upon the earth, and
which should be considered evidences of his power, may perhaps be regarded by
the world as the effect of chance, the Psalmist, before proceeding to speak of
the snow, hoar frost, and ice, expressly declares, that earth is governed by his
power and control. The sending
forth of his word is nothing else than the
secret influence by which he regulates and governs all things, for without his
orders and appointment no movement could take place among the elements, nor
could they be borne, now one way and now another, upon their own spontaneous
impulse without his foregoing secret decree. He says, that
his word runneth
quickly, because, when once God has
intimated his will, all things concur to carry it into effect. If we do not hold
fast by this principle, however acutely we may investigate second causes, all
our perspicacity will come to nothing. It is thus that Aristotle, for example,
has shown such ingenuity upon the subject of meteors, that he discusses their
natural causes most exactly, while he omits the main point of all, upon which
the merest child, at least having any religion, has the superiority over him. He
must have little discernment who, in the sudden snows and hoar-frosts, does not
perceive how quickly the word of God runs. If, then, we would avoid a senseless
natural philosophy, we must always start with this principle, that everything in
nature depends upon the will of God, and that the whole course of nature is only
the prompt carrying into effect of his orders. When the waters congeal, when the
hail spreads through the air, and hoar frosts darken the sky, surely we have
proof how effectual his word is. But if all these wonders produce no effect upon
most men, at least the piercing cold which benumbs our bodies, should force us
to recognize the power of God. When the heat of the sun scorches us in summer,
and again, upon the succession of winter, all things are bound up, such a change
as this, which must have appeared incredible had we not been accustomed to it,
cries out loudly that there is a being who reigns
above.
19.
He announces his words to
Jacob, etc. Here it is another word that
is spoken of than what was formerly mentioned; for God speaks in a different way
to the insensate works of his hands, which he silently subordinates to his will
by secret laws impressed upon them, than he does to men who are endued with
understanding, for these he teaches with articulate language, that they may obey
him intelligently and with consent. Although the blessings formerly mentioned
are not to be depreciated, they fall far short of this, that he has condescended
to be the teacher of his chosen people, by communicating to them that religious
doctrine which is a treasure of everlasting salvation. How little would it avail
the Church that it were filled with the perishing enjoyments of time, and
protected from hostile violence, did not its hope extend beyond this world.
This, accordingly, is the grand proof of his love, that he has set before us in
his word the light of eternal life. On this account it is appropriately
mentioned here as the crowning part of true solid happiness. And let us learn
from this, that we should not only receive the doctrine of God with reverential
and holy obedience, but embrace it with affection, for we can conceive of
nothing more delightful and desirable than that God should undertake our
salvation, and give testimony of this by stretching out his hand to bring us to
himself. For this is the design with which the doctrine has been given to us,
that amidst the thick darkness of this world, and the devious errors into which
Satan misleads the children of men, the great Father of us all may by it cast a
foregoing light upon our path before gathering us to the inheritance of heaven.
We are to notice, that the part which was sustained by Moses and the Prophets
according to divine appointment is here ascribed to God himself, for we only put
due honor upon the doctrine of religion, and estimate it at its proper worth
when we rise to the consideration of God, who, in using the instrumentality of
men, still claims to be considered our chief and only teacher. Thus its due
majesty is assigned to the word from the person of its author. Again, he
enhances the mercy shown by stating a comparison, intimating
that this had not been done for
other nations. For if it be asked why
God preferred one people to others, this pre-eminence will certainly lead us to
gratuitous election as its source, since we will find that the children of
Israel did not differ from others in any excellency attaching to themselves, but
because God passed by others and condescended to adopt them into his
favor.
PSALM
148
The more effectually to express how worthy God is to
be praised in his works, he calls upon all creatures from above and below to
sing his praises. He begins with angels, but immediately proceeds to address the
brute creation and dumb elements, intimating, that there is no part of the world
in which the praises of God are not to be heard, inasmuch as he everywhere gives
proof of his power, goodness, and wisdom. He then comes to speak of men, whom
God has constituted the proper heralds of his praises in this world. But as the
unbelieving portion of them is both blind to the consideration of God's works,
and dumb to his praises, the Psalmist at the close appeals to the children of
Israel, who were privileged with a special discovery of God, as principal
witnesses.
FE296A
Hallelujah.
Psalm
148:1-6
1. Praise ye Jehovah from
the heavens, praise him in the heights. 2. Praise him, all ye his angels;
praise him, all ye his armies. 3. Praise him, ye sun and moon; praise
him, ye shining stars. 4. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye
waters above the heavens. 5. Let them praise the name of Jehovah; for he
commanded, and they were created. 6. And he established them for ever; he
hath set for them a decree for ever, and it shall not pass
beyond.
1.
Praise Jehovah from the
heavens. He seems here to include the
stars as well as the angels, and, therefore, heaven itself, the air, and all
that is gendered in it; for afterwards a division is made when he first calls
upon angels, then upon the stars, and the waters of the firmament. With regard
to the angels, created as they were for this very end — that they might be
instant in this religious service, we need not wonder that they should be placed
first in order when the praises of God are spoken of. Accordingly, in that
remarkable vision which Isaiah describes,
(<230603>Isaiah
6:3,) the cherubim cry out — "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts." And in
several other places of Scripture the angels are represented as praising God by
such ascription's. How, then, can zeal like theirs stand in need of
exhortations? Or, if they require to be incited, what can be more unseemly than
that we, who are so sluggish in the service, should assume the part of exhorting
them to their duty? David, then, who did not equal the angels in zeal, but came
far behind them, was not qualified to be an exhorter to them. But neither did
this enter into his purpose; he would simply testify that it was the height of
his happiness and desire to join in sacred concert with elect angels in praising
God. And there is nothing unreasonable that, in order to stir himself up in the
praises of God, he should call as companions upon the angels, although these run
spontaneously in the service, and are fitter to lead the way. He calls them, in
the second part of the verse —
the armies of God;
for they stand always ready to receive his
orders. "Ten thousand times ten thousand surround his throne," as Daniel says,
(<270710>Daniel
7:10.) The same name is applied also to the stars, both because they are
remarkable for the order which maintains among them, and because they execute
with inconceivable quickness the orders of God. But the angels are here called
armies, upon the same account as elsewhere principalities and powers, inasmuch
as God exerts his power by their
hands.
3.
Praise him, ye sun and
moon. This passage gives no countenance
to the dream of Plato, that the stars excel in sense and intelligence. Nor does
the Psalmist give them the same place as he had just assigned to angels, but
merely intimates that the glory of God is everywhere to be seen, as if they sang
his praises with an audible voice. And here he tacitly reproves the ingratitude
of man; for all would hear this symphony, were they at all attent upon
considering the works of God. For doth not the sun by his light, and heat, and
other marvelous effects, praise his Maker? The stars when they run their course,
and at once adorn the heavens and give light to the earth, do they not sound the
praises of God? but as we are deaf and insensible, the Psalmist calls upon them
as witnesses to reprove our indolence. By the
heavens of
heavens he no doubt means the spheres.
Eclipses, and other things which we observe, plainly show both that the fixed
stars are above the planets, and that the planets themselves are placed in
different orbits.
FE297A The excellency of this contrivance the
Psalmist justly commends, speaking expressly of the heavens of heavens; not as
if there were really more heavens than one, but to extol the matchless wisdom
which God has shown in creating the heavens; for the sun, moon, and stars are
not confusedly mixed together, but each has its own position and station
assigned to it, and their manifold courses are all regulated. As under the name
of the
heavens he comprehends the air, or at least all
the space from the middle region of the air upwards, he calls rains,
the waters above the
heavens. There is no foundation for the
conjecture which some have made, that there are waters deposited above the four
elements; and when the Psalmist speaks of these waters as being above, he
clearly points at the descent of the rain. It is adhering too strictly to the
letter of the words employed, to conceive as if there were some sea up in the
heavens, where the waters were permanently deposited; for we know that Moses and
the Prophets ordinarily speak in a popular style, suited to the lowest
apprehension. It would be absurd, then, to seek to reduce what they say to the
rules of philosophy; as, for example, in the passage before us, the Psalmist
notes the marvelous fact that God holds the waters suspended in the air, because
it seems contrary to nature that they should mount aloft, and also, that though
fluid they should hang in vacant space. Accordingly it is said elsewhere, that
they are held there as enclosed in bottles.
(<193307>Psalm
33:7.) The Psalmist has borrowed the form of expression from Moses, who says
— "that the waters were divided from the waters."
(<010106>Genesis
1:6.)
5.
Let them praise the
name, etc. As he speaks of things wanting
intelligence, he passes to the third person, from which we infer that his reason
for having spoken in the second person hitherto, was to make a deeper impression
upon men. And he asks no other praise than that which may teach us that the
stars did not make themselves, nor the rains spring from chance; for
notwithstanding the signal proofs we constantly have before our eyes of the
divine power, we with shameful carelessness overlook the great author. He says
emphatically — for He
Himself created, intimating that the world is
not eternal, as wicked men conjecture, nor made by a concourse of atoms, but
that this fair order of things which we see, suddenly sprang forth upon the
commandment of God. And, speaking of the creation, he adds what is even more
worthy of observation, that he gave that law to them which remains inviolable.
For many, while they grant that the world was made by God, lapse from this into
the senseless notion that now the order of nature stands of itself, and that God
sits idle in the heavens. The Psalmist very properly insists, therefore, that
the works of God above us in the heavens were not only made by him, but even now
move forward at his disposal; and that not only was a secret power communicated
to them at first, but while they go through their assigned parts, their
operation and ministry to their various ends is dependent upon
God.
Psalm
148:7-10
7. Praise Jehovah! ye
creatures from the earth,
FE298A
dragons,
FE299A and all deeps. 8. Fire and
hail, snow and ice, breath of the storm doing his word. 9. Mountains, and
all hills; fruitful tree, and all cedars. 10. Wild beasts, and all
cattle; reptile, and winged fowl.
7.
Praise
Jehovah, etc. He now comes to the lower parts
of the world; although deviating at the same time from the exact order, he mixes
up such things as are produced in the air — lightning's, snow, ice, and
storms. These should rather have been placed among the former class, but he has
respect to the common apprehension of men. The scope of the whole is, that
wherever we turn our eyes we meet with evidences of the power of God. He speaks
first of the
whales; for, as he mentions the abysses
or
deeps
immediately afterwards, I have no doubt that by
µynynt,
tanninim, he means fishes of the sea, such as whales. It is only
reasonable to think that matter for praising God should be taken from the sea,
which is fraught with so many wonders. He then ascends to
hail,
snows, and
storms,
which he says fulfill the word of
God; for it is not by an effect of chance that
the heavens are clouded, or that a single drop of rain falls from the clouds, or
that the thunders rage, but one and all of these changes depend upon the secret
will of God, whether he will show his goodness to the children of men in
irrigating the earth, or punish their sins by tempest, hail, or other
calamities. The passage contains instruction of various kinds, as, for example,
that when dearth impends, however parched the earth may be by long continued
heat, God can promptly send rain which will remove the drought at his pleasure.
If from incessant rains, on the other hand, the seed rot in the ground, or the
crops do not come to maturity, we should pray for fair weather. If we are
alarmed by thunder, we are taught to pray to God, for as it is he who sends it
in his anger, so he can still all the troubled elements. And we are not to take
up the narrow view of this truth which irreligious men advocate, that things in
nature merely move according to the laws impressed upon them from the beginning,
while God stands by idle, but are to hold firmly that God watches over his
creatures, and that nothing can take place without his present disposal, as we
have seen,
<19A404>Psalm
104:4 that
"he maketh the winds his
messengers,
and his ministers a
flaming fire."
Psalm
148:11-14
11. Kings of the earth,
and all peoples; princes, and all judges of the earth. 12. Young men, and
also virgins; old men, with children. 13. Let them praise the name of
Jehovah: for exalted is his name only, his praise is above the earth and the
heavens. 14. And he hath exalted the horn of his people: praise is to all
his merciful ones, to the children of Israel, a people which is near to him.
Hallelujah.
11.
Kings of the
earth, etc. He now turns his address to men,
with a respect to whom it was that he called for a declaration of God's praises
from creatures, both above and from beneath. As kings and princes are blinded by
the dazzling influence of their station, so as to think the world was made for
them, and to despise God in the pride of their hearts, he particularly calls
them to this duty; and, by mentioning them first, he reproves their ingratitude
in withholding their tribute of praise when they are under greater obligations
than others. As all men originally stand upon a level as to condition, the
higher persons have risen, and the nearer they have been brought to God, the
more sacredly are they bound to proclaim his goodness. The more intolerable is
the wickedness of kings and princes who claim exemption from the common rule,
when they ought rather to inculcate it upon others and lead the way. He could
have addressed his exhortation at once summarily to all men, as indeed he
mentions peoples in general terms; but by thrice specifying
princes
he suggests that they are slow to discharge the duty, and need to be urged do
it. Then follows a division according to age and sex, to show that all without
exception are created for this end, and should unitedly devote their energies to
it. As to old
men, the more God has lengthened out their
lives the more should they be exercised in singing his praises; but he joins
young
men with them, for though they have less
experience from continued habit, it will be inexcusable if they do not
acknowledge the great mercy of God in the vigor of their lives. In speaking of
girls or
virgins,
the particle
µg,
gam, also, is not merely expletive, but added to make the words more
emphatical, conveying the truth that even the young women who are not so
liberally educated as the male sex, being considered as born for domestic
offices, will omit their duty if they do not join with the rest of the Church in
praising God. It follows that all from the least to the greatest are bound by
this common rule.
14.
And hath exalted the
horn, etc. As we saw in the former Psalm, that
the perfections of God are to be seen more conspicuously in the Church than in
the constitution of the world at large, the Psalmist has added this sentence, as
to the Church being protected by the divine hand, and armed with a power against
all enemies which secures its safety in every danger. By
the
horn, as is well known, is meant strength or
dignity. Accordingly the Psalmist means that God's blessing is apparent in his
Church and among his chosen people, inasmuch as it only flourishes and is
powerful through his strength. There is a tacit comparison implied between the
Church of God and other hostile powers, for it needs divine guardianship as
being exposed on all sides to attack. Hence the Psalmist infers that
praise is to all the merciful
ones of God, for they have ground given them in
the singular goodness of his condescension both for self-congratulation and
praise. In calling the children of Israel a
people near unto
God, he reminds them of the gracious covenant
which God made with Abraham. For how came the nearness, except in the way of
God's preferring an unknown despised stranger to all nations? Nor are we to seek
the cause of the distinction elsewhere than in the mere love of God. Though all
the world equally belongs to God, he graciously discovered himself to the
children of Israel, and brought them near to him, strangers as they were from
God, even as are the whole race of Adam. Hence the words of Moses
—
"When the Most High
divided to the nations their inheritance, and distributed the peoples, he
stretched forth his line to Jacob."
(<053208>Deuteronomy
32:8.)
He is to be considered, therefore, as pointing out
the cause why God hath extended such signal blessings to a single people, and a
people poor and despised — his adoption of them to
himself.
PSALM
149
If we may be allowed to compare this Psalm with the
former ones, and the next, which is the last, the only difference is, that while
the author of the Psalm, whoever he was, has hitherto spoken of God's special
care and protection of his Church in connection with the common providential
government of the world, here he speaks of his benefits to the Church
exclusively. In the next Psalm mention is only made of the power of God in
general.
Hallelujah.
Psalm
149:1-4
1. Sing ye to Jehovah a new
song: his praise is in the congregation of the merciful. 2. Let Israel
rejoice in his Maker: let the sons of Zion rejoice their
king.
fe291 3. Let them praise his name on
the pipe,
fe292 on the
timbrel
fe293 and the harp let them sing psalms to
him. 4. Because Jehovah hath taken pleasure in his people; he will
glorify the poor unto
salvation.
1.
Sing to Jehovah a new
song. This exordium proves what I have
just said, that the exhortation now given is addressed only to God's people; for
the singular goodness which is particularly extended to them affords more ample
matter of praise. The probable conjecture is, that the Psalm was composed at the
time when the people were begun to rejoice, or after they had returned to their
native country from the Babylonish captivity. We will see from the context that
a promise is given of recovery from their ruined condition. The object, I think,
of the Psalmist, is to encourage them to expect the full and complete
deliverance, some prelude of which had been suddenly and unexpectedly given in
the permission to return. As the Church was not fully restored at once, but was
with difficulty and only after a long period brought to a state of vigor,
comfort such as this was much needed. The Spirit of God would also furnish a
remedy for evils which were afterwards to break out; for the Church had scarcely
begun to respire when it was again harassed with various evils, and oppressed by
the cruel tyranny of Antiochus, which was followed up by a dreadful dispersion.
The Psalmist had good reason therefore for animating the godly to look forward
for the full accomplishment of the mercy of God, that they might be persuaded of
divine protection until such time as the Messiah should arise who would gather
all Israel. He calls this a new
song, as we have noticed elsewhere, to
distinguish it from those with which the saints commonly and daily praised God,
for praise is their continued exercise. It follows that he speaks of some rare
and unusual benefit, demanding signal and particular thanksgiving. And I am
disposed to think that whoever may have been the author of the Psalm, he alludes
to that passage in Isaiah,
(<234210>Isaiah
42:10,) "Sing unto the Lord a new song," when he speaks of the future
restoration of the Church, and the eternal kingdom of Christ. In the second
clause of the verse there is a promise implied. For though he proceeds to exhort
the Lord's people to sing God's praises together, he hints along with this that
the Church would coalesce again into one body, so as to celebrate God's praises
in the solemn assembly. We know that so scattered were the Israelites,
that the sacred songs ceased to be sung, as elsewhere they complain of being
called upon to sing —
"How shall we sing the
songs of the Lord in a strange land?"
(<19D704>Psalm
137:4.)
He bids them prepare therefore after this sad
dispersion for holding their sacred assemblies
again.
2.
Let Israel rejoice in his Maker. He
insists upon the same point, that the Lord's people should rest firmly
persuaded that their family had not been chosen out in vain from the rest of the
world, but that God would be mindful of his covenant, and not allow the mercies
which he had extended to them to fail or become extinct. Although they had been
temporarily deprived of the inheritance of the land of Canaan, which was the
pledge of their adoption, the Psalmist calls God their
Maker, and king of the sons of
Zion, to remind them that when adopted
to a pre-eminency above other nations, this was a species of new creation. So in
<194506>Psalm
45:6, the Israelites are called "the work of God's hands," not merely
because they were like other men created by him, but because he had formed them
anew, and distinguished them with a new honor, that, of being separated front
the whole human race. The name king has a wider signification, intimating that
as this people was at first formed by God, so it was with the view of their
being ever governed by his power. The musical instruments he mentions were
peculiar to this infancy of the Church, nor should we foolishly imitate a
practice which was intended only for God's ancient people. But the Psalmist
confirms what has been already mentioned, that their religious assemblies which
had been for a time interrupted would soon be restored, and they would call upon
the name of the Lord in the due order of his
worship.
4.
For God hath taken pleasure
in his people. We have spoken elsewhere
of the verb
hxr,
ratsah here it means free favor, the Psalmist saying that it was
entirely of his good pleasure that God had chosen this people to himself. From
this source flows what is added in the second clause, that God would give a new
glory of deliverance to the afflicted. In the Hebrew
µywn[,
anavim, means poor and afflicted ones, but the term came
afterwards to be applied to merciful persons, as bodily afflictions have
a tendency to subdue pride, while abundance begets cruelty. The Psalmist
accordingly mitigates the sadness of present evils by administering seasonable
consolation, that God's people, when oppressed by troubles, might look forward
with hope to the glorious deliverance which was yet unseen. The sum of the
passage is — that God, who had fixed his love upon his chosen people,
could not possibly abandon them to such miseries as they now suffered
under.
Psalm
149:5-9
5. The merciful shall
rejoice in glory; they shall shout for joy upon their
couches.
fe294
6. The high praises of God are in their
throat
fe295 and a two-edged sword is in their hand:
7. To execute vengeance upon the nations, castigations upon the peoples:
8. To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with iron fetters:
9. To execute upon them the judgment written: this honor is to all his
merciful ones. Hallelujah.
5.
They shall
rejoice. In making mention here of joy,
jubilee, and the high praises of God, he shows still more clearly from the
effects which it would produce, that he does not speak of a common benefit of
God; for had not the deliverance of the people been of a remarkable kind, there
would have been no occasion for such joy, and even triumph. And by these
expressions he intimates that the people would not be brought back from exile to
be immediately dispersed again, but to flourish in the enjoyment of every
species of blessing. He on this account makes mention of couches,
teaching them to expect daily rest under the divine protection. He declares
that they would be furnished with arms and power, not only to ward off enemies,
but to put them to flight on every side, so as to reduce to subjection kings and
nations which formerly ruled over them. By
swords of a
double-mouth, or
two-edged,
are meant such as cut on both sides, for at that time swords had but one
edge.
7.
To execute
vengeance, etc. Both during their exile
and after their return from it, this might seem to be altogether incredible. Nor
did it take place before the advent of Christ; for though the Machabaei and
their posterity reduced the neighboring nations to subjection, this was but a
faint prelude and earnest to direct the thoughts of the Lord's people to what
was approaching. But as Haggai prophesied that the glory of the second Temple
would be greater than of the first, so here there is promised a more prosperous
state than had ever existed.
(<370209>Haggai
2:9.) Reduced as the Jews were in numbers, and low as was the state of things
among them, the Psalmist announces to all nations which opposed and troubled
them, that they would have the ascendancy. As they were yet tributary, and dwelt
at Jerusalem only by sufferance, they were called to exercise faith in a promise
which, to the judgment of sense, might appear visionary, and to raise their
thoughts to the infinite power of God, which triumphs over all worldly
obstacles. The vengeance spoken of is such as the Israelites would take, not
under the influence of private resentment, but by commandment of God; and this
we mention that none may infer that they are allowed to take vengeance for
personal injuries.
The next verse, where mention
is made of
kings and
nobles,
is an amplification; for had he only spoken of peoples and nations, this
might have been restricted to the common people and men of low condition. Here
is something much greater — that kings and others of noble rank would be
dragged to punishment in chains. But it is to be remembered, as I have just
hinted, that but a small part of this splendid prospect was realized until
Christ appeared; for any small increase of prosperity which the people enjoyed
under the Machabaei was not worthy of any consideration, except in so far as by
this help God sustained the drooping spirits of the people up to Christ's
advent. Here the prediction of Jacob is to be noticed —
"the scepter shall not
depart from Judah, until Shiloh come."
(<014910>Genesis
49:10.)
But the Machabaei sprung from another tribe. We must,
infer, therefore, that the regular order was then interrupted, and that to make
the prosperous state of the people to have been based upon their victories, is
building a castle in the air. And God would appear designedly to have removed
the government from the tribe of Judah, lest this success should intoxicate the
minds of his people; for most of them, through pride in these signal victories,
overlooked the true and substantial deliverance. As the Psalmist treats here of
the perfection of the prosperity of the people, it follows that he refers to the
Messiah, that their expectation and desire of him might never cease either in
their prosperity or adversity.
9.
To perform the
judgment, etc. He qualifies what he had
said in the previous verses, in which he might have appeared to arm the Lord's
people for deeds of warlike cruelty. At first sight it might appear strange,
that they who were called the merciful ones of God, should be sent out with
drawn swords to commit slaughter, and pour out human blood; for what evidence
was here of mercy? But when God himself is the author of the vengeance taken, it
is just judgment, not cruelty. When mention is made of the
judgment
written, the Psalmist reminds the Jews
that they were called to liberty by command of God — to that liberty which
had been unjustly wrested from them by' foreigners and tyrants, and that they
could not be blamed for executing judgment written. Any exposition of the
passage is faulty which does not proceed upon this as being the Psalmist's
design, that he would have the Jews to consider the divine mandate, not to
proceed under the influence of private resentment, and to throw a rein over
passion; saying upon the matter, that God's children may not execute vengeance
but when called to it, there being an end of all moderation when men yield
themselves up to the impulse of their own spirits. Another question might arise
here by way of objection. Christ is said to have come without crying or
lifting up his voice, that he might not break the bruised reed,
(<401220>Matthew
12:20,) and he inculcates the same character upon his followers. The answer is
obvious, that Christ is also armed with an iron scepter, by which to bruise the
rebellious, and is elsewhere described as stained with blood, as slaying his
enemies on every side, and not being wearied with the slaughter of them.
(<236302>Isaiah
63:2.) Nor is it surprising, considering the obstinacy which universally
prevails in the world, that the mercy which is treated with such indignity
should be converted into severity. Now the doctrine laid down in the passage
admits of being rightly applied to our practice, in this way, that what is here
said of the two-edged sword, applies more especially to the Jews, and not
properly to us, who have not a power of this kind permitted; except, indeed,
that rulers and magistrates are vested by God with the sword to punish all
manner of violence; but this is something peculiar to their
office.
fe296 As to the Church collective, the sword
now put into our hand is of another kind, that of the word and spirit, that we
may slay for a sacrifice to God those who formerly were enemies, or again
deliver them over to everlasting destruction unless they repent.
(<490617>Ephesians
6:17.) For what Isaiah predicted of Christ extends to all who are his
members, —
"He shall smite the
wicked with the word of his
mouth,
and shall slay them with the
breath of his
lips."
(<231104>Isaiah
11:4.)
If believers quietly confine themselves within these
limits of their calling, they will find that the promise of vengeance upon their
enemies has not been given in vain. For when God calls us, as I have said above,
to judgment written, he puts a restraint both upon our spirits and actions, so
as that we must not attempt what he has not commanded. When it is said, in the
close of the verse, that this
honor is to all the merciful ones of God,
he not only exhorts to the practice of piety, but gives us a support for our
encouragement, lest we should think that we might be losers by exercising mercy
and patience, as most men give vent to fury and rage, under the idea that the
only way to defend their life is by showing the savageness of wolves. Although
God's people, therefore, have nothing of the strength of the giant, and will not
move a finger without divine permission, 'and have a calm spirit, the Psalmist
declares, that they have an honorable and splendid issue out of all their
troubles.
PSALM
150.
The argument of this Psalm is the same with that of
the former.
Hallelujah.
Psalm
150:1-6
1. Praise God in his
sanctuary : praise him in the firmament of his power. 2. Praise him in,
his might; praise him for the plenitude of his greatness. 3. Praise him
with sound of trumpet,
fe297 praise him with psaltry and harp.
4. Praise him with timbrel
fe298 and
pipe,
fe299 praise him upon
chords,
fe300 and the
organ.
fe301 5. Praise him upon cymbals of
sound, praise him upon cymbals of
jubilation
fe302 6. Whatsoever breathes, let it
praise God. Hallelujah.
1.
Praise God in his
sanctuary. This psalm in general
commends the spiritual worship of God, which consists in sacrifices of praise.
By the sanctuary there is little doubt that heaven is here meant, as is
often the case elsewhere. The second clause is exegetical, for the same thing is
repeated. But for sanctuary we read
[yqr,
rekia, that is, the expanse of heaven, to which is added the
epithet of
power,
because there we have a proof of the matchless power of God, so that we
cannot look to the heavens without being lost in admiration. As to the
interpretation which some give — Praise God, ye angels who inhabit the
heavens, and ye men who dwell under the firmament, it is forced and unnatural;
for the Psalmist, in order to awaken men who grow languid in God's praises, bids
them lift their eyes towards the heavenly sanctuary. That the majesty of God may
be duly reverenced, the Psalmist represents him as presiding on his throne in
the heavens; and he enlarges upon the same truth in the second verse,
celebrating his power and his greatness, which he had brought under our notice
in the heavens, which are a mirror in which they may be seen. If we would have
our minds kindled, then, to engage in this religious service, let us meditate
upon his power and greatness, which will speedily dispel all such insensibility.
Though our minds can never take in this immensity, the mere taste of it will
deeply affect us. And God will not reject such praises as we offer according to
our capacity.
3.
Praise him with sound of
trumpet. I do not insist upon the words
in the Hebrew signifying the musical instruments; only let the reader remember
that sundry different kinds are here mentioned, which were in use under the
legal economy, the more forcibly to teach the children of God that they cannot
apply themselves too diligently to the praises of God — as if he would
enjoin them strenuously to bring to this service all their powers, and devote
themselves wholly to it. Nor was it without reason that God under the law
enjoined this multiplicity of songs, that he might lead men away from those vain
and corrupt pleasures to which they are excessively addicted, to a holy and
profitable joy. Our corrupt nature indulges in extraordinary liberties, many
devising methods of gratification which are preposterous, while their highest
satisfaction lies in suppressing all thoughts of God. This perverse disposition
could only be corrected in the way of God's retaining a weak and ignorant people
under many restraints, and constant exercises. The Psalmist, therefore, in
exhorting believers to pour forth all their joy in the praises of God,
enumerates, one upon another, all the musical instruments which were then in
use, and reminds them that they ought all to be consecrated to the worship of
God.
6.
Whatever breathes,
etc. As the word
hmçn,
neshamah, means breath, or blowing, and whatever is animate,
or breathes, the words may be extended to every kind of living creatures, as we
have seen in the preceding psalms that the declaration of God's praises is
assigned even to things wanting intelligence. But as men exclusively are often
meant under the name of "flesh," so we may very well suppose that the words have
reference here to men, who, although they have vital breath in common with the
brute creation, obtain by way of distinction the name of breathing, as of living
creatures. I am led to think this for the following reason: As yet the Psalmist
has addressed himself in his exhortations to the people who were conversant with
the ceremonies under the law, now he turns to men in general, tacitly intimating
that a time was coming when the same songs, which were then only heard in Judea,
would resound in every quarter of the globe. And in this prediction we have been
joined in the same symphony with the Jews, that we may worship God with constant
sacrifices of praise, until being gathered into the kingdom of heaven, we sing
with elect angels an eternal hallelujah.
A NEW
TRANSLATION OF
THE BOOK OF
PSALMS.
PSALMS
1—35
PART FIRST.
ff64
PSALM
1
l Blessed
is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly; And in the way
of sinners doth not stand; And in the seat of scoffers doth not
sit:
2 But
in the law of the Lord is his delight; And in his law doth he meditate
day and
night.
3 He
shall be like a tree planted near rivers of waters, Which shall yield its fruit
in its season, And whose leaf shall not fade; And all that he doeth shall
prosper.
4 Not
so the ungodly: But they are like the chaff, which scatter doth the
wind.
5 Therefore
shall not stand the ungodly in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the
righteous.
6 For
know doth Jehovah the way of the righteous; But the way of the ungodly shall
perish.
PSALM
2
1 Why
tumultuously rise do the Gentiles, And the peoples murmur in
vain?
2 Confederated
have the kings of the earth, And the princes have assembled together, Against
Jehovah and against his
Christ.
3 "Let
us break asunder their bonds, "And cast away from us their
yoke."
4 He
who dwelleth in heaven shall laugh; The Lord shall deride
them.
5 Then
shall he speak to them in his wrath, And in his hot displeasure he shall vex
them.
6 "I
have anointed my king, "Upon Zion, the mountain of my
holiness."
7 I
will declare the decree: Jehovah hath said to me, "My Son art thou; I, this day,
have begotten
thee.
8 "Ask
of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance, "And for thy
possession the uttermost parts of the
earth.
9 "Thou
shalt break them with a rod of iron;" As the vessel of a potter thou shalt dash
them in
pieces."
10 And
now, O ye kings! understand; Be instructed, O ye judges of the
earth!
11 Serve
Jehovah with fear, Rejoice with
trembling.
12 Kiss
the Son, lest he be angry, And ye perish from the way, When shall be kindled in
a short time his wrath. Blessed are all who trust in him.
PSALM
3
A Psalm of David, when he
fled from the face of Absalom his son
1 O
Lord! how are my oppressors multiplied! Many rise up against
me,
2 Many
say to my soul, "There is no help for him in God."
Selah.
3 And
thou, O Jehovah! art a shield for me; My glory, and he that exalteth my
head.
4 With
my voice to the Lord have I cried, And he heard me from the mountain of his
holiness.
Selah.
5 I
lay down and slept; I awaked, because the Lord sustains
me.
6 I
will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, Who on all sides have set their
camps against
me.
7 Arise,
O Lord l Save me, O my God! For thou hast smitten all my enemies upon the
cheekbone; The teeth of the ungodly thou hast
broken.
8 To
the Lord belongeth salvation; Upon thy people is thy blessing.
Selah.
PSALM
4
To the Chief Musician on
Neginoth. A Psalm of David
1 When
I cry, answer me, O God of my righteousness! In distress thou hast enlarged me;
Have pity upon me, and hear my
prayer.
2 O
ye sons of men! how long my glory will ye try to put to shame? Will ye love
vanity, will ye seek after lying?
Selah.
3 But
know that chosen hath Jehovah the merciful man for himself: Jehovah will hear
when I cry unto
him.
4 Tremble
and ye shall not sin; Discourse in your heart upon your bed, and be silent.
Selah.
5 Sacrifice
the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the
Lord.
6 Many
say, "Who will show us good? " Lift thou up on us the light of thy countenance,
O
Jehovah!
7 Thou
hast given joy to my heart More than theirs in the time that their corn
and their wine are
increased.
8 In
peace [as if] with a multitude I will sleep and take
rest, ff65
For thou, O Jehovah! in safety hast placed
me, [though] alone.
PSALM
5
To the Chief. Musician upon
Nehiloth. A Psalm of David
1 My
words do thou give ear to, O Jehovah! Attend to my
speech.
2 Hearken
to the voice of my cry, my King and my God! For to thee will I
pray.
3 O
Jehovah! in the morning do thou hear my voice; In the morning will I direct to
thee and will
watch.
4 For
not a God taking pleasure in wickedness art thou; There shall not dwell with
thee
evil.
5 There
shall not stand the foolish before thine eyes; Thou hatest all that commit
iniquity.
6 Thou
shalt destroy them that speak falsehood: The man of bloods and the deceitful man
abominate shall
Jehovah.
7 And
I, in the multitude of thy mercy, will enter into thy house; I will worship in
thy holy temple in thy
fear.
8 O
Jehovah! lead me in thy righteousness, because of my adversaries; Make straight
before my face thy
way.
9 For
there is not in their mouth uprightness; Their inward part is deep depravity; A
sepulcher that is open is their throat; With their tongues they deal
deceitfully.
10 Cause
them to err, O God! Let them fall from their counsels; In the multitude of their
transgressions destroy them; For they have rebelled against
thee.
11 And
rejoice let all those who trust in thee, For ever let them exult; and cover thou
them, And let those delight in thee that love thy
name.
12 For
thou shalt bless the righteous, O Jehovah! With thy good will as with a shield
thou shalt encompass them.
PSALM
6
To the Chief Musician on
Neginoth, upon the Eighth. A Psalm of David
1 O
Jehovah! do not in thy anger rebuke me, And do not in thy wrath chastise
me.
2 Have
mercy upon me, O Jehovah! for I am weak; Heal me, O Jehovah! for affrighted are
my
bones.
3 And
my soul is exceedingly afraid: And thou, O Jehovah! — how long?
—
4 Return,
O Lord! deliver my soul; Save me for the sake of thy
mercy.
5 For
there is not in death any remembrance of thee; In the grave who shall
acknowledge
thee?
6 I
have become wearied with my groaning; I make to swim every night my bed; With my
tears my couch I
water.
7 Waxed
dim for vexation hath mine eye; It hath become old among all my
persecutors.
8 Depart
from me, all ye workers of iniquity; For heard hath the Lord the voice of my
weeping.
9 Heard
hath the Lord my supplication; The Lord my prayer will
receive.
10 Put
to shame and confounded greatly be all my enemies; Let them turn back, and be
ashamed suddenly.
PSALM
7
Shiggaion of David, which
he sung to Jehovah, upon the
words
of Cush the
Benjamite
1 O
Jehovah, my God! in thee do I trust: Save me from all them that persecute me,
and deliver
me:
2 Lest
He seize, as a lion, upon my soul, And tear it in pieces while there is none to
deliver
it.
3 O
Jehovah, my God! if I have done this, If there be iniquity in my
hands,
4 If
I have rewarded to him that was at peace with me evil, And have not delivered
him that afflicted me without
cause;
5 Pursue
let the enemy my soul and take it, And let him cast down to the earth my life,
And my glory in the dust let him hold down.
Selah
6 Arise,
O Jehovah! in thy anger; Lift up thyself against the fury of my enemies; And
awake thou for me to the judgment which thou hast
ordained.
7 And
the congregation of peoples shall be round about thee: And on account of this,
do thou on high
return.
8 Jehovah
shall judge the peoples: Judge me, O Jehovah! according to my righteousness, And
according to the integrity which is in
me.
9 Let
come to an end, I pray, the malice of the wicked; And direct thou the righteous
man: For he proves the hearts and the reins, the righteous
God.
10 My
shield is in God, Who saves the upright in
heart.
11 God
judgeth the righteous man, And him who despiseth God,
daily.
12 If
he turn not, his sword he will whet; His bow he hath bent, he hath made it
ready.
13 And
for it he hath prepared the instruments of death; He shall make fit his arrows
for the
persecutors.
14 Behold!
he shall travail to bring forth iniquity, And he hath conceived wickedness, And
he shall bring forth
falsehood.
15 A
pit he hath digged, and hollowed it out; And he hath fallen into the ditch which
he hath
made.
16 Return
shall his wickedness upon his own head, And upon his own crown his violence
shall
descend.
17 I
will praise Jehovah, according to his righteousness; And I will sing to the name
of Jehovah, Most High.
PSALM
8
To the chief Musician upon
Hagittith. A Psalm of David
1 O
Jehovah, our Lord! How wonderful is thy name in all the earth, To set thy glory
above the
heavens!
2 Out
of the mouths of babes and sucklings Thou hast founded thy strength,
because of thy adversaries, To put to flight the enemy and the
avenger.
3 When!
see thy heavens, the works of thy fingers; The moon and the stars which thou
hast
arranged:
4 What
is man that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest
him?
5 For
thou hast made him lower a little than God, And with glory and honor thou hast
crowned
him.
6 Thou
hast set him over the works of thy hands: All things thou hast put under his
feet.
7 Sheep
and oxen, all of them, And also the beasts of the
fields;
8 The
fowl of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, And whatsoever passeth through the
paths of the
seas.
9 O
Jehovah, our Lord! How wonderful is thy name in all the earth!
PSALM
9
To the chief Musician upon
Hagittith. Almuth Laben. A Psalm of David
1 I
will praise Jehovah with my whole heart; will recount all thy marvelous
works.
2 I
will rejoice and exult in thee; I will celebrate in Psalms thy name, O thou Most
high!
3 When
turned are my enemies backward, They fall and are put to flight at thy
presence.
4 For
thou hast maintained my judgment and my cause; Thou hast sat upon the throne a
righteous
judge.
5 Thou
hast rebuked the heathen; Thou hast destroyed the ungodly; Their name thou hast
blotted out for ever and
ever.
6 O
thou enemy! come to an end are desolations for ever; And cities thou hast
destroyed; Perished has their memory with
them.
7 And
Jehovah for ever sitteth: His throne for judgment lie hath
prepared.
8 And
he shall judge the world in righteousness; He shall judge the peoples in
rectitude.
9 And
Jehovah will be a place of defense to the poor, And a protection in seasonable
times in
trouble.
10 And
trust in thee shall those who know thy name: For thou forsakest not those who
seek thee, O
Jehovah!
11 Sing
psalms to Jehovah, who dwelleth in Zion, Proclaim among the peoples his
doings;
12 For
in requiring blood, it lie hath remembered: He hath not forgotten the cry of the
poor.
13 Have
mercy upon me, O Jehovah! See my affliction from those who persecute me, O thou
that liftest me up from the gates of
death;
14 That
I may recount all thy praises in the gates of the daughter of Zion; That I may
exult in thy
salvation.
15 Sunk
are the heathen into the pit which they have made; In the net which they have
hid taken are their own
feet.
16 Known
is Jehovah by executing judgment: In the work of his own hands the wicked is
snared. Higgaion
Selah.
17 Turned
shall be the wicked into hell: All the nations that forget
God.
18 For
not for ever shall be forgotten the poor; The hope of the humble shall not
perish for
ever.
19 Arise,
O Jehovah! let not man prevail: Let the heathen be judged in thy
sight.
20 Put,
O Jehovah! fear in them, That the heathen may know that mortal men they are.
Selah.
PSALM
10
1 Why,
O Jehovah! standest thou afar off? And winkest at seasonable times in
trouble?
2 In
his pride the ungodly doth persecute the poor; Let them be caught in the devices
which they
imagine.
3 For
praise himself doth the ungodly on account of the desire of his own soul; And
the violent man blesseth himself: He despiseth
Jehovah.
4 The
ungodly, in the pride of his countenance doth not inquire; All his devices say,
"There is not a
God."
5 Prosperous
are his ways at all times; High are thy judgments before him; At all his enemies
he
puffeth.
6 He
saith in his heart, "I shall not be moved from generation to generation,"
Because he is not in
adversity,
7 Of
cursing his mouth is full, and of deceit, and of malice: Under his tongue are
mischief and
iniquity.
8 He
will sit in the ensnaring places of the villages; In his lurking places will he
murder the innocent: His eyes against the poor will take their
aim.
9 He
will lie in wait in secret, as a lion in his den; He will lie in wait to catch
the poor; He will catch the poor by drawing him into his
net.
10 He
will crouch low, he will cast himself down; Then shall fall by his strengths an
army of the
afflicted.
11 He
hath said in his heart, "Forgotten it hath God; "He hideth his face, that he may
not see it for
ever."
12 Arise,
O Jehovah, God! lift up thy hand: Do not forget the
poor.
13 Why
do the wicked despise God? He saith in his heart, "Thou wilt not require
it."
14 Thou
hast seen it; For mischief and oppression thou considerest, That thou
mayest take them into thy own hand: Upon thee shall the poor leave; To the
orphan thou wilt be an
helper.
15 Break
thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man; Thou shalt seek his wickedness, and
shalt not find
it.
16 Jehovah
is King for ever and ever; Perished are the heathen out of his
land.
17 The
desire of the needy thou hast heard, O Jehovah! Thou wilt direct their heart;
Hear shall thine
car:
18 That
thou mayest judge the fatherless and the poor, That the man who is of
earth may terrify no more.
PSALM
11
To the chief Musician. A
Psalm of David
1 In
Jehovah do I put my trust: How then say ye to my soul, "Flee ye into your
mountain as a bird?
"
2 Surely
behold! the ungodly shall bend the bow, They have made ready their arrows upon
the string, shoot in secret at the upright in
heart.
3 Truly,
the foundations are destroyed: The righteous, what hath he
done?
4 Jehovah
is in the palace of his holiness; Jehovah in heaven hath his throne; His
eyes behold, his eyelids consider the children of
men.
5 Jehovah
will approve the righteous man; But the ungodly and him who loveth iniquity,
hate doth his
soul.
6 He
will rain upon the ungodly snares, Fire and brimstone, and a storm of
whirlwinds: This is the portion of their
cup.
7 For
the righteous Jehovah loveth righteousness; His countenance approveth the
upright.
PSALM
12
To the Chief Musician upon
the Eighth. A Psalm of David
1 Save
me, O Jehovah! for failed hath the merciful man, For wasted away are the
faithful from among the children of
men.
2 Deceit
doth every one speak with his neighbor; With lips of flatteries, with a double
heart do they
speak.
3 Let
Jehovah cut off all lips of flatteries, The tongue that great things doth
speak:
4 Those
who have said, "By our tongues we will be strengthened; "Our lips are our own;
who is lord over
us?"
5 "Because
of the spoiling of the needy, "Because of the groaning of the poor, "Now will I
arise," say will Jehovah, "I will set in safety him for whom the wicked
man layeth
snares."
6 The
words of Jehovah are pure words; Silver melted in an excellent crucible of
earth, purified seven
times.
7 Thou,
O Jehovah! wilt keep them; Thou wilt preserve him from this generation for
ever.
8 On
every side the ungodly walk; When they are exalted, reproach is to the children
of men.
PSALM
13
To the chief Musician. A
Psalm of David
1 How
long, O Jehovah! wilt thou forget me for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face
from
me?
2 How
long shall I take counsel in my soul? And have sorrow in my heart daily? How
long exalted shall be my enemy over
me?
3 Look
upon me, answer me, O Jehovah, my God! Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep in
death;
4 Lest
my enemy say, "I have prevailed against him; " And those who afflict me rejoice
if I should
fall.
5 But
as for me, in thy goodness I trust; Exult shall my heart in thy salvation. I
will sing to the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with
me.
PSALM
14
To the Chief Musician. A
Psalm Of David
1 The
fool hath said in his heart, "There is no God;" They have corrupted [all good
order,] they have done abominable work. There is none that doeth
good.
2 Jehovah
from heaven looked down Upon the children of men, To see whether there were any
that did understand, And seek after
God.
3 Every
one of them hath gone aside, Together putrid have they become: There is none
that doeth good, not even
one.
4 Have
they no knowledge all these workers of iniquity? Who eat up my people as they
eat bread. Upon the Lord they do not
call.
5 There
did they tremble with fear, For God is in the generation of the
righteous.
6 The
counsel of the poor ye deride, Because Jehovah is his
hope.
7 Who
shall give from Zion salvation to Israel? When turn back shall Jehovah the
captivity of his people, Rejoice shall Jacob, and exult shall
Israel.
PSALM
15
A Psalm of
David
1 O
Jehovah! who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? Who shall rest in the mountain of
thy
holiness?
2 He
who walketh in integrity and doeth righteousness, And who speaketh truth in his
heart,
3 He
who detracteth not with his tongue, Who doeth not to his companion evil, And a
calumnious report doth not raise up against his
neighbor.
4 Despised
in his eyes is the off cast; But those who fear the Lord he honoreth; When he
hath sworn to his own hurt he doth not
change.
5 His
money he doth not put out to usury; And a present upon the innocent he doth not
accept: He who doeth these things shall not be moved for ever.
PSALM
16
Michtam. A Psalm Of
David
1 Keep
me, O God! For in thee do I
trust.
2 Thou
shalt say to Jehovah, "My Lord thou art; "My well doing extendeth not to
thee."
3 To
the saints who are on the earth, And to the excellent; all my delight is in
them.
4 Multiplied
shall be their sorrows who offer to a stranger; I will not taste their libations
of blood, Nor will I take their names in my
lips.
5 Jehovah
is the portion of my inheritance, and of my cup; Thou maintainest my
lot.
6 The
lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yea, an inheritance that is
goodly hath fallen to
me.
7 I
will magnify Jehovah, who giveth me counsel; Even in the nights instruct me do
my
reins.
8 I
have set Jehovah before me continually; Since he is at my right hand, I shall
not be
moved.
9 Therefore
glad is my heart, rejoice doth my tongue; Also my flesh dwelleth in
confidence.
10 For
thou wilt not leave my soul in the grave; Nor wilt thou make thy Holy One to see
the
pit.
11 Thou
wilt make known to me the way of life; Fullness of joy is in thy
countenance; Pleasures are at thy right hand for
evermore.
PSALM
17
A Prayer of
David
1 Hear,
O Jehovah! my righteousness; Attend to my cry; Hearken to my prayer, which is
not in lips of
deceit.
2 From
the presence of thy countenance let my judgment go forth Let thine eyes behold
uprightness.
3 Thou
hast proved my heart; Thou hast visited it by night; Thou hast examined
it, thou shalt not find any thing in it; My thought shall not pass
beyond my
mouth.
4 As
for the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have taken heed of the ways of
the
destroyer.
5 Uphold
my steps in thy paths, That my footsteps may not
slide.
6 I
have called upon thee, surely thou wilt hear me, O God! Incline thy ear to me,
and hear my
speech.
7 Make
marvelous thy mercies, O thou Preserver of those who trust [in thee,]
From those that exalt themselves against thy right
hand.
8 Keep
me as the apple, the daughter of the eye; In the shadow of thy wings hide
me,
9 From
the face of the ungodly who endeavor to destroy me — Of my enemies who in
my soul besiege
me.
10 In
their own fat they have enclosed themselves; With their mouth they have spoken
haughtily.
11 In
our steps they have now encompassed me; eyes they have set to east down to the
ground.
12 He
is like a lion, he desireth to seize his prey, And like a lion's whelp which
lurketh in secret
places.
13 Arise,
O Jehovah! confront him, lay him prostrate; Deliver my soul from the ungodly man
by thy
sword
14 From
men by thy hand, O Jehovah! — From men who are of long duration, Whose
portion is in life, Whose belly thou fillets with thy secret, goods: Filled to
the full are their children with them, And their residue they leave to their
babes.
15 As
for me in righteousness I shall behold thy face; I shall be satisfied when I
shall awake with thy likeness.
PSALM
18
To the Chief Musician. Of
the servant of Jehovah, David, who spake to Jehovah the words of this song, in
the day that Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from
the hand of Saul. And he said,
1 I
will love thee, O Jehovah! my
strength;
2 Jehovah
my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my rock, I will hope in him: My
shield and the horn of my salvation, my
refuge.
3 Upon
the praised Jehovah will I call; And from my enemies I shall be
saved.
4 Encompassed
me had the cords of death. The torrents of ungodliness had affrighted
me.
5 The
cords of the grave had encompassed me; Prevented me had the snares of
death.
6 In
my distress I called upon Jehovah, And to my God I cried: And he heard from his
temple my voice, And my cry before him came, [even] into his
ears.
7 Then
shake and tremble did the earth; And the foundations of the mountains were
troubled and shaken, Because he was
wroth.
8 There
ascended smoke out of his nostrils, And fire proceeding from his mouth
consumed; Coals were kindled by
it.
9 And
he bowed the heavens and descended; And thick darkness was under his
feet.
10 And
he rode upon a cherub and flew; And was carried upon the wings of the
wind.
11 He
made darkness his hiding place; Round about him his pavilion was dark waters,
And the clouds of the
skies.
12 At
the brightness which was before him his clouds passed away, [There
were] hail-storm, and coals of
fire.
13 And
thunder in the heavens did Jehovah, And the Most High sent forth his voice;
[There were] hailstorm and coals of
fire.
14 And
he sent out his army and scattered them; And lightnings he multiplied, and put
them into
confusion.
15 And
seen were the abysses of the waters, And disclosed were the foundations of the
world, At thy rebuke, O Jehovah! At the blast of the breath of thy
nostrils.
16 He
sent from on high, he took me; He drew me from waters
great.
17 He
delivered me from my enemy [that was] strong, And from my adversary;
Because they were stronger than
I.
18 They
had prevented me in the day of my calamity; And Jehovah was a support for
me.
19 And
he brought me forth into a wide place; He rescued me because he wished well to
me.
20 Rewarded
me hath Jehovah according to my righteousness; According to the purity of my
hands he hath repaid
me;
21 Because
I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not impiously departed from my
God;
22 Because
all his judgments I have had before me, And his statutes I have not
removed from
me.
23 And
I have been upright with him, And have kept me from my
iniquity.
24 And
repaid me hath Jehovah according to my righteousness According to the purity of
my hands before his
eyes.
25 With
the merciful thou wilt deal mercifully, With a man of uprightness thou wilt show
thyself
upright.
26 With
the pure thou wilt be pure, And with the perverse thou wilt deal
perversely.
27 For
thou the afflicted people wilt save, And the haughty eyes thou wilt east
down.
28 For
thou shalt light my lamp, O Jehovah! My God shall enlighten my
darkness.
29 For
by thee I shall break through the wedge of a troop, And by my God I shall leap
over a
wall.
30 As
for God perfect is his way; The word of Jehovah [is] refined; A shield is
He to all who confide in
him.
31 For
who is God besides Jehovah? And who is strong except our
God?
32 It
is God who hath girded me with strength, And hath made perfect my
way.
33 He
maketh my feet like those of hinds, And upon my high places he hath set
me.
34 He
traineth my hands to the battle, And broken will be a bow of steel by my
arms.
35 And
thou hast given me the shield of thy salvation, And thy right hand hath
sustained me, And thy clemency hath increased
me.
36 Thou
hast enlarged my steps under me, And my ankles shall not
totter.
37 I
will pursue my enemies and will seize them; Nor will I return until I have
consumed
them.
38 I
have afflicted them, and they were not able to rise; They have fallen under my
feet.
39 Thou
hast girded me with might for the battle; Thou hast bowed down my enemies under
me.
40 And
of my enemies thou hast given me the neck, And [as for] my haters I will
destroy
them.
41 They
shall cry aloud, and there shall be no Savior for them; To
Jehovah, but he shall not answer
them.
42 And
I will bruise them to powder as dust before the wind; As the mire of the streets
I will tread upon
them.
43 Thou
shalt deliver me from the contentions of the people; Thou shalt make me head of
the nations; A people whom I have not known shall serve
me.
44 At
the hearing of the ear they shall obey me; The children of strangers shall lie
to
me;
45 The
children of strangers shall lose courage, And tremble from within their places
of
concealment.
46 Let
Jehovah live and blessed be my strength, And let the God of my salvation
be
exalted:
47 The
God who giveth vengeance for me, And subdueth peoples under
me.
48 My
deliverer from my enemies: Yea, from those who had risen up against me thou hast
lifted me up: From the man of violence thou hast rescued
me.
49 Therefore
will I praise thee, O Jehovah! among the Gentiles, And to thy name will I
sing.
50 Who
worketh great deliverances for his king, And showeth mercy to his anointed,
[even to] David, And to his seed for ever.
PSALM
19
To the Chief Musician. A
Psalm of David
1 The
heavens recount the glory of God; And the works of his hands proclaim doth the
expanse.
2 Day
unto day poureth forth speech; And night unto night publisheth
knowledge.
3 There
is no speech and no language, Where is not heard their
voice.
4 Through
all the earth hath gone forth their writing, And to the extremity of the world
their words: For the sun he hath set a tabernacle in
them,
5 And
he as a bridegroom goeth forth from his chamber; He exulteth as a strong man to
run his
course.
6 From
one extremity of the heavens is his going forth, And his circuit
to the utmost limits thereof, And no person is hidden from his
heat.
7 The
law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of Jehovah is
faithful, instructing in wisdom the
babes;
8 The
statutes of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of
the Lord is pure, enlightening the
eyes;
9 The
fear of Jehovah is clean, enduring for ever; The judgments of Jehovah are truth,
they are justified
together.
10 More
desirable [are they] than gold, and much fine gold; And sweeter than
honey, and the dropping of
honeycombs.
11 Moreover,
thy servant is made circumspect by them; And in their observance the reward
is
great.
12 His
errors who can understand? From my hidden sins cleanse thou
me.
13 Likewise
from presumptuous sins restrain thou thy servant, That they may not have
dominion over me; Then upright shall I be and clean from much
wickedness.
14 Let
the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable Before thee,
O Jehovah! my strength and my Redeemer.
PSALM
20
To the Chief Musician. A
Psalm Of David
1 May
Jehovah hear thee in the day of
trouble!
2 May
he send help to thee from the sanctuary! And out of Zion sustain
thee!
3 May
he be mindful of all thy offerings! And thy holocaust may he make flit!
Selah.
4 May
he give to thee according to thy heart! And all thy counsel may he
fulfill!
5 That
we may exult in thy salvation, And in the name of our God erect a banner, When
Jehovah shall fulfill all thy
petitions.
6 Now
I have known that Jehovah hath saved his anointed; He will hear him from the
heavens of his sanctuary, In the mightiness of the salvation of his right
hand.
7 Some
trust in chariots, and some in horses; But the name of Jehovah our God we
will
remember.
8 They
are bowed down and fallen; But we are risen up and stand
erect.
9 O
Jehovah! do thou save; Let the King hear us in the day that we call upon
him.
PSALM
21
To the Chief Musician. A
Psalm Of David
1 O
Jehovah! in thy strength rejoice shall the king, And in thy salvation how
greatly shall he
exult!
2 The
desire of his heart thou hast given him, And what he uttered with his lips, thou
hast not denied him.
Selah.
3 For
thou shalt prevent him with blessings of good; Thou shalt place upon his head a
crown of
gold.
4 Life
he asked from thee; Thou hast given him length of days for ever and
ever.
5 Great
is his glory in thy salvation: Splendor and beauty thou hast put upon
him.
6 For
thou hast set him [to be] blessings for ever: Thou hast gladdened him
with joy before thy
countenance.
7 For
the king trusteth in Jehovah; And through the goodness of the Most High, he
shall not be
moved
8 Find
out shall thy hand all thy enemies; Thy right hand shall find out thy
haters.
9 Thou
shalt put them as in a furnace of fire in the time of thy wrath, O Jehova! In
his wrath he shall overwhelm them, And consume them shall the
fire.
10 Their
fruit from the earth thou wilt destroy, And their seed from among the sons of
men. 1l. For they have spread out against thee evil; They have devised
against thee a stratagem which they could not
accomplish.
12 For
thou wilt set them as a butt; On thy strings thou shalt make ready thy
arrows against their
faces.
13 Be
thou exalted, O Jehovah! in thy strength, Then we will sing and celebrate
in psalms thy power.
PSALM
22
To the Chief Musician.
Upon the hind of the morning. A Psalm Of David
1 My
God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me? [Why art thou] far from my help,
from the words of my
roaring?
2 O
my God! I cry by day, and thou dost not hear: And in the night, and am not
silent.
3 Yet
thou art holy, Inhabiting the praises of
Israel.
4 In
thee trust did our fathers: They trusted, and thou didst deliver
them.
5 To
thee they cried, and were saved: In thee they trusted, and were not put to
shame.
6 But
I am a worm, and not a man; The reproach of men, and despised of the
people.
7 All
who see me scoff at me: They thrust out the lip, they shake the
head.
8 "He
hath devolved," say they, "upon Jehovah, his cause, let him rescue
him, "Let him deliver him, since he hath a favor for
him."
9 Surely
it is thou who didst take me out of the womb, Causing me to confide upon the
breasts of my
mother.
10 Upon
thee I was cast from the womb: From the belly of my mother my God art
thou.
11 Depart
not far from me, for trouble is near, For there is no
helper.
12 Encompassed
me have bulls [that are] strong, The bulls of Bashan have beset
me.
13 They
have opened upon me their mouth, As a lion ravening and
roaring.
14 Like
water I have flowed,
ff66 And disjointed have been
ff67 all my bones: My heart hath been
ff68 like wax, It hath been
ff69 melted in the midst of my
bowels.
15 Dried
up as a potsherd hath been
ff70 my strength, And my tongue cleaveth to
my jaws; And to the dust of death thou hast brought
me.
16 For
encompassed me have dogs; The assembly of the wicked have surrounded me: They
have pierced my hands and my
feet.
17 I
will count all my bones; As for them they look and gaze upon
me.
18 They
divide my garments among them; Upon my vesture they cast the
lot.
19 And
thou, O Jehovah! be not far from me; Thou who art my strength, to my aid
hasten.
20 Rescue
from the sword my soul; From the hand of the dog my only
one.
21 Save
me from the mouth of the lion, And from the horns of unicorns do thou hear
me.
22 I
will declare thy name to my brethren; In the midst of the assembly will I praise
thee.
23 Saying,
"Ye who fear Jehovah praise him: "All ye the seed of Jacob glorify him: "And
stand in awe of him, all ye the seed of
Israel.
24 "For
he hath not despised nor disdained the poor; "Nor hath he hidden his face from
him; "And when he cried to him, he heard
him."
25 From
thee shall proceed my praise in the congregation great; My vows will I pay
before them that fear
him.
26 Eat
shall the poor, and be satisfied; They shall praise Jehovah who seek him; Your
heart shall live for
ever.
27 Remember
and turn to Jehovah shall all the ends of the earth; And prostrate themselves
before his face shall all the tribes of the
Gentiles.
28 For
Jehovah's is the kingdom, That he may have dominion among the
Gentiles.
29 Eat
and worship shall all the fat ones of the earth: Before his face shall bow all
who are going down to the dust; And he who his own soul doth not
quicken.
30 Their
seed shall serve him, It shall be registered to the Lord for a
generation.
31 They
shall come and shall declare his righteousness, To a people that shall be born,
because he hath done [this.],
PSALM
23
A Psalm of
David
1 Jehovah
is my shepherd, therefore I shall not want any
thing.
2 In
pastures of grass he maketh me to lie down; To waters gently flowing he leadeth
me.
3 My
soul he restoreth: He leadeth me by the paths of righteousness for his name's
sake.
4 Though
I should walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear evil,
because thou art with me; Thy staff and thy crook they comfort
me.
5 Thou
wilt prepare before me a table in the presence of my persecutors; Thou wilt
anoint with oil my head; My cup
overfloweth.
6 Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell in
the house of Jehovah for a length of days.
PSALM
24
A Psalm of
David
1 Jehovah's
is the earth, and the fullness thereof; The world, and those who dwell
therein.
2 For
he upon the seas hath founded it, And upon the floods he hath arranged
it.
3 Who
shall ascend into the mountain of Jehovah? Who shall stand in the place of his
holiness?
4 He
who is clean in hands and pure in heart, Who hath not lifted up to vanity his
soul, And hath not sworn
deceitfully.
5 He
shall receive blessing from Jehovah, And righteousness from the God of his
salvation.
6 This
is the generation of those who seek him, Of those who seek thy face, O Jacob!
Selah.
7 Lift
up, O ye gates! your heads, And be ye lifted up, ye doors everlasting! And enter
shall the King of
Glory.
8 Who
is this King of Glory? Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in
power.
ff71
9 Lift
up, O ye gates! your heads, Lift up, I say, ye doors everlasting! And
enter shall the King of
Glory.
10 Who
is this King of Glory? Jehovah of armies — He is the King of Glory.
Selah.
PSALM
25
Of
David
1 To
thee, O Jehovah! my soul have I lifted
up.
2 O
my God! in thee have I hoped: Let me not be put to shame, Let not my enemies
rejoice over
me.
3 Yea
none who wait on thee shall be put to shame: They shall be ashamed who deal
perfidiously without
cause.
4 Thy
ways, O Jehovah! make me to know, Thy paths teach thou
me.
15 Direct
me in thy truth, and teach me; For thou art the God of my salvation; For thee I
have waited all the
day.
6 Remember
thy compassions, O Jehovah! And thy loving-kindnesses; for they have been from
everlasting.
7 The
transgressions of my youth, and my iniquities do not thou remember According to
thy clemency remember thou me, For the sake of thy goodness, O
Jehovah!
8 Good
and upright is Jehovah, Therefore he will teach sinners in the
way.
9 He
will guide the poor in judgment, And will teach the poor his
way.
10 All
the ways of Jehovah are mercy and truth, To those who keep his covenant and his
testimony.
11 For
the sake of thy name, O Jehovah! Be merciful to my iniquity, for great is
it.
12 Who
is the man that feareth Jehovah? He will teach him in the way which he should
choose.
13 His
soul in good shall dwell, And his seed shall inherit the
land.
14 The
counsel of Jehovah is to those who fear him, That he may make known to them his
covenant.
15 My
eyes are continually towards Jehovah, For he will bring out of the net my
feet.
16 Have
respect to me, take pity upon me, For solitary and poor am
I.
17 The
afflictions of my heart are enlarged; Out of my distresses do thou bring
me.
18 Behold
my affliction and my travail, And take away all my
sins.
19 Behold
my enemies, for they are multiplied; And with a violent hatred they hate
me.
20 Guard
my soul, and rescue me, That I may not be ashamed; For I have trusted in
thee.
21 Let
integrity and rectitude preserve me; Because I have waited for
thee.
22 Redeem
O God! Israel from all his troubles.
PSALM
26
Of
David
1 Judge
me, O Jehovah: Because in my integrity I have walked, And in Jehovah have
trusted, I shall not
stumble.
2 Prove
me, O Jehovah! and try me, Examine my reins and my
heart.
3 For
thy goodness is before my eyes; Therefore I have walked in thy
truth.
4 I
have not sat with men of vanity, And with crafty men I will not go
in.
5 I
hate the assembly of transgressors, And with the wicked I will not
sit.
6 I
will wash in purity my hands, And will encompass thy altar, O
Jehovah!
7 To
cause to be heard the voice of praise, And to tell of all thy marvelous
deeds.
8 O
Jehovah! I have loved the habitation of thy house, And the place of the dwelling
of thy
glory.
9 Gather
not with ungodly men, my soul, Nor with men of bloods my
life.
10 For
in their hands is maliciousness, And their right hand is full of
bribes.
11 But
as for me in my integrity I will walk: Redeem me, and have mercy upon
me.
12 My
foot hath stood in uprightness: In the congregations will I bless thee, O
Jehovah!
PSALM
27
Of
David
1 Jehovah
is my light and my salvation, Whom shall I fear? Jehovah is the strength
of my life, Of whom shall I be
afraid?
2 When
approach against me did the wicked, To devour my flesh — My oppressors and
my enemies against me — They stumbled and
fell.
3 If
there should encamp against me a camp, My heart shall not fear: If there should
rise against me war, In this shall I have
confidence.
4 One
thing have I requested from Jehovah — This will I follow after —
That I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, To behold the
beauty of Jehovah, To survey his
temple.
5 For
he shall hide me in his pavilion in the day of evil; He shall conceal me in the
secret [recess] of his tent, Upon a rock he will set
me.
6 And
now he shall exalt my head Above my enemies who surround me: And I will
sacrifice in his tabernacle sacrifices of triumph; I will sing and will
celebrate in psalms
Jehovah.
7 Hear,
O Jehovah! my voice with which I cry; Have mercy upon me and answer
me.
8 To
thee my heart hath said, "Seek ye my face; " Therefore thy face, O Jehovah! will
I
seek.
9 Hide
not thy face from me; Cast not away in wrath thy servant: My strength thou hast
been, do not desert me, And do not forsake me, O God of my
salvation!
10 When
my father and my mother shall forsake me, Jehovah shall receive
me.
11 Teach
me, O Jehovah! thy way, And lead me in the path of rectitude because of my
enemies.
12 Do
not deliver me to the desire of my oppressors, For risen up against me have
false witnesses, And he who uttereth
violence.
13 Unless
I had believed to see the goodness of Jehovah, in the land of the living
—.
14 Wait
thou on Jehovah; Be strong, and he will comfort thy heart, And wait thou on
Jehovah.
PSALM
28
Of
David
1 Unto
thee, O Jehovah! will I cry; O my strength! hold not thy peace from me Lest if
thou shouldst be silent to me, I then become like those who descend into the
grave.
2 Hear
the voice of my prayers when I cry to thee, When I lift up my hands to the
sanctuary of thy holiness. 3, Draw me not away with ungodly men, And with
the workers of iniquity, Who speak peace
ff72 with their neighbors, When in their
hearts is
malice.
4 Give
them according to their works, And according to the wickedness of their doings:
According to the work of their hands give them, Render their reward to
them.
5 Because
they do not consider the doing of Jehovah, Nor the work of his hands, Let him
destroy them and not build them
up.
6 Blessed
be Jehovah! For he hath heard the voice of my
supplications.
7 Jehovah
is my strength and my shield; In him trusted hath my heart, and I have
been helped: Therefore exult shall my heart, And with my song will I celebrate
him.
8 Jehovah
is strength to them, And the strength of the salvations of his Anointed
is
He.
9 Save
thy people, and bless thy inheritance; Feed them and exalt them for
ever.
PSALM
29
A Psalm of
David
1 Ascribe
to Jehovah: ye sons of the mighty — Ascribe to Jehovah glory and
strength.
2 Ascribe
to Jehovah the glory of his name; Worship before Jehovah in the brightness of
his
sanctuary.
3 The
voice of Jehovah is upon the waters; The God of glory thundereth; Jehovah is
upon the waters
great.
4 The
voice of Jehovah is in strength, The voice of Jehovah is in
majesty.
5 The
voice of Jehovah breaketh the cedars; Break, I say, doth Jehovah the cedars of
Lebanon.
6 And
he maketh Lebanon to leap like a calf, And Sirion like the son of the
unicorns.
7 The
voice of Jehovah striketh out flames of
fire.
8 The
voice of Jehovah maketh the desert to tremble. Jehovah maketh to tremble the
desert of
Kadesh.
9 The
voice of Jehovah maketh the hinds to bring forth, And discovereth the forests,
And all meanwhile in his temple speak his
praise.
10 Jehovah
over the flood presideth, Preside, I say, doth Jehovah [as] King for
ever.
11 Jehovah
strength to his people will give; Jehovah will bless his people with
peace.
PSALM
30
A Psalm of a Song at the
dedication of the house of David
1 I
will exalt thee, O Jehovah! for thou hast raised me up, And hast not made glad
my enemies over
me.
2 O
Jehovah, my God! I have cried to thee, And thou hast healed
me.
3 O
Jehovah! thou hast brought up from the grove my soul; Thou hast quickened me
from among those who descend into the
pit.
4 Sing
to Jehovah, O ye his meek ones! And acknowledge the memorial of his
holiness.
5 For
there is only a moment in his anger, But life in his favor: In the
evening will lodge weeping, And in the morning shall come
exultation.
6 But
as for me I had said in my tranquillity, "I shall not be moved for
ever."
7 O
Jehovah! in thy good pleasure Thou hast established strength to my mountain;
Thou didst hide thy face, I was
confounded.
8 O
Jehovah! to thee I cried, And to my Lord I made
supplication.
9 What
profit shall there be in my blood, When I descend into the pit? Celebrate thee
shall the dust? Shall it proclaim thy
truth?
10 Hear,
O Jehovah! and have mercy upon me; O Jehovah! be thou a helper to
me.
11 Thou
hast turned my mourning into dancing for me; Thou hast loosed my sackcloth, And
girded me with
gladness.
12 That
celebrate thee in psalms may my glory, and not be silent: O Jehovah, my God! for
ever will I celebrate thee.
PSALM
31
To the Chief Musician,. A
Psalm of David
1 In
thee, O Jehovah! have I trusted, Let me not be put to shame for ever: In thy
righteousness deliver
me.
2 Incline
to me thy ear, Speedily do thou rescue me; Be to me for a rock of strength, For
a house of defense to save
me.
3 For
my rock, and my fortress art thou: And for the sake of thy name thou wilt
direct and guide
me.
4 Extricate
me from the net, which they have hidden for me, For thou art my
strength.
5 Into
thy hand I will commend my spirit; For thou hast redeemed me, O Jehovah! God of
truth.
6 I
hate all those who regard lying vanities; But as for me in Jehovah I have
trusted.
7 I
will exult and rejoice in thy goodness; Because thou hast looked upon my
affliction: Thou hast known in distresses my
soul:
8 And
thou hast not shut me up in the hand of the enemy: But thou hast set at
large my
feet.
9 Have
pity upon me, O Jehovah! for trouble is to me: My eye hath consumed away for
vexation; my soul and my
belly.
10 My
life hath riffled through grid; And my years with groaning: My strength hath
sunk through my sorrow, And my bones have moldered
away.
11 On
account of all my enemies I was a reproach, Yea to my neighbors exceedingly, And
a terror to my acquaintances; And those who saw me abroad fled from
me.
12 I
was forgotten as a dead man from the heart; I became like a vessel [that
is]
broken.
13 For
I have heard the slander of many: Fear hath seized me on every side,
While they consult together against me, And to take away my life do
devise.
14 But
as for me, in thee have I trusted, O Jehovah! I have said, "My God art
thou."
15 In
thy hand are my times; Rescue me from the hand of my enemies, And from those who
persecute
me.
16 Cause
to shine upon thy servant thy face, Save me in thy
goodness.
17 O
Jehovah! let me not be put to shame, For I have called upon thee: Let the wicked
be put to shame, Let Gem be silent in the
grave.
18 Let
the lips of lying be put to shame, Which speak against the righteous a hard
thing in pride and
scorn.
19 How
great is thy goodness, Which thou hast hidden for those who fear thee! Which
thou hast performed for those who confide in thee, Before the sons of
men!
20 Thou
shalt hide them in the hidden place of thy presence, From the prides of man;
Thou shalt conceal them as in a tent, From the strife of
tongues.
21 Blessed
be Jehovah! For he hath made wonderful his goodness towards me, As in a city
fortified.
22 But
as for me, I had said in my fear, "I am cast away from before thy eyes: " Yet
truly thou hast heard the voice of my supplications, When I cried unto
thee.
23 Love
Jehovah, all ye meek ones of his! The faithful preserve doth Jehovah, And he
repayeth plentifully him who behaveth proudly. 2d. Be of good courage,
and he shall strengthen your heart, All ye who hope in Jehovah.
PSALM
32
Of David. Giving
instruction
1 Blessed
are those to whom is remitted iniquity, And whose transgression is
covered.
2 Blessed
is the man to whom Jehovah doth not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there
is not
guile.
3 When
I kept silence, waste away did my bones, And when I wailed all the
day.
4 For
by day and night heavy upon me was thy hand; Turned into the drought of summer
was my greenness.
Selah.
5 My
sin I have acknowledged to thee, And my iniquity I have not hid. I said, "I will
confess against myself my wickedness to Jehovah;" And thou didst remit the guilt
of my sin.
Selah.
6 On
this account, pray to thee shall every man, that is meek, In the time of
finding thee: So that in a flood of many waters, To him they shall not come
near.
7 Thou
art a hiding-place to me; From trouble thou shalt preserve me; With songs of
deliverance thou shalt encompass me.
Selah.
8 I
will instruct thee, And teach thee the way wherein thou shouldest walk: I will
counsel thee with mine
eye.
9 Be
ye not like a horse, or like a mule, Which have not understanding: With
bit and bridle his jaws thou shalt bind, Lest they kick against
thee.
10 Many
sorrows shall be to the wicked: But the man who hopeth in Jehovah
goodness shall
encompass.
11 Rejoice
in Jehovah, and exult, ye righteous! Sing all ye who are upright in
heart.
PSALM
33
1 Exult,
ye righteous! in Jehovah: For to the upright comely is
praise.
2 Celebrate
Jehovah upon the harp; Upon the
nablure, ff73
and instrument of ten strings, sing psalms to
him
3 Sing
to him a song that is new; Ardently sing with
shouting.
4 For
right is the word of Jehovah, And all his works are in
faithfulness.
5 He
loveth righteousness and judgment: Of the goodness of Jehovah fill is the
earth.
6 By
the word of Jehovah the heavens were established, And by the breath of his mouth
all their
host.
7 He
gathered together as an heap the waters of the sea; He laid up as in treasure
houses the
deeps.
8 Let
all the earth fear Jehovah; Of him let all the inhabitants of the world stand in
awe.
9 For
he spake, and it was; He commanded, and it
stood.
10 Jehovah
scattereth the counsel of the Gentiles, He rendereth fruitless the imaginations
of the
peoples.
11 The
counsel of Jehovah for ever shall stand, The thoughts of his heart from age to
age.
12 Blessed
is the people to whom Jehovah is their God, The people whom he hath chosen for:
in inheritance to
himself.
13 From
heavens looked down hath Jehovah, He hath beheld all the sons of
Adam.
14 From
the dwelling place of His throne, He hath looked on all the inhabitants of the
earth.
15 He
who hath fashioned together their hearts, Who understandeth all their
works.
16 There
is not a king saved by the multitude of an host, Nor a giant rescued by
greatness of
strength.
17 Fallacious
is a horse for safety, And by the greatness of his strength he will not
deliver.
18 Behold!
the eye of Jehovah is upon those who fear him, [Upon those] who hope in
his
mercy;
19 To
rescue from death their souls, To keep them alive in
famine.
20 Our
soul waiteth for Jehovah: Our help and our shield is
he.
21 Surely
in him rejoice shall our heart, Because in his holy name we will
trust.
22 Let
thy mercy be upon us, O Jehovah! According as we have trusted in
thee.
PSALM
34
Of David when he changed
his countenance before Abimelech, who expelled him, and he
departed
1 I
will bless Jehovah at all times: Continually his praise shall be in my
mouth.
2 In
Jehovah make her boast shall my soul: Hear shall the humble and be
glad.
3 Magnify?
Jehovah with me, And let us exalt his name
together.
4 I
sought. Jehovah, and he answered me, And from all my fears he delivered
me.
5 They
shall look to him, and shall flow to him, And their faces shall not he
ashamed.
6 This
poor man cried,: and Jehovah heard him, And from all his distresses saved
him.
7 Encamp
doth the angel of Jehovah about those who fear him, And will deliver
them.
8 Taste
ye and see that good is Jehovah: Blessed is the man who trusteth in
him.
9 Fear
Jehovah, ye saints of his; For nothing is lacking to those who fear
him.
10 The
young lions suffer want and are famished: But those who fear Jehovah shall not
want any good
thing.
11 Come
ye children, hearken to me, The fear of Jehovah I will teach
you.
12 Who
is the man that desireth life, Loving days in which he may see
good?
13 Keep
thy tongue from evil, And thy lips from speaking
deceit.
14 Depart
from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue
it.
15 The
eyes of Jehovah are upon the righteous, And his ears [are open] to
their
cry.
16 The
face of Jehovah is upon those who do evil, To blot out from the earth their
remembrance.
17 They
cried, and Jehovah heard them, And from all their distresses he delivered
them.
18 Near
is Jehovah to the broken in heart; The contrite in spirit he will
save.
19 Many
are the afflictions of the righteous; But from them all deliver him will
Jehovah.
20 He
keepeth all his bones: One of them is not
broken.
21 That
malice shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be
destroyed.
22 Redeem
doth, Jehovah the soul of his servants, And they shall not perish who confide in
him.
PSALM
35
Of
David
1 Plead,
O Jehovah! with those who plead with me, Fight against those who fight against
me.
2 Lay
hold on shield and buckler, And rise up to my
aid.
3 Draw
out the spear, and stop my ears against my persecutors: Say to my soul, "Thy
salvation am
I."
4 Let
those be confounded and put to shame Who seek my soul, Let those be turned back
and be abashed Who devise my
hurt.
5 Let
them be as chaff before the wind? And let the angel of Jehovah drive
them.
6 Let
their way be darkness and slipperiness; And let the angel of Jehovah pursue
them:
7 For
without a cause they have hid for me the pitfall of their
net,
ff74 Without a cause they have digged a pit
for my
soul.
8 Let
there come upon him confusion of which he is not aware; And let the net which he
hath hidden catch him; With confusion let him fall into
it.
9 And
my soul hath exulted in Jehovah, It shall rejoice in his
salvation.
10 All
my bones shall say, "O Jehovah! who is like to thee, "Rescuing the poor from him
who is too strong for him, "The poor and wretched from his
spoiler?"
11 Rise
up do witnesses [that are] violent; Things which I have not known they
ask
me.
12 They
repay me evil for good, To the bereaving of my
soul.
13 But
as for me, in their sickness my clothing was sackcloth: I afflicted by fasting
my soul; And my prayer upon my own bosom was
turned.
14 As
if he had been a friend, as if a brother to me, I behaved myself towards
him: As he who mourneth heavily for his mother I humbled
myself.
15 But
they at my halting rejoiced, they were assembled together: Assembled together, I
say, against me, were the abjects whom I had not known: They have torn with
their lips and have not been
silent.
16 Among
perfidious jesters at feasts, They gnash upon me with their
teeth.
17 O
Lord! how long wilt thou behold it? Rescue my soul from their violence, From the
lions my only
one.
18 I
will celebrate thee in the congregation great: Among people many I will praise
thee.
19 Let
not those rejoice over me, who unjustly are my enemies; Nor let those who hate
me without a cause wink with the
eye.
20 For
peace they speak
not;
21 They
have opened against me their mouth; They have said, "Aha! aha! seen it
hath our
eye."
22 Thou
hast seen it also, O Jehovah: Be not silent, O Lord! be not far
from
me.
23 Arouse
thyself, and awake for my judgment, My God! and my Lord! to my
cause.
24 Judge
me according to thy righteousness, O Jehovah, my God! And let them not rejoice
over
me.
25 Let
them not say in their heart, "Aha! our soul!" Let them not say "We have
destroyed
him."
26 Let
those be ashamed and confounded together, Who rejoice at my calamity; Let those
be clothed with shame and ignominy, Who magnify themselves against
me.
27 But
let those shout and rejoice, who favor my righteousness: And let them say
continually, "Magnified be Jehovah! "Who loveth the peace of his
servant."
28 And
my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness; All the day of thy
praise.
PSALMS
36—66
PSALM
36
To the Chief Musician. Of
the servant of Jehovah, [even] of David
1 Ungodliness
saith to the wicked man in the midst of my heart, There is no fear of God before
his
eyes.
2 For
he flattereth himself in his own eyes, Until his iniquity be found to be
hateful.
3 The
words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit, He teaseth to understand that he may
do
good.
4 Iniquity
he meditates upon his bed; He setteth himself in a way not good; Evil he doth
not
abhor.
5 O
Jehovah! unto the heavens is thy mercy, Thy truth even unto the
clouds.
6 Thy
justice is like the great mountains, Thy judgments are a great deep. Man and
beast, thou preservest, O
Jehovah!
7 How
precious is thy loving-kindness, O God! Therefore the sons of men in the shadow
of thy wings shall
trust.
8 They
shall be fully satisfied with the fatness of thy house; And of the river of thy
pleasures thou shalt cause them to
drink.
9 For
with thee is the fountain of life, And in thy light shall we see
light.
10 Extend
thy mercy to those who know thee, And thy righteousness to the upright in
heart.
11 Let
not the foot of pride come upon me; And the hand of the ungodly let it not
remove
me.
12 There
fallen are the workers of iniquity; They are thrust down and shall not be able
to stand. ff75
PSALM
37
Of
David
1 Vex
not thyself because of the wicked, Nor be envious on account of the workers of
iniquity.
2 For
like the grass quickly shall they be cut down; And as the green herb they shall
wither.
3 Trust
thou in Jehovah, and do good; Dwell in the land, and be fed in
truth.
4 And
delight in Jehovah, And he will grant thee the request of thy
heart.
5 Devolve
upon Jehovah thy ways, And trust in him, and he will bring it to
pass.
6 And
he will bring forth as the light thy righteousness, And thy judgments as the
noonday.
7 Be
silent to Jehovah, and wait for him; Vex not thyself at him who prospereth in
his way, At the man who committeth
wickedness.
8 Cease
from anger, forsake wrath, Vex not thyself so as to commit
sin.
9 For
the wicked shall be cut off; But those who wait for Jehovah shall inherit the
earth.
10 Yet
a little while, and the ungodly shall not be; And thou shalt give attention to
his place, and shalt not find
him.
11 But
the meek ones shall inherit the earth, And shall be delighted in the abundance
of
peace.
12 Plot
doth the ungodly against the righteous, And gnasheth against him with his
teeth.
13 The
Lord shall laugh at him, For he seeth that coming is his
day.
14 Their
sword draw do the ungodly, And their bow they bend, To lay prostrate the poor
and needy, To slay those who are upright in the
way.
15 But
their sword shall enter into their own heart, And their bow shall be
broken.
16 Better
is a little to the righteous man, Than the wealth of the ungodly who are
great.
17 For
the arms of the ungodly shall be broken; But Jehovah sustaineth the
righteous.
18 Know
doth Jehovah the days of the upright, And their inheritance for ever shall
be.
19 They
shall not be put to shame in the time of adversity; And in the days of famine
they shall be
satisfied.
20 For
the ungodly shall perish, And the enemies of Jehovah like the fattest of lambs
shall be consumed; Into smoke they shall be
consumed.;
21 Borrow
doth the ungodly man, and doth not repay; But the righteous man is compassionate
and
giveth.
22 For
those who are blessed of him shall inherit the earth, And those who are cursed
of him shall be cut
off.
23 By
Jehovah the steps of a man are directed, And his way he will
love.
24 When
he shall fall he shall not be bruised, For Jehovah putteth under [him]
his
hand.
25 Young
I have been, I have also grown old; And yet I have not seen the righteous man
forsaken, Nor his seed begging for
bread.
26 Daily
he is compassionate and lendeth, And his seed is for
blessing.
27 Depart
from evil and do good, And dwell for
ever.
28 For
Jehovah loveth judgment, And doth not forsake his meek ones; For ever shall they
be preserved: And the seed of the ungodly shall be cut
off.
29 The
righteous shall inherit the earth, And shall dwell for ever upon
it.
30 The
mouth of the righteous shall speak
wisdom;
31 The
law of his God is in his heart; Slide not shall his
steps.
32 Watch
doth the ungodly the righteous man, And seeketh to put him to
death.
33 Jehovah
will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is
judged.
34 Wait
for Jehovah, and keep his way, And he shall exalt thee to inherit the earth:
When the ungodly shall be cut off thou shalt see
it.
35 I
have seen the ungodly man robust,
ff76 And spreading himself like a green bay
tree;
36 And
he passed away, and to I he was not; And I sought for his place, and he was not
found.
37 Mark
the perfect man, and consider the upright; For the end of such a man is
peace.
38 But
transgressors shall be destroyed together: The end of the ungodly shall be cut
off.
39 But
the salvation of the righteous is from Jehovah: He will be their strength
in the time of
trouble.
40 And
help them shall Jehovah, and deliver them: He shall deliver them from the
wicked: He shall save them, because they trust in him.
PSALM
38
A Psalm of David: to bring
to remembrance
1 O
Jehovah! do not in thy fury rebuke me, And in thy wrath do not chasten
me.
2 For
thy arrows go down in me, And descend upon me doth thy
hand.
3 There
is no soundness in my flesh, because of thy wrath, Nor peace in my bones because
of my
sin.
4 For
my iniquities have passed over my head, Like a burden that is weighty, they are
too heavy for
me.
5 Putrid
[and] corrupt have my wounds become, Because of my
foolishness.
6 I
am bowed down, I am brought low exceedingly; Day by day a mourner I do
walk:
7 For
my reins are filled with a burning heat; Nor is there soundness in my
flesh.
8 I
am enfeebled and broken exceedingly: I have roared through the disquietude of my
heart.
9 O
Lord! before thee is all my desire, And my groaning from thee is not
hidden,
10 My
heart hath throbbed, forsaken me hath my strength; And the light of my eyes, it
also is gone from
me.
11 My
friends and my companions aloof from my stroke have stood, And my kinsmen afar
off have
stood.
12 And
they have laid snares who sought for my soul; Arid those who sought my hurt have
threatened mischiefs; And deceits daily do they
meditate.
13 But
as for me, like a deaf man I hear not; And I am like a dumb man who
openeth not his
mouth.
14 And
I was as a man who doth not hear, And in whose mouth there are no
reproofs.
15 For
on thee, O Jehovah! do I wait: Thou wilt answer me, O Lord, my
God!
16 For
I said, "Lest they should rejoice over me: " At the slipping of my foot against
me they magnified
themselves,
17 Surely
as for me I am ready to halt; And my sorrow is before me
continually.
18 Surely
my iniquity I declare; I am in consternation because of my
sin.
19 But
my enemies are living;
ff77 they are strong; And those are become
mighty who hate me
wrongfully.
20 And
they who requite me evil for good are against me, Because I follow [what
is]
good.
21 Forsake
me not, O Jehovah, my God! Be not far from
me.
22 Hasten
to my help, O Lord, my salvation!
PSALM
39
To the Chief Musician,
Jeduthun. A Psalm of David
1 I
said "I will take heed to my ways, "That I sin not with my tongue: "I will keep
my mouth with a muzzle, "While the ungodly man standeth before
me."
2 I
was dumb not uttering a word; I held my peace [even] from good; And my
sorrow was
stirred.
3 My
heart became hot within me; In my musing a fire did burn; I spake with my
tongue.
4 Cause
me to know, O Jehovah! my end, And the number of my days, That I may know of
what duration I
am.
5 Behold!
as an handbreadth thou hast made my days, And my duration is as nothing before
thee: Surely altogether vanity is every mart while he
standeth.
6 Surely
in a shadow man walketh; [Selah. Surely in vain is he disquieted: They heap
together, and know not who shall
gather.
7 And
now what do I wait for, O Lord? My hope is towards
thee.
8 From
all my sins deliver thou me: The reproach of the foolish make me
not.
9 I
was dumb; I will not open my mouth, Because thou hast done
it.
10 Remove
from me thy stroke: By the blow of thy hand I have
failed.
11 With
rebukes for iniquity thou chastisest man; And causest to waste away as a moth
his beauty: Surely vanity is every man.
Selah.
12 Hear
my prayer, O Jehovah! And to my cry give ear; At my tears be not silent; For a
stranger am I before thee, A sojourner like all my
fathers.
13 Let
me alone, that I may recover strength, Before I depart and be no
more.
PSALM
40
To the Chief Musician. A
Psalm of David
1 I
have patiently waited for Jehovah, And he inclined to me, and heard my
cry.
2 And
he drew me out of the roaring pit, Out of the mire of clay, And set upon a rock
my feet; He hath established my
steps.
3 And
he hath put in my mouth a song [that is] new, Even praise to our God: See
shall many and shall fear, And shall trust in
Jehovah.
4 Blessed
is the man who maketh Jehovah his confidence, And hath not respected the proud,
Nor those who turn aside to
lying.
5 Many,
O Jehovah, my God! are thy wonderful works which thou hast done; And thy
thoughts towards us it is impossible to reckon up in order to thee: I will
declare and speak [of them;] [But] they are more than can be
told.
6 Sacrifice
and oblation thou hast not taken pleasure in: But my ears hast thou made
fit:
ff78 Burnt-offering and sin-offering thou
hast not
required.
7 Then
I said, "Behold! I come; "In the volume of the book it is written of
me,
8 "That
I may do thy pleasure, O my God! "I have desired to do it, "And thy law
is in the midst of my
bowels."
9 I
have proclaimed thy righteousness in the assembly great: Behold my lips I will
not restrain; O Jehovah! thou knowest
it.
10 Thy
righteousness I have not hidden within my heart; Thy truth and thy salvation I
have declared: I have not concealed thy goodness and thy truth in the assembly
great.
11 O
thou, Jehovah! withhold not thy compassions from me; Let thy goodness and thy
truth continually preserve
me.
12 For
encompassed me have evils innumerable; Laid hold upon me have my iniquities,
yea in so great number that I cannot see them: They are more in number
than the hairs of my head; And my heart hath failed
me.
13 Let
it please thee, O Jehovah! to deliver me; O Jehovah! to my aid make
haste.
14 Let
them be put to shame and confounded together Who seek after my soul to destroy
it; Let them be turned backward and put to shame Who seek after my
hurt.
15 Let
them be destroyed for a reward of their shame, Who have said to me, "Aha!
aha!"
16 Let
all those exult and rejoice in thee who seek thee; And let those say
continually, "May Jehovah be magnified" — "Those who love thy
salvation.
17 But
as for me I am poor and needy. Jehovah hath regarded me; My help and my
deliverer art thou: O thou, my God! delay not.
PSALM
41
To the Chief Musician. A
Psalm of David
1 Blessed
is he who judgeth wisely of the poor: In the day of evil Jehovah will deliver
him.
2 Jehovah
will keep him, and preserve him alive: He shall be blessed upon the earth: And
thou will not give him up to the desire of his
enemies.
3 Jehovah
will support him upon the bed of sorrow: All his bed thou hast turned in his
sickness.
4 I
have said, "O Jehovah! have mercy upon me; "Heal my soul, for I have sinned
against
thee."
5 My
enemies have spoken evil of me, "When will he die, and perish shall his name?
"
6 And
if he come to see me falsely doth he speak; His heart gathereth iniquity to
itself': When he goeth abroad he speaketh
[it.]
7 Together
against me do all my haters whisper; Against me do they devise evil for me,
[saying,]
8 "An
evil deed of Belial cleaveth fast to him; "And he who lieth shall not rise
again."
9 Even
the man of my peace in whom I trusted, Who eateth of my bread, hath lifted up
against me the
heel.
10 Do
thou then, O Jehovah! have mercy upon me; Raise me up, and I will
recompense
them.
11 By
this I have known that I have been acceptable to thee, Because my enemy shall
not triumph over
me.
12 And
as for me, in my integrity thou wilt uphold me, And wilt establish me before thy
face for
ever.
13 Blessed
be Jehovah, the God of Israel, For ever and ever. Amen and
Amen.
PART
SECOND.FF79
PSALM
42
To the Chief Musician. A
lesson of instruction to the Sons of Korah
1 As
the hart crieth for the fountains of waters, So my soul crieth for thee, O
God!
2 Thirsted
hath my soul for God, for the living God: When shall I come to appear before the
face of
God?
3 To
me have my tears been for bread, by day and night, While it is said to me
daily, "Where is thy God?
"
4 When
these things I remember, I pour out within me my soul, Because I had gone with
the procession, Leading them even to the house of God, With the voice of
exultation and praise, — The multitude dancing for
joy.
5 'Why
art thou cast down, O my soul! And why art thou disquieted within me? Wait thou
for God; for I shall yet give him thanks, [For] the salvations of his
countenance.
6 O
my God! my soul within me is cast down, When I remember thee from the land of
Jordan and of Hermonim, From the mountain
Mizar.
7 Deep
unto deep calleth at the noise of thy waterspouts: All thy waves and all thy
billows over me have
gone.
8 By
day command will Jehovah his loving-kindness, And by night his song shall
be with me, And prayer to the God of my
life.
9 I
will say to God, my Rock, "Why hast thou forgotten me? "Why mourning do I go
because of the oppression of my
enemy?"
10 [It
is as] a wound in my bones when my enemies reproach me, Saying to me daily,
"Where is thy God?
"
11 'Why
art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in
God; for I shall yet give thanks to him, The salvations of my countenance, and
my God.
PSALM
43
1 Judge
me, O God! and plead my cause: From a people without mercy, from a man deceitful
and wicked deliver
me.
2 For
thou art the God of my strength; Why art thou estranged from me? Why
mourning do I go because of the oppression of the
enemy?
3 Send
forth thy light and thy truth; Let them direct me, let them conduct me, To the
mountain of thy holiness, and to thy
tabernacles.
4 And
I will go to the altar of God, To the God of the joy of my rejoicing; And I will
celebrate thee upon the harp, O God, my
God!
5 Why
art thou cast down, O my soul! And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in
God, for I shall yet celebrate him, Who is the salvation of my
countenance and my God.
PSALM
44
To the Chief Musician. Of
the sons of Korah. Giving instruction
1 O
God! with our ears we have heard, Our fathers have told us, The work which thou
hast done in their days, In the days of
old.
2 Thou
with thy hand hast expelled the heathen, and planted them: Thou hast wasted the
peoples and multiplied
them:
3 For
not by their own sword acquired they the land, And their own arm did not save
them; But thy right hand and thy arm, and the light of thy countenance, Because
thou wast favorable to
them.
4 Thou,
even thou, art my King; O God! command salvations for
Jacob.
5 Through
thee our adversaries with the horn we have pushed; In thy name we have trampled
under foot those who rise up against
us.
6 For
not in my bow will I trust, And my sword will not save
me.
7 Surely
thou hast saved us from our enemies, And our haters thou hast put to
shame.
8 In
God we will boast all the day, And thy name for ever shall we praise.
Selah.
9 Nevertheless
thou hast abhorred us and put us to shame, And thou goest not forth any
more with our
armies.
10 Thou
hast made us to turn back from him that afflicteth us, And our haters have
spoiled us for
themselves.
11 Thou
hast given us as sheep for food; And among the heathen thou hast scattered
us.
12 Thou
hast sold thy people, and not become rich, And thou hast not increased the price
of
them.
13 Thou
hast made us a reproach to our neighbors, A scorn and derision to those who are
round about
us.
14 Thou
hast made us a byword among the heathen, A shaking of the head among the
peoples.
15 Daily
is my reproach before me, And the shame of my face hath quite
covered
me,
16 Because
of the voice of him who reproacheth and revileth, Because of the face of the
adversary and
avenger.
17 All
this is come upon us, and we have not forgotten thee, Nor dealt perfidiously in
thy
covenant;
18 Not
turned back hath our heart, Nor declined have our steps from thy
path.
19 Although
thou hast crushed us in the place of dragons, And covered us with the shadow of
death.
20 If
we have forgotten the name of our God, And have spread forth our hands to a God
that is
strange;
21 Shall
not God search out this? For he knoweth the secrets of the
heart.
22 Surely
for thy sake we are killed daily; We are accounted as sheep [appointed]
for
slaughter.
23 Arise,
why sleepest thou, O Lord? Awake, do not forget us for
ever.
24 Wherefore
thy face dost thou hide? Wilt thou forget our misery and our
affliction?
25 For
humbled to the dust is our soul; Cleave to the earth doth our
belly.
26 Arise
for our help, And redeem us for the sake of thy
loving-kindness.
PSALM
45
To the Chief Musician.
Upon the lilies. Of the sons of Korah. Giving instruction. A Song of
loves
1 Boiling
over is my heart to speak a goodly theme, Speak shall I myself of my works
concerning the King: My tongue is as the pen of a swift
writer.
2 Thou
art fair above the sons of men; Diffused is grace on thy lips; Because God hath
blessed thee for
ever.
3 Gird
thy sword upon thy thigh, O mighty one! With majesty and
glory.
4 And
in thy majesty prosper thou; Ride forth upon the word of truth, and meekness and
righteousness; And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible
things:
5 Thy
arrows are sharp (so that the people fall under thee) In the hearts of
the enemies of the
king.
6 Thy
throne, O God! is for ever and ever; The scepter of rectitude is
the scepter of thy
kingdom.
7 Thou
lovest righteousness and hatest impiety; Because anointed thee hath God, thy
God, With the oil of gladness above thy
fellows.
8 Myrrh,
and aloes and cassia [are] in all thy garments, Out of the ivory
palaces, whence they have made thee
glad.
9 The
daughters of kings [were] among thy maids of honor; Stand did thy consort
at thy right hand in gold of
Ophir.
10 Hearken,
O daughter! and consider and incline thy ear; And forget thy people, and the
house of thy
father.
11 And
enamored shall be the King with thy beauty; For he is thy Lord, and thou
shalt worship
him.
12 And
the daughter of Tyre [shall come] with a present; Thy favor entreat shall
the rich among the
people.
13 All
glorious is the daughter of the King within; Of garments embroidered with gold
is her
clothing.
14 In
raiment of needle-work she shall be brought to the King; Her virgins that follow
her, her companions shall be brought to
thee.
15 They
shall be brought with joy and exultation; They shall enter into the palace of
the
King.
16 Instead
of thy fathers shall be thy children; Thou shalt make them princes in all the
earth.
17 I
will make thy name to be remembered throughout all generation; Therefore
celebrate thee shall the peoples for ever and ever.
PSALM
46
To the Chief Musician. Of
the sons of Korah. Upon Alamoth. A Song
1 God
is to us a protection and strength; A help in troubles he is found
exceedingly.
2 Therefore
we will not fear when moved shall be the earth, And fall shall the mountains
into the heart of the
sea.
3 [When]
roar and rage tempestuously shall the waters thereof; [When] shake shall
the mountains with the swelling thereof.
Selah.
4 The
streams of her river shall make glad the city of God, The Sanctuary of the
tabernacles of the Most
High.
5 God
is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: Help her will God at the
dawn of the
morning.
6 Rage
did the peoples, moved were the kingdoms: He uttered his voice, melt did the
earth.
7 Jehovah
of armies is with us; A fortress for us is the God of Jacob.
Selah.
8 Come
ye, consider the works of Jehovah, What desolations he hath wrought in the
earth.
9 He
maketh to cease battles, even to the ends of the earth; He breaketh the bow, he
shattereth in pieces the arms; The chariot he burneth with
fire.
10 Be
still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen; I will be
exalted in the
earth.
11 Jehovah
of armies is with us; A fortress for us is the God of Jacob.
Selah.
PSALM
47
To the Chief Musician. Of
the sons of Korah. Upon Alamoth. A Song
1 O
all ye peoples! clap the hand; Shout unto God with the voice of
exultation;
2 For
Jehovah is high, terrible, A great king over all the
earth.
3 He
hath put in order the people under us, And the nations under our
feet.
4 He
hath chosen for us our inheritance, The glory of Jacob, whom he hath loved.
Selah.
5 Gone
up is God with a shout, Jehovah with the sound of a
trumpet.
6 Sing
psalms to God, sing psalms; Sing psalms to our King, sing
psalms;
7 For
king of all the earth is God; Sing praises, all ye who
understand!
8 The
kingdom he hath obtained over the heathen; God sitteth upon the throne of his
holiness.
9 The
princes of the peoples are assembled together To the people of the God of
Abraham: For to God belong the shields of the earth: He is greatly
exalted.
PSALM
48
A Song of a Psalm. Of the
sons of Korah
1 Great
is Jehovah and to be praised greatly In the city of our God, in the mountain of
his
holiness.
2 Beautiful
for situation, the joy of the whole earth, The mountain of Zion, on the sides of
the north, The city of the great
King.
3 God
in her palaces is known for a
defense.
4 For
behold! the kings assembled, They passed away
together.
5 They
themselves saw, so they marveled; They were frightened, they fled
precipitately,
6 Fear
seized upon them there, Pain as of one in
travail.
7 By
the east wind thou breakest in pieces the ships of
Tarshish.
8 As
we have heard, so have we seen In the city of Jehovah of Hosts, In the city of
our God: God will establish it for ever.
Selah
9 We
have waited, O God! for thy mercy In the midst of thy
temple,
10 As
is thy name, O God! So is thy praise unto the ends of the earth:
Of righteousness full is thy right
hand.
11 Rejoice
shall Mount Zion, Exult shall the daughters of Judah, Because of thy
judgments.
12 Encompass
Zion, and walk round about her. Number the towers
thereof,
13 Set
your heart to her walls, Exalt her towers, That ye may make report to the
generations to
come.
14 For
this God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our guide even unto
death.
PSALM
49
To the Chief Musician. Of
the sons of Korah. A Psalm
1 Hear
this all ye peoples; Give ear all ye inhabitants of the
world:
2 Both
ye sons of Adam, and ye sons of men, Rich and poor
together.
3 My
mouth shall speak of wisdoms, And the meditation of my heart is of
understanding.
4 I
will incline to a parable my ear: I will open upon the harp my
enigma.
5 Wherefore
should I fear in the days of evil? The iniquity of my heel shall compass me
about.
6 They
trust in their wealth, And in the multitude of their riches do
glory.
7 The
brother shall not be able to redeem; None shall give to God the price of his
redemption.
8 And
precious shall be the redemption of their soul, And their continuance for
ever:
9 That
he should still live for ever, And not see the
grave.
10 For
he shall see that wise men die, Together the fool and the brutish person shall
perish, And leave to strangers their
wealth.
11 Their
inward thought is [how to make] their houses [to continue] for
ever, Their dwelling-places from generation to generation: They have called out
their names upon the
earth.
12 And
man in honor shall not abide; He hath become like the beasts: they
perish.
13 This
their way is foolishness in them, And their posterity in their saying
will acquiesce.
Selah.
14 Like
sleep in the grave they are laid; Death shall feed them; And have dominion over
them shall the upright in the morning, And their strength shall wax old; The
grave shall receive them from their
dwelling.
15 But
God shall redeem my soul from the hand of the grave; For he hath taken me up.
Selah.
16 Be
not thou afraid when a man shall become rich, When increased shall be the glory
of his
house;
17 For
he shall not at his death carry all away: Descend not after him shall his
glory:
18 For
his soul in his lifetime he will bless, And they shall praise thee when thou
doest well to
thyself.
19 He
shall come to the age of his fathers, Even for ever he shall not see the
light.
20 Man
is in honor, and will not understand: He hath become like the beasts:
they shall perish.
PSALM
50
A Song, of
Asaph
1 The
God of gods, Jehovah hath spoken, And called the earth From the rising of the
sun unto the going down
thereof.
2 Out
of Zion, the Perfection of beauty, God hath
shined.
3 Come
shall our God, and shall not keep silence; A fire before him shall devour, And
round about him a tempest shall rage
exceedingly.
4 He
shall call to the heavens from above, And to the earth, to judge his
people.
5 "Gather
together to me my meek ones, (will he say), "Those who strike a covenant
with me over
sacrifices."
6 And
declare shall the heavens his righteousness: For God is judge himself.
Selah.
7 "Hear,
O my people! and I will speak; "O Israel! and I will announce to thee: "God,
[even] thy God am
I.
8 "Not
for thy sacrifices will I reprove thee; "And thy burnt-offerings are
before me
continually.
9 "I
will not take out of thy house a calf, "Nor out of thy folds
he-goats:
10 "For
mine are all the beasts of the forest, "The cattle upon a thousand
hills.
11 "I
know all the birds of the mountains; "And the wild beasts of the field are at my
command.
12 "If
I am hungry, I will not tell thee: "For mine is the world and the fullness
thereof.
13 "Will
I eat the flesh of bulls, "And the blood of goats will I
drink?
14 "Sacrifice
unto God praise, "And pay unto the Most High thy
vows.
15 "Call
upon me in the day of trouble; "I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify
me.
16 "But
unto the wicked said hath God, "What hast thou to do to declare my statutes,
"[Or] that thou shouldest take my covenant into thy
lips?
17 "Also
thou hatest correction, "And castest my words behind
thee.
18 "If
thou seest a thief, thou wilt run with him, "And with adulterers is thy
portion.
19 "Thy
mouth thou puttest forth to evil, "And thy tongue frameth
deceit,
20 "Thou
wilt sit against thy brother; "Thou wilt speak against the sons of thy mother;
"Thou wilt set forth
slander.
21 "These
things thou hast done, and I kept silence; "Thou thoughtest that I would be like
thyself': "I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine
eyes.
22 "Now
consider this, ye who forget God, "Lest I seize upon you and there be none to
deliver.
23 "He
who sacrificeth praise will glorify me: "And he who ordereth his way to him will
I show the salvation of God."
PSALM
51
To the Chief Musician. A
Psalm of David, when Xathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to
Bathsheba
1 Have
pity upon me, O God! according to thy mercy; According to the multitude of thy
compassions blot out my
iniquities.
2 Multiply
to wash me from my sin, And from my wickedness do thou cleanse
me.
3 For
my sins I know, And my wickedness is before me
continually.
4 Against
thee, against thee only, have I sinned, And that which was displeasing in thy
sight have I done; That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, And be pure
in giving
judgment.
5 Behold
in iniquity I was born, And in sin conceive me did my
mother.
6 Behold,
truth thou hast loved in the inmost parts, And in secret, wisdom thou hast made
me
know.
7 Thou
shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I
shall be whiter than
snow.
8 Make
me to hear joy and gladness; And exult shall the bones which thou hast
broken.
9 Hide
thy face from my sins, And all my iniquities blot
out.
10 A
heart [that is] clean create in me, O God! And a spirit [that is]
right renew in my inward
parts.
11 Cast
me not away from thy face, And the Spirit of thy holiness take not from
me.
12 Restore
to me the joy of thy salvation, And with a free spirit uphold
me.
13 I
will teach transgressors thy ways, the ungodly to time shall be
converted.
14 Deliver
me from bloods, O God! O God of my salvation! And sing aloud shall my tongue of
thy
righteousness.
15 O
Lord! my lips do thou open, And my mouth shall show forth thy
praise.
16 For
thou wilt not accept a sacrifice; Though I should give a burnt-offering, it
would not please
thee.
17 The
sacrifices of God are an afflicted spirit: A heart afflicted and contrite, O
God! thou wilt not
despise.
18 Do
good in thy good pleasure to Zion; Build thou the walls of
Jerusalem.
19 Then
shalt thou accept the sacrifices of righteousness, The burnt-offering and
oblation;
ff80 Then shall come upon thy altar
calves.
PSALM
52
To the Chief Musician. A
lesson of instruction of David: when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and
said to him, that David had come into the house of
Abimelech
1 Why
dost thou glory in thy wickedness, O mighty man? The goodness of God
continueth
daily.
2 Thy
tongue reckoneth up mischiefs, Like a razor [that is] sharp working
deceitfully.
3 Thou
lovest wickedness more than goodness; Falsehood more than to speak
righteousness.
Selah.
4 Thou
lovest all words of deceit, O thou tongue of
guilefulness!
5 Likewise
God shall destroy thee for ever: He shall lay hold on thee and pluck thee out of
thy tabernacle, And root thee out of the land of the living.
Selah.
6 See
it also shall the righteous ones, and shall fear, And at him they shall
laugh.
7 Behold!
the man who made not God his strength; And trusted in the abundance of his
riches, And was strong in his
wickedness.
8 But
as for me I shall be like an olive-tree [that is] green in the
house of God: I have trusted in the goodness of God for ever and
ever.
9 I
will celebrate thee for ever, because thou hast done [it:]
ff81 I will wait on thy name, For it is good
in the presence of thy meek ones.
PSALM
53
To the Chief Musician,
upon Mahalath. A lesson of instruction ofDavid
1 The
fool hath said in his heart, "There is not a God:" They have corrupted [all
good order,] they have done abominable work: There is none who doeth
good.
2 God
from heaven looked down upon the sons of men, To see if there was any who did
understand, Who did seek after
God.
3 Every
one of them hath gone back; They have all together become corrupt: There is none
that doeth good, not even
one.
4 Have
they no knowledge, all these workers of iniquity? Eating my people
[as] they eat bread: Upon Jehovah they have not
called.
5 There
were they afraid with fear, where there was not fear; For scattered hath Jehovah
the bones of him that encampeth against thee: Thou hast put them to shame
because God hath despised
them.
6 Who
shall give out of Zion deliverance to Israel? When bring back shall God the
captivity of his people, Rejoice shall Jacob, exult shall
Israel.
PSALM
54
To the Chief Musician, on
Neginoth. A lesson of instruction of David. When the Ziphims came and said to
Saul, "Doth not David hide himself with us?"
1 O
God! by thy name save me, And by thy strength judge
me.
2 O
God! hear my prayer, Give ear to the words of my
mouth.
3 For
strangers have risen up against me, And terrible ones have sought after my soul:
They have not set God before them.
Selah.
4 Behold!
God is a helper to me; The Lord is with those who uphold my
soul.
5 He
shall repay evil to my adversaries: In thy truth cut them
off.
6 Willingly
will I sacrifice to thee; I will celebrate thy name, O Jehovah! for it is
good.
7 For
out of all trouble he hath delivered me; And [punishment] upon my
adversaries mine eye hath seen.
PSALM
55
To the Chief Musician on
Neginoth. A lesson of instruction of David
1 Give
ear, O God! to my prayer, And hide not thyself from my
supplication.
2 Attend
to me, and answer me: I will wail in my address, and will become
tumultuous.
3 By
reason of the voice of the enemy — Under the oppression of the ungodly;
For they cast upon me iniquity, In wrath they set themselves against
me.
4 My
heart trembleth within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon
me.
5 Fear
and trembling are come upon me, And horror hath overwhelmed
me.
6 And
I said, "Who will give me wings like a dove? "I will fly away and be at
rest.
7 "Lo!
I will flee far away, "I will repose in the desert.
Selah.
8 "I
will hasten my escape from the tempestuous
whirlwind."
9 Destroy,
O Lord! divide their tongue: For I have seen oppression and strife in the
city.
10 By
day and night they go round it upon the walls thereof: And labor and sorrow are
in the midst of
it.
11 Wickedness
ff82 is in the midst of it; And fraud and
deceit depart not from the streets
thereof.
12 Truly
it was not an enemy who reproached me, For [then] I could have borne
[it:] It was not an adversary who magnified himself against me,
For [then] I would have hid himself from
him.
13 But
thou, a man according to my own rank, My guide, and my familiar
friend.
14 We
sweetly exchanged our secret thoughts; Into the house of God we walked in
company.
15 Let
death seize upon them, Let them descend into the grave alive; For wickedness
ff83 is I, their dwelling, in the
midst of
them.
16 As
for me, to God; will I cry, And Jehovah shall save
me.
17 In
the evening, and the morning, and at noonday Will I pray, and cry aloud; And he
shall hear my
voice.
18 He
hath redeemed into peace my soul From the battle which was against me: For many
were with
me.
19 Hear
shall God, and shall afflict them, Even he who sitteth from ancient time. Selah.
Because they have no changes, And fear not
God.
20 He
hath set his hands against those who were at peace with him: He hath broken his
covenant.
21 Smoother
than butter are the words of his mouth, And in his heart is war;
Softer are his words than oil, And [yet] they are
darts.
22 Cast
upon Jehovah whatever blessings thou askest from
him,
ff84 And he shall feed thee; He shall not
suffer for ever the righteous man to
stagger.
23 Thou,
O God! shalt cast them into the pit of corruption: The men of blood and deceit
shall not live out half their days: But as for me, I will hope in
thee.
PSALM
56
To the Chief Musician
upon, the silent dove in distant places. Michtam of David, when the Philistines
took him in Gath
1 Have
mercy upon me, O God, For swallow me up doth man; He daily assaulting doth
oppress
me.
2 Swallow
me up do my enemies daily: Truly many strive to oppress me, O
Jehovah, Most
High!
3 In
the day when I was afraid, I in thee did
trust.
4 In
God I will praise his word; In God have I trusted; I will not fear what flesh
can do to
me.
5 Every
day my words disquiet me; Against me are all their thoughts for
evil.
6 They
assemble together, they hide themselves, My heels they watch, Because they
desire my
soul.
7 In
their iniquity they think there is escape for them: In thy
wrath the peoples thou wilt cast down, O
God!
8 My
wanderings thou numbereth, even thou: Put my tears into thy bottle; Are they not
in thy
register?
9 Then
my enemies shall be turned back in the day when I cry: This I know, because God
is with
me.
10 In
God will I praise [his] word; In Jehovah will I praise [his]
word.
11 In
God have I trusted; I will not fear what man can do to
me.
12 Upon
me, O God! are thy vows, I will render praises to
thee.
13 For
thou hast delivered my soul from death: Hast thou not also delivered my
feet from falling? That I may walk before God in the light of the
living.
PSALM
57
To the Chief Musician.
Destroy not. Michtam of David. When he fled from the face of Saul in the
cave
1 Have
mercy upon me, O God! have mercy upon me; For in thee my soul doth trust; And in
the shadow of thy wings will I hope, Until iniquity pass
away.
2 I
will cry to God Most High, Who perfecteth [his work] towards
me.
3 He
shall send from Heaven, And shall save me from the reproach of him who
swalloweth me up: Send forth shall God his mercy and his
truth.
4 My
soul is in the midst of lions; I lie among those who are set on fire, —
Among the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a
sword [that is]
sharp.
5 Be
thou exalted above the heavens, O God! Above all the earth thy
glory.
6 A
net they have prepared for my steps: Bowed down is my soul: They have digged
before me a pit, But they have fallen into it.
Selah
7 Prepared
is my heart, O God! prepared is my heart: I will sing, and chant
psalms.
8 Awake
my tongue, awake nablum
ff85 and harp: I will awake at dawn of
day.
9 I
will celebrate thee, among the peoples, O Lord! I will sing psalms to thee among
the
nation:
10 For
great unto the heavens is thy goodness, And unto the clouds thy
truth.
11 Be
thou exalted, above the heavens, O God! Above all the earth thy
glory.
PSALM
58
To the Chief Musician.
Destroy not. Michtam of David
1 Do
ye indeed, O ye congregation! speak righteousness? Uprightly do ye judge? O ye
sons of
men!
2 Yea
rather in your heart wickedness ye plot, On the earth violence your hands
weigh
out.
3 Estranged
are the ungodly from the womb, They have gone astray from their birth speaking
falsehood.
4 They
have poison like the poison of a serpent, [They are] like the deaf adder
which stoppeth her
ear;
5 Which
listeneth not to the voice of the enchanter, — Of him who exerciseth
enchantment
skillfully.
6 O
God! break their teeth in their mouth: The jawbones of the lions break, O
Jehovah!
7 Let
them melt away like water, let them be gone: Let them bend their bow, and let
their arrows be as if
broken.
8 Like
a snail which melteth away let them vanish; Like the untimely birth of a woman
which doth not see the
sun.
9 Before
your pots can feel the fire of the bramble, Like flesh yet raw as a
whirlwind he shall carry him
away.
10 Rejoice
shall the righteous when he seeth the vengeance; His hands he shall wash in the
blood of the
ungodly.
11 And
men
ff86 shall say, "Truly there is fruit for the
righteous, "Truly there is a God who judgeth in the earth."
PSALM
59
To the Chief Musician.
Destroy not. Michtam of David. When Saul sent, and they watched the house to
kill him
1 Deliver
me from my enemies, O my God! from those who rise up against me set me on
high.
2 Deliver
me from the workers of iniquity, And from men of bloods save
me:
3 For
lo! they have laid snares for my soul; Gathered together against me have the
strong men; Not [for] my sin, nor [for] my wickedness, O
Jehovah!
4 Without
any iniquity of mine they have run and prepared themselves. Awake
and come to meet me, and
behold.
5 And
thou, O Jehovah, God of armies! the God of Israel! Awake to visit all the
nations; Do not have compassion upon any who transgress wickedly.
Selah.
6 They
will return at evening; They will make a noise like a dog, And go round about
the
city.
7 Behold
they will prate with their mouth; Swords are in their lips; "For who," say
they, "will
hear?"
8 But
thou, O Jehovah! shalt laugh at them; Thou shalt hold in derision all the
nations.
9 His
strength with thee I will put in trust; For God is my
fortress.
10 The
God of my mercy shall prevent me; God will make me see my desire upon my
enemies.
11 Slay
them not, lest my people should forget; Make them to wander by thy power; And
bring them down, O Lord, our
shield!
12 The
sin of their mouth, the words of their lips: Let them be taken in their pride:
of cursing and lying let them
speak.
13 Consume,
in thy fury consume them, that they may be no more; And let men know that God
ruleth in Jacob, Even to the ends of the earth.
Selah.
ff87
14 And
they will return at evening; They will bark like a dog, And go round about the
city.
15 They
will wander up and down for food; If they be not satisfied they will even stay
all
night.
16 But
as for me, I will sing of thy strength, I will praise in the morning thy mercy;
For thou hast been a fortress to me, And a refuge in the day of my
trouble.
17 My
strength is with thee, I will sing psalms; For God is my fortress, the
God of my mercy.
PSALM
60
To the Chief Musician upon
Shushan Eduth. Michtam of David to teach. When he fought against the Syrians of
Mesopotamia and against the Syrians of Zobah; and when Joab, having returned,
smote of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt twelve
thousand
1 O
God! thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us; Thou hast been angry, O
return to
us!
2 To
tremble thou hast made the earth; Thou hast caused it to open wide; Heal the
breaches thereof for it
shaketh.
3 Thou
hast showed to thy people a hard thing, Thou hast made us drunk with the wine of
stupefaction.
4 Thou
hast given to those who fear thee a banner, That it may be displayed before
thy truth.
Selah.
5 That
thy beloved ones may be delivered, Save with thy right hand and hear
me.
6 God
hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice: I will divide Shechem, And the
valley of Succoth I will
measure.
7 Mine
shall be Gilead, and mine shall be Manasseh; And Ephraim shall
be the strength of my head; Judah, my
lawgiver.
8 Moab
shall be the pot for my washing; Over Edom will I cast my shoe; O
Palestina! triumph thou over
me.
9 Who
will bring me into the city fortified? Who will lead me into
Edom?
10 Wilt
not thou, O God! who hadst cast us off? [thou] O God! [who] didst
not go forth with our
armies?
11 Grant
us relief from trouble, For vain is the help of
man.
12 Through
God we shall do valiantly: And he it is who shall tread down our
adversaries.
PSALM
61
To the Chief Musician upon
Neginoth. A Psalm of David
1 Hear,
O God! my cry, Attend to my
prayer.
2 From
the end of the earth to thee will I cry, when vexed is my heart: To the rock
which is higher than I thou shalt lead
me.
3 For
thou hast been a hope to me, A tower of strength from the face of the
enemy.
4 I
will dwell in thy tabernacle for ever; I will be safe under the covert of thy
wings.
Selah.
5 For
thou, O God! hast heard my vows: Thou hast given an inheritance to those who
fear thy
name.
6 Days
upon days to the king thou shalt add, His years shall be as many
generations.
7 He
shall dwell for ever in the presence of God: Mercy and truth do thou prepare:
thou shalt preserve
him.
8 So
will I sing unto thy name for ever, That I may perform my vows every
day.
PSALM
62
To the Chief Musician upon
Jeduthun. A Psalm of David
1 Nevertheless
towards God silent is my soul: From him is my
salvation.
2 Nevertheless
he is my reek and my salvation, My fortress: therefore I shall not be
moved
greatly.
3 How
long will ye continue to lay snares against a man? Ye shall be slain all of you:
As an inclining wall shall ye be, and a fence that is
shaken.
4 Yet
from his elevation they consult to east him down: They delight in falsehood:
With their mouth they bless, And in their hearts they curse. Selah. Nevertheless
towards God be thou silent O my soul: For from him is my
expectation.
6 Nevertheless
he only is my rock, and my salvation: My fortress; I shall not
fall.
7 In
God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength; my hope
is in
God.
8 Hope
in him at all times, O ye people! Pour out before his face your hearts: God
is our hope.
Selah.
9 Nevertheless
vanity are the sons of Adam; A lie the sons of men: When put all together in a
balance they are found lighter than vanity
itself.
ff88
10 Trust
not in oppression and robbery; be not vain: [Upon] riches if they abound
set not your
heart.
11 Once
God hath spoken; Twice this I have heard, "That power belongeth to God; " And to
thee, O Lord! belongeth mercy; Truly thou wilt render to every man
according to his work.
PSALM
63
A Psalm of David, when he
was in the wilderness of Judea
1 O
God! my God art thou; Early will I seek thee: Thirsted for thee hath my soul,
Longed for thee hath my flesh, In this land [that is] inhospitable and
dry, without
water.
2 Thus
in the sanctuary have I beheld thee, To see thy power and thy
glory.
3 Because
better is thy mercy than life, My lips shall praise
thee.
4 Thus
will I bless thee in my life; In thy name I will lift up my
hands.
5 As
with marrow and farness satisfied shall be my soul, And with lips of rejoicing
shall my mouth praise
thee.
6 Surely
I will remember thee upon my bed; In the watches of the night I will
meditate upon
thee;
7 Because
thou hast been a help to me: And in the shadow of thy wings I will shout for
joy.
8 Cleaved
hath my soul to [literally after] thee; Sustain me shall thy right
hand.
9 And
they whilst they seek to destroy my soul, Shall go into the lowest parts of the
earth.
10 They
shall east him down to the edge of the sword: The portion of foxes they shall
be.
11 But
the king shall rejoice in God, And glory shall every one who sweareth by him:
For stopped shall be the mouth of those who speak falsehood.
PSALM
64
To the Chief Musician. A
Psalm of David
1 Hear,
O God! my voice in my prayer: From fear of the enemy preserve my
life.
2 Hide
me from the counsel of malignant men — From the assembly of tire workers
of
iniquity.
3 For
they have sharpened as a sword their tongue; They have directed for their arrow
a bitter
word.
4 To
shoot in secret at the innocent man: Suddenly they will shoot and not
fear.
5 They
encourage themselves in an impious action; They talk together of secretly laying
snares; They say, "Who shall see
them?"
6 They
have searched out iniquities, They have accomplished a searching search: And the
inward part of each of them and the heart [is]
deep.
7 But
God shall shoot at them an arrow; Suddenly shall they be
wounded.
8 And
they shall make their own tongue fall upon themselves, And flee away shall all
who see
them.
9 And
see shall all men, and shall declare the work of God, And his doing they shall
understand.
10 Rejoice
shall the righteous in Jehovah, and they shall hope in him; And glory shall all
the upright in heart.
PSALM
65
To the Chief Musician. A
Psalm of David. A Song
1 For
thee waiteth praise, O God! in Zion; And to thee performed shall be the
vow.
2 O
thou who hearest prayer! To thee shall all flesh
come.
3 Words
of iniquity
ff89 have prevailed against me: Our crimes
thou shalt
expiate.
4 Blessed
is he whom thou wilt choose, and cause to approach to thee; He shall dwell in
thy courts: We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house — Of the
sanctuary of thy
palace.
5 Terrible
things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation! The hope of
all the ends of the earth, And of the far off places of the
sea.
6 Establishing
the mountains by his power,
ff90 Being girded with
might.
7 Stilling
the noise of the seas, And the noise of their waves, the tumults of the
nations.
8 And
afraid shall be the dwellers in the ends of the earth at thy signs; The
outgoings of the morning and evening thou shalt make to shout for
joy.
9 Thou
hast visited the earth, and watered her; Thou hast abundantly enriched her: The
river of God is full of waters: Thou wilt prepare their corn, For so thou hast
prepared
her.
10 Her
furrows thou dost saturate, Thou makest the rain to fall into her ridges, With
showers thou dost moisten her, Her buddings thou dost
bless.
11 Thou
crownest the year with thy beneficence, And thy paths will drop
fatness.
12 They
drop upon the dwellings of the wilderness; And with gladness the hills shall be
girded.
13 Clothed
are the pastures with flocks; And the valleys are covered with corn; They shout
for joy, they also sing.
PSALM
66
To the Chief Justice,. A
Song of a Psalm
1 Shout
joyfully to God all the
earth,
2 Sing
the glory of his name, Make glorious his
praise.
3 Say
unto God: "How terrible art thou in thy works! "Through the greatness of thy
power shall thy enemies feign submission unto
thee.
4 "All
the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing to thee, "They shall hymn thy
name."
Selah.
5 Come
ye, and see the works of God: He is terrible in his doing towards the sons of
men.
6 He
turned the sea into dry land; Through the river
ff91 they passed on foot; There we were glad
in
him.
7 He
ruleth by his might over the world;
ff92 His eyes upon the nations are fixed: The
rebels shall not exalt themselves.
Selah.
8 Bless,
O ye people! our God, And resound the voice of his
praise.
9 Who
hath brought our souls into life, And hath not suffered our feet to
fall.
10 For
thou hast proved us, O God! Thou hast tried us as silver is
tried:
11 Thou
hast brought us into the net Thou hast laid restraint upon our
loins;
12 Thou
hast made man to ride over our heads; We have come into fire and water; And thou
hast brought us into a place of
abundance.
13 I
will come into thy house with burnt-offerings; I will pay thee my
vows,
14 Which
my lips have uttered, And my mouth hath spoken in my
affliction.
15 Burnt-offerings
of fat lambs I will offer to thee with incense of rams; I will bring
bullocks with goats.
Selah.
16 Come,
hear, and I will tell all you who fear God, What he hath done for my
soul.
17 To
him with my mouth I cried, And I have exalted him with my
tongue.
18 If
I have regarded iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear
me.
19 But
truly heard me hath God; He hath attended to the voice of my
prayer.
20 Blessed
be God who hath not turned away my prayer, Nor his mercy from
me.
PSALMS
67—92
PSALM
67
To the Chief Musician on
Neginoth. A Psalm [or] Song
1 May
God have compassion upon us, and bless us; May he cause his countenance to shine
upon us.
Selah.
2 That
thy way may be known upon the earth, Among all nations thy
salvation.
3 Let
the peoples praise thee, O God! Let all the peoples celebrate
thee.
4 Let
the peoples rejoice and exult, For he shall judge the peoples with rectitude,
And the nations upon earth thou shalt guide.
Selah.
5 Let
the peoples celebrate thee, O God! Let all the peoples celebrate
thee:
6 The
earth hath given her increase; God [even] our own God will bless
us.
7 God
will bless us; And fear him shall all the ends of the earth.
PSALM
68
To the Chief Musician. A
Psalm [or] Song of David
1 Arise
shall God: scattered shall be his enemies; And flee from before his face shall
those who hate
him.
2 As
smoke is driven away thou shalt drive them away; As wax melteth before the fire,
perish shall the ungodly from before the face of
God.
3 But
the righteous shall rejoice, They shell exult before God, And leap for
joy.
4 Sing
ye unto God, sing psalms to his name; Exalt him who rideth upon the clouds whose
name is Jah, And exult before
him.
5 The
father of the orphans, and the judge of the widows, Is God in the
habitation of his
holiness.
6 God
who causeth the solitary to dwell in a family, Who bringeth forth those who are
bound with chains: But rebels shall dwell in a dry
land.
7 O
God! when thou well test forth before thy people, When thou marchedst through
the wilderness;
Selah:
8 The
earth was moved, Also the heavens dropped at the presence of this God: Sinai at
the presence of God, the God of
Israel.
9 A
liberal rain thou shalt make to fall, O God! upon thy inheritance, And when it
is weary thou refreshest
it.
10 Thy
congregation shall dwell therein: Thou wilt provide in thy goodness for the
poor, O
God!
11 The
Lord shall give the word To the women who announce the great
army.
12 Kings
of armies shall flee — shall flee; And she who dwelleth within the house
shall divide the
spoils.
13 Though
ye should lie among the pots, in the ashes, Yet shall ye be as the
wings of the dove covered with silver, And which behind is as fine
yellow
gold.
14 When
the Almighty scattered kings in it, It was white in
Salmon.
15 The
mountain of God, the mountain of Bashan, The mountain of heights, the mountain
of
Bashan.
16 Why
leap ye, ye mountains of heights? The mountain in which it hath pleased God to
dwell: Yea dwell in it will Jehovah for
ever.
17 The
chariots of God [are] twenty thousand thousands of angels: The Lord
is among them, In the sanctuary as in
Sinai.
18 Thou
hast ascended on high; Thou hast led captive captivity; Thou hast received gifts
among men; Yea even [among] rebels, That Jehovah God might dwell in
the midst of his
people.
19 Blessed
be God day by day: This God will load us with deliverances.
Selah.
20 Our
God is the God of salvations; And to Jehovah Lord belong the
issues of
death.
21 Surely
God shall wound the head of his enemies, The crown of the hair of him who
walketh in his
wickedness.
22 The
Lord hath said: "From Bashan I will bring back; "I will bring back from the
depths of the
sea:
23 "That
thy foot may be stained with blood, "The tongue of thy dogs even in that of thy
enemies."
24 They
have seen thy goings, O God!— The goings of my God, my King, in the
sanctuary.
25 Before
went the singers; [Then] followed the players on instruments; In the
midst [were] the damsels striking the
timbrels.
26 In
the congregations bless ye God, [Even] the Lord, ye who are of the
fountain of
Israel!
27 There
was little Benjamin their ruler, The princes of Judah in their assembly,
The princes of Zebulun, the princes of
Naphthali.
28 Commanded
hath thy God thy strength; Strengthen, O God! what thou hast wrought in
us.
29 From
thy temple upon Jerusalem To thee shall kings bring
presents.
30 Destroy
the company of spearmen, The assembly of bulls, with the calves of the peoples,
Treading with their feet upon pieces of silver: Scatter thou the peoples that in
wars
delight.
31 Princes
shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall speedily stretch forth her hands to
God.
32 O
ye kingdoms of the earth! sing unto God: Sing psalms to the Lord.
Selah.
33 To
him who rideth upon the heavens of heavens which are of old: Lo! he shall
send forth in his voice a voice of
strength,
34 Ascribe
ye strength to God over Israel; His majesty and his strength [are] in the
clouds.
35 Terrible
art thou, O God! out of thy holy places: The God of Israel himself shall give
strength and might to his people. Blessed be God!
PSALM
69
To the Chief Musician upon
Shoshannim. Of David
1 Save
me, O God! For entered have the waters even to my
soul.
2 I
am sunk into deep mire where there is no standing place; I am come into the
depths of waters, And the floods of water have overflowed
me.
3 I
am weary with crying, Hoarse is my throat become therewith; Failed have my eyes
with waiting for my
God.
4 More
in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause:
Increased are those who desire to destroy me, [even] my lying
adversaries: That which I took not by violence, then I restored
it.
5 O
God! thou knowest my foolishness, And my faults from thee are not
hidden.
6 Let
not those be ashamed in me that wait for thee, O Lord, Jehovah of armies! Let
not those be put to shame in me who seek thee, O God of
Israel!
7 For
on thy account I have suffered reproach; Shame hath covered my
face.
8 A
stranger I have been to my brethren, And an alien I am become to the children of
my
mother.
9 For
the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up; And the reproaches of those who
reproached thee have fallen upon
me.
10 And
I wept, my soul fasted; And that was for a reproach to
me.
11 And
I made my garment sackcloth; And I was to them for a
jest.
12 Defame
me do those who sit in the gate; And I am the songs of those who drink
intoxicating
liquor.
13 But
as for me my prayer [is] to thee, O Jehovah! In the time of
thy favor, O God! In the multitude of thy mercy answer me, In the truth
of thy
salvation.
14 Rescue
me from the mire that I may not sink; That I may be delivered from my
adversaries, And from the depths of
waters.
15 Let
not the flood of waters overflow me; And let not the deep swallow me up; And let
not the pit dose its mouth upon
me.
16 Answer
me, O Jehovah! for good is thy mercy: In the multitude of thy compassions
look upon
me.
17 And
hide not thy face from thy servant, for I am afflicted: Hasten! answer
me!
18 Draw
near to my soul, redeem it: On account of my adversaries deliver
me.
19 Thou
knowest my reproach, and my confusion, and my ignominy: Before thee are
all my
adversaries.
20 Reproach
hath broken my heart, and I am afflicted; And I looked for some one to show
compassion, but there was none; For comforters, but I found them
not.
21 And
they put into my meat gall, And in my thirst they gave me vinegar to
drink.
22 Let
their table be before them for a snare; And their prosperity for a
net;
23 Darkened
let be their eyes, that they may not see; And cause their loins continually to
tremble.
24 Pour
out upon them thy wrath; And let the fury of thy indignation take hold of
them.
25 Let
their palace be desolate; In their tents let there not be a
dweller.
26 For
him whom thou hast smitten they have persecuted; And to the grief of those whom
thou hast wounded they have
added.
27 Add
iniquity to their iniquity; And let them not enter into thy
righteousness.
28 Let
them be blotted out of the book of the living; And with the righteous let them
not be
written.
29 But
as for me I am poor and sorrowful: Thy salvation shall exalt
me.
30 I
will praise the name of God in a song, And I will magnify him with
thanksgiving.
31 And
this will please Jehovah More than a young bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
32 Seen
it have the afflicted, And they shall rejoice at it who seek God; And live shall
your
heart.
33 For
hearkened hath Jehovah to the afflicted; And his prisoners he hath not
despised.
34 Praise
him let heaven and earth; The seas and whatever creepeth in
them.
35 For
God will save Zion, And will build the cities of Judah; And they shall dwell
there, And possess it by
inheritance.
36 And
the seed of his servants shall inherit it; And they who love his name shall
dwell in it.
PSALM
70
To the Chief Musician. Of
David. To call to remembrance
1 O
God! to deliver me, O Jehovah! to my aid,
hasten.
2 Let
those be ashamed and confounded who seek after my soul; Let those be turned
backward and put to confusion who desire my
hurt.
3 Let
those be destroyed for a reward of their shame, Who say to me, "Aha!
Aha!"
4 Exult
and rejoice in thee let all who seek thee; And let those say, "For ever may God
be magnified" — Those who love thy
salvation.
5 But
as for me I am poor and needy: O God! hasten to me: My help and my deliverer art
thou: O Jehovah! delay not.
PSALM
71
1 In
thee, O Jehovah! do I put my trust, Let me not be put to shame for
ever.
2 In
thy righteousness deliver me, and rescue me; Incline to me thy ear, and save
me.
3 Be
thou to me for a rock of strength, Into which I may enter at all times: Thou
hast given commandment to save me; For my tower and my fortress art
thou.
4 O
my God! deliver me from the hand of the ungodly man, — From the hand of
the wicked and violent
men.
5 For
thou art my expectation, O Lord Jehovah! My trust from my
youth.
6 Upon
thee have I been sustained from the womb; Out of my mother's bowels thou art he
who took me: Of thee is my praise
continually.
7 As
a prodigy I have been to the great ones, And yet thou art my strong
confidence.
8 Filled
shall be my mouth with thy praise, Daily with thy
glory.
9 Cast
me not off in the time of my old age: In the declining of my strength forsake me
not.
10 For
my enemies have spoken concerning me, And those who watch for my soul have
consulted
together,
11 Saying,
"God hath forsaken him; "Follow after him, and ye shall take him; "For there is
none to deliver
him."
12 O
God! be not far from me: O my God! to my aid
hasten.
13 Let
those be put to shame, let those fail who are the adversaries of my soul: Let
those be covered with reproach mid shame who seek my
hurt.
14 But
as for me continually will I hope, And will add to all thy
praise.
15 My
mouth shall tell of thy righteousness, Daily of thy salvation; For I know not
the number
thereof.
16 I
will go in the strength of the Lord Jehovah! I will remember thy righteousness
alone.
17 O
God! thou hast taught me from my youth; And unto this time will I announce thy
wonders.
18 And
therefore
ff93 in old age and gray hairs, O God!
forsake me not, Until I have declared thy strength to the generation, To all who
are to come thy
might.
19 And
thy righteousness, O God! is very high: For thou hast done great things: O God!
who is like to
thee?
20 Thou
hast made me to see troubles many and grievous, But being turned thou
wilt quicken me, And from the depths of the earth, being turned thou wilt raise
me
up.
21 Thou
wilt multiply my greatness; And being turned thou wilt comfort
me.
22 Moreover,
I, even I, will sing to thee on instruments of music;
ff94 For thy truth, O my God! I will sing
psalms to thee upon the harp, O Holy One of
Israel!
23 Exult
shall my lips, when I sing psalms to thee; And my soul which thou hast
redeemed.
24 Also
my tongue daily shall declare thy righteousness; For they are put to shame, for
they are disgraced, who seek my hurt.
PSALM
72
Of
Solomon
1 O
God! thy judgments give to the King, And thy righteousness to the son of the
King
2 He
shall judge thy people in righteousness, And thy poor ones in
judgment.
3 Bring
forth shall the mountains peace to the people, And the hills in
righteousness.
4 He
shall judge the poor ones of the people; He shall save the children of the
afflicted; And shall break in pieces the
calumniator.
5 They
shall fear thee with the sun; And before the moon the generation of generations
shall fear
thee.
6 He
shall descend as rain upon the mown grass; As the showers which water the
earth.
7 Flourish
in his days shall the righteous; And abundance of peace until there be no more
moon.
8 And
he shall have dominion from sea to sea, And from the river even to the ends of
the
earth.
9 Before
him shall bow the inhabitants of the desert, And his enemies shall lick the
dust.
10 The
kings of Tarshish and of the isles a present shall bring: The kings of Sheba and
Seba a gift shall offer to
him.
11 And
all kings shall prostrate themselves before him; All nations shall serve
him.
12 For
he shall deliver the poor who crieth to him, And the needy who hath no
helper.
13 He
will have compassion upon the indigent and the poor one, And the souls of the
poor ones he will
save.
14 From
fraud and violence he will redeem their souls, And precious shall be their blood
in his
eyes.
15 And
he shall live, and there shall be given to him of the gold of Sheba, And prayer
shall be made for him continually; Daily shall he be
blessed.
16 There
shall be sown an handful of corn in the earth on the top of the
mountains; The fruit thereof shall be shaken like [that] of Lebanon. And
they shall go forth from the city as a plant of the
earth.
17 His
name shall be for ever; In presence of the sun propagated shall be his name: And
bless themselves in him shall all nations, And blessed they shall call
him.
18 Blessed
be Jehovah God! the God of Israel!
ff95 Who doeth wonderful things
alone.
19 And
blessed be his glorious name for ever; And let all the earth be filled with his
glory. Amen and
Amen.
20 Finished
are the prayers of David, the son of Jesse.
PART
THIRDFF96
PSALM
73
A Psalm of
Asaph
1 Yet
God is good to Israel, To those who are right in
heart.
2 As
for me, wellnigh slipped had my feet, My steps were almost
gone:
3 For
I was envious at the foolish, On seeing the prosperity of the
ungodly.
4 For
there are no bands to their death, And vigorous is their
strength.
5 In
the [common] trouble of man they are not; And with other men they are not
scourged.
6 Therefore
encompass them as a chain doth pride; Covered them hath the raiment of
violence.
7 Their
eye projecteth through fatness; They have passed beyond the thoughts of their
heart.
8 They
break forth, and talk wickedly of extortion: From on high do they
speak.
9 They
have set against the heaven their mouth, And their tongue walketh through the
earth.
10 On
this account his people will return hither, And waters of a full cup will be
wrung out to
them.
11 And
they say, "How doth God know? "And is there knowledge in the Most High?
"
12 Behold
these are the ungodly, and [yet]. they are in quiet for ever: They heap
up
riches.
13 Surely
in vain I have purified my heart, And washed every day my
hands:
14 And
I have been scourged every day, And my chastisement [has been] every
morning.
15 If
I have said, "I will speak thus," Behold! the generation of thy children: I have
transgressed.
16 And
although I applied my mind to know this, A pain fill thing it was in mine
eyes,
17 Until
I entered into the sanctuaries of God, And understood their
end.
18 Surely
in slippery places thou hast set them; Thou shalt east them down into
destructions.
19 How
have they been destroyed as in a moment! They have perished, they have been
consumed with
terrors.
20 As
it were a dream after a man is awakened; O Lord! in awaking, their image thou
wilt render
contemptible.
21 For
in a ferment was my heart, And in my reins I was
pierced.
22 And
I myself [was] foolish and knew not any thing; As the beasts have
I been before
thee.
23 Nevertheless
I have been continually with thee; Thou hast held my right
hand.
24 With
thy counsel thou shalt guide me; And at length to glory thou shalt take
me.
25 Whom
have I in heaven but thee? And another with time I have not desired on
the
earth.
26 Failed
have my flesh and my heart; But the strength of my heart and my portion
is God for
ever.
27 For
lo! those who depart from thee shall perish: Thou hast destroyed every one who
goeth a whoring from
thee.
28 As
for me, to draw near to God is good for me: I have put in the Lord Jehovah my
trust, That I may tell of all thy works.
PSALM
74
An Instruction of
Asaph
1 Wherefore,
O God! hast thou cast us off for ever? [Why] smoketh thy wrath against
the flock of thy
pastures?
2 Remember
thy congregation which thou hast possessed of old;
ff97 Which thou hast redeemed, the rod
of thy inheritance, This Mount Zion in which thou hast
dwelt.
3 Lift
up thy strokes to desolations perpetual, Against every enemy who doeth mischief
to the
sanctuary.
4 Roared
like lions have thy adversaries in the midst of thy sanctuaries; They
have set up their signs for
signs.
5 He
was renowned as doing an excellent work Who lifted up the axes upon the thick
trees.
ff98
6 And
now the carved works thereof together, With the hatchet and with hammers they
break in
pieces.
7 They
have set on fire thy sanctuaries; Leveling it with the ground, they have
polluted the dwelling-place of thy
name.
8 They
have said in their heart, "Let us destroy them altogether." They have burned all
the tabernacles of God in the
land.
9 Our
signs we see not; There is no longer a prophet, Nor is there with us one who
knoweth how long!
—
10 How
long, O God! shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name
for
ever?
11 How
long wilt thou withdraw thy hand, and thy right hand? In the midst, of thy bosom
consume
them.
12 But
God is my king from the beginning, Working salvations in the midst of the
earth.
13 Thou
didst divide ff99
by thy power the sea; Thou didst break the
heads of dragons in the
waters.
14 Thou
didst break the head of the leviathan; Thou gavest him for food to
thy people in the
wilderness.
15 Thou
didst cleave the fountain and the torrent: Thou didst dry up mighty
rivers.
16 Thine
is the day; thine also is the night: Thou hast ordained the light and the
sun.
17 Thou
hast fixed all the boundaries of the earth: The summer and the winter thou hast
made.
18 Remember
this: the enemy hath reproached Jehovah; And a worthless people hath done
despite to thy
name.
19 Give
not to the beast the soul of thy turtle dove: The congregation of thy poor ones
forget not for
ever.
20 Have
regard to thy covenant; For filled are the dark places of the earth with
the abodes of
violence.
21 Let
not the afflicted one return ashamed; Let the poor and needy one praise thy
name.
22 Arise,
O God! plead thy own cause: Remember thy reproach, which is done thee by
the foolish man
daily.
23 Forget
not the voice of thy adversaries: The tumult of those who rise up against thee
ascendeth continually.
PSALM
75
To the Chief Musician.
Destroy not. A Psalm of Asaph. A song
1 We
will celebrate thee, O God! we will celebrate thee; And near is thy name:
they will declare thy
wonders.
2 When
I shall have taken the congregation, I in uprightness will
judge.
3 Dissolved
is the earth, and all the inhabitants thereof: will establish the pillars of it.
Selah.
4 I
said to the fools, "Act not foolishly; " And to the ungodly, "Raise not up the
horn."
5 Raise
not up on high your horn; And speak not with a stiff neck. g. For neither from
the east, nor from the west, Nor from the wilderness are
exaltations.
7 For
God is judge: tie bringeth low, and he setteth
up.
8 For
a cup is in the hand of Jehovah, and the wine is turbid; It is full of
mixture, and he shall pour forth of it. Surely the dregs thereof they shall
wring out;. And drink of it shall all the wicked of the
earth.
9 But
as for me I will publish for ever, I will sing psalms to the God of
Jacob.
10 And
all the horns of the ungodly I will break; But exalted shall be the horns of the
righteous.
PSALM
76
To the Chief Musician on
Neginoth. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song
1 Known
in Judah is God; In Israel great is his
name.
2 And
in Salem was his tabernacle, And his dwelling-place in
Zion.
3 There
he broke the arrows of the bow, The shield, and the sword, and the battle.
Selah.
4 More
glorious, more terrible art thou Than the mountains of
prey.
5 Spoiled
were the stout in heart, They slept their sleep: And none of the men of might
have found their
hands.
6 At
thy rebuke, O God of Jacob! Cast into a deep sleep were the chariot and the
horse.
7 Thou
art terrible [even] thou; And who shall stand before thy face when
thou art
angry?
8 From
the heavens thou hast made judgment to be heard: The earth was afraid and was
still,
9 When
God arose to judgment, To save all the meek of the earth.
Selah.
10 Surely
the wrath of men shall praise thee, The remainder of wrath thou wilt
restrain.
11 Vow
and pay to Jehovah your God: Let all who are round about him bring a present to
the terrible
one.
12 He
will cut off the spirit of princes: He is terrible to the kings of
the earth.
PSALM
77
To the Chief Musician upon
Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph
1 My
voice [I lifted up] to God, and I cried; My voice [I lifted up] to
God, and he heard
me.
2 In
the day of my affliction the Lord I sought: My hand in the night was stretched
out and relaxed not; Refuse consolation did my
soul.
3 I
will remember God, and will be disquieted; I will meditate, and oppressed with
sorrow shall be my spirit.
Selah.
4 Thou
hast held the watches of my eyes: I am troubled, and will not
speak.
5 I
have recounted the days of old, The years of ages
past.
6 I
will call to remembrance my song in the night: With my heart I will meditate,
And search diligently shall my
spirit.
7 For
ever will the Lord east off? And will he be favorable no
more?
8 Gone
for ever is his mercy? Fail doth his oracle from generation to
generation?
9 Forgotten
to be merciful hath God? Hath he shut up in anger his compassions?
Selah.
10 And
I said my disease [is only for a season;] The years of the right hand of
the Most High [I will wait
for.]
11 I
will remember the works of God; Surely I will remember thy wonders from the
beginning.
12 And
I will meditate on all thy works, And on thy doings I will
muse.
13 O
God! in the sanctuary are thy ways: What god is so great as
God?
14 Thou
art the God who doest wonders; Thou hast made known among the peoples thy
strength.
15 Thou
hast redeemed by [thy] arm thy people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph.
Selah.
16 See
thee did the waters, O God! see thee did the waters; They were afraid; also
tremble did the
deeps.
17 The
clouds poured out waters; The heavens gave forth a voice: Also thine arrows went
abroad.
18 The
voice of thy thunder was in the circuit, The lightnings illumined the world; The
earth trembled and was
shaken.
19 In
the sea are thy ways, And thy paths in the great waters; And thy footsteps are
not
known.
20 Thou
leadest like sheep thy people By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
PSALM
78
A lesson of Instruction
[of] Asaph
1 Give
ear, O my people! to my law: Incline your ears to the words of my
month.
2 I
will open in a parable my mouth; I will utter enigmas from ancient
Sae.
3 What
we have heard and known, And our' fathers have related to
us,
4 We
will not conceal from their children to the generation to come, Recounting the
praises of Jehovah and his might, And the wonders which he hath
done.
5 And
he established a testimony in, Jacob, And a law he appointed in Israel; For lie
commanded our fathers To make them known to their
children;
6 That
the generations to come might know them, That the children to be born
might arise, And declare them to their
children.
7 That
they might set in God their hope, And not forget the works of God; But that his
commandments they might
observe,
8 And
not be as their fathers, A generation rebellious and provoking; A generation
which set not their heart might, And whose spirit was not faithful towards
God.
9 The
children of Ephraim, armed [and] shooting with the bow, Were turned back
in the day of
battle.
10 They
kept not the covenant of God, And in his law they refused to
walk.
11 And
they forget his works, And the wonders which he had shown
them.
12 In
the sight of their fathers he wrought marvelously; In the land of Egypt, in the
field of
Zoan.
13 He
divided the sea, and caused them to pass through, And made the waters to stand
as an
heap.
14 And
he led them by a cloud in the day; And all the night by the light of
fire.
15 He
clave the rocks in the wilderness, And made them to drink in great
deeps.
16 And
he brought forth streams from the rock, And made the waters to descend like
rivers.
17 Yet
they continued still to sin against him, To provoke the Most High in the
wilderness.
18 And
they tempted God in their heart, By asking food for their
soul.
19 And
they spake against God: They said, "Can God prepare a table in the
wilderness?"
20 Behold!
he smote the reek, and gush out did the waters; And rivers overflowed. "Can he
give bread also? "Will he prepare flesh for his
people?"
21 Therefore
Jehovah heard and was wroth: And a fire was kindled in Jacob: And wrath also
ascended against
Israel;
22 Because
they believed not in God, And trusted not in his
salvation.
23 But
he had commanded the clouds from above, And the doors of heaven he had
opened,
24 And
had rained down upon them manna for food, And the corn of heaven he had given
them:
25 The
bread of the mighty ones man had eaten: Meat he had sent them to the
full.
26 He
caused to blow an east wind in the heavens; And he raised up by his power the
south
wind.
27 And
he rained upon them flesh as dust, And as the sand of the sea leathered
fowl;
28 And
he caused it to fall in the midst of his camp, Round about his
tabernacles.
29 And
they did eat and were filled exceedingly, And their desire he brought to
them.
30 They
were not estranged from their desire: The meat was still in their
mouth,
31 When
the wrath of God ascended against them, And slew their fat ones, And brought low
the chosen of
Israel.
32 In
all these things they sinned still, And believed not his
wonders.
33 And
he consumed in vanity their days, And their years in
haste.
34 When
he slew them, they sought him; They returned, and hastened early to
God.
35 And
they remembered that God was their Rock, And that the Most High God was
their
Redeemer.
36 And
they flattered [him] with their mouth, And with their tongue they lied to
him:
37 But
their heart was not right before him, And they were not faithful in his
covenant.
38 Yet
he who is compassionate expiated their iniquity, And did not
destroy them: And he multiplied to turn away his anger, And did not stir up all
his
indignation.
39 And
he remembered that they were flesh; A breath that passeth, and returneth
not.
40 How
often did they provoke him in the desert, [And] grieve him in the
wilderness!
41 And
they returned and tempted God, And the Holy One of Israel they
limited.
42 They
remembered not his hand In the day that he redeemed them from the
oppressor,
43 When
he set in Egypt his signs, And his miracles in the field of
Zoan.
44 When
he turned into blood their rivers; And their streams, that they might not drink
of
them.
45 He
sent among them a mixture which devoured them; And the frog which destroyed
them.
46 And
he gave to the caterpillar their fruit; And their labors to the
locusts.
ff100
47 And
he destroyed with hail their vine, And their wild fig-trees with
hailstones.
48 And
he gave lip to the hail their cattle, And their flocks to
thunderbolts.
49 He
sent upon them the fierceness of his wrath, Fury, anger, and affliction, A
mission of evil
angels.
50 He
made a path for his anger: He kept not from death their soul, And their cattle
to the pestilence he shut
up.
51 And
he smote all the firstborn in Egypt: The beginning of [their] strength in
the tents of
Ham.
52 And
he made to go forth like sheep his people, And led them like a flock in the
wilderness.
53 And
he conducted them in safety, and they were not afraid: And their enemies
cover did the
sea.
54 And
he brought them to the border of his holiness, This mountain, which his
right hand
acquired.
55 And
he expelled from before their face the heathen; And made them to fall into the
lot of all inheritance; And caused to dwell in their tents the children of
Israel.
56 But
they tempted and provoked God Most High, And his testimonies they kept
not.
57 And
they turned back and dealt perfidiously like their fathers: They started aside
like a bow that is
deceitful.
58 And
they provoked him to anger with their high places; And with their graven images
they moved him to
anger.
59 Hear
it did God, and was wroth, And he abhorred exceedingly
Israel.
60 And
he forsook the habitation of Shiloh, The tabernacle where he dwelt among
men.
61 And
he gave into captivity his strength, And his beauty into the hand of the
enemy.
62 And
he shut up to the sword his people, And with his own inheritance was
wroth.
63 Their
chosen devour did the fire, And their virgins were not
applauded.
64 Their
priests by the sword did fall; And their widows made no
lamentation.
65 But
the Lord awoke as one asleep, As a mighty man who crieth out by reason of
wine.
66 And
he smote his enemies behind; Everlasting disgrace he put upon
them.
67 And
he rejected the tabernacle of Joseph, And the tribe of Ephraim he chose
not:
68 But
he chose the tribe of Judah, The mountain of Zion, which lie
loved:
69 And
built like high places his sanctuary, Like the earth which he hath founded for
ever.
70 And
he chose David his servant, And took him from the folds of
sheep:
71 From
following the suckling ewes he took him, To feed Jacob his people, And Israel
his
inheritance:
72 And
he fed them in the integrity of his heart, And by the prudence of his hands he
guided there.
PSALM
79
A Psalm of
Asaph
1 O
God! come have the heathen into thy inheritance; They have polluted the temple
of thy holiness; They have laid Jerusalem in heaps. [fowls of the
heavens;
2 They
have given the dead bodies of thy servants for food to the fowls of the heavens;
The flesh of thy meek ones to the beasts of the
earth.
3 They
have shed their blood like water around Jerusalem: And there was not one
to bury
them.
4 We
have been a reproach to our neighbors; A scorn and a derision to those who are
around
us.
5 How
long, O Jehovah! wilt thou be wroth for ever? Burn like fire shall thy
jealousy?
6 Pour
out thy wrath upon the heathen who have not known thee, And upon the kingdoms
which upon thy name do not
call:
7 For
they have devoured Jacob, And his dwelling they have laid
waste.
8 Remember
not against us former iniquities: Make haste, let thy compassions prevent us;
For we are afflicted
exceedingly.
9 Help
us, O God of our salvation! for the glory of thy name; And deliver us, and be
merciful to our sins, for the sake of thy
name.
10 Wherefore
should the heathen say, "Where is their God?" Let be made known among the
heathen in our sight The vengeance of the blood of thy servants which is
shed.
11 Let
the sighing of the prisoner come before thy face: According to the greatness of
thy arm, Reserve the children of death:
ff101
12 And
recompense our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom, Their reproach with which
they have reproached thee, O
Jehovah!
13 And
we thy people, and the sheep of thy pastures, Will confess to thee for ever;
From generation to generation declaring thy praise.
PSALM
80
To the Chief Musician upon
Shoshannim Eduth. A Psalm of Asaph
1 O
Shepherd of Israel, give ear! Who leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou who sittest
between the cherubim, shine
forth.
2 Before
Ephraim, and Benjamin, and Manasseh, Stir up thy strength, and come for our
salvation.
3 Turn
us again, O God! and cause to shine thy face, And we shall be
safe.
4 O
Jehovah God of armies! How long wilt thou be incensed against the prayer of thy
people?
5 Thou
hast fed us with bread of tears; And hast given us tears to drink in great
measure.
6 Thou
hast made us a strife to our neighbors: And our enemies laugh at us among
themselves.
7 O
God of armies! turn us again, And cause to shine thy face upon us, And we shall
be
safe.
8 A
vine out of Egypt thou hast brought: Thou hast expelled the heathen, and planted
it,.
9 Thou
hast cleansed the ground before it: Thou hast rooted its roots, And it
hath filled the
land.
10 Covered
were the mountains with its shadow, And its branches were like the cedars
of
God.
11 It
sent forth its branches to the sea, And to the river its
shoots.
12 Why
then hast thou broken down its hedges, So that tear it in pieces do all who pass
by the
way?
13 Wasted
it hath the boar out of the forest; And the wild beast of the field hath eaten
it
up.
14 O
God of armies! return, I beseech thee, Look down from heaven, and behold,
And visit this
vine,
15 And
the vineyard which planted hath thy right hand, And [look] upon the shoot
ff102 which thou hast strengthened for
thyself.
16 It
is burnt with fire; it is cut down; At the rebuke of thy countenance they
perish.
17 Let
thy hand be upon the Man of thy right hand, Upon the son of man whom thou hast
strengthened for
thyself,
18 And
we will not go back from thee: Thou shalt quicken us, and upon thy name we will
call.
19 O
Jehovah, God of armies! turn us again; Cause to shine thy face, And we shall be
safe.
PSALM
81
To the Chief Musician upon
Gittith. Of Asaph
1 Exult
to God our strength: Shout for joy to the God of
Jacob.
2 Take
a song, and bring forth the timbrel, The harp of pleasantness with the nablum.
ff103
3 Sound
the trumpet
ff104 at the new moon; At the time appointed
on the day of our
sacrifice.
4 For
a statute to Israel is this, A judgment to the God of
Jacob.
5 For
a testimony in Joseph he set it, When he went forth over the land of Egypt! A
language which I understood not I
heard.
6 "I
removed from the burden his shoulder: "His hands from the pots were
removed.
7 "In
trouble thou didst cry, and I rescued thee: "I answered thee in the secret place
of thunder: "I proved thee at the waters of Meribah.
Selah.
8 "Hear,
O my people! and I will protest to thee: "O Israel! if thou wilt hearken to
me.
9 "Let
there not be in thee a strange god: "Neither worship thou a foreign
god.
10 "I
am Jehovah thy God, "Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt: "Open
wide thy mouth, and I will fill
it.
11 "But
my people hearkened not to my voice, "And Israel would have none of
me.
12 "And
I gave them up to the hardness of their heart: "They shall walk in their own
counsels.
13 "O
if my people had hearkened to me! "If Israel in my ways had
walked!
14 "Soon
their enemies I would have brought low, "And against their adversaries I would
have turned my
hand:
15 "The
haters of Jehovah would have lied to him, "And their time should have been for
ever:
16 "And
I would have fed them with the fat of corn: "And from the rock with honey I
would have satisfied thee."
PSALM
82
A Psalm of
Asaph
1 God
sitteth in the assembly of God: In the midst of the gods he will
judge.
2 How
long will ye judge unjustly? And the faces of the ungodly will ye lift up?
Selah.
3 Judge
the poor and the orphan; The helpless and the destitute justify
ye.
4 Rescue
the poor one and the afflicted one: From the hand of the ungodly ones deliver
them.
5 But
they know not, neither do they understand any thing: In darkness they
walk, Although moved are all the foundations of the
earth.
6 As
for me, I have said, "Ye are gods, "And children of the Most High all of
you:
7 "Surely
as a man ye shall die; "And as one [of the people,] O princes! ye shall
fall."
8 Arise,
O God! judge the earth: For thou shalt inherit all nations.
PSALM
83
A Song [or] Psalm, of
Asaph
1 O
God! keep not silence with thyself; Hold not thy peace, and be not still, O
God!
2 For
behold! thy enemies make a tumult: And those who hate thee have lifted up the
head.
3 Against
thy people they have craftily formed a design, And have consulted against thy
hidden
ones.
4 They
have said, "Come and let us cut them off from being a nation; "And let there be
no remembrance of the name of Israel any
more."
5 For
they have consulted with the heart together; Against thee a covenant they have
made.
6 The
tents of Edom, and of the Ishmaelites; Of Moab and of the
Hagarenes.
7 Gebal,
and Ammon, and Amalek; The Philistines with the inhabitants of
Tyre.
8 Also
Assur is associated with them: They have been an arm to the sons of Lot.
Selah.
9 Do
to them as to the Midianites, As to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook
Kishon.
10 They
perished at Endor; They became manure for the
earth.
11 Make
them, [even] their princes, like Oreb, and like Zeeb; And like Zebah, and
like Zalmunna, all their
princes.
12 Who
have said, "Let us take in possession for ourselves "The habitations of
God."
13 O
my God! make them like a whirling ball; Like stubble before the
wind.
14 As
fire burneth a forest, And as the flame kindleth the
mountains,
15 So
pursue them with thy tempest, And with thy whirlwind terrify
them.
16 Fill
their faces with shame; That they may seek thy name, O
Jehovah!
17 Let
them be ashamed, and terrified for ever;
ff105 And let them be confounded, and
perish.
18 And
let them know that thou, even thou, art, thy name Jehovah, Thou alone the Most
High over all the earth.
PSALM
84
To The Chief Musician Upon
Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah
1 How
amiable are thy tabernacles, O Jehovah of
armies!
2 Long,
yea, even faint doth my soul after the courts of Jehovah: My heart and my flesh
leap for joy towards the living
God.
3 Also
the sparrow hath found a house for herself, And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may place her young ones: O thine altars! thou Jehovah of armies! my
King and my
God!
4 Blessed
are those who dwell in thy house: Continually they will be praising thee.
Selah.
5 Blessed
is the man whose strength is in thee; The ways [are] in their
heart.
6 They
passing through the valley of weeping, will together make it a fountain; Also
the cisterns the rain will
cover.
7 They
will journey from strength to strength; Seen will be the God of gods in
Zion.
8 O
Jehovah, God of armies! hear my prayer: Hearken, O God of Jacob!
Selah.
9 Our
shield do thou behold, O God! And look upon the face of thy
Christ.
10 For
better is one day in thy courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a
doorkeeper in the house of my God, Than dwell in the tents of
ungodliness.
11 For
a sun and shield is Jehovah God to us; Grace and glory give will
Jehovah; He will not withhold any good from those who walk
uprightly.
12 O
Jehovah of armies! Blessed is the man who confideth in
thee.
PSALM
85
To the Chief Musician. A
Psalm of the sons of Korah
1 Thou
hast been favorable, O Jehovah! to thy land: Thou hast brought back the
captivity of
Jacob.
2 Thou
hast taken away the iniquity of thy people: Thou hast covered all their sins.
Selah
3 Thou
hast turned away all thy anger: Thou hast drawn back the fury of thy
indignation.
4 Turn
us, O God of our salvation! And relax thy anger against
us.
5 Wilt
thou for ever be angry with us? Wilt thou prolong thy wrath from age to
age?
6 Wilt
not thou being turned to us quicken us? And thy people will rejoice in
thee.
7 Show
us, O Jehovah! thy mercy; and thy salvation grant unto
us.
8 I
will hear what God Jehovah will speak: Surely he will speak peace to his people
and to his meek ones, And they will not return to
folly.
9 Surely
near to those who fear him is his salvation, That dwell may glory in our
land.
10 Mercy
and truth shall meet together; Righteousness and peace shall kiss [each
other.]
11 Truth
out of the earth shall spring up; And righteousness from heaven shall look
down.
12 Likewise
Jehovah will give that which is good: And our land shall yield her
increase.
13 Righteousness
before him shall go; And shall set in the way her steps.
PSALM
86
A Prayer of
David
1 Incline,
O Jehovah, thy ear, answer me; For poor and needy am
I.
2 Keep
my soul, for I am meek: O thou, my God! save thy servant who trusteth in
thee.
3 Have
compassion upon me, O Jehovah! For to thee do I cry
daily.
4 Gladden
the soul of thy servant; For to thee, O Lord! my soul I lift
up.
5 For
thou, O Lord! art good, and gracious, Plenteous in mercy to all who call
upon
thee.
6 Listen,
O Jehovah! to my prayer, Attend to the voice of my
supplications.
7 In
the day of my trouble I will cry to thee: For thou wilt answer
me.
8 There
is none like unto thee, O Lord! among the gods; And there is none [who
can work] according to thy
works.
9 All
the nations which thou hast made shall come, And shall worship before thy face,
O Lord! And glory they shall give to thy
name:
10 For
great art thou, And doing wonders, thou God
alone.
11 Show
me, O Jehovah! thy ways; I will walk in thy truth: Unite my heart to fear thy
name.
12 I
will celebrate thee, O Lord my God! with my whole heart; And I will glorify thy
name for
ever;
13 For
thy mercy hath been great towards me; And thou hast delivered my soul from the
lower
grave.
14 O
God! the proud have risen up against me, And a company of mighty men have sought
after my soul; And they have not set thee before
them.
15 And
thou, O Lord! [art] a God compassionate and gracious; Slow to anger; and
plenteous in mercy and
truth.
16 Look
to me, and have pity upon me: Give thy strength to thy servant, And save the son
of thy
handmaid.
17 Make
with me a sign for good: And see shall my adversaries and be ashamed; For thou,
O Jehovah! hast secured me and comforted me.
PSALM
87
A Psalm [or] Song of the
sons of Korah
1 His
foundations [are] in the holy
mountains.
2 Love
doth Jehovah the gates of Zion More than all the tabernacles of
Jacob.
3 Glorious
things are spoken of thee, O city of God!
Selah.
4 I
will make mention of Rahab, and Babel among those who know me: Behold the
Philistines, and Tyre, with Ethiopia, He is born there!
Selah.
5 And
of Zion it shall be said, "Man and man is born in her; "And the Most High
himself will establish
her."
6 The
Lord will recount when he writeth the peoples, "He is born there."
Selah.
7 And
the singers as the players upon instruments: All my springs are in
thee.
PSALM
88
A Song of a Psalm of the
sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician, upon Machalath, to make humble. An
instruction of Heman the Ezrahite
1 O
Jehovah! God of my salvation! By day I cry, by night before
thee.
2 Come
into thy presence let my prayer; Incline thy ear to my
cry;
3 For
filled with troubles is my soul; And my life to hell
ff106
hath drawn
near.
4 I
am counted with those who go down to the
sepulcher,
ff107 I have been as a man who hath no
strength:
5 Free
among the dead, As the slain lying in the grave, Whom thou rememberest no more,
And who from thy hand are cut
off.
6 Thou
hast laid me in the lowest pit, In thick darkness, in the
deeps.
7 Upon
me lieth heavy thy indignation; And with all thy waves thou hast afflicted me.
Selah.
8 Thou
hast removed my acquaintances from me: Thou hast made me abominations to them: I
am shut up that I cannot go
forth.
9 My
eye mourneth because of my affliction; I invoke thee, O Jehovah! daily: I
stretch out to thee my
hands.
10 Wilt
thou for the dead do a miracle? Shall the dead rising up praise thee?
Selah.
11 Shall
thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave? Thy truth in
destruction?
12 Shall
thy wonders be known in darkness? And thy righteousness in the land of
forgetfulness?
13 But
as for me to thee, O Jehovah! have I cried, And in the morning my prayer shall
prevent
thee.
14 Wherefore,
O Jehovah! wilt thou reject my soul? [Wherefore] wilt thou hide thy face
from
me?
15 Afflicted
am I, and ready to die from my youth; I have suffered thy terrors by
doubting.
16 Passed
over me hath thy fierce wrath: Thy terrors have cut me
off.
17 They
have encompassed me as waters daily; They have surrounded me
together.
18 Thou
hast removed from me lover and companion; And my acquaintances are
darkness.
PSALM
89
An Instruction of Ethan,
the Ezrahite
1 The
mercies of Jehovah for ever will I sing: From generation to generation will I
celebrate thy truth with my
mouth.
2 For
I have said, For ever Mercy shall be built up: The heavens thou shalt establish;
thy truth [is] in
them.
3 "I
have made a covenant with my chosen: "I have sworn to David my
servant:
4 "For
ever will I establish thy seed, "And I will build up from age to age thy
throne."
Selah.
5 And
celebrate shall the heavens thy wondrous work, O Jehovah! Also thy truth in the
congregation of the
saints.
6 For
who in the clouds can be compared to Jehovah? Who is like unto Jehovah among the
sons of the
gods?
7 God
is terrible exceedingly in the assembly of the saints, And to be feared above
all who are around
him.
8 O
Jehovah, God of armies! who is a strong God like thee? And thy truth is
round about
thee.
9 Thou
governest the pride of the sea: When rise up do the waves thereof, thou
restrainest
them.
10 Thou
hast overthrown Egypt as a wounded mail; With the arm of thy strength thou hast
scattered thy
enemies.
11 Thine
are the heavens, thine also is the earth: The world, and the fullness thereof
thou hast formed.
ff108
12 The
north and the south thou hast created: Tabor and Hermon in thy name shall
exult.
13 Thou
hast an arm of might: Thou wilt strengthen thy hand, Thou wilt exalt thy right
hand.
14 Righteousness
and judgment are the seat of thy throne: Mercy and truth shall go before
thy
face.
15 Blessed
is the people that know the joyful sound! O Jehovah! in the brightness of thy
countenance they shall
walk.
16 In
thy name shall they exult daily; And in thy righteousness shall they
glory:
17 For
the glory of their strength art thou; And in thy favor exalted shall be our
horn.
18 For
to Jehovah is our buckler; And to. the Holy One of Israel is our
King.
19 Then
thou spakest in vision to thy meek ones, And saidst, "I have laid help upon a
Mighty One; "I have exalted one chosen from among the
people.
20 "I
have found David my servant; "With the oil of my holiness have I anointed
him.
21 "Therefore,
my hand shall be established with him: "Yea, my arm shall strengthen
him.
22 "The
enemy shall not exact upon him, "Nor shall the son of iniquity afflict
him.
23 "And
I will break in pieces before his face his oppressors; "And those who hate him I
will
smite.
24 "And
my truth and my mercy shall be with him: "And in my name exalted shall be
his
horn.
25 "And
I will set in the sea his hand, "And in the rivers his right
hand.
26 "He
shall cry to me, 'My Father art thou, "'My God, the Rock of my
salvation.'
27 "Also
I myself my firstborn will make him, "Higher than the kings of the
earth.
28 "And
for ever will I keep for him my mercy, "And my covenant shall stand firm with
him.
29 "And
I will establish for ever his seed, "And his throne as the days of
heaven.
30 "If
forsake shall his children my law, "And in my judgments shall not
walk;
31 "If
my ordinances they shall profane, "And my statutes they shall not
keep;
32 "Then
will I visit with my rod their transgressions, "And with stripes their
iniquity.
33 "But
my mercy will I not withdraw from him; "Nor will I be false in my
truth.
34 "I
will not profane my covenant, "And that which is gone forth from my lips I will
not
alter.
35 "Once
have I sworn by my holiness, "If to David I lie
—
36 "His
seed for ever shall endure; "And his throne as the sun before
me.
37 "As
the moon it shall be established for ever, "And [as] a faithful witness
in the heaven."
Selah.
38 But
thou, even thou, hast abhorred and rejected him; Thou hast been wroth
with thy
anointed.
39 Thou
hast made to cease the covenant of thy servant; Thou hast profaned to the earth
his
crown.
40 Thou
hast broken down all his walls; Thou hast made his fortresses a
ruin.
41 Plundered
him have all who pass by the way: He hath been a reproach to his
neighbors.
42 Thou
hast exalted the right hand of his oppressors; Thou hast made glad all his
adversaries.
43 Also
thou hast blunted the edge of his sword, And hast not made him to stand in
battle.
44 Thou
hast effaced his splendor, And his throne to the ground thou hast east
down.
45 Thou
hast shortened the days of his youth; Thou hast covered him with disgrace.
Selah.
46 How
long, O Jehovah! wilt thou hide thyself for ever? Burn like fire shall thy
indignation?
47 Remember
how short-lived I am!
ff109 Wherefore in vain shouldst thou have
created all the sons of
men?
48 What
man shall live, and shall not see death? And shall deliver his soul from
the hand of the grave?
Selah.
49 Where
are thy former compassions, O Lord? Thou hast sworn to David in thy
truth.
50 Remember,
O Lord! the reproach of thy servants: I have sustained in my bosom all
those [reproaches] of the mighty
peoples,
51 With
which thy enemies have reproached thee, O Jehovah! With which they have
reproached the footsteps of thy
Messiah.
52 Blessed
be Jehovah for evermore. Amen and Amen!
PART
FOURTH.ff110
PSALM
90
A Psalm of Moses, the man
of God
1 O
Lord! a dwelling-place thou hast been to us from generation to
generation.
2 Before
the mountains were brought forth, And [before] thou hadst formed the
earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art
God.
3 Thou
shalt turn man to destruction, And shalt say, "Return ye sons of
Adam."
4 For
a thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday when it is past, And
as a watch in the
night.
5 Thou
overflowest them;
ff111 they will be a sleep: In the morning as
grass he shall
grow.
6 In
the morning he (or it) shall flourish and grow: At the evening he
(or it) shall be cut down, and shall
wither.
7 For
we fail by thy anger, And by thy indignation are we
affrighted.
8 Thou
hast set our iniquities before thee, Our secret sins in the light of thy
countenance.
9 For
all our days are passed away in thy indignation: We have spent our years as if a
thought.
10 In
the days of our years there are seventy years; And if through strength,
eighty years, Yet is their pride [but] grief and labor; For it passeth by
quickly, and we fly
away.
11 Who
knoweth the power of thy anger? And according to thy fear is thy
wrath.
12 Teach
us so to number our days, And we shall apply our heart to
wisdom.
13 Return,
O Jehovah! how long? Be pacified towards thy
servants.
14 Satiate
us early with thy goodness, And we will exult and rejoice all our
days.
15 Make
us joyful according to the days of our affliction; According to the years
in which we have seen
evil.
16 Let
thy work appear towards thy servants, And thy glory upon their
children.
17 And
let there be the beauty of the Lord our God upon us; And the work of our hands
direct thou upon us; Yea, the work of our hands direct thou.
PSALM
91
1 He
who dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, Under the shadow of the
Almighty shall
abide.
2 I
will say to Jehovah, "Thou art my hope and my fortress:" He is my
God; I will hope in
him.
3 Surely
he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, From the noxious
pestilence:
4 With
his wings he shall protect thee; And under his feathers thou shalt be safe;
Thy shield and thy buckler shall be his
truth.
5 Thou
shalt not be afraid at the terror of the night; At the arrow which flieth by
day;
6 At
the destruction which in darkness walketh: At the pestilence which wasteth at
noon-day.
7 There
shall fall at thy side a thousand, And ten thousand at thy right hand: To thee
it shall not come
nigh.
8 Only
with thine eyes shalt thou behold, And the reward of the ungodly thou shalt
see.
9 Because
thou, O Jehovah! art my protection; The Most High thou hast made thy
refuge.
10 There
shall not befall thee [any] evil, And the plague shall not come nigh thy
tabernacle:
11 For
to his angels he hath given charge concerning thee, To keep thee in all thy
ways.
12 Upon
their hands they shall bear thee, Lest thou dash against a stone thy
foot.
13 Over
the lion and asp thou shalt walk; Thou shalt tread upon the young lion and
dragon.
14 Because
on me he hath reposed, I will deliver him; I will exalt him because he hath
known my
name.
15 He
will call upon me, and I will answer him: With him will I be in trouble; I will
deliver him, and will glorify
him.
16 With
length of days will I satisfy him, And will show him my
salvation.
PSALM
92
1 It
is good to give thanks to Jehovah, To sing psalms to thy name, O Most
High!
2 To
proclaim in the morning thy goodness, And thy truth in the
night.
3 Upon
the psaltery, and upon the nablum,
ff112 Upon higgaion with the
harp.
ff113
4 For
thou hast made me glad, O Jehovah! in thy works; In the works of thy hands I
will
exult.
5 How
magnificent are thy works, O Jehovah! Exceeding deep are thy
thoughts.
6 The
man that is foolish shall not know them, Neither shall he who is void of wisdom
understand
them.
7 When
the wicked flourish as the grass, And all the workers of iniquity spring up,
[It is] that they may perish for
ever.
8 But
thou art exalted for evermore, O
Jehovah!
9 For
lo! thine enemies, O Jehovah! For lo! thine enemies shall perish; Scattered
shall be all the workers of
iniquity:
10 But
thou shalt exalt my horn like that of the unicorn. I am anointed with
fresh
oil.
11 And
mine eye shall see [ruin] on my oppressors: [Of destruction,] on
those who rise up against me — On those who trouble me hear shall my
ears.
12 The
righteous as the palm tree shall flourish, As the cedar in Lebanon he shall be
multiplied.
13 Planted
in the house of Jehovah, In the courts of our God, they shall
flourish.
14 Still
shall they bud forth in old age; Fat and green shall they
be;
15 That
they may proclaim that upright is Jehovah, my Rock, And that there is no
iniquity in him.
PSALMS
93—118
PSALM
93
1 Jehovah
hath reigned, He hath put on glory, Put on hath Jehovah strength; He hath girded
himself: Also he hath established the world, It shall not be
moved.
2 Fixed
is thy throne; [Even as] from that time
ff114 thou art, and from
eternity.
ff115
3 Raised
have the floods, O Jehovah! Raised have the floods their voice; Raise shall the
floods their
waves.
4 By
reason of the voices ff116
of the great waters Terrible are the waves of
the sea: Terrible on high is
Jehovah.
5 Thy
testimonies are verified exceedingly; To thy house is glory; The holiness
of Jehovah is for length of days.
PSALM
94
1 O
Jehovah! God of vengeances! O God of vengeances! shine
forth.
2 Lift
up thyself; O judge of the earth! Render a reward to the
proud.
3 How
long shall the ungodly, O Jehovah! How long shall the ungodly
triumph?
4 They
pour forth, they speak hard things, Extol themselves do all the workers of
iniquity.
5 Thy
people, O Jehovah! they break in pieces; And thy inheritance they
afflict:
6 The
widow, and the stranger they slay, And the orphans they put to
death.
7 And
they have said, "God shall not see, "The God of Jacob shall not
know.."
8 Understand,
ye stupid among the people! And ye fools! when will ye be
wise?
9 He
who planted the ear shall not He hear? He who formed the eye, shall not He
see?
10 He
who chastiseth the nations, shall not He correct? He who teacheth man
knowledge?
11 Jehovah
knoweth the thoughts of men that they are
vain.
12 Blessed
is the man whom thou hast instructed, O God! And out of thy law hast
taught;
13 To
give him rest from days of evil, Whilst there is digged for the ungodly
[man] a
pit.
14 Surely
Jehovah will not cast off his people, And his inheritance he will not
forsake.
15 For
return shall judgment unto righteousness, And [follow] after him shall
all the upright in
heart.
16 Who
will rise up for me against my adversaries? Who will stand up for me against the
workers of
iniquity?
17 Unless
Jehovah had been a help to me, My soul had well-nigh dwelt in
silence.
18 If
I said, "Slidden hath my foot," Thy goodness, O Jehovah! hath sustained
me.
19 In
the multitude of my thoughts, Within me thy comforts cheer my
soul.
20 Shall
the throne of iniquities have fellowship with thee, Framing molestation for
law?
21 They
will gather together against the soul of the righteous, And the blood of the
innocent they will
condemn.
22 But
Jehovah hath been to me for a fortress; And my God for the rock of my
confidence:
23 And
he shall retribute upon them their own iniquity, And in their wickedness he
shall destroy them; Destroy them shall Jehovah our God.
PSALM
95
1 Come
let us exult to Jehovah; Let us shout for joy to the Rock of our
salvation.
2 Let
us come before his face with praise, In psalms let us shout for joy unto
him.
3 For
a great God is Jehovah, And a great King, above all
gods.
4 For
in his hand are the deep places of the earth; And the heights of the
mountains are
his.
5 For
his is the sea, and he made it; And the dry land his hands
formed.
6 Come
ye, let us worship, and fall down; Let us kneel before the face of Jehovah, our
Maker.
7 For
he is our God, And we [are] the people of his pastures, And the
flock of his hand; To-day, if his voice ye will
hear,
8 Harden
not your heart, as in Meribah; As in the day of Massah in the
desert,
9 When
tempt me did your fathers; They proved me, though they had seen my
work.
10 Forty
years I strove with this generation, And said, "They are a people erring in
heart, "And they have not known my
ways."
11 Wherefore
I swear in my wrath, "If they shall enter into my rest —"
PSALM
96
1 Sing
ye to Jehovah a song that is new, Sing to Jehovah all the
earth.
2 Sing
to Jehovah, bless his name; Publish from day to day his
salvation.
3 Tell
among the heathen his glory; Among all the peoples his
wonders.
4 For
great is Jehovah, and to be praised highly; Terrible [is] he above
all
gods.
5 For
all the gods of the nations are vanities; But Jehovah made the
heavens.
6 Strength
and majesty go before him; Power and glory are in his
sanctuary.
7 Ascribe
to Jehovah, O ye congregations of peoples! Ascribe to Jehovah glory and
strength.
8 Ascribe
to Jehovah the glory of his name; Bring an offering, and enter into his
courts.
9 Worship
before Jehovah in the beauty of the sanctuary; Tremble before his face let the
whole
earth.
10 Say
ye among the heathen, "Jehovah reigneth; "Truly established shall be the world,
it shall not be moved: "He shall judge the peoples in
righteousness."
11 Rejoice
let the heavens, and exult let the earth; Thunder let the sea, and the fullness
thereof.
12 Exult
let the field, and all that is in it; Shout for joy together let all the trees
of the
wood
13 Before
Jehovah; for he cometh, For he cometh to judge the earth: He shall judge the
world in righteousness, And the peoples in his truth.
PSALM
97
1 Jehovah
reigneth: Exult let the earth, Rejoice let the great
islands.
2 Clouds
and darkness are round about him; Righteousness and judgment are
the seat of his
throne.
3 A
fire before his face shall go, And shall burn up round about his
enemies.
4 Enlighten
did his lightnings the world; See and tremble shall the
earth.
5 The
mountains like wax melted at the presence of Jehovah, At the presence of the
Lord of the whole
earth.
6 Declared
have the heavens his righteousness, And seen have all the peoples his
glory.
7 Confounded
be all those who serve graven images, Who glory in their inventions:
Worship before him let all the
gods.
8 Heard
and rejoiced hath Zion; Exulted have the daughters of Judah, Because of thy
judgments, O
Jehovah!
9 For
thou, O Jehovah! art high above all the earth: Exceedingly exalted art
thou above all
gods.
10 Ye
who love Jehovah, hate evil: He preserveth the souls of his meek ones; From the
hand of the ungodly he will deliver
them.
11 Light
is sown for the righteous, And for the upright in heart
joy.
12 Rejoice,
O ye righteous! in Jehovah, And celebrate the memory of his
holiness.
PSALM
98
A
Psalm
1 Sing
ye to Jehovah a song that is new, For marvels he hath done: Salvation wrought
for him hath his own right hand, And the arm of his
holiness.
2 Made
known hath Jehovah his salvation: In the sight of the heathen he hath revealed
his
righteousness.
3 He
hath remembered his goodness and his truth towards the house of Israel:
Seen have all the ends of the earth the salvation of our
God.
4 Exult
to Jehovah all the earth; Make a loud noise, and exult, and sing
psalms.
5 Sing
psalms to Jehovah upon the harp, Upon the harp, and with the voice of
song:
6 With
trumpets, and the voice of the cornet, Sing psalms before the King,
Jehovah.
7 Roar
let the sea, and the fullness thereof; The world, and those who dwell
therein.
8 Let
the floods clap the hand: Together let the mountains
exult
9 Before
Jehovah: for he cometh to judge the earth; He shall judge the world in
righteousness, And the peoples with rectitude.
PSALM
99
1 Jehovah
reigneth; tremble let the people: He dwelleth between the cherubim; moved
let be the
earth.
2 Jehovah
in Zion is great; And exalted is he above all
nations.
3 They
shall acknowledge thy great and terrible name: It is
holy.
4 And
the strength of the king loveth judgment; Thou hast established rectitude;
Judgement and righteousness in Jacob thou hast
done.
5 Exalt
ye Jehovah our God, And worship at his footstool: He is
holy.
6 Moses
and Aaron among his priests, And Samuel among those who call upon his name; They
cried to Jehovah and he answered
them.
7 In
the pillar of the cloud he spake to them: They kept his testimonies And his
statutes which he gave
them.
8 O
Jehovah, our God! thou didst answer them: A God propitious thou wast to them,
And [yet] taking vengeance upon their
works.
9 Exalt
ye Jehovah our God, And worship at the mountain of his holiness; For holy
is Jehovah our God.
PSALM
100
A Psalm for
praising
1 Sing
aloud to Jehovah,
ff117 all ye inhabitants of the
earth.
2 Serve
Jehovah with gladness; Come into his presence with
exultation.
3 Know
that Jehovah He is God; He made us, and not we ourselves: We are his
people, and the flock of his
pasture.
4 Enter
his gates with praise, his courts with exultation; Celebrate
him,
ff118 bless his
name:
5 For
good is Jehovah, For ever endureth his mercy, And from generation to
generation his truth.
PSALM
101
A Psalm of
David
1 Of
mercy and judgment I will sing; To thee, O Jehovah, will I sing
psalms.
2 I
will act wisely in a perfect way, Until thou comest to me; I will walk in the
integrity of my heart in the midst of my
house.
3 I
will not set before my eyes a wicked thing; The work of those who turn aside I
hate; It shall not adhere to
me.
4 A
heart perverse shall depart from me; Evil I will not
know.
5 He
who slandereth in secret his neighbor, him will I destroy: The lofty in look and
the wide in heart him I will not
suffer.
6 My
eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, That they may dwell with me:
He who walketh in an upright way, [Even] he shall minister to
me.
7 He
shall not dwell in the midst of my house, he who worketh deceit; He who speaketh
lies shall not be established before my
eyes.
8 Early
will I destroy all the ungodly of the land; That I may cut off from the city of
Jehovah all the workers of iniquity.
PSALM
102
A Prayer for the
afflicted when he shall be shut up, and shall pour out his meditation before
Jehovah
1 O
Jehovah! hear my prayer, And let my cry to thee
come.
2 Hide
not thy face from me in the day of my afflictions; Incline to me thy ear; In the
day when I cry, make haste, answer
me.
3 For
consumed like smoke are
ff119 my days, And my bones as a hearth are
burnt
up.
4 Smitten
like grass, and withered is my heart, Because I have forgotten to eat my
bread.
5 By
reason of the voice of my groaning, Cleave do my bones to my
flesh.
6 I
am become like a pelican of the desert, I am become as an owl of the
solitudes;
7 I
have watched and am as the sparrow Which is solitary upon the roof of the
house.
8 Daily
reproach me do my enemies; And those who are mad against me, by me have
sworn.
9 For
ashes as bread I have eaten, And my drink with weeping
ff120 I have
mingled.
10 Because
of thy indignation and thy wrath; For thou hast lifted me up and cast me
down.
11 My
days are as a shadow which declineth; And as grass I am dried
up.
12 And
thou, O Jehovah! for ever shalt dwell, And thy memorial from generation to
generation.
13 Thou
thyself shalt arise, thou shalt have mercy upon Zion; For it is time to
compassionate her, For come is the appointed
time.
14 For
take pleasure do thy servants in her stones, And upon her dust they will have
compassion.
15 And
fear shall the Gentiles the name of Jehovah, And all the kings of the earth thy
glory.
16 For
Jehovah hath builded Zion, He hath appeared in his
glory.
17 He
hath regarded the prayer of the solitary, And hath not despised their
prayer.
18 This
shall be written for the generation to come, And the people [to be]
created shall praise
him.
19 For
he hath looked from the high place of his holiness, Jehovah from the
heavens upon the earth hath
looked,
20 To
hear the groaning of the prisoners To release the sons of
death;
21 That
declared in Zion may be the name of Jehovah, And his praise in
Jerusalem;
22 When
gathered shall be the peoples together, And the kingdoms to serve
Jehovah.
23 He
hath afflicted in the way my strength, He hath shortened my
days.
24 I
said, O my God! take me not away in the midst of my days; For throughout
generations of generations are thy
years.
25 Aforetime
the earth thou hast founded; And the work of thy hands serve the
heavens.
26 They
shall perish but thou shalt endure; And they all as a garment shall grow old; As
a vesture thou shalt change them, and they shall be
changed.
27 But
thou art always the same, And thy years shall not
fail.
28 The
children of thy servants shall dwell, And their seed before thee shall be
established.
PSALM
103
Of
David
1 Bless,
O my soul! Jehovah, And all my inward parts bless his holy
name.
2 Bless,
O my soul! Jehovah, And forget not all his
bounties.
3 Who
forgiveth all thy iniquities; Who healeth all thy
infirmities;
4 Who
redeemeth from the grave thy life; Who crowneth thee with mercy and
compassions;
5 Who
satisfieth with good thy mouth: Renewed as that of the eagle shall be thy
youth.
6 Execute
doth Jehovah righteousness And judgments for all who are
oppressed.
7 He
made known his ways to Moses, To the children of Israel his
doings.
8 Compassionate
and merciful is Jehovah, Slow to anger and abundant in
goodness.
9 He
will not always chide; Neither for ever will he keep [his
anger.]
10 Not
according to our sins hath he dealt with us, Nor according to our iniquities
hath he recompensed
us.
11 For
in proportion to the height of the heavens above the earth, Hath been the
greatness of his goodness upon those who fear
him.
12 As
far distant as is the east from the west, So far hath he removed from us our
sills.
13 As
a father is compassionate towards his children, So is Jehovah compassionate
towards those who fear
him.
14 For
he knoweth of what we are made; He hath remembered that dust are
we.
15 Man...
as grass are his days: As a flower of the field, so he
flourisheth.
16 As
soon as the wind passeth over it, it is not; And know it no more shall the place
thereof.
17 But
the goodness of Jehovah is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who
fear him, And his righteousness upon the children's
children;
18 To
those who keep his covenant, And are mindful of his statutes to do
them.
19 Jehovah
in the heavens hath established his throne; And his kingdom over all hath
dominion.
20 Bless
Jehovah, ye his angels mighty in strength! Who do his commandment, in
hearing the voice of his
word.
21 Bless
Jehovah, all ye his armies! Ye ministers of his, who do his
pleasure.
22 Bless
Jehovah, all ye his works! In all places of his dominion: Bless, O my soul!
Jehovah.
PSALM
104
1 Bless,
O my soul! Jehovah: O Jehovah, my God! thou art great exceedingly; With praise
and honor thou hast clothed
thyself.
2 Being
arrayed with light as with a garment; Spreading out the heavens as a
curtain;
3 Flooring
in the waters his upper rooms; Making the clouds his chariot; Walking upon the
wings of the
wind:
4 Making
the winds his messengers; His ministers a fire that
flameth.
5 He
hath founded the earth upon its foundations, So that it shall not be moved for
ever.
6 With
the deep as with a garment he hath covered it: Above the mountains stand shall
the
waters.
7 At
thy rebuke they shall flee; At the voice of thy thunder they shall suddenly pass
away.
8 Ascend
shall the mountains and descend shall the valleys To the place which thou hast
founded for
them.
9 A
boundary thou hast set, they shall not pass over it: They shall not
return to cover the
earth.
10 Sending
out springs by the valleys, Which between the hills shall
run.
11 Drink
thereof shall all the beasts of the field: Quench shall the wild asses
their
thirst.
12 Nigh
time the fowl of the heaven shall dwell, From the midst of the branches they
shall send out their
voice.
13 Watering
the mountains from his chambers: From the fruit of thy works satisfied shall be
the
earth.
14 Making
grass to grow for cattle, And herb for the service of mm: That he may bring
forth bread out of the
earth.
15 And
wine cheereth the heart of man, To make his face to shine with oil, And
bread sustaineth the heart of
man.
16 Satiated
shall be the trees of Jehovah; The cedars of Lebanon which he hath
planted:
17 For
there the birds build their nests: [As for] the stork, the fir trees are
her
dwelling.
18 The
high mountains are for the deer; The rocks a place of shelter for the
hedgehogs.
19 He
hath made the moon for set times: The sun knoweth his going
down.
20 Thou
makest darkness, and it is night; Wherein do creep forth all the beasts of the
forest.
21 The
lions roar after their prey, And in seeking from God their
food.
22 Rise
shall the sun, and they shall gather themselves together, And in their dens
shall lie
down.
23 Go
forth shall man to his work, And to his labor, until the
evening.
24 How
magnificent are thy works! O Jehovah! All things in wisdom thou hast made:
Filled is the earth with thy
riches.
25 This
sea great, and wide in extent; Therein are creeping things inntanerable, Beasts
both small and
great.
26 There
the ships go, And the leviathan, which thou hast formed to sport in
it.
27 All
things on thee do wait, That thou mayest give them their food in its
season.
28 Thou
shalt give it them, they shall gather [it:] Thou shalt open thy hand,
they shall be satisfied with
good.
29 Thou
shalt hide thy face, they shall be afraid: Thou shalt take away their spirit,
they shall die, and to their dust shall
return.
30 Thou
shalt send forth thy Spirit, they shall be created: And thou shalt renew the
face of the
earth.
31 Glory
be to Jehovah for ever: Rejoice let Jehovah in his
works.
32 He
looketh upon the earth, and it trembleth: If he touch the mountains, they shall
smoke.
33 I
will sing to Jehovah whilst I live: I will sing psalms to my God as long as I
have my
being.
34 Let
my speech be acceptable to him: I will rejoice in
Jehovah.
35 Perish
let sinners from the earth, And the ungodly till they cease to be any more.
Bless, O my soul! Jehovah. Hallelujah.
PSALM
105
1 Celebrate
ye Jehovah; invoke his name: Announce among the peoples his
works.
2 Sing
ye to him: sing psalms to him: Speak of all his
wonders.
3 Rejoice
ye in his holy name: Rejoice let the heart of those who seek
Jehovah.
4 Seek
ye Jehovah, and his strength; Seek his face
continually.
5 Remember
the marvelous works which he hath done; His wonders, and the judgments of his
mouth.
6 Ye
seed of Abraham, his servant, The sons of Jacob his chosen
one:
7 He
is Jehovah our God; Through all the earth are his
judgments.
8 He
hath remembered for ever his covenant, The word which he commanded to a
thousand
generations:
9 Which
he made with Abraham, And his oath which he swore to
Isaac;
10 And
established it to Jacob for a law, To Israel for an everlasting
covenant:
11 Saying,
"To thee will I give the land of Canaan, "The cord of your
inheritance."
12 When
they were very few in number; And strangers in
it;
13 And
walked about from nation to nation, From one kingdom to another
people,
14 He
did not suffer men to hurt them; And rebuked for their sake
kings;
15 Saying,
"Touch not my anointed ones, "And to my prophets do no
harm."
16 And
he called a famine upon the land; All the stall of bread he
broke.
17 He
sent before them a man, For a slave sold was
Joseph.
18 They
afflicted in the fetters his feet: The iron entered into his
soul:
19 Until
the time that his word came: The word of Jehovah tried
him.
20 Send
did the king and loosed him; Even the ruler of the peoples, and freed
him.
21 He
made him lord over his house; And ruler over all his
substance:
22 To
bind his princes at his pleasure; And to teach his elders
wisdom.
23 And
come did Israel into Egypt; And Jacob sojourned in the land of
Ham.
24 And
he increased his people exceedingly, He multiplied them above their
oppressors.
25 He
turned their heart so that they hated his people, And dealt craftily with his
servants.
26 He
sent Moses, his servant; Aaron, whom he
chose.
27 They
set among them the words of his signs, And his miracles in the land of
Ham.
28 He
sent darkness, and made it dark; And they were not rebellious against his
words.
29 He
turned their waters into blood, And killed their
fish.
30 Their
land brought forth frogs, Yea even within the chambers of their
kings.
31 He
spake and there came a swarm of flies, Lice in all their
borders.
32 He
gave them for rain, hail, Flaming fire upon their
land.
33 And
he smote their vines and their fig-trees; And destroyed every tree of
their
border.
34 He
spake, and there came the locust, And the caterpillar without
number;
35 And
they devoured all the herbage in their land, And consumed the fruit of their
ground.
36 And
he smote all the firstborn in their land, The beginning of all their
strength.
37 And
he brought them forth with silver and gold: And not one among their tribes was a
feeble
person.
38 Glad
was Egypt at their departure; For fallen upon them had their
terror.
39 He
spread out a cloud for a covering; And fire to give light by the
night.
40 He
ff121 asked, and brought quails, And with the
bread of heaven he filled
them.
41 He
opened the rock, and there gushed out waters; They ran in the dry places
like a
river.
42 For
he remembered the word of his holiness, Which he had spoken to Abraham
his
servant.
43 And
he brought forth his people with joy, With exultation his chosen
ones.
44 And
he gave them the lands of the nations: And the labor of the peoples they
inherited.
45 That
they might keep his ordinances, And that his law they might observe.
Hallelujah.
PSALM
106
Hallelujah
1 Celebrate
Jehovah, for he is good; For to everlasting is his
mercy.
2 Who
shall express the mighty acts of Jehovah? Who shall declare all his
praise?
3 Blessed
are they who keep judgment, Blessed is he who doeth righteousness at all
times.
4 Remember
me, O Jehovah! with the good will [which thou bearest towards] thy
people. Visit me with thy
salvation;
5 That
I may see the good of thy chosen ones, That I may rejoice in the joy of thy
nation, That I may glory with thy
heritage.
6 We
have sinned with our fathers, We have acted iniquitously, we have done
wickedly.
7 Our
fathers in Egypt understood not thy wonders; They remembered not the multitude
of thy kindnesses; And they rebelled at the sea, at the Red
Sea.
8 Yet
he saved them for the sake of his own name, That. he might cause to be known his
power.
9 And
he rebuked the Red Sea, and it was dried up; And he made them walk in the deeps
as in a
desert.
10 And
he saved them from the hand of the enemy, And redeemed them from the hand of the
adversary.
11 And
cover did the waters their oppressors: One of them was not
left.
12 Then
they believed his words; They sang his
praise.
13 They
made haste, they forgat his works; They did not wait for his
counsel;
14 And
they lusted greatly in the desert, And tempted God in the
wilderness.
15 And
he gave them their request; But sent leanness into their
souls.
16 And
they envied Moses in the camp, And Aaron, the saint of
Jehovah.
17 Open
did the earth and swallowed up Dathan, And covered over the tent of
Abiram.
18 And
kindled was a fire in their company, The flame burned up the
ungodly.
19 They
made a calf in Horeb, And worshipped before the molten
image.
20 And
they changed their glory Into the likeness of an ox that eateth
hay.
21 They
forgat God their Savior, Who had done great things in
Egypt;
22 Miracles
in the land of Ham, Terrible things at the Red
Sea.
23 And
he said that he would destroy them, Unless Moses his chosen had stood in the
breach before his face, To turn away his wrath, that he might not destroy
them.
24 And
they despised the land of pleasantness; They believed not his
word;
25 And
they mutinied in their tents, They hearkened not to the voice of
Jehovah.
26 And
he lifted tip his hand against them, To destroy them in the
desert:
27 And
to scatter their seed among the heathen, And to disperse them throughout the
lands.
28 And
they joined themselves to Baal-peor, And ate the sacrifices of things
dead.
29 And
they provoked God to anger by their works: And break in upon them did the
plague.
30 Then
stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: And stayed was the
plague.
31 And
that was imputed to him for righteousness From generation to generation,
even for
ever.
32 And
they provoked him to anger at the waters of strife, And it turned out in
to Moses on their
account:
33 For
they embittered his spirit, And he spake [rashly] with his
lips.
34 They
did not destroy the nations, As Jehovah had commanded
them:
35 And
they were mingled with the heathen, And learned their
works:
36 And
they served their idols; Which were to them for
ruin.
37 And
they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to
demons;
38 And
they shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and of their daughters, Whom
they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And polluted was the land with
bloods.
39 And
they were defiled in their own works, And were adulterous in their own
inventions.
40 Then
ff122 burn did the wrath of Jehovah against
his people, And he abhorred his
inheritance;
41 And
he delivered them into the hands of the heathen; And those had dominion over
them who hated
them:
42 And
subdue them did their enemies, And they were afflicted under their
hand.
43 Many
times did he deliver them; But they provoked him with their counsels, And
were oppressed in their
iniquity.
44 Yet
he saw when they were in distress, And heard their
cry:
45 And
he remembered towards them his covenant; And it repented him according to the
greatness of his
mercies.
46 And
he made them to find pity Before all who had led them
captive.
47 Save
us, O Jehovah, our God! And gather us from among the heathen, That we may
celebrate thy holy name, That we may glory in thy
praise.
48 Blessed
be Jehovah, the God of Israel, From everlasting to everlasting; And say
let all the people, Amen. Praise ye Jehovah.
PART
FIFTH.FF123
PSALM
107
1 "Celebrate
Jehovah, for he is good, "For to everlasting is his
mercy."
2 Say
this let the redeemed of Jehovah, Whom he hath redeemed from the hand of
the
afflicter.
3 Whom
he hath gathered from the lands, From the east, and from the west, From the
north, and from the
south.
4 They
wandered from the way in the solitary desert; A city of habitation they found
not:
5 Hungry,
also thirsty, So that their soul within them
fainted.
6 Then
they cried to Jehovah in their distress, And from their troubles he delivered
them.
7 And
he directed them by a right way, That they might come to a city of
habitation.
8 Let
them celebrate before Jehovah his mercy, His marvelous works before the sons of
men.
9 For
he hath satisfied the soul that longeth, And the soul that is famished he hath
filled with
good.
10 Those
who dwell in darkness, and in the shadow of death, Bound in affliction and
iron;
11 Because
they rebelled against the words of God, And the counsel of the Most High they
despised:
12 And
he humbled with trouble their heart; They were afflicted and there was
none to help
them.
13 They
cried to Jehovah in their distress: From their troubles he delivered
them.
14 He
rescued them from darkness and the shadow of death, And their chains he broke
asunder.
15 Let
them celebrate before Jehovah his mercy, And his marvelous works before the sons
of
men.
16 For
he hath broken the gates of brass, And the bars of iron he hath
shivered.
17 Fools
on account of the way of their transgression; And on account of their iniquities
are
afflicted.
18 All
food loathe doth their soul; And they approach the gates of
death.
19 Then
they cry to Jehovah in their trouble: From their straits he sayeth
them.
20 He
sendeth his word, and healeth them, And rescueth them from all their
corruptions.
21 Let
them celebrate before Jehovah his mercy, And his marvelous works before the sons
of
men.
22 And
let them sacrifice sacrifices of praise, And announce his works with
exultation.
23 Those
who go down to the sea in ships, Trading in the great
waters,
24 These
men see the works of Jehovah, His wonders in the
deep.
25 He
speaketh and raiseth the wind of storm, And lifteth high the waves
thereof.
26 They
mount up to the heavens, They descend into the deeps; Their soul in
ff124 their distress is melted
away.
27 They
are tossed and stagger as a drunken man, And all their skill is swallowed
up.
28 And
they cry to Jehovah in their distress, And from their troubles he bringeth them
out.
29 He
maketh the storm a calm, So that quiet are the waves
thereof.
30 And
they rejoice because they are stilled; And he leadeth them unto the haven of
their
desire.
31 Let
them celebrate before Jehovah his mercy, And his wonders before the sons of
men;
32 And
let them exalt him in the congregation of the people, And in the assembly of the
elders let them praise
him.
33 He
turneth rivers into a desert, And springs of water into
dryness;
34 A
land that is fruitful into saltness, For the wickedness of those who dwell
therein.
35 He
turneth the desert into a pool of water, And the land of barrenness into springs
of
water.
36 And
there he causeth to dwell the famished, That they may prepare a city of
habitation;
37 And
sow fields, and plant vineyards, And eat the fruit of
increase.
38 And
he blesseth them, and they multiply exceedingly; And their cattle he doth not
diminish,.
39 Afterwards
they are diminished and brought low, By reason of anguish, affliction, and
sorrow.
40 He
poureth contempt upon princes, And maketh them to wander in the waste where
there is no
path.
41 And
he raiseth the afflicted from his misery, And maketh like a flock
[his]
families.
42 See
shall the upright ones and shall rejoice: And all iniquity shall stop her
mouth.
43 Who
is wise, and he will observe these things, And they shall understand the
loving-kindness of Jehovah?
PSALM
108
A Song of a Psalm of
David
1 Prepared
is my heart, O God! prepared is my heart, I will chant and will sing
psalms, even with my
glory.
2 Awake,
psaltery and harp: I will arise at the dawn of
day.
3 I
will celebrate thee, among the peoples, O Jehovah! And will sing psalms to thee
among the
nations:
4 For
great above the heavens, is thy goodness; And unto the clouds is thy
truth.
5 Be
thou exalted above the heavens, O God! And above all the earth thy
glory:
6 That
thy beloved ones may be delivered: Save by thy right hand, and hear
me.
7 God
hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice: I will divide Shechem, And the
valley of Succoth I will
measure.
8 Mine
is Gilead, mine is Manasseh; And Ephraim is the strength of my
head; Judah my
lawgiver.
9 Moab
the pot for my washing; Over Edom will I cast my shoe; Over Palestina will I
triumph.
10 Who
will lead me into the city fortified? Who will lead me even into
Edom?
11 Wilt
not thou, O God! who hadst cast us off? And [thou] O God! [who]
didst not go forth with our
armies?
12 Grant
us relief from
ff125 trouble; For vain is the help of
man.
13 Through
God we shall do valiantly, And he shall tread down our
adversaries.
PSALM
109
To the Chief Musician. A
Psalm of David
1 O
God of my praise! be not
silent;
2 For
the mouth of the ungodly man, and the mouth of deceit upon me are opened; They
have talked with me with a tongue of
guile:
3 And
with words of hatred they have encompassed me, And have fought against me
without a
cause.
4 [In
return] for my love they have been my adversaries; But I set myself
to
prayer.
5 And
they have requited me evil for good, And hatred for my
love.
6 Set
thou over him an ungodly man; And let the adversary stand at his right
hand.
7 When
he is judged let him go forth condemned,
ff126 And let his prayer be turned into
sin.
8 Let
his days be few; His office let another
receive.
9 Let
his children be fatherless, And his wife a
widow.
10 And
in wandering let his children wander and beg,
ff127 And seek [for bread] out of
their waste places.
ff128
11 Catch
let the extortioner all which he hath, And let strangers plunder his
labor.
12 Let
there be none prolonging mercy to him; And let there be none to have compassion
upon his
orphans.
13 Let
his posterity be destroyed;
ff129 In the generation following let their
name be blotted
out.
14 Remembered
let be the iniquity of his fathers before Jehovah; And the wickedness
ff130 of his mother let it not be blotted
out.
15 Let
them be before Jehovah continually, And let him blot out from the earth their
memorial;
16 Because
he remembered not to do mercy, And persecuted the man [that was] wretched
and poor, And afflicted in heart, to put him to
death.
17 He
loved cursing, and let it come upon him: He delighted not in blessing, and let
it be far from
him.
18 And
let him be clothed with cursing as with a garment; And let it come as water into
his entrails, And as oil into his
bones.
19 Let
it be to him as a mantle to cover him, And as a girdle with which continually he
may gird
himself
20 Let
this be the recompense
ff131 of my adversaries from Jehovah, And of
those who speak evil against my
soul.
21 But
thou, O Jehovah, my Lord! deal thou with me for the sake of thy name: Because
good is thy mercy, deliver
me;
22 For
poor and needy I am, And my heart is wounded within
me.
23 As
a shadow when it declineth, I walk about; I am shaken off as the
locust.
24 My
knees are become feeble through fasting; And my flesh hath fallen away from
its
fatness.
25 But
I am become a reproach to them; When they see me they shake their
head.
26 Help
me, O Jehovah, my God! Save me according to thy
mercy.
27 And
they shall know that this is thy hand, That thou, O Jehovah! hast done
it.
28 They
shall curse, but thou shalt bless; When they rise up they shall be put to shame;
But thy servant shall
rejoice.
29 Clothed
shall be my adversaries with disgrace, And they shall be covered as with a
garment with their own
shame.
30 I
will praise Jehovah greatly with my mouth; And in the midst of the great I will
celebrate
him:
31 Because
he standeth at the right hand of the poor one, To save from condemnations his
soul.
PSALM
110
A Psalm of
David
1 Jehovah
said to my Lord, "Sit thou at my right hand, "Until I make thy enemies thy
footstool."
2 The
scepter of thy power send shall Jehovah out of Zion: Rule thou in the midst of
thy
enemies.
3 Thy
people shall come with voluntary offerings, On the day of the
assembling of thy army, In beauty of holiness: From the womb as from the
morning dawn To thee has been the dew of thy
youth.
4 Sworn
hath Jehovah, and he will not repent: "Thou art a priest for ever "According to
the manner of
Melchisedek."
5 The
Lord at thy right hand Hath crushed in the day of his wrath
kings.
6 He
shall judge among the heathen, He shall fill all with ruins; He shall
crush the head over a great
country.
7 Of
the torrent in the way he shall drink, Therefore shall he lift up the
head.
PSALM
111
Hallelujah
1 a
I will celebrate Jehovah with my whole heart,
b In
the congregation of the just, and in the
assembly.
2 g
Great are the works of Jehovah,
d
Sought out of all who have pleasure in
them.
3 h
Beautiful and honorable
ff132 is his work;
w
And his righteousness endureth for
ever.
4 z
He hath made a memorial by his wonderful works:
j
Merciful and compassionate is
Jehovah.
5 f
A portion he hath given to those who fear him:
y He
will remember for ever his
covenant.
6 k
The might of his works he hath proclaimed to his people,
l To
give them the heritage of the
heathen.
7 m
The works of his hands are truth and judgment:
n
True are all his
statutes,
8 s
And established for ever —
[
Made in truth and
rectitude.
9 p
Redemption he hath sent to his people;
x He
hath commanded for ever his covenant:
q
Holy and terrible is his
name.
10 r
The beginning of wisdom is the fear of Jehovah;
ç
A good understanding have all those who do them:
t
His praise endureth for ever.
PSALM
112
Hallelujah
1 a
Blessed is the man who feareth Jehovah;
b In
his commandments he will delight
greatly.
2 g
Mighty on the earth shall be his seed:
d
The generation of the upright ones shall be
blessed.
3 h
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
w
And his righteousness endureth for
ever.
4 z
There ariseth in darkness light to the upright ones:
j
He is merciful and compassionate and
righteous.
5 f
A good man showeth pity and lendeth;
y He
manageth his affairs
ff133 in
uprightness.
6 k
Truly he shall not for ever be moved;
l In
everlasting remembrance shall be the righteous
one.
7 m
Of evil tidings he shall not be afraid;
n
Established is his heart, because he trusteth in
Jehovah.
8 s
Sustained is his heart, he shall not be afraid,
[
Until he see his desire upon his
adversaries.
9 p
He hath dispersed; he hath given to the poor ones;
x
His righteousness continueth for ever;
q
His horn shall be exalted with
glory.
10 r
The ungodly one shall see it, and be incensed;
ç
With his teeth he shall gnash and waste away:
t
The desire of the ungodly ones shall perish.
PSALM
113
Hallelujah
1 Praise
ye, O ye servants of Jehovah! Praise ye the name of
Jehovah.
2 Let
the name of Jehovah be blessed, From henceforth and for
ever.
3 From
the rising of the sun even to his going down, Worthy to be praised is the
name of
Jehovah.
4 High
above all nations is Jehovah, Above the heavens is his
glory.
5 Who
is like Jehovah our
God,
6 Who
hath his dwelling on high, ff134
Who humbleth himself to behold that
which is done in heaven and on
earth?
7 Who
raiseth from the dust the needy one; From the dunghill he lifteth up the
wretched
one;
8 To
make him sit with princes, With the princes of his
people.
9 Who
causeth the barren woman to dwell with a family, Rejoicing that she is a
mother of children. Hallelujah.
PSALM
114
1 When
Israel went forth from Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people
barbarous;
2 [Then]
was Judah for his holiness, Israel, his
dominions.
3 The
sea saw, and fled, Jordan was turned
backward.
4 The
mountains leaped as rams, The hills as the lambs of the
flock.
5 What
ailed thee, O sea! that thou fleddest? And thou, O Jordan! that
thou wast turned
back?
6 Ye
mountains, that ye leaped like rams; Ye hills, as the lambs of the flock?
7, At the presence of the Lord, tremble, O earth! At the presence of the
God of
Jacob;
8 Who
turned the rock into pools of water, The flinty rock into a fountain of
waters.
PSALM
115
1 Not
to us, O Jehovah! not to us, But to thy name give glory, On account of thy
mercy, on account of thy
truth.
2 Why
should the heathen say, "Where is now their
God?"
3 But
our God is in the heaven: Whatever pleased him he hath
done.
4 Their
idols are silver and gold, The work of the hands of
men.
5 A
mouth have they,
ff135 and they do not speak: Eyes have they,
and they do not
see:
6 Ears
have they, and they do not hear: Noses have they, and they do not
smell:
7 Hands
have they, and they do not feel: Feet have they, and they do not walk: They do
not speak through their
throat.
8 Like
to them shall be those who make them, And every one who trusteth in
them.
9 O
Israel! trust thou in Jehovah: Their help and their shield is
He:
10 O
house of Aaron! trust in Jehovah: Their help and their shield is
he:
11 Ye
who fear Jehovah! trust in Jehovah: Their help and their shield is
He.
12 Jehovah
hath remembered us; he will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will
bless the house of
Aaron.
13 He
will bless those who fear Jehovah, The small together with the
great.
14 Jehovah
will add to you, To you and to your
children.
15 Blessed
are ye of Jehovah, Who made heaven and
earth.
16 The
heavens, the heavens are Jehovah's: But the earth he hath given to the
sons of
men.
17 The
dead shall not praise thee, O God! Nor any who go down into
silence.
18 But
as for us we will bless God, From this time, and even for evermore.
Hallelujah.
PSALM
116
1 I
have loved, because heard hath Jehovah the voice of my
prayer;
2 Because
he hath inclined his ear to me, When in my straits I called upon
him.
ff136
3 They
encompassed me, the snares of death, And the sorrows of the grave found me:
Trouble and grief I
found.
4 And
on the name of Jehovah I will call: "I beseech thee, O Jehovah! deliver my
soul."
5 Merciful
is Jehovah and righteous; And our God is
compassionate.
6 Guard
doth Jehovah the simple: I was brought low and he saved
me.
7 Return,
O my soul! to thy rest; For Jehovah hath dealt kindly with
thee.
ff137
8 Because
thou hast rescued my soul from death My eye from tears, My foot from
falling.
9 I
will walk before Jehovah in the land of the
living.
10 I
have believed, for I will speak: "I am afflicted
greatly."
11 I
said in my fear, "Every man is a
liar."
12 What
shall I render to Jehovah? All his benefits are upon
me.
13 The
cup of salvation I will take, And upon the name of Jehovah I will
call.
14 My
vows to, Jehovah I will perform Now in the presence of all his
people.
15 Precious
in the eyes of Jehovah is the death of his meek
ones.
16 Come!
O Jehovah! for I, am thy servant; I am thy servant, the son of thy
handmaid; Thou hast broken my
fetters.
17 To
thee will I sacrifice the sacrifice of praise, And upon the name of Jehovah will
I
call.
18 My
vows to Jehovah will I perform Now in the presence of all his
people,
19 In
the courts of the house of Jehovah In the midst of thee, O Jerusalem!
Hallelujah.
PSALM
117
1 Praise
ye Jehovah, all ye nations! Celebrate him all ye
peoples!
2 For
great towards us is his mercy, And the truth of Jehovah continueth for
ever. Hallelujah.
PSALM
118
1 Celebrate
ye Jehovah! for he is good: For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
2 Let
now Israel say: "For
ff138 to everlasting endureth his
mercy."
3 Let
now the house of Aaron say: "For to everlasting endureth his
mercy."
4 Let
now those who fear Jehovah say: "For to everlasting endureth his
mercy."
5 In
my distress I called upon God; God answered me by setting me at
large.
6 Jehovah
is with me: I will not fear what man can do to
me.
7 Jehovah
is with me among those who help me, And I shall see my desire upon
my
adversaries.
8 It
is better to hope in Jehovah Than to place confidence in
man:
9 It
is better to hope in Jehovah Than to place confidence in
princes.
10 All
the nations encompassed me: But in the name of Jehovah I will surely cut
them
off.
11 They
encompassed me, yea they encompassed me, But in the name of Jehovah I
will surely cut them
off'.
12 They
encompassed me as bees: They were extinguished as a fire of thorns: In the name
of Jehovah I will surely cut them
off.
13 Thou
hast thrust and
ff139 thrust at me, that I might fall: But
Jehovah helped
me.
14 My
strength and my song is God, And he hath become to me
salvation.
15 The
voice of exultation and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: The
right hand of Jehovah hath done
valiantly.
16 The
right hand of Jehovah is exalted, The right hand of Jehovah hath done
valiantly.
17 I
shall not die, yea, I shall live, And recount the works of
God.
18 Chastised
me sorely hath
ff140 God; But he hath not delivered me up
unto
death.
19 Open
to me the gates of righteousness; And having entered into them, I will
celebrate
God.
20 This
is the gate of Jehovah, The just ones shall enter into
it.
21 I
will celebrate thee because thou hast heard me, And hast been my
salvation.
22 The
stone which the builders rejected Is become the head [stone] of the
corner.
23 By
Jehovah hath this been done: It is marvelous in our
eyes.
24 This
is the day which Jehovah hath made; Let us exult and rejoice in
it.
25 I
beseech thee, O Jehovah! save me; I beseech thee, I beseech thee, O Jehovah!
give prosperity I beseech
thee.
26 Blessed
is he who cometh in the name of Jehovah: We bless you from the house of
Jehovah.
27 God
is Jehovah, and he hath given light to us: Bind ye the lamb with cords,
even to the horns of the
altar.
28 My
God art thou, and I will celebrate thee: My God, I will exalt
thee.
29 Celebrate
ye Jehovah; for he is good: For to everlasting is his
mercy.
PSALMS
119—150
PSALM
119
a
[Aleph.]
1 a
Blessed are those who are upright in their way, Walking in the law
of
Jehovah.
2 a
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, Who with their
whole heart seek
him.
3 a,
Surely they do not work iniquity, Who in his ways do
walk.
4 a
Thou hast commanded That thy statutes be kept
carefully.
5 a
O that my ways may be directed To the keeping of thy
statutes!
6 a
Then shall I not be ashamed, When I shall have been attentive to all thy
commandments.
7 a
I will celebrate thee with uprightness of heart, When I shall have learned the
judgments of thy
righteousness.
8 a,
Thy statutes I will keep: Do not thou forsake me very far.
b
[Beth.]
9 b
By what [means] shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed
according to thy
word.
10 b
With my whole heart have I sought thee; Let me not go astray from thy
commandments.
11 b
In my heart I have hidden thy word, That I might not sin against
thee.
12 b
Blessed art thou, O Jehovah! Teach me thy
statutes.
13 b
With my lips have I declared All the judgments of thy
mouth.
14 b
In the way of thy testimonies I have taken delight, As much as in all
riches.
15 b
Upon thy statutes will I meditate, And I will consider thy
paths.
16 b
In thy commandments will I delight myself; I will not forget thy
words.
g
[Gimel.]
17 g
Do good to thy servant, And I shall live and keep thy
word.
18 g
Open mine eyes, And I shall behold the wonders of thy
law.
19 g
I am a stranger on the earth: Hide not from me thy
commandments.
20 g
Broken is my soul with the desire it hath To thy judgments at all
times.
21 g
Thou hast destroyed the proud ones; Cursed are those who decline from thy
commandments.
22 g
Remove from me reproach and contempt; For thy testimonies I have
kept.
23 g
Princes also have sat, against me they have spoken: Thy servant meditated upon
thy
statutes.
24 g
Also thy testimonies are my delights, The men of my
counsel.
d
[Daleth.]
25 d
Cleave to the dust doth my soul: Quicken me according to thy
word.
26 d
I have declared my ways, and thou hast answered me: Teach me thy
statutes.
27 d
The way of thy commandments make me to understand, And I will meditate upon thy
wonders.
28 d
Drop away doth my soul for grief: Raise me up according to thy
word.
29 d
The way of falsehood remove from me, And thy law grant me
graciously.
30 d
The way of truth I have chosen; Thy judgments I have set before
me.
31 d
I have cleaved to thy testimonies, O Jehovah Let me not be put to
shame.
32 d
The way of thy statutes I will run, When thou shalt have enlarged my
heart.
h
[He.]
33 h
Teach me, O Jehovah! the way of thy statutes, And I will keep it unto the
end.
34 h
Make me to understand, and I will observe thy law, And keep it with my whole
heart.
35 h
Direct me in the way of thy statutes; For in it is my
delight.
36 h
Incline my heart to thy testimonies, And not to
covetousness.
37 h
Turn away my eyes from seeing vanity; In thy way quicken
me.
38 h
Confirm to thy servant thy word, Who to thy fear is
devoted.
39 h
Remove my reproach which I have dreaded, For thy judgments are
good.
40 h
Behold! I have longed after thy commandments: In thy righteousness quicken
me.
w[Vau.]
41 w
And let come to me thy mercies, O Jehovah! Thy salvation according to thy
word.
42 w
And I will answer a word to him who reproacheth me; For I have trusted in thy
word.
43 w
And take not from my mouth the word of truth utterly: Because for thy judgments
I
wait.
44 w
And I will keep thy law continually, For ever and
ever.
45 w
And I will walk at large; For thy statutes I have
sought.
46 w
And I will speak of thy testimonies before kings, And will not be
ashamed.
47 w
And I will delight myself in thy commandments Which I have
loved.
48 w
And I will lift up my hands to thy commandments Which I have loved; And I will
meditate upon thy statutes.
z
[Zain.]
49 z
Remember thy word to thy servant, Upon which thou hast caused me to
hope.
50 z
This is my consolation in my affliction; For thy word revives
me.
51 z
The proud ones have derided me exceedingly: From thy law I have not
declined.
52 z
I remembered thy judgments of old, O Jehovah! And comforted
myself.
53 z
Terror hath seized upon me, Because of the ungodly who forsake thy
law.
54 z
Thy statutes have been songs to me In the house of my
pilgrimage.
55 z
I remembered in the night thy name, O Jehovah! And I will keep thy
law.
56 z
This is done to me, Because thy statutes I have observed.
j
[Cheth.]
57 j
Thou art my portion, O Jehovah! I have said that I will keep thy words.
ff141
58 j
I have sought thy face with my whole heart; Have mercy upon me according to thy
word.
59 j
I thought upon my ways, And turned my feet to thy
testimonies.
60 j
I made haste and delayed not To keep thy
commandments.
61 j
The cords of the ungodly have caught hold of me; Thy law I have not
forgotten.
62 j
At midnight I will rise to praise thee, Because of the judgments of thy
righteousness.
63 j
A companion am I to all who fear thee, And who keep thy
statutes.
64 j
Of thy mercy, O Jehovah! the earth is full: Thy statutes teach thou
me.
t
[Teth.]
65 t
Kindly hast thou dealt with thy servant, O Jehovah! According to thy
word.
66 t
Goodness of taste and knowledge teach me; For thy commandments I have
believed.
67 t
Before I was brought low I went astray; But now thy word I
keep.
68 t
Good art thou, and beneficent: Teach me thy
statutes.
69 t
Weaved a lie
ff142 against me have the proud ones; But
as for me I with my whole heart will keep
statutes.
70 t
Fat as grease is their heart; But as for me I in thy law do
delight.
71 t
It hath been good for me that I have been afflicted, That I might learn
thy
statutes.
72 t
Better to me is the law of thy mouth Than thousands of gold and
silver.
y
[Yod.]
73 y
Thy hands have made and formed me; Make me to understand, and I shall learn thy
commandments.
74 y
Those who fear thee shall see me and rejoice; Because for thy word I have
waited.
75 y
I have known, O Jehovah! that righteousness are thy judgments; And in truth thou
hast humbled
me.
76 y
To thy word to thy
servant.
77 y
Let come to me thy compassions, and I shall live; For thy law is my
delight.
78 y
Ashamed let be the proud, for they have falsely wronged me: As for me I will
meditate upon thy
precepts.
79 y
Let those turn unto me who fear thee, And have known thy
testimonies.
80 y
Let my heart be sound in thy statutes, That I may not be put to
shame.
k
[Caph.]
81 k
Fainted for thy salvation hath my soul: For thy word I
wait.
82 k
Failed have my eyes [in looking] for thy word, While I say, "When wilt
thou comfort
me?"
83 k
For I have been as a bottle in the smoke; And yet thy statutes I have not
forgotten.
84 k
How many are the days of thy servant? When wilt thou execute judgment on my
persecutors?
85 k
The proud have digged pits for me, Which is not according to thy
law.
86 k
All thy commandments are truth: Deceitfully do they persecute me;
therefore help thou
me.
87 k
Almost have they consumed me upon the earth; Yet I have not forsaken thy
statutes.
88 k
According to thy goodness quicken me; And I will keep the testimony of thy
mouth.
l
[Lamed.]
89 l
For ever, O Jehovah! Thy word endureth in the
heavens.
90 l
From generation to generation is thy truth: Thou hast established the
earth, and it
abideth.
91 l
By thy judgments they continue to this day; For all are thy
servants.
92 l
Unless thy law had been my delight, Then should I have perished in my
affliction.
93 l
Never will I forget thy statutes, For in them thou hast quickened
me.
94 l
Thine I am; O save me! For thy statutes I have
sought.
95 l
For me wait do the ungodly to destroy me: But I consider thy
testimonies.
96 l
In all perfection I have seen an end: Broad is thy commandment
exceedingly.
m
[Mem.]
97 m
O how have I loved thy law! All the day it is my
meditation.
98 m
Than my adversaries thou hast made me wiser by thy commandments; Because for
ever they are with
me.
99 m
Than all my teachers thou hast made me wiser; Because thy testimonies are my
meditation.
100 m
Than the aged I have more understanding; Because thy statutes I have
observed.
101 m
From every evil path I have restrained my feet, That I may keep thy
word.
102 m
From thy judgments I have not declined; For thou thyself hast taught
me.
103 m
How sweet to my palate have been thy words! More [sweet] than honey to my
mouth!
104 m
By thy statutes I have gotten understanding; Therefore I have hated every path
of falsehood.
n
[Nun.]
105 n
A lamp to my feet is thy word, And a light to my
path.
106 n
I have sworn and will make sure, To observe the judgments of thy
righteousness.
107 n
I am afflicted exceedingly, O Jehovah! Quicken me according to thy
word.
108 n
I Let the freewill offerings of my mouth, I pray thee, be pleasing to
thee, O Jehovah! And thy judgments teach
me.
109 n
My soul is in my hand continually; And thy law I have not
forgotten.
110 n
Laid have the ungodly a snare for me: Yet from thy statutes I have not
erred.
111 n
I have as [my] inheritance thy testimonies for ever; For the joy of my
heart are
they.
112 n
I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes For ever, and even to the
end.
s
[Samech.]
113 s
Crooked thoughts I have hated; But thy law I have
loved.
114 s
My hiding-place and my shield art thou: In thy word I have
trusted.
115 s
Depart from me, ye wicked men! And I will keep the commandments of my
God.
116 s
Sustain me by thy word, and I shall live: And make me not ashamed of my
expectation.
117 s
Establish me, and I shall be safe, And I will consider thy statutes
continually.
118 s
Thou hast trodden down all who go astray from thy statutes; For falsehood is
their
deceit.
119 s
As dross thou hast made to cease all the ungodly of the earth; Therefore
I have loved thy
testimonies.
120 s
Tremble
ff143 for fear of thee did my flesh, And of
thy judgments I was afraid.
[
[Ain.]
121 [
I have done judgment and righteousness: Give me not up to my
oppressors.
122 [
Become surety for thy servant for good, That the proud may not oppress
me.
123 [
My eyes have failed for thy salvation, And for the word of thy
righteousness.
124 [
Deal with thy servant according to thy goodness, And thy statutes teach thou
me.
125 [
Thy servant am I, give me understanding, That I may learn thy
testimonies.
126 [
It is time [for thee] to work, O Jehovah! For they have
destroyed thy
law.
127 [
Therefore I have loved thy statutes Mere than gold and fine
gold.
128 [
Therefore all thy commandments I have esteemed to be altogether
right: Every way of falsehood I have hated:
p
[Phe.]
129 p
Marvelous things are thy testimonies; Therefore observed them hath my
soul.
130 p
The entrance of thy words is light, Giving understanding to the little
ones.
131 p
My mouth I opened and panted, Because thy commandments I
loved.
132 p
Look upon me and have pity upon me, According to thy judgment towards
those who love thy
name.
133 p
My steps direct thou according to thy word, And let not any iniquity have
dominion in
me.
134 p
Redeem me from the oppression of men, And I will keep thy
precepts.
135 p
Thy face cause thou to shine upon thy servant, And teach me thy
statutes.
136 p
Rivers of waters run from my eyes, Because they have not kept thy
law.
x
[Tsadde.]
137 x
Righteous art thou, O Jehovah! And right are thy
judgments.
138 x
Thou hast commanded righteousness in thy testimonies, And truth
exceedingly.
139 x
Consumed me hath my zeal, Because forgotten thy words have my
adversaries.
140 x
Refined is thy word exceedingly: And thy servant hath loved
it.
141 x
Small am I, and despised; [Yet] thy precepts I have not
forgotten.
142 x
Thy righteousness is righteousness for ever, And thy law is
truth.
143 x
Trouble and anguish have come upon me; But thy commandments have
been my
delights.
144 x
The righteousness of thy testimonies endureth for ever; Make me to
understand, and I shall live.
q
[Koph.]
145 q
I have cried with my whole heart; Answer me, O Jehovah! And thy statutes
I will
keep.
146 q
I have called upon thee, save me, And I will keep thy
testimonies.
147 q
I have prevented the dawn of the
morning,
ff144 and have cried: To thy word I have
looked
up.
148 q
Prevented have my eyes the watches of the night, To meditate upon thy
word.
149 q
My voice hear thou, according to thy mercy, O Jehovah According to thy judgment
quicken
me.
150 q
Drawn near have the pursuers of malice; From thy law they have
departed.
151 q
Near art thou, O Jehovah! And all thy commandments are
truth.
152 q
From the beginning I have known from thy testimonies, That for ever thou hast
founded them.
r
[Resh.]
153 r
Behold my affliction, and rescue me; For thy law I have not
forgotten.
154 r
Debate my cause, and redeem me; According to thy word quicken
me.
155 r
Far from the ungodly is safety; Because thy statutes they have not
sought.
156 r
Thy compassions are great, O Jehovah! According to thy judgments quicken
me.
157 r
Many are my persecutors and my oppressors: From thy testimonies I have
not
declined.
158 r
I saw the perfidious, and chid them; Because thy word they have not
kept.
159 r
Behold how thy commandments I have loved: According to thy clemency quicken
me.
160 r
The beginning of thy word is truth; And to everlasting is all the
judgment of thy righteousness.
ç
[Shin.]
161 ç
Princes have persecuted me without a cause Yet at thy word afraid hath been my
heart.
162 ç
Joyful am I over thy word, As he who hath found much
spoil.
163 ç
Deceit I have hated and abhorred; Thy law I have
loved.
164 ç
Seven times a day have I praised thee, Because of the judgments of thy
righteousness.
165 ç
Much peace have those who love thy law, And they have no
stumbling-block.
166 ç
I have waited for thy salvation, O Jehovah! And thy commandments I have
done.
167 ç
Kept hath my soul thy testimonies, And I have loved them
exceedingly.
168 ç
I have kept thy commandments and thy testimonies; For all my ways are
before thee.
t
[Thau.]
169 t
Come let my cry into thy presence, O Jehovah! According to thy word give me
understanding.
170 t
Come let my prayer into thy presence: According to thy word deliver
me.
171 t
Speak shall my lips praise, When thou shalt have taught me thy
statutes.
172 t
Speak shall my tongue of thy word; For all thy precepts are
righteousness.
173 t
Let thy hand be to succor me; For thy commandments I have
chosen.
174 t
I have longed for thy salvation, O Jehovah! And thy law hath been my
delights.
175 t
Live let my soul, and let it praise thee; And let thy judgments succor
me.
176 t
I have wandered like a lost sheep; Seek thy servant, for thy statutes I have not
forgotten.
PSALM
120
A Song of
Degrees
1 To
Jehovah in my distress I cried, And he answered
me.
2 O
Jehovah! deliver my soul from the lip of falsehood, From the tongue of
deceit.
3 What
give thee, and what avail thee Shall the tongue of
deceit?
4 The
arrows of a strong man sharpened, With coals of
junipers.
5 Alas
for me! that I have been a sojourner in Meseeh, And have dwelt among the
tents of
Kedar.
6 Long
dwelt hath my soul with him who hateth
peace.
7 I
[am for] peace; But when I speak, they [are] for
war.
PSALM
121
A Song of
Degrees
1 I
will lift up my eyes to the mountains, Whence come shall my
help.
2 My
help cometh from Jehovah, Who made heaven and
earth.
3 He
will not suffer thy foot to stumble; Slumber not shall thy
guardian.
4 Behold!
slumber not nor sleep Shall the guardian of
Israel.
5 Jehovah
is thy guardian; Jehovah is thy defense on thy right
hand.
6 By
day the sun shall not smite thee, Nor the moon by
night.
7 Jehovah
shall keep thee from all evil; He shall keep thy
soul.
8 Jehovah
shall keep thy going out and thy coming in, From this time, and for
ever.
PSALM
122
A Song of Degrees Of
David
1 I
was glad when they said to me, "Into the house of Jehovah we will
go.
2 "Our
feet shall be standing in thy gates, O
Jerusalem!"
3 Jerusalem
built as a city, compact in itself
together.
4 Thither
ascended the tribes, the tribes of God, For a testimony to Israel, To celebrate
the name of
Jehovah.
5 For
there have sat
ff145 thrones for judgment, The thrones of
the house of
David.
6 Pray
ye for the peace of Jerusalem: Prosper may those who love
thee!
7 Peace
be within thy bulwark! Prosperity within thy
towers!
8 For
the sake of my brethren and my neighbors, I will say now, "Peace [be]
within thee!
"
9 For
the sake of the house of Jehovah our God, I will seek good for
thee.
PSALM
123
A Song of
Degrees
1 To
thee will I lift up mine eyes, [O thou] who dwellest in the
heavens!
2 Behold!
as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters; As the eyes of a
handmaid look to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes [look] to
Jehovah our God, Until he have mercy upon
us.
3 Have
mercy upon us, O Jehovah! have mercy upon us; For we are exceedingly filled with
reproach.
4 Exceedingly
filled in itself is our soul With the mockery of the rich, With the contempt of
the proud.
PSALM
124
A Song of Degrees. Of
David
1 "But
for Jehovah who was on our side" — Say now may
Israel:
2 "But
for Jehovah who was on our side, "When men rose up against
us;
3 "Then
alive had they swallowed us up, "When kindled was their wrath against
us;
4 "Then
the waters had overwhelmed us, "The torrent had gone over our
soul:
5 "Then
had gone over our soul the proud
waters."
6 Blessed
be Jehovah, Who gave us not for a prey to their
teeth.
7 Our
soul as a bird, hath been rescued
ff146 from the snare of the fowlers; The
snare hath been broken, and we have been
delivered.
8 Our
help is in the name of Jehovah, Who made heaven and
earth.
PSALM
125
A Song of
Degrees
1 They
who confide in Jehovah are as mount Zion, Which shall not be
removed, but shall abide for
ever.
2 As
the mountains are about Jerusalem, So Jehovah is round about his
people, From henceforth, and for
ever.
3 For
rest not shall the scepter of the ungodly ones upon the lot of the just, Lest
the just ones should put forth to iniquity their
hands.
4 Do
good, O Jehovah! to the good, And to those who are upright in their
hearts.
5 But
those who turn aside into their crooked paths, Jehovah shall make them walk with
the workers of iniquity: But there shall be peace upon
Israel.
PSALM
126
A Song of
Degrees
1 When
bring back did Jehovah the captivity of Zion, We were like those that
dream.
2 Now
filled with laughter shall be our mouth, And our tongue with exultation:
Now shall they say among the heathen, "Great things Jehovah hath done for
them."
3 Great
things Jehovah hath done for us, Whereof we have been made
glad.
4 Bring
back, O Jehovah! our captivity, As rivers in the
South.
5 They
who sow in tears In exultation shall
reap.
6 Going
forth, he shall go and weep, Carrying the price of the seed: Returning he shall
return with exultation, Bearing his sheaves.
PSALM
127
A Song of Degrees. Of
Solomon
1 Except
Jehovah build the house, In vain they labor that build it; Except Jehovah keep
the city, In vain watcheth the
watchman.
2 Vain
is it for you early to hasten to rise, To go late to rest, To eat the
bread of sorrows: For thus will he give to his beloved one
sleep.
3 Lo!
the heritage of Jehovah are children: The reward which he bestows is the
fruit of the
womb.
4 As
arrows in the hand of a strong man, So are the sons of
youth.
5 Blessed
is the man who shall have filled his quiver with them; For they shall not
be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
PSALM
128
A Song of
Degrees
1 Blessed
is the man who feareth Jehovah, Who walketh in his
ways.
2 The
labor of thy hands when thou shalt eat thou shalt be blessed, And it shall
be well with
thee.
3 Thy
wife shall be as a vine fruitful on the sides of thy house: Thy children
as plants of olives around thy
table.
4 Lo!
surely, thus blessed shall be the man who feareth
Jehovah.
5 Bless
thee shall Jehovah from Zion; And thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the
days of thy
life.
6 And
thou shalt see thy children's children, And peace upon
Israel.
PSALM
129
A Song of
Degrees
1 "Often
have they afflicted me from my youths" Say now let
Israel:
2 "Often
have they afflicted me from my youth; "Yet they have not prevailed against
me.
3 "Upon
my back ploughed have the ploughers; "They have made long their
furrows.
4 "Jehovah,
who is righteous, hath cut asunder the cords of the
wicked."
5 Confounded
and turned backward shall be all who hate
Zion.
6 They
shall be as the grass of the housetops, Which before it cometh forth is
withered:
7 With
which the mower hath not filled his hand, Nor his bosom he who gathereth
handfuls.
8 Nor
have they said who pass by, "The blessing of Jehovah be upon you, "We
bless you in the name of Jehovah."
PSALM
130
A Song of
Degrees
1 Out
of the depths have I cried to thee, O
Jehovah!
2 O
Lord! hear my voice; Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my
prayers.
3 If
iniquities thou shouldest mark, O God! O Lord! who shall
stand?
4 For
with thee is forgiveness that thou mayest be
feared.
5 I
have waited for Jehovah, waited hath my soul; And in his word have I
hoped.
6 My
soul [hath waited] for the Lord Before the watchers of the morning, the
watchers of the
morning.
7 But
ff147 hope let Israel in Jehovah; For with
Jehovah there is mercy, And with him there is plenteous
redemption.
8 And
he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
PSALM
131
A Song of Degrees. Of
David
1 O
Jehovah! my heart hath not been elated, Nor lifted up have been my eyes, Nor
have I exercised myself in great matters, Or in things hidden from
me.
2 If
I have not framed [or set] and quieted my soul, Like one that is weaned
from his mother, —
ff148 Like a child that is weaned is my soul
upon
me.
3 Hope
shall Israel in Jehovah From henceforth, and for ever.
PSALM
132
A Song of
Degrees
1 Remember,
O Jehovah! David With all his
affliction:
2 Who
sware to Jehovah, [Who] vowed to the Mighty One of
Jacob:
3 "If
I shall enter into the tabernacle of my house, "If I shall go up upon the
covering of my
bed,
4 "If
I give sleep to my eyes, "To my eyelids
slumber,
5 "Until
I find a place for Jehovah, "Habitations for the mighty God of Jacob," —
ff149
6 Lo!
we heard of it at Ephratha; We found it in the fields of the
wood.
7 We
will enter into his habitations, We will worship at his
footstool.
8 Arise,
O Jehovah! into thy rest, Thou and the ark of thy
strength.
9 Let
thy priests be clothed with righteousness, And let thy meek ones
exult.
10 For
the sake of David thy servant Turn not away the face of thy
Christ.
11 Sworn
hath Jehovah to David in truth, Nor will he turn from it: "Of the fruit of thy
belly will I set upon thy
throne.
12 "If
thy children shall keep my covenant, "And my testimonies, which I will teach
them; "Also their children for ever shall sit upon thy
throne."
13 For
chosen hath Jehovah Zion; He hath desired her for a habitation to
himself.
14 "This
is my rest for ever; "Here will I dwell, because I have loved
her.
15 "Her
provision blessing I will bless; "Her poor I will satisfy with bread;
.
16 "And
her priests I will clothe with salvation; "And her merciful ones with exultation
shall
exult.
17 "There
will I make to bud the horn of David: "I have prepared a lamp for my
Christ.
18 "His
enemies will I clothe with shame, "And upon him flourish shall his
crown."
PSALM
133
A Song of Degrees. Of
David
1 Behold!
how good, and how becoming, That brethren should even dwell
together!
2 Like
the precious oil upon the head, Which descendeth
ff150 upon the beard, the beard of Aaron,
Which descendeth upon the skirt of his
garments.
3 Like
the dew of Hermon, Which descendeth upon the mountains of Zion: For there
commanded hath Jehovah the blessing, Life for evermore.
PSALM
134
A Song of
Degrees
1 Behold!
bless ye Jehovah, All ye servants of Jehovah! Who stand in the house of Jehovah
nightly.
2 Lift
up your hands to the sanctuary, And bless ye
Jehovah.
3 May
Jehovah bless thee out of Zion, [Even he] who hath made heaven and
earth.
PSALM
135
Hallelujah
1 Praise
ye the name of Jehovah; Praise [it] O ye servants of
Jehovah!
2 Who
stand in the house of Jehovah, [And ye who stand] in the courts of the
house of our
God.
3 Praise
God; for good is Jehovah: Sing to his name; for it is
pleasant:
4 For
God hath chosen Jacob to himself, Israel for his own
possession.
5 For
I know that great is Jehovah, And that our God is above all
gods.
6 All
things which Jehovah pleaseth, lie doeth in the heavens and on the earth, In the
sea and in all the
deeps.
7 Causing
the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth: The lightnings for the rain he
maketh, Bringing forth the wind out of his secret
places.
8 He
smote the first born of Egypt, From man even unto
beast.
9 He
sent signs and wonders in the midst of thee, O Egypt! On Pharaoh and on all his
servants.
10 He
smote great nations, And slew mighty
kings.
11 Sihon,
king of the Amorites, And Og the king of Basham, And all the kingdoms of
Canaan.
12 And
gave their land for an heritage, An heritage to Israel, his
people.
13 O
Jehovah! thy name is for ever; O Jehovah! thy memorial is from
generation to
generation.
14 For
judge will Jehovah his people, And concerning his servants he will repent
himself.
15 The
images of the nations are silver and gold, The work of the hands of
man.
16 A
mouth have they, and they will not speak;
ff151 Eyes have they, and they will not
see.
17 Ears
have they, and they will not hear: Also, there is no breath in their
mouth.
18 Like
unto them are those who make them, And every one who trusteth in
them.
19 O
house of Israel! bless ye Jehovah; O house of Aaron! bless ye
Jehovah;
20 O
house of Levi! bless ye Jehovah; O ye who fear Jehovah! bless ye
Jehovah.
21 Blessed
be Jehovah out of Zion, Who dwelleth at Jerusalem.
Hallelujah.
PSALM
136
1 Praise
Jehovah, for he is good, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
2 Praise
the God of gods, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
3 Praise
the Lord of lords, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
4 Who
hath done wonders great alone, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
5 Who
hath made the heavens in wisdom, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
6 Who
hath stretched out the earth above the waters, For to everlasting
endureth his
mercy.
7 Who
hath made the great lights, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
8 The
sun for rule by day, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
9 The
moon and stars for rule by night, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
10 Who
smote the Egyptians in their first born, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
11 And
brought out Israel from the midst of them, For to everlasting endureth
his
mercy.
12 With
a hand of strength and an arm stretched out, For to everlasting endureth
his
mercy.
13 Who
divided the Red Sea into divisions, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
14 And
made Israel to pass through the midst of it, For to everlasting endureth
his
mercy.
15 And
cast Pharaoh and his host headlong into the Red Sea, For to everlasting
endureth his
mercy.
16 And
led his people through the wilderness, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
17 Who
smote great kings, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
18 And
slew renowned kings, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
19 Sihon,
king of the Arnorites, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
20 And
Og, the king of Bashan, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
21 And
gave their land for an heritage, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
22 An
heritage to Israel his servant, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
23 Who
in our humiliation remembered us, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
24 And
rescued us from our oppressors, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
25 Who
giveth food to all flesh, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
26 Make
acknowledgments to the God of heavens, For to everlasting endureth his
mercy.
PSALM
137
1 By
the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, Yea we wept when we remembered thee, O
Zion!
2 Upon
the willows, in the midst thereof, We hanged our
harps.
3 Then
they required of us, they who carried us away captive, the words of a song, And,
when we were in suspense, mirth, [Saying] Sing us one of the songs of
Zion."
4 How
shall we sing the song of Jehovah, In a strange
land?
5 If
I shall forget thee, O Jerusalem! Forget let my right hand [its
cunning.]
6 Cleave
let my tongue to my palate, If I do not remember thee, If I do not raise
Jerusalem above my highest joy.
ff152
7 Remember,
O Jehovah! the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem: 'Who said, "Lay it bare
— "Lay it bare, even to the foundations
thereof."
8 O
daughter of Babylon laid waste! Happy he who shall repay thee The retribution
with which thou hast retributed
us!
9 Happy
he who shall take And dash thy little ones against the stones.
PSALM
138
Of
David
1 I
will celebrate thee with my whole heart; Before the gods! will sing psalms to
thee.
2 I
will worship thee towards the temple of thy holiness, And sing to thy
name for thy mercy and for thy truth; For thou hast magnified above all
things thy name by thy
word.
3 In
the day when, I cried to thee, then thou heardest me, Thou didst
abundantly minister to me strength in my
soul.
4 Celebrate
thee, O Jehovah! let all the kings of the earth; For they have heard the words
of thy
mouth.
5 And
let them sing in the ways of Jehovah, For great is the glory of
Jehovah.
6 For
high is Jehovah; yet the lowly he will regard; And being high will know
afar
off:
7 If
I shall walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me; Against the wrath of
my enemies thou wilt put forth thy hand, And save me shall thy right
hand.
8 Jehovah
will perform in me his work, O Jehovah! thy mercy is from everlasting;
The works of thy hands thou wilt not forsake.
PSALM
139
To the Chief Musician. A
Psalm of David
1 O
Jehovah! thou hast searched me and known
me.
2 Thou
hast known my down sitting and my uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar
off.
3 My
path and my lying down thou besiegest, And with all my ways thou art
acquainted.
4 For
there is not a word in my tongue [But] lo! O God! thou knowest it
altogether.
5 Behind
and before thou hast shut me up, And hast laid upon me thy
hand.
6 Wonderful
is thy knowledge above me; It is high, I cannot attain to
it.
7 Whither
shall I go from thy Spirit? And whither from thy time shall I
flee?
8 If
I ascend up into the heavens, there thou art; If I lie down
ff153 in the sepulcher, behold! thou [art
there.]
9 Should
I take the wings of the morning, That I may dwell in the uttermost parts of the
sea,
10 Even
there thy hand shall lead me, And hold me shall thy right
hand.
11 If
I should say: "At least the darkness shall cover me; "And the night shall be
light for me;
"
12 Even
the darkness shall not hide from the And the night as the day shall shine, And
the darkness as the
light.
13 For
thou hast possessed my reins; Thou hast covered me in the womb of my
mother.
14 I
will celebrate thee; for I have been fearfully and wonderfully made:
ff154 Marvelous are thy works, And my soul
shall know them full
well.
15 Not
hidden is my strength from thee, Which thou hast made in secret: I was woven
together in the lowest parts of the
earth.
16 My
shapelessness see did thine eyes;
ff155 In thy book all shall be written; They
were formed in many days, And there was not one of
them.
17 And
towards me how precious are thy thoughts, O God! How great are the sums
of
them!
18 If
I should count them; above the sand they shall be multiplied: I am awakened, and
still I am with
thee.
19 If
thou shalt slay, O God! the wicked, Then ye men of bloods depart from
me.
20 Who
have spoken of thee wickedly: Taken thy name falsely have thy
adversaries.
21 Thy
haters, O Jehovah! shall not I hate? And with those that rise up against thee
shall I not
strive?
22 With
perfect hatred I have hated them, As my enemies I have held
them.
23 Search
me, O God! and know my heart: Examine me and know my
thoughts.
24 And
know whether the way of wickedness be in me, And lead me in the way of this
life.
PSALM
140
To the Chief Musician. A
Psalm of David
1 Deliver
me, O Jehovah! from the evil man: From the man of injuries do thou preserve
me.
2 Who
devise mischiefs in their heart; Daily do they congregate for
wars.
3 Sharpened
have they their tongue like a serpent: The poison of an asp is under their lips.
Selah.
4 Keep
me, O Jehovah! from the hands of the ungodly: From the man of injuries preserve
me; Who plot to overthrow my
goings.
5 Laid
have the proud a snare for me: And with cords they have spread a net: By the
wayside traps have they set for me.
Selah.
6 I
said, O Jehovah! my God are thou: Listen, O Jehovah! to the voice of my
supplication.
7 O
Jehovah, my Lord! the strength of my salvation, Thou hast put a covering on my
head in the day of
arms.
8 Grant
not, O Jehovah! the desires of the ungodly man: They have devised, consummate
thou not, they shall be exalted.
Selah.
9 [As
for] the head of those who encompass me, Let the mischief of his lips cover
him.
10 Fall
upon them let coals with fire: He shall cast them into deep pits, They shall not
rise
again.
11 The
man of tongue shall not be established in the earth: The man of violence, evil
shall hunt him to
banishments.
12 I
have known that accomplish will Jehovah the judgment of the poor one, The
judgment of the afflicted
one.
13 Surely
the righteous ones will celebrate thy name, Dwell shall the upright ones before
thy face.
PSALM
141
A Psalm of
David
1 O
Jehovah! I have cried to thee: Haste thou to me: Listen to my voice when I cry
to
thee.
2 Directed
let my prayer be as incense before thy face: [Let] the lifting up of my
hands [be] as the sacrifice of the
evening.
3 Set,
O Jehovah! a watch to my mouth; Keep a guard upon the door of my
lips.
4 Incline
not my heart to an evil thing, To commit works of ungodliness with the men who
work iniquity; And let me not eat of their
dainties.
5 Smite
me let the righteous man, [it shall be] a kindness; And let him chastise
me, [it shall be] an oil that is precious, It shall not break my head:
For yet also my prayer shall be in their
calamities.
6 Cast
down on stony places have been their judges: And they shall hear my words, for
they are
sweet.
7 As
he who breaketh and cutteth on the earth, Scattered have been our bones at the
mouth of the
grave.
8 Because
to thee, O Jehovah! my Lord! are my eyes, In thee I have hoped: do not
leave destitute my
soul.
9 Keep
me from the hands of the snare which they have spread for me. From the nets of
those who work
iniquity.
10 Fall
into his nets let the ungodly ones together, Until I escape.
PSALM
142
Maschil of David, when he
was in the cave. A Prayer
1 With
my voice to, Jehovah I cried; With my voice to. Jehovah I made
supplication.
2 I
poured out before his face my meditation; My affliction before his face I
declare.
3 When
perplexed within me was my spirit, And thou knewest my path: In the way wherein
I walked, they laid a snare for
me.
4 On
looking to the right hand, and beholding, None there was who would know me,
Perish did refuge from me, [There was] no man seeking after my
soul.
5 I
cried to thee, O Jehovah! I said, Thou art my hope, My portion in the
land of the
living.
6 Attend
to my cry, For under affliction I labor exceedingly: Deliver me from my
persecutors, For they are too strong for
me.
7 Rescue
from prison my soul, That I may celebrate thy name: Crown me shall the righteous
ones, For thou shalt recompense me.
PSALM
143
A Psalm of
David
1 O
Jehovah! hear my prayer; Give ear to my supplication; In thy truth answer me, in
thy
righteousness.
2 And
enter not into judgment with thy servant, For there shall not be justified in
thy sight any living
man.
3 For
persecuted hath the enemy my soul; He hath prostrated on the earth my life; He
hath set me in dark places, as the dead of an
age.
4 And
perplexed within me is my spirit Within me astonished is my
heart.
5 I
remembered the days of old, I meditated on all thy doings; Upon the work of thy
hands I
meditated.
6 I
spread out my hearts to thee; My soul, as the earth without water, is to
thee.
Selah.
7 Hasten,
answer me, O Jehovah! Fail doth my spirit: Hide not thy face from me, Because I
shall be like to those who descend into the
pit.
8 Cause
me to hear in the morning thy mercy, For in thee have I hoped: Show me the way
in which I may walk, For to thee have I lifted up my
soul.
9 Deliver
me from my enemies, O Jehovah! With thee have I hidden
[myself.]
10 Teach
me to do thy will, For thou art my God: Let thy good Spirit lead me into
the right
land.
11 Because
of thy name, O Jehovah I thou wilt quicken me: In thy righteousness bring out of
trouble my
soul.
12 And
in thy mercy thou wilt scatter my enemies, And wilt destroy all those who
afflict my soul; Because I am thy servant.
PSALM
144
Of
David
1 Blessed
be Jehovah, my strength, Who teacheth my hands for the fight, My fingers
for the
battle.
2 My
goodness, and my fortress, My citadel, my deliverer for me, My shield, and in
him I have hoped, Who subdueth my people under
me.
3 O
Jehovah! what is man that thou acknowledgest him? The son of man that thou
thinkest of
him?
4 Man
to vanity is like, His days [are] as a shadow that is
passing.
5 O
Jehovah! bow thy heavens and descend: Touch the mountains and they shall
smoke.
6 Thunder
forth thunderings and scatter them; Shoot out thy arrows, and destroy
them.
7 Send
thy hand from on high; Rescue me and deliver me from waters great, From the hand
of the sons of the
alien.
8 For
their mouth hath spoken falsehood, And their right hand is a right hand of
deceit.
9 O
God! a song that is new I will sing to thee: Upon the nablum, upon the psaltery
I will sing psalms to
thee
10 Who
givest salvation to kings, Who redeemest David his servant from the hurtful
sword.
11 Redeem
me, and rescue me, From the hand of the sons of the alien, Whose mouth hath
spoken falsehood, And their right hand is a right hand of
deceit.
12 Because
our sons are as plants Which have grown up in their youth; Our daughters
as corners polished After the similitude of a
palace.
13 Our
recesses full, Supplying all kinds of good things. Our sheep bringing forth
thousands, [Yea] ten thousands in our
streets.
14 Our
oxen to the burden accustomed; No breach, nor going out, Nor cry in our
streets.
15 Happy
the people to whom it is so, To whom Jehovah is their God.
PSALM
145
Praise of
David
1 I
will exalt thee, my God, my King! And will bless thy name for ever and
ever.
2 Every
day will I bless thee, And praise thy name for ever and
ever.
3 Great
is Jehovah, and to be praised greatly, And his greatness is
incomprehensible.
4 Generation
to generation shall praise thy works, And thy power they shall
declare.
5 Upon
the majesty of the glory of thy excellence, And upon the words of thy wonders, I
will
meditate.
6 And
the might of thy terrible works shall they recount; And thy greatness I
will
declare.
7 The
memory of the greatness of thy goodness they shall speak forth; And of thy
righteousness they shall
sing.
8 Gracious
and compassionate is Jehovah, Slow to anger and great in
clemency.
9 Good
is Jehovah to all, And his compassions are over all his
works.
10 Celebrate
thee, O Jehovah! shall all thy works, And thy meek ones shall bless
thee.
11 Of
the glory of thy kingdom they shall tell, And of thy power they shall
speak:
12 To
make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, And the glory of the beauty of
his
kingdom.
13 Thy
kingdom is a kingdom of all ages, And thy dominion is throughout
generations of
generations.
14 Uphold
doth Jehovah all the falling, He raiseth up all who are bowed
down.
15 The
eyes of all in thee do hope, And thou givest them their food in its
season.
16 Thou
openest thy hand And satisfiest every living creature by thy good
pleasure.
17 Righteous
is Jehovah in all his ways, And merciful in all his
works.
18 Near
is Jehovah to all who call upon him, To all who call upon him in
truth.
19 The
desire of those who fear him he will perform, And their cry he will hear, told
he will save
then,.
20 Keep
doth Jehovah all who love him, And all the wicked he will
destroy.
21 The
praise of Jehovah speak shall my mouth: And bless shall all flesh his holy name
for ever and ever.
PSALM
146
Hallelujah
1 Praise,
O my soul!
Jehovah.
2 I
will praise Jehovah in my life; I will sing psalms to my God, while I have
being.
3 Confide
not in princes, Nor in the son of man, in whom there is not
help.
4 Go
forth shall his breath, He shall return to his earth, In that day perish shall
his
thoughts.
5 Blessed
is he who hath for his help the God of Jacob; Whose hope is in Jehovah,
his
God:
6 Who
made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them: Who keepeth truth for
ever:
7 Who
doeth judgment for those who are unrighteously oppressed: Who giveth bread to
the hungry: Jehovah looseth the
prisoners;
8 Jehovah
enlighteneth the blind; Jehovah raiseth up those who are bowed down; Jehovah
loveth the
righteous;
9 Jehovah
keepeth the strangers; The orphan and the widow he succoureth; And the way of
the ungodly he will
destroy.
10 Reign
shall Jehovah for ever: Thy God, O Zion, is from generation to
generation. Hallelujah.
PSALM
147
1 Praise
ye God; For it is a good thing to sing psalms to our God, For it
is pleasant, comely is
praise.
2 Build
up Jerusalem doth Jehovah, The dispersed of Israel he will
gather.
3 He
healeth the contrite in heart; He bindeth their
sorrows.
ff156
4 He
counteth the multitude of the stars: To each of them names doth he
give.
5 Great
is our Lord, and abundant in power, His understanding is
infinite.
6 Raise
up the afflicted ones doth Jehovah, He casteth down the ungodly ones to the
ground.
7 Sing
to Jehovah in praise, Sing psalms to our God upon the
harp.
8 Who
covereth the heavens with clouds, Who prepareth for the earth rain, Who maketh
to spring up grass upon the
mountains,
9 Who
giveth to the cattle their food, To the young ones
ff157 of the ravens which cry to
him.
10 Nor
in the strength of the horse will he take pleasure, Nor in the legs of man will
he
delight.
11 Delight
doth Jehovah in those who fear him, [In those] who hope in his
mercy.
12 Celebrate,
O Jerusalem! Jehovah; Praise thy God, O
Zion!
13 For
he strengtheneth the bars of thy gates; He blesseth thy children in the midst of
thee.
14 Who
maketh in thy borders peace; With the fatness of wheat he satisfieth
thee.
15 When
he sendeth forth his word upon the earth, Very swiftly run doth his
word.
16 Who
giveth snow white as wool; The hoarfrost as ashes he
scattereth.
17 He
casteth forth his ice as morsels: Before his cold who shall
stand?
18 He
shall send his word: red shall melt them: Blow shall his breath, and flow
shall the
waters.
19 He
announceth his words to Jacob, his statutes and his judgments to
Israel.
20 He
hath not done so to every nation, And his judgments he hath not made known to
them. Hallelujah.
PSALM
148
Hallelujah
1 Praise
ye Jehovah from the heavens; Praise him in the
heights.
2 Praise
him, all ye his angels! Praise him, all ye his
armies!
3 Praise
him, ye Sun and Moon! Praise him, all ye shining
stars!
4 Praise
him, ye heavens of heavens! And ye waters above the
heavens!
5 Let
them praise the name of Jehovah; For he commanded and they were
created:
6 And
he established them for ever: For ever he hath set for them a decree, and it
shall not pass
beyond.
7 Praise
Jehovah, ye creatures from the earth! Dragons, and all
deeps!
8 Fire
and hail, snow and ice! Wind of storm, executing his
word!
9 Mountains,
and all hills! The tree bearing fruit, and all
cedars!
10 Wild
beasts, and all cattle! Reptile, and winged
birds!
11 Kings
of the earth, and all peoples! Princes, and all judges of the
earth!
12 Young
men, and also maidens! Old men with
children!
13 Let
them praise the name of Jehovah; For high is his name alone; His praise is above
the earth and
heavens.
14 And
he hath exalted the horn of his people: Praise is to all his merciful
ones, To the children of Israel, A people which is near to him.
Hallelujah.
PSALM
149
Hallelujah
1 Sing
ye to Jehovah a song that is new: His praise is in the assembly of the
merciful
ones.
2 Rejoice
let Israel in his Maker; Let the children of Zion exult in their
king:
3 Let
them praise his name on the pipe: On the timbrel and the harp let them sing
psalms to
him.
4 For
taken pleasure hath Jehovah in his people: He will glorify the poor ones unto
salvation.
5 Exult
let the merciful ones in glory; Let them shout with joy on their
couches.
6 The
exaltations of God are in their mouth, And a sword of two edges in their
hand;
7 To
execute vengeance on the heathen, Chastisements on the
nations:
8 To
bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of
iron:
9 To
execute upon them the judgment written. This honor is to all his merciful ones.
Hallelujah.
PSALM
150
Hallelujah
1 Praise
God in his sanctuary; Praise him in the firmament of his
power.
2 Praise
him in his might; Praise him for the multitude of his
greatness:
3 Praise
him with sound of trumpet; Praise him with nablum and
harp.
4 Praise
him with timbrel and pipe; Praise him with strings and
organ.
5 Praise
him with cymbals of sound; Praise him with cymbals of
shouting.
6 Let every thing that breatheth
praise God. Hallelujah.
TABLES
AND INDICES
TO
THE
COMMENTARY
ON
THE
BOOK OF
PSALMS
TABLE
OF
THOSE PASSAGES IN THE PSALMS WHICH ARE QUOTED IN THE NEW
TESTAMENT.
Ps Vs Quoted in Ps Vs Quoted
in
2 1,
2 <440425>Acts
4:25,
26 69 10. <430217>John
2:17
2 7 <441333>Acts
13:33 69 10 <451109>Romans
11:9,10
2 9 Revelations
2:2769 26 <440120>Acts
1:20
5 10 <450313>Romans
3:13 78 2 <401335>Matthew
13:35
8 3 <402116>Matthew
21:16 78 24 <430631>John
6:31
8 5 <580206>Hebrews
2:6 82 6 <431034>John
10:34
8 6 <461509>1
Corinthians
15:9 89 20 <441322>Acts
13:22
10 7 <450314>Romans
3:14 90 1 <402244>Matthew
22:44
14 1 <450310>Romans
3:10 91 11,
12 <400406>Matthew
4:6
16 8 <440225>Acts
2:25 94 11 <460320>1
Corinthians
3:20
18 50 <151509>Romans
15:9 95 7 <580307>Hebrews
3:7
19 5 <451018>Romans
10:18 97 7 <580106>Hebrews
1:6
22 2 <402746>Matthew
27:46 98 22 <402142>Matthew
21:42
22 19 <402735>Matthew
27:35 102 25 <580110>Hebrews
1:10
22 19 <431924>John
19:24 104 4 <580107>Hebrews
1:7
22 23 <580212>Hebrews
2:12 109 3 <431525>John
15:25
24 1 <461026>1
Corinthians
10:26 110 8 <440120>Acts
1:20
32 1,
2 <450407>Romans
4:7,
8 110 1 <402224>Matthew
22:24
34 13 <600310>1
Peter
3:10 110 1 <411220>Mark
12:20
35 19 <431525>John
15:25 110 1 <421027>Luke
10:27
36 2 <450318>Romans
3:18 110 4 <580506>Hebrews
5:6
40 7 <581005>Hebrews
10:5 112 9 <470909>2
Corinthians
9:9
41 9 <431318>John
13:18 116 10 <470413>2
Corinthians
4:13
44 22 <450836>Romans
8:36 117 1 <451511>Romans
15:11
45 7,
8 <580108>Hebrews
1:8,
9 118 6 <581306>Hebrews
13:6
51 6 <450304>Romans
3:4 118 22,
23 <402142>Matthew
21:42
68 19 <490408>Ephesians
4:8 140 4 <450313>Romans
3:13
69 10 <451503>Romans
15:3
TABLE
OF
THE PARTICULAR SUBJECTS OF EACH
PSALM
ACCORDING TO CALVIN'S
INTERPRETATION.
Psalms sung at the Passover,
111-118 The
Believer's Scruples, arising from the Prosperity of the Wicked, removed by
Revealed Religion and the considerations of their Latter End,
73.
- sung at the Feast of Trumpets,
81
- Meditations of the Believer, in which he encourages
himself and others to hope in God, and fortifies his mind against the Assaults
of temptation,
62.
- sung at the Feast of Tabernacles,
65
67
- The high value which the Believer sets on God's
Sanctuary,
42,
43,
74.
- David's Prayers for Protection and Deliverance from
his Enemies,
3,
4,
9,
55,
56,
57,
58,
59,
64,
70,
71,
86.
- Humility of Spirit exemplified,
131.
- confidence in God in Danger,
142.
- The Believer's Prayers for Protection and Deliverance
from Wicked Men,
3,
4,
5,
10,12,
13,
17,
25,
26,
42,
43,
54,
120,
140.
- Thanksgivings for Deliverance from his Enemies,
11,
18,
27,
31,
40,
68,
138.
- Jehovah celebrated as the Guardian of His People,
121.
- Good Resolutions in prospect of being put in
possession of the Throne,
101.
- The Believer's Potential Confessions and Deprecations,
6,
32,
38,
39,
51,
102,
130,
143.
- Exhortations to Trust in God, and to study Godliness
from the example of his own deliverance,
31,
34.
- Lamentations of the Believer when under very Severe
Afflictions, and almost at the point of despair,
88.
- The Blessedness of the Righteous, and the Final
Perdition of the ungodly,
1,
36,
37,
52,
112,
128.
- The Believer's Thanksgiving for Deliverance from great
Danger,
28,
30,
61,
116.
- True Believers distinguished from Hypocrites,
15,
24.
- The supposed Happiness of the Ungodly evanescent; and
good men, however much afflicted, the Objects of the Divine Regard,
49.
- Reprehension of those who place religion in mere
Ritual Observances, and under the veil of these shelter Impurity of Heart and
Life,
50.
- The Goodness of God to His Ancient People,
77,
78,
105,
114.
- The Believer separates himself from idolaters, and
rest in God as his Portion,
16.
- Prophetic Denunciations against the Enemies of Christ,
109.
- The Protection which God affords to His People in the
hour of Danger or Calamity,
91.
- The Excellence of God's Word,
19,
119.
- Jehovah celebrated as the Shepherd of His People,
23.
- Celebration of the Glory of God as manifested in
Creation, and in the Order and various Wonders of Nature,
19,
29,
93,
104.
- The Stubborn and Ungrateful Character of God's Ancient
People,
78,
95.
- The Providence of God on Shipwrecks, Famines, and in
all the ills which befall Mankind, as well as in the Happy Issue of Events,
117.
- The Jewish Church's Confession of the Sins of their
Fathers,
116. The
Divine Omniscience,
139.
- Corrupt State of the Jewish Church brought about by
the Reign of Saul
14,
53.
- The Blessing of having Children,
127.
- A Common Form of Prayer to be used by the Ancient
Church in behalf of the King and Kingdom of Israel when threatened with Danger,
20.
- Prayers for Defense and Personal Protection, when
Persecuted under False Charges,
7,
35.
- A Public and Solemn Thanksgiving for the Prosperous
Condition of the King of Israel,
21.
- Prayers that the spirit may be bridled under
unprovoked Injuries,
141.
- Jerusalem celebrated as the Seat of the Ark and of the
Worship of God,
122.
- On Uncharitable Judgments pronounced on the Righteous
when severely afflicted by the hand of God,
41.
- Prayers for God's Presence in the Temple Worship,
132.
- Kings Addressed and Warned,
2.
- Songs of Triumph upon successful War,
60,
108.
- Character and Doom of Wicked Rulers and Judges,
58,
82.
- Prayers in the Church under Persecution, or in the
Seasons of Calamity or of Threatened Danger,
37,
44,
74,
79,
80,
83,
89,
94,
115,
123,
129,
144.
- Lamentations over the Brevity and Miseries of Human
Life,
90.
- The Safety of the Church celebrated,
125.
- The Believer incites himself to Praise God for the
display of His Perfections in the Government of the World, and especially for
His Goodness to the Children of Men,
145.
- Thanksgivings for the Deliverances of the Church,
46,
48,
66,
76,
124.
- Exhortations to Praise God because of His Justice
displayed in the Protection of His People, and in the Destruction of the Wicked,
92.
- The Church's Affliction in Babylon,
137.
- The Prosperity of Abraham in Distinction from the
surrounding Nations are incited to Praise God for their peculiar Mercies and
Privileges,
95,
99,
134,
135,
136,
149.
- The Church's Prayers in Babylon,
102.
- They are called upon to Praise Him with every variety
of Musical and Privileges,
95,
99,
134,
136,
149.
- Prayer of the returned captives, that God would
deliver them from the Calamities with which they were still afflicted,
135.
- They are called upon to Praise Him with every variety
of Musical Instruments,
140.
- Song of Triumph and Thanksgiving of the Returned
Captives,
126.
- All Mankind, and not merely the Jews, are exhorted to
Praise God,
96,
98,
100,
117.
- The Christian Church celebrated,
2,
45,
72,
87,
97.
- All Creatures, Rational and Irrational, Animate and
Inanimate, are invited to Praise Him,
148.
- The Triumph of the Church over the Proud Despisers of
God,
75.
- The Beauty of Christian Concord,
133.
- Messiah's Prayers under his Sufferings,
22,
69.
- Messiah's Regal and Priestly Offices celebrated,
110.
- Messiah's Regal Character and Reign described,
45,
72.
- Messiah's Victories,
18,
68.
- The certain Punishment of the Persecuting Wicked,
52.
Footnotes
fte1
This sentence expresses the three specific heads into which Lowth discovered
Hebrew parallelism, — which involves in it much variety and many
gradations, — may be generally And more loosely distributed,
Parallels Synonymous, (or, according to JEBB, Parallels Cognate,)
Parallels Autithetic, and Parallels Synthetic or Constructive. For an
example of the first, see
<190101>Psalm
1:1-5; of the second, see
<192007>Psalm
20:7, 8; and of the third, see
<19E807>Psalm
148:7-13.
fte2
Literally, "for the word of thy righteousness." Calvin understands it of the
divine promises. Phillips translates "for the word of thy justice," "that
is," says he, "for the sentence of justice. on my
oppressors, as the first part of the verse teaches; for the passing this
sentence will be equivalent to the granting the salvation which the Psalmist so
ardently
desired."
fte3
"Above gold.
bhzm,
mizahab, more than resplendent gold; gold without any stain or
rust." — Dr. Adam
Clarke
fte4
"Ou, marguerites." — Fr. marg. "Or, pearls."
"zpmw,
umipaz, above solid gold; gold separated from the dross, perfectly
refined." — Dr. Adam
Clarke.
fte5
br[
This verb signifies to be pleasant, acceptable. So Bucer has translated
the first part of the verse, oblecta servum tuum bono; and indeed the
Chaldee has given the same sense to the verb, for it is rendered by
µysb,
make merry. But the other meaning which it has, viz. to become surety,
is evidently more suitable; for the expression Be surety for thy servant
for good, corresponds very well with the previous and subsequent petitions,
which are for deliverance from the hands of the enemy." —
Phillips.
fte6
"In times of great sorrow, when the heart is oppressed with care, and
when danger threatens on every side, the human eye expresses with amazing
accuracy the distressing and anguished emotions of the soul. The posture here
described is that of an individual who perceives himself surrounded with enemies
of the most formidable character, who feels his own weakness and insufficiency
to enter into conflict with them, but who is eagerly looking for the arrival of
a devoted and powerful friend, who has promised to succor him in the hour of his
calamity." — Dr.
Morison.
fte7
Durell translates this verse — "For, as much as I esteem all thy precepts,
etc., therefore I hate,"
etc.
fte8
"All the precepts of everything, i.e., all precepts concerning all
things. I embrace thy revealed Word, without any exceptions. The Psalmist
states, that he had most diligently applied his mind to the consideration of all
God's commandments, the circumstances and occasions on which they were given,
and he observed that they abounded in justice and holiness. Since, therefore,
they are all equally just and holy, whatsoever is contrary to them he regarded
as unjust, impure, false and detestable. Hammond remarks, that 'the
reduplication of the universal particle
lk
is emphatic all, even all;' and so the plain rendering is most current,
all thy commandments, even all, have I approved." —
Phillips.
Fte9
In the French it is, "that no iniquity may have,"
etc.
fte10
"htp
pethach, 'the opening of thy words giveth light:' when I open my
Bible to read, light springs up in my mind." — Dr. Adam Clarke.
The corresponding word in Syriac signifies to enlighten, and in
Arabic to explain. Hence, in the opinion of some,
jtp,
pethach, is the expounding of thy
word.
fte11
The allusion, according to some, is to an exhausted or thirsty traveler in hot
countries, who gasps and pants for the cooling breeze, or the refreshing
fountain. According to others this is a metaphor, taken from an exhausted animal
in the chase, which runs open-mouthed, to take in the cooling air, the heart
beating high, and the muscular force being nearly expended through fatigue. In
either view the language is extremely expressive, showing how intensely the
Psalmist longed for the refreshment and delight which an acquaintance with the
word of God affords. And if the "opening of God's words," mentioned in the
preceding verse, means the expounding of them, David here points out his eager
desire to hear God's word
expounded.
fte12
"According to the custom, or usual mode of acting. So Luther
— as thou art accustomed to do, etc. In
<014013>Genesis
40:13 — 'Thou shalt deliver the cup,
fpçmk,
according to custom.'"—
Phillips.
fte13
yb,
bi, IN me. Let me have no governor but God; let the throne of my
heart be filled by him, and none other. — Dr. Adam
Clark
fte14
In the French version it is
"avarice."
fte15
Rivers of waters — that is, a great profusion of tears. "The
Orientals are in general very copious weepers; and this strong hyperbole is
still much employed among them to express the highest degree of lamenting
grief." — Illustrated Commentary upon the
Bible.
fte16
"Les autres s'endorment sans grand soin de leur salut comme bestes brutes."
—
Fr
fte17
"Hath consumed me. The strong term here made use of corresponds very well
with the forcible language of the preceding verse. My zeal for thy word is so
great, that when I see how my enemies disregard it, I am overpowered by feelings
of shame at their neglect." —
Phillips.
fte18
Dr. Adam Clarke translates
hpwrx,
tseruphah, by purification. This rendering conveys a beautiful
idea. God's word is not only a purified thing, but a thing that
purifies. It cleanses from sin every heart with which it comes into
contact.
"Now ye are clean," said
Christ,
"by the word which I have
spoken unto you."
(<431503>John
15:3.)
This tendency of the word to impart a measure of its
own purity to such as yield to its influence, endears it to all God's people;
and for this reason they make it the subject of their constant
meditation.
fte19
The word which Calvin uses for "the twilight" is
"crepusculum."
fte20
According to this view, the last clause would read, "that I may keep thy
statutes."
fte21
The Hebrews divided the natural day into three portions--morning, noon, and
evening — which are mentioned by David as seasons in which he
engaged in prayer.
(<195517>Psalm
55:17.) They also divided the night into three parts, called "watches,"
consisting of four hours each, and commencing at our six o'clock in the evening.
In
<250219>Lamentations
2:19, we read of the first watch; or, as it is there designated, "the beginning
of the watches;" in
<070719>Judges
7:19, of "the middle watch;" and in
<021424>Exodus
14:24, of "the morning watch." A similar division of the night seems to have
been made by other ancient nations, as appears from the references made to it by
Homer and the early Greek writers. The Greeks and Romans, however, in improving
their military discipline, afterwards divided the night into four watches, each
consisting of three hours; and when the Jews fell under the dominion of the
latter people, they adopted from them this division of the night. Hence we read
of "the fourth watch of the night" in
<401425>Matthew
14:25. And the four watches are mentioned together in
<411335>Mark
13:35:
"Watch ye therefore: for
ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at
cock-crowing,
or in the
morning."
The time at which each of these four watches began
and ended is thus determined by Dr. Hales, who has written elaborately on the
subject: "1.
Oye,
the late, began at sunset, and ended with the third hour of the night,
including the evening-dawn, or twilight. It was also called
oyia
wJra, eventide, Marrk 11:11; or simply
oyia,
evening,
<432019>John
20:19, etc. 2.
Mesonuktion,
the midnight, lasted from the third hour till midnight. 3.
Alektorofwnia,
the cock-crowing, midnight till the third hour after, or the ninth hour
of the night. It included the two cock-crowings, with the second or principal of
which it ended. 4.
Prwi,
the early, lasted from the ninth to the twelfth hor of the night, or
sunrise, including the morning-dawn or twilight. It is also called
prwia,
morning, or morningtide,
(wJra
being understood,)
<431828>John
18:28, etc.
"When the Psalmist here declares,
that his eyes prevented the nightwatches, we are to understand him as chiefly
referring to the middle and morning watches, which falling at that period of the
night when men in general are devoted to rest, envinced the strength, fervour,
and self-sacrificing character of his devotions." – Dr.
Morison.
fte22
By "judgments," Calvin means "God's Word," as the reader will observe from what
follows.
fte23
Walford translates, "Revive me, e Jehovah! according to thy wonted
manner."
fte24
"De testimoniis tuis." —
Lat.
fte25
Walford's rendering is, "I have known thy testimonies long since." Phillips
translates "of old;" and gives this explanation, "I have been acquainted with
thy testimonies ever since I have possessed any knowledge, i.e. as soon as I
came to years of reflection.
'From a child thou hast
known the holy
scriptures.'
<550315>2
Timothy 3:15."
fte26
Thou hast established them for ever. That is, thy revelations are
unalterable and everlasting, as the attributes of their great Author, and can
never fail those who rely upon them, in time, or in eternity." —
Warner on the
Psalter.
fte27
"Ou, forts robustes." — Fr. "Or, very
strong."
fte28
The word in the Hebrew text is
çar,
rash. Dr. Adam Clarke suggests an explanation, which is at least
ingenious. The first word in the book of Genesis is
tyçarb,
bereshith, "in the beginning;" which is derived from
çar,
rash, or raash. He therefore asks whether David in here calling the
çar
of God's word truth, may not refer to
tyçarb,
the first word in the book of Genesis? If so, the meaning is, Every word thou
hast spoken from
tyçarb,
the first in Genesis, to the end of the law and the prophets, and all that thou
wilt yet speak, are true and shall have in due time their
fulfillment.
fte29
"La letre
k,
qui signifie Sclon." — Fr. "The letter
k,
which signifies 'According
to.'"
fte30
"Invasit me horror." —
Piscator.
fte31
"C'est a dire, on vient de la pensee a l'effect." —
Fr.
fte32
Literally, "Because of the judgments of thy
righteousness."
fte33
"They have not any offense, i.e. no occasion to bring them into sin, but
such as, with God's Spirit assisting them, they are enabled to overcome. The
love of the law is a security to them from the enticements of wickedness, by
which others are drawn aside from the path of rectitude, and are brought to
ruin." —
Phillips.
fte34
"David was persecuted by Saul and his associates 'without a cause.'" —
Warner on the
Psalter.
fte35
Among many other texts of Scripture which might be quoted to show that the
number seven is often used for many, or an indefinite number, we may refer only
to
<010415>Genesis
4:15 and
<032418>Leviticus
24:18. Some of the Jewish Rabbies, however, affirm that David is here to be
understood literally, observing, that the devout Hebrews were accustomed to
praise God twice in the morning before reading the ten commandments, and once
after; twice in the evening before reading the same portion of inspiration, and
twice after; which makes up the number of seven times a
day.
fte36
"Primum," Lat —" Devant toutes choses,"
Fr.
fte37
"All my ways are before thee". The meaning of this expression may
be gathered from other scriptural phrases: such as 'walking before God;' or 'in
his sight;' which merely signify to live holy and righteously, so as to be
acceptable in his sight. God is omniscient, and, consequently, 'all the ways' or
actions of men are ' before him,' or open to his knowledge and sight."
—
Warner.
fte38
As has been observed by some critics, the Psalmist's cry for deliverance
is here personified. He represents it as if an intelligent being, and as sent up
by him to heaven, there to plead his cause in the presence of God. The same
elegant poetical figure is used in the following verse, and it is of frequent
occurrence in the Book of
Psalms.
fte39
"En apres, il est facile de recueillir, que les deux membres de ce propos se
doyvent lier ensemble par Combien, ou Ja soit, ou quelque autre telle partieule
que les Latins appellent adversative." —
Fr.
fte40
"A ce qu'a la fin il cesse de plus tracasser ca et la et estre comme
vagabond." —
Fr.
fte41
Before leaving this divine poem, to the close of which we halve now arrived,
there are a few remarks which may be suggested upon a review of the whole. In
the first place, it is worthy of observation, that its alphabetical structure
has been so completely preserved, that not one of the initial letters in it has
been lost. notwithstanding its length and great antiquity, being older by many
ages than any of the celebrated writings of Greece and Rome. In the second
place, the wonderful perfection and yet connection of its various parts is also
deserving of attention. Wherever we begin we seem to be at the commencement, and
wherever we stop the sense is complete; and yet the poem does not consist of
detached sentences, but is a whole consisting of many parts, all of which seem
necessary to its perfection. In the third place, the numerous apparent
repetitions which occur in it ought not to excite the prejudice of the reader.
Although the frequent recurrence of the same words may not have an effect
altogether agreeable upon fastidious ears, yet these words are so connected with
others, as to bring out new meanings and to suggest new trains of thought. Hence
the intelligent and pious student, instead of finding the sentences
tautological, will discover new sentiments welling out to preserve his attention
and to keep alive the flame of devotion. Walford, after observing that some
readers may think this poem singularly marked by frequent repetitions, adds
— "It is not my intention to write an essay on this theme; and I shall
therefore briefly say, that the implicitly of ancient writings is one of their
greatest charms. If the repetitions of Psalm 119 create in it a blemish, it is
one which the royal author of it shares in common with the most illustrious poet
of Pagan antiquity; and that if simplicity and repetition are to be objected
against David's Ode, the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey will hardly
escape condemnation." In fine, the attentive reader must have observed the
striking manner in which this composition exhibits the workings of genuine
godliness in the regenerated soul. "I know of no part of the Holy Scriptures,"
remarks that eminent man, Jonathan Edwards, "where the nature and evidences of
true and sincere godliness are so fully and largely insisted on and delineated
as in Psalm 119. The Psalmist declares his design in the first verses of the
Psalm, keeps his eye on it all along, and pursues it to the end. The excellency
of holiness is represented as the immediate object of a spiritual taste and
delight. God's law — that grand expression and emanation of the holiness
of God's nature and prescription of holiness to the creature — is all
along represented as the great object of the love, the complacence, and
the rejoicing of the gracious nature, which prizes God's commands 'above gold,
yea, the finest gold,' and to which they are 'sweeter than honey and the
honey-comb.'" — Edwards on the Religious Affections, part 3 section
3.
fte42
This opinion was held by Rabbi David Kimchi; and he
asserts that the Psalms, entitled Songs of Ascents or Steps, were so entitled
because the Levites sang one of them upon each of the fifteen steps, which, says
he, separated the court of the women from that of the men in Solomon's
Temple. This Calvin justly characterizes as a "silly conjecture;" and such an
explanation is now generally rejected. Jebb, after stating several of the
attempted solutions of the title of these Psalms, observes — "On
these notions it is unnecessary to dwell, and still less upon that Jewish fable
mentioned by Rabbi David, that these Psalms were sung on ascending the fifteen
steps, which were imagined to lead from one of the outer courts of the Temple to
that of the Levites. No trace in history, or authentic tradition, can be found
of these steps, which owe their construction solely to the accommodating fancy
of the Rabbins, who, as usual, imagined facts, in order to support their
preconceived theories." — Jebb's Literal Translation of the Psalms,
with Dissertations, volume 2. It is an additional objection to this
Rabbinical conceit, that David, whose name several of these Psalms bear
— and others of which have evident reference to his time and
circumstances — lived in the time of the tabernacle, which had no
steps.
fte43
The Syriac version calls them "Songs of Ascent out of Babylon;" and such is the
interpretation of several modern critics, among whom is Calmet, who has given an
able analysis of what has been written on this title in his Dissertation sur
les quinze Psaumes Gradue. After stating numerous explanations, and
characterizing many of them as "vaines et frivoles conjectures," he adopts it as
the most probable supposition, that they were sung during the journey of the
returning captives from Babylon to
Jerusalem.
fte44
This is the opinion of Aben
Ezra.
fte45
While Calvin leans to this as the most probable explanation, he has before
admitted that it is only a conjecture; and after all that has been said since
his time on the subject, it is still involved in obscurity, and perhaps it is
now impossible to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. The Psalms, however,
which bear this title, have a striking resemblance to each other, and are
different in style from the other divine Poems in this book. They are all very
short, and in several of them there is a gradation of meaning, and a degree of
point towards the dose, which may be called epigrammatic. Hence Gesenius
suggests that the title may mark a peculiar species of Hebrew composition. "The
construction of the songs" [of degrees,] says Jebb, "is such as to reduce
the evidently to a class. They are all short compositions, sententious,
eminently fitted for lyrical use, in the highest degree poetical, and, as Calmet
justly remarks, epigramrustic; using this term in its highest sense as
concinnate, terse, and abounding in turns expressed with the most exquisite
brevity. Two remarkable characteristics they possess, which, though found
occasionally in other Psalms, seem to enter into the very texture of these
— I mean the frequent recurrence of a characteristic word, and that
figure which the rhetoricians call.Epanaphora, or the repetition of the
same idea or expression. As to the characteristic words: In Psalm 121 this is
the word keep
(rmç);
in Psalm 122 the word Salem, and others of a like sound; in Psalm 123 the
word eyes,
yny[,
in Psalm 126 the words turn and captivity, which in Hebrew are
almost the same,
brµ
and
hbyç
in Psalm 127 vain,
arç;
in Psalm 133 the word descend,
rry;
and bless,
°rb
in Psalm 134." — Jebb's Literal Translation of the Psalms, with
Dissertations, volume
2.
fte46
"ytarq,
I have called constantly, attentively, and anxiously, not with violent
external gesture, or elevation of voice, but with strong inward
emotion." —
Phillips.
fte47
"Des leures." — Fr. "From the lips." But in the Hebrew text it
is in the singular," from a lip of falsehood," that is, "from a false
lip."
fte48
"hymr
ˆwçl, the deceitful tongue. We
have here two norms, both of which are in the absolute state, so that we must
suppose the latter to be put emphatically for an abjective, the force of the
expression being the same as that of
hymr
ˆwçl, tongue of deceit, i.e.,
deceitful tongue, a more frequent construction. So also we have
rqç
tpç, lip of falsehood, for false
lip, in the first member of this verse. The literal rendering of the words
hymr
ˆwçl, is tongue, (which is)
deceit itself." —
Phillips.
Fte49
"La langue pleine de fraude." — Fr. "The tongue full of
deceit."
Fte50
The Psalmist here addresses himself in particular to his
traducers.
fte51
"Comme s'il avoit desia le triomphe contre toute la bande de scs ennemis."
— Fr. "As if he had already triumphed over the whole host of his
enemies."
fte52
The Hebrew word
µtr,
rothem, here rendered "juniper," occurs also in I Kings
19:4, 5, and
<183004>Job
30:4, in both which places it is'. translated in our English Bible by
"juniper-tree." It would appear that this shrub was remarkable for the intense
flame with which it burned, and for the length of time during which its embers
retained their heat. Several critics, however, think that the Hebrew
rothem means the genista or Spanish broom; and in support of this opinion
it is said that the genista is much used as fuel by the Arabs, among whom the
Psalmist describes himself as then living; and that, as Geierus asserts, it"
sparkles, burns, and crackles more vehemently than any other wood." (See
Parkhurst on
µtr.)
It is somewhat difficult to decide in this matter. As more than thirty different
trees are mentioned in the Bible, and as we are but imperfectly acquainted with
the natural history of these remote countries, it is no wonder though we find it
impossible to identify all these trees. It may be observed that Calvin in his
translation brings out that beautiful gradation of sense, terminating in a point
of severity, for which the Hebrew text is remarkable, but which does not appear
in our English version. Slanderous words are first compared to "arrows,"
secondly, to "arrows discharged from the bow by a strong man," and in proportion
to the strength of a man will be the force with which his weapon strikes; next
to "sharp arrows;" and lastly, to "coals of juniper," or some wood used in those
days celebrated for burning fiercely and long, (for the particle
µ[,
im translated with, is sometimes one of similitude, as in
<19A606>Psalm
106:6, "We have sinned like as our fathers,") intimating not only that
malignant slanders deeply penetrate, but that they inflame and burn for a long
time. Hence the Apostle James
(<590305>James
3:5, 6) compares the tongue of slander to a fire enkindled from hell, and
inflaming the course of nature. Some interpreters think that this verse is not
to be understood as a description of calumny, but rather as the punishment which
God will inflict on the calumniator. They therefore regard it as an answer to
the question in the preceding verse, "What shall be given unto thee," etc.;
observing that calumny and falsehood being frequently represented by the images
of arrows and fire, the same images suitably express the requital which awaits
them at the hand of God — the swift and terrible retributive vengeance of
the Almighty, which will overtake all who practice falsehood and slander. See
<195704>Psalm
57:4;
<196403>Psalm
64:3, 7, 9; and
<182026>Job
20:26. "Sharp arrows of the Mighty One, with coals of juniper," await them. This
opinion is adopted by Street, Mant, Morison, Paxton, Fry, French and Skinner.
Calvin's exposition is embraced by Walford and Phillips. The former, to elicit
this meaning the more clearly, uses a supplement:
"Sharp arrows of a
warrior,
And burning
coals of juniper, thou resemblest."
He, however, in a footnote requests the reader "to
observe, that this is given as what seems to be the most probable interpretation
of the passage, though it cannot be regarded as absolutely
certain."
fte53
"C'est, en exile;" —"That is, in exile." — Fr-.
Marg.
fte54
Literally it is, "I peace; and when I speak, they for
war."
fte55
This is the sense in which the word is rendered in most of the ancient versions.
Thus the Septuagint has hJ
paroiki>a mru ejmakru>nqh, "my sojourning is
protracted;" and it is followed by the Syriac, Vulgate, and Arabic versions.
Aquila has proshlu>teusa ejn
makrusmw~| I was a stranger for a long time;" and
Symmachus, paroikw~n
pari>lkusa "I have protracted sojourning."
Bishop Patrick and Dr. Hammond, following these authorities, render
°çm,
mesech, adverbially. But though this is a meaning which the word will bear,
yet as Calvin observes, there is little room for doubting that it is here a
proper name. The parallelism which enables us in many instances to determine the
accurate interpretation of a word in Hebrew poetry when other helps entirely
fail, decidedly favors this interpretation. The term corresponding to
°çm
mesech, in the next hemistich, is
rrq
kedar; and as it is universally admitted that this is the name of a
place, it cannot be justly questioned that such is also the case with respect to
°çm
mesech. To render it otherwise is destructive of the poetical structure of
the passage. "If," says Phillips, "the adverbial sense be intended, then the
expression should not have been
°çm
ytrg, but something analogous to
hnkç
tbr in the next verse. Many localities have been
mentioned for the geography of Mesech, as Tuscany, Cappadocia, Armenia, etc.,
which proves that the particular district called by this name is uncertain." It
is however obvious that some barbarous and brutal tribes of Arabs are
intended.
fte56
A similar mode of speaking is not uncommon in our own day. Thus we are
accustomed to call gross and ignorant people Turks and
Hottentots.
fte57
"D'autant que dcmeurant entre des faux freres et une race bastardc
d'Abraham, a tort il est par eux molest4 et tourment( cornroe ainsi soit
th'envers eux il se porte en bonne conscience." —
Fr.
fte58
My soul, for
I.
fte59
Et (par maniere de dire) monstre au doigt ceux," etc. —
Fr.
Fte60
"Aseavoir les Israelites desloyaux qui avoyent forligne' des saincts Peres, et
qui estoyent plustost des masques d'Israclites, que non pas une vraye semence
d'Israel." —
Fr.
fte61
In describing those among whom he was now living as haters of peace, and,
in the next verse, as bent on war, the inspired writer probably still alludes to
the Arab tribes he had specified in the 5th verse, who have, from their origin
to the present hour, been eminently characterized by their hatred of peace and
propensity to war. Dr. Shaw thus writes concerning these barbarous tribes as
they are to be found in our own day, and their character and habits were
the same at the time when this Psalm was written: "The Arabs are naturally
thievish and treacherous; and it sometimes happens, that those very persons are
overtaken and pillaged in the morning who were entertained the night before with
all the instances of friendship and hospitality. Neither are they to be accused
for plundering strangers only, and attacking almost every person whom they find
unarmed and defenceless, but for those many implacable and hereditary
animosities which continually subsist among them: literally fulfilling the
prophecy to Hagar, that 'Ishmael should be a wild man; his hand should be
against every man, and every man's hand against
him.'"
fte62
Phillips, who thinks it "probable that that Psalm
was written just as the Israelites were about to commence their journey to their
native land," gives this explanation of the
verse: "I will l lift up
eyes to the mountains, viz., Zion,
Tabor, Carmel, etc.; but especially to the first, as being the place of the ark,
and consequently the place to which the Israelites directed their eyes, as to a
fountain of all good. There they looked for help as often as circumstances
rendered expected assistance requisite, as we learn from several passages in the
Psalms. See
<191407>Psalm
14:7;
<192003>Psalm
20:3." In returning from Babylon, how many a longing and anxious look would the
Jews east to the hills of Palestine, and with how many stirring and sacred
emotions would the sight of them fill their
minds!
fte63
The Hebrew word is
lx,
tsel, "a shadow;" and hence it has been supposed that the words, "thy shadow
at thy right hand.," are a figurative expression, referring to the protection
afforded by the shade of a tree against the scorching rays of the sun, or to the
custom which prevails in tropical climates especially, of keeping off the
intense heat of the sun by a portable screen, such as an umbrella or parasol.
The word is often put for defense in general. Compare
<041409>Numbers
14:9;
<233002>Isaiah
30:2;
<244845>Jeremiah
48:45.
fte64
A notion was prevalent among the heathen,
that their gods sometimes slept, and were not then conscious of the wants of
their worshippers. Elijah thus addressed in irony the followers of Baal,
<111827>1
Kings 18:27:
"Cry aloud; for he is a
god; either he is talking, or he is
pursuing,
or he is in a journey, or
peradventure he sleepeth,
and must
be waked."
Very different was the character of the guardian of
Israel. He relaxed not his watchful care over his people by indulging in light
slumbers during the day, nor even by sleeping in the night, when the tired frame
of man seeks and demands
repose.
fte65
There seems to be an allusion in the first
member to sun-strokes, which are very fatal in hot countries, sometimes
inflicting instant death, or being soon followed by death, while at other times,
when the person lives, he continues through the remainder of his days in a state
of idiocy. Comparatively few survive and perfectly recover the effects of such a
visitation. What the Psalmist means by the smiting of the moon is at
first sight not so obvious. Some suppose that he speaks in conformity with a
popular belief, which it is supposed prevailed in the East in his time, just as
it does in the present day, respecting the deleterious influence of the
moonbeams on the human body, although there is no ground for such a belief, the
moon no doubt getting the blame of the injury done by the cold and dampness of
the night. But the probability is, that by the striking of the moon he simply
alludes to the cold of the night, which has very baneful effects on the human
frame, particularly in such oriental countries as Palestine, where there is a
sudden change from extreme heat in the day to extreme cold in the
night.
fte66
"The burden of the Psalm," says Jebb, "is
µwlç
'peace.' The play upon the words is very remarkable:
µç,
'there,' and
µç,
'the name,' lines 5 and 6;
µyfbç,
'tribes,' line 5
fpçm,
line 7. Then in line 9, and those. which follow:
wlaç,
'pray;'
µwlç,
'peace;'
µlçwry,
'Jerusalem;'
wylçy,
'shall prosper;'
hwlç
'prosperity.'" — Jebb's Literal Translation of the Psalters,
with Dissertations, volume 1. Speaking in reference to the author of the
Psalm, and to the opinion held by some critics, that it was composed about the
time or' the restoration of the Jews from Babylon, he says —"The
extraordinary play upon words already noticed might argue a later period of
composition: [than the time of David]. Still I cannot but think that the title
assigning the Psalm to him is borne out by internal evidence of a stronger kind.
The fond mention of Jerusalem, David's beloved city; the thrones of the house of
David; and the recurrence of peace, which was so emphatically promised to David,
as the blessing about to be conferred on his son Solomon, are all circumstances,
which, taken in connection, stamp this song with a character evidently belonging
to the reign of the royal Psalmist." — Ibid., volume
2.
fte67
"Ou, ont este. — Fr. marg. " Or, have
been."
fte68
Literally, Jerusalem built as a city, that is joined to itself together',
i.e. the several parts of which are connected with each other, so as to form one
compact whole. Before David's time, Zion was not a part of Jerusalem, neither it
seems was Millo: but he added them to the city, and enclosed them within its
wall.
(<100507>2
Samuel 5:7, 9;
<131107>1
Chronicles 11:7, 8.) Solomon afterwards added the hill of Moria, on which his
temple was built, to Jerusalem." —
Cresswell.
fte69
Walford translates —"According to the institution of Israel."
Phillips adopts a similar rendering, which he supports by the following:
note: —
"twd[,
testimony, and thence a statute or law. Amyraldus says
— 'Quacunque re Deus voluntatem suam significet, id Dei testimonium solet
appellari.' The particle
k
should be understood as prefixed to this word. The statute spoken of here is
that which is found in
<022317>Exodus
23:17, and
<051616>Deuteronomy
16:16, enjoining the tribes of Israel to assemble together before the Lord at
the three great feasts. The place of their assembling was that which God chose
for the residence of the ark, which was first at Shiloh, and afterwards at
Jerusalem." Bishop Horne, and French and Skinner read — "According to the
testimony given unto Israel," which brings out exactly the same meaning
— testimony denoting, as they explain it, the injunction given to the
Israelites in that passage in Deuteronomy quoted
above.
Fte70
"Within thy walls. Josephus tells us,
that there were at Jerusalem three ranges of walls surrounding the city.
The sense of the passage is, 'May no enemy approach even to thy out-works to
disturb thy prosperity'" —
Warner.
fte71
"Ou, abondance." — Fr. marg. "Or,
abundance."
fte72
"Et ne proufiter arien par ses prieres,
d'autant qu'il n'observe point l'ordre legitime." —
Fr.
fte73
Calvin's meaning is, that as the nouns peace and prosperity
have a corresponding signification, he was of opinion, that there existed a
similar correspondence between the other two
nouns.
fte74
The Latin copy here reads, "sed ad mores alludens;" but mores is
evidently a typographical error for muros. The French version has "mais
sous ceste similitude des
murs."
fte75
"Look" is a supplement taken from the French
version.
fte74A
"Unto the hand of their masters —
if we retain the word hand, it must be taken in the well-known
sense which it sometimes bears of side or quarter: and the
original word is used
(<020205>Exodus
2:5)in the same sense. The phrase will then simply mean, that the eyes of
servants look towards their masters, and this agrees with — so our eyes
wait upon the Lord. But the Hebrew word also signifies power, (as in
<053236>Deuteronomy
32:36,) which may very well be substituted for. hand in this place, the
notion being that servants when they are in danger or in distress look to the
power of their masters for assistance; and in general expect from them
subsistence and defense." —
Cresswell.
fte75A
Alors les eaux enfiees et impetueuses fussent," etc. — Fr.
"The swollen and impetuous waters had then," etc. The epithet
proud is applied to the waves of the sea in
<183811>Job
38:11.
fte76
"The metaphor may be taken from famished wild beasts attacking and
devouring men, (Comp. 5:5,) or the reference may 'be to the case of a man shut
up alive in a sepulcher,
(<200112>Proverbs
1:12,) and ]left there to perish, or
(<041630>Numbers
16:30) swallowed up by an earthquake." — Cresswell. "A
figurative expression to intimate the savageness of the adversaries,
alluding to the practice of many predatory animals of swallowing their victims
alive. Such is the well-known habit of many of the predatory kinds of fish."
—
Phillips.
fte77
The Church's escape, be it observed, as appears from verse third, is likened
to a rescue from the jaws of a ferocious animal, which swallows its prey
quick, or alive.
fte78
The reader will perceive, that as the imagery goes on it becomes the more
beautiful. Pleasing and tender ideas are associated with the escape of an
innocent bird from the snares which the art and cruelty of man had contrived, to
deprive it of life, or rob it of
liberty.
Fte79
The supplementary words in this verse marked
by inverted commas are taken from the French
version.
Fte79A
From the mountains or hills which surrounded Jerusalem, the Prophet Ezekiel
(<261103>Ezekiel
11:3) represents it under the image of a
"cauldron."
fte80
fbç
If this word be translated rod, then we understand the Psalmist to speak
of the assaults of the wicked upon the righteous; but as the lot of
the righteous evidently denotes their estates, possessions, etc.,
fbç
consequently seems employed as the emblem of dominion, i.e. scepter. This notion
of
fbç
comports better with that of lrwg
[the word for the lot of]; and so the
sense of the whole expression is, that the wicked shall not exercise dominion
permanently over the righteous; the scepter of the wicked shall not
rest," etc. —
Phillips.
fte81
"Ou, se fourvoyent en leurs chemins
obliques, ou, font fourvoyer." — Fr. marg. "Or, go astray in their
crooked paths, or cause to go
astray."
fte82
The abstract noun is put for the concrete,
"the captivity of Zion" for "the captives of Zion" — those who were
led away captive from Zion. Accordingly, in the French version, Calvin uses the
concrete —"Les captifs;" —"The
captives."
fte83
"Ou, alors nostre bouche a este remplie."
— Fr. marg. "Or, then our mouth was
filled."
fte84
"Ou, alors on disoit." — Fr.
marg. "Or, then they
said."
fte85
Grotius and Amyraldus suppose that it was compiled by Ezra, after the Jews had
begun to return from
Babylon.
fte86
That is, it would be derived from
bwç,
shrub, he returned; whereas if it is rendered captivity, it is
derived from
hbç,
shabah, he led captive. The English Bible translators seem to have been
uncertain whether
tbyç,
shibath, is to be considered as derived from the first of these verbs or
from the second, their reading in the text being, "turned back our captivity,"
and their marginal rendering being, "returned the returning." There is a play
upon the words,
bwç,
"turn," and
tbyç,
"captivity." It is to be observed that the concluding part of the above sentence
in the text is from Calvin's French Commentary. There is nothing to represent it
in the Latin
Version.
fte87
Walford reads, "Bring back all our captives, O Jehovah!" "The word
all," says he, "is not in the Hebrew text, but is necessary to the
sense; for some had returned, and others were returning or about to return."
Some of the captive Jews came back to their own land in the reign of Cyrus,
others in the reign of Darius, and the rest in the reign of Xerxes. Such
therefore as had been the first to return, may be supposed to pray in these
words for the restoration of their
brethren.
Fte88
Phillips translates in the dry place. "The noun
bgn,"
says he, "in its usual acceptation, signifies south; but its primary
sense is that of dryness, in which it is used in
<061519>Joshua
15:19;
<070115>Judges
1:15; where bgnh
˜ra is opposed to
µwm
tlg, springs of water." In the
Septuagint the reading is, like the torrents m the parched land.' Street has
—
"Jehovah hath
restored us from our
captivity,
As he
restoreth the torrents in the dry country."
French and Skinner in like manner read "in a thirsty
land."
Fte89
Precaria libertas." — Lat. "Ceste liberte obtenue d'eux par le bon
plaisir du Roy." —
Fr.
fte90
Walford reads, "like the streams of the south." — "In the southern
districts of Palestine and Arabia," says he, "the heat is so vehement during
some seasons as to dry up the rivers completely, and parch the soil. When rains
come, the torrents again flow, and the soil is refreshed and verdant; —
a delightful image of the joy experienced by captives on returning to their
native
land."
fte91
"Fuit Judteis sun migratio sationis instar." — Lat. "Le
tranaport des Juifs en Babvlone leur a este comme un temps de
semence." —
Fr.
fte92
The word then may be prefixed to this verse: then, ie., when thou hast
brought back the captives, they that sowed in tears shall reap in joy."
—
Cresswell.
fte93
"°çm.
This word has been variously interpreted; for as it is found only here and in
<182818>Job
28:18, its signification is uncertain. In the Syriac we have it rendered by a
word which signifies a skin and hence J. D. Michaelis proposes to take
°çm
for a sack made of skin. So Aben Ezra thinks 'that it is the name of a
measure in which there is seed.' The author of Mendlessohn's Beor, approves of
this comment, and observes, that
°çm
was a small cup made of skin.' The root is
°çm,
to draw out.' We should, however, adhere as strictly to the meaning of the root
if we render the expression as Gesenius has done, by the drawing of the seed,
i.e., the strewing or sowing of the seed. I think, however, Michaelis's
rendering is the best, as fitting with the preceding word avg; and so we have
carrying the sack of seed, at the end of the first hemistich,
which corresponds with carrying his sheaves at the end of the second."
— Phillips. On the margin of our English Bible it is "seed-basket."
Street reads, "Bearing the vessel with the seed;" Horsley, "He that goeth, and
weeping beareth the seed to be drawn forth; French and Skinner, "Bearing seed
for his sowing;" Fry, "Sowing his seed," observing, that
°çm
expresses the action of casting the seed into the ground; and Walford, "Carrying
seed for sowing." "Literally it is," says Cresswell, "a drawing forth of
seed, i.e., as much as the sower, putting his hand into whatever contained
the seed, could take out at once.
<300913>Amos
9:13."
fte94
"Augustine beautifully applies the language of this Psalm to Christian ministers
and pastors, as God's builders and watchmen of his Church. How vain their labors
without the grace and power of God!" —
Fry.
fte95
For is supplied from the French
version.
fte97
"Ou que nous demeurions les bras eroisez sans rien faire." —
Fr.
fte98
Walford reads — "He truly granteth sleep to his beloved;" and
observes that the sentence is enfeebled by the word "so" in the vulgar
translation. "It most likely means," he adds, "'in truth,' i.e., truly;
and the sense will be, though all exertion is vain without God, yet he truly
bestows refreshing sleep, free from anxiety and excessive exertion, upon those
who are the objects of his love, inasmuch as they combine all their endearours
with due regard to him." Cresswell adopts the rendering of the Septuagint, which
is "since he giveth his beloved
sleep."
fte99
"Fructus. Merces, fructus ventris." — Lat. "Le
fruict du ventre est loyer qu'il donne." —
Fr.
fte100
µyrw[nh
ynb, sons of youth, words which may signify
children begotten by the father in his youth, as
µynqzAzb,
is a son begotten by a parent in his old age,
(<013703>Genesis
37:3;) or the expression may denote youths, as
rkn
ynb mean strangers,
(<191845>Psalm
18:45.) Either rendering, I apprehend, will be suitable on this occasion; for
the object of the verse is doubtless to show, that a numerous progeny is a great
blessing to a man, and an important addition to his strength and safety; that
they will be a defence to him in a time of danger, and serve him to repel an
enemy, as arrows do in the hand of a mighty man." —
Phillips.
fte101
"Car" —
Fr.
fte102
"Legitimos conventus." — Lat. "Les assemblees Judiciales."
—
Fr.
fte103a
"The tables of the Jews, as we may hence (and from
<091611>1
Samuel 16:11) infer, were round: they had sobs
(<262341>Ezekiel
23:41) placed about them, on which
(<012719>Genesis
27:19;
<071006>Judges
10:6;
<090205>1
Samuel 2:5, 24, 25;
<111320>1
Kings 13:20) they sat, excepting at the Paschal feast." —
Cresswell. In the Illustrated Commentary upon the Bible, the writer on this
passage objects to the common reading — Fruitful vine by the sides of
thine house. olive-plants round about thy table. "We do not
remember," says he, "to have met with a single instance in the East of vines
trained against the walls of a house, or of olives near or about a house.
Neither have we read of such instances. The passage doubtless derives its
figures from the fertility of the vine, and from the appearance of the olive, or
the order in which olive-trees are planted." He accordingly proposes the
following construction — "Thy wife, on the sides (interior apartments) of
thy house, shall be as the fruitful vine; and thy children, round about thy
table, like
olive-plants."
fte104
"Lequel true fois ayant bon vent sur mer, et la navigation prospore apres avoir
pille une temple." —
Fr.
fte105
Il use en premier lieu d'un mot qui est commoe pour demonstrer la chose au doigt
ou a l'oeil, voyla. — Fr. "He, in the first place, uses a word,
which is, as it were, to point to the thing with the finger, or show it to the
eye,
Lo!"
fte106
"Targ. lengthened out their ploughing, i.e., gave us no rest from
their slavery, for the longer the furrows the more tedious is the labor of the
oxen." —
Bythner.
fte106A
Hence it is said in
<281101>Hosea
11:1 —
"When Israel was a
child, then I loved him,
and
called my son out of Egypt."
Youth is in like manner ascribed to a people, in
<234712>Isaiah
47:12, 15;
<244811>Jeremiah
48:11; and
<261643>Ezekiel
16:43.
fte107
According to Archbishop Seeker, this refers to severe scourging; and those
who have witnessed this cruel infliction tell us that the allusion is most
expressive, the long weals or wounds left by the scourges at each stroke being
most aptly compared either to furrows, or (as the original admits) to the ridges
between the furrows. With respect to the alleged incongruity of ploughing, and
making long furrows on the back, the Archbishop observes, "Lacerare et
secare tercum are Latin phrases, and ploughing is not much stronger, to
express a severe scourging." The language of the Psalmist may, however, without
allusion to any particular species of persecuting violence, be, as Calvin
understands it, simply a strong image of cruel oppression. "The persecutors of
Israel," says Walford, "are compared to ploughmen; because as they cut up, and
as it were torture the surface of the earth, so did the adversaries greatly and
grievously distress these afflicted
people."
fte108
Fry reads "corn,"
"ryxj,"
says he, "evidently includes corn as well as
grass."
fte109
In the French version it is "son aisselle;" — "his
arm-pit."
fte110
"Here is an allusion to the custom of blessing; the reapers at their work;
as in that instance recorded in the book of
<080204>Ruth
2:4, 'And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord
be with you; and they answered him, The Lord bless thee.'" —
Warner. "Precisely the same customs of salutation which are here
indicated still prevail in Mohammedan Asia. Nearly the same form of words,
implying the blessing and peace of God, is retained, and the neglect to give the
salutation is still an indignity and an insult." — Illustrated
Commentary upon the
Bible.
fte111
"In Judea, the roofs of the houses are flat, and covered with cement. On
this the grass would not uncommonly grow: but, being thin and weak, and its
situation hot and exposed, it was speedily 'dried up and withered.' The same
sort of architecture, and the same appearances, are common in the East at this
day." —
Warner.
fte112
ãlç
differently interpreted. By the greater number of persons it is translated,
to extract, to pull out; and thus it is used in
<080407>Ruth
4:7, 8, and
<432025>John
20:25, 'Before any one extracts the grass it withereth.' The Septuagint has
pro< tou~
ekspasqh~nai, and the Vulgate, 'priusquam
evellatur.' Our translators have rendered
ãlç
tmdqç, 'afore it groweth up,' in which they
are supported by Aquila and Symmachus. Theodoret observes that many MSS. of the
Septuagint have
ejxanqh~nai
for
ejkspasqh~nai.
In either case the sense is, that the haters of Zion shall be exterminated by
the just and wonderful judgments of God, before they have time to accomplish
their wicked intentions." — Phillips. "Parkhurst adopts
Harmer's opinion, that the Hebrew verb in this place signifies, 'to push out,
unsheath, as corn its ear.' It appears nowhere else but in the sense of
'unsheathing a sword,' or drawing off a shoe.' The proper translation seems to
be, 'Which withereth before it unsheaths its ear.' See Parkhurst on
ãlç."
—
Mant.
fte113
"Whereof the mower hath not filled his hand, etc. —
i.e., It is too scanty to afford employment for a labourer to gather it by
the hand, or for a reaper, who uses a sickle, depositing what he cuts in the
fold of his garment, or as Le Clerc understands it, under his left arm. The
Psalmist in effect prays, that the enemies of Israel may be reduced to such
poverty, that none could become richer by despoiling them: in a word, that they
might be altogether despicable. For binding up the sheaves, Hammond
suggests, gathereth the handfuls, with reference to the gleaner,
<080202>Ruth
2:2." —
Cresswell.
fte114
Au lieu que chacun communement en passant par les bleds les benit, et prie pour
la moisson." —
Fr.
fte115
The depths or deep gulfs are used in
Scripture as an emblem of extreme danger or calamity, whether of body or of
mind. See
<196902>Psalm
69:2, 15. "The Papists, taking the deep as a type of purgatory, recite this
Psalm in the persons of those who have died in their communion." —
Cresswell. To this Calvin afterwards
adverts.
fte116
The allusion is to judicial proceedings. It
is as if the Psalmist had said, If thou wert, like an earthly judge, to note
down every minute circumstance of guilt, who would be able to stand such a
trial, or leave thy court unconvicted, or uncondemned? The verb,
"rmç,
denotes not only to mark, or observe, but to observe diligently,
so as to retain a perpetual memory of what is done amiss - a rigid and judicial
observation of faults: see
<181014>Job
10:14;
<181416>Job
14:16, 17." -
Phillips.
fte117
' "Et demeure confus." -
Fr.
fte118
"Concionantur." - Lat. "Ils tiendront long propos." -
Fr.
fte119
Some, as Street, Mant, Dr. Adam Clarke, French and Skinner, and Phillips,
suppose that the allusion in this verse is to the watchings which the Priests
and Levites in their turns exercised during the night in the Temple, (see
<193401>Psalm
34:1,) and especially to those officers of theirs who were appointed to watch
for the first dawn of day, in order that the morning sacrifice might be offered.
"In the Talmudical Tract Tamid it is related, 'The prefect said to them, Go and
see if the time of slaying; have arrived; if it had arrived, the watcher calls
out,
yaqrb,
Coruscations.' Agreeably to this explanation of the verse is the rendering of
the Chaldee, which is as follows: ' My soul waits for the Lord, more than the
keepers of the morning vigils, which they observe for offering of the morning
oblation.' " - Phillips. "The custom alluded to by the Targumist," [or
Chaldee,] says Street, "is mentioned in
<023007>Exodus
30:7. 'And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he
dresseth the lamps he shall burn incense upon it.'" "The similitude," observes
Mant, "is beautifully expressive of the eager impatience of the Psalmist;
which is still further augmented by the
repetition."
fte120
"Ou, punitions."--.Fr. "Or,
punishments."
fte121
"alAµa,
A formula of swearing which may be translated surely or indeed. I
have surely so disposed and disciplined my soul as to remove it from any longing
after great things, from any ambitious tendencies." -
Phillips.
fte122
Of all explanations the best is that of considering the comparison to consist
between the humbleness and simplicity of the Psalmist's mind, and that of a
little child, in whom there does not exist a sufficient consciousness to create
an ambition for any worldly object. The comparison is not with
qnwy,
a suckling; for it has a longing after the mother's breast, and, therefore, such
a comparison would not be appropriate. The same, indeed, may be said of a child
who has only just been weaned; for, in that stage, how often does it cry and
mourn after that of which it has been deprived, and the possession of which was
just before its chief pleasure? We therefore conclude, that the comparison is
intended to be with a child who has been weaned a sufficient time to have
forgotten its infantile nutriment, and who is not conscious of any particular
desires or cravings, and quietly resigns itself to its mother's care and
training. —
Phillips.
fte123
Lightfoot ascribes this Psalm to David, and supposes it to have been composed on
the second removal of the Ark from the house of Obededom.
(<131504>1
Chronicles 15:4, etc.) But the mention of David's name in the tenth verse in the
third person, and the terms there employed, militate against his being the
Author. Others ascribe it to Solomon, who, they think, wrote it about the time
of the removing of the Ark into the Temple, which he had built for it.
(<140502>2
Chronicles 5:2, etc.) Others are of opinion, that it was composed by Solomon for
the solemn services that were celebrated at the dedication of the Temple. "The
whole tenor of this Psalm," says Jebb, "is an exact epitome of the Dedication
Prayer of Solomon. (2 Chronicles 6) The topics are the same - the building the
house of the Lord - the promise to David - the inhabitation of the Almighty; -
and the concluding sentences of the Dedication, are identical with those
expressions of the Psalm in verses 8, 9, 10. There can, therefore, be little
question that this Psalm was composed by Solomon." - Jebb's Literal Translation
of the Book of Psalms, etc., volume 2. As this forms one of the "Songs of
Degrees," those who conceive that these Psalms were so called beta. use sung by
the Jews about the time of their return from Babylon, conclude that Ezra
selected this ancient song to be sung at the dedication of the second
Temple.
fte124
The expression of going up to one's bed may be illustrated by what Dr. Shaw says
of the Moorish houses in Barbary. Having observed that their chambers are
spacious, of the same length with the square court, in the sides of which they
are built, he adds, "At one end of each chamber there is a little gallery raised
three, four, or five feet above the floor, with a balustrade in the front of it,
with a few steps likewise leading up to it. Here they place their beds; a
situation frequently alluded to in the Holy Scriptures." The language of the
text is no doubt hyperbolical, as Calvin observes, being intended to express
David's great anxiety to have a house built for the worship of
God.
fte125
twnkçm
We have here the plural put by enallage for the singular." -
Phillips.
Fte126
bq[y ryba
abir Yaaicob, the Mighty One of Jacob.
By this expression, which occurs both here and in
<19D202>Psalm
132:2, the Psalmist evidently has a reference to the Patriarch's own words which
he employed in his blessing to Joseph, where God is emphatically so designated.
(<014924>Genesis
49:24.) From this Hebrew name
ryba,
abir, and
rybk,
cabir, which is synonymous, probably came the Cabiri, or the great
gods of the Grecians, and the Abiry of the Druids. See Thes. Antiq.
Roman. tom. 5 page 760; Bryant's Myth. volume 2:page 473; and Cooke's
Patriarchal and Druidical
Religion.
fte127
This oath is not mentioned in any of the
historical books of the Old Testament. There is, however, allusion in
them to his vow on the subject, although he was forbidden by God to perform it.
See
<100702>2
Samuel 7:2, 3; and
<132207>1
Chronicles
22:7-10.
fte128
That is, the objective affix
h,
which appears at each of the verbs in this verse, and which is translated it.
By some it is thought that the antecedent is
ˆwra,
aron, ark, which, although it is generally masculine, is yet sometimes
feminine, as in
<090417>1
Samuel 4:17;
<140811>2
Chronicles 8:11. Such is the opinion of Dr. Lightfoot, who explains the verse
thus: "We heard of it (the ark) in Ephratah, (that is, Shiloh,) a city of
Ephraim; we found it in the fields of the wood, that is in Kirjath-jearim.
<090701>1
Samuel 7:1," etc. (Lightfoot's Chorogr. Cent., c. 45.) Others
consider the h
to refer to habitations, in the preceding
verse; and though that noun is in the plural, it is, as noticed in a preceding
note, put by enallage for the singular. Rosenmuller thinks this opinion - which
is the one adopted by Calvin - the more probable and no doubt at first sight the
most obvious meaning is, that the pronoun it refers to the spot which
David had discovered as a suitable place on which to erect the house of God.
Walford, indeed, objects that "this cannot be intended, because the site of the
Temple was neither at Ephratah, nor in the fields of the wood, or of Jaar;" and
he gives at some length an ingenious explanation of this difficult passage,
extracted chiefly from the German writer Tilingius. This objection, it will be
perceived, is removed by one of the expositions suggested by Calvin, which
supposes that the allusion is first to a report of Ephratha being the place
where the Temple was to be built; and next to the certain information which the
people of Israel afterwards obtained that Jerusalem was the spot which God
himself had selected. Whether this however is the correct explanation of the
verse, it is not so easy to
determine.
fte129
Bethlehem, the place of David's nativity, is called Ephratha in
<013519>Genesis
35:19.
fte130A
Boni paterculi. —
Lat.
fte130
Arise, O Jehovah! were the words which Moses used
(<041035>Numbers
10:35) whenever in the journey through the wilderness the Ark moved forward; and
this and the two following verses form a part of the prayer which Solomon
offered at the dedication of the Temple,
(<140641>2
Chronicles 6:41, 42,) which might be considered as the resting-place of God and
of the Ark. The Ark is here called "the Ark of thy strength" - that is, the
symbol of thy power and majesty. This phrase is found only in this place and in
the passage above
cited.
fte131
Compare
<198948>Psalm
89:48. The sacred histories make no mention of such an oath, but a promise to
the same effect is recorded in
<100712>2
Samuel 7:12;
<120825>2
Kings
8:25.
fte132
Sed quia secum trahebat alias accessiones." -
Lat.
fte133
Solomon's Temple was built on mount Moriah, and not on mount Zion. But as Moriah
was just at the end of Zion, it was sometimes reckoned a part of that mount, and
was called by its name. Even the Temple and its courts are so designated,
(<196501>Psalm
65:1; and
<198407>Psalm
84:7.) Zion may, however, be here put for Jerusalem in
general.
fte134
In
<19D209>Psalm
132:9, the prayer of the Psalmist to God is, that the priests may be clothed
with righteousness; and in this. concluding portion of the Psalm, where God is
declaring what he will do to the king and city of his people, he promises to
grant even more than was asked for in this petition; for, says he, 'I will
clothe her priests with salvation;' not with righteousness only, but with
what is the consequence or reward of righteousness, viz., salvation." -
Phillips.
fte135
"hdyx,
her provision. The word
dyx
signifies food which is taken in hunting, and then it is used to express food
of. any kind — provision generally. The Septuagint has
qh>ran,
which denotes provision that has been hunted, and so obtained; but another
reading of the Greek version
th<n ch>ran
aujth~v, which has been followed by the Vulgate,
Arabic, and Ethiopic; the rendering of the Vulgate being viduam ejus.
This corrupt reading is noticed by Jerome." -
Phillips.
fte136
Some think the lamp
(<022720>Exodus
27:20) of the Tabernacle to be here alluded to. Chrysostom and Cyrill understand
that the lamp here mentioned has a prophetic reference to John the Baptist."
-
Cresswell.
fte137
The idea of the crown flourishing on the head, seems to have been suggested by
the ancient crowns bestowed upon victors;; which consisted of certain species of
evergreens, as the bay, laurel, ivy, dive, myrtle,
etc.
fte138
The word brethren is not limited to those who are descended from the same
parents; it denotes such as are members of the same community, profess the same
holy religion, and are governed by the same institutions. All the people of
Israel are in the first instance here
addressed.
fte139
Kimchi, Jarchi, and others, instead of "to the skirts," translate
"to the collar of his garment." This seems to give the true meaning of
the original, which implies that the head and beard of Aaron only were anointed,
and that the costly sacerdotal robes were thus preserved from an unction, which
must inevitably have spoiled them. For an account of this ointment and of its
sprinkling on Aaron, and his sons, see
<023023>Exodus
30:23-25, 30;
<030812>Leviticus
8:12. When Aaron was consecrated High Priest the oil was poured on him, whilst
on the other priests it was only
sprinkled.
fte140
There is a mountain called Hermon, which is the highest of the ridge of
mountains designated Anti-Lebanon, and which is situated in the northern border
of the country beyond Jordan. This, however, is not the mountain supposed to be
here intended, but another of the same name lying within the land of Canaan on
the west of the river Jordan. It is described by Buckingham as a range of hills
running for several miles east and west, and forming the southern boundary of
the plain of Esdraelon, overlooked in which Mount Tabor is situated. Maundrell,
who, in his journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem had a full view of Tabor and Hermon
at about six or seven hours' distance to the eastward, speaking of the copious
dews which fell in that part of the country, says, "We were sufficiently
instructed by experience what the Psalmist means by the dew of Hermon, our tents
being as wet with it as if it had rained all night." -
Journey.
fte141
Calvin gives the construction of these words as it is in the Hebrew text. But to
make them intelligible something must be supplied. As Hermon and Zion are many
miles distant from each other, it would be absurd to speak of the dews of the
former as falling on the latter, not to mention the difficulty of understanding
how the dew of one mountain can descend upon another. The translators of our
English Bible repeat the words like the dew before which descended;
and the insertion of this supplement is fully justified, as it is the most
natural way of bringing out an intelligent
meaning.
fte142
The particles, µç
yk, refer not to Zion, but are put as introducing
the reason of the goodness spoken of in
<19D301>Psalm
133:1,
µyyj."
- Phillips. Others, as Lowth, maintain that
µç
must refer to Zion, and that to it the blessing
must also refer. "May not
µç
mean the place wherever brethren dwell together in
unity?" — Archbishop
Seeker.
fte142A
"Les expositeurs laissent passer cette cireonstanee, et mal, comme si David
louoit generalement, et sans son propre regard, le consentement fraternel, etc."
-
Fr.
fte143
"Car a quel propos tireroit - il ceste similitude de l'huile sacree, sinon a
ceste fin clue la vraye religion tiene tousjours le premier lieu?" -
Ft.
fte144
"çdq.
Some persons render this word as if it were an adverb. So Tilingins has
'Attollite manus vestras sanete.' There is no doubt, that lifting up the hands
reverently, is the ordinary and proper posture of suppliants at the throne of
grace. Farther, St. Paul, in
<540208>1
Timothy 2:8, apparently with reference to this passage, speaks of lifting up
holy hands. The Septuagint and Syriac, however, have taken the word as a
noun, signifying the sanctuary; the former have
a[gia."
- Phillips. Warner and Cress, well with Calvin would read "towards the
sanctuary;" i.e., towards the holy of holies, where the ark, the symbol
of the Divine presence, was
fixed.
fte145
"We know generally," says Fry, "that there was a nightly service in the Temple,
(2 Chronicles 21:) and Kimchi, a Jewish writer, represents those who by night
stand in the house of the Lord, as holy men who rose from their beds in the
night and went to pray in the Temple." After referring to the case of "Anna, a
Prophetess," he adds, "And St. Paul, before Agrippa, speaking ' of the hope of
the promise made unto the fathers,' gives us this remarkable description: 'unto
which our' twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come.
There was public service in the Temple at Jerusalem not only by day but by
night; which latter service many of the Jews, for whose special use this and the
next Psalm seem to have been composed, were in the habit of attending." -
Cresswell.
fte146
Ye servants off the Lord, etc., i.e., ye Levites, whose duty it was,
according to the Talmudists, to keep watch by night, standing in the Temple: the
High Priest was the only one who sat in the Temple. Compare
<030835>Leviticus
8:35;
<130933>1
Chronicles 9:33
<199202>Psalm
92:2; Psalm 119:147;
<420237>Luke
2:37." -
Cresswell.
fte147
"Car a quel propos les hommes eslevent ils les mains en priant, sinon
afin qu'ils eslevent aussi leurs esprits a Dieu?" -
Ft.
fte152
"Perhaps the original,
hwhy µç
wllh, halelu et shem Jehovah, should be
translated, Praise ye the namee Jehovah: that is, praise God in his
infinite essence, of being, holiness, goodness, and truth."—Dr. Adam
Clarke.
fte153
The words ye who
stand we have supplied in the second
clause, as being necessary to bring out the sense which Calvin attaches to it.
The hwhy
tyb "the house of Jehovah," mentioned in the first
clause, remarks Men-dlessohn in his Beor, is the place where the priests stood;
whilst "the courts" surrounding the temple, referred to in the second clause,
were occupied by the people when engaged in their public
prayers.
fte154
The name "Jacob" is here put by metonymy for the posterity of Jacob, as is
evident from the parallelism of the two
members.
fte155
"Et quand on advisera de bien pres aux mots, on y trouvera que le peuple est
adjoint,
etc."—Fr.
fte156
"Signifie proprement chose bien seante ou belle: et ce sens general convient
mieux." —
Fr.
fte157
"Comme c'est aujourd'huy de tous ceux qu'il adopte en sa bergerie, et ente
au corps de son fils unique." —
Fr.
fte158
The heathen who in ancient times worshipped the elements, imagined them to
possess the power of giving or withholding rain at pleasure, Referring to this
superstitious imagination the Prophet Jeremiah
(<241422>Jeremiah
14:22) reclaims that power as peculiar to God who made and governs the world.
"Are there among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? Or can the
heavens give showers? Art thou not he, O Jehovah, our God? Therefore we will
wait upon thee; for thou hast made all these things." Among the Greeks and
Romans Jupiter was armed with the thunder and the lightning; and AEolus ruled
over the winds. Here the Psalmist teaches us to restore the celestial artillery
to its rightful owner. The description probably refers to the regular rainy
season of autumn which comes on towards the end of September; and Dr. Russell's
account of the weather at Aleppo in that month may be quoted as illustrating the
particulars of the verse. "Seldom a night passes," says he, "without much
lightning in the north-west quarter, but not attended with thunder; and, when
this lightning appears in the west or south-west points, which is often followed
with thunder, it is a sure sign of the approaching rain. A squall of wind, and
clouds of dust, are the usual forerunners of these rains." Thus God may be said
to "make lightnings for the rain," inasmuch as the lightnings in the west
and south-west points are, in the East, the sure prognostics of rain; and the
squalls of wind which bring on these refreshing showers may be said to be
brought for that purpose from "God's secret places." From Dr. Russell's
representing "clouds of draft," as "the usual forerunners of these
rains," Harmer concludes that
µyaçn,
nesiim, which, in our English Bible is rendered" vapours," must mean, as
they elsewhere translate the word,
"clouds."
fte159
"Tellement qu'il les embrasse et range en leur ordre, afin que sa grandeur ne
soit nullement obscurcie par eux." —
Fr.
fte160
"Neantmoins si nous ne voulons arracher tons les rudimens de la vraye religion,
ceci doit demeurer ferme," etc. —
Fr.
fte161
"Si ce meslange du fen et de l'eau n'estoit cognu par usage, qui ne
diroit que c'est une merveille," etc. —
Fr.
fte162
"Comp. Numbers 21; Deuteronomy 2:and Deuteronomy 3;
<061207>Joshua
12:7, etc. The chiefs of very small communities were in ancient times styled
kings; Sihon and Og are particularly enumerated as being
(<050311>Deuteronomy
3:11;
<300209>Amos
2:9) of a gigantic race, of prodigious size and strength." —
Cresswell.
fte163
"Sed quia praecluso terrae aditu in primis erant formidabiles." —
Lat. "Mais pource qu'ils estoyent les plus a redouter, a cause
qu'ils tenoyent l'entree de la terre fermee." —
Fr.
fte164
"Ou, prendra consolation." — Fr. Marg. "Or, will take
comfort."
fte165
"Le mot de juger selon les Hebrieux,, contient en soy toutes les parties
d'un juste et legitime gouvernement. —
Fr.
fte166
"Some persons take
ãa
as the adverb in the sense of even; as Kimchi; but the context, and also
the corresponding passage in
<19B506>Psalm
115:6, show that it has the signification of nose.
ˆya,
because it is followed by
çy,
has merely the sense of not.
(<092109>1
Samuel 21:9.) The meaning of this part of the verse is, that the idols of the
heathen have not even breath to pass through the mouth and nostrils." —
Phillips.
"ãa:
I strongly suspect that a passage beginning with this word (noses have they)
has fallen out of the text. It is found in one of Kennicotts MSS., and has been
added in later times to the Septuagint." — Jebb's Translation of the
Psalms, etc., volume
1.
fte167
The hallelujah with which this Psalm in the original text ends, has been
transferred by the Septuagint to the title of Psalm
136.
fte168
"Quant et quant aussi il donnoit occasion et matiere de luy chanter louanges."
—
Fr.
fte169
This Psalm is called by the Jews, the Great
Thanksgiving.
fte170
"The three first verses of this Psalm contain the three several names of the
Deity, which are commonly rendered Jehovah, God, and Lord,
respectively; the first having reference to his essence as self-existent,
and being his proper name; the second designating him under the character of
a Judge or of an all-powerful being, if Aleim be derived from Al; and the third,
Adoni, representing him as exercising rule." —
Cresswell.
fte171
Jebb observes, that "the 136th Psalm is altogether peculiar in its construction,
as it has the recurrence of the same words, ' For everlasting is his
mercy,' at the end of every distich." He adds, that "this elaborate artifice of
construction seems characteristic of that later period which comprised the
captivity and restoration;" although he at the same time admits, that it is to
be found in Psalms of an earlier date than the Baby-lonish captivity, quoting a
passage in the account of the dedication of Solomon's Temple, which informs us,
that the whole choir of Israel united in praising God "for he is good; for his
mercy endureth for ever:" and observing that this expression forms
the.commencement of three other Psalms, the Psalm 106, Psalm 107, and Psalm 118.
In his remarks on the Psalm 119, after adverting to the alphabetical character
of that Psalm, he adds, "There are other artifices of construction observable in
the Psalms and Hymns composed in these later ages of the Church. For example,
that repetition of the same words and clauses, and the frequent recurrence of a
characteristic word, so frequent in the Greater Hallel, [from the Psalm 111 to
Psalm 118th, inclusive,] and in the Songs of Degrees: and in a continually
recurring burden, in each distich, as in the Song of the three Children, and
Psalm 136, which latter is unique in the Psalter. It has been the tendency of
the poetry of most countries, in the progress of time, to make its
characteristic features depend less upon the exactness of sentimental
arrangement, and more upon some external artifice, whether this be prosodial
metre, alliteration, rhyme, assonance, or the recurrence of a burthen. Now,
though the poetry of the Scriptures, because it was inspired, never declined
from the perfection of its sentimental construction, still those artificial
contrivances, practiced, indeed, in earlier times, seem to have been more
prevalent at the time of the captivity, and the time immediately following, than
heretofore. It was probably so ordained, for the purpose of assisting the
memories of the Jews, who at Babylon were excluded from the open exercise of
their religion, and from public teaching, and, therefore, required more private
helps, which could be more easily communicated orally from parents to children,
or from masters to disciples." — Jebb's Translation of the Psalms,
etc., volume
2.
fte172
"Les cieux sont composez d'un si excellent et bel artifice, qu'ils crient que
c'est d'une facon admirable qu'ils ont este ornez d'une si plaisante
distinction." —
Fr.
fte173
"De mettre ceci entre lents principes et maximes." —
Fr.
fte174
"Dieu en deliverant son peuple n'a point monstre une petite puissance," etc.
—
Fr.
fte175
"Dont nous pouvons bien recueillir que l'espace d'entre deux estoit sans aucune
separation." —
Fr.
fte176
"Sous des logettes de feuilles."
—
Fr.
fte178
By "Babylon" is meant, not the city, but the kingdom; and the mention of rivers,
according to the suggestion of Rosenmuller, is because the synagogues were
usually built near rivers, for the greater convenience of the Jews, who were
obliged to wash their hands before prayer. But as they had no synagogues in
Babylon, they might frequent such localities as would, be suitable sites for
places of worship, and there in the open air perform divine service. It is
conjectured by Chrysostom that the Jewish captives were not suffered at first to
dwell in any of their conquerors' towns or cities, but were dispersed all along
several rivers of the country, where they built for themselves tabernacles or
cottages.
fte179
It may also be observed that sitting on the ground is a posture which indicates
mourning and deep distress. Thus it is said in
<230326>Isaiah
3:26, where the captivity of the Jews in Babylon is foretold, "And she [Judea]
being desolate shall sit upon the ground." And the Prophet Jeremiah, in
portraying the sorrow which afflicted his pious and patriotic countrymen under
the desolation of their country, says,
"The elders of the
daughter of Zion
sit upon the
ground and keep silence."
(<250210>Lamentations
2:10.)
"We find Judea," says Mr. Addison, "on several coins
of Vespasian and Titus in a posture that denotes sorrow and captivity. I need
not mention her sitting on the ground, because we have already spoken of the
aptness of such a posture to represent an extreme affliction. I fancy the Romans
might have an eye on the customs of the Jewish nation, as well as those of their
own country, in the several marks of sorrow they have set on this figure. The
Psalmist describes the Jews lamenting their captivity in the same pensive
posture: ' By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered
thee, O Zion!'" — Addison on Medals, Dial.
2.
fte180
"On the banks of the Babylonian rivers (say the Euphrates and Tigris) there
are no woods or forests, or any considerable trees besides the cultivated
date-palm. But these rivers are in some parts rather extensively lined with a
growth of tall shrubs and bushes, interspersed with some small, and a few
middling trees, amongst which the willow is at this day the most frequet and
remarkable." — Illustrated Commentary upon the Bible. Hence
<231507>Isaiah
15:7 calls the Euphrates "the brook or river of
willows."
fte181
"It is probable that the Levites,
(<150304>Ezra
3:40, 41,) who were the singers and the musicians of the temple, had taken their
harps with them to Babylon, and that their captors, having heard of their skill
in music, demanded of them a specimen of it." —
Cresswell.
fte182
"Others have it from.
hlt,
he suspended, as thought, they- demanded joy on our suspended ones, i.e.,
harps which we had suspended from the willows." —
Bythner.
fte183
"Toutesfois le Sainct Esprit leur met ia comme une barre pour les separer de
toute simulation perverse, comme aussi elle emporteroit impiete." —
Fr.
fte184
Let my right hand
forget. The sentence ends abruptly, and
some supplementary word is necessary to render it complete. The Chaldee version,
by altering the person of the verb, has avoided the ellipsis, May I forget,my
right hand. The Syriac reads, May my right hand forget.me. The
Septuagint has a passive verb, viz.,
ejpilhsqei>n,
as if the original were
jkçt.
Calvin, in his Commentary, makes the same supplement as the translators of our
English Bible — Let my right hand forget its cunning; and the
correctness of this view is supported by the following verse, where we have,
Let my tongue cleave to the roof
of my mouth, etc. The object of both
verses is to express a deep, heart-felt interest in Jerusalem; and should he
lose that interest, the Psalmist wishes that the two members of the body, by
which both instrumental and vocal music are performed, may be rendered incapable
of doing their work — that the tongue may be unable to utter, and the
right hand may forget the art of playing, or its cunning. "There here is
a striking and appropriate point in this which has been overlooked. It is, that
as it is customary for people in the East to swear by their possessions, so one
who has no possessions — who is poor and destitute, and has nothing of
recognised value in the world — swears by his right hand, which is his
whole stake in society, trod by the ' cunning' of which he earns his daily
bread. Hence the common Arabic proverb, (given by Burckhardt, No. 550,)
reflecting on the change of demeanour produced by improved circumstances: ' He
was wont to swear by the cutting off of his right hand! He now swears by
'the giving of money to the poor.'" — Illustrated Commentary upon the
Bible.
fte185
Bishop Horsley translates, "O daughter of Babylon, that delightest in
destruction."
fte186
"This is not the language of imprecation, but of prophecy,
and predicts the horrors which would accompany the taking and sacking of the
city of Babylon; and amongst these the atrocious cruelty of ' dashing the
children against the stones.' (See
<231316>Isaiah
13:16;
<245106>Jeremiah
51:62;
<281316>Hosea
13:16.) Homer mentions the unnatural practice as not uncommon in ancient times
—
'Infants
dashed
Against the
ground, in dire hostility.' — I1, 22 5 63." —
Warner.
"Happy he," etc., is merely declarative of the
general opinion which would be reputed happy, would be celebrated as having done
good service in the world, by destroying a power so universally hated for its
oppression.
fte187
Daughter of
Babylon penotes. the inhabitants of the
Babylonish empire. The inhabitants of a city or kingdom are frequently spoken of
in Scripture as its daughter. (See
<194513>Psalm
45:13;
<234701>Isaiah
47:1;
<380909>Zechariah
9:9.)
fte188
"Il n'entend pas que le service des Perses et Medes ait este agreable a Dieu,"
etc. —
Fr.
fte189
Here "O Jehovah" is to be understood. Though it is not in the received Hebrew
text, it was found in six copies examined by Dr. Kennicott, and in eight
examined by De Rossi. The Septuagint, Arabic, Vulgate, and AEthiopic versions
add" Jehovah" after the verb for "praise." "The omission of the Divine name,"
says Jebb, in his Translation of the Psalms, "in a passage like this, at the
beginning of the Psalm, is altogether
unexampled."
fte190
By the Hebrew word
µyhla,
Elohim, translated gods, Calvin understands "angels" or "kings,"
but particularly the former. It is however proper to observe that
µyhla,
Elohim, is one of the names applied to the Supreme Being in the sacred
volume, and therefore some critics translate "before God," which they explain as
meaning "before the ark," where were the sacred symbols of his presence. If
after the Hebrew word for "before," we should suppose "thee" to be understood,
the reading would be "before thee, or in thy presence, O God! will I sing
praise unto
thee."
fte191
Phillips observes that the force of
b,
beth, seems to be that of concerning: — "'The kings of the
earth shall sing concerning the ways of the Lord,' how that they are good and
merciful."
fte192
This Psalm is entitled "a Psalm of David," and Calvin considers him to be its
author agreeably to the title; lint the mention of "the temple" in the second
verse seems to render such an opinion doubtful. If, however, we translate this
word by "mansion," which is the proper rendering of the original — "the
mansion of thy sanctity:" this objection to its composition by David falls to
the ground. In the Septuagint version the title of this Psalm is, "A Psalm of
David; of Haggai and Zechariah, when they were dispersed," (comp.
<150501>Ezra
5:1); meaning a Psalm of David, used by Haggai and
Zechariah.
fte193
According to this mode of rendering the passage
lk,
cal, the word for all, is independent of
°mç,
shimcha, the word for thy name. But "it has been properly observed
by Aben Ezra, that
lk
in this case should have a Cholem, and not a Kametz Chateph, with which it is
found in all copies. Besides, this translation is not supported by any of the
ancient versions." —
Phillips.
fte194
"Sed hoc ubique fore notum, non alia de causa mirabiliter servatum fuisse a Deo,
nisi quod ejus mandate unctus fuerat in Regem." —
Lat.
fte195
"Though I walk — an Hebraism for though I am."
—
Cresswell.
fte196
"Parfera en moy son oeuvre." — Fr. "Will perform in me
his
work."
fte197
"Ne nons oste le goust de sa bonte, et benignite: d'autre part aussi afin que sa
bonte par laquelle il daigne bien s'abbaisser jusques a nons, ne diminue rien de
la reverence que nous devons a sa gloire." —
Fr.
fte198
"Il signifie aucunefois Rendre, recompenser, et mesme generalement ottroyer,"
etc. —
Fr.
fte199
This Psalm has often been admired for the grandeur of its sentiments, the
elevation of its style, as well as the variety and beauty of its imagery. Bishop
Lowth, in his 29th Prelection, classes it amongst the Hebrew idyls, as next to
the 104th, in respect both to the conduct of the poem, and the beauty of the
style. "If it be excelled," says he, "(as perhaps it is) by the former in the
plan, disposition, and arrangement of the matter, it is not in the least
inferior in the dignity and elegance of its sentiments, images, and figures."
"Amongst its other excellencies," says Bishop Mant, "it is for nothing more
admirable than for the exquisite skill with which it descants on the perfections
of the Deity. The Psalmist's faith in the omnipresence and omniscience of
Jehovah is in the commencement depicted · with a singular and beautiful
variety of the most lively expressions: nor,:an anything be more sublime than
that accummulation of the noblest and loftiest images, in the 7th and following
verses, commensurate with the limits of created nature, whereby the Psalmist
labors to impress upon the mind some notion of the infinity of God." If we
compare this sacred poem with any hymn of classical antiquity in honor of the
heathen deities, the immense superiority of the sentiments it contains must
convince any reasonable person that David and the Israelites, though inferior in
other respects to some other nations, surpassed them in religious knowledge. No
philosopher of ancient times ever attained to such sublime views of the
perfections and moral government of God as the Hebrew Prophets. How are we to
account for this difference but on the supposition of the divine origin of the
religion of the Hebrews? On any other supposition these Psalms are a greater
miracle than any of those recorded by
Moses.
Bishop Horsley refers the composition of
this Psalm to a later age than that of David. "The frequent Chaldaisms," says
he, "of the diction, argue no very high antiquity." Dr. Adam Clarke, on the same
ground, argues that it was; not written by the sweet singer of Israel, but
during or after the time of the captivity. Other critics, however, maintain that
the several Chaldaisms to be found in it afford no foundation for such an
opinion. "How any critic," says Jebb, "can assign this Psalm to other
than David, I cannot understand. Every line, every thought, every turn of
expression and transition is his, and his only. As for the arguments drawn from
the two Chaldaisms which occur,
(y[br
for
yxbr,
and
°yr[
for
°yrx,)
this is really nugatory. These Chaldaisms consist merely in the substitution of
one letter for another very like it in shape, and easily to be mistaken by a
transcriber, particularly by one who had been used to the Chaldee idiom: but the
moral arguments for David's author-ship are so strong as to overwhelm.'my such
verbal or rather literal criticism, were even the objections more
formidable than they actually are." — Jebb's Literal Translation of the
Psalms, etc., volume
2.
fte200
C'est par dessus moy et ma capacite." — Fr. Marg. "That is, above
me and my
capacity."
fte201
Piscator, Campensis, Pagninus, Luther, and our English Version, read "thou
compassest." This no doubt gives the meaning, of the original, though not the
precise idea, which is noticed on the margin of our English Bible to be
"winnowest." The verb
hrz,
zarah, employed, signifies to disperse, to fan, to ventilate, to winnow;
and here it denotes that as men separate the corn from the chaff, so God
separates between, or investigates, the good and the bad in the daily conduct of
men. Hence the Septuagint reads
ejxicni>asav,
"thou hast investigated." Bishop Hare, who renders "thou dost compass," supposes
it to be a metaphor taken from hunting. "Winnowing," says Archbishop Secker,"
would sound uncouth But Mudge hath hit on the word siftest, which, though
an idea somewhat different, suits very
well."
fte202
"Fecisti assuescere vias meas." —
Lat.
fte203
Thus the Septuagint have
e]plasa>v
me, Thou hast formed me. Similar is the
rendering of the Syriac. Those who embrace this view take the verb, as if the
root
were.rxy,
yatsar. "But," says Phillips, "it is certain that the root of
yntrx
must be
rwx,
to afflict, press, besiege. Hence the meaning of the verse is, 'Thou hast
so pressed upon, or besieged me, both behind and before, that I find there is no
escaping from thee; Thou hast placed thy hand upon me, so that I am quite
in thy power.' The whole passage is a figure, representing God's thorough
knowledge of man." — Phillips. "Thou besettest me behind and
before, i.e. thou knowest all my doings as perfectly as if I were begirt by
thee on every side." —
Cresswell.
fte204
"Comme mettant la main sur eux pour los arrester par le collet, ainsi qu'on dit,
tellement qu'ils ne peuvent bouger le moins du monde qu'il ne le scache."
—
Fr.
fte205
Some commentators suppose the third person of the Trinity to be here referred
to.
fte206
Or "of the dawn of the morning."
rjç,
shachar, the word employed, "is the light which is seen in the clouds before
the rising of the sun, and it is like as if it; had wings to fly with haste; for
in a moment the dawn of the morning is spread over the horizon, from the end of
the east to that of the west." — Mendlessohn's
Beor.
fte207
Dathe understands thy hand of God's gracious presence to defend the
Psalmist; and such may be the meaning of the words. But whether we take them in
this sense, or according to Calvin, as expressing man's being under the power of
God, in whatever part of the world he may be, they illustrate the divine
omniscience, which Calvin regards as the chief design of the inspired
writer.
fte208
C'est plustost que David prononcant ee propos selon son propre sentiment, entend
que pourveu qu'il puisse estre par quelqne moyen couvert et cache, il aura
quelque peu de bon temps," etc. —
Fr.
fte209
"The usual signification of
hnq
is, to possess, to acquire; but here it is thought to contain the notion
of forming, or creating. The reason of this difference in the
sense may be accounted for from the circumstance, that in Arabic there are two
verbs to which
hnq
may correspond, viz., one to possess, and another to form. So in
<011419>Genesis
14:19, God is said to be ' the possessor
(hnq)
of heaven and earth.' The Septuagint for
hnq,
reads o[v
e]ktise, who created, and the Vulgate,
qui creavit. Again in
<200822>Proverbs
8:22, for
ynnq
the Chaldee has
ynarb,
hath begotten, or created me. From these and other passages it is
evident that
hnq
was supposed by the ancient interpreters to have the sense of to form, or
create; and this meaning seems to be required in the verse before us,
which comports with the next verb." —
Phillips.
fte210
The "covering" here spoken of, is
illustrated by
<181002>Job
10:2, where God is said to have "clothed us with skin and flesh, and fenced us
with bones and sinews." "A work so astonishing," observes Bishop Horne, "that
before the Psalmist proceeds in his description of it, he cannot help break ing
forth in rapture at the thought: 'I will praise thee, for! am fearfully and
wonderfully
made.'"
fte211
"Ou, mon os n'est point cache de toy." — Fr. marg. "Or, my bone is
not hid from
thee."
fte212
"Fearfully and wonderfully made Never was so terse and expressive a
description of the physical conformation of man given by any human being. So
fearfully are we made, that there is not an action or gesture of our
bodies, which does not, apparently, endanger some muscle, vein, or sinew, the
rupture of which would destroy either life or health. We are so wonderfully
made, that our organization infinitely surpasses, in skill, contrivance,
design, and adaptation of means to ends, the most curious and complicated piece
of mechanism, not only ever executed 'by art and man's device, but ever
conceived by the human imagination." —
Warner.
fte213
"The:figure," says Walford, "is derived from the darkness and obscurity of
caverns and other recesses of the
earth."
fte214
"µqr
is ' to embroider.'" — Phillips. Mant translates the verse thus:
—
"By all, but not by
thee unknown,
My
substance grew, and, o'er it
thrown,
The
fine-wrought web from nature's
loom,
All wove in
secret and in gloom."
And after observing that the foetus is gradually
formed and matured for the birth, like plants and flowers under ground, he adds
— " The process is compared to that in a piece of work wrought with a
needle, or fashioned in the loom: which, with all its beautiful variety of
color, and proportion of figure, ariseth by degrees to perfection, under the
hand of the artist, framed according to a pattern lying before him, from a rude
mass of silk, or other materials. Thus, by the power and wisdom of God, and
after a plan delineated in his book, is a shapeless mass wrought up into the
most curious texture of nerves, veins, arteries, bones, muscles, membranes, and
skin, most skilfully interwoven and connected with each other, until it becometh
a body harmoniously diversified with all the limbs and lineaments of a man, not
one of which at first appeared, any more than the figures were to be seen in the
ball of silk. But then, which is the chief thing here insisted on by the
Psalmist, whereas the human artificer must have the clearest light whereby to
accomplish his task, the divine work-master seeth in secret, and effecteth all
his wonders within the dark and narrow confines of the womb." Bishop Lowth
supposes that the full force and beauty of the metaphor in this passage will not
be understood, unless it is perceived that the Psalmist alludes to the art of
embroidery as consecrated by the Jews to sacred purposes, in decorating
the garments of the priests and the curtains at the entrance of the tabernacle.
"In that most perfect ode, Psalm 139," says he, "which celebrates the immensity
of the omnipresent Deity, and the wisdom of the divine artificer in forming the
human body, the author uses a metaphor derived from the most subtle art of
Phrygian workmen:
'When I was formed
in the secret
place,
When I
was wrought with a needle in the depths of the earth.
Whoever observes this, (in truth he will not be able
to observe it in the common translations,)and at the same time reflects upon the
wonderful mechanism of the human body, the various amplifications of the veins,
arteries, fibres, and membranes; the 'indescribable texture' of the whole
fabric; may indeed feel the beauty and gracefulness of this well-adapted
metaphor, but will miss much of its force and sublimity, unless he be apprised
that the art of designing in needle-work was wholly dedicated to the use of the
sanctuary, and by a direct precept of the divine law, chiefly employed in
furnishing' a part of the sacerdotal habits, and the veils for the entrance of
the tabernacle.
(<022839>Exodus
28:39;
<022636>Exodus
26:36;
<022716>Exodus
27:16; compare
<261610>Ezekiel
16:10, 13, 18.) Thus the poet compares the wisdom of the divine artificer with
the most estimable of human arts — that art which was dignified by being
consecrated altogether to the use of religion; and the workmanship of which was
so exquisite, that even the sacred writings seem to attribute it to a
supernatural guidance. See
<023530>Exodus
35:30-35." — Lowth's Lectures on the Sacred Poetry of the
Hebrews, volume
1.
fte215
"Que sera-ce donc quand on viendra a contempler par le menu chacune
partie?" —
Fr.
fte216
"They (my members) have been daily formed, or forming. They
were not formed at once, but gradually; each day increasing in strength and
size. This expression is probably parenthetical, so that the last words of the
verse will refer to the writing of those things previously mentioned in God's
register." —
Phillips.
fte217
"The meaning is," says Warner, "there was a time when none of those
curious parts, of which my form consists, existed. The germ of them all was
planted by thee in the first instance; and gradually matured, by thy power,
wisdom, and goodness, into that wonderful piece of mechanism which the human
form exhibits." Phillips gives a different turn to the clause:
"And not one of them, or among them, was omitted. Not one of the
particulars concerning my formation has been left out of thy
record."
fte218
"Je les ay tenus pour mes ennemis." — Fr. "I have held them as my
enemies."
fte219
"Via seculi." — Lat. "En la voye du siecle." — Fr. On
the margin of the French Commentary there is the following note — " C'est,
de ce monde;" — " That is, of this
world."
fte220
"Car le mot Hebrieu duquel il use en ce passage ne signifie pas
indif-feremment tout peche, mais douleur et fascherie," etc. —
Fr. "Any way of wickedness — the word rendered after the
Septuagint by wickedness means both sorrow, mischief; and idol:
the former is probably the sense in which the Psalmist here uses it, a
way of sorrow is a way productive of sorrow, or tending to sorrow, as is
the case (Psalm 1:7) with every wicked way." —
Cresswell.
fte221
On the margin of the French Commentary Calvin refers to
<062314>Joshua
23:14.
fte222
"The word 'man' in these two lines is
expressed in the first by
µda
(homo,) in the second by
çya
(vir.)" — Jebb's Translation of the Psalms, etc., volume
1.
Fte223
Mant translates —
"The
serpent's brandished tongue is theirs."
"The verb," says he, "here rendered
'brandished,' signifies either 'to whet, sharpen,' which is performed by
reiterated motion or friction, or to 'vibrate.' In either case the metaphor, as
applied to a wicked tongue, is beautiful and appropriate. I have preferred the
latter as affording a more poetical image. See Parkhurst on
ˆnç,
3." In illustration of this figure Kimchi observes, that "the serpent when it
comes to bite will open its mouth, and will hiss, and move its tongue here and
there as if it would make it sharp as a barber's
razor."
Fte224
The original word
bwçk[,
achshub, rendered "asp," is to be found in Scripture only in this place;
and though it evidently denotes some of the serpent tribe, it is not so easy to
determine the particular species intended. In our English Bible it is translated
"adder," and as the word is derived from an Arabic verb, which signifies to coil
up, or bend back, it has been said that this act perfectly corresponds with the
nature of the adder, which in preparing to strike contracts itself into a spiral
form, and raises its horrid head from the middle of the orb; and which also
assumes the same form when it goes to sleep, coiling its body into a number of
circles, with its head in the center. — (Paxton's Illustrations of
Scripture, vol. i. p. 428.) But the same action is common to most serpents;
and this name may, therefore have reference to no particular species. Some,
however, contend that it is another name for the pethem, or asp
mentioned in
<182014>Job
20:14, the venom of which is so deadly as to be incurable and followed by speedy
death, unless the wounded part is amputated. Such seems to have been the opinion
of the LXX., as they render it by
aspiv,
in which they are followed by the Vulgate and by the Apostle Paul, who quotes
this text in
<450313>Romans
3:13. Calvin here adopts the word sanctioned by these
authorities.
"As to the poison, it will be
observed, that in the venomous serpents there is a gland under the eye secreting
the poisonous matter which is conveyed in a small tube or canal to the end of a
fang which lies concealed at the roof of the mouth. This fang is moveable at the
pleasure of the serpent, and is protruded when it is about to strike at an
antagonist. The situation of this poison, which is in a manner behind the upper
lip, gives great propriety to the expression — 'Adders' poison is under
their lips.' The usage of the Hebrew language, renders it by no means improbable
that the fang itself is called
ˆwçl,
lashon, 'a tongue,' in the present text; and a serpent might be said to
sharpen its tongue, when in preparing to strike it protruded its fangs. We do
not see any explanation by which a more consistent meaning may be extracted from
the expression here employed." — Illustrated Commentary upon the
Bible.
Fte225
The imagery in this verse is borrowed from
the practices of hunters and fowlers in the eastern regions of the world, who
are accustomed to take and destroy the ferocious beasts and the larger species
of birds by a variety of ingenious snares and devices. It is a curious
circumstance, as noticed by Thevenot, that artifices of this kind are literally
employed against men as well as against birds and wild beasts by some of the
Orientals. "The cunningest robbers in the world," says he, as quoted by Mant,
"are in this country. They use a certain slip, with a running noose, which they
cast with so much slight about a man's neck when they are within reach of him,
that they never fail, so that they strangle him in a
trice."
Fte226
That is, in the day of battle, in the day of
the clashing or noisy collision of
arms.
Fte227
In the French version it is, as in our
English Bible — "Fosses profondes;" "deep pits." The Hebrew word,
according to Parkhurst, properly means breaches or disruptions of
the earth, such as are made by an earthquake. He conceives that the Psalmist
alludes to the punishment of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and of the two hundred
and fifty men who burnt incense.
(<041631>Numbers
16:31-35.) See Parkhurst on
rmh.
Bishop Horsley, who concurs with Parkhurst in the supposed allusion, translates
chasms of the yawning earth, observing that he cannot otherwise than by
this periphrasis express the idea of the word
twrmhm.
Fte228
"The desires which the wicked have for my
destruction." —
Phillips.
Fte229
"Car il pourreit estre que l'ordre des mots
seroit renverse, et que le nombre singulier seroit mis pour le pluriel, en ce
sens," etc. —
Fr.
Fte230
"The meaning of the verse may be, that the
mischief designed by the wicked against others shall fall on their own head, as
<190717>Psalm
7:17, 'his violence shall descend on his own head;' or it may express the leader
of the hostile party, as Saul or Doeg, in the case of David being here the
speaker." —
Phillips.
Fte231
çya
is the word for man in both these
clauses.
Fte232
"A man, of tongue, i.e., of
evil tongue; a slanderer or detractor." — Phillips. The Bible
translation renders the phrase "an evil speaker; " and the Chaldee Paraphrase
has "the man of detraction, with a three-forked tongue;" because such a man
wounds three at once — the receiver, the sufferer, and
himself.
fte233
Many commentators are strongly of opinion, that this Psalm was written as a
memorial of that very interesting scene in the life of David, recorded in 1
Samuel 24, relating to his generous treatment of Saul. Though he had an
opportunity of putting that his cruel persecutor to death in the cave of
En-gedi, yet he spared his life, only cutting off his skirt, and not suffering
his followers to touch him; and when Saul had gone out of the cave, David going
out after him, remonstrated with him from some distance in the gentlest and most
respectful language in regard to the injustice of his conduct towards him. It is
thought that the sixth verse contains so express a reference to this very
remarkable occurrence in David's history, as to leave little doubt that it was
the occasion on which the Psalm was
composed.
Fte234
As, here and in the preceding clause, is a supplement, very properly made by
our author; a word signifying like, or in the stead of, being
frequently understood in the Hebrew text of the
Psalms.
Fte235
The allusion, according to the opinion of most commentators, is to the morning
and evening sacrifices, of which see an account in
<022938>Exodus
29:38-42. In the phraseology of the verse it. is supposed that there is a
reference to the commencing and concluding acts of the daily public worship
among the Jews. Every morning and evening the priests offered incense upon the
incense-altar which stood in the holy place, while the people prayed without.
But in the morning the incense was offered before the sacrifice was laid
upon the altar of burnt-offering; whereas in the evening (at the ninth hour) it
was offered after the sacrifice was laid upon the altar; and thus in the evening
the sacrifice and the incense were offered at the same time. See Lightfoot's
Temple Service, chapter 9:section 5. Dr. Adam Clarke, however, thinks that David
does not refer to any sacrifice; "for," says he, "he uses not
jbz,
zebach, which is almost universally used for a slaughtered
animal,
tjnm,
minchath, which is generally taken for a gratitude offering, or an
unbloody sacrifice." He translates the last two words "the evening
oblation."
Fte236
"Car pource que lors Dieu vouloit que les
prieres des fideles fussent sanctifiees par encensement et par sacrifices, David
s'appuye sur ceste promesse." —
Fr.
Fte237
"C'est a dire qu'il ne s'enyure de la vaine
douceur qu'ils out en se desbordant a mal, et qu'ainsi il ne s'esgaye en
pechez." — Fr.
Fte238
"As one cutting and slitting. Many
persons understand
µyx[,
wood, after these participles, supposing the comparison of scattering the
bones to be made with the scattering of wood after it has been cleft. But it is
more probable that what the Psalmist intended to say was in substance as
follows: 'Our bones lie scattered at the edge of the grave, just as one cutting
and cleaving the earth in making a grave often throws up bones, which may be
seen scattered here and there with the earth lying at its sides.' The verse is
poetical, and the figure indicates great distress." —
Phillips.
Fte239
"Que l'huile de la teste ne rompe point ma
teste, c'est a dire, que les meschans ne m'amadouent point par leurs flatteries
a ma perdition et ruine." —
Fr.
Fte240
Those who understand this verse as containing
an allusion to the generous manner in which David acted towards Saul in the cave
of En-gedi, and to his mild expostulation after they had both left the cave,
translate thus: —
"Their princes on
the sides of the rock were
dismissed,
or let go
in safety; And they heard my words that they were
pleasant."
This exactly corresponds with the occurrences
referred to. In correspondence with the first line, it, is said in
<092402>1
Samuel 24:2, that Saul and his chosen men went to seek David upon the rocks
of the wild goats; and the terms in which David expostulated with Saul, were
so gentle, dutiful and affecting, as for the time to melt into tenderness and
contrition the heart of Saul, and to impress the minds of all who heard
them.
Fte241
If David here refers to the treatment he and
his followers met with at the hands of Saul, this exhibits in dark colors the
extreme inhumanity of that monarch. "We are not sufficiently informed," says
Walford, "respecting the cruelties which were perpetrated against David and
those who adhered to him, to enable us to point out the instances to which he
here alludes; but the murder of Abimelech, and of the priests who were with him,
furnishes a pregnant proof of the atrocities which Saul and his agents were
capable of perpetrating. (See 1 Samuel 22.) It appears from the language of this
verse that such enormities were not confined to a few cases, but must have been
numerous, to give occasion to the image which is employed to describe them." How
striking the contrast between David's treatment of Saul, and that which Saul
adopted towards him! Mr. Peters in his Dissertations on Job, gives an exposition
of this 7th verse which is ingenious, and which Archbishop Secker calls
"admirable, though not quite unexceptionable." Understanding the verse as
referring to the slaughter of the priests at Nob, just now adverted to, he
renders the words ypl
lwaç, (which Calvin translates, at the
grave's mouth,) at the mouth, that is, at the command of Saul.
In. support of this translation he produces similar expressions,
h[rp yp
l[, at the command of Pharaoh,
(<014521>Genesis
45:21,) and °yp
l[, at thy command.
(<183917>Job
39:17.) To this rendering there is, however, this strong objection, that we do
not find David ever mentioning Saul by name in any of the Psalms. Peters,
indeed, states that this objection was offered to him against his view, and he
endeavors to remove it, though, as we think, with indifferent
success.
Fte242
"Jusques a ce que je passe." —
Fr. "Until I pass."
Fte243
"C'est le propre de la foy de rassembler
lessens de la personne dispersez, lequels autrement s'esvanouiroyent a chacun
coup." —Fr.
Fte244
In the history of David we read particularly
of the two caves in which he took shelter, that of Adullam,
(<092201>1
Samuel 22:1,) and that of En-gedi,
(<092403>1
Samuel 24:3.) The latter is generally supposed to be the cave
here
fte245
In the Hebrew the verb is in the future
— "I will cry;" but as that language has no present tense, it frequently
uses for it the past and future promiscuously. Bishop Horne, therefore, renders
in the present all the verbs in this Psalm, which Calvin translates in the past,
except the verbs in the two first verses, which he renders in the future.
Translators, however, in general concur with Calvin, and we think justly, the
Psalm, as we conceive, being a recollection of the substance of the prayers he
addressed to God while in the cave of En-gedi, but which it cannot be supposed
he had then an opportunity of committing to
writing.
Fte246
"Or c'est une belle similitude quand il dit
que son esprit a este en tortille et enveloppe," etc. —
Fr.
Fte247
The allusion here, it is supposed, is to the
observances of the ancient Jewish courts of judicature, in which the advocate,
as well as the accuser, stood on the right hand of the accused.
(<19A905>Psalm
109:5.) The Psalmist felt himself in the condition of one who had nobody to
plead his cause, and to protect him in the dangerous circumstances in which he
was placed.
fte248
To the title "A Psalm of David," some copies
of the Septuagint and the Vulgate add — "when his son Absalom pursued
him," (see
<101724>2
Samuel 17:24, 25;) and interpreters in general agree that this is the most
probable occasion on which it was
penned.
Fte249
Walford thinks there is probably here a
reference to the great transgression, the consequences of which followed David
all his days. "As he would not fail to be reminded of it," says that writer, "by
the sorrows which had now come upon him, from Absalom's misconduct, and as his
purpose was, notwithstanding, to implore divine support and deliverance, he
deprecates God's righteous judgment, since if no man could be just with God,
certainly he, who had so greatly transgressed, could have no claim to such a
state. The consciousness of his guilt, though he had reason to believe it was
forgiven, induced him thus to abase himself before God, when he was about to
offer earnest entreaties for deliverance from dangers which threatened his
dignity and life; while he still maintained his hope, that God looked upon him
as his servant, whom he had pledged himself to
protect."
Fte250
µlw[
ytmk. These words are differently rendered in the
ancient versions. The Septuagint has
wJv nekrou<v
aijwnov, as the dead of the age; the Syriac,
forever; the Chaldee, as they that lie down of that age. The real
sense of the expression is, as they who have been dead a long time. The
Psalmist employs hyperbolical language in this verse; he says, the enemy hath
beaten his life to the ground, hath made him dwell in dark places, and for such
a length of time, that there remained no remembrance of him, and that he had
become like those persons who had long since been in their graves. The design of
all this is to express emphatically great sorrow and oppression." —
Phillips.
Fte251
In the Book of Common Prayer it is —
"My soul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty land." Mant translates similarly. The
word gaspeth is a supplement, but it may convey the precise meaning; and
according to this view the allusion is to the cracking of the lands of the east,
in consequence of the extreme drought of the summer months. These dry lands, as
has been noticed by travelers, have often chinks too deep for a person to see to
the bottom of. This may be observed in the Indies more than anywhere, a little
before the autumnal rains fall, and, wherever the lands are rich and hard. See
<241404>Jeremiah
14:4.
Fte252
In our English Bible the verbs "quicken,"
"scatter," and "destroy," are in the imperative mood; but Calvin renders them in
the future tense. In this he is followed by Dr. Hammond and Bishop Horne; "and
then," as this last commentator remarks, "the Psalm will end as usual, with an
act of faith and assurance that all those mercies which have been asked shall be
obtained."
Fte253
Que Dieu quand il commence a traitter ses
serviteurs plus doucement, fait (par maniere de dire) luire un jour nouveau.
— Fr.
Fte254
"Je confesse bien que le mauvais esprit de
Dieu agite et transporte les reprouvez, (car Dieu execute ses jugemens par les
diables,)" etc. —
Fr.
fte255
The ideas and the phraseology of a
considerable part of this Psalm appear to be borrowed from the
eighteenth.
Fte256
The occasion on which this Psalm was written
can only be conjectured. The Septuagint, Vulgate, Aethiopic, and Arabic versions
entitle it "A Psalm of David against Goliah;" and that the Chaldee paraphrast
took this to be the subject of the Psalm is evident from his reading in verse
10th, "the sword of Goliah." Judging, however, from internal evidence, the
enemies referred to seem rather to be those of David and his kingdom, after he
ascended the throne. Some refer the Psalm to David's war with the Ammonites and
Syrians, recorded in 2 Samuel 10.; and it may have been composed by him when
about to encounter these hostile
powers.
Fte257
"Ou, mon rocher." — Fr.
marg. "Or, my rock."
Fte258
Those who conjecture that
µym[,
amim, is the correct reading, refer to the parallel passage in
<191847>Psalm
18:47, where the word is in the plural. They also observe in support of their
opinion, that this reading is actually found in a great number of MSS. examined
by Kennieott and De Rossi; and they account for
ym[,
ami, having got into the text by supposing that it was written in the
first instance as a contraction for
µym[,
amim. Rosenmuller supposes, but with less probability, that the original
word was
µ[,
and that the letter
y,
yod, is paragogic, that is, has been annexed to improve the sound;
µ[,
am, being taken collectively. The Masorets have noticed that
µ[,
which the translators of our English Bible took to be
µ[,
with its possessive affix here, in
<102244>2
Samuel 22:44, and
<250314>Lamentations
3:14, and consequently rendered by my people, is to be taken as the
plural number of that noun.
Fte259
"Et mesmes combion qu'en espluchant la nature
des hommes il eust peu toucher d'autres choses, pour lesquelles ils sont
indignes. — neantmoins," etc. —
Fr.
Fte260
"Bow
thy heavens. This expression is derived from
the appearance of the clouds during a tempest: they hang low, so as to obscure
the hills and mountains, and seem to mingle heaven and earth together. Such an
appearance is figuratively used to depict the coming of God, to execute
vengeance upon the enemies of his people. See
<191810>Psalm
18:10, and other instances." —
Walford.
Fte261
The verbs in this and the two following
verses are in the imperative mood, whereas in the corresponding passages in the
eighteenth Psalm they are in the past tense. This difference is best accounted
for by supposing, with Calvin, that these verses are the language of prayer,
uttered by David in a time of threatened danger from the enemies of his kingdom
and people; whilst those of the eighteenth Psalm were spoken after some signal
deliverance or deliverances had been
vouchsafed.
Fte262
"Scatter them. The antecedent of 'them' is 'peoples' in verse second." —
Walford.
Fte263
"In taking an oath the right hand was lifted
up. The enemies of David profaned their oaths by violating the covenants into
which they entered, and breaking their solemn engagements." —
Walford.
Fte264
"The meaning is, the hands with which they confirm their treaties of peace and
leagues of friendship are immediately lifted up against the lives and liberties
of their allies." —
Warner.
Fte265
In the French version it is — "Upon the
psaltery, and upon an instrument of ten strings." It is evident that Calvin
supposed two instruments to be here mentioned. This, however, has been doubted.
The rendering in the Hebrew text is —
rwç[
lbnb, benebel asor, "with a nobel (or
psaltery, as the term is translated in our English Bible) ten
(stringed)." Thus only one musical instrument may be indicated —
"the psaltery of. ten strings." In
<193302>Psalm
33:2, we read similarly,
rwç[
lbnb, benebel asor, "with the psaltery ten
(stringed)." In
<194203>Psalm
42:3, however, nebel and asor are represented as two distinct musical
instruments. We there read,
lbnAAyl[w
rwç[Aayl[, ale-asor veale-nabel,
"upon the asor or ten (stringed instrument), and upon the nebel
or psaltery." But whatever inference may be drawn from the independent
exhibition of asor in that text, yet in the passage before us, and in
<193302>Psalm
33:2, if we may judge from the construction, it seems rather to represent the
number of strings of the common nebel or psaltery, or a particular variety of
that instrument, than to be a distinct musical instrument. With respect to the
Hebrew nebel from which comes the
nablov;
of the Greeks, and the nablum of the Latins, our information is very
limited and indistinct. It is supposed to have been a stringed instrument of the
harp or lyre kind, and appears to have been of the triangular form. As it is not
noticed in Scripture earlier than the days of David, it is not considered of
equal antiquity with some other musical instruments. It was formed of precious
wood, as we learn from
<111012>1
Kings 10:12, and ultimately, according to Josephus, of that species of precious
mixed metal called electrum. From its being never mentioned in the Sacred
Writings, except in connection with the worship of the sanctuary, it has been
conjectured that it was not used in private, and that it was probably larger,
and more costly, than other instruments of a similar kind. Josephus says that it
was played upon with the fingers, and had twelve strings. The number of strings
may, however, have varied according to
circumstances.
Fte266
"The paraphrase of Bishop Patrick, doubtless,
conveys the real meaning: 'Tall and beautiful, like those polished pillars which
are the ornaments of a palace.'" — Illustrated Commentary upon
the Bible. "The polished corners of the Temple — rather, the
sculptured angles, the ornament of a palace. Great care and much ornament
were bestowed by the ancients upon the angles of their splendid edifices. It is
remarkable that the Greeks made use of pilasters, called Caryatides, (carved
after the figure of a woman dressed in long robes,) to support the entablatures
of their buildings." —
Cresswell.
Fte267
"Ou, produisans, fournissans." —
Fr, marg. "Or, producing,
providing."
Fte268
In the East sheep are remarkably fruitful,
bringing forth, as Boehart shows, not only two at a time, (Song 4:2,) but
sometimes three or four, and that twice a year. This accounts for the prodigious
number of sheep which whitened the extensive pastures of Syria and Canaan. See
<120301>2
Kings 3:4;
<130521>1
Chronicles 5:21;
<143507>2
Chronicles 35:7;
<196501>Psalm
65:14.
Fte269
"In
our streets. Streets are not proper places for
sheep. The word
twxwj,
chutzoth, is different from that properly rendered 'streets' in the
ensuing verse, and is the same that is translated 'fields' in
<180510>Job
5:10. The word literally means 'outplaces,' and as such is susceptible of
various applications; in the present text it probably denotes the outpastures in
the commons and deserts." — Illustrated Commentary upon the
Bible.
Fte270
"Ou, gras" — Fr. marg. "Or,
fat."
Fte271
"Grant that our sons may be as plants," etc.
Such is the view taken by the Translators of the English
Bible.
Fte272
wnywzm,
Our garners. This word is to be found in Scripture only once, but it has
most probably the same root as
tywz,
and it may denote primarily our corners, and then our garners;
because garners or storehouses were usually at the ends or corners of edifices."
— Phillips.
Fte273
Literally, "from kind to
kind."
Fte274
µylbsm,
burdened, viz. with flesh, according to Pagninus, who has onusti
carne. The root is
lks,
and the form is the pual participle, which occurs only in this place. Compensis
has paraphrased it: santi et ferendis oneribus apti. Perhaps burdened
oxen may be a phrase equivalent to our beasts of burden such as are
strong and adapted to carry burdens; and here the prayer of the Psalmist is,
that they may be eminently fitted for this service." —
Phillips.
Fte275
This Psalm is with much propriety entitled
"Praise of David; " for it is throughout a continued celebration of the
perfections and doings of God. It is certainly one of the most interesting and
beautiful of the compositions of the sweet singer of Israel; and so high an
opinion did the ancient Hebrews form of it that they were wont to say —
"Whoever utters this Psalm thrice each day with the heart and tongue is a happy
man, and shall infallibly enjoy the blessings of the world to come." The time
and occasion of its composition can only be conjectured. Dr. Morison thinks it
probable that it was composed by David when he and the nation of Israel obtained
the blessings which he implored in the preceding Psalm; and that it is that new
song which he purposed to sing
(<19E409>Psalm
144:9) when God appeared in glory for his chosen people. This is the last of the
alphabetical Psalms. The first verse commences with the first letter of the
Hebrew alphabet, the second verse with the second letter, and so on to the
close, with the exception that the hemistich of which
n,
nun, was the commencing letter is wanting. The other alphabetical Psalms
are Psalm 25, Psalm 34, Psalm 37, Psalm 111, Psalm 112, Psalm
119.
Fte276
The Jewish government was a
theocracy.
Fte277
"In seculum et usque." — Lat.
The original Hebrew words are d[w
µly[l, leolam vaad, which Dr.
Adam Clarke had translated "for ever and onward in this and the coming
world." "These sorts of expressions," he adds, "are very difficult to be
translated."
Fte278
"Ou, parleray." — Fr.
marg. "Or, will speak
of."
Fte279
After this verse two lines appear to have
been lost in the Hebrew text. The Psalm, as we have said before, is
alphabetical; and each stanza begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in
regular order, till we come to
<19E514>Psalm
145:14, when a break — the only one in the Psalm — takes place.
<19E513>Psalm
145:13 begins with the letter
m,
mem, and
<19E514>Psalm
145:14 with the letter
s,
samech. Thus the stanza beginning with the letter,
n,
nun, is wanting. it is thus supplied in the Septuagint:
Pisto<v Ku>riov ejn pa~si
toi~v lo>goiv aujtou~ kai< o[siov ejn pa~si toi~v e]rgoiv
aujtou~. "Faithful is Jehovah in all his words, and
holy in all his works." Dr. Adam Clarke, after observing that there is not a
verse answering to
n,
nun, in any of the printed copies of the Hebrew Bible, states, that there
is one MS., now in Trinity College, Dublin, which has it thus (he supposes by
correction) at the bottom of the page:
wyç[m lkb
dysjw wyrbd lkb hwhy
ˆman
Neeman Yehovah
be-cal debaraiv; ve-chasid be-cal maasaiv.
This exactly corresponds with the reading in the
Septuagint. "Nothing," says Dr. Lowth in Merrick's Annotations on the Psalms,
"can be more certain than the genuineness of the verse
n
which the Septuagint has preserved, varying only in two words from
<19E517>Psalm
145:17."
Fte280
"Si la bonte de Dieu ne surmonte cest
empeschement, c'est en vain que les Prophetes traitteroyent de sa grace et
misericorde." —
Fr.
Fte281
"µylpn
nophelim, the falling, or those who are not able to keep their
feet — the weak. He shores them up — he is their prop. No man
falls through his own weakness merely; if he rely on God, the strongest
foe cannot shake him." — Dr. Adam
Clarke.
Fte282
"Il ne sera point mal connenable que
l'affection soit yei mise pour la chose mesme." —
Fr.
Fte283
"Les autres voudroyent qu'il fust sujet a
eux: les autres comme par maniere d'acquit cerchent cluelque moyen de
l'appaiser," etc. —
Fr.
fte284
In the original Hebrew and in the Chaldee
paraphrase, no author's name is prefixed to this Psalm: in the Septuagint,
Syriac, Vulgate, AEthiopic, and Arabic versions it is ascribed to Haggai and
Zechariah. Upon the supposition that it was written by these Prophets its
composition would be after the captivity; "and it may refer," says Dr. Adam
Clarke, "to the time when Cyrus, prejudiced by the enemies of the Jews, withdrew
his order for the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, to which revocation of
the royal edict the
<19E603>Psalm
146:3 may refer, 'Put not your trust in princes,' etc." Horsley, proceeding on
the same view, entitles it, "A thanksgiving of the returning captives." There
is, however, nothing in it which prohibits us from looking upon it as a Psalm of
David.
Fte285
Horsley prefers translating "his false
deceitful show," instead of "his thoughts." He observes, that the original word
is literally "his glitterings." Parkhurst would render the original word
"splendours, glories," "which," says he, "makes an excellent
sense."
Fte286
That is, with the word "Hallelujah," the
Hebrew for "Praise Jehovah." Hence they have been called, "Hallelujah
Psalms."
Fte287
In our English Bible it is "openeth the
eyes of the blind." From this clause some of the ancients concluded that the
whole of the attributes here enumerated are intended to apply to Christ. Bishop
Horne, and other modern divines, entertain the same opinion. But though all that
is here said may with the strictest truth be predicated of Christ, the propriety
of restricting the interpretation of the Psalm to him, upon the slender ground
specified, may be doubted. Walford translates this clause — "Jehovah
delivereth them that are in darkness." "There is no word," says he, "in Hebrew
to correspond with the 'eyes' of the English Bible; and it is more in agreement
with the parallelism of the verse, to understand this clause of persons who are
in distress and adversity, expressed by being in
darkness."
Fte288
"Qui saepe frenum rodendo, malunt putrescere in suis miseriis, quam ad certum
hoe asylum se conferre." —
Lat.
Fte289
In the Hebrew text, and in the Chaldee and
Vulgate versions, this Psalm is without a title, but in the Septuagint it is
assigned to the days of Haggai and Zephaniah, the title being —
Allelouia Aggaiou kai
Zacariou; and this may be regarded as a probable
reference. In
<19E702>Psalm
147:2 and
<19E713>Psalm
147:13 there seems to be an allusion to the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Bishop
Horsley entitles it — "Thanksgiving of the returned captives. Perhaps
composed for a Pentecost or Feast of Trumpets, after the Restoration." "Eben
Ezra, and other Jewish writers, think that it foretells the future rebuilding of
Jerusalem, and the restoration of the Jews from their present captivity, and
refer it to the times of Messiah." — Dr.
Gill.
Fte290
The Hebrew word here is
rwnk,
kinnor. It is uniformly translated "harp" by Calvin, and also by the
translators of our English Bible. But as is supposed by Calmet and others, it
more probably corresponded with the lyre of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. In
the Septuagint it is usually either thrown into the Greek form
kinura,
cinyra, or rendered
kiqara,
cithara, one of the various names by which the principal varieties of the
ancient lyres were distinguished. And where these are not the words by which it
is rendered in that version, it is rendered by other names which the Greeks gave
to different forms of the lyre. From this it is evident that the translators of
the Greek version believed that
rwnk
kinnor, denoted the lyre, although from their translating it by
different words, each signifying a particular variety of that instrument, they
were uncertain as to the particular species of lyre. "The brief intimations in
Scripture are in full accordance with this statement; for it is not described as
such an instrument — large, heavy, and resting on the ground when played
— as the word 'harp' suggests to our minds; but as a light portable
instrument, which the player carried in his hand or on his arm, and might walk
or dance the while. In fact, Scripture describes the kinnor as being used
in such a manner and on such occasions as we know the lyre to have been by the
ancients, who indeed had not, so far as we know, any harps large and resting on
the ground like ours. We speak only of the Greeks and Romans, however, for the
Egyptians had large standing harps; from which we shall in a future note take
occasion to conclude that such were also known to the Hebrews, while we retain
our impression that the lyre is denoted by the kinnor." —
Illustrated Commentary upon the Bible. The kinnor is an instrument
of the highest antiquity, being one of those two invented by Jubal before the
flood.
<010421>Genesis
4:21. It was used at an early period on festal occasions, as appears from the
next instance in which it is mentioned in Scripture, six hundred years after the
deluge, namely, in Laban's words to Jacob, as recorded in
<013127>Genesis
31:27. It was also used by the prophets in their sacred music, as we learn from
the next instance in which it is noticed — in the time of Samuel,
<091005>1
Samuel 10:5. The notes of the kinnor might be mournful,
(<231611>Isaiah
16:11;) but they were also cheerful,
(<182102>Job
21:2;
<183031>Job
30:31;
<091623>1
Samuel 16:23;
<19D702>Psalm
137:2.) This musical instrument was constructed of wood,
<111012>1
Kings 10:12; and it no doubt was to be found among the Hebrews of different
forms and power, and varying in the number of strings. The ancient lyres were
either played with the fingers, or struck with a plectrum, an instrument
which appears generally to have consisted of a piece of ivory, polished wood, or
metal, in the form of a
quill.
Fte291A
"After this clause the Vulgate, the
Septuagint, AEthiopic, Arabic, and Anglo-Saxon add, 'and herb for the service of
man.' It appears that a hemistich or half line has been lost from the Hebrew
text, which, according to the above version, must have stood as in
<19A414>Psalm
104:14." — Dr. Adam
Clarke.
Fte292A
"Car quant a la fable que les Juifs
racontent, que les corbeaux laissent leur petits si tost qu'ils sont esclos,"
etc. — Fr.
FTe293A
We learn from Chardin in a manuscript note on
this passage, as quoted by Harmer in his Observations, that towards the Black
Sea, in Iberia and Armenia, and therefore he imagines in other countries also,
"the snow falls in flakes as big as walnuts; but not being either hard or very
compact, it does no other harm than presently to cover and overwhelm the
traveller." The inspired writer had probably seen flakes of equal size on the
mountains of Judea; and this would suggest to his mind the strikingly
appropriate figure, "He giveth his snow like
wool."
FTe294A
Walford translates, "He casteth down his ice
in hail-stones." "The expression, 'like morsels,'" says he, "is a literal
version of the Hebrew, but it gives so imperfect and obscure a representation of
the meaning, as to induce the substitution which is here found. There can be no
doubt but that hail is the thing intended: in this the critics are unanimous. It
is most likely that the Hebrew term, which is translated 'morsels,' means small
pieces of some substance, which we cannot now
determine."
FTe295A
"The cold is sometimes extremely severe and
even mortal in Palestine and the neighboring countries. Fulchirius Carnotensis,
as cited by Mr. Harmer, 'saw the cold prove deadly to many. Jacobus de Vitriaco
informs us, that the same thing happened to many of the poorer people, engaged
in an expedition in which he himself was concerned, against Mount Tabor: they
had suffered severely the preceding days by cold; but on the 24th of December it
was so sharp that many of the poor people, and of the beasts of burden, actually
died. Albertus Acquensis tells us the same thing happened to thirty of the
people that attended King Baldwin I., in the mountainous districts of Arabia by
the Dead Sea, where they had to conflict with horrible hail, with ice, and
unheard of snow and rain.' These citations, as Harmer appositely remarks, may
remove our wonder at such passages as that here commented on, in a hymn composed
in those warmer climates." —
Mant.
fte296A
Milton, in his Paradise Lost, (Lib. 5. line
53, etc.,) has elegantly imitated this Psalm, and put it into the mouth of Adam
and Eve as their morning hymn in a state of
innocency.
Fte297A
"Que les estoilles sont plus haut que les
planetes, et qu'icelles planetes sont situees en divers cercles ou spheres."
—
Fr.
Fte298A
"Laudate Iehovam e terra." — Lat. "Louez le Seigneur, vous
creatures de la terre." —
Fr.
Fte299A
"Ou, balenes." — Fr. marg. "Or,
whales."
fte291
"The Jewish government was a Theocracy,
which commenced at the time of the departure from Egypt; and continued in
some degree till the coming of Christ, as had been foretold by Jacob,
<014910>Genesis
49:10." —
Dimock.
fte292
In our English Bible it is in the text, "in
the dance;" and on the margin, "or with the pipe."
lwjm
machol, the Hebrew word employed, is often in our authorized version
rendered "dance"; but this is not its meaning. It denotes, as Parkhurst states,
"some fistular wind instrument of music, with holes, as a flute, pipe or fife,
from
lj,
chal to make a hole or opening." "I know no place in the Bible." Says Dr.
Adam Clark, "where
lwjm,
mechol, and
tljm,
mechalath, mean dance of any kind; they constantly mean some kind
of
pipe."
fte293
The Hebrew name for this kind of this musical instrument is
ãt,
toph. The timbrel, tympanum, or tambourine, was used chiefly by women,
and was employed in choral dances, or occasions of religious or festal
processions. Thus we read in
<021520>Exodus
15:20, 21, "And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in
her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dances. And
Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the
horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea." The principle of the
ãp,
toph, or timbrel was that of a prepared skin stretched upon a hoop or
frame. There were various kinds or forms of this instrument. "Our common
tambourine, with small cymbals inserted in the frame, also appears in some
paintings, [of Egyptian and European antiquity,] and is now very common in
Western Asia. We are told that the frame was either of metal or wood and that
the ass's skin was usually employed for the covering. They were not always
played by the naked hand; but were sometimes struck with small batons, or with a
knotty whip with many thongs, instead of which, on particular festivals, a sprig
of some tree or plant, considered suitable to the occasion, was sometimes
employed." — Illustrated Commentary upon the Bible. The timbrel is
evidently of oriental origin. From the reference to it in
<013127>Genesis
31:27, where
ãt
is translated "tabret," we learn that it was known in the time of Jacob, that
is, ages previous to the existence of the great European nations of antiquity;
and both the Greeks and Romans confessed that their instruments of this class
were derived from Egyptians and Syrians. See volume
3.
fte294
The people of the East sat on couches in
their private parties, banquets, etc., as well as reposed on them during night.
The language here may, therefore, be expressive of the praise they would ascribe
to God at their festal banquets and in their private companies. An exhortion has
previously been given
(<19E901>Psalm
149:1) to praise God in the public assembly. Green supposes that the reference
is to the couches on which they reclines when they partook of the eucharistical
sacrifices.
fte295
"The original is
µnwrgb,
in their throats. It is probable the Hebrew, when a living language, was
extremely guttural, as the Arabian language now is." —
Fry.
fte296
"Qui est ici dit du glaive trainchant des deux cotes, appartient specialment aux
Juifs, et ne peut pas estre approprie an nous," etc. —
Fr.
fte297
"The trumpets of the last Temple were probably formed after the ancient model;
and as these are represented among the spoils of that Temple on the Triumphal
Arch of Titus at Rome, we are enabled to see that they were long straight
trumpets, of a form which has always been and continues to be common... Trumpets
and horns are the only instruments concerning which any directions are given in
the law. 'In the infancy of a state,' says Burney, 'a nation has but little
leisure for cultivating music any otherwise than as it is connected with
religious rites and the military art ;' and it is thus that he accounts for the
fact, that (with the exception of Miriam's timbrel) no instruments but horns and
trumpets are noticed in the Law. And, indeed, it may be said that they are
scarcely mentioned as musical instruments, but as suited to and employed
for making signals, calls, and conveying instructions during the religious
solemnities, and in the field of war... It is clear, however, that trumpets and
cornets were introduced into the musical choirs in the time of David; while they
still continued to be employed in their former service. The following
particulars concerning the use of trumpets in the Temple will be useful, and are
collected chiefly from Lightfoot's 'Temple Service.' The trumpets were sounded
exclusively by the priests who stood not in the Levitical choir, but apart and
opposite to the Levites, on the other side of the altar, both parties looking
towards it—the priests on the west side, and the Levites on the east. The
trumpets did not join in the concert; but were sounded during certain regulated
pauses in the vocal and instrumental music."—Illustrated
Commentary upon the
Bible..
fte298
See footnote 293, Psalm
149:3.
fte299
See footnote 292, Psalm
149:3.
fte300
The original word is
µynmb
"This word occurring nowhere else, it is impossible to ascertain what kind of
instrument this was, but as Edwards, upon the authority of Rabbi Hannase makes,
it a stringed instrument, and the word is probably derived from
hnm,
to number, probably it was so called from the extraordinary number of
strings which it had; and perhaps it was the decachord, mentioned in
<193302>Psalm
33:2, which, having ten strings, might be called Minim,
kat
ejxoch<n, as consisting of the greatest number
of strings in use among the Jews." —
Dimock.
fte301
The Hebrew name is
bg[,
ougab. This instrument is equal in antiquity to the
rwnk,
kinnor, both being mentioned in
<010421>Genesis
4:21, as the invention of Jubal. These are the two first musical instruments the
invention of which is recorded in Scripture, and the only ones mentioned before
the deluge. Subsequently they are almost always mentioned in connection with
each other. The ougab was not that complicated instrument which goes by
the name of the organ in the present day. Calmet supposes it to have been
a flute which consisted of a number of pipes, of unequal thickness and length,
set close or joined together, which gave harmonious sound when blown into, by
moving them successively under the lower lip. Such is the common opinion, and
there seems no ground to dispute its correctness. This instrument was the small
organ or syrinx, or fistula Panis of antiquity; its invention
having been ascribed to Pan, the great sylvan god, who was usually figured with
the instrument in his hands. According to the fable, he formed it of reeds which
grew by the river, and played upon it while his goats were feeding on the banks;
which shows that it was regarded as properly a pastoral instrument, and as such
it seems to be mentioned by Job.
(<182111>Job
21:11, 12.) The principle of its construction is so simple, that it is among the
most widely diffused of musical instruments. It is in common use in the island
of New Amsterdam, in the South Seas, as flutes and drums have been found in
Otaheite and New Zealand, an uncontestable proof that these are instruments
which tribes the most barbarous and the most remote from each other naturally
invent. The number of tubes, as represented on ancient monuments, varies from
seven to
eleven.
fte302
Of the Hebrew musical instrument called
lxlx,
tsiltel, or "cymbal," as Calvin here renders it, and as it is rendered in
the Septuagint and Vulgate, two kinds are here mentioned —
µylxlx,
"tsiltelim," or, "cymbals of sound," and "tsiltelim," or
"cymbals of jubilation." The specific difference between these two sorts
of the same instrument is not accurately marked. The latter were probably of a
larger size than the farmer, or made of such a shape or of such metals as to
emit a louder sound. The former are translated by French and Skinner, "the soft
cymbal." The literal translation of the Hebrew is, "cymbals of hearing," i.e.,
say these critics, "cymbals which when struck do not overpower the voices of the
singers." They translate the latter, "the loud cymbals." The ancient cymbals
were two convex or hollow plates of brass or other metal, as silver or copper,
made in the form of cups, which were held in each hand, and which being struck
against each other produced a sharp clanging. sound. Some, however, think that
the word tsiltzel exclusively denotes the sistrum, and that
cymbals, properly speaking, are denoted by the word
µyçylç
shalishim, in
<091806>1
Samuel 18:6, which is, equally with the other, rendered cymbala by the
Septuagint and the Vulgate, and which our authorized version translates
"instruments of music." It is difficult to decide as to these two opinions; but
it seems admitted on all hands that both cymbals and sistrums were in use among
the Jews. The sistrum was a concave plate of sonorous metal, and of an oval
configuration, crossed by bars of the same metal with reverted ends. These bars
moved freely in the holes through which they passed, and when the instrument was
shaken by the handle to which it was fixed, the reverted ends striking upon the
body of the instrument produced the sound. It had generally three or four
transverse bars. It was much used by the Egyptians in their religious services,
and actual specimens of it of an ancient date have been discovered. See volume
3.
ftf64
According to the Hebrew division, Part 1
extends from Psalm 1 to Psalm 41
inclusive.
ftf65
This line is freely rendered. For the literal translation, see the text as given
in the
commentary.
ftf66
"I am poured out." —
Fr.
ftf67
"Are." —
Fr.
ftf68
"Is." —
Fr.
ftf69
"Is." —
Fr.
ftf70
"Is." —
Fr.
ftf71
In the French version it is "mighty in
battle."
ftf72
i.e. Courteously,
peaceably.
ftf73
"La viole." —
Fr.
ftf74
That is the pitfall in which the net was placed to catch the
victim.
ftf75
In the French version it is
"rise."
ftf76
In French version the word is "terrible," which is the idea of the original
Hebrew
term.
ftf77
Calvin has inadvertently omitted in his Latin version to translate the word
µyyj
"living." But he translates it in his French
version.
ftf78
In the Latin version it is "aptasti;" and in the French, "tu as
perce."
ftf79
According to the Hebrew division, Part 2 extends from Psalm 42 to Psalm 72
inclusive.
ftf80
In the French Version it is "the whole
oblation."
ftf81
In the French Version it is "because thou shalt have executed this
vengeance."
ftf82
Literally,
"wickedness."
ftf83
Ibid
ftf84
A free translation is here given. See the Commentary for the literal
rendering.
ftf85
"Psaltery" in the French
version.
ftf86
Literally
"man."
ftf87
In the French version the reading is —
"And let men know even unto the
ends of the earth,
That God ruleth
in Jacob.
Selah."
ftf88
The free translation of the French version is here adopted. The literal
rendering of the Hebrew text is, "In the scales in going up they [are
lighter] than vanity together." To this Calvin strictly adheres in his Latin
version.
ftf89
Literally,
"iniquities."
ftf90
In the French version it is "by the
power."
ftf91
That is, the Jordan. See Joshua
4:23
ftf92
Dominatur seculo. — Lat. "Il domine sur le monde." —
Fr.
ftf93
Literally, "moreover." But see the
Commentary.
ftf94
"In organo musico." — Lat. "Avec irgyes de musique." —
Fr. The Hebrew is
lbnAAylkb
bichli-nebel, "which is the instrument of the nebel, or
psaltery."
ftf95
In the French versions this line reads — "Blessed be the Lord God
of Israel, the God of
gods."
ftf96
According to the Hebrew division, Part 3 extends from Psalm 73 to Psalm 89
inclusive
ftf97
In French version it is, "which thou hast acquired of
old."
ftf98
From the obscurity of the literal translation of the Latin version, the free
reading of the French version is adopted in these two
lines.
ftf99
Literally
"break."
ftf100
In the French version it is "to the
grasshopper."
ftf101
"That is," says Jebb, "let there be some spared out of those who are marked out
for death by their
enemies."
ftf102
"Shoot" is the rendering in the French version, the word being "provin." In the
Latin version it is "filium," "son," the literal translation of the Hebrew
text.
ftf103
Psaltery. —
Fr.
ftf104
We follow here the French version. In the Latin version, instead of "trumpet" it
is "harp," which is evidently
incorrect.
ftf105
In the French version it is
"greatly."
ftf106
"To the grave." —
Fr.
ftf107
"To the pit." —
Fr.
ftf108
In the French version it is "thou hast
founded."
ftf109
Literally, "of what age I
am."
ftf110
According to the Hebrew division, Part 4 extends from Psalm 90 to Psalm 106
inclusive.
ftf111
In the French version it is, "Thou carriest them away as do floods of
water."
ftf112
In the French version it is "le manichordion," which Randle Cotgrave translates
"an (old fashioned)
Clavicord."
ftf113
In the French version this line reads, — "With the song upon the
harp."
ftf114
"From that time," that is, from the creation of the world mentioned in the
previous
verse.
ftf115
In explaining this verse, Calvin expresses his approbation of a translation
somewhat different: —
"As from eternity
thou art,
Even so thy
throne hath been erected (or prepared) from that time."
ftf116
"A vocibus." — Lat. "A cause du bruit." —
Fr.
ftf117
"Exsultate Jehovae." — Lat. "Chanter a haute voix au Seigneur."
—
Fr.
ftf118
In the French it is "give glory to
him."
ftf119
From verse 3d to verse
11th
inclusive, the verbs we have rendered in the present tense are in the preterite
in the Latin version, but in this instance we follow the French version in which
they are in the
present.
ftf120
"Tears" —
Fr.
ftf121
In the Commentary, (vol 4, p. 202) we have translated "they asked," by mistake.
Calvin seems to understand this as spoken of
God.
ftf122
Literally,
"And."
ftf123
According to the Hebrew Division, Part 5 extends from Psalm 107 to Psalm 150
inclusive.
ftf124
"With" or "from." —
Fr.
ftf125
In the French version it is
"in."
ftf126
Literally, "wicked" or
"ungodly."
ftf127
In the French version it is — "And let his children be vagabonds and
beg."
ftf128
In the French version it is — "And seek [for bread] going out of
their waste or ruined
dwellings."
ftf129
Literally, "be to
destruction."
ftf130
In the French version it is
"sin."
ftf131
Literally,
"work."
ftf132
Literally, "beauty and
honour."
ftf133
In the Latin version it is "verba," "words," but Calvin rejects this translation
in the commentary. In the French version it is
"affairs."
ftf134
Literally, "who exalteth himself to
dwell."
ftf135
In the French version it is "they have
mouths."
ftf136
The translation of these two verses is free, being modified by Calvin's
Commentary. For the literal translation, see Vol.
4.ftf137
Literally, it is "hath recompensed upon
thee."
ftf138
In the French version, in this and the two following verses, it is
"that."
ftf139
Literally, "thrusting thou has
thrust."
ftf140
Literally, "chastising hath chastised
me."
ftf141
Here the reading in the Latin text is ambiguous. The above is the reading in the
French version; and as determined by Calvin in the
Commentary.
ftf142
In the French version it is, "have forged
lies."
ftf143
"Horruit." —
Lat.
ftf144
Literally, "I have prevented the twilight." — But see the
Commentary.
ftf145
In the French version it is, "for there are
set."
ftf146
"Is escaped." —
Fr.
ftf147
This supplement is in the Latin version but not in the
French.
ftf148
These two lines which are David's oath are in the abrupt form in which the Jews
were accustomed to
swear.
ftf149
These two verses have also the abrupt termination characteristic of the Jewish
form of
swearing.
ftf150
"Descendit." — Lat. "Descend." —
Fr.
ftf151
In the French version the verb for "speak" in this line; and the verbs for "see"
and "hear" in the two next lines, are in the present
tense.
ftf152
Literally, "above the head of my
joy."
ftf153
"If I make my bed" —
Fr.
ftf154
Literally, "for terribly I have been made
wonderful."
ftf155
"Thine eyes did see me when I was yet without form." —
Fr.
ftf156
"Their wounds." —
Fr.
ftf157
Literally, "to the sons."